#is that in my home country I can only get my cream on prescription

[lumiilys]

Ed and Stede have gone on holiday and Ed forgot his eczema cream at home and of fucking course it’s a beach holiday so the sand, salt and sun cream is really irritating his skin, but the fucking cream is the kind that you can only get on prescription so he can’t just go out an buy a new one for the holiday. So they gotta make do with over the counter stuff. And Stede always helps Ed to rinse off properly at the end of the day (getting to all the things places Ed can’t quite reach himself) so there’s no more salt on his skin and helps distract him when it gets particularly sore and itchy so that he doesn’t scratch his skin off. And in the end they do end up having a lovely holiday despite it all and idk where I was going with this I just like talking about Ed and eczema

[letsmisfits]

PTSD Pathfinder: Part 1

I wanted to call this, “The Wary Traveler,” but some a-holes from Canada beat me to it. I don’t actually think they’re assholes, but I felt threatened and wanted to assert my dominance. I checked out their website, I didn’t read anything, but it actually seems pretty tits. I’ll think of a better name at some point in the future. Also, I may have posted this under a different username somewhere on this website. I remember doing it, but can’t remember my username. So if anyone is reading this, I promise I’m not plagiarizing. Fun fact, it is plagiarism to not cite oneself. I made a Haiku about that when I first learned about it. “Just today I learned, that it is plagiarism, to not cite oneself.” Moving forward. 

PTSD Pathfinder: Part 1 (I hate this fucking title so god damn much) 

PTSD is an illness with a mind of its own. From its home base situated deep within your brain it directs operations. It's goal, on the surface at least, is to keep you safe. The brain doesn't like trauma, and so it goes out of its way to prevent further trauma from happening...or at least that's the idea. Oftentimes the way this plays out makes things a whole lot worse, especially if you're in high school, god what a mess that shit was.

Recently I likened it to living with two versions of myself. First there is "Me," and then there is "trauma me." I don't capitalize "trauma me," because frankly, he's a fucking dick. Not only to himself, but to other people. For example, when my roommate comes home and opens the garage, "trauma me," gets all pissy and my roommates friendly "howdy," is met with a short and forced, "hi." How does someone get so flustered by a garage being opened?! And who the fuck opens up with, "howdy?"

This happens to us all the time. The most innocuous things seem to send us into a death spiral. A combination of anxiety, anger, self-loathing, and sadness.

The other thing to know about humans, is that we NEED to connect with others to stay healthy. This is why Tom Hanks had to become best friends with a volleyball in Cast Away (I know I shouldn't be, but I'm still bitter about his woman leaving him in that movie). The thing about PTSD is that it wants the exact opposite. Truly connecting with other people when you have been through trauma is not on the agenda. 

So there you are, stuck on the one hand wanting nothing to do with people (the reasons are endless, "they'll want to talk to me, they'll will try and attack me, they will do ______ to me"). On the other hand, you are sad because you want nothing more than to connect to people. It's a bit of a problem. Not only do you not want to connect to people, you end up afraid of the world as a whole. Like yes, I could go to the park today, but it's better I stay home and watch TV. Yes, I could go to that party, but what if one of the three hundred scenarios that have played out in my brain come to fruition? Then you end up feeling like you've wasted your day. The cycle continues.

Recently I was faced with the mild, and by mild I mean a 0.0013%, chance that I had multiple sclerosis. The other thing about PTSD if you haven't gathered already, is that you are anxious all the time about EVERYTHING. Even the smallest things can cause problems for some of us. I once dated a woman who was afraid to get ice cream for herself when we were at the store...she asked for my ice cream later that night and after providing her with a bowel of that delicious frozen sugar, I asked her why she didn't get ice cream when we were talking about it at the store. Turns out this was quite an anxiety provoking process for her (I hope the people who caused this issue for her die, slowly).

Anywho, since I was faced with the prospect of immobility and death, I decided I needed to go out more. However, this is a bit tricky due to the ole PTSD. Today I said fuck it and decided to venture out into the world farther than I normally would on my own. A 37-minute drive later and I was at 7 Bridges Park in South Milwaukee, WI. I got to a bluff and climbed down the 100 or so feet to the beach. It was mostly empty which is just what I like, save for the couple with their dog walking towards me.

Why do people have to walk towards me? Can they just yield? Take a rest while I walk by at a safe distance? What do they want? What if they say hello? What if they stop to talk to me? What if their dog comes close to me? Do I pet it? Then what happens? These are the thoughts that run through my mind just about every time I encounter people in the world. They walk by, I'm safe. BUT WAIT. The beach ends, now I have to turn around...guess who's taking their sweet fucking time enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

I had to stop and pretend to marvel at the scenery like four times so I didn't have to be next to them. Don't get me wrong, the scenery was pretty sweet, but you can only look at a giant body of water so many times before it loses its luster. Eventually I got back up the bluff and kept climbing. I had to convince myself to take a more risky path because that's the opposite of what my PTSD wanted. It then occurred to me:

There have to be a bunch of people just like me out there...wanting to live life but afraid to do so because of the ten thousand things that could go wrong. Maybe in my travels and desire to be with the world and find myself n shit, I can start documenting my experience for others? It could help some people. There's also a small chance that it could be really impactful someday; maybe I could make a living as a blogger (I think the odds are pretty slim on that one).

So here I am, making a blog. I don't know anything about blogs. I don't know how to write them, where to post them, who to talk to about them. Nothing. But I know that I have a reason to go outside next weekend, which is great. Maybe someone will find value in this..…then I would have no choice. I would have to go outside. I would have to talk to that person. I would have to leave the country (I would start with Canada as there is a fairly limited chance of being murdered there...not that there is an increased chance in most places, but this is how my brain works). I would have to do all of the things that PTSD doesn't want me to do.

Maybe if someone finds value in this, it could be like the man in- the- hole story. I heard it on The West Wing (which is full of fun parables).

"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' Joe says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"

Update: I changed my name :) 

[theunderdogwrites]

Headcheese Adjacent

To know me is to know my taste in music runs the full spectrum, minus country music and death metal. And anything Mariah Carey sings. Not dissing her talent, just her. Sometimes I will succumb to disposable music. Its music that’s popular for a little while, but then later discarded. Think the opposite of tunes like AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’. A song that has passed the test of time. Disposable music feels overly processed and is ultimately not good for you, but acceptable in small doses.

For example: Mariah Carey is like microwave popcorn. There’s nothing wrong with popcorn and there’s nothing wrong with microwaving food. The problem is the bag itself. Perfluoroalkyls are just one class of chemical found in microwave popcorn bags. Some studies have linked perfluoroalkyls with health problems as diverse as impaired kidney function and poor semen quality. Mariah Carey is the bag.

Ok, I really just wanted to find a way to compare Mariah Carey to a bag of microwave popcorn.

I will just assume you understand what I mean when I say disposable music.

Britney Spears. Not sure how this is going to sound, but I was never a fan of hers UNTIL she shaved her head and attacked people with an umbrella. I’m also a fan of when mistreated elephants in captivity snap and trample their oppressors. Something about a caged animal finally fighting back… really resonates with me. I’m sure one day my future therapist will have a blast unpacking that last sentence, but until then let’s focus.

I recently watched the documentary “Framing Britney Spears”. Here is a quick synopsis from IMDB:

“Her rise was a global phenomenon. Her downfall was a cruel national sport. People close to Britney Spears and lawyers tied to her conservatorship now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life.”

I’m not going to talk about the documentary too much, but it appropriately chronicles her rise to fame and gives you an idea of what happens to these young performers when they become held captive by the very thing and the very people who made them famous in the first place. I found parts of it almost… sad and other parts suffocating. If you’re able to find it, give it a watch. Some of the people who have dedicated a great deal of their time to this ‘Free Britney’ movement are obnoxious, but their intentions don’t feel misplaced. Britney Spears had nothing to do with documentary but has acknowledged it and approved.

Now, I know some people take the stance of – “Oh poor you, you’re famous with lots of money and adoring fans and if you choose that life you deserve no privacy and no sympathy when people pester you for pictures and autographs. That is life in the public eye”. Well, I somewhat disagree. And I disagree because whether it be acting or singing or whatever, it’s only a J-O-B.

Imagine you’re an accountant and suddenly it becomes the least boring profession in the world. Every time you leave your house there are throngs of people scurrying to catch a glimpse of you in all your glory while you’re just going to the pharmacy to get that rash cream prescription refilled. Not only that, they get up in your face… crowding you, snapping 100’s of photos at close range hoping to get a cringe worthy picture to sell to the tabloids, pulling at your sweater vest and screaming “do me and then do my taxes!”. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

I don’t believe anyone is sitting at home at this very moment and wishing they had the life of Britney Spears.

One of the best moments in that documentary (and something I didn’t even know had happened because I don’t pay much attention to her career) is when she was supposed to announce her next residency in Vegas. It was a live streaming event in Vegas with loads of crazed people in attendance where she was to come out, perform a little on stage and then talk.  She came out. Walked down the steps to the stage and kept walking. She walked right past everyone without a word and disappeared. People were pissed. I laughed and cheered.

She then made a post stating that until her Father was removed as her conservator, she would no longer be working in any capacity. Full stop. A total walkout and strike.

If you’re not familiar with the situation with her Dad… the long and the short of it is – when her mental health became compromised due to MANY factors, he took over control of her life. Her career, her money… everything. And at that time, it was seriously the best thing for her. But now at 38 with two teenage sons, she wants her freedom. Her Father is insisting that he continues to manage her life because she is not capable of making healthy decisions for herself and fears the vultures are always waiting to pounce and take advantage of his daughter.

Honestly, I don’t have an opinion regarding her conservatorship. None of us should. We can sympathize / empathize but we don’t have any actual idea of what is really taking place behind closed doors. As a fellow human being just trying to make it to the end of toilet roll with all my marbles intact, I hope she is ok.

Does the world owe Britney an apology?

This question came to me after watching the documentary and hearing about how Justin Timberlake was called out to say sorry to her for weaponizing their break-up to his advantage; as well as Diane Sawyer and a number of others for their various questions, comments and jokes they’ve made at her expense over the years.

Funny thing about apologies… sometimes they don’t mean shit. Sometimes, without appropriate action, they’re just words people say to make themselves feel better about being instinctively terrible. Going on an apology tour for something you did a decade ago just seems inauthentic. Acknowledging your past mistakes and making concentrated efforts not to repeat poor behavior feels more appropriate. It’s called growth. It’s one thing to say your sorry to someone you feel you’ve wronged, it’s another to be pulled out and placed on display by the media and publicly forced to reconcile previous atrocities of character. For one thing, the media is hardly the yard stick for good morals. And the public… well if Twitter has taught us anything, it’s that everyone needs an enema of their soul. And it wouldn’t hurt if some people got their mouths washed out with soap for being callous little trolls looking for attention.

I write this to you as someone who has been both apologized to and done the apologizing. I fancy neither of these options. While it may be nice having someone tell you they’re sorry for something they did that didn’t exactly give you the feels, I struggle with the authenticity. That’s a me problem. I don’t scoff at any delivered apologies, but rather squirm, accept and want to move forward. I’ll tell you what is better than saying sorry to me – scotch. The silent peacemaker.

I don’t feel the world owes Britney Spears an apology in the same way I feel beets do NOT belong on a burger. Some will agree with me and some will argue that I’m wrong. Look, that documentary puts into focus how terribly she was treated by a wide range of people across the globe on multiple platforms. And the bottom line is – she’s not the first and won’t be the last. People love to see others fall and that is just the truth and people love to take cheap shots at them on the way down. Should they say sorry for being shitty humans? Nope. But they should not pretend they’re nothing more than headcheese adjacent. No one will be saying sorry today because WE DON’T LEARN. Maybe next decade?

The first time I had a burger with beets was when I lived in Australia. I asked the waiter why they put beetroot on a burger and he replied – “I don’t know… because it sounds good?”. Well so do apologies, but in reality, sometimes they just don’t taste right in our mouths.

[purplesurveys]

994

Basic Information

What's your name? Name’s already posted on my Tumblr but so that nobody has to check that anymore, Robyn.

Where do you live? I live in some city east of Manila, and that’s all you need to know.

When's your birthday? April 21st.

What's your astrological sign? Taurus.

Do you actually believe in that stuff? Never did.

How old are you? 22.

Do you have a high school diploma or the equivalent? Yeah I got a diploma.

Do you have an undergraduate degree? If so, in what? Yup. I’ve graduated but I haven’t received the diploma nor did I get to walk on a stage because of the stupid virus, but I majored in journalism.

What is your favorite...

Quote? I don’t have any. My brain doesn’t really store quotes for me to go back to; I don’t find the majority of them interesting.

Color? My main favorite is pink, but I enjoy looking at pastel shades and muted colors in general too.

Song? Picking an all-time favorite song is impossible, but for now I really like putting Hayley Williams’ Why We Ever on repeat. It used to be just a sad song that I love listening to but unfortunately the lyrics have since become relatable, so now there’s a sting whenever I hear it.

Band/singer? My favorite bands are Paramore and Against Me! while my favorite solo act is Beyoncé.

