#shoutout to women forever by the way. oh my stars

[keeps-ache]

watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 👍

[theroomofreq]

can you give me muggle jily recs pleaaseeee <3 :D

HOW MANY HIGH-QUALITY MUGGLE JILY FICS ARE THERE?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. *cracks knuckles* BUT I am here for the challenge. Jily AUs are my JAM.

Again, shoutout to our amazing @jilyarchive friends who tag every wonderful muggle jily au they come across. here is the link that will take you to their tags page. You'll find links to specific tropes and AUs :')

I've searched through my own AO3 bookmarks and history tabs, and I present to you 28 jily muggle fics that I LOVE. I am THRILLED thinking about all the good things in store for those that read these wonderful stories. This list took me ages to make because I went through and reread most of these brilliant fics. Happy reading !! xx

properly improper by @lizardcookie

“Marry me,” Mr. Potter repeats, closing the distance between them by striding back up towards the sofa, only to stop and crouch to one knee right there at her feet, looking up at her. Burning. “Pick me,” he elaborates. “Pick me, choose me, love me instead.”

- this fic is the reason why I comment the way that I do (spoiler it's because it's amazing)

The Wedding Ring by @mppmaraudergirl

What is undeniably worse than attending your sister's wedding looking as desolate and forgotten as a wilted houseplant? Drunkenly ringing your ex-boyfriend and asking him to be your date.

- SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY AT THE PERFECTION

Oh my god, they were ROOMMATES by @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

Silly one-shot, Muggle AU with Fem!Jily as pining roommates and Marlene as their matchmaker.

- the fic that brought me back to jily and inspired my deep obsession of fem!jily

Swipe Right, Swing Left by @downn-in-flames

The unspoken rule of using dating apps in D.C. is that you always start with where you work.

James Potter, it seems, never picked up on that one.

- giddy just thinking about this gem

'Tis the Damn Season by @petalstofish

It doesn't feel like Christmas for Lily Evans, not after losing her parents to COVID before the Holiday season. She anticipates spending Christmas all alone until a boy from her past shows up and offers her a mutually benefiting deal that has her calling him 'babe' just for the weekend. 'Tis the damn season, after all.

- cries in respect for lyrical writing

Watch Me Unwind by @maraudersftw

Lily Evans hates her job, hates the bigoted customers she has to serve as a bartender at the richest club in the city. But the one person who makes bearing all of it worth it has someone else in his arms tonight. (Rated: M)

- obsessed with the way the plot jumps around the time line in this

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

- YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW FAB THIS IS

a matchmaking mission by @downn-in-flames

James Potter has a mission: get Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to finally admit that they both fancy the pants off each other by Valentine's Day.

His partner in crime? Lily Evans, Remus' flatmate, who he also happens to be slightly in love with

- DOUBLE the amount of pining idiots in love :")

about time by @jilyss

'sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. wait. why are we on a red carpet?'

- this is my emotional comfort fic, your honor

whiskey business by @elanev91

Sirius Black has a (bad?) habit of picking up hobbies that take over his and James' flat -- this most recent one? Homemade vodka that James now has to try and peddle to everyone in the building.

- hysterical! must read!

Fashion Disaster by @maraudersftw

James Potter is roped into an awful dare by his best-mate, which involves him wearing atrocious pieces of clothing for all days until Christmas as dictated by Sirius. If this wasn't terrible enough, he now has to contend with his maddening crush on the beautiful saleswoman at the clothing store.

- classic hijinks that I live for

it wasn't a pity invite by @elanev91

Part of the December "Winter Tropes" Jily challenge. Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omG i’m so sorry

- awkward Christmas date that owns my heart

spice and honey by @clare-with-no-i

tagging along with her food reporter sister to profile James Potter, London's hottest young chef, is not how Lily Evans pictured her Monday going - especially if he's anything like Petunia’s described.

needless to say, she's in for a whirlwind at Chez Maraudeur.

- I'm one re-read away from printing this out and putting it on my bookshelf.

Waffle Wars by @elanev91

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

- the witty narration in this fic can not be matched

You Can Hear It In The Silence by @alrightginger

Lily is non-verbal and deaf in a world where the things your soulmate says about you end up written on your skin. She has known about her soulmate since she was seven, but knows they don't have a clue she exists and possibly never will.

- exquisite, cue me sobbing forever

out the window by @displayheartcode

A new family moves to Ottery St Catchpole.

- everything I could ever want in a fic, forever in my mind rent free

The Christmas Guest by @thegodmachine

An Evans Family Christmas: Petunia is bringing her fiancé and Lily is bringing her…Friend…

- petunia pov that gives me WINGS

Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by @moonawrites

At eighteen years old, James Potter has a lot going on. He's a rising star navigating the politics of professional football, the pitfalls of sudden fame, the fallout from choosing his dream over his father's company... and a serious crush on the red headed new barista at his favourite coffee shop.

- I'm still working my way through this fic, but trust me when I say its a GEM

if u like pina coladas by @zephyrcove

Lily is desperate for a date to Petunia's wedding, James has been pining, and their friends meddle ;)

- explain to me how characters can be so perfect via texting fics?

Shelf Awareness by @ghostofbambifanfiction

It's too far out of her way and she's wasting so much money, but Lily can't help but return to the bookstore every weekend, where her passion for good literature has, perhaps, been unexpectedly reignited by the messy-haired, pun-making, rather handsome bloke who works there.

- you absolutely must know that I binge read this and then immediately REREAD it

How to win a witch in 10 days by @adenei

“She’s going to find some unsuspecting wizard, get him to fall for her, and then do all the things that turn men away to get him to break things off! Won’t it be the best way to see what witches do that drives men crazy?” But what happens when the man in question is a blast from Lily Evans's past? A Jily Magical AU based on the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

- fic based off of a rom com? YES PLZ :’)

The Fight Before Christmas by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The heartwarming Christmas tale of Lily Evans and James Potter - two plucky kids who hated one other, until the day they really, really didn't.

- complete sucker for this one

All This Time by @thejilyship

James and Lily grew up next door to one another. Their bedroom windows giving them glimpses into the others life, and also offering prime opportunities to argue with each other over every little thing. They never figured out how to be friends when they were kids, but now that they've graduated from college and are home for the summer, they have a second chance to get things right.

- one of my favvvv tropes

Let Me Love You by @thejilyship

With only a month until she's set to take the throne of Gryffindor, Lily is informed that she'll have to get married or choose to give up her throne. She never thought she'd have to even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. Enter, James Potter.

- cries in princess diares AU

The Fabulous Baker Brothers by @frustratedpoetwrites

Lily walks a different route home from work and stumbles upon a cute little Bakery with an even cuter baker in the window.

- yes yes yes to embarrassed pining.

Marigold Mornings by @mppmaraudergirl

This is a fun game she thinks, as she removes her hand from his side and reaches up to run it down his chest.  He catches her hand in his own, takes a step forward so that her nose nearly brushes against his shirt. She can feel the heat radiating off of him—or maybe it’s from her. He licks his lips and her eyes are drawn to the motion.  She knows it is a bad idea, absolutely knows it.

- incredible storytelling featuring dynamic characters :') a favvv

Welcome to Pettyville by@women-inthe-sequel @alrightginger

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

- LOVE SQUARE ANYONE

The Kiss a Stranger Project by @alrightginger

“What’s your name, then?” she asks, realizing they haven’t even properly introduced themselves yet. She nervously crosses her arms.

You shouldn’t kiss a guy without knowing his name first.

Right?

- THIS ONE WILL LIVE IN MY MIND FOREVER

[pagansheep]

Markiplier Ego Master Post

Welcome to the master ego post where I’ve tracked mostly all the appearances of Markiplier’s egos!

King Of The Squirrels

King Of The Squirrels, King Of The Squirrels Returns, Markiplier TV

Googleplier

Google in REAL LIFE Ft. Markiplier 1 2, 360 Video, Markiplier TV, Google Gets An Upgrade Ft Bingiplier

Silver Shepherd

Super Infidelity, Markiplier TV

Dr. Edward Iplier

Worst News Doctor, Markiplier TV, SANTA SPILLS THE TEA

The Host

Danger in Fiction [feat. Markiplier] 1 2, Markiplier TV

Ed Edgar

Ed Edgar Adoptallott's Baby Bulk Buy, Markiplier TV

Bim Trimmer

Hire My A** [feat. Markiplier, Danny Sexbang & Matthias], Markiplier TV

Jim

Markiplier TV, CORPSE ABDUCTION?, SUSPECT WITH A SHOOTY?!, DEMONS JIM, DEMONS!!, DUMMY JIM REENACTS GRISLY SCENE!

Yaniplier

MAKING LOVE FOR SENPAI | Yandere Simulator #12

Chef Iplier

Now We’re Cooking

Wilford Warfstache (William Jackson Barnum)

The Fall of Slender Man, The Warfstache Affair, Warfstache Plays: Slender, The Ned Affair [feat. MARKIPLIER], Five Nights at Freddy's: The Interview, Warfstache Interviews Markiplier, Markiplier TV, Wilford 'MOTHERLOVING' Warfstache,  A Heist With Markiplier

Darkiplier

Don’t Blink, Don’t Move, Mr.Kitty Saves The World, Raspy Hill, Are Jumpscares Scary?, Relax, Don’t Play This Game, Markiplier TV, The Voice of Darkiplier, Darkiplier Vs Antisepticeye, Don’t Remember, go back to sleep...,  3 SCARY GAMES #20, DAMIEN,  A Heist With Markiplier

Eric Derekson

SANTA SPILLS THE TEA

Derek Derekson

SANTA SPILLS THE TEA

Randal Vorehees

SANTA SPILLS THE TEA

Sanataplier

SANTA SPILLS THE TEA

Yancy

A Heist With Markiplier

Illinois

A Heist With Markiplier

Captain Magnum

A Heist With Markiplier

Harold B. Darrensworth

A Date With Markiplier

Dark’s Route: Beginning, PAY, Horror, Freedom!, Left

Wilford’s Route: Beginning, Don’t Pay, Don’t Attack, Pick Lock, Stay Together, More?

Markiplier TV

Who Killed Markiplier 1, 2, 3, 4

Unknown:

Big MOOD?, THE ANIMATRONIC IN THE SHADOWS | POPGOES - Part 6 (ENDING), 3 SCARY GAMES #9, Can You BLOW UP a BLACK HOLE, WHAT HAVE I CREATED...?

Description Evidence:

A TOTALLY NORMAL GAME... NOTHING SUSPICIOUS AT ALL... | Doki Doki Literature Club - Part 1, SO MANY BEAUTIFUL WOMEN | Doki Doki Literature Club - Part 2, EVERYTHING IS SO... NORMAL | Doki Doki Literature Club - Part 3, THE PERFECT DATE w/ ThE ̸̗͍̮̼͙P̏͂̈́ͦ͂̂E͆̈́ͧͮͣ̍̄Ŕ̓͋F̿̒ͦĒͫ̑ͧCT̓ ͏̪̜̗͔̻̘giRL | Doki Doki - Part 4, WARNING... THINGS GO VERY VERY WRONG... | Doki Doki Literature Club - Part 5, BE WITH ME FOREVER | Doki Doki Literature Club - Part 6 (ENDING)

Aheistwithmarkiplier.com 

password:Lh3EeEeR9z59YWcUB2b7ViHJ8ALQ637

Routes

Ending one: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, I Don’t Trust Strangers (Clever Girl)

Ending two:  Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, An Adventure Sounds Lovely, Don’t Give The Statue (Monkey See, Monkey Kill)

Ending three:  Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, An Adventure Sounds Lovely, Give The Statue (A Heavenly Adventure)

Ending four: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, Tell The Truth (Friends 4 Unlife)

Ending five: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, I’m Fine!, The Scientist, ABSOLUTELY NOT (The Coward’s Way Out)

Ending six: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, I’m Fine!, The Scientist, For The Greater Good (The End)

Ending seven: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, I’m Fine! The Soldier, I’m Hiding Something (What Did You Expect?)

