#same day business cards Toronto

[couldawouldashoulda50]

Chapter Four - Time Alone Links to One Two and Three here

A/N - I likely didn't proofread this as well as I should. I hope you enjoy it all the same. Things are warming up between these two.

Notes/Warnings - typical profanity, fluff Word Count - 8k

As anticipated, Loren arrived near the designated spot, which was a park just off Bay Street, more than an hour early.  Nevertheless, she was thankful for the extra time since it gave her an opportunity to decompress from the adventures of driving in the city of Toronto.

Loren began walking west along Yorkville Avenue, eventually spotting all the luxury fashion stores that she’s only ever heard about or seen in the movies. One after the other - Chanel, Versace, Balenciaga - Loren felt her excitement grow as she strolled past each store window.  She may never know what it's like to buy anything from these stores or live in the swanky part of the city. At that moment, it didn’t matter anyway. What mattered most to Loren is that she finally felt like she was shedding her old skin. She felt alive instead of just trying to survive the cards she had been dealt.

After treating herself to a small bit of food and an espresso, her heart began to lurch while walking back to the park entrance to meet William. As it approached 2:00, Loren was so engrossed with the sights and sounds of the surrounding city that she had not seen William and his two furry companions as they approached.

William had spotted Loren a mile away.  Despite the area being busy with a ton of foot traffic typical for a Thursday, she stood out to him immediately.  He could not help but grin widely at how adorable she seemed while she slowly paced back and forth in front of the park’s sign.  He saw her smile politely at a couple of passersby that made eye contact with her.   William watched as the two men nudged and batted each other in the arm as they craned their necks back around to look at Loren.

Despite their behaviour while they continued to eye-fuck Loren, the men never said a word to her and kept walking. Loren remained unaware of the spectacle they made as they disappeared down the street.

Loren turned when she heard the crunch of footsteps on the thin layer of gritty snow that had fallen overnight.  Her face lit up as Pablo and Banksy approached her with their tails wagging enthusiastically and then her eyes moved to William’s smiling face.

The pair hugged and diverted their attention back to the dogs who seemed ready for William to say the command allowing them to let loose and tear around the park.   Pablo and Bansky happily trotted ahead of Loren and William as they entered the park while the two caught up from their last conversation.

Although William’s beloved dogs could have been used to help start or end a conversation, William quickly found he didn't need them for that. The conversation between them was fun and easy, just like usual, as they played with the dogs. Loren and William both cheered on Pablo and Banksy as they ran around the park, often racing back towards them at full speed before play-fighting in the open space of the soccer field.

As they walked together, the enchantment William first felt talking with Loren at the skate event had only grown. She seemed wide-eyed and animated about being in a part of the city she had hardly visited since school field trips to the nearby Royal Ontario Museum. Her exuberance made her even more radiant when she asked questions about the area and listened intently as William pointed out some of his favorite spots.

After more than an hour of running about, Pablo and Banksy were sufficiently tired out.  Not wanting their time to end, William finally worked up the nerve and asked Loren if she wanted to come to his place to warm up and have some dinner.

Because she had only eaten a small amount of food that day, the mere mention of dinner sparked ravenous hunger in her. Loren resisted the urge to clutch her stomach as hunger pains rolled through while accepting William’s dinner offer.

William asked if Loren was in the mood for anything specific.  She joked to herself that she was at the point of wanting to gnaw off her own arm, but she kept that to herself.

“I’m honestly good with anything - I’ll leave this one for you to pick…you know what’s good around here,” Loren smiled at William as she silently hoped he would make a quick decision.

“Sushi’s my go to…i probably have it too often but I just love it.  It sort of fits within my diet during the season,” William admitted, as they walked towards the exit of the park.

“God, it’s been awhile since I’ve had it - that sounds incredible…I feel like I'm salivating…,” Loren chuckled.  “Sorry, I haven’t eaten much today,” she revealed with a tinge of bashfulness.

“Oh? Why’s that?” William raised his brows with his query.

“Nerves, mostly…,” Loren admitted with a subdued grin as she looked toward the ground.

“About meeting up with me?” William replied playfully.

“Well, even though we both know Pablo and Banksy are the real celebs here…,” Loren said, tongue-in-cheek. “I'm sure you already know the answer…. and you don't need me gushing about it…no doubt you hear it all the time,” she said teasingly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” William said as a wide smile graced his face.

Loren giggled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head while trying to further contain her smile.

The dogs meandered in front of Loren and William as they strolled down the street heading south towards William’s building.  The afternoon rush-hour was starting to build, and the energy from both dogs seemed to be waning.  William asked Loren if she could carry Banksy and he would carry Pablo, because at their slow pace, he didn’t want to irritate the growing number of pedestrians filling the sidewalks, trying to make their way home.

William watched Loren kneel and gently call for Banksy to come to her, which he did with no hesitation.  She spoke quietly to his black and tan face, as she gingerly brought him towards her chest, cradling his rear with her forearm, and she nuzzled him and gave him praise for being such a good boy.

William scooped up Pablo and the two picked up their pace a little, while he continued talking about things he enjoys doing in the neighbourhood on his off days.

After a few twists and turns down some inconspicuous side streets, they soon reached a large set of glass doors on a towering light silver building. William held the door for Loren as she looked up at the building's sheer size. They set the dogs down, and William waved at the two officers at the security desk as he led Loren to the elevators.

There was a palpable energy between the two as they shyly made small talk during their ascent to William’s floor.   Loren tried not to concentrate too much on her reflection in the dark glossy walls that encompassed them as she pulled off her mittens and dropped them in her soft leather tote.

“Oh - I totally forgot….I have a small treat for the boys, but I wanted to make sure it’s ok with you first,” Loren said, whispering the word “treat” as softly as possible to not alert the two doodles.  In the background, the soft chime sounded as the elevator settled on William’s floor.

“Oh wow, lemme see what you have in there…” William said as they got off the elevator. He hooked his finger on her bag and gently pulled it toward him, trying to look inside. As he pulled, Loren's body followed, and she bumped into William's chest. She was so close to his face and resisted the urge to pull his mouth onto hers. Instead, she just smiled, tucked her hair behind her ear, and took out the two collagen sticks she had brought for the pups to show William.

Loren thought it was a small thing, but William was very touched by her thoughtfulness.

In the days leading up to their meeting, William recognized he was in unfamiliar territory when he thought about Loren.  William naturally had been in love and had been in long term relationships previously.  Over the course of the past couple of years however, he preferred to keep his options open, to focus on continually improving his game and as such, developing a true intimate connection with a woman was of little interest.  There was a plethora of options when William felt like keeping a woman’s company, but like a light switch, it was something William could easily turn on and off depending on his mood.

But Loren drew him in instantly.  When he looked at her, William felt her warmth and kindness deep within him.  She was charming and funny; she had William in stitches with her brand of humour that was like observational storytelling mixed with bits of edginess and sarcasm.   William could not comprehend how Loren was so unassuming yet she could light up a room and would give each person she came across her undivided attention.

William often felt there was a depth and mystery to her beauty that intrigued him. It was as though there was always something new to discover about her, making her endlessly fascinating. Each time William video chatted with Loren, he tried to memorize all the distinctive features of her face.  The freckles on her high cheekbones.  Her eyes, a rich and dark mahogany accented by long thick lashes.  He could almost feel those same lashes tickling his jawline as he imagined her underneath him.  He couldn’t help but to stare at her mouth, longing for the day when he could taste her in a deep kiss.

The only negative part of meeting Loren, which weighed heavily on William’s mind was the timing\. The end of the regular season was quickly approaching, and he was already feeling the pressure with his overall offensive game feeling stagnant. William hated to admit it but deep down, he really was unsure if he could afford a distraction that Loren might present. He decided to shelve those thoughts for now until he got to know Loren a little more.

William opened the door to his home and both dogs barreled through the entrance and immediately leapt onto the couch as though they themselves were inviting Loren to come in.  Loren stepped across the threshold into the spacious living area that was bright and airy with whites and neutrals throughout.  Somehow it did not surprise her at all how tasteful and sleek William’s home seemed to be - those were two words she could easily associate with the man himself.

As easy as it had felt so far spending time with William, the fact she was standing in the living room of his house made Loren’s heart race.  She knew her cheeks were a dead giveaway with showing her nerves; there’s just no way she could hide their vibrant pink hue.

William gave Loren a quick tour and guided her over to the sliding glass doors that led to a small balcony.  William mentioned how stunning the sunsets were in his south-west facing unit, and he hoped the clouds would clear to give Loren a glimpse for herself.

The chatter between the two remained light and free-flowing as William busied himself preparing an early dinner for Pablo and Banksy, who seemed to be waiting for a little extra attention from Loren. She glanced at the dog's sweet faces and made her way over to the couch. As she sat, she curled her one leg under her rear and leaned in speaking sweetly to the dogs as they began to crowd her while reaching up to sniff and lick her face.

William smiled at the sight in front of him.  The girls he occasionally brought back to his place for an evening, or sometimes overnight, might briefly acknowledge the dogs (if at all) but most times, it was straight to the flirtations with William to get their intended activities underway.

Loren continued to rub the coats of each of the dogs as she happened to glance at William as he gazed back at her.

“Shit, I’m sorry - I’m keeping them from their dinner….” Loren said apologetically to William.  “You boys better go and get your grub,” she said, rubbing the dogs behind their ears as she stood up from the couch. “They are the greatest….I mean all dogs are, but these guys…really are amazing,” Loren said, her face beaming with admiration as she smiled at William.  “Is there anything I can help with at all?” she asked as she made her way to the kitchen island where William was rinsing a glass.

“Sure, you can start with telling me whether you'd like red or white wine, or something else to drink?” William said as he leaned against the white granite countertop. “And then, have a look here at the menu and we can decide what to order.  I'm starving too, so go wild,” William chuckled.

“Mm - red wine please and thank you,” Loren said with a polite smirk.  She picked up William’s phone and started to browse the menu.

