#so our sat times are 10am to 2pm

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

starting a new job be like:

new job: oh hey! we have a progression wall where all our different position descriptions are available for you to peruse and "future drive" and plan your future success here!

me: ok let me peruse these position flyers etc

also me to myself: *reads the position description for front desk receptionist* the fuck you mean you require/recommend having a full ass degree for front desk reception??? get the fuck outta here. also how much more do they earn than us who out on the phones??? bizarre

[frogofalltime]

05.03.2024

i woke up at 7am, ate breakfast, and got ready for class. my 9am lecture was about FROGS so you bet i was there EARLY and READY TO LEARN >:)

then i had lab from 10am to 1pm. half our group didn't show up and there wasn't enough equipment for the whole class so we spent the first two hours Literally Doing Nothing while waiting for our turn and then the last hour frantically trying to get everything done now that we were able to use the equipment. it was very stressful. but i made the most of the time when there wasn't much to do by taking time out from the lab, sitting in the sunshine, and eating Second Breakfast (because i wouldn't get a break from class until 2pm and i was really hungry already at 11am).

next was a lecture that was incredibly boring, it was a recap of stuff we already knew followed by an unnecessarily long explanation of how to solve simultaneous equations (which is something we definitely learned in high school or even before that ??) and i was really tired so i fell asleep. i was woken up at the end of the lecture by @etherealspacejelly poking me lmao. we went back to the house, but robin needed Alone Time and i was Going Insane From Everything, so i left.

on my way home i went for a walk in the park to try and feel better and enjoy the nice weather. i sat on a bench in the sun and it actually felt almost warm on my face. but then i realised i hadn't eaten lunch yet and i had an appointment with the gender clinic at 4:10pm so i rushed home and quickly ate something before that.

i was dreading the appointment because i had to talk about my family's transphobia, the recent incident with my mother, and how i was feeling like i was being forced to detransition. but it was actually very useful and they helped me to see the positives of transition and come up with a plan to write something down and use that to explain my feelings and identity to my mother next time she brings up the topic.

after that i was absolutely exhausted but it was only 5:30pm and i still had so many things i needed to do. robin encouraged me to do my laundry because i hadn't done it for two and a half weeks. so i dragged my heavy bag of dirty clothes to the laundry room at my student accommodation and somehow squeezed everything into one washing machine.

while my clothes were washing i decided to go to the small shop near my building to get the food i needed instead of having to go all the way to the big (and very overstimulating) supermarket. that way i could tick another Big Daunting Task off my list (GROCERY SHOPPING) without actually using up too many spoons in the process.

when i had put away my shopping i sat down for a few minutes to rest but then i realised my laundry was just about to finish so i forced myself to get up and collect it. i put as much of it in the dryer as i could, and took the rest to air dry in my room, because once again i had way too much laundry to possibly hang it all up on my clothes airer.

by now i was extremely tired and overwhelmed so i lay down on my bed in the dark and listened to music to calm myself down. but then even the music was too overstimulating so i just turned it off and lay there in silence.

i needed to eat, but i had no energy to cook, so i just ate soup and toast, while reading percy jackson. then i washed my dishes, and went back to the laundry room to collect my clothes from the dryer.

i put away the dry laundry while listening to music because i knew if i didn't do it now it would stay in my brain as a Big Task and stress me out. when i had done that i changed into my pyjamas, brushed my teeth, and went to bed. i did not have the energy to take a shower.

it was not even 10pm yet so i let myself relax by working on my sewing project in bed, while listening to youtube in the background. finally i went to sleep around midnight.

[cloudiness]

Hey! Question about your tags in the post

https://www.tumblr.com/cloudiness/725811743260049408/not-american-and-my-time-is-not-listed-here?source=share

What times do your days start for like work and school? I'm assuming not till mid-morning if they're not done until 5?

Just curious that's all! I think it's interesting!

Hello anon! This is going to be a long answer and I'm sorry in advance.

First of all, I think it's important to let you know that these are the standard meal times here in Italy: breakfast between 7am and 10am, lunch between 12.30pm and 2pm and dinner between 7.30pm and 9.30pm; the exact time depends on your work, your family habits, the region where you live and also the seasons tbh (we tend to eat later in the evening during the summer because the days are longer and way hotter). Many people, especially kids, usually have a light snack mid-morning(10.30/11am) and/or mid-afternoon(4.30/5pm), like fruit or a coffee, a cup of tea, some biscuits, granola bar, stuff like that, not a whole meal.

Anyway, standard work days, generally speaking, in an office for example, can look something like: from 9.30am to 1pm, then lunch break, and then work again from 2pm to 6.30/7pm. (I'm not going to go into details about every different kind of job and shop but for examples Restaurants usually respect our standard meal hours as their working hours while supermarkets/shops/local stores are open from 8/9.30am to 7/8pm and some of them even close during lunch break(1pm/3pm)).

Now, about schools.

A school day starts pretty much for every one at around 8/8.30am; the amount of time that then people spend at school on a school day varies based, when you're a kid, on family necessities, and then it simply depends on the school you choose to attend when you go to high school (don't worry i'm not going to explaining the entire Italian school system here)

These were my own time schedules and are pretty much standard(keeping kindergarten out of this but it's not that different from primary school):

Primary School: Mon to Fri, 8.30am - 4.30pm (Some kids have way shorter school days but it's all based on the parent's choices and working hours.)

Middle School: Mon-Wed-Fri 8am - 1.30pm, Tue-Thu 8am - 5pm (parents could also choose 'Mon to Fri 8am - 1.30pm as an alternative but more than 75% of my school spent one or two days a week at school till 5pm.)

High School: Mon to Fri from 8am - 3pm + Sat 8am - 1pm, these are kinda unusual hours even for Italy but as I said it depends on which high school you attend. A more standard time schedule would be Mon to Fri 8am- 1.30/2pm + Sat 8am - 12.30/1pm.

Uni is too different, it depends on so many things but my morning courses usually started at 9.30am and on some days I'd have been finished by 1pm while on others I'd have had to stay on campus till 6/7pm.

As I said in that post, I think that standard dinner time at 5pm couldn't work in this country for the majority of the population.

Now, I actually think that all these approaches to meal times come directly from the different history of every country and from how every population had to find ways to deal with the weather, the seasons, the climate, etc, etc..This is pretty evident here in Italy when you see the differences between northern regions and southern ones. In the north, where I live, we historically tend to have colder winters and, in particular, less day light during winter and autumn so it's more common to eat earlier in the evening, while in the South the weather is more mild and summer with its longer days comes sooner so it's more common to eat a bit later.

Does this make sense? I hope so, anon....anyway...I think I'm done...? Wow! this is really unnecessary long! I'm so sorry, got carried away as usual, hope this somehow answer your questions and that is not too boring to read. Thank you for your message ❤️

[mylifeasaserver]

My day as it happened: Saturday Host

10AM: Show up at the restaurant, since both hostesses have quit they had nobody for either shift. There’s nobody here but servers, which suits me just fine. The rotation is already set up for me, and Manager Lite doesn’t work day shift. Glorious.

11AM: There’s a decent little rush happening. I have not been bitched at by a single server, though the GM asks me why I refused to clear tables on Monday. Because it was dead and servers can handle their shit when they have no tables. I tell her if it’s legitimately busy I’ll help them out, but as I’m not being paid any extra to do their job for them, if it’s slow they can just do it themselves. She wisely decides that her best course of action is to go away.

12PM: Discover that 6-top from Monday left a scathing review on a website feedback thing. Summed up: “Slow as fuck in the restaurant, cook screaming for somebody to get our food, yet our waitress couldn’t be bothered.” They do not mention their witty host. It’s actually pretty busy, so I clear some tables. I’m not supposed to use bus tubs for reasons beyond my comprehension but I do it anyway because fuck stupid rules.

1PM: The rush is over already, servers begin asking to be cut. Sorry can’t help you there. The angry cook arrives. He’s drinking what I can only assume to be his 7th energy drink of the day. He asks me if I’m serving tonight. I am not. “Fuck,” he says. 

