#office space in winston-salem

[thrivecoworking]

Room to Grow: An Entrepreneur Shares His THRIVE | Coworking Journey - THRIVE | Coworking

Mike White has built connections and collaborated with a diverse range of individuals, from video producers to dog-sitters. He emphasizes how THRIVE can play a crucial role in helping businesses grow by fostering strong relationships and creating valuable partnerships across various industries.

[iknowaguyconstructionservices]

Exceptional Construction Services in Winston-Salem, NC

When we talk about Construction Services Winston-Salem, NC, we mean building or fixing things like houses, offices, or schools. These services help make buildings safe and nice. This is very important in a place like Winston-Salem, NC. I Know A Guy Construction Services is a trusted company in the area. They help people with many building projects. For instance, if you need a new roof or want to build a new room, they can help. Their work is very good, and many people in Winston-Salem, NC, trust them.

Good construction services are important for many reasons. First, they make sure buildings are safe. No one wants to live or work in a building that could fall apart. Good construction keeps us safe. Also, quality work makes buildings look nice. This is important because nice-looking buildings make the whole neighborhood better. So, choosing the right construction service, like I Know A Guy Construction Services, is very important. They offer many services, from building new houses to fixing old ones. In addition, they always make sure their work is the best it can be.

Our Construction Services

What Are Construction Services?

Construction services mean building or fixing things like houses, offices, and schools. They make sure buildings are safe and look good. In other words, these services help make places where people can live, work, and learn. In Winston-Salem, NC, construction services are very important. They also help the community grow and stay beautiful.

Different Types of Construction Services

New Home Builder

Building a new home is a big job.

It starts with making a plan.

After that, workers build the house from the ground up.

New home builders make sure everything is done right.

They create safe and comfortable homes for families.

Home Additions

Sometimes, people need more space in their homes.

Home additions are a great way to add rooms.

For instance, you might want a new bedroom or a bigger kitchen.

In addition, adding to a home can make it more valuable.

Remodeling

Remodeling means making changes to a home.

This can be anything from a new kitchen to a bigger bathroom.

Remodeling helps keep homes up to date and comfortable.

Therefore, many people choose to remodel instead of moving to a new house.

Decks

Decks are outdoor spaces where people can relax.

Building a deck adds more space to a home.

It’s a great place for family gatherings and barbecues.

In other words, decks make homes more fun and enjoyable.

Porches

Porches are another type of outdoor space.

They are usually in the front of the house.

Porches can be small or big.

They are great for sitting and watching the world go by.

So, a nice porch can make a home feel more welcoming.

Season Rooms

Season rooms are special rooms added to homes.

They have lots of windows and let you enjoy the outdoors while being inside.

For instance, you can use a season room in any weather.

In addition, they add more living space to a home.

Sheds

Sheds are small buildings usually in the backyard.

People use them to store tools and other things.

Sheds help keep homes and yards tidy.

So, they are very useful for homeowners.

Why Choose I Know A Guy Construction Services?

I Know A Guy Construction Services offers all these services in Winston-Salem, NC. They are experts in construction services. Above all, they make sure every job is done right. Their work helps make Winston-Salem, NC, a better place to live.

Green Building and Sustainability

The Importance of Green Building and Sustainability

Green building means making buildings in a way that is good for the environment. It helps keep our planet clean and healthy. In other words, it’s about using materials and methods that don’t hurt nature. Green building is very important because it saves energy and water. So, it helps reduce pollution and makes the air cleaner. Therefore, more people are choosing green building to protect the earth.

Eco-Friendly Construction Practices in Winston-Salem, NC

In Winston-Salem, NC, many companies are using eco-friendly practices. For instance, they use materials that can be recycled. Also, they make buildings that use less energy. This means using special windows that keep heat in during winter and out during summer. In addition, they use solar panels to get energy from the sun. This helps save money on electricity bills.

Choosing the Right Construction Company

Tips for Selecting a Reliable Construction Company

Choosing the right construction company is very important. You want to make sure your project is done well. So, here are some tips to help you pick the best company for Construction Services Winston-Salem, NC.

Check Their Experience

Look for a company with a lot of experience. Experienced companies know how to handle different projects. For instance, they have worked on many homes and buildings. So, they know what to do and what not to do.

Make Sure They Have Licenses and Insurance

A good construction company should have the right licenses and insurance. This means they are allowed to do the work and can pay for any accidents. So, if something goes wrong, you are protected.

Communicate Clearly

Make sure the company listens to you and understands what you want. Good communication is key. For instance, they should answer your questions and explain things clearly. This helps avoid problems later on.

Conclusion

We talked about many things in this article. We learned about the different types of Construction Services Winston-Salem, NC offers. This includes building new homes, adding rooms, remodeling, and more. We also discussed green building and the steps in the construction process.

Quality construction services are very important. Good construction keeps buildings safe and looking nice. Therefore, choosing the right company for Construction Services Winston-Salem, NC is crucial. Contact I Know A Guy Construction Services for any construction help. They are experts and care about doing a great job. So, reach out to them for your construction needs.

FAQs

1. What Are Construction Services?

Construction services mean building or fixing things like houses, offices, or schools. In Winston-Salem, NC, so this means making new buildings or improving old ones.

2. Why Are Construction Services Important?

Construction services keep buildings safe and looking good. Good construction makes sure homes and offices are strong and last a long time. So, this is very important in Winston-Salem, NC.

3. What Is Green Building?

Green building means making buildings in a way that is good for the environment. For instance, it uses less energy and water. So, it helps keep our planet healthy.

4. What Is Remodeling?

Remodeling means making changes to a home or building. For example, it could be updating a kitchen or adding a new bathroom. In Winston-Salem, NC, many people choose remodeling to improve their homes.

5. What Are Home Additions?

Home additions mean adding more space to your house. For instance, you might add a new bedroom or a bigger kitchen. This also helps make your home more comfortable and valuable.

6. How Do I Choose the Right Construction Company?

To choose the right construction company, look at their experience and reviews. Also, ask for references and check their past work. For instance, I Know A Guy Construction Services in Winston-Salem, NC, has great reviews and lots of experience.

7. What Is the Construction Process?

The construction process includes planning, getting permits, preparing the site, and building. After that, they add finishes and do final inspections. So, this makes sure everything is done right.

8. Why Should I Choose I Know A Guy Construction Services?

I Know A Guy Construction Services is a top choice in Winston-Salem, NC. Also, they have many years of experience, great reviews, and use eco-friendly practices. So, they make sure every project is done well.

9. What Is Eco-Friendly Construction?

Eco-friendly construction uses materials and methods that are good for the environment. For example, using recycled materials or solar panels. This helps save energy and reduce pollution.

10. How Can I Contact I Know A Guy Construction Services?

So, you can contact I Know A Guy Construction Services by calling or visiting their website. Also, they are experts in Construction Services Winston-Salem, NC, and are ready to help with your project.

[cubiclesshopusa]

Revolutionizing Workspaces: Office Cubicles and Furniture in Winston Salem, NC

In the bustling city of Winston Salem, NC, where innovation meets tradition, the concept of workspaces has undergone a remarkable transformation. Offices are no longer confined to monotonous layouts but have evolved into dynamic hubs fostering collaboration, creativity, and productivity. Central to this evolution are office cubicles and furniture, redefining the way we perceive and utilize our work environments.

The Evolution of Office Spaces

Gone are the days of sterile, uniform cubicles that isolated employees within four walls. Today’s offices in Winston Salem are embracing open-plan designs, where the emphasis is on fostering interaction and teamwork while providing individual focus zones. This shift has led to a demand for adaptable, modular office furniture that can cater to diverse work styles and tasks.

Office Cubicles: The Backbone of Modern Workspaces

Office cubicles play a pivotal role in this reimagined workspace landscape. They provide a balance between privacy and collaboration, offering employees a dedicated space to work while ensuring accessibility to colleagues. In Office Cubicles Winston Salem NC, the office cubicle has transcended its traditional boundaries, now incorporating ergonomic designs, customizable layouts, and acoustic solutions, fostering both comfort and productivity.

Embracing Innovation: Office Furniture Trends

The furniture industry has responded to the evolving workspace needs in Winston Salem with an array of innovative solutions. Ergonomic chairs, height-adjustable desks, soundproof partitions, and multipurpose storage solutions have become staples in modern offices. These elements not only enhance comfort but also contribute to employee well-being and efficiency.

Creating a Productive Environment

The impact of office cubicles and furniture on productivity cannot be overstated. By creating a workspace tailored to individual and collective needs, companies in Winston Salem are witnessing increased employee satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, higher performance levels. The flexibility offered by modern furniture allows for a seamless transition between collaborative discussions and focused individual work.

The Intersection of Aesthetics and Functionality

Office Furniture Winston Salem isn’t merely functional; it’s an extension of a company’s brand and ethos. Sleek, contemporary designs and customizable options allow businesses to create work environments that reflect their identity and values. Vibrant colors, adaptable layouts, and eco-friendly materials are becoming defining features of these modern workspaces.

The Future of Workspaces in Winston Salem

As technology continues to shape how we work, the evolution of office cubicles and furniture is an ongoing process. Winston Salem, known for its forward-thinking approach, is at the forefront of this evolution, constantly redefining the boundaries of what an office can be. The focus remains on creating environments that promote collaboration, well-being, and productivity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the significance of office cubicles and furniture in shaping modern workspaces in Winston Salem, NC, cannot be overstated. The transition from conventional setups to dynamic, adaptable environments has redefined the way employees interact, collaborate, and perform. As the city continues to embrace innovation, the evolution of office spaces will undoubtedly remain an exciting and integral aspect of its thriving business landscape.

[my-state-mls]

Housing Market Outlook For North Carolina 2023

North Carolina is a mid-Atlantic destination for many since it has cool winters without the extreme summer heat, which Texas and Florida are subject to. The Tarheel State has a beach in the eastern part of the state and cooler mountains in the west.

The state has excellent hospitals, great universities as well as a low cost of living. It is a great location to stay throughout North Carolina for families, retirement-seekers and people seeking a new starting.

If you're looking for the top places to live in North Carolina, this guide can assist you in finding the ideal spot. The cities we examined were analyzed by gathering the most recent information on important aspects of life, such as the average home value in the state and personal income per capita as well as the unemployment and crime rates.