A slight wave of panic hit Loren as she looked at the menu prices.  She was so unaccustomed to eating anywhere outside of her own kitchen or that of the group home. For years, dining out was a luxury that she felt she could never afford and the sticker shock of that menu was a quick reminder of why.  Loren cursed at herself in her mind for the espresso and pastry she bought herself earlier.  She had no idea she would end up having dinner with William.  Moreover, she did not want to assume William would be paying for her meal, so she scanned the menu for the most inexpensive sushi options.

“Anything you like on there?” William asked, while handing a wine glass to Loren and sliding his phone across the island towards himself.

“Mmm - oh yeah….there's just so much to choose from,” Loren smiled faintly, trying to hide the feeling of embarrassment knowing her bank account was close to being depleted.

William wasn’t certain but he sensed a shift in Loren’s demeanor.

William was cautious with his wording.  “You sure Sushi’s ok?  We can totally order something else if you want?”

“No, I promise - I really do love it….it's - well, I - I'm on a really super tight budget…it's been….,” Loren trailed off as her cheeks blazed red once more, “it's just been a tough time, especially the past couple of months,” she finished quietly.  She took a sip of her wine as her flustered admission momentarily hung in the air.

William could feel Loren's usual luminescence dissolve with that one sentence.  In their conversations, William never broached the subject of why she worked the seemingly countless shifts as it seemed clear that she was more often at work than at her home.  She once mentioned she was covering for a coworker who fell ill, so that is what William continued to assume throughout their talks.

“You came all the way down here, so dinner’s my treat.  You're starving, I'm starving so I'm going to order a bunch of stuff…is there anything you don't like?” William said, as he smiled at Loren, hoping to see her relax more.

“Can I contribute something towards the bill? It's not much but I'd like to put something towards it?” Loren asked.

It threw William off kilter with Loren’s offer to still pay for part of the meal when she could have easily just said nothing and enjoyed being treated.  As perplexed as he was, he set it aside in his mind and came up with a better idea.

“How about we order pizza next time, and you can cover that,” William replied, hoping Loren would take notice of him wanting there to be a “next time.”

Loren studied William’s expression of sincerity as her own face cast a look of surprise, disbelief and confusion.  She quickly snuffed-out the questions surrounding his possible motives for wanting to see her again and as calmly as she could, Loren responded “Yeah, ok…deal…” extending her hand in agreement and acceptance of his offer.

With his eyes never leaving her face, William chuckled lightly as his hand gently wrapped around hers to acknowledge the deal.  He could feel his body react to the skin to skin contact with Loren, even just with their handshake.

Loren delicately withdrew her hand from William’s when Pablo approached her and stood on his hind legs and propped his front paws on the side of her thigh.  She silently thanked Pablo for helping to divert attention elsewhere.  She had not intended to mention anything about her financial situation, but she just felt so far out of her league at that moment, her anxiety got the better of her.

She gently picked up the goldendoodle and walked towards the sliding glass doors to have another look around the city. Loren looked down at the packed streets with cars that were bumper to bumper and never appeared to move an inch.  She watched as people hurried along, darting between the line of vehicles and the subsequent blaring of multiple car horns protesting any number of traffic infractions.

William walked to the couch with their semi-full wine glasses.   He sat down and leaned back against the cushions and chuckled while he watched Loren as she continued to take in all the sights and sounds of rush hour.

“See anything interesting?” he smiled as his eyes slowly ran from the top of her head and settled on her shapely ass.  He had never gotten a really good look at her features below her neckline and he wasted no time reveling in her curves.

“I can see why you take the subway to get to the games on time, although…not to be all motherly or anything but don’t you ever get worried about your safety at all?” Loren asked as she leaned over to set Pablo down.

William was still staring at her upside-down-valentine-shaped ass as she turned to face him.

Was he staring at my ass? She asked herself.

“I’m sorry - I…uh…missed the question, what did you ask?” William sheepishly grinned, thinking he might have been caught in the act.

Loren walked around the coffee table and sat at the opposite end of the couch from William, where her glass of wine was waiting.  As she took a small sip, she smiled and thanked William for bringing over.

“Well, your safety on the subway…I mean, it’s none of my business…and seeing that mess down there, I completely understand why you take it….but when it was the big headline on every news outlet, the first thing I thought of was….you know, a crazed fan, someone trying to mug you, anyone could do something to you.  I guess it worried me - I just hoped you were going to be safe is all,” Loren confessed.

“Oh - you were worried about me, eh?” William said, his eyes bright with intrigue as Loren smiled and let out a slight giggle as she looked up at the ceiling, shyly avoiding his gaze.

William continued as he stretched out his arm across the back of the couch.  “Nah, I get what you're saying but it’s kind of a gamble driving or taking the subway.  If you saw what it’s like to turn into the rink - I’ve had my life fucking flash before my eyes more than a few times.  Absolutely fucking awful,” William chuckles.

“Mmm….yeah ok, you got me…I see it with the traffic for sure.  I aged about 10 years driving Gary down to the skate last week,” Loren said as William snickered, understanding fully what she was saying.

“And yes, I was worried…given you’re the only Leaf that flaunts his bare chest regularly in the media - you gotta realize that every time you go tarps off, the hum of about 8 million vibrators are heard ‘round the world - that alone makes you a national treasure,” Loren winked at William, and took another sip of wine.

William’s eyes widened as his mouth fell open slightly, before a large grin spanned his face, followed by the sound of his unique laugh.

Women he met, or that often approached him in the greater Toronto area, had made explicit comments about his shirtless interviews so William was aware of the added attention he received, whether he wanted it or not.

Loren’s quip made William realize she knew that no matter what he did—winking during games, going shirtless in interviews, or wearing sandals in the snow—he was seen as a sex symbol. Most women he encountered in Toronto and on the road treated him as such, and he is the first to admit, it has served him well throughout his career. Between Models, starlets, singers, and young professionals, William had a seemingly never-ending selection of women at his fingertips.

However, after signing an 8 year deal with the Leafs worth close to 9 figures earlier this year, he was warned by family, friends, his agent and others closest to him within his current circle that he’ll have to be more careful than ever with who he surrounds himself with going forward.

But this woman in front of him - her unpretentious, sincere and light-hearted disposition had completely disarmed William.  Even though he had not known her for very long, he felt there was no hidden agenda with Loren, and he felt relaxed and at ease with her. William knew it was rare to meet someone like her and he found she was as refreshing as an ocean breeze.

As the two continued to talk - seemingly about a hundred different topics - Loren felt that same feeling she had after William hugged her the week prior.  He was calming to her; she felt a warmth and comfort just listening to him talk.  She was fascinated by the parts of his life that he had divulged to her so far and there were just not enough hours in the day for all the questions she wanted to ask him.

Eventually, Loren excused herself and headed to the washroom, grabbing her leather tote on the way.  With as many overnight shifts as Loren worked, she had become accustomed to having pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in her bag.  Fresh change of panties, hair and makeup essentials, deodorant, and anything else a woman on the go might need.

Her bright pink cheeks shimmered in her reflection in the mirror, no doubt a symptom from the wine and the warm temperature of his condo. Loren stripped out of the thick grey sweater she had on, leaving the white long-sleeved cotton V-neck shirt she had layered underneath.  She momentarily frowned at how simple and basic her outfit looked, with or without the sweater, but then shrugged it off.  She could afford what she could afford, and if William chose to judge her based on her clothing, they might as well just finish things right there.

She touched up her make-up and re-pinned her hair before she stepped back out to the living room.

While Loren finished in the washroom, she heard a knock at his door and William's muffled voice as he accepted the dinner delivery.  A fresh wave of hunger pains seized her stomach and felt as though she would devour it all, like locusts annihilate crops.

Loren set her bag back by her coat that hung by the door, padded back to the coffee table in the living room to retrieve their wine glasses and headed over towards William.  He stood at the kitchen island carefully extracting one take out box after another from the stylish reusable bag which donned the restaurant’s elegant logo.

“Oh, fuck - this smells so…..”, William began to say until he glimpsed at Loren.

His eyes dropped to her ample, round breasts which her cotton shirt had subtly revealed.  Without her sweater on, her slender neck was exposed which was decorated by a delicate silver chain with a small heart pendant.  William swallowed hard and eventually finished his sentence, rather quietly, about dinner smelling so amazing.

With dusk creeping in through the wall of windows, and the lights throughout the condo slightly dimmed, Loren almost appeared ethereal as she offered William his wine.  He had managed to keep any excitement in his pants to a minimum that day, but this time, he felt his cock immediately harden as he did his best to conceal his slight erection under the edge of the island’s countertop.

“This looks - wow…absolutely incredible….and this is just the take-out containers?” Loren said, completely mystified by the ornate gift-boxes that held the  menu selections William ordered.  “I know I sound like a little country bumpkin but this is just wild…”, Loren said while she continued to admire the contents of the bag.

“Oh, well…just wait until you taste everything, the Sushi’s insane here.  It's definitely a favourite of mine,” William smiled.

Loren’s mind wandered for a split second, wondering how many girls had stood in this precise spot in William’s home, and how many had stayed the night, and how many had the luxury of a return visit.

As much as Loren tried to avoid these ideas, her stomach twisted with the thoughts which she had no business worrying about in the first place.

Loren's mind snapped back to the present when she realized William giggled after she didn't respond to his question.

“Shit - sorry, I missed that…,” Loren covered her mouth slightly as she recognized the extra tendency to swear after a few sips of wine.

“Don’t be - I was just asking if you liked the wine?” William asked, followed by another little chuckle.

“Oh!  Mmm-hmmm - it's really good, almost a little too good….it's going down a little too easily,” Loren admitted, followed by an enticing thought of her easily going down on him.

William added a splash more to her glass, respecting that she had to drive, unless of course things between them progressed towards his bedroom later on.  However, he knew he wouldn't push, insinuate or suggest anything of the kind, unless he was 100% certain she wanted to.

