#i may have to push back the Actual Tournament depending on how long the organized spreadsheet takes

[best-fnaf-song-competition]

Almost at 600 submissions and the nominations don't close for 3 full days I am LIVING

[dreamgrl]

VOLTRON COLLEGE AU

Forewarning, this is going to be really long, sorry. Also, this isn’t poetry, as you can probably gather. In this au they’re all in college, Shiro and Allura are seniors, Hunk Keith and Lance are sophmores, pidge is a freshman, and Coran is an English teacher. 

Also, I don’t go to college sooo, sorry for any inaccuracies. 

Everything is under the cut. Enjoy!

Shiro

- he's totally that person that can wear nothing but joggers and tank tops ever and get away with it. like even though they're sloppy clothes he looks so orderly and put together 24/7

- even though he dresses like a total douche he's classy and kind and will always lend you his hoodies

- he has had this one girlfriend (who may or may not be Allura) since like tenth grade and he loves her lots and talks about her all of the time. like he carries extra toiletries for her just in case of an emergency and he is always there for her when she needs him

- he's the kind of guy who's down for spontaneous adventures 24/7 but will also push you to work harder in sports or school or anything else

- he was a great football player in high school, but had to quit after he got in a car accident with a drunk driver freshman year, causing him to lose his arm

- he's really sweet and encouraging and just an overall great guy. your typical all-American boy next door

- he needs glasses bc his eyes are really really bad but he only ever wears contacts. (even though everyone tells him he looks like a cutie with them on)

- he's very modest and also very passionate

- he's an aspiring artist, but he really wants to go into therapy and grief counseling

- definitely a dog person

- not one single pimple in his entire life. what??? the heck???

- nobody ever wants to disappoint Shiro like even if they don't know him they'll just try to keep him happy because hot damn this kid has had enough bad stuff in his life

- rarely sees the rest of The Crew™ but when they all get together (Allura included, sorry Coran) they have a great time and watch Lance embarrass himself

- drinks at parties, but only ever beer and not heavily

- literally his sense of humor is so sarcastic and discreet nobody can ever tell when he's joking

- constantly jokes about dying but will actually fight you if you do the same

Lance

- he wears a watch. it's just a little simple one with a leather strap but it's really nice and he's never seen without it

- he wears his book bag over one shoulder

- he wears pullover hoodies and blue jeans but he will only wear them if he rolls the cuffs

- he owns a lot of flat brims and wears them backwards simply because someone once told him that he looked good

- he has this NASA bomber jacket and nobody knows where he got it from but it's always been there and he wears it all the time

- Lance has a lot of freckles. like. a fuck ton. they're really dark on his arms and back and belly but you can't see them on his face until you're like .02 inches away from him

- he has this party boy kind of attitude, and while he's always that guy that is smirking and laughing and making sarcastic comments under his breath

- he's actually very kind and nerdy. he always turns his papers in on time and he doesn't really have to work to stay at the top of the class. school comes pretty easily to him

- never drinks at parties and is always the designated driver

- majoring in aerospace engineering bc he’s a smart bb.

- whenever he talks he uses his hands a lot, and slips into Spanish whenever he's not paying much attention

- he calls people nicknames in Spanish too. (Hermano, amigo, ese, etc etc)

- as much as he puts up a cocky and arrogant persona he is a family boy and is nostalgic and homesick 24/7

- he's always kind of flirting with everyone but as soon as he's in a relationship he's 1000% committed and respectful and if he sees anyone in an unhealthy relationship he immediately goes !!!!!!!! and helps them out

- he's the # 1 friend and also an amazing cook. (he learned bc he shares a dorm with hunk)

- he has spontaneous karaoke sessions with anyone who's willing to join in, and is wickedly good at the bottle flipping trick

- he's shockingly anxious and depressed and the only people who can help him are Hunk and Keith. (mostly Keith)

- Repressed Gay Thoughts™ is his middle name

- he saw Keith for the first time and immediately developed a crush and he doesn't really know how to deal with that. that's why he's always kind of hostile and subconsciously trying to get Keith's attention

- he lives in an apartment off campus with Hunk and Pidge

- his clothes always smell like his lavender laundry detergent

- he's very disorganized

- "creative minds almost always have a messy workspace!!"

- curses a lot

- says he's chill

- is probably the least chill person on planet earth

- his phone never dies somehow

- he is carrying gum with him 24/7 and if you ask him for a piece he'll probably just give you the entire pack

- steals hunks sweaters

- his favorite song is jar of hearts

- Shakira hips

- annoyingly talented at everything

- art? amazing. singing? he's a god. dancing? no problemo, he can move his body in a way that is both fun and chill

- perfect teeth, that fucker

- always talking about his mama and he makes calls to her every night and sends her gifts each semester

Pidge

- definitely the person to wear jackets and have pins on their backpack

- they kind of give everyone the side eye. it's not meant to be mean, it's just their face??

- they read in the middle of class, but somehow take notes at the same time?? and also turn every paper in three days early and more than 2 pages longer than necessary?? all of their visual projects are super organized, and they have color coded binders, and have never lost a pen or pencil in their life

- they probably haven't gotten anything below an A since third grade

- though they look like they do it naturally, they actually try really hard and study every night

- they have mental breakdowns like 8 times a month

- probably hasn’t slept in like 7 years which is why they’re so dependant on coffee. 

- “give me, the bean juice.”

- no, but actually they never sleep and keith or hunk will wake up at 4 am and pidge is just, awake, in the kitchen, on their computer. what are they doing? reading fanfiction? watching old vines? hacking government databases?? literally, nobody knows. 

