#i was a brand new third for a swinging couple that offered to pay for a weekend trip to a nearby tourist town

[izzy-b-hands]

i thought writing up the stupidly realistic dream i had would make me feel better abt it not being real. it both did and didn't and I've been telling myself to get my laptop open and start getting some shit done but. i keep thinking abt it. this stupid fuckin dream lmao

[luxekook]

𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 | 𝘬𝘵𝘩

⇥ pairing: quadruplet!taehyung x reader

⇥ genre: crack, smut

⇥ summary: in which the reader lives next door to taehyung… and his three brothers. she doesn’t realize they’re quadruplets until it’s just a little too late.

⇥ word count: 7.5k

⇥ warnings: 18+, cursing/dirty talk, alcohol, general chaotic energy [as usual], one hard dom!taehyung and three soft dom!taehyungs, sub!reader, pet name: kitten, smut (breast worship, oral [f receiving], bondage, spanking, slight degrading name-calling during sex, mention of daddy kink, ownership kink, four taehyungs lovin’ on the **READER** [***NOT EACH OTHER***])

⇥ beta’d by: the lovely phia (@meowxyoong​) and the cutie ally (@ally-127), and read over by the iconic heath (@shadowsremedy)

The Kim Quadruplets:

Mic Drop!Tae as “V” Boy With Luv!Tae as “Vante” Pied Piper!Tae as “Hansung” ON!Tae as “Taehyung”

Of all the days to forget your umbrella, your brain just had to choose today. You cursed your faulty memory as you shuffled your drenched sneakers across the ‘Welcome’ mat of your apartment building. As someone who prided themselves on being prepared and dependable, you were thoroughly angry at yourself for dropping the ball. Lightning flashed through the windows of the lobby, but you barely flinched - already used to the noise after a lengthy walk home from work.

You worked part-time at a small indie coffee shop called ‘Grind On Me’, which was located halfway across town. The shop was owned by an eccentric middle-aged woman named Reese who still had not gotten over the tragic loss of Vine. The menu was full of references to the fallen application: “Oovoo Java”, “Coulda Dropped My Croissant”, “Avocado Toast, Thanks!”, and “Back At It Again With The Refill”.

The best part of your job was definitely fucking around with your co-workers Jess and Cal. Reese often scheduled the three of you together because your “combined chaotic energy” was “on-brand”. Basically, the three of you would spend your shifts roasting coffee and roasting each other, while Reese looked on like a proud mom. You loved it.

The rest of your time was filled with school. You were up to your neck in your studies; but, with just one semester left until graduation, you were more determined than ever to stick it out. As a literature major, you spent many hours hunched over your trusty MacBook, fingers flying across the keys. Creating new worlds and constructing well-rounded characters was intoxicating. Every new document was a chance to bring ideas to life, an opportunity to make someone laugh or cry, a possibility to both mend and break hearts.

But, your absolute guiltiest pleasure was writing romance - and not the lovey-dovey kind. No, you wrote the racy kind of romance: the heart-pounding smut, the kinky (well-written and well-researched) BDSM, the raunchiest threesomes. You always wondered what your professors would think if you submitted one of your erotic novels to be graded; but, for now, you settled for posting to your loyal audience on Tumblr and for fantasizing about someday fulfilling the filthy scenes you wrote about.

Your most recent fantasy was inspired by the rainfall. Kissing in the midst of a storm like people did in those cliché movies… fucking as the rain poured over you… hands sliding down your slippery skin…

“Woah.” Hands grabbed your hips, halting you from continuing to walk forward absentmindedly. You jumped, your mind jarred from your fantasy and back to reality.

“I am so sorry,” You breathed out, “My mind was somewhere else.”

“I’ll say,” The deepest and most divine voice you had ever heard sounded from the figure in front of you. You looked up, desperate to know the source of such a dulcet tone. You were not disappointed.

The boy was beautiful.

His skin was the color of warm honey, his dark eyes sparkled with bad intentions, his full lips curled into a sly grin. “I would pay good money to know what you were thinking about just now, kitten,” The boy’s grin widened, displaying a cute boxy smile that did nothing to take away from the implications of his words.

“I’m not your kitten,” You glared at the blonde boy in front of you, shoving aside both his hands and the traitorous warmth that bloomed inside you at the pet name. With those words, you sidestepped around him and trudged to go check your mail. Your heart flipped in your chest when you heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps following close behind you.

“Ever heard of an umbrella, kitten?” You could hear his smile in his infuriating words, and you shot him a glare.

“Yes, actually. Have you ever heard of manners?” You bit out, punching in the key code to your small mailbox.

The boy’s laugh sent a shiver down your spine that you tried to rationalize as a chill. God, he was maddeningly handsome. You grabbed the small bunch of letters shoved in your mailbox and were so ready to hightail it out of there, when he grabbed your wrist.

The sight of his long fingers wrapped around your wrist made your mind flash to scenes of him holding your wrists above your head as he thrusts, hips swiveling and pounding into you… him holding your wrists behind your back as he kneels in front of you, tongue deep in your—

“Kitten.” Your attention snapped back to him, your eyes wide and your cheeks flushed. Fuck, you really needed to shut your inner ho of a writer off sometimes…

He winked, “Next time you’re going to have to share what’s going on in that head of yours. I’ll be seeing you around, neighbor.”

With those parting words, he sauntered out of the mailroom, flipping the hood of his grey sweatshirt up over his wavy blonde strands as he tugged his dark bomber jacket closer around him.

Neighbor?

You were so fucked.

A few days later, you still had not forgotten your blonde self-proclaimed neighbor, no matter how hard you tried. And, god, you had tried. No amount of smutty fan fiction or archaic romance tropes could quell your thirst.

You didn’t even know his name.

Jess and Cal had urged you to just knock on his door and introduce yourself, but you knew it wasn’t that simple. First, you had more than one apartment neighboring yours. You were not about to knock on each and every door in your hallway to find some mystery boy - even if he did call you kitten and smelled like summer nights. Second, you had already written so much filth inspired by your brief encounter that you feared you might not survive being in the same vicinity as him without spontaneously combusting or jumping on him.

And third, you were just so intimidated by him and his dominating presence. Even though you spent just a few minutes with him, you knew that you would have fallen to your knees before him if he’d demanded it… And he really looked like the type to demand.

Now every damn time you entered your apartment building, your eyes sought him out. You jumped out of your skin at every ding of the elevator, half fearing and half hoping he might be getting off. Your heart pounded whenever you walked down your hallway to unlock your door, waiting for him to swing open his own door to greet you with a smirk and some sarcastic words.

But, nothing had happened. And you were beginning to think he might have just been a rain-induced hallucination. Those were a thing, right?

You shook yourself out of your disastrous train of thought. Your shift at ‘Grind On Me’ was approaching, and you really needed to make some money. Rent, unfortunately, just didn’t pay itself. Tugging on your non-slip black sneakers, you made sure to grab your umbrella - just like you had the previous couple days, despite the clear forecast. You would not be caught out - or called out - again.

You push open your apartment door, shoving your umbrella deep into your tote bag and stepping out into the hall. You were entirely unprepared for the sight you were met with.

The boy from earlier that week was fumbling near the door across from you with what looked like an entire art store crammed into half a dozen reusable bags. He was mumbling about some Han character who couldn’t “get off his ass for one second to help him”. And, his hair was a bright shade of blue.

His. Hair. Was. Blue.

You must have made some sort of choking noise because suddenly he whipped around to face you. His wide eyes latched onto yours, and you couldn’t help but think that there was something peculiar about him today - even besides the hair.

A light flush bloomed on the boy’s face that you were sure was mirrored on your own tenfold. Shit, he really could pull off that shade of blue… Your eyes involuntarily slid lower to check out his white slouchy ‘CELINE” t-shirt, his black Adidas sweatpants, his bag hung casually off one muscular shoulder. You swallowed suddenly craving some water.

“Uh, hey, neighbor,” You waved at him idiotically as he continued to just stare. You lowered your hand and fought the urge to smack yourself for your lame actions.

The boy blinked and then smiled that same boxy smile as before, “Hi! I would wave back, but I’m kind of tied down right now.”

You let out a very uncharacteristic giggle, “And I would offer to help you, but I’m already late for work. Don’t worry, I have my umbrella this time.”

Grabbing your umbrella from your bag, you waved it briefly in the air before returning it to its resting place. “Bye!” You called over your shoulder at the bewildered blue-haired boy, “Love the new hair by the way!”

“Uh, thank you?” He called after you. As you stepped into the elevator, you swore you heard him say something about having good weather with no chance of rain, but you were too busy thinking about how nice he was today.

And about how he didn’t call you kitten.

You were so, so fucked.

When you got to work, you were immediately bombarded with questions from Jess and Cal.

Jess: “Wait. His hair is blue now? Does he look like a hot Smurf?”

Cal: “So, no “kitten”? Throws phone. Stomps on skateboard.”

You: “Did you just try to use the ‘So No Head' Vine out loud?”

Reese: "She sure did." *wipes away tear proudly*

They continued to clown on you for another hour while some of your favorite regulars filed in and out, grabbing their late afternoon coffees.

One of your particular favorites was an enigmatic individual named Heath. You, Jess and Cal were about 85% certain that Heath was a sugar daddy based on his regular order (the "Valentino Flat White") and the large amount of tips he always left (at least $20 for each barista on duty).

Another favorite customer of yours was Tay. She tended to skulk in the corner of the cafe, typing away on her phone and occasionally letting out loud bursts of laughter. Once, you had asked what she was writing, but she just looked at you like you had asked for her darkest secret. You figured it was something juicy.

Sighing, you checked the clock on the wall for the umpteenth time that evening - 6:50PM. Two more hours til you could go home, throw on some sweatpants, and drink a glass of cheap wine.

Wiping down the coffee bar, you heard a throat clear behind you. "Be right with you!" You called over your shoulder, placing the wipe in the garbage before turning to take their order.

"Oh," You gasped as you took in the new customer, "Your hair!"

"My hair?" Your neighbor that you had seen just hours before tugged his hands through his now-brown waves, "Is there something wrong with it..." His dark eyes flicked to your name-tag, “(y/n)?”

"N-no," You gulped, wondering what happened to the cute blushing blue-haired boy from earlier. Your neighbor really was giving you whiplash with his different moods. "What can I get for you?"

"Your number." His boxy grin was lethal, his voice was sultry.

You blinked at him. "You could have just knocked on my door later if you needed me."

His eyebrows flew up, "Oh really? I like the sound of that. You'd have to give me your address though, kitten."

"Very funny," You scoffed. Your insides turned to mush over the return of the nickname that you hated to love. "Now, seriously, what can I get for you?"

"Surprise me," He winked, handed you $50 and sauntered to a nearby table.

Gaping, you shook yourself out of your trance and got to work on his 'surprise' - an "I Thought You Were Americano".

"Who is that?" You jumped two feet in the air at Jess' hissed question. She was hovering right behind you as you poured the espresso into his to-go cup.

"My fucking hair chameleon of a neighbor!" You whispered back, conveying your panic, “Deliver this to him, would you?“ You tried in vain to shove the hot Americano into Jess' hands but she dodged your efforts.

"Oh no, bitch,” She laughed, "I am going to watch from afar as this plays out."

"Goddamn you," You shot her your best side-eye and stalked off to deliver the drink to your godforsaken neighbor.

The boy in question flicked his eyes up to look at you as you approached his table. He was wearing a flowy button-down shirt with at least four of the buttons undone, showcasing a tan and very toned chest. His legs were spread wide, encased in tight black slacks that left little to the imagination.

You gulped, trying not to imagine yourself perched on his lap and grinding into his hard––

"See something you like, kitten?" You jerked out of your daze and looked at his amused face. "I know I do."

You decided to be bratty. "Nope, nothing too impressive for me to see." You smiled sweetly as you deposited his drink on the table in front of him.

He licked his lips slowly, "God, if you were mine..." He trailed off, eyes narrowed on yours. Your mouth dried as the image of the two of you in a dark bedroom flashed into your mind. You sprawled out across his lap, his hands smacking your ass, your underwear pulled to the side…

“Yeah, you get the picture,” Your neighbor’s crooked smirk was downright obscene as his eyes flashed to your lips briefly. “I’ll see you later tonight, kitten. You know, when I come knocking at your door.”

With that parting remark, he stood, raised his americano in your direction, and strutted out the door.

You stood rooted to the spot, gaping after him for god knows how long.

“She’s gotta move at some point,” Cal’s voice vaguely sounded from the side of you.

“I don’t know,” Jess’ response sounded from your other side, “I once saw her stare out at a speck of dust for like fifteen minutes straight.”

That got you. “It was not fifteen minutes!” You defended yourself, “And it’s not my fault that I happened to be writing a coffeehouse AU at that time!”

Your friends cackled as you stomped back behind the counter.

Your friends were evil, and so was your neighbor, of that you were certain.

And you were so, so, so fucked.

Hours later, you were still thinking about your fucking neighbor. Why were you only meeting him now? Why was his hair always changing colors? Why did he fuck with you so much? Why did you like it?

All of these questions bounced around your brain as you entered your building, your eyes seeking out the boy instinctively. But, as before, he was nowhere to be seen.

You shuffled over to the ancient elevator and punched the 'Up' button a few more times than necessary. Something must be wrong with you. You were way too infatuated with your way too infuriating neighbor.

The elevator doors parted, and you automatically sighed in relief and disappointment as you entered the empty space. Pushing the button to your floor, you waited for the doors to close.

“Wait!”

A shudder trailed down your spine as you watched the doors re-open to let the subject of your thoughts onto the lift. He was wearing yet another outfit that was different from earlier - a white tank top with loose pants adorned with decorative zippers.

And was that a fucking tattoo?

There was no way you had missed that in your previous encounters. He must have felt your piercing stare because his eyes flashed over to yours. “See something you like?”

“You have a tattoo!” You blurted out.

“Um, yeah, I do. Nice observation,” Your neighbor looked at you weirdly. “Aren’t you going to ask what floor I need?”

“You and your fucking jokes,” You rolled your eyes at him.

The boy’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked at you intently, “Ah, so you’re kitten.”

Your insides into jelly, and you decided the safest tactic would now be to ignore him.

“Now, now, kitten,” He crowded your space, backing you up against the elevator wall, “It’s impolite to ignore your neighbor.”

“Well, it’s against the commandments to covet your neighbor, isn’t it?” You sniffed, pretending to not be affected by his sheer size and dangerous aura. The tattoo curling up his neck demanded your attention, and you only wished you could pay your respects with your tongue.

“I’m pretty sure they said something about coveting a neighbor’s wife… you’re not married are you, kitten? Got a boyfriend, girlfriend or partner that we don’t know about?” His breath mingled with your own, his lips so close to your own.

Wait, we?

Your thoughts were interrupted by the elevator’s arrival at your floor. Ducking under his corded arms, you scurried out of the elevator and down the hall towards your apartment.

Of course, he lazily trailed after you.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” You shot over your shoulder at him as you neared your door. “We just met like two days ago.”

His grin turned feral, “Yes, kitten, of course we did. Hey, why don’t you come over for a drink? You’re right; we don’t really know each other. Let’s change that.”

You weighed your options. Hanging out with him could drive you absolutely crazy or it could lead to something you previously could only write about.

He lounged against the wall next to your door in await of your answer. He raised a hand to brush his hair out of his eyes, and your eyes caught a sudden flash of silver. Was that an honest to god nipple piercing you just saw?

All rational exited the building. “Sure, but only for a little bit. Let me just change real quick.”

“Great, kitten,” His eyes flared, “Wear something comfortable. Just knock when you’re ready.”

You just nodded mutely as you entered your apartment and then shut the door. What the fuck were you getting yourself into?

After ten panicked minutes of you running around your apartment in search of ‘comfortable’ clothes, you were poised to knock on your still nameless neighbor’s door. You glanced down at your cropped t-shirt, leggings and running shoes. It would do. Besides, you had your lucky lingerie on underneath just in case.

Before you could even knock, the door flew open. “I was beginning to worry you were just going to stand there all night, kitten.” Your neighbor pouts, “And then we wouldn’t get to have any fun.”

You rolled your eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to invite me inside?”

His lips twitched, “How vampiresque of you, (y/n).”

You smiled broadly, “If I was a vampire, I would definitely have killed you already. You’re really fucking annoying.”

He stared at you for a split second before throwing his head back and laughing. The amount of neck that was in your face was heavenly; and, suddenly, you questioned whether vampires actually had it right this whole time.

“Well, kitten. I’m Taehyung. Please, do come in,” He opened the door wider, still chuckling lowly, “Would you like anything to drink? I think we have wine and maybe some beer hiding in the fridge somewhere.”

There was that pesky ‘we’ again.

“Red wine sounds good, thank you,” You said, plopping yourself down on one of the deep wooden barstools lining the marble kitchen island. You watched as he poured two glasses and handed one to you. Just as you were about to ask if he had roommates, Taehyung held up his glass.

“Cheers to being very friendly neighbors,” He said, sitting in the stool next to yours and staring intently at you.

“Cheers,” You echoed, clinking your glasses together and then taking a sip. Your eyes widened both from the sight of Taehyung drinking – his throat tipped back, his eyes dark on yours – and the deliciousness of the wine. It was an intense ruby red pinot noir that somehow tasted of fruit and of smokey spice all at once. It was honestly so fucking good that you just knew it had to be exorbitantly expensive. You licked your lips, making sure not to miss a single drop.

Taehyung’s eyes latched onto the movement. “You know,” He murmured, “They say if you hold eye contact while toasting, you’ll keep having good sex.”

You almost spat out your second sip of wine. Just as you were about to risk it all and say you would actually have to start having sex for that to happen, a crashing sound echoed from the dark hallway to your left.

“Shit,” Taehyung cursed, glaring in the direction the sound had come from, “I need to go and check what that was. Are you all right out here for a minute?”

You shrugged and nodded, swirling your wine around your glass.

“Be right back,” Taehyung brushed his hand over your cheek for a split second before stalking down the hallway in search of whatever had caused the ruckus.

Your hand flew to your now-warm cheek. Fuck, were you really crushing on your cute neighbor with the mood-swings?

Ugh, you were.

You glanced speculatively around his apartment. It was so much nicer than yours… The minimalist but chic decor just screamed rich vibes. However, there were a few oddities that made you frown. Four sets of keys hung by the front door. Four sets of shoes were lined up in the foyer. Four different color coded markings were on the calendar pinned to the wall.

Four different versions of Taehyung smiled back at you from a photo stuck to the fridge.

“Hello again, kitten,” The low voice startled you from your internal panic. Reluctantly turning to face them, you cursed your own stupidity. The blonde version of Taehyung that you met a few days ago grinned back at you.