Ending eight: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, I’m Fine! The Soldier, Ed’s Hiding Something, Tuna (The Cure)

Ending: nine: Gun Blazing, Car, Try To Fix, Walk To Base, I’m Fine! The Soldier, Ed’s Hiding Something, PB&J (Friends Of The Dead)

Ending ten: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Rally The Prisoners, Prison Life For Me (Life Sentences)

Ending eleven: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Rally The Prisoners, I Want To Be Free, Thanks But No Thanks (Dance To The Death)

Ending twelve: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Rally The Prisoners, I Want To Be Free, Thanks But Also Yes Please (I Want To Be Free)

Ending thirteen:  Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, Dig Dig Dig, What’s In The Box?  (Shut Up!)

Ending fourteen: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, What’s That?, Oh Hell No!, What’s In The Box? (Be Quiet!)

Ending fifteen:  Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, Dig Dig Dig, Stick To The Plan, Open The Box (Time On Our Side)

Ending sixteen: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, What’s That?, Oh Hell No!, Stick To The Plan, Open The Box (The Interview: Special)

Ending seventeen:  Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, Dig Dig Dig, Stick To The Plan, Shoot Bob (It Was ME The Whole Time)

Ending Eighteen:  Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, What’s That?, Oh Hell No!, Stick To The Plan, Shoot Wade (It Was MY Joke)

Ending nineteen: Gun Blazing, Helicopter, Charm The Guards, What’s That?, This Seems Safe (The Enigma Of Happy Trails Penitentiary)

Ending twenty:  All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Wait For Rescue, I Know Everything (I believe I can Fly)

Ending twenty-one:  All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Wait For Rescue, I Know Nothing, Golden Treasure (In The SoulStone)

Ending twenty-two: All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Wait For Rescue, I Know Nothing, Treasured Gold (A Pirate’s Life For Me)

Ending twenty-three:  All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Row Home, Build A Sign (Not Again…)

Ending twenty-four: All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Row Home, Find Shelter, Enter The Cave, You First (Imma Firin’ Mah Lazarrr!)

Ending twenty-five:  All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Row Home, Find Shelter, Enter The Cave, Me First (Don’t Judge A Book By Its Human-Skin Cover)

Ending twenty-six:  All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Row Home, Find Shelter, Run Away (Fresh Meat)

Ending twenty-seven: All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Split Up (When Will You Learn?)

Ending twenty-eight:  All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Don’t Split Up, Split Up (Are You Serious?)

Ending twenty-nine: All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up, Split Up (One Last Split Up)

Ending thirty:  All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up (One More, With Feeling)

Ending thirty-one: All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Don’t Split Up, Don’t Split Up,  Split Up (Ignorance Is Bliss: Dark)

WHAT HAVE I CREATED…?: 19:04-19:34

Markiplier: (From ADWM until current time)

Tumblr

Twitter

Instagram

uh oh… February 8th, 2017

The perfect backdrop for a successful businessman such as myself! February 9th, 2017

… February 12th, 2017

Getting closer… February 13th, 2017

What a rush this past week has been! Thank you all so much for the love you have shown in response! February 14th, 2017

Darkiplier Rises April 7th, 2017

Welcome back… May 5th, 2017

praise the SUH ☀️May 20th, 2017

when u don't trust dat fingy July 28th, 2017

5 October 5th, 2017

4 October 6th, 2017

3 October 7th, 2017

2 October 8th, 2017

1 October 9th, 2017

You’re Invited! October 10th, 2017

Just a friendly game of poker! I can’t overstate how grateful I am to be able to bring this project to life with my friends! And I’m even more excited at the incredible response you guys showed us with your endless theories and endless JIMs! Seriously, thank you all so much! October 13th, 2017

Look at this dapper bastard! What a fun character, almost made ripping that mustache on and off to swap for the mayor worth it! October 14th, 2017

Headed to the Infinity War premiere! April 23rd, 2018

You Better Run… July 31st, 2018

It just doesn’t add up… August 1st, 2018

Won’t be played for a fool… not again… August 1st, 2018

You’re going to pay for what you did… August 2nd, 2018

baCk oFf FiNgY i gOt A BaNG bANg sHOOty KaBoOmY August 4th, 2018

I am posting the video about Wilford MOTHERLOVING Warfstache tomorrow, which is FRIENDSHIP DAY, at 12pm PST. The video will be about FRIENDSHIP and NOTHING ELSE. August 5th, 2018 #Why would I lie?

WILFORD WARFSTACHE RETURNS. TOMORROW. FRIENDSHIP DAY. 12pm PST. PREPARE THY BUTTS. August 5th, 2018

Happy FRIENDSHIP DAY everyone! Let's raise our glasses to old friends and celebrate in style! Special video coming out at 12pm PST! August 5th, 2018

IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR FRIENDSHIP DAY!! Just about 30 minutes til the 🎊 party 🎊 Did you remember your dancing shoes? August 5th, 2018

Haha what a fun mask! August 15th, 2018

My only objective this month is to make you cry October 2nd, 2018

with wholesome heartwarming content October 2nd, 2018

My secondary objective is to destroy mankind October 2nd, 2018

Nice mask! October 29th, 2018 

I see and I want him to be okay December 1st, 2018

Dr. Iplier December 1st, 2018

**SPOILERS AHEAD** October 30th, 2019

Thank you, Amy. You were my rock through this whole project… October 30th, 2019

And of course, no production goes ANYWHERE without an amazing crew backing it up every step of the way! October 30th, 2019

Shoutout to the REAL star October 30th, 2019

Sup October 31st, 2019

Hey beautiful October 31st, 2019

[dwtspd]

DWTS 28 - Week 3 and 4

Hi I’m not dead, just terrible at time management.

Week 3 Movie Night

Random thought: Imagine if Mark were still on the show and he sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” from 10 Things I Hate About You at the start of his partner’s dance.

Lauren and Gleb Tango (Pretty Woman) That took forever to start. Lauren’s dancing on her own is still very stop and go, like she sees them as discrete steps, not a series of connected movements. And her eyes were weirdly unfocused like she didn’t know where to look. The dance was decent but not exciting. 6-7-7 T20

Hannah and Alan Rumba (Bridesmaids) This felt awkward for Hannah. She got all the steps but was missing fluidity and hip action. Pretty costume though. Another decent dance but nothing that made an impression. 7-7-7 T21

Karamo and Jenna Jive (Rocketman) Karamo didn’t point his feet and was lacking bounce. I also feel like he could have projected way more energy than he did here. A good showman though, I think the scores are a tad harsh. Like the bit with the piano on Jenna’s arm. 5-5-6 T16

Ally and Sasha Rumba (Selena) I see a some progress here. Very good transitions. Some of Ally’s hard-hitting-ness was still showing through but she has improved on that front. And kept her feet on the floor during that spin so CAI couldn’t dock them. 8-8-8 T24

Ray withdrew due to injury, and Rashad performed with Cheryl in his place. Always great having Rashad around. He had a very social/rhythm stance which proves he is still continuing with social dancing and whatnot. Nice to see a star continue dancing even after the show.

James and Emma Rumba (A Star is Born) Another solid performance from James. Rumba is a hard dance for the man to shine in but he held his own here. Slight issues with the feet turning in, otherwise I think he would have had tied for top. 8-7-8 T23

Kate and Pasha Quickstep (9 to 5) This was Kate’s dance and she owned it. Very cute. She was light and smooth on all the traditional quickstep phrases. Her hold with Pasha was unflappable. I think a lot of people are overlooking her but Kate has a lot of potential and Pasha knows how to choreograph to pander to the judges while being entertaining. This dance might have put them on a few more radars. 8-8-8 T24

Lamar and Peta Cha Cha (Risky Business) This was barely a cha-cha and Lamar’s time is running out fast. At least he gets to go out doing Risky Business. 4-4-4 T12

Sailor and Val Tango (Mamma Mia) Weird song for a tango. The dance was quite fun. Sailor bobbled a bit in the beginning but after they got lifted down the stairs she had a good performance. Standard masks her hard-hittingness, but it was still there whenever she literally slams her arm around Val when they resume the traditional hold. Val please take care of your shoulder blades. 7-8-8 T23

Kel and Witney Rumba (Titanic) Commendable effort from Kel. He looked strained whenever he had to support Witney’s weight. Hip action, he’s trying. I thought his upper body articulation was very good, and had some very nice arms here and there. 7-6-7 T20

P.S. shoutout to the OG Titanic rumba Shawn and Derek (s15)

Lindsay and partner Cha Cha (Saturday Night Fever) Whatever you think about Lindsay’s partner, face it, he might stick around for a while. He is here to dance and looks to be embracing the process more than other contestants. 5-5-5 T15

Kel and Lamar were the bottom two, but neither were eliminated as Ray had withdrawn. I’m not surprised about Lamar, but I’m worried for Kel. I hope he finds some pull in the fan base because he has potential.

Week 4

No theme (wow, what is this show and what has it done to DWTS??). Leah Remini guest judges. Like, I don’t have anything against the concept of having a guest judge, but some of the guests the how has had is like...what credentials do they have to judge?? Leah wasn’t a fantastic dancer and shouldn’t have lasted that long on her season. What does she know to make her a judge of dance?

Lindsay and partner Paso Doble Very garden-variety, entry-level paso No shaping whatsoever but enough elements to be recognised as a paso. Oh, and a proper paso song at that. First dance he’s had where he can’t hide behind being fun and enjoying himself, but he was still passable. 5-6-5-5 T21

Ally and Sasha Jive Listen, this is like the third time in 4 seasons someone has to jive to this song. And the last 2 times, the performer blew it out of the park. A good dance, but Ally is no Paige Vanzant or Jordan Fisher. She did nothing wrong, just didn’t do anything to be memorable. Oh, and camera mishap. We’ve had one almost every week now. Seriously, what’s heppening in the crew? 8-8-8-8 T32

Kel and Witney Cha Cha This dance was pretty good. I can see Kel opening up more. I think he was a tad overscored at times because the actual cha cha sections felt a bit reserved but the other moments - whoo! I still think there is more to Kel, and it worries me that he is progressing more slowly right now. Not sure he will fully be realised unless things start picking up. 8-8-8-8 T32

Kate and Pasha Argentine Tango Not Kate’s style. I think she felt a bit awkward doing it. They did their best to make it a fun-ish AT but it just felt kinda awkward all around. She also stumbled once and went off time. Still a decent performance, and at least she can get it out of the way. 7-7-6-6 T26

James and Emma Quickstep Okay you know I like James, and he keeps giving me reason to like him. Very nice quickstep. He has the best feet of the male contestants. Is light and bouyant. Flexible and strong for his age. Wonderful stage presence. And Emma always gives him plenty of content. I don’t see why this didn’t get 8s. 7-7-7-7 T28

Hannah and Alan Paso Doble That was not paso music. This dance wasn’t bad but it was a bit weird. Hannah looked like she was trying too hard to be fierce that her whole body was all tensed up. And she would still jump into poses and got a bit stompy at times. Again, part of trying too hard to be fierce for the style. Compared to other dances, this was overscored. 8-8-8-8 T32

Lamar and Peta Viennese Waltz well, that was not as big a hot mess as his previous dances have been. By no means a terrific dance, but at least it was contained and his errors weren’t glaringly obvious. 5-7-4-4 T20 ya know something’s wrong when the judges scores vary that much.

