#linz rambles

[linzerj]

Just getting this idea out there so that maybe I'll actually finish writing it one day, but -

I've been on a Legend of Zelda kick recently. Currently replaying BOTW. Never played AOC but I've watched gameplay and all the cutscenes so I know what happens. Planning to play that and TOTK again soon. But I've got this idea cooking in my head.

Theres a post that talks about "what if you could find the Divine Beasts in the Depths", and another funny post that was just "what if Teba was the sage of Wind and not Tulin?" And I remembered when BOTW had just come out, and then AOC after, and people were speculating about the characters, like Teba, being the New Champions and getting to bond to the Divine Beasts.

That didn't happen in canon, but. Hear me out. What if even just one of the Divine Beasts bonded with a New Champion... like say, the one who doesn't become a Sage?

Teba, Sidon, Riju, and Yunobo return from their adventure in the past/alternate timeline/whatever, having saved those Champions and that Hyrule from destruction. Their own timeline is still the same, but they continue on as they do in canon.

Except they all meet up shortly after returning home, and one of them (Sidon or Riju maybe) asks "hey did anyone else try going to the Divine Beasts only to get rejected" and while the rest are like "yup wonder what that's about, sad" Teba is like "no wtf are you all talking about I was settling back in with my wife and kid."

But something about it sticks with Teba. He goes home, looks up at Vah Medoh, and thinks, 'it probably won't work but I may as well try just to confirm.'

...Vah Medoh accepts him as its new pilot.

I'm unsure as to whether or not Revali's spirit will still be there for a quick hello - but if he is, he'd be like "whomst?!" And Teba would be like "if you were still alive I'd definitely adopt you because thanks to some time travel shenanigans i know that you desperately needed a parental figure in your life".

Mostly everything else proceeds as is canon up to the start of TOTK - except for the other Divine Beasts continuing to chill at their resting places, because upon hearing about Teba successfully bonding with Medoh, the others want to keep trying.

But, for whatever reason, Hylia decided that you cannot be both a Sage and a Divine Beast pilot, so the Beasts acknowledge them but never quite accept them as their pilots.

Then, TOTK. Then the chasms. Then, the other 3 Divine Beasts taking a plunge into the Depths.

Teba freaks out a little bit, but Medoh is circling Rito Village and is fine, except now there's these random floating islands but also a fuckass blizzard that's making it almost impossible to keep everyone fed, and Teba's just been saddled with Elder status so he's super in charge and Tulin is in a bit of a "I can do anything let me prove it let's go" phase and is trying to convince Teba to use Vah Medoh to fly up and stop the blizzard, but Teba is way too busy trying to keep the village from falling apart to go right now -

Then Link shows up, and Tulin runs off, and Link follows him, and the two go up and find the Stormwind Ark and fight Colgera and as the magical blizzard finally ends, Teba is just like "what the fuck".

Tulin tells him he's become a Sage, and isn't that cool dad?! And Teba is like "you're 12 and you're going to help fight a demon king?!?! Wtf?!"

But then at some point, Tulin (who knows the other Sages from that time he was in AOC, and meeting them a few times with his dad after) one day looks up from his breakfast and says "oh hey Sidon just became the Sage of Water! I saw it through my connection with Link!" And that's when it clicks into place for Teba why the Beasts never quite accepted the other "New Champions" - because they were destined for something else.

But Vah Medoh is still here. And it's pissed that it's fellow Beasts are gone and it also wants to blast Ganondorf in the face.

Unfortunately, Teba can't let it blast the castle when Link and co go to confront the Zelda illusion, because Tulin is there, Link is there, Sidon and Riju and Yunobo are there, and it's not the real demon king yet anyway.

Teba is grumpy about it, about letting Tulin go off and risk his life when he's a child and Teba is an adult, but then a huge dark dragon explodes out from the chasm below the castle and Vah Medoh is all too happy to fire upon it, knowing it's Ganondorf and wanting some sweet revenge of its own.

Teba's just surprised he can see the dark dragon, it's huge but he'd heard tales of only the young, or those chosen by thr goddesses, could see dragons. Maybe it's because of Vah Medoh that he can see this one, and the little light dragon that comes in and - hey is that Link?!

Maybe it ends with Teba going down to the Depths with Link to visit the other Divine Beasts, and suggesting that the locations stay known so that future generations may try to awaken them. They don't really need the Beasts anymore since both Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf have been defeated, but Medoh doesn't want to turn off and is happy just chilling at Rito Village with Teba. The end.

I have like 2.5k of this already written, I just wanted to use this post to write more of the ideas for the fic structure before I go to bed lol. And this idea probably doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense canon-wise, but it doesn't need to because the only reason this exists is because i love Teba and wish he'd gotten more screntime (or at least some spoken dialogue in the cutscenes!) in TOTK.

[lesbiangracehanson]

going to return a parcel to the post office, get some nice coffee + settle down to an afternoon of watching more SNW

[darkestimmortal]

*blows dust off the microphone* Testing, testing. Is this thing on? Yo. Your local Internet hermit here. Wanted to run something by the theydies and gentlethey of the hellsite. Wibbly wobbly, gender wender rambles under the cut.