William and Loren brought all of the take-out boxes to the cozy dining room that bordered the open kitchen.  They flipped open each of the magnetic lids and visually feasted on the handmade creations.

As dinner ensued, William and Loren’s conversation deepened and the two delved into a more serious level of understanding of each other’s lives.  Loren was fascinated with William’s life; she asked him truly engaging questions that touched any number of topics.  William found Loren to be thoughtful and far more articulate than he could ever hope to be.

Once the leftovers from dinner had been cleared away and dishes were stacked in the sink, Loren kept William company while he took the dogs out for a short walk after dinner.

Temperatures had dropped significantly once the sun dipped down past the horizon, and Loren wished now she had remembered to pull her sweater back on before they walked out.  Although her thick fleece jacket and vest had been plenty warm earlier that day, at that moment, it was not nearly enough against the sub-zero windchill.  She tried not to let it show but her body began to shudder and her teeth chattered.  William quickly offered his coat to help Loren warm up, but thankfully the dogs got their business done quickly and no time was wasted in returning to warmth and comfort indoors.

Once everyone shuffled through the door of the condo, Loren wasn’t certain if William would want her to stay longer.  It didn’t feel like he was anxious for her to leave, but she would never dream of overstaying her welcome.

William simply offered to take Loren’s vest and jacket and hung them up for her, which thankfully was an obvious enough indication that he wasn’t in any rush for her to go home.  Suffice it to say, it felt she could assume he was having as good of a time as Loren was.

Before settling in on the couch, Loren retrieved the dogs’ gift from her tote.   Once the sticks were in view, both dogs jumped up on either side of Loren with their tails wagging furiously as she sat between them, almost in the middle of the couch.

Both dogs took each of the sticks in their mouth, and lowered their bodies to lay comfortably beside her.  Banksy had his front paws in Loren’s lap as he held the stick steady as he began to chew the end.

William returned with a blanket and he grinned widely at the sight of Loren and the dogs sitting next to her, quietly working away on their treats.

“They like those, eh?  I’ll need to get some for myself - they’re amazing dogs but sometimes when I’m sleeping in the afternoon before a game, they’re bouncing off the walls,” William said, as he unfolded the fleece picture blanket which had a large picture of the pups by a lake on it.

When Loren angled her head to have a closer look at the picture, William smiled as he explained that the blanket was a Christmas gift from his sister Ella and was taken at the family Lake house during the previous off-season.

William sat on the end of the couch and spread the blanket across him and Loren, shrouding the dogs in the process.  “You look like you still need to warm up some more…fucking cold out there,” William said.

Loren stroked both dogs' fur as she looked at them affectionately.  William was quietly watching her with a subtle smile on his face.

Nudging Loren’s hand, William asked when she worked next.  Heat rose to her cheeks as William did not move his hand away from hers as she continued to stroke Pablo’s fur, grazing William’s fingers in the process.

“Saturday afternoon at 3,” she smiled and glanced briefly at William’s eyes which she found so exquisite, they always overwhelmed her.

“Awh - that’s too bad, you could have come to Saturday's game, maybe,” William said sweetly.

“Mmm - that would've been so great…I've never been,” Loren said, as she tried to breathe normally.  William still had not shifted his hand and with her fingers still brushing against his as she petted Pablo, her mind could not understand if it meant something or not.

The two fell into another light conversation about hockey in general, spanning topics from the All-Star Weekend to locker-room hijinks.  Despite the ease of the chat, the tension that seemed to be rising between the two was very apparent.  Even William found his stomach flipping with the anticipation of simply touching Loren’s skin, let alone the other ideas he’s had in his mind since meeting her nearly a week ago.

With the dogs now on their backs sleeping soundly, William asked Loren quietly if she could carry Bansky, who seemed to have a real affinity towards Loren, to his bedroom, while he carried Pablo.  As though they were carrying their own children to bed, William and Loren cooed at the dogs as they gently laid them on his luxuriously soft duvet.

Once she saw Banksy was comfortable, she excused herself and went to the washroom.  She took the break to remind herself to not get ahead of herself, not have any expectations no matter how the night ends and try and keep it light.  Loren reached into her pocket, applied some ChapStick which she had stashed in her pocket earlier, popped a peppermint candy in her mouth for good measure and silently decided it might be time for her to head home.

William was heading back towards the couch when Loren returned.  She smiled politely and said maybe she should be on her way.

“Oh…yeah, I mean - if you need to,” William said, trying to not let his disappointment show.  “It’s just you don’t seem to have much of a chance to relax, so I thought maybe you’d stick around for a bit - maybe chill…. you know, watch a movie or something?” William asked, as he approached her.

Loren couldn’t help but look at him and smile as she gently nodded her head. “I just didn’t want to overstay…you know, I was trying to make sure you didn’t have to do the awkward ‘I kind of want you to leave but I don’t want to sound like an ass scenario’,” Loren chuckled as she nervously rambled.

William stood in front of Loren and with his hands gently landing on her waist, he slowly pulled her towards him.  Loren’s mind felt like it was a wild pendulum swinging uncontrollably between thoughts of unleashing her frenzied desires versus enjoying his slow, intimate movements.

William pulled Loren in even closer and her hands, moving solely by instinct, touched his chest covered by the soft fabric of his loose fitting t-shirt.

Looking up at William, the very moment William’s lips touched hers, Loren felt completely weak.  His lips were so soft, warm and beautifully curved, and they brushed slowly against Loren’s mouth as he pressed his body further against hers.

Loren let out a soft moan as his mouth fully connected with hers; his taste was so astonishingly delicious that it made her insides ache, desperate for more.  With each kiss, their mouths formed a deeper connection, and it wasn’t long before William’s tongue began to lightly graze Loren’s. The sensation was so overwhelming and potent that Loren had to break the kiss, and she leaned her forehead against William’s jawline while her other hand snaked around the nape of his neck.  Loren lightly chuckled at her own breathlessness before her lips found his mouth once more.

This time, William broke the kiss, but his lips did not venture far from hers.

“Where’d you get the mint from?” he asked, murmuring against her lips with a sheepish grin.

Her eyes met William's before they trailed back down to his mouth as she returned the grin.

“In my pocket, but my god, you don’t need it.  I doubt there’s anything in the world that tastes as good as you do right now,” Loren said as her lips gently caressed his neck under his jawline.

Loren felt one of William’s hands slowly slide from the contour of her waist towards her front pocket of her form fitting leggings.  He dipped two fingers inside and felt around for the mints, giving Loren a little tickle in the process.  Loren jumped and squealed, holding onto William’s upper arm a little more tightly as he pulled her against him once more while planting gentle kisses along her neck, up to her ear.

His fingers remained inside her pocket as he worked a mint out the package.  He must have known that his fingers were so close to the middle of her panties, which were becoming wetter by the second.

William retrieved the mint and popped it into his mouth, flashing a seductive smile at Loren.

“Better….,” William said, leaning his forehead against Loren’s before closing his mouth over hers in another steamy kiss.

Loren’s mind was spinning; none of this made sense to her at all.  William’s kiss was like no other she had experienced; it made her throat tight with wanting more.  The way William’s one hand was pressed against the small of her back while the other cradled her face as their mouths connected and tongues yearned to meet, made her insides twist with desire.

What started as long, sweet and tender kisses, William and Loren had ignited a furious passion between the two of them in the middle of the living room.  Her bodily instincts made her want to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist and have him carry her to bed.  She wanted his cock in every way possible.  She wanted him to writhe and moan, groaning her name while he cums over and over again, all because of how she makes him feel.

But in her mind, Loren was worried.  She had a complicated viewpoint of sex from her past and she was not willing to bring the terrible experiences she had at the hands of such a sordid person, as her ex-boyfriend was, into William’s bed.

William slowed his kiss down, allowing his mouth to wander across the warm skin of her cheeks, jawline and down the contours of her slender neck.

William looked at Loren’s face and he was more taken with her than ever. The sensitive skin that surrounded her full lips was red from his abrasive stubble; her cheeks glowed pink in the dimmed light from a nearby lamp, and her rich, dark eyes that made his heart ache and his soul melt.

William slowed his breathing, but his heart was still pounding hard in his chest.  He was sure his semi-erect cock had introduced itself to Loren’s midriff and he hoped it wouldn’t be long before William was on his way to a huge release, with Loren in his arms.

William guided Loren to the couch and adjusted the pillows to support her head as she laid down on her back.  William positioned himself between her legs as he gently leaned his torso on top of her while bearing some weight on his forearms.

It was dizzying to Loren to feel the weight of William on top of her as she raked her fingers through his famously illustrious hair, while her hands gripped his T-Shirt and his growing erection pressed hard against her drenched centre.

After her hands and mouth had pushed him as far as he could handle, William got up the nerve to ask her if she wanted to come to bed.

When Loren hesitated and showed her apprehension, his heart dropped as he knew at once it was not meant to be that night.  He could see it pained her to decline his offer as she looked up at him apologetically.  He saw the longing she had for him deep within her gaze, but he sensed Loren’s guard was still up.  All he could hope for is that she saw the same longing William had for her.

Although he'd be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed, Loren was special and so unique that what mattered most to him is when he could see her again.

The two spoke softly and gently between kisses as Loren began to ready her mind to depart for home.  Loren also decided that she wanted to let William know how truly wonderful she thought he was, just in case this was her only opportunity.

Even if William turned out to be a total player and just wanted another notch on his bedpost, she wanted to take the chance and say it anyway.  After all, it wasn't unrealistic in her mind that he could decide to move on to another girl the very minute she leaves.

Her words to him, as she gently caressed his face and smoothed his hair behind his ear, helped soothe the disappointment and solidify that he really needed to see her again as soon as possible.

As they arose from the couch, William adjusted his shirt to cover his rigid member and Loren tiptoed into his bedroom to say goodbye to his dogs, afterwards heading back to get her coat and boots on by the entrance.