Sailor and Val Cha Cha I thought Sailor would shine in this dance but it felt a little awkward. She was keeping her legs too straight for the most part - yes you’re supposed to have straight legs for the cha cha but there are in-between moments where you can bend at the knees to get into the ground and accentuate the hip action. Sailor was not getting that. Another one overscored compared to earlier dances. 7-8-8-8 T31

Lauren and Gleb Foxtrot this is a weird song for the foxtrot, which put a whole really weird vibe over this dance. Shame, because I thought Lauren had really good execution of what she was given. The choreography didn’t have a lot of musicality in it, which could be part Gleb and part the music being weird for the style. 8-8-8-8 T32

Karamo and Jenna Tango so, this dance was decent and then Karamo looked like he got a bit lost right at the end. It looked like he was gonna do some knee walks but then just shifted his position so...idk. He was flat footed and looked stampy on occasion. 7-7-7-7 T21

Karamo and Lamar were in the bottom two. Lamar goes home. Put him out of his misery.

So this was the first week I thought there were some real outliers in the scoring. Both Hannah and Sailor were clearly overscored. Is there some agenda to keep all the women up this season? Is Ally - who I think is the most hardworking and deserving female contestant at the moment - so far ahead that they need to level the playing field? Is Bobby Bones rallying all of country music behind Lauren? Is Kate pulling in her Office cult? Meanwhile I feel like the judges have been stingier with the men. James is getting a bit of the Jordan nitpick treatment. He should have tied at the top the last 2 weeks. I really really want him to go all the way.

Next week (well today, since it’s after midnight) is Disney night. 

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 14x06 “Optimism”

bisexual DEAN + COCKS, I cannot believe that actually happened

02:03pm

i’m a day late but SO READY

charlie and sam!!!! i saw a couple promos, one with a screaming girl and jack and dean (oh whoop just typing that makes me think of the youtube duo jack & dean, somehow i never noticed that before??)

i’m having trouble looking at screens and stuff (vestibulitis, i believe) so i’m nauseous and dizzy, and just gonna take breaks as needed~

-

02:07

rEALLY like the visual and sound edits on the recap !!!

......one minute later as the recap ends, i realise how ridiculous it is that i’m like “hey!!! the people who make this show professionally actually made something good!!!”

-

02:09

............ARE THEY KIDDING

ANOTHER ONE???? STRAIGHT OFF THE BAT????

YEAH OKAY

I’M HERE FOR IT

-

02:10

AND THE MICHAEL HAT

what is going on

old man clearly has the hearteyes for the girl who says hello EVERY SINGLE DAY ..... just sayin

-

02:12

am i just gonna see this entire season as a series of destiel aus now??? because now girl-cas is sorting books in the library and i am PUMPED

you sort those books girl!!!!! yeah!!!!!

-

02:13

the frills on her shirt look like wings

uuugrhguh i love this ??? because in a weird way it’s soooo damn close to seeing cas in a different costume

WISHLIST: PUT MISHA IN A FRILLY SHIRT

also adoring the fact they’re just going full-out with telling stories through fashion here.

like. i am a fan

-

02:16

“arbour, it’s me!!!”

“winston, god”

wait wait i gotta check who wrote this.

ahh steve yockey, good

i checked because i was like “wait, that doesn’t seem like the deadly duo writing style, or name choice”

now it makes sense

.........well her name was harper but close enough

-

02:18

how dare all three of these incredibly white people be so cute? why

-

02:20

wiNSTON IS THE CUTEST MOST ADORABLE HUMAN ON THIS PLANET

but given the nature of this show, that makes me suspect he’s a vampire or something

-

02:21

ohhhhkay that’s the music and the sequence from that spider man movie

-

02:22

now i think he’s gonna die

-

like. immediately

he’s gonna get hit by a car or something

oh god i can’t look

-

02:23

................................yup

-

02:26

jack: “maybe i’m allergic to sitting around doing nothing”

he is so much like cas

-

02:26

dean: “cas is an insurance policy on those hunts”

OH GOD NOW I JUST REALISED HOW BADLY I WANT AN EPISODE OF JUST CAS HUNTING BY HIMSELF AND SOLVING A CASE ALL BY HIMSELF

also with jack. and with dean and sam. but CAS ALL BY HIMSELF

-

02:28

h e l p

-

02:29

jack: “we can be hunting buddies!!”

dean: “okay. A) don’t call it that--”

that little nervous huff though

WHY DEAN? IS THAT WHAT YOU AND CAS CALL EACH OTHER WHEN YOU NEED TIME ALONE? “HUNTING BUDDIES”

-

02:33

“DICK’S RED ROOSTER DINER”

tell me that doesn’t sound like five-star “eat some penis cock here” signage

and dean drives up with his manly phallic symbol

-

02:37

i love this woman for making dean make this face

-

02:38

I GASPED OUT LOUD

ANYONE WHO DOUBTED ME ON THE PHALLIC DINER NAME BEING A BISEXUAL DEAN THING, CASE IN POINT

THAT IS THE MOST PHALLIC NON-PENIS OBJECT I HAVE EVER SEEN

(i have so many questions. did someone find it in a thrift store and keep it for years until they found the right way to use it? did they get it made specially? THAT THING EXISTED FOR THIS EXACT PURPOSE)

THERE’S A CAKE RIGHT THERE, WHICH IS A DEAN-LIKES-MEN THING (VS. DEAN-LIKES-WOMEN BEING PIE)

AND HE PUSHES IT AWAY WHEN THE LADY IS LIKE “DATING VS SEX, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE THE SEX”

DEAN RESISTS THE SEX WITH MEN BECAUSE HE WANTS COURTING & DATING FIRST

WITH CAS

BECAUSE WHO THE FUCK ELSE

I am dying 

this symbolism is killing me

great!!!! i want to place an order for 3000 more of these please, thank you, i’ll pay in cash

fyi there is no doubt in my mind that dean is bi and knows it. he’s written as bi, the writers know it, the directors know it, the set decorators know it, and jensen knows it (he’s intelligent and he has a dirty mind, he knows exactly what that cock means. like, neither dean or jensen need need to know what “bi” means or remember what the flag looks like to know the concept and experience occasional attraction to men as a part of his personality)

-

02:52

sam: “that wing man was you”

charlie: “no it wasn’t”

rainbow in the background behind charlie’s head

no worries, she may be a different person but she’s still gay af

-

02:53

the love of charlie’s life was kara/cara

i’m taking notes

C UPCAKE BaKERY !!!

-

02:55

oh “tara” not kara or cara

.......oh man that is the worst backstory :c

-

02:57

trust dean to be surrounded by cocks and be like “but i like pie women”

shoutout to that lil pink sugar box on the left

-

02:59

headcanon: dean sniffs cocks before he puts them in his mouth

BUT SERIOUSLY THEY HAD HIM PUT A COCK IN HIS MOUTH. THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. VISUALLY. WE JUST SAW THAT HAPPEN WITH OUR OWN EYES.

WOMEN PIE IN ONE HAND AND MEN COCK IN THE OTHER ARE YOU KIDDING ME

I’M FUCKING REELING HERE

DEAN IS THE MOST BISEXUAL

HE STARTS WITH THE WOMEN PIE BUT THEN HE’S LIKE YEAH OKAY I’LL TRY THIS MEN COCK ... PRETTY GOOD YUP

I DIDN’T THINK THEY’D EVER TOP THE CAKE=MEN THING BUT THEY DID. THEY EVEN PUT THE CAKE AND THE COCK TOGETHER TO PAIR THEM TOGETHER AS SIMILAR METAPHORS (SEEN IN THAT EARLIER SCREENSHOT)

I’M NEVER TAKING CAPS LOCK OFF AGAIN

no but actually 911 hello yes this is obscene

-

sidenote, this is reminding me slightly of my destiel chicken au Roost

three guesses why

-

03:07

jack: “no, you back off, old man”

FOR SOME REASON I’M HARDCORE ROOTING FOR JACK RIGHT NOW

EVEN THOUGH THAT CLEARLY HURT DEAN’S FEELINGS

-

03:12

harper’s apartment is #2

two people, takes two to tango

two of cups in tarot is new love/romance/relationship/friendship

-

03:17

harper and jack getting along

was harper meant to be a cas parallel or was the trenchcoat just a visual thing at the start? because she wore a completely different coat when he brought jack to her place

i considered that her thing with the old man, paired with jack calling dean “old man” maybe made it a “dean’s getting older but cas is immortal” thing which makes me VERY SAD

-

did dean just call vance “archie” ? as in archie comics? as in riverdale?

-

i feel like there’s some form of symbolism in another man wrestling dean so he goes tumbling into a waterfall of romance novels

-

03:32

“a brass nail dipped in sugar water can kill it”

sooooooo... something brass covered in soda

(edit: or just shoot it, okie dokie)

-

03:37

harper: “it’s a little game we play”

well i mean... if you’re gonna be undead and magic, then this does seem like a fun kinky thing

seducing other boys and killing them

sure

-

03:45

dean: “you know, jack, you’re pretty smart sometimes”

yeah

i love them both <3

also when dean said “love gets crazier that that” i expected jack to ask dean if he’d ever been in love

-

03:47

OH MAN

that was a great episode 10/10 easily. my favourite episode from this season so far

my favourite part was dean + all the cocks

best part was sam comparing charlie to the musca and convincing her to stick around

i LOVED the two hunts, and getting to see two different teams doing unrelated things but enjoying both

i like that harper didn’t die

i love that charlie and sam saved the black guy and he didn’t die

idek what else to say, this was a fine piece of writing

and i can’t even complain about a lack of representation, really, since everyone besides dean/sam/jack either turned out dead or evil and that would just add to the representation problem

(BUT WHERE WAS CAS????????????? WHERE WAS CAS????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? LITERALLY DON’T EVEN KNOW)

I am worried about jack but know he’ll ultimately be fine

I WILL NEVER BE OVER THE BISEXUAL DEAN THING THOUGH

THAT WAS A PYRAMID OF PURE 22 CARAT GOLD AND I LOVE EVERYONE WHO HAD A HAND IN CREATING THAT FOREVER. especially director richard speight jr, since i have the feeling he mostly concocted this himself since it was 100% visual and maybe not even in the script and he’s done unscripted penis jokes before

[rue-by-another-name]

Thoughts on met Gala outfits please

THE MET GALA IS MY FAVORITE NIGHT OF THE YEAR I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED 

I loved this theme of Heavenly Bodies - I’m pretty sure it was one of my favorite yet. The outfits were BEAUTIFUL if they were done right. My favorite was Zendaya - for obvious reasons - I just love how she channeled Joan of Arc and just like, did it, as if it was no big deal. Huge fan of chain mail. Huge, huge, fan. (Also a shoutout to Olivia Munn and her chain mail head piece I was crying). Also it was Tiffany & Co. and she was one of the only ones wearing them I’m pretty sure (maybe the only one actually?) and that to me is just like YAAS YAS YAASSS like she’s so special and she killed it and rocked it and I would marry her if I wasn’t already married. Obviously.

