#i have traveled to out of state zoos specifically to hang out with them

[icemankazansky]

several baby servals serving cuteness

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

Since you’ve left me a Christmas ask☺️💕

How are Chrysta and her boys celebrating their Christmas with their baby bats?🥺

Awww thank you MJ!!! 🥹🥹 Happy Holidays and thank you for the cute ask!! 🩷🩷

Now, holidays with the coven are definetly a little bit hectic, but that doesn't make them any less fun! Especially when they decide to drive down to Utah to spend it with Grandpa and grandma Campbell. (Chrystas parents)

They drive out about two or three nights traveling and sight seeing, taking a few stops to stretch legs and get a bite and place to snooze for the day, let the little bats get some energy out before hopping back onto the bikes and heading out in their way.

[Also to note that Marko and his baby Kat don't celebrate Christmas, and they celebrate Hanukkah!]

They baby bats love anything that has to do with going out shopping and seeing pretty lights and houses decorated! While they go out shopping with their grandparents their all crowded at each side if the car trying to look at the passing houses.

The trips to the Hogle Zoo are the best part for the whole family. Especially cause they have the Zoo-lights through all of December. The girls and Chris love seeing the animals and the whole place at decked out for festivities.

LAGOON!!! [I know Lagoon isn't open during winter but SHSHSHS Let's pretend it is] the states theme park is a little taste of home when the boys are feeling a tad bit homesick from Cali. They're taking the kids on every ride- at least the ones they're big enough for. Jenny and Annie are only enough for the bigger rides and are thrilled to wait in a mile long line with their fathers to ride the colossus for the millionth time. Chrysta will take the little kids and Chris around on the carousel, or to get some hot cocoa and candy-canes. 😋

Based on a family tradition of mine, the family all goes to the Layton Mall for their Christmas shopping! It's most specific for the kids of course, but the boys don't mind finding some pretties for their Cherri at JC-Penny or Victoria's Secret.🤭 [they also spoil these kids to DEATH I SWEAR]

The boys and Chrysta will split up with each of the girls and take turns roaming around the different levels of the mall to go Secret shopping, letting the girls and Chris pick out a gift or two for each of their sisters and baby brother, before switching parents and looking for the next. [David and Marko like to give the kids any hints on what one of the others fancied while searching earlier if their struggling to find something. 🥺]

They love making caramel or hard candy's with Chrysta and their grandpa! It's an old family recipe that Chrysta is happy to finally share with her own little ones now. 🩷

Ice skating us a rather amusing event to watch. Either Chrysta skating around with a tail of little ones holding onto her making a little train, or watching Marko struggle to even stay upright. Everyone being both pleasantly surprised and slightly freaked out with how good David is on the ice, Paul hanging onto Dwayne for dear life the whole time. In the end, everyone is cold and wants to go snuggle up and nap by the fire.

But the best thing of going to Utah for the holidays was the first time they ever decided to do it, and the girls and Chris saw snow for the first time.

Their big eyes all wide when David opened the curtains of the window in their bedroom, showing a nightly snowfall, leaving a powder of pure white on the grown, reflecting colored lights adorning the houses down all the streets. It was probably the first time Chrysta saw David smile so genuinely and big watching their little faces light up. 🩷🩷

[lunafeather]

2o. Exhausted parent kiss

(I’m sorry for the wall of text, Tumblr was built by morons, and when I edited the post it moved the read more into the ask itself and nothing I do will fix it -_- )

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They’d thought they could handle the Zoo, if they made sure to stick together and stand united against any kid rebellion. They’d made a plan, they’d assigned roles, they’d broken almost every minute down to a specific routine. And, to be fair, the day had started off well enough.

But an hour in and the dominoes started falling, knocking into each other, stacking and stacking until there was utter chaos – Emma’s feet had started hurting, and Beth reminded her that she had chosen these frilly, half-translucent jelly sandals, that she had warned her that they would likely not be comfortable for a day of walking, but Emma had been stubborn and demanding, hands on her hips and heels firmly planted, her chin jutted out and blue eyes steely (Rio had happened catch the expression and had to hide his chuckle; “She definitely got that look from you, mamí,” he murmured to her later, after helping Emma into her booster seat. Beth had not been amused), so she had conceded and informed her that there would be no complaints later if her feet did start to hurt.  Emma’s eyes had sparkled and she’d thrown her arms around Beth’s thighs, smiling sweetly up at her with an equally saccharine, “Thank you, Mommy!”

Danny had started to get overwhelmed, clutching Beth’s hands until it hurt, refusing to let go and melding to her side, ignoring her attempts to distract him with her fingers ruffling through his hair or by excitedly pointing out the animals in their exhibits.

Kenny cycled violently between skulking and thoroughly enjoying himself the entire time, teenage hormones beginning to rear their ugly heads. And then, noticing Danny shyly hanging back, Kenny had launched his attack, mocking Danny for “being a baby”, for “needing his mommy”, for being “a scaredy cat”. Rio had sharply told him to knock it off, leveling him with that Dad glare, mixed with a little Gang Leader for emphasis, and Kenny had backed down – only to slide up into Danny’s space and whisper his insults in his ear.

All of this, of course, led to the finale in their travelling circus – Jane, climbing on top of a fence lining the pathway, her jacket arms tied around her neck so that it billowed out behind her like a cape (Beth had, in this case, put her foot down about Jane’s outfit choices. She had mostly outgrown her capes and her lack of pants, but occasionally she relapsed, especially if an event seemed exciting and ripe for adventure), tipping her head back and screeching, like Tarzan – only filthier – all while Marcus danced around her, hooting and shrieking and egging her on. Rio had swooped in immediately, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch Jane before she took off, taking two big steps along the fence top, losing her balance, and launching herself off in an attempt to save face.

Beth had shrieked as she went down and Rio had yelled, and every eye in a fifty foot radius was trained on them, strangers appalled and worried and annoyed. Marcus retreated to hide behind Beth as Jane inevitably hit the ground too hard, her momentum flinging her forward onto her face. Rio had scooped her up just as she rolled over and burst into gasping, wailing tears.

Kenny had hovered on the edge of the disaster, looking embarrassed.

As Rio carried Jane back to Beth, the Pièce de résistance – Danny had jerked hard on her arm, demanding her attention, but of course Beth had brushed him off, was trying to drop his hand so that she could check Jane for any serious damage, but he had latched on and tugged even harder, desperate for her attention, his voice tight. Beth turned with a sharp what, Danny? On the tip of her tongue when he opened his mouth and puked, the contents of his stomach spilling against her fitted t-shirt and dribbling down her jeans.

Pandemonium, of course, had ensued.

Now, finally pulling up to the house – their trip cut short, for obvious reasons – Beth heaves a long, exhausted sigh. She and Rio had herded their children to the van where they cleaned Danny and Jane up, and then they’d bickered about what to do with the vomit covered clothing. Danny stripped his shirt and settled in the back of the van with Kenny, too embarrassed to complain. Rio insisted Beth wear just her jacket over her bra and that she take off her pants, that the smell would be too much if they didn’t pack the clothes away, but Beth had pushed back – she didn’t have any spare pants. After a heated stare down, they’d compromised: Beth would wear her jacket over her bra, but would leave her jeans on and cover her lap with his jacket to smother the smell. He’d crowded her into the open passenger’s seat, using his body to shield her in the vast zoo parking lot, but immensely enjoying the view. Even weary and frustrated, he had a one track mind. Beth’d rolled her eyes.

She drops heavily out of the passenger seat and helps Rio unbuckle the three youngest from their booster seats in the middle row. Marcus keeps his head down, ashamed and contemplative, scuffing his shoe and meandering to the front door. Emma stares with wide, glassy eyes first at Rio, then Beth, her lower lip sticking out and about to tremble, but Beth cuts that off with a hard head tilt, and sends a now solemn Emma on her way. Jane whimpers pathetically, swipes at her snotty, running nose with the back of her hand, and when Beth reaches for her, she shrinks away, sad little wounded animal noises curling in the back of her throat. Beth opens her mouth to ask her what’s wrong – then snaps it shut, biting her lip as Jane lifts her arms towards Rio, asking him without words to carry her inside. He sweeps her up and settles her on his hip without complaint.

It makes something deep inside Beth clench.

Danny and Kenny get themselves out, and both hurry to the house – Kenny impatient to get on his computer, Danny thoroughly humiliated by his reaction to the crowds and the chaos, and his state of undress. Beth, with no children to transport, retrieves the stuff from the trunk, prepared to soak and wash their soiled clothes. Danny at least lets her press a kiss to his hair and squeeze him against her side as Rio unlocks the door.

“Kenny, upstairs. Got that book report you gotta finish before tomorrow.”

Kenny rolls his eyes at Rio, groans. Ultimately drags his feet up the stairs to his room anyway.

“Honey, why don’t you go upstairs and take a shower before dinner, okay?” Beth grips Danny’s chin between her thumb and index finger, tipping it up so she can meet his eyes.

He looks away, nods, follows his brother.

Emma has already disappeared to her and Jane’s room. Marcus hovers in the foyer and rubs at his arm, too unsure of himself to commit to one direction. Beth ruffles his hair and points him towards the den. “Why don’t you go and pick out a movie for you and Jane to watch, Sweetie?”

He nods, his face lighting up with that charming, sure-to-break-some-hearts smile and dashes off.

Wandering into the living room and then the dining room, grabbing stray, discarded socks and pants and – underwear? Beth wrinkles her nose in disgust – to add to her spontaneous laundry load, she approaches the kitchen, hears Rio murmuring to Jane, “But we gotta be quick, ‘aight? Sneaky. Like a ninja. Can you do that?” She pauses on the other side of the wall, listens as the fridge opens and closes, as cupboards and drawers open and close, as silverware clatters against dishes. Jane giggles and hums, as Rio shushes her. When Beth finally steps into the open, Rio and Jane – sat on the island counter – freeze, spoons in their mouths, bowls filled with ice cream, the carton open and abandoned next to them.

Rio looks at Jane, sighing. “Looks like we got caught red handed, darlin’.”

Jane clutches her bowl closer, growling like a rabid animal. The effect is shattered by her toothy grin suddenly erupting across her battered face.

“I’m gonna go throw all of this in the wash and get changed. Does she need any band aids or anything?”

“Nah, mama, I think she’s good.”

Beth purses her lips. Scrapes and cuts are sprinkled across her baby’s forehead and nose and cheeks, her hands and knees, and okay, maybe they really don’t look too bad, but you can never be sure. She leaves to dump the duffel bag – a purple one, meant for family, not Book Club – in the washing machine, stripping her jeans and jacket off and shoving them in, too, then changes into a pair of comfy leggings and a soft oversized t-shirt that she pulls from the dryer. Then she grabs the first aid kit from the laundry storage and steps back into the kitchen.

When Rio sees the white box in her hands, he scowls at her. Beth shrugs. She is who she is.

He clears their dishes, rinsing them and setting them in the sink, while she methodically cleans and then applies antibiotic cream to Jane’s wounds. She holds out two band aid options for her daughter to choose from.

“Those ones!” Jane points to the creepy crawly themed ones, covered with all sorts of bugs.

Beth laughs, because of course. She carefully presses band aids to Jane’s knees, palms, and wrists, leaving her face bare – the last time she had tried to put a band aid on her face, Jane had screamed bloody murder and thrashed like a fish caught on a hook. Beth had learned her lesson.

“All done!” Beth smiles, replacing her supplies in the first aid kit. She leans to lift Jane into her arms.

“No! Rio!”

Rio catches her eye, nodding. “S’cool, mama, I got her.”

Beth doesn’t know if she should be offended or charmed by Jane’s insistence on her preferred caretaker.