Loren looked at William with a smile but she was perplexed as he pulled his coat, toque and boots on as well.

William glanced over at Loren’s confused expression.  “What - I’m not letting you walk by yourself into an underground parking lot at night…fuck that…,” William chuckled.

“Shit - I totally forgot…I am so sorry…I can figure out something so you don’t have to go out,” Loren said uncomfortably.

William shook his head.  “Loren….I'll drive you, ok?  It's the garage I told you about, right?” William asked as he reached for her hand, slowly pulling her back into him.

Loren nodded as she smiled, but the smile did little to mask that she still felt terrible for inconveniencing William.

William’s hands travelled up and cupped Loren's face just under her jawline.  He held her face so she had to look into William’s eyes.

“I know you feel bad - but please don’t.  It's like 10 minutes….total…and it's not even late,” William said reassuringly.

He closed the gap between them with a slow and deep kiss.  When it seemed clear that they might stand there forever in a lip-lock, they mutually broke the kiss.  They smiled and giggled at each other as a few more nuzzles and sweet comments were made.  When they were ready to depart,   William called “car” and the dogs  came running down the hallway as fast as they could towards the door.

The elevator ride down to the underground parking garage was over within less than a minute, and William led the way to his sleek SUV parked nearby.  The dogs knew the routine well, and ran towards the door for the backseat.  William draped his arm around Loren’s shoulder as they walked the short distance to the car.

As she slid into the passenger seat, the scent of the interior made Loren clench her pussy walls; it was a perfect balance of William’s cologne, expensive leather and new car smell.  She felt a little nervous still being in such close proximity to William, now in a different setting, but the dogs provided an excellent distraction as they both begged to sit on Loren’s lap.  She managed to accommodate them both for the short distance they had to travel.

A light dusting of snow had covered the ground since Loren and William had last ventured outside.  As they pulled out onto the street, Loren still marvelled at the lights of skyscrapers and William watched as she quietly talked to both dogs, pointing out little things she saw.

Loren turned William on fiercely.  If he thought it was remotely appropriate, he would have turned them back around to his condo, guided her into the bedroom and given her as much pleasure as she could handle until they passed out.  But he could see clearly that something is holding her back and despite what his cock wants him to do right now, patience is what he chose.

William pulled into the driveway towards the garage entrance and with his approach, the door automatically lifted.  He pulled up to the kiosk, grabbed a ticket and Loren directed him to her parking spot.  He pulled into a spot next to her vehicle and asked her for her entrance ticket.  She was puzzled but relented and pulled the ticket from her wallet.  Loren watched as William hopped out of his vehicle and walked over to the PAY HERE kiosk, tapped his credit card and returned to the car as Loren was exiting the car.  Both dogs had their noses pressed to the window and whimpered as William approached Loren.

“Wait  - did you just pay for my parking?” Loren asked, her eyes growing wide with the realisation.

“Yep - we’ve got 15 minutes before the time runs out so….,” William leans over and kisses Loren again. She dropped her bag at her feet and held onto William’s jacket as his tongue slid between her lips and found hers again.

William slowly backed Loren up, pressing her against her weathered SUV; his tongue continued to delicately touch and taste her as he allowed a soft groan escape once he pulled away from her mouth.  She hadn’t even realised that her hands had travelled from the front of his jacket, down to his waist and up under his shirt.  Her hands gently stroked his taut skin and felt the lines of his muscles that led to, what Loren assumed would be, the most gorgeous cock that she could ever imagine.  It certainly felt sizable enough pressing against the waistband of her leggings.

Loren felt breathless as she looked up at William’s face.  He leaned his head down and buried his face in the nape of her neck; the feeling of his lips by her ear and the warmth of his breath sent such a raging jolt between her legs, she almost begged for him to fuck her right up against her vehicle.  She had never, ever had this sensation, this desperation, for a man to touch her; the fact it was William that made her so intensely aroused, it was almost too exhilarating for Loren to handle.

A small group of passers-by in the garage spotted William and Loren at a distance.  The group heckled them and hurled their own suggestive ideas towards the couple.  The interruption successfully killed the mood, and the two quickly realised the 15 minute grace period to exit the garage was soon expiring.

William pulled Loren toward him in a warm embrace, and she thanked him for “the most incredible day”.  He handed her the paid parking stub; that gesture alone meant so much to her, and she said as much to William.

“Call me when you get home…and I don’t mean a quick text.  I want to see you safe in your house, behind locked doors,” William said, looking down at Loren's face.  “How long should it take for you to get home?” he asked.

“Not quite an hour, depending on traffic,” Loren replied as a small grin spanned her lips.

William nodded and watched as she pulled her keys from her bag , unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat.  She lowered the window and waved good-bye to the dogs who were peering out at her, with their tails wagging.

William walked up to the window and angled his head to meet Loren’s mouth; she brought her hand up to his face, her feather touch brushed against the stubble on his cheek.

Loren smiled against William’s mouth and then pulled away slightly.  “We’d better go,” Loren said and planted one more small kiss on William’s lips.  “And yes, I will call you when I pull in the driveway,” she added as she winked at him.

William chuckled and put his hands in his pockets as he turned on his heel, heading back to his vehicle.  Loren waved as she pulled out of the spot, and followed the arrows towards the exit.  It wasn’t long before William’s almost-too-bright LED headlights appeared in her rear view mirror, and with a honk and a wave, the two vehicles pulled out onto the street and headed in opposite directions.

[thatrickmcginnis]

HENRY ROLLINS, Toronto 1988

I never saw Black Flag live, and it's something I truly regret. But two years after the band split up lead singer Henry Rollins (born Henry Garfield) arrived in Toronto with his new group, the Rollins Band, for a gig at my then-favorite club, the Silver Dollar Room on Spadina. This was just after the release of the Life Time record, and if Henry knew he had to top himself, his work ethic didn't betray any second thoughts. This was the day after my Rowland S. Howard shoot, and I was back in my ad hoc studio again - the empty room behind the bar at the Silver Dollar, with my studio-in-a-bag: a flash and umbrella bounce, a light stand and a white painter's tarp I kept in a gym bag with a roll of duct tape.

Henry Rollins had a reputation for being an intense guy, so I steeled myself for what could have been a contest of wills when I started setting up for the shoot. When he showed up, however, he mostly seemed baffled as to why I wanted to do a portrait sitting with him - I don't know if it was false modesty or simply an inability to accept his status as an underground celebrity. (Not sure how he dealt with the following decade, when he became an actualy, overground celeb.) I tried making small talk while putting the last bits of my light together and mentioned in passing that I'd photographed Lydia Lunch in the same room, a couple of months previous. (I knew they'd been something of an item, or had at least appeared together in a Richard Kern film.) Right here? Henry asked. Yeah - right on that stool, I said, indicating the bar stool that I'd placed in front of my backdrop, which for some reason was still in one piece and remained in the space. This stool? Henry asked. I said yeah, at which point he picked the stool up and took a long, theatrically loud sniff of the seat. (A funny joke, but not one I'm sure he'd make today.)

Anybody who knows about my long infatuation with the work of Irving Penn will see it all over my photos of Henry Rollins from 1988. It must have been a successful shoot because I'm able to showcase eight of the twenty-four frames - fully a third of everything I shot that day. I was entering my third year of shooting, and becoming serious about pursuing this as a career, so it was gratifying to produce what looked for all the world like real portraiture, at least by the standards I'd set myself. The real miracle is how my painter's tarp, which had been living in a gym bag for months, had such a soft, flattering texture in these portraits - I must have learned something about lighting within the tight parameters I'd set for myself. I still can't remember if these shots were ever published anywhere, but one of them ended up on my first business card, and in my portfolio for as long as I had one to show.

[fleurcareil]

West Ontario: Thunder Bay and Kenora

It feels like ages ago that I left Sleeping Giant as I'm currently in Calgary, three provinces further west 😅 but been busy traveling with very little internet access, so will aim to catch up by writing shorter posts! 🤞

On the way to Thunder Bay I visited the Terry Fox memorial - for non-Canadians, he was a young man who ran a "marathon of hope" to raise awareness for cancer; having started in St John's in Newfoundland, he ran 3,339 miles across Canada close to here, where he had to stop as his cancer returned & he died shortly afterwards. Supporting Terry Fox runs by friends were the first donations that I made in Canada (I must admit I never ran myself) and he has rightly so turned into an inspiration for many. The memorial serves both as a reminder that our health is the very first thing we should take care of, and as a motivation to never give up on life... ❤

In Thunder Bay I did the usual errands plus an unsatisfactory visit to a BMO bank branch, where I had hoped they would reinstate my credit card after a suspicious activity... however, they only could send a new card to my friends in Dundas (where I'll be back end September 🤔) so that stressed me out but luckily with the help of great friends 😍, I received the replacement card this morning in Calgary so I can now worriless continue spending 😝.

Half an hour west from Thunder Bay I breaked for lunch at the Kakabeka Falls, the so-called "Niagara Falls of the North"... although pretty (& in a more natural setting than Niagara Falls), the comparison doesn't really hold true 🤣

After that it was a 2hr+ drive to the little village of Ignace where I stayed in a lovely inn on a lake, run by a couple that used to live in Toronto but had moved here during the pandemic in search for a quieter life (which it certainly is with its 1,200p population!) .

Along the drive, the trees were still the same boreal forest (which I probably will never want to see again after this roadtrip 😁) and it was grey and boring so couldn't wait to stop for the day... the only interesting thing is that I changed another hour back in time, similar to Labrador not at a provincial border but just randomly somewhere 😅. Meant I had an extra hour to sit with my legs up!

Next day, I made the last 3-hour push to arrive in Kenora, the most westerly town in Ontario and famous for being on the massive Lake of the Woods. The roads were much busier here with several links to the US border, and suddenly it became agricultural with rolling fields west of Dryden, a change from the forever-forest!