2PM: GM has given me the list of cuts and tells me “to use my discretion” when making those cuts. Given that the restaurant is empty, I cut the entire list save for 3 servers (out of 11.) Servers are happy with me. A couple ask me to sign their side work off, but I decline. “Why not? You know the side work!” Because I’m a host today. The amazing disappearing dishwasher comes in.

3PM: Manager Lite arrives. I get a dirty look as she passes the podium. I cut another day shift server. The 2 remaining day shift servers are on a double, so they stay. Seat 2 tables. Manager Lite runs back to the podium to ask me why I skipped her in rotation. I didn’t. Manager Lite doesn’t like me very much. She’s heard I cleared tables for days when they got busy and now expects the same treatment tonight. Life is just full of disappointments.

4PM: The drama queen has arrived, having a heated conversation on her phone as she passes the podium. Something about “beating some ass” as though she wouldn’t start crying 11 seconds into a fight. Another table comes in and Manager Lite is sat. She runs back to the podium to ask why I sat her those people. Because you’re next in rotation, not my fault or problem that they’re clearly not tippers. Meanwhile the day time cooks leave and the shift supervisor arrives - already a few drinks deep. The amazing disappearing dishwasher leaves “to get something from his car.”

5PM: I seat 4 tables totaling 9 people - 1 each for the remaining day shift servers, 1 for Manager Lite, and 1 for the drama queen. Rotation! The drama queen never greets her table. When the guests come up to ask if they’re getting service, I move them to a day shift server’s section. I do not update rotation. 

5:25PM: The drama queen comes to question me on why she hasn’t been sat yet. My answer of “I did, but you never greeted them so now they’re [server’s] table.” sends her careening to the office. I seat another 2 tables, both in the day shifters sections. Manager Lite demands the next table. Since she’s next in rotation I just roll my eyes. 

5:30PM: An obviously drunk shift supervisor visits me to ask why I skipped the drama queen. Once I tell her that I sat her already but she couldn’t be bothered to greet them so I moved them to another section, she mumbles off to return to the office. 

5:40PM: The drama queen, looking like the younger sibling that just got the older one in trouble, comes up to ask me when she’s being sat next. I tell her where rotation is at.

6PM: 2 tables come in together. I seat Manager Lite and the drama queen. Both are now angry with me because they were sat after they ordered food. Good. Be mad.

6:30PM: The restaurant has scant few tables, so I cut the day shift people. Moments after I cut them, Manager Lite comes to the podium to tell me to cut the day shift people, quote, “So I can make some money.” She has yet to realize she works in the wrong restaurant for that.

7PM: The day shift servers are gone. 2 more tables come in and the drama queen tells me to let her know when she’s been sat so she can make some calls. I will not. I seat both servers.

7:15PM: The table I just sat walks out, never having been greeted or acknowledged. Because I’m a remorseless asshole, I decide to just stop seating the drama queen until she emerges from her makeshift lair in the break area. Tables come in at a manageable pace that even the most green of servers could handle alone with minimal help.

8:25PM: Manager Lite has 5 tables. Benevolently, I decide to run food. Hell, I even cleared a few tables. Not because it was particularly busy, but because I knew when the drama queen finds out that I didn’t go get her like she told me to she would lose her mind. If I help Manager Lite, she won’t go looking for the drama queen.

8:45PM: I seat 2 more tables. I have not seen the drama queen yet. Given that the other tables have paid and are slowly filtering out, I stop clearing and resetting. Manager Lite looks at the podium where I’m standing, decides it isn’t worth it, and goes back to her tables.

8:55PM: The drama queen finally emerges into the dining room to discover that several tables were sat, ate, and left without her being notified. She clocks out and leaves, not having a single table all shift long. She gives me the finger on the way out, crying the entire way. I smile and wave at her like the guy at the end of a Family Guy episode. I feel zero guilt.

9PM: Manager Lite decides that it is worth going to the podium to bother me after all. I’m then ordered to not only clean the dining room for her but also to help with side work and roll silverware. I decide that my shift is over. Had she asked like I was an equal (which I am) I might have helped because I know it sucks getting left like this...but she likes barking orders.

9:02PM: At the time clock I hear Manager Lite bitching at the cook, demanding he puts off doing his work to come around and do hers first. First he laughs at her and then tells her in no uncertain terms to fuck off. I clock out. 

As I leave I see the amazing disappearing dishwasher in his car, parked next to me. He’s asleep. I do not wake him. 

No idea if anybody came in after that since I ran out of there like my ass was on fire. 

I’m thinking my time here is nearly at an end. Complete and total shit show. -J

[sexypinkon]

Sexypink -

Medulla Art Gallery is pleased to invite you to

"EDEN" BY STUART HAHN

OPENING RECEPTION:

Date: Thursday 27th July 2023

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Venue: Medulla Art Gallery

Address: #37 Fitt Street, Woodbrook, Port of Spain.

For more information please contact:

Telephone: +1(868)680-1041, +1(868)622-1196

Email: medullaartgallery@gmail.com

Artist’s Talk: Thursday 10th August, 2023 at 7pm-9pm

Exhibition continues until: Tuesday 29th August, 2023

FREE ADMISSION - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 11am-2pm

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The story of Eden has intrigued me since childhood and this exhibition is one of the results of that, undertaken with the greatest reverence to the countless great artists who have indulged in the very same obsession over time immemorial. Philosophically I’ve come away from it with more questions than answers, especially about the god it features, the strange and disturbing notion and concept of Original Sin, what really is this thing called evil… etc etc. How closely it resembles so many other creation stories, and how it also differs from them. The cherubim obviously impressed me, though I could not bring myself to depict them as the monstrous physically deformed creatures described elsewhere.. The sad, blood-soaked story of the first murder, for me, needs much more explanation than its given. The choice of the snake as the embodiment of evil, handmade of Satan… why? Poor womankind, the bringer of the species, its very womb, so demonized… how come, why? This exhibition is the edited version of these ruminations, perhaps there will be another to complete the process, if time allows. There are also two drawings here from another ongoing series, Dante’s Divine Comedy, of the pathetic plight of Paulo and Francesca, also, hopefully, another exhibition.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Stuart Hahn was born in Nevis in 1949 and was educated in Barbados and Trinidad to A level. He began his artistic career in commercial-advertising art before leaving that discipline to become a full time fine artist in his homeland, Trinidad. His exhibition career began in 1984 in Port of Spain, since then he has exhibited internationally, to the present day. He has illustrated local folklore and universal myths and legends, predominantly Greek and Judeo-Christian. His influences have been the Pre-Raphaelites, Symbolists, Art Nouveau, and early 20th century book illustration, the great Alf Codallo and the beauty of the people and landscape of his island home.

Graphic Design: Agyei Archer

Follow @medullaartgallery on Facebook and Instagram

If you wish to subscribe to our invitation list kindly email: medullaartgallery@gmail.com

[gamerbot-22]

So on top of it being Pride Month, it’s also my mom’s birthday today!

And she’s been sharing around this fundraiser for our local library!

This library means a ton to the both of us. My mother does a lot of fibercraft (knitting, crocheting, etc) and the library has hosted lessons and lectures for a long time! I also have been working as a volunteer for a long time, and recently started running DnD games for a group of local kids in their children’s room, and a handful of those kids, including myself, are some brand of LGBTQ+. I also have this library to thank for my love of reptiles, it’s where I met and adopted my first lizard, Gizmo, from.

Money to this library means more books that are ready accessible to the people in my town and better facilities (not long ago a pipe burst and ruined a hallway and a bathroom’s worth of space, so that took a huge chunk out of their budget.)

If any of y’all can spare anything, my mom, the library, and I would all be super appreciative! I don’t know if they take international donations, just in case this post somehow goes that far, but even just a signal boost would be amazing! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[lindsaystravelblogs5]

Days 58 and 59   Wednesday - Thursday, 30-31 October.    On the way home at last.