- majoring in computer engineering.

- skipped seventh grade and still graduated early

- they don't hang out with many people, but they're super funny and fiercely protective

- they've always had a bit of trouble with gender identity, but they've learned to love and accept themselves

- Pidges' wardrobe switches between dresses and button downs and everything in between. and they rock all. of. it.

- they're super confident in themselves and not afraid to speak their mind but also just a polite and quiet person who tends to keep to themselves

- they have this really cool denim jacket with lots of pins and buttons and rips and it's just overall really cool and they wear it all the time and it has quickly become their signature item of clothing, much like Lances jacket

- they are closest to Hunk because he's the first person who knew about their gender fluid identity

- they used to have long hair but then they cut it short soon after they moved into the college dorm

- literally the biggest asexual in the world they’ll fight you on it.

- owns a sweater that says “space ace” in big letters. 

- they live in an apartment off campus with Lance and Hunk

- matt goes to a different school which, thank god, because he and pidge are the ultimate team. they both never sleep, hardly remember to eat, and can take over the world with a laptop. they know the best pranks, tell the best jokes, and the existential humor is unbearable between the two of them. if they’re ever in the same room together, get ready. 

- steals hunks sweaters most often

- loves. aliens.

- has earbuds in like 24/7 don't talk to them if they do

- youngest of the group

- they act like they hate life and they think the future is going to be really bad but in reality they get super excited over every little thing and they have so many plans for when they get out of college.

- straight teeth (except for one in the back of their mouth that they never bothered to get fixed) their teeth are a little discolored though because they've been drinking so much coffee for so long

- leader of the college Computer Nerd clique

- likes to show people how much they know

- huge nerd like oh my so big

- participated in a dungeons and dragons tournament

- won easily

- once went 96 consecutive hours without sleeping to study for a final

- slept like the dead for two days straight

- doesn't drink ever

Coran

- that quirky English teacher that everyone lowkey loves

- all of his students have his phone number

- he always extends the due dates on projects

- he looks like he's goofy and doesn't know what he's doing but in reality he is the most perceptive and intelligent teacher in the entire school

- he talks about books in ways you'll both be fascinated by and also easily understand

- he makes those profound statements that you kind of always hang onto and you remember them at weird times and strange things remind you of them

- like you'll be watching a scary movie with your kid at age 40 and you'll remember some weird saying he always had about how life is like a haunted house or some shit

- he's just that cool teacher that always makes finger guns and bad puns a and kinds disregards school policies 24/7 but you have never learned more in any class ever

- he wears glasses with big frames

- funny European accent that nobody can really place

- is the best and knows he's the best

- buys his students coffee on his way to school

- literally gives 0 fucks about rules like sure you can eat you can text you can work in groups as long as you're passing my class I don't care

- never cheat on his tests. you'll sing in front of the class.

Allura

- that person that's just really hard to place.

- like one day you'll find her making out with Shiro behind the science building and the next day she's studying for a med exam in a coffee shop.

- she's on the soccer team or something and she gets really intense and she's the best player on the field and leaves every game sweaty and muddy and smiling.

- but she also is the most comforting and kind person who would never hurt a fly.

- there's like that rumor going around that she's a black belt in karate (and it's definitely true) but then she'll tell you that she's been a dancer since she was four and was asked to go to the Olympics for gymnastics but she turned it down for an education.

- she probably buys all of her clothes at thrift shops

- she’ll probably rule the world one day and nobody will be surprised. 

- she has a lot of money and she donates it to charities and spends every free Saturday morning at the homeless shelter or studying

- Saturday night she's in wicked black eyeliner and combat boots chugging an entire bottle of vodka just because someone said she couldn't

- she'd probably slap you with her perfectly manicured hand if you tell her that girls are weak

- clothing switches between killer dresses and leggings and big sweaters

- this cool silver hair that she's always had

- both of her parents are from India, but she was born in America

- huge social justice warrior

- feminist af

- doesn't take any shit

- studies a lot

- writes down all of her notes into a notebook, and the copies it onto note cards, and then studies the note cards

- speaks like, 7 languages including (but not limited to) french german spanish italian and hindi

- double majoring in liberal arts and psychology and regretting every second of it. 

- she’s going to go back to school after she graduates. she’ll wait though. she’s taking her time. wants more than anything to figure herself out. 

- has a really hard time admitting her mistakes. she beats herself up about a lot of things, and she holds herself to an almost unreachable standard, but her friends are there to make sure she doesn’t work herself to death.

Keith

- that kid that has a resting bitch face and looks weird and rude and unapproachable

- but he's kind and volunteers on weekends

- he listens to hardcore punk music and he tells himself he's intimidating

- but he'll find himself dancing to the Beatles or Elvis in his underwear at 3 am

- he never really understood relationships bc he grew up without any parents to explain love to him

- he sees Lance and feels all happy and bubbly and he's never felt this before so he gets sassy and snarky all the while subconsciously becoming great friends with him

- Keith wears ripped skinny jeans in hundred degree heat and tends to put his hair up in a bun

- even though he says he doesn't worry about what other people think he once wore nothing but yellow for a month bc someone said that it was a nice color on him (he wore it in small ways like a hat or a pin)

- Keith doesn't have many friends and doesn't really talk to people because he's a shy little ball of angst and anxiety

- he has a great laugh and will always try to make you happy if you're sad

- he's just a sweet and bubbly little kid who tries to act all punk rock and intimidating

- he probably wears a lot of flannels and those small little leather bracelets

- he's had his ears pierced forever but only started wearing earrings as a junior

