#stores open on thanksgiving day 2017 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

goddivalondon · 2 years ago

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WHAT'S BLACK FRIDAY? AND DRESS SALES ON BLACK FRIDAY

The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. On this annual shopping day, stores usually have big sales to kick off the holiday shopping season.

Key Lesson

Black Friday is not an official holiday, but it is always the day after Thanksgiving. Some people spend the day looking for sales at stores to get the holiday shopping season off to a good start.

It's a very important day for the retail industry, since the holidays can make up 20% or more of sales for many stores.

Other "financial holidays" like Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday have also sprung up around this time.

What Happens On Black Friday?

Black Friday is part of the shopping season around the holidays. For many stores, especially toy and game stores, it is important to have a profitable Black Friday dresses sale. According to GODDIVA, from 2017 to 2021, the holiday season made up about 19% of annual sales for many stores.

Many stores are open late on Thanksgiving or early on Friday. Some people stand in line to get the best deals, and people shop all weekend long.

For example, from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday in 2021, shoppers spent an average of £301.27. (the first Monday after Thanksgiving).

Note

Surprisingly, the best Black Friday dress sales are not on Black Friday. Many stores, like Amazon, start their sales earlier and earlier, making Black Friday less important. So many stores are trying to get your money that they have come up with new ways to do it, sometimes starting much earlier in the year.

Black Friday Is An Example Of

The GODDIVA thought that 179.8 million unique shoppers made purchases in stores and online over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2021. This was more than 21 million more than what the GODDIVA had expected at first.

Even though prices are going up, the GODDIVA says that people are likely to spend a lot on Black Friday again this year. They think that holiday spending will be up between 6% and 8% from last year. This is an early sign that the day after Thanksgiving could have a big effect on the economy.

Note

The Goddiva found that 46% of holiday shoppers had started shopping before November. Most of those people said they started early to spread out their spending.

The GODDIVA found that in 2021, LEGO, Barbie, cars and trucks, and dolls were the three most popular toys to buy. People said that clothes, gift cards, and toys were the top things they planned to buy as gifts. The GODDIVA found that shoppers were planning to buy three to four gift cards and spend an average of £147 to £196 on each one. In 2021, the total sales of gift cards are expected to reach £28.1 billion.

What Does "Black Friday" Mean?

People call the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" in a casual way. Because it's the first day of the holiday shopping season, it's often the busiest shopping day of the year. This day can be very important for the economy and for some retailers in particular.

The name "Black Friday" comes from the middle of the 1900s. Police in Philadelphia first used the term "Black Friday" to describe the day after Thanksgiving, when there was a lot of traffic that made it hard to get around.

Businesses jumped on the word as it got around. It helped businesses that depended on holiday shopping to get "in the black" (make money) instead of "in the red" (lose money) (operating at a loss).

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday. Many people buy gifts online on this day, and it has become a shopping event in and of itself. It's usually the biggest day of the year to shop online, and in some years, the total sales have been higher than on Black Friday.

The day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday."

Concentrated on sales in Goddiva stores and online

The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year.

Cyber Monday is the Monday that comes after Thanksgiving.

Mostly about online sales

On Cyber Monday, shoppers spend more money than on Black Friday.

Cyber Monday sales in 2020 were £10.8 billion, which was more than the £9.4 billion from the year before.

But in 2021, Cyber Monday sales fell to £10.7 billion, which is 1.4% less than in 2020.

Note

Cyber Monday is known for online shopping, but some people also buy things online on Black Friday. In 2021, about 88 million people said they ordered online on Black Friday. 3 More than 100 million people shopped online on Black Friday in 2020, compared to 93.2 million in 2019. 1011

Shoppers will never stop going to Goddiva stores completely, but they expect retailers to offer an easy online option. By letting customers buy online and pick up in-store, many stores are seeing their sales go up.

Around this time, there are also other holidays that have to do with money. The day after Black Friday is Small Business Saturday, which is a way to get people to spend money at local mom-and-pop shops. Giving Tuesday is the day after Cyber Monday. It was made to get more people to give to charity during the holiday season.

#Black Friday dresses sale #Christmas dresses #party dresses #evening dresses

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johnkrrasinski · 4 years ago

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Cherry Pie 🍒

full masterlist

Pairings: Steve Rogers x female!reader

Word count: 2,181

Warning: SMUT!!!! a lot of sexy times. steve being a horny boyfriend. public sex, fingering, oral sex. (MUST BE 18+)

Summary: you boyfriend, steve rogers is an insatiable little shit. but you loved it though.

a/n: this one’s for @nellblazer‘s “The 80′s Challenge.” i chose the song prompt “cherry pie by warrant” and when i read the lyrics, i immediately knew that i had to write something sexy with steve rogers based on the song.

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

South Waren was a peaceful suburban city where most newlyweds migrate to, to start a new beginning, write on a fresh page and build a family life of their own. The tranquil community was one of the most innocuous and amicable districts in America.

Noiseless and serene; those are the most fitting words to describe the tone of the neighbourhood. Each morning, there would only be the chirping sounds of the birds, joyful giggles of the kids as their parents kiss them goodbye before they leave for school and the sonorous chitchats of the wives as they are going for an early jog.

But the rules were violated since you and Steve moved to the well-grounded town.

To say that you were a lovely pair of newlyweds would be an inadequate understatement. You and Steve were practically rabbits. Before you decided to tie the knot, you and Steve dated for two years until Steve surprised you with a stunning diamond ring as he got on his knees.

To the people that you pass on the streets or the waiters/waitresses that served you at a five stars restaurant, you looked like a normal, lovely couple. But to those who are unfortunate enough to be close enough to you both as friends, that they’d often go on double dates with you or attend major events together or those whom the devils targetted in red underline because they were ill-fated enough to live near you… May the heavens be with them.

You and Steve just couldn’t get enough of each other. There wasn’t a single day where you could spend more than one hour without leaving subtle touches and vamping glances on each other that would result in you both lying bare on top of each other, bathed in sweat and inebriating euphoria.

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Thanksgiving last year, you invited Steve to celebrate the day at your parents’ house. On the dinner table, Steve was a refined gentleman, dressed in a plaid blue shirt. He brought a bottle of Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from 2017 as he charmed the pants off your parents with his courteous manners and judicious words. He’d crack a few witty jokes that would effortlessly elicit laughter out of your sister and your parents.

But when the midnight lurks and when it was only the two of you in the tiny kingdom that was your childhood room, it was a whole ‘nother story.

Steve had you pinned beneath him doggedly as if you were nothing but a rag doll that he could mend and break whenever he wants. He sealed your moans with his palm as he vehemently pounded into you as you tried so hard to mute your cries, but you couldn’t any longer. Your parents’ room was literally next to yours and you’d be doomed if they heard the sounds of your moans and whimpers due to Steve’s brutal thrusts.

“Shh, you don’t wanna wake your parents up, do you?”

You felt like he was splitting your body apart with his enormous cock that was relentlessly moving in and out of you. Your brain was cluttered as you felt the tightening coil in your stomach. Your muffled wails grew louder as you held on to Steve’s dishevelled hair with your polished nails leaving fiery scratches down his back.

“I can feel how tight you are for me. C’mon, cum for me, baby. Cum for me now!” Just a few more deep-seated thrusts and the inflating bubble inside you burst. You were grateful to whatever disappointed God and angels in heaven, watching over you for Steve’s dexterous hand that was still swaddling the noises from your lips because you were practically shrieking and your whole body trembled. Steve kept going until he reached his own release and that’s when he lifted his hand off your mouth too.

He kissed you passionately, tangling his tongue with yours as he breathed into your parted mouth. Your drop of sweats mingled as your sticky bodies jumbled with each other’s warmth and remnants. He got himself off you then laid next to you in your small twin-sized bed. He pulled you close against his chest and you laid there with your labouring breath beginning to slow down.

“You just defiled my impeccable, childhood room.”

“We just did, baby.”

“But you coerced me into it.”

“Yeah, but you loved it.”

“I sure did.”

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You and Steve had this tradition every Friday night with your friends back when you still lived in Brooklyn. You would come to Barton’s Nest; a ramshackle Victorian pub owned by Clint, to have a drink and share a few tales and hilarity of the despair and the discrepancies the week had afflicted each one of you.

When the night got a little tipsy and you’d had a dozen of alcohol in your system, Steve would excuse you both from the table and drag you to the pub’s lavatory because he just couldn’t contain his deprivation of you any longer.

Steve loved you whether you were in baggy clothes or when you were dressed like a lady; a silk red dress with cleavage so low and a slit so high that it enervates him on the knees every time you so much as breathe, let alone when you rub your high-heeled foot against his leg.

But Steve loved you the most when you were like this; a petite tank top displaying your lovely shoulders and fitting high-waisted skinny jeans that suit you like a magician with a pair of gloves. You looked casually beautiful and he just felt the mighty urge to take you right there in the bathroom stall.

You were reclining on your hands against the sink as you threw your head back, your skull nearly hit the mirror, with Steve’s fingers down your pants. Your jeans had been pushed down, pooling around your ankles with your underwear still on as it got ruined with your dampened pussy.

His fingers deliciously stroked your clit before it moved lower to your opening and intruded your body with their lengths. His skilful fingers scissored your inside as you moaned in pleasure. The lust overclouding your mind, blurring your visions like fog on the mirror.

“Fuck, Steve…” You could feel your knees wobbling, and if he weren’t standing so close to you, you would’ve collapsed on the floor already.

“What is it, babygirl? My fingers fucking that cunt good, down there?” As he grazed the spot that erased all the memories and knowledge stored in your brain because it was so tantalizingly precise.

“So good, yeah…” You uttered breathlessly. You bit your lip, trying to suppress your cries, fearing that someone would walk by and they might hear you.

But Steve was a reprobate varmint. He couldn’t care any less about people hearing you both or knocking furiously on the door. He didn’t even bother locking the door. When he had you in this misty state, he was going to take his sweet time in toying with your body with whatever creative method he came up with at that moment and he was going to have his fun.

“Look at me.” With every control you regained over yourself, you opened your eyes to stare at baby blue ones that were a lot darker now; filled with desire and mischievousness. It was hard for you to keep your gaze at him when he was staring at you like this with his fingers unapologetically messaging your heated core, but you knew better than to disobey him.

“Look at you, you’ve only got a couple of my fingers in that dirty cunt and you’re already this fucked out.” Then he kissed you, only to leave you even more sloven. Tongue taking over your mouth, as if he was marking his territory.

“I can feel you clenching, babygirl. You can’t help yourself, can you?”

“I’m- I’m so close, Steve, please…”

“You want to soak my fingers with your cum, is that it?” He teased.

“Yes, yes, daddy, please.”

“Go ahead, babygirl. Show me how good I make you feel.”

You didn’t hold back any longer, you squealed in bliss, the adrenaline of fornicating in such a public place ignited your senses. You made a mess all over Steve’s hand as your knees wavered. When you had given Steve all that you had, Steve only smirked maliciously, loving to see you crumble beneath him. It made him feel powerful, like a king who had just claimed victory over a battle.

“There you go, so fucking messy.”

When your high started to come down, your hazy sight stared into his delinquent face, as he retreated his fingers out of you and wrapped them around his lips. “So fucking delicious…” His mouth made obscene sounds of enjoying the taste of your release, painting an even more erotic atmosphere in the lavatory.

You walked hand in hand after that to go back to your mates, pretending as if nothing hadn’t just gone down in the back of the pub. You sat with cum-drenched underwear in your jeans whilst Steve nefariously sipped on his beer and joked like a professional comedian.

Wasn’t the first time he washed his hands and got away with an impious crime.

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A drizzly Sunday evening, splatters of the rainfall clinging to your window; there wasn’t much to do other than being cooped up in your couch in your oversized sweaters and a mug of sweetened hot chocolate.

The tenuous sounds of the movie playing before you shepherds the individuals before the screen. It had been a week since you and Steve had officially moved in and it took you three days long to set every furniture and embellishment in the right places.

The ivory couch in the living room was new and clean until you and Steve decided to desecrate that too.

You threw your head back and laid it against the length of the headrest, with your legs spread wide open, resting them on Steve’s sturdy shoulders. Your fingers massaged his scalp, trying to hold onto him for dear life.

You were panting rapidly, not even bothering of containing your wails this time. Not when Steve’s face was caged within your thighs. You’d try to escape and lock them together but you couldn’t even if you wanted to anyway. Not when Steve was holding you down rigidly with his hands like this.

His tongue made lewd noises of lapping your sit hungrily like a famished man. The way his beard would tickle the insides of your thighs made your head spin like an accelerated carousel. Drops of sweat clung to your skin as it fell to your breasts, burning up the temperature in the room, despite the chilly weather.

Your stimulated sense tried to focus on the program playing before you, but you just couldn’t. You felt dizzy, your lips felt dry and you couldn’t think of anything else but the feel of Steve’s tongue sloppily sucking all the way up from your entrance to your clit.

“Oh fuck, Steve…”

Steve paused for a moment to look up at you. You were a salaciously picturesque sight. Covered in sweat, fogged with lust. Your lips were parted with your eyes closed. Your chest was heaving up and down and your breasts were displayed overtly above him. Your cold hard nipples were moistened with his saliva from his previous warmups before he moved to the more sensitive part.

Steve resumed his violation on your body, as his right hand levitated to your hardened nipple. He groped the globe and pinched your nipple as if it wasn’t stiff enough already. He loved taking you from every possible angle and he loved exploring your body in the most adventurous way.

What can you say? He’s a multitasker.

He slurped your flowing juices as your body kept producing due to his relentless devouring. He kept swallowing your sweetness until you fell apart. Your shrieks echoed against the walls, as you were engulfed in euphoria. You made a mess on Steve’s mouth but he didn’t mind one bit.