“Fucking brothers,” You moaned, slouching over on the kitchen island and placing your head in your hands, “You’re all fucking brothers.”

“Quadruplets, actually,” He unhelpfully added, “I’m V. You’re (y/n), right?”

“Were you all just eavesdropping on me and Taehyung, or what?” You knew your were being petty right now, but you felt blindsided by your own lack of awareness and the brothers’ obvious lack of tact.

“Kind of,” Blue-haired Taehyung exited the hallway, “Sorry, (y/n).”

It was honestly unfair how sweet Blue was. “It’s okay. What’s your name?”

“Vante,” He waved at you and grinned, “See? I can finally wave back now!”

If you could turn into a human version of ‘uwu’, you would have done so right then and there.

“Stop flirting with her, Vante,” Coffee-shop Taehyung enters the kitchen followed closely by the actual Taehyung, “Let me introduce myself, kitten. I…” He gripped your hand and brought it to his lips, “Am Hansung.” His lips brushed over your knuckles as the words poured out of his mouth.

You blinked at him as it clicked, “Oh, so you’re the Han that wouldn’t get off his ass!”

Hansung choked, dropping your hand as his brothers cried with laughter. “Who said that?” He rounded on his brothers, “Who?”

Vante shot you a desperate look; and, since you had already internally declared him your favorite, you kept the information to yourself. “I don’t see how that matters when you all clearly have been keeping me in the dark about the fact that there are four of you.”

“I mean,” Taehyung began, “Technically we didn’t not tell you. You just never asked.”

Your blood boiled, “And how the fuck would I know to ask? Should I have consulted a psychic? Scoured the census data? Kept tabs on the entire population of quadruplets nationwide?”

You stared down each of the boys. Vante and Hansung at least looked a tad sheepish, but Taehyung and V just looked amused.

“You were right,” Taehyung nudged V, “She is feisty.”

You contemplated your options: 1) Kill V and bury the body deep in the nearby woods, 2) Dramatically exit the apartment and never speak to these demonspawn ever again, or 3) Chug this miraculous tasting wine.

You chose option three.

No regrets.

Looking at each of them, you felt like you could be the stock image for the word ‘shooketh’. Fuck, you had thought it was overwhelming when there was just one of them in your mind. But, now? You were in full panic mode over the sheer amount of masculinity and identical good looks that surrounded you.

“You know what?” You said after draining your glass, “I really don’t like being made to look like a fool. And that’s what you all did to me this whole week.” You saw Vante open his mouth, and you cut him off, “Some more than others… but, still, you knew where I lived. You could have just introduced yourself separately.”

You stood, glancing over the boys’ varying degrees of pouts and sighing. “Yeah, I’m out of here.”

Making your way over to the door, you were suddenly cut off by V. He leaned heavily against the door, successfully blocking your smooth exit.

“V, move.”

“No, you need to hear us out, kitten,” He murmured, looking down at you with an intense expression you couldn’t quite put your finger on. “Could you do that for us?”

You spared a glance over your shoulder, and sure enough, the other three were right there. Vante stared at you pleadingly. Hansung shot you a wink. Taehyung snapped his gaze up to yours… Had he been checking out your ass?

Deciding not to pay them any mind, you turned back around to face V and shrugged, “Fine, two minutes.”

“Good girl.”

A shiver coursed down your spine. You didn’t even know which brother behind you muttered those two words, and, yet, perhaps that made it all the more thrilling.

V shot a glare over your head and then refocused on you. “Kitten, we’re sorry. We just really like to tease, and you made it so easy.” Seeing your glare, he continued, “We didn’t mean to make you upset. That wasn’t our intention at all… it was the complete opposite, actually.”

Taehyung moved in front of you, next to V. “Why don’t we start over? Come over for dinner tomorrow night at eight. We’ll have a proper introduction to our neighborly relationship.”

You mulled it over in your mind. Embarrassment warred with infatuation. Worst case scenarios clashed with the best of cases. Images of a dark bedroom with multiple partners contrasted with words typed on a laptop screen.

Finally, as the seconds ticked by, you decided to ask yourself: ‘What would your characters do?’

They would fuck them all.

“Okay,” You sighed, eyeing the two boys in front of you and then the two behind, “But you better make something edible.”

“Challenge accepted,” V’s eyes glinted wickedly.

“It wasn’t even––” You cut yourself off. Though you only had met V twice thus far, you knew it was virtually impossible to make him back down from anything he perceived as a dare. “You know what? Sure, it’s a challenge. I’ll be the Gordon Ramsey; you’ll be the crying contestants.”

A stifled giggle sounds from behind you that you suspect belonged to Vante.

“That mouth…” Taehyung muttered. His tongue swiped along his lower lip as he stared you down.

Suddenly, Hansung popped out from behind you and shoved his two brothers out of the way of the door. “Allow me, kitten,” He swung it open in a flourish, bowing as he cleared your way out. Your lips twitched. That boy was so extra.

“Thank you, Han,” You smiled and waved as you exited their apartment, “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night…” Walking the short distance across the hall to your own apartment, you unlock your door, step inside, and then turn back to see if they were still there.

They were.

All four of them peered back at you from their doorway. “Shoo!” You laughed, waving them away before slamming your door shut.

You were so, so, so, so fucked.

Four’s hands ghosted over your skin, caressing the dips of your curves. You shuddered as Three’s tongue slides across your pussy.

“You like that, kitten?” One asks, as he watches from the armchair in the corner of the room, “You like my brothers ruining you?” You weren’t fooled by his lack of participation; you knew One pulled the strings. “Answer me.”

“Yes, daddy,” You moan out as Two sucks one of your nipples in his mouth and asoidfjgioykl—

The ringing of your doorbell caused you to key-smash in panic. “Coming!” You called out, flustered over the interruption and over the filth you just wrote about your neighbors.

You padded over to the door and peered out the peep-hole. It was Hansung. Your breath caught in your throat as you try to push the vivid scenes you just wrote out of your mind.

Pulling open the door, you greeted him with a smile, “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hi…” Hansung trailed off, his eyes roving over your body. You glanced down at your typical loungewear - an oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts. Nothing too out of the ordinary. “Do you have any sugar?”

You stared at him with a deadpan expression, “Are you serious?”

“I don’t joke about sweets, kitten,” Hansung grinned, running a hand through his messy head of hair. You would have to add a scene to your story about pulling on it… “There’s that look,” he shook his head amusedly, “When will you ever let us know some of those thoughts?”

“Never,” You vowed and stepped aside so that he could enter your apartment, “Come on in. I’m pretty sure I have sugar somewhere. Sorry for the mess.” You wandered over to the kitchen area adjacent to your living room. Hansung was assessing your apartment with a critical eye, and you decided you needed to make this fast before he uncovered any dirty secrets.

Pulling open your baking cabinet, you scoured the shelves looking for that pesky ingredient. Flour, vanilla extract, chocolate chips…

“How is it that four boys don’t have any sugar?” You complained, leaning up to snag your bag of sugar from the very top shelf.

“We ask ourselves that all the damn time,” You knew Hansung was smirking even without seeing him, “We’re getting some now though… and later.”

“Well, good,” You turned to face him, “You better stock up so you don’t come bothering me every time you need some.”

He laughed, “Oh, (y/n), we’ll always want more.”

Rolling your eyes, you shoved the bag of sugar to his chest and pushed him towards the door to your apartment. “Out you go!”

“Oh kitten, I always knew you were sweet on me,” Hansung grinned widely as he stared down at the sugar you had pushed against his chest.

“Fuck off,” You groaned, letting out a slight chuckle despite yourself. “Now, go away and cook me a nice dinner. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye-e-e kitten,” he sang as he paraded back across the hall, “Wear something sexy for me.” With a wink, Hansung disappeared back into his shared apartment.

You groaned, slamming your door shut before sliding down it onto the floor. These brothers might be the death of you. Glancing up, your eyes settled on your laptop. Had it always been in that position? Was that how you left it?

Standing up, you walked over to where your laptop resides on your coffee table and closed it. You had a dinner to get ready for, after all. You didn’t have time to return to your story.

Alas, you really should have made time; because, little did you know, the open document on your screen had a new addition courtesy of Hansung… “That’s hot. Which number am I?”

It was 7:59PM; you were pacing inside your apartment.

You contemplated cancelling for the hundredth time that evening. But, momma didn’t raise no bitch.

With that in mind, you assessed yourself in the foyer mirror. The black midi-dress wrapped around your body like armor. The wings of your eyeliner flicked out like battle knives. The redness of your lipstick warned of the biting tongue that lie within.

Yeah, you looked ready for war, and it was perfect.

With that in mind, you trudged across the hall and knocked on their door before you could talk yourself out of it.

The door opened to reveal V in all his glory. His blonde hair was tousled, his eyes were dark. He looked at you as if he knew all of your secrets.

You bit your lip, “Um, hi?”

A slow smile crossed his face, “Hi, kitten. Please come in.”

You moved past him to enter into the apartment. Taehyung appeared and greeted you with a grin. “Hey, (y/n),” He purred, running a hand down your arm, “Glad you could make it.”

God, what was up? The tension in the room was palpable. You walked over towards where Hansung and Vante were plating dinner in the kitchen.

“Hi,” You greeted them. Vante jumped two feet in the air as Hansung smirked at you.

You cocked your head. Moving your eyes from one brother to the next, you caved, “Okay, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean, (y/n)?” V moved closer to you, “Is this not going as you wrote it?”

You stopped breathing. No, there was no way… but, your laptop had seemed to be moved. You shot Hansung a look in askance.

He grinned sheepishly, and it told you everything you needed to know.

“Fuck,” You turned away from them, “I’m so sorry. This is so embarrassing. I’ll leave.”

“Who’s One?” V’s question cut through your rambled apology.

“What?” You blinked, turning to look at him.

“Who is One, kitten? Is it me?” V moved right in front of you. You gulped. He smiled. “I thought so.”

“You see, (y/n)-kitten,” He continued, “You were right. My brothers and I? We’re a unit. We do everything together. We live together, we date together, we fuck together.”

Your breath caught in your throat at his words.

“We just want one girl to keep us all together, kitten… to be ours.” V murmured, twisting a lock of your hair between his fingers, “That’s what we’ve been searching for for so long.”

You finally found words at last, “And you think that girl is me?”

“We know it’s you,” Vante said, shyly approaching you, “And we’re going to show you why.”

He kissed you. You almost laughed over how cute, shy Vante was the first brother to kiss you. His kiss was gentle, but insistent in its movements. It was like he was pleading you to let him in both your mouth and your heart.

You crumbled. Your hands fisted his shirt and tugged him closer. His kiss ignited something in you that made you want more.

Your tongue darted out to run along the seam of his lips. Vante gasped, and your tongue slid inside.

As you continue to kiss him, someone moved behind you, his lips ghosted over your neck.

“Mm, baby,” Taehyung whispered against the nape of your neck, “You’re so beautiful.”

Taehyung ran his hands over your hips and tugged your ass flush with his crotch. You moaned into Vante’s mouth. Vante took advantage of your dazed state to slide his tongue against yours in a way that was so deliciously dirty.

Suddenly, Vante backed up, and V took his place before you.

His hands slid up your body, grazing the sides of your breasts before settling back down at the top of your waist.

He kissed you deeply, differently than Vante. The slight roughness of his touch was new, and it seemed to declare ownership over you.

V’s tongue twined with yours, playing with you. From behind you, Taehyung continued to slowly grind into you.

Your body felt so overheated, so overwhelmed.

Pulling back from your mouth, V glanced over your shoulder, and Taehyung slipped away from you.

V focused back on you. “I don’t think you understand what you do to us. God, this dress. Did you wear it to tease us, kitten? We’ve been wanting to unwrap you, to strip you down, since you walked through our door.”

V fiddled with the bow keeping your dress fastened.

Your heart pounded in your chest, and you said, “Well, do it then.”

His hand froze. His eyes flicked up to yours. “You’re sure, (y/n)? You know what you’re asking for? You know what we’ll give you?”

You glanced around. Vante looked at you with a hopeful expression. Hansung wore a smirk, already working on undoing the buttons of his shirt. Taehyung full-on grinned at you with dark eyes full of wicked intent and promise.

“Yes.”

As soon as the word left your lips, the mood shifted. V nodded at Vante, who scurried out of the room. You opened your mouth to question his departure, but V cut you off.

“Now, kitten, I know you’ve imagined this - wrote this; but, you’re not the one in charge here. We are.”

He led you down the hall and into what must have been his own bedroom. The king size bed dominated the room. Paintings decorated the walls… Was that a real Degas?

Vante entered the room, holding what looked like long scraps of silk.

“Finally,” Hansung grumbled, and then turned to you, “Strip.”

Your hands shook as you reached down to the tie at your waist and pulled. Your dress, your armor, fell to the ground in a whoosh. You stood in just your underwear, having forgone a bra that evening.

“Goddamn,” V growled, “Such a good little slut coming to our place without a bra.”

His filthy words slid over your body like a caress and settled deep in your core. You pushed your thighs together. The movement was not lost on the brothers.

“Vante.”

At V’s call, Vante reached out and took your hand. Leading you over to the bed, he gestured for you to lay down. “We want to tie you up, kitten. Is that okay? If not, we can have fun in other ways.”

“T-that’s okay,” You swallowed hard, “I like bondage.”

“I knew it!” Hansung cheered from the left foot of the bed.

“Shut up, Han,” Vante shot over his shoulder as he focused on tying your wrists behind your head. Refocusing on you, he mumbled, “How does that feel, baby? Too tight? Too loose?”

“Just right,” You sighed, almost moaning at how hot you felt getting tied down by one man while three others watched.

Taehyung sat down at your side, his pointer finger began drawing light circles across your stomach. “Can Hansung take your panties off, kitten?”

Nodding, you looked down as Hansung leaned over you, hands briefly squeezing your hips before tugging your underwear down your thighs. Almost on reflex, you squeezed your legs together again, craving any sort of friction.

“Open your legs,” V ordered from his stance against the wall by the foot of the bed, “Show us how wet you are.”

You listened, hyper-aware of how your wetness was surely obvious. Taehyung’s fingers suddenly pinched your nipple, rolling the puckered bud between his fingers. A small moan escaped you.

“Fuck,” someone cursed. Hansung, you guessed. “She’s so pretty.”

“How wet is she?” Taehyung asked, the only brother not openly ogling your wet pussy.

“Dripping,” Vante murmurs, tongue wetting his lips.

Your eyes locked with V’s as he stared you down. “Now, kitten, do you want Vante to lick your pussy? Or Hansung?”

Both boys in question stared at you with wistful expressions. You knew your answer though. It was not an option he had given. And it was your lack of answer that tipped V off.

“Ah, I see,” V laughed. “Well, that’ll be a new one for us.”

Hansung shot V a confused look, “What?”

“She wants both of your mouths,” V smirked at your immediate blush, “What? Am I wrong, baby?”

“…No,” You pouted.

Vante’s eyebrows furrowed, “Both of us? Like at one time? Or one after the other?”

All eyes were on you once more as you squirmed under the weight of their attention and Taehyung’s continued worship of your nipples with his fingers.

“Either?” You were losing your train of thought under the building pleasure. Could you actually come from just nipple play?

“Mm,” V hummed, “Our little kitten is being indecisive. Vante?”

Again, Vante hastened to fulfill V’s unspoken command. You wondered how many times the brothers had done this together, because they were really fucking in sync.

“Are you good with being blindfolded, too, kitten?” Vante asked, kissing your cheek lightly. You nodded and lifted your head up slightly so he could tie the soft silk around your head.

Darkness consumed you. Your senses heightened. A breath coasted over your wetness and you shuddered.

A light kiss pressed over your folds followed by a tentative swipe of a tongue. “Damn, she tastes fucking amazing,” Hansung groaned, completely giving himself away.

“Shut up and make her come, Han. Or I’ll let Vante take your place.” V’s voice came from closer by you now. Was he right next to you? Was he at your feet?

His lips felt so soft as he dragged them over your pussy to finally suck your clit in between them. His tongue slid and flicked perfectly against your clit.

The small ministrations of his tongue against your clit set your arousal ablaze. You shifted your hips up in hopes he will lick harder, but a firm hand pushed you back down.

“No, no, kitten,” V’s voice sounded in your ear, “You’ll get what we give you.”

Hansung continued to stroke his tongue between your legs. Finally, by the grace of the gods, he pushed a finger inside you and hissed, “Fuck, she’s so tight.”

You clenched down around his finger at his words, and he moaned. “She was fucking made for us.”

As Han returned to worship your pussy, another tongue flicked at your nipple. Was that Vante? Taehyung?

Honestly, not knowing was high-key hot. You were hurtling towards your orgasm as one brother ate your pussy, another worshipped your breasts, and two more watched.

The feeling of having so much attention on you, on your pleasure, on your body, set you off. You came with an embarrassingly loud moan.

Lips brushed your ear as V murmured, “You’re so sexy when you come, kitten. I bet you’ll look even better when you come all over my cock.”

A whine escaped you as he teased you, licking your neck, teeth scraping over it. The afterglow of your orgasm quickly turned into the aching need for more.

And then your stomach let out an insanely loud growl.

The room quieted. A chuckle escaped someone. Then, laughs echoed around the bedroom.

“Well, someone needs to be fed,” V’s smile was apparent as he pressed a kiss to your cheek.

The blindfold slipped from around your head and you blinked up at V as he untied your wrists. “Come on, baby, we can reheat dinner.”

“But–” You pouted as V placed a finger to your lips.

“We can get back to that after. We’re not even close to being done with you, kitten.”

“I don’t think we ever will,” Taehyung grinned at you as he tugged you up from the bed.

“Here you go, (y/n),” Vante handed you Han’s discarded button down.

“Thank you,” You blushed at his cuteness. Pausing, you scoured the ground for your panties.

Thwack.

Your ass stung as V’s hand massaged over the area he just smacked.

“They’re mine. Don’t bother,” His grin was feral as he squeezed your ass and then led you out of the room towards the kitchen.

As you both joined the others in the kitchen, you took the plate that Han offered you. Surveying the room, you took in your varying states of undress as you all stood around the kitchen island eating your reheated dinners.

Damn, you could get used to this… Taehyung caught your eye and shot you a wink.

Yeah, you were so fucked… but, so were they.

© luxekook. please do not repost, modify, edit or translate.

[onfirebasketball-blog]

The Remaking of the NBA--In Kawhi Leonard’s Image

Six days ago, Kendrick Perkins was sure Kawhi Leonard was going to be a Laker. Four days ago, Jalen Rose attested that Kawhi resigning with the Toronto Raptors was a 99% certainty. One thing seemed certain as each new supposed leak pinged across the Twitterverse: no way was Kawhi Leonard going to the Los Angeles Clippers. The team to which NBA pundits had thought for sure Kawhi was already committed throughout the regular season now seemed the least probable destination for the two-time finals MVP who had just dismantled another super team to bring Canada its first NBA title.