She tucks Jane’s hair behind her ear, the opening theme for Despicable Me starting from where Marcus is huddled on the couch. “Go sit with Marcus and watch the movie, okay?”

Jane nods. Rio kisses Beth’s cheek as he passes.

She decides now is likely the best time to shower, while the house is quiet and before she passes out from exhaustion. When she’s done, she goes upstairs to check on her three oldest, finding Danny drawing on his bed, freshly bathed and already in his jammies; Emma barefoot and dancing, twirling and delicately jumping, singing lightly along to whatever soundtrack she has playing; and Kenny on his computer – slyly trying to minimize some online game as Beth opens his door, pretending he’d been working on his homework all the while, but he chuckles awkwardly, caught, pinned in place by Beth’s disapproving scowl. She sets him straight and returns to the ground floor.

What she stumbles on sends warmth snaking up the back of her neck, across her shoulders, down her spine. Marcus is curled up in the corner of the couch, fast asleep. Rio is on the opposite end, head tipped back and eyes closed, Jane wrapped completely around him like a spider monkey, straddling him with her knees on either side of his hips, arms tucked against his sides, head nestled into his chest as she snores softly. Rio’s hand is pressed to her back, holding her against him. Beth stands on the stairs and gapes, awed and – yep, definitely charmed, not offended by the sight. She tugs her phone from her back pocket, rounding the couch and inching closer in hopes of silently capturing the moment. One, two shots, she’s about to zoom in when –

“Better not be doin’ what I think you’re doin’,” Rio growls.

Beth grins and circles behind the couch. She bends over the back, kissing him on the cheek, rubbing her nose through his beard and burying her face in his neck.

He grunts. “Never doin’ that again.” She figures he means the Zoo.

She giggles against his skin. Kisses the closest wing of the eagle tattoo, scrapes her teeth against the junction of his neck and shoulder.

“Don’t start somethin’ you can’t finish,” he rumbles.

“Sorry,” she says, not sorry at all. He huffs a laugh.

She lifts herself away from him, finding his eyes open and earnest, and that warmth from before swells. She leans down again, brushes her lips against his, smiles when he tilts his head to give her a better angle so it’s not so much an awkward sorta spiderman kiss, and instead a pleasant slightly sideways melding of their mouths. She licks at the seam of his lips until he lets her deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue against hers and groaning. When she bites down hard on his lower lip, he jerks away.

“What’d I tell you?” But he isn’t angry – his voice is rough like sandpaper, making the hair on her neck stand up.

She presses in again, but this kiss is chaste. She burrows again into his neck. “Honestly, that’s all I’ve got in me right now.”

Rio laughs quietly. “Yeah, I feel that.”

Silence falls over them, save for Gru eagerly describing his newest evil invention. Rio turns to inhale the scent of her hair, letting the curls engulf him.

“I’m going to send those to Annie and Ruby.”

He stiffens. “Nuh.”

“Mmhmm. I have to, I have no choice.”

“Elizabeth.”

That night, they’re both too tired to do more than make out a little in bed before passing out.

Rio wakes her in the morning with his hips grinding into her ass and his teeth teasing her pulse point, his energy restored and his appetite thriving. Beth welcomes it, lets it swallow her whole.

————————

Send me a kiss prompt!

(Currently working on: 6, 7, 9, 13, 24, 26, 29, 30)

[rainbow-hatted1]

What Boredom looks like

1. You just opened up a web browser. What is the first site you visit?

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/

Yeah, that’s sort of my jam. Reddit in general but that is my go to.

vv more below if you wanna deep dive. vv

2. You just walked into a bookstore. What section do you go to first?

The local published section. If it’s a good bookshop they usually have one. Usually it’s poetry, or short essay compilations or local history books but I tend to like the offerings and you’re supporting people who don’t have a big platform yet.

Otherwise, comics and fantasy are my next first stops.

3. You are hanging with your closest friends. What are you most likely doing?

Lately, not much of anything. Arguing… not talking… depressing things.

Ideally, though, there’s a good meal. Either we’ve cobbled it together on our own or it’s a decent take out option and video/board games. Quidditch if it’s a nice day. Basically, where we can sit and bullshit and laugh a lot. That’s the best time with my mates.

4. You just turned your car on. What station is the radio tuned to?

The independent/alt/rock station. In spite making pop music myself I don’t listen to it a lot. Which is probably weird.

5. You have just woken up for the morning. What is the first things you do?

Try to go back to sleep.

6. Complete this phrase: You cannot buy happiness, but you can buy____.

Tacos

7. What would you do if you woke up as the opposite gender?

Probably touch my boobs entirely too much. Liz calls them boob checks… well, if they’re quick and random, this would probably be fondling.  I am ashamed of this answer but it’s likely what I’d do.

8. Are you more likely to cook for yourself or buy food from a restaurant?

I’m prone to laziness but I actually find cooking relaxing so cook for myself. Saves money too. It’s just a good practice to have in general.

9. If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would you rather lose?

Smell, probably. I enjoy food too much to lose taste. And between sight and hearing, I’d miss not having those senses and touch is just kind of important as a human being.  

10. If you could relive any one year of your life, how old would you be?

Dunno

11. Would you take a bullet for anyone you know?

A few someones

12. Would you rather be rich and dumb or poor and extremely intelligent?

Poor and intelligent. Better chances of bettering my situation with that one.

13. What TV character do you most relate to?

Sam Gardner from Atypical.

14. You just walked into a supermarket. What section do you first go to?

Produce. Yeah, you all thought I’d go for the bakery and desserts. Don’t lie.

15. Is sex before marriage wrong?

No. It’s human. So is waiting. It shouldn’t be as polarizing as it is. Sex is part of life and how you want to experience it is entirely up to you.

16. You just won the lottery. What is the first thing you do with your winnings?

Get a lawyer and not tell anyone I won. People get shitty when you have a lot of money. They expect you to make it rain and I wouldn’t. I’d also take the weekly installments. More money overall and you are far less likely to tank yourself with the winnings. Just saying.

17. If your best friend admitted that they have a crush on you, how would you react?

I would be awkward as fuck. Love him, not like that and he has a girlfriend so yeah… it’d be fucked up.

18. Will the USA ever have a female president?

At this point in time: no. Again, this is a polarizing question that shouldn’t be. A woman could run the country I’m not women in charge by that answer. Don’t read into it. I’m merely saying, that with the way the country appears to be currently they will not vote for that. I’m sorry. It’s stupid.

19. You are carpooling with your friends. Are you more likely to be the driver or a passenger?

Passenger. I don’t drive.

20. How short is too short for skirts and dresses?

I’m not ancient or wearing a skirt so I don’t think it matters, but I tend to prefer more modest options on girls.

21. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, without any consequences, what food would you choose?

Pizza.

22. It’s Saturday night. What are you most likely doing?

Sleeping.

23. You go on a blind date. Your date is extremely beautiful and physically captivating, but you hate their personality. Would you want a second date?

No.

24. How strict should gun laws be?

I think Australia had the right reaction to a massacre

25. Would you rather be the worst player on the best team or the best player on the worst team?

Best player on the worst team. Hopefully, they wouldn’t resent me and we could have a good 90’s style underdog story.

26. How well do you work with others?

Not well.

27. You have the ability to cure only one fatal disease and eradicate it forever. What disease do you choose?

I don’t want that power. Either way people are gonna die and wonder why I couldn’t cure all cancer or something else that’s just as bad…and inevitably another disease will surface that’s worse. There will always be disease even if we don’t like it.

28. If you could go back to college and choose a different degree to study, would you?

Well, considering I’m not in college yet I can still change my mind on that one, but I probably wouldn’t. Care of Magical Creatures but I haven’t zoned in on the specific avenue I want to go in that field yet.

29. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Er… traveling the countryside looking for magical creatures and documenting them in the wild. It’d be cool if my friends joined once in a while.

30. Are you pro-life or pro-choice?

Pro-choice isn’t anti-life, for fucks sake people.

31. Would you attend a same sex wedding if invited?

Yeah. If my mates fell in love and get married, I’m gonna be at the party regardless of sexes involved.

32. So far, what has been the greatest day of your life?

The first time HM played to a sold out crowd. That was pretty shocking. We’ve done it since and Nik has carried on doing it on his own but that day was scary and humbling and epic.

33. Has anyone you know ever been arrested?

Yeah, wrongly so but they saw what they wanted and went that’s our guy. Luckily, he didn’t get sent away for good.

34. If it could be one season year-round, what season do would you want it to be?

Fall. But like warm fall not close to winter fall. That fall sucks.

35. What is your biggest regret in life?

Saying such shit things about Anna and Charlie’s mum because I was mad at him. We’ve never recovered from it and it was a stupid in the moment blind rage bullshit thing I can’t ever take back.

36. If you could bring one celebrity back from the dead, who would it be?

John Lennon, probably. But the thing is, not everyone is upset their deaths were untimely. That’s more the livings problem than the dead, I’ve come to learn.

37. What offends you the most?

When people assume how I’m feeling. I’m not exactly easy to read, I know that, and I have a hard time wrapping my own head around my thoughts and feelings. So when I am feeling something and someone says I’m feeling another way because my face doesn’t wash with an emotion or my reaction doesn’t match like it allegedly should it’s really upsetting to me and just makes things worse.

38. Would you rather have an ugly hairstyle or be bald?

Do what you want. It’s just hair

39. At what age did you have your first alcoholic beverage?

16. Yeah, I think that’s right.

40. What do you think happens to us when we die?

Ideally, you move on to another plane. Kind of like a multiverse but one for endings. For a bit you can linger between the here as we know it and there but eventually you either stay and become a ghost or a poltergeist (which depends solely on your continued mental state on the matter of your death) but most move on beyond the veil.

41. What do you think is the best way to quit smoking?

I don’t know.

42. If you could take home any one animal from the zoo, which animal would you choose?

A bear of some sort. Polar, Grizzly, Black…. Whatever they’ve got. Not all zoos have the same bears.

43. Were humans created or did we evolve from earlier species?

I’m gonna go out and say something that pisses people off but I don’t see why it can’t be both. Something came out of nothing which is creating, right? The act of creating something is taking elements and making them something or straight up creating an element. What did that, I don’t know. But at one point there was a creation moment. From there everything on this planet has changed and adapted to the situations and surroundings they came into. Life is change, you don’t change you can’t survive. So both. Both sound right to me.

44. What scares you the most?

Losing everyone I care about… and bugs. Fuck bugs

45. What personality trait turns you off the most?

I hate when people play dumb.

46. You got offered a job to do something you hate, but the pay will make you rich. Do you take it?

No.

47. If today you only had what you were thankful for yesterday, how much would you have?

Sadly, not very much probably.

48. How often do you get mad or upset at yourself?

Everyday.

49. If you could choose one celebrity to be your parent, who would you choose?

I’ll keep my parents, thanks but to answer the question: Reign. At least I’d still have family.

50. If you could only listen to one musical artist for the rest of you life, who would you be listening to?

I would probably choose not to listen to music after a bit. I like variety and I’m not always in the mood for an artist of one flavor but the Beatles? At least their breadth of music is pretty wide.

51. Have you ever used you cell phone while driving?

No

52. Has anyone you were close to die way too young?

Yes.

53. Is world peace possible?

No, I don’t believe it is. It’d be great if it could be. There’s no reason for all this hate but people are always going to clash. We get on for a bit and then boom, it’s done. Peace is an impossibility but we should still strive for it regardless.

54. You go on a blind date. You date is extremely ugly and physically appalling, but you are madly in love with their personality. Would you want a second date?