- he talks to all of the lower class men and shows them where their classes are

- he lives in his own little flat on campus. he couldn't room with anyone else because his anxiety was too bad, but it's fine, he's always liked living on his own

- he has a nice little job working at a successful coffee shop downtown. (their most constant customer is Lance)

- studies a lot

- likes to look at stars, but has a real affinity towards history

- drinks a ton of coffee and tea, but would rather jump through fire than drink hot chocolate

- vanilla guy

- doesn't really like animals, unless they're super tiny dogs

- writes poetry and it's scary good

- he's a very good listener

- he tries to give hunk his sweaters back

- coNsPiRAcY tHeOriEs

- his life goal is to prove the multiverse theory

- a sad, starving history major

- no matter how many hours he works he always spends all of his money on paints and pencils

- only survives on meals from his friends

- has sleepovers w lance (in different beds because lance is a ball of repression)

- they always have fun and there's this rumor that they're dating in secret and he goes to Keith's house to like make out or smthn and once lance came home with a bruise on his chin and everybody thought it was a hickey but really keith just threw a monopoly piece at his face.

- *something minorly inconvenient happens* “wow god why don’t you just kill me already.”

- speaks in vines.

- “kiss me” “what?” “well man I like getting KISSED when I'm FUCKED”

- great at ping pong somehow

- speaks japanese

- insomnia is a bitch but when he does sleep you’d probably have to literally stab him to wake him up. 

- doesn't talk to many people in person but is literally facetiming lance and texting shiro 24/7

- hates. apples.

- will never in 3000 years eat one

Hunk

- such a warm guy

- he's always kind of under appreciated and people don't talk about him as much as they should

- he doesn't mind, he just loves being there for his friends

- super duper smart

- he's been friends with Lance since forever

- born in Hawaii but moved to the 48 states when he was 4

- loves. swimming.

- he's the mom friend

- he wears all of the jumpers and hoodies and is always super kind and lends them to his friends but they never give them back

- that's ok, he secretly gets really happy when he sees someone wearing his clothes

- he's a big guy who everybody loves and would protect at all costs

- blushes a lot. like. a lot

- super great cook!! nobody knows how or why, but he's The Best™

- always has on fancy shoes

- he gives the gREATEST HUGS IN THE UNIVERSE

- he always smells like cologne. but it's not the very strong cologne just a wonderful little scent

- he can find the most constellations

- surprisingly athletic for his size

- he cried during big hero six

- binge watches everything on Netflix

- has a mischievous streak

- seriously super duper smart like he could've gotten into any school ever but came to this college to save money.

- meticulously organized

- he's really into healthy eating but he's definitely been known to indulge once in a while

- culinary arts major. he was originally in the biomedical field freshman year but he realized his dream was to open a restaurant so he took a chance a switched majors.

- always the friend that quietly pays the bill before anybody even notices

- works at the shelter and is the best at caring for the animals and finding them homes

- even though he's the nicest he's also done with your shit 24/7

- most of the time he's nice but when he's tired from a long night he's unconsciously the snarkiest and most sarcastic piece of shit but he never remembers it when he wakes up more

[breathofaknight-blog]

Question: How does the Hyrule Military Operate?

Answer: It’s complicated.

No, really, it is. We’ll break it down from the top.

///Part I: Who leads?

The commander in chief is always the sovereign, whether that be a king, queen, or princess, theoretically. It can sometimes be a steward if the princess is unprepared to be a king/queen/unfit to take on that responsibilitiy. This sovereign commands absolute authority over all subsections of the military and can, if need be, very rapidly exert total control over any military force; to object would mean treason, and civil war.

From there things instantly become murky, as there are three layers of nobles who would command military power:

-Professional Military Commanders, likely holding the actual rank of General, possibly with some specific ‘high-general’ title, like ‘Master of Infantry’ or ‘Master of Horse’ etc.

-Provincial Governors/Lords, who would command their own local troops and have the ability to requisition military assistance from the crown by right.

-Household Nobles that maintain private armies recruited and trained to Hylian Army specification but are paid and commanded solely by specific noble houses.

The first kind of noble is easy to control and predictable, and in theory is most loyal as they are tied to the crowns forces and technically may be of the royal house, or related in some fashion to it.

The second kind requires good leadership but is understandable and can be worked with; obligations made both ways ensures that orders will be followed albiet with grumbling.

The third kind is entirely unreliable and must be either eliminated or controlled to prevent possible civil war.

From these groups you get your generals.

From Generals, you go to Captains, leaders of either pre-arranged companies or ad-hoc units, possibly of many regiments strong. Captains will command between one and five hundred men on average.

From Captains, you go to knights, who may be granted a single company of warriors to lead, or will simply lead a lance of men (one cavalryman, one infantryman, one archer) outside of their battles.

From Knights, you go to Sergeants, who are really just senior infantrymen, and categorize a vast number of soldiers, of whom a few may be picked to lead the others.

From Sergeants, there are Soldiers, whose orders can override conscripts and guards. Etc.

///Part 2: How do they lead?