Book? I never had one. I was a big bookworm as a kid, but I didn’t get to keep it up as a teenager and now as an adult. Most of the books I own today are still just the novels I had nearly a decade ago, and it’s been a struggle trying to find a genre to get into.

Author? Same situation as book.

School subject? History. A lot of the social sciences are also great – anthropology, pol sci, psychology, etc. In another universe I definitely would’ve taken up a degree in a social science instead of journalism.

Science (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.)? Biology has always been a strength of mine and a favorite. I find memorizing terms fun, and I’ve always enjoyed studying living things instead of chemicals or energy or force or any of that boring stuff. 

Math (algebra, geometry, calculus, etc.)? Advanced algebra is fun. So is geometry, but only as long as you know all the formulas and theories; otherwise it’s so easy to fail it.

Language? I don’t have one. I think all languages are individually beautiful.

Operating system? Wow this is random lol. macOS, I guess. It’s what I’m using.

Instrument? I like the sound of many instruments, but in the grand scheme of things the piano has to be my absolute favorite.

Letter? I don’t pick a favorite letter.

Number? 4.

Car? I don’t know the first thing about cars but I suppose my dream car is a Mini Countryman, if that counts as a favorite. I swoon every time I see one in real life; they’re just so pretty to look at.

Pattern (polka spots, stripes, plaid, etc.)? Stripes are my cup of tea, but polka dots are also cute.

Word? The word that’s been my favorite for a while is ‘poignant.’

Animal? I love animals, but I’m biased to dogs and elephants. :)

Country? I don’t have a favorite country. That’s a pretty odd favorite but *shrug* I guess some people have theirs.

Drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? Water, milkshakes, and cocktails.

Food? Sushi, curry, cheeseburgers, and macarons. You can’t make me go with just one choice when it comes to food, my dude.

Restaurant? Yabu and Torch.

Website? I rely a lot on YouTube for my sanity these days so it’d be fair to call that my favorite, at least for the meantime.

Sport? If it counts, pro wrestling. If it doesn’t, I like playing table tennis and watching volleyball and tennis.

Flower? Peonies, roses, and sunflowers.

Ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream is a classic.

Television show? Breaking Bad is my favorite ever, but I also enjoy Friends, The Crown, and Bojack Horseman, and at one point The Walking Dead before it got honestly boring.

Shirt? I don’t really have a favorite shirt, but my favorite type to wear is anything sleeveless. I like giving my skin air to breathe, lol.

Shape? I don’t pick favorite shapes.

Eye color? Olive is beautiful.

Hair color? I’m indifferent to hair colors. Whatever suits a person.

Movie? Two for the Road and Good Will Hunting.

Gum flavor? Fruity ones.

Random Stuff About You

Do you have your drivers' license? Yeah. I had to get it as soon as I graduated high school because no one else was going to be able to bring me to school in college. I was in driving school like a week or two after marching on stage for my high school diploma haha.

Have you ever been swimming in an ocean? I don’t know if I have. In the vacations I’ve had, I don’t really keep track if I’m swimming in a sea or if I’m already in one of the oceans.

What's the last song you listened to? No clue but it was probably something by Hayley.

Do you prefer coloring pencils, crayons, or markers? Coloring pencils! I miss coloring. I just can’t see myself going back to it at the moment because I had bought a really cheap set of coloring pencils that have to be sharpened every five minutes. During my coloring phase I’m pretty sure I spent more time sharpening my pencils than actually filling in my coloring books. I’ve yet to find a replacement set with better quality.

Can you make any origami figures? If so, what? I’m terrible at origami and have always been. Even if I’m given a one-on-one session, I’ll for sure get lost early on in the process.

Do you still sleep with a stuffed animal? I never did. I always preferred pillows.

Do you get cold easily? I do haha, but I don’t mind it. I’d rather shiver or have my teeth chatter than have a pool of sweat on the back of my shirt from being too hot.

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? Nope.

Do you have great eyesight, or do you wear glasses or contacts? It’s very poor. I’ve had glasses since I was 11, but I needed them a lot earlier, like since I was 8 or 9 maybe. My mom refused to believe me when I started telling her my vision was getting worse because she legitimately thought I just wanted glasses to look like other kids. God, how shitty was that parenting? I can’t believe I just fucking let that go as a kid. My eyesight was getting increasingly blurry by the day and I stopped learning at school and her worry was that I wanted to fit in. I’m gonna get more stressed and hurt if I continue to think about this, so let’s just move on...

Do you know how to play chess? Never learned. I’ve watched my cousin play and he tried to teach me so many times, but I just never understood.

Do you know how to play checkers? At one point I think I did, but I didn’t enjoy it.

Do you like Sudoku puzzles? No. I never got the hang of that game either.

Do you like word searches? Love them.

Do you like crossword puzzles? They’re fine but the ones on our newspapers are too hard and use too many references or plays on words that I’m not able to pick up.

Do you like logic puzzles? It’s a hit or miss.

Can you play any card games? Other than solitaire, no.

Do you play board games? Hmm I played some as a kid, but I’ve always been too competitive and I’m never able to just sit down and have a friendly game so I’m not too big on board games now. I’m a lot happier sitting on the sidelines and watching my friends play because it’s more entertaining that way.

Do you do jigsaw puzzles? Not normally but I’ve been thinking of investing in one of those 1000-piece puzzles to take my mind off of things whenever I get depressed or when my mind starts to think about things it shouldn’t.

Do you listen to the same song on repeat for a long time, even occasionally? Yes. Sometimes I do it on purpose when I’m REALLY feeling a certain song at the moment; other times I don’t even realize the repeat button is turned on and I don’t notice I’ve been listening to the same song over and over.

Do you take any prescription medications on a regular basis? Nope.

Would you prefer to be too hot or too cold? I’ve said this a few questions ago, but too cold.

Do you like to swim? Sure. Being in the water calms me down instantly.

Have you ever been to a farm? I’ve probably been. I just can’t pinpoint a certain memory right now.

Do you like instrumental music? Depends on what the genre is, but I do generally prefer instrumental music when I’m working or have to focus.

Do you drink diet soda? Nope.

Do you drink soda? Andddddd nope.

Have you ever put Mentos into soda? I haven’t but I know what it does. There’s already like a million videos of other people doing it so I don’t need to do it for myself. 

Have you ever combined baking soda and vinegar? No.

Did you ever make Oobleck in science class when you were a kid? We never did and I learned about oobleck from watching a Good Mythical Morning episode, not in school. But I’ve always been curious as to what the texture is because it looks so fun to touch hahaha. I’d try making it myself but idk if we ever have cornstarch at home.

Do you know any HTML? Yes. Early days of Tumblr, man. People customized their themes and text posts all the time.

Have you ever read any of Shakespeare's work? Well, yeah. I had to read four of them - one for each year in high school.

Do you write poetry? No.

Do you read? Occasionally. A lot less than I used to.

Can you throw a frisbee? Sure. My friends and I played back in high school.

Do you watch a lot of television? Eh, not really. It’s rare that I discover a TV series I’m willing to invest in; I’ve always preferred movies since they can tell me a story within 2-3 hours. Following an ongoing show is just exhausting.

Do you think that you have a good sense of humor? Humor is subjective. I could mesh well with certain people but others might not find my sense of humor funny. I don’t think either of those can determine if my sense of humor is good or not.

Are you a mean person? Well, I try not to be...I think that’s what most people strive to do.

Do you have any bruises? If so, how did you get them? I have one on my knee because a few days ago I knelt to the floor to try to look for something under my bed, and I ended up landing on the floor quite hard and it was purple in minutes lmao. It’s mostly healed now though and I can barely tell where it is.

Does the thought of public speaking make you nervous? It only does if I ultimately also have to pitch something, because I don’t consider myself persuasive at all. But if I had had something memorized or had enough practice or if it’s a topic I’m fairly knowledgable about then I don’t have much of a problem with it.

Are you afraid of heights? It doesn’t bother me as much as other things and I’ve always wanted to go to the top floor of those towers where the floor is glass lol, but like I’d absolutely piss my pants if I found myself standing on a tightrope between two really tall buildings.

So, what ARE you afraid of? Flying cockroaches, plane crashes, and fire.

Are you listening to music? No.

Has anyone ever called you 'disturbed'? I don’t think so, at least not to my face.

Have you ever been kicked out of a place? If so, where? And why? Yeah. From a McDonald’s, but it was my noisy friends’ fault. I knew they were being loud (they were playing some card game) so I just stayed at the very edge of our table, pretended not to be associated with them and waited for a customer to complain about us lol. Normally I’d speak up and tell friends if they’re being too immature, but in that friend group in particular I was the shyest and didn’t really hold a lot of influence so I didn’t have much of a choice.

Do you take a lot of these surveys? Yeah I have this entire blog dedicated to just them, and even before this account I had another survey blog.

When was the last time you fingerpainted? No idea. Kindergarten maybe? If we even ever did?

When was the last time you sent an e-mail? Yesterday afternoon.

A text message? 1 AM earlier.

Called someone on the phone? I think it was around two weeks ago.

Tripped over something? I’m sure I tripped over Kimi fairly recently, like sometime this week.

Do you like chocolate? Sure but on its own it can be too sweet for me, like the Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. I do love chocolate-flavored stuff or if it’s incorporated into other meals or snacks, like chocolate chip cookies.

How many pillows are on your bed? Right now there aren’t any because I brought the two pillows, that I do normally have on my bed, to my desk where I’m currently sitting at.

Do you have any pets? Yeah one of them is licking their balls behind me. The other one is probably playing with their toys downstairs and miraculously being quiet this morning.

Have you ever been on a horse? Yep.

Have you ever climbed a tree? I don’t think so. Most trees here have fire ants anyway.

Do you like art? Sure do.

Do you use any sort of social networking site? I mean normally yeah, but I’ve deactivated all my accounts for the meantime. Depression is a bitch. I’m no longer updated on the news nor am I familiar with the trendy memes anymore but idk, this seems to be the healthiest thing for me right now.

What time is it? 9:11 AM.

Have you ever been in a car accident? Super minor ones where the car I was in only got a paint scratch or, at worst, a dent or two.

When was the last time you felt embarrassed? Yesterday when I almost sent a message talking about a certain person to that certain person. It was nothing mean, but I was horrified nonetheless.

Did it rain today? No. I’m not sure if it will but I hope it does.

Have you ever had a poison ivy rash? No. When was the last time you felt immensely happy? LOL Do you take a multivitamin or any other supplement? We have vitamin C tablets at home but I’m so bad at taking them. What household chore do you absolutely hate? Washing rags. Not really a chore, but once they get all dirty and I have to clean them up it just feels so icky and ueughdhffgbduifhsuf Tell me something random about yourself. I’ve won a couple of spicy noodle speed eating challenges. Can you cook? No, but I’d love to learn. Do you like to be silly? I’m a little more serious than silly for the most part...but when I’m in the right mood at the right time with the right crowd, I can be silly too. What kinds of things have you wanted to be 'when you grow up'? The first was astronaut. Then I came across this interview with a veterinarian and I wanted to be one too. Lastly, a firefigher. Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah, lots of times. Sometimes it’s the only way to get to certain provinces or cities in the country so we’ve had to take boats for a few trips. Do/did you like school? For the most part, yes. I like that I made a lot of friends in school and I don’t have complaints about learning. What I hated the most about school is the scheduling, I guess. In my first school I had to wake up at 5 AM everyday to catch the school bus; and then in college I had to take several 7 AM classes and those were just the biggest, most inconvenient bitches. I also did not enjoy the concept of Catholic school. Do you have a camera? I used to have a DSLR but I’ve since handed it down to my sister since she’s taking up film. The camera on my phone works just fine. Have you ever been bitten by a tick? I don’t think so.

Have you ever seen a wild snake? I don’t really know what counts as a ‘wild’ snake but I’ve handled and held snakes before. Have you ever gone hiking in the woods? Hmm I’ve gone hiking, but not in the woods. Do you have a lot of friends? There’s a lot of people I can call friends, yes. We aren’t constantly in touch, though. All my friendships are super low-maintenance which I appreciate. Do you keep a diary/journal/blog? I have a journal and this blog where I write my thoughts and emotions down. What color are your eyes? Dark brown. Answering this yet again this week... Do you like snow? I’ve never experienced it so I can’t say. I think I would enjoy snow though. I feel that I’d be able to find comfort in it, like rain. Would you prefer to sing or dance in front of other people? Both sound awful. But I’d go with sing because at least I don’t have to move my body as much. Would you prefer to sing or dance when you're by yourself? Sing.

Can you spell really well? I’d say I can. I was really inspired by the movie Akeelah and the Bee as a kid and that made me want to be constantly good at spelling. Do you mind poor grammar? If it’s coming from a native speaker of whatever language, yeah. Like people who can only speak English but still use ‘would of’ or ‘I could care less.’ I’m more forgiving towards people who speak one language, or those who are speaking in a language they know they aren’t 100% fluent in. What's your favorite texting/IM abbreviation? I don’t have one. ‘lol’ I guess? It’s convenient. Do you wear a watch? No. Do you shop at thrift stores? Sometimes, if I find their offers interesting enough for me to want to go inside. What is your dream job? It’s pretty straightforward but it’d be nice to be able to work my way up and end up as an executive at a PR or media agency that I look up to. What is one thing that really freaks you out? Charlie Kaufman movies. Do you like bananas? They’re okay. I don’t hate bananas as aggressively as I do other fruits. Do you eat meat? Yes. Do you drink coffee? Yuh. I can go for a cup right now, actually...maybe when I finish this survey. Do you clean your computer screen often? Not often. Just every once in a while or once I start seeing too many smudges. Have you ever sneezed onto your computer screen? Probably.