Everyone was wrong about everything Kawhi might do and how he might do it. And we found out, as much as NBA media types and the Lebroneratti want to make this summer and the 2019-2020 season about the resurgent Lakers and Lebron James and Anthony Davis’s muscled-up version of Lob City, this is Kawhi’s league now, Los Angeles is his town, and the path to the title goes through him.

Last night, news broke that Kawhi Leonard will be bringing his talents to Steve Balmer’s Los Angeles Clippers on a four-year $142 million max deal. Coming with him will be Paul George, for whom the Clippers have traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder five future first round draft picks, two pick swaps, Danilo Gallinari, and impressive second-year point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

These moves make the Clippers immediate NBA title favorites. They will begin the season with a starting five that has the potential to rival the greatest defensive lineups in history, with three premier perimeter defenders in Leonard, George, and Patrick Beverley, some option at the two of the Landry Shamet/Rodney McGruder/Jerome Robinson crew, and a bouncy, rangy rim protector in Montrezl Harrell. They will be switch-happy with guys all over the place who can defend at least three positions. Leonard and George can stagger their load management schedules to keep them fresh for the playoffs with the ability to rely on a deep supporting cast---a luxury Lebron and AD will not have on the Lakers as they navigate the Western gauntlet. The Clippers’ two All-NBA stars have the potential to be the best perimeter defensive pair since Jordan and Pippen.

Both Leonard and George can run the offense, but both are comfortable off the ball as well. Leonard shot 40.8% and George 40.0% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers during the 2018-2019 season, per NBA.com. Both are excellent off the dribble and pulling up from long-range. Neither is a spectacular passer (68th and 75th in assist percentage despite both being top-twenty in usage rate, per Basketball Reference) in the way Lebron or James Harden are, but they can both create their own shots all over the floor, and the defensive attention they draw creates opportunities for their teammates. It will be fascinating seeing how often and in what sets Doc Rivers uses a Leonard-George pick-and-roll. It promises to be a lethal weapon in what could be a killer offensive arsenal.

On the other side of the deal, trading Paul George is a shocking move by the Thunder. Oklahoma City seemed committed to the Westbrook-George pairing for the next several years, and had to have thanked their lucky stars for having resigned George to a huge extension last summer. With Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson injured for the foreseeable future, they might have had a shot at a wide-open Western Conference. Their defense was excellent most of last year, and until George’s shoulder injury during the final third of the season the offense hummed behind the engine of George’s MVP-caliber first half. They might have been a Steven Adams trade (for ever-elusive shooting) away from finally putting together a lineup that could compete for the Western Conference Finals.

There have been reports that George “forced” OKC’s hand in trading him. But this is a trade demand from a player with two more years on his deal! They certainly got a nice haul from the Clippers, but with the uncertainty ahead regarding control of the Western Conference, you would think Sam Presti and company would want to take a real shot at the title next year before moving their second star. Any number of deals would have been there for George at the trade deadline, all of which could have been leveraged against one another. 

The one explanation I can ascertain from the reporting about the context of the trade is that Kawhi’s decision to sign with the Clippers rested heavily on their ability to acquire George. If Kawhi’s camp was simultaneously in touch with Presti directly or through a Clippers intermediary, it is possible he promised to sign with Lakers if the deal did not go through. In that case, any hope Presti might have of making a run at the Western Conference title would be meritless anyway. Kawhi, in leveraging his decision on this very trade may have forced two teams to essentially do his bidding, not to mention screwing the Lakers’ ability to sign anyone of real merit to fill out its roster. If so, that is some Kasparov-level gamesmanship.

That said, they certainly made out about as well as any team has in trading George. The future is paved with a massive haul of draft picks and young players for the Thunder. They also may be able to get themselves in phenomenal cap position with another couple of moves.

The trade almost certainly signals that OKC is initiating a rebuilding process, with a Russell Westbrook move lurking on the horizon. But which teams might be interested in Russ’s mega-contract which is set to pay him upwards of---GULP---$46 million on a player option when he will be 34 years old with fifteen seasons on legs that have seen no restraint in the past eleven? The length and risk of the deal may force OKC to accept less value in a trade than we would otherwise expect for a superstar of Westbrook’s caliber. 

Several possible suitors come to mind. The Detroit Pistons just signed Derrick Rose to a two-year deal, but given Rose’s injury history and the team’s need to fill seats in a brand new arena, they might look to make a move for Westbrook. However, it isn’t clear they have anything Sam Presti would covet. The Orlando Magic could offer some combination of Aaron Gordon with another salary or two and picks for Westbrook, but the team isn’t close to serious contention, so that seems like a non-starter. Houston could look at swapping Chris Paul’s weighty contract for Westbrook’s, and Morey might shrug at the comparable risk with the athletic upside, but it’s hard to see Presti taking back big, unmovable money.

The Minnesota Timberwolves need a point guard to maximize Karl-Anthony Towns’s talents as his new mega-deal kicks in. Given that players appear to be demanding trades earlier into their contracts in the empowerment era, Minnesota may move into win-now mode. It will be important for the Wolves to impress upon KAT that they can and will provide him with the supporting pieces to make a real run in the postseason. Minnesota has not proven to be a free-agent destination so a trade for a star player may be the only way to do that. However, a deal for Westbrook would seriously hamper Minnesota’s cap flexibility, and OKC probably won’t be interested in taking on Andrew Wiggins, whose salary would be critical to a deal.

Mark Cuban craves All-Star talent and may see a window opening sooner than we might expect with Rookie of the Year Luca Doncic headed into his second season and Kristaps Porzingis on a new max deal. The Mavs could offer Courtney Lee’s expiring deal, and Tim Hardaway’s contract, which is up in time for the star-studded 2021 free agency period, along with picks for Westbrook. But the Mavs see Doncic as their primary ball-handler and Westbrook still hasn’t shown much of an appetite for working (or moving) off ball at all.

Which brings us to the Miami Heat. Pat Riley is militant in his pursuit of superstar players to compete in the East and has shown a willingness to take big swings wherever they present themselves. Heat ownership appears to have no problem rolling out rosters that run deep into luxury tax territory. The Jimmy Butler trade shows that the Heat want on-court production now. Westbrook and Butler share a similar ferocity that Riley loves. The Heat would essentially trade all two-year cap flexibility to OKC, facilitating an open Thunder cap sheet to wave at the 2021 free agency class. Something like Westbrook for Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, and Justise Winslow, with picks thrown in might make sense.

Whatever happens, know this: this is Kawhi’s Leonard’s league until proven otherwise. The Clippers should be title favorites heading into the season, with the Lakers close behind. What happens with Westbrook could have major repercussions for the Eastern Conference and will certainly reshape basketball in Oklahoma City for years to come.

[mattness]

Space Dementia

Sorry for the long wait! Another chapter of fanfic “Space Dementia” is here! 

Chapter VIII.

Jennifer snorted, looking at his own reflection in the mirror: she wore to a meeting with Robert short white dress that perfectly emphasized her figure. Jen scolded herself for what she wanted to show herself in the best possible way. She thought many times what to wear and the options are constantly changing from the simple (jeans and tee) to the most sophisticated (the dress with some jewelry). In the end, Wright stopped at a light close-fitting dress with sleeves. The girl put make-up eyelashes and highlighted her lips with red lipstick, and her hair slightly curled.

Something inside suggested that Robert is unlikely to pay attention to her appearance. Still this meeting even a date really can't be called. Who makes dates in broad daylight? Jennifer put on black heels and several times twisted in front of the mirror. Now she was ready. Taking beige bag, Wright came out of the house. The weather was perfect. The sun shone high in the sky, and a pleasant warm wind refreshed thoughts. Birds sang loudly, lifting mood. Jen covered a short distance to the station, where another tram. The orange-and-white train slowed down, and she immediately sat down on an empty seat. Outside the window of the tram swept the streets of the city. Multi-colored cars replaced each other, people hurried about their business, despite the fact that today was a day off. The girl again began to compare the metropolis and Derry, where on Sunday, on the streets there was no one to meet, while going to the grocery store. Everyone's left Derry for other cities in Maine for the weekend. Finally the train stopped at the desired station, and from there to the restaurant was on the doorstep. The girl jumped out of the train and walked quickly to the restaurant, a sign which even in the light of day was shining brightly. Jen sighed and walked into the room, gaze searching for Grey. Noticing the familiar frown on your face, snub nose buried in the screen of the phone, she resolutely went to the table. "Hi", said Jen, and Robert immediately got distracted from the phone. He carefully examined her appearance, smiling and rising. Unlike her, Grey looked too simple. Long black jacket, under which was a white t-shirt, and blue jeans. Wright was surprised that he wasn't in the perfect expensive suit. Although she didn't doubt that the clothes on him certainly from well-known brands that not everyone can afford. "You look great, Jen", said the man, and politely helped her sit down, gallantly pushing out her chair. The girl smiled sheepishly. He put the phone in his jeans pocket and put his hands in the lock on the table, continuing to look at Jennifer. She felt like every second blushed all the more from studying the green eyes opposite. "When are you leaving?" first of all asked Wright, touching her hair. "Tomorrow. Flight at five in the morning", quietly said Robert, taking the menu and studying the list of dishes. "If you want and if you get up, you can come to the airport and walk me. I wouldn't mind." "I guess I can't", the girl confessed honestly. "Where are you going?" "To Pennsylvania. First to Philadelphia, and then to other cities by car." Jen smiled sadly, suddenly remembering how she lived in Philadelphia until fifteen years of age. Moving from his hometown to another very much influenced her future life. Robert carefully examined the face of Jennifer, which displayed all the emotions and feelings that she was experiencing at the moment. Blue eyes couldn't stay on one thing. Memories about Philadelphia he immediately saw, now knowing, as girl lived, as only came in this world. "In Philadelphia so beautiful", she said quietly, and too, took menu. "I know. I have a house there." "So you're coming home?" "Not really." They don't talked about Robert's trip again. At dinner she decided to tell him a little about yourself, and Grey listened with pleasure all that already knew. It was interesting because some of the details Jen didn't say. But he knew everything. All people did so to create a good impression of themselves, hiding their own flaws and shortcomings. And Robert never understood the meaning of this secrecy. Because no matter how much he watched people who began to spend more time together, and then also began to live together, all these shortcomings gradually surfaced. For some reason, they immediately found out the relationship, quarreled, thinking that they no longer trust each other.   After the stories of Jen, followed by a logical question that Grey didn't know what to say. His story always had to invent. This time Robert Grey was a rich orphan with living parents who left him to fend for himself when he was seven years old. He left to live with his grandmother, which can be evaluated as "fabulously rich". A woman in her life earned a lot of money working in a large company, the name of which he didn't even bother to come up with. In general, it didn't really matter in the twenty-first century. It was worth someone to say that you are the owner of a large company and go to Aston Martin'e, as all around immediately became so sociable and friendly. It always has been. People for him were too hypocritical, and that's why he never wanted to make friends. The absence of these same friends, he explained to Jen that few trusts. So now he almost no one not spoke about his able. The girl smiled, remembering that as soon as they met, he immediately blabbed about it. "I only told you because you're different." Robert noticed how Jennifer's face changed, once again flushed, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly understood what he meant. Grey found himself happier than ever. Everything followed his evil plan. True, at first the plan didn't include falling in love girl every time they met, and it was manifested more and more. To his same happiness, she was too modest and not come around until nor on that, except timid kissing. Now that he had to get out of New York as quickly as possible, Rob was sure that all the feelings that had been born in her would soon pass. She'll forget about him again, try to switch to work or her friends, because his departure will cause her only pain. Oh, yeah, and the pain she felt right now, though not so clearly. But Robert could smell it scent. Finally, they finished their meal, and Robert paid for the meal. He went to the exit of the restaurant with Jen, but suddenly on the TV screen, which was located under the ceiling of the bar, the news began. Grey frowned, hearing the announcer move from political to criminal news. Jennifer noticed that, too. "To the number of missing people added three more. Also recently, police found a corpse at the corner of Water and Pearl-street”, the announcer reported in a serious tone. "The identity is not yet established. We only know he's a man of 40-55 years without a certain residence." The girl frowned, remembering what the man who had attacked her looked like, and Robert, meanwhile, was well aware of how bad his affairs were. A little more — and the cops will still be able to find his carefully concealed trace, but Grey didn't want to be behind bars for the third time. In prison there was nothing useful and good, only vital time is wasted. "Okay, let's go", Robert hurried, holding out Jen's beige bag. "Don't listen bad news." Jen nodded and went outside with him. Robert offered to take his hand, and the brunette gently squeezed his palm. They headed along the road, deciding to go to the nearest Park. The weather is still held good that could not fail to please Jennifer. "By the way, you didn't say where you came from to the hotel in Orono", Robert suddenly remembered, when they were walking slowly along the green alley of the park. "From Derry. My father and I moved there as soon as I graduated from Columbia", the girl said with a sad sigh. "To be honest, I didn't want to go back there." "Why? Nice town", Grey smiled. "You been there?" surprised brunette. "I have, more than once." A couple sat on a free bench near the pond. Jen watched as the ducks swam away from the shore, away from the people. "You don't like it there, I take it", the man chuckled, placing his hand on the back of the bench behind the girl, who shook her head in response. "Why?" "In the ten years I spent in New York, I got used to the rhythm of the big city. I'm used to nobody knowing anybody here. Nobody cares about you and your problems, because they're just your problems. They don't touch anyone, and no one weaves about you stupid gossip", explained Jennifer, tired sigh and decided to arrange her head on the shoulder of Robert. "Derry's too small. Everyone knows each other. And the atmosphere there is very ... repulsive." Grey found himself chuckling again as he looked at her. "What? I'm only giving my opinion, and I don't mind if you like Derry. I'll just never understand it. I can't understand my father wanted to move there." "You bought a house in Derry?" "No. It belonged to my grandmother, whom I visited every summer." Suddenly Robert remembered one of the years he had spent there. Of course, he was there many times and not only in the form of an ordinary rich orphan boy, but also in the form of a clown. For a century, he posed as the dancing clown Pennywise and stole the foolish children, feeding on their fears and flesh. But then he got tired of this circus, it was worth once to get caught by police. The guards didn't manage to keep him locked up for long. He quickly ran away and continued to frighten the children. He couldn't get close to one little girl who was always hanging around with her grandmother. Only once he did get a chance. She was swinging on the swing and happened to notice where he was standing. He mentally began to call her, wanting her to come closer. But the little one wasn't a fool and ran to ask permission from her old woman before going to the clown. Then Pennywise was seriously angry and decided to attack someone else, leaving this ungrateful in peace. Only now, sitting next to Jennifer, Robert realized that this little girl was her. How couldn't he have guessed? Why didn't he go back to her childhood memories? After all, he had studied her too superficially, which now infuriated him a little. Grey tried to keep his emotions under control, just squeezing his fingers on the back of the bench harder. Now he seemed to be beginning to realize the reason why something inside him was drawn to her. It was just a long-forgotten hunger that he felt for Jen in her childhood. But Robert didn't realize how wrong he was. * * *   The clock stopped at four in the evening, and Jennifer suggested to Grey walk to the waterfront, where there was a beautiful view of the city and the sunset. The man nodded silently in response, and they slowly headed in the right direction. Jen carefully walked on the pavement, afraid to stumble and break the delicate heels. The sun hate blinded eyes, and because of this had to squint. She looked at Grey walking beside her, who was already wearing sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. He was clearly better prepared for the walk than she was. "Where do you go after Pennsylvania?" Wright asked, picking up the bag, which was already heavy to carry on her shoulder. The embankment was only a few meters away, so the couple moved to a walking step. Jennifer breathed fresh air into her lungs. On the embankment lovers, families, dog breeders and athletes also walked. Through the crowns of green trees penetrated the sun's rays, the wind blew pleasantly in the face and relaxed. "I haven't decided yet", Robert shrugged back, glancing at her. "Do you want to meet again?" She smiled sheepishly, walking slowly to the railing. Jennifer leaned on them, peering into the distance. Of course, Wright wanted to see Grey again. She still felt indebted to him. Maybe something could come out of it. Jen hoped Robert felt the same way. The sun gradually began to sink below the horizon, painting the whole sky in red shades. Numerous skyscrapers of New York reflected the sunset rays, making the landscape more impressive. Jennifer watched the sun with fascination, as did Robert, who stopped beside her. He glanced briefly at her hand. Without thinking, the man confidently covered Wright's hand. The girl smiled, feeling like such a minor action on the body a wave of pleasant chills. "I'm going to miss you, Robert", Jennifer suddenly confessed after a few seconds of silence. "Me, too", wasn't very convincing, making Grey mentally cursed. "You'll not notice how time flies, and we'll meet again." The brunette sadly smiled, fully turning to him. Robert, still clutching her hand in his, leaned toward Jen's face. He covered her plump lips with a gentle kiss, and a pleasant cherry taste suddenly gave in his mouth. The girl responded to the kiss, feeling dizzy from blissful oblivion. Robert heard vulgar thoughts have already begun to visit drugged mind Jennifer. Her other hand touched his neck, and it's a fleeting touch of pleasure seared his skin. He didn't understand why the little kiss had caused a storm of emotions inside him. Why he didn't want to stop? He was beginning to dislike it. Robert seemed to lose control of his mind, so he reluctantly pulled away from Jen, who sighed in frustration. Grey was surprised to see the pupils of the blue eyes widen and the view become blurred. Her red lips parted in a pleased smile, and Robert smiled back. Jennifer suddenly burst out laughing, which caused gray's true bewilderment. "You imprinted my lipstick", continuing to laugh, she said, and immediately began to rummage through the bag in search of pack of wet wipes. Robert watched as the brunette fished out a napkin and began to wipe the red marks around his mouth. She did it with such care that for a moment the man felt uneasy. Somewhere deep within awake long-sleeping conscience, and begged to be left alive creature, standing across him. However, Robert quickly calmed it down, not wanting to obey a fleeting impulse. As soon as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon, Grey decided to take Jennifer to the hotel. He took off his glasses from the bridge of his nose and put them in his pocket while the girl was on the phone with a friend who suddenly called. Jen tried to get off as quickly as possible, because that same friend was ruining the whole date. Robert burst out laughing when Wright finally put the phone in her bag and smiled guiltily. "Never give me peace", the girl snorted, taking his hand. "I thought you told them all about me, going for a walk with me and all", Grey grinned, noticing how she had blushed once again that evening. "Yes, of course... I'm pretty brief tall about everything, and it's very upsetting them. But since it's only my life, I don't have to answer to them for every action I take." He burst out laughing again, and for the next half hour they chose not to talk about Jen's friends. The girl was happy to tell stories from the University, told about something that suddenly came to mind that Robert was not bored. Grey listened carefully, sometimes noticing the strange glint in her blue eyes. The man looked with interest and thought that he was right: inside Jennifer Wright slept something bad and, in a sense, the devil. Robert didn't notice how quickly they approached the building where the hotel was located. Jennifer looked at the entrance and turned to the man. "Thank you for today's meeting", Wright smiled and thanked him. "I wouldn't mind repeating it", Robert said and took a step to her. "Only when you return", the girl said, looking down in embarrassment. Grey reached for her kiss again, but Jennifer put her hand to his lips at the last moment. The man raised his eyebrows in surprise, not understanding what was wrong. Did he do something wrong? After all, judging by the thoughts of little Jenni for the whole day, everything was going just like clockwork, and another kiss was to finally appease her. "I don't want to get you dirty", Wright explained, and Robert just snorted in discontent. She put her arms around his neck, pressing her whole body against him and inhaling the pleasant aroma of expensive cologne. Grey was taken aback, but then lowered the hands on fragile waist. The girl sighed, feeling like every minute was becoming increasingly difficult to break away from the person who so suddenly appeared in her life. She drew back reluctantly and smiled tightly, pursing her lips. "Bye", Jen said goodbye, letting go of his hand and starting to climb the steps to the hotel. "See you around, Jennifer", left behind Robert, watching as she had already disappeared behind the revolving glass doors. * * *   The girl tried to immerse himself in work after Robert flew out from New York. He didn't promise to call or write her, so Jen didn't expect any continuation of their nascent feelings. On the other hand, it was better for her. Maybe for him, too. Now, already working for the second month in a women's magazine, Jennifer still tried to keep the bar high to get a promotion and a good recommendation. Mrs. Johnson praised and appreciated her dedication. The days passed one after another, and Jen looked with surprise at Katie, who brought a note from her boss. Unwrapping the crumpled piece of paper, she smiled: Mrs. Johnson strongly recommended that Wright take a two-week vacation. The brunette agreed with pleasure, because the desire to go to his father recently became huge. They hadn't seen each other long enough, and Jennifer missed them too much. As soon as the vacation began, the girl immediately Packed a small suitcase and warned her friends, took tickets for the first flight to Bangor. The plane cut through the broad wings of the veil of clouds, which hid the city States. The girl hoped that the good weather will continue until the end of the flight. She wanted to come to Derry and find the sun in the clouds or in the cloudless sky. Wright sighed and put in her earphones, closing her eyes and sinking into a light slumber. Sleep was not long in coming… * * * ...She was once again in the middle of the hospital corridor with many doors that were locked. This time there was a light everywhere, and there was a working noise: the footsteps of doctors, the squeak of hospital equipment and a lot of talk. A strange excitement with the experiences of the possessed girl, and eye was dimmed with tears. The feeling that Jen was losing touch with a loved one painfully squeezed everything inside to the smallest size. She's heart was bleeding. The headache made her grab hair and literally scream. Jennifer didn't understand. She didn't understand what was happening around her, where she was, and why she felt so terrible. The brunette squatted down in the middle of the corridor, wanting to fall through the ground so that no one could see her. Jen has to get out of here before it's too late. "Miss Wright, are you all right?"the doctor's stern voice was heard, and the girl rose to her feet. "How is he?" it came out of her mouth, though Jen had no idea who it was. "Will live. We support his condition", assured the doctor in round glasses, occasionally looking into his clipboard that he held in his hands. The girl nodded and sat down on a bench near the wall. She again grabbed his head, trying to figure out how to get out of this nightmare. Feelings overwhelmed her. Now wanted to run away from herself, but nothing can be done. The body during sleep didn't obey, and feet became wadded. Jennifer tried to catch her breath until she heard the sound of someone's measured steps. They were approaching her, and the man who had appeared in the corridor stopped in front of her. "Jennifer", a familiar voice called softly. That voice, thought the girl and looked up. In front of her on his haunches sat Robert Grey, who sadly smiled. He looked good as usual: black trousers and a dark blue shirt with a tie. It was as if he had come straight from the office of his own company at Jen's first call. "I don't understand anything", the brunette finally managed to voice her thoughts, immediately falling into a strong embrace. "What's going on here?" "I know this is hard for you to accept", Grey said, stroking her back. "Everything will be fine." Jennifer frowned, still not understanding what was happening at the moment. She stared in surprise at the man, whose eyes suddenly turned bright orange. Strange white spots began to appear on his face. Brown hair began to get red shade on the lips Robert had a wild smile. In the hospital corridor the lights suddenly went out and was replaced by red. That ominous red again! With one sharp jerk, Grey forced Jen to her feet. "I don't understand", the brunette repeated. "Should you? I just want to play with you, Jenni", the man said, and red stripes of stage makeup began to appear on his face. It made him look ten times crazier. "To play?!" Jennifer was puzzled, trying to escape, but Robert's hands, on the fingers of which appeared sharp long claws, plunged directly into her skin. An unbearable pain gripped her whole body, blood ran down her arms, and the girl only clenched her teeth, still desperately trying to give a logical explanation for what was happening. Grey pulled her to him and breathed in the smell of Jen's mixed feelings. That's not what he needs. She didn't feel fear. She was trying to explain. Damn girl! "My sweet", the man continued, leaning over the brunette's face, "I want to eat you so much." Instead of a fear, Jennifer was embarrassed. Cheeks reddened, and excitement pleasant waves began to disperse around her body. Robert felt it, and now he don't know what the hell he did wrong. Why did the admission of his true intentions cause her such a strange reaction? What's wrong with this crazy woman? Did the long absence of relationship with the opposite sex so affect her? Grey cursed and pulled her to him, biting her lips with a passionate kiss. The girl groaned under the pressure and only Robert dutifully replied. The feeling of being sucked out of her life force began to constrain every movement. Warm blood filled her mouth and a thin stream began to flow down the chin. She felt he was killing her. Ruthlessly tearing from the inside out, causing terrible pain. Jennifer wanted to push him away, but she didn't have the strength. The pain was mixed with excitement, giving the whole thing some masochistic effect. Never before had the girl experienced such. Something broke inside and a loud siren filled the corridor. "What did you just do to me?!" cried from the horror of Jen, looking at Robert, who was now for some reason, the image of a clown. "I showed you what will happen to you. Very soon." He laughed out loud in the hospital corridor. The girl watched in horror behind him until, until he disappeared. Wiping the blood from her chin, Jen ran to find a way out. But there was no way out. * * *  Jennifer woke up from her own dream, screaming. Cold perspiration stood on her face, and her hands trembled treacherously. The flight attendant that was so close in time, had already stretched her a glass of water and a sedative pill. Without thinking, Jen drank the medicine, draining the glass completely. "You're all right, miss?" the stewardess asked anxiously. "Probably", the brunette answered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up. But, fortunately, all went well", tried to encourage the employee of the aircraft. "We'll be landing in fifteen minutes, so fasten your seat belt and try to relax." The girl nodded and complied. Glancing out the window, Jen could see the outline of Bangor through the clouds. She frowned, trying not to attach any importance to the stupid dream. But it was so real that familiar taste left on the lips and in the mouth it was filled with blood. Jen licked her lips, instantly remembering kissing with Robert. God, did she miss him so much? No way! Obviously something is wrong with him, but the girl could not understand what. Why did this asshole continue to sit in her head even after almost a month since their last meeting? Jen couldn't explain it. Maybe a vacation in Derry and spending time with his father will help to forget him completely? Jennifer really hoped that talking to dad would help distract her.