It was a hot night and we were up early, by 6.30 - early for us anyway.   We did the last minute packing and with everything ready to go, we went down to breakfast just after 7.   Our campervan man was scheduled to arrive to take us to the airport at 10am, for our 2pm flight Stansted to Dubai, en route to Melbourne. 

We sat in our room for an hour or so and then lugged all our gear down to the foyer to load into the car when it arrived.   It was almost half an hour late, but we still had plenty of time.  We had a big group of teenaged schoolkids ahead of us and some of them didn’t have all their documents in order, but we got through the check-in and then security with minimal fuss and we are now seated in an extremely hot plane, waiting for take-off.  We had a light lunch in the airport and a much-needed cold drink, but if they don’t cool the plane down, we will be desperate for another cold one very soon. 

A little later…….   Very soon after we took off, I looked out and saw a completely circular rainbow with the image of our plane in the centre.  I took a few photos but I don’t know if they will be good enough to post.   Sun Dogs and Cylindrical Rainbows.   Admittedly, I have seen partial rainbows on flight before but this one was particularly sharp and bright - until I got the camera ready.

I attempted to watch a movie but couldn’t follow the dialogue through the headphones so turned it off.  But the Country and Western channel is a great substitute.   Go Willie Nelson!  And then Johnny Cash, more Willie Nelson.   Dolly Parton…….   After a few hours, I graduated to the classical selection and listened to Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto - not the best rendition but still great.   Who could ever play it like Claudio Arrau?  His minuscule liberties with the timing in some of the solo passages is sublime - like no other rendition and intensely emotional.  I wonder how many flights I have survived listening to this particular piece?   Probably one of my all-time top five pieces of music.   How do I keep my hands still when listening? - it is one of those masterpieces that I just seem to have to conduct.  Many years ago, Heather bought me a baton so I could conduct at home, but hands work as well, and we very rarely listen to music at home. 

The entertainment options on board are quite exceptional with probably hundreds of film and television choices, and dozens of music albums from every period and in every genre you could imagine.  I explored quite a few and really enjoyed them - to the point that I would have (almost) to admit the flight was one of the better ones I have endured/enjoyed.

We got a meal on this leg - except that we didn’t.   There were two choices - chicken or salmon - and apparently few people wanted salmon.  We had to wait ages and call them back three times to get one chicken meal (to share) and some promised drinks.  Neither of us was hungry so no big deal, but we really needed the drinks. 

Arriving in Dubai airport after a seven-hour flight at 1.05am is not a great experience but we survived it and waited around in the transit lounge until it was time to board our even longer leg to Tullamarine.  The second leg is thirteen and a half hours, and we arrive in Melbourne just before midnight.   I really do hate flying, even with good music to ease the pain.

We were the last two people off the plane and there was a very long walk to our next lounge.   I reckon we walked well over half a kilometre before a little electric taxi came along and the driver invited us to ride along.  It is a free service for old decrepit folk like us, and we were really glad of it.  I reckon he drove us about another kilometre to our lounge and it was probably as far again to the end of the concourse.   There were fifty gates in concourse C and as many in concourse B that we traversed.  There is presumably a concourse A and who knows how many others?

The flight was about half an hour late in leaving but we had invested in Premium Economy seats, and they are quite a bit better than we have had on previous flights.   They are least as good as I have had in Business Class on domestic flights.   Boarding was a bit chaotic and there are many hundreds of passengers - no idea how many but the huge gate lounge was bursting at the seams before boarding began.   We were in the last boarding group F, and almost everyone else had been called through before our turn came.  But would you believe, Heather had her hiking stick that she uses on these long walks, and one of the attendants saw it and said to go with him.  He carried her bag and ushered us past a few hundred impatient passengers lined up in the incredibly long air bridge and we were among the first passengers seated.  Premium Economy seats are near the front, well forward of the engines, and we enjoyed the quietest take-off and flight I have ever had.  Some time ago, I tried to estimate how many flights I have had - it was quite a few hundred - and this was one of the smoothest and best.  We flew Cathay Pacific some years ago and I reckon that is the only one that might match this one.

I had my window shade open when sunset arrived above the clouds and I took a few photos.  The sight was quite spectacular so I hope I can share a little of the beauty with you.   Being so far above the clouds reminded me of a short story I read at school - was it H E Bates?  It was called The Sun Rises Twice and is about a WWII fighter pilot returning from a sortie who saw the sun rise when he was at a high altitude.  It disappeared as he flew lower, but he saw it again as it arose as he was landing back at base. 

The downside of the flight was, as usual, the couple seated in front of us.   Quite early in the flight, they both reclined their seats to the maximum meaning that some of the benefits of our investment in Premium seats became unavailable.  I said a few words and he complained to the stewards who shifted them but lectured me on allowing other passengers to do anything they liked and for us to just cop it.  He didn’t even have his facts right – but that is now ancient history that spoiled my heretofore favourable view of the flight.

We finally arrived at Tullamarine just before midnight and despite the prevailing chaos, aka airport incompetence, we were out in the concourse by about 12.30am.  Alas, Tony’s Taxi didn’t arrive – sorry Bev!  Because Heather had so much trouble with her phone while away, she told Bev to tell Tony to use my phone to contact us on arrival – but her finger slipped and she gave Bev my wrong phone number.  Bev dutifully passed this on to Tony and he was unable to contact us – and we couldn’t contact him.  After half an hour or so, we trudged the kilometre or so to a cab rank way past the far end of the terminal and waited another half hour for a cab to bring us home.

We arrived in our cosy little apartment about 2am, dumped everything in the living room and crashed into bed – with sleep still many hours away due to jet lag.  Then the dreaded lurgy hit us and ten days later, we are still suffering but hope to be better by Christmas.

That’s it for this blog!  Stay tuned for our next exciting adventure in February 2025 – India, in two episodes.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7 Issue 20                                                                                                  Week of April 29 2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR:  It is sad to say that “newcomers” want to protect this blessed land of rural Oconee more than people who have lived here their entire lives. Many natives ( not all!)  seem to be open to the biggest bidder at the expense of overdevelopment and destruction of our rural way of life.  Our District 1 Oconee County Councilman John Elliot seems to be alone in trying to put up a stop sign for uncontrolled development.  He acknowledges the Oconee County Council is “doing nothing about it!”  It is time for us all to wake up and do something about it.  Speak at the next Council meeting.  Meetings are held the first and third Tuesday each month at 6:00PM at 415 South Pine Street, Walhalla.  Be a voter and know your candidates.   Stop selling your precious land.  Support local farmers. Start being active participants in saving this beautiful place we call home.  LRMartin

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, Hours 8am-12pm.          Thanks to all who helped support the Salem Clean-up on Saturday!   Thursday, May 2nd is National Day of Prayer.  Meet at the Town Hall at 9AM                                                                                                       SALEM LIBRARY:  5B Park Avenue.  Hours Monday 10am-6pm. Tues-Friday 9am-5pm. Closed 12-1 for lunch.         Join Teen Miss Upstate, Emma Lusk will be hosting a a fundraiser for Eagles Nest Art CenterMother’s Day tea party at the Eagles Nest Art Center on Saturday, May 4th  from 2PM-4 PM.   You will enjoy our amazing guest speaker and performances.  Little lady guests will enjoy manicures and crafts during the tea party. Contact Kayla or Emma Lusk at 864-903-0681.

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell      Springtime Fire Safety Tips                                With the relaxed atmosphere of Spring, often we let down our guard for safety. Children are jumping over the sprinkler; neighbors come to call bringing slurppy jello salads that must be refrigerated.  Busy hosts are overwhelmed with serving  sweet tea/unsweetened tea, and kids drinks. Meanwhile corn on the cob boils over the stove.  AND the bar-be-que grill!  if you take your eyes off it for just one second, that is long enough for the meat to morph in to an inferno!  Here are some tips to share with the whole family so that everyone will share in safety.  1. Keep the grill at least ten feet away from the house.  2. Never use gasoline to start a fire.  3. Keep matches and lighters away from children.  4. Leave fireworks to the professionals.  5. Assign one person to monitor kitchen cooking.  6. Don't talk politics.  AND ENJOY THE AMERICAN TRADITION OF NEIGHBORHOOD GET-TOGETHERS  Be safe and have fun! Miz Jeannie will love YOU forever and like YOU for always!