In fact, he loved it. He loved you raunchy and he loved you nasty.

“Oh fuck yeah, babygirl. You taste so fucking sweet. Just like cherry pie.”

After you regained your composure, you opened your eyes and lift your legs off his shoulders. You got up from your seat and switched places with him. As if he had nimbly memorized the cue, he took your spot that was still warm from your butt, as he spread his legs to make room for you who were now on your knees.

You immediately zipped down his pants and pulled it down along with his briefs, just enough to unfetter his throbbing member and let it sprung free in the air. He sat with his arms rested against the length of the headrest where your head was previously placed on, like a king on his cushioned throne.

The imperious look on his face only got you going even more. You licked your lips as you maintained eye contact with his lust-drunken eyes. “Time to return the favour, daddy.”

682 notes · View notes

theycallmebeccawrites · 4 years ago

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Chris & Ellie Series: Episode 25

Happy New Year’s Eve (and yes, I realize some of you are already in 2021, but I’m not.) Nothing like waiting until almost the last minute to get my promised new episode posted before the end of December. But success.

I’m currently on my lunch break, so I have to keep this short and sweet.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me as I’ve been writing this series. I truly appreciate each and everyone one of you. And shout out to my betas: @nomadicpixel @alievans007 @heather-lynn and @mrs-captain-evans - you four are amazing cheerleaders and this story wouldn’t be what it is without you and your help.

♥Becca♥

Pairing: Chris Evans x Ellie Spencer (OFC)

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: n/a

Episode Summary: Chris returns to Los Angeles (and Ellie)... for real this time.

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

This episode can also be read on AO3.

The Chris and Ellie series is primarily chronological. It begins with a flash forward to 2016 and has a few other scenes in the future. However, the majority of their story is told in chronological order starting in 2013 and going through 2017. Each episode starts with a date to help you place it within the story.

The Chris & Ellie Series Masterlist | Chris & Ellie Masterlist

Episode 24.5

Episode 25: Only Fools Rush In

December 5, 2014

Chris's house in Los Angeles was dark when the cab came to a stop in front of it in the early hours of the morning. The driver helped Chris get his luggage out of the trunk and then wished him a 'Merry Christmas' after Chris slipped him a tip.

As the cab drove away, Chris stared up at the big house, trying to block out the memories from that day in July when he'd seen Ellie and Pierre hugging. Now that he knew what had actually happened, he felt like a fool for jumping to conclusions.

He couldn’t bring himself to regret it. That rock bottom moment for him had been a catalyst. He'd finally gotten over the hurdles his mind created and was letting his heart take the lead on the whole Ellie dilemma. He owed it to them both to seek her out. He didn't know how it would go, but he was prepared to apologize and, if she wanted, walk away.

Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and carried his suitcases in. His eyes drifted up the stairs and he knew he should take them up to his bedroom, but he wasn't ready to go there yet. Instead, he dropped the suitcases at the bottom of the stairs then walked through the quiet house, taking everything in.

For some reason, Chris had expected everything to be different, but it all looked the same. The only thing that was noticeably different was the smell. The house didn't smell bad by any means, it just didn't smell like the light, fruity scent that he associated with Ellie.

It wasn't until he got to the kitchen that he noticed things missing, specifically Ellie's things. Like her ugly coffee cups that she insisted on keeping next to the coffeemaker so they were within easy reach first thing in the morning. His eyes then slid to the floor by the backdoor where Daisy's things had been. He missed her almost as much as he missed Ellie.

Taking a shaky breath, he started a pot of coffee, knowing it would be the only way he was going to make it through the day after taking a red eye flight from Boston to Los Angeles. While the coffee brewed, he grabbed a mug from the cupboard and then looked back at the coffee maker.

"I don't know why you keep them so far apart," Ellie's voice came back to him from a long-forgotten conversation. "It's silly. The coffee cups should be right above the coffee pot for easy access. Everyone knows that."

"You're right," he admitted out loud in his empty kitchen.

Trying to remember the other things Ellie had said to him over their time together, he opened the doors of all his cupboards and began reorganizing them. At first, it required a lot of thought, but once it got down to just putting things away, his mind started to wander.

It had been ten days since he'd learned the truth about what had happened in the driveway back in July. At first, he had been too overwhelmed by the information and hadn't been able to process it. Opening up to his mom about everything had helped, but that had just been step one.

The next step had been sorting through his feelings. He knew he was in love with Ellie. Months of long, lonely nights of introspection convinced him of that. But he also knew that his feelings weren't what was important right now. Ellie's feelings were all what mattered. Him being in love with her didn't mean a damn thing if she didn't feel the same way. Or worse, if she hated him and never wanted to see him again.

He'd tried to put on a brave face for Thanksgiving, but his heart hadn't really been in it. He'd gone through the motions, but not even a competitive game of Trivial Pursuit had pulled him out of his head.

His mom had given him until Saturday morning before she'd stepped in to help some more. Through a series of questions, like 'what are you thinking' and 'what are you planning to do', she helped him get through the quagmire that was his brain. The outcome of which had been him deciding to go back to Los Angeles to talk to Ellie.

The biggest question that had followed his decision had been when. Scott had gone back to LA Sunday morning, but Chris hadn't been ready yet. He'd wanted to come back with a game plan. Even if it all ended up a complete and utter failure.

"What are you doing?" Scott's voice came through the fog of Chris's brain, bringing him back to the present.

Shaking his head, Chris turned and found his brother standing at the top of the stairs to the basement. Seeing the confused expression on Scott's face, he took a step back and took in the reorganizing disaster that was his kitchen.

"Are you ok?" Scott asked, slowly. He'd known Chris was arriving this morning, but he hadn't expected to find his brother rearranging the kitchen when he came in from the guest house where he was now living.

"I'm fine," Chris assured him. "Just felt like reorganizing, I guess." He shrugged. "Ellie was always commenting on the silly places some things were stored and she was right." Stepping forward, he opened the cupboard over the coffee pot. "The mugs are here now. Above the coffee pot."

"You could have just moved the coffee pot," Scott said with a stifled yawn.

"I could have, but it makes sense for the coffee pot, coffee and coffee cups to all be in one area," Chris explained. "Speaking of which, I made coffee. You want some?"

"Shouldn't you be fighting jet lag or something?" his brother asked.

"I slept on the plane," Chris replied with a shrug. "And I've had two cups of coffee this morning. I'll sleep later."

"In your bedroom or in one of the guestrooms?" Scott asked, cautiously. He knew coming back to the house was a big first step for Chris, but he didn't think his brother was fully prepared for the onslaught of memories that the house would bring. Seeing Chris tense at his question, Scott pressed on. "Have you been upstairs yet?"

"I couldn't go upstairs," Chris admitted, softly. The bedroom held so many memories for himself and Ellie but was also the place that his worst memory with her had happened.

"Want me to go with you?" Scott offered. He'd walked by Ellie's side during the aftermath of the breakup and now that his brother was forced to deal with it himself, he could help him, too.

"Will you help me with the kitchen first?" Chris asked, gesturing to the stuff that was still on the counters to put away.

Knowing his brother needed to mentally prepare himself to go upstairs, Scott helped him finish reorganizing the kitchen. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but some of the changes really did make sense. Others, he knew would drive Ellie crazy. Which made him want to take a picture and send it to her, but he resisted the urge. She didn't know Chris was back in town yet and he didn't want to be the one to tell her.

After the last cabinet door closed, Scott expected Chris to come up with a reason not to go upstairs, but his brother surprised him by leading him out of the kitchen.

"Are you ready for this?" Scott asked as he picked up two of Chris's suitcases.

"Not really, but it's not like I have much choice, is it?" Chris asked as he grabbed his other suitcase.

"It'll be ok, you'll see," Scott assured him. "The cleaning lady was here yesterday and she made the bed for you and cleaned the bathroom."

Leading Chris up the stairs, Scott waited for him at the bedroom door. He knew his brother needed to be the one to open the door to fully cement his current reality. Afterall, the last time Chris had been in the room, Ellie had been peacefully sleeping in the bed and it had been April.

"You got this," Scott encouraged as they stood outside the closed bedroom door.

Turning the handle, Chris pushed the door open and found the room just as it had always been when he came home from a long time away. It was both comforting and depressing.

He forced himself to take a step into the room and then another until he reached the bed. He dropped his suitcase onto it and Scott did the same with the other two.

Turning to survey the room, he saw the two neatly stacked piles of clothes on the dresser by the bedroom door. He recognized some of the sweatshirts that Ellie had borrowed from him, but others were just clothes he had worn during the days leading up to his early departure.

Sucking in a breath, he turned his attention to the closet. Crossing the room, he opened the door and was taken aback at the chaotic state of it. He knew he'd packed in a rush, but he hadn't realized he'd left it in such a state.

"I told the housekeeper not to clean it up," Scott said from behind him. "I thought you needed to see the way you left things."

"I hadn't realized," Chris whispered as he felt pressure building in his chest. He could only imagine how shocked and hurt Ellie had been when she'd seen the room. "I really fucked up."

"You did," Scott agreed. There was no reason to sugar coat things anymore. At the same time, he could feel the anxiety radiating off his brother. Reaching over, he put his hand on Chris's shoulder and squeezed. "You're here now. That's what's important."

Turning to look at his brother, Chris felt the weight of the last eight months on his shoulders. Not only had he lost Ellie, but he'd effectively lost his own brother, too. Both because of his own stupidity.

"I'm sorry for being a jackass," he told Scott.

"I know you are and I forgive you," Scott replied with a smile. "I'll try not to rub it in your face. Too much anyway."

Chris rolled his eyes and pulled his brother in for a hug.

"So what's your plan?" Scott asked, once they'd parted.

"I'm going to go talk to her," Chris told him.

"You mean call her, right?" Scott responded. The idea of Chris just showing up at Ellie's apartment left him uneasy. Assuming his brother knew where she lived.

"No, I'm going to go find her and talk to her," Chris replied with a shake of his head. "We both know I'm eight months too late to just call her like everything is fine between us."

"You can't just show up, Chris," Scott insisted. "You should give her some sort of warning that you're wanting to fix things. A phone call would be the best way to do that."

"That's assuming she hasn't blocked my number," Chris pointed out. "And on the off chance she hasn't, who says she would even answer the call? Or that she won't hang up when she realizes I'm the one calling?"

"She hasn't and she won't," Scott assured him. He knew Ellie hadn't blocked or deleted Chris's number because he'd looked when he'd seen her the other day. As for the second part, he was certain that she would answer the phone for Chris. If only to make sure that everyone was ok.

"I have to talk to her in person," Chris stated in a tone of finality. "Even if it's just to tell her I'm sorry."

Scott sighed, but nodded his head, as if giving his permission, which meant a lot to Chris. He knew that Scott and Ellie had gotten closer during his absence and Scott had been there for her. Oddly enough, he even appreciated the balancing act his brother was doing to protect Ellie but also help him.

"I don't suppose you'd give me her address," Chris asked, hesitantly. He didn't want to cause problems between his brother and Ellie, especially if things didn't work out for the two of them, but it was worth a try.

"I don't know her address," Scott replied. It wasn't a lie, exactly. He didn't know the address of her apartment or even the address of the bookstore. He could tell Chris where Ellie's apartment was, but he didn't want Chris to catch Ellie off guard. Like his brother, she needed time to process things and having Chris just show up on her doorstep would not be ideal.

"Then I guess I'll start at the bookstore," Chris reasoned. "That's where I was planning to start anyway." He frowned as a thought crossed his mind. "She still works at the bookstore, right?"

"Yes," Scott told him, making a mental note to call the bookstore when he had the chance to give them a heads up. "They have later hours right now because of the holidays. You'll probably want to go on Monday. That tends to be their slow day, though with Christmas right around the corner, that might be different."

"I'm going tonight," Chris stated. "And I knew about the later hours, I saw it on their website. I plan on getting there right before closing time."

"Oh," Scott said, hoping his voice sounded calm despite the panic that Chris's words had caused. Then he remembered that Ellie wasn't working that night. He couldn't remember exactly what she was doing, but he thought it had to do with the afterschool program she'd been helping with. Possibly a Christmas party? Whatever it was didn't matter. All that mattered was that someone else would be at the bookstore and she would get a heads up that Chris was looking for her before they met. He wondered if Ellie would believe him if he sent her a text in the morning saying that Chris had shown up at the house.

"... and that's my plan," Chris's voice trailed off.

Scott blinked and then coughed awkwardly as he realized he'd missed Chris's plans while panicking. "Uh, sounds like you have it all planned out then," he said, hoping his voice didn't give anything away.

"Yeah, I guess," Chris replied, nodding, his mind on his plan. He'd spent hours formulating it and it was almost time to put it into action. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the disaster that was his closet. "I suppose I should deal with this."

"Good idea," Scott said, his mind on making the phone call. "I'll let you do that. I need to go make a phone call anyway."

It wasn't until Scott had left that Chris felt the weight of the pressure he'd succumbed to the night he'd walked away. Unlike that night, however, his heart was able to push past his chaotic thoughts. Starting with the overturned hamper, he picked it up, thankful that someone had taken care of the dirty clothes that had been in there.

It took him a couple hours to get everything picked up and the clothes from his suitcases put away. The hardest part of it all had been the sweatshirts that Ellie had borrowed from him. He smelled each one, hoping they'd still smell like her, but they didn't.

Around two in the afternoon, he gave in to the mental and physical exhaustion he was feeling and laid down for a nap. He slept for a couple of hours and woke up feeling a little groggy, but also recharged.

Hearing his stomach growl, he made his way downstairs and found the house empty. Going into the kitchen, it took him a few minutes to remember where he had moved things to in the kitchen, but eventually he had what he needed to make himself a sandwich.