[sonyadance]

Travel and Dancing 8

I left you last time going to Sweden.  What I didn’t tell you, was that Stephen and I were ending our partnership.  It was sad and hard and many things, but it was also the right decision.  I can not be happier about the time we spent together and the fact that we made it work despite our situation.  I think it was a good partnership, but even good things have an end.

So it’s been a crazy year once again.  From January to June, I worked non-stop (and people around me could attest to the fact that when I say non-stop, I’m not kidding) to build a new branding and get some new ideas out so people could understand who I am as a solo artist and what I have to offer.  By the time I was done and getting everything out, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even think of marketing or take one more step.  I was out, probably on the verge of a burn-out.  So I took a step back.  Life took a step back. ;-)

We’re going on September now and I’m ready.  I have so much energy.  I have to create.  I have so many things to create, so I think the next few months will be a balance of me being an hermit so I can feed my creative soul and put my thoughts into the world and me working so I can stay active on the circuit.

I will not be at The Open this year.  I took this decision pretty early on.  I have been doing an energy training for some years now and the last year of it is offered in the form of two two weeks intensives.  They don’t happen often.  When I asked about this year, they told me in the fall... the dates are those of The Open.  So I took a command decision: reality is that I don’t have a partner, I don’t know if I’ll have one and I don’t want to cry all year if I don’t, so  I said yes.  I’m still happy with the decision except that I feel like an outsider when I see and hear all my friends getting ready and in Open-season-mode.

Backtracking from here.  February was amazing.  We went to Sweden for Valentine Swing with the lovely Semion and María.  These guys make me happy, they are so talented, so humble, such hard workers, such beautiful humans... I kind of want to be their eternal third wheel! �. Also Chuck, I love him so much, every time he’s at an event, I know I’ll feel good, he feels like home to me.

EuroDance was as crazy as always.  We performed this year’s routine and that crowd was definitely the right one to appreciate the intensity of it.  

Then Perth for my birthday!!!  Omg.  If I didn’t have to travel for work, I would live there.  It is the place.  It is a city with access to everything you need, but small enough to be clean and safe and calmish.  You have the ocean and the beach right beside, the sun, the heat and a perfect blend of party, easy-going people, while still being deep and interested.  My birthday was definitely a success and I appreciate so much the little gestures from people who welcomed me in their life for a week.  Ginger shots for the win!

New Zealand was magnificent.  We got to play tourist there also.  The Hobbiton movie set was a blast to visit and the glow worm caves beautiful.  I shopped way too much, walked around Auckland until I couldn’t handle the sun and enjoyed everybody’s presence and conversations.

I came back to Orlando in March to find out my car had been towed and ended up paying around 400$ to get rid of that piece of &-$/$.  My little Richard the Ladybug was quite a wild one!  We choreographed for a rising star couple and had some visit from Finland before leaving for the Taste of Texas Dance Cuise.  Oh.  My.  God.  I’m sooooooo excited to be going back this year.  I just love getting to see new places I normally wouldn’t get the chance to visit with wcs; because it doesn’t exist there yet and probably won’t for a long time because of the economical situation... I went to a private beach in Honduras, saw Mayan temples in Belize, swam with dolphins in Cozumel, partied all night with our dance peeps, relaxed in the spas, are too much and it was all amazing.

In April, I went to Montreal to have a mental break, change my surroundings and work more efficiently.  Oh boy did I work... I think my roommate still believes im clinically hyper.  I trained, did yoga, started filming tutorials for my online video platform (www.sonyadance.com), saw friends and family, danced and started training for the mental aspect of our sport.  This has been a fun journey of taking coaching, reading, listening to conferences and building coaching directly applicable to wcs.  This is what I need to finish (if something is ever) this fall.  And Stephen and I did our Retreat in St-Augustine.  The last one we host together.  I definitely want to be there next year as it is also my concept, but we needed to separate the business and branding aspect of it and it made more sense for him to keep it since it’s closer to his place.

May was for Scotland Swing Classic, first time there and I just loved the friendly, relaxed vibe and the warm welcome with which I was received.  Then, I went on a trip with Wayne and Aggie from Poland.  We saw Glasgow, the Loch Ness, drove around, visited Edinburg, tried local food... and almost died on a mountain.  Lolll Well, let me explain.  When Wayne asked me if i wanted to visit and hike a bit with them, I naturally said yes.  With my naive smile, my sneakers, light lululemon pants and a bit of water, I realized that they intended to climb the highest peak in Scotland... after a talk with the mountain superviser (definitely not his title, but more impressive than the guy who tells you it’s gonna be minus 10 by the time you reach the top), we decided to go until the waterfall, which was 2 hours up, half-way to the top.  

The problem is, we were more in shape than we thought and got there in about an hour (about... I’ve been known to modify facts while I retell a story, but bare with me: this serves entertainment purposes and we will definitely have gotten to the waterfall in 5 minutes in the story Ill tell in my 50s).  To cross the waterfall, we had to tight rope our way in a wide-as-my-foot ice path with a 500m drop to our right.  I was petrified and definitely didn’t want to go, but convinced by my friends  that if we all died together it would be fun, I stood in the middle, emitting the weirdest sob with every step, as they held my hand on each side.  We walked up.  And up.  And up.  All the way convinced that we were so close to the top that it was worth not having any feelings in the hands, being soaked, pushed around by winds, sliding on icy snow in the middle of the blizzard.  And then, 5 minutes from the top, I stopped.  

For those who know how hard headed and determine I am, you know that I really had to feel like I was dying to ask to go back down... I just couldn’t.  I was soaked through, like I had jumped in a lake, I had socks on my hands cause I couldn’t feel them, my friend’s pants on my head cause my head was frozen, it was about -10 Celsius with the wind... we all started to walk down.  I repeated ten thousand times: “you have to go down, you have to go down” to myself so I wouldn’t roll in a fetal position and end there.

At some point I had to pee so bad, I squatted in the middle of the path (holding myself with my arms cause the legs were giving out) and when I was done, my hands were so frozen, I struggled for 2 good minutes (which is long on a freezing mountain path with people coming down) to try and bring my pants to a decent position and ended up settling for a -15yo pants down gangster look- for the rest of the way down.

We made such a good team that we were even able to laugh by the time we were in the 15 degrees zone, we picnicked in the car cause everywhere else was too cold and I preferred to be half-naked than with my wet clothes on anyway.

I also drove for the first time in Europe and the first time on the left.  It was a good experience and I don’t think I killed anyone so that’s a plus.

Then I went on to Portland.  Finally!  That city has been on my bucket list forever: everybody told me I would fall in love with the vibe, the coffee shops, the people and it didn’t disappoint.  I wish I would have had more time to explore the city, the markets, walk by the river, hike, have conversations with the people, drink coffee, eat all of the donuts and find more amazing books at Powell’s.  

ShowMe Showdown in St-Louis was incredible.  Just the perfect size and the vibe that fits me.  I wouldn’t know how to describe it well in words, it just makes me feel at home, like I don’t have to do anything, I just am and it’s welcomed.  Thank you.

I was then back to Michigan Classic after so many years.  Jason and AnnMarie were so creative with that event, the teams, the games, the late night yoga... thank you for asking me to teach that.  I don’t teach it a lot since I had my certification, but I certainly realize how much I like doing so every time someone asks me.  Thank you also for trusting me with the all-star track for my first official event by myself, it meant a lot.  And I was really nervous! Lolll. But the all-stars welcomed my crazy ideas and concepts with open arms and we had a blast!

Baltic Swing was amazing!  My friends certainly know how to run an event. Everything ran smoothly, everyone had a blast and... I got to perform a routine for the last time with Stephen. We didn’t have our costumes since his luggage got lost, but the emotion and the intention were there and people felt it.  We finally had the reactions where we thought we would have them when we choreographed it, some people even thought it was a different routine.  It wasn’t, we didn’t change a thing.  Another proof that intention can make or break a routine.

I then taught workshops in Montreal.  What made me the happiest, was to see all these faces I’ve never seen before.  The scene grew so much while I was gone and it makes me proud of my city!  I also did a teacher’s training and got to spend the national holiday in my province for the first time in years.

July was pretty busy.  First, a 40 hours intense for myself.  I need so much more of these.  I love training and being guided sometimes instead of guiding all the time.  

Then, a quick stop at Wild Wild Westie.  Ok, this event was insane.  So many people, an incredible energy and still a friendly vibe even being a huge event.  Unfortunately, my knee decided to give in that weekend and I think I had one social dance and did the Champions JnJ... that’s it.  I was so sad being surrounded by this pool of incredible dancers and not being able to participate.  I still enjoyed myself very much.

From there, I flew to Greece.  That country... if I brush aside the fact that their situation is not good right now and that public transportation is horrendous, it is absolutely a must.  A week is such a ridiculously small amount of time to try and grasp what is there with the extent of what happened before at the exact place where you put your feet.  I understand why Isadora Duncan had such a fascination for it.  I got to see Athens, walk around, listen to live traditional music in a tavern, visit the Parthenon and see Antigone at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  I felt like I was witnessing real magic unfolding in-front of my eyes and under the night sky.  I’m pretty sure that’s what theater is suppose to be like and that I saw the best actor of our time play that night.  Santorini was worth the detour and more.  A magnificent island, breathtaking cliffs, unique sunsets, delicious food, beautiful light, exotic beaches and all the dreams you can dare to dream.  The more I reflect on it, the more I realize I’ll have to go back.

Rock the Barn didn’t disappoint this year again and that’s a lot to say since I hold it to my highest standard: the fact that it’s my favorite event of the year.  24h daylight, best people around, cozy house, healthy food, creative tent crawl, fresh air, good dancing... what more could I ask for?

Coming back to this side of the ocean, I arrived in San Antonio.  Why haven’t I heard of that city before?  Not only was it gorgeous, but I was received like a queen.  Really.  I can not thank the community enough for welcoming me with open arms and Mikey and Ashlynn for trusting me with them.

I got back to Montreal, watched my grandma’s cat, went to Magog and Chambly with friends, hiked Mont-St-Hilaire and then left for Gaspesie with a friend from Cegep.  Besides a small detour by a hospital (don’t worry, the only memories I keep from it are the hot doctor and nurse and the fact that the last one now knows more about wcs than most of my family), the trip was as smooth as can be.  Her communication is so open, clear and need oriented instead of expectations, that it made me have a glimpse of what a healthy communication could be in a relationship.  

We camped along the beautiful St-Lawrence river, we had sun on our skin, wind in our hair, explored little villages, walked around, tried local restaurants, hunted for vegan ice cream, visited the Rocher Percé, saw a gannet colony, did a boat tour, slept at a nice Airbnb, met sweet people, celebrated her birthday, slept in the car, woke up at 3am to see a throat singing show in a national Parc on top of cliffs as the sun was rising, swam in the ocean, taught a yoga class on the beach at a music festival, tried to find perseides, had breakfast at a dinner, had a Tim’s classic road trip stop, meditated, read, talked, laughed, encouraged local businesses, visited the most beautiful art center in the world and... we just had the perfect trip.  Thank you Jade!

Now I’m back in Montreal again, filming videos for my online platform, catching back on work and most of all, finding a place to create.  I figured I needed to put my things down for a while in order to be productive and have my own haven of creativity.  Wish me luck with that and I hope to see you soon somewhere around the globe and have a meaningful exchange.