I’m one of the many who ended up having a crisis of gender during the pandemic. The dysphoria has been especially kicking my ass this year, and I’ve been desperately trying to chase any scrap of euphoria I can get my hands on. And for the first time, I think I’ve caught a glimmer of…something.

While I’ve never hated my birth name, I’ve been vibing pretty hard with the name Linnox. I wasn’t in the market for a name change. But now this name has burrowed itself in my brain and I can’t get it out. What should I do with this? Try out the new name? Hoard it for future purposes? Does it even matter when I pretty much exclusively go by Linz irl anyways? I usually jump whenever I’m full named, probably due to familial trauma. I hear Lindsay and I want to duck and cover. But I’m so used to being Lindsay. It’s complicated. God being a baby enby is so complicated sometimes. I’m 33, I’m too old for this shit.

Separately but related, for the maybe 10 or so mutuals/followers who actually pay attention to my rambles…the gender thing is making me contemplate changing my url. Which is unheard of for me. I’m ride or die for this url. Except the “lady” doesn’t fit as well as it used to. And with how bad the dysphoric depression has gotten lately, I’m sick of being miserable. Maybe I should change it, to better my headspace. To show progress and change. Or maybe this is all stupid and I’m getting in my head for nothing. I dunno.

[stahl-tier]

(not really a) callout post

since yesterday I’ve been curious about what the dynamics here in Austria even are between our established national state railways (the ÖBB) and its sole tiny “competitor” company, the privately owned WESTbahn.

at first it was honestly funny to learn about how the WESTbahn essentially seems to exist only because the European Union eventually noticed that the ÖBB pretty much has a monopoly going on in terms of all rail services in this country, and that is Not Allowed. however essentially the ÖBB continues to at least act like it’s the only rail company here while also having a weird apparent obsession with incessantly bullying the WESTbahn at the same time.

lots of findings and rambling under the cut:

in no word is the WESTbahn mentioned or acknowledged anywhere where the ÖBB has a say. so while the ÖBB is still feverishly tooting its own horn about how they’re the greatest and best railway service in the whole country (even if until about 2008 there literally was no others and now there’s.... one)....

a little comparison to help you imagine just how one-sided this “rivalry” is: ÖBB has 42000+ employees, owns more than 1000 engines, all sorts of other rail vehicles, and the entire rail network. WESTbahn has around 200 employees (no I didn’t forget any zeroes there), owns 15 trains that drive back and forth on one stretch of track.

there’s.... a lot going on between these two. I’ve been piecing together information from various webpages and whatever newspaper articles that are accessible and I had to fill in a lot of gaps with speculation and interpretation but. it’s like someone in charge at ÖBB, upon being informed that they would now be required to share the railroad space with someone else, ordered a scorched earth doctrine.....

some examples of this theory:

the Westbahnhof (West Station in Vienna, one of the city’s main stations) has existed since the times when he had emperors around here. after being bombed to pieces in WW2 it was rebuilt and people were fond of it. around ca. 2010 the ÖBB tore it down again and rebuilt it while surrounding it with what was generally regarded as ugly and overbearing modern facilities like hotels, shops, and god knows what. they seemed to make a point of emphasizing in strangely sardonic tones that this was the first time “private funds” were used to finance a public train station project. that was coincidentally around the time where they essentially handed over the entire station to the WESTbahn.

on the WESTbahn’s website you can, strangely, find the TOS about and information how to book their trainwash machine. to my understanding, this oversized open-air carwash was left behind at the West Station by the ÖBB. the WESTbahn, in this TOS document, points out with as much bitterness as plain text can convey, that the wash machine is ancient equipment that is most likely going to malfunction and they’re not responsible for any damage it causes to your trains. the roof wash brush is specifically stated to be out of service, too, but it has been since at least 2016 and they seem to have no intentions of fixing it. rain or wind or cold will prevent operation of the machine because it is after all, open-air. the entire offer is pretty weird considering that it’s worded as if anyone but the WESTbahn themselves would use this.

the ÖBB, by the way, is renting out the one (1) stretch of track the WESTbahn has been allowed to use for their trains. the WESTbahn has to pay 3€ per train per kilometer to the ÖBB sub-company “Infra” when using this track. since the ÖBB sub-company ÖBB “Personenverkehr” has to do the same though (paying their sister-company rent), they claim this is fair and just.

as the ÖBB announced at the end of 2010 that they would abandon their Linz-Graz line, the WESTbahn released a tentative statement in early 2011 that they would like to fill that niche... but the ÖBB suddenly changed their mind after this, stated that they’d keep the line, and the WESTbahn said “OK NEVERMIND!” and dropped the idea.

perhaps in a few years, all the road signs pointing to train stations and featuring the ÖBB’s logo will be replaced with a more neutral sign. until then, I suppose the local authorities will be asked to keep putting stickers on the signs to cover up the logo.

