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thedaveandkimmershow · 10 months ago

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Our routine in Holland is to use our mornings to ease into our days. To sit up in bed, breakfast a little, coffee, tea, reading, writing, listening.

As in December, our morning soundtrack is a Christmas YouTube video featuring delicate piano and music box carols and an animated interior Christmas living room scene: fire in the fireplace, wreath above the hearth, fully trimmed tree, presents under the tree, and heavy snowfall blowing outside the floor to ceiling windows.

Some of yesterday morning involved doctoral program writing. Some of it was blogging. Some of it was reading the first draft of a documentary on youth incarceration I'll be cutting soon. Some of it was installing WhatsApp on my phone because my cousin Theo could not, could not I say, believe a functional adult isn't already using it for messaging. Some of it was installing Google Lens on my phone because, on the advice of my cousin Thamara, Google Lens will translate, overlay dutch text on signs and packaging with English text...

And so on.

Around noon we get ourselves ready to rejoin civilization. Around 1 we walk over to my aunt and uncle's house. It would've taken what Google Maps predicted, twenty minutes, only Kimmer insists on taking pictures of everything along the way.

So yeah. We take a little longer than twenty minutes.

This time around, we're joining my aunt and uncle joined by my aunt's brother-in-law from England who speaks flawless dutch. Then it's my aunt and uncle's daughter, her husband, their two "kids", and us.

On our way into her home, my aunt hands us the coupla boxes of oliebollen mix she picked up for us the previous day.

Score!

And the lunch spread? Dear God. This was an amazing meal my aunt set up for us. Breads both hot and room temp. Meats. Cheeses. Spreads. Butters. Soup! Coffee. Tea. Fanta.

My cousin set me straight about the best combo: a kaiser roll (any roll, really), cut it in half, spread REAL butter on it, spread sandwich spread on it, then set strips of roast beef over the top.

Heaven. ☺️

At the end of lunch, my aunt pulls out a bag of mandarins to pass around and finish the meal.

As always, our time got away from us and, before we knew it, we were fifteen minutes from our next stop with my mom's sister's son at our hotel bar at 4. This is my mom's sister who passed away twenty years ago. My mom's sister. The reason for our last short notice trip to Holland twenty years ago.

So we show up at the hotel bar and it's my cousin, his wife, his dad, and his dad's companion.

And they come bearing gifts.

From my cousin and his wife, a package of full-size stroopwafels. From my uncle and his companion, a print of that iconic photograph of myself and three of my cousins on the boat to or from Slot Loefestein Castle when we were children.

Talk about a trip down memory lane.

One of the best.

Next thing I know, my uncle's pointing toward the lobby and saying

"Look who's here."

So I look up and there's my cousin from waaaaay up north and her boyfriend. She places a Proef Drenthe Drentse Turfjes on my table, a fruit cake specialty of the region of Holland in which she lives.

Her brother orders a coupla plates of bitterballen (mustard and on the side) for us. These are deep-fried, highly seasoned meat balls. About 3-5 centimeters in diameter, bitterballen are small, round versions of meat croquettes.

We also order drinks and, as we wait for the drinks and after those drinks arrive, we talk kids, pandemic, parents, family history, work, travel, and so on.

Eventually we run out the clock and, at quarter after six, we all pile into a pair of cars and head for the center of Gorinchem.

Not long after, we're looking for parking next to the Great Church of Gorinchem near the market and skating rink. After a bit of walking (including a couple wrong turns) we arrive at our destination: restaurant de Hoofdwacht.

It's 630.

I didn't actually know who would be here. The restaurant set up a long table for us that allows for everyone from the hotel bar, my oldest cousin and his wife, the two sons of my aunt whose home we visited the previous night, the sister of my oldest cousin and her husband...

And us.

A full house.

I wish there was some way to capture the experience that ensued. There's just too much happening at the same time from one end of the table to the other. What I can tell you for sure is that saté with pinda sauce is a table favorite for everyone's main course while Crème Brûlée with ice cream on the side is the table favorite for dessert. My cousin sitting next to me introduces me to the "tradition" of fist bumps between everyone who ordered that specialty dessert... although I'm pretty sure he made that up on the spot.

I'm also doing the pumpkin soup for a starter.