Let's talk about numbers.

How many people live with you?

Four. We also have two animals.

136+95=...?

231. That’s essentially 136 + 100 - 5.

How many digits of pi do you have memorized?

Just the first five.

Can you count using binary numbers?

No. Never understood those, not interested enough to start learning.

How many states have you visited?

Zero.

How many countries?

Six. Would’ve been seven or even eight if Covid never blew up. I know my dad mentioned there were plans for us to go to Vietnam this year, and I also asked for a Thailand trip as a graduation present. Damn bat soup or whatever it was.

How many browser windows/tabs do you have open?

I have three Chrome windows in total. On the one I’m on, there are 13 tabs.

How many times have you blinked in the past minute?

I dunno, I never count that?

How many seconds are in a minute?

60.

Are you afraid of mathematics?

Calculus and trig, yeah. The other ones aren’t so bad.

What's the square root of 121? 11.

Sorry, sorry, the nightmare is over :) How about some more random questions to let you relax?

Have you ever read the webcomic xkcd?

I doubt it. I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.

Can you play an instrument?

Barely.

Can you read sheet music?

Not a chance.

What's your favorite kind of sandwich?

Monte Cristo! Omg, that sounds so good right now :( Banh mi is great too.

Do you have a bedtime?

Not strictly but I always try to get 7-8 hours of sleep on weeknights so that I’m sufficiently energized for work the next day.

Have you ever gone sledding?

No, I haven’t.

Have you ever carved a pumpkin? If so, what kind of face did you make?

Also no.

Do you ever make funny faces at yourself in the mirror?

I guess it’s happened before, but it’s not a regular occurrence.

Have you ever played the classic shaving-cream-in-the-hand prank on someone?

No.

Do you think that's a mean thing to do?

I don’t think that prank in particular is since shaving cream is harmless, but some pranks can definitely go too far which is why I’m generally not a fan of them.

Do you like cake?

Only very certain types. I can think of more cakes that I don’t like than the ones I can never get tired of.

Do you like pie?

Just savory ones, like chicken pot pie. Those are more up my alley than sweet pies, which are for the most part stuffed with a kind of fruit.

Do you like popsicles?

Sure, they’re refreshing.

Do you use the television or computer more?

Laptop.

Do you have a favorite chair to sit in?

Not really lolAre you getting tired of this survey?

It’s lengthy but I knew about it when I started this so I can’t complain about that; and the questions haven’t been annoying too so no, I wouldn’t say I’m tired of it.

Do you like to wear hats? When I have the chance to, yeah. They’re never a must for me though.

Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?

Most of the time no. Oops.

Do your shoes provide lots of arch support?

I...don’t know. I don’t really pay attention.

Do you like to go to yard sales? I haven’t gone to one since I was a kid.

Have you ever had a yard sale at your house? I don’t think we ever did.

Do you like apples? I like some apple-flavored things like juice or candy. I can’t stand the actual fruit but y’all know that by now, haha.

Do you like peanut butter? Yessssssss. I love peanut butter and any peanut butter-flavored food.

Do you like licorice? Not really. They’re not common here so I don’t seek it out.

Do you like lima beans? It doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy.

Do you like limes? Not particularly.

What color are your bedroom walls? White.

Guess how many questions you've done. I don't know either, so just guess. Before clicking on it I saw it had 200 or so questions, so I’m guessing we’re at the 180 or 190 mark considering how many questions are left below this.

What's your favorite color to wear? I feel prettiest in dark green or maroon. Do you tell secrets when people confide in you? I’m not sure what this is supposed to be asking, but I’ll give two answers. (1) I don’t spill other people’s secrets when they confide in me, and (2) When people confide in me, sometimes I’ll be inspired to share a secret of my own too, especially if it’s relevant to their situation. If I don’t think it’s going to be helpful, I just keep it to myself. Do you listen to your music with the volume up really high? Only when I’m extremely upset or furious. Do you like to try new foods? Absolutely. How many different programs are you currently using? Like applications? Currently, I have Chrome, Viber, and Notes turned on. How many different operating systems have you used? I’ve gone through Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 8, and then whatever updates have been done on macOS since 2015 - I don’t really keep track of their names lol. What time is it now? 12:03 PM. Are you wearing socks? Nope. Are you comfortable with yourself? These days, no. Do you lose small things (like your car keys) often? Hah, yes. Is your mind in the gutter? No. Have you ever broken a bone? I haven’t. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? I’m a healthy mix of both, I’d say. Which is still a great improvement for me because I used to be an introvert all the way through. Do you read the dictionary for fun? I literally did this for a time right after watching Akeelah and the Bee and having that movie change my life. It made me want to join a shit ton of spelling bees, but my interest waned when I realized there weren’t any being held here.  Tater tots or fries? Fries, only because I’ve never had the first. Do you like to wear flip flops? No. The thongs irritate my skin all the time and they always give me wounds. Are you more of an optimist or pessimist? I’m normally optimistic but it’s easier to be pessimistic nowadays. Do you like animals? Yes :) Do you like little kids? If they aren’t being a giant, rude pain in the ass. Are you a 'people person'? Yes. If I can’t satisfy everyone it bothers me. Have you ever seen a rainbow? Sure. How was your day? I haven’t cried today but I’m still sad. Otherwise, I don’t have a lot of strong feelings about this day just yet. What do you plan to do tomorrow? I don’t know yet. When was the last time you did laundry? Around two or three months ago. Have you ever played Snake? On the really old Nokia phones? For sure. Have you ever played Scrabble? Yeah. I took it up for one semester as a PE, hahaha. I also played it a lot when I was younger. Are there any television commercials that really get on your nerves? At the moment no, but this has happened many times before. Do you like scary movies? Sure. Are you itchy anywhere on your body? The left side of my forehead started to feel itchy when I read this. What's the title of the last book you read? Midnight Sun. Do you read more fiction or nonfiction books? Nonfictionnnnnnn. Are you a member of any clubs or organizations? I used to be, but now I’m an alumna because I’ve graduated college. What color is your favorite pair of socks? I don’t have a favorite pair. Do you own a lava lamp? No. Do you have anything else to say? Thanks for serving as a distraction and letting me kill some time.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you prefer bar or liquid soap? I use bar soap in the shower, but liquid soap to wash my hands. 

What's the speed limit on your street? It’s 25mph in residential streets.

When was the last time you wore your favourite article of clothing? My favorite articles of clothing are leggings and oversized graphic tees, which I wear all the time.

Do any of your family members have an upcoming birthday? I just had mine, next up is my mom’s in September.

On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best, rate your last kiss. 5.

What is your favourite flavour of Jolly Ranchers? Watermelon was the best. Wow, I haven’t had a Jolly Rancher since like high school. I used to love the Jolly Rancher suckers, especially.

Where was your Facebook profile picture taken? It’s baby photo taken at a photo studio.

Do your parents smoke? No.

Would you rather bake cookies or a potato? A potato. I love baked potatoes. 

Who was the last person to stay the night at your house? My aunt last September.

Do you live close to a park? Yeah.

Is your favourite animal endangered? They’re considered at risk. :/

Have you eaten pizza in the last week? No. I haven’t had pizza in awhile.

Who was the last person you added to your contacts list? I don’t recall, it’s been a long time.

How long does it take you to shower? Like 30-40 minutes.

Do you prefer a brand of bottled water over others, or is it all the same? I typically drink Dasani, Aquafina, Crystal Geyser, or store brand.

Have you used Wikipedia today? No.

Are you better at writing fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction.

Do you know anyone who has moved to a different state? Yeah.

How many pens can you see from where you’re sitting? One.

Have you ever dated someone one grade/year above or below you? A grade below.

What language do you think you’d be good at? I took Spanish all 4 years in high school and a semester in college and I did well. 

What language do you think you’d fail at? Chinese because of the characters. 

Do you still have a landline phone at your house? Yes.

What is your current desktop background? Alexander Skarsgard.

How big is the television you last watched? The TV in my room is a 42 inch.

Have you ever been stung by a bee or a wasp? No, thankfully.

How many schools have you been to in your lifetime? 5.

Are you of legal age in your country? Yes.

Why did you last visit a doctor? To get my prescription refill. 

Would you prefer an ice cream cake or a regular cake? Regular cake.

How old is your best friend? My best friend is my mom, who is 54. 

What is/was your high school’s mascot? I’m not sharing that. Do you carry pain relievers with you at all times? I always take my prescription pain med with me if I go somewhere.

Where is your mother right now? In her room, asleep.

What was the last thing to make you smile? Something in the YouTube video I was watching.

Are you currently saving up for anything? No.

What’s the view like from your bedroom window? Not much of a view, I just see the fence, my neighbor’s roof, the top of some trees, and a little part of the sky.

Generally speaking, do you prefer sweet or savoury? Savoury. 

What would you do if you got home and you saw your house had been destroyed? Destroyed??? Omg.... I would be in a state of shock initially. Like, wtf??? Then I’d be angry, upset, confused and just utterly devastated. 

When did you last go outside, and what for? I had to go to a doctor appointment this past Tuesday. 

Who is your favourite Sesame Street character? I don’t have a particular favorite, but I think the name “Snuffalluffagus” is fun haha.

How often do you check your emails? Everyday. I keep the notifications turned on for my email on my phone cause it gets me to check it daily (gotta get rid of the notification) and not let my inbox build up. 

Do you have any plans for this Thanksgiving? My family and I will have Thanksgiving dinner like we always do, just us. We haven’t had a big family get together for Thanksgiving the past few years, so covid won’t affect anything in that way.

What colour is your backpack? I’ve been using a mini gray Adidas backpack.

Would you slap the last person you talked to for twenty dollars? Absolutely not.

What search engine do you usually use? Google is the only one I use.

How much did the shirt you’re wearing cost? I don’t recall.

Patrick Stump or Pete Wentz? I like Fall Out Boy’s music, but I don’t have a preference for any of the band members.

Do you know anyone who gives way too many hugs? No.

What time do you usually wake up on Sundays? I wake up around 230/3PM everyday.

Have you whispered today? No.

What grade did you get on the last test you took? An A.

[andyangus]

Tuesday 29th December

I had to get out of the house this morning, Thomas was called into work for a boiler emergency (he’s a plumber for Borders Gas), and I was left with the rabble. Dad was bemoaning the quality of our digital signal, Aunt Moira was bothered continuously by an itchy arse and bosom, and Mum was continually dropping, what she calls, ‘advice’ into my menu for New Year’s Day. It is nothing but interference from a woman who believes cooking is as simple as reconstituting dry noodles.

‘Nigella’s a tart with no filling,’ she said, ‘It’s all tits and pouting lips with her as she licks whipped cream off a spoon in slow motion. I don’t know why you idolise her so much. Now Fanny Cradock, there was a cook.’

‘If you like every course served with a large dose of vinegar,’ I bit back, slamming Nigella’s book shut. I scarpered for the tranquillity of the Ewes Water, but Mother Dearest followed declaring she needed fresh air as she picked at the inner lining of her parka and pulled out a pack of twenty Richmond Superkings (she supposedly gave up years ago).

‘Don’t look at me with your grandmother’s eyes, God rest her soul,’ she scowled in frustration as her hands shakily guided a tiny flame towards the cancer stick that was wobbling precariously on her ruby red lips in anticipation.

I tutted my disapproval.

‘For Christ’s sake, Andy,’ she snapped, ‘I gave up when we got married, raised two children through the miners’ strike, nursed your Gran through a recession, watched your sister give birth on our kitchen linoleum as the Twin Towers fell, and coped when you decided the school nativity was the perfect time to come out of the closet without so much as a draw on a menthol.’ Mum has never forgiven me for straying from the usual characterisation of Joseph by declaring that Jesus was most definitely the son of God and nothing to do with me as I was only interested in boys. I was ten at the time, very sure of my sexuality, and had no filter or insight into the consequences. She continued, ‘But nothing has prepared me for the early retirement of your father and the tedium of being home alone, day after day, with no distractions but Phil and Fern and Hugh Fearnley-bloody-Whittingstall.’

Turns out Mum’s upped her hours at the Post Office to:

Escape Dad’s new passion for tropical fish.

Be able to smoke away from home without the risk of being caught.

Afford cigarettes.

Avoid Dad’s monthly prescription of Viagra.

Sweet Jesus!

‘I don’t know how you and Thomas do it,’ she muttered through a shroud of smoke, ‘just the two of you out here, in a windswept old cottage, surrounded by nothing but shrubs, sheep and shit.’

She made it sound as if we’re living in a mountain shack in Mongolia. We have a village shop twenty minutes away and a local church for refuge in floods. I assured her that we are very, very happy. We love each other dearly and have the company of our cat, the Colonel, most evenings. After all, if there’s a warm, stable home, a devoted man who puts food on the table, love and understanding, what more do you need?