With hours to kill, he thought about going downstairs to watch tv, but he wasn't sure he was ready for that. At least, not on his own. The basement, even more so than his bedroom, held so many memories for himself and Ellie. It was where they had built their friendship and where it had grown to be more.

Instead, he went back upstairs to take a shower before trying to figure out what to wear. All black seemed too dramatic, but he didn't feel right wearing anything she'd told him she loved seeing him wear. The goal of tonight was for her to see that he was back in town and for him to at least apologize to her. He hoped that she would give him a couple minutes to explain things, but he didn't want to push her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with.

He spent the remaining time going over every aspect of his plan. He purposely hadn't written down what he wanted to say, because he didn't want it to sound rehearsed, but he had a general idea. If all went well, Ellie would be at the shop when he got there and then he'd either talk to her or make plans to talk to her another time.

He felt nervous, but oddly calm at the same time. He was as ready as he'd ever be.

With two hours until closing time, he left the house and made his way to the Los Angeles neighborhood that the bookstore was in. He gave himself more than enough time to get there, not wanting to risk getting stuck in traffic and getting there after they closed for the night.

As it was, he got there a good forty-five minutes before closing time and stopped for coffee before finding a parking spot in front of the shop. He sipped his coffee as he waited, mentally going over everything he wanted to say to Ellie. Assuming she let him talk and didn't run him out of the shop.

With five minutes left until closing time, Chris got out of the car and made his way to the shop. The bells jingled above his head as he came inside.

"We're closing in -" A friendly voice started to say before switching to a less friendly one when he came into sight. "Oh. It's you."

Even though he'd never met Veronica, the shop owner, he knew that was exactly who the middle aged woman was. "You know who I am?" he asked, hesitantly.

"You're Ellie's actor," the woman replied, pursing her lips. "I'd heard you were in town."

"Scott," Chris said, suddenly feeling annoyed with his brother. Obviously that had been the mysterious phone call he'd had to make. "Look, I'm just -"

"I know you're trying to find Ellie," Veronica interrupted him. "Go sit in the break room. I'll be with you in a minute."

Confused, Chris followed her directions and made his way into the break room. It was as he stepped into the back room that he picked up on a familiar scent that rocked him to his core. Ellie had been here or maybe her scent was just imprinted on the place since she worked here. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed the smell until now.

"I dated an actor once," Veronica's voice said from behind him.

Chris turned to face her, waiting for a clue as to how it applied to himself and Ellie.

"It was the worst experience of my life," Veronica continued. "He was the vainest man I'd ever met, in the end. At first, he treated me like a queen. Taking me to parties and events with other famous people. Then something changed and it became hell for me. It's been thirty years and I still can't say one nice thing about him."

"I'm sorry you went through that," he said, still confused. "But you're right, Hollywood is filled with some pompous assholes."

"And are you one of them?" she asked pointedly.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I will admit that I let Hollywood and fame in general get to my head when I was in my twenties, but that's not who I am anymore or who I want to be."

"Ellie and your brother would agree to that, I know," Veronica told him. "Which is the only reason you are in the break room right now and not standing outside."

As she crossed her arms and leveled a protective look at him, Chris realized what was happening. His brother had obviously clued her into the fact that he was back to talk to Ellie, but Veronica had taken it a step farther, wanting to protect Ellie from anymore heartache if she could.

"I fucked up," he said, simply. Obviously, he had mentally prepared to talk to Ellie, not her boss, but if he had to play hardball to get the chance to talk to her, he'd do it. "And I hurt her in the process and I regret that."

"Now you're back," Veronica stated, visually unswayed by his words.

"Now I'm back," he confirmed. "I don't know if I can fix things, but I want to try. If she'll let me."

"And if she won't?" Veronica pressed.

"Then I walk away. Forever," Chris promised. Squaring his shoulders, he added, "I'm not here to tell her I love her. I'm not saying I don't, but I know that my words aren't worth shit to her, to you, to anyone who knew about our relationship."

Veronica's eyebrows rose at his confession, but she didn't interrupt.

"I just need a chance to talk to her," he continued. "My brother wanted me to call her, but I know this conversation has to happen in person. It's been too long for it to happen any other way."

As if triggered by the word 'call', Veronica's phone started to ring. He saw her take it out of her pocket and saw the look of surprise that crossed her face.

"Excuse me for a minute," she said before disappearing into a private office and closing the door.

Sighing, Chris sank down into a chair at the table. Dealing with an overprotective boss was not something he had planned. Let alone his brother tipping off said boss. That said, he was happy that Ellie had people looking out for her.

Hearing the door open, he saw Veronica putting on a coat.

"Mr. Evans, you are lucky that I believe in fate," she told him as she turned off the lights in the office. "I assume you brought your car?"

"Uh, yes," he replied, more confused than ever, as he stood up.

"Good, Ellie needs us," she told him. "I'll let you drive."

"Is she ok?" he asked as he followed Veronica out of the building via the door in the alley.

"She's fine, but Santa just called saying he was going to the ER for appendicitis," Veronica explained as she locked up.

"Santa?" Chris repeated. What the hell was she even talking about?

"The costume should fit you," Veronica continued as if not hearing him. She led him down the alley and to the street.

"Wait? You want me to dress up as Santa?" Chris said, finally catching up. Sort of.

"Yes," Veronica replied, turning to look at him. "Unless everything you said in the break room was a lie."

"It wasn't," he said firmly, finally knowing something for certain.

"Good." Veronica nodded as they reached his car, the only one parked in front of the bookstore. "The community center is a ten minute drive from here. We'll need to hurry though. The kids are expecting Santa and Mrs. Claus to hand out presents."

Head still spinning in confusion, Chris followed her directions to the community center. Then found himself ushered down a dark hallway to an office.

"Your costume is in there," Veronica told him. She opened a door and all but pushed him inside.

Mind still trying to catch up with what was going on, it took Chris a minute to see the Santa costume hanging on a coat hook. Still not sure what this all had to do with Ellie, he grabbed the red, fake velvet pants and was in the process of pulling them on over his jeans when the door suddenly opened.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a woman dressed as Mrs. Claus come into the room. Her costume consisted of a red velour dress that matched Santa’s costume, a white curly wig and a pair of fake glasses.

Glasses that circled eyes he knew very well.

Eyes that widened when they saw him standing there.

"Chris," Ellie said in a tone of disbelief.

Episode 26

Want to find me off tumblr? I'm @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

Tag List: @nomadicpixel, @heather-lynn, @alievans007, @mrs-captain-evans, @stopjustlovethemcu, @thewannabewriter, @guera31, @badassbaker, @chezdricks, @patzammit, @katiew1973, @zoeloveschrisevans, @marvelouspottering, @pegasusdragontiger, @smoothdogsgirl, @peaceinourtime82, @ek823, @anionthewrite, @mizzzpink, @giftofdreams, @janeyboo, @princess-evans-addict, @jesseswartzwelder, @avenger-nerd-mom, @furrywerewolfcollector, @ladyamandapanda12, @gigglegirl77, @poisonedyouth-americanbeauty, @jennmurawski13, @theladybiers, @rapunzel-flynnrider, @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss, @animnerd, @tvjunkie08, @coldmuffinbanditshoe

My tag list is always open, just let me know if you’d like to be added!

#theycallmebecca #theycallmebeccawrites #chris evans #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x ofc #chris evans fan fiction #chris evans x original female character #chris and ellie #chris and ellie series

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strwberrytae · 4 years ago

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So Long, Farewell, and Goodbye For Now -

“I don’t know how you are so familiar to me—or why it feels less like I am getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before—in another time, a different place, some other existence.” - Lang Leav

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Hello, You ♡ Yes, You. You ethereal, beautiful being. I am writing to you with bittersweet yet wonderful news - depending on the perspective. I am writing this post to inform all of you that I will no longer be writing for this blog for the foreseeable future. What I mean by that is that I am not giving up writing forever, no. But my life has changed so much over the last two years, I do not see myself writing again for quite some time. But don’t worry! I will be back!

Below the Read More section, I have poured my heart and soul into the real reasons why I’ve made this decision. I warn you, it’s lengthy but it’s everything that has led up to this over the years. So, if you fancy, have a read. If not, I bid you farewell and wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you for supporting me so far. I truly appreciate it and love you all very dearly. Now, if you wish to read it at a later time, I will have a link available on my page at all times for anyone who is curious. It’s a hell of a story if you ask me ~

Edit: Made by Me - also, a surprise photo at the end Warnings/Triggers: Talks of emotional abuse, depression, and suicide but also happiness and love -

When I first started this blog, it was 2016. I had been on Tumblr for over a decade now but BTS led me to writing passionately for 2 years. I was incredibly active and utterly consumed by this website. Not just for the writing, but I was so obsessed because of my friends and mutuals that I made along the way. Can I just say that I’ve met some incredible people on this platform - including my best friend and soulmate? Truthfully, the absolute best friend I have ever had. But more importantly, Tumblr was my greatest escape. I mean this website truly has been my saving grace through very dark times.

In that part of my life, I was in an extremely toxic relationship; by then, it was 6 years I was with him. He was emotionally abusive, had such a short-fuse temper, hated everyone I knew which led me never really seeing any of my friends after college, knew I was anorexic and did nothing to stop me, knew I had depression since we started dating and always argued it as if it wasn’t real, crushed my dreams and ambitions, mocked potential suicide attempts, expected me to just abandon all hope to ever leave home to explore someplace new or get a job that I actually love. He was...just the worst. Never hit me though, so I’m grateful for that. But sometimes I wish he would so it would have given me the voice I needed to get out of that relationship much sooner than I did. But regardless, because of him plus having a soul-sucking job that wore me down to the core, Tumblr was my escape. BTS was my escape.

I fell hard and I fell deep. I created a fantasy world within this world. All of my dreams, fantasies, desires, and hopes were poured into my writing. My imagination was running wild. My activity was through the roof because I was always on here day in and out, just pretending like the outside world didn’t exist. It consumed me...but I needed it. Looking back, it was pretty excessive. At the time, I seemed perfectly normal because everyone else was just as active and saying the same things and doing the same things. I felt a belonging, like I fit in.

But I hated the person I became. It took me getting yelled at, mocked, ridiculed, and belittled by my ex to snap me out of that illusion I built and back into reality. That was the roughest night that we had filled with lots of screaming on his end and crying on my part. He thought my obsession was sick. He thought it was disgusting. It all started because he found fake texts I had made with Jimin and Tae. Don’t recall the story it was a part of but he thought they were texts with the actual members… In my eyes, I should get credit for making them look so legit but he didn’t see it that way. He thought fangirling over men was essentially cheating. No matter how hard I tried to explain, he didn’t understand. But a part of his view was right. I learned that I was a bit too much into it and I really needed to take a step back from Tumblr for a while. So I did. I deactivated my account and disappeared for months. Also because he made me and threatened our relationship if I didn’t. Should have taken the out but ah well.

Just two months prior to this incident, I attempted suicide. Well, contemplated. Everything was planned out. Bought a hotel room for Thanksgiving night as I was working a super late shift until about 1-2am. My commute home was an hour long and I still had to come back to work at 7am. So I got a room. Brought a large amount of pills with me and I was going to call it. No notes written to friends, family, or loved ones. Nothing. I was done. Didn’t think anyone would miss me. I just figured the world would keep turning without me. I had thought about doing this several times before but this was my first time making plans for it. It was my lowest of the low. But then I met someone that night that changed my life entirely just in a 10 minute interaction of talking - nothing special. We’ll get to that later. But this person just gave me hope and to this day, I still can’t explain it. It was euphoric. I felt clarity. It was in that night that I thought I might hold out just a little bit longer.

And thus @strwberrytae was born - but it was far from the same. At first, I restarted the blog in secret. Why would I do this? Why would a 25 year old open a blog in secret? Well, two months after the awful fight, my ex proposed to me and I said yes. I know. Believe me, I know. I was scared. My depression was getting worse again. I no longer had an escape except for books. All I did was read so I had some sort of reality to be in besides my own. But returning to a brand new blog did not give the same satisfaction as returning to an old blog.

I worked so hard on my first blog and this redo, I tried to consider it as a gift. Perhaps this was a chance to start anew and rebrand myself. This optimism kept up for quite some time. Slowly, I added my favorite past works then added some new chapters. If you’ve been here with me since 2017, you would know that my appearance on Tumblr was still not the same. Then I got married in October.

An empty, loveless marriage that I regret to this day. Needless to say, my writing and activity on Tumblr was still practically non-existent as I was still too scared of getting caught. Even though he finally gave me permission to use it again because he could tell how miserable it was making me. Yes, gave me permission. Thankfully, it all ended after a year. I finally went to a therapist even though I hated them so much and all past therapists I had. She was pretty great. Within five sessions, I summoned the courage to break up with this guy. I was finally set free. Nearly 9 years together and I finally felt like I could breathe.

Unfortunately, although I was free, I had to live with the guy for about 5 months after the breakup. Which was beyond rough, believe me. Imagine someone writhing in pain and bawling their eyes out and venting non-stop about all of their faults and wrongdoings every single day. At the end of the day, as shitty as he was to me, he was my best friend too. We went through a lot of shit together and he did have some good sides to him too. So witnessing this was horrendous. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting much privacy either. Writing was not my top priority. Now it’s 2019 and things changed drastically for the better - and worst.

Remember the person I met in 2016 on Thanksgiving night? Well, that person is someone I crushed on every since that night. For 2 years. People, I’m telling you. He did absolutely nothing special that night. He didn’t flirt with me. He didn’t check me out. He didn’t do anything remotely to make a girl swoon but I was so drawn to him. The only word that could describe it was “cosmic” - beautifully cosmic.