Asheville

Population 94,067

Median home price $524,950

Monthly estimated expenses $7,912

Income average $53,621

Rate of unemployment 3.2%

Community Wellness Score 61/100

Criminal offences reported 12,001

Asheville is the biggest and most well-known city in western North Carolina. It balances its Appalachian past with a diverse urban style emphasizing sustainable lifestyles.

Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking in the mountains, scouring for waterfalls, or driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway during peak fall. In addition, the city is host to Biltmore Estate and North Carolina Arboretum. Biltmore Estate and North Carolina Arboretum.

It isn't cheap. North Carolina mountain town with one of the highest house costs. However, North Carolina state taxes are low and can offset the higher price of living.

Hickory

Population 43,532

Median home price $341,400

Costs for the estimated monthly cost  $6,041

Income average $48,653

Rate of unemployment 3.6%

Community Wellness Score 48/100

Crimes that are reported as criminal 4,566

Hickory offers a low-cost alternative for Asheville and Charlotte and is approximately half an hour from each city. Hickory gets its name from the Hickory Tavern, a hotel built beneath the shade of a hickory tree in 1850, which eventually saw a flourishing population grow within the inn.

The town is the entry point into The Catawba Valley. It is nestled near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which means it is among the most affordable cities in the country for those who want to take in the mountain views. It is also family-friendly due to its low population, lower crime rates, and Southern charm.

Greenville

Population 88,728

Median home price $351,450

Monthly estimated expenses $6,760

Income average $42,612

Rate of unemployment 4.5%

Community Wellness Score 59/100

Criminal offences reported 7,768

The home of East Carolina University, a remarkable medical center, and a teaching hospital, Greenville is a thrilling campus with an array of entertaining social events for students and residents.

In addition, the city hosts the renowned PirateFest, which can span from eight to eight cities with thrilling fun. There are other attraction points of interest, so you can visit the Outer Banks in just two hours. Outer Banks in only two hours for a getaway to the beach.

Winston-Salem

Population 250,320

Median home price $319,950

Costs for the estimated monthly cost $6,180

Income average $47,269

Rate of unemployment 3.8%

Community Wellness Score 55/100

Crimes that are reported as criminal 15,209

Winston-Salem is among the most desirable places to reside within North Carolina for families as the city has a low cost of housing as well as a reasonable price of living. Its Innovation Quarter business development initiative will create a vibrant jobs market with numerous office spaces and labs.

Numerous recreation greenways allow you to run outdoors. Relaxing in Bailey Park or enjoying Wake Forest University sporting events is possible.

Charlotte

Population 879,709

Median home price $425,000

Monthly estimated expenses $7,126

Income average $65,359

Rate of unemployment 3.6%

Community Wellness Score 60/100

Criminal offences reported 79,369

Charlotte is the headquarters of finance for several banks and is the largest city in North Carolina. Technology and healthcare are two important employment fields.

"Queen City," also known as the "Queen City", has everything you need for young professionals, family members, retirees and families. Residents can enjoy professional sports as well as a vibrant entertainment scene. They also can access an international airport that is ideal for traveling.

You must, however, be willing to reside in an urban area or travel if you want peace and quiet in a suburban area. The cost could be worth it, but you'll only be three hours from the beaches, and you can have a mild climate and mild winters than most in North Carolina.

Durham

Population 285,527

Median home price $495,507

Monthly estimated expenses $7,218

Income average $61,962

Rate of unemployment 3.2%

Community Wellness Score 71/100

Crimes that are reported as criminal 23,603

There is a reason that the Durham and Chapel Hill area's claim to notoriety could consist of Duke University and the University of North Carolina. Both universities are attractive to be a part of as both are renowned for their basketball heritage.

It also faces competition with the nearby city of Raleigh in the tech industry for high-paying job opportunities. Healthcare is a major source of employment as it is an attractive option for the residents. Indeed, one of Durham's nicknames includes the "City of Medicine", as the city is home to more than 300 companies that deal with medical issues, which includes Duke University.

Wilmington

Population 117,643

Median home price $529,900

Costs for the estimated monthly cost $7,296

Income average $51,137

Rate of unemployment 3.5%

Community Wellness Score 60/100

Crimes that are reported as criminal 9,416

Wilmington is among the top places to live in North Carolina near the beach since it's less expensive compared to the Outer Banks, one of the state's most well-known tourist destinations along the coast. Several beaches are pristine, such as Wrightsville Beach and Oak Island--for relaxing in the sand and the sun.

The town's harbor is full of industries that could provide permanent residents not in the tourism industry. The town is also home to an extensive historic district, and it is just an hour away from many important North Carolina cities for additional tourist attractions and big city facilities.

Raleigh

Population 469,124

Median home price $486,500

Costs for the estimated monthly cost $7,349

Income average $69,720

Rate of unemployment 3.3%

Community Wellness Score 63/100

Crimes that are reported as criminal 24,944

Many positive factors make Raleigh an ideal area to live in and enjoy a great quality of life and positive employment conditions. Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park has also contributed to bringing high-paying tech jobs in the region from companies such as MetLife, Citrix and RedHat.

As you'd expect from these winds, Raleigh is one of the most rapidly growing cities in North Carolina, as well as the capital of the state.

The criteria for comparison and the corresponding sources comprise:

Population: U.S. Census Bureau, July 2021

Median house price: Realtor.com (August 2022).

Cost of living for a family of four Economic Policy Institute

Per capita personal income: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020

Statistics on unemployment: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in August 2022

The well-being of the community: ShareCare Community Well-Being Index

Criminality Rate: FBI Crime Data Explorer in 2020

[heromoldcompanywinstonsalem]

Standard post published to Hero Mold Company at May 02, 2023 16:01

Mold Removal in Winston Salem, NC

Are you in the Winston-Salem, NC, area and have noticed mold growth in your home or office space? Don't worry! The team at Hero Mold Company is here to help. Our experts are certified to deliver safe, reliable, and effective removal services for any mold issue. Our experienced team is specialized in locating and removing mold safely and carefully to protect you and your family. Call us today for your consultation and to get started with the process of a clean and healthy living environment!

Learn more

source https://local.google.com/place?id=2303402819871561310&use=posts&lpsid=CIHM0ogKEICAgIDRo7acxAE

[xfmaweezy]

Story Rating:M | Read on AO3 here

Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Diana Fowley

Ninety Minutes

Summary: Diana is forced to relive the events in Ninety Seconds

The cab dropped her half a block south of Callahan’s, a favorite watering hole for the guys in blue of Winston-Salem, and she’d been pacing the same two squares of sidewalk for ten minutes while considering her motives. It had only been a month since she’d contemplated similarly in the elevator of Fox Mulder’s apartment building, and she wasn’t particularly keen on a repeat of that evening.

By some cruel twist of fate, Diana had found herself on yet another task force working closely with Fox and his tiny partner, who was still wearing a cast on her broken left wrist. But it wasn’t the case that had her all out of sorts, it was her visit to Fox’s apartment after the apprehension of the convicts—a visit she’d convinced herself was only about the X-Files—that set her mind and her heart adrift. She hadn’t been able to function properly since, a dangerous state of mind to be in given her line of work. But she couldn’t get the image of a half naked Dana Scully out of her mind, nor the syrupy sweet affection Fox lavished upon her as she clung to him, unaware of Diana’s presence.

She’d finally begun to adjust somewhat to the knowledge that not only did she still have feelings for Fox, but he was in love with someone else. She thought she’d begun to adjust, until ten days ago when she was called onto this case in North Carolina and reunited with Fox and his partner. For the past week she’d been able to maintain a friendly and professional affect, but now that the case was over she found her resolve crumbling. If she could just get through tonight she’d be able to retreat and lick her emotional wounds in private.

Seeming to reach a decision within herself, she straightened her shoulders, cinched the belt of her overcoat, raised her chin and strode toward the pub.

The sound of celebratory laughter spilled out into the night air on a cloud of tobacco smoke as she pulled on the brass handle of the heavy pub door. There was much to celebrate: no injuries, a potential homegrown terrorist in custody, and nothing paranormal to report. But try as she might, she could not feel the joy from a job well done.

Diana hung her coat on the rack near the door and made her way through the throngs of investigators crowded around the long bar. From the suited field agents to uniformed local beat cops, everyone appeared to be having a good time, several reaching out to pat her shoulder or shake her hand as she weaved her way to a darkened, less hectic area of the room.

She located several empty stools in a corner by the server’s station and took a few seconds to scout the place before sitting. Callahan’s was a large open area with a bar bracketing one end. A small stage sat along the pub’s back wall and booth-style benches lined the opposite wall, facing the stage. The space between was filled with chairs and bar tables pushed together, where detectives and officers from various agencies were sharing anecdotes and pitchers of beer, and heckling the brave souls who dared to take the mic on karaoke night.

Diana slid onto a stool nearest the Guinness tap and scanned the crowds around the bar. Most of the suited men she knew or recognized, and thankfully none were Fox. From her vantage point she’d be able to see if he arrived. She felt that unease begin to creep into her core again, and as she did, she reminded herself that if she could make it through what she witnessed a month ago, she could make it through this night. Thankfully, they were in a public place with peers and coworkers, so there would be no chance of a repeat of the events in Fox’s apartment. Besides, it was late and Fox was never the type to socialize anyway. Still, after the surprise last month, she would keep an eye on the door.

“Hey, why so serious? Aren’t you supposed to be celebrating?” Diana was brought back to the present by the voice behind the bar. She found herself briefly disarmed by the near familiarity of his moss green eyes and generous nose. “What can I get for you?” the younger man asked.

“I’ll have an Old Fashioned,” she said.

He crooked a smile and rested his palms on the bartop as he leaned toward her. “Surely such a fine investigator as yourself has noticed that while we may be in the south, this is an Irish bar,” he said, winking.

He was flirting with her. As she opened her mouth to respond in kind, the investigator on stage began to beg Jolene not to take her man, and Diana chuffed, “Okay, smartass. How about an Old Fashioned Jameson?”

“You got it,” he said, knocking his knuckles once on the wooden surface between them, and then walked off to make her drink.