Mum stared pensively as the discarded carcass of her sly fag floated tumultuously down the river. I was just about to mention the Country Code when she turned to me and said: ‘He’s sold my knitting machine on eBay and transformed your sister’s bedroom into an aquarium. He’s becoming more insular and selfish by the day. Marriage can be a total cock sometimes,’ before retracing her frosty footprints back to the cottage.

I watched her stomp in her furry boots and parka until her hunched frame disappeared through the back door. I visualised how Mum used to be, back when I was small, all flowing red locks of curly hair that would bounce in unison with her confident stride as she dragged my sister and me down the market. She had such poise, speed and buoyancy that we had trouble keeping up with her. Now her hair, red though it still is, is restricted by a scrunchie and the only thing buoyant about her life is a room full of tropical fish. It seems a lifetime of cooking, cleaning and caring for a small family wears you down.

Little does she know I intend to propose to Thomas just after the bells. Ten years on and I am still deeply in love with my man. Not a single shot of cynicism can change that.

[love-and-socialism]

Roasted veg, boiled meat

A friend wrote a story about their main character and asked me to look it over. After giving my edits and comments, they asked me to write about the scenario from the point of view of the throwaway character in this part.

So here it is;

Roasted veg, boiled meat

“Navid, your next appointment is ready.”

“Thanks, Josephine. Send them on through.” I said, finishing transferring the notes from paper to the computer of my last appointment, an eczema patient. She’d been getting better, but her skin had been flaking off during the course of our meeting and the floor looked like someone had bitten into a coconut cream cake and left a sprinkling of powdered frosting. My stomach grumbled, it knew that it was time for elevenses. But it would have to wait until after the next patient… a Mr Royce.

I heard a knock at the door and told them to come in, which they duly did, shuffling gingerly onto my seat. “Hello there, I’m Dr Singh” and I offered my hand for him to shake, which he did albeit using it as some kind of leverage to help him sit down on the chair. “Can you just confirm your name and address for me please?”

“It’s Stephen Rice.” he said.

“Oh, I have you down as Royce here.”

“Yes, that’s roight.”

Ah, a west country lad. We had one of them in medical school. Of course, he had the unfortunate luck to have the surname Farmer. In grad school, the joke went ‘Doctor Farmer? Well which one is it?’ This meant that their nickname was changed to ‘two jobs’ at the university hospital. This was all good fun, unlike some of the cruel nicknames that plagued me.

He told me his address and his date of birth and I checked them off my sheet. “Now then, what seems to be the trouble today?”

There was a long pause, which made me look up from the papers in front of me to notice him finally blurt out “I burnt the top of the end of my knob.”

Well I didn’t think I’d be hearing that particular word today. Do I still have my patient bingo card? I could probably cross the ‘phallic’ square off. Okay, be calm. Let’s not say anything. Remember your poker skills. Let him continue.

Except, he didn’t continue.

I stared at him, trying to use the powers of my mind to get him to elaborate, but I was going to have to use other cues to get him to open up. Maybe if I cough and write down some lines on the paper that might do the trick. I wrote down my name in indecipherable scribblings. Is he talking yet? No?

“And how did it happen?” I could see out the corner of my eye as he squirmed delicately in his seat. He stumbled over a couple of ‘err’s’ and ‘well’s’ before rapidly firing off a breathless monologue; “I was taking a wee at the urinal at this cafe near my flat the other day ’cause it was the only time I’d be able to before TA’ing a discussion section for a class that morning. I’d not found a table to leave my things at, so I brought in a book and my coffee so I could review my notes and drink at the same time.”

I wrote down ‘urinating’ as the legible word and put a question mark next to a squiggled ‘coffee burn?’. I’d give myself five points if that was the case. Oh, he’s stopped talking? Better prompt him again.

“I was carefully turning the pages with my chin, but the book must not’ve been secure enough in the crook of my arm, cause after I got through a couple of pages, it fell in the urinal.”

“So, you dropped it.”

He was adamant that he didn’t. Very adamant. He insisted that it fell. And while my understanding of physics is somewhat lesser compared with biology, I admit that he was correct. Technically correct, which, as everyone knows, is the best kind of correct. I asked about how and when he would normally carry the books like that and he sheepishly admitted that he doesn’t usually do it, unless he’s holding something else “like a pencil.”

I wasn’t sure if he was referring to a writing implement or it was another reference to his appendage. He went onto explain how he attempted to retrieve the presumably urine-soaked book, and  “..hot coffee spilt all over my knobhead.”

Knobhead.

There it was. The nickname from school. The one that made him strive to improve on his Hindi accent. He wasn’t ashamed of having Indian parents, they’d worked hard to give him a better start in life. But his youthful shyness coupled with deviations in his speech using a soft ‘v’ in his name and introducing himself on the school playground as ‘Na-bhed’. One of the more coarser and rougher boys, who would have been a quick-witted urchin in any Dickensian novel, picked up on it immediately and labelled him ‘Knobhead’. And so it stuck. Cruelly, for twelve years.

When he moved away to college, he left the nickname as well as the churlish contemporaries. If they could see him now, he’d like to think he’d be treated with respect and held in high esteem of him working hard to become a medical professional. Ah, who was he kidding, he’d end up being called Doctor Knobhead by those philistines. I slammed my pen down onto the clipboard, awaking us both from my daydream, before I had to clear my throat to shake off these lingering thoughts of childhood trauma, and get back to the current situation of manhood trauma. I wrote down the circumstances of the burn and asked more questions about the full extent of the injury. Naturally, I would have to prepare him for physical examination and I asked him to undress and lie down. I turned away on my chair towards the sink to wash my hands. He protested that the blisters weren’t that big, and I nodded, continuing the scrubbing of my fingers with sterile soap, before he relented and started undressing behind me. I pulled the rubber gloves on, accidentally letting the elastic snap against my wrist, the sound puncturing the air of awkwardness.

I tenderly moved his thighs, furrowing my brow when he instinctively clenched. This seemed to embarrass him slightly, and I felt bad for making him feel that way. “I’m sorry that you’re going through this situation.” The poor lamb.

He asked if it was the worst I’d ever seen, while I was gingerly looking at the underside of him. If only he knew about some of the videos I’d seen in medical school. At least he still had a penis. One such instructional showed a man who had it burnt off completely, his crotch looking like the one of Jeff Goldblum’s character in ‘The Fly’. Normally one wouldn’t associate having the body of Goldblum as a downside, but in this particular film, it would be rather unfortunate. So I reassured him that it wasn’t. “How long have you been caring for it?” Albeit, his care had somewhat lapsed in concentration.

He told me about his use of frozen peas and I had to stifle a laugh thinking about them pairing quite nicely with his boiled meat and roasted veg. He should heal up fine with some more modern treatments.

I told him to get dressed and turned around, tossing my gloves into the bin and washing my hands once more. I wrote him a prescription for some ointment in my best scrawl, and told him to wear loose-fitting clothes, and dress the area in bandages and that he should be better in a couple of weeks. I had to hurry because all this talk about urinating and coffee had pressed home the urge for me to do both of those things. But, unlike Stephen, not at the same time.

[writingsomestupidshitlovelies]

FMA AU; The Small Difference

I have this FMA AU where Ed saves a town from this whole big conspiracy that involved the town’s local church-- think the whole “Leto” situation except escalated times 100 and with a mini-civil war breaking out across this no-name area that the military has been neglecting. The whole area is kind of barren: food shortages, unreliable water source, crackpot doctors giving incorrect prescriptions, the whole shebang.

Anywhoot, when he’s done Saving Lives he gets up on this stone-pedestal type thing and stands before the crowd of people waiting for answers, and tells them what was happening and things he did/could do to help. Like he has a very basic knowledge of medicine/medical alchemy (he has automail and knows how to do basic maintenance on that, he and his brother had to do some pretty serious research on the human body to do the transmutation, and Ed healed himself after being impaled-- no matter how poorly or enhanced, he still had that basic knowledge.) and changed the acidity of the soil so things could grow better/ grew some of the crops faster, fixed the water filter, etc.

But while he’s giving this speech and telling people what he did and now what they should do, he inadvertently positioned himself so that the statue of their Goddess/messenger of their Goddess is directly behind him, so it looks like he has these huge stone wings. Their Goddess is one of truth and healing, and what has this boy done? He has healed their people from greed and illness and starvation, and he has unveiled the lies that were being fed to them. It helps that their religion has this well-known story of the Sword and his Shield, believed to be two parts of their Godess’ whole: Edward is more abrasive and blunt and honest but also caring and passionate (just like the truth should be); meanwhile, Alphonse is sweet and hopeful and determined (his mere presence can be healing at times). They see Al’s armor and it reminds them of this story: the person made of armor and the person that was completely made of metal/gold aside from his piercing eyes (Fullmetal, anybody?) and how the two were borne from man’s transgressions but the Goddess whispered to them and they became the most human of all. (Sorry for going into a bit of a rant here I am super interested in my made up religion lol)

So it doesn’t change anything. At first.

When Ed is on the run with Greedling they don’t do nothing. Greed does primarily want friends, and he knows Ed has to stay under the radar, but he is still Greed: he still wants power and fuck does he want to thrive after he beats down Father and his so-called siblings. So first they get disguised: Greed just wears his tacky clothes and, when not in their more animal forms, Heinkel and Darius just look like very confused and gruff dads. Ed needs to change: he gets some sort of haircut but Ed is Ed so he gets it in a bob or pixie cut or something super edgy. He disguises his automail by adding unnecessary flourishes to it: snakes or vines with flowers and skulls-- people associate him with the sleekest, newest models, now it looks like his arms are art pieces. Without the cloak and the hair and the different automail, most people don’t recognize him. Greedling’s group ends up saving a few towns and recruiting some more people: Ishvallans from slums, human chimera that are in hiding, hungry children without a home. As much as the entirety of the group try to pretend otherwise, the four and-a-half (does Greed-Ling count as two people??) original members are huge softies. 

And while they’re doing that? The town that Ed saved have been whispering. They see the wanted posters and frown. Because this boy saves lives. Because they’ve been following his misadventures and he’s helped so many people. Word of mouth lets them know that Ed and Al frequently help homeless people, pay off others’ debts, sit down and talk to someone on the knife’s edge, give thieves money and a stern talking to, help rebuild and feed and protect (without alchemy) in the Ishvallan districts. Edward is good, and they won’t believe this bullshit. They don’t believe that Ed is their Goddess, or even that he’s an angel of some sort, but there is this quiet belief that the Goddess crafted the Elric brothers herself, that she made them to save lives and bring goodness. They start rumbles of discontent. Contact people in towns the brothers had saved. It’s a quiet rebellion, but a rebellion none-the-less. People recognize Edward as the Fullmetal Alchemist and turn a blind eye, don’t call the authorities. They protest against more laws and officers than ever before. Something is stirring.

Ed and co. start a smear campaign against military officials they know are in on the whole “immortality” thing. With alchemy, the right lighting, and a camera, there isn’t a lot Ed can’t do. Scandals about officers sighted being at brothels or hitting a child are reported, mostly in gossip magazines, but the talk has started. Ed pays two little thief girls to cry and make say that this officer pushed them or threw their ice-cream money in the sewer or slapped their mother. He starts rumors about Lab Five and greedy old men that would take the lives of a whole country just for power and about a ruthless dictator who only acts innocent.  He encourages haunted ex-soldiers to talk to newspapers about the atrocities they were forced to commit. Anonymous women speak about how often the old men come to “see” them. Ed is thankful that Ling is part of their group because he never could have done this himself. Mustang is thankful because people in positions of power are weakening and he manages to pass a few laws and get a few people fired and get himself lined up for a promotion.