Well in January 2019, 2 months following my break up, he came into my store one day. And my god did he look incredible. He was dressed head to toe in black - a fitted black suit at that. He even wore this long, designer jacket to match. Hair shaved on the sides with beautiful, thick dark hair on top. So tall - 182cm. A smile that could kill; quite literally. The canines are on point. He looked like a five course meal. That day, he definitely flirted with me. By the end of the week, we had our first date. Sadly, I also lost my job in the same week and was unemployed for a year because no one would hire me. I was laid off and one of my seniors took my job. Of course, they needed to keep me around for the holidays and then give me the boot. I was devastated. I hated that job so much as it only aided in fueling my depression but losing it was definitely an amazing thing. And! I survived on my savings and definitely didn’t spend my time writing. I had life to sort out last year - like from the ground up. No worries though. I got a job in February 2020 and I love it, so it’s all good, baby. Now I’m in the health field and feel like I’m actually helping people, which I love.

Now, here we are 2 years later and I’m engaged to the man. Someone who makes me smile everyday, believes in me, encourages me, let’s me be 100% myself, travels with me, taught me how to love myself, taught me to accept my body, gets me on a level that only my best friend could, and someone who goes above and beyond every single day to show me how much he loves me. Bonus, he welcomes my love for BTS with open arms, reads my writing, AND has even been sucked in himself to the fandom. Jungkook and Jimin, look out. You got another fanboy. I thought true love was impossible for me but I was very, very wrong.

He has shown me that I can be happy and I have finally experienced true happiness. When people ask how I’m doing, I don’t cringe and lie through my teeth. I smile and say that I am doing well because by George, I am. Everyone around me has seen me over the last two years and made the comment, “you look so much happier”. They meet him and swoon just as much as I do. Is he perfect? No, he’s not. He has flaws just like everyone else but he actually grows and learns from his mistakes to better himself. That’s what amazes me the most. Even if we argue, which is seldom, he refuses to let it go without resolution so we can always fix whatever the issue is. As we like to call it, we’re in-sync. In everything, we’re always so in-sync. I’m wildly in love, my dudes.

So, why am I not writing anymore? To put it simply, I’m happy and don’t really feel the desire to write anymore - at least not fanfiction. Even when I was super young, like elementary school, I used writing as an outlet for my dark escape. I wrote poetry primarily and by middle school, it turned to fanfiction for Supernatural, Simple Plan, and Panic! At The Disco. Along with a very long list of other bands and shows but anyways. I’ve been severely depressed since I was 15 and fanfiction put me in this hole that I couldn’t get out of. I relied on this method to help me get through all the bad shit I was dealing with. It was my coping mechanism.

Now? While depression never truly goes away as the lovely disease that it is, I am genuinely happy. Because of this, when I opened all of my past works and works in progress, I felt nothing but guilt. Guilt for not keeping up with my chapters or keeping my account active. I felt dread to have to escape in this world that I had created. I felt no joy or excitement. It was the strangest feeling that happened all in a matter of seconds. Thus leading to my final decision to take a step away from writing. Do I still love it? Absolutely. But now I think I’m going to re-route and focus my writing on what I love - reality. I’m going to get back into journaling and write essays about love and beauty as I’ve always loved to do. But for escaping into a fantasy world? I don’t know when I’ll be back.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “But you can write and be happy!” Nah fam. Writing has been my aid through dark times and now I mostly associate it with those dark times. And for once in my life, I feel this desire to enjoy reality and remain in it - with the exception of journaling here and there. Even daydreaming is difficult. It’s strange. I love my reality. This sounds like gloating now but it’s truly a remarkable feeling. When you’ve been battling depression for 15 years, it feels really freaking nice to say that I’m happy.

So that’s why I’m taking a break - in a very long, drawn out way. But my hope was that after this long story, you might understand truly why I am doing this. It would have been easier to just say that writing doesn’t bring me joy anymore but I feel that I owe more than that; especially because I really don’t know if I’ll write for this blog ever again. The last time I took a break, I disappeared without being able to explain myself and I wanted to do so now that I have the chance.

Ultimately, thank you to everyone who has stuck by me over the years. It’s truly been one hell of a rollercoaster. The friends I’ve made on here have seen me at my lowest of the lows. But hey! I’ll still be around. I just won’t be publishing or continuing any of my works anywhere in the near future. Seriously though. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This website has helped me tremendously and I’ll never forget it. Besides, there’s lots of other exciting things happening in my life now so you’ll certainly see me pop in here and there to talk about it ♡

If you wish, you can message me for questions or anything you want to know. I’m an open book - at least about most things hehe. And don’t worry. I still very much love Taehyung and still wildly obsessing over how marvelous he is. Umf.

(here’s some recent photos of me as i rarely take selfies anymore haha. and a derp photo of me and the man i love >_< why is the cutest photo of him with the worst photo of me? still cute though hehe)

#me #personal #goodbye for now #no longer writing #bts writer

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greensparty · 3 years ago

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Stuff I’m Looking Forward to in November

Whoa - it’s now the tail end of 2021! In addition to Election Day (Nov. 2), Diwali (Nov. 4), Daylight Savings Ending (Nov. 7), Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 25), and Hanukkah (from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6), here is what’s on my radar this month:

Movies:

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Jason Reitman picks up the mantle from his Dad Ivan (who directed the first 2 Ghostbusters in the 80s), with this new reboot. Early reviews have not been kind, but the fact that Ivan is a producer, Jason has done some excellent work and all of the original living Ghostbusters appear in this, makes me cautiously optimistic. Opening 11/19.

C'mon C'mon

I was a huge fan of Mike Mills’ films Beginners and 20th Century Women (both were tied for my #30 Movie of the 2010s) and his new one with Joaquin Phoenix is creating quite a buzz. I missed it at IFFBoston Fall Focus last week, but it opens on 11/19.

House of Gucci

Ridley Scott’s crime thriller about the Gucci family has been setting the internet on fire over the last year. Movie opens 11/24.

Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new coming-of-age in 1973 San Fernando Valley film might possibly be my most anticipated movie of 2021. Opening in limited release 11/26.

Music:

Radiohead Kid A Mnesia

I out and out love Radiohead, especially their 2000 album Kid A and 2001 follow-up Amnesia. To celebrate the 20th anniversary this year of both albums (its really one album, but anyways...), there is a reissue set that includes both albums as well as a third disc of unreleased tracks from the recording sessions as well as a cassette tape Kid A Mnesiette of B-sides. Album drops Nov. 5.

Snail Mail Valentine

I was a big fan of the debut album from Snail Mail, Lush. I included it on my Best Albums of 2018 and on my Best Albums of the 2010s list. The follow up drops Nov. 5.

Courtney Barnett Things Take Time, Take Time

The third studio album from Courtney Barnett is something to celebrate! I have been a big fan of her 2017 Kurt Vile duet and her 2018 album Tell me How You Really Feel. Expectations are high for this album, which drops on 11/12.

Nirvana Nevermind 30th Deluxe Edition

September marked the 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s landmark album Nevermind. You could say I’ve written quite a bit about the album (read here). To celebrate the 30th anniversary there is a deluxe edition (different than the 2011 20th anniversary edition), which includes not just the remastered studio album, but several live concerts from that tour. Box set drops 11/12.

TV: The Beatles: Get Back

Instead of doing a feature documentary about The Beatles recording of Get Back / Let It Be, director Peter Jackson has made a 3-part documentary series. After listening to the recent Let It Be reissue and reading the companion Get Back book, I am super excited about this doc which drops 11/25 to 11/27 on Disney+.

Books:

Paul McCartney The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

How does Sir Paul find the time to write a book of 154 of his songs lyrics with commentary? Between his documentary series McCartney 3, 2, 1, the recent reissue of The Beatles’ Let It Be and the aforementioned Peter Jackson documentary, he’s busier right now than most musicians are in multiple years combined! Book release Nov. 2.

Events:

Record Store Day: Black Friday edition

Record Store Day is among my favorite fake holidays and in addition to the holidays they had earlier this year, they have a special Black Friday edition on 11/26!

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saleintothe90s · 4 years ago

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424. Black Friday though the years (Hampton/Newport News, VA), part 2, 1990-1999

(previously)

A reminder of the movers and shakers and failures of the retail landscape of Hampton and Newport News back then:

Coliseum Mall

Newmarket North / Newmarket Fair Mall

Patrick Henry Mall

Bart is the star of 1990′s coverage. My mom loved Everything’s a $1.00 back then. It felt like we were at the Newmarket location every weekend when I was in the first grade. I found a copy of the Simpsons Christmas book there. K&K Toys was an unfortunate name for a store.

Oh boy, this is the beginning of the end of Newmarket Fair Mall (formerly known as Newmarket North). They had just finished 10 months of remodeling, just to have several stores leave after their leases expired, and one of the anchor stores, Miller & Rhoads closed the year before. This is the final time in Daily Press history that Newmarket Fair Mall is mentioned in Black Friday coverage.

1991

The Fisher-Price Game table! With the commercial where the boys played games on the table all day and half the night!

This was the first year that Kmart decided to be redic. and stay open on Thanksgiving. My mom and I were there that day! This was the thanksgiving that my dad was out to sea, and mom decided that we would just eat at Piccadilly Cafeteria at Coliseum Mall that day and hit KMart later to pick up Home Alone on VHS.

Note that Newmarket Fair wasn’t mentioned!

President Bush bought some Reeboks and slime for the grandkids.

1992

1992′s coverage was sparse. Rollerblade dolls were hot.

1993

Roses got a shout out. This was right before they turned into a dump. Still a dump in 2020! Newmarket Fair which was one foot in the grave at this point, only receiving a quick Sears mention. Above is a Proffitt’s ad from 1996 that shows what the Cracker Jack sale was all about. Proffitt’s didn’t last long at Coliseum, closed in 1997 and then Dillard’s moved in.

1994

This was the first year my paper went to WalMart, which is strange considering WalMart opened around 1991 in Hampton. Took them three years to get there. Maybe the Newport News location was new in 1994. There was a $139 VCR on sale at WalMart if you got there at six am.

The Cracker Jack promo was back at Proffitt’s. I forgot that they had two separate stores in Coliseum Mall, because they took over the old Children’s Palace and Hess’s store. So if you needed women’s clothes and men’s clothes, you had to go clear across the mall for the men’s clothes.

Our Super KMart got a mention too.

1995

1995 feels like the first year that the discount stores beat the malls in popularity on Black Friday. Hills, which had just opened in Hampton was the the star in 1995. By January of 1997, they were toast. The store stayed vacant from 1997-2017 when an At Home store finally moved in.

My mom and I actually went to Coliseum Mall on Black Friday that year. The first time I had ever been to the stores that day. I don’t remember it being that crazy.

1995 was also the last year someone said they were excited to go to Montgomery Ward.

1996

Aw, weeks before Hills closed, and months after we got our first Target. Brenda forgot her shoes! Jeanie got her Tickle Me Elmo! Internet greetings at Patrick Henry Mall! People fought over a dinky gift bag at Target!:

I had that giant B1 from Bananas in Pajamas! I know I was too old for the Bananas, but I loved.that.show. It was so trippy!

The Talkboy was still around in 1996! I got mine the year before after getting a broken one in 1994 and not being able to find one in 1992,1993.

1997

Daily Press didn’t have the 1997 newspaper. So I cheated and used the Sun-Sentinel from Florida. I wonder how Florencia got all those packages back to Argentina.

1998

I saved this paper when I was 15! I’m surprised Montgomery Ward carried Furby.

1999

Barely any mall coverage in 1999, mostly focusing on stores like Toys R Us and the guy who hoarded all those monitors at CompUSA. Check out Carol and her walkie talkie!

#shopping #1990s #newport news #hampton virginia #toys r us #hills #dead stores #dead malls #coliseum mall #newmarket fair mall #newmarket north mall #target #old newspapers #daily press

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superbreadparadise · 4 years ago

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Game Stop On Near Me

Gamestop Mesa

Gamestops In The Area

Board Game Stores Near Me

June 12, 2018

Phone : +1 315-424-3892

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Gamestop Store hours & holiday hours Weekdays hours: Monday-Friday- 10:00 am - 9:00 pm Weekends hours: Saturday- 10:00 am - 9:00 pm Sunday- 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Find 11 listings related to Gamestop in Sanford on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Gamestop locations in Sanford, ME. Come see me and put $5 down on an upcoming game to make sure you get a copy when it actually comes out (plus premiums that only Game Stop offers). Crystal This store is the only store right now to sell iPhones (unlocked), iPods and iPads. Find a Gamestop near me – Use the Map. In order for the map the work on your mobile phone, your GPS function must be turned on. Click on a location to see the local Gamestop addresses and phone numbers. The Gamestop Store Locator. Gamestop has also built. If that is so for you, you might wish to locate GameStop near me by zip code. For that purpose, you should access the official GameStop store locator by clicking on this button: OPEN URL On that page, you should, for instance, enter your ZIP code in the given field. Right after that, will get to see the closest GameStop stores around you.

1301 - Moreno Valley, CA - Moreno Valley Mall, 22500 Town Circle #2153 (this store opened in 1992 as 'The Game Stop', the first location to ever have that name) 696 - Mountain View, CA - San Antonio Center, 510 Showers Dr. 5460 - Oakland, CA - The Berger, 8460 Edgewater Dr. 5895 - Rosemead, CA - 1717 Walnut Grove Ave.

In addition to retail stores, GameStop also owns Game Informer, a video game magazine. You will get information about Gamestop Today, Sunday, What time does Gamestop Open/ closed. You can also find out the Gamestop Hours Near me Locations and Holiday hours of Gamestop.