I don’t know. I want to say yes, be that guy who doesn’t care. Looks really are not everything but ultimately, you should be attracted to your partner. If you aren’t it isn’t likely to work even if their personality is the most beautiful thing in the world.

55. How did you discover that Santa Claus isn’t real?

My little brother told me and I was devastated.

56. Do you believe in God, or some form of higher deity?

I honestly want to but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how things can be the way they are if a loving god is out there watching us. I think the Futurama episode where Bender gets life on his ass is a great example of how my brain wants to look at it.

And then I read the Bible and get to stories like Zechariah and I’m just left thinking that guy probably had a stroke while praying and the rest is a coincidence.

57. If you could save someone you deeply cared about, but it meant breaking a law, would you do it?

Fuck yes. Without hesitation

58. What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done for money?

Sold my soul for a sickle once.

59. If you were to make a YouTube video about what you know most about, what would the subject be?

Magical Creatures. I could go on for a very long time about that topic.

60. What do you think is your greatest personality flaw?

I’m rigid. I have a hard time shifting directions when I get going.

61. If your friends spoke to you the way you speak to yourself, would you still want them as friend?

I haven’t got many actual friends so maybe. Better than being alone, I suppose.

62. Have you ever “woke up like this”?

No one has ever “woke up like this”. It’s a lie. It’s always a lie. Even if they look good, that caption shows intent and planning: don’t fall for it.

63. You got offered a job to do something you love, but the pay is one of the worst out there. Do you take it?

If I really fucking love it, yes. But I’m also in a position where I can have a shit paying or no paying job and basically be fine.

64. What do you think is your best physical feature?

My lips?

65. What do you think is your worst physical feature.

My nose is big.

66. Do you know anyone who has committed suicide?

Not suicide no. But I know people who have considered it. Glad they didn’t follow through.

67. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done for someone you don’t know?

I dunno. I have a habit of giving my bus ticket away if it still has time on it. I know it’s not much but as for random acts of kindness that weren’t really put on display for charities or a fluff news story, that’s the one I’ve got.

68. Have you ever had a night’s dream come true?

No, can’t say that I have.

69. Would you reject a date offer from someone you didn’t like?

yes

70. Which do you think is worse: Failure, or never trying at all?

This is one of those what I say is not really what I do things. I think the second is worse but I often freeze when it comes to choices like this. When I’m by myself: I freeze.

[littlelllusionmachine]

I think the last time I was genuinely happy was the first two years of my college experience, which puts us at about 2007-2009. 

When I was a kid, it was a rare treat to see my father. He worked in Manhattan, which, for being all of 12 miles away, may as well have been a different world. He worked long hours and more often than not he’d get more sleep if he just stayed at his office and slept rather than coming home. So, for the duration of whatever film they were either filming or editing in post, there’d be long stretches when I wouldn’t see him. 

He’d have the occasional weekend where he’d come home. Maybe I’d be off from school the next day. I don’t remember the specifics as this was the early-mid 90s. On these occasions, when he had to just drop off a drive or whatever, he’d ask me if I wanted to come to work with him. I’d always say yes, because it seemed very exciting to me - being on film sets, potentially meeting famous actors, getting to know the industry. I decided fairly early on I wanted to be part of it. 

After what seemed like hours - it was always dark when we left - we’d go home. I want to say it was around midnight - at least it felt that way to me, who was no older than 8. As we reach the bridge, he says to me on one specific ride home; “Look at it. It’s kind of like a jewelry box, right? Do you see how it sparkles?” He was talking about the buildings abutting the west side highway - and the entirety of the New York City skyline as we drove further on. It stuck with me. One of those things, a really great day - in spite of me having no recollection at all of what we did - and that one comment he made while I was in a semi-conscious stupor. 

I always wanted to go back to the city. It was where I was born, where I had friends at one point - there was nothing bad associated with it.  Being asked if I wanted to drop a reel off to someone was like being asked if I wanted to go to an amusement park. When I got to high school I took a film class and one of the projects was to film a music video set to a song of your choice. I had no friends at the time, so was at a shortage of actors -- simple solution; go to Manhattan, film from this incredible wealth of people going on with their lives. This was in a freshly post-9/11 world, so things weren’t quite the same as I remembered. . Police presence in the Port Authority. Things like that. But people continued with their humdrum day to day routine like it was nothing. I was envious of it. I did the video to Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. 

When it came to selecting a college, I had two options: A local school, which was considered very good, or an art school in Manhattan - also very good, but 20k more than the other school per semester. I put a 500$ deposit down on the local school before deciding last minute I’d continue to be unhappy if I went there. I still, to this day, with over 10k left on my loans, believe I made the right choice. I don’t think I’d be alive if I went to the other school. 

I took the bus into the city. The bus goes on these couple-story-high ramps before stopping to let people off into the port authority. You get a good view of 9th avenue and some other areas, consequently ----  . . . The first month, going in to school, equally as tired as I was when I was a kid (It was, on some days, 7 in the morning. . )  . . I had one thought; it’s beautiful. The same as that jewelry box. No longer lit up, no longer sparkling like diamonds, but retaining that same ‘magical’ aura. This feeling faded over time, but even now, looking down on those streets, I have to smile to myself a bit. 

My mother has always been overprotective. When it was finally time to go to school that first year I was given a strict set of instructions to follow: take this bus, go on this train, transfer to this one, and walk this way. Do not look at the map under any circumstances or they’ll know you don’t belong. We ran through it the week prior to the first week of school together. On the first day I called to say I had forgotten everything, though I had figured it out. I don’t think she was pleased with me. 

I continued to do this for a few weeks before realizing I could walk the two miles faster than the subway could take me, so, I started to do it. I felt good, walking. Exploring. If I had time I’d take a different street. In the two miles you go through all kinds of neighbourhoods. One street could mean the difference between a “bad” and “good” area. I wanted to see them all. 

She came to accept this, but not before giving a warning: Don’t go to the Bronx. Don’t go too far uptown. That kind of thing. 

By my third year I had explored Harlem. I explored some of the area of the Bronx by the zoo. I got yelled at for both. I have walked from the southernmost point to the northernmost in all my travels. Last month I explored the Bronx further. I got another concerned lecture. I am 10+ years an adult. 

What does any of this have to do with the song above?

I had a playlist, which exists to this day (in a slightly different incarnation) entitled “For Subway/Walking”. Songs I enjoyed that had a nice beat to walk to, that’d keep me entertained. Simple. This song was one of the many on it.

Early on in my travels I discovered the Chelsea Hotel:

Which has an entirely different aura from the rest of the city. It’s huge, daunting - doesn’t really seem to belong where it is. There’s a pharmacy and a gym like a block away. Nothing makes sense in the area, but the hotel is a bit of a landmark. It’s one of those things that are so seemingly out of place, it’s like if you walk in through the doors there’ll be a whole new dimension to explore. I never went in, though I’d go out of my way to walk past the hotel every time I had a class on the west side. On certain days it’d look slightly different - not sure if it was how the sun lit it up, the general ‘feel’ of the area that day or what. . I took pictures every now and then, often looking the same, but I just had a need to keep that days memory in some kind of archive. 

The Chelsea Hotel has been the home to many celebrities over the years. Ginsberg resided there. Once there was a banner hanging out of one of the windows asking to “bring back the poets” - I snapped a photo of that. 2001: A Space Oddity was written in those walls. Nancy Spungen was killed there. There’s just such a rich history to it. There’s an entire section on wikipedia about the notable residents. 

It’s also a hotel where the Libertines recorded some music, The Babyshambles Sessions, in New York. 

I have a couple memories, listening to my playlist while walking past that hotel. . . Nothing specific, just walking - listening to the songs. Especially the one up above. And it’s some of the best memories of my life. I was finally where I wanted to be, listening to music that made me feel good, by a beautiful building where the band members once stood. I didn’t really pay much attention to the lyrics, it was more about a mood and it served its purpose. 

Which is ironic, because the song is about. . . 

. . . .”Carl once said to Pete "its either the top of the world or the bottom of the canal" - he had a big fear of wasting his life and ending up eating cold beans out of a tin and watching daytime telly on a fuzzy TV - they grew to call this concept 'death on the stairs' - the miserable state that some people become, and that’s what this song is about.”

That’s exactly where I fucking am. I discovered grubhub and the allure of not having to cook or do anything for myself without the “risk” of using a phone and placing an order. I work, I work my second job, and I watch late night cartoons and occasionally fall asleep on the sofa. Sometimes I work, then immediately come home and go to sleep in spite of it being like 6p. 

I never intended on living this long, so that was never a fear of mine. I had this premonition my entire life, like every since I decided I wanted to do something in the art field. I’d get my job, be miserable doing it, and eventually give myself alcohol poisoning before dying in some bar or in the street at 3 am between the ages of 26 and 27. So I never planned past that point. 

Here I am, never once getting a job in my field of choice to be miserable doing as to be the catalyst for my eventual death. I am older than 27. I am working, at least the one job, at the same place I have been working since 2010 -- a job I only got so I could afford the bus/subway to get into the city in the first place. And I am still miserable, but I am not even allowed that (dare I say? ) romanticized artists death. 

This is Death on the Stairs. I have managed to corrupt one of my last happy memories.

Now my parents are planning on moving. My dad is no longer in the film industry so there’s no reason to be paying the ridiculous taxes and fees involved with being in a suburb of the city. Everything is cheaper out west. Unfortunately, so is the scope of the people’s world --- I asked a realtor how to get to the city with public transportation and he stated he wasn’t fully sure. 

I don’t have anywhere to return to. The last time I was in the city, a guy in a ski mask was waiting on the subway platform. He got very close to my face and it scared the fuck out of me. I no longer travel with a knife or anything like that since one of them was confiscated from me years ago (again, post 9/11 world) -- it was just one of those things, as I’m recalling my mother; don’t go here, here, or there . . . you don’t belong. It was the first time I even had the thought that maybe she was right. And that was terrifying since that’s the only place I ever felt like I did belong. And even then, it was the anonymity that drew me to it. Nobody cares about you and. . . you’re not going to care about anybody. And even there, I felt, while on that platform, I didn’t belong. I did not tell her about this incident. 

I don’t want to move. I don’t want to let go of this thought; maybe I will be happy. Maybe I can get over the crippling social anxiety. Maybe I can find the time to sit down, assemble a portfolio, and put myself out there. Maybe I can get a job doing something I love. Maybe I can earn enough so I can get to a point where my parents won’t be scared shitless about my future; how I can’t support myself. How I don’t seem to have any aspirations. How I just don’t belong. The truth is I never belonged here, either - that’s what made New York so alluring to me in the first place. Now I am losing everything. 

I have been thinking a lot about killing myself lately. It’s not that I have any plans to go through with it, and I am not saying this as a desperate act of ‘I need help/attention’ or ‘Call someone’ -- nothing like that, no. On the contrary.  It’s just something that has been at the back of my mind. It’s hard going through the day when you’re being instructed to just go fuck off. Just die or something. My only solace is that my view is already from the bottom of that canal and all I can see is the lingering silhouette of the Chelsea. But it’s getting further away. Regardless, I suppose up is the only way to go --

And in the interim, it’s nice to reflect on those moments of happiness. Even if they are so far out of reach. 

[animalexperienceinternational]

Monkeys in my Closet?

I still remember my mother’s horror when she found out that my Kindergarten class would be taking a field trip to the Dubai Zoo. I didn’t understand what was wrong with going on such an adventure- I couldn’t wait to see the wild animals that Animal Planet had promised me were much more majestic than my lazy old house cat.

The animals at the Dubai Zoo lived in enclosures unworthy of even my house cat, extinguishing my expectations for the Animal Planet worthy experience I had awaited.