It all builds up when Greed remembers a base of operations full of fake philosopher's stones and chimeras and weapons. In order to take it out, Greedling needs a distraction. Ed, who has been hiding in slums and hanging out with the outcasts of Amestrian society, knows exactly what to do. He makes a monument. It takes a few days to set it up, but then he’s got it. It’s almost in the center of the city he’s in and it is covered in names. Designs of foreign desert plants line the oddly-rounded building. Ed has been speaking to survivor’s for months. He’s asked them if he could do this. It is the names of all the Ishvallan victims he has read and heard about. A statue of the Rockbells fitting a tired man with a new arm, of a now-dead Ishvallan with his arms and mouth open and beseeching eyes, of the real heroes of Ishval are scattered about. There’s a statue of Wrath, pleasant expression on his face and one hand on his sheathed sword and the other holding a leash. Collared to the leash is Kimblee, sadistic elation on his face and one armed stretched, crackling with alchemic energy. In front of him is an Ishvallan priest, face firm and determined, arms linked with Ishvallans that are faceless aside from piercing red eyes. Signs are in front of names and statues, giving estimated death tolls and heroic acts and anti-military sentiment. Of course the place is stormed. But people are already gathered around and inside. Ishvallans link arms just like in the statue around the monument because this is theirs, because they’ve given up so much but to finally see an acknowledgment? To see real stories and real names and the blunt, harsh truth? They won’t give in. They didn’t before and they won’t now. Guns are pointed at them, and the hesitation to shoot isn’t even there. Hate crimes done by the military are a constant, no one will even look twice at this. But then, a woman runs in front of them, eyes hard and mouth thin. She’s Amestrian. “My mother,” she begins, “died for something she didn’t believe in. She died in your dumb war so that my little brother wouldn’t be drafted. I won’t let you kill anyone else. Not again.” And she’s crying, but her arms are spread and she means it.  “Move.” One Amestrian woman could be a scandal, but swept under the rug. The soldiers stand firm. “No.” says one of her friends, standing besides her and linking arms like the Ishvallans behind them. “We let this happen once. We will not let history repeat.” And her friends join. The crowd thins as Amestrians stand in front of Ishvallans, arms linked, a silent but loud promise: You have to go through us to get to them. They use their privilege to protect, this once. They are all scared, terrified, but seeing the names and reading the stories somehow makes it all real: genocide. Not a war, genocide.  One soldier points his gun, finger on the trigger, and Ed decides he’s done hiding. “Instead of killing innocent civilians, why not pick on someone who can fight back? ‘Course, you’ll need a hundred more of you canon fodder to beat me.” He leads them on a wild goose chase throughout the city. He gets hurt, of course he does; they’re going for the kill and, just like with Kimblee, Ed is still going for the mercy blows. People see this. Officers notice. Something, again, stirs.  Greedling gets the stones, recruits the chimeras, and blows that base to kingdom come.  They’ve been destabilizing the military for awhile now, and Wrath has been unable to help in the preparations for the Promised Day because his main job is keeping the military afloat; without the military, the whole plan crumbles.  People rally, calling for officers to be discharged. For Bradley to resign or explain himself. There are riots in the streets and abuse against high ranking military officers by civilians. Ed becomes the face of a revolution. With all this focus on him, Mustang and his team can act a bit more freely, despite being separated. Laws are almost absently passed or remade or taken down entirely. Winry is giving poor people automail those people turn around and help others; they all realize that the military should not have abandoned them, that they have to help each other, and they are all angry and begin planning attacks of their own. Greedling makes several bases of their own, full of “minions” (hungry children and lab experiments and amputees and those with disfigurements. A home for the homeless. A war base and safe place for the oppressed.) and with the focus on Ed, manages to launch attacks of his own. Greed has been alive for centuries, although he has forgotten much of it, and Ling grew up in politics with assassins and war, they fight the government like they were born to do it. 

It’s a civil war; unlike in Liore, it is no longer one sided. The civilians fight their dictator, military officials fight from within the system. 

This is all I have for it, so far. It’s very ramble-y but vgadhbjnfk I refuse to believe that for about 6 months Greedling and co. sat around and goofed off like Ed has a saving people thing and Greed is antsy and wants (to know) things and Ling wants power and he wants it now. Ed is like pure chaos in a five-foot bundle like you can’t tell me he sat around and didn’t even try to do what he could from the outside?? He is a literal genius smh

Also, you might have noticed that I mentioned the Ishvallans a lot and that’s because there needs to be more about and with them. The manga/anime does handle it pretty well but there is so much potential that isn’t used. Also I am a culture-nerd and love learning about different religions and cultures and architecture so I need this ok???

[downstvged]

“ oh. uh... you had your eye on that last laffy taffy, too ? ”   awkward. peyton reaches for the candy anyway. his fingertips close around the treat and nudge it closer to the person beside him. “ go for it. my favorite’s banana anyway. ”

or, alternatively : i have zero restraint & ‘tis i, linc, comin’ atchu w/ my third, peyton pellegrino !! resident senior class treasurer & lacrosse co-captain & theatre techie. he’s a wholesome boy but jeez... is new ham gonna break him. dun dun dunnnnNNNN .  ; )

✔ ┊❝ noah centineo. he/him &. cismale ) eighteen year old peyton pellegrino was listening to “no place like home” by marianas trench when the field trip buses turned around. rumor has it he’s on a missing children’s list in delaware & his dad is actually his childhood kidnapper, but who knows if that’s true? what we do know is that their friends describe them as suave & bona fide, even if they’re known to be a little restless & yielding from time to time.

i’m... not gonna do my long intro format for him bc ain’t nobody got time fo dat! and i’m lazy sfhiefh. but here we go !!

( tw: mentions of kidnapping, false death, anxiety, familial deceit )

AMBER ALERT, MILTON PD, DELAWARE —  MILTON TOWN POLICE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED EIGHTEEN-MONTH-OLD JAMIE CLAVERTON WAS STOLEN FROM HIS MOTHER’S STROLLER IN BRUMBLEY PARK EARLIER TODAY. SUSPECT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT THE SCENE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ENCOURAGED TO CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY.

spoiler alert : little jamie claverton never quite found his way home. with no witnesses to the kidnapping ( thanks to his mother’s ignorance... yikes ) ,  matthew pellegrino, age 30, was able to make an easy getaway with the child. in 2010, milton police closed jamie’s case. the clavertons, heavy-hearted, buried an empty casket for their lost boy, unaware that he was alive and well just two states away, living comfortably with his “ father ”  in west ham, connecticut.

peyton pellegrino’s mother abandoned her family shortly after peyton’s first birthday –– she’d struggled with postpartum depression & decided she wasn’t made out to be a mother. despite matthew’s pleas, his wife disappeared into the night. and just like that, it was just father and son. us two against the world, peyton’s father would say. they moved around frequently, spending almost each passing birthday in a different place. new york city, boston, miami, chicago, philly. it wasn’t until peyton’s seventh birthday that they finally settled somewhere long-term: phoenix, arizona. and, by the time his tenth birthday rolled around, they hopped across the country once more.

to west ham, connecticut. a dramatic change of pace. matthew had landed the position of fire chief, his record of improving local fire departments finally recognized. so ten-year-old peyton careened into fifth grade, then middle school. he fit right in. and west ham? west ham ate up the pellegrino family story. nobody suspects a thing.

in a hidden compartment locked under matthew’s desk lies the only record of peyton’s past. duplicated fingerprints. forged social security documents. fake passports, just in case. the key’s hidden somewhere in the house. but it’s the two of them, father and son, them two against the world.

and up until now? peyton hasn’t had the means to discover the truth.

peyton pellegrino, aspiring broadway set/lighting engineer:

inspired by “no place like home” by marianas trench.

peyton moved to west ham when he was 10, so i would love some long-term connections for him. his dad’s the fire chief, so he’s definitely... involvedˆin the smell stuff. more on that in the future.

he’s heavily involved in lacrosse, mock trial, theater, & student gov. he’s the senior class treasurer because freshman year, his pals on the lacrosse team joked he had the only face people wouldn’t be mad to hand class dues to. he’s been voted into position ever since.

will be attending eastern connecticut state university for a degree in theatre & theatre design !! he’s SUCH a techie and very unashamed about it, but he will get bashful if he gushes on too long about the importance of a crisp curtain or how much of a difference fading spots can make. he acts as well ( see his excellent performances in mock trial competitions ) but he’s got such a love for framing the stage, making his performers look good. making the visual effects an extension of the story.

works as a pizza delivery boi for one of the local faves — and you best bet this kid makes amazing tips. in the summers, he techs at a bunch of theatre camps and throws in a gig scooping ice cream just for some extra dough. it’s not that his dad doesn’t make good money as fire chief, but they struck a deal that peyton would foot at least half of the bill for college. so he’s trying to getting a jump on that.

one of those rare breeds that is hella involved and seems really relaxed about it? but... he does have anxiety & struggles with panic attacks from time to time. they were really bad when he was around 8 to 11, but they’ve calmed since being here. it’s one of the reasons why matthew looked for a position in such a small, calm town.

sike !!!!!  west ham ain’t calm no more !!!!

speaking of his dad. they’re fuckin’ best friends, alright? saturday nights are reserved for the pellegrino boys. foosball. ping pong. b-rate game shows.

he’s the kind of dude to go out of his way to help you and say it was no sweat. even if it was all the sweat.

if he loves you, watch him lay out his jacket so you don’t have to step in mud.

has a bad habit of nipping at the edge of pens. it’s one of the anxious ticks he hasn’t quite been able to shake. sometimes his right leg bounces, if he’s forced to sit still in one place for too long.

will likely join the committee on going home, if something like that arises. leadership courses through his veins, but peyton’s not really one to pursue it very much. he’s more content to chip in and help everyone else than sit at the top. but if someone close to him ( cough cough, @cvssndra​, cough ) decides to take the reins, he’ll be right there to support.

he eats his pizza rolled around the crust, like an italian taquito.

notable fashion choices include : leather bracelets, cuffed jeans, lots of solid colored and colorblocked tees. when he dresses up for mock trial, the girls kinda swoon. boy looks dashing in a suit. has a glasses prescription but always wears contacts. his dad says he looks sharper that way ( but it’s actually because, with glasses, he looks too similar to the claverton family. )  beat up chuck taylors, kind of untied on purpose. he’s got that whole loosely kept together, sleep deprived look down pat.

in middle school, he did a social studies project on milk carton kids. his project partner said there was this sketch from delaware that kinda looked like him. they both just laughed it off. young peyton came home and told his dad all about it over dinner. his dad laughed. the next day, peyton tried to find the same webpage, and was met with a notice that it had been permanently disbanded.

catch him longboarding around town like an absolute boss.

his favorite gum flavor is juicyfruit. it reminds him of go kart racing with his dad in arizona.

has functional knowledge of asl. he began learning at his school in chicago, and pursued it a bit further in arizona when he learned their next-door neighbor, patricia, was deaf. young peyton would walk the nice lady’s mail up to her door and learn a few signs from her each day, then practice them at dinner with his dad.

i imagine his dad’s reputation makes him fairly well-known around town. it’s likely peyton knows the owners of most businesses around here, so he’s the dude you stick near if ya want free shit.

he knows his dad’s disappointed he’s not pursuing a career in law enforcement or medicine. but peyton barely survived one day of junior firefighter training.

he actually just went back on anti-anxiety meds recently. so that’s gonna be interesting, when that supply starts going bye-bye.

people always assume he’s from cali, because of his overall vibe. his dad says he was actually born in ohio. peyton did a whitepages search in ohio for kenna pellegrino. the search came up empty.

his pals have a running inside joke where they hand him bottles of san pellegrino mineral water. it’s hilarious. and he hates it.

aight cuttin’ it short so i can hop onto this dash!! as always hmu for plots, bants, and good times !!  xx

[kiss-my-freckle]

Timeline notes

1x1 -

Ressler: Raymond “Red” Reddington attended the Naval Academy. Top of his class. Graduated by the time he was 24. He was being groomed for admiral. Then in 1990, Reddington’s coming home to see his wife and his daughter for Christmas. He never arrives. This highly respected officer up and disappears from the face of the earth until four years later when classified NOFORN documents start showing up in Maghreb, Islamabad, Beijing. These leaks were traced to Reddington. This guy’s an equal opportunity offender, a facilitator of sorts, who’s built an enterprise brokering deals for fellow criminals. He has no country. He has no political agenda. Reddington’s only allegiance is to the highest bidder. Tech: They call him something in the papers. Cooper: “The Concierge of Crime.”

2x1 -

Aram: So he’s looking for someone who lived in D.C. before 1990, has a prescription for Lipitor through Medco, downloads World War II documentaries on Netflix not Amazon and has a digital subscription to both the Wall Street Journal and CatFanatic.

Naomi: I had a life, you know? My daughter had a life with a house and a dog. And then I woke up one day. You can’t imagine what it’s like to have a man like Raymond Reddington turn your life upside down. They accused me of being a part of it? Somehow, I was a suspect. Put my life under a - a microscope every call, every charge. My assets were - I finally convinced them I was innocent. They said I had to go, give up everything. I remember it was a Wednesday afternoon. My daughter wasn’t even out of school yet. And by Thursday, we were in Philadelphia, fending for ourselves.

2x2 -

Liz: I confirmed your daughter was placed in protective custody with her mother in 1990. The Marshal service lost contact seven years ago. She is unaccounted for.

2x8 -

Berlin/Kirchhoff: It was in ’91. The Soviet union was falling apart. A small group of us. Members of the Politburo, the military, KGB, Stasi. Had a plan to push back the progressives, to stem the tide. We were meeting and discussing strategy when a bomb. Red: The Kursk Bombing. Berlin/Kirchhoff: Fifteen died. And with them, our resistance. Rumors began that the Americans were involved. One name emerged. Yours. You came after my daughter. You exposed her as a dissident. She went to jail. After that, my loyalty was questioned. I was exiled to the Gulag, where, one by one, her bones were sent to me.

Liz: You’re working with Berlin? Red: I need to talk to you about a bombing in the Soviet union Kursk, 1991.

2x10 -

Several TV news people: We are just now getting word of a story developing out of Hong Kong. Sources say authorities there have apprehended legendary criminal Raymond Reddington. He’s been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list longer than any other fugitive, but tonight, sources are confirming Reddington was arrested in Hong Kong just hours ago. Reddington was once a rising star at the Pentagon. Sources say he was being groomed for admiral when, on Christmas Eve, 1990, while on his way home to visit his wife and daughter, Reddington vanished. Reporter: Four years later, Reddington resurfaced and was charged with treason in absentia for selling top-secret American intelligence to foreign states.