 I thought Chadwick OBVIOUSLY won for the men on all platforms. But Darren Chris had a magnificent jacket, and also I know people are hating on Jared Leto for some reason but like … damn? *claps forever* 

My fav women were Blake Lively because well, she’s Blake Lively and you can tell that she’s just not only into being a fashionista, but she also holds this sort of respect for the culture and I just really love her. Cardi B came out on top for me, I thought she landed on her feet and I was in awe of her for sure. RHIANNA THOUGH. THAT’S MY GIRL. I will forever worship. 

I thought SZA chose an interesting color, but gosh she just looked beautiful. Those headpieces really got to me in the best way possible - Hailee Stein-whatever (yikes sorry), and Lily Collins (obvious queen), and god Priyanka really slayed. Not to mention Amal Clooney up in here wearing PANTS and then that SKIRT !!!! You’ve got to be kidding me that was amazing. Maybe not fully on the mark, but I’m here for it. Also Jasmine what’s-her-face (I’m so bad with names sorry, is it Sanders?) but her dress from H&M straight up looked like it was liquid gold flowing around her and I was like “you are a goddess.” It was simple Heavenly Body shit going on and I was here for it. 

Loved that Ariana Grande just like, wore the Sistine Chapel? That was bold and she really wore it and I thought it was amazing. I was clapping for sure. I’m not a huge Gigi Hadid fan, honestly, I don’t know that’s just me personally, BUT HER DRESS OH MY GOD IT WAS STRAIGHT UP STAINED GLASS AND I JUST - I had to compose myself. It was beautiful and you could tell she was wearing it the best out of anyone there like that dress was made for her and it looked beautiful and I want to be buried in that dress forever goodbye. 

DONALD GLOVER MY MAN. What a color to pull off and I was living for it. I don’t know if any of you saw Christian Combs (? is that his name?) but he was ROCKING Dolce & Gabbana idk I was living for it. Migos was a huge yes for me. There were so many colors and they were so chill I just instantly wanted to give them all the gold stars. 

Also J-Lo was just … J-Lo. Obviously. That blue on the cross was really gorgeous and she picked right. That was really gorgeous and just heavenly for sure. And oh my gosh Emilia Clarke ?!?!?!?! DAMN DAMN DAMN THAT WAS GORGEOUS. People also were giving Cara Delevigne shit and I was like … why??? I liked her little black weird striped dress thing. I appreciated it. I approved. Also is saw Amber Heard and straight up thought, “Is she an angel.” That was a beautiful dress and headpiece and whoever did her hair and makeup is straight up a god/goddess. I worship them. 

I’d say besides Zendaya’s dress, my fav of the night was Stella Maxwell in her Moschino collage type dress. I mean, it was simple and she didn’t do much with makeup and hair, which I honestly appreciated, because all the attention was on the dress and she straight up went for putting Heavenly Bodies on her own body and for that I have to give her mad props like not a lot of people can look good with faces plastered all over their own body and I’m just so surprised that more people aren’t talking about it? I don’t even really know who she is at all, but I saw her dress and was like ahhhhhHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!! 

The only Kardashian I was actually okay with was Kim, honestly. I liked the gold and the simplicity of it, and how it was just adorned with crosses. She respected the dress code, but she still was simple. As for the other Kardashians - Kendall and Kylie and I think Kris was there? I wasn’t a fan. Kendall wore this straight up white jumpsuit thing and I was just like … oh? Nothing to do with theme, nor was Kylie’s black dress thing? I disapproved so hard. 

I loved Cynthia Erivo’s purple dress because it’s hard to pull of purple and I love her so, so much. And for an awards show I would have been all over it swooning forever, but I guess for the Met I was a little like eh okay. But she was gorgeous and it was gorgeous and I love her so I guess I’ll give her a pass. 

Was not a fan of Selena Gomez. Was not a fan of Hailey Baldwin (?) The girl with Shawn what’s-his-face. It was a gorgeous dress and her pink hair was super cool but idk it just wasn’t Met for me, you know? And Selena just … I don’t know. Didn’t really like it. People will hate me for this but I wasn’t a fan of Lili Something(?) and Cole Sprouse? I was just not impressed; I mean her dress was different and interesting but I didn’t understand how it went along with the theme and I felt it didn’t fit her well? She looked amazing still, but yeah I don’t really want to get into the ones I didn’t like because then I feel bad, but yeah there were definitely some people who didn’t really stick to the theme and I was just like “you are rich and have so much money and you had one job so what gives” but hey, I don’t know their life. But I thought Katy Perry’s wings were ridiculous. I will admit that. I did not like them at all I was just like … why. 

Anyway, I love fashion and the Met Gala and would love to one day go but would never be able to actually make myself do it and yeah anyway loved it and such a great theme damn. They really killed it this year. 

[ccorneliast]

A Heart In Barcelona: Chapter 4 - A Carrison Fanfiction

Rating: T  Summary: Carrie and Harrison go on a weekend getaway to Barcelona during filming of The Empire Strikes Back in the late seventies. Something happens on that trip that changes their lives forever. Disclaimer: this is a real person fan fiction, so it all definitely came from my imagination and I’m not trying to offend anyone (you know the drill). I did take some creative liberty on what concerns the timeline, so stuff that is mentioned/places they visit may not have existed in the seventies, I apologize in advance; I do use/paraphrase some parts from Carrie’s books, as a way of making it feel more like them.   A/N: Chapter 4 goes out to my big sister Nor ( @hanorganaas ), for all her cheerleading and amazing carrison talk. I love you, girl. Shoutout to all the girls in the carrison group chat, especially to Cass and Angie for helping me out with the plot!

On AO3

I hope you enjoy and, if you do, please leave me a comment or a message, I’ll more than happy to read and reply!

“You go in first?” Harrison asks, fidgety. “I go in first?”

 “You can go first, I’ll just say I slept in too late.” Carrie answers, brushing his hair from his forehead.

 Their first day back on set in London after their weekend getaway in Barcelona is about to begin, and Harrison seems uncharacteristically… nervous.

 “No one is gonna know.” She promises with one quick peck on the lips before she sends him out the door, to the studio.

 About thirty minutes later, Carrie walks onto the Pinewood Studios’ premises, heading for the makeup trailer. A couple of crew members nod in her direction and she smiles in return. On her way to get her crown braid assembled, she walks by Mark’s trailer and decides to knock.

 “Hey, Marky Mark!” she shouts. He paces towards Carrie and envelops her in a tight hug.

 “Carrie,” he says, as she returns the hug. “I almost thought you weren’t coming today.” He breaks away from her and turns back around, heading out of the trailer.

 She follows him out: “What do you mean?” she questions, walking quickly, trying to catch up to his pace. “Why wouldn’t I come in today?”

 “Carrie, there you are!” Martha, Carrie’s designated hair stylist, calls out.

 Carrie is pushed into the trailer, waving a half-goodbye to Mark as he disappears in between ships and blasters.

 As she sits down on the chair, Martha cleans out the table somewhat, a doughnut wrapper, a water bottle and a coffee-stained newspaper being thrown to the trash.

 “How was your weekend, luv?” Martha’s inquires, curious, in her thick British accent.

 “Calm,” Carrie answers. “They were a calm couple of days.”

 “I see,” she mumbles, as she pulls and pins her long locks. “Slept a lot, did ya?” she snickers.

 “Hum, sure.” An uncomfortable silence sets between the two women.

“How was your weekend?” Carrie asks, a good twenty minutes later.

 “What, luv?” Martha’s brow furrows.

 “You were asking me about my weekend,” Carrie says. “And I just asked you about yours.”

 “Oh, it was fine, luv,” the braid is almost complete, as is her simplistic makeup. “Nothin’ interesting in my life.” She smiles, a sincere, sweet smile.

 “Carrie Fisher, on set in ten minutes.” A crew member shouts outside the trailer.

 “Duty calls!” Carrie laughs, yet it’s an edgy, uncomfortable laugh. All this talk about her weekend got her worried. Nothing to be worried about, though. No one knows.

 She hops off the trailer and walks towards the Millenium Falcon. Harrison is already sitting outside it, script in hand.

 “Hey lover,” she whispers, flirtatiously.

 “Hey,” he smirks and gets back to his lines.

 “So,” she starts, sitting down beside him. “Didn’t do the homework, I see.” She laughs, nudging his shoulder.

 “Had my hands tied up this weekend,” he teases, though he doesn’t stop studying his lines. Behind them, a couple of sparks laugh, and one of them is clearly looking in their direction.

 “What’s their problem?” Carrie asks, squeezing Harrison’s arm. He shakes his head and says:

 “Just ignore them.” And she nods, smiling.

 “Harry! I need to talk to you, man!” Mark calls from a distance. Then he registers Carrie’s petite frame right next to Harrison and his eyes widen. “Carrison.” He smiles half-heartedly.

 “Sure, what do you need?” Harrison gets up and sets his scrip on the seat.

 “Come here for a second, would you?” Mark requests.

 “You boys have secrets now?” Carrie pouts and feigns hurt.

 “Of course not,” Mark assures her, though not very successfully. “I still need Harrison for a second.”

 They walk off stage and Carrie follows them slowly, sneakily, making sure they wouldn’t see her. They enter Mark’s trailer and she hides behind a prop door. Then, knowing they’re already inside, she glues her ears to the trailer’s door:

 “It’s not serious, man.” Harrison says, his tone chill as always.

 “What do you mean ‘it’s not serious’?” she hears Mark’s voice more clearly. “You better have a great publicist.” Why would he need a publicist?

 “I’ll work this out.” Harrison promises. “Until then, not a word of this to the kid.”

 “She’s gonna find out eventually, Harry.” Mark’s voice is hoarse. “It’s on the cover of every newspaper, you better work fast.”

 Carrie’s head is spinning uncontrollably, both her hands cradling her face, trying to cool it down.

 Newspaper? What is on the front of the goddamned newspaper?

 She rushes to the makeup trailer and looks for it frantically, she remembers seeing the yellowed-out paper and black ink earlier that morning. Then, she looks down, to the trash. There it is.

 She opens it up and smooths out the crumpled paper. There it is. A somewhat far-away picture of Carrie and Harrison kissing on the steps of La Sagrada Família.

 “Thank God it wasn’t in the park.” She mumbles to herself.

Even though the picture is a bit blurry, it’s clear that it’s both of them kissing.

 She cannot believe it. She thought that if this were to happen like this, it would’ve happened a long time ago. The headline read, in big, bold letters: “Real life Princess Leia and Han Solo reveal their love affair in Spain”

 She stomps back to Mark’s trailer and knocks, panicky. No one answers. She tries Harrison’s trailer, but he’s not there either. She ventures to the Millenium Falcon. There he is.

 “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” she practically screams at him, but a warning hand on her shoulder calms her down.

 “I’ll deal with it.” He says, sternly.

 “Even you can’t make a picture disappear, Harrison!”

 “Hey, sit down, come on.” He directs her to a chair and she obliges.