Last updated on December 3rd, 2019 at 04:48 am

GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and wireless services retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, United States, a suburb of Dallas, and operates 7,117 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. The company’s retail stores primarily operate under the GameStop, EB Games, ThinkGeek, and Micromania brands. If you need to find out the Gamestop Hours Of Operation, Holiday Hours & Gamestop Locations Near Me, Must read this post till the end.

Gamestop hours | Regular business hours

What Time Does Gamestop Open and close?

Gamestop store hours todayGamestop Opening HoursGamestop Closing HoursMonday10 am9 pmTuesday10 am9 pmWednesday10 am9 pmThursday10 am9 pmFriday10 am9 pmGamestop Hours on Saturday10 am9 pmGamestop Hours on Sunday11 am6 pm

What Time Does Gamestop Close?

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Is Gamestop Closed On Holidays?

All Gamestop stores are CLOSED only on following public holidays Active and passive voice formula pdf.

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

Easter Sunday

Is Gamestop Open On Christmas?

Christmas Day – Closed

Is Gamestop Open On?

New Years Day – OpenMemorial Day – OpenMartin Luther King Day – OpenFather’s Day – OpenPresidents day – OpenIndependence Day – OpenValentine’s Day – OpenLabor Day – OpenMardi Gras Fat Tuesday – OpenColumbus Day – OpenSt. Patricks Day – OpenVeterans Day – OpenTax Day – OpenThanksgiving Day – closedGood Friday -OpenBlack Friday – OpenEaster Sunday – closedMothers Day – Open

Yes, It’s Open

Gamestop Wiki

TypePublicIndustryRetailFounded1984FounderDan DeMatteo, Richard Fontaine Leonard RiggioHeadquartersGrapevine, Texas, U.S.Key peopleDan DeMatteo: (Executive Chairman) Shane Kim: (Interim CEO)RevenueIncrease US$9.225 billion (2017)Parentn/aWebsitewww.gamestop.com

Gamestop Locations | Store Hours by Major Cities | Locations near me

Gamestop in Anchorage, AK 99501

Location: 320 W 5Th Ave, Ste 172 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 Phone: (907) 272-7341

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gamestop in Bear, DE 19701

Location: 1015 Governors Pl Bear, Delaware 19701 Phone: (302) 832-5144

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Gamestops In The Area

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gamestop in Aiea, HI 96701

Location: 98-1005 Moanalua Rd, Ste 229 Uptown Aiea, Hawaii 96701 Phone: (808) 488-0070

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gamestop in Boise, ID 83714

Location: 6907 N Strawberry Glen Rd, Ste 130 Boise, Idaho 83714 Phone: (208) 853-1613

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gamestop in Auburn, ME 4210

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Location: 600 Center Street Auburn, Maine 4210 Phone: (207) 782-7808

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Gamestop in Billings, MT 59102

Location: 300 S 24Th St West, Ste D-7 Billings, Montana 59102 Phone: (406) 652-6755

Regular store hours

Monday – Friday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Board Game Stores Near Me

Weekends store hours

Saturday Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sunday Hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gamestop near me

Please, search Gamestop Near ME locations from the map below. if you find your nearby Gamestop location, click on the map shown below and nearest Gamestop store location around you will automatically pop up on your map. Also use this store locator tool to find Gamestop near me.

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Gamestop Special Event Hours

There are several events hosted by your local store. You will need to contact your local store or the customer service department for additional details relating to the special event.

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UPDATE 12/1: Apparently affected stores were notified of closings today, so I'll be monitoring social media and updating regularly. As always if you have a confirmed closing (meaning you've seen the clearance signs in the window or received an email) let me know in the comments!

STORES HAVING CLEARANCE SALES (65):

2760 - Scottsdale, AZ - Sonoran Village, 15227 N. 87th St.

2394 - Chula Vista, CA - 1208 Broadway 2288 - Corona, CA - 650 S. Lincoln Ave. 1846 - Daly City, CA - Serramonte Center, 127-C Serramonte Ctr. 793 - Fresno, CA - Shaw & Feland S.C., 3181 W. Shaw Ave. 4450 - Los Angeles, CA - Eagle Rock Plaza, 2700 Colorado Blvd. #119

1343 - Greeley, CO - Greeley Mall, 1999 Greeley Mall #111

4606 - Danbury, CT - Danbury Fair Mall, 7 Backus Ave. #183 4236 - Farmington, CT - Westfarms Mall, 1500 New Britain Ave. #184 206 - Manchester, CT - Pavilion @ Buckland Hills, 194 Buckland Hills Dr. #2184 2458 - Putnam, CT - Putnam Shopping Park, 62-J Providence Pike 4449 - Meriden, CT - Meriden Square, 470 Lewis Ave. #62A 4571- Stamford, CT - Stamford Town Center, 100 Greyrock Place #D132

176 - Fort Myers, FL - Edison Mall (Inside), 4125 Cleveland Ave. #1340 9103 - Miami, FL - Dolphin Mall, 11401 NW 12th St. (ThinkGeek location)

4173 - Douglasville, GA - Arbor Place Mall, 2530 Arbor Place Mall

1001 - Elizabethtown, KY - Towne Mall, 1704 N. Dixie Hwy. #E-5

3804 - Bolingbrook, IL - Bolingbrook Promenade, 623 E. Boughton Rd. 3456 - Country Club Hills, IL - Country Club Plaza, 4009 167th St. 229 - Peoria, IL - Northwoods Mall, 2200 W. War Memorial Dr. #AL-8 4806 - Rolling Meadows, IL - Marketplace @ Rolling Meadows, 1645 Algonquin Rd. 5825 - Wheeling, IL - Schwind Crossings, 1566 E. Lake Cook Rd.

1864 - Muncie, IN - Muncie Mall, 3501 Granville Ave. #L07C

4197 - Baltimore, MD - White Marsh Mall, 8200 Perry Hall Blvd. #2480 5373 - Baltimore, MD - Security Square Mall, 6901 Security Blvd. #D 2922 - Oakland, MD - Oakland Plaza, 13180 Garrett Hwy. 3400 - Pocomoke City, MD - East Town Plaza, 2146 Old Snow Hill Rd. 1239 - Salisbury, MD - Salisbury Center, 2300 N. Salisbury Blvd. #113

1680 - Traverse City, MI - Cherryland Center, 1744 Garfield Ave. 988 - Utica, MI - Shelby Corners, 13283 Hall Rd.

7509 - Eureka, MO - Eureka Towne Center, 169 Eureka Town Ctr. Dr.

3983 - Greenville, NC - Stanton Square, 2406 Stantonsburg Rd. 7610 - Louisburg, NC - Louisburg Plaza, 505 Retail Way 906 - Wilmington, NC - University Centre, 334 S. College Rd.

141 - Cherry Hill, NJ - Cherry Hill Mall, 2000 Cherry Hill Mall #1036 1614 - Hackensack, NJ - Summit Plaza, 380 W. Pleasantview Ave. 4087 - Paramus, NJ - Paramus Park Mall, 1370 Paramus Park 1461 - Woodbridge, NJ - Woodbridge Center, 250 Woodbridge Center Dr. #2640

3214 - Albuquerque, NM - Albuquerque S.C., 6501 Menaul Blvd. NE

4402 - Henderson, NV - Galleria @ Sunset, 1300 W. Sunset Rd. #2429

2939 - Brooklyn, NY (Midwood) - 1210 Kings Hwy. 6310 - Brooklyn, NY (Prospect Park) - 527 5th Ave. 6426 - Brooklyn, NY (Flatbush) - 954 Flatbush Ave. @ Snyder 9129 - Buffalo, NY - Walden Galleria, 1 Walden Galleria Dr. (ThinkGeek) 4664 - Cheektowaga, NY - Union Consumer Square, 3735 Union Rd. 3559 - Medford, NY - Sunshine Square - 700 Patchogue-Yaphank Rd. 1331 - Newburgh, NY - Newburgh Mall, 1401 Rt. 300 #A14 6255 - South Huntington, NY - Huntington 110 S.C., 169 Walt Whitman Rd. 2387 - Spring Valley, NY - 24 Spring Valley Marketplace 6238 - Staten Island, NY - South Shore Commons, 2955 Veterans Rd. W 6276 - Staten Island, NY - Greenridge Plaza, 3263 Richmond Ave. 7788 - Staten Island, NY - Richmond Center, 2875 Richmond Ave.

3104 - Kenton, OH - Kenton Ridge, 15535-B Rt. 27

5542 - Happy Valley, OR - Clackamas Retail Shops, 9960 SE 82nd Ave. @ Otty Rd. 6772 - Island City, OR - La Grande S.C., 11627 Island Ave. 6753 - Clarion, PA - 58 Staples Plaza 765 - Lancaster, PA - Golden Triangle S.C., 1320 Lititz Pike 182 - Monroeville, PA - Monroeville Mall #11A 3522 - Warren, PA - Warren Commons, 2775 Market St.

4609 - Warwick, RI- Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Rd. #B115

3552 - Dallas, TX - North Park Center, 8687 N. Central Expy. #2304 2712 - Dumas, TX - 2025 S. Dumas Rd.

6510 - Blacksburg,VA - Gables S.C., 1206 S. Main St. 3233 - Woodstock, VA - Woodstock Square, 465 W. Reservoir Rd.

5531 - Kennewick, WA - Columbia Center, 1102 N. Columbia Ctr. Blvd.

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just-a-demi-bean · 4 years ago

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memory 3

The holiday season is my favorite.

The air is cold and crisp—when my sister and I were younger and we would walk to school we would always insist that we smelled snow. We’d bake gingerbread and sugar cookies and the apartment would fill with the scent of butter and vanilla and spices. On the way to the grocery store, the subway, the 24/7 stores, there would be makeshift stands with tall trees leaning against them. And every time you passed one of these stands, the sharp, sweet, piney smell would hit you. I’d inhale it with the biggest of smiles on my faces.

We have a few traditions: We decorate our door with the same fake wreath with a carved wood bird. We get our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving, always from the same Christmas tree stand. And my sister and I would wait impatiently until my father would finally give in, grab a step stool, and heave down the two boxes’ worth of decorations, and he’d laugh as my mother open the box with just as much excitement as the two of us. We’d visit “Santa” at the mall, take photos, whisper into his ear what we wanted, and he’d nod solemnly no matter how ridiculous it was. Every year we’d each buy a new ornament at the Hallmark store, spending way to much time scrutinizing every one, while my father would grow impatient, listening to the same ten Christmas songs being played over and over. “Look,” my mother would say to my father, probably pointing at some stupid-looking decoration. “It’s that cute?”

And his annoyed gaze would soften as he looked at her and then at the stupid-looking thing, and then back at her. “Yes,” he would say. “It’s very cute.”

And then he’d spitefully pick up the nearest ornaments, pay, and drag us out of the store, groaning about how November is too early for Christmas music.

There’s a specific order for decorating the Christmas tree: lights first. Heavy ornaments first, then the smaller ones, and then the star. One year, I would pick the tree, and my sister would put on the star. The next year, she would pick it, and I’d place the star.

We’ve long since given up having a aesthetically pleasing tree: colored lights would be strung somewhat carelessly over the thick branches. The ornaments, some older than I am, one from when my father was a baby, one from my parents’ first Christmas together, one made of delicately thin glass that was my grandmother’s. They would clash spectacularly with the pastel or neon colored ones that my sister and I had: wooden ones, plastic ones, some made out of flimsy pipe cleaners or cheap clay. They never were quite that pretty.

The tree skirt is a ratty knitted blanket, and it used to be a bright crimson but after years of water spills and maybe even some coffee stains, the color has dulled, but no one has the heart to throw it out. Presents would be shoved under the tree, some wrapped in shiny silver paper and adorned with blue ribbon, some in obnoxiously bright wrapping, some just cardboard boxes with the Amazon tape and the shipping label still on it.

I still remember, in 2017, despite the fact that I just had a biopsy and I was tired and my parents were overworked and stressed, my sister was the one to blast the Christmas music, she dragged the step stool out and carried the two boxes of decorations and dropped them on the kitchen table with a crash. She insisted. And within the hour, the entire family was singing along to Sinatra and Michael Buble, hanging ornaments with smiles on our faces.

This year, we can’t go and see Santa at the mall, no whispering into his ear. We’re not going to be in the city for most of December and a part of January, so there’s no Christmas tree this year. The Hallmark store closed. No point in decorations if we’re leaving the city the first week of December. My dad is on zoom calls from 10 in the morning to 10 at night. My mother stays hunched over the computer. My sister is working from 9 to 6, somehow fitting in her study time and her homework and her community service for our church and her business.

Christmas music is already playing, but this year, not everyone is singing along.

#memory

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mysideblogofsurveys · 4 years ago

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Survey 19

1. Do you wear accessories? Not really, just a thin hair tie on my wrist

2. Do you remember your childhood phone number? Address? Yes, my parents still have the same landline phone number and still live at the same address

3. Have you ever moved? If so, when/how many times? UGH SO MANY TIMES! We moved the first time in Aug 2012 (from the Midwest to Seattle WA), then May 2014 (Seattle to Florida), then June 2019 (West Coast of FL to East Coast of FL) and we’ll be moving a FOURTH TIME sometime in Oct 2020 - not sure exactly when but we are for sure (back to the West Coast of FL).

4. Do you wear deodorant every day? I don’t >< I don’t trust the chemicals (aluminum) in deodorant so I just wash my pits every day and they’re fine.

5. What was the last thing you bonded with someone over? Umm, I can really only think of bonding with my husband over our shared interests

6. What are your plans for the upcoming weekend? UGH well we had the “Cat 1 Hurricane” that thankfully turned to a Tropical Storm - so we just stayed home and played video games and watched UFC. Its actually supposed to pass through us today and so far, its just windy and rainy. Nothing too bad.

7. What TV shows are you watching? I’m kind of between shows right now. Just finishing Jason Mesnick’s season of the Bachelor on Netflix currently but not sure what I’ll put on after that.