3x4 -

Red: I was completely swept up in the idealism of the theatre owner - a pipe-smoking cream puff of a German named Gerta. She read “Mother Courage” to me aloud - the whole play in one sitting. A brilliant exploration of the politics of war and those who profit from it. Sadly, it was 1991, and audiences were going in droves to see “Cats.”

3x11 -

Liz. Who is this guy? He claims he’s Reddington? Samar: Yes, and we can’t disprove it with DNA because there’s nothing on file from 1990 when Reddington disappeared.

Devry: March 8, 1985, I ran point on an attack on the Beirut home of Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. June 1989, I coordinated Operation Minesweep, which provided back office support and oversight for Naval Intelligence operations in Kuwait carried out by the 160th SOAR.

3x16 -

Red: Velov is the one who lied to you, Lizzy, not me. Katarina Rostova committed suicide in 1990.

4x13 -

Red: I first met Stratos Sarantos when he was running guns to Cypriot resistance fighters in 1987. For more than 20 years, he’s overseen my shipping concerns from the Bosphorus to the Suez Canal.

4x16 -

Cooper: Kathryn Nemec is missing? Aram: Yeah, she disappeared in 1991, just dropped off the grid.

Aram: Kathryn Nemec. But she’s been missing since 1991.

5x19 -

Red: In 1990, the KGB and the CIA had almost nothing in common except the mutual determination to hunt down one individual. Jennifer: You. Red: Being a fugitive from American law enforcement is a lot easier than being a fugitive from the two most powerful nations on Earth. And anyone close to a target of theirs becomes a target themselves. Jennifer: Family. Red: Especially family. Unless they’re abandoned on the side of a road on Christmas Eve. Jennifer: After you left, we went into Witness Protection. Red: Put where the Cabal wouldn’t find you.

6x1 -

Liz: Raymond Reddington is a fraud. An imposter who took our father’s place over 30 years ago. The FBI can trace this Reddington forward from ’95. And I know for a fact that our father died five years before that.

6x5 -

Jennifer: It’s not the data, but it turns out the file names were coded using patient-intake dates. October 3, 1991. Liz: The date Reddington was admitted?

6x9 -

Sima: As the ranking officer on that Reddington Task Force, were you familiar with an incident that occurred involving the U.S.S. Gideon in March of 1990? Ressler: I was. Yes. The U.S.S. Gideon was an Ohio-class submarine sunk by the Soviet Navy while on a secret mission in the Barents Sea. 134 men were on board. They all died.

Red: If you found his archives, I need the tape of a phone call he recorded on December 7, 1990.

Cooper: Reddington told us to look for a very specific needle in this haystack. A recording taken on December 7, 1990.

Cooper: We’ll start over. Samar: Uh, I don’t think we have to. December 7, 1990.

Samar: It can’t be a coincidence that Reddington is looking for a recording made on December 7th, and, on December 11th, an assassin injures Bailey and murders a man who appears to have been his lover. Liz: Maybe he used the tape to try and blackmail someone who didn’t take kindly to being blackmailed.

Nuss: A month before the incident, a corporate account was opened in a Cypriot bank known to work with Soviet intelligence. The only person with the power to withdraw funds was the company president. Sima: And who was that? Nuss: Raymond Reddington. Sima: I’m sure many accounts were opened in the weeks prior to the tragedy of the Gideon. What makes you think the activity in this account was connected to it? Nuss: Because a front company for the KGB wired $3 million into the account a day before the incident, and another $3 million the day after it. One week later, the entire amount was withdrawn. Sima: By Reddington? Nuss: Yes. Using fingerprints and a password.

Red: You said the withdrawal required fingerprints and a password. Nuss: It was done remotely. Red: So if someone had a copy of my fingerprints and knew the password, they could have made the withdrawal, and no one at the bank, nor yourself, would have known the difference? Nuss: I, uh - suppose that’s possible. Red: Yes. You know what else is possible? That I was framed by Katarina Rostova, which I could prove if Your Honor would grant me even the shortest - Judge Wilkins: All right, the court will stand in recess.

20, 25, 30 years

Cooper: Remember, he’s been off the grid for over 20 years. (1x2) Cooper: Reddington has brokered some of the most comprehensive international criminal activity in the past 20 years. (1x2) Red: I’ve been moving comfortably through the world for the past 20 years without a trace, and now some two-bit spy killer is gonna put my life and business in jeopardy? (1x3) Fitch: Ray. It’s been, what - 20 years? (1x10) Red: No traffic. No cars to come help. Just me and a car full of gifts. It was more than 20 years ago. (Christmas Eve, 1x14) Tom: Best I can tell, their paths have crossed at key moments in the past 20 years. Quantico, Baltimore. (1x16) Naomi: If you’re looking for him, I can’t help you. You have to listen to me. Reddington - I haven’t I haven’t seen him in 20 years. (2x1) Samar: He’s been on the run for 25 years. His arrest was bound to happen. (2x10) Liz: They put a bullet in your chest, and you have no idea how. You’re the most cautious person I know. The FBI couldn’t find you for 20 years, but they did. (2x21) Aram: Because it was listed in the Fulcrum. 25 years ago, Hanover was a low-level staffer on the Hill. (3x3) Hitchin: I know about the Fulcrum. I’ve seen the list. It’s 25 years old. (3x5) Red: Your past three months have been what my life has been like for the past 25 years. I’m often exhausted. (3x11) Cooper: He disappeared 25 years ago. Could’ve had surgery. (3x11) Dom: I could’ve spent the last 30 years just being her grandfather - you selfish prick. (3x20) Kirk: I’ve been imagining this moment for the last 25 years. (3x23) Red: I know what it’s like to be hunted. I’ve protected myself for 30 years. (4x1) Red: I’ve been disappearing for over 25 years. I don’t need your help to disappear. (4x7) Tom: From 30 years ago. Clearly, it was flawed. (Kirk's DNA test, 4x7) Cooper: But she’s been missing for 25 years. (Kate, 4x16) Liz: He stole it from me 25 years ago. That’s why we needed you to get it back. (Fire memory, 4x19) Red: Understand this was 25 years ago now. I was younger, myself. Intent on building an empire, intent on becoming the powerful criminal the world had been told I already was. (4x19) Red: Nikolaus has been on my payroll since I introduced him to you 25 years ago. (4x19) Liz: From 25 years ago? No. But then, you wouldn’t be very good at your job if I did. (4x19) Red: I’ve spent 30 years building an intelligence network of spies, informants, patriots, traitors. (4x20) Liz: Kaplan spent 30 years tending to his messes while Reddington built his criminal empire, and it took her five months to surgically dismantle it. (4x21) Kate: I’ve been his cleaner, keeper, and confessor for 30 years, and I’m prepared to tell you everything you need to know in open court. (4x21) Dom: My own granddaughter three feet away after almost 30 years, I couldn’t say a damn thing to her. (5x13) Jennifer: Perhaps you’ve heard of him. His name’s Raymond Reddington. He’s been on the FBI’s Most Wanted List for 20 years. (5x18) Garvey: Everything you believed for the last 30 years has been a lie. You’ve spent a lifetime hiding for no reason. (5x19) Sutton Ross: For 30 years, I’ve wanted to be in the same room as Raymond Reddington, the bastard who tricked me into selling the Chinese a dodo bird when they were looking for an eagle. (5x22) Liz: Why he came into my life, why he took your life, why he spent the last 30 years pretending to be Raymond Reddington. I’m gonna figure all that out, and then I’m going to destroy him. (5x22) Liz: Raymond Reddington is a fraud. An imposter who took our father’s place over 30 years ago. (6x1) Liz: We haven’t seen him in over 30 years. He became a fugitive when we were kids. (6x1) Liz: Raymond Reddington. Not the real one, the reinvented one. The one who’s been Raymond Reddington for 30 years, longer than anyone else. (6x2) Aram: 30 years on the run, and a beat cop picks him up at a pretzel cart. (6x2) Sima: You’re aware that, for almost 30 years, he’s maintained a vast criminal empire - (6x3) Red: Getting caught after 30 years? The odds were, I’d be caught after three. (6x4) Red: Officer Baldwin, I’ve been evading the police and law enforcement for almost 30 years. (6x5)

[inwintersolitude]

- January 4th 2019 -

Do you use a photo editor? Sometimes.  PhotoLine or Preview, depending on what I’m doing to the photo.

Is your dad overweight? No, he’s slender and rather fit.

Ever been honked at? Yes.

Which do you prefer, doctor or dentist? Depends on my reason for going.

Name two things you put whipped cream on? Pumpkin pie, and strawberry shortcake.

Favorite thing you’ve ever painted? My old bedroom in my childhood home.  I painted the walls a moss green color when I was around 15-16.  It made the room feel so cozy and relaxing.

What’s your favorite type of sushi? Spicy avocado and crab inari, avocado roll, or Philadelphia roll.  Mmmmm sushi sounds so good right now.  :-P

Have you ever had an ulcer? Yes, on my right cornea.  It was really painful.

Do you have an imaginary best friend (i.e., someone you wish was your best friend but currently isn’t)? No.

What’s the name of the most recent baby a friend has had? My friend Dave and his wife actually just had their second child about two weeks ago.  They named her Madison.

Have you ever taken medication to help you fall asleep faster? Not prescription meds, but I have taken valerian root capsules and melatonin.  Both gave me nightmares.

How did your parents pick your name? They just liked the name.

Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? Yes.

What is your current favorite song? I don’t have a favorite.

If you had to move to another country, where would you move? England or Canada.

Do you have a balcony? No.

Are you jealous of anyone, even mildly? If so, who? I guess the only thing I ever get jealous about is other people who are in 100% perfect health.  It’s something no one should take for granted.

Have you ever done a craft you saw in a magazine? Yes, when I was a kid.  It was a beaded star ornament that I made when I was around 10 years old.  It’s now hanging from my truck’s rear view mirror, and it has been hung from the rear view mirror of every car I had previously.

Have you ever made a recipe you found in a magazine? Probably. 

What color is your teddy bear? I don’t have one.

Who is a singer that has given you chills? I’m not sure.

Do you watch America’s Got Talent? No.

Do you think you could win America’s Got Talent? Definitely not.

What act would you perform in a talent show? I wouldn’t enter a talent show.  None of my talents are of the performing arts variety.

What area are you the most gifted in, do you think? Mathematics, flying (back when I was an active pilot), or maybe cooking.

Do you eat dessert every day? No.

What was the name of your first imaginary friend? I’ve never had an imaginary friend.

What is your state’s bird (if you live in the US)? I think it’s a cardinal.

Which style of wedding dress is your favorite? I wore a strapless A-line gown for my wedding, but I’m not really into dresses at all.  I just chose it because I disliked just about all of the other styles.

Do you wish on stars? No.

Do you enjoy editing videos? I never edit videos.  I don’t think I’ve edited a video since computer science class in high school.

Do you enjoy editing photos? Sometimes.

Do you cry out to God in desperation frequently? I don’t believe in a god.

What is your birth order in the family? I’m the eldest of two.  I have a younger brother.

If you gave birth, do you think you would want it filmed? I never want children, so thankfully I’ll never go through the ordeal of childbirth, but I don’t really understand why someone would want that filmed.

Do you think it’s better to talk to a counselor or talk to a friend? It depends on what you want to talk about.

What would your dream job be? I don’t even know anymore.  I’m torn between getting back into aviation (just not as a pilot or airport operations technician this time), or going into web development, or maybe accounting.  I feel more and more lost the older I get, in regards to career stuff.

Who’s the last person you talked to about sex? My husband.

Who was the last person to be on a bed with you? My husband.

Are your parents divorced? No.

How many people in your life have you kissed? One.

Who do you think is the most attractive actor? My husband kind of looks like Chris Hemsworth, so I guess I’ll say him.

Have any of your friends ever overdosed? No.  None of my friends use drugs of any sort.  They’re all airline pilots or federal government employees, and subject to random drug testing for their jobs... and none of the are the type to be into drugs, anyways.

What’s the exact location of your house/car keys right now? They’re hanging up on one of the hooks in the foyer.

Who was the newest addition to your family? Our birds, Apollo and Luna.

Do you like Muse? I like some of their songs. 

Have you ever been caught doing something REAL embarrassing by your parents? No.

Do you have any birth marks? In embarrassing places? No.

Do you believe in reincarnation? No.

Do you have any of your neighbors as friends on Facebook? No.  I don’t know any of them that well.  I’m Facebook friends with a lot of my old neighbors from my childhood, though.  I grew up in a close-knit town and they’re kind of like family.

When was the last time you thought about sex, or sexual things? Right now because of this question.  But prior to now?  Last night, I think.

If you married the last person that liked your Facebook status, what would your new last name be? I haven’t posted a status in about 6-7 years, so I don’t know who that would have been.  Plus I’m already married.

Does the sight of blood make you squeamish? No.  As long as it’s just blood, and not guts. What was the very first social media site you signed up for? Xanga. Can you see yourself marrying your current partner? I married him back in 2012. If you were in a coma, who would be making healthcare decisions for you? My husband. Do you have commitment issues? No.

Are there any flowers planted outside your house? Not now, since it’s the middle of winter.  And I’m 99.9% certain I’ve seen these last few questions on another survey I took recently....

Are you cool with swimming in a lake? Yes, as long as it’s clean and not full of algae.

Do you have a drone? No.