To properly set the scene, my older cousins and their wives are down at the wall end of the table catching up. Sitting across from me to my right (ish) are my uncle and his companion. Sitting across from me to my left (ish) is the boyfriend of my cousin from far up north who's an artist and a craftsman. Next to him are my female cousins who make for quite the duo who share an epic story of a night on Queen Ann Hill gone inexplicable and catastrophically off the rails. If the two, the one on the right is the one with her artist/craftsman boyfriend. The one on the left is with her husband who's sitting at the end of the table. To his right which also happens to be to my left are both the youngest and the tallest of all the cousins.

They're brothers, these two, and I'm not super confident I have their names right. So I send a text to my cousin sitting at the corner of the table to my left next to her husband. I catch her attention at the table, tell her to be cool, to check her texts, and laugh about it later if you please.

She laughs right then, of course, but to her credit texts me the name of the cousin sitting next to me...

And all is right in the world. 🙂

And I'm only mildly humiliated. 😐

In the meantime, conversations are happening across the table, side to side, and criss-cross... organically shifting between different family members and back again. I talk to my cousin on the left a bunch, covering a broad range of topics from deep family history to ChatGPT. His brother on the other side of him joined us for the ChatGPT portion of our evening, by the way. 🙂

Sadly, I can't do full justice to this table scene other than to characterize it as controlled chaos punctuated by laughter. As relentless conversation powered by genuine interest and affection. As motion and passion and energy shaped by personal history and relationships. As the bonds of family wrapped in easy best-friendships.

I don't know how else to say it.

I don't know of an easier way to say it.

These people are unique in my life. They are specific to me. And their presence is thoroughly addicting in the best way ever.

And yeah.

I could get used to this.

By 10:30 that night, four hours later, it's time for us to say goodbye which takes another half hour out of our seats, near the table, standing about in further expressions of farewell and love and gratitude.

By eleven we're out the door, back onto the wet cobblestone, walking to our various cars.

Eventually it's just Kimmer 'n I walking with my oldest cousin and his wife. I'm not sure what we're talking about just then, but I remember we're walking a narrow lane at night when my cousin asks

"Do you have plans for Friday?"

And while we continue walking, thinking about what plans we might have, his wife pitches us with

"Do you want one?"

Oh dear. Yes.

So they conjure the outline of a plan for Friday that, well, we'll see what happens Friday.

Soon enough, they're dropping us at our hotel and we're making sure we stay connected beyond our stay. That we continue to be helpful to each other, present in whatever way we can be in each other's lives.

And then we're waving goodbye as they drive home.

The end of our day in our hotel is straight-up anticlimax after what we just experienced this night. But it's still important.

It's my dad's birthday, you see. And, after about an hour of troubleshooting with T-Mobile because I'm no longer able to make international phone calls, I reach out to him through my mom's Facebook messenger wi-fi calling function.

Amazingly, my dad picks up after a few rings. I really didn't know that this would work but—

Huzzah!

And then I'm talking to my dad, wishing him a Happy Birthday, giving him the abbreviated version of the day we just experienced...

And the family with whom we shared that experience.

Because seriously.

I could get used to this.

😊

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mxaxwx · 1 year ago

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7-16-23

A friend sends me a recommendation to read an article by a man whose name is something like Javyn Callyx. I see the email superimposed over some young men skating, so I think he might also be a skateboarder. I'm not sure what the article is about but my friend seems to recommend it highly.

I am now watching the young men skating, which looks fun. Soon I'm skating as well.

Later, someone else recommends an article to me written by a different guy, but he recommends it almost as a date, as if I should be dating the guy who wrote it. I take the recommendation...

I'm in a place like a mall with multiple levels. I go down to a lower level and into a store to look at pens. For some reason I'm on the phone calling an employee in another section of the store (upstairs?) and when they answer I say “never mind, I found it” then tell them that if I see them on my way back I'll buy them a piece of cake.

I look around for packs of pens that I want. I can't find any on this aisle so I go a few aisles over and look near some markers. A young boy and his dad are behind me talking...

----------

I'm in a car on the way back from somewhere. A friend of mine is driving, I'm in the passenger seat and two of her friends are in the back seat.

I make a joke about her dog and when she gets (playfully) offended I explain to her that I wouldn’t punch her dog even for a million dollars.