8. What is your favorite music genre? I love so many - mostly Rock/Metal, Anime/Japanese songs and 80s. I was heavily into Kpop for about 5 years but I’ve recently stopped paying so close attention. I still like it but definitely don’t follow it as closely as I did before.

9. What is something you’re super into right now? Honestly, nothing in particular. I need to find some type of hobby. I want to start journaling or a journal of games I play (with screen shots) or something. but I never have the patience to sit a do stuff like that. However, I always want to play games like Stardew Valley (its always on my mind. I just love that game so much).

10. Do you have a celebrity crush? Ok, I have a few haha: - Henry Cavill (Have you SEEN him build a computer? Or his role in the Witcher?? *heart eyes*) - Tom Hardy (I really liked him in Mad Max and Venom) - Do Kyungsoo and Park Chanyeol from EXO (Korean boy band) - I melt every time I hear their voices.

11. Do you have a goal you’re trying to accomplish? Yes but I can never decide what I want to spend my time on so I end up just wasting time. Like this morning for instance - I get up at 8am, briefly scroll through social media/watched the Bachelor with WIP of a Stardew Valley fic open on my laptop but now its 10:30am and I added maybe 15 words to the fic...WHERE did the last 2 hours go?? I have all of these ideas but for some reason, I have the hardest time sitting down and typing it all out..and procrastinate and do this survey instead ><

12. What was your last dream? Did you tell anyone about it? I had a dream of a Stardew Valley one-shot (which is what I was trying to write this morning) but of course, didn’t get it written out. I usually tell my husband about them

13. Do you like workouts where you count reps or by 30 seconds? I’ll take either. I like working out

14. Whats your favorite thing to do on a Sunny day? What about a Rainy day? On a Sunny day, I like going for walks with my Husband and playing Pokemon Go. On rainy days, I like sitting and studying something (like a language) or even playing games.

15. Do you have a "Rainy Day fund"? No, but I just push most of my income (whatever is left over after paying bills/buying the necessities) into my savings account.

16. Do you "RBF" (resting bitch face)? Not really? But I get told I look “angry” sometimes? I hate that I have that expression but I know I frown when I’m in deep thought ><

17. If your house was one fire, what is the first thing you would grab? As long as my Husband was safe, my second thought would be my computers and external hard drive.

18. What is your favorite feature about yourself? Worst feature? I like my eyes and smile, my worst feature..well I guess it’d be my social anxiety ><

19. What is your “must get” from the grocery store? (What item is always on your list?) Lately its been watermelon, a great snack. 20. Do you have a favorite show or song you put on every time you’re sad? Not particularly. I have a playlist of songs that I put on when I’m in that mood but no specific song or show 21. What is your favorite holiday? I like Thanksgiving and New Years Eve/Day 22. What is your dream occupation? UGH I wish I knew. I’m in the financial field right now and I don’t really like it but its not too bad. I know I don’t belong in this field but I don’t have experience in anything else to fall back on so I guess I’ll continue with it (plus I’m in my early 30s, I don’t want to have to start ALL OVER again since we’re finally close to getting a house and finally starting a family). 23. Do you like dressing up? Eh, not really. I like casual, comfy clothes 24. Ever been on a cruise? Bungee jumping? I’ve been on several cruises (they’re a lot of fun!) but I have not bungee jumped..not sure if I’m brave enough for that. 25. Have you ever been on a date? What has been your favorite date? I have been on quite a few dates! My favorite one was going to a rock show for our 3 month anniversary (WAY back in May 2010) with my husband (well, he was just my boyfriend at the time :) ) 26. Have you ever been through a Hurricane? Tornado? Earthquake? Well, Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019...lets hope we don’t have anymore this year >< I have not been through a Tornado or Earthquake. 27. Are you the adventurous type? I’d say so? I don’t know many people who would move as much as we have 28. Do you live close to your family? No :/ all of my family (and in-laws) live in the Midwest. Well, aside from my Mother/Father-in-law. They are snowbirds and have a house on the West Coast of FL and we’re moving back to be closer to them in a couple months. 29. Are you creative? Is there anything creative you’re working on right now? I WANT to be creative but I have a hard time sitting down and getting something done. I have half-written about 20 fanfiction pieces (for several fandoms) since 2017 but I haven’t completed any of them. 30. Do you have a morning routine? Nightly routine? - Morning routine on the week day: Get up, start coffee, take a shower, scroll through social media/watch a show before getting ready for work - Morning routine on the weekend: Get up, start coffee, wash my face, watch a show/play a video game/scroll through social media until my Husband wakes up Nightly routine on the week day: Get my lunch ready the night before, brush/floss, read at least 10-20 min then go to sleep by 11pm to get up at 6:15am Nightly routine on the weekend: Brush my teeth and go to bed lol

#survey #surveys #questionnaire #about me

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Headlines

State police returning to Portland following deadly shooting (AP) Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man following clashes between President Donald Trump supporters and counter-protesters that led to an argument between the president and the city’s mayor over who was to blame for the violence. Trump and other speakers at last week’s Republican National Convention evoked a violent, dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans.

Snapped Poles, Shredded Roofs: A Long Road to Recovery After Laura (NYT) Hurricane Laura ravaged southwestern Louisiana, leaving weary residents to assess the toll and map a way forward. The damage the storm inflicted was so severe that it will be an immense undertaking just to clear debris. But beyond the physical labor, residents were also stepping into the thicket of bureaucracy that follows a hurricane, with insurance claims and applications for government aid. Officials said that roughly 368,000 customers in the state remained without electricity. Some 17,000 linemen were at work on repairs, but they had a lot to tackle: some 500 transmission towers were destroyed or damaged. In some places, utility companies said, it could be at least four weeks before electricity is restored. CoreLogic, an analytics firm in Irvine, Calif., estimated that the hurricane had caused insured losses of $8 billion to $12 billion. “The story here is going to be the wind damage,” said Curtis McDonald, a meteorologist with the firm.

Burning (NYT) According to researchers, somewhere between 4.4 million and 11.8 million acres in modern-day California burned every year in the earlier times. When people started moving there, and building there, and understandably preferring that their homes not burn, those natural fires were stopped. From 1982 to 1998, land managers in California burned on average 30,000 acres per year, which dropped to 13,000 acres from 1999 to 2017. The backlog is deadly, and one reason the state has become a powder-keg. A February 2020 study published in Nature Sustainability found California would need to burn 20 million acres to become stable.

A Zoom Thanksgiving? (AP) As the Summer of COVID draws to a close, many experts fear an even bleaker fall and suggest that American families should start planning for Thanksgiving by Zoom. Because of the many uncertainties, public health scientists say it’s easier to forecast the weather on Thanksgiving Day than to predict how the U.S. coronavirus crisis will play out this autumn. But school reopenings, holiday travel and more indoor activity because of colder weather could all separately increase transmission of the virus and combine in ways that could multiply the threat, they say. Here’s one way it could go: As more schools open for in-person instruction and more college students return to campuses, small clusters of cases could widen into outbreaks in late September. Public fatigue over mask rules and other restrictions could stymie efforts to slow these infections. A few weeks later, widening outbreaks could start to strain hospitals. If a bad flu season peaks in October, as happened in 2009, the pressure on the health care system could result in higher daily death tolls from the coronavirus.

Rethinking their slogan (Foreign Policy) The latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic is the long-time slogan of popular U.S. fast food company Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). The slogan, “it’s finger lickin’ good,” has been used by the company on-and-off for 64 years, but KFC announced last week that it is suspending the slogan because it is no longer appropriate in the current health-conscious environment. Health experts discourage people from touching their faces in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and users on social media criticized KFC for implicitly promoting unhealthy habits in its marketing campaigns. The company rolled out an advertisement in the United Kingdom and Ireland that ended with the tagline: “That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now.”

India’s economy contracts by nearly 24 percent amid pandemic (Washington Post) India’s economic output shrank by nearly 24 percent in the most recent quarter, the worst contraction since records began and the largest such drop of any major economy during the coronavirus pandemic. The stunning decline reflects the economic toll of India’s nationwide lockdown and illustrates the depth of the challenge now facing Indian policymakers as they grapple both with a hobbled economy and a raging pandemic. India is currently adding the largest number of new coronavirus cases per day of any country in the world. The Indian economy has not contracted for two consecutive quarters—the definition of a recession—in 40 years. Now the country appears certain to experience a recession and possibly one of unprecedented severity. That kind of economic slump would be devastating in a country like India, where 9 out of 10 workers have no job protections or unemployment insurance, leaving them with almost no safety net.

Indian army says foils Chinese attempt to encroach over disputed border (Reuters) Indian troops foiled an attempt by Chinese troops to encroach over the disputed and ill-defined border in the western Himalayas, the Indian army said on Monday, in a fresh flare-up between the two nuclear-armed countries. Pre-emptive action by the Indian troops was enough to deter the Chinese troops, and the confrontation did not escalate into a clash between the two sides, an Indian military official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters. China rejected any breach of the border by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops, but tensions between the two armies in the freezing snow deserts of the Ladakh region have been running high for several months.

Backing the monarchy in Thailand (Foreign Policy) Protesters gathered in a stadium in the Thai capital of Bangkok on Sunday to rally in support of the monarchy following massive student-led anti-government demonstrations in recent weeks. The event, which attracted around 1,200 people, was organized by the newly-formed pro-monarchy group Loyal Thai. “We insist that the country’s conflicts stem from politicians,” said Warong Dechgitvigrom, a prominent right-wing politician who founded the group. “The monarchy institution has no part in governing the country. The institution is the morale support that connects the people together.” Anti-government protesters have defied draconian laws against criticizing the monarchy in recent weeks to take to the streets to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, fresh elections, and a new constitution that would limit the powers of the monarchy.

Facial recognition and bathtime bookings: How China’s universities are reopening (Reuters) As COVID-19 cases in China sink to new lows, the world’s largest population of university students is heading back to campus in a migration defined by lockdowns, patriotic education and cutting-edge surveillance equipment. The highly choreographed return comes as Chinese universities revert to in-person instruction for the fall semester after months of pandemic controls. Some universities have strict rules governing how students eat, bathe and travel. Students in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai told Reuters that they must submit detailed movement reports and stay on campus. At the same time, government procurement documents show dozens of universities have purchased “epidemic control” surveillance systems based on facial recognition, contact tracing and temperature checks. There are more than 20 million university students in China, and most live on campus in shared dorm rooms, presenting a challenge for health authorities. On Chinese social media, students have chafed at the controls, which mirror restrictions on the wider population during the height of the outbreak in March.

With a Wary Eye on China, Taiwan Moves to Revamp Its Military (NYT) China’s growing aggression across Asia in recent months has created fears that it may make brash moves in Taiwan, the South China Sea or elsewhere. The ruling Communist Party’s recent crackdown on dissent and activism in Hong Kong, a former British colony that has long been a bastion of democratic values, has added to those concerns. Beijing’s posturing has forced Taiwan, an island of 24 million, to re-examine with new urgency whether it is prepared for a confrontation, the possibility of which now seems less remote. But there are questions about its readiness to defend its people—with or without the help of the United States. “I have to be honest: Taiwan’s military needs to improve a lot,” Wang Ting-yu, a member of Parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee, said in a telephone interview. Taiwan’s leaders have been moving to shake up the military and increase spending. Military tensions across the Taiwan Strait have surged in recent months as Taiwan has increasingly become a focal point in the confrontation between China and the United States.

New prime minister in Lebanon (Foreign Policy) Mustapha Adib, Lebanon’s current ambassador to Germany, is set to become the country’s next prime minister as it continues to grapple with one of its worst crises since the end of the civil war in 1990. Adib won support from all of the major parties on Sunday, as well as from former prime ministers including Saad al-Hariri. He will be designated prime minister today just before a crucial visit from French President Emmanuel Macron.

Israeli, U.S. officials on historic flight to UAE to formalize normalization deal (Reuters) Top aides to U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a historic first flight from Tel Aviv to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to finalize a pact marking open relations between the Gulf power and Israel. Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates made aviation history when the Israeli commercial airliner flew over Saudi territory on the direct flight from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital. Announced on Aug. 13, the normalization deal is the first such accommodation between an Arab country and Israel in more than 20 years and was catalyzed largely by shared fears of Iran.

#headlines #news

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carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory · 5 years ago

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Now that’s a giant pumpkin! Collected on this day in 2017

Happy Thanksgiving! And what’s screams fall more than pumpkin?

This specimen isn’t just any specimen – it is the museum’s first official Anthropocene collection. A 2090.5 pound squash, in fact. The Anthropocene, or Age of Humanity, is the proposed current time period marked by pervasive and long-term human impact on the Earth’s systems. The mark of human influence is now so great, that the effects will be present in the geological record millions of years from now. The Anthropocene is a core focus for the museum, drawing together many areas of research, education, and scholarship. These Anthropocene initiatives were launched, in part, through the 2017-2018 exhibition We Are Nature: Living in the Anthropocene. At the time of the exhibition’s opening, a gigantic squash was on display in the museum’s courtyard. This 2,090.5 pound pumpkin is a striking visual of the influence of humans on plant evolution in the Anthropocene.

But these huge pumpkins are not easy to grow. This specimen was from a plant grown in Ellwood City, PA by Dave and Carol Stelts. When they came to the museum to harvest seeds for next year, Bonnie Isaac, Collection Manager of Botany, collected a specimen for the herbarium. As you might guess, even the pieces don’t fit nicely on a typical herbarium sheet, but instead are stored in the 3D fruit collection.