The pub door opened and several of those who had been crowding the bar exited, some giving one last wave as they spilled into the cooling night. She was in a good position to people watch, and tried to relax as she took in the lighthearted and joyous atmosphere. It really had been a big win for everyone involved. Diana pulled in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and swiveled her stool toward the seating area.

As she observed two uniformed officers nearest to her, a gap opened up in the crowd and she was able to see more of the room. It was clear those at the tables had been in the pub for a while, their conversations more animated and boisterous than their peers standing around the bar, their raucous laughter occasionally drowning out the tipsy singers.

Diana startled as the tables broke out into applause and wolf whistles, and the woman on stage took a bow. She recognized the woman as Stacy Pickett, one of the lead investigators from the Charlotte ATF Field Division. She was a tall, attractive blonde who had hit it off with Fox immediately. Perhaps most surprising to Diana was that the woman seemed to hit it off with Agent Scully as well.

Diana tracked the blonde as she slinked across the floor, slipping between gaps in tables and accepting high fives and shoulder pats, and made her way to a previously unnoticed darkened corner of the room.

The sound of a heavy glass against wood alerted Diana that the bartender had returned with her drink.

“Old Fashioned Jameson,” the bartender said. “It sounded so good I made one for myself. Mind if I join you?”

“Drinking on the job?” Diana asked, taking a sip of the dark amber liquid and closing her eyes as the warmth moved through her chest.

“I know the owner,” he shrugged. Diana laughed as he pointed to his name tag: David Callahan.

“Sláinte,” she said, raising her glass and taking another sip.

Away from the bar, the blonde now stood next to a half-booth table. Diana could just make out two figures on the bench seat and one in a chair across the table from them. The woman pointed to the man on the bench, indicating “You’re next,” before the lone figure she now recognized as SAC Samson of the ATF pulled her onto his lap. The man on the bench laughed, the familiar sound breaking through the din and the smoke and landing a solid punch right to her gut.

Diana’s heart began to pound a deafening pulse in her ears. She took a large swig from her drink, draining the glass and setting it down heavily on the bar. Fox was here. And he’d been here for a while.

He stood up from the bench, exposing his smiling partner who was tucked into the corner, as the karaoke host announced, “Next up, all the way from the nation’s capital, the Rocket Man, the Myth, the Legend, give it up for Special Agent Fox Mulder!”

“You ready for another?” the bartender asked.

Diana cocked her head toward the bartender to acknowledge him and answered with an almost imperceptible nod.

Fox made his way to the stage, encouraged by hoots and whistles from rowdy colleagues. He had made an impression on the task force, his profiling and investigative skills proving vital and his quick wit and dry humor creating a sense of unity, rather than competition, among the various agencies working the case. Diana had to admit that his partner’s expertise in forensics boosted Fox’s confidence, his attitude, and his reputation. Knowing that Fox was a whole new and improved person, and accepting that the tiny redhead always at his side was the cause for it, was a jagged pill Diana hadn’t yet learned to swallow.

Chants of “Spooky! Spooky! Spooky!” broke out from the table in the corner and Fox smiled broadly as he took the mic.

“I saw you dancin' out the ocean

Running fast along the sand

A spirit born of earth and water

Fire flying from your hands

In the instant that you love someone

In the second that the hammer hits

Reality runs up your spine

And the pieces finally fit”

Diana’s eyes burned and she dropped her head. There was no worry about embarrassing herself by tearing up, no need to scramble for an excuse and blame the smoke or allergies for the moisture in her eyes. She was pretty sure she’d cried every one of her tears into her pillow a month ago.

“And all I ever needed was the one

Like freedom fields where wild horses run

When stars collide like you and I

No shadows block the sun”

Diana looked over to the stage again when the entire room joined in on singing the last line of the chorus.

“You're all I ever needed.

Ooh, Baby, you're the one.”

He was singing to her. In a crowded room of his peers, he was declaring his love for his partner. And people were cheering.

Diana swiveled her seat to face the bar, swallowing the lump in her throat, just as the bartender returned with her second cocktail. She could tell by the color in the glass he’d mixed this one even stronger and she made a mental note to double his tip.

“Mmm. So that’s why the long face, huh?” he surmised. “The one that got away?” he asked, hitching a thumb toward the stage as Fox continued his serenade.

“Oh, you’re good. Maybe you should come work for us,” she said, sarcastically, smirking up at him from behind her glass.

Diana began to feel the effects of the Jameson and she welcomed the relief. She was just so tired. Fox was the only good thing about returning to the states. She had been excited about reconnecting with him. His loyalty and his relentless search for answers about Samantha were the only things Diana was sure of, and she’d counted on those things, needed those things, in order to accomplish her mission. Instead she’d found herself heartbroken, confused, exhausted and in very real danger of failing. Her mind hadn’t been quiet for a month, and the whiskey was a welcome, though temporary, respite.

David Callahan and his magic elixir successfully distracted her from the thoughts and feelings she’d been drowning in. She nursed the last few sips of her third before grabbing her coat and slipping unnoticed out into the cool night to wait near the alley for her cab.

To her relief, she never ran into Fox, never had to school her features and fake a smile, never had to congratulate his partner—his professional partner whose cast was decorated in drawings of alien heads and “Spooky was here” scrawled in Sharpie. Karaoke was still in full swing. She’d wanted to leave before she was subjected to The Dana Scully Serenade, Part II.

The corner was dark and she hoped the cab would arrive soon. She sobered some in the chill of the night and was slowly being consumed again by the heavy weight of her life’s choices. Without Fox on her side it was hard to keep convincing herself she was doing the right thing.

Diana sighed heavily and leaned against the back corner of Callahans. The sound of a door banging open only a few feet away echoed in the quiet night and she stiffened, suddenly on guard. Music bled briefly into the alley and she settled again, expecting a waft of acrid smoke from a hurried break or the banging of a dumpster lid.

But there was no smoke, and no garbage. Only the sound of whispers and shuffling feet. Diana finally peeked around the corner into the alley—and immediately regretted it.

Not even six feet from her, Fox stood with his partner pinned to the alley wall. Agent Scully’s skirt was rucked up over her hips, allowing her legs the freedom to wrap around his waist and her ankles to cross, cradling him more tightly against her. Her pumps clattered onto the cobblestone and his hands ran from her knees, over the lace trim of her thigh highs, to her bare ass, giving it a squeeze. He whispered into her mouth filthy words, telling her how she made him feel, how hard she made him, how he couldn’t wait to be inside her again, that he loved how wet she always got for him. He ground his hips into her and she whimpered.

Diana turned and ran. She shouldn’t have come. This wasn’t just a reenactment of what she experienced in his apartment. This was worse. This felt like punishment. And she deserved every bit of it. She deserved it for leaving, for following the MUFON women, for every Morley she smoked—all of it.

Her ride approached and she signaled it to stay where it was. She arrived at the cab breathless, her hands shaking as she pulled on the door handle, crawled into the back seat, and collapsed.

The cabbie waited as she took a minute to collect herself and close the door. “You okay, Miss?” he asked, handing her a few tissues.

Diana was unsettled by her reflection in the cabbie’s rearview mirror. She must not have been out of tears after all. Black streaks of makeup trickled down over her cheeks while her chest heaved and her hands continued to shake. She looked worn and old and used up. Ninety minutes, she was in that pub. It took only ninety minutes for her outsides to match her insides. An hour and a half to completely wreck her. The realization was just what she needed to pull herself back together.

Swiping away the tears and makeup, she pulled her shoulders back and held her head high. “Yes, thank you. Will you take me to the Marriott, please?”

The cab pulled away, passing the alley where Fox loved Dana Scully. The place where she’d received an epiphany. The place where she made a choice to survive as long as she could, until Fox needed her.

And she was thinking. She was always thinking.

@today-in-fic

[meriahdominique]

Casino 'I got a bonanza!' Hundreds pack Catawbas' NC club on first day of the season

Jason Brewer had recently entered the Catawba Indian Nation's new gaming office in Kings Mountain on Thursday morning when he sat at a Mega Wheel Spin gaming machine and the screen, not 10 minutes after the fact, lit up.

"I got a big stake!" Brewer said out loud. "Two lords."

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Was it simply chance that he wore his highly contrasting Hard Rock Hotel and Casino "My Lucky Slot Machine" T-shirt and arrived on two lords, which fortuitously, is the name of the Catawbas' club?

Brewer joined many different players from across the Carolinas and past who'd arranged external the single-story, 500-gambling machine office on its first day of the season.

The every minute of every day office is the principal period of the arranged $273 million Two Kings Casino Resort. Work on a bigger "brief" club fabricating close by is booked to start by the end of the year and require about a year to complete, the Observer recently announced.

Club authorities made the ways for players no less than an hour prior to its booked early afternoon opening Thursday, after a formal strip cutting drove by Catawba Chief Bill Harris. He called the opening "bound to happen" and said the club would "change the face" of the Rock Hill-based clan "at the present time as well as into the future."The function hadn't finished when many vehicles anticipating a parking spot lined the parking area passageway and Kings Mountain Boulevard at Interstate 85 Exit 5. The part has 649 spaces.

Card sharks FLOCK TO CASINO

Like Brewer, around twelve or so players met by The Charlotte Observer said they brought a limited measure of money — $100 or $200 — and would leave after the cash ran out.

Each and every player met by the Observer likewise said they'd at this point don't travel three or four hours to one of the two gambling clubs claimed by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the North Carolina mountains. The Cherokee work the solitary two different gambling clubs in the state.

In an explanation in December, Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians said his clan was "confronting rivalry from all sides," the Cherokee One Feather paper detailed. The Catawba gambling club, he said, "represents a possible loss of income to our Tribe that could undoubtedly surpass $100 million."

Lumbee Indians Lonnie and Barbara Locklear drove from Robeson County to the Catawba gambling club. The retired people, both 81, "simply appreciate moving away from home" and visited the Cherokee gambling club in Cherokee a few times each year, Lonnie Locklear said. Their joined 먹튀없

는 카지노사이트

spending limit at a club is $300, he said.

"It's pleasant, it's pretty," Barbara Locklear said of the Catawba club and its 500 splendid and beautiful gambling machines, as the couple played at Mega Wheel Spin gaming machines.

"We'll be back," her better half said, regardless of being $60 down as he talked with a correspondent.