Out of combat generals lead through a series of obligations to lesser officers and commanders tied to social physical and national consequences. Or in other words, men obey because they must. However ‘how’ they accomplish basic command and control is unique. In general, essential reports are handled either by Sheikah or mage units. These reports contain war changing information or intelligence, and are used to inform and also command subjects.Less pressing matters are handled by the Royal Army messenger service, a mounted organization of armed mailmen that deliver missives to and from headquarters around the country. They work closely with border and interior guard units, using their facilities and erecting way stations of their own to help move information around quickly.In combat generals will give basic orders, but more complex commands must be carried out through a series of banner movements and instrumental calls, such as horns for a cavalry charge. For this reason each regiment has a battlefield musician, or multiple musicians, and a regimental standard, usually with its unique appearance. Sometimes, although uncommon, specific units of soldiers will alter their uniforms to stand out as well. All of this makes it easy for officers to see and hear commands and army status reports in combat without distracting from the fight. It also means fighting a Hylian army sometimes looks and sounds like going to war against a symphony, and the usefulness of some things, like drums for infantry marches, have been copied by other races over time.If a very specific order must be given that does not have a musical or banner call it must be done by HQ staff on the battlefield running to officers engaged in combat to inform them of the order; very impractical, dangerous, and often impossible.Another matter is battlefield organization and formation. Hylian officers obsess over formations and exacting specific details about battle lines. The following three are classics of Hylian doctrine:

‘Power’

The Power formation, named like the others, after a triforce piece, is meant for an assaulting force. It is best used in a field battle, but can and has been modified for siege as well. Troops adopting this formation instantly know the battle will be a hard fought slog.Power breaks the Hylian line into three arrow shaped columns, with the head of each arrow being two-to-three companies of knights, and the body being of standard infantry. The knights will smash into an enemy formation on foot, allowing the rest of the column to move into the disrupted formaiton of the enemy and push through, or break off and surround if the knights report the enemy has dug their heels in. Meanwhile, ranged combatants move on the flanks to fire into the engaged enemy lines while Cavalry either repeatedly charges the enemy’s center and flanks, or moves for a pincer assault around the sides, possibly to kill enemy commanders or ranged elements. Sometimes commanders create smaller sub-units of infantry to support the assault around the flanks and create a ‘battle cauldron’ or a frontline that extends around the enemy’s flanks. Recruits and conscripts either join the column, serve as flank security, or assist the cavalry with outflanking the enemy and forming the cauldron.

‘Wisdom’

The Wisdom formation is promarily defensive, although it leverages the Hyrule knights as excellent frontlines against missile attacks. Wisdom saps the enemy of energy and goades them into long charges by deploying siege artillery in a field battle formation, along with as many ranged warriors as Hyrule allows. The formation is also unusually mobile, willing to cede ground to lure enemies into killzones. To speed up army movement, wisdom divides its battle line into three ‘battalions’ which seperate and reform easily thanks to individual commanders being responsible for each, which are able to micromanage their troops. Here the Knights are kept as a frontline unit for only as long as the enemy wishes to try to out-shoot the hylian army, as the standard Hylian shield can absorb almost any form of punishment with no issue, thus rendering such efforts largely moot unless their archers dared try the more difficult and less effective ‘high-shots’ aimed above and beyond the knight line.In any case when the battle is about to join, the knights melt back into the body of the army, and the infantry counter-charges the enemy just as their charge is about to connect. Because the enemy charged longer, they will be more exhausted, wounded from the incoming fire and artillery, and have less kinetic energy than a properly timed Hylian counter-charge. Cavalry units are tasked with destroying other cavalry, skirmisher units, and watching the flanks.It is a brilliant strategy that frustrates hostile commanders, for it seems that it has no weakness unless one can outshoot the Hylian army by a considerable margin.

‘Courage’

The most standard formation from which all others are derivered, Courage is a three line system wherein the main infantry take the first line, the recruit reserve adopt the second, and the elite dismounted knights take the third line. The second line supports and relieves the first during long combats and provides flank security. The third line sits in reserve until the battle is won or it is needed to turn the tide, in which case it normally pincer-attacks on the flanks. Archers form up with the third line and on the flanks. Cavalry supports flank efforts. Although it is simple it is flexible, adaptable, and equally good on the attack and defense; a perfect choice for the commander who is uncertain of the opposition or is wary about the advance.

Sadly, it takes a tactical genius to reorganize battle doctrines in the middle of a fight. Usually the army adopts a style, or a variation of a style, and commits to it for the entire battle.Battles tend to last one to nine hours, depending on enemy strength, willpower, and determination.

Extremely large battles can take days, with breaks in between engagements to rest, with skirmishing units harrasing each other during these times. A siege can last four months to three years, depending on the defenses and preparations from the attacking force. Settlements without walls can be taken in 8-12 hours.

///Hyrules army at Peace

During peacetime most of the army is disbanded, except for a corps of professional trained soldiers. These men are kept well fed paid and trained, and are deployed as garrison units to forts throughout the land.Lighter units are organized into border patrols, which are subsidized by provincial lords and tarriffs, allowing for these mounted untis to continue to exist. Naturally, knights go back to their important social duties of organizing estates, government offices, or desk-based military positions. Those knights not occupied with these duties will find themselves in Knight-houses, or chapters, which are social gatherings of like minded knights within a lords fief, who generally keep to themselves, go drinking, participate in tournaments, train, and live a good life in a communal lodging, kind of like a fighters guild. They may also take contracts for extra pay, so long as it does not conflict with their vows. Sometimes knights simply retire, maintaining their skills privately and settling to form a family.They are tested in yearly games to ensure their skills do not decay to the point where they are no longer knights.

All conscripted units that survive are given a payout and dismissal from the army with the option of continuing service in the regular army proper.All disbanded infantry units, if any disbanding does occur, receive small veterans payments on a yearly basis for service, the same applies to those units that retire of their own will once a set number of years has elapsed. The pay is not enough to live off of; it is meant to supplement a new income stream. These old timers are on lists to call up in times of dire conflict for their experience and expertise.Militias and Guards adopted into the service are given a slight payout and returned to their former lives without much consideration given to them.