Xxxxx

August 21 2018

[sunkissis]

Bonjour mes amis,

It has already been two months since our arrival in Paris! I cannot tell you how fast this time has flown by. We exchanged our house in LA with a sweet French couple in Nation (12th arrondissement) for the first two months so we could have time to apartment hunt. I am so happy we were able to live in Nation mostly because we were able to experience a new part of the city we have never seen before.

I feel like I have finally mastered taking Liv to school on the Metro. I used to be confused about which direction the train would go and call myself out as an obvious tourist during the ride by watching for every stop. Now, we know all the lines and have the cool, I can’t be bothered look while on the train. Although once on a crowded train I got my skirt caught in the door.

    My hair is huge here. I spend hours flat ironing it and yet the second I go outside it turns into an instant pouf. Must be the humidity, there is so much moisture in the air.

Liv and I usually discuss our plans for the week and how we are adjusting to life in France during the ride. I ask her about the differences between LA and Paris. She makes statements like France is so much more cultural and historic than California. She told me, “In Paris everyone takes public transportation but hardly anyone in LA does. Most people at the grocery store are grumpy but here they care about helping you.” She also said the food here is much better than LA. She’s doing well in school. I have met some of the parents of her classmates (although very few speak English). Her curriculum is very similar to her French school in LA but they go off the campus for PE (which is called sports) and I feel terrible because I can’t help her with most of her homework (only math and English).

After I drop her off, I usually take the bus home because the Metro is very crowded and grab my luggy to pick up the day’s groceries. I still can’t get over how frequently I have to shop here. We go through groceries like crazy!

So far we absolutely love living in Paris. I still cannot believe we are here after dreaming of this for so many years. However, there are some downsides to life in France. Please don’t think I’m some entitled brat complaining about my great life, I just want to keep it real and show both sides of our life.

It is very expensive! So far we have plunked down quite a bit of euros for household items (new towels, shopping at Ikea for our new apartment, basic toiletries). It’s harder to stick to a budget because we had to stock up on basic items. Our first week here I bought Liv a scooter, new clothes and had to replace a pair of shoes she outgrew. This month Antz and I needed some new clothes because we (happily) lost weight! I spend €225 every month on our Metro/bus passes but sometimes in a pinch, we need to use Uber and depending on how far we are from home, it can be expensive. We needed to rush home from Versailles to make it to a birthday party on time and it ended up costing €65 for a 30 minute ride.

Liv really enjoyed her €9 smoothie.

Then Monoprix had to come out with this rad limited-time collab with Maison Chateau Rouge. Just take all my money!

The romper was for Liv but if they had my size I would totally rock it. I pretty much cleared out their home decor display.

However, groceries seem less expensive here than in LA. Like cheese, meat and beverages are super cheap. But let me tell you about the most magical, delicious item in all of France… la beurre!

Back home I buy insignificant Land of Lakes salted butter for like $3.99 on sale. Here, I only buy Sel de Mer de Noirmoutier and it is so delicious. I use it on everything, you could tell me it has crystal meth in it and I would still be like “Pass the butter.” I must say, America is missing out on this fucking amazing butter. It costs €2.35!

However dining out is still costing a fortune. We stopped ordering cocktails and are sticking to drinking water but we can’t seem to keep our bill under €75. Recently, while out on a stroll around the neighborhood we found the famous rue Montorgueil. The heavens parted and angels sang as we discovered the most intoxicating smells of baked bread, meats and fresh fruit. The oldest bakery in Paris is located here. It’s now my favorite place to buy fruit and we fell in love with all the restaurants.

We brought home the best BBQ ribs and a half a kilo of cherries for lunch. Liv gobbled them the whole tray in five minutes! Oh, and I am now a basket lady. I have bought three baskets since I got here. This is who I am now. Note: The fluffy hair.

We found this incredible living wall called L’oasis d’Aboukir. It rains almost once a week so I guess that is why this garden is so insanely green.

There are a few other annoyances here that I can’t seem to figure out. Like getting mail delivered. It seemed to be easier to get our mail when we were staying in Nation but that could be due to our sweet neighbors helping us out by accepting our packages. In our new apartment, we have a mailbox that we put our names on but nothing has been delivered so far. It took many attempts to find which of the local post offices our address belonged to. My French is not as great as I thought it was. I was able to pick up one package (I ordered five weeks ago!) yet three more are in mail limbo because we were told if our building has a locked gate, they can’t deliver packages. Uh, like every single building in Paris has a passcode door so why wouldn’t they at least email me or leave a note so I know where to pick up my stuff? Today I am going to Fed Ex for the third time to pick up a package that was delivered nine days ago! My Mom sent me a huge care package and it took me two weeks to figure out how to track it down.

  Another thing I will never get used to is the military presence here. I mean, they all seem like nice soldiers but it’s jarring to walk down the street and then boom, there’s five or six fully uniformed army folks casually carrying guns that look like they belong in a video game. I don’t dare take photos of them but they do say bonjour without a smile as I walk by. Oh, and they wear berets. I suppose I am lucky to live in a relatively safe neighborhood because there have been random knife attacks since we have arrived and sadly, I am always cautious when we are in large crowds.

I also seemed to have a hyper-sensitive aversion to noise. I was equally annoyed by the nonsense noise caused by our hillbilly neighbors (they had the world’s lamest garage band) in LA. Here, the sounds are subtle but torturous. For example, we noticed the first night while in bed, the upstairs neighbor’s toilet must be directly above our heads. Imagine the sounds we heard. They also had some type of saloon door that swings shut. This door produced a boom, bump, bump, bump sound all day long, just about every 30 seconds. I was very close to paying them a friendly visit to offer some felt pads but we moved into a new apartment. Just as we arrived at our new home we were welcomed by the constant cooing of les pigeons. They nest outside of our kitchen window and their incessant cooing sounds make me want to murder.

My final (first-World) problem is our new apartment doesn’t have a separate dryer. They consider this country sophisticated? I was warned about the hard, scratchy towels of Paris so I’ve always traveled with my own towel. The night before we left LA, I took a shower and used my soft, brand new bath towel that I packed in my carry-on. Then as we were re-packing our stuff I realized I only had enough room for either my winter coat or my towel. I was already wearing my camel year-round coat on the plane so I had to make a Sophie’s Choice. I decided it won’t be so terrible to buy new towels in Paris once we arrived. Guess what? Soft, plush towels do not exist here! I was stuck using my face towel for the first week. Monoprix does sell towels but they have a scratchy texture and cost $32.99 each. So, lesson learned, travel with your own pillowcases and towels. I did bring my allergy-free pillowcase covers with me. So, I’m living in 1925 y’all!

I adore freshly dried linen sheets or hand-washed pajamas but putting on stiff as cardboard undies sucks! Now I understand why everyone has to iron clothes here.

In other fun news, it’s peony season! My favorite flower is in bloom and you can buy four stems for 20 euros. Well, that’s how much they were at the marche however Antz found a sweet bouquet for me for Mother’s day for just ten euros.

  This is how they look three days later, swoon.

May 1st is May Day. According to Wikipedia, on 1 May 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on 1 May. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley.

Liv has been a crafting machine since most of her toys couldn’t fit in her suitcase. She has decided she needs a handmade sword and shield.

  I took her to La Droguerie to buy a pom pom making kit. This colorful place is located on

9-11 Rue du Jour, 75001 Paris, France

She was able to customize her own glitter! This kid and I were in rainbow craft supplies heaven.

We try to go to visit a new arrondissement every weekend. The parks here are absolutely gorgeous. Just don’t ever step on the grass. When the sky turns blue here, you grab a picnic basket and run outside!

Jardin de Luxembourg Rue de Vaugirard, Boulevard St. Michel, Rue Auguste-Comte and Rue Guynemer 75006 Paris, France

The boat rentals are €4 for 30 minutes. Liv chose Mexico to rep her Grandma Maria.

I think the pony ride was €8. Sweetest pony but our seven year old child is a giant.

Parc Floral 4 route de la Pyramide | Bois de Vincennes, 12th, 75012 Paris, France

We also love strolling our new neighborhood to hunt for Invaders.

Liv pointed out the heart shapes in the window panes.

One evening we took a stroll and ended up on Île de la Cité just at sunset. I swear I am never going back to the US!! Life here is tres beau.

Ask me anything about living in Paris.

Life in Paris: Month Deux Bonjour mes amis, It has already been two months since our arrival in Paris! I cannot tell you how fast this time has flown by.

[abigailskoda]

Top 10 Will Smith Movies

Sometime in the past you could put money on there being in any event one Will Smith film arriving at movie theaters consistently, yet it has been pertinently tranquil on the Will Smith front since 2008. Despite the fact that not in the front of the camera Smith has been occupied behind it, helping produce his child Jaden's film "The Karate Kid". Be that as it may, fortunately Will Smith will be back infront of the camera by and by when he stars in the following "Men dressed in Black" film, yes they are making a third one. So while we sit tight for progressively outsider busting activity here is my Top 10 Will Smith Movies to keep you engaged.

10) The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

Rannulph Junnah had everything, he was an extraordinary golf player, a legend in Savannah and dated the wonderful Adele Invergordon. In any case, having headed out to war every one of that changes as he comes back to Savannah a changed man more keen on drinking and betting than playing golf. In the then Adele having acquired both a fairway and obligations from her dad is compelled to blade an approach to collect some cash rapidly and starts facilitating the best round of golf ever. Having aisgned up golf legends Waler Hagen and Bobby Jones to play she persuades Junnah to play after local people request a neighborhood player to show up close by the greats. Having lost his certainty and swing it appears that Junnah is bound to baffle however when a myserious man called Bagger Vance turns up offering to assist for him it appears that things are pivoting for Junnah https://new-solarmovie.com/other-brand/movie2k.

I need to state that while I appreciate "The Legend of Bagger Vance" it must be said between the supernatural quality of the character Bagger Vance and numerous zen like golf arrangements it is each of the a piece too fantasy like. Be that as it may, at that point Will Smith conveys a beguiling, fun, interesting character in Bagger Vance making a big deal about what is actually a ton of rubbish into an engaging film.

9) Men dressed in Black (1997)

While offering pursue to a lawbreaker, James Darrel Edwards III finds that he's facing somebody who isn't human carrying him to the consideration of Agent Kay who acquaints him with the highly confidential office MiB whose activity is to control all the outsiders who live on the planet undetected. Having persuaded Edward's to join this extraordinary organization, turning out to be Agent Jay in the demonstration, they end up in the main part of things as the planet is confronting decimation except if they can find an Alien psychological militant searching for represetative's from different planets.

While the spin-off wasn't up to much the primary "Men dressed in Black" was a pleasant film which not just gave Will Smith a film industry achievement yet in addition a diagram beating melody. It's a lot of such an exhibition we like from Smith, conveying a lot of diversion blended in with activity and with the unexpected matching of Smith and Tommy Lee Jones working so well it's a film which is fun all the way.

8) Hancock (2008)

John Hancock is a pained man, on one hand he has super powers and attempts to utilize them to do goo, yet he likewise cherishes his beverage frequently driving his sincere goals winding up with sad consequnces and a traile of demolition. Be that as it may, while attempting to do a decent turn by sparing PR fellow Ray Embrey from being hit by a train he unintentionally gets himself another closest companion who starts improving Hancock's open picture. Which is all great yet for reasons unknown Ray's significant other isn't to glad to see Hancock being invited into their home and not in view of his clumsy ways.

Right interestingly "Hancock" the film isn't extraordinary, it resembles two motion pictures slapped into one and the mix just feels totally worng. In any case, fortunately Will Smith as John Hancock does, with Smith making an essential boss legend and conveying a couple of seconds of parody with a great deal of activity. Be that as it may, similar to the film Smith's presentation endures with the primary half being incredible while the second not exactly extraordinary.

7) I, Robot (2004)

In the year 2035 innovation and robots have become some portion of life, a lot to the dismay of Detective Del Spooner who takes an aversion to each robot he goes over. When Dr. Alfred Lanning, the man credited with making robots in their current structure, is discovered dead, Spooner is brought in to explore what many believe is a self destruction. Be that as it may, Spooner and his technophobic mentality drives him to speculate that Lanning's demise was not self destruction but rather was murder, dedicated by a robot who some way or another figured out how to slaughter in spite of rules forestalling him.

To lay it out plainly "I, Robot" is a Will Smith film, a cutting edge genuine one yet additionally an activity film. So what we get is Will Smith conveying a siphoned up execution in a larger number of ways than one with him flaunting his amazing physical make-up as he works out while additionally conveying high paced activity successions all of which has a pinch of diversion to them, because of Smith's conveyance of wry discourse. While such a genuine film, it's difficult to pay attention to it totally yet Smith conveys a noteworthy presentation.

6) Bad Boys (1995)

Marcus Burnett is hitched and hen pecked, Mike Lowery is single and a women man yet they are accomplices, working for the Miami Police. At the point when a sizeable measure of medications is daringly taken from the police safe house Burnett and Lowrey have only 72 hours to recover the taken medications and catch the hoodlums. Not that straightforward when a confussion prompts them claiming to be each other all together for an observer to approach.

In spite of the fact that Will Smith had just indicated his gifts on the big screen you could state that "Terrible Boy's" was his first significant film where he was one of the principle stars. It's another of those motion pictures where he conveys precisely what individuals like, so we get activity, we get satire and Smith making a sly fox in Minke Lowery. Yet, it's as a lot to do with Martin Lawrence's presentation as Will Smith's concerning why the film works making an important cop organization for another time.

5) I Am Legend (2007)

In the year 2012, New York has been surrendered after a marvel solution for malignant growth transforms and leaves the individuals who were treated with it into substance eating zombie like creatures. The main individual left in New York is Robert Neville who is resolved to find the solution for this freak infection regardless of whether it implies he is confronted with an every day fight to shield himself from these zombie like creatures who meander the avenues around evening time.

It must be said that "I am Legend" is a film which has wound up parting crowds. Some were wowed by such a frightfulness story while others felt it a powerless adjustment of Richard Matheson's unique novel. Regardless of whether you like the film or not what is without a doubt it's a solid presentation from Will Smith who not exclusively is the main character in it for such a large amount of the time yet in addition conveys that feeling of dread and dejection of the last survivor in a once clamoring city.

4) Ali (2001)

Covering the yers somewhere in the range of 1964 and 1974 "Ali" is the narrative of fighter Muhammad Ali. A violent decade in the fighters life it covers part of him turning into a Black Muslim, his fellowship with the persuasive Malcolm X, his choice to change his name in addition to is this connections and relationships. What's more, obviously it covers his boxin vocation and his battle to be permitted to box again in the wake of declining to join the US Military.

"Ali" is another of Will Smith's film which parts crowds on the grounds that for some, it spread such a little piece of the amazing fighter's life yet additionally in light of the fact that chief Michael Mann has such an expressive way to deal with motion pictures that it frequently doesn't feel like a standard film. In any case it's difficult to disregard the amazing exhibition of Will Smith as Muhammad Ali. Right off the bat the building up he did to physical likeness Ali is dazzling however he gets all the little quirks, the fast feet, the manner in which he articulated words practically everything is right on target and it's such a disgrace, that the film itself winds up parting crowds since it's perhaps the best execution.

[kayla1993-world]

Percy Potts said a last-minute prayer before swinging his club on the par-3 17th hole at Goose Hummock golf course. The ball landed eight feet from the hole, then spun backwards.

"To see it go in that time, I lost my mind. I can still see that shot today," Potts recalled in a recent interview with CBC News.

For 36-year-old Potts it was his first-ever hole-in-one — clinching the grand prize at the Alexander First Nation Golf Open on Aug. 24.

Three months later, Potts is still trying to claim the 2019 Ford Escape.

"It should have been the best time in my life," Potts said. "It was actually at the time because I didn't know all this was coming."

Hole In One Direct, an insurance company that insures long-shot expensive prizes, denied the claim.

In a letter to Alexander Forest Service, the company described the reasons for the denial: differing accounts of hole setup and yardage confirmation as well as player registration and draw procedures.

"Photos of the tee box and green the day of the tournament were not given," states the letter, dated Oct. 16.

Potts said he made unsuccessful tries to claim his vehicle by contacting golf tournament organizers Laverne Arcand and Harvey Burnstick. They have refused comment.

"No comment, our legal advice is working on it," Arcand wrote to CBC in a brief text.

Potts — a  golfer who shoots in the 70s —  first heard about the tournament on Facebook. Excited by the hope of winning a new vehicle, he delayed his family's vacation to B.C.

The day of the event, Potts' wife dropped him off and headed off to car shop to replace their used, battered 2001 Saturn.

It didn't take long for Potts to upgrade his ride — he won the second hole of the round and immediately spotted his new white SUV.

"The guys behind me were like, 'That's your car,' and it just hit me, 'Oh shit, that is my car.' So I went running … I opened the door and I jumped inside. I was sitting behind the wheel, imagining myself driving down the road."

Potts grew up on Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, 80 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, and credits golf with saving his life.

When he was 12, he burned his face fooling around with gunpowder. Likely to experience infection, he couldn't play most sports, so he wore a mask and gloves and his father taught him how to play golf. Every year his dad paid the $200 fee so Potts could practice at the Ironhead Golf and Country Club, about a 30-minute drive from home.

"I just fell in love with it. I've been playing ever since then," Potts said. "I'm pretty sure if I had a little bit of backing, I probably could have gone a long way."

In his teens, after his parents split and his dad left, Potts would strap his golf clubs on his back at 5 a.m. and hitch a ride to the latest tournament — often dropped off by people still out partying from the night before.

On the golf course, Potts stood out with his Mohawk haircut, jeans and Ramones T-shirt. A couple of times he was kicked out because he couldn't afford to dress the part.

Potts learned to make the most of his mishmash of used clubs and hand-me-downs as he surfed the Golf Town website, imagining his dream set. When he worked at Nevada Bob's, the owner gave him a set of sparkling new TaylorMade clubs worth $3,000.

"That was like one of the best days of my life because I had a driver, I had a three-wood, I had the irons, I had the wedges and I had the putter. He even gave me a bag."

Potts' winnings ranged from hundreds to thousands of dollars. He helped his mom pay the bills and buy groceries then tucked away enough to pay for the next tournament.

But he had never won a vehicle, so when offered the choice between cash or the SUV, the answer was obvious.

"I was like, 'Hell no, I'm taking the vehicle. I've never had a brand new vehicle, that's how much it meant to me," said Potts, who is now borrowing his mom's car to get his family around.

"I've always had to fix my vehicles when they break down. I could never afford the price of a vehicle."

At the service, Potts was presented with $1,800 — he'd placed third overall in the tournament and snagged a closest-to-the-pin prize also.