Charlene Gaines of Saluda, S.C., was so amped up for the gambling club opening that she took a vacation day from work at an assembling plant that makes soup bundles. She didn't reveal to her manager why she required the day away from work.

She took $3,000 to spend at the club, Gaines said.  

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"I'm a card shark," the 54-year-old said. "I just left Vegas," where she'd went through seven days. "I needed to come here and take a shot."

"It just gave me $64," Gaines said of the Double Easy Money gambling machine she played Thursday morning. "So I'm about right at the present time."

Brewer, the Winston-Salem occupant, headed to the club with his folks, James and Gail Brewer, a separate 84 and 79 years of age.

He displayed with $100 and pulled out an extra $300 from an ATM.

"I simply have some good times," Brewer said.. "It's incredible up until now. I'll be back."

[winstonscgroup-blog]

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[admiralty-xfd]

Culmination

This is chapter 8. To go to the beginning please click here.

NAVIGATION

SCULLY

(post all things)

Monday morning.

Oh God, oh God, oh God.

She smoothes out her skirt and adjusts her hair as she stands outside the basement office door. This is, without a doubt, going to be the single most awkward day of her life. Even if everything goes fine, the huge change in their dynamic is going to be ever present.

A vivid flashback of the night before enters her mind and she tries to push it away. How is she going to work with him with that on her mind? When he is in her immediate space every minute?

She really hasn’t thought this through properly.

What if he’s upset with her for leaving in the middle of the night? What if he regrets it all and tells her it can never happen again?

Or worse, worse, what if he simply carries on like nothing ever happened? That's been their modus operandi for longer than she cares to remember. She hopes at least that much has changed. She prays that much has changed.

There’s really only one way to find out. She takes a deep breath and opens the door.

He’s there, feet up on the desk, reading a case file.

Jesus, he’s gorgeous.

He notices her enter and puts the file down, starting to get up. He grins, a playful glint in his eyes as if he has something up his sleeve. She gives him a small, inquisitive smile.

He faces her, the desk between them. Slowly, he moves his arms to one side, and with a sweeping whoosh he pushes every single item from the desk to the floor. As she looks on in mock horror, he pats the desk and waggles his eyebrows deliciously, with a smile that could melt Antarctica.

She bursts out laughing, wholesome bubbling laughter she rarely lets anyone see. Leave it to Mulder to figure out how to so perfectly break the tension.

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe you just did that.”

“I’ve been planning that all morning,” he replies proudly. Standing with his hands on his hips, he surveys the damage. “I thought maybe it would be worth all the cleanup.”

She laughs again, so relieved. Oh, it was.

Suddenly he’s come around the desk, crossed the carpet and is standing right in front of her, searching her face. Whatever permission he’s looking for in her expression he must find because now he’s kissing her, right there in the office.

She’s so relieved and happy he’s not upset or distant that she lets him kiss her, kisses him back, even seriously considers throwing him down on the desk right then and there and fulfilling another one of her well-worn fantasies, but something about being at work puts her in her right mind and after a moment she gently puts her hand on his chest and stops the kiss.

As he pulls away he looks confused. She can tell he’s wondering if he misinterpreted everything, and that’s the last thing she wants him to think. They’ve come too far to take a step backward now.

Her eyes meet his, sharing an unspoken truth, and she can see him relax. They’ve always been good at communicating with just their eyes, when they’re both willing to see.

She takes his tie in her hand and tugs at it a bit, the cool silk suddenly feeling like one of her own possessions. “Not at work, Mulder.”

He puts both hands up in resignation and grins at her. “Yep, sorry. You’re right.”

He backs up and leans against the desk. God, he looks so good in his suit. It’s the gray one with that cornflower blue shirt she loves. She revels in a simple freedom she can now enjoy without all the awkwardness: just the sight of him.

He continues. “I couldn’t help myself. To be able to do that, it’s… it’s new. I like it.”

“I like it too.”

They unabashedly gaze at one another for a few moments. It’s possibly even better than sex, at least right now, to finally be able to just look at him and not have to quickly avert her eyes to study the wall or a plant or an X File.

They understand one another in a new way, maybe not completely, but last night they both admitted a singular truth to each other that neither could deny for much longer, and that alone is so freeing.

“Why didn’t you stay?” He sounds a bit nervous. She tries to give him a reason not to be.

“I don’t know. You fell asleep, and I just… it sounds silly, I know, but it’s your space.” He looks a bit hurt. “I had to go home to get ready for work.” He doesn’t seem to be buying any one of these excuses. “I don’t know. At the time it felt like the right thing to do. I’m sorry. I’ll stay over next time, if you want me to." Her eyes widen as she catches herself. “You know, I mean, if... there’s a next time.”

His body loses its tension as he smiles, seemingly accepting her mea culpa. “I certainly hope there will be.”

She relaxes a bit and smiles. “Well.”

She knows they are supposed to talk about what happened but she doesn’t want to here, not now. And if she’s being perfectly honest with herself, maybe not ever. They’ve never been great with conversations that have to do with personal stuff and she’s not surprised it’s no different now.

She wonders how long they’ll be able to keep this up without having to talk about it. Maybe fucking and not talking about it is all this will end up being. She inwardly curses their inability to behave like grownups.

They are interrupted anyway by AD Skinner. Mulder’s eyes dart to the doorway as Scully hears footsteps and she whips around, the imposing figure of their boss standing there, taking in his surroundings.

For the first time ever, she feels self-conscious around him, as if he’s judging her. It’s hard to tell if he suspects anything, but it’s hard to tell with Skinner about most things. One thing is for sure: she doesn’t want him to know what’s going on between her and Mulder.

“Good morning, sir.”

She thinks she sounds normal, but who knows? Mulder shifts to standing from his leaning position on the desk and his hands go to his tie, straightening it. He nods at their boss and smiles. He never smiles at Skinner before nine in the morning and between the smile and the scattered mess across the floor by the desk she worries the jig may be up.

“Uh..” Skinner surveys the floor, confusion knitting his brow. “Everything okay in here?”

“Yeah, we’re... redecorating,” Mulder offers lamely.

Oh, my God. If she could, she would sink into the floor. And they’re already standing in the basement.

“Do you need something, sir?” Scully tries to move this along.

She suspects Skinner knows what’s going on as well as everyone else in the FBI they’ve ever crossed paths with over the years. She curses the unfairness that they hadn’t started sleeping together years ago, since everybody probably thought they were anyway.

Skinner’s gruff voice is all business. “I’m headed to Winston-Salem for a security detail, some high-up whistleblower at a tobacco company set to testify tomorrow morning. I wanted to check in with you two before I leave.”

“Oh. Uh… we’re fine!” she says a bit too brightly. “I think we have plenty of paperwork to keep us busy here for a couple days at least... Mulder?” She turns around almost maniacally and he’s doing everything he can not to look at her.

“Yep. We’re good. Have a nice flight, sir.”

Skinner narrows his eyes.

“Stay out of trouble, okay? It would be nice for once to not have to get a call about you two while I’m out in the field.”

Mulder crosses his arms. “We don’t have any plans for trouble, do we, Scully?”

“No, sir, trouble is not on the agenda this week.”

Skinner looks at the mess on the floor, looks at the desk, gives them one final long look, and walks out.

It isn’t until she hears the elevator doors close that Scully lets out a breath she doesn’t realize she’s been holding. She tilts her head slightly to eye Mulder behind her, then spins. “This could get complicated.”

“Only if we let it, Scully,” he replies conspiratorially, as he bends down and starts picking up the mess. “Aw,” he pouts and shows her an unfortunate casualty: his alien mug, the handle broken off.

“I guess planning this all morning didn’t involve moving your favorite mug off the desk?” she teases.

“Well, I admit I did have other things on my mind.” His voice has dropped an octave. His eyes lock with hers and her stomach contracts.

“Okay, seriously Mulder, you need to cut that out, or this is going to be an extremely long day.”

He grins. “Message received.”

She crouches down to help him pick up his things. They clean up the office in a companionable silence and when they finish, they both stand and look at each other, not saying a word.

“Please tell me you do actually have something work related to talk about,” she finally says.

“Thought you’d never ask,” he exhales gratefully as he picks up his projector remote and hits the button.

MULDER

(Je Souhaite)

He doesn’t really remember ever being this happy. Maybe when he was a child, before Samantha disappeared, before the darkness started closing in on him. Snippets of memories still occasionally flash across his mind of a time when things were simple, even normal. He hasn’t known much of anything except darkness for most of his life.

But when Scully is near, he can almost see his way out. In moments when they were together before, and moments when they are together now, she is the one thing in his miserable existence that can bring him joy, can bring him hope. For the first time in his life he wonders if there could be something else ahead, something different.

The darkness is powerful, however, and it hasn’t released its grasp on him yet. He’s used to it, and while he knows it’s probably not healthy, it’s a comfort. An addiction.

Maybe now he can become addicted to her instead.

The last few weeks have been a wonderful blur. Every day a new endeavor, a new adventure, but instead of discovering new monsters and conspiracies they are discovering parts of each other they’ve been unable to before now.

They are navigating a transition from friends to something else, even though they aren’t quite sure yet what that is. They’ve gone from standing unbearably close without the ability to bridge that distance, to having trouble keeping their hands off each other.

They've also been making and breaking new rules. Such as:

Rule #1: never at work. They’ve broken this rule exactly four times. He‘s not sorry.

Rule #2: no telling anyone else they know. Not family, not friends, not fellow FBI agents. They don’t say why, but they both know it’s because even they don’t know exactly what they are, not yet.

And rule #3: never, ever discuss what any of it means or what they mean to each other. This one they hadn’t actually verbally formulated, it just seemed to be a rule neither of them would break.

It feels juvenile, not talking about exactly what their relationship is becoming. But he’ll gladly take it, because juvenile or not, it’s better than ever.

He’s always wondered how having a sexual relationship would alter the way they interacted with each other while at work, and luckily they seem to be able to slip in and out of professional mode more easily than he anticipated. But it hasn’t stopped him from constantly thinking about their last liaison and their next one. It’s been fun having some actual real sexual encounters with her to replay over and over through his mind, to replace the hundreds of fantasies he’s had to make up over the years.