The army’s duties during peacetime are the elimination of monster populations, messaging services, road patrols, escorts, guard duty, maintaining military industries and facilities, maintaining and making new weaponry, and defending the realm against external threat. It is highly unusual for the army to leave the province during peacetime for any means other than escorting an important official, or for diplomatic reasons. During times of unrest, the army will enforce order, through violence if necessary.

Joining the army during peacetime is usually an easy way to avoid a had life on the streets, but is a dead end job with little hope for commoners to be promoted beyond a professional infantrymans pay-grade, so service is sometimes viewed as a waste of potential for young men, or as an escape. Many country boys dream of joining the army to see the world and have a better life than their equally meager prospects in the countryside.

[hopingforbabyblog]

Even though this vacation to Nevada has been really relaxing I wish I would have planned it for a couple weeks earlier. The first reason being that this particular January has been exceptionally cold in Alaska, and I wish I would have gotten out of our cold snap sooner. The second reason I feel like I planned my vacation a little too late is the timing of it fell within the crucial three-month window prior to FET. The three months prior to FET are important for building up a thick uterine lining to improve the odds of embryo implantation. I’m not aware of definitive evidence that stress in and of itself causes implantation issues, but I do believe that stress can contribute to poor health decisions (i.e., drinking, smoking, overeating) that can in turn affect implantation.

I tend to get stressed when I travel at times. A delayed flight, waiting in a crowded airport, and squishing like anchovies into the ever-shrinking plane seats are just some of the typical stressors when flying. But now the news is talking about the threat of coronavirus. To top it off both of the airports I went through (Anchorage and Las Vegas) had confirmed cases of coronavirus. I later learned the news seemed to overinflate the actual severity of the issue, using dramatic language that might lead viewers to believe it’s an epidemic, knowing that helped put my mind at ease somewhat. A few years back the major risk to pregnant women and women TTC was the Zika virus. I think if you want to play it as safe as possible don’t schedule a vacation during your three months prior to FET, unless it’s a ‘staycation’ or you are traveling for your actual FET.

Catch-up on Previous FET Prep Posts

FET Prep Week 1: 3.5 months until FET

FET Prep Week 2: Supplements, WTF Email, & Increased AMH Level

FET Prep Week 3: You say Future Tripping, I say Future Planning

FET Prep Week 4: Bad News from SIS Test

FET Prep Week 5: Surgery, Depression & Trip to Nevada

Countdown Until FET: 69 days (as of 02-15-2020)

Taking it Easy

You know the type of vacations where you are go, go, go non-stop with so many activities and you have a specific plan for each day, well I chose not to do any of that for this one and it has been working out pretty well. Although we’ve been busy, it’s been nice to not be the ‘planner’ and to just go along with whatever everyone else wants to do. This vacation, I chose to just let go and take it easy. I’ve been to Nevada a few times before and already saw the major must-see things, so I didn’t feel the urge to create a must-see list this time around. I just let my husband and mother-in-law plan the events.

I think this vacation has been a nice balance of relaxing and also going to different events. It’s nice to go to bed and not have to set an alarm for the morning. It felt like such a luxury to be able to sleep in as long as I wanted. There were only a couple days that were warm enough to be outside in the sun since we’ve been here. It’s been crazy windy, so much so that they actually have a high wind warning in effect. The wind is so strong it sometimes shakes the house. It was kind of funny to see about 40 tumbleweeds whip across the street at the same time. Not a good time to go for a walk and catch a prickly tumbleweed to the face. No thanks. I’ll stay inside until it dies down. It’s also been cold outside most of this week, in the 30s and 40s mostly. I learned this cold snap in Nevada was pushing down from Alaska. How typical, just when we try to leave Alaska’s cold weather it follows us.

  This wind is redonkulous! One of the many windy days on our vacation. 

  Okay this one turned out better, with less wind whipping my hair around.

  So although the weather has been crappy most of the week while on vacation, we still had fun doing other things. We saw Shin Lim, the magician, at his Vegas show. Normally I am not into magic shows, but this guy I swear is a true wizard. I saw him on America’s Got Talent, where he showed a card to the camera and somehow was able to make the numbers on the card actually change. Here is his show on AGT where he does that trick at the 20:00 minute mark. How in the actual eff did he do that? I was definitely impressed with his show in Vegas. I won’t give away too many details of the show, but it is definitely entertaining and I highly recommend you go check him out.

I also went to my first Tournament of Kings show, and I nearly s**t myself several times when the pyrotechnics went off. I felt like an idiot with how many times I screamed with each burst of fireworks. You definitely won’t fall asleep with this show, I’ll tell you that! So if you aren’t familiar with the Tournament of Kings, it’s a show where the performers act out a medieval storyline. The audience sits circled around the actors as they have epic battles using swords and also do jousting with real horses. 

    We did some other cool things on our trip too. We drove to Mount Charleston. I didn’t expect to see snow in Nevada, so that was pretty cool (cheesy pun intended).

    Of course we went to a handful of different casinos and tried our luck on the slots. Well, I mostly watched Kurtis try his luck on the slots. I’m not much of a gambler. The first time I ever visited Vegas years ago I had very little money. I would go from casino to casino and sign up for their players club card, where you would get free plays on the slots. It wasn’t worth much, maybe $10-$15 but it was still fun to try it out and not worry about losing money. I did a little of that this time also. I tend to enjoy playing bingo more than slots. The first time I ever played bingo back home I won $1,000, beginners luck of course.