ASHTON RECALLS    by Ashton Hester    SALEM SENIORS TO PRESENT CLASS PLAY - (The following story was in the April 21, 1954 issue of the Keowee Courier). . .There should be plenty of feudin' and fussin' in Salem when the members of the high school senior class stage their annual class play in the Salem auditorium Saturday night, April 24, at 8 o'clock. Admission will be 25 and 50 cents. . .Title of the three-act comedy is "Comin' Round the Mountain," and the story revolves around the doings of Maw and Paw Skitter and a host of other hillbilly characters. . .Included in the cast are Nannie Faye Brown, Howard Abercrombie, Thomas Whitmire, Shirley Barker, Betty Lee Towe, Vance Galloway, Carmelita Chastain, Roderick Whitten, Max Nicholson, Max Wigington, Myria Crenshaw and Delores Alexander.

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Open Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm   Events this week:  Wed: BLUE GRASS JAM 6:30PM   Food: Alazan    Thursday: BLUE RIDGE GRILL   JVB Birthday Weekend Celebration:  Fri:  Music: AMONGST the TREES 6:30PM Food: Just a Smile (Caribbean)  Sat– Celebrate JVB birthday beginning our 7th year and 150 years of the Kentucky Derby:  Ladies wear your hat!!  Music: Deadly Crank Dogs at 6:30PM  Food: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  Sun:  12pm-7pm   Food:  Kodesh BBQ  Music: TUBA GIN 4PM  More info 864-873-0048  

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the Oconee Community Theatre located 8001 Utica Street, Seneca, SC.   May 3, 4 & 5, Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30. Sunday Matinees at 2:30.  Adults - $20.00, Students - $15.00, Youth - 12 and under: $13,00  Groups of 10 or more purchased together (online only) receive a $2 per ticket discount!  www.oconeetheatre.org              ****This was a wonderful  and enjoyable local presentation!  LRM

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER located 4 Eagle Lane, Salem SC

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS     Information on sponsorships, rentals, etc  864-280-1258 or email at eaglesnestartcenter@gmail.com. 

Each Wednesday in May from 11:30AM–2PM Join Freda for Treasures and Sharing Wellness !                                                                                                                               Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday, May 4th  from 2PM-4 PM:   Join us for a special afternoon and treat yourself to delicious goodies, hot tea, and a guest speaker!  Our youngest guests will enjoy manicures and a craft!  $10 per guest.  All funds will be donated to support the Eagles Nest Art Center.  There are also opportunities to sponsor a table for the event.   To RSVP or find more information:  Kayla or Emma Lusk at 864-903-0681                                                                                                               Oconee Mountain Opry:  May 18th at 7PM.   Jef Wilson, West End String Band, Mystery guests, comedy and more.  

June 3-7  ENAC hosts  Art Camp for children 6-12 years old.  9AM-12PM  Call 864-280-1258   $50 fee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The Eagles Nest Treasure Store is open every Saturday morning 9AM-12PM.  Will accept donations also or call 864-557-2462.

Interested in becoming a YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIAN?   For ages 3rd grade through adult.     Call 864-280-1258                                                       

                                                                       CHURCH NEWS                                                                                                                                                            Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.   Come visit us.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Boones Creek Baptist Church, 264 Boones Creek Road, Salem invites you to worship service Sunday morning with Sunday School at 10am and followed by worship at 11am.   Also Wednesday services. 

Salem Methodist Church: 520 Church Street, Salem.  9AM for breakfast, 9:30AM for Sunday School, and 10:30AM for Worship.  You may tune in to our live service on Facebook or view it later on our website.  All are welcomed!

Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Salem is inviting you to attend a special Bluegrass Gospel Singing featuring, "The Tugaloo Holler Band" on Saturday, May 11th at 6 PM. Come worship God with us through singing and fellowshipping with believers.

Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located 240 W Main St , Salem,  cordially invites you to join us every Saturday in May at 9:30am for a presentation “Mindfit.” These presentations will address mental health. Vacation Bible School Sunday June 30, 1-4pm  The Creator Is My Friend/What do you taste?  Special feature: Clemson 4-H Native Carnivorous Plants 

Start a Forever Healthier Life-  You don't need to start a “diet” just to fail time and time again.  Start each week incorporating a healthier practice.  This week look at foods and drinks in your refrigerator and cabinet containing artificial food colorings especially red and yellow.  Vow to not purchase those items again and find a healthier option.  For example, make your own healthier lemonade and put a few bottles  easy-grab bottles in the fridge.  Wash and reuse these bottles. Start a Just Say No to foods and drinks with these cancer-causing colorings that our government allows to be in our foods.  England has already banned these practices, but America has not.  These unnatural colors come from who knows what.  You would think our government would protect us.  But with knowledge and practice you can start protecting your family.    LRM                                                                                  Healthy Tip:  Look at a label of  ingredients:  If you can’t pronounce it, or know what it is on the label….You don’t need it!     

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God...honor God with your bodies.”

Today is a good day to begin. LRM    

[a-slytherinish-gryffindor]

catalyst - part 2

first things first, before we get to the continuation of catalyst, we'd like to say thank you for staying patient with us, we really appreciate it!

now, to the fic!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, September 5th, 2005 - 6am

As Marie left her room, she bumped into Allegra and Claude who were getting ready to head to the cafeteria.

“Morning, guys.” yawned Marie, as she made herself her specialty coffee, lovingly named Death Brew.

“Good morning, Mars!” chirped Allegra.

“Good Morning, Mari! We wanted to ask you something,” Claude hesitated and looked towards Allegra for confirmation. “...We, that is Felix, Allan, Allegra, and I have been practicing together to start a band… but we don’t have a lead singer. After yesterday, we talked it over, and wanted to ask you if youwantedtojoinourband?”

“What?” Did she hear that right?

“Join our band?”

Allegra cut in to explain better. “Obviously, this isn’t something we would offer after knowing you for one day, but you seem like an amazing person, and we would all love to get to know you! The fact that you come with Jagged Stone as your honorary brother and are also an amazing singer is a huge plus, but really, we want to be friends with you.” Allegra rambled, nervously.

Marie was shocked. Her new dormmates were really offering something so important to them to her. And not just because of who she was, and what connections she has. Not for her money. Not for fame, and not for love. She could truly see herself being good friends with these teens in time. She shook her head to shake off the intruding thoughts of her past friends and focused back on Allegra and Claude, who were nervously waiting for her answer.

“Yes! Yes, I would love to be in your band! What’s your guys’ band name?”

By that time, the others had come out to join them and were contributing to their ever-growing list of possible band names as they left their dorm and headed to the elevators.

“What about The Catastrophe?” supplied Allan.

“...The Six?”

“...Malfortune?”

“...Heritage?”

“What about The Quantics?” Questioned Claude, absentmindedly.

The others paused.

“You might be on to something, Beauchêne…” Felix hesitated, before continuing, “Since Marie will be our Lead Singer, why don’t we call ourselves Marie and the Quantics?”

Completely shocked, Marie froze, as Allegra and Claude cheered at having found their name and pulled them all in for a group hug.

Marie looked around at her new bandmates and smiled softly. It looked like she would finally find a place she truly belonged in.

~~

The newly named band exits the elevator and makes its way to the cafeteria, where they’ll get their new schedules.

They joined the other tired students who were slowly trickling into the cafeteria for breakfast and sat down at a table, close to the doors, to not get trampled by the students when they rush to get to their first class of the day.

They keep up small talk while the administrator, Camille calls up students to pick up their schedules. One by one, the group picks up their schedules and shares them with each other.

Marie studies her schedule, trying to commit it to memory before she passes it to Allegra.