small acts of resistance: the WESTbahn strikes back and offers cheaper tickets to holders of the ÖBB bonus card. the WESTbahn are also offering a 10,000€ reward to any certified train driver they hire - considering that they’re not allowed (or can’t afford?) training their own drivers, the only way to become a certified train driver currently seems to be getting hired by the ÖBB and using their education offer. I guess that means that the only way for the WESTbahn to acquire train drivers really is to entice them away like this.

well now that you have heard about all of these microaggressions, I’d like to add for those unaware that the WESTbahn has been making it their “thing” that they are friendly and accommodating and I feel like the design of their trains reflects this:

round. bright. inoffensive. friend-shaped. the train model’s name is literally KISS.

but this is the part where I just started to feel really sorry for this company that really gives the impression that ITSELF doesn’t really want to exist, either.

their Wikipedia article and some news reports mention that in the first two (?) years of their operation, they had at least two incidences where doors became loose on their trains during drives. that’s obviously not good. but do you know what caused these incidents BOTH times?

you probably guessed it, but let me tell you it’s... oh boy. at around the same time that the WESTbahn started operating, the ÖBB came up with a new train model they wanted to introduce. they called it Railjet and you can’t tell me you can gaze upon this thing and act like it wasn’t designed specifically to cull any KISS it comes across:

and boy, it sure fulfilled that directive.

as it is, the ÖBB probably wanted to prove that they still have the biggest ........(redacted)....... so these absolute units go 230 kph (about 143 mph). and on those two occasions where the WESTbahn’s trains had door “malfunctions”, it was literally caused by the blast wave of a Railjet passing them at full speed. it was reported that the KISS’s doors were straight up ripped out of their hinges. (the Railjet driver, signalling as he departs, probably: “this was your final warning. lmao bye nerd”)

the WESTbahn’s management for some reason didn’t mention the incidents to the ministry of transportation (I mean, it is pretty embarassing and I wouldn’t want to make it a big deal either if I was a struggling newly founded company trying to establish itself), but they found out about it anyway. and to avoid these happening in the future, the ÖBB had to promise that their trains would go a little slower on that particular track in the future.

and that’s it for this already entirely too long post I guess.

disclaimer: the ÖBB is totally rad we all love you but please chill............. also don’t take anything in this post at face value. all of this info was very poorly researched while I was trying to fall asleep. poor translation of german sources, poor memory of facts, comedic exaggeration of facts, etc. you know the drill.

but before I go, some bonus trivia: have you ever wondered what train drivers do when they need to pee? there’s no toilets inside those engines and they are often on the rail for hours without a break. our esteemed german colleagues at the union that represents the train drivers of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) have the answer: you open the door on the side and piss out of it, hopefully not falling out and dying. and hopefully you have streamlined your technique because you have about 30 seconds before the SiFA system notices you didn’t press the button, declares you dead, and forcefully initiates an emergency braking maneuver. and seeing as that could cause a delay, you’re gonna wish you were lying next to the rails about a kilometer away if this happens. (but we were reassured that the passengers won’t have to worry about keeping the windows shut since train drivers would never piss out while the train is going at full speed, only when it slows down at harsh bends or construction sites.)

[nancypullen]

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

We pulled into our driveway around midnight yesterday...day before? Teetering between the two, I guess.  Our flights home from Prague had been juggled courtesy of Delta and we ended up with an extra leg. Booooo!  We barely had enough time in JFK to go through passport control, customs, claim our bags and recheck them, and make a mad dash for our connecting flight.  It was not the leisurely stroll we usually take between flights with time for a snack and a look around.  Still, no complaints - we made it home safely, fell into our own bed, and the cats have accepted us back into the tribe.  All is well. Rather than bore everyone with the day-by-day travel diary that I usually do, I’ll just share some highlights and pictures. Honestly, we all know that I’ll try to keep this brief and it will still turn into a lengthy post that may well bore you to tears. If you bail now, I understand.

Where to start?  Prague.  Beautiful, ornate, steeped in interesting history, and amazingly intact after centuries that saw more than one major war. It’s truly a magical city.

It’s a city of castles and marionette shops...

... a city of swans...

and a city of some of the yummiest street food ever.

The mister opted for sweet treats, I always lean toward savory - and can’t say no to local sauerkraut.  That warm,soft cone of bread wrapped around sauerkraut, bacon, and a wiener is worth every calorie.  We tried to balance healthy meals with indulgent ones, and I think I did okay.  Mickey had a really hard time passing a menu that offered dumplings, and every menu offered dumplings.  Czech food is big on starches  (bread dumplings, potato dumplings, goulash in a bread bowl) and pork in every form.  I had good luck with fresh salads in most places, but the smell of sauerkraut will lure me in every time.

Wandering the cobblestone streets of Prague is pure enchantment. You can cross a bridge built in 1357 to reach 

a wall dedicated to John Lennon and messages of peace.

 There’s always someone singing.

And once again, I left my mark on the wall.

There’s music EVERYWHERE in Prague.  On street corners, on bridges, floating out of windows...it’s everywhere!