  Keeping up with Supplements While on Vacation

I am not being super strict about following a diet while on vacation, although I could have been. I had a very laissez faire approach with my FET prep while on vacation. Although I did try to consistently take my supplements.

Here’s what I did to help me stay on top of taking my supplements while on vacation:

Reuse old prescription bottles for free pill organization.

Take a marker and write on the cap when you plan to take your medicine. For example I wrote “AM” on the ones I take with breakfast and “PM” on the ones I take with lunch. Since I am also taking L-arginine multiple times throughout the day I decided to create my own travel bottle specifically for that supplement. 

Set phone reminders to take supplements.

Most supplements for FET prep recommend taking with a meal. But if you are not yet in the habit of remembering to take your pills after you eat, setting an alarm in your phone can be really helpful to make sure you don’t miss your dose. You can remind yourself in other ways like putting a post it note on your mirror or refrigerator. Do whatever works for you.

Keep a snack in your purse at all times.

This snack should be your designated backup in times when you cannot have an actual meal with your supplements. For example, if you are going on a long road trip or flight and you are unsure of when you will be able to have a meal with your supplements, that snack in your purse will help you to stay on track with your supplement schedule. 

  The Game Changer

I plan on adopting in the future, whether I have a biological child or not. And I’ve considered adopting through the foster care system. But what is one of the biggest obstacles that keeps so many people from starting the path to becoming a foster parent? I’d say it’s becoming attached emotionally to raising a child who after some time ends up going back to their biological family. I can honestly say I am not ready at this point in my life to handle that possibility. I’ve read articles and memoirs from foster parents who say it was one of the most painful experiences of their life. Some said it was as painful as grieving the death of a loved one.

I’ve been visiting my husband’s family in Nevada this past week, and my mother-in-law was a foster parent. I explained to her that one of my hesitations for becoming a foster parent was that I didn’t know if I was emotionally ready to handle getting attached to a child that would end up leaving back to their biological family. But she explained that she learned that some foster parents choose to only foster children whose parental rights have been permanently relinquished, and are therefore adoptable. That right there, was a total game changer for me. I did not even know that was an option. I thought it was inevitable that as a foster parent you had to expect that possible loss, I didn’t realize you could avoid that whole scenario altogether. Now it’s just a matter of finding out if that option is available here in Alaska too. The plan for now though is to continue trying infertility treatments until I turn 35, which is over a year from now. 

  Mini Victories for the Week

Kept up with supplements while on vacation.

Got more sleep and relaxed more this week.

Asked more questions and did a little more research about the foster care system.

  Work in Progress

Contact the Seattle Clinic to find out if I need a repeat SIS before my upcoming FET.

Reduce caffeine intake from 1-2 cups down to less than one cup next week. Eventually completely cut out caffeine sometime soon.

Get back on a 1200 calorie per day diet.

  This post may contain affiliate links. You can read the disclosure here. 

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PRL (Prolactin)

T (Testosterone)

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FET Prep Week 6: Relax! You’re on Vacation. Even though this vacation to Nevada has been really relaxing I wish I would have planned it for a couple weeks earlier.

[deniscollins]

One Ohio Town’s Immigration Clash, Down in the Actual Muck

For decades, the farmers in Willard, Ohio have relied on migrant labor from spring to fall, and give them a welcoming party every spring. Seven in 10 field workers nationwide are undocumented, according to estimates by the American Farm Bureau Federation. In Willard, it is probably no different. This year, some complained due to the immigration debate. If you were on the Willard Chamber of Commerce would you: (1) hold the welcome party again or (2) request that the migrants provided documentation that they are here legally and if not, then deport them? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Migrant workers arrive here every spring to work in the “muck,” which is what everybody calls the fertile soil that makes this part of Ohio the perfect place to grow radishes, peppers, cucumbers and leafy greens. The temporary workers can be seen planting, weeding and, later in the season, harvesting crops that will be sold at national supermarket chains.

But there’s trouble in the muck this growing season.

The first sign of discontent came earlier in the year, when the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce was planning a welcome-back party for the migrants, most of whom come from Mexico and other countries farther south. Vendors were to sell food and drink. A soccer tournament, rides and singers were to entertain the crowd. At the chamber’s February meeting, everyone seemed on board.

“Our community is very fortunate we have a group of people who come here every year to work,” Cari McLendon, the chamber president, said. “We all ramp up for the season.”

But after a local newspaper published an article about the event in March, a far less welcoming response emerged, one rooted in the vigorous national debate over illegal immigration that brought President Trump to office. Some Willard residents complained that Hispanic workers did not deserve any special treatment, and that those without papers ought to be met not with open arms, but rather with handcuffs. Daniel Young, a Vietnam War veteran, wrote a letter to the editor of The Norwalk Reflector saying that he and others “are still waiting on our welcome-home party.”

By the April chamber meeting, enthusiasm for the party had waned as the controversy grew and local business leaders feared that it might attract protesters. At May’s meeting, the festival was called off. 

“We were just trying to have a fun community event,” said Ricky Branham, the chamber’s executive director. “It took on a life of its own. It got political.”

Founded in 1874 at the junction of several rail lines, Willard blossomed into a manufacturing base and agricultural hub, even though its population never broke the 7,000 mark. Today, the blue-collar town is home to a maker of snowblowers, a large book printer and a Pepperidge Farm cookie factory. The farming operations grow, pack and deliver fresh produce for consumers across the East and the Midwest.

In the 1890s, an entrepreneur named Henry Johnson realized that Willard’s expansive marsh could produce quality celery, if only it could be drained. He enticed Dutch farmers, who had settled in Michigan, to relocate here.