~~

Class Schedule; Year 2005-2006; Marie Olivia Wayne (Age 16) - Première Student

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday:

7am-8am: Introduction to Business & Finance (M. Pommel - Lecture Hall 3A)

8am-9am: Physics (Mme. Blanchet - Room 143)

9am-10am: Study Hall

10am-11am: Social Studies (Mlle. Lavigne - Room 112)

11am-12pm: Fashion & Design (Mlle. Bouchard - Room 264)

12pm-1pm: Lunch

1pm-2pm: Pre-Calculus (M. Corbin - Room 173)

2pm-3pm: Jewelry & Accessories I (Mme. Garcia - Room 216)

3pm-4pm: Study Hall (Optional Class on Tuesdays/Thursdays: Studio Art - M. Moreau - Room 294) (Optional Class on Mondays/Fridays: Advanced Guitar 2 - Mme. Beaumont - Room 204)

4pm-5pm: Literary Studies (Mlle. Fontaine - Room 122)

5:30pm-7pm: Physical Education (Fencing; Off-Campus @ Lycee Francois Dupont on Mondays & Fridays - M. D’Argencourt)

Wednesday & Saturday (Half-days):

7am-8am: Textiles & Fabric (Mlle. Bouchard - Room 265)

8am-9am: Voice Lessons/ Songwriting & Production (Mlle. Ferreira & M. Meyer - Room 209)

9am-10am: Study Hall

10am-11am: Fashion History (Mme. Cadieux - Lecture Hall 2C)

11am-12pm: Gymnastics (Mlle. Bassett - Gym Room C)

5:30pm-7pm: Physical Education (Fencing; Off-Campus @ Lycee Francois Dupont on Wednesdays. MMA - Mixed Martial Arts; M. Alarie & Mlle. Baudelaire on Saturdays - School Gymnasium)

*Students have 5 minutes to rotate classrooms.*

**Transportation is provided for Off-Campus classes**

~~

After looking at everyone else’s schedule, she found out that she shared many classes with them.

She shared Voice Lessons & Songwriting/Production with all of her dormmates. She shared Pre-Calculus with Claude, Gymnastics with Allegra, Studio Art and Social Studies with Bridgette, Intro to Business and Fencing with Felix, and Literary Studies with Allan.

They finished up their food and began heading to their new classrooms, ready to start learning.

~~~

Monday, September 5th, 2005 - 3pm

After a, frankly, overwhelming morning, Marie Wayne was jogging to her dorm, to pick up her guitar before her next class, when she crashed into another student who had their hands full of papers, sending them both toppling to the ground and papers fluttering to the ground around them.

“Ugh,” Marie groaned, as she slowly sat up, trying to keep her head from spinning. She turned towards the student she had crashed into and saw him curiously observing her.

She jumped up and stumbled before she got her balance back, and reached out a hand to the boy who had finished picking up his scattered papers on the ground and pulled him up.

She looked up at him and their eyes met, and Marie nearly stumbled again from their intensity.

The boy was absolutely gorgeous. With breathtaking cyan eyes, silky black hair with blue tips, and a friendly, reassuring smile, Marie was near-instantly smitten.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and introduced herself.

“I’m Marie and I am so, so sorry about that. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m wasn’t hurt. I’m Luka, by the way. Where are you headed to, so distracted?”

“I’m just heading to my dorm to grab my guitar.”

“Well, Marie,” He smiled down at her, “Would you mind if I accompanied you? I’ll be heading to Mme. Beaumont’s class, too.”

“N-no,” She stuttered, “No, I don’t mind if you join me. We’re not far. It’s dorm A-21, just down the hall.”

‘Yeah,’ Marie thought, as she walked to her next class with Luka, 'This is going to be a great fresh start for me.'

~~~~~~~

Teaser - Part 1 / Uniform sketch - Part 2 (here) - Part 3 (COMING SOON)

Taglist:

@aespades @corporeal-terrestrial @adrestar @meme991001 @youllgetnojudgementfromme

~~~

catalyst is a group effort and posted under one account (@a-slytherinish-gryffindor) if it’s posted anywhere else without crediting us, please be aware that it has been stolen.

[apatosaurus]

Yesterday’s Adventure

In which there was a lot of drama but I'm fine, it's fine, we're all fine.

Yesterday I took my dad to an appointment. That’s not really what this post is about, but it’s background to what happened next. Taking my dad to appointments involves helping him in and out of his wheelchair, lifting his chair to get it in and out of the hatch back of the car, and wheeling him around places operated by people who don’t think about accessibility. Dad is doing a lot better than when he got home from the hospital on June 1. I’m glad our family takes care of each other. Anyway, I had some trouble getting the wheelchair in and out of the car yesterday, which I didn’t think about at the time but may have been the source of the problem.

Once we were settled in the waiting room around 10am, I noticed a mild pain on the left side of my chest, and I was a little dizzy from the exertion and the elevator. We stopped by on the way home to pick up his favorite sandwich, then got him home and settled in his recliner. My chest still hurt, so I rested for an hour. After I got up and made lunch, my chest still hurt - not a lot, but in the place one should pay attention to - and my left arm ached. So, at that point I realized I needed some kind of medical assessment. I also helped the visiting nurse get set up to change the dressing on my dad’s wounds - nursing comes two or three times a week, I do it the other days.

Once she was set up I conferred with the partners about our plan. Ackb sat with me while I called the insurance company’s advice nurse. The advice nurse said call 911, and said that was preferable to getting someone to drive me to the hospital, and under no circumstances should I drive myself. Ondiru checked the website for the urgent care clinic. They said do not go there for chest pains, call 911. I let my dad and the visiting nurse I had to leave and why. She said call 911.

So we called 911. The first time I called, I got the county, who tried unsuccessfully to transfer me to the city. That took five minutes. Then I hung up and called again and got the city.

The paramedics came, they were great. My EKG in the ambulance looked ok, but they said they still advised me to go to the hospital. We went to the one near us instead of the bigger one where my doctor is. While they were on the radio finding an emergency room that could take me, they installed an IV needle with only two attempts.

The tech at the hospital took my EKG again and said he liked my rainbow dinosaur shirt. My EKG was normal, so they left me in the waiting room. I got a chest X-ray. Ackb arrived to keep me company. Then we waited. It was about 2pm at that point.

I understand that hospitals are busy. I do not understand why telling a patient their own treatment plan is tantamount to sharing military secrets.

I think it was around 4pm when they took some blood and checked my vitals.

I asked a nurse about what would happen next and she said they are very busy and she couldn’t tell me anything.

We waited. They took my vitals around 6:15.

At 6:30, Ackb went to pick up dinner. We realized while she was out that there were advantages to her trading places with Ondiru. So he brought my burrito and Ackb went home and helped my dad get ready for bed and attempted to tuck in the children, who were too worried to sleep.

Around 8:00, Ondiru inquired about my treatment plan. Maybe it was a different nurse, maybe it was his manly customer service skills, but he found out that they wanted a second blood test with four hours between to show a trend, then the lab would take 30-60 minutes to return results, then I would be in a queue to see a provider.

And Lo! They took my blood again at 8:30. They also pricked my finger for a pregnancy test. Then we waited.

We got called into an exam room around 9pm and saw a PA. Basically my heart is 100% fine. They didn’t look into any other possible causes. At a wild guess, they thought maybe muscle strain from lifting heavy things. Take pain medicine if I need it. They asked if I had any questions, then they asked “the boss,” meaning Ondiru about any questions. I can’t even. But then the PA left to complete the discharge paperwork. Eventually the nurse took the IV needle out and they let me leave at 10:00pm.

I reassured dad and the kids when I got home so they could sleep. I did not like making them worry.

So, lots of fuss to prove that my heart is fine. My pain went away. Now I know the grass is not greener at the little hospital next door.

[sweetkeiji]

𝐊𝐄𝐈𝐉𝐈𝐍 : 𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐤𝐞𝐢𝐣𝐢 𝐱 𝐣𝐢𝐧

until i found you. for me : darling. for him : my love

𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 : strangers to lovers

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 : we met in our first year of college, in the main studying area of our university’s library. at 2pm on this particular saturday afternoon, it was packed–midterms were coming up, so it made sense. in each seat sat another sleep-deprived student, the stress of upcoming exams visibly weighing down their shoulders. i was in the corner, second cup of coffee in hand, glassy eyes skimming over notes and textbook pages. keiji approached me, whispering a quick “hey” as he took the seat beside me. his eyes fell to the well-loved copies of 1984 and fahrenheit 451 that peeked out from my bag. “a fan of dystopias?” he asked, and that’s how our first conversation started. it began with books and literature, but it shifted to other topics like music, our life back home, and our hopes for the future. we talked for an hour or two, earning a few glares from people nearby. noticing this, as well as my now empty coffee cup, he said he knew a nice coffee place not far from campus and asked if i was interested in going with him. sheepishly, i admitted that i didn’t like coffee all that much and only drank it for the caffeine. to this, he laughed and said that they had more than just coffee, insisting that i should check it out with him. i agreed, and we left the library together.

𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 : that cafe he brought me to? it became one of my favourite places in the entire world. part of it was because they had really good food, but i’d be lying if i said keiji didn’t have anything to do with it. we had completely different majors, him english and me medicine, so the 10 minute walk there and the 20 minutes in the cafe itself, half an hour in total, was the only time we had to together. every second of those 30 minutes was spent talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's presence. being with him was comfortable and warm, and that’s why i fell in love with him. i found myself trying to make him smile, scanning the library every afternoon for his familiar face, and admiring him a bit too much for whatever i felt for him to be platonic. it was the same for him: he caught himself looking forward to our daily afternoon meetings and he didn’t fail to notice the slight drop of his heart when i said i had to go to my next class. as time went on, we started to spend more time together. for instance, i woke up earlier to meet him before his 10am classic literature class, while he stayed in the library until closing time to study with me. we’d been around each other so much that others thought we’d already been dating, but despite the feelings we had for each other, neither of us confessed—we were both afraid of ruining this perfect dynamic we had going on.

𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : we went ice skating on our first date. the rink he’d brought me to was one of those outdoor ones with the cute little shops and food stalls surrounding it. after roaming for a bit, we rented skates and got on the ice. even though i could skate without gripping the wall for dear life, i still sucked, so our skating experience together was just me clutching his arm the entire time and him dealing with it like the angel he is. towards the end of the night, he noticed that my fingers were ice-cold. he held my hands in his, blowing on them and softly rubbing our hands together to keep them warm. he asked if i wanted to get off the ice to warm up i shook my head and told him i was feeling fine, but he saw my flushed face and insisted we go and get some hot chocolate ( keiji please, i was turning red because of you, not the cold smh )

𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

001. new year's drabble by @eitelle

002. the moment he realises he's in love by @aftersamu

003. "my moon" drabble by @rinslove

004. headcanons by @aftersamu

[marvellouslymadmim]

Hey! Aspiring fanfic writer here; I was wondering if you could talk a bit about your writing/editing process and how long it all takes.

Thanks!

Welp, roughly the same extremely long amount of time it takes to actually answer an ask, tbh 🙃

So...I only know how my brain works, and I can only tell you what works for me might not work for you, and that's OK. I'm breaking into two separate bits, because I almost never do writing and editing at the same time.

And as far as a timeline, honestly it just depends. On life factors, what my hormones are doing at the time (jfc like the week before my period, I have zero creativity, motivation, or attention span), if I'm having trouble with a particular scene, if I'm getting consistent positive feedback (yes, I can totally admit that I write faster when I know a particular reviewer is following along with every update), etc.

WRITING:

First, you gotta just...be fixated, I guess. Particularly if it's an AU, I sit with it for a long time before I ever write a word. I go over scenes, think about how the world changes, what stays the same, what *has* to stay the same to keep the characters true to their canon personalities. I sit with the characters for a long time, too--not just the main characters, but the supporting cast, too. In order to predict someone's future, you have to know their past. Most of our present actions are actually reactions to past events, when you think about it. The better you know your version of the character, the easier every other aspect of writing will be. I don't know how it is for other people, but I don't ever "feel" like I'm writing. I feel like I'm "witnessing", and the characters are simply doing whatever they wish. (***this is gonna be a thing during the editing process, too, so hang on to that)

Then once I have a general idea, I choose a title. Generally, I do not even start a word document until I have a proper title to put on it. The title is part of the theme and aesthetic to me, and it grounds me in the overall arc.

Once that's done, it's time for outlining. I generally wait until I feel this weird almost tingling in my left arm (weirder still bc I'm right handed) and I'm practically vibrating with a need to WRITE THIS STORY NOW. Then I put on some Bear McCreary (honestly, any videogame soundtrack will do, as they are literally designed to help you maintain focus and keep pace) and fucking go to town. For me, it helps to do this with pen and paper, so that I can go back up and squiggle little notes in the margin, rearrange the order, etc, far faster than I could on a computer.