He thinks of the Lazarus Bowl premiere in Los Angeles, the two of them trying to get the movie’s stink off themselves in the back of a limousine, making out like a couple of teenagers headed to prom. They’d become experts at hiding their new relationship from the people they needed to, this poor limo driver a rare exception. The combination of the Bureau credit card Skinner offered them, a bit too much champagne and groping hands that couldn’t quite wait until they got back to Scully’s hotel room had added up to one of the greatest nights of his life. Technically, it hadn’t been a work trip, they agreed. Mulder’s room remained vacant that night.

He thinks of her apartment, which he really prefers, where he slept over after they’d beaten each other senseless under the influence of some troublesome doppelgängers. He loves being at her place, it feels like more of a home to him. Not only because it feels like her, but because he can’t help but associate his own place with loneliness.

And even during their case in North Carolina, before he thought he might die from exposure to the tobacco beetle larvae in his lungs. He almost has to laugh at the ridiculous situations the two of them get into while on this job. It took two weeks for him to recover and it was the longest two weeks of his life. Then when he thought the nicotine treatment might have sparked an addiction, it only took a single stern look from her to veto that idea.

Now they are on a flight to Creve Coeur, Missouri for an X File having to do with a man who inexplicably lost his entire mouth. Air travel is now a special form of torture for him, forced to be in such close proximity with her while thinking about whatever it was they’d done the night before. He’s read the case file twice and the movie is some terrible disaster with Sandra Bullock in a rehab facility.

Scully’s reading a book, but he knows she isn’t really reading because she hasn’t turned a page in ten minutes. He wonders if she’s thinking about him. He has nothing else to do, so he just watches her. It’s always been a favorite hobby of his, whether he’d admit it to himself or not. She’s pretending not to notice. After the fifth or sixth time he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, she closes the book and turns to him.

“Mulder. You have to settle down.”

“I’m sorry, I’m trying. You look so cute with your reading glasses on. You should wear those more often.”

“Staring isn’t polite.”

“It’s not staring, it’s gazing, Scully. And it’s all I really can do in such a public area when we aren’t even supposed to be doing anything in the first place, so carry on with whatever it is you’re pretending to read.”

She puts her book in the seat pocket and raises the armrest between them. She kicks her shoes off, tucking her legs underneath her, and interlaces their fingers together as she rests her head on his shoulder.

“You need to relax, Mulder. No one is watching us.”

“Fantastic. Wanna join the mile high club, then?”

“Oh, are you a member?”

“Well, no. But I wouldn’t mind applying.”

He can hear her laughing softly and settles his head on top of hers. They fall asleep for the rest of the flight, and no one around pays them any mind.

***

There’s a huge yacht in a trailer park, Anson Stokes’ dead body is invisible, and Mulder is pretty damn sure there’s an actual jinni involved. And maybe, just maybe, Scully has finally got the hard evidence she’s sought for longer than he cares to admit.

They’ve agreed not to fraternize while on the job but it’s been a long day and he just wants to be near her.

Fuck it, he thinks, he’s never been one to abide by the rules. He hopes someday they’ll be able to break them all but for now he’ll settle for this one.

He knocks on her motel room door, no answer. He knows she’s in there so he uses the key she gave him to let himself in, you know, just in case. He’s not really worried but if he has to use it as an excuse he will.

“Scully?” he calls tentatively into the room and closes the door behind him.

Quiet for a second, but then:

“I thought we agreed no fraternizing while on assignment, Mulder.” Coming from the bathroom.

Ooh, she’s in the bathtub. If she was doing anything else in there she’d definitely have told him to get lost by now. He grins mischievously to himself and tiptoes over, nudging the door open a crack. He doesn’t look in yet but talks through the door.

“I have some very important casework to go over with you Scully, and it really cannot wait another minute.”

He hears her sigh, the water sloshing a bit as she moves. “Muuuuuulderrrr. I have the researchers from Harvard Medical coming in tomorrow to look at my invisible man and I’m trying not to stress out about it. Can’t you come back later?”

He decides to torment her a bit more. “I believe this is very important stuff, Scully.”

“Fine, I’ll be out in a minute.” He can tell she’s rolling her eyes.

He enters the room to stop her, “No, no, you stay put. I’ll just go over it with you in here.”

She raises a quizzical brow but obliges. One thing he knows for sure about Scully, she would never willingly get out of the bathtub, not if she can help it.

“Mulder, what are you up to?”

“Nothing!” He overplays his affronted look.

A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth but it quickly disappears and she groans. “I haven’t really been feeling very well tonight.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, my stomach feels weird. Just kind of nauseated. Maybe nerves, I suppose.”

He sits on the toilet seat and lifts her nearest foot out of the water, places it in his lap and massages it.

“That’s sexy, Scully.”

“I’m not trying to be.”

His eyes travel along the path of her body underneath the bubbles, leaving just enough to the imagination for him to handle knowing they won’t get anywhere tonight.

“Well, you’re failing miserably.”

She smiles and closes her eyes, laying her head against the back of the tub. It occurs to him she probably hasn’t heard this enough over the past seven years, certainly not from him. She’s deserved better. He makes a mental note to tell her more often.

“Anyway,” he continues, rubbing her foot. “This very important… work related... stuff.”

“Now I feel bad,” she says, eyes still closed. “You were just trying to be cute and I ruined it.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” he replies. “I didn’t really plan it out much. As is evident by my lack of actual work-related stuff to talk about. Although I do think we should find that jinni woman and question her in the morning.”

She opens her eyes. “You have fun with that, Mulder, I get to show a group of stuffy scientists an actual invisible man tomorrow and I’m having a really hard time thinking about anything else right now.”

Mulder sighs. “Well all right, then,” he starts to put her foot back into the water but she guides it back up into his hand.

“Almost anything else,” she grins.

***

After her crushing disappointment following the disappearance of Anson Stokes’ invisible body, Scully isn’t in the best of moods the following day. Mulder isn’t terribly surprised but gives her some space anyway. Besides, the jinni has given him three wishes to make and he needs to focus. He doesn’t want to waste them.

That night, after the fiasco with the wishes is all over, he invites Scully to his apartment.

“Caddyshack, Mulder?” she snorts, noting his movie choice.

“It’s a classic American movie.”

“That’s what every guy says. It’s a guy movie.”

He grins. “You invite me to your place, and we’ll watch Steel Magnolias.” He’s kidding. He knows she’d be more likely to pick The Exorcist.

As the movie starts up, he takes a sip of his Shiner Bock. He’d tried to make the world a better place today with his three wishes, he really had. Unfortunately he’d accidentally blown his first two wishes and then there was really only one thing left to do.

He looks at Scully, knowing she’s wondering. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I never made the world a happier place.”

“Well, I’m fairly happy. That’s something,” she says, smiling up at him.

He grins. How the hell did he get so damn lucky?

“So… what was your final wish, anyway?”

He looks at her and takes a sip of his beer. “You really want to know?”

“Yeah.”

“I wished her free.” He makes a finger waving gesture.

Scully’s eyebrow goes up and she breaks into a huge smile. “You wished her free? You mean like in ‘Aladdin?’”

“What?”

“The Disney movie. You literally picked a Disney ending.”

“Never seen it.”

“How have you not seen it?”

“I’m more of a turd-in-the-pool kind of guy.”

She turns back to the movie and takes a swig. “Yeah. I sure know how to pick ‘em.”

He puts his arm around her and pulls her in close, kissing the top of her head.

“Give me a break, all right? It was the right thing to do.”

She shrugs. “I can think of a few things I’d have asked for.”

“Like what?”

She looks up at him. Then turns back to the TV and smiles to herself. “I’ll never tell.”

He can think of a few things himself, but in the moment he knew there was only one right answer. “Well, I’ve already got the only thing I’d have wished for,” he says.

She turns to look up into his eyes, his gaze magnetic. “You know, I never thought of you as a romantic. You really keep me guessing, Mulder.”

He sets his beer on the table, leans in and kisses her, one hand around her shoulder and the other taking her own beer out of her hand.

They don’t make it very far into the movie.

Thanks for reading! See you back here for the next chapter tomorrow. To continue reading, click the link at the top of this post.

[sitinthelight]

So I’m not moving until around the end of August

Kinda sucks but at the same time, it gives me time to catch up because I am NOT ready to move in two weeks like originally planned.

It gives me time to save money to create a better cushion for myself and moving out expenses because who knows how long it’ll take for me to find a job when I move home.

Only thing is, I want to break up with Zach before my birthday. Like officially break up. Less tears from me and more words coming out of my mouth. So that will be....a situation in the making. 

I don’t want to be in this town for that long but I can at least keep working for a little more than a month and save because I need to save as much as I can. I’m so fucking stressed. This kind of takes a weight off my shoulders.

I’m also really proud of myself? I didn’t want to wait for Zach to get back to talk to the apartment’s office so I went there BY MYSELF. BY MYSELF. YOU GUYS, I talked to someone of authority BY MYSELF. 

The apartment manager was super busy and there by himself but honestly, he is great. He explained the situation to me and I could tell he was bracing for me to argue with him but then I could see the relief lift from him when I didn’t and was just chill about everything. Like, I just wanted to know what our options are. I take ownership of the fact that we fucked up and it’s our responsibility to abide by the contract we signed. He laid everything out in clear terms because I read the stupid contract several times and still couldn’t figure out what it wanted from us.

Did I feel nauseous before going in and while waiting? Yep. But it went well and even though we have to pay rent for one more month, it really isn’t that bad because it’s prorated. So yay me? I did a thing and I’m proud of it because it tells me that I really am getting better with my social anxiety. 

Honestly, I still kind of want to move to Charlotte immediately. I’m so fucking impatient. I couldn’t afford it no matter how much I’d be able to save up in this next month and a half. I just want to be closer to him. I want the immediate comfort of knowing someone is right there who wants to be around me. 

I don’t really look forward to living with my mom and sister. Their apartment will be cramped with me their but they managed me and my dad staying there before so just me isn’t bad. There is just so much to do. I have to get plastic to wrap my couches and bed and furniture in. I plan to get a storage unit here since Winston Salem is close on the way between Wilson and Charlotte. It would be cheaper to only need to rent out a truck or van for moving things in town than it would be to haul it all back to Wilson. Plus, when I do move to Charlotte, I only have to take a slight detour to get my things. 