She's about to run a red light and I warn her but she can't slow down in time so she turns right then hooks back around and continues on our course.

It’s night now. She stops the car and and we all get out to go the rest of the way on foot. I hope the others don't mind. We come to a place between two houses where we used to climb the fence and pass through the back yard, like a shortcut. There's a car running nearby which may have someone in it and I don't want to pass through someone’s property without permission so I keep walking as they go off to do it. I continue walking and wonder how I'll catch up to them.

I see or imagine the woman whose yard they're passing through. She's inside having a party for her son and she looks out and sees three red balloons passing by (held by my friend and her two friends) to the sound of a clown horn—then she looks over and sees an all-white being that looks like it’s from a comic book standing over the fence and staring at them, which is a little scary but also kind of humorous...

----------

I'm standing outside of a bank with my sister and father. A man is standing out in front of the bank holding a large version of his debit card as if in some sort of protest. He seems odd and keeps acting weird, then he turns around and pulls his penis out. A woman walks by and grabs it playfully. At some point he grabs or touches my sister and I get in his face and tell him not to do it again...

I'm sitting inside somewhere and I look out the window and see a friend of mine standing outside the bank trying to get in, but it's closed. I try to get his attention through the glass but can't, so later I try to text him but I have trouble doing so. I end up typing some kind of cute emoji instead of what I wanted but I’m so frustrated I decide just to send it. I get a response and realize that I’d accidentally sent it to some Nintendo-based group chat instead. I try again to text my friend but can't, so I stop by a friend's house where he is. I sit with him and my friend in the living room. The friend I was trying to get a hold of sits in a chair across the room and keeps quiet and looks really checked out, just staring at his phone. I talk to the other guy though, which is nice. I have a Garfield PEZ dispenser and offer him some. He offers me some from his and I accept, then offer him from mine. I think I'm all out of them but more come out. I'm not sure if he takes them...

----------

I'm at a park. There's a briefcase attached to a fence that I sometimes stop and get things out of. I think I might get a key for it from a friend.

At some point later, I go back to it to try to use the briefcase but it's now inside a small room that has what looks like homeless person's clothes scattered about. I go in and shut the door and look inside the briefcase but it's empty. I've been in here a while and I hear a woman outside complain about it...

(I wake up to the strong smell of a skunk coming in through my window, then drift back off to sleep)

I’m in another part of the park, I hear dogs barking and fighting and I see a short old man walking a skunk on a leash while dogs that other people are walking bark at it and get sprayed. I even see a small group of people walking away with one guy trying to wipe himself off because he'd gotten sprayed...

I'm at home. My dad tells me that some skunks got in the house, probably in the basement. In the fridge I see a barbecue dinner that he prepared.

I'm in a room. I am talking to a woman about Los Angeles. She says it's a “gentle” city and I explain why I think it's the opposite...

I see two chickens. One is being followed by a bird of prey, maybe an owl. It looks to be stalking the chicken and think it's going to kill it but it ends up hopping on its back and riding it. The owl is wearing a white mask with something like rivets or rhinestones on it—something about it reminds me of Day of the Dead for some reason. I think these animals are friends and that it does this a lot...

I’m in a house. I see a Christmas video released by Ronnie James Dio in which he talks about how his band doesn't have the same punch or spark it used to, giving some example related to certain guitars/tone. The camera is fixed on some small Christmas decorations in a warmly lit room and he speaks from off camera, never appearing on screen...

#dreams

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cuddletime-blog · 3 years ago

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5 MLQC Guys’ Christmas Plans with MC

Kiro:

· would spend the night at home with MC eating a festive meal and drinking hot cocoa. They would also indulge in roasted chestnuts, toasted marshmallows, and a Christmas cake.

· Kiro would decorate the Christmas tree and dress up like Santa Claus to surprise MC.

· He would start a charity concert to raise money for Loveland’s Children’s Hospital and orphanages.

· Kiro and MC would get a gingerbread house to decorate together, but would end up eating several of the decorations.

· They would go Christmas caroling at the Children’s Hospital and orphanages.

· MC hints at wanting to go on a sleigh ride, so Kiro rents an entire sleigh complete with reindeer to go on a romantic ride in the snow.

· The snowball fights together with Kiro would be the best and he and MC would have so much fun together.