Important note: the outline is not the end-all be-all. Some things don't make it to the final print. Some minor storylines get tossed or characters simply...take a different path than I expect. I will continue re-writing and updating the outline as I go along. On average, I usually have 5-8 outlines per story, and they're often 3-10 pages long. I also have a posted outline, which is a log of all the scenes that did make it to the final product. 

Then, it's the actual writing, at long last. I have found that I write best at the start of my day, before the noise and static of daily life comes in. So I wake up around 5am and spend 90minutes writing before beginning my workday routine. I have the Word app on my phone and may continue adding bits in throughout the day at work, if I get a moment. However, after 5pm my brain is usually fried and no more creativity happens. On weekends, I try to have one morning where I "sleep in" til 6am, and then write until at least 10am, sometimes 2pm, if I can get away with it.

The hardest part still is knowing when to transition and when to skip to the next chapter/scene/whatever. This is like...zero percent helpful, but I liken it to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's definition of pornography: "I know it when I see it." It may seem like a scene is circling, and sometimes it means you gotta leave the room a bit earlier bc the scene has already served its purpose. Other times, it means ya gotta stay with it a bit longer, because there's something the character is trying to say. Give them patience, and give yourself patience, too. Explore the scene and its dynamics. You won't know til you know and even then, sometimes you won't be entirely sure. That's ok, too. Part of the process. Remember editing will happen and you can decide then (hell, you can literally re-edit after it's been published, I've done that before too and added a note on the next chapter for any readers who might have read the first version 🤷🏻‍♀️ not ideal but still functional).

EDITING:

I do simple edits (spelling, grammar, etc) just about every morning as I reread what I wrote the day before, which is a refresher course for the day's writing session. But big "real" editing generally doesn't happen until right before posting.

Now, here's the ***issue from writing: sometimes, something just "doesn't work" in a scene. Again, you'll know it when you see it. The words a character is saying feels clunky. The pacing feels off. Something just...ain't right. More often than not, it means either I haven't truly sat with a character long enough to know their true motivations/backstory, or I am not giving characters the proper time/space/impediment to make the actions or say the things they're currently making/saying. I'm trying to force the flow, rather than letting it ebb and breathe when it needs to.

Absolute ProTip: You spent HOURS writing this scene. It's got some REALLY GOOD moments and lines in it. It doesn't work but you can't just delete it. It's your LIFE. I struggle with this A LOT, and I have found a solution: create a second "outtakes" document to cut and paste those scenes into. Sometimes I still keep moments or bits of dialog. Sometimes I later use bits in a later scene. Sometimes I never look at it again but I still feel secure in knowing that if I wanted to go back and use the original scene instead, I totally can. I don't think I've actually ever gone back to the original, tbh, but it reduced my anxiety about deleting the scene and starting over.

So back to the scene that doesn't work. I take it apart, figure out *at what exact point* it stops working, then work back up a few lines to see where the shift actually begins. More often than not, it's because I'm having characters express their feelings in ways they actually wouldn't. (people very very very rarely actually say what they're thinking/feeling, and you have to relay it in other ways). So I have to keep the internal monologue of what they're actually feeling/thinking, while figuring out how that actually translates via tone, body language, and what they do and don't say.

The "something ain't working stage" can take LITERAL WEEKS. I sometimes have to walk away for awhile, or tackle it only on days when I know I have hours upon hours to truly work on it. I keep circling back around, and eventually, the knot works itself out. Persistence, and insistence that "good enough" isn't actually good enough, are key. (this is why you have to fixated on the story you want to tell--because some days, it's going to take every ounce of that obsession to keep you going and keep you on the track of telling the story you wanted to tell, rather than settling or switching to an easier tack)

Sometimes, editing is a breeze. I don't change much, I may go a little more into the character's inner world here or there. Once you've been doing this for awhile, you'll just know when a story hits all its marks--and you'll also know when it's not, when it could be more or do more, and you can figure out how to get it there. There isn't a precise formula for it, it's more like cooking without an actual recipe to follow--a dash here, a bit there, you'll know it when you taste it.

And I'll leave you with this unsolicited bit: just write. Write often, write about everything, write what makes YOU passionate and happy, and absolutely write for yourself. Edit the fuck out of it, if you need to. Get a beta reader, if you need to. Get someone to just bounce ideas off, if you need to. And don't post it until you're truly ready and it's something you genuinely want to share. If someone gives constructive criticism, take in on the chin and move on (keep the notes, if you think they're valid, and toss em if you don't--you'll never be everyone's style of writer, so know that sometimes, people just won't be the target audience). Know that you'll grow and you'll learn and you'll find your own voice and like any skill, you'll develop a second nature about it--all those parts where I say "you'll know it when you see it" or "you'll feel it" absolutely come from spending a literal lifetime (28 years) writing stories, and thirteen years of writing fanfic in particular. It's ok if you don't see it or feel it right away. It takes practice. And you will have an audience at every skill level, no matter what (finding that audience? different story altogether...).

All totaled, this process can take anywhere from 3months to over a year. Stories are like children, I've found: they each develop at their own pace, and some may need more time and assistance than others. But they're still pretty wonderful. (except the bratty stories. they're the worst 🙄)

[bodyawarenyc]

PRACTICE TOGETHER @scienceofselfyoga ! Many blessings to all the amazing teachers who offer their time to all with these classes. We have a few improvements to our weekly online classes and a new and easier homepage @scienceofselfyoga with more offerings in the coming months - stay tuned! To join a weekly class, please register ahead of time and you will receive a link to join. Classes are still free/donation based. Please support your SOS teachers if you can make a donation. 🎉NEW CLASS - Master Class Saturdays at 8am with @mel_durga 🎉NEW CLASS - MYT Sequence Tuesdays at 10am with @yogaforboldpeople 🎉Wed 10am INT/ADV pranayama with @erin_bodyaware 🎉Wed 6pm MYT Sequence with @yogi___sara ❤️💜💙🖤💚💛 Thanks to @sandylarson1 for the collage . For a more detailed list of what SOS grads are up to, visit the SOS website. Link in bio. NEW : All books 📚 are now digital!🧿👁 🆘 LIVESTREAM - FREE/Donation based Weekly Classes : ❤️Breath and Purification @spinebenderyoga Mon 10am ❤️Int. Pranayama @erin_bodyaware Wed 10am ❤️Breath and Purification @sade_m Fridays 10am 🧡MON 11am MYT Sequence @sandylarson1 💛TUES 10am MYT Sequence @yogaforboldpeople 💛TUES 7pm Extreme Yin - HEART @spinebenderyoga 💚WED 11am Master Class @erin_bodyaware 💚WED 6pm MYT Sequence @yogi___sara 💙THURS 12pm MYT Express @oliviayohai 💙THURS 6pm Extreme Yin HIPS @erin_bodyaware 💙FRI 8am Master Class @whatadamnshane 💜SAT 8am Master Class @mel_durga 💜SAT 10am MYT Sequence @mel_durga 💜SUN 11am Master Class @spinebenderyoga 💜SUN 2pm Extreme Yin - Emotional Axis @ninapetrillo_ . ♥︎Youtube channel “BodyawareNewYork” for free videos . 💥Hatha Yoga Pradipika 10/22-24, 29-31 with @clear_light_mind and @erin_bodyaware . 💚 50 hour practice Intensive 11/6-8 in Woodstock, NY . 👂NADA Training 11/13+14 in East Harlem with @juancortez3968 @mel_durga . 🖖🏽Meridian Yoga Technique Certifications 💥MYT self paced video version available for 12 hour and Level 1 👉🏽MYT Level 2 October 8-12 @theyogadojo . #yoga #vegan #meridians #emotions #chronicpain #chakras #energy #fitover40 #meridianyoga #scienceofselfytt #ytt #yogateachertraining #hathayogapradipika #yogaanatomy #earacupuncture #nadaprotocol https://www.instagram.com/p/CUNpazdrabR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[gyll-yee-haw]

Chapter 6

Series information

Series masterlist

—

You said I was the most exotic flower

Holding me tight in our final hour

(Million dollar man - Lana del Rey)

—

You were so happy you were able to leave that lab acting like Jake’s words didn’t affect you.

You walked with your head up to the parking lot.

But the minute you sat in your car, you broke down in tears. You sobbed. You screamed. How could he use you like that? You were disgusted. Wes was right all along.

You turned on your car and an idea flashed through your mind. What if you drove really fast and crashed against a wall or something? Who would care? Jake wouldn’t. Maybe he would be relieved, cause now you wouldn’t tell anyone what you just did.

You saw him leaving the building and his eyes met yours one last time.

He saw that you were crying. And he felt like the worst person in the entire world. He probably was. He should never had let things get this far… not after what Wes told him.

— flahback on—

After you left the classroom on the same day you told him about how Wes was trying to control your life, Jake ended up meeting him in the hallway.

Jake was furious. Wes seemed to be expecting that.

“Excuse me, can we talk for a second?” Jake asked him.

“Sure.” Wes shrugged.

“Y/N told me she’s feeling threatened by you.” He told him. “And for that reason, I don’t think it would be a good idea to keep you involved on my project.”

“Threatened?” Wes laughed sarcastically. “I’m just trying to keep her from doing something stupid.”

“Like what?” Jake controlled his rage, but he didn’t like to hear him talking about you like that.

“I’m going to tell you, professor, even though I assume you already know it.” Wes knew you would kill him if you knew, but seemed like the right thing to do. “Y/N is in love with you. Blindly in love. Listen, I don’t know what happened between the two of you during all these secret meetings, and I don’t know what your intentions are… but I know that however this ends, she’s gonna get hurt. I don’t wanna see that happen. And if she’s as special to you as she believes she is… I bet you won’t want to see that either.”