The zoo boasted 800 animals on a 5-acre property in the hot Dubai sun. With lions and bears stuffed in cages the size of my bathroom and monkeys hanging in my closet, their new homes didn’t have the smallest resemblance to their previous lives in the wild. It was a prison. 

I remember leaving in disdain, pledging never to return and hoping that Animal Rights Activists somewhere would shut the place down. 

In 2020, I decided to research the current situation, as my kindergarten expectations may have clouded my assessment of the severity of their living conditions.

My initial impression of the zoo’s inability to produce humane conditions for wild animals (many years ago) was confirmed to a community report done by Gulf News. Since then, the Dubai Zoo relocated in 2017 to a larger location and is now known as the “Dubai Safari”, and has pledged to maintain “a high standard of animal welfare, nutrition and ethical conduct” on their website. 

It’s not just the Dubai Zoo

Many zoos worldwide have gained a bad reputation amongst Animal Rights Activists. Some zoos are known to interfere with animals’ ability to do necessary activities that would be easily accessible in the wild, such as the freedom to explore, move and mate (Hirsh, 2018). 

Some animals even develop neurotic conditions such as “zoochosis” due to these unnatural conditions, which warrants behaviors such as excessive grooming, self-mutilation and playing with or eating feces (Hirsh, 2018). 

Looking at the 5 universally accepted rights required to protect animals’ welfare is vital to assess whether an animal benefits from its living situation. Animal sanctuaries typically aim to meet these rights as closely as possible, whereas zoos may neglect some elements on the premise of profiting economically.

Nutrition that is balanced, sufficient and reflective of what they would naturally be consuming maintains the animal’s health (and the space to maintain a standard fitness level). Having a similar environment to the wild (e.g. temperature, noise, odor) and external environmental challenges ensures that the animal’s behavior and mental state is consistent with their natural state and prevents zoochosis.

What is the difference between zoos and sanctuaries?

At first glance, animal sanctuaries and zoos may seem to share a few similar features; wild animals are kept in enclosures, cared for by humans, and sometimes exhibited to the public for viewing. 

Although some zoos aim to take conservation and scientific research in mind, most base their collection on which species will generate the greatest consumer response (Hartigan, 2014). Animals may be trained (even violently) for entertainment purposes and bred, traded, or sold to other zoos to gain economic profit (Hartigan, 2014). 

An animal sanctuary aims to care for neglected, abandoned, or abused animals with hopes of either releasing them back into the wild or allowing them to retire peacefully. GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries) and ASA (Animal Sanctuary Association) are two organizations that provide conditions that accredited Animal Sanctuaries must operate under, such as sanitary, veterinary, and enclosure requirements (Hartigan, 2014). Although some Sanctuaries allow visitors at certain times, “humans are not the most important creatures, animals are” (Hartigan, 2014).

Our Partners

AEI partners with accredited animal rescue centers in Malawi, Thailand, and Guatemala, which all work to provide a place of care and rehabilitation for animals who would not survive in the wild. 

In Malawi, the center works to help animals stuck in illegal trade, or animals in danger due to diminishing habitats. This world-renowned center partners with the government and is home to 200 rescued animals as the only accredited wildlife center in Malawi. 

In Thailand, our partner works on specialized projects which care for and nurse back animals to health to release them to the wild. Major threats to these animals include loss of habitat, cruelty in the entertainment industry, hunting, or illegal trade.

Our partners in Guatemala are one of the most complex and specific rescue centers in the world. Working with the Guatemalan government, they rehabilitate and provide refuge to wild animals on the black market. The black market has caused a dramatic loss of Guatemalan wildlife, and the center also works to raise awareness surrounding the severity of the issue.

Although zoos and animal sanctuaries may just seem like interchangeable ways to reference wild animals living outside of their natural habitats, they have entirely different goals and outcomes for their animals’ wellbeing. The Dubai Zoo failed to meet the welfare needs of wild animals; however, have the potential to improve animal welfare in their new location. 

As they continue to put animals’ needs as their primary focus, animal sanctuaries worldwide continue to require funding and volunteer assistance, especially once travel becomes more viable again.

To learn more about our partner sanctuaries or register your interest for future volunteer experiences, visit https://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/search-experiences .

Sources: Gulf News, Lifestyle- Community. (2006). Have your say: Dubai zoo [Press release]. Retrieved

2020, from https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/community/have-your-say-dubai-zoo-1.191627

Hartigan, R. (2014, March 20). Are Wildlife Sanctuaries Good for Animals? Retrieved December

07, 2020, from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/3/140320-animal-sanctuary-wildlife-

otic-tiger-zoo/

Hirsh, S. (2019, March 13). If You Love Animals, Don't Visit Zoos or Aquariums - Consider This 

Ethical Option Instead. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from 

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/visit-animal-sanctuary-not-zoo-aquarium

How to Tell if a Place Is a REAL Animal Sanctuary. (2019, August 02). Retrieved December 07,

2020, from 

https://www.peta.org/features/real-animal-sanctuary-zoo/

[packratblog-blog1]

Hong Kong 🇭🇰

Hong Kong is a unique beast. It’s two sets of sharp teeth stretching high into a vast and often humid sky, skyscrapers and high-rises compete with each other for height, space and architectural magnificence, glaring at and taunting each other across Victoria Harbour. Beast is a term that gestates two major connotations; majestic and wild. It’s not a term that I choose to use lightly, but the images and ideas it fosters in the mind are completely relevant. This is a place that is a living, breathing contradiction…in the best possible sense. Hong Kong is Western yet firmly taking its place in the East, has one of the highest per person per capita densities on the planet, and yet has an insane amount of park and green space (surprisingly only 25% of its land has been built on!), these being just two basic examples. The beast is fascinating. Situated on (and off) the southern coast of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong is made up of islands, in fact there are at least 200 of them, with Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island being the largest and most territorially significant. As well as this Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories also make up the areas connected to the Chinese mainland, all in all constituting what we today call Hong Kong. You may be left asking a common question by this; “Is Hong Kong Chinese then?" …My answer is a frustrating one; it’s a yes and a no, and it’s giving an answer on this that the history nerd in me is really my best ally. Hong Kong’s full and long-winded name is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. So by that definition, yes, it’s Chinese. However, the Special Administrative Region aspect is really important. This means that Hong Kong is given autonomy from Beijing and up to a point, governs itself. More questions. The next logical one is why then is it separate from the rest of China and why does it have this special status? As is the answer to many historical, geopolitical lines of questioning, the short answer is, “the British.” Britain colonised Hong Kong at a considerably late point in the grand scheme of its colonial history and governed the territory consistently between the end of the Second World War and 1997. It is this aspect of Hong Kong’s past that makes it the unique beast that we know and love today. From the 1970s onwards Hong Kong’s unique status and decreasing need for British rule gradually paved the way for what is widely known as ‘The Handover’, and on July 1st 1997, sovereignty of the city was given back to the Chinese. Hong Kong’s considerable cultural, financial and political differences to China are all aspects of Beijing’s decision to give autonomous leeway when negotiating the Handover with Britain and establishing the city-state afresh for the future. In the wake of The Handover, today Hong Kong stands as an economic powerhouse, a bridge between East and West, and in terms of further human standards, as a beacon of the future; it boasts the planet’s longest life expectancy for its residents. So yes, Hong Kong is a beast. However, it's entirely possible to love a beast, beasts are fascinating. Mike Tyson had his tiger, Slash keeps a few hundred snakes apparently and numerous Bond villains have had sharks and stuff. Beasts, while not docile, comfortable pets like rabbits or kittens are unique and wild, they’re lovable because they’re as interesting and as unpredictable as hell. It’s for that reason that this post is a love letter. I love Hong Kong. Hong Kong just works, it’s an unbelievable place that’s a testament to human efficiency and co-existence. When Hong Kong’s population (approximately just under7.5 million people as of last year) is compared with its land mass (of around just under 3000 square kilometres), the number crunching tells you one specific, standout fact; that’s an insane amount of people for an insanely small place in comparison). It’s despite this population density, the planet’s fourth largest (more on that in future posts), that Hong Kong really does just somehow work. Traffic is an issue but not in the same way as it is in other major global conurbations, the people follow rules such as walking on the right side of the pavement/sidewalk to alleviate congestion and they follow jaywalking laws to a tee. The city’s fantastic metro system (the Hong Kong MTR) is clean, efficient and consistently modernised, it can get you to any corner of Hong Kong and it even runs on time! (I’m from England…google ‘Train reliability in Britain’ if you want to find out more about why I’m amazed at trains running on time). And while I’m singing the praises of Hong Kong running like highly modernised, mechanised clockwork there is still that amazing unpredictability that sets my teeth on edge. You can walk along one street with gleaming, modern skyscrapers, your nostrils filled with the scent of Char Sui buns from local street vendors, then turn a corner and be surrounded by quaint Chinese streets filled with Buddhist temples and the smell of incense hanging in the air. It’s unique: It’s modern, it’s steeped in history, and it truly is like nowhere else I’ve ever been. We’ve both been endlessly excited to get back here and it still holds a tonne of new experiences and insights for both of us that we just can’t wait to get our teeth into. Can you tell I’m hungry? Yep, the food’s unbelievable too. With all of that in mind, let's get started on some of my favourite things about Hong Kong... AREAS/PLACES TO VISIT: - Victoria Harbour: The harbour can be seen from either side and whichever way you choose it's always impressive. Arguably though, if you had to choose one or don't have time for both, visit the harbour on the Kowloon side around evening time. If you're lucky (and depending on the time of year) you'll get to see the skyline in the daylight and after a slight wait of an hour or so you'll get to see it lit up for the evening (at 8PM there's a light and sound show each evening which is mega impressive!) I love Victoria Harbour, I believe that if I saw it every day it still wouldn't become something that doesn't blow my mind. - Garden of Stars: Get the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui and two minutes away is Garden of Stars. This place is very cool, it's Hong Kong's equivalent of LA's walk of fame. Rather than the stars in the pavement/sidewalk, Garden of Stars features handprints and monuments from some of HK cinema's biggest names. The coolest part though? They have this amazingly detailed Bruce Lee statue that really, if you're a martial arts fan, you've kind of GOT to make the voyage to see! - Victoria Peak: Yeah, it's a tourist thing to do but even if you're the kind of person that hates that you should still 100% make the trip up. I'm a skyline and building nerd, and to be honest, besides from the Kowloon side of the harbour, nowhere else in the city gives you a better view (with so many different angles) of HK's unreal skyline. Again, you never get accustomed to that view, it melts my mind. Ocean Park: You won't often find me visiting many theme parks (not out of dislike, I just don't tend to!) However, Ocean Park is very cool. It's equal parts theme park (with rollercoasters and other rides), stunning island-to-sea views, an extensive aquarium and a pretty big outdoor zoo. The best part...they have pandas, and it's unbelievable to see them up close, it's worth a trip just for that. Since I last visited HK last October, Ocean Park now has it's own line on the MTR, which is much easier than the previous bus that was required to make the journey. - Big Buddha Monument: Definitely the largest Buddhist monument I've ever seen, it's situated at the top of a mountain and it's amazing. There's a great cable car trip up there which provides some great photo and video opportunities up over the bay. - Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery: The name sums this one up, it's a hike to get up to the main area of the monastery but the whole way is lined with SO many different Buddhist statues. There are even more at the top where you're also rewarded with great views and some really cool temple buildings. - Kowloon Walled City Park: I get these weird things that I become fascinated by and I end up doing endless research on them...Kowloon Walled City is one of them. The Walled City was a former shanty town which occupied a full city block on Kowloon Island up until as recently as 1994 when it was demolished. It may sound boring, but I saw a documentary on it years ago and became amazed at it's ramshackle, improvised stacked-up architecture. Google it to learn more (as I could go on for ages about this)...it truly is fascinating to consider how the place became a city entirely of it's own. Since demolition in the mid-90s, the city block it once occupied has been transformed into a lush, tranquil park which acts as a great relief from the hectic pace of HK for the locals. To visit was very cool, and it was unbelievable to stand in the centre and imagine the place going back 30+ years. FOOD: Before I start this, I want to state that Hong Kong's food is magnificent. I'd argue that the city is worth visiting just for the food alone (it's that good!) While this isn't an exhaustive list because I could go on forever, this is a list that I've tried to include some different options and price ranges... - Cafe de Coral: It sounds French, it isn't. Cafe de Coral is a large chain in HK. They provide phenomenal Cantonese food with the efficiency of McDonalds. While it's great at any time of the day, what I love about Cafe de Coral is that it's always busy, it's always full of locals which speaks volumes for the food. It's also a good cheap option which makes it great for backpackers and other budget travellers. - Maxim's MX: MX is much like Cafe de Coral and have sprung up all over the city over the last year. It's extremely similar to Cafe de Coral in both the food served and the mode of service as well as price. It's worth visiting both at some point though, as they both have delicious signature dishes of their own! - Tim Ho Wan: There are a few of these phenomenal restaurants dotted around the city. We recently visited the North Point location (a few times, I have to admit), and it's hands down the finest Dim Sum at a reasonable price in Hong Kong, I can't recommend it highly enough. Hong Kong gets more and more interesting and exciting each and every time I visit, we'll be back to visit in a few weeks time. Before that though we cross the border into a place I've always been fascinated by: mainland China. Hong Kong, we'll see you again soon...Shenzhen, we'll see you even sooner!