We went to a concert at the old St. Michael’s Monastery one evening and it was so beautiful.  More on that later. We rode trains from Prague to Linz to Salzburg and back again.  We met interesting and fun people on those rides.  Really fun! We walked the streets of old Salzburg,

and even spotted some of the sites from The Sound of Music.

Recognize the Do Re Mi steps?  And this fountain? And so many more spots?

Those were all snapped at Mirabelle Palace which just happened to be right next door to our hotel.  Every day on our way out to see what there was to see we walked through the gorgeous grounds and my brain was constantly singing tunes from The Sound of Music.

We hopped a bus to Hallstatt, an honest to goodness fairy tale town.  They’re not trying to be, in fact for a long time they tried to keep tourists out.  I’m so glad we were able to go - it was breathtaking.  We rented a little electric boat for just 15 euros and cruised the lake before wandering around town.

These phone snaps don’t even begin to do justice to that magical little town.  I’ll snag some of Mickey’s photos later and share them.

Even the bus ride to and from Hallstatt was fun.  The Austrian countryside is stunning.  The driver stopped here and there for photo ops - and this one was my favorite. Not just because it’s a beautiful lakeside hamlet nestled at the foot of mountains, but because if you turn to the right...

you see the hill where Julie Andrews did her spinning and singing!

You know you’re singing right now.

I’ve hardly touched on all of the wonderful sights, fun stories, and serendipitous moments from this trip.  But I’ll close this rambling blog post by saying that this guy is the best travel partner any girl could ever have.

That’s him on our train leaving Salzburg to return to Prague. That’s our tasty picnic dinner in that bag.

Here he is after a long day of humoring me. He was probably tired of hearing me hum Do Re Mi by this point.

If you don’t have a wonderful travel companion, I’d suggest going solo. A fun partner can help make a long day better and make a good day utterly fantastic.  I’m so fortunate that we’re so often on the same page regarding what we’re in the mood to do and even when we decide to skip something without feeling guilty.  We’re well matched and that makes these trips so much fun. I’ll add to this report over the next few days as I go through my photos and share them and the stories that go with them.  But for now, we’re back to our home sweet home, I’ve made a pot of soup, and we’re getting back on local time.  Autumn is just arriving here in Mt. Juliet, the weather has cooled and the trees are starting to show a bit of color.  What a lovely welcome home.  You might say it’s one of my favorite things.  See what I did there? More from this tired gal tomorrow.  Time to soak in the tub and get a good night’s sleep. XOXO

[willreadforbooze]

Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

What a week. Work was shit but I had so much social fun time and I feel invigorated. This extrovert needed her people time. It’s also Medieval-a-thon!!! Check my TBR here.

What Sam finished this week:

The Simoquin Prophecies by Samit Basu: Good LORD this book took me entirely too long and I’m not happy about it. It’s not that bad I just wasn’t in the mood and then the potential wasted was disappointing.

What Sam’s reading now:

  Medieval-a-thon Cape: Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao: This is the follow up to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. Linz reviewed this second book here. I’m enjoying this far more. I didn’t like FoaTL because the MC was so so very unlikeable and not in the good way. Following Jade is far more interesting. Though, I feel like we’re going to get the repetitive gotta-catch-em-all trope but we’ll see. –

Medieval-a-thon Sword: The Heartwood Crown by Matt Mikalatos: I am about halfway through this book and I’d forgotten what an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT this world is. I loved book one, here’s my review of The Crescent Stone.

Ginny’s Update:

Hi everyone. I’m super tired because it was a good weekend and I got a lot done but this week might hurt a little bit. Luckily a bunch of good things have happened so at least it’s happy rambling.

Currently Reading:

  Becoming by Michelle Obama: I put this book on hold like six months ago. I am fucking pumped! Michelle Obama has this beautiful lyrical way of writing and I can’t wait to read more.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry: This is a book that Sam picked up and let me read before her (hahaha) because we have been flooded with books which is really the best problem in the world to have. Charley can read fictional characters into the world. Rob, his older brother, feels responsible for helping him put them back. But it turns out there are a bunch of fictional characters living out in the world and there’s a mysterious evil force too. I’m enjoying this so far. I’m pretty sure I know what the twist is gonna be, but I’m looking forward to getting there.

Finished: (Editor’s Note: Good lord Virginia…. )

  The Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean: I’m not going to bother with a summary here. I like the way the heroine goes about getting her independence and really enjoyed her as a character. I felt the Whit was a perfectly fine hero unless he was talking about his creepy brother. That as a plotline didn’t super interest me. I liked the (relatively) diverse representation in this book and enjoyed the world building. 3.5/5 

After the Crown by K.B. Wagers:  The first half of this book was a little bit rough, but the second half took off like a shot. I’ve written a review of this one. Keep an eye out for it!