· MC would put toys in Apple Box and Cello’s Christmas stockings because our furry friends deserve great Christmas gifts.

Victor:

· would attend a Christmas ballet with MC to watch The Nutcracker.

· He would cook a splendid Christmas dinner for MC to enjoy.

· Victor and MC would attend various Christmas office parties and balls together.

· He would donate to various charities for the holidays.

· He and MC would attend church or mass together on Christmas Day and listen to the children’s choir singing.

· Victor and Goldman would do pairs figure skating at the local ice skating rink. Just kidding.

· MC gives Pudding the cat toys in a Christmas stocking because pets should be spoiled during the holidays.

Gavin:

· would enjoy snowboarding and riding snowmobiles with MC.

· He and MC would go watch a Christmas parade at the amusement park.

· They would build snowmen and snuggle together while watching MC’s favorite holiday rom-com Christmas movies.

· Gavin would occasionally enjoy eating MC’s homemade Christmas baked goods.

· He would collect donated care packages to send to military service members who are serving abroad for the holidays.

Lucien:

· would enjoy listening to old Christmas songs on a record player with MC.

· would definitely drive or walk around town with MC to admire the different Christmas lights on display.

· They would go see the huge Christmas trees at the malls or in the town square.

· He and MC would go see an ice sculptures exhibition together.

· Lucien would go read Christmas stories to children at the orphanage and give them various books as gifts.

Shaw:

· would be practicing for his New Year’s Eve show at the Live House.

· He and his bandmates would play Secret Santa and White Elephant gift exchange games with prank gifts.

· Shaw would record some rock versions of Christmas songs for MC.

· He would also dress up as Santa Claus and play tricks on children and MC.

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chaosanswers · 4 years ago

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Okay, I know this is going to be crazy, but stick with me here. How would the monster boys' react when their daughter/son/twins/triplets/youngest just casually ask the s/o about them being single? while they’re in a daze by the s/o. I know they don’t have kids, but just just imagine the scenario being hilarious, or just down right cute.

A/N: Oh that’s adorable! I did the same thing with my stepmom 🤣

Dylan (4 kids)

He took his pups to the park for them to play around. He saw you on the other side of the park and went over to talk to you. "Hey s/o!" "Oh, hi Dylan!" The pups saw their dad walk over to you, and out of curiosity they followed him. He noticed his kids just looking at you curiously and he introduced you, and you gave them a smile. "S/o these are my kids, pups this is my friend s/o." "Hi." The youngest just stared at you in a daze. Then suddenly he asked “Are you single?”. Dylan just froze out of shock. You let out a small giggle. “Yeah I am actually.” All the pups just went crazy. “You and Daddy can date then!” “Can I plan your wedding dad? Please!” “You’re gonna be our new parent!” Dylan’s face heated up out of embarrassment. “Ok kids time to go!” All of them groaned. “Sorry about that s/o” “Oh no it’s alright, they’re adorable!” As they walked away the youngest just shouted out “Bye future parent!”

Liam (1 kid)

Liam and his daughter went out for ice cream. When Liam say you working there. "Oh, hi s/o." "Hi Liam." You then noticed his tiny version of him. "Who's this little cutie?" "Oh this is my daughter." he said. You both talked for a bit as you made their ice cream. “Here you go sweetie.” You said giving Liam’s daughter her ice cream. She stared at you, soaking in your beauty. “Are you single?” She just blurted out. Liam’s face turned red. “Oh, yes I am single.” Her face lit up. “You can marry my daddy then! He’s really nice!” She squealed. Liam put a hand over her mouth. “Uh, w-we have to go now. B-Bye S/o.” “See ya Liam.” Before they went out, you heard a small voice shout. “Bye future parent!”

Zayne (twins)

Zayne took his twin boys to the arcade for their birthday. When Zayne saw you enter the arcade, he went over to talk to you. "Hey hey s/o!" "Hey Zayne!" His boys followed him and looked at you with amazement. "Um Zayne, looks like you got some company." You said pointing to the two little boys. "Oh yeah, these are my little trouble makers." He said. You were like a deity to the two little boys. “Are you single?” They both asked. Zayne froze. “Yes I am.” You giggled. Both of the boys high fived. “Best birthday ever!” “You gotta marry our dad!” “Dad hurry up, ask to marry them!” “Come on dad!” The boys kept telling Zayne to marry you. He then covered their mouths and dragged them towards the entrance. “Nice see ya s/o” he said. “You too Zayne!” You said. “See ya future parent!” “We’ll plan your wedding!”