[quileuteima-blog]

Love gives your enemies a perfect target

 PART 2 

(PART 1) (PART 3) (FINAL PART)

Paul x imprint!reader

Warnings: Swearing, kidnapping, torture 

Request: “can u write a paul imagine where he imprints on the reader but doesn’t tell her but since it’s so obvious, some vampires kidnap and torture her to get back at him and he saves her and it’s super angsty and paul being a mess and a fluffy end? thanks!”

-There will be a part 3 i got a bit carried away in this part, and writing torture is harder than i thought i wasn’t creative enough hahah but there will probably be more in the next part, hope you enjoy<3

You woke up feeling rough. Last night you didn’t sleep that well. You spent the whole night laying there thinking about your friends on patrol and if they encountered any more vampires, if so how many? What if the whole vampire coven attack, could they manage that? You sighed, stopping those thoughts from filtering back into your mind. You got up and gently walked to the kitchen, being careful not to make noise as the house was still quiet. Leah was already in the kitchen eating toast, “morning” you whispered walking over to her and she looked up a you with a small smile “hey, help yourself to some toast” “Thanks” you smiled back grabbing a slice off the pile on the plate. “How did you sleep?” you asked between mouthfuls “I didn’t really, I was awake trying to hear what was going on with patrol.” you frowned for a second, trying to figure out what she meant but then you remembered the whole pack telepathy thing “Oh, did you hear anything?” “Nah, there weren’t any conflicts or sightings.” The relief of good news felt like weight off your shoulders. “Morning” you turned to the voice behind you, to see Seth stretching as he walked into the kitchen. “At least one of us slept well.” you joked making Leah smile.

After you finished breakfast you went back up to the spare room to get dressed into your clothes from yesterday. You saw your phone light up and grabbed it off the dresser, seeing you had a text message from Paul. 

Morning, sleep well? Sorry if i got stressed out yesterday, just a lot on my mind

Paul 

You smiled down at the screen, it was sweet that he asked how you slept but you weren’t going to be honest and let him know you hardly slept at all.

I did thanks, but isn’t it time you should sleep now? You have no reason to apologise you were fine, i’ve seen you way more stressed than that. Hope patrol went well. Call me after you’ve had some sleep😴

y/n

After hanging out with Seth and Leah this morning, you were now on your way home. As you were walking you decided you are going to cut through the shops and grab some lunch on your way through. You walked down a few roads, and you were now walking down the side-walk round the corner from the grocery store. You are turning round a corner when you suddenly stopped and felt something holding you back. Confused as you haven’t stopped yourself you look to see if your clothing had caught on something, but before you could a cold hand covered your mouth as you were pulled backwards down the street. You stretched your legs out to try stop them but it was no use, they were too strong, which reinforced your worry that the person dragging you wasn’t human. You looked for anything or anyone to help, but there was no one else on the sidewalk -no witnesses that could help. You wriggled and kicked in the grip, knowing it wouldn’t really help but you were panicking. The person stopped, keeping their grip on you as you remained wriggling with your legs stretched out. You heard the noise of a car door opening, and then it went black.

The pain in your head made you realise you were conscious. Automatically you go to reach your hand up to your head to feel for any damage, but something stopped your hand from moving. You open your eyes, squinting as they adjust to the light of the room, after blinking a few times they focused on your hands zip-tied together in front of you “What the fuck?” you thought out loud in confusion. “What did you expect, old fashioned shackles and a castle dungeon?” A gravelly voice chuckled, you gasped in shock and confusion as you looked for the source of the voice, and then you spotted him. Leaning against the wall to your right was a tall man with long black hair that fell onto his shoulders, his skin was paper-white; which gave you a sinking feeling in your stomach. You were so shocked all you could do was stare up at him in anticipation of what he will do next, he looked back down at you with a bored expression on his face “She’s awake.” he suddenly shouted, shocking you once again. Why did he shout that? The sinking feeling in your stomach grew deeper as you realised there must be others here which was who he was informing of your conscious state. Shortly after the man’s shout you heard multiple footsteps approaching. Looking round the room you tried to figure out where the door was. The room was modern but bare with plain white walls, a basic metal chair in the corner, and you sat on concrete floor. The door was straight ahead of you with a glass window at the top of it. The footsteps were right outside the door now and it swung open, multiple extremely pale people spilled into the room with all their red eyes on you. The last one to walk in was a tall man who was casually chewing gum keeping his eyes focused on you. “Is this her?” the man on your right asked, and the tall man nodded in response; a smirk growing on his pale, menacing face. The man on your right then pushed himself off the wall and strolled out the room followed by all the others, leaving the man who stood in front of you alone. Whilst the last vampire to leave slammed the door closed, the man in the room pulled the metal chair to face in front of you, and he sat himself down, leaning against the back confidently. He sat there silently for a minute or two just looking at you, as if you were some exhibit at a zoo. This gave you time to collect your thoughts and adjust to the surroundings. “What’s your name?” he asked bluntly keeping his eyes locked on yours, and you stubbornly stared back at him “I’m sure you already know it.” you quipped, causing an amused look to appear in his eyes “and why’s that?” he asked in a flat voice. “Vampires don’t tend to kidnap random people on the street and keep them alive for conversation, you have me specifically for a reason.” you stated simply, you didn’t bother to hide the fact you knew this must be the coven that is clashing with the pack. The man’s eyebrows raised at your boldness, he seemed to be enjoying the conversation which pissed you off more. “Well, you’re not stupid are you y/n?” a shiver went down your spine as he used your name “In that case, I won’t bother pretending that I don’t know you are friends with the Quileute pack, and very good friends with a wolf in particular.” the man smirked down at you, your stubborn frown turned into a frustrated one. You were already fairly sure that he knew all about you and the pack, but hearing him say it made you more nervous than you thought it would. However, you didn’t know what he meant by the last bit, was he talking about your best friend Leah or did he somehow know about your feelings for Paul? “What do you mean very good friends?” you asked, and he let out an annoyed laugh “Don’t start playing dumb now. It’s obvious that hot-head mutt Paul loves you, I could hear it in his voice when he was fussing about who drove you to Leah’s house.” A breathe hitched in your throat, he knew about that? You felt sick realising he must have  heard the whole conversation, he was out their listening that night and you didn’t even know. How much did he hear? Shit, the pack don’t know how much the coven must already know, they are just going to walk into all this. “Just because he cared about my travelling doesn’t mean he loves me, he’s the same with our other friends.” you lied in an attempt to protect Paul; you didn’t want him standing out as more of a target than he already was. You were certain this was the leech who had been targeting Paul on the previous patrols. “I’ve been around long enough to now these things. Also i am aware of what ‘imprint’ means and that, especially in this case, love tends to be an implication of imprinting.” the vampire sitting opposite you said smugly. You couldn’t hide your shock, had Paul imprinted on you? Or maybe this leech was just playing with your mind. The man’s sneering voice snapped you out of your thoughts “I’ve heard things that even you haven’t. After you left, Paul was panicking about not being with you and Sam could barely control him, maybe Paul wasn’t over-reacting for once.” The cold one said, his gaze on your parted lips. In the blink of an eye he was off the chair and crouching down, face to face with you. Your breathe hitched in your throat as his eyes bore into yours. Placing one of his icy hands on your shoulder, and without barely moving, a sudden force from his arm hurled you across the room causing you to crash into another wall. You let out a groan when you felt the sudden pain in your arm, your whole body ached and your head was spinning. You tried to sit up, ready to defend yourself, but you were so uncoordinated and your eyes wouldn’t focus on anything. Feeling the weight on your torso you turned your head over and saw his foot pressing down onto your ribs. “Why are you doing this?” you managed to splutter out. The man put more weight on his foot, squeezing the air out of your lungs “because those mutts need to learn their place.” he spat,  a final stamp of his foot causing you scream out in pain. You lay there silent, crippled in pain, as the vampire walked out the room; slamming the door behind him.

To be continued

[klavier]

Formulary for a New Urbanism by Ivan Chtcheglov

SIRE, I AM FROM THE OTHER COUNTRY

We are bored in the city, there is no longer any Temple of the Sun. Between the legs of the women walking by, the dadaists imagined a monkey wrench and the surrealists a crystal cup. That's lost. We know how to read every promise in faces--the latest stage of morphology. The poetry of the billboards lasted twenty years. We are bored in the city, we really have to strain to still discover mysteries on the sidewalk billboards, the latest state of humor and poetry:

Shower

Bath of the Patriarchs

Meat Cutting Machines

Notre Dame Zoo

Sports Pharmacy

Martyrs Provisions

Translucent Concrete

Golden Touch Sawmill

Center for Functional Recuperation

Sainte Anne Ambulance

Cafe Fifth Avenue

Prolonged Volunteers Street

Family Boarding House in the Garden

Hotel of Strangers

Wild Street

And the swimming pool on the Street of Little Girls. And the police station on Rendezvous Street. The medical-surgical clinic and the free placement center on the Quai des Orfevres. The artificial flowers on Sun Street. The Castle Cellars Hotel, the Ocean Bar and the Coming and Going Cafe. The Hotel of the Epoch.

And the strange statue of Dr. Philippe Pinel, benefactor of the insane, in the last evenings of summer. To explore Paris.

And you, forgotten, your memories ravaged by all the consternations of two hemispheres, stranded in the Red Cellars of Pali-Kao, without music and without geography, no longer setting out for the hacienda where the roots think of the child and where the wine is finished off with fables from an old almanac. Now that's finished. You'll never see the hacienda. It doesn't exist.

The hacienda must be built.

All cities are geological; you cannot take three steps without encountering ghosts bearing all the prestige of their legends. We move within a closed landscape whose landmarks constantly draw us toward the past. Certain shifting angles, certain receding perspectives, allow us to glimpse original conceptions of space, but this vision remains fragmentary. It must be sought in the magical locales of fairy tales and surrealist writings: castles, endless walls, little forgotten bars, mammoth caverns, casino mirrors.