[mileystephany-blog]

Can I Get My Prescription Drugs In Kuwait?

Excessive amounts of vitamin D in an animal’s bloodstream can increase calcium and phosphorus levels within 12 to 24 hours after initial exposure and persist for days and weeks. Taking extra doses will not make the medication work quicker And may increase the risk of side effects. That would make sense as it would happen the same way in many countries. Many insurance companies will not pay for an expensive drug that is used in a way that is not listed in the approved drug label. If the person were to do more exercise, above that taken on an average day, the slope of the weight loss line will become steeper since more calories are used up. The results demonstrate the need for users, and more importantly healthcare providers, to proceed with caution when relying on, or recommending the use of, these wrist-worn devices for weight management purposes. Some LAA serum doesn't require glycerine, but I would like to use as natural as possible. Our team of healthcare professionals wll be happy to serve the needs of patients requiring prescription medications online for the lowest possible price now and in the future. First of all, you have to keep in mind that in the United States of America pharmacies, a prescription will be required in order to buy HCG, since tests are still performed on this glycoprotein hormone. Prescription Justice Action Group is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to providing relief and protection for American patients. But the FDA could easily set up a legal Canadian-American drug trade where the FDA makes it legal for Americans to buy their drugs from a select group of Canadian pharmacies that buy all their products directly from the U.S. According to the FDA, the importation or re-importation of drugs into this country from a foreign source is against the law. The law only states that you cannot drive drunk but says nothing about working under the influence. 4 years ago from The reddest of the Red states! If you travel a lot there are plenty of iPhone applications that can help and you definitely need this travel iPhone app. Thanks for the Help. Well howdy doody to you great to see you, thanks for swinging by great to see you are a fan of this recipe! Free2writ3, Thanks for reading and thanks for the compliment. I have always loved to crochet but I have had trouble reading the patterns. While anticonvulsants act on neurogenic pain, muscle relaxants act on pain due to muscle spasm. All the same, considering the discomfort and pain it is important to find quick and effective relief to calm the problem. Around the world, drug counterfeiting is a huge problem. In a review conducted by The Peterson Group, a non-profit organization and one of the leading sources of information on the proliferation of counterfeit medicines, more than 30% of the total drug market is suspect of being counterfeit. Now it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the connection here: A secret government beyond the control of the people and accountable to no one. With RelayHealth, it generally only takes one secure email to resolve an issue to the satisfaction of both parties. Using simple hemorrhoid remedies at home can relieve the discomfort to a large extent. Bookmarked so I can refer back to it and voted up. As widely reported, it appeared to take police under two minutes to arrive at the scene, although the first car to arrive appeared to do so at the front of the movie theater. American demand for affordable prescriptions. 5. Canadian pharmacies are not subject to the FDA's jurisdiction, which means American customers aren't protected by the FDA's safety regulations. Increasing demand for topical analgesics, which are available as pain-relieving creams, lotions, rubs, gels, and sprays. Treatment guidelines are based on information from medical literature, including clinical trials, and recommend standard ways to treat certain diseases. But why must this be so when physical examination is not part of the standard of care in traditional outpatient psychiatry? This means that it will soothe your painful and embarrassing hemorrhoids. Hope you give it a go it is fabulous and so beneficial your skin will positively ooze with vitality! Many drugstores will flag their eligible items on the cash register receipt. EMR is simply about ticking off boxes and crossing out things in electronic forms. Here is the border crossing for vehicles. Traveling there is exciting and great fun. Assessing oxygen levels in newborns' blood before hospital discharge utilizing a noninvasive test, termed as pulse oximetry. A dose of 500 mg per day significantly reduces uric acid levels in most gout sufferers. View claims made and paid. It is often used for severe nausea and dizziness that is worse from standing up. The operating cost of the Lysol No-Touch has to be determined in comparison to the alternatives. In 2006, he says, his wife, who had stood by him for three years, filed for divorce. Clad in black, wearing body armor, carrying several weapons, online pharmacy he buys a ticket and walks in with everyone else? Her graduate students purchased the foods and analysed them under laboratory conditions. 500M, it shed light on the inner workings of how Google makes money. Dr. Strandquist, acting as an independent consultant to this investigator, transcribed the recordings and has contributed much to this report.

[leon-goretzka-blog1]

Catch 22 — Denied Pain Relief And No Way Out

Note: For all of the places listed, at least some of the locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 4. Your purchase is fully protected for 60 days by both Clickbank and Dr. Gary M Levin M.D. You may need to purchase a money order to send a secure form of payment. Trinidad and Tobago is a democratic country with a parliamentary form of government. These titles are provided as a general indication of the material published on this country. The country no longer has a railway system. If, for many reason, you feel no longer entitled to the Tramadol therapy that you will be looking for, any kind of guidance you obtain will be free of cost from several online pharmacies. Its them or us and it will definitely be them ! For example, I will explore modernized ways for people to contribute to maintaining our parks. But there are some people who make fun of him. I get mail from Type 1s who have to choose between insulin or being homeless. Finally, canadian pharcharmy online short-term contracts usually have the same definition of disability for all classes of employees. Thought they were geckos/lizards and have been trying it with eucalyptus oil in soda bicarbonate in a jar. I have mint planted and also two (old) cats and one dog but this doesn’t seem to bother these rodents…I don’t want to use toxic stuff, any ideas? A final advantage is that it may be more economical for an employer to use insurance rather than other alternatives. Invest in deployment of mobile health care clinics in rural and distressed urban areas by partnering with towns, counties, providers, and insurance companies. In addition to the site visit, the plan sponsor may wish to consider contacting current customers of the bidding companies to assess references. ] Pharmacies offering medication without requiring a prescription and doctor review or supervision are sometimes fraudulent and may supply counterfeit—and ineffective and possibly dangerous—medicines. A larger or more severe second degree burn that is treated with prescription creams or antibiotics, or results in restricted work, job transfer, or days away from work is recordable. The relatively low degree of dissatisfaction, however, is higher for plans with the greatest degree of managed care. The Republicans will tell you they are going to do something about health care. If we do this, we can meet our capital construction needs and broaden BEST’s mission to include coordinating with local school districts to build affordable housing that will be available to educators in high-need areas. At the moment, Google has not provided any information about when this update will move beyond its initial testing to be available for everyone, or when it will be mandatory that ads adopt this new format. US waterways are now containing drugs that include diabetic drugs. It might hurt them, regardless of whether their side effects are equivalent to yours. “What it does is it reverses those effects of the opioid. Oh James I’m so sad you are living in these conditions. I bought peppermint teabags to drop additional peppermint oil on to repel them out of there, but they are still present. It's still sitting in its original envelope in the drawer of my desk. Fake prize or contest winnings are often communicated via a phone call or automated voice message. My insulin dose kept rising all these past months which suggests antibodies are a factor. Click here to see a sample list from one of our many suppliers. In fact, eleven states and the District of Columbia already offer full-day kindergarten to their children, and it’s time for our state to be added to this list. I like to keep our spending in check anyway, and it’s not hard to scan and email bills. The employer's main administrative function is to process the payroll deductions associated with a plan. The holy grail for the process of home-based telepsychiatry would be the wide-based acceptance of the prescribing of medicines without an in-person evaluation. What is CBD Oil? Stage 2 expands this to "view and download" within 24 hours. The law is on your side and your landlord is about to get a severe lesson in Property Management. So, without further ado, let’s get started! In the UK online pharmacies often link up with online clinic doctors. Williams, Eric. History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a phony war directed to the wrong causes and punishing the wrong people. Planned activities for over 30 minutes for up to 5 days a week can be swimming, walking briskly, jogging, bicycling or using machines for aerobic conditioning. A EMP-proof bugout vehicle with a diesel engine can run on a myriad of alternative fuels. Searches can be done only one state at a time. Telegram operators of the time reported the papers on their office desks suddenly burst into flames when shocking bolts of electricity flowed through the communications lines. Tramadol was previously authorized for promoting as a noncontrolled analgetic in the trade name of Ultram. The idea of parents saying goodbye to their kids in the morning only to never see them again is too horrific to put into words.

[teacherjoy]

What to pack for Jeju Island?

Packing is one of the most stressful, yet therapeutic tasks on the to-do list. I probably packed my bags a hundred times. Yes, I’m indecisive and obviously, I’m Type A, so let’s see how much I overpacked!

WHAT I ACTUALLY PACKED FOR JEJU ISLAND

CARRY-ON (25 lb max) Electronics: headphones, power bank, pc/laptop, and chargers Hygiene: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and deodorant Medication and mosquito repellent Gifts for all your principals and co-teachers

PURSE My Phone, Camera, Money, Passport, Visa Docs, and Boarding Pass

CHECK-IN #1 (50 lb max) SCHOOL OUTFITS: 5 days worth of business casual outfits and 1 blazer WINTER WEAR: A parka, coat, thermal, scarf, gloves, beanie, and leggings CASUAL WEAR: yoga pants, 2 jeans, and 2 pairs of jean shorts, a couple t-shirts and undergarments

CHECK-IN #2 (50 lb max) SHOES: 2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes and a pair of sneakers TOILETRIES: full body towel, shampoo, conditioner BEDDING: mosquito net ELECTRONICS: power strip, adapter & converter OTHER: personal documents, photos, stickers and candies for my students

MY ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEW EPIK TEACHER ON JEJU ISLAND

Don’t do what I did. Don’t pack 2 check-in luggages. It will make transferring impossible. Clothes take up so much space. Don’t bring so many. You can buy so many more fashionable outfits in Korea. What you really need are the following things below.

ELECTRONIC RECOMMENDATIONS

8+ GB USB (for lesson plans & teaching aides)

an external hard drive (personal documents and photos)

power bank (a must for travelers)

laptop (make sure it is NOT MAC as they are not compatible with most EPIK Korean CD-ROMs or online CD formats)

adapters & a converter (standard power outlets run 220V in Korea, if you are from the US or Canada the standard is 120V, so you’ll need to check if your electronics are dual voltage by doing a quick google search)

pocket flashlight (blackouts/emergencies)

MEDICINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

mosquito net (this is a hard find in Korea; better to buy one on Amazon of at an REI before you leave your home country–you may need it your first night if you’re arriving between May-Nov)

rubbing alcohol (help reduces mosquito bites immediately–worked better for me than any cream or ointment)

mosquito repellent (I would invest in some citrus candle repellents before you arrive in Korea. Also, the Korean supermarket “Lotte Mart” carries repellent that you can plug into an outlet. These are by far the most effective!)

any medicine you are already taking (medicine in Korea is often considered much weaker than the medicine in the USA, so if you’re life depends on it, bring your prescriptions and year supply of medicine)

Inhaler (if you are asthmatic, the humidity may irritate your lungs, so pack your inhaler if you have one; you can also get an inhaler for very cheap at a doctors visit, as health care in Korea is extremely inexpensive)

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

workout clothes (good fitness apparel is expensive in Korea)

full body towel (bring a fluffy full body towel because even if you’re lucky enough to find one in Korea, you’ll be paying a ridiculous amount for it)

rain boots (unless you live in Seoul, it might be a little difficult to find a decent pair of fashionable rain boots. The large shopping markets don’t carry them on Jeju. Also, if you are a size 7 or larger in women’s shoes (USA), don’t expect to buy shoes in Korea as most Korean women have smaller shoe sizes.

photos of the people you’ll miss (this is self-explanatory)

gifts (bring something native to your hometown that you can share with your coteachers, principal, vice principal, better yet, the whole staff. I’m not kidding– this is important for a good first impression at your schools) *I’ll do another post with good and bad gift ideas for making a good impression.

Aside from a purse, I highly recommend only packing ONE CHECK-IN and ONE CARRY-ON. It will make your life so much easier. If you have a transfer flight, chances are you will have to transfer your baggage yourself. I had to do this and it was ridiculously difficult. I will never do this again. Trust me, you can pack all the things I listed above in 1 suitcase. The key here is to use luggage space savers! You can compress your clothes into about half the original size.