 “Paul is never gonna talk to me again,” Carrie mutters to herself, on the verge of tears.

 “Wait, what?” Harrison questions, but he never ends up getting an answer. Because, as he asks her this, she throws up her breakfast on the steps of the Millenium Falcon.

 “You good to shoot, kid?” Harrison stands outside her trailer, leaning up against the doorframe.

 “Yeah, I’m better.” Carrie replies, getting up from the couch.

 “You’ll do good, you’ll be out of there in a minute.” He smiles reassuringly, but she still feels dizzy. “Come on.” He extends a helping hand to her and they walk back on set together.

 “Carrie, you’re good to do this today? Because, if you’re not, we can do it tomorrow. Hell, we can even do it two days from now. Just making sure you’re okay to be doing this.” Irvin rants, nodding towards her.

 “I’m good.” She states, matter-of-factly.

 “You hear that, people? She’s good! The lady is good! Let’s get this going, shall we?” Irvin shouts to the entire working crew, the Hoth sets already waiting for them.

 “Okay, Harrison, Carrie,” the director helps. “You’re running from Vader and the Stormtroopers. Carrie, you fall over there,” he points to a block of ice. “Harrison, you duck over her, as if you only cared about the princess’ safety. Okay, people?” everyone nods.

 “I want a camera here!” Irvin directs. “Let’s start rolling, we don’t have the whole day!”

 Carrie and Harrison position themselves and, as soon as the director screams ‘Action!’, they start running.

 As a result of her dizziness, Carrie trips and falls against a fake wall. Harrison helps her up. “Sorry, sorry.” She tries to fix her hair. Martha comes rushing to her rescue. “I’m sorry, I was distracted.” Irvin smiles briefly.

 “Okay, all good?” They do the scene again. Carrie runs, as does Harrison, and Leia falls exactly where she’s supposed to. Han uses his body to protect the princess, warmth radiating from his chest.

 Irvin yells “Cut!” and Carrie gets up. “That was perfect, just perfect!”

 Harrison smiles and looks over to his co-star. Her worried expression is very visible. She takes off running desperately, and he follows. He holds her hair as she throws up the rest that remained inside her body. He hands her a washcloth and she cleans her mouth.

 “I’m so sorry,” she blurts out. “It must be the stress of all of this picture thing.” She smiles half-heartedly.

 “No need to apologize,” he smiles back. “Let me take you back to your apartment.” He offers.

 “Not my apartment.” Carrie pleads. “Take me to see the ocean instead.”

  The sand between her toes and the unmissable smell of the ocean, those two things seem like the only right things in her life now.

 “I want to kiss you,” Harrison says quietly. He holds on to her as the waves crash into them and her legs wrap around his torso. He’s so strong it feels effortless. “Can I?” he asks. “Kiss you?”

 “In a second,” Carrie replies. Her teeth chatter. She presses a cold hand gently onto his chest.

 “Might I ask what you’re waiting for?” he whispers, mockingly. “Hypothermia?”

 They laugh through their chattering teeth. She wants to hold on to these few moments for as long as possible. Right now, they’re in-between, that wonderful state of anticipation and excitement. They’re hovering in the water, together, and she is in his arms. Nothing can touch her.

 “We’ll never get this moment back,” she says with a small shake of her head. “If we kiss now, it’ll be the… the after.”

 He has stubble on his chin. One of Harrison’s hands rests under her thigh and the other runs to the back of her head. “I never thought of it like that.” He exhales. They remain like that for one second, as he examines her mouth.

 “Fuck it,” he hoists Carrie up and their lips meet. He opens his mouth, so she opens hers too.

 With a turn of his head, he deepens the kiss. It’s not innocent anymore, if it ever was.

 His lips part from hers and his eyes are kind, warm. Then, something happens, some force takes over his body, and his eyes darken. His hand travels from her neck down her chest, gripping her breast.

 She yelps.

 “Did I hurt you?” his eyes soften, but his expression is of worry.

 “For some reason, yes.” She says, still confused. “I’m sore, I don’t know why.” She looks down, embarrassed.

 “Hey,” he brings a finger to her chin and lifts her head up. “It’s fine. Let’s go home.” She kisses him again, gently. Home…

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[jordan202]

My Boys Drabbles - The Best I’ve Ever Had

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, @shepherdess-amelia !

You were one of the first people I met in this fandom and imagine my excitment to find out we’re two peas from the same pod :) I loved getting to know you, being familiar with your devotion to this fandom and realizing little by little what an amazing person you are.

I hope you have a blessed day with lots of fun!

Also a shoutout to the amazing @jia911, the sweetest proofreader :)

This story is from the series My Boys Drabbles but it can also be read as a independent one shot.

The Prompt:

No Prompt, just a fluffy piece for Gio’s birthday because Fluff is her favorite genre.

Timeline:

This one sets somewhere in the six months between the end of My Boys and the beginning of My Boys Better Days. 

  My Boys Drabbles – The Best I’ve ever had  

Amelia was focused typing a patient update on a virtual chart when a sudden bang on the door startled her. Looking up, she noticed Meredith and Maggie entering the attendings’ lounge, apparently caught up in an intense conversation. It was obvious the duo was worked up about something.

“What?” Amelia frowned involuntarily, looking from one to the other.

“Nothing, we were just complaining,” Maggie said in her usual cheerful mood while twisting the lid of her coffee cup. “I was telling Mer how furious it makes me that Andrew only asks me out to do something when he wants to have sex.”

“Oh,” Amelia replied with a smile. Maggie and Andrew Deluca had been recently married. “Well, and how is that a bad thing?” She added with a smirk.

“Shut up,” Maggie laughed and nodded her head in disapproval. “I’m not complaining about the sex. I am complaining that we hardly ever spend any time together, you know? It’s like he has his own interests, I have my own and we just happen to live in the same house and have amazing sex.” Maggie’s expression turned sad as she realized the weight of her words. “I don’t know… I guess I just hoped we had more intimacy. Not sex, intimacy.”

“Don’t be such a baby, Maggie, all men are like that,” Meredith twitched her lower lip and gave her sister a not so playful hard look. “Do you think Nathan is any different? He acts all cool and full of himself and he chased me forever claiming he wanted a relationship but sometimes I am pretty sure he looks at me after we’ve done it and wishes I were a pizza.”

The three women cracked up at Meredith’s bittersweet confession. They only realized Arizona Robbins was in the room because she swiftly joined the conversation with a smile.

“Don’t beat yourselves about it, it’s not just men who do that,” Her lively smile was evident when she added, almost proud to also be fitting in. “Just last night I told Eliza that there’s this parent-teacher reunion at Matt’s school,” Arizona confessed, referring to her son, “She asked me if we should draw a stick to decide who goes… I mean. Come on! Talk about devotion!”

The trio laughed heartily, looking at Arizona with amusement.

“Whenever I try to have a serious conversation with Andrew about the fact that he just won’t listen to me, he says it’s pointless to talk to me because he can’t win a discussion when it’s a monologue.” Maggie starred at her friends, torn between crying and laughing. “I mean, can you believe it?!”

“Nathan doesn’t introduce me to his friends. Other than Hunt and Kepner, I have no idea who he is friends with. He might be a secret army agent for all I know,” Meredith added, causing another round of laughter.

“Eliza asks me if I’m about to cry every time we have a heated discussion,” Arizona added. “I get so mad that that makes me cry and then I hate myself for it. It happens every god damn time.”

After the sound of the giggles had once again subsided, the three women gazed at the neurosurgeon at the same time, clearly expecting her to join the roast.

Amelia quickly tried to think of something to say. She didn’t want to be the outcast.  

��Owen never lets me watch what I want on the TV,” She blurted out, wondering if she was the only who felt like her confession didn’t compare to the others. “It’s always either sports or action movies… He is so stubborn and possessive of the remote that I’ve long ago given up but it doesn’t mean I want to kill him any less… Also he is always on my neck about leaving things out of place,” She laughed at herself, thinking of how amusing it was to see her military strict husband going crazy with the piles of clothes she sometimes left scattered around the room.

Amelia knew that her “complaints” about Owen were ridiculous if compared to those of her colleagues but if they also noticed, they were too polite to say a word. The four women kept the lighthearted conversation until an MVC arrived in the ER and everyone got paged.

The neurosurgeon shared an OR with Maggie and Arizona as she tried to control a subdural hematoma on a pregnant woman, at the same time Arizona delivered a premature baby and Maggie tried to contain the damages of a punctured lung. After hours of hard work, the three outstanding surgeons were rewarded with a positive outcome, leaving the hospital that day with the amazing feeling of someone who had done their job more than well.

.

Amelia drove home through an unusual heavy traffic later that afternoon. Owen had already left work and taken the kids home, so she didn’t need to rush in fear she’d be late to pick them up. As she waited patiently in the car, Amelia thought about the interesting conversation she’d had with her colleagues that day.

The three of them had always seemed happy and fulfilled in their relationships, at least on the exterior. Amelia was very close to Maggie and she knew her best friend’s marriage wasn’t a fairytale, but she had always supposed Maggie was satisfied in her romantic life. Amelia knew every couple had its problems and perks, but hearing all of those confessions that day had secretly disturbed her a little.

The truth was, she had never thoroughly thought about matters like those in her relationship with Owen. And involuntarily, Amelia started to wonder if it was a defense mechanism. If everyone else’s relationships had its skeletons in the closet, it was only rational to think hers would too.

Maybe they had their own problems too and she just wasn’t seeing it clearly? And if she did not see it, did it mean she was unconsciously avoiding it? Amelia wanted more than anything for her relationship with her husband to last for a lifetime and she was deeply invested in making him as happy as he made her every day. Owen had never showed any signs that he was unsatisfied with the way they had chosen to build their family and Amelia couldn’t help comparing him to her friends’ spouses. Andrew Deluca, Nathan Riggs and Eliza Minnick were also the very private kind of people, so it was hard to figure where they came from. But maybe Owen was too private? To the point that even she, who she considered the closest person to him, couldn’t see the utter truth?

The turn her thought had taken made her stomach churn and Amelia distractedly pushed the gas pedal when traffic moved, making her way home with a heavy frown on her forehead. She couldn’t help reminiscing about the content of the conversation earlier that afternoon and tried to rationally draw parallels where she and Owen were concerned.

Her comparison quickly proved to be pointless because Amelia quickly realized that she couldn’t complain about Owen not listening to her or belittling her emotions. He was attentive and considerate of her feelings. Even though to the world Owen was a very reserved guy, in the privacy of their home he was always very affectionate and caring. Despite his personal interests such as sports, cars and being out in the woods, things that to Amelia made no sense, never had he given his wife reason to doubt how much he enjoyed her company, much on the contrary.

Amelia  honestly believed them to be very intimate, considering she felt comfortable to openly talk to him about pretty much anything. It was hard to remember a situation when she’d felt like she had to lie to him. And Amelia also couldn’t think of a time when Owen had on purpose used any of her weaknesses against her during a fight.

Those ideas were still dwelling on her mind when the neurosurgeon parked the car in the garage of their house. The chilly air of November gave her shivers as she approached the front door, opening it in a hurry to get rid of the cold.

One of the twins stood in the living room only in his diapers and at the sight of Amelia, came quickly running in his mother’s direction, wrapping his arms fiercely around her thigh. She bent down and kissed the two year old, running her fingers through his smooth head of strawberry blonde locks.