Honestly, I plan to get rid of quite a few things. I can replace them later. I’m going to redo Oz’s pen. I’ll save the c&c wires from his current one but I want to get rid of the base and make a new one. I want him to have a two story pen. My mom already has a pen set up for him at her place so he’ll be fine in the meantime. I also am contemplating getting rid of the coffee tables and getting new ones. Like, Zach destroyed the main coffee table. I literally have coasters all over the fucking place and he still manages to put his sweaty drinks bare on the tables which pisses me off. They’re old anyway so like, I’m okay with replacing them with ones I’ll like more. My mom doesn’t like it but she gave them to me, she doesn’t need them. She literally has several coffee tables chilling in her attic right now. 

I also can’t wait to get rid of all the things Zach’s mom has gotten me. Like that is mean to say but in the last few years, his mom and my mom have given me way too many useless things. My mom stopped because I begged her to. I didn’t need anything more for the kitchen. THERE IS NO SPACE FOR MORE DISHES. I don’t feel bad when any of them break. Truth be told, I’d be down for getting rid of most of them and replacing them too. But his mom....gives me so much clutter. Pictures that I’ll never put up because they have sayings I don’t care for or don’t relate to. Mermaid everything. FUcking everything. She gave me a pair of pink glitter converse. When I say glitter, the whole fucking shoe is covered in pink glitter from the sole to the laces. I hate them. I will never wear them. She gave me mermaid converses too, I don’t hate them but like...when will I wear them? I haven’t worn converses in years. I’ve switched to vans but honestly, because of work, I rarely wear anything that isn’t considered “professional”. My flat collection has really grown.  I’m just going on about dumb things. She’s given me things that are useless to me. We’ll keep it at that and I am thrilled to be able to get rid of these things unless she’d like them back. 

Well, on the funner side of things, I’m doing something really fun (to me and one other person) at the end of August, like 5 days after I move out. I’m excited. Really nervous but excited so we’ll see how that goes. Also, classes start around that time so like, I’m stressed. Honestly, I may just delay going back to school for another semester. I’m sure my advisor would understand but I have until the end of July to decide. I should go ahead and get some of it over with now. We’ll see. All of this is let’s wait to see if Monica can get her shit together for once in her life.

[jennifferhollowell]

6635 Linville Ridge Dr Oak Ridge NC 27310 | Home for Sale

Experience ultimate relaxation and privacy in a stunning property in Oak Ridge

Beautiful, elegant, and spacious, this home for sale in Oak Ridge is nothing short of spectacular!

Tucked away on a 1.45-acre lot, this expansive property delivers the comfort of modern living with the peaceful and serene lifestyle you are looking for.

This pristine home offers an incredibly generous living space of  4,200-5,000 square feet of living space with 4 bedrooms and 4.1 bathrooms. The backyard backs to the woods, ensuring outstanding views and lush foliage.

You'll love the architectural details of this spacious home from its covered portico, arched windows, and wood floors, to its vaulted ceiling and more.

Set about five minutes away from the heart of Oak Ridge, this home gives you easy access to the comforts and amenities of living close to the town while enjoying the privacy you deserve.

Bask in the light and space of this Linville Ridge home

Open the stunning arched door with beveled glass panes and brace yourself for the elegance and warmth flowing throughout the house.

Feel right at home as you step on a good-sized entryway that opens to a spacious open floor layout.

Directly across the front entry is a large great room that exudes a warm and inviting appeal, thanks to its wall of windows.

Featuring 17' vaulted ceilings, gorgeous built-in bookcases for displaying all your favorite things, and an incredible custom mantle surrounding the gas fireplace,  this living room is perfect for both grand scale entertaining and an intimate gathering of friends.

Enjoy a relaxing view of the screened porch and backyard through the large windows.

Next to the living space is a breakfast area with plenty of space for the whole family.

This home in Oak Ridge NC has a truly impressive gourmet kitchen, merging modern appliances and tasteful design.

Your inner chef is sure to shine in this state-of-the-art kitchen with its granite counters, double convection oven, 5-burner gas stove top, and custom cabinetry.

There’s also a custom built-in bar or desk space complete with wine rack, beadboard backsplash and backlit patterned glass cabinetry.

The farmhouse sink and custom panel dishwasher are located on the massive island.

If you love to entertain, this kitchen is a match for you!

For holidays, special occasions, or whenever you feel like having a more formal dining setup, there is a formal dining room featuring 12'ceilings, wainscoting, heavy crown moldings and a massive arched picture window for a fabulous dining experience.

The massive windows allow natural light to stream in, lending this space the feeling of warmth and cheer.

Spacious and bright, this dining room can easily fit a dining table for six. Invite your friends over and bond over your favorite dishes!

Need a fantastic flex space? This elegant room flanks the other side of the entry and could be used as an office, sitting, play or piano room!

Boasting of generous floor space, tons of natural light, custom  4' tray ceiling, and its own private bathroom, this room is ideal for your private retreat. It is stylish and comfortable, well-lighted yet cozy.

This room also has direct access to the lovely screened porch where you can relax while enjoying your morning coffee or evening glass of wine.

The ensuite comes with a huge walk-in closet, a large garden tub, his and hers vanity sinks, excellent cabinetry work with tons of storage, and heated tile floors to keep you warm in the morning.

Enjoy the ultimate showering experience, thanks to the large walk-in shower with a huge rain head.

This bathroom spared no expenses so you can feel pampered, relaxed, and comfortable.

More living spaces await you upstairs!

A home built for entertainment cannot be complete without more space you can use for more recreational space.

A massive 41' long sun-drenched room with a full bathroom is waiting for you on the second level of this home. You can turn this space into anything you want. The possibilities are endless!

For the ultimate relaxation, head to the screened porch which offers an unhindered view of nature at any weather. A cozy gas fireplace, beautifully stained beadboard ceiling and brick floor are the key features of this outdoor living space.

When you long for fresh air and al fresco dining, step onto the large patio of this home which comes with built-in gas grill, bar area, and gas fire pit. Furnish this patio with several outdoor chairs and a table, and you can enjoy al fresco dining when the weather is great.

Do you dream of a home with a pool? You can build one on the spacious backyard. The owners thoughtfully had the septic tank placed along the back of the property for just that!

A laundry room, a mud room, home office, and a three-car garage complete the features of this generously-spaced property for sale in Oak Ridge NC.

Live in the premier community of Linville Ridge

On top of this home's amazing features, it is conveniently located in Linville Ridge, a small custom neighborhood on approximately 1 acre lots located about 5 minutes away from the heart of Oak Ridge with shopping and restaurants. Oak Ridge Town Park and the sports fields are right down the street!

Students in this neighborhood attend the Oak Ridge Elementary School, Northwest Guilford Middle School, or Northwest Guilford High School, all highly rated public schools.

Linville Ridge is just minutes from Greensboro, Kernersville, and Winston-Salem.

This neighborhood also gives you easy access to Piedmont Triad International Airport, 15 minutes away.

Call now!

This magnificent Oak Ridge NC home for sale delivers luxury, privacy, and retreat and it can be yours now.

Don’t miss this opportunity to own the home of your dreams! Call me, Jennifer Hollowell,  at 336-926-9519 to see this home’s exceptional features and amenities for yourself.

In case you can not view this video here, please click the link below to view 6635 Linville Ridge Dr Oak Ridge NC 27310│Home for Sale on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/KgxwoRe33rU

[rocketwerks]

Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters

AKA Altria Headquarters 6601 West Broad Street Built, 1958 Architects, Gordon Bunshaft (building) of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Charles F. Gillette (landscape) VDHR 043-0242

January 1019

Richmond's showplace for aluminum.

(VDHR) — 1999 nomination photo

Conceived as the joint vision of company founder, Richard Samuel Reynolds, Sr. and the world's premier corporate architect, Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the headquarters is a monumental testament to architectural excellence. Classically elegant and subtly innovative, the International Style Executive Office Building is an archetype of suburban corporate headquarters: a medium-height office building in a park-like setting. The four-story courtyard building, like a palazzo, has a clearly defined base supporting the piano nobile, the upper stories, and the cornice. Architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson said of the headquarters that it "exemplifies the genius and promise of post World War II American modernism utilizing modern materials such as glass, steel, and especially aluminum, the Reynolds also makes use of time tested forms such as the palazzo type of format, and the courtyard".

(NCPedia) — R. J. Reynolds 

The Reynolds family rose to prominence in the transitional period that gave birth to the New South. Sons of Hardin W. Reynolds, a prosperous farmer of Patrick County, Virginia, A. D. and R. J. Reynolds saw that the agricultural economy of their childhood must be supplanted by a more diverse and inventive model. Both brothers started tobacco companies, R. J. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and A. D. in Bristol, Tennessee. Over the next decades, the tobacco industry emerged as one of the largest sectors of the nation's economy, principally through the creative marketing and packaging ideas practiced by companies like R. J. Reynolds Tobacco.

In 1903 while A. D. Reynolds' son Richard was a law student at the University of Virginia, his uncle R. J. induced him to apply his talents at the elder Reynolds' business in Winston-Salem. In the ten years he worked for his uncle, R. S. applied innovative ideas and marketing skills that elevated the company to a major force in the industry. With "Prince Albert in a Can" R. S. Reynolds introduced one of many industry-wide innovations, replacing cheesecloth bags with moisture-proof tin containers. Camel cigarettes were also introduced under the younger Reynolds' aegis, packaged in metal foil for freshness.

(Richard Reynolds Foundation) — R .S. Reynolds

R .S. Reynolds left the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1913 and with his brothers founded a soap-making company in Bristol, Tennessee.  As World War I came to a close R. S. Reynolds realized that there was a need for more and more specialized containers. When R. J. Reynolds Tobacco and British-American Tobacco faced a war-induced shortage of tin foil for cigarette packaging, Reynolds Corporation stepped in to produce lead and tin foils. In 1919 the three companies launched a partnership called the U.S. Foil Company, located in Louisville, Kentucky.

(Pinterest)

By 1924 the success of single-level assembly-line production methods enabled U.S. Foil to buy out its partners and also acquire its first subsidiary, the Eskimo Pie Company, which produced a frozen confection requiring metal foil packaging. With major clients dependant on foil production, Reynolds began to explore the possibilities of aluminum: it was lighter in weight than tin, and the yield per pound was greater. In 1926 U.S. Foil began production of aluminum foil. The next decade witnessed a great expansion of the company, now called Reynolds Metals, and more uses and greater facilities for production of aluminum were found.