The first families arrived in 1896. They drained the swamp to reach the fertile earth below, built a canal system and divided up the land. Their celery cultivation gave rise to a community named Celeryville that still exists, though growers have moved on to other crops.

Their descendants — the Wierses, Buurmas and Holthouses — now grow more than three dozen kinds of vegetables sold through Kroger, Meijer, Walmart and other retailers.

For decades, the farmers have relied on migrant labor from spring to fall. Depending on how quickly they work, field workers can earn up to $18 an hour, compared with Ohio’s $8.15 minimum hourly wage. Many return year after year to do the strenuous seasonal work, sometimes in temperatures that soar to 100 degrees. (Local residents largely steer clear.)

Seven in 10 field workers nationwide are undocumented, according to estimates by the American Farm Bureau Federation. In Willard, it is probably no different.

“Without the Hispanic labor force, we wouldn’t be able to grow crops,” said Ben Wiers, a great-grandson of the pioneer Henry Wiers, who bought five acres here in 1896, noting that he considers many workers at Wiers Farms, which cultivates more than 1,000 acres of produce under the Dutch Maid label, to be friends.

But beefed-up border enforcement has slowed the flow of workers who enter the country illegally. Last year, a shortage forced Mr. Wiers and the other growers to leave millions of dollars’ worth of produce in the fields.

This year could be worse. The Trump administration has encouraged local law enforcement across the country to help identify deportable individuals for the federal authorities, making long-distance travel risky for those already in the country without legal status.

“It’s not a hospitable climate,” lamented Mr. Wiers, who joined other farmers in discussing their concerns recently with Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio.

Down the road, another area farmer, Chadd Buurma, said, “I have nothing but positive feelings toward the migrants.”

At the monthly muck growers’ association breakfast, the farmers pray for the safe travel of their workers.

“We pray and hope the workers show up,” Ken Holthouse, a descendant of the Dutch settler Jan Holthuis, said as he looked out across his fields.

About 30 people showed up for a community meeting on May 16 at the Church of God of Prophecy here to learn about the potential impact of immigration enforcement on Willard.

They heard from a panel of clergy members, immigrant advocates, lawyers and Jesus Manuel Lara Lopez, a Mexican national who has lived in Willard since 2001 but is now facing deportation.

“I have four children; I’ve never been in trouble. I’d like to ask for your prayers,” he said in Spanish, which was translated into English. “Sadness fills my heart.”

Listening attentively at round tables were Hispanics and a handful of white residents, including Judy and Dave Smith, who stormed out of the room.

“I’m a compassionate person,” Ms. Smith declared, fuming in the hallway. “I believe people who come here have to come here the right way. It makes me angry when I hear people talking about harboring illegals.”

Growing up poor in Willard, Ms. Smith said, she sometimes faced racial slurs for being Italian. Now she lives on the right side of the tracks, she said, selling used beds, mattresses and clothing, often to “Spanish people.” That doesn’t mean they all belong here, she said.

Her husband said he didn’t like hearing that everyone in the country, legally or not, is protected by the Constitution.

Ask where to find immigrants in Willard, and residents respond “in the muck,” the charcoal-black, organic-rich farmland that abuts the town.

Over the years, many Latin Americans have settled here, working year-round on the farms as well as at nurseries and factories.

Downtown Willard’s main artery, Myrtle Avenue, has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to Taco Rico and other Hispanic-owned businesses.

“We need to make them part of the fabric of Willard,” said City Manager Jim Ludban, who grew up here. He said he had been “100 percent” in favor of throwing a welcome-back party for the seasonal migrants.

As it is, the fear that exists among Willard’s immigrants is palpable and, with apprehensions on the rise, fewer are expected to arrive.

“People used to be care-free. Now they’re afraid to leave their homes,” said Romeo Perez, who arrived here from Mexico 13 years ago to work in agriculture but now runs Romeo’s Bakery, which prepares traditional Mexican sweet bread called pan dulce. As a consequence of that fear, he has seen business drop by 20 percent since January.

Mr. Perez worries that his bakery won’t get a seasonal bump this summer from farm workers, either, because “everyone knows they aren’t coming like they used to.”

Coin-operated laundries, banks, gas stations and other businesses could also lose the typical boom in business that comes with the arrival of the seasonal workers.

“Oh, Lord, we order extra of everything; we double up on people and hours,” said a hopeful Denise Maynard, assistant manager of Save-A-Lot, one of two supermarkets in town. She described buses that disgorge migrants, who push “overheaping cartloads” through the store’s aisles.

Just two days before the first radishes were ready to be pulled up in late May, field workers had hardly started to trickle in.

On the edge of Willard’s fields, three migrants pondered the current state of affairs after a day’s work.

“Everyone’s afraid to come,” said Jorge Ramirez, the only American among the three and the one who had driven the others — from Mexico — up from Florida. “There is too big a risk of getting caught.”

The men had a close call on a road an hour south of Willard.

Asked for identification by a pair of state troopers, the two Mexicans produced their passports. Mr. Ramirez, who presented his license, said that he was accused of human smuggling.

Two hours later, the men were released to their crew supervisor, whom they had reached by phone — but only after a sheriff’s deputy intervened. According to Mr. Ramirez, he arrived and told the others: “You aren’t immigration agents. Who the hell do you think will harvest our crops?”

It has been 16 years since Mr. Lara left his village in Chiapas, Mexico, sneaked across the border and headed to Willard, where he had heard that jobs were plentiful.

He worked the land. He fell in love with Anahi Salinas, a fellow Mexican, and they eventually married and had American-citizen children. He became rooted in the community.