All Systems Red by Martha Wells: This is one of the murderbot books and I know both Sam and Parker have read them and loved them so it should come as no surprise that I loved it too! This book is all from the point of view of a cyborg that has been leased out to an exploratory group as security. They realize partway through that ‘murderbot’ is partially human and might freak out. Meanwhile there are some weird things going on and boy way this fun. Still might write a review but this was definitely a 5/5

Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey: Imagine Harry Potter if the teenagers were more realistic dicks and everyone was pretty damn hormonal. As a murder mystery this functioned really nicely, I liked the blend of traditional ‘noir’ tropes with magic and the fantasty tropes that tend to show up there. Planning on writing a review so keeping this short.

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan: This was a novella and was super short, but it added a little bit of background to one of her existing series. It was fun to watch the way the propriety of the past could be used as a weapon in both directions. Very fun, and the way consent was handled was ridiculously great. 4/5

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang: Gotta admit, I’m still not super sure how I feel about this one. I really enjoyed the Kiss Quotient (Linz reviewed this!) and was really looking forward to this. It’s mostly, I’m not sure I really truly believed the love story between ‘Esme’ and Khai. I enjoyed their individual story lines (the fact that Khai getting better about recognizing his own emotions being tied back to family really got me) but I felt there was a lot of telling rather than showing in the deeper emotional moments. Still, it was a perfectly fine read. 3.5/5

DNF

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner: I don’t even remember when this book went onto my TBR. Honestly, the beginning of this book reminded me of the Goldfinch which won a ton of goddamn awards and was a fucking slog to get through. I’m not the biggest fan of misery for miseries sake. And that’s probably a harsh description of this book. All I know is that the back and forth through time storytelling aspect didn’t work for me when multiple vignettes include characters who were mind-numbingly frustrating. Between Bookcon and ALA I have so many books I desperately want to read and not nearly enough time. I didn’t feel the need to push my way through this one.

Minda’s Update:

Work trip this week then the lovely Sam’s birthday trip, so this may or may not be a big reading week, but here’s what’s on the agenda!

What Minda finished:

Wilder Girls by Rory Power – This book is pretty gruesome and descriptive, but in a good way. Just make sure you are in the mood to have your skin crawl! Release date is July 9—so be on the lookout. 

What Minda is reading now:

  Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan – A retelling (I know, another one but I’m really into them rn) of the famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger.” Honestly haven’t read it, but I saw her panel on YA females in power at ALA and added it to the list!

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon – Received the ARC on Netgalley dropping in Oct. It’s a duology featuring three women, one of whom is determined to save her sister from death. Looking forward to starting.

Linz’s Update:

Whyyyyy the fuck did I host two book clubs this weekend?

What Linz read:

  Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman – I’ve been seeing this pop up a LOT on social media, probably because ARCs abounded at BookCon. I’ll be reviewing, so I don’t want to say a lot, but  It’s kind of like The Fugitive, featuring The Gay Agenda.

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean – I did NOT care for Wicked and the Wallflower, but Ginny is a fan of her books and told me to give MacLean’s latest book a shot. I didn’t care that much for this one either tbh. MacLean’s writing isn’t bad by any means, but I think her style of romance novels just isn’t for me.

The Beholder by Anna Bright – Boy will I ever be reviewing this alt-history debut novel about a girl who needs to find a husband to become the next leader of her people.

What Linz is currently reading:

  The Heartwood Crown by Matt Mikalatos – awwwwwwww this book. Loving this sequel to The Crescent Stone

We Regret to Inform You by Ariel Kaplan – an overachieving high school student gets rejected from every single college she applied to, and she’s left struggling to figure out her next step. I already hate this book in the best way – it takes place in DC, and the mother and daughter share a car to school/work, and my PTSD is kicking in from the memories of learning how to drive on the Beltway with my mom.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

Weekly Wrap-Up: June 24-30, 2019 Hello fellow boozie readers! Sam's Update: What a week. Work was shit but I had so much social fun time and I feel invigorated.

[llonelywater]

it is 1130pm and i have officially finished my entire surgical track. my entire surgical track!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

because i am still a massive loser i woke up multiple times again this morning and then had diarrhoea before setting off to cgh HAHAHAH omg it’s turning into some pre-clinicals ritual zzz. 

anw! ever since the final bell rang today ive just been floating around in a daze. was initially just super relieved but as the day crept on i kept thinking about little mistakes here and there that i made, or answers that couldve been better worded.... and then i want to slap myself like wtf! linz!!!! that is just super greedy!!!!! can you please be thankful!!!!!!!! and i am thankful for: 

1. a decent historian who - while frustratingly adamant on not giving out the diagnosis at the beginning - was beautifully primed and gave me a history that was not tortuous, not misleading, and not complex... a cold case with a clear timeline!! how fortunate is that!!! 

2. it was an approach to IO!!! IO!!!!! not mouth lump that i feared hahahaha

3. the underlying diagnosis was sigmoid CA!!! not haemorrhoids hahaha. again, how lucky is that!!!