“Come on Danny, it’s bath time…” Owen’s voice came from the back of the house as he quickly approached the living room. “Hey, I didn’t hear you coming,” He added, smiling at Amelia before playfully chasing after their son, who had turned running from his dad into a big joke.

“Is it this late already?” Amelia checked the clock near the TV, noticing it was almost eight. She’d been so immersed in her thoughts that the hour and a half she’d spent stuck in traffic hadn’t felt that long. “I completely lost track of time,” The neurosurgeon confessed, dumping her purse on the couch and taking off her coat.

She noticed Danny was still running around, driving his father crazy and before the boy could foresee it, she encircled him from behind, embracing his chubby frame before her son could react.

Amelia could hear the toddler’s loud giggles while carrying him all the way to the bathroom, where she was later joined by the rest of the family when Owen went upstairs with the other three boys. Amelia helped out with the kids’ routine and after they were properly cleaned, she went to Thomas and Lucas’ room to tell them a bedtime story while Owen took care of the twins.

Amelia took more time getting the two oldest boys to fall asleep than she’d predicted and afterwards, she went to her own bathroom to take a long, relaxing shower. Much later, she found Owen sitting on the couch in the living room. The TV was on but he wasn’t paying any attention, settling instead for laughing at something playing on his cell phone screen.

“What do you have there? She asked with amusement, contaminated by his flagrant joy.

“You have to watch this,” Owen’s smile was so genuine that it reached all the way to his eyes. “Look at what the boys pulled off earlier today…” Her husband hit the play button on the video and Amelia leaned over his shoulder to watch on the small screen the footage of Lucas throwing a miniature football at an impressive distance while Thomas ran to catch it. “Did you see that pass?” Owen’s eyes shone with pride as he obviously rejoiced in it. “It was at least a fifteen yard pass and babe, he is six! If he keeps at this rate he’ll be the Hawks QB when he is fifteen.” Owen exaggerated with fatherly enchantment, completely biased.

“I thought you said he was going to play soccer?” Amelia frowned at him, smiling into his eyes. “Oh wait, last week you said he was going to be a… What was it again? Professional party planner?”

“I honestly can see him doing both,” Owen couldn’t stop smiling as he went on telling his wife about what else the boys had been up to from the moment he’d brought them home from school up until her arrival.

At that point, Amelia had already gone from behind his back to sit beside her husband on the couch. As she noticed the sparkle in his eyes when he mentioned their four sons, unable to hide how much he loved being a father, Amelia’s mind echoed with her thoughts from earlier that day.

“So Tommy told me I couldn’t call it ice anymore because in order to be ice, it requires that water stays in a solid state and I was mindblown by his perfect logic,” Owen shook his head with a smile as he summarized the events of that afternoon. “What?” He asked his wife, furrowing an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Owen asked with genuine curiosity. It had become rather rare for him to not know what was going on in his wife’s mind only by her facial expression but at that moment Amelia was looking at him in a way he couldn’t remember her ever looking at him before. Her face was a mix of anguish, happiness and longing and Owen was having a hard time figuring out what emotion could be connected with the three.

“I love you, you know that, right?” Amelia stretched both her arms and reached for his face, gently holding it between her palms. “I mean, do I say it enough?” She rubbed his cheek affectionately. “Do I say it enough so that you know I do?”

Owen’s expression got heavier as he tried to read her but still couldn’t.

“Yeah, I know you do,” He replied, clueless as to where that was coming from. “Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Amelia’s laughter echoed amidst her agonized expression. Owen noticed her features softened with the beautiful smile that grew from the corner of her lips, illuminated by her charming dimples.

“Why are you being weird?” Owen asked after a few seconds, gently holding her hands that were still on his face. He studied her eyes carefully, still unable to come up with an answer only by deduction.

“How could I have been so stupid…”Amelia rolled her eyes impatiently and nodded her head in denial. That was when Owen realized she was talking to herself. He noticed her biting her lower lip as she often did when she was struggling, before finally making eye contact with him again. “You’re amazing, you know that too, right?”

“What?” Owen’s confusion grew but before he could get any answers his wife threw her arms around his neck and held him so tightly that her knuckles turned white. “Babe, are you okay?”

After long seconds of holding him close, Amelia finally pulled apart a little, just enough to look into his eyes again.

“I just needed you to know how thankful I am…” Amelia confessed, feeling cheesy and sappy but completely honest. “It’s taken me exhausting and painful years of learning to get where I am today but I wouldn’t change anything,” She reinforced, stroking his cheek with her thumb as she shared her innermost feelings. “Because it has led me to the exact place I’ve always wanted to be.”

When he noticed she was saying those words not from pain, but from joy, Owen smiled along with her, capturing the back of her head with his hand.

“What has Maggie been saying to you today?” Owen raised an eyebrow in question. “What have the two of you been up to to trigger you like this?” He asked in a lighthearted tone, absolutely sure that the other half of that conspiracy duo that were Maggie and his wife had played a role in Amelia’s unexpected meltdown.

His wife’s loud laughter echoed through the room as Amelia relaxed, amused at how well Owen knew her. And to think she had actually wondered if they weren’t intimate enough. The truth was, he could stare right through her eyes and strip her bare soul with an intensity that was at the same time startling but very comforting. Ever since she’d married him, Amelia had never felt lonely again.

“Maggie, Meredith and Arizona were trash talking their spouses today,” Amelia confessed with a teasing smile. “They were complaining about how they’re often unheard and how emotionally distant they sometimes feel.”

“Oh,” Owen was intrigued, trying to connect the dots. “And what did you say about me? Was I trash talked too?” He asked with a smile, having fun with her delighted expression.

Amelia propped both her legs on his lap and got closer to him, feeling Owen’s hand possessively holding her thigh as she confessed:

“I told them the uttermost truth,” She tried to sound serious but her smile completely betrayed her. “I said you’re a selfish bastard who only thinks about yourself and make me miserable every day,” Amelia laughed at the absurdity of her own words, seeing how her husband was cracking up too.

“Did you tell them how much we lack chemistry in bed?” Owen held her chin between his thumb and forefinger, visibly playing her game. “That is obviously one of the downsides of our marriage.”

“I told them that even though you have a big gift, you don’t know how to put it to good use,” Amelia lied to provoke him, unable to keep serious any longer.

The loud sound of her laughter was muffled by the kiss stolen by Owen’s smiling lips.

“Your capacity to turn everything into a dirty conversation never fails to baffle me,” Owen confessed, having more fun than he would care to admit.

“Hey! I said it’s a big talent,” Amelia’s eyes sparkled with lust. “You should be proud.”

“You are unbelievable…” Owen gave in, surrendering to her as he brought her closer for another kiss.

Amelia felt his kisses deepening as Owen leaned over her and imprisoned her body beneath his on the couch. He took one last mirthful look at her before closing his eyes again, starting a trail of kisses from her face to her collarbone. Still not completely satisfied, Owen pulled up her shirt and descended his lips on her body, alternating intense kisses and gentle bites throughout the soft skin of her belly.

Amelia’s hand involuntarily searched for his head as her fingers ran through his blonde locks, bringing him closer to herself. As she forced him up for another kiss, Owen pressed his body firmly against her, letting Amelia feel the intensity of her desire against her thighs.

“There’s the big boy talent,” She joked, capturing his lower lip between her own as her hand swiftly reached down for him.

Owen closed his eyes, drowning in desire when her hands invaded the inside of his pajama pants, leaving only the barrier of his underwear between their bodies.

“Are we going to do this here?” He gently lifted his head to make sure she was certain about it. He knew that once they started for real, it was much harder to stop, and Amelia was often concerned about being walked in on by their boys.

“They’ve just fallen asleep, let’s take a chance,” She decided, knowing the twins couldn’t leave their cribs and the probability of either Lucas or Thomas waking up around that time was close to none. “Come on, take off those pants,” She ordered, being bossy on purpose.

Owen smiled as he reached his hands down but instead of doing as she’d commanded, he pulled down her own yoga pants from beneath the large T-shirt she was wearing.

Amelia laughed when she realized his intentions and the clear rebellious act to her command.

“I thought I was going to prove a point?” She winked, clearly referring to his sexual prowess.

“I think I’d prefer to share my talent rather than be complimented on it,” Owen spoke in her own dirty language, grabbing her thighs and pulling them apart as he covered her body with his.

Amelia felt the softness of the couch pillows behind her back and quickly pulled up Owen’s shirt before ridding him of his pants and underwear. She barely had any time to resume their foreplay when he did as told and shared the full extent of his so called talent with her, slowly entering her body while looking deeply into her eyes.

“What the f…” Amelia gasped, breathless, as the intensity of his gaze completely tore apart her defenses. “What are you doing? Don’t stop,” She protested when, after joining their bodies, Owen stopped moving.

“Don’t be impatient,” Owen teased her, pulling her shirt all the way to her shoulders and capturing one of her breasts between his lips. Amelia closed her eyes and involuntarily arched her back, drawing her head backwards to gasp for air as he left her completely breathless.

Owen was still inside her when his lips went from one breast to another and his hands traveled through her body with experienced ease. Unable to hold herself any longer, Amelia cupped his butt cheeks with her hands, forcing him deeper inside her as she motioned her hips upwards, in a clear indication of her demands.

When their eyes met, Owen smiled lovingly at her, noticing the intensity of her gaze. He slowly started to increase the rhythm of his strokes, feeling his wife quickly catching up with him. The minute he buried his face on the crook of her neck, feeling the amazing smell of her skin, he felt her fingers pulling his hair as she clung to him while her body lost all control in delicious spasms that lasted longer than his own.

Owen stayed on top of her with the side of his face pressing against her breasts as the two of them slowly caught their breaths.

“That’s what I call good quality quickie,” Amelia confessed, making him laugh. A comfortable silence surrounded them for a while longer before she randomly asked. “Babe… Do you guys trash talk us too?”

“What do you mean?” Owen lifted up his head to look her in the eyes before he sat up and grabbed his boxers and pajama pants, putting them on to prevent any accidents.

“I mean,” Amelia tried to think of how to phrase it as she slowly got dressed too. “Do you and the rest of the guys talk about us when you’re alone? On Monday night basketball for example?” She asked with curiosity.

Owen frowned hard, trying to carefully concentrate on the question.

“We’re not a bunch of girls, Amelia,” He shrugged with a teasing smile. “We don’t discuss our feelings when we’re playing basketball or having a beer.”

“Liar!” Amelia playfully hit his shoulder with a pillow, knowing she would never know the truth because even if Owen was in fact lying, he would never admit it.

“Not a liar…” Owen looked at her, his eyes shining with mirth. “A selfish bastard who aims to make your life miserable. If you’re going to do this, then phrase it correctly.”

Amelia laughed at the way he’d opportunistically repeated her words, enjoying his wit. Not only was her husband a good, decent man and an amazingly devoted father, he was also one of the few people in her life who could challenge her fast thinking and reasoning abilities.

“I love how miserable you make me,” Amelia’s expression let him know what she was really feeling even though her words were completely goofy. “It’s a dream come true.”

“That’s exactly what every guy wants to hear,” Owen joked back, relaxing on the couch under her touch.

“I know, right?” Amelia smiled, completely at peace. “I’m starving,” She confessed, realizing she had skipped dinner but the quick, but intense lovemaking had opened her appetite. “Let’s eat.”