“I was working and raising a family,” Mr. Lara, 38, recalled on the back porch of the beige clapboard house with maroon shutters that he bought a year ago with a $60,000 mortgage.

His sons, Eric, 13; Edwin, 11; and Anuar, 10, played basketball nearby. His daughter, Elsiy, 6, entertained herself by skipping around.

In 2008, Mr. Lara was pulled over on his way to the dentist. Unable to produce a driver’s license, which is not issued to undocumented residents in Ohio, he was jailed. A sheriff’s deputy contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Deportation proceedings followed, culminating in a removal order in 2011.

The government granted Mr. Lara a deportation reprieve because he was otherwise law-abiding, and he was placed under an order of supervision with a work permit, requiring that he check in with ICE annually and renew it.

In January, after the Trump administration announced that no one in the country illegally was exempt from deportation, immigrants like Mr. Lara became vulnerable.

On March 28, when he arrived for his check-in with ICE in Cleveland, officials tethered an electronic tracking monitor to his ankle over objections from his lawyer, who argued that he was no flight risk.

When Mr. Lara raised his trousers to reveal the black, clunky device — he charges it every 12 hours — Elsiy blurted out: “That’s a thing the police put. My Daddy isn’t a criminal!”

His application for a “stay of removal” included several letters of support, including one from an official at a center where he studied English, learned how to operate a forklift and enrolled in a machine workshop. Such efforts were “testimony of his great desire to better himself to be able to thrive in his community,” the letter said, aiming to prove “good moral character.”

In a denial note, an ICE assistant field director, Timothy Ward, wrote, “I have determined that pursuing removal of Mr. Lara Lopez is consistent with enforcement priorities.”

“If this guy is a priority for removal, I don’t know who isn’t,” his lawyer, David Leopold, said in an interview.

The authorities ordered Mr. Lara to report to the ICE office in Cleveland on May 19 with an airline ticket back to Mexico, which he bought at his own expense. On June 5, the agency denied a request by his lawyer that it reconsider removing him. The request included references from an employer, his neighbors and his children’s teachers.

Mr. Lara’s flight is scheduled for July 18.

For the moment, he continues to work the graveyard shift packing Milano cookies and Goldfish crackers at the Pepperidge Farm plant. He also picks up other part-time work.

“I don’t get any help from the government,” he said.

Their next-door neighbor, Jennifer Fidler, called Mr. Lara a role model. “All I ever see him do is work, take care of his children and go to church,” she said. “Why would you get rid of a good person?”

[internetblogs13-blog]

11 Marketing Strategy Using Blogs

Marketing Strategy Using Blogs Lucky you, is someone ever thought to you like that? I think one does, when you winning lottery tickets, or married with beautiful woman or drive expensive car additionally, it might be whenever you got promotion. While I?m surfing in other blogs this also question come to my head, do I need to be lucky in blogging? Or lucky never be the cause in blogging area it?s just depend on our how hard we promote our blog. Is there any your friends asserted you might be lucky blogger since you have succeeded in blogging area? Blogging is really a career for a couple individuals. If individuals wonder what exactly they need to upload regarding social networking, it's a wise idea to believe without delay they may have doubt in regards to the thought of social websites. They may even miss the actual, that, social media marketing could possibly be regarded as a means to make a living and as a livelihood. 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Having these since your objective will clear your brain, leading you to an easier strategy to develop a blog.(more info) Till date, she holds many medal records. During the Afro-Asian Games in 2003, she won a Gold medal in Singles and doubles matches. She also won Gold inside the mixed doubles matches and her team won Gold as well. During the Asian games in 2006 in Doha, she won a Gold medal within the mixed doubles match followed by silver within the Singles match. Her team won a Silver medal with this tournament. She won a Silver medal in the mixed doubles match in Guangzhou and Bronze medal in Singles match in 2010. She won a Bronze in 2002 Busan Mixed Doubles matches. During the Commonwealth Games located in New Delhi really, she won Silver medal inside the Singles match and Bronze medal within the Women's doubles match. Aside from being forced to possess a blog in the first place blogging for cash is really pretty easy. 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Some of text link advertising companies are: Textlinkads TNX Direct Link ads Linkadage Textlinkbrokers Banner ads - there are lots of advertisers on the market today on the market that may pay out the comission for showing their banners on your own website/blogs. is the type of site which pays you for placing their advertisers banner on your own blog. PPC program - there are lots of pay per click (ppc) programs available on the market today which shows ads according to your posts. To start making money with these programs, you will need to create a free account with them and submit your blog/website there. Some of famous ppc programs are Google adsense Yahoo Publisher Network Bidvertiser Adbrite Chitika Product selling - along with case there is a blog in connection with products or are prepared to sell products, you'll be able to use . Amazon will purchase from you for every sale that can be known as it via your internet site. 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Some companies may give the writer a specific area of the income or they may supply you with a flat price for every piece that you're writing. Lucky you, is someone ever thought to that suits you that? I think one does, once you winning lottery tickets, or married with beautiful woman or drive expensive car additionally, it can be if you got promotion. While I?m surfing in other blogs this also question arrived at my head, do I need to be lucky in blogging? Or lucky never are likely involved in blogging area it?s just rely on our how hard we promote our blog. Is there any friends and family asserted you're lucky blogger since you have succeeded in blogging area? Setting up a account isn't rocket science, however; we are going to walk you through the process and save you time. Why go solo whenever you might have this Cashmap as your wingman? You will have your created in minutes, however; greater part is deciding the title and address of your blog. 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