4. the super lovely MO who kept smiling at me and nodding every single time i said something correct, and who put everything including reference ranges in a nice ppt slide for me 

5. the passive examiner who was also smiling and nodding throughout

6. the stern looking examiner who - even though he looked so fierce initially hahahaha saw him the first thing before entering the room omg almost lost my will to live within the 0.1s - asked me very fair questions and who guided me when i was going the wrong way and pushed me within reasonable limits when he thought i could give him better answers 

7. and at the end!!!! when the bell rang!!!!!!! the active examiner just broke into this HUGE smile like i really thought i was hallucinating bc it was such a drastic change from the straight face he’d been wearing for the past 35 min and he said well done, well done. and then the passive and MO turned to me and smiled too and said, well done. omg i nearly cried and fainted on the spot cos i was so relieved 

tbh.... at first while thinking over the case throughout the day i was a little sad that i didnt do everything 10000% PERFECTLY. like oh i forgot to rule out hypothyroidism. or oh shucks during the presentation i forgot to talk about these important negatives or the fact that the pt was on chemo. and not answering a question properly bc i misheard the examiner when i knew the answer to the question (like rly wouldve been 90s of verbal diarrhoea on tpn vs parenteral feeding...) but then i was like... nobody shortchanged me but myself. so there is really no point AT ALL feeling upset about it. the patient was a superb historian (if probed in the correct direction haha) and the examiners asked very, very fair questions. so every every mistake is mine; it’s my fault for not listening carefully, for not practicing enough, for being stressed out under exam conditions. bc an exam doesnt just test your theoretical knowledge... almost everyone will be able to think about hypothyroidism as a cause of IO if given enough time while being in the right environment. but true skill is thinking about something as forgettable as hypothyroidism amidst the stressful exam situation, in the middle of the most important surgical case of your life, and applying it within the tight time constraints. am i good enough to do that? probably not. so i concede the mark and i should do so without a grudge! 

so much mindless rambling above haha. but i just wanted to write it down to remind myself again that results arent everything!! yesterday while cramming last min info v distractedly i thought to myself, i hope that i will be able to enter the exam tomorrow with my ex-patients in mind. like mdm r and mdm t and mr k and... all of them haha. every last patient who taught me one thing or another. i rmb while practicing for shorts with jt we’d keep forgetting to thank each other at the end haha and fretting that we’d lose the professionalism marks. but then i was like... actually when you really see a patient it’s quite intuitive that you would wanna thank them after right! and we’d shrugged and laughed. but it’s really true. like i can forget to do the simplest things or say the stupidest things in the exam hall but ive not forgotten to thank a single patient since mbbs started... because it comes naturally always. cannot count on my brain to be functional all the time haha. but can always count on my gratitude to be true. 

[linzerj]

Tearing up and crying a bit in the theater at the end of The Wild Robot is totally normal, right?

Anway, The Wild Robot is a beautiful film holy cow. I'm so glad i decided to check it out. 10/10, i loved it so much.

[adeonatour]

New Post has been published on Your Travel Wizards!

New Post has been published on http://www.adeona-tour.ro/blog/mostviertel-gentleness-wildness-typically-austrian-region/

Mostviertel - Gentleness and wildness. A typical Austrian region

The Mostviertel is Lower Austria‘s most captivating region: a flourishing, charming hideaway between the river Danube and the Ötscher mountain. A delightful contrast between the gently rolling, fertile land to the north and the wild, romantic alpine country in the south. It inspires the multi-faceted voyages of discovery, mountain adventures and fun-filled family holidays.

Historically speaking, the Mostviertel region is the heartland of Austria, and as such it combines many of the country‘s distinctive features: magically beautiful scenery nestled between the Danube and the Alps, a rich history and extraordinary cultural treasures. Conveniently situated about 120 kilometres from Vienna and just 60 kilometres from Linz, the whole region boasts extremely wellmaintained roads, even in the higher altitude areas. Several of the region‘s mountain peaks have year-round lift services.

The mild face of the Mostviertel: rare wild fruits and fine wines The gently rolling hills south of the Danube river  are home to perry and cider producers and schnapps distillers, winegrowers and farmers. More than 30 perry pear varieties thrive in the mild climate along the 200-kilometre Moststraße (Perry Road) tourist route, a number of which are used by the locals to produce their high-quality, single variety perries and cider. Grapevines – predominantly of the “Grüner Veltliner” variety – flourish in the Traisen Valley winegrowing area. The trees of the Pielach Valley sprout bright red wild Cornelian cherries. Rosehips are the specialty of the Dunkelsteinerwald region, while the eastern part of the Mostviertel bordering the Vienna Woods is famous for its rowanberries. These are used to make schnapps. At the centre of the region lies the Lower Austrian capital, St. Pölten.

The wild face of the Mostviertel: rugged mountain scenery and fiery furnaces Bizarre rock formations, deep ravines, bubbling streams and three natural parks are the dominant features in the wild alpine uplands surrounding the Ötscher, Hochkar, Dürrenstein, Gippel and Göller mountains. In summer the region is a paradise for hikers and naturelovers. In the winter season the local ski resorts attract families and sports fans alike.

The mountain country was once the stamping ground of the “Black Earls”, as the powerful forgemasters used to be called, and home to metalworkers, charcoal burners and lumberjacks. Today, museums and themed trails in the Eisenstraße Culture Park tell the tale of those long-ago times.