A photo shows a smiling Potts holding up the keys to his new Ford Escape — before he had to give them back. He was told he could claim the SUV in a few weeks once the paperwork was sorted out.

"To finally get something like that, brand new, that I could never get on my own ... and then they just take it away like that —  it was really overwhelming."

[coralinemybessyjk08insuranc-blog]

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[plug2game-blog]

Gamescom 2015: Microsoft Conference - Cosmos Video Gaming

Published on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 Entering into Gamescom, Xbox fans wondered how Microsoft would follow up their great display at E3 2015. A few notable games were missing out on from Microsoft's E3-- Scalebound, Crackdown and Quantum Break-- so Xbox head Phil Spencer quickly confirmed they 'd exist, however what about the rest of their line up? Clearly we 'd get some more footage of Halo 5: Guardians and Increase of the Tomb Raider, however what would fill the staying time? Equipments of War!.?. !? Surprise statements? Well, we type of got a little both. Phil Spencer has been preaching exclusives and Xbox showcased a lot of very first and 3rd party exclusives.

Quantum Break:

Phil Spencer quickly started the show with a nod to Rare Replay-- which releases today-- but very little was shown. Following that, we got our first huge look of a game-- Remedy Games' Quantum Break. Quantum Break is an extremely ambitious game that will also have a TV tie-in. As star of both the game and TELEVISION, actor Shawn Ashmore (of X-Men fame) reveals that the video game will focus on the heroes and the TV program will focus more on the villains. Not an incredible quantity is understood about the TELEVISION show yet (aside from a little snippet) but the video game will (FINALLY!) launch on April 5, 2016. The TELEVISION show is set to feature a cast of great stars consisting of Shawn Ashmore, Lance Reddick, Dominic Monaghan and Aiden Gillen.

Crackdown:

I was never a huge fan of the initial Crackdowns, and mainly purchased Crackdown 2 for the access into the Halo 3 beta, however the reboot (or Crackdown 3, as they described it throughout the presentation) looks surpringly enjoyable and offered its ecological destructibility, I'll absolutely be paying closer attention to it when it releases in 2016.

Scalebound:

Like Crackdown, we had not seen much from Platinum Games' Scalebound prior to today, aside from a CGI statement trailer at E3 2014. Today we had actually get our very first dosage of real gameplay and the game looks insanely fun. It's not as severe as it when appeared and just appears like a fun time. Platinum Games also announced that it would have 4 gamer co-op. It wasn't pointed out (or if it was, I missed it )whether the whole video game was co-op or just particular areas( like the huge manager in the trailer )but I can't wait to play this with my friends if that's the case. Scalebound will release specifically on Xbox One Vacation 2016.

DVR Performance, Chat pad and backwards compatibility:

After coming out swinging with the 3 exclusives, Microsoft took a fast minute to speak about some brand-new functions coming to Xbox One in the next year. First, we were treated to the news of new DVR performance, which will introduce in 2016 and will be complimentary for everybody. "record free-to-air TELEVISION, schedule recordings and take it on the go," said Mike Ybarra, director of program management for Xbox. Not a significant quantity of detail was given, however this might give individuals much more reward to cut the chord when it concerns their cable box.

They also announced a new chat pad peripheral that plugs into the controller for quick messaging and typing. Pretty uncomplicated. No prices or release date details as of writing this, however Microsoft states pre-orders start today.

Lastly, to touch on the bombshell announcement from their E3 2015 conference, Microsoft continues to broaden the games concerning their in reverse compatibility program this fall. They revealed that all future Games with Gold video games will be in reverse suitable, so you'll genuinely get 4 games monthly on your Xbox One console. While all first party video games will obviously be part of the program, they unveiled a huge list of 3rd party publishers who are going to be on board come November, when the service launches. The List they showed throughout the conferences reveals off:

Bandai Namco Bethesda Capcom Codemasters Deep Silver Disney Electronic Arts Koei Tecmo Majesco Sega Square Enix Ubisoft Warner Bros Interactive 2K

Many new games will include free copies of their predecessors, consisting of a complimentary copy of Fallout 3 with a new copy of Fallout 4 and free copies of Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, and Gears of War: Judgement when you buy a copy of the upcoming Gears of War: Ultimate Edition remaster. The service will release in November.

Killer Impulse:

The third season of Killer Instinct will release in March 2016 and will include Battletoad Rash if you have actually purchased Unusual Replay.

Bloodstained: Routine of the Night:

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will have complete cross-play on Xbox One and Windows 10.

Cities: Horizons and Train Simulator:

Both video games are coming to console first on Xbox One... at some point in the next year.

Worms W.M.D:

A teaser trailer is revealed and that has to do with it. I played it for some time when it was totally free with Games with Gold and I'll gladly play the new one if it's anywhere near as enjoyable.

Ark: Survival Evolved:

Ark: Survival Evolved will be coming to Xbox Sneak Peek Program this winter season! I've been excited for this game since the first trailer was release and I can't wait to lastly try it out and see if it's as fun as it looks. TIME TO HUNT SOME DINOSAURS!

Dark Souls III:

Dark Souls III gets its official gameplay expose. Will launch in 2016.

ID@XBox Montage:

Like news of Halo and Gears, it's basically a guarantee that at every big Microsoft conference, they'll put in the time to showcase video games in their ID@Xbox program.

Thimbleweed Park:

"Thimbleweed Park is a classic point & & click adventure from the creators of Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island that takes you on a classic journey to a strange town lost at the end of a dirty stretch of highway. Switch between 5 playable characters while uncovering the dark, satirical and bizarre world of Thimbleweed Park, a town where everybody seems to be concealing something and a dead body is the least of their issues."

Cobalt:

"Shoot, roll, punch, and leap your method to slow-motion success in Cobalt-- a couch multiplayer and action platformer from Oxeye Video Game Studio. Control in regional or online multiplayer projects, or co-op your way through Cobalt's story video game mode as a cyborg sent to discover the mystical disappearance of a human colony on an alien planet.

With over 30 multiplayer maps, 6 different gameplay modes, three dozen types of weapons and distinct gameplay elements such as auto-slow-motion and rolling, Cobalt offers limitless discovery and home entertainment. Oh, and ridable huge area hamsters.

Cobalt is available exclusively for console gamers on Xbox One and Xbox 360 As on PC. Cobalt is rolling into the Xbox Store in October, 2015."

We Pleased Couple of:

"We Delighted Couple of is the tale of an adventurous lot of moderately awful people attempting to escape from a lifetime of pleasant rejection. Embed in a drug-fuelled, retro-futuristic city in an alternative 1960s England, you'll have to blend in with its other inhabitants, who do not take kindly to people who do not follow their not-so-normal guidelines."

Just Cause 3/Rainbow Six: Siege Gameplay Montages:

We got quick gameplay montages from Simply Cause 3 and Rainbow Six: Siege.

Homefront: The Revolution:

After going through numerous, lots of developmental issues including studio closures and residential or commercial property acquisitions, the future of a once-bright open world follow up appeared doomed. The good news is, Deep Silver took control of the job and has actually seemingly gotten the ambitious follow up back on track. While we 'd seen bits of gameplay in the past, it's been over a year and the graphics do seem pretty dated. That said, I like what I'm seeing so far despite visual downgrades. I'm still enthusiastic that the game meets expectations. While we only got a look of some more single gamer, Deep Silver did announce a co-op mode. Homefront: The Transformation will have an exclusive multiplayer beta this fall on Xbox One.

FIFA 16:

With a heavy focus on content exlcuisivty-- the legends mode-- Xbox also announced 2 Xbox One packages consisting of FIFA 16, EA Gain access to memberships (one month and one year subscriptions, depending upon bundle) and a 1 TB hard disk.

Halo 5: Guardians:

One of the years most expected releases (and the most ecstatic I have actually been for a Halo video game considering that Halo: Reach), Halo 5: Guardians is forming up to be among the years most significant and finest video games. The video game got a dosage of single gamer protection at E3 2015, but Gamescom focused more on what most of individuals will play-- the multiplayer. More particularly, the deeply competitive arena mode which includes a well balanced playlist of slayer and goal based video game modes (Capture the Flag was revealed) in paced 4v4 battle. Halo 5: Guardians launches October 27, 2015.

You have actually likewise got the sick Halo 5: Guardians custom console and separate (however similarly as hot) custom-made controller too.

Forza Motorsport 6:

Forza is truly the only racing game worth playing. Both graphically, and gameplay, nothing touches Forza and Forza 6 appears to raise the bar even higher with elemental affects such as rain making a huge influence on your racing abilities.

Rise of the Burial Place Raider:

After dropping the bombshell at E3 2014 that Rise of the Burial Place Raider would be a Microsoft timed special(later announced that PC would get the game early next year and PlayStation gamers won't get it for a complete year), we saw a great gameplay clip from E3 2015 and now Crystal Characteristics hits the phase to display some of the video games signature guerrilla battle. For half the demonstration, the gamer decided for the stealth side of fight, selecting off opponents one by one from the shadows and at the end displayed improvised bombs and full out warfare. Both designs of play through look appealing and satisfying, though I'll take pleasure in playing more stealth. I imply, there's simply something fun about slipping up behind someone and after that stabbing them in the neck, right? Rise of the Tomb Raider launches on Xbox One November 10, 2015. (Note: Trailer quality isn't the very best for either of these next two trailers)

Halo Wars 2:

When Phil spencer finished his closing statements and handed the reigns back to Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries to announce something new, I kept hurrying through possibilities in my head. Halo 6 already? Halo: Reach remastered? A brand-new TV show? Practically everything entered your mind other thana follow up to 2009's real time strategy video game Halo Wars. While I've never ever been a big fan of RTS games, I was truly engulfed in Halo Wars when I played it. The battle was available for noobs like myself and the cut scenes and story produced by Ensemble Studios are a few of the very best the franchise has actually seen (and still hold up 6 years later). The game has a bit of a cult following that's desired a sequel, however it never looked like it was going to happen ... till now. Not a ton of info has been released, however we will see the game in 2016 (probably in November).

Final thoughts:

With Sony choosing to save their conference for Paris next week, this was a chance for Microsoft to actually construct on the momentum they started at E3 2014 and larger strides at E3 2015. They invested their entire conference (conserve forfive minutes) talking about video games, and most significantly exclusive video games and material and genuinely lived up to their stance that this is the finest year line up in Xbox history. It was terrific to see some more from Crackdown, Scalebound and Quantum Break while also seeing Rise of the Burial Place Raider, Halo 5: Guardians and Forza. If you're an Xbox fan, it's a good time for you. While I've got games coming out for all consoles this fall, my Xbox line up is going to be specifically meaty and I couldn't be better about that after an uninspired launch year in 2013. 2014 started the wheels churning and 2015 and 2016 look like banner years for the business. The about-face that Phil Spencer has been able to make with the console in two years is genuinely impressive. RIP wallet, fall 2015 and 2016 are going to brutal on you. To view the entire instruction, click the video below-- it starts around the 15 minute mark:

[theliterateape]

Las Vegas Stinks... of Possibility

By Don Hall

I pull up the Zillow listing for the house on Alpine Road In West Las Vegas.

“This is where we will live in a few months. Mark my words. This is the one,” I declare with the certainty of someone who has never been disappointed by expectations thwarted.

“Do you really believe that or do you just believe if you will it to be so, it will be?”

“It has a pool in the back yard, fucker. We’re buying this one. Trust me.”

When we pulled up to the house on Alpine Road, I tried to maintain my unshakeable optimism about this specific property. But after about five minutes in the building it became abundantly clear how miserably wrong I had been. This place was a fucking dump in direct contrast to the deceptive photos on Zillow. Alpine was a 75-year old, 350-pound woman with facial scarring from botched Botox treatments who presented herself as 30 years and 250 pounds ago.

The place on the corner of Treasure Avenue was unassuming but had a huge yard, a giant African oil palm tree and a garage that had been turned into a one-bedroom apartment on top of the three bedrooms in the main house. It was far better than advertised and we loved it.

✶

One of the most asked questions I’ve been fielding lately in this new pursuit for a home in the Mojave is “Why Vegas?” Proffered in the same way one would ask why I was wearing that gold sequined tube top to church or why I got that Joey Laurence neck tattoo.

The simple answer is opportunity. Lately, I’ve found I have plenty of opportunities to create and make a living and to make art in Chicago, but they are the same opportunities I’ve been recycling for twenty-odd years. Time for something new, some fresh challenges, different problems to solve. Sure, I could accomplish all that by becoming a nursing student, a carnie or opening an adult bookstore in Pilsen, but moving to Vegas seems a lot more practical.

So two weeks prior to Christmas, Dana, our friend Matthew, Joe Janes and I found ourselves driving a rented KIA SUV along the Las Vegas Beltway with Bob, a 72-year old Harley-riding real estate badass from Henderson, chasing down leads for the perfect Vegas home.

To clarify, we are buying the place with Matthew who presented us with an idea that was just too good to pass up. He had just sold his home in Chicago and wanted out of town. Dana and I have been talking about a move for well over a year now. We sat down, crunched numbers and realized that buying a larger place together was more advantageous than going it alone, so we joined forces and finances to find the perfect nest in the heart of The Meadows. 

Leading up to the trip, we did a ton of research on homes we could afford and were big enough. By the time we hit the ground, Bob had our list and we rocked through all of Vegas. I did most of the driving mostly so that I could get used to the landscape and traffic patterns. We saw ten houses over three days — some were immediate Nos once we saw them but most had huge potential. We were so organized that at one point Bob commented that he loved showing us places because he didn’t have to do most of the work. This was key because we had four days and I had a few other things to accomplish while we there.

About six weeks before we went out, I got a phone call from the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Nevada. They had seen that I was looking for work in Vegas, checked my online resume, and wanted to know if I was interested in interviewing for an events position. I told them I’d be in town on the 18th, so we scheduled an appointment. Soon after, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino asked the same. I booked an interview with them shortly after. Then Caesar’s Palace called. So on Tuesday, I threw on my jacket and tie and spent the morning interviewing for jobs that pay more than I’ve ever made to-date in a fiscal year.

The first was pretty standard and it turns out I’m in the running. Lots of travel but I’m cool with that. The second was a walk-and-talk throughout the casino with eight people interviewing me. Apparently, with regard to the immensity of responsibility, the modern way is to actually have employees whose job it is to vet one’s social media presence. And they still called me in. The third was super laid back. The initial question was “Why do you want this job?” I replied “I don’t. You called me, remember? Tell me what the job is and I’ll tell you if I want it!” And we both laughed.

It was invigorating. It was exhausting. Given I hadn’t even applied to these places, it was a portent of good things to come. Honestly, I don’t anticipate getting any of these gigs. Some things really are too good to be true. I did, however, find value and a certain thrill at being invited.

If there is sort of a Big Takeaway from our trip (you know, beyond looking at houses and the anticipation of a brand new life) it was the number of people I met who made some sort of comment to the affect that I was exactly what Las Vegas needed. From the Big Events folks to the underground arts scene, I was pretty much bombarded with good will and affirmation. Vegas seems to be welcoming me and that feels damn good. It’s exactly what I’d hoped for without even knowing what to hope for.

On top of all that, I finally got to meet one of my writing heroes: Eric Wilson of Literate Ape’s American Shithole column. Eric is one of those fuckers who writes so well and with such laser wit that he makes me want to be a better writer. Monday night I sat in a pub with three of those types who force me to really try when putting my thoughts on a page: Dana, Joe and Eric Motherfucking Wilson. 

I also got to swing in to Gordon Ramsay Burger and eat at one of my man-crush’s restaurants. I’ve grown to love Ramsay, his television persona and his offline good works. It was the best hamburger and fries I’ve ever had. Hell, the woman next to me had a Gordon Ramsay veggie burger and practically moaned as she ate it. Even a vegetarian like the magnificent Joe Janes could enjoy Ramsay’s standards of cuisine.

Speaking of Joe, who could ask for a better friend than he? Dude cashed in his vacation trip to come to Vegas, hang out and go on house-seeking excursions. Sure, he saw some shows and ate at Guy Fieri’s (not as cool as Ramsay’s but whatever) but his reason for coming was to help me out. There’s something special about Joe coming out — he was my best man a little over four years ago right there on the strip. Before we left, he sent some links of attractions we could see but, man, I was all business on this trip.

Himmel and I figured out that there was no real Live Lit scene in Vegas and that it was my challenge to bring it. He hooked me up with Ryan Pardey at The Bunkhouse Saloon so we arranged a meeting there for Tuesday night. Right off the Old Vegas Strip on Fremont Street, The Bunkhouse resembles The Empty Bottle in Chicago and there’s a vinyl record shop, 11th Street Records, right around the corner. Within about five minutes of meeting, we got the first Vegas BUGHOUSE! booked for Tuesday, April 9, 2019 and our newest Ape, Erik Lewin, has agreed to be a part of it.

I did a tiny bit of gambling (I’m lousy at it and after declaring so earlier in the week, Wilson commented “That’s why you work so hard.” Which is probably true.) We ate at a buffet at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino, and rounding out my Vegas experience, I was propositioned at 6 a.m. by a couple of prostitutes.

Standing outside the Cosmopolitan, a pipe and a Vente Dark Roast from Starbucks, two ladies dressed for maximum “Check Me Out” approached.

“Just say Yes!” she said. “…yes?” “Wanna hang out?” “Nah. I’m just waking up.” “I’ll take your clothes off… it won’t cost much…” “Hmmm…in another life, maybe. But…” and I pulled up the picture of Dana and I at the Chapel of the Bells on my phone. “I’m really married and not into anyone but her.”

And for five minutes, I shared the romantic story of Dana and I as these two ladies of the night — er… early morning — coo’d over the story.

We made an offer on the place on Treasure Avenue and the seller accepted. As in all things, it isn’t a done deal until the ink dries but things are looking right.

✶

That’s the thing about this move. It could be Alpine — deceptive promise with hopes dashed to the ground. It could be Treasure — all possibility and anticipation. We’ll certainly see in the new year which one it is but for right now, Las Vegas stinks… of opportunity, potential, possibilities undreamt of, and a genuine sense of something different for which to look forward.

I haven’t been this excited since I packed up my Blue Bronco II in 1989 and drove north, randomly seeking a home and ultimately landing in Chicago. That was easily one of the best cliff leaps I’ve made in my life, so this bodes well.

[sarahburness]

Happily Single: Why Marriage Wasn’t a Good Fit for Me

“I’m not sad about any of my life. It’s so unconventional. It doesn’t look anything like I thought it would.” ~Edie Falco

I knew what was coming. My co-worker Rose was midway through her second chocolate martini and feeling loose enough at our after-work get-together to stop talking about her marriage and instead, start talking about my non-marriage.

“I don’t get it. Why haven’t you ever been married?” she asked, in a disbelieving tone.