.

“Guess who called me earlier today,” Amelia casually said, sitting on the kitchen counter while watching her husband heating dinner leftovers for the two of them.

“Who?” Owen asked distractedly, moving around the kitchen.

“Nancy,” Amelia replied with a girlish smile, crossing her legs. “She said she called me to ask how I was doing. Nancy never called before to ask how I’m doing.” The neurosurgeon scowled, as if disturbed by her sister’s behavior.

Owen turned his head gently and gave his wife a nod with pretend impatience. He knew her sisters had always given her a hard time but Amelia wasn’t exactly a piece of cake either. Just a couple of months before, Nancy and Carolyn Shepherd had been in Seattle visiting and Owen could distinctively tell how the heartfelt conversation Amelia had had then with her sister was positively reflecting on their relationship on the present days.

“Did you complain about me to her too?” He jokingly asked.

“No,” Amelia let out a loud chuckle, unable to stop smiling at his witty banter.

“Well, I guess you kind of don’t have to, she already hates me,” Owen added with a lighthearted tone, despite the fact that he meant his words.

“Naah, she doesn’t,” Amelia corrected him, stealing a spoonful of a nutella jar that was the counter even though they were just about to have dinner. “She envies you. There’s a difference. She wishes she had you. But she can’t, because you’re mine and I called dibs on you first,” The neurosurgeon added with her usual liveliness, thoroughly focused on scratching the leftover sweets from its small container.

Hearing his wife talking about him like he was a toy that could not be shared with her sister made Owen involuntarily grin from ear to ear. He would never grow tired of her spontaneity and freedom of spirit.

“I have never been more flattered in my life,” Owen stopped what he was doing to look into his wife’s eyes.

Amelia looked up from the jar to his eyes. The spoon was still inside her mouth when she smiled back at him, absolutely happy. The conversation with her colleagues earlier that day once again replayed in Amelia’s mind and she realized that Nancy wasn’t the only one who wished she had an Owen in her life.

If there was one thing Amelia knew she felt, it was gratitude. She and her husband had started from the bottom and after dealing with a lot of pain, grief and traumas from their past, they’d built the life they’d always wanted, solidified in mutual trust, admiration and profound love. She was pretty sure that in her position, not everyone would have had the courage to give herself completely, considering how many times she had been heartbroken before.

Amelia had struggled with it at first but then she had taken a chance because she had believed in Owen and in the potential they had as a team. And her intuition had proved to be nothing but right.

“Everyone wants a piece of you but they can’t have it because I don’t share,” Amelia laughed, finally tossing aside the spoon as she pulled Owen by his shirt. “I mean how could they not want this?” She slid her hands across his chest provocatively.“You’re top notch material. Look at that gorgeous bottom. Who wouldn’t want to tap that?”

“Everyone would,” Owen played along with her nonsense, giving her a warm smile.

“They already do.”

“Yeah?” Owen gazed lovingly into her eyes, placing one lock of her hair behind her ear, watching as his wife had the time of her life teasing him. He knew Amelia had been through a lot in her life and he admired her resilience. His wife’s capacity to have been through hell and still wake up every morning with a smile on her face, hoping for the best, was something refreshing to be around every day. Owen also felt very grateful for her.

“Stop gloating,” She noticed his smirk but couldn’t help smiling. Owen was her most powerful source of strength at the same time he was her biggest weakness.

“You said I was the best,” Owen’s corner smile proved how proud he was of himself. “How wouldn’t I gloat?”

“I did not say that,” Amelia raised one eyebrow, watching with satisfaction as his cockiness turned into frustration. She loved teasing and pestering him. At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter what career decision they had made, or in which house they lived in, or how much they fought over the remote control. All that mattered was how decent Owen was and how well he treated her. No one had ever made her that happy and she wouldn’t change him for anyone else. His comment, despite containing a sexual innuendo, was still very much true. Because that was exactly what she felt about him, in the privacy of their house or anywhere in the outsideworld. “But I have to admit it though,” Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him one last kiss before they could finally have dinner. “You really are the best I’ve ever had.”

[gleefail]

Glee Memories: 1x15 The Power of Madonna

A long, long time ago, as Glee was approaching graduation in Season 3, I found myself nostalgic with some rare free time on my hands. So I decided to rewatch the series from the beginning and jot down some memories, discrepancies that have arisen since, fave quotes, tally solos - all that good stuff, strictly for shits and giggles.

8 years later (eek!) and once more I find myself with an unexpected abundance of free time. With so many revisiting or being newly introduced to the show between binge watching during Quarantine and all the tragedy that has surrounded the show since it went off the air, I figured I’d finish what I started. And by finish, I mean go through the end of S3. Cause I truly cannot acknowledge what happened after that. Except for 5B.

Kicking this off by reposting the first 15 episodes I already went through. Enjoy!

1x15 The Power of Madonna heeee, Sue just referenced Desperately Seeking Susan. Man, I loved that movie as a kid. Who’s That Girl as well anybody remember that one?!

hahaha, how have I never noticed before that Quinn is drawing a picture of Rachel Berry…a very unflattering picture that says “LOSER”? Awesome.

hahaha. Jesse and Rachel ‘hypothetically’ went to a Wiggles concert. Seriously, he’s kinda perfect for her.

Aw – The Montage from A Chorus Line is playing under Jesse’s pressure-her-into-sex moment. I have such fond memories of that song. I was featured in this song for a show that ended up changing the course of my entire life, quite literally. :)

“Would you please stop talking? You’re grossing out my baby.”

“But I can’t wait to get a guy mad at me for saying ‘no’.” Bite your tongue, Mercedes. Also…be careful what you wish for.

Still creeps me out that they have this whole sex talk with Mr. Schue in the room. And that he eavesdrops. And that when he speaks up it’s to ask if they’re having that much ‘guy trouble’, not to actually be a good teacher and help Rachel out in her “my boyfriend’s pressuring me to have sex but I’m not ready” situation or to respond to Britany and Santana’s advice to just never say no and that they should have more self-respect…teacher of the year indeed.

Do women really still earn 70 cents to every dollar a man does for the same job? Oh, eff that!

More Emma pamphlets:                HELP! I’m in love with my stepdad!                I still breastfeed …but how old is too old?                Congratulations, you’re pregnant.                Proper Wiping: Easy as 1…2…3                …and something about Toxic Shock Syndrome and Asperger’s that I                can’t read, lol.

Ugh, douche. Will just said this area of expertise (sex) is Emma’s blindspot. Jerk.

So Glee seems to have a knack for insulting folks that will later be guest stars. Gwyneth Paltrow and John Stamos have been mentioned thus far, and Lindsay Lohan just made the list. Hmmm…

I love the Ann Coultier jab. Cause I despise that ‘woman’

Ray of Light routine on stilts. Still leaves me speechless.  My favorite part is still when the men on stilts do these assisted lifts with women who are not. They get them so effing high.  It’s just amazing.

“Somehere on the English countryside in a stately manor home, Madonna is weeping.”

“Hall of fame MILF”

HA! Artie’s look in response to Tina giving him side-eye. Too funny.

Finn has no idea what misogynistic means. #BlessFinnsHeart

Kurt is gonna do a video of Madonna’s styles. With Mercedes. Kurtcedes love. :)

Yeah, I find it hard to believe high school boys wouldn’t be rubbin’ one out at these girls in corsets, touchin’ themselves and bein’ a little S&M with one another. Even if they hate Madonna with a passion. Their disinterest is completely unrealistic.

Britany has a (younger presumably as she plays soccer with a 7 year old) sister. Forgot about that. I think RIB did too.

The way to get a man forever is to take his virginity? Really? I would think that would unleash him into a sexual awakening and sleeping with everything he could now that he wouldn’t be perceived as ‘lame’ or a loser or whatever for being a virgin…no?

Finnocence. Nice.

Can we acknowledge that Finn lost his virginity in a plot for Santana to snag a younger man (by what, 4 days I think she said?) to emulate Madonna per Sue and not get kicked off the Cheerios? That’s…just so sad.

“You’re about as sexy as a Cabbage Patch Kid.” – ha!

So…watching this post-Nationals, does Emma get to have Madonna playing in her office now? ;)

Finn’s pissed that Rachel lied to him and didn’t really break it off with Jesse. Evs. Mind ya business, Finn.

So because he’s jealous or his ego is hurt or whatever, Finn tells Rachel if her and Jesse leads to something bad for the entire Glee club not to expect anymore friendship from him. Um…yeah. I’d marry him a year or two later. Cause…clearly he’ll be there through rough times…douche. Selfish, childish douche.

I still really like this mash-up of Borderline/Open Your Heart. And as much as I don’t love Finchel, the angst in this is my cup o’ tea. I like it.

I do love all the Madonna shout-outs in the hallway. Makes me feel old that I recognize each of these looks. Oy.

Finn, why are you just randomnly tearing books from the shelves and knocking them to the floor as you walk through the library? Such a badass…

I was watching an episode of Gilmore Girls and Brad was the piano player for one of Emily Gilmore’s parties (I think Rory’s college grad party). Hilarious. Also, he looked EXACTLY the same. How long ago was that?!

I find it awesome that Mercedes has a picture of a gal from So You Think You Can Dance in her locker. I love that show.

Up With People rejects. Ha.

Hmm. Will is suddenly not intimidated at all by Sue and her quips. What brought that on? Although, it’s hot when he stands up to her. Until he makes fun of her hair. Then he seems like a jerk.

“Oh, snap!” I love this moment. And the gif that came out of it.

Birth moment of the Sue, Kurt, Mercedes dynamic right there. Yay. :)

Sue just told Kurt and Mercedes about her sister being handicapped. I don’t care what anyone says, she likes them, even just a little bit. And I love this dynamic of the three of them. It always makes me smile.

Hahaha – Kurt’s reaction to Sue not being able to keep up with the latest looks when she was younger. Hilarious.

“Mercedes is black. I’m gay. We make culture.”

“I picked the Stephen Sondheim biography section for our clandestine meeting because only he can express my melonchalia.”

“You deserve epic romance.” Listen. Looking back from the end of Season 3, I really am not understanding why I’m supposed to want Rachel with Finn. Jesse makes so much more sense.

“Foreplay shall begin at 7:30 sharp.” Oh Emma. A for effort.

Vogue. Man. I was so little when this came out. I remember when it premiered on MTV.

Jane Lynch has such long legs. I’m jealous.

“Will Schuester. I hate you.”

Like A Virgin still makes me really uncomfortable. For so many reasons. I just…don’t need to see this side of any of these characters. I feel like a voyeur.

How did Santana and Finn swing a motel room at 15 years old? Hmm….

Add Whoopi to that list of joked about future guest stars. Yeesh…that’s 5 now? 4? Stamos, Paltrow, Lohan and Goldberg.

Sue is gonna reinvent Kurt and Mercedes. Squee!

Why is Rachel looking at sheet music for Where Is Love? Cause 1. I hate that song, 2. I hate that show, and 3. shoutout to the pilot?

Finn just asked Rachel how her date with Jesse went. With the subtext of “did you sleep with him?” WHY are they even talking about this? I don’t get it. It’s private Finn, so rude you’d even ask. Also, how does he even know they are even close to sex? I missed something. This is so weird. Made even more weird that neither of them seems to think it’s weird that they’re having this conversation. Ugh.