(World Vector Logo) — Reynolds Metals logo

Executive offices relocated to New York City, a foil-rolling plant was acquired in Richmond, Virginia, another plant opened in Havana, Cuba. Soon an array of new products entered the market: high-speed gravure-printed foil, aluminum bottle labels, heat-sealed foil bags for foods, and foil-laminated building insulation paper. Reynolds Metals did not wait for industries to seek out its packaging. Rather, the company developed products that fostered new industries and markets.

(Pinterest) — 1957 advertisement

In 1938 the executive offices of the company were moved to Richmond, Virginia, and the untiring company president, now assisted by his sons, continued the research into new uses for aluminum. It was due in large part to Reynolds Metals relocation to the city that Richmond enjoyed relative prosperity and an increasing volume of industrial sales during the late 1930s. Reynolds employees worked in three continuous shifts to meet wartime demand in the early 1940s. In 1947 Richmond became the first test market for Reynold's Wrap, which was introduced to local housewives by Reynolds saleswomen stationed in Miller & Rhoads' lingerie department. A subsequent string of aluminum automotive, packaging and building products transformed modem life. As buildings used more aluminum components, the savings of transporting this light weight, energy efficient material made more resources available for other enterprise.

(Rocket Werks RVA Postcards) — showing entrance canopy at center

Richard S. Reynolds, Jr. succeeded his father as president of Reynolds Metals in 1948, continuing the exploration of new uses for aluminum, and the expansion of production here and abroad. It was during his stewardship that the 300,000 square-foot headquarters building was built, showcasing aluminum as a building material. Richard S. Reynolds, Jr. welcomed employees to the new company headquarters with a brochure that described the comforts of the building's air-conditioning, its sun-louvers, and perpetual "Music by Muzak" in glowing terms. The glass-and-aluminum curtain walls of the Executive Office Building represented state-of-the-art design: the use of aluminum was transforming building practices in ways exemplified in the new building. The cantilevered aluminum entrance canopy pushed the limits of the metal's structural capacities. Aluminum threads in carpets and draperies heralded new possibilities. These advances in the building industry were no overnight occurrence but had been signaled earlier with aluminum-backed building papers and in 1945 when Reynolds introduced aluminum siding.

(Medium) — George Bunshaft

Architect Gordon Bunshaft attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was recruited to join Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1937. Bunshaft's genius lay in an aesthetic reductivism. He could pare a building's elements to refined elegance. This propensity is embodied in the Reynolds' headquarters and at the landmark Philip Moms Cigarette Manufacturing Plant just south of Richmond.

[COC]

Like Bunshaft's earlier masterpiece, Lever House in New York, the Executive Office Building hovers above its podium on slender columns and with a ground level loggia connects interior and exterior spaces. The Reynolds headquarters building is a cube with an off-center peristyle courtyard surrounded by aluminum-clad columns. On the east and west elevations enormous, bright blue, vertical louvers filter the sun. On the north and south, the building's horizontality is asserted by broad overhangs at each floor. The glass curtain wall is articulated with narrow aluminum mullions. The entire building sits on a podium that, at its south side, opens a full story below the main entry level to a generous ground-level terrace for the employees' cafeteria.

[COC]

On the north side, the forecourt leads to a centered canopy whose cantilevered projection announces entry. From a covered loggia, one enters either the auditorium, the lobby, or the courtyard. On the left, inside the freestanding auditorium is a curving, sawtooth, aluminum ceiling. Opposite, the red brick walk, laid in running bond, continues into the interior of the long glass-fronted lobby. A long suite of executive offices and the board room extend across the south side of the ground floor. Extruded aluminum forms the window frames, the linear diffusers, the column cladding, and even provides the base for glazed bathroom tile. Improbable combinations of aluminum, cherry panels, brick, plastic laminate, and striated black and white book-matched marble create an interior of undeniable elegance and sophistication.

(Richmond Times-Dispatch) — Ms. Ethel Bule and Ms. Bonnie Foy at new Reynold Metal's office building — June 25, 1958

The design and construction of the Executive Office Building intentionally demonstrate the multiple uses for aluminum in the building industry. The total weight of aluminum products found throughout the structure is 1,235,800 pounds. The largest single amount, almost 400,000 pounds is found in the cladding of the major exterior architectural elements. Even carpets and draperies were woven with aluminum fibers. Among the most innovative features of the building me the fourteen-foot-high solar louvers on the east and west sides of the building, which shifts, based on the calculations of an astronomical clock, throughout the day.

(The Cultural Landscape Foundation) — showing window louvers

On overcast days, an electric eye overrides the clock and the louvers stay open to allow maximum natural light. In 1958 this installation of solar louvers was the largest in the world. The building's interior partitions and openings were modular so that changes in the size or function of a space might be easily accommodated. SOM designed or specified virtually all of the original finishes and furnishings, many of which remain in the building. Original furniture included now classic desks, casework, and chairs designed by such eminent designers as Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, and Hans Wegner.

(The Cultural Landscape Foundation) — Charles F. Gillette

Charles F. Gillette, Richmond's preeminent landscape architect was retained as consultant to select plantings for the new headquarters' grounds. Gillette was in his late 60's when he accepted the contract to design the landscaped setting of Gordon Bunshaft's Reynolds Metals headquarters building. His budget for the project's landscape materials ($130,000) was the largest budget Gillette had ever worked with. Even with this largesse, the scale of the project was so huge that Gillette was forced to reduce the size of the plant materials so that the budget would not be exceeded and his concepts could be realized.

(The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

The Reynolds site plantings are used variously to screen parking, to control and frame views to the headquarters building, to create a formal entry, to enhance the courtyard, and to provide a landscaped park at the building's south side. The most dramatic landscape feature is the 250-foot long reflecting pool flanked by willow oaks. The reflecting pool continues to supply the water for the sprinkler system that waters the primary grounds. Within the building's courtyard Gillette specified and selected a forty-foot tall magnolia tree, the largest transplant ever achieved at that time. A water fountain fills another square within this gridded parterre. 

(The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

Gillette's placement of plant materials and landscape features within the grid, an articulation of the building's structural bays, was deliberately asymmetrical yet perfectly balanced. Hedges of sculpted yaupon hollies screen the symmetrically disposed employee parking. The uninterrupted hedges also delay a full view of the headquarters building until the visitor arrives at the formal forecourt. Along West Broad Street grouped plantings in a broad meadow frame glimpses of the building. Although the raised courtyard is the focal point of the building's main level, smaller perimeter plantings of holly and other shrubs fit within the podium's ordered grid. Rectangular pools, once planted with lilies, enhance a relatively secluded terrace outside the suite of senior executive offices. 

(The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

At the rear of the site, the South Lawn, a once-lush garden included flowering shrubs and weeping willows. Gillette unsuccessfully argued for placement of a pond in this low, moist area, which would have been a lovely foil for the reflecting pond at the other side of the property. The owner and architect imposed other undoubtedly frustrating constraints on Gillette, yet his landscape design for the Reynolds headquarters won the annual American Association of Nurserymen's Industrial Landscaping Competition in 1959.

(Period Paper) — 1950 advertisement

The first decades following relocation to the West Broad Street headquarters coincided with the period of Reynolds Metals' greatest expansion. "It was a very exciting time for the company. Reynolds was the leader in the industry during this period," recalled Gilbert R. Shockley, general director of Product Development in the 1960s and early 1970s. Different roofing materials were developed for farm, industry, and residential use. A variety of aluminum-combination panels had decorative as well as structural applications. Heavy-duty aluminum pipe began to be used for drilling oil.

May 2018 — The Aluminaut in its current location at the Science Museum of Virginia

The Aluminaut, the world's first aluminum submarine, the deepest diving submarine of its time, was launched in 1964. In collaboration with the armed services, river hovercraft were developed in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970 Reynolds and General Motors collaborated to produce the first all-aluminum engine, a technology today used by Porsche. By the time Richard Reynolds, Jr. became CEO and chairman of the board in 1963, company assets totaled over $1 billion. Joseph H. McConnell was the company president and chief administrative officer. (VDHR)

January 2019

But the good times did not last. Reynolds’ Metals was acquired by Alcoa in 2000, and the 35-acre former headquarters campus and buildings were picked up by the University of Richmond in 2001 for a mere $8 million. It was in turn leased to Philip Morris USA in 2003 and later joined by parent company Altria in 2008. Altria then purchased the whole kit and kaboodle outright in 2017 for $20.8 million. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Sadly, while Altria is being a great steward to this historic property, it’s hard to see very much of it, protected as it is behind gated fences. It’s understandable that Altria wants to protect its corporate privacy, but one wishes there was a way to make some part of this hidden gem available to the public view.

(Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters is part of the Atlas RVA! Project)

Sources

[COC] A Century of Commerce, 1867-1967. James K. Sanford. 1967.