I sighed. “You know, this is the third time you’ve asked me that. Remember? We had that whole conversation about it at the office Christmas party last year.”

Looking deeply perplexed, she sipped at her drink, not ready to drop the subject. “I just mean…you’re so attractive and you have such a great personality. How is it that you’ve never been married?”

That’s what she said. What she meant was: What’s wrong with you? Are you some kind of a freak? Couldn’t you get a man? Are you man hater? Or a lesbian? (Not that there would be anything wrong with that—and actually, it’s no longer a valid excuse to be single, now that same-sex marriage is legal).

It’s possible that I was imagining more subtext than Rose intended, and to be fair, she was not the first person who’d put me on the spot about my single status.

On a regular basis, people I meet express astonishment at my never having tied the knot, taken the plunge, walked down the aisle to what is widely assumed to be a happily ever after existence. I am expected to explain myself—to defend my life choices—often to people I’ve just met.

Well-mannered folk who would almost never consider prying into the private lives of a brand new acquaintance have no reluctance in doing so when they find out that she’s an old maid. (Yeah, I’m owning that term.)

I’ve experienced this with bosses, co-workers, a man at a class reunion whom I hadn’t seen in thirty years, dental hygienists, a stranger sitting next to me on an airplane, manicurists, and various random strangers at parties.

A polite conversation can suddenly turn awkward if I let slip that I am an old maid. (I did recently have a different experience with a hair stylist who is divorced and struggling to raise two kids with no financial help from her ex. When she found out that I’d never been married, she said, “How’d you get so lucky?” But that reaction is the exception.)

People want an explanation. A story. Something that makes you make sense to them. After all, isn’t everybody supposed to grow up and get married?

For years, I’d stammer out some cliché intended to put people at ease, like, “I never met the right guy,” or “I moved around a lot for my career.” While that may have satisfied their curiosity, it invariably made me feel worse. Why did I have to apologize for who I was? Assure others that I was normal (in most respects)?

As I grew older, people became even more inquisitive and judgmental. After all, the bloom was off the rose. Even if I came to my senses and made a determined effort to find a spouse, I had aged out of my peak mate-attracting years.

Eventually the questions took a toll on my self-esteem, causing me to question myself and my choices.

Had I made a horrible mistake by not prioritizing getting married? Did everyone else know something I didn’t know? Would I someday deeply regret not having “Mrs.” in front of my name?

Seeing one friend after another get married multiplied my doubts and made me wonder: “Is there something wrong with me?”

I’d wake up abruptly in the middle of the night, overwhelmed by a sick feeling of dread, thinking: “I FORGOT TO GET MARRIED!”

When I was young, I did assume that someday I’d get hitched and have a family. I didn’t have a clear picture of what that would look like, although I was definite about not wanting to do a lot of housework, like my mother did. (I still don’t; I pay someone to clean my house). I had no interest in cooking—another of her daily chores—and as for motherhood urges, I preferred Barbies to baby dolls.

Marriage is a wonderful institution, for many people. I have lots of friends who enjoy sharing their lives with loving spouses—and I’m happy for them—but marriage is not a good fit for everyone. Those who do not, for whatever reason, get married should not be subjected to “single shaming.”

For my part, it took the hindsight reached after decades as a singleton to realize that I’d been deeply ambivalent about matrimony all along. I saw marriage as a choice that would affect all other choices, a partnership with many benefits but one that would tie me down and limit—at least to some extent—my ability to follow my own dreams.

What I really wanted was adventure. My parents’ traditional marriage worked for them, but it didn’t appeal to me, a child of the sixties and seventies who saw new doors swinging open for women, offering us opportunities that had not been available to my mother when she was coming of age.

I wanted an interesting career—preferably something outside of the mainstream—and I knew that marriage would restrict my options. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a spy. That didn’t happen, which is just as well for America, since I can’t keep a secret. Perhaps predictably, I went in a direction that allowed a lot of communication and became a radio personality.

Had I been married, I would not have been able to advance my career by moving all around the country, bringing comedy and commentary to listeners in various states. I got to broadcast from the back of an elephant in a circus, a hot air balloon high in the sky, and a pace car making the rounds at a racetrack. I introduced bands like REO Speedwagon and The Judds at concert venues and made guest appearances on local TV shows.

Early in my career, when I’d worked my way up from teeny tiny markets to a merely small market, I got a job offer from a radio station in San Francisco. San Francisco! In one move, I could more than double my salary, which at that time kept me just above the poverty level.

Of greater importance to me was the opportunity to work with major market personalities and reach many more listeners than I ever could in Champaign, Illinois. Additionally, I could go from the Midwest to an exciting city in California.

I thought about it for a hot second, and then said, “Yes!”

I didn’t have to ask a husband if he wanted to move. If he would be able to transfer or find a new job in the Bay Area. If he would be willing to leave behind friends and family, forego the recreational softball team for which he’d played third base for so many summers, abandon the garden he’d lovingly hewed out of the wilds of the backyard.

I was able to make a major decision based solely on what I wanted to do, and it was exhilarating. With the exception of the job interview I’d flown in for, I’d never even been to San Francisco, but I was thrilled as I packed up and hit the road for a new position in an unfamiliar city.

Ironically, that job turned sour pretty quickly, for reasons that had nothing to do with its location. After a year, I left for greener pastures (okay, Chicago) just as easily as I’d headed for San Francisco. And that wasn’t my last move, by the way.

Imagine if I’d uprooted a husband, convinced him to go to the Bay Area to start a whole new life there, and then turned around in a year’s time and told him that I’d changed my mind. If he had objected to moving yet again—which would have been completely reasonable on his part – I might have been stuck indefinitely in a job I hated. I would likely have brought that bitterness home from work every day, where it would have affected my marriage.

Being single enabled me to make the career decision I needed to make at that time. Not all of my decisions have been brilliant; I haven’t always had a lot of money, but what I do have is mine to do with as I wish, as is my time. Whatever actions I take or choices I make are done without having to consult with, negotiate with or ask permission from anybody, and I enjoy the hell out of that.

I go where I want to go on vacations, sleep in late when I feel like it and commit to time-consuming projects that appeal to me. I act in plays and sing in a band. I’ve run half marathons, traveled through Europe, and worked as a personal assistant to a movie star. My annual Halloween costume party is legendary.

I’m constantly learning new things; my current efforts include speaking Italian, playing the bass guitar, and sewing.

The point is: I spend my free time doing what I love to do, without having to accommodate someone else’s wants, needs, or schedule.

Married women, of course, get a lot done as well, but their accomplishments are not shadowed by the big “but,” as in, “She climbed Mt. Everest and discovered a new solar system, but she never found the right guy. How sad.” An old maid could find a cure for cancer, figure out a way to reverse climate change in a week, and invent high heels that felt like cushy slippers but at her funeral, people would still whisper, “She never married,” as if that canceled everything else out.

What’s interesting about this is that as a society, our ideas about marriage and family have undergone profound changes in recent decades.

Biracial couples who might have raised eyebrows some time ago are commonplace now and are regularly featured in TV commercials. Same-sex marriages are being accepted—or at least tolerated—to a greater extent now. It may have taken Aunt Vivian awhile to accept the fact that her niece Carolyn will be exchanging vows with someone named Diane, but Viv wouldn’t think of missing the wedding.

But what about people who don’t get married to anyone? Now that’s radical.

Why would someone want to go through life uncoupled? After all, being single past a certain age means being lonely and miserable, right? In a society that relentlessly promotes coupledom as the normal and only desirable way for adults to live, that negative perception about single women (in particular) persists.

That negativity eventually got to me. I became convinced that I was the last unmarried woman over forty (ok, over fifty) on the planet, and that I had made a big mistake in taking the road less traveled. I couldn’t reconcile the happy, busy, friend-filled life I had with the perceptions of other people. That they were people who didn’t know me well didn’t seem to matter.

My friends loved and accepted me for who and how I am. Why wasn’t that enough?

Like everyone who feels alienated, I found myself looking for my tribe.

I discovered that there are plenty of “old maids” out there who are living their lives fully and enthusiastically, despite the annoying questions and side eye glances that come their way. Many are still open to the idea of marriage but they are not waiting for it, not keeping their dreams on hold until the perfect partner comes along. They are complete, just as they are.

Many of them (okay, many of us) thoroughly enjoy the freedom and autonomy that go along with being single.

It’s a tribe that’s growing in size. The percentage of single people in the U.S. is greater than ever before, with single men and women making up 47.6 percent of households in 2016, according to U.S. census data. More singletons were women: 53.2 percent compared with 46.8 percent who were men.

It took me awhile, but I reached the point where I no longer summon up clichés to explain myself to people who can’t think beyond the conventional. I’ve realized that it’s not my responsibility to reassure them that I’m normal. I am normal. I’m just not married.

About Maureen Paraventi

Maureen Paraventi is a Detroit-based writer of fiction, nonfiction, stage plays and songs. Her book, The New Old Maid: Satisfied Single Women, is available from Amazon and Chatter House Press. When she’s not writing, Maureen sings with McLaughlin’s Alley, a pop/rock/Irish band that plays in venues all over southeast Michigan. Find out more about her at maureenparaventi.com.

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The post Happily Single: Why Marriage Wasn’t a Good Fit for Me appeared first on Tiny Buddha.

from Tiny Buddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/happily-single-why-marriage-wasnt-a-good-fit-for-me/

[theconservativebrief]

Renewable energy is hot. It has incredible momentum, not only in terms of deployment and costs but in terms of public opinion and cultural cachet. To put it simply: Everyone loves renewable energy. It’s cleaner, it’s high-tech, it’s new jobs, it’s the future.

And so more and more big energy customers are demanding the full meal deal: 100 percent renewable energy.

The Sierra Club notes that so far in the US, more than 80 cities, five counties, and two states have committed to 100 percent renewables. Six cities have already hit the target.

The group RE100 tracks 144 private companies across the globe that have committed to 100 percent renewables, including Google, Ikea, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Nike, GM, and, uh, Lego.

The timing of all these targets (and thus their stringency) varies, everywhere from 2020 to 2050, but cumulatively, they are beginning to add up. Even if policymakers never force power utilities to produce renewable energy through mandates, if all the biggest customers demand it, utilities will be mandated to produce it in all but name.

The rapid spread and evident popularity of the 100 percent target has created an alarming situation for power utilities. Suffice to say, while there are some visionary utilities in the country, as an industry, they tend to be extremely small-c conservative.

They do not like the idea of being forced to transition entirely to renewable energy, certainly not in the next 10 to 15 years. For one thing, most of them don’t believe the technology exists to make 100 percent work reliably; they believe that even with lots of storage, variable renewables will need to be balanced out by “dispatchable” power plants like natural gas. For another thing, getting to 100 percent quickly would mean lots of “stranded assets,” i.e., shutting down profitable fossil fuel power plants.

LightRocket via Getty Images

In short, their customers are stampeding in a direction that terrifies them.

The industry’s dilemma is brought home by a recent bit of market research and polling done on behalf of the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group for utilities. It was distributed at a recent meeting of EEI board members and executives and shared with me.

The work was done by the market research firm Maslansky & Partners, which analyzed existing utility messaging, interviewed utility execs and environmentalists, ran a national opinion survey, and did a couple of three-hour sit-downs with “media informed customers” in Minneapolis and Phoenix.

The results are striking. They do a great job of laying out the public opinion landscape on renewables, showing where different groups have advantages and disadvantages.

The takeaway: Renewables are a public opinion juggernaut. Being against them is no longer an option. The industry’s best and only hope is to slow down the stampede a bit (and that’s what they plan to try).

The core of the industry’s dilemma is captured in this slide (on the left is the industry perspective):

EEI

Utilities don’t think it is wise or feasible to go 100 percent renewables. But the public loves it.

And I mean loves it. Check out these numbers from the opinion survey:

In our polarized age, here is something we almost all agree on: Renewable energy is awesome.

Here’s the most striking slide in the presentation:

EEI

In case you don’t feel like squinting, let me draw your attention to the fact that a majority of those surveyed (51 percent) believe that 100 percent renewables is a good idea even if it raises their energy bills by 30 percent.

That is wild. As anyone who’s been in politics a while knows, Americans don’t generally like people raising their bills, much less by a third. A majority that still favors it? That is political dynamite.

Insofar as utilities were in a public relations war over renewables, they’ve lost. They face a tidal wave. So what can they do?

What they can’t do is tell customers why they can’t do it. Customers do not want to hear excuses.

They tested the following message (this is an excerpt, with emphasis added): “Today, we can choose between a balanced energy mix, which provides reliable energy whenever we need it, and 100% renewable energy. But we cannot have both. We also need to consider the costs. … The logistics, resources, and costs would be immense.”

Nope. Customers didn’t want to hear it.

“You could tell what side he was leaning toward,” said one Phoenix focus-group participant. “He offered no solutions. It was just problem, problem, problem.”

“I want to hear about how the work would get done,” said a Minneapolis participant. “I don’t want to hear him complain about how much work it will take.”

Other can’t-do arguments drew similar reactions:

EEI

Can’t-do arguments get a company branded as anti-renewables, and that means Bad Guy. After that, customers aren’t listening.

If they want people to keep listening, utilities must begin by convincing them that they are on board with renewables. Thus, the very first piece of advice on “framing the conversation” reads, “Positive, pro-renewable message first … every time.”

An anti-renewables message, even a message that implies anti-renewables, is simply untenable.

That is worth noting. It’s something I’m not sure US climate hawks or political types have entirely internalized. There aren’t many contested political issues on which public opinion is so unequivocally on one side.

So utilities must convince customers that they support renewable energy, first thing, off the bat. (The best way to do that, of the options tested, was telling customers about investments — highlighting the rising level of investment in renewables. Money talks.)

If they can make that key connection, then they can swing the conversation around. Once customers are convinced that utilities are sincere about supporting renewables, they become more open to the message that getting to 100 percent will take some time, that it needs to be done deliberately, and that costs need to be taken into account.

“Given the cost and the complexities of it, it should be done gradually,” one Phoenix respondent said. “Not the next five years, but maybe by the end of our lifetimes,” said another.

The researchers tested the following message (excerpted): “[A balanced energy mix] helps us maintain consistent service for our customers and avoids over-reliance on a single fuel type or technology. This means we’re able to bring our customers increasingly more renewable energy without asking them to compromise on reliability or cost.”

That worked much better. “It seemed like we all have the same goal that we’re working toward,” said a respondent in Minneapolis. “In the meantime, they’ll use a balance to serve us. It’s sensible.”

In fact, in terms of reasons not to rely entirely on renewables, by far the most potent argument was that it would slow the transition to clean energy: “We can get to cleaner energy faster and more effectively if we use a range of sources and technologies.”

The state-of-the-art message for utilities, then, is this: Yes, we want to pursue renewables, but to protect consumers, we want to do it in a way that is “balanced, gradual, affordable, [and] reliable.” That means we should avoid, ahem, “short-term mandates.”

EEI

(How much this message will merely cover for efforts to block legislation and slow the transition depends on the utility.)

So where does this leave us in terms of the messaging landscape?

In the 100 percent renewables debate, there are roughly three camps, at least among the researchers, energy executives, climate advocates, and journalists who pay attention to these sorts of things.

The first, with most activists and advocates, supports 100 percent renewables as a clear, intuitive, and inspiring target, an effective way to rally public support and speed the transition.

The second camp believes that the cheaper, safer way to get to carbon-free electricity is not to rely entirely on renewables but to supplement them with “firm” zero-carbon alternatives like hydro, nuclear, geothermal, biomass, or fossil fuels with carbon capture and sequestration. (See this paper, from a group of MIT researchers, for the best articulation of that argument.) This camp supports the strategy California has taken, which is to mandate 100 percent “zero carbon” rather than “renewable” resources, to leave flexibility.

The third camp, containing many utilities and conservatives, flatly doesn’t believe 100 percent carbon-free electricity is possible anytime soon, and would just as soon not close working fossil fuel power plants before the end of their profitable lives. They would like to continue balancing the rising share of renewables with natural gas.

The first camp has won the public’s heart. Big time. Everyone, even those gritting their teeth, has to signal support for renewables if they want to be taken seriously.

There is some room for the third camp to convince the public that the transition to renewables needs to proceed carefully and “gradually.” That’s the ground advocates and utilities will be fighting on in coming years: not whether to go, but how fast. (There’s a lot of room within “not the next five years, but maybe by the end of our lifetimes.”)

Get used to it. Shutterstock

And there is some room for the second camp to convince the public that the transition to clean energy is best achieved by relying on sources beyond renewable energy, or at least by not locking ourselves into renewables prematurely. One of the survey’s findings is that under a range of questions, the public does not have a strong preference between increasing renewables and reducing carbon emissions. I doubt most people differentiate the two at all — they are vaguely good, environmental-ish things.

Similarly, I doubt the public at large will care much about the distinction between “renewable” and “clean,” which serves as a pretty good argument for the California approach. (The California approach, or at least earlier variants of it, has helped keep existing nuclear plants running in Illinois and New York.)

But these are implementation details. The decarbonization ship has sailed. Renewable energy is in the vanguard and, at least for now, it appears unstoppable. At this point, it is difficult to imagine what could turn the public against it. (Perhaps a giant wind spill?) The more relevant question is when lawmakers will catch on to renewable energy’s full political potential.

The basic message from the public, if I could pull together all the strands of the research, is this: We want clean, modern energy, and we’ll pay for it. We’re willing to let experts work out the details, but we don’t want to hear that it can’t be done. Just do it.

Utilities can’t make that sentiment go away, though they can and will try to soften it. In the meantime, in the off-chance that their messaging efforts fail, they’d better get serious about giving customers the clean energy they want.

Original Source -> Utilities have a problem: the public wants 100 percent renewable energy, and quick

via The Conservative Brief

[beingelliott-blog]

Awesome Memory Foam Mattress

Here are some amazing webpages outdoor hammocks and swings, best trekking boots, best toothpaste for gum disease. Memory Foam Mattress

Every person knows that the economy is pretty hard proper now, but that doesn’t suggest you have to hold off on getting your memory foam mattress. It does suggest you need to have to do your homework and arm yourself with a strategy before picking and purchasing your mattress. Here’s an insider’s manual to aid you find a fantastic mattress at an reasonably priced price.

Believe Outdoors the “Leading Brand” Box

If you are even considering about a memory foam mattress, you undoubtedly know what the famous “leading brand” is. Is it the very best mattress for your income? Only if it is important to you to spend for “leading brand’s” promoting! Considerably of “leading brand’s” pricing goes to their very costly marketing and identify branding. Is this what you want your cash to pay for? Of course not! You don’t need to have to buy a bad quality mattress to save money (even though there are a lot of those out there too). Think outdoors the “leading brand” box and look at other good quality memory foam mattresses that don’t spend millions of bucks on marketing. This is a smart way to get a good quality mattress without spending more than you need to.