In the evening, the lake at my campsite at Rushing River provincial park became dead still and massive clouds turned pink when the sun set... pretty! 😍 As a really great plus, there were no longer flies and very few mosquitos which makes being outside so much nicer. As a really big negative, there was a snake that came my way when I was sitting at the picknick table chatting with a friend. After booing it away, I researched Ontario snakes and although the common eastern gartersnake is not poisonous and doesn't normally attack, I was less than pleased when it showed up next to me again! 😵

In the morning, the water was still very calm so had a beautiful paddle before breakfast. I never cease to be happy when I'm on the water!! 🤩

Thereafter, I drove into town for a boat tour on the MS Kenora along tons of islands, rich houses, "devil gaps", spiritual rocks as well as 6 bald eagles. It was pretty but very hazy due to the smoke so then everything turns into the same gray-yellow hue... 🤨

After visiting an art gallery dedicated to a local painter and an interesting exhibit on the 150th anniversary of Indigenous Treaty #3 - " which will last as long as the sun will shine and the water runs, that is to say forever", it was patio time for a drink & snack with view on the lake! ☀️ Back at the campground, it was so sticky hot that I went for another little paddle to the beach and a refreshing swim 🤓

There was too much wind in the morning for another paddle so spent some time cleaning out and repacking the car, throwing away any items that I hadn't used for the last two months, no point in keeping those!

Although it was a great spot on the water, the campsite was a walk-in on a slope so I ended up hating it going up & down endlessly to my car... mental note never to book that again!

Before heading out, I did a small hike along the namesake rapids that the park was created for, but it was hot & humid so not enjoyable.

Time to say goodbye to Onario and off to Manitoba!

Wildlife: 1 deer (Dryden), 1 common eastern gartersnake (twice!), 6 bald eagles and 1 loud flying loon (Rushing River/Kenora)

SUPs: two at Rushing River

Hikes: one at Rushing River

[bollywoodmarketing]

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[chelseydavidson]

My Progress - Week 8

What is working?

Frankly, not much – I’m getting a bit pessimistic, if I’m being entirely honest.

I’ll chalk the Facebook groups I joined as a pseudo-win (more on that below), but not too much else – while the Facebook groups haven’t netted any leads as of yet, they do have my target audience, so I’m holding onto some hope. I’m also preparing to pivot to a paid digital marketing strategy.

I also looked into setting up a Craigslist account, which will cost me $5 to run for 30 days. I’m a little nervous because I heard about Craigslist being a bit of a sketchy platform with scammers and stalkers and setups (oh, my), so I’m a little reticent about using my credit card on a platform with that kind of reputation. However, Craigslist is very much committed to local focus, which could be helpful for generating concentrated interest strictly in Durham Region. 

What is not working?

Pretty much everything else.

So, I received absolutely no word from the Unschooling Association, despite BCCing all the leading members of the board and the specific representatives for my area. 

My local library doesn't do any promotion of small businesses to support them -- only for not-for-profits and other free services. So, that’s a dead end. (That includes the Pickering, Ajax, and Whitby systems.)

My Kijiji ad was taken down this week. There was an issue with the category I placed it in and they want me to resubmit in a different category and pay a fee to repost it. I’m on the fence about Kijiji’s effectiveness as it is, and the fact that I couldn’t test it out organically before opting in for a paid option, makes me quite nervous. I’ll need to do more research before I sink money into it. 

Facebook got back to me the same day saying that they are “not the channel to deal with this issue. Please troubleshoot using the website.” I only contacted them because the website didn’t offer support setting up an account when the email address isn't being recognized as valid (my guess is the domain name is confusing it, but who's to say?). The website support only stems from already being a user. This would be, in my opinion, an absolute failure in customer service, but I don’t see Facebook hurting none. In a fit of frustration, I used my existing personal Facebook profile to post a Facebook Marketplace ad. It looks pretty much like the Kijiji ad did, but so far, it's managed to stay up. No bites, but still fishing.  

I also joined two Facebook groups - a Durham Region Bulletin Board group and a Toronto Tutors group (which covers the GTA as well) - and posted in the discussion to potentially generate interest. Unfortunately, no one has contacted me from the groups yet. Since I did this recently, I’ll leave a little time to see if this effort gains any traction. 

How do you feel the project is coming?

I’m in full-on Debbie Downer mode.

Despite feeling deflated, it hasn’t stopped me from continuously exploring more opportunities. I’m also actively researching ways to advertise best to parents online, because I am definitely leaning towards paid options. I have considered printing flyers as well and distributing them at children-focused events as they crop up now we're in the springtime or handing them out near or at locations that cater to providing lessons for children. 

I’m getting increasingly nervous about how close we’re getting to summer break. The end of June is just around the corner (and for many post-secondary students, their programs have ended until the fall) and parents can lose the same commitment heading into the break that they may carry during the schoolyear, making it a rough season for tutoring businesses. 

What are you learning about running a business?

Tenacity is what I am learning, above all else. If at first you don’t succeed, try again. And again. The key to that perseverance is to try something new, though. Sometimes it feels like throwing darts at the wall to see what sticks. Nonetheless, I’ll keep whipping darts. 

I have spoken with my husband, who’s been an entrepreneur for over three decades, and he reminds me that, in a word-of-mouth business like tutoring, the greatest hurdle is getting the first client. If you do right by that first client, the word will get out eventually and more clients will come. I keep reminding myself of this when I feel epically discouraged.

What are you learning about yourself?

I wish could tell you that I was learning I am a marketing extraordinaire that could sell honey to a bee, but alas, no, I am still honing that skill.

I am learning instead that there are limits to my optimism. I like to think that I have a can-do attitude, but I also like control. Getting customers is not something I can control and it does eat away at my normal level of bubbliness. I definitely experienced a bit of a Unikitty moment. 

I am also learning that, in spite of having no control over getting that first critical customer, I am a persevering person. I will stick with it, even if it’s sticking it to me. Here’s to not giving up!

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"My Mind Was Clear But Unable to Reveal My Name 4 Long Years'," Toronto Star. September 29, 1943. Page 1 & 2. --- By MARGARET ECKER The true story of John Patrick Murphy is stranger than the fiction he writes. It's a pulp writer's dream come true.

Four years ago - on July 26. 1939 - John Patrick Murphy was picked up by police from a Toronto street. A woman standing by muttered, "Aren't these drunks disgusting." and an ambulance took him, unidentified, to a hospital.

John Patrick Murphy wasn't drunk. He was completely stricken by paralysis. His brain was clear, but he couldn't move a finger. he couldn't even frame his own name with his lips. He did try, and from the results he was booked for twe years in that hospital as "John Murray" of Vancouver.

John Patrick Murphy of Timmins, telegrapher and radio announcer, vanished into air. A mystery man lay in a hospital. A wife and a nine-year-old son waited at home, dazed, incredulous that the father of the home should not return from a business trip to Toronto.

Missed This Pocket In a hospital safe was a wallet that could have cleared up the mystery - but no one discovered the secret pocket with the cards of identification.

As John Patrick tapped out on an alphabet board in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital for Incurables the other day: "Even from the first there was little pain-only shock. My mind was clear."

At first, he couldn't even swallow and he was kept alive by intravenous feeding. Later he was fed through a rubber tube. At the end of eight months he could swallow and a little feeling had seeped into his left side. He still couldn't grip a pen or pencil.

One day, his wife, in her search for him, passed within two blocks left hand is more convenient and although it of the hospital. She couldn't know takes time he writers that her husband might almost have seen her front his wheel chair by the window.

John Patrick Murphy still sits in that same chair. He's still paralytic. He still has no control over his body except for the fingers of his left hand, with which he can punch down on typewriter keys.

World is His Oyster But the world became his oyster when the meagre power came back to these fingers.

"I'm writing all right now," he tapped out on his alphabet board. "In a few years I'll be sitting pretty."

It was two years before John's large, capable hands hands showed signs of life, then only the left one responded to his ceaseless flexing. One day he found he could clutch a pencil - and John Murphy of Vancouver was a mystery man no longer.

"I spent days printing notes to my wife, my mother, my friends," he typed out.

His wife rushed down from Timmins.

"We decided there must be something I could still do. Then we hit on it - I'd write stories. The problem was solved - I thought."

This is the story of the birth of John Patrick Murphy - author, as he punched it out himself.

"Dad built a special table for me to fit a wheelchair. A tyре writer company rented me a type writer at a purely nominal sum, I thought I was made.

Story is Accepted "For seven months I ground out tripe only to have it fired back in my face with reason. Finally in March, 1942, came my first sale. Ten bucks for 2,300 words. My wife was jubilant. Me too. We were made. I war a writer.

"But I didn't have another sale until August. After that my writing paid off better. I've made several hundred since then - $500 since January of this year. Writing in a 13-bed hospital ward is rather hectic at times, but I spend from 8 a.m. to 8 pm. in my wheel chair, and I work eight hours every day. I'm still clawing at the fringes, but I'm improving.

He indicated a copy of the Farmer's Magazine. Inside was one of the tales he has dreamed up 'Tundra Detective,' a blood and thunder adventure yarn.

He took up his story again: "My wife and I play games. We pretend that I was interned in the first month of the war and that my exile will last only until hostilities cease. Could be.

"We are working for our own home again. She is a stout fella - plenty of courage and the biggest heart in the world. Our boy, 14, is worth working for he wants to be a doctor. The future looks very rosy for us."

"Don't Worry About It" "I will never get better but I don't worry about it because the world is a pretty sick place to live in now anyway. Laboriously spelled out on a board all the letters of the alphabet and the numerals from one to nine, this is Mr. Murphy's philosophy of life.

"I don't worry," he spelled out, "I keep busy at my work eight hours a day and have sold a story every week for the past several months." Inserted in his typewriter was the third sheet of the manuscript of his latest tale - another epic of crime.

He says his fondest hope is that his son can achieve his ambition to become a doctor. My wife he stated, "comes from a family of doctors and it is born in the boy."

He works in front of a large window in the 13-bed ward. His desk is piled high with dictionaries, best sellers and copies of magazines in which his stories have been printed.