Up in the Alps The Mostviertel Alps are an imposing sight. The Ötscher, Hochkar, Dürrenstein, Gippel and Göller mountains rise to almost 2,000 meters. Water has shaped the landscape here in the limestone Alps, cutting gorges, ravines and caves into the mountains and leaving behind bizarre rock formations. The Mostviertel Alps off er splendid opportunities for leisurely rambles as well as challenging routes for ambitious hikers and climbers. The region‘s ski resorts have reliable snow cover from November until the end of April. The main ski centers are the Hochkar near Göstling/Ybbs and the Gemeindealpe at Mitterbach am Erlaufsee. The  Lackenhof am Ötscher and Annaberg ski centers are especially popular with families.

In 1970, the area surrounding Mt. Ötscher was designated as the Ötscher-Tormäuer Natural Park. It is Lower Austria‘s largest natural park, being a very impressive area. It is a sanctuary of peace and quiet for nature-lovers and hikers with a wealth of hidden beauty spots waiting to be discovered.

Mostviertel perries – unique in Europe The part of the Mostviertel in which the people have entirely dedicated themselves to the production of perry – fermented pear juice. It is said it looks just like a huge garden. Favored by the mild climate south of the river Danube, the high-grade fruit ripens here on hundreds of thousands of gnarled pear trees. The Moststraße (Perry Road) tourist route wends its way for 200 km through the hilly countryside. It twists past rows of venerable pear trees and the fruit farmers‘ magnificent four-sided farmsteads.

Cozy inns and rustic taverns invite you stop and rest for a while. Also, many of the farms have their own shops where you can buy local specialties direct from the producer. With great dedication and creativity, the inhabitants of Mostviertel transform the fruits of Europe‘s largest contiguous pear-growing area into all kinds of delicacies. Juices, liqueurs, fine brandies, balsamic vinegar, jams, confectionery and, of course, perry, to mention just a few. The local single-variety perries are a rarity in Europe.

On the trail of the metalworkers Five elements: iron, fire, water, wood and earth. All have shaped the history and character of the region surrounding the Eisenstraße (Iron Road) tourist route. In the Eisenstraße Culture Park visitors can experience these five elements in a wide variety of ways as they take an exciting journey back in time. They can visit the historic hammer mills, watch metalworkers at work and have a go yourself. Also they can see how tree trunks were once transported to the saw -mills with the aid of water power at the historic log-driving facility. The Eisenstraße Culture Park encompasses more than 170 exhibits and themed trails.

Colourful urban life St. Pölten, the capital of the Mostviertel region and the province of Lower Austria, is one of the oldest cities in Austria. Baroque and art nouveau buildings dominate in the city centre. But the new Government Quarter and Cultural District stand out for their striking contemporary architecture.

Celebration and enjoyment The people of the Mostviertel certainly know how to celebrate. The Spring Perry Festival is held in late April/early May, when the thousands of pear trees are in full blossom. There are more celebrations at harvest time in the autumn when the pear juice is placed in barrels to ferment, and again in early winter when the young perry is off ered for tasting for the first time. 

Mostviertel cycle paths –  Across the lowland plains beside the Danube and along pretty river valleys, gently up and down over rolling hills or steeply up and down in the mountains – the Mostviertel offers a whole series of varied routes for cycling fans. The cycle paths are conveniently routed to take in enjoyable stop-off points and interesting attractions. Notably are the three leisurely perry-themed routes in the hilly countryside where the pear trees grow.

Day trips from the Mostviertel Vienna – Austria‘s capital city, is easily reached by motorway or train from the Mostviertel. The journey takes 1-2 hours, depending on your departure point. Linz – Around 60 kilometres away lies the city of Linz with its pretty Old Town and attractive museums; the latest addition is Lentos, a cutting-edge museum of contemporary art. Wachau World Heritage site –  On the opposite side of the Danube lies the Wachau: a UNESCO World Heritage site, Austria‘s best-known wine growing area and one of the country‘s most beautiful stretches of river valley. It is known for its picturesque villages nestled amidst the steeply terraced vineyards. Also, Wachau is home to the magnificent baroque abbeys of Göttweig and Melk.

[leatherandfeathersandfluff]

So PasCon is over, and it was freaking fantastic!

I just wanted to take a second to say how honestly amazed I am at how kind everyone there was.  From the convention veterans in the photo op line who didn’t even know me but were so quick to give me tips and reassure me when I was totally freaking out in anticipation, to the random people who struck up some of the best conversations out of the blue, I was genuinely amazed at how much positivity there was around me.  Seriously, guys, I walked around as like, rainbow-Cas for an entire day, and I’m sure that was not some people’s cup of tea, but the only comments I got on it were super sweet and absolutely made my day.

And I gotta say, having watched the conventions from afar, I never realized just how much the cast and everyone put into making sure people are having a great time.  SO MUCH RESPECT.  So many amazing things crammed into three short days that I’m gonna need an entire week to recover from.