Only Purchase from Retailers that Supply a True Money-Back Assure

This is one that catches many men and women off-guard. A lot of retailers offer what is referred to as a “comfort guarantee.” This is just a tough way of saying you are obtaining a keep credit score. A comfort assure or keep credit score means that if you get your mattress house and find it doesn’t function for you, you can deliver it back, but you have to decide on another mattress from that specific retailer. Because most areas only have a couple of memory foam mattress that you could be interested in, you could be out of luck with a comfort ensure.

Out of luck which means no mattress you like, and no income back both. This is a dreadful circumstance I hear about over and over again. This is why is it so crucial to get only from a retailer that gives a true money-back assure of at least 90 days. This enables you to try out your mattress in your own residence for an extended period to ensure it really performs for you. No matter how great a memory foam mattress feels when you try out it in a shop, the only way you are really going to know if it is the right mattress for you is to really use it in your own property.

Look for a 20-Year Guarantee

A warranty of 20 years is one way that you can gauge the sturdiness of a mattress and how much its manufacturer is ready to back up its solution. At least 10 many years of that 20-year warranty should be non-prorated, which means you will get 100% of the repair or replacement taken care of for the very first 10 many years of the guarantee. A prorated guarantee indicates that after a designated amount of years, the manufacturer will shell out a portion of the mattress substitute or restore. A 20-year guarantee that has 10 many years non-prorated and 10 years prorated means that for the very first ten years, you are covered 100%. For the 2nd 10 years, you will spend a predetermined portion of the replacement or fix. For any warranty, make sure you read through all the details and fine print and stay away from any memory foam mattress that has less than a 20-year warranty.

Search for Merchants that are Monitored by Third-Party Organizations

When selecting a retailer, appear for one that is a member of, and monitored by, third get together organizations like the Far better Business Bureau and Shopping.com. Having a third get together organization collect data about a retailer permits you to see the retailer obviously and totally, with no the filtered testimonials that a lot of put in their own literature and on their world wide web sites. A retailer cannot pick and choose which testimonials and ratings you see on Purchasing.com like they can when they publish their own testimonials. You get to see everything the clients create, not just the things the retailer needs you to see. You also can see how the retailer discounts with the individuals who don’t preserve their item, such as how they manage items like returns and money-back ensures. This is very critical in feeling comfortable about your memory foam mattress buy.

The Greater Organization Bureau is the granddaddy of all organization credibility organizations. I do not acquire any considerable item or support from any company that is not accredited by the Much better Business Bureau. Look for it (and verify out the retailer’s rating) before buying your mattress.

Save With Cost-free Shipping

Depending on where you dwell and what size mattress you obtain, you can conserve a nice chunk of money buying from a retailer that provides totally free shipping. You can conserve an estimated $75 to $200 when you don’t shell out shipping expenses for your mattress. How’s that for feeling good in a tough economic system?

Save By Using Your Current Basis

For the last 10 – 15 years, most mattresses have been sold with what is now known as a foundation, not the earlier regular box springs. A contemporary basis is generally a rigid platform that your mattress sits on prime of. Most people do not require to obtain a new foundation for their memory foam mattress. To check your foundation, take away the mattress and press it in a few spots. As long as it stays company and there are no dips or extreme wear, it should operate with a top quality mattress. Conserve some cash by utilizing your present foundation with your new mattress. Take that, challenging economic system!

Search Into Acquiring From an On the internet Retailer

On-line merchants are fantastic areas to lower your expenses on a good quality mattress. On the internet merchants have reduced overheads than bricks and mortar shops and can pass that financial savings onto you. They can also be able to save you money with no revenue tax, and you can appear for one that gives free of charge shipping too. When picking an on the web retailer, appear for one that is a member of the Far better Organization Bureau and has a third party organization gathering ratings and testimonials about them. This will enable you to examine into the on the internet retailer with no the rose-colored glasses and filtered testimonials that might be offered on their own world wide web web site. An online retailer that is inclined to be carefully monitored and scrutinized by third celebration organizations is telling you, the customer, that they are not afraid to have their solution and customer support freely and openly analyzed by all their customers. This speaks volumes about the retailer and their solution.

You can also check out some of my other websites at sun hats for babies, 10 man tent, backpacking air mattress.

[haggertyadventuretime]

Last of Laos, and start of Cambodia

I’m typing this right now in a mini bus, speeding through the remote farmlands of Cambodia! More on that later.

Brendan and I spent three nights in Vang Vieng, mostly because the first full day we had was cold and rainy and we didn’t want to go tubing in that, so we didn’t! The day cleared up around 1pm that first day, so we took bikes offered for free by our hostel and biked around the rice fields and limestone karsts that pop up opposite the town on the other side of the river.

The next day was definitely a highlight. We had asked the “professional opinion” of the owner of the Irish Pub in town (Gary, of Gary’s Irish Pub), and he referred us to the best company that takes you to the farthest spot on the Nam Song (river) to start tubing. We packed what we could into our waterproof moneybelt, brought a couple of beers, and piled into a tuktuk with about 10 idiots who were definitely in Veng Vieng for the party culture. Some of them were still drunk from the night before’s “jungle party” and were taking shots of Jager to drink away any hangover (at 11:30am).

The first bar on the river was about 30ft from where we started, and everyone from our tuktuk but us got roped in. Literally, to catch you, the bartenders get weighted ropes and toss them into the river to reel you into their dock. It was quite the spectacle, watching the bartenders frantically try to catch the whole group with three lines, and the already/still drunk fools were not helping at all. We didn’t want to go to the first bar. We already had beer cans floating with us in our inner tubes, and didn’t want to hang with those jamokes, so we continued floating with the current for about 30 minutes until the lazy river took us to the third bar on the river (we would have gone to the second one but the guys didn’t have ropes and the current took me far away from the dock), where we were “roped in” as well. We were the only people at this bar, and it was glorious. As we continued down the river, the views were spectacular of the craggy limestone peaks covered in jungle. It was also pretty impressive to see the remnants of Vang Vieng’s former river circuit: the old bars and zip lines are still there, starting to decay. Some other bars are forced to rotate with the ones that were open today, so that you can only hit up three to four bars in the whole trip. The water is not deep this time of year in the Nam Song, so I can see how people died falling into the rocky, shallow river from the zip lines and swings. Anyways, the tubing was glorious and one of the highlights of our trip.

That night we decided to sample party culture and went happy hour hopping, which literally means there that they just give out free whiskey cokes for an hour. Bars do it in staggered hours across town, we hit up two of them. It was dangerous.

The next day was a long travel day: Four hour bus to Vientiane, a six hour layover there in the Lao capital (still think we saw it all... Not much to see there!), then an 11 hour night bus to Pakse, in south Laos. The night bus was pretty comfy, but two people end up sharing one twin-sized cot that’s only just over 5’ long. So, if you are a solo traveler, you are going to be snuggling up with whomever got the “seat” next to you. If you aren’t short, you have the issue of having legs and figuring out where to put them! We met two girls who knew this ahead of time, and being solo travelers, they decided to book tickets together since they were going the same way, and it would be slightly less awkward than spooning a random local or traveling stranger.

From Pakse, we packed into a Sawngthiaw (or however you spell it), which is a pickup truck converted into a tuktuk. That took us an hour to Champasak, our destination for the night.

Champasak is a very small village with very little to do. The reason we went was to see Wat Phu, a pre-Angkorian Khmer ruins site. We took a very pleasant (but hot) bike ride there over a bridge that was entirely taken apart (two planks! I no longer fear bridges). The site was very cool, the guides are correct in saying that Wat Phu sits in “graceful decrepitude.” Very cool though, the stonework is still very detailed despite the 700-1000 years it’s been sitting there.

After Champasak, we spent a night on Don Khong, the largest of the 4000 Islands, first taking a tourist VIP bus and then a private car. We wanted to experience an area that was not yet developed for westerners, and boy did we get it! There were guest houses, but nobody staying on them. We spent the day wandering around town. This place is so small, that when we went to book a boat for the next day, the guy didn’t even have to ask where we were staying. He already knew where we were staying and said he would just call the guesthouse in the morning! One big bummer about the town was that unfortunately there is a huge garbage issue there, and the soccer park looked like an explosion of plastic trash. The streets outside the main drag were lined with trash as well. It has to be hard to introduce things like recycling and responsible trash management in a developing country that in many parts is inaccessible during the rainy season.

The next day, we took a boat for an hour to Don Det. Boating in the area is so pretty, because the Mekong is very wide and home to thousands of small islands. Most are just a few yards long, others are just an outcropping of rocks with some grass growing on it. Apparently the locals like to throw parties on the small, uninhabited islands, and also use them for gardening.

We arrived in Don Det and immediately fell in love. It’s Laos, only on island time (in a land locked country). Laos is already a very chill, easy-going place, but Don Det is the kind of hippy backpacker oasis that we could easily be sucked in for weeks. There are a few bars and restaurants, most of them offering low tables next to cushioned beds that you lounge in while watching the world go by. The island is super small and has no cars on it, there are no bridges to the mainland, only to a neighboring island which is just as small. We spent our first day chilling out in hammocks, which are abundant. We watched the stunning sunset every night from our bungalow (which was less than $4/night). Day two was for biking around the two islands and seeing the waterfalls on the other island (Don Khon), which we accomplished by 1pm and promptly got back into hammocks and chilled. We accidentally decided to spend another full day, which we spent the hottest part lazing by a pool with a bunch of ex pats (apparently Don Det attracts many ex hippy men to take Lao wives and spend the rest of their days on the island... Doesn’t sound bad to me!), and more hammock life. Last night, after watching another spectacular sunset, we went onto a bar’s “chill out deck” and laid in hammocks watching the stars, since there’s no light pollution there. Pretty cool!

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We took a boat this morning to the main land, and a bus to the Cambodian border.

We breezed through the checkpoints hassle-free, with one exception. So, Cambodia border police are notoriously corrupt and will often inflate the price of certain things, or invent fees that you have to pay. For example, we had to pay $1 each for not having an International Vaccine Certificate, even though that’s only mandatory if you are coming from a country with yellow fever. Also, whatever, that would have cost me more than a dollar to get, so I don’t care. Today, the big hustle was that the price of Visas went up from $30 to $35. Eyeroll. There’s no signage to tell you what it should be. Also, like, whatever, it’s $10 and I’m not one to argue with Cambodian police. Well, some French guy apparently was totally into doing just that. It was quite entertaining to watch, with the occasional face-palm. This guy was refusing to pay anything other than $30, and got to the point where he would incredulously ask things like “do you have something against French people?” and “that’s a beautiful medal, did you get that in the wars?” The officer had enough of that guy, and as we were leaving, I overheard him tell the French dude that he could just go back to Laos, Cambodia doesn’t need his disrespect. Brendan and I start talking mad shit about this idiot, and how he’s just going to have to pay more to get another Lao visa to go back! Then we got to the meeting place for our bus company, and turns out, Angry Frenchman is on our bus and we need to wait for him. Great. I was hoping he wouldn’t get through, but when he did, I overheard what they made him do. Not only did he have to pay the $35, but he also had to write a letter of apology and then get on his knees to beg forgiveness from the Cambodian officer. I think that’s fair, and Brendan and I are liking it here already! Hahahaha, what a loser.

So, after that guy wasted almost an hour of our time, we transferred after a bus ride to... I don’t even know where, some guesthouse that the bus owner must know. There, we split into different groups, us going to Siem Reap, and others (including The Embarrassed But Still Very French And Indignant Frenchman) to Kratie. So now we are in a minibus, which is more like a minivan from the 80s complete with cassette player and fake wood dashboard, going faster than I ever have in Asia on four wheels. We are on a brand new road that shaves down the travel time from the border to Siem Reap from 16 hours down to 7(!!), and probably more like 4 the way this guy drives. Cambodia seems to be a little like Laos, only the people are tougher looking. Only been here for a few hours, so we will see if I’m right over the next few days! Actually, as soon as I started typing that, we pulled into a gas station where the attendants where having a tickle fight. So I guess people just LOOK tougher, hah.

We made it very quickly to Siem Reap and were given a ride to our hotel, we will probably spend three or four nights here to fully experience the Angkor Temples, as you have to be very careful when you go to avoid big crowds. Very excited to check it out!

[jonathanbelloblog]

First Drive: 2018 Ford Expedition

MALIBU, California — Like people, not all vehicles age at the same pace. For example the Maserati GranTurismo has held up quite well despite being a decade old, while the Tesla Model S on the other hand doesn’t look nearly as futuristic five years on as it did when it was brand-spankin’-new. Then there’s the present generation Ford Expedition, which entered the market in late 2006. It had begun to look positively dinosaurian. So the timing couldn’t be better for the arrival of the all-new, fourth-generation 2018 Ford Expedition.

Having just driven the new 2018 Lincoln Navigator a couple weeks prior, I had some idea of what to expect from the Blue Oval’s biggest SUV. But the differences between the two siblings are more significant than ever before. Unlike the Navigator, the Expedition doesn’t suffer from any visual proportionality issues, occupying its space confidently without being imposing. The Expedition’s conventional look, horizontal-pattern grille avoids the squished appearance of the Lincoln, while its F-150-style taillamps appear better suited to the rear end.

If there’s one flaw with the Expedition’s design, it’s that its headlights blend almost too well with its grille, making for a single-piece look reminiscent of Geordi La Forge’s visor from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The effect is more pronounced on the Platinum than the Limited and XLT, which use simpler, blade-style grilles as opposed to the Platinum’s mesh.

Inside, as is traditional for the Expedition, its cabin borrows heavily from the F-150 parts bin, which suits the SUV’s trucky personality. The use of two rotary knobs close together on the center console—one for the gear selector, the other for the drive modes—isn’t an ideal setup, but there’s nothing to complain about visually or functionally. (The center console also happens to be the only place inside the Expedition to be made of wood.) It may not offer the sumptuous luxury and craftsmanship of the Navigator Black Label, but overall materials quality is on par with the base level Navigators to our eyes.

Passenger room is ample in all three rows, even for a six foot, four inch adult, so you can easily fit the starting five of your local hockey team inside. But if you’re hauling the entire first line and their gear you’ll want to swing for the long-wheelbase Expedition Max, which offers 36.0 cu-ft behind the third row instead of a mere 20.9 cu-ft. Especially if you, the driver, are also the goalie.

Powering all 2018 Expeditions is Ford’s familiar 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6. It puts out 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque in the XLT and Limited or 400 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque in the Platinum—both noticeable increases from the 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque on offer in the outgoing 2017 model. All trims can be had in 4×2 or 4×4 flavors. Routing power in all configurations is Ford’s new 10-speed automatic, a smart and smooth unit that’s happy in any situation, including when there’s a trailer strapped to the back.

In a handy towing demonstration Ford set up for us, the Expedition effortlessly navigated the twists, turns, and grade changes of the Santa Monica Mountains while pulling about 5,500 pounds of trailer. (The same cannot be said for the Suburban on hand for comparative purposes; Chevy’s naturally aspirated bruiser struggled on uphill sections and exhibited more aural drama while engine braking downhill.) It could have easily pulled more. The available Heavy Duty Tow Package gives the Expedition a 9,300-pound tow rating, and there’s no reason to doubt its ability to pull that much weight safely and effectively.

Making the Expedition an even better tow rig is the optional Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which makes backing up with a trailer almost as easy as backing up without one. Setting it up is simple, requiring only a handful of measurements and the application of a sticker onto the hitch. Then, when needed, you press the button in the middle of the rotary knob underneath the driver’s central vent to enable the system, and turn the knob left and right to direct the trailer. Though you’ll still be modulating the brakes and throttle as you would in any other backup situation, your hands won’t be on the steering wheel—the truck will handle that for you, with a much lower likelihood of jackknifing as a result.

If your planned duty cycle calls for extensive traversing of off-road trails, consider skipping the Platinum’s bells-and-whistles for the optional FX4 package. Available only on the Expedition XLT (in both wheelbase lengths), the $1,650 pack adds off-road shocks front and rear, skid plates that include protection for the fuel tank, platform running boards, and 18-inch wheels shod with 275/65R18 Michelin Primacy XC tires.

Despite its size—the Expedition is 81.6 inches wide, 76.2 or 74.6 inches tall (4×2 vs. 4×4), and 210.0 or 221.9 inches long (regular vs. Max), and weighs at least 5,443 pounds—the FX4 had no problems navigating the hilly trail outside of Calamigos Ranch. Though a far cry from the rock crawling exercises typically put on by the likes of Jeep and Land Rover, the route still featured plenty of hazards that called for a steady hand. The Expedition’s built-in off-road mode sets steering, throttle, and transmission maps just right and the EcoBoost’s copious and smooth torque is perfect for “when in doubt, power out” situations, such as a steep incline on soft terrain. Its turning radius is much tighter than you’d expect for a vehicle its size, and there’s also a locking rear differential on hand for stickier situations. Still, you’ll want to avoid most Jeep trails out of size considerations alone.

Composed and effortless is the order of the day for the Expedition on paved roads as well, regardless of the quality of said pavement. The EcoBoost V-6 is a quiet mill unless you’re on it, and in the Expedition Platinum, it’s barely audible. Wind and tire noise levels are close to those of the Navigator—that is, close to non-existent.

Though it’s sprung to be a comfortable cruiser, the Expedition isn’t a rolling chicane once you hit the hills. While not exactly fun to huck left and right, the big Ford will have no problem keeping pace on most mountain roads, especially if you switch into Sport mode, which tightens inputs just enough to provide an extra dose of confidence. No matter what mode you engage though we wouldn’t recommend tackling any autocross courses.

With a starting price of $52,890 that tops out in the low to mid $80s, the 2018 Ford Expedition is a long way away from being a budget family hauler. Refinement and equipment levels are up to snuff, however, and as the F-150 has shown, we Americans have no problem paying big bucks for big trucks from non-luxury brands. For our money, a well-equipped Expedition is a better buy than a similarly priced Navigator, which is at its best in the $90k-plus Black Label flavor. While its size makes it overkill for many, the Expedition is a great choice for a prosperous, populous clan with a lot of toys.

2018 Ford Expedition Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $52,890 (base) ENGINE 3.5L twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/375 hp @ 5,000 rpm, 470 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm; 3.5L twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/400 hp @ 5,000 rpm, 480 lb-ft @ 3,250 rpm (Platinum) TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 7-8-passenger, front-engine, RWD/4WD SUV EPA MILEAGE 16-17/21-24 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 210.0-221.9 x 81.6 x 76.4-76.6 in WHEELBASE 122.5-131.6 in WEIGHT 5,433-5,793 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A