[sanjosenewshq]

Deweys Bakery eyes nationwide presence with distribution deal

WINSTON-SALEM, NC. — Dewey’s Bakery is ramping up distribution by roughly 25% due to a brand new partnership with Albertsons Firms. As a part of the deal, Dewey’s cookies can be added to Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel/Osco, Shaw’s and United supermarkets nationwide. “Our core focus at this time is product and distribution growth of our portfolio of exceptionally skinny cookies with surprisingly large flavors,” stated Michael P. Senackerib, chief govt officer of Dewey’s. “Increasing into Albertsons Firms retains us on observe with this objective as we’ll now be in an extra 2,000 shops throughout the nation, giving us a real nationwide presence. We’re extremely happy with the expansion we have now seen for Dewey’s to date, and with Albertsons as a valued companion, we sit up for persevering with to develop at this unbelievable price.” Andrew Jones, nationwide class director for cookies and crackers at Albertsons Firms, stated the retailer expects a optimistic response from its core buyer base. “It’s uncommon to discover a model like Dewey’s that not solely stands for a high-quality product but in addition celebrates its wealthy historical past and native bakery heritage,” Mr. Jones stated. Starting this fall, the entire Albertsons Firms shops will carry Meyer lemon, triple ginger and brownie crisp flavors, whereas choose chains will carry further flavors, together with peanut butter, toasted coconut and salted caramel. Based in 1930, Dewey’s Bakery produces soft-baked cookies, crisp cookie thins and savory crackers. The corporate presents custom-branded merchandise for the most important meals retailers in the US and is an rising nationwide model in pure, specialty and mainline grocery channels. The corporate additionally operates a number of retail bakeries within the Winston-Salem space with longstanding roots in the area people. Its flagship line is Dewey’s Thins, a crispy cookie. Scott A. Livengood acquired Dewey’s Bakery in 2006 and additional developed the corporate’s capabilities, rising the enterprise throughout a number of channels, together with Dewey’s branded cookies and crackers, owned retail bakeries, e-commerce, and personal label manufacturing. Previous to buying Dewey’s, Mr. Livengood was with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. for 28 years, together with 7 years as chairman, president and CEO. Dewey’ssecured a $25 million minority fundingfrom international funding agency Eurazeo in October 2020.  Originally published at San Jose News HQ

[the-record-newspaper]

My first love and the truest of all true love stories

                                          Carmel Schmidt Toliver

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Sweet Home Alabama was playing in my head in the summer of 1982, as I left Birmingham, Ala., in the window seat of a Greyhound bus on my journey back to North Carolina.

I was 18 and was a troubled young man. I was leaving my sweetheart and first love, Carmel (pronounced Kar male), behind. We had been nearly inseparable since we began our relationship the previous summer in Upward Bound – a college prep club in which we spent six weeks each summer on the campus of Appalachian State University.

Carmel was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. We were partnered in a canoe during a week-long trip on Lake Watauga in Tennessee and really hit it off. We started dating and quickly fell in love. Our first kiss was on a rooftop in lower Manhattan on a field trip with that club. We were looking across the river into New Jersey and were happy.

A year later I’d wound up in Alabama.

I had ridden to Atlanta with my late brother, Mike, who went there to finalize a divorce. The Lankford brothers slept that night in Mike’s old sky-blue Ford Maverick in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the rough side of town with pistols under our legs. Mike drove me to the train station at daylight, walked me in so I could buy my ticket to Birmingham and waited until I was safely on the train. I still remember his smile as he waved goodbye.

Carmel had been living in Boone with her father and stepmother, Sigurd and Leah Schmidt. She had left by train from Greensboro in the middle of the night to go visit members of her late mother, Eva Slaughter’s, family. My buddy, Mark Brooks, and his girlfriend drove us to the train station because I’d blown up my Chevrolet Vega, and after several wrong turns, we finally found the depot. I walked with Carmel as far as I could before she boarded an Alabama-bound train.

We were happily in love — as much as we could possibly be. It was the kind of love that glows red in your belly and typically consumes all rational thought. It made me sick to see her go.

After a couple weeks, and hours of long-distance telephone conversations, Carmel convinced me I should come to Alabama and that I might want to stay. I knew that would be a hard sell – trying to convince me to move there -  but I wanted to see her badly.

It just so happened that at that same time Mike needed to make his trip to Georgia. He said if I was really serious about running to Carmel, I could save train fare money if I left from Atlanta instead of Greensboro.

If you’ve ever ridden on a train, you likely noticed that they mostly travel through the more industrialized sides of towns, leaving the scenery a little less than pristine. Along my way there was some lush greenness to savor, although there remained an unpleasantness due to very frequent stops, the unceasing bumpy-bump rhythm of the tracks, and the obnoxious porter who flirted continuously with an unwilling lady passenger.

Finally in Birmingham, Carmel met me at the station. One of her family members (I can’t recall which one) drove us to her Grandmother Lorene Slaughter’s home on the outskirts of the city. It was hot and mosquitoes were fearsome.

          Lorene Slaughter

Mrs. Slaughter’s home was an oasis – with a “Welcome Home” feel and filled with love from room to room, and from corner to corner. As for Mrs. Slaughter, she was a pure pleasure to know. She had sparkling eyes and a great head of beautiful white hair. Her food was incredible – especially her homemade pimento cheese that rivaled my Granny Lankford’s. And her soul was huge – speaking in a Deep South dialect I’d only heard in movies.

She took me into her home as part of the family.

Carmel and I each had our own separate bedroom and very generous amounts of cool air blasting from the vents.

There was a little store around the corner where Carmel and I would walk. I'd buy her M&M's and we’d play the big quarter-fed Space Invaders video game machine. There was also a nearby park with a large pond where we would go exploring in the waning hours of those lazy afternoons.

Finally it came time for me to leave. I was missing home and by that time - much to her family’s chagrin – Carmel had agreed to return to North Carolina a couple of weeks later.

We had learned from the Schmidts that some of their friends – Joe and Cindy Pacileo – at that time, were in Gadsden, Ala. That’s about an hour or so by bus from Birmingham. The Pacileos were there visiting Joe’s relatives. They’d offered me a ride in their van from there as far as Boone. My momma, Willa Mae Lankford, said she’d pick me up there. And thus my return home was arranged.

Again, I was parting from my love. I watched her wave goodbye to me until the bus turned the corner and I could no longer see her.

I was heartbroken when the Pacileos retrieved me from the bus station in Gadsden. They are wonderful people. I remember Joe as being a collector of many great paperback Westerns and a great cook who puts raisins in his meatballs. Cindy - whose sweet smile would warm the coldest of hearts - is a well known artist, having created many forests of little sculptured critters over the years. My sister, Ellen, still has one of her tiny frogs.

As we started out for the Blue Ridge Mountains, I remember Cindy handing me their copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull to read on the way back. It was as if she knew exactly what I needed. I didn’t just read it, I devoured it. I never realized how much that little book would come to mean to me.

It wasn’t long before Carmel returned to Wilkes. We were married in August of that year in Momma’s living room in her home in Millers Creek with a few close relatives and friends there as witnesses. A year later, our first daughter, Jennifer, was born – on Aug. 22, 1983. Anna came on Dec. 22, 1988.

Carmel and I divorced, found other loves and married them. But as years passed, we again became good friends.

My Momma and Carmel truly loved each other. She and my sister, Ellen, also maintained a strong bond. I always loved Carmel, too, somewhere deep down inside — if nothing else but for the fact that she was the mother of two of my three wonderful daughters — the third being Gabriella, who is now 16. Carmel had four more daughters, Diana Pless, and Destiny, Cassidy, Samantha and, stepdaughter, Leslie Toliver.

Carmel’s girls: back, left to right, Leslie, Jennifer, Destiny, middle row: Samantha, Cassidy and Anna. My daughter Gabriella is in front. This photo was taken in 2012. Inset is a photo of Carmel’s daughter, Diana.

Carmel was born on Oct. 9, 1963. She died of pancreatic cancer on Sept. 6, 2014. Hospice had brought her home to Wilkes from Forsyth Hospital in Winston-Salem on a Friday afternoon to spend her final hours with her family. She was surrounded by daughters along with our little grandsons, Sammie and Charlie. Throughout the night, her husband, Ken Toliver – who has become one of my dearest friends – held her hand until she took her last breath the next morning.

That is certainly the truest of true love stories.

Carmel and her husband, Ken Toliver  

Before Carmel died, she told her husband, Ken, that she wanted to be buried near my mother in the cemetery of Arbor Grove United Methodist Church in Purlear. He made sure that she was.

I know it sounds strange – or maybe I’d just never noticed a particular occurrence around here in September — but right after Carmel died, I saw dragonflies nearly everywhere I went. This past September (when I wrote the first draft of this column) I saw the reflection of one hovering in the glass of the front doors of The Record offices as I came into work. I thought it was going to follow me inside.

It is likely that dragonfly that brought Carmel and that period of time of our teenage years back to mind — the memories of my first love, that journey, and a little book entitled Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

I guess at that stage of our youths we are all trying to learn about life and flight.

Carmel, thank you for the two daughters you gave me and the entire beautiful family you helped create. May you always be carried on dragonfly wings.

[heromoldcompanywinstonsalem]

Standard post published to Hero Mold Company at May 02, 2023 16:01

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This summer the Brooklyn Museum is thrilled to host our first cohort of Brooklyn Museum Summer Fellows. The Brooklyn Museum Summer Fellowship is a full-time, ten-week, paid internship offered to undergraduate students looking to pursue a career in the arts and culture space who may not have the opportunity or ability to take advantage of the often unpaid internships that are typically offered at many arts and culture institutions. The fellowship aims to increase the pipelines of opportunity in communities where non-profit arts jobs are unknown and often not even considered. The two-year initiative is generously funded through the Citi Foundation’s ‘Pathways to Progress’ initiative, which seeks to help reduce youth unemployment and improve the quality of the youth workforce.

Throughout the summer, Brooklyn Museum Summer Fellows will spend time in many different departments across the Museum, including Curatorial, Marketing & Communications, Education, the Registrar’s Office, Development, Exhibitions, Design, and more as they gain hands-on experience working in a world-renowned encyclopedic museum. The program will include weekly field trips to other institutions throughout the New York City area, where fellows will have a chance to meet the leadership teams and learn more about their career paths. Fellows will also attend special presentations and panel discussions by leadership and staff at the Brooklyn Museum.

2018 Brooklyn Summer Fellows

Zakiyya M. Beasley, Sophomore, Winston-Salem State University; Development Department Fellow

Charlynn Trish Ben, Senior, City College of New York; Chief Curator’s Office Fellow

Rose Camara, B.A., The Art Institute of Chicago;  Registrar’s Office Fellow

Maribel Cosme-Vitagliani, B.A., Hunter College; Curatorial Fellow in Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Naimah Jangha, Sophomore, Howard University; Education Fellow

Devika Kanagaraj, Senior, N.Y.U.; Development Department Fellow

Umisha KC, Junior, Mississippi University for Women; Marketing and Communications Department Fellow

Courtney Middleton, Junior, Howard University; Curatorial Fellow in American Art

Sidney Minor, Sophomore, Tuskegee University; Education Fellow

Cynthia Torres, Senior, City College of New York; Chief Curator’s Office and Development Department Fellow

Applications for the Brooklyn Museum Summer Fellowship 2019 will open February 1, 2019. Questions? Please email internships@brooklynmuseum.org

Posted by Monica Marino