Basically, I just felt like I needed to take the time to say THANK YOU, to anyone and everyone (and especially the Supernatural cast and convention staff, should any of them ever read this) for making my first convention amazing :D.

(Also shoutout to @deanandishareamoreprofoundbond for not only being my moral support in today’s photo op lines, but for also dealing with my drunk ass on karaoke night XP.  #fuckyouzombiecar )

[linzerj]

Did they get rid of the ability to double-tap on a post to like it on mobile???

[linzerj]

20 Questions for Writers

I was tagged by @sinvulkt for this 20 Questions for Writers ask game!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

On AO3... i only have 12 currently. (On FFN however... I have 67 lol)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

107,857

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily Marvel nowadays, specifically Doctor Strange (MCU)! But I've also consistently written for Danny Phantom, and also delved into Pokemon, Teen Titans, TMNT, Warriors Cats and Twilight back in the day... its a lot lol.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Golden Gate's Heroes - a Venom and Ant-Man/MCU crossover from before NWH/Venom 2. It has 2,238 kudos as of posting!

Displaced Phantom - a DP and MCU crossover, 577 kudos

Stars Will Light the Way - What If...? Strange Supreme met America Chavez? The longest fic I've posted lol, 476 kudos

alive - an introspective look at Mewtwo, assuming the one from Detectice Pikachu is the same as the one from Pokémon: The First Movie, 420 kudos

through the multiverse - connected drabbles following the Guardians of the Multiverse from the first season of What If...? 329 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! Sometimes I might not see it or forget to reply if I don't reply right away lol, but I love engagement on my fics and I always want to make sure I thank everyone for reading!

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uh. Hmm. I actually... don't know? Maybe one of my post-Infinity War pre-Endgame Doctor Strange fanfics, like Eidetic or death is an old friend? Just because they end with Infinity War and that was tbh a kinda angsty ending...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably has to be Stars Will Light the Way, tbh. Most of my fics are fairly "happy" tbh but so many are oneshots and anthologies, that this seems like the best pick.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I've gotten maybe one "hate" comment, just telling me my pacing was too slow for their liking or something like that lol. But generally, my audience has been very nice!

9. Do you write smut?

Nope!

10. Do you write crossovers?

OH YEAH!! A good chunk of my old fanfics on FFN were crossovers lol. Actually my first several fics were all crossovers I'm pretty sure. I love a good crossover...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of... and don't get any ideas folks!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Um... no, I don't think so!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Nope!

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

Uhhhh.... hmmm.... its hard to say. I am very much a multishipper - I'll ship one guy with quite a few other characters if the dynamic could even conceivably work. But I also tend to prefer gen-fic or found family fics too...? But um. Uh. All-time favorite ship is probably Eddie/Venom. I will not elaborate further.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Gosh ok it's this Blue Beetle fic, with Jaime from the Young Justice cartoon swapping places with Jaime from the movie. I just... idk how I want to end it so it's been sitting on my laptop, mostly untouched since like. September or October of 2023. Whoops...

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Idk lol, um... getting into the heads of the characters I write?? I've been told that I can capture certain characters really well, at least.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Fight scenes can be a little tough for me to write... but also. I procrastinate on writing sometimes, and i'm terrible at planning fics out fully before i start them... so if I don't write scenes and ideas down, they're gone, and then I don't know what to write for my fic, and then the fic never gets finished 🙃

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Eh, depends on the language - I took enough Spanish to be able to pull it off, I think, and I also have a few coworkers who speak Spanish fluently who will make sure I'm doing it right if/when I use it. Other than that, I'm not sure if I trust Google Translate enough to write dialogue in any other language...

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Omg... apparently... it was a crossover between Danny Phantom and Warriors (the books about the cats)... I figured it would be Danny Phantom but that. That is hilarious to me. I really was a Warriors Cats kid....

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

It's gotta be Stars Will Light the Way. Idk man, it just... it may not be as popular as Golden Gate's Heroes, but it's currently the longest fic I've ever written and published and FINISHED, and im so proud of that. The fact that even 400+ people liked it enough to give it a kudos... I wrote that fic for me, so to know others liked it too means the world to me.

I know you're supposed to tag people for these things, but. I always feel like I'm bothering people when I do. Even though some of my mutuals, I know y'all write fic... so if you see this and want to go for it, any of my mutuals or followers, go for it, consider yourself tagged!

[linzerj]

Me finding a real person following me amidst all the porn bots:

[linzerj]

Me in Deadpool and Wolverine for a secpnd viewing 2 months after release... hearing a child crying as the movie starts up. Who tf brings a small child to Deadpool????

[linzerj]

Tfw you're reading a bunch of fics in one fandom, most are by the same author, you comment on what you think is one of their fics complimenting that fic and how much you've been enjoying reading all their fics - only to realize it's a different author with a similar username and writing style. And you left the comment like a week ago now but you're still haunted by it and it's definitely too late to edit that comment now. Dying inside.

[linzerj]

Hell is needing just one half pound of meat at the deli, not finding it precut, and being forced to wait behind 4 other people who each need like 5 different things with only one person working the deli counter