"Life is not as dark as It would appear, he smiled. my work keeps me occupied and my mind off other things."

Writes Regularly Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Murphy, Sr. of Cobalt, are his parents.

"Pat has to write all correspondence with the index finger of his left hand,' said his mother. 'This is more convenient and although it takes time he writes us once a week. He also keeps in touch with three sisters and a brother so I know he's improving.

Each summer, usually in August, the parents visit their son for two days. He has shown progress in talking, they say. Soon, they hope he will walk.

[lindsaystravelblogs3]

Greenland. (Months later - 6 January 2024!)

It is several months since I wrote anything for this blog.  We have been home for three months and it has been a frantically busy time – so much so that a lot of the detail of the end of our trip (the Northwest Passage component) has become blurry or worse.  As a result, I will try to summarise the last four weeks of our trip in less detail and only describe a few things I can remember in reasonable detail.

Day 90 was 23 August and we were up well before dawn and in a taxi to the airport, flying first to Frankfurt for a few hours, and then on to Toronto, skipping across numerous time zones and arriving before noon (Toronto time) after some 15 hours getting there.

Day 91 24 August

Heather needed a haircut so she arranged an appointment at another hotel further down the road.  We asked the concierge at our hotel how to get there – could we walk?  No, no, no, nobody walks anywhere in Canada!!! – so he arranged a taxi.  We had no Canadian dollars, and the driver wouldn’t take card, so he calculated how much it would cost in US dollars and extracted an exorbitant sum from us in cash before he would take us anywhere.  Then we were off to the other hotel – maybe 300 metres, maybe less, further down the road!!!  Unbelievable and the cabbie must have been laughing his head off at his huge rip-off.  Heather then had an extremely expensive haircut, but at least it was entertaining with the two brothers who ran the salon exchanging stories and travel tales with us for at least an hour.

We decided to walk back to our hotel – a long trek and something no Canadian would ever do.  What a wonderful decision.  We walked along the verge of the highway and saw lots of wildflowers and a few interesting birds in a copse below us as we crossed an overpass.  A huge Cooper’s Hawk flew down and sat on a pylon right in front of us and just above eye-level, and stayed there so we could have an excellent examination of it – quite beautiful.

We ate a massive lunch at a diner across the road from our hotel – another great experience talking with the wait-staff and watching the world (and a few more of its birds) go by outside.  All up, Heather’s tonsorial excursion occupied close to five delightful hours, studded with entertaining and educational conversation and combined with notable flora and fauna encounters.

Day 92 25 August

We stayed at the airport hotel overnight again, and next morning were whisked off to Kangerlussuaq on a chartered flight where we were Zodiac-ed out to our home for the next couple of weeks – Aurora’s Sylvia Earle, the same ship we enjoyed in the Antarctic last Christmas/New Year.  We had 75 fellow-expeditioners to meet, and staff by the score.  We settled in, enjoyed some welcome drinks, suffered the initial briefing and lifeboat drill, and ate dinner before crashing into bed so we would be ready for the next day’s excitement.

Day 93 26 August

We moved to Sisimiut overnight and were taken on a bus trip around the town during the morning. Sisimiut is Greenland’s second largest town and has been inhabited for at least 4,500 years – one year for nearly every Greenlandic dog camped in the local dog-town.  We had done a similar bus trip when we were in Sisimiut a year or two ago, but it was still interesting, and I added a few more bird species to my list along the way.  The houses are all very brightly painted with the colours historically used to indicate of the nature of the building – red for churches, schools, and related staff houses; yellow for hospitals and health-care workers; blue for fish factories; black for police stations, and so on.

Over lunch, we watched a demonstration by a champion kayaker turning all sorts of underwater somersaults (a very strange national sport) beside the ship and there were more celebrations at the Captain’s Cocktail Party before another sumptuous dinner.

Day 94 27 August

We awoke to find ourselves almost surrounded by huge icebergs as we sailed into Ilulissat where the world’s fastest flowing glacier meets the ocean – more than fifty kilometres from its source at the edge of the world’s second largest icecap.

We were taken on a small boat to explore the edge of the glacier and skirted many of the mammoth icebergs floating in the harbour.  We saw quite a bit of wildlife on the excursion, with seals popping their heads up to examine us and lots of birds to fascinate me.  We were then bussed to the start of the boardwalk that took us down to the edge of the glacier a couple of kilometres ‘upstream’.  There is an Ice Museum there and we spent half an hour in there, but it was crowded and a bit too touristy for us, so we walked a kilometre or two along the boardwalk, exploring the plants and colourful flowers on either side, as well as spying quite a few more species of birds.  Last time we were here, we went to the end of the boardwalk, and I climbed to the very edge of the glacier, but we chose not to tackle the steeper sections this time and simply explored the rocks and natural beauty from where it was a little easier to return to the bus that took us back to the ship for lunch.

The ice in the harbour is treacherous, often blocking ingress and egress as the wind takes the giant icebergs from the glacier into the mouth of the harbour and our captain decided that it was safer to depart before the incoming ice impacted our ability to continue our voyage.

[newstfionline]

Friday, November 10, 2023

Canada wants to give a stranded Russian plane to Ukraine. Is it legal? (Washington Post) Three days after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, an Antonov-124 jet landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport here to deliver 77 tons of coronavirus testing kits. It would be its last trip for some time. On Feb. 27, 2022, before the AN-124’s scheduled departure, Canada barred Russian aircraft from entering or exiting its airspace—stranding the plane at the country’s busiest air hub. The aircraft—one of the world’s largest cargo planes—has been racking up a sky-high airport parking ticket. Now, it’s caught in a larger fight over new legislation through which Canada has claimed authority to seize the frozen assets of entities under sanctions, even if they’re not linked to any crime, and use them to the benefit of foreign states “adversely affected” by breaches of international security. In June, the government ordered the seizure of the plane. Authorities want to work with Kyiv to use it “to compensate victims of human rights abuses, restore international peace and security or rebuild Ukraine.” The new powers are the first of their kind, and the government has admitted that the “new regime is untested and will likely face legal challenges.” The Kremlin called the seizure “cynical and shameless theft.” As the West looks to use frozen Russian assets to help Kyiv defeat the invaders and rebuild Ukraine, the dispute is being watched closely by allies and foes alike.

Right Now Is a Terrible Time to Spend Money... (WSJ) Prices remain high for much of what we buy, even as inflation has slowed. Saving money, meanwhile, is a more profitable activity than it has been in recent memory. Since the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to a two-decade high, any dollar spent today is a lost opportunity to earn as much as 5% or more in savings accounts, certificates of deposit and bonds. But a growing share of Americans are spending, and falling behind on their credit-card bills as credit-card debt hit a record high. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest household credit and debt report showed Americans’ cumulative credit-card balances reached a record $1.08 trillion in the third quarter, up $154 billion from a year earlier, the biggest annual increase in records dating to 1999.

Judging from the level of complaints, air travel is getting worse (AP) Air travel is getting worse, judging from the number of consumer complaints. Consumer complaints about airlines nearly doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year and kept soaring in April and May, the U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday. For all the thousands of complaints lodged with the government, it is likely that consumers file many more complaints directly with the airlines.

A New Answer for Migrants in Central America: Bus Them North (NYT) Miranda Villasmil guided her daughter and son past hundreds of huddled migrants, many still muddied and swollen from their trek here to Costa Rica from South America. The family of three carried just two grocery bags of their belongings from their past lives in Venezuela. When they reached the row of shuttle buses that would carry them to the Nicaraguan border, Ms. Villasmil was so overwhelmed with relief that she texted her relatives back home who were also considering fleeing. The Costa Rican government, she wrote them, was willing to provide “safe passage.” Ms. Villasmil is one of thousands of migrants taking advantage of new busing programs adopted by Costa Rica and other Central American countries trying to contend with a historic tide of migration passing through their borders. More than 400,000 people have crossed into Costa Rica from Panama this year, doubling the number of crossings from last year and leading to a massive tent encampment along Costa Rica’s borders, complaints from business owners and a rise in abusive smuggling operations. In October, the Costa Rican government declared a national emergency and formed a plan with Panama to shuttle migrants from its southern border to its northern one. Costa Rican officials say the busing program has removed the encampment, as well as alleviated the strain on border communities and provided people a safer alternative to paying human smugglers. Similar busing programs have also emerged in parts of Honduras and Mexico.

As Ukraine Seeks Troops, Women Prepare for the Call (NYT) Halyna Vynokur, a clerk in a hardware store in Kyiv, was shouldering a firearm for the first time. Iryna Sychova, a purchasing manager at a department store, disassembled and reassembled a Kalashnikov rifle. They were among two dozen women who turned out in a forest near Kyiv one recent weekend for a course in firearms and urban combat. They were spurred by a sense of duty, they said, realizing they might some day end up on the front lines. After 20 months of full-scale war, the fighting in Ukraine has bogged down in vicious battles of attrition along a zigzag front line in the southeast. A steady supply of weapons and personnel are crucial, and while Ukraine has the benefit of Western-donated armaments, it relies on only its own population as a pool for replenishing forces—and Russia’s is about three times as large. With so much hinging on refilling the ranks, efforts are underway to draw more Ukrainian women into the army. About 43,000 women now serve in the Ukrainian military, according to the ministry of defense, an increase of about 40 percent since 2021, the year before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Turkey is marking its centennial. But a brain drain has cast a shadow on the occasion (AP) Huseyin Buyukdag says he loves Turkey and his job as a teacher. But with the rampant economic crisis and growing repression in his country, he said he and his wife have decided to try and find a better life in Germany. They are among a growing number of young and educated looking to leave Turkey, where rights and freedoms are being eroded and inflation is surging under increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After Erdogan secured a third term in office in May elections, things are unlikely to change, he says. Turkey, a country of over 84 million people hit by a series of crises in recent years, saw the official annual inflation rate at 61% last month, though some economists believe the real figure is double that number. For many, the way out is through education visas to study abroad or work permits. TurkStat, the government’s statistics bureau, said 139,531 Turkish citizens left the country in 2022, compared to 103,613 in 2021. Those aged 25 to 29 formed the biggest group. Sociologist and author Besim Dellaloglu attributes some of the exodus of the “uppermost educated layers of society” to an erosion of democratic norms.