“Just come out so we can talk. Or sing about it.” Jesse is ridiculously perfect for Rachel Berry.

Okay, I’m gonna rant for a second: I know I’m anal and put him on a pedestal and all, but S3, they make it sound like Sam had sex with one of his clients at the strip club; after they’ve shoved super-romantic in-love-with-Mercedes Sam at us for like, 9 episodes in a row over a span of like, 3 or 4 months; regardless of how I personally feel about that or that ship, right now we see a super uncomfortable scene that still breaks my heart where Finn is dealing with the aftermath of sleeping with Santana, when he has feelings for someone else, but more in that he doesn’t have feelings for her, therefore it didn’t mean anything and it’s clearly not sitting well with him. Regret is all over his face. It’s so sad. So…why did they do the same thing but expect it to be okay in S3 regarding Sam (but even more gross cause of the whole stripper/client aspect)? Eff you, Glee.

I feel like this might be the most real and vulnerable I’ve ever seen Santana (in the post-coital conversation with Finn in the motel room bed). I mean…a couple moments may rival it, but it’s definitely top 5 if not top 3. It’s so sad to see how she really feels about this aspect of her life that publicly she seems so proud of and invincible to. Man. Poor Santana.

Um…is Puck playing Ninja in the background or just being a human statue or something? It doesn’t look like anyone is playing with him, so it must be the latter? Random.

Something changed in the way I felt about Glee after this episode, now that I look back on it. I felt like I should’ve left this episode feeling like “wow – they’re ballsy and go against the grain! They’ll do the unexpected” but…instead I was left with a feeling of “do I trust these writers with these people I’ve come to care about?” I’m referring to the possibility of consummation with 3 couples, 2 of which would have seemed…not completely unhealthy and one that obviously was…and they had those 2 chicken out and consummated the 1 that just shouldn’t have because it was kind of an irresponsible message to send to the youngins watching this show who they say at times they speak to when they write things like Kurt’s gay storyline or about being an outcast but finding a group that understands you and being happy with who you are. But here I’m sure they’d say something about how they’re not role models and shouldn’t be emulated. Yeah. This was the beginning of the end of my true love for Glee and the beginning of me just loving certain characters and occasional episodes or storylines…the beginning of my love to hate Glee. Whee. :/

It’s cute that Will polished Emma’s shoes. :)

I know a lot of people think it’s condescending and all, but I think the way Will handles suggesting counseling etc. to Emma was nice. There’s something mature about it. I think it’s that he’s like “we need to take action to work through our issues or they’re not gonna go away” as a team. It was nice.

“What the hell? It seems like now people are doing things JUST to hurt my feelings!” Ok, so maybe Finn IS more perfect for Rachel than I thought. Selfish little man-child.

Jesse St. James just joined New Directions. Kurt is pissed cause it means he’ll have no chance at a solo. Mercedes mentions that they only trot her out at the end of songs to wail on the last note, how is that okay? Truth.com. Also, why were those two issues NEVER addressed by Will? They were put out there, they were true as hell, and they were just ignored. Teacher of the year indeed.

Santana points out that obvs Jesse is a spy. Mr. Schue sticks up for Jesse and lets him join. Yet Rachel wasn’t allowed to date him cause that would be bad for the Glee club? #WTF?

“Mr. Schue, is he your son?”

“Okay, from the top!”  

4 Minutes. Seriously, I never thought Chris Colfer was hot before I saw this song. But let’s be real – he is hot as fuck in this song, I still think so. It was the first time I noticed as well that boy had grown into a little man! When did THAT happen? Wasn’t he just a baby-faced nugget like, 3 episodes before this?

Also, I love both of the vocals for them on this song.

Ok. This still pisses me off (can you tell this is an ep that started my rage towards Glee? Lol): Emma, Mr. Schue and Rachel are all distraught and shocked when they see that Mercedes and Kurt have joined the Cheerios…WHY? Britany and Santana are already on the Cheerios and in Glee and it’s fine. Quinn was. Why is this such a betrayal? They didn’t QUIT ND to join the Cheerios. And isn’t Rachel in like, 16 clubs in addition to Glee? Puck, Finn, Mike and Matt are on the football team. Artie has jazz band and AV club. Mercedes and Kurt and Tina are the only ones who are ONLY in Glee Club. This is stupid.

Shot of Quinn who is happy as a pig in shit for the two of them. THANK YOU Quinn for having sense and being a cool person and good friend.

“You guys could’ve at least given me a heads up.” “You mean, the same you way you gave us a heads up before NOT giving us a solo almost every week?” PREACH!!

You expect me to believe that the sexuality of Express Yourself, Artie working on that kick-ass Vogue video, or that amazing performance of 4 Minutes didn’t sway the boys to like Madonna…but their shitty rendition of “What It Feels Like For A Girl” did? Fuck you, Glee. I’m not an idiot. Stop treating me like one.

Why is Kurt a part of this lesson on treating the girls with respect? 1. He’s into Madonna, so he doesn’t need to be converted. 2. He’s NOT treating the girls like garbage. Teacher of the year indeed.

“I think we’re gonna need a new baritone cause Finn would like to become Finnessa”

“My growing feminism will cut you in half like a righteous blade of equality.”

Kurt mentions he’s an honorary girl. Again, WHY is he a part of this lesson?

AW. It just broke my heart a little that Tina said to Artie “why would you propose when you don’t even like me?” Aw. Poor Tina.

Alright, I admit, I love that whoever wrote this ep finally ended this nonsense with Finn being all pissed at Rachel for dating Jesse like she did something wrong and made him realize why she was even single to be pursued by Jesse in the first place. Kudos…whoever you are cause they didn’t credit the writer or director on this ep (the fuck?).

“Sing off. The parking lot. 5:00. Be there.” “No…”

“Frankly, I need you. I’m tired of carrying the male vocals all by myself.” Oh, FUCK. YOU. Finn! (I say on behalf of Kurt, Artie, and Puck).

Kurt just sang his first itty bitty solo in Glee club and then before Mercedes starting singing he ran up and gave her a peck on the cheek. Oh my God, I love them.

Gospel choir. So. Effing. Random. Yet so. Effing. EPIC.

SOLOS: Rachel (4), Mercedes (3), Finn (3), Emma (1), Santana (1), Will (1), Jesse (1), Kurt (2)

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie

[tonyduncanbb73]

On the House: Nookie Gets on a Crazy New Roller Coaster of Restaurant Openings

Steve “Nookie” Postal checks in for his first installment of “On the House” as he works to open two cafes and a beer hall while keeping the rest of his life in order

Welcome to On the House, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant — or several. In 2013, Steve “Nookie” Postal shared weekly glimpses into his experience opening Commonwealth in Cambridge, and now he’s back as he works to open two cafes (Revival) and a beer hall (Mothership), all while keeping Commonwealth up and running — not to mention Crema Cafe in Cambridge, in which he is also a partner. Keep an eye out for new installments of On the House on alternate Fridays.

Dear world,

Holy shit…

How the hell did I end up here? Sitting at the same typewriter, in the same room, writing about the same shit. Just different, I guess. So, what’s going on, you ask? Ha. Not really much, but first, let me just say that I wasn’t valedictorian of high school. Ridgewood, New Jersey shoutout! I am not a writer; my grammar: poor. I’m aware. Not my thing. I love a guy with great punctuation; I am not that person. But I have good qualities, I think. Anyway, what’s going on? Ok…

Let’s start where I left off. Commonwealth opened in Kendall Square a little over four years ago. Some of you followed along on the adventure that was opening it. Commonwealth has grown to something I never imagined it would be. We love Kendall Square in all its quirky weirdness. I wish it never snowed and summer lasted forever.

We have an amazing staff led by my amazing general manager Phil Marshall (aka DJ Honey Dijon) and my chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore (aka…I guess just Nicco). They are great and are continuing my heartbeat, which is Commonwealth. I’m still there most every day. It has become a wonderful place, and I love it.

About a year and a half ago, I started helping out at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square, which had two owners, Liza Shirazi and Marley Brush. 10 years ago, these two women with little to no experience built one of the most beloved cafes in Cambridge/Boston. The coffee program is known nationally. After 10 years, Marley decided that it was time to make a change in her life and follow her passion into social work, trading one tough life for another. So, out stepped Marley and in stepped Nookie. (That’s the CliffsNotes version, FYI.)

So, now I have a new business partner, Liza. I can see her cringing now as she is reading this, ha. Liza and I have had our paths cross many different ways throughout the years: Her husband, Josh Shirazi, is my milk man — cheap plug for my partner-in-law or whatever he is — and Liza’s brother is none other than the “retail whisperer to the stars,” Jesse Baerkahn of Graffito SP, who found me Commonwealth’s home. Plus, roughly five years ago, we did the first Steinbones pop-up at Crema.

Liza and I complement each other really well: She is smart and tough, and she’s better at saving than me. I’m pumped about our partnership and all of the things our futures hold together, although I wish she would pick the damn colors of the espresso machines already, but it’s fine…

So, what’s to come? Liza and I — and a new ragtag bunch of characters — are opening two cafes and a beer hall. One cafe is located in Davis Square; it was home to the original Bertucci’s. I’m thinking that I need to get some vintage Bertucci’s piece somewhere in there.

Yes, it’s the place that had the bocce court in the basement. Believe it or not, that isn’t really to code anymore, so no, there won’t be bocce in the basement anymore.

The second cafe is in a funky space. I like funky. There was a Whole Foods in Alewife — no, not that giant one. You know where the Summer Shack is, right? The Bertucci’s? Go down that road. You pass a hunormous office park, maybe ’80s. I’m seeing Flashdance a little, but I like it…maybe Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Back to the Future. No, it’s Over the Top with Sly Stallone. Oh, or Road House. Yes, Swayze. Anyway, keep going, and there are, like, four million new condos. Back up that road, the cafe is in a huge space in the back of one of the office buildings, facing the bike path. It’s gonna be gorgeous. We have a great landlord. Free parking on the weekends and after 5 p.m. A patio. It’s gonna be awesome.

The cafes are both going to be called Revival, and both are amazing. We were so psyched about both that we couldn’t pick which to do, so we had to do both. (Not really; it just worked that way, but that’s kinda funny.)

If that weren’t enough, in that same building, we’re putting a 7,000-square-foot beer hall. 10 taps. Highly curated. Food. Games: Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, Golden Tee (because I love Golden Tee). No pinball (because I don’t like pinball.) Ms. Pac-Man. Well, we’re taking requests; I haven’t bought the games yet. Honestly, no fucking idea where one buys a Skee-Ball machine. Amazon? I have Prime…free shipping, right?

So that’s kinda it. It’s a lot; it’s enough. And don’t forget I still have three children — 10, seven, and five years old — and a wife who says I work too much. There are still birthday parties, tooth fairies, movie nights, and all that goes along with that.

I believe that you can work in this business and still be able to have a family. I surround myself with people who agree with that. It’s important to remember at the end of the day, well…you’re smart; you get it. No need to blabber on.

I’m not in survival mode just yet, but shit is heating up. Thanks for coming along on this crazy roller coaster of clichéd lines and dreams. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it’s gonna be pretty entertaining. At least for you. Hopefully it doesn’t end with me in a puddle of tears, like someone on The Bachelor.

Sniff, sniff…it’s already happening. See you in two weeks…

Hugs and kisses,

Nookie