Alexander (triplets)

Alexander was picking up his three little girls from school. When he saw his girls, he also saw you with them, turns out you were their teacher. You brought the girls to their dad and Alexander waved at you. "Hey s/o!" "Oh hi Alexander, these angels yours?" He nodded. "Yeah, my little princesses!" The girls views switched from their dad and back to you as you both talked. One of them tugged on your shirt. “Are you single?” Alexander blushed hard. “Yes I am.” You said with a giggle. “Look Daddy’s face is all red!” “Daddy likes them!” “Now you two have to get married, those are the rules!” Alexander then picked his girls up. “Ok time to go home.” He said. You waved goodbye, but Alexander’s girls shouted their goodbyes too. “Bye! We’ll plan your wedding!” “You’re outfit is going to be really pretty!” “There’s gonna be lots of flowers too! And a big cake!”

Nathan (2 kids)

Nathan took his son and daughter out to eat. While they were waiting for their food, Nathan saw you walk in. Luckily (for him) you sat at a table close to him and his kids. "S/o?" "Oh hey Nathan! Didn't expect to see you here." You both talked for a while until his kids butted in. "How do you know our dad?" You giggled. "Well we-" "Are you single?" Nathan's daughter asked. Nathan's face went red. "Yes I am." Both of the kids faces lit up. "Dad you can marry them!" "Yeah marry them right now!" You were giggling at the kids demands. "We're just friends." You said. "Yes, just friends. And ONLY friends." Nathan said. "You can date now!" "Yeah, this is now your date Dad!" "We can put the tables together!" they both kept pestering him for a while. "Food's here!" Nathan said. When they got ready to leave you hear two little voices. "Bye future parent!" "See you soon!"

Simon (1 kid)

Simon took his son to the skating rink. He stayed by his side to make sure he doesn't trip or fall. When Simon saw you enter the rink, he grabbed his son's hand and skated over to you. "Hey Simon!" "Heya s/o" he said. You saw the little boy next to him. "Aww, whose this little cutie?" "This is my boy. He's a bit of the silent type." You wobbled a bit as you tried to stand on the skates, but you slipped. Simon caught you before you could fall. "First time?" "Hehe, yeah.." Simon's son saw how his dad held you. You both laughing and smiling. He then tugged on your clothes. "Are you single?" he asked. Simon frozed. You giggled. "Yes I am." His face lit up. "You can marry them Dad! You said you wanted to start dating again! Ask them out! Come on dad!" Simon then scooped up his boy and exited the rink. "Adios s/o!" he said. You waved. "Bye Simon." You heard a small voice in the distance. "Adios future parent!"

Onyx (twins)

Onyx took his girls out to the mall. They were all at the food court, but Onyx saw you a few tables away. "Oh, s/o!" "Oh Onyx, hi!" You gathered your stuff and headed over. "O-Oh s/o, these are my daughters." "Aww, they're adorable! Hi!" Both girls waved. As both you and Onyx talked, the girls view switched between you and their dad. "Are you single" the girls blurted out. Onyx blushed and hid his face in his hands. "Yeah." Both of the girls squealed. "You can marry them Daddy!" "You guys have to go on a date right now!" What the three of you didn't notice is that poor Onyx slipped into the shadows out of embarrassment. "I think he went into the shadows girls." you said. Before both girls sunk into the shadows to comfort their dad, they waved at you. "Bye future parent!" "We'll plan your wedding!"

Elliot (triplets)

Elliot took his boys to the pool. He just sat on the edge of the pool and watched his boys splash at each other. "Not gonna get in?" Elliot looked up and saw you. "Oh hey s/o" he said. You smiled and sat right beside him. You looked out and saw three little boys that look like Elliot playing. "Those your boys?" "Yeah." You both talked for a while until his sons swam to you both. They originally planned to push their dad in until they saw you with him. "Oh boys, this is s/o." "Hi boys." you said waving. "Wow you're stunning!" "Very beautiful!" "Are you single?" Elliot blushed hard, and you laughed a bit. "Yes I am single." The boys then smiled brightly. "Dad you can marry them!" "Marry them Daddy!" "Hurry up Dad!" the boys kept pestering their dad, and Elliot hid his face in his hands. The boys then started to ask you questions about you and Elliot's weeding. "What colors do you want? That's really important!" "I can plan your outfit!" "Do you guys want a big cake or a lot of cupcakes?" Elliot then got his boys and wrapped them in towels. "Time to go. B-Bye s/o.." "See ya Elliot, bye boys." The boys waved as they left. "Don't worry, your wedding is gonna be great!" "Yeah!" "Bye future parent!"