Don’t inhale in Delhi (ABC News) In India, masks are back in fashion despite a lack of Covid. Instead, the people of New Delhi are being forced to cover their mouths to keep out a thick layer of smog blanketing the city, which has shut down schools and halted construction projects. According to India’s environmental monitoring agency, the region’s air quality index reached almost 400 for tiny particulate matter, a “hazardous” level over ten times the global safety cutoff point. The haze comes from the burning of fields near New Delhi. Every year, before the start of the winter wheat-planting season, Indian farmers burn off the remains of this year’s crops to clear the fields for next year’s seeds, which contributes to about 25% of the air pollution in New Delhi.

US forces under fire in Middle East (Reuters) A defective drone in Iraq may have helped keep America from being dragged deeper into a widening Middle East conflict. The drone, which was launched at the Erbil air base by an Iranian-backed militia before sunrise on Oct. 26, penetrated U.S. air defenses and crashed into the second floor of the barracks housing American troops at about 5 a.m., according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. But the device laden with explosives failed to detonate and in the end only one service member suffered a concussion from the impact, said the officials. The U.S. had got lucky, they added, as the drone could have caused carnage had it exploded. The incident was among at least 40 separate drone and rocket attacks that have been launched at US forces by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria over the past three weeks in response to American support for Israel in the Gaza war.

Street battles rage in Gaza City (Reuters) Israeli forces fought Hamas militants through shell-blasted buildings in the north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday as the plight of civilians in the besieged Palestinian territory worsened. Gaza residents said Israeli troops were inching their way closer to the Al Shifa hospital, Gaza's biggest health facility, where Israel believes Hamas has a command centre. Thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge there from the relentless Israeli bombardments. Residents in Gaza City said Israeli tanks were stationed around the city. Both sides reported inflicting heavy casualties on one another in intense street battles. The United Nations human rights chief called for a ceasefire and said both sides had committed war crimes in the month of fighting over the enclave.

‘We have the order to bomb. You have two hours’ (BBC) Mahmoud Shaheen is a Gazan dentist who lived in al-Zahra for 15 years, a quiet area largely untouched by Israeli air strikes until the morning of 19 October. Then, he received a phone call that would turn into the most terrifying conversation of his life. “I’m speaking with you from Israeli intelligence,” a man said, according to Mahmoud. The caller told him to evacuate his apartment block and two others. Mahmoud rushed around, screaming at people to flee, and hundreds poured into the streets. Then he received another call. They would bomb the full row of apartment blocks on the eastern side of the street, Mahmoud recalls being told. This was more than 20 tower blocks, and hundreds of homes. ‘The orders have been received, and we will bomb all towers within two hours.’ Mahmoud screamed at people to clear the area, running from block to block. Residents describe chaotic scenes of adults shouting and children weeping. Some parents and children lost one another in the melee. And the residential blocks were levelled one by one.

Arab countries intensify appeals for cease-fire in Gaza (NYT) Facing growing anger from their own people, Arab countries are intensifying their appeals to the United States to pressure Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire in Gaza or risk sabotaging the security of the entire Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have all implored American officials, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, to get Israel to halt its military assault. “The whole region is sinking in a sea of hatred that will define generations to come,” the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, warned at a news conference

Worst floods in decades kill 29 in Somalia, hit towns across East Africa (Reuters) The worst flooding to hit Somalia in decades has killed 29 people and forced more than 300,000 to flee their homes, the National Disaster Management Agency said on Wednesday, following heavy rains that have inundated towns across East Africa. Authorities have scrambled to rescue thousands of stranded people from the floodwater, which comes on the heels of the region’s worst drought in 40 years. “I do not remember such floods in my life,” said Mohamed Farah, a local elder in Baidoa city, in southwest Somalia. “People keep on evacuating looking for high ground.”

[literarytourist-blog-blog]

Michael Geist on the pathetic argument for extending copyright protection

​I booked a room at the Intercontinental Hotel in Montreal through Hotwire a couple of days ago. When I arrived at the hotel the receptionist asked me for a $250 deposit for incidentals. Next morning, without my permission (sure, okay, it's likely buried in the small print) they charged my card an additional $200. I subsequently learned that this was because I'd booked a couple of massages at their spa. When I checked-out they charged me for the massages and told me that I should see the $450 back on my card in 2-3 business days. 

  Of course, this scam earns the hotel money at my expense. A tiny expense, but, when combined with all of the other visitors' tiny expenses, not tiny. This scam is similar to the one operated by the oil companies when they insist that you punch in the amount you think you'll need to spend filling your tank at their pumps. It's your money and time they're stealing. Peanuts per person, big coconuts together. 

  Where's the government on this? The same place government is on poor banking services, the highest mobile phone rates in the world, and sky-high dairy prices. Nowhere. Canadian governments have abandoned Canadian consumers. Valets to the rich and big business they are; to an alarming degree.

  Which brings us to copyright legislation. 

  Cravenly hidden in an omnibus Budget Bill (a tactic Trudeau swore he'd never use), Bill C-32 received royal assent on December 31, 2022. It extends copyright protection in Canada for writers and other creators from fifty to seventy years after they die. How does this benefit the public? It doesn't. Not at all. Does it provide added incentive for these authors to create and innovate? None. Does it help readers and researchers and teachers? No, it does the opposite. 

  Lobbyists convinced the Trudeau government to extend copyright with one pathetic argument: that it brings Canada into compliance with other jurisdictions. Greed won out in other words. Now, no new works will come into the public domain in Canada for another twenty years. How does this affect books and readers, writers and publishers? I ask Michael Geist. He's a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law and is a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. He has obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees from Cambridge University in the UK and Columbia Law School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia Law School - so he should know.

Check out this episode!

[atlanticcanada]

Pharmacists ‘stretched thin’ amidst pandemic pressures, drug shortages

After working as a pharmacist for eight years, Sheryl Mahar has felt the strain of the past several years, working long days with little time left to spend on her family and herself.

“It’s been quite stressful -- we're stretched pretty thin,” she says in her small office in her community pharmacy in Hatchet Lake. Over her shoulder are two “thank you” cards.

“It's hard because you want to get everyone everything that they need, but you constantly feel like you're treading water because there's so much to do,” she says.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists like Mahar worked when many people were under lockdown at home.

Then, they played a key role in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Now, on top of the busy immunization season, they’re also dealing with an ongoing shortage of children's medications and amoxicillin.

In addition, over the past number of years, pharmacists have also been given authority by provinces to diagnose minor ailments, prescribe certain medications, and interpret diagnostic tests.

At the same time, many pharmacists have reported experiencing hostility at the counter.

“We have people protesting, we have people threatening, we have people just generally being rude,” says Allison Bodnar, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia.

“(They’re) not understanding the volume of services and the things that are changing and evolving in order for pharmacies to serve people better,” says Bodnar.

“We sort of have to have a thick skin back here, unfortunately,” says Mahar. “They just don’t know all the things that we’re doing.”

At the beginning of 2022, the Canadian Pharmacists Association conducted a survey asking pharmacists how they're coping.

Forty-eight per cent reported experiencing abuse/harassment at least weekly; 72 per cent considered leaving the position and/or the profession; and 92 per cent said they were at risk of burnout.

“My fear is that things have gotten worse,” says Zubin Austin, a professor and research chair at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto.

Austin says the profession has traditionally been undervalued, even though it’s an integral part of the health-care system.

“And when you have fragile, burned out workers in the health-care system, they simply cannot be at their best and provide the best quality of care,” he says.

Austin says the current shortages of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen are only exacerbating the situation.

“(It’s) not only increased the amount of work for them, but it’s produced an incredible amount of stress,” he says, “because the idea that you have to turn people away, with children who need help, that is something you take home with you.”

While many of the new duties being carried out by pharmacists were lobbied for by the industry, experts say the systems to support them in their evolving roles aren’t there.

Bodnar cites staffing as an example.

“We have a shortage of (pharmacy) technicians right now, so as much as I would like to tell every pharmacist to stop doing technical work, we're struggling to get technicians, “ she says.

Recruiting more technicians, Bodnar says, would free pharmacists up from some of the technical duties of the job, such as pill counting and labelling.

Austin says pharmacists face technological barriers on the job as well.

“Despite the pivot during COVID-19 to virtual care, so much of communication between pharmacists and doctors is still by the phone, by a fax machine,” he says. “It’s really time consuming and prone to error.”

Austin says developing a “one patient, one record” digital system would improve work flow and communication.

Mahar says, in her experience, how pharmacists are paid is also a barrier.

“What I think would help is if the funding model better reflected the work that goes into all of these services,” she says. “If the funding model better supported the work that goes into those prescribing practices, it would be a lot easier for us to support them, have more staff available, and things like that.”

Mahar says even with all the stress, she still couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Austin urges the public to be patient.

“Thank your pharmacist, please,” he says, “and let them know you understand the struggles they are experiencing.”

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/VCsDmJG

[businesschequeprinting-blog]

All those new businesses which are flourishing in downtown Toronto have only one question in their mind where to print documents in Toronto? Being startups they understand marketing is their base which can only help them to trap target markets. And when we talk about marketing, printing is the first thing which comes to our mind, because afterall customer will only think to read about your services and products, if he/she finds the brochure, banner, business cards & other marketing accessories attractive enough to look at and read the content.

[calendarprinting02-blog]

Sign Printing

Sign printing is a physical guidepost, directing traffic to your brick-and-mortar location. It attracts attention right at the source.. A great looking business sign creates impulse sales by drawing those consumers in. 