These dated images retain a small catalyzing power, but it is almost impossible to use them in a symbolic urbanism without rejuvenating them by giving them a new meaning. Our imaginations, haunted by the old archetypes, have remained far behind the sophistication of the machines. The various attempts to integrate modern science into new myths remain inadequate. Meanwhile abstraction has invaded all the arts, contemporary architecture in particular. Pure plasticity, inanimate, storyless, soothes the eye. Elsewhere other fragmentary beauties can be found -- while the promised land of syntheses continually recedes into the distance. Everyone wavers between the emotionally still -- alive past and the already dead future.

We will not work to prolong the mechanical civilizations and frigid architecture that ultimately lead to boring leisure.

We propose to invent new, changeable decors....

Darkness and obscurity are banished by artificial lighting, and the seasons by air conditioning; night and summer are losing their charm and dawn is disappearing. The man of the cities thinks he has escaped from cosmic reality, but there is no corresponding expansion of his dream life. The reason is clear: dreams spring from reality and are realized in it.

The latest technological developments would make possible the individual's unbroken contact with cosmic reality while eliminating its disagreeable aspects. Stars and rain can be seen through glass ceilings. The mobile house turns with the sun. Its sliding walls enable vegetation to invade life. Mounted on tracks, it can go down to the sea in the morning and return to the forest in the evening.

Architecture is the simplest means of articulating time and space, of modulating reality, of engendering dreams. It is a matter not only of plastic articulation and modulation expressing an ephemeral beauty, but of a modulation producing influences in accordance with the eternal spectrum of human desires and the progress in realizing them.

The architecture of tomorrow will be a means of modifying present conceptions of time and space. It will be a means of knowledge and a means of action.

The architectural complex will be modifiable. Its aspect will change totally or partially in accordance with the will of its inhabitants....

Past collectivities offered the masses an absolute truth and incontrovertable mythical exemplars. The appearance of the notion of relativity in the modern mind allows one to surmise the EXPERIMENTAL aspect of the next civilization (although I'm not satisfied with that word; say, more supple, more "fun"). On the bases of this mobile civilization, architecture will, at least initially, be a means of experimenting with a thousand ways of modifying life, with a view to a mythic synthesis.

A mental disease has swept the planet: banalization. Everyone is hypnotized by production and conveniences sewage system, elevator, bathroom, washing machine.

This state of affairs, arising out of a struggle against poverty, has overshot its ultimate goal--the liberation of man from material cares--and become an obsessive image hanging over the present. Presented with the alternative of love or a garbage disposal unit, young people of all countries have chosen the garbage disposal unit. It has become essential to bring about a complete spiritual transformation by bringing to light forgotten desires and by creating entirely new ones. And by carrying out an intensive propaganda in favor of these desires.

We have already pointed out the need of constructing situations as being one of the fundamental desires on which the next civilization will be founded. This need for absolute creation has always been intimately associated with the need to play with architecture, time and space....

Chirico remains one of the most remarkable architectural precursors. He was grappling with the problems of absences and presences in time and space. We know that an object that is not consciously noticed at the time of a first visit can, by its absence during subsequent visits, provoke an indefinable impression: as a result of this sighting backward in time, the absence of the object becomes a presence one can feel. More precisely: although the quality of the impression generally remains indefinite, it nevertheless varies with the nature of the removed object and the importance accorded it by the visitor, ranging from serene joy to terror. (It is of no particular significance that in this specific case memory is the vehicle of these feelings; I only selected this example for its convenience.)

In Chirico's paintings (during his Arcade period) an empty space creates a full-filled time. It is easy to imagine the fantastic future possibilities of such architecture and its influence on the masses. Today we can have nothing but contempt for a century that relegates such blueprints to its so-called museums.

This new vision of time and space, which will be the theoretical basis of future constructions, is still imprecise and will remain so until experimentation with patterns of behavior has taken place in cities specifically established for this purpose, cities assembling--in addition to the facilities necessary for a minimum of comfort and security-- buildings charged with evocative power, symbolic edifices representing desires, forces, events past, present and to come. A rational extension of the old religious systems, of old tales, and above all of psychoanalysis, into architectural expression becomes more and more urgent as all the reasons for becoming impassioned disappear.

Everyone will live in his own personal "cathedral," so to speak. There will be rooms more conducive to dreams than any drug, and houses where one cannot help but love. Others will be irresistibly alluring to travelers.... This project could be compared with the Chinese and Japanese gardens of illusory perspectives [en trompe l'oeil]--with the difference that those gardens are not designed to be lived in all the time--or with the ridiculous labyrinth in the Jardin des Plantes, at the entry to which is written (height of absurdity, Ariadne unemployed): Games are forbidden in the labyrinth. This city could be envisaged in the form of an arbitrary assemblage of castles, grottos, lakes, etc. It would be the baroque stage of urbanism considered as a means of knowledge. But this theoretical phase is already outdated. We know that a modern building could be constructed which would have no resemblance to a medieval castle but which could preserve and enhance the Castle poetic power (by the conservation of a strict minimum of lines, the transposition of certain others, the positioning of openings, the topographical location, etc.).

The districts of this city could correspond to the whole spectrum of diverse feelings that one encounters by chance in everyday life.

Bizarre Quarter--Happy Quarter (specially reserved for habitation) -- Noble and Tragic Quarter (for good children)--Historical Quarter (museums, schools)--Useful Quarter (hospital, tool shops) --Sinister Quarter, etc. And an Astrolaire which would group plant species in accordance with the relations they manifest with the stellar rhythm, a planetary garden comparable to that which the astronomer Thomas wants to establish at Laaer Berg in Vienna. Indispensable for giving the inhabitants a consciousness of the cosmic. Perhaps also a Death Quarter, not for dying in but so as to have somewhere to live in peace,and I think here of Mexico and of a principle of cruelty in innocence that appeals more to me every day.

The Sinister Quarter, for example, would be a good replacement for those hellholes that many peoples once possessed in their capitals: they symbolized all the evil forces of life. The Sinister Quarter would have no need to harbor real dangers, such as traps, dungeons or mines. It would be difficult to get into, with a hideous decor (piercing whistles, alarm bells, sirens wailing intermittently, grotesque sculptures, power-driven mobiles, called Auto-Mobiles), and as poorly lit at night as it is blindinglylit during the day by an intensive use of reflection. At the center, the "Square of the Appalling Mobile." Saturation of the market with a product causes the product's market value to fall: thus, as they explored the Sinister Quarter, the child and the adult would learn not to fear the anguishing occasions of life, but to be amused by them.

The principal activity of the inhabitants will be the CONTINUOUS DÉRIVE. The changing of landscapes from one hour to the next will result in complete disorientation....

Later, as the gestures inevitably grow stale, this dérive will partially leave the realm of direct experience for that of representation....

The economic obstacles are only apparent. We know that the more a place is set apart for free play, the more it influences people's behavior and the greater is its force of attraction. This is demonstrated by the immense prestige of Monaco and Las Vegas--and Reno, that caricature of free love--although they are mere gambling places. Our first experimental city would live largely off tolerated and controlled tourism. Future avant-garde activities and productions would naturally tend to gravitate there. In a few years it would become the intellectual capital of the world and would be universally recognized as such.

[lowcarbnutrients]

10 Easy Ways To Inspire Curiosity This Summer

No much more pencils, no even more institution books.

Are you stressed your children will lose their natural sense of curiosity once they leave the daily scholastic environment of school?

You're not alone!

My child is curious concerning everything - her questions never ever quit! Several parents stress that the summertime months will create a lack of passion in knowing, yet finding out doesn't constantly need to have to do with being in a class with textbooks!

Here are 10 great suggestions to assist you keep your youngsters at peak interest levels while having enjoyable over the summer season holiday as well as past:

1. Create treasure hunts

Tailor your hunts particularly to urge your kids to exercise just what they've found out at college over the previous year, or exactly what they will be learning in their next grade. Have them read clues, seek specific things that can be gauged like 1/3 of a mug of rice, or a publication that is between 20-30 centimeters in size. Both of my youngsters like a difficulty and we have actually frequently made a competitors out of this activity to see that collects all their prizes initially to win a prize!

2. Locate camps that use activities to promote curiosity

If you can't go to home with your children, locate camps or caregivers that provide robust programs to keep your youngsters finding out on a daily basis. My Baby Girl is mosting likely to camp at the Toronto Zoo this year, due to the fact that she likes finding out about pets. Art, scientific research, songs - there are many camps available to support your children's existing interests or create new ones.

3. Try new foods

Nothing makes kids much more curious compared to preferences or textures that they aren't made use of to. Certain, some choosy eaters will not be open to this idea, however if you could convince your kids to even example new recipes you've never made prior to, it can open a terrific conversation regarding how our senses function, exactly what causes spicy or pleasant flavours, where these foods are consumed frequently, how the ingredients are made and also all kinds of other instructional subjects. Food is not just for sustenance, it's additionally a great conduit to discussion and also we have some of our finest talks - and funniest minutes - around the family members dinner table at our house.

4. Go on adventures

Traveling by aircrafts, trains, or vehicles gases a child's question mill. If that type of traveling isn't viable, visit vacationer attractions, local parks or sanctuary. Make a decision in advance on a style - colours, points that begin with all the letters of the alphabet, numbers - use your creativity or your children's transcript to offer you ideas about just what to seek and also speak about on your adventure.

5. Publications, publications, and also more books

Make reading a day-to-day activity and also see your regional collection weekly for new publications to consist of with your children's possess personal faves. My child can read, however needs interesting inspiration to do it, so an once a week trip to the collection to pick five books that she need to review is my method of boosting her passion and her curiosity with the unbelievable world of reading.

6. Try brand-new sporting activities or enjoyable physical activity

An active body influences an active mind. Sure, your children may enjoy swimming, however have they ever tried basketball? Urging or even showing an initiative to attempt brand-new sporting activities assists your youngsters see that new things could be enjoyable, while likewise learning more about the method their bodies have to work or extend to do tasks they has actually never ever done prior to. Infant Woman enjoys swimming and also dancing, so while she also will certainly get her regular summertime swimming lessons, she is additionally avoiding to sports camp this summertime where she will certainly discover basketball, volleyball, field hockey, and also do some ice skating! I'm sure there will certainly be tonnes of questions daily as she tries new things!

7. TV, movies, and video games

Yes, really! Put a halt on electronic amusement that is brainless or terrible and concentrate on entertainment that gives some type of educational part. There are numerous alternatives available - not all electronics are poor - so collaborate with your children's like of electronic devices as well as locate some academic amusement in order to help them maintain learning while they're having fun.

8. Assign chores

Sounds like a disappointment, right? Well it's not. Also as young as two, youngsters discover a lot from having household duties, so work with your youngsters to make a listing of age-appropriate chores that will certainly help them discover as well as understand their world.

9. Allow your kids drive the bus!

Every so frequently, I ASK my child what she's curious about, and occasionally the solutions amaze me! As soon as I know what she's curious about, it's simpler to find up with enjoyable activities to integrate her interests and also aid her discover response to her questions. Or, I just kick back and also let her terminate up her very own inquisitiveness. The majority of children have a natural interest for the world around them, so leaving whole lots of leisure time for them to discover their very own imagination is one of the very best methods to maintain them learning - make certain to respond to all their questions without judgment, or delicately redirect them to address their very own questions!

10. Make something in the kitchen

Thankfully, my child adores helping out in the kitchen. With a lot of academic benefits - counting, measuring, analysis, recognizing cause as well as result - she is gaining academic benefits without recognizing it. And also, Huzbo and also I reach hang out with her as well as have enjoyable while making something delicious!