[canaryatlaw]

alright. it’s 9 pm here. I’m obviously trying to get to bed early since I have to wake up at 5:30 am and go take the fucking bar exam. Predictably, I’m a ball of nerves right now. But I’ll be fine, I always am. I’m good at tests, it’s easy for me to recall information, and though essays always give me anxiety initially once I get there and start writing them I actually like them, and tomorrow is all essays. 10 of them total. 1 where they give you a whole packet including law in the jurisdiction and write your analysis totally from that, which will probably be the best one for me. Then there are 3 Illinois specific essays and 6 multistate essays. it’s a lot. but anyway, today. I did get up when my alarm went off at 10 because I didn’t want to sleep in too long and not be able to fall asleep tonight. I had decided I would skip showering this morning and shower tonight so I wouldn’t have to shower tomorrow morning, but upon waking up I found I really wanted to shower, so I did, and now it’s night and I really want to shower again lol but I won’t and I’ll do it after I get back tomorrow. So, woke up, showered, made oatmeal which only resulted in one kitchen disaster (I was trying to get the brown sugar to go into the pot a little at a time but then it shifted and all of my brown sugar was now liquified in my pot, so that was fun) and was looking on my computer for stuff when I saw an email from the health insurance company that does our prescriptions, upon which I remembered oh fuck, I need to call my doctors office like today and get this figured out. Basically, I was at the doctor like two weeks ago, and they gave me the prescriptions, which I mailed onto the health insurance company I referenced above, but they haven’t sent me the meds yet, and I’m running out of one of them, and I was set to run out Wednesday afternoon, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about that until like, Wednesday evening, so I needed to call my doctor’s office and ask them to call in an emergency supply for like two days, and like, I love my psychiatrist so much he’s great and I wouldn’t trade him for the world, but god I have his receptionist staff so much. Whenever I call for anything it turns into such a production, at least this time they didn’t tell me he can’t call in prescriptions to Illinois like he does every time I call, but they had me call the insurance company to find out when the meds would get to me so they could then give me enough of the meds, and the insurance company people said it’s set to come on Wednesday in the mail but like if that didn’t happen I would’ve been screwed so they called in like 2 days emergency supply of it but I don’t actually take it at the dosage he prescribes so I have more than 2 days worth lol but I don’t expect to need to use them, I’m just glad I’m covered. but yeah, I did other things around the house and started getting ready for a bit, then took an uber to target that was somehow like $2 because of some promotion they were running, and grabbed the prescription plus some candy because I needed candy to bring with me here. I have pretzels and potato chips, various candies, granola bars, and these microwave muffin things that has the dry mix in a little cup and you add water and microwave it and it’s like this awesome chocolate muffin, which are super good except you have to be really careful to get all of the mix wet or at the bottom it gets grainy and really gross but otherwise it’s good lol. I also have some of the Starbucks via refresher packs that I’m gonna add to a water bottle tonight and stick it in the fridge so it’ll be good to go in the morning because that’s my method of getting caffeine, which will obviously be much needed. I ubered back from target but it took forever to get to me which was obnoxious, but oh well. I continued getting ready and eventually didn’t have much else to do, so I just kinda hung out for a bit. The school bar people told us not to study today because we wouldn’t remember anything anyway, but like, I know that’s not true for me lol so I did a little. The hotel didn’t have check in till 4 so I was basically just killing time at this point. When we eventually got there I got yet another uber, but I put it on pool and nobody ended up joining so I only paid $10 for the same ride I would’ve had to pay $24 for (#winning). The hotel is kinda small, but it’s nice, the bigger hotel that’s actually at one of the test sites (not the one I got assigned to regardless) but all their rooms were booked because I had to book late since we didn’t know which bar I was taking for like, fucking ever. But yeah, I checked in, easy enough, came upstairs and settled in a bit, figured out how to get the wifi to work and turned on the tv then subsequently broke the tv and had to figure out how to make it work again. I ordered pizza from the same chain place I normally get it from except this was different and I didn’t really like it very much, idk what the difference was but it just wasn’t doing it for me, plus my tongue was being really obnoxiously sensitive so I really couldn’t eat anything other than like, the crust, so that was also irritating. But I sat here on my computer and looked over the mini-outline book (and by mini I mean some of them are like 70 pages). It’s funny to look over the secured transactions material, because at the end of the semester I already had the bar books and used them to study because they had a comprehensive summary of everything I needed to learn, I actually printed one and brought it with me to the test (which was open book, obviously) and it was very helpful and I somehow got an A- in that class that I had no idea what was going on in for a solid 5/6ths of the semester, and when I listened to that lecture yesterday I retained a good amount of it, so I was happy about that. But I went through the ancillary subject outlines that were generally more like 20 pages, so much more manageable, and made sure I had all my mnemonics down, including the one for the hearsay exceptions which is like, 20 letters long lol. I then did go over the Illinois distinction section for the main subjects, because if I get an essay on one of those in the Illinois part I obviously have to answer under Illinois law. I watched the office on comedy central while doing all of this because I couldn’t find the channel guide and the office is always a solid choice. It’s funny to see Ellie Kemper as Erin because she looks so little there as compared to how she is on Kimmy Schmidt now. but those were very entertaining. So I got to the end of the outlines, turned off the tv, took my pills so there would be a little time for the more sleep causing ones to kick in, then started writing this, and now here we are. I have a lot of mixed feelings about everything going on tomorrow. I know I’m smart, that’s never been in question, I’m just worried I didn’t spend enough time preparing and I feel ill-equipped, because it’s just so much information....like you could get a question on the lesson from one day of class, for all of your classes, for three years. it’s a massive amount of information. I’ve also been acutely aware of just how alone I am. My brother never moved out, so he was with my parents every step of the way through this, but I chose to stay out here and do it myself because that’s always been who I am, the independent one who can’t wait to get out into the world. And I’m here, but it gets lonely some times, especially being that I’m super-extroverted so not being around people for this whole studying period was not doing well for me (one of many reasons I was all to eager to get ice cream whenever Jess wanted to). Even now, it’s just me here. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a hotel room completely by myself before, except for that awful night when I got stranded overnight in Philadelphia and had to go to that awful creepy hotel where I didn’t sleep a wink, just stayed up reading, because I did not feel safe at all (and I was only 19) but obviously this is a very different situation. And I mean, I am more or less a proper adult now, I’m 26, which feels like ages older than 25, because now I’m in my late 20s, and I don’t know how I feel about all of that. I mean, these are all choices I made, and they’re not ones I regret, not at this point at least. It would’ve been nice to have someone here with me, but I made the decision to leave those people in New York and come out here and do it myself, and I am doing it. I want my legal career to be about the things I did, the prestige I brought to my name, not following in the shadows of my dad and brother, I want that name to be known for me and what I’ve done, what I will do. And I know I can do it. Got all the way through law school, this is just one more hurdle I gotta jump over before I can actually be a full blown lawyer. I don’t know if my parents are gonna come for the swearing in, it hasn’t come up yet, I mean it would be nice to have them there just because I would feel very, very lonely if I was all by myself surrounded by people who had their families there with them.....because they didn’t move halfway across the country from their families. Sigh, I know I’m rambling at this point. Just a lot on my mind. But tomorrow I’m going to wake up confident and ready to crush this test, because I know I can do it, I KNOW I can, and I will, and I’m going to be a total kickass lawyer who is instrumental in instituting reforms in the child welfare system that will increase adoptions, decrease foster kids getting bounced between homes, better prevent kids from being brought into foster care when it is preventable by providing parents with the right resources, better support to keep foster teens in high school and bridge them into college (the college rate for foster care kids is something dismal like 2%, not even exaggerating), decrease the number of children in residential facilities who do not really need to be there, increase the number of foster homes nationwide, provide resources for the teenage mothers in the system so they don’t end up having their child taken from them and continue perpetuating the cycle, and so many more, I could go on all day about all the things I’m going to change. And I’m going to do it. I know I can, so I will. 

Just you wait. 

Goodnight babes. If you want to send prayers/good vibes/whatever my way for tomorrow, it’d be much appreciated. Thank you. ❤️

[msl4233]

A neurodivergent guide to traveling to Japan

Idk how many people will benefit from this, and I guess some of my tips will help neurotypicals as well, but its 1 am and I camt sleep so here we go. (In no particular order)

Don’t take the hotel soaps with you. In America, this is perfectly fine. They have to throw them away after each person. But in Japan (at least in the hotels I’ve stayed in), they reuse the shampoos and such. You might notice that its a normal size bottle, and has some missing. That’s because they sanitize the outside of the container and leave it for the next guest until it gets used up. There are a few things like toothbrushes, hair ties, and small packages of shaving cream that are more one use that you can take with you, especially if you’ve opened them. Those they have to throw away.

Japanese thermostats are in Celcius, so if you’re American like me they can be tricky to figure out what temperature it is inside. Google can be very helpful here and has an online converter. Some thermostats have a button to change from Celcius to Fahrenheit as well.

To board the airplane early (if you have an invisible disability and have problems with boarding like me), line up with the wheelchairs and people with small children. In America you can explain in more detail and the Tsa will ptobably ask, but in Japan (and Taiwan for that matter, I had a layover flight there), just say “Special needs” and they let you go right ahead.

Speaking of tsa, their website has a customizeable card you can print out and show at security that tells them what your disability is so they can help you get through security smoothly. Mine says I’m autistic, and my dad has one that says he has an artificial hip replacement.

Weighted blankets have to go through additional screening if they are carried in your carryon. For me this meant that it was removed from my bag and the tsa worker felt each of the pockets to make sure there’s nothing hiding in them. The worker was very respectful and did it in front of me, explaining what he was doing as he went along. He let me fold it and put it back in my bag. I’m not sure how Japan does this, since I transferred it to my checked bag after the overnight flight. Ill update when I go home and go through security again.

If you take prescription medication, check a few months in advance if youre allowed to bring it into the country. Some medications are required to be sent to Japan two months in advance for screening (like prescription painkillers). I take Zoloft and it was not required to go through this process, or be declared at customs. Just make sure you keep it on your body during the entire airplane process. Don’t ever put your meds in your checked bag, in case it gets lost.

Google translate app is you best friend. You can take a picture of anything and it will translate it for you, and if you’re having trouble communicating then you can talk or type into the app and it will translate to Japanese and vice versa. Its very fast and easy, and I used it at the angelic pretty store to ask where the changing room was. The employee spoke into the app and it translated for me, so the language barrier was nearly invisible.

Hotel water is mostly drinkable. Sometimes there is a sign, if theres only one sink. But if there is multiple sinks drink from the one that has the tea making supplies next to it. Thats the kitchen sink and potable.

Walk on the left side of the sidewalk and staircases. In Japan they drive on the left side of the road, and walk on the left side of the path as well.

Dont jaywalk. Ever. Only cross the street at marked crosswalks or pedestrian bridges.

If you’re having trouble finding your way, ask a bus driver. They know the city very well and speak English relatively fluently. Don’t stop random people to ask for directions, that’s weird and rude and they might not speak English.

If you have personal space issues, I would recommend getting a taxi or uber as opposed to riding train and busses. Depending on where youre going and the time of day, the latter can be packed like sardines. Taxi/uber are more expensive, but if this is a serious problem for you then definately make room in your budget for this.

Speaking of crowds, if you’re overwhelmed and need to get out of a crowd quickly shout “sumimasen” repeatedly while walking to your destination (I recommend a bathroom). That word means excuse me, and people will understand that you need to get somewhere quickly.

All Japanese coins are marked with the value except for the little bronze one with a hole in the center. Its worth 5 yen.

If you use a mobility aid, you might feel daunted by the amount of stairs everywhere. However, for every staircase there is an elevator, and sometimes an escalator as well. They are typically marked on the walls, but if you can’t find one ask someone who works at the place you’re at. Some crosswalks are the kind that go up and over traffic, but there is a traffic guard underneath who will stop cars and help you cross. I havent tried this for myself, but for my dad who had his hip replaced and has problems on stairs still.

When in doubt, find and information desk.

7-11 has the best atm machines. This might feel really weird, but 7-11 in Japan is much better then America. Its more like a tiny Wal-Mart.

Spaghetti in Japan doesn’t take like spaghetti. It tastes more like offbrand kraft macaroni and cheese with a slight hint of tomato. Its good, but not what spaghetti is expected to taste like.

French fries are often lightly or unsalted. You might want to ask for salt.

The trains are color coded. If you can’t find your line check on a map in the station what color it is and then follow that color.

If there is a raised step in a room, take off your shoes before going through. Slippers are often provided as well so you’re not barefoot or in your socks.

If you go to a cat cafe and talk about your own cat, you might be asked to show pictures to the staff.

Lots of shops have a ban on taking pictures. If you are unsure, ask an employee. “Camera ok?” Is understood and they will answer yes or no. If you can’t find anyone to ask, just don’t take the picture. Its not worth the risk of getting thrown out.

English swear words are common. So is sexual themes. I passed a condom vending machine walking down a main street. If this bothers you, try to ignore it. Honestly theres no avoiding it.

Most plaves have free wifi, but.renting a pocket Wi-Fi is cheap and then you always have a secure connection.

If you’re having trouble ordering food, a lot of places have the menu on the counter with pictures. Point at what you want. This isn’t rude like it would be in America.

Lots of restaurants have fake food in cases outside. I can nearly guarantee you that what you will be served looks exactly like the representation. I’m surprised every time, having grown up with the American standard of “it looks like its been sat on and ran through a washing machine”.

If a store has multiple levels, a good rule of thumb is to pay at each level.

Most stores have a sign that says “Japan tax free”. To get this, you have to show your passport when you check out. Keep your receipt because tsa might ask for it.

A lot of stores only allow tax free on purchases over 5400 yen, or about $54.

Japan tax is 8%

Wall outlets dont have the classic pig nose input. They only have the two vertical lines. Make sure your charger will work with them, or bring an adaptor.

A lot of places have usb chargers built into the wall next to the outlet.

When paying for something, put the money in the little tray on the counter. Never hand it directly to the employee. They might put you change in the same tray or hand it back to you on your receipt, it varies by shop.

100 yen is about equal to $1. It fluctuates but this is a good rule of thumb.

Dont litter. Its a huge fine and possible jail time. Hold on to your trash until you find a trash can. Most convenience stores and vending machines have one.

Thats all I can think of at the moment, feel free to send asks If you have questions. This is by no means a complete guide, just the ramblings of a very sleepy tourist.