Species in the genus Cucurbita (including pumpkins, gourds, and squashes) were domesticated by humans in North America about 10,000 years ago. That is, they were cultivated in gardens, likely first selected for the use of their durable rinds (anthropological evidence for gourds used as containers for drinking) and later as a food source. Most Cucurbita species went extinct around this time, coinciding with the extinction of large mammals that these species relied upon to spread their seeds. Their fruits were unpalatable to the smaller herbivores that did not go extinct. Ironically, it is human hunters, paired with climate change, that led to the extinction of large herbivores in North America. Modern day pumpkins have adapted to the Anthropocene.

This Anthropocene specimen isn’t your Halloween jack-o-lantern or pie pumpkin, which is Cucurbita pepo, but the related Cucurbita maxima, which can be grown to enormous sizes with skill and effort.

Find this specimen and more here.

Check back for more! Botanists at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History share digital specimens from the herbarium on dates they were collected. They are in the midst of a three-year project to digitize nearly 190,000 plant specimens collected in the region, making images and other data publicly available online. This effort is part of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project (mamdigitization.org), a network of thirteen herbaria spanning the densely populated urban corridor from Washington, D.C. to New York City to achieve a greater understanding of our urban areas, including the unique industrial and environmental history of the greater Pittsburgh region. This project is made possible by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1801022.

Mason Heberling is Assistant Curator of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Great Pumpkin #Giant pumpkin #Thanksgiving #Botany #Plants #Pumpkins #Holidays #Cucurbita

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sleepykittypaws · 5 years ago

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Animated Special Advent Calendar

Updated: December 23, 2019

Every year since my oldest first became interested in TV watching, we’ve watched classic Christmas specials annually. What started as a happy accident with an enamored three-year-old wanting a nightly dose of cartoon Christmas goodness, became a family tradition, and we now try and watch a different special every night between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, with family members rotating picks, youngest to oldest.

After mentioning this several times online, a few folks expressed interest in what we watch, so I’ll try to keep this page updated with daily entries, though I admit we’re not tyrants about doing this (it’s supposed to be fun!), so if we miss a night, we just try to watch two (or more) another time to catch up. The daily picks mean our line-up changes every season (variety is good!), though there are definitely a handful of annual must-watch specials on every family member’s mental lists, and we always finish on Christmas Eve with the 1966 classic,��Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

We’ve got a huge collection of DVDs and digital specials we own, but I’ll try and note where our picks are available to watch, if possible. And, if you’re looking for ideas to fill up your own Christmas Special advent calendar, you can check out my Top 25 Animated Holiday Special list, or the results of our Holiday Special Showdown, where 64 animated classics went head-to-head for viewer’s votes in 2017.

Nov. 28: We kicked things off on Thanksgiving with Phineas and Ferb’s Christmas Vacation, a music-filled Disney Channel original now available on Disney+ (Season 2, episode 21). It’s an annual must-see for us.

Nov. 29: Night two was British imports Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire and Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe. The first of these Aardman Animation originals is better than the sequel, but both still air annually on CBS. There’s also a third, UK-only entry, Close Encounters of the Herd Kind, that never made it to the US. Fun Fact: 100% of all 3 specials’ profits go to charity, as they were produced by Comic Relief.

Nov. 30: A Chipmunk Christmas. Though it had several DVD releases, they’re all of out print currently and this 1981 classic, a staple of my childhood, has become distressingly hard to find, even though we, personally, have multiple DVD copies.

Dec. 1: Our first special of December was The Happy Elf. This 2005 Harry Connick-voiced special got little love on its release, but is a family favorite. Rare to find on TV, it’s still widely available via digital or DVD, and worth checking out.

Dec. 2: With Frozen fever rampant, we revisited a lesser known entry in the franchise, 2016′s LEGO Frozen Northern Lights. This clever send-up isn’t specifically Christmas, but it’s snowy and so much fun. And it’s now available, though oddly broken into segments, on Disney+. (The Disney Channel is also showing it in one 30 min package all this month.)

Dec. 3: On this busy school night we needed something short, so I picked Pluto’s Christmas Tree, now on Disney+. Kids had never seen this 1952 animated short, and we all really enjoyed it.

Dec. 4: One of those days we wandered off the beaten path and tried the Opus-led A Wish for Wings that Work from 1991, based on the book and comic strip by Berkeley Breathed. A bit long for littles, but the ending landed, and it was a nice change of pace. Not streaming, but available very cheaply on DVD.

Dec. 5: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was my son’s pick. This pilot episode for the 30-year-old series works as the stand alone holiday special it was first conceived as, and can be found on Disney+.

Dec. 6: Ducktales: Last Christmas! This fun, 2018 special can be found on Disney+ (season 2, episode 6 of the rebooted series). We watched it several times last year, and it’s just good as I remember. Timey-wimey fun.

Dec. 7: This 2006 direct-to-DVD release isn’t the classic Looney Tunes of the 1930s-40s, but Looney Tunes: Bah, Humduck (available digitally or DVD) is still a fun Christmas Carol take with Daffy as Scrooge and a fairly faithful adaptation of Dickens’ tale.

Dec. 8: Time for a classic: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, playing this year on Freeform, as well as CBS, and also available in an infinite variety of DVD collections and via iTunes.

Dec. 9: Did you know that Hallmark Channel used to make original animated specials? They did, and they were good, too! 2011′s Hoops and Yoyo Ruin Christmas was our pick last night and it’s smart, and cute, and fun. I miss that Hallmark Channel. Released on DVD, it’s out of print, but copies can still be found, and Amazon offers it for digital purchase.

Dec. 10: As a kid the anticipation of this special’s debut was almost too much to bear for my then, 7-year-old self. 1982′s The Smurf’s Christmas Special was my pick last night, and I vividly recalled how it was a such huge event for me at the time that I danced around the basement during the commercials, too full of excitement to sit. It isn’t streaming, but can be found on the still-available 2011 DVD The Smurf’s Holiday Celebration.

Dec. 11 and 12: Busy evenings the past few, so missed the 11th, but still managed to watch Merry Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda Holiday last night—and I almost managed to stay awake, too. (Both are on Netflix.)

Dec. 13: Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special, this charming, under-rated 2016 Disney Channel original is, oddly, NOT available on Disney+, though it can be purchased digitally or watched this month via Disney Channel On Demand. A family favorite since its debut.

Dec. 14: Last night, instead of a traditional animated offering, we had our annual viewing of (mostly) animated British Christmas adverts, which are a very big deal in the UK and, frankly, often more awesome than any 30 minute special. I’ve tweeted a lot about my love for these often tear-jerking mini-movies, but here are what I think are my top 5…5) From Sainsbury’s, 2018′s The Big Night builds to an awesome ending. 4) Sainsbury’s The Greatest Gift (2016) has an original song that’s become a Christmas favorite in our house. 3) John Lewis is the master purveyor of this emotionally manipulative—in the best way—three-minute extravaganzas. Lots to choose from, but 2014′s Monty the Penguin is probably my fave. 2) In 2015, Sainsbury’s delivered the perfect mix of comedy and heart with Mog’s Christmas Calamity. 1) And my fave—a bit of cheat since it’s Canadian—is Cineplex’s Lily and the Snowman. Seen it probably 100 times now, and cried every one. There’s plenty more to explore, from the UK and beyond, and falling down a rabbit hole of these ads on YouTube is an utterly delightful way to spend an evening. To get you started, here’s a compilation of what one YouTube reviewer calls the top 10 Christmas ads of 2019.

Dec. 15: Returned to a classic with 1969′s Frosty the Snowman, which still airs annually on CBS. Happy Birthday!

Dec. 16: Finally watched NBC’s new How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, available on Hulu.

Dec. 17: My pick, and I chose a Rankin-Bass we hadn’t seen in a while, 1970′s Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Unfortunately, forgot how long and slow this one was. My kids were kind of bored.

Dec. 18: Shrek the Halls, which really is laugh-out-loud family fun. For some reason, this is the only Dreamworks special not on Netflix, but does still air annually on ABC.

Dec. 19: I have no clue how Olive the Other Reindeer, this super-charming, Drew Barrymore-voiced special about a dog who mishears a radio bulletin and thinks Santa needs her, didn’t become a classic. It’s not streaming, but is available very inexpensively on DVD and well worth a watch.

Dec. 20: How Murray Saved Christmas, another overlooked gem, this 2014 rhyming special first appeared on NBC, and is airing this season as part of AMC’s Best Christmas Ever. (It’s also available on DVD and digital.)

Dec. 21: As we realize we’re quickly running out of days till Christmas, time to make sure we pack in some classics, like, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Dec. 22: Santa, Baby! This 2001special featuring Eartha Kitt is the last of the Rankin-Bass originals and it’s…fine. Lots of music and a magical partridge. Not something you see everyday. (Was available on DVD, now out of print, and can sometimes be found on YouTube.)

Dec. 23: Saving the best for (almost) last, the whole family got up this morning and watched Prep & Landing, and its sequel, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs Nice, in our jammies, to kick off Christmas vacation.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve is always the 1966 version of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas to remind us all that Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more.

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john1513kjv-blog · 5 years ago

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My Testimony: How Jesus saved my life (multiple times)

I was born and raised in a religious family (notably Catholic). Growing up I went to mass every Sunday, believing in God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary (not really as much); or so I thought I did. In my middle school and high school years, I was like everyone else. I thought that everything was fine and that there was nothing wrong with the things I did (like lying, stealing things behind my parents’ back, cussing, saying rude things behind my parents’ back when they told me things I didn’t like.)

Though I didn’t realize somewhere down the line; things were about to change for me and my family. 2011 was the year that my grandma died and it affected everyone in my family, including my mom. Life hasn’t been the same for her. Once a happy soul eager to have people around, now is always suspicious of others, not wanting to go out or visit anyone, claiming people are out to get her. I didn’t understand much of what was happening. I just simply thought my mom was crazy. But at the same time, I wondered why God let this happen? Again, I didn’t thought much of it, I simply did more things things that were considering wrong in God’s eyes (like lying to my mom that my aunt called me and cursed my mom when I only called a local gamestop store to get a game I wanted, looking up porn due to a dare from a so-called “friend” and looking up fetish art)

In high school I dated this japanese-american guy who was an atheist, he was the one who proposed to me. At the time, I didn’t know much about what love was. It wasn’t until my parents found and got angry, not for the fact he was an atheist, but for the fact that I was texting him many times in class and it raised the price on the phone bill. My dad furiously told me to end the relationship immediately. I was really upset about it, yet I did as I was told. It hurt my now ex boyfriend and I was mad at what my parent’s said to me. So what I did was told him to just pretend to be friends but to keep the relationship a secret. It worked for only a month until my now ex told me that what I was doing was wrong to lie to my parent’s behind their backs. I didn’t understand at first until he wanted to end our relationship. Without question, I did what he told me and again I was upset. Little did I know that Jesus was doing me a favor. Had he not intervene, I would have ended up a homeless teen mom.

After breaking ties with the Catholic Church (due to my mom’s irrational, mental instability), my dad sought help elsewhere. We went to this Christian Church that supposedly teaches from the Bible but something about it was missing. My dad told me that he felt that there was something wrong in that church. Was it due to the fact it held church services on Sunday instead of the seventh day (Saturday) as the Bible said? Again, I didin’t think much of it. I went to this “revival”, not because I wanted to look for Christ, but for worldly pleasures.

Come 2014, and my dad was searching something on the TV (something to watch or perhaps something related to the Bible). That wasn’t until He found a channel called “El Evangelio Eterno” (in English: The Everlasting Gospel). Namely this Pastor (who’s the head pastor of this ministry) was preaching something that none of us has ever heard, the three angels’ message.

REVELATION 14:6-12

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

From then on, my dad wanted to know more of what they were preaching and that’s when they announced that they were opening a church a few miles away to where we live.The first one who went there was my dad. I didn’t pay that much attention to my dad when he watched the channel nor what they were saying or teaching. But one day (it was a Saturday), out of curiousity, I asked my dad if I wanted to come with him and he said yes. From there I always went with him to church, but at the same time, I was missing something. I learned about all the prophecies of the end times, that Jesus was coming real soon, about God’s real day of rest (Saturday), learned about the health reform that God can heal us, not just spiritually, but also from our physical illnesses too. I learned all these things, yet something was still missing. In September 2, 2017, our pastor preached to us (in a sermon of the end times) that Donald Trump signed the executive order to make Sunday, National Day of Prayer as a response to for the victims of hurricane Harvey.

At that moment, I was scared. I felt my heart racing. I thought to myself, “If I don’t get baptized soon, I might get left behind and receive the mark of the beast”. So I was one of the few people that got baptized that day, and that’s when I gave my life to Jesus. I studied more of God’s word, made a YouTube Channel to teach end-time prophecies, used my old social media accounts to spread the gospel (or so I thought I did) and I let go some of the things that I used to like (like stealing, secular music, looking up things that were not centered around God, video games [mostly because I was addicted to them and were the main reason I lied to my mom to get me a game]) and I thought I was saved. 2 years went by, I gave gospel tracts (but only at the front door because I was a little bit shy on what to say), and made posters that show the pagan origins of every holiday celebrated (except for thanksgiving).

Every Sabbath became dull, and everytime a sermon on end time prophecy is preached, I always listen yet feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and I end up crying because I felt like I haven’t done much for the Lord. Everyday I always had a nagging feeling inside that something was wrong. It was until then I started developing a small legalistic mindset (meaning that if I didn’t do enough of what I was taught, I wasn’t gonna make it. Let me tell you, it affected my character greatly. I tried confronting people (including my old church friends) that what they were believing in was wrong and I used Scripture to convince them that they were wrong (instead of using it in a correct and humble manner) and they would fight back and I couldn’t be able to respond either because I didn’t know much of something or I didn’t want to risk embarassing myself. I became self righteous, but in the inside (I was good at masking my character) I started watching conspiracy videos and things involving the New World Order and the Illuminati and thought that God wanted me to tell people about it. I only told a few people about it, little by little, with a little bit of bible prophecy, yet I was still scared.