Jake was speechless. Part of him was happy to know you felt the same way about him. But part of him knew Wes was right… the whole situation was complicated. People would judge you. Besides that, he wasn’t sure if he could give you all you deserved… he was an older man. You liked him now, but how would things be in a few years? He wanted nothing but the best for you.

“So…” Wes said, watching the confusion in Jake’s eyes. “I’m out of your project. I accept that. She won’t listen to me anyway. I just hope you think about what I just told you.”

With those words, he left Jake alone and absolutely lost.

But Wes couldn’t help but notice that there was something weird. The look on Jake’s face wasn’t exactly what he expected. He seemed surprised that you loved him. What if there really wasn’t something going on between you and him? At least now he knew he did all he could to stop that.

— flashback off—

Jake treated you like shit before and after you made love because he had to push you away before things got out of hand and you got hurt too badly. The problem was what happened in the middle of all that. God. He would never forget how you tasted. He would never forget what it felt like to be inside you. To be able to tell you he adored you like he had nothing to worry about… but it was over now.

—

Jake opened the door of his apartment and walked in pushing and throwing on the floor everything he saw in front of him. Tears blurred his vision as he went to the kitchen to do something he hadn’t done in a while.

He poured himself a glass of whiskey. One. Two. Three glasses. Crying on the sink. Took him so long to find the woman of his dreams, but when he did, it’s someone he could never have.

Four glasses.

He grabbed the whole bottle and walked towards his office.

He sat down, turned his laptop on and tried to think of the right words to put on that letter.

—

It was a long weekend. You didn’t cry anymore. But you still felt terrible. You stared at the ceiling in silence because all TV shows seemed to be about happy couples and all songs seemed to talk about love.

You didn’t show up on college on Monday. You went to sleep at 3am and woke up at 2pm. Same thing that night. How would you be able to sleep knowing that Tuesday was coming, and in a few hours Mr. Gyllenhaal would walk into that stupid classroom. Something told you his eyes wouldn’t look for you that day. Good. Cause they wouldn’t find you.

On Wednesday you heard someone knocking on your door at 10am. You woke up and decided to ignore it. You didn’t want to see anyone. But the person insisted so much…

So you got out of bed cursing whoever that was. You didn’t bother to fix your hair or look in the mirror on the way. Whoever was there needed to know how unwelcome they were.

But when you opened the door, you had a big surprise.

Wes.

“Y/N? What happened to you?” He asked.

“What happened to me?” You chuckled sarcastically. “Exactly what you were expecting, Wes.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked at the floor. “Can I come in? We can talk about it… and I promise I won’t judge you now. I mean… I realized that I wasn’t being very nice to you, but it was too late and…”

You nodded and gestured for him to come in.

He sat on the sofa and you sat beside him. You had been strong for too long, and the minute you opened your mouth, you started sobbing again. He held you tightly and told you everything was gonna be okay. But you just couldn’t see how.

“I can’t understand what happened…” You told him. “We were so in love, Wes. We… we told each other beautiful things and then he left. He told me I was nothing to him.”

“He said that?” Wes was confused. By the way Jake acted the other day, he didn’t think you meant nothing to him.

“You can judge me if you want. You can call me a whore, I don’t care.” You took a deep breath. “But he made love to me in his lab on Friday… and it was amazing. I’m telling you, we were in love… he told me he adored me, but then… I don’t know what happened…”

Wes stood up and started walking in circles. He couldn’t believe what you were saying.

“Y/N.” He tried to process everything. “Are you telling me you had sex with him in his fucking lab, are you crazy?!”

“Probably.” You admitted. “Go ahead. Say that you told me this was gonna happen.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t do that.” He knelt in front of you and held your hand. “I was worried because you didn’t show up these last days and you never skip class unless something is wrong…”

“How am I going to go back to college and see his face again?”

“Haven’t you heard?” Wes wasn’t sure how he would tell you that. But he had too. The minute he heard the news, he felt like it had something to do with you. He had no proof, but after what you just told him… he was sure now. “Mr. Gyllenhaal isn’t our professor anymore. He handed his resignation letter on Saturday morning.”

—

Taglist:

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[wonkastarshine]

Soooooo... I wasn’t sure when I was going to share this, but I’m just feeling very emotional towards this event today, so I think this is a good day to talk about it.

I’ve met Tim Burton.

That is me in the all black ensemble in front of him, at the bottom of this very long story. I met him on January 21st this year at his exhibition at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. The second I found out that Tim was coming to Las Vegas, I cried so hard. This was finally my opportunity to meet the man that has shaped my whole life. But when I went online to secure a ticket for the book signing, they were sold out. I was devastated, and in a desperate plea, I called the museum and asked if they were COMPLETELY sold out. They said ‘yes, we are, but there will be a stand-in line.”

And the clouds lifted.

This was a risky trip. I would be ditching three of my classes to spend a day driving to Las Vegas and then driving back immediately afterwards. I live about 5 hours from Vegas. The stand-in line started at 10am. I planned to leave at exactly 5am and get in line as early as possible. I planned my outfit, my hair, exactly which book I was going to buy for him to sign, and how much I would need to put aside for gas money. It was all put into place.

Now, to convince Mom to let me go...

I wrote out a whole speech (a la Wonka cue card style) and read it out loud to her. I had lost so much sleep over the fear of her rejection, and the agony of knowing that I had a shot and it just slipped from my fingers. My mom’s biggest worry was that I would drive all the way, stand hours in line and have Tim say, “Sorry, I’m not going to sign any more.” But I told her, “I would rather go and be turned away, then to never know whether I would’ve been accepted or not.”

Mom wasn’t happy, but ultimately gave her blessing for me to drive solo(!) to Las Vegas. Gosh, even just writing about it now gives me such butterflies! I woke up at 4:30 and was out of the house by 5:30, as I had to wait for some fog to clear up. I was on my way, with Danny Elfman’s music to be my friend for the long drive. The drive was fairly empty. I went over the Tehachapi mountains just as the sun was rising. It was sooooo beautiful, with all of its purples, pinks and oranges. “Everyday” by Buddy Holly, from Big Fish was playing and it just completely summed up how I was feeling. This was my moment. From the second I laid eyes on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at age 4, Tim Burton forever changed my life. And now it was going to be time to thank him.

I arrived at the museum and to my surprise, the stand-in line was maybe 15 people maximum. The 400 people who got tickets previously were all in attendance. I breathed a sigh of relief and ate a snack while reading a book. The employees of the museum were so nice and always willing to answer our questions. One even said, “Tim loves his fans. He’s very grateful for all of you. I have no doubt he will sign for everyone.” So, the waiting began. I had arrived at about 10:30 or so and the signing would not start until 2pm. It wasn’t until around 2:30 or so that we were informed that those in the stand in line were definitely getting our books signed.

Y’all let me tell you, I almost died right there on the spot.

And I was internally panicking so much because I hadn’t allowed myself to plan what I was going to say to him, in the event I didn’t get to meet him. But it was real now and the gears were turning. I bought The Art of Tim Burton book from the stand and quickly joined the queue, which was moving rapidly. He was a fast signer, apparently. The employees told us we could pick ANY page we wanted him to sign and he would sign it. The gears turned even more. ANY PAGE?? Holy cow, what would I pick? Wonka, Edward, Catwoman, personal sketches of him and Helena?? I was so torn. I loved the concept sketch of Wonka, but there was some text at the bottom of it, and I kinda just wanted his signature to be alone with a drawing. I wanted to pick something that uniquely represented Tim, one drawing that completely encapsulated what his art is, what his art means and expresses.

And the lowly first sketch of Edward Scissorhands that he drew in high school was perfect. 100% Tim Burton.

The queue was getting shorter and shorter, and I realized that I was silly getting to think that Burton would want to really be having conversations with people. A self proclaimed introvert definitely would not want to talk to over 500 people in a day! So, I decided on one line. As soon as I turned the corner and I saw that tangled mess of black hair, those polarized glasses he never goes without, my heart completely dropped and burst with nerves. It was really Tim Burton, Tim Fucking Burton, sitting right there. The man responsible for creating my childhood: Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman Returns. It just seemed so surreal. I handed my phone to the nice lady behind me in line, who I casually held small talk with throughout the day. She was more than happy to take pictures of me with Burton.

He was moving fast! I barely got in front of him when he was already done signing it! I had to make my move. I stuck out my hand, waited until he shook it, made eye contact with me and I said, “Thank you so much for coming.” He smiled and I was quickly ushered away by the nice employees. It was perfect. No embarrassing blubbering or confessions. Just a handshake, a word of thanks and some smiles. I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes just typing this. I left the museum, and went to my car. I just stared at his autograph for the longest time. I called my mom and told her I made it and I met him. After I hung up, I sat quietly in car, silent, yet happy tears falling. Everything I’ve ever wanted to be, is because of Burton. My reason for wanting to become a film editor is because of Burton.

It was my honor and privilege to have met the genius. And I’m beyond grateful it happened before the entire world turned into a chaotic mess. Tim Burton has always been my rock in times of chaos. Today is no exception. What a day 🖤