Sign printing provides you the chance to drive your brand messaging home. It helps your business stand out from the crowd and further distinguish your brand’s unique look and feel.

For more Information visit our website

[businessflyersprinting-blog]

Business Flyers Printing

One of the many aspects to  ensure that your business grows is to make it visible to your prospective clients. Flyers are a good way to advertise your business and lets you gain the attention of your prospective customers.

Don’t go for long texts in Business Flyers Printing

The attention span of your viewers is smaller than what you can imagine. Thus, it is important for you to edit the text as far as possible and make it crisp and catchy. Use only the crucial points that convey the message of your business. To give them a detailed information of your business, you can always provide your contact details like phone numbers, e-mail address etc and help them with more information about your business.

Let your information be Organized well

Create a wireframe of what you want to show to the audience in your Business Flyers Printing, make your information clear and organized by using bullet points, infographics, text boxes etc. This will make your information better readable and attractive to the customers.

Give it an eye-catching Title in Business Flyers Printing

The title/headline that you give to your flyer should be well though and well designed. This is your chance to grab the attention of your customers. The headline should most importantly relate to the needs/ interests of your customers.

You are competing

The market may be full of competitors, but you have to find ways to prove that what you are selling is better than others. The Business Flyers Printing/flyers help you to distinct yourself from your competition as it has the relevant information/ schemes etc for your business beautifully described on it.

Don’t forget a call to action

Any marketing campaign can be a waste if you are not including a call to action in the same. One good way to do his is to maintain your content in an active voice. Ask your readers to start using the products or to order right away. Give the contact details clearly and state clearly that you wish to call them and serve them well.

For more information visit our website

[nextdayprintingthings-blog]

Next Day Printing

Print Fast presents the premier Online Printing Platform for obtaining personal, promotional, commercial, and informational print products at the lowest prices!

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We are able to supply your company with every possible printing and promotional products. You will pay the low price for the fast turnaround. We offer one hour service for many of our print products. 

Our mission is to help your brand reach your customers with high quality marketing materials. Feel free to give us a call and one of our customer support staff will be happy to assist you.

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[feelingofcontent]

DNP Rewatch: Dan Phil and Louise Play OBAMA LLAMA

Date video was published: 05/09/2016 (X)

DNP Main Channel Rewatch: 307

This was filmed the same day as Dan’s video with Louise that had been uploaded the month before. It was good that Phil had a couple things pre-filmed to release while they were super busy in the midst of TATINOF. They were in full tour mode at this point, with tour bus (1, 2, 3) and hotel (1, 2) adventures, and shows in Florida, Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Toronto. And a side trip to Niagara Falls (with nice emoji choice by Dan).

Dan promoted this video too!

0:06 - Louise seems so surprised that Phil made a joke, lol

0:14 - Phil definitely just kneed Louise right in the boob there...whoops

0:24 - what is Dan’s face when he’s talking about touching Phil’s butt

0:35 - they are spending a lot of time on the how-uncomfortable-this-filming-setup-is set up

0:42 - still back before they played card/board games on the gaming channel!

0:47 - Phil was impressed by Louise’s llama noise there! Also: Dan almost deciding to actually spit on Phil, like that’s a normal thing... sure

1:19 - nice simple rule explanation there! Phil looks so pleased

1:46 - Dan and Louise are both already taking this very seriously

2:03 - this one only makes sense with a British accent! I’ve wanted to get this game for a while, but I’m afraid that some of them wouldn’t work/make sense

2:06 - Louise is VERY competitive 😂

2:17 - Dan and Louise just looking at each other like...wtf

2:37 - Phil with the quiet “Dan got it first”

2:58 - Phil so pleased with himself

3:11 - Dan is still gloating, but he’s rubbing it less directly in Phil’s face than he did with Louise when he beat her

3:22 - “our baking senpai” love the zoom in on Dan’s face to make sure everyone caught that

3:32 - what is Phil’s little butt-wiggle here?!

3:42 - that was really fast!

4:01 - Dan is so deliberate with his actions. Phil is laughing too hard at Louise to get any words out 😂

4:19 - Louise and Phil each just did two for the first card, but Dan’s doing a third one

4:40 - that was a harder one to get. Good job for Louise

5:04 - I love Dan’s little indulgent “of course Phil”

5:19 - another millisecond Dan win. They were both saying “milk” and “shake” so much before putting it together

5:27 - Phil feeling for the headphone users

5:50 - both DNP keep getting overwhelmed by Louise

5:57 - you can see Dan realize what Phil said about the sound barrier and know he can’t let that go. It was a thing that came up on the gaming channel a lot too

6:17 - I love Dan’s dramatic hand gesture as he guesses

6:21 - “that'd be the best birthday ever” “especially if he was naked” “yeah...” 👀

6:37 - poor choice of wording there...Dan’s wink also did not help

6:52 - Phil is disappointed in himself at this point

7:16 - sometimes Phil just does things with his tongue 😳

7:20 - “relaxing” is not a description for this at all

7:51 - the third one on the card always seems the hardest...is that how it works?

8:09 - yep no idea what is happening

8:45 - that one took a while but Phil is so excited he’s bouncing

9:12 - Phil forgetting words under pressure is me

9:23 - “I’m gonna make the acting really elaborate for no reason” ...very Dan

9:48 - so many high-5 fails. Dan’s just embarrassed for them

10:20 - Dan is painting some unneeded mental images

10:30 - Louise was quite good at this

10:46 - both with disturbing faces instead of course

This video is just fun and makes me laugh. Louise is so intense and loud! Poor Phil is overwhelmed by both her and Dan, lol.

[panthersfrankie]

Did you see [FRANCESCA “FRANKIE” HOLLINGSWORTH ] walking around the streets of Toronto? I could have sworn they look just like [SYDNEY SWEENEY].  SHE IS  AN [EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD, FRESHMAN] AND ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING [BUSINESS, MINORING IN CULINARY ARTS] AT TORONTO UNIVERSITY. PEOPLE OFTEN DESCRIBE THEM AS [+WARM], [+BUBBLY], BUT ALSO [-MEEK], [-INSECURE]. I HOPE GOSSIP GIRL DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT [HER GETTING PREGNANT BUT BEING FORCED TO GIVE UP HER DAUGHTER FOR ADOPTION]. [SARAH, 25, EST, SHE/HER, N/A]

Hello! Here is my second child, little miss Frankie. I hope you love her!

Trigger warning for mentions of adoption, pregnancy

BASICS

Full Name: Francesca “Frankie” Cecilia Hollingsworth 

Nickname: Frankie, Franks

Age: 18

Hair Color: Blonde 

Eye Color: Brown 

Siblings: Hunter Hollingsworth (twin brother), Miles Hollingsworth (older brother)

Piercings: Both ears 

Tattoos: N/A

Sexual Orientation: Straight 

Positive Traits: Warm, Bubbly, Welcoming, Optimistic

Negative Traits: Ditzy, Meek, Insecure, Naive 

CHARACTER PLAYLIST

Material Girl - Madonna

Mirrorball - Taylor Swift

Levitating - Dua Lipa 

Teen Idle - Mariana & The Diamonds 

ASETHETICS

Anything pink and sparkly, early 2000′s pop music, stuffed animals, cheesy romantic comedies, handwritten notes, Starbucks, chocolate covered strawberries, mini uggs, makeup, shopping, mini skirts, her overflowing shoe closet, Sunday brunches with her besties, daddy’s credit card

MINI BIO

Frankie Hollingsworth most defiantly had the childhood that anyone would dream of. Being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she never had to worry about her allowance running out or having to wear the same outfit twice. The Hollingsworth’s are quite the notable name within Toronto and they have no problem flaunting it.

Being a Hollingsworth meant that there had always been pressure put on her to be the best daughter she could be. Even from an early age, she was involved in many activities. They ranged from pageants, ballet, dance, and cheerleading. A day off was non-existent to her. 

Once she got to High School, she wanted to branch out and try not to live such a sheltered life. Sparks flew when she began to crush on a boy at Degrassi. Someone her parents would most defiantly not approve of, but there was something about him that she was drawn to. So, the pair began to see one another in secret.

Honestly, it felt like the script from a cheesy rom-com, but it was everything to the young girl. This was truly the first guy that really paid attention to her and made her feel special, what teenage girl wouldn’t adore such attention? They dated for several months and at the age of sixteen, she lost her virginity to him. 

Their relationship was put to halt when one of their maids had found a positive pregnancy test while cleaning Frankie’s bathroom. The discovery resulted in a huge fight with her parents, her mom and dad appalled by their daughter’s actions.  

As a punishment, young Frankie was forced to spend her junior year hidden away at a family friend’s vacation home to finish out her pregnancy. Nobody could know about this, it would simply tarnish the family reputation.

She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who was put up for adoption. Frankie hasn’t had any contact with her child, the adoption being a closed one. 

The adoption defiantly caused a strained relationship with her parents, something she is still trying to work on

Flash forward a few years, Frankie graduated and is currently a freshman at Toronto University. She is excited for the new chapter in her life but is also nervous! College is kind of scary

She is majoring in business and minoring in culinary art. Frankie is very passionate about baking and her career goal is to open up her own bakery within Toronto. 

OTHER FUN FACTS

Her favorite color is baby pink

Roses are her favorite flowers

Macaroons, red velvet cupcakes, and chocolate covered strawberries can cure even the worst days for her

Goes to Starbucks literally everyday and is always hype when seasonal items come out. Sweet cream cold foam? SHE ADORES IT

She is on the cheerleading team and plans to rush a sorority <3  

Is 100000% a ditz. She means well but was the kind of girl who asked to copy your homework before class started. Some stuff can simply fly over her head without her even realizing it

Sis is a hopeless romantic, what can I say

Generally sees the best in others and wears rose tinted glasses in many situations, which can lead her to trust others far too easily and get her feelings hurt.

She is very, very naive and a goody two shoes. Doesn’t really party too hard or get in trouble. 

FULL BIO

Coming soon