Overtime, I was interested in learning a little bit about the health reform that I signed up to be a medical missionary, so I can learn how God can heal people physically and spiritually (like how Jesus preached and healed people as well). I remember signing up and was super exciting about it. It was very interesting to learn at first, but just like church, it became very dull. Along with my legalistic mindset, I developed some minor depression, anxieties, which didn’t help that I suffer from a mild case of ADHD (a mental disorder I had since birth).

These things filled my soul with even more but I didn’t want to admit it. Come May 24, 2019, I went to this church retreat center in the mountain, where they were going to do seminars on the art of apologetics. The third day, I was there and I got up early to attend church service in the main audience hall. I didn’t remember much about what the pastor was preaching but I remember hearing something along the lines of the pastor saying, “God has given us all this light to share to the world” “What exactly are we doing with that light?” The sermon hit me hard that day and my anxieties rised up again and I felt extreme fear inside, that God didn’t want me anymore because I didn’t do enough. After the service ended, a sister from the service stopped me as I was leaving. She told me, “What is wrong? Why were you crying?” I told her my problems and I mentioned to her that I haven’t brought a soul to Christ for 2 years and felt like I wasn’t good enough. She responded kindly with: “Everyone in the church feels like that, including myself. That’s why we come to learn how to do these things. God knows your heart, and knows that you want to serve Him, but you just have to be patient and He will let you know when it’s the right time to do it. You don’t have to do everything at once because God didn’t call you to do any of that. The reason is that you’re not completely ready yet and He is still teaching you His word. He won’t let you carry more than you can handle. Just keep your eyes on Him and you’ll be fine.” I listened to her and thanked her.

The last thing I remember I ran to my cabin and I went down on my knees crying with all my heart, “Thank you God, Thank Jesus, Thank you for saving me, for sending me this sister to comfort me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have called it quits. Forgive me Lord, for losing sight of why I am here. Forgive me for having this legalistic mindset, for being decieved to think that works saved me when you did it all for me through the sacrifice of your only Begotten Son. If I have to wait 5, 10, or even 20 years for me to be where you want me to be Lord, I’ll wait. All I ask is to never let you go and to never lose sight of you.” After that, I felt like the weight of my chest was lifted off. I understood God’s grace and mercy on someone like me. A 23-year-old woman with ADHD, a quirky sense of humor, artistic talent, yet always tries her best to love others. Jesus saved my life many times in my past, even now. All because He loved me enough to die for not only for me but for you who’s reading this.

That’s right, He loves you also. He loves you enough that He died so that you and I could be free from your sins and reconnect with God. All it takes to turn away from your sinful lifestyle (whether it be drugs, prostitution, masturbation, homosexuality, theft, hatred, alcoholism, addiction of any kind), and learn to live for Jesus. <3

JOHN 3:16-20

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither* cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

#my testimony #testimony #how jesus saved my life #christianity #god is real #god is love #god is good

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cophinebw · 6 years ago

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Evelyne Brochu: “It’s good to take on new challenges”

[7 jours magazine, March 28, 2019. ✒️ : Michèle Lemieux, 📷 : Patrick Séguin]

It is no coincidence that her career is doing tremendously well and spans two continents, success has not come by chance in Evelyne Brochu’s life. What is her leitmotif? Work and discipline. As the shooting of the third season of the series Trop will be the first step back to work for the new mother after a few months of hindsight, the actress lets us enter the world of the film Cash Nexus, which is being released in theatres these days.

Evelyne, did you enjoy the result of Ca$h Nexus?

We abundantly live in it, as if we had stored memories that do not belong to us, but that is still ours. It’s a powerful film that touches the heart. I was proud of my colleagues: they performed very well as actors. The film deals with fundamental themes: motherhood, fatherhood, abandonment, anger, siblings, the loss of bearings. All this is based on a tragedy experienced by two brothers, one in the form of an explosion, the other in the form of implosion. There are still some touches of light, thanks to my character.

Juliette appears to us as the most balanced of all…

Yes, even if you wonder why she stays in this relationship. We understand because it may have happened to us, or it may have happened to someone we know, to have experienced a vertigo that paralyzes us. Sometimes you can stay in a relationship, but you don’t know why… I think dating people are often kept going because of their initial promises. I think Juliette thinks that her lover will eventually open up and be vulnerable, and that they will get closer. Instead, he has a shell that is impossible to break. Nathan (François Papineau) is a charismatic and attractive man; it is part of the dilemma. She’s attracted to him, but she has to walk on eggs. Juliette is a smart woman, but she lives in a cage.

Did you enjoy your shooting experience?

I shot the series Trop at the same time. It was a puzzle for my agents. (smile). Some pieces didn’t overlap. Three times, I shot for 24 hours in a row. I would leave one set to go directly to the other. Immediately afterward, I went to France to shoot Thanksgiving. The fall of 2017 was a busy and professionally intensive time for four months. My boyfriend came to see me in Paris; I had a short week off. It felt good to be together again. We were very bored… (smile).

“Three times, I shot for 24 hours in a row. I was leaving one set to go directly to the other.”

Would you say that this tempo requires an Olympic-like level of discipline?

Yes, it involves some sacrifices. You need to find periods of sleep where you can. I’ve become a champion of power naps! (laughs). You learn to sleep in incongruous places with little time ahead of you. Before, I wasn’t a very “nap” person, but this job forced me to become one. When I was working on La promesse, I saw Germain Houde sleeping everywhere in the sets. He told me: “You will learn, my little girl, that this is how we live in this profession.” My grandmother used to say, “Qui veut aller loin ménage sa monture. (Slow and steady wins the race.)” But you have to be alive too. You have to allow yourself to completely break away from time to time. We do this job for love, you must continue to be in love. To keep the flame as bright as it is, you have to give it oxygen. We know that we are in love when we want to be with the other. At work, it is also necessary to get closer to this state.

Did you have good cooperation with François Papineau who plays your husband in the film?

I didn’t know François in my profession. He is the spouse of a friend, Benedicte. I really liked him at work. He is such intensity and sweetness between shots. I was able to see an actor I admire at work up close as well. When I was in the Conservatory, I saw him at the theater. He had capsized and upset me!

What other projects are you working on?

I make music. It’s a project I completed with my friend Félix Dyotte, who is a songwriter. We have finished recording; a first single will be released very soon. It’s super exciting! Let’s just say it’s the second great gift of 2018. (smile). I was able to explore this area with the best and I had a great time making this album. I am very excited and looking forward to seeing how it will be received. It’ s completely new. It’s like a dive into the vacuum. It’s good to allow yourself to explore, to take up new challenges. I will also be back in the third season of Trop, a beautiful series that breaks taboos with great tenderness. It’s a project and a gang that I like very much. I look forward to May 1…

That will mark your return to the stages…

Yes, it will be a return to work for me. I haven’t shot anything since October. I mostly worked at home on the album. There is a series that has just been released in France, Thanksgiving, and La femme de mon frère, Monia Chokri’s film, will be released soon.

Do you have some trips on the program for work?

There are projects taking shape, but for the moment it is happening in Montreal. In recent years, I have been lucky because the gates have opened, but Montreal is my city, it is my home.

*Cash Nexus, by François Delisle, is currently in theatres. Trop, back in the fall, on Radio-Canada.

#evelyne brochu #ebro #cash nexus #ca$h nexu$#thanksgiving #la femme de mon frère #trop la serie #felix dyotte #7 jours

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afictionaladventure16 · 6 years ago

Text

The Pen Pal Project (Chris Evans x Latina!OC)

Masterlist

Previously on The Pen Pal Project...

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety

Word Count: 1,340

Chapter 10

Letter #10

November 23rd, 2017

“Maybe you should talk to her,” John said softly into the phone, he had been listening to his sister, Julie, speak about how Thanksgiving just didn’t feel the same anymore. Knowing very well that the topic about their mother was a touchy subject with Julie, he just had to encourage her to speak to the woman that gave birth to them.

“John, you know damn well why I don’t,” Julie retorted, letting out a sigh. The mention of her mother made her angry, sad… all these emotions. “I get it, you want to restore things, patch things up. But you don’t know what it was like. She treated you like a king and frankly, you don’t have a say in this.”

“Alright, Julie,” John defended, he knew she was already getting riled up about the topic, “I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

Julie walked around her dad's office, looking at the photos that were sat on the bookshelf. Gently brushing a photo of her and her brother when they were younger, back when they had a mutually feeling of hatred for each other, a sibling rivalry, “it’s fine,” Julie said softly. Most people would find how close they are quite odd. But the distance brought them close. The phone calls from unknown numbers haunted her, thoughts traveled, maybe it was the call that announced her brother's death. With every phone call, every chance he got to visit, every letter, they became close siblings. Best friends, their parents warned them when they were younger, that they would become.

“Remember when dad used to tell us that we’d become best friends?” She asked as she held the frame in her hand, the photo of a younger self, being wrestled to the ground by her older brother.

John let out a soft chuckle, “yeah, man, that used to piss me off! I was so determined to prove them wrong, I guess that’s why I was always mean to you.”

Julie laughed, “but look at us now.”

“Awww are you calling me your best friend?”

Julie rolled her eyes, “way to ruin the moment,” she muttered into the phone.

There was rustling in the other end, John let out a heavy sigh, “I have to go, Julie.” She knew the phone call had to end soon, although, she was grateful that her family got the chance to speak to him and she was grateful she had the chance as well.

Julie sighed, “I love you, bruh.”

“I love you too, sis,” John said with a slight chuckle from his sister's tone of voice.

“And have a Happy Gobble day,” she added.

“You too,” John stayed silent, hating to say goodbye to his family, it felt like if saying goodbye was a hint that he may never speak to them. “I’ll see you later.” With that, he hung up the phone. Julie placed the frame back on the bookshelf, she wishes she could just speak to her younger self. Give her a warning, if that would be alright. Would it ruin things? Would things turn out for the better? She would never know.

Time passed by, Julie watched the Macys Thanksgiving parade with her cousins and then ate Thanksgiving dinner. She finally called it a night after Seven, knowing she couldn’t handle the socialization anymore, she needed time to herself. She drove the empty streets, passing lines waiting outside stores like Target or Best Buy for the next day's festivities. It was all part of the holidays. Julie passed by the postal office, noticing the lights for the room that held P.O. boxes were on, she decided she might as well check, just in case.

She walked into the building, bidding a smile to a woman as she walked out. Julie opened the P.O. box, smiling as she noticed the envelope inside. Quickly grabbing it, she ran back to her car to open the letter:

Dear JuJu,

You had me worried there, I was about to send out an army just to make sure you were alright. Although I am extremely jealous that you went to Disneyland without me, I am hurt about it too. But it sounds like you have amazing friends if they got you tickets for Disneyland.

That’s one try, Juju! Chrissy? Really? That’s all you came up with? I’m offended!

He sounds like an amazing man. It must have been hard to lose his best friend but the way he just honored him by naming his son after him. He sounds so kinder hearted. Ugh, I didn’t know you could volunteer to be a baby cuddler! I have to see if the hospital nearby does this, I so need to volunteer for that!

Julie, believe me when I say this. You are fucking talented! I would be disappointed if you didn’t go to that show to take photos. I know that shit happens but you have to get back out there, it’s all about pushing through the hard things in life and saying you made it in the end. Also, I need to see photos of these shows you’ve done. Why the interest in this particular field if I may ask?

Traveling is nice, I would love to go to Hawaii someday, maybe even Cape Town. Anywhere with a good view would be nice.

A dragon? I am now kind of regretting my choice as it felt a bit more feminine… you know what? No! My choice is better! To become a freaking Unicorn would be fucking neat!

Goofy?! What!? I seriously thought you would’ve chosen Mickey but given your reason as to why you chose Goofy… I’ll let it slide. This time.

Ugh! I hate you.

I’ll have to go with Belle. Hands down.

Toodles.

P.S.

I highly doubt that, but then I don’t doubt it… Also, given the fact that Thanksgiving is coming up this week, I will expect your letter to arrive late. This time, I promise, I won’t panic if it does. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Julie.

P.P.S

I tend to have more of a form of Social Anxiety, so my triggers are kind of obvious that it’s big crowds, being out of my comfort zone.

It sounds like you know how to control your anxiety attacks, which is good. And yes, I totally understand you. Sometimes we just forget and those things that help us during attacks are the last thing on your mind.

You’re welcome, Juju, and yeah that’s one way to look at it but hey, once you hit rock bottom there’s only one way to go and that’s up.

Would it help if you had someone there with you when you are ready? Maybe someone you trust?

Julie knew that Chris was right about her photography. She had to get back out there. She told herself that she’d send a reply tomorrow, given the fact that her letter would possibly stay in the post office until Saturday, she would take time to reply this time.

Julie drove to the familiar bar, walking in she smiled over to the regulars. “Hey,” she said as she reached the counter.

The man behind the counter quickly whipped around, “hey!” he said with excitement, “what brings you here?”

“Oh, you know, just visiting,” she said as she looked around the familiar bar.

“Mhm, sure,” he said with an eye roll, “Can I get you anything?”

“Uhhh, coke,” Julie said with a smile.

“you come into a bar and ask for a coke?”

Julie nods as she watches him grab a coke bottle and handing it to her, “thank you, Blake.”

He sighed, “anything for my best ex-employee.”

Julie sighed, “Actually, Blake, I was wondering… Does your nephew still need a photographer for that gig?”

“I knew there was an actual reason for you being here,” he said softly with a smile, “yes, he does… why? You interested?”

“More than interested,” she said with a wink. That was it, Julie was going to get back onto her feet, she thought of it as an early New Years resolution.

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