Minute House cleaning joined pressures with the Canadian Living test kitchen area to develop some amazing kid-friendly dishes, and what better means is there to foster interest than in the kitchen?

Math, scientific research and literacy all factored right into the experience when Infant Lady and I recently made these great Minute Housemaid Fruit Salad Ice Pops. She gauged, she put, she checked out, she counted, and also she also found out concerning displacement while we invested top quality time together and also developed some delicious deals with that the entire household enjoyed eating while discussing exactly what various other active ingredients and also Min Maid juices we will certainly try the next time we make them.

The hardest component regarding this recipe for both people was waiting the five hrs for the ice stands out to freeze! Child Girl had a blast scooping the slushy concentrate from the container and also into the gauging mug as well as was thrilled that these ice stands out would certainly have a lemon flavour - among her favorites! She snuck a few samples of the concentrate prior to she realized it was just a little bit as well strong without the water - another lesson found out while discovering her very own curiosity!

Fruit Salad Ice Pops

Ingredients:

1/ 4 cup chilled Min Maid Frozen Lemonade Concentrate 1-1/4 cups water 30 blueberries 20 raspberries 10 slices kiwi 5 strawberries, quartered

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together Min House cleaning Frozen Lemonade Concentrate and water till smooth, set aside.

Place 3 blueberries, 2 raspberries, 1 piece kiwi and 2 items of strawberry into each of 10 3-oz ice pop moulds. Put in lemonade blend to load. Freeze until company, concerning 5 hours.

Notes

Depending on the dimension of your ice pops, you may require to differ the amount of fruit and liquid needed. We used ten 3-oz ice pop moulds for the dimensions below.

To achieve the prettiest discussion, obtain as much fruit as possible into each mould.

Hands-on time: 15 minutes Total time: 5 hours 15 minutes Makes: 10 servings

PER 1 SERVING, DISH MAKES 10 SERVINGS: about 26 calories, trace protein, trace total fat (0 grams saturated fat), 7 grams carbohydrates (1 gram nutritional fibre, 5 grams sugar), 0 milligrams cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium, 59 milligrams potassium. %RDI: 1% calcium, 1% iron, 28% vitamin C, 3% folate.

Obviously, Child Girl has already been asking making even more, and why would certainly I state no? Healthy components and also an enjoyable discovering experience disguised as 'aiding Mother' is a natural suitable for my daughter's inquisitive and energised personality. We can't delay to discover what lessons Child Girl's interest instructs us next when we check out a few of the various other dishes from Min Maid!

Thankfully, it's not a tough job to nourish a child's curiosity. With a little effort and time, you could keep your child's mind available to discovering all summer season long!

[jaouad2d]

Meet the People Keeping Mold-A-Rama Alive

In 1971, sick of working in middle management in Chicago, William Jones purchased a number of Mold-A-Rama vending machines on a whim. He knew nothing about the technology, which produces injection molded plastic figures, and didn’t understand its appeal, but saw the purchase as an opportunity to do something new for a living. Little did he realize that almost 50 years later, his family would still be in the business, maintaining a collection of the beloved machines, which are as popular as ever at zoos, museums, and other attractions across the United States.

When Mold-A-Rama debuted at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the molds of the Space Needle, a monorail, and other fair-related designs drew as much attention as the unique production process, which remains the same to this day. After inserting payment, customers watch two sides of an aluminum mold close as it is injected with heated polyethylene pellets. In less than a minute, the mold opens, releasing the plastic object. The signature “waxy” smell hangs in the air as the hollow figurine slowly cools.

It’s not only nostalgia for the molds but this same, seemingly outdated process that keeps Jones in business. In an age when technology allows souvenirs to be more personalized than ever (see Japan’s purikura machines), the Mold-A-Rama’s simplicity is appealing both for those who grew up with the machines and new fans.

The Mold-A-Rama was the result of decades of work by J.H. “Tike” Miller of Quincy, Illinois, according to a history of the company in Mental Floss. Miller began experimenting with miniatures in the late 1930s. It wasn’t until World War II that he found a lucrative niche in plaster nativity models when imports from Germany—the largest supplier of these religious figures—were blocked. In 1955, he switched to producing figurines through plastic injection molding. An eccentric, he became known for molds of dinosaurs, aliens, and even a Purple People Eater.

“[Miller] was one of the pioneers in the plastic era and stands out from all the rest with his unique way of molding plastic and the unique composition of the plastic material that he used,” says Ken Glennon, a Mold-A-Rama collector who is writing a book about Miller.

During the mid-20th century, after Miller licensed the technology to Automatic Retailers of America, the memorabilia took off at national and international fairs with about 300 molds in use. What set Mold-A-Rama apart from other toys and souvenirs at the time was that it gave customers insight into the products’ manufacturing, as it was happening, decades before 3D-printing.

William’s son Paul Jones now runs the company, which was known as the William A. Jones Co. until 2011, when the name changed to Mold-A-Rama Inc. He remembers helping his father service Mold-A-Rama machines at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry and Brookfield Zoo. By 14, he was getting to the zoo by 6 a.m., which he says “was like heaven. You get to run around. You get the whole zoo to yourself.”

Now in his 50s, Jones travels the Midwest maintaining 62 machines at nine locations, including the Willis Tower, the Field Museum, and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Much of the machine’s appeal is the retro look; in 2006, William estimated that one in 10 people who pass a machine buy a toy. In addition to regular cleanings and occasional paint jobs, a major challenge is ensuring that the Mold-A-Rama produces a perfect mold almost every time.

Although some people assume the Mold-A-Rama is as simple as a vending machine, dispensing pre-made molds, “it actually holds a gallon of hot liquid plastic all day long at 250 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Jones says. Small changes in temperature or the number of molds produced can affect quality. On a popular day, one machine makes 100 to 150 molds.

Only minutes from the Brookfield Zoo, the Mold-A-Rama warehouse is packed with out-of-commission machines and parts. Rows of repurposed Cheese Ball jars are full of clear plastic pellets mixed with dyes that melt together to create the vibrantly colored molds. Jones estimates he goes through 640 55-pound bags of pellets a year.

Jones also has an archive of more than 200 cast aluminum molds, including the 62 currently out in the field. He even owns some of the original molds, which were on display at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. His collection ranges from cute animals, such as a cartoon dolphin and piggy bank, to geographic-specific memorabilia, such as a San Francisco streetcar and the Houston Astrodome. During the holidays, he offers seasonal designs, including Santa Claus and a Christmas tree. He also has busts of all of the U.S. Presidents, up to John F. Kennedy. As Jones says, almost anything can be made in miniature.

Glennon says the internet has played an important role in Mold-A-Rama’s continued popularity, with rare molds selling for hundreds of dollars online. Molds that are difficult to produce, such as a replica of Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry, are some of the most sought after.

“[Miller] was the mass production master,” Glennon says. “He was like what Ford was to the automobile.... He marketed them by the millions. So they're all over the place. Years ago, before eBay, they were really hard to come by.”

Despite its retro appeal, Mold-A-Rama is far from a dead art form. In fact, new designs are still being commissioned, at the rate of roughly two per year. For the past 25 years, Lois Mihok, an industrial model maker with 60 years of experience, has crafted numerous molds for Jones, including a bison, Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, and an Edison light bulb.

Mihok says Mold-A-Ramas are more complicated than some of her other projects because she has to ensure the plastic will easily separate from the cast once formed. Removing the mold becomes more difficult if it includes an extremity—a tail or a leg, for example. But at the same time, designs with more detail and texture can counterintuitively be simpler to conceive because it’s easier to hide the mold line that connects the two sides.

Although the 83-year-old says she’s never seen a Mold-A-Rama machine in person, she is excited that people across generations appreciate her work.

“For some reason or another, everybody loves miniatures,” says Mihok. “For the kids to put money into a machine and press a button and have something come out like that, they have an interest in it because they feel like they made it.”

Jones isn’t the only Mold-A-Rama operator who continues the family business in plastic toy vending machines. Tim Striggow runs the Florida-based Replication Devices, which operates Mold-A-Matic (Jones has the Mold-A-Rama copyright) machines in the South and Midwest. Like many of the “handshake deals” in their businesses, Jones and Striggow divided the country into territories, with Mold-A-Rama machines currently in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas, and Mold-A-Matic machines in Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Ohio. While the companies operate independently, Jones and Striggow send new molds to each other and regularly talk through challenges in maintaining the decades-old machines.

In the late 1960s, after visiting a state fair and realizing the machines’ business potential, Striggow’s grandfather Eldin Irwin first leased and later bought several from Automatic Retailers of America, which owned all of Mold-A-Rama until it divested in the early 1970s. Around that time, as a pre-teen, Striggow had begun helping monitor his grandfather’s collection. He remembers meeting Mold-A-Rama fans as he traveled to summer fairs with the machines. Some of those people came to the same events every year looking for the latest molds.

Striggow never thought the business would continue, even when his mom and stepdad took over in the 1990s. Now some of his contracts are over 30 years old, and he employs his son-in-law. He says he has the largest collection of machines—around 120—with about half in operation, including one at Jack White’s Third Man Records storefront in Nashville.

White saw a Mold-A-Rama when he visited Chicago in 2005 and wanted one for the Third Man Records Novelty Lounge. The Nashville machine produces a “cherry red” model of White’s 1964 Airline guitar. Third Man added a second machine at its Detroit location with a yellow replica of the label’s mobile Rolling Record Store.

“We like presenting people with these forgotten, cast-off processes and machines and giving them life,” says Third Man co-founder Ben Blackwell. “I imagine anyone who made these machines back in the day or was involved in their creation or maintenance would never expect that now—we're talking the year 2018—they're still working and people are still engaging with them. That's beautiful. You can't predict that.”

Despite Mold-A-Matic being somewhat of a competitor, Jones keeps a model of the Jack White guitar in his office display case, which also houses original Miller molds and the stick his dad used to mix melting plastic. Although he’s not opposed to modernizing his business, adding credit card slots to machines and staying open to unconventionally colored molds like the Lincoln Park Zoo’s green gorilla, he credits Mold-A-Rama’s longevity to the old-school, vintage style.

“It's a true form of American manufacturing,” he says. “All of the machines were made in America, made here in Chicago actually. There's a niche that they maintain. I think it helps that we have never tried to change it. We leave it right where it's at and pay honor to it and try to let it survive. It seems to be just doing that on its own at times.”

Travel Meet the People Keeping Mold-A-Rama Alive http://ift.tt/2DqGvJB via Atlas Obscura - Latest Articles and Places http://ift.tt/2gfMXcj

[2traveldads-blog]

Getting to travel all over the place we see all kinds of unusual sights. The kids love the time we get to spend in National Parks or at the beach, we dads like to explore cities a lot, and then we try to incorporate historical sites when possible. The California missions have proven to be both cool to visit with kids and totally educational.

We’ve gotten to visit several of the California missions and have the goal to get to all of them in the next few years. We’re going to share just a few of them that we’ve done with the kids, as not every one is easy to get to or truly unique. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to seek out a few of the California missions to add to your next west coast road trip.

Where to find the California Missions

El Camino Real, the King’s Road, stretches from northern California down into Mexico. The California missions are found all along this route. Most of the way follows California Highway 101, but there are some missions located a ways off and you have to trek to them. Starting at the southern border, at the US/Mexico boundary and stretching as far north as San Francisco, you’ll find a mission every 40 to 50 miles or so.

Most of the California missions are open to the public either as a museum or as a functioning church space. Before working a visit into your schedule, be sure to confirm that it’s going to be open and that you’re not visiting during services (unless you want to participate). Also, be sure to check if there are any photography restrictions within chapel areas.

Note:  if you journey into Baja California you’ll find more missions, both in small towns and in the larger cities of Loreto, La Paz or San Jose del Cabo.  So much history!

1. Mission San Diego

San Diego is kind of the go-to spot for beaches, zoos and food, but it’s also got some great history. The two prime historic attractions are Old Town San Diego, where you’ll find an excavated and restored settlement, including museums and shops, and then Mission San Diego. Of all the California missions, Mission San Diego certainly feels like the most grand. Located in the Mission Valley, away from the beaches, Mission San Diego has a grand chapel, beautiful gardens and a nice collection of historical pieces to explain the history of the California missions and their founding. It’s the perfect first stop on a journey through California’s history.

Tip: also stop by Mission San Diego at night. The exterior is beautiful and really striking against the black sky (if you’re into photography)

Another fun stop:  Cabrillo National Monument is really cool for lighthouses, tidepools and more California history.

2. Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano isn’t just one of our favorites of the California missions, but it’s one of the nicest historical sites in California. Located just down the hill from the 5 (Interstate 5), it’s not tough to get to. The Mission is located in the neighborhood up from the downtown and there is usually plenty of parking.

Mission San Juan Capistrano was originally founded in 1775 by father Junipero Serra, the guy whose statue you see at almost every mission. Over the years, this mission changed hands several times between Mexico, the State of California, the US Government, a ranch base… and finally it went back to the Catholic Church. It’s been destroyed and rebuilt several times and eventually excavated and renovated to the beautiful spot it is today.

The swallows of San Juan Capistrano are famous, as every March they return to their mud nests, bring loads of photographers and tourists to the area to watch the cool, natural phenomena. If you’re planning on visiting Mission San Juan Capistrano with kids, be sure to find and read the book The Song of the Swallows with them before hand.

Tip: for painters and sketchers, plan to spend some extra time hanging out at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Between the ruins, bells and gardens, there are endless subjects if you’re an artist.

Another fun stop:  the beach at San Onofre isn’t too far south of San Juan Capistrano and there is some awesome surfing to watch (or waves to catch yourself).

3. Mission Santa Barbara

Leaving the SoCal area out of Los Angeles and heading north up the coast, you’ll come to the perfect little city of Santa Barbara. A great destination on its own with wine and art and shopping and Channel Islands National Park just off the coast, it’s perfect for a getaway. It’s also where we’ll find Mission Santa Barbara.

Founded in 1786, Mission Santa Barbara is one of the most picturesque of the California missions. It’s got a pale pink facade, a small cemetary, flower-filled courtyard, colorful chapel and extensive museum. If you can only visit one of the California mission, we recommend Mission Santa Barbara for the most complete experience. And it’s just pretty.

Tip: try to visit outside of mass times as it’s still a very active mission with regular services. Parking is limited, so visiting in off hours is a strong recommendation.

Another fun idea: Santa Barbara has grown as a wine destination in recent years. There’s always room for wine tasting in any itinerary.

4. Mission San Luis Obispo

We loved the whole town of San Luis Obispo and its mission was no exception. Found mid-way up California’s Central Coast you’ll be driving through on any road trip, if you’re route is the 1 or the 101.

Mission San Luis Obispo is a small mission, but it’s still very active. We visited in September when the grape vines were at their peek and all you could smell was fruit. It was really cool. We were able to join a short tour in the chapel of Mission San Luis Obispo and would recommend trying to do the same. The church has an interesting history, including a few graves within the chapel, so for adults and kids alike, there’s something to learn… or think is strange.

Tip: from Mission Plaza in front of the chapel you can access the urban trail that goes along the creek through town. There is art to check out as well and a nice, new way to experience the city.

Another fun stop:  do a campus visit to Cal Poly SLO. The town and outdoor activities of the area make for an incredible environment for learning… and I wish I would’ve chosen Cal Poly SLO when I was considering colleges.

5. Mission San Miguel Archangel

Heading inland on the way to the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll find four California missions off the 101. We only stopped at Mission San Miguel Archangel this time and were very glad to have picked this one. Many of the California missions have seen hard times, between storms and earthquakes, to wars and neglect. Mission San Miguel Archangel reflects all of this… and it’s still cool to visit!

This mission has a museum, like most of the others, but it also has some fascinating outdoor displays. Before even entering the mission buildings we were able to learn all about life in California 300+ years ago. Sundials, ovens, millstones and olive presses all are on site for some added education.

Tip: the cemetery area is also an orchard/olive grove. You’ll also access the bell tower area from this spot, so be sure you do explore the full grounds of Mission San Miguel Archangel.

Another fun stop:  Pinnacles National Park is about an hour north of Mission San Miguel Archangel. High chaparral hiking with caves and condors. You can’t go wrong.

More California Missions to visit

Today there are 21 missions still standing and open to explore. We haven’t been to any of the following, but here’s the scoop on what you’ll find if you choose to add any of them to your California road trip itinerary.

Mission Soledad – found very near Pinnacles National Park, visiting Mission Soledad and Pinnacles can be an easy day trip from the Bay Area. Mission San Antonio – 20 miles off the 101, it’s a much less visited site. We still haven’t been but being founded in 1771 it’s one of the oldest of the California missions. Mission Dolores – in the heart of San Francisco, Mission Dolores is a modern and active mission. Visiting as a tourist has specific hours, so plan your San Francisco activities around when you can visit.  Fun fact: Mission Dolores is the oldest building in San Francisco. Mission San Juan Bautista – just south of San Jose this large mission is adjacent to San Juan Bautista State Historic Park. This is a great stop for a full on lesson about the development and crazy history of California. Also, this mission has lots of open space for kids to run.

Tips for visiting missions with kids

We’ve talked about it before that we’re not raising our kids in any religion, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t teach them about it. Part of giving the kids a broad world view is making sure they understand the histories and viewpoints of the many people they meet wherever we go. That includes Catholicism and it’s impact on the United States.

It’s up to you how much background to give your kids before visiting a religious site but here’s how we do it:

give a short history of the site including what the religion is called

if it’s a Catholic site give a heads up about large crucifixes inside

explain how to show respect even if you’re not a follower (hats, quiet…)

write down any questions they have that you can’t confidently answer

plan your visit around any short guided tours that are available

The California missions are a wonderfully unique experience for any traveler, but particularly for kids. Where else can you get a history, religion, architecture and horticulture lesson? Hopefully we’ll be able to visit the rest of the missions in the coming years and that the kids will develop a solid appreciation of history and respect for other cultures as we do this.

Do you have a favorite of the California missions or any other tips to share? Please tell us so we can keep on traveling and having new learning experiences!

Pin this post for later when you’re plotting out you California road trip!!!

5 Must-Visit California Missions Getting to travel all over the place we see all kinds of unusual sights. The kids love the time we get to spend in…

[judas-escariot]

1. What’s your favourite food?

Don’t have any, there’s too many delicious things

2. What’s your favourite place to eat?

At home, I guess. As simple as that.

3. Someone you hate?

I hate no one.

4. Someone you like? (friends way)

I like all my friends as I don’t have so many.

5. Crush?

I’d have answered Jiyong here but as there is a question regarding celebrity crushs I guess he’s not fitting here, but anyways. Besides him, yea, maybe I got one. Not sure bout that myself.

6. Got a job?

Nope.

7. Dream place to visit?

Seoul.

8. Any plans for the future?

I wanna live in Japan or Korea or both for some time. Plus I wanna do something with art or writing as a job. And I’m anticipating the Bigbang comeback in 2020 and I’m saving money to see my kings live.

9. Who’s the last person you hugged?

Ma daddy. I’m quite antisocial.

10. Where would you go if you could travel anywhere?

Seoul.

11. Who’s your biggest inspiration?

I’m not sure if I could decide on only one person..? I’d name GD, CL, Suzie Grime, Luna Darko, Ardy, PersiaX, Tommy Blackout and probably more that won’t come to my mind now

12. Who’s been seen your worst and still stuck around?

My family and in a way my ex, I guess.

13. 13 reasons why… I’m staying alive?

1) There’s K-Pop. Especially GD & Bigbang. 2) There’s still so many wonderful things to be yet explored. 3) Video games. 4) Art. 5) Music in general. 6) The blue sky. 7) My friends and family. 8) Parties. 9) All the little things I love. (Quite a lot actually.) 10) My dreams. 11) Cuz someone would be sad if I would no longer be. 12) Poems and stories. 13) I still have a lot I need to experience.

14. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened? Err well I’m quite a clumsy person, so embarrassing things happen to me all the time lol. Whenever asked I cannot point out a particular one, there’s many xD

15. When was the last time you love someone?

More than two years ago. If Jiyong doesn’t count.

16. How did your last relationship end?

I broke up.

17. Do you hate any of your ex/s?

Probably a bit, but it’s gettin better.

18. What’s the biggest lie you ever told? Umm that’s difficult.. I used to lie a lot when I was younger and I’m still very good at it when I try. Cannot name a specifically terrible one tho.

19. Who did you lie to?

Nearly to everyone haha

20. Why did you lie?

Cuz I didn’t want to state the truth? Lol idk, outta various reasons. When I had time but didn’t want to meet someone, when I said I finished work even though I didn’t, when I said I love you or I’m fine even though didn’t mean it and so on, when I stole money and said I never did, when I betrayed the girl I stole the boyfriend from… Quite some shit I did.

21. What’s the biggest achievement so far?

Dunno. My graduation maybe? Completing Zelda Twilight Princess at 100%? Idk haha

22. Who’s your celebrity crush?

G-DRAGON AKA KWON JIYONG MY BABYYY

23. What makes you happy?

A lot of things actually. Even got a list with those things; I used to look at that when being stuck in depression. Various things. Ma fav music, people I love or feel very affectionate towards, good food, sunshine, drawing, …

24. What annoys the shit out of you?

What’s with this question ㅋㅋㅋ ermm intolerant conservative shit folks, stupid people going on ma nerves with just being a lack of brains, when the train is late or not even comming, unfairness and disrespectful fuckers. Prejudice and biased people.

25. Who makes you smile most?

Probably ma daddy

26. The last time you cried?

Err I think that was yesterday? Dunno I cry a lot

27. The last text/message you sent?

“aish I’m so boreeed I wanna go to reeperbahn festival but I missed it” (this srsly fucks me up)

28. The last person you texted/messaged?

My best friend.

29. The one thing you look for in a person?

Never thought about that. Most likely.. being open-minded? Not prejudiced and conservative? Accept me as who I am without questioning me and trying to change me or make me feel uncomfortable with those u-r-an-alien-stares?

30. What makes someone ugly?

Being not able to apologize and reflect thyself, therefore learning from mistakes.

31. What makes a good first date?

Ahh I had way to less dates to truly answer that, but I’d love it if it is super romantic❤ like going out together to a zoo or to the art gallery or an amusement park would be so wonderful! And afterwards eating something nicely and he/she walks you home after you took fotos and had lots of fun talking<3 and maybe you kiss in the end!

32. What is a good day out to you?

Hanging out with friends or family, laughing lots and doing smth you don’t do all the days.

33. Where do you shop (food)?

Like streetfood or doing shopping? For the first I love McDonald’s (yea shame on me I know) and for the latter, err, most likely Edeka lol.

34. Where do you shop (clothes)?

That differs; sometimes on the internet, even though I like trying on and walking stores physically the best. I buy wherever I find smth matchin my style. Often H&M, surprisingly.

35. SS of your recent call list.

Uff I’ll add that later, it’s not so very interesting tho

36. Biggest ship?

GDYB!!! (Yea sorry Nyongtory-guys I just cannot get that at all😂😂) + Tardy and Ereri. Had to mention them.

37. Ask me any question.