Milo (1 kid)

Milo took his son to the movies. They found their seat and Milo's son started to eat his popcorn. Milo saw you walk in the theatre and he waved to you. You smiled and made your way to him. "Hey s/o." "Hey Milo, oh and who's this cutie?" You said waving to his son. "This is my boy." He waved. You three watched the movie together, but Milo's son stared at you for a while. When the movie was over, he just burst with questions. 'Are you single?" he asked. Milo almost choked on his drink. "Yeah I am." "Oh you can date my Dad! Then you guys are gonna get married!" Milo hid his face in his hands. "Time to go buddy." He said taking his hand. "Bye s/o." "By Milo, nice seeing you again." You then heard a small voice call out. "Bye future parent! I'll make sure the wedding is amazing!"

#monster lover #monster boyfriend #ghost boy #monster fucker #demon boy #dragon boy #merman #mershark #monster boy oc #himbo werewolf #shy shadow boy #shy naga boy #naga boy

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amanda-glassen · 3 years ago

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spooky/autumn Jerena prompt: Jamie and Serena’s first Halloween together

This isn't exactly Halloween night, but it's their first October together. I know these are supposed to be drabbles so I'm sorry that this turned out to be over 2,000 words.

The best summer of Jamie’s life had come to an end. With Serena having summers off, it gave them an opportunity to spend every moment of their free time together－as long as Serena was home by the time the streetlights went on. Now that Olivia was 11, she was allowed to go for bike rides with her best friend Elliot and have other outside adventures with her friends without parental supervision the entire summer; however, just as Serena had a summer curfew, so did Olivia. Jamie had yet to meet Serena’s daughter, but it warmed her heart to hear Serena talk about her.

She had met Serena in late April and, although they had been seeing each other for five months now, she still found herself in disbelief that Serena was really hers to kiss whenever she wanted. Jamie admired how intelligent and sophisticated she was－mixing designer labels with vintage finds and always looking straight out of a magazine with perfectly applied makeup and not a strand of hair out of place. Serena had traveled to more places before age five than she had in her entire life and Jamie loved hearing stories about the places she had been and even the stories about her day-to-day life as a professor. Jamie was in awe of this woman and, it was during a picnic in the park one summer afternoon, that Jamie realized she was in love with this woman－even if she wasn’t officially her girlfriend yet.

She hadn’t heard much from Serena throughout the past week and Jamie had chocked it up to Serena being busy with work and Olivia’s after school activities now that the summer was over. Olivia was her priority and Jamie was never upset about Serena having to cancel a date because Olivia wasn’t feeling well or she had a last-minute emergency, but with Serena cancelling a second date, Jamie worried she had done something to upset her.

Jamie was ready to apologize even if she wasn’t sure what to apologize for, so she picked up some flowers and made her way over to Serena’s apartment. She was going over unannounced and she wasn’t sure if Serena would be receptive, but she didn’t care. She missed her and, if there was a possibility that she was sick, Jamie wanted to be the one to take care of her.

Jamie knocked on the door, flowers in hand, ready to surprise her, but when Serena opened the door it was Jamie that received the surprise of her life.

She looked wide-eyed at the woman who answered the door in black sweatpants and a Texas Chainsaw Massacre hoodie. Her curly hair was in a messy ponytail, but the icing on the cake were the black framed glasses and retainer she was wearing. “Serena?”

Serena looked at her in absolute terror before motioning for her to come in. She hadn’t said a word regardless of how much Jamie tried to talk to her. Instead she reached for her phone and texted, “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

Jamie looked around at the Halloween decor in Serena’s apartment. She had expected her Halloween decorations to look like the ones she saw in magazines－minimalist and classy. Instead she saw fake blood smeared in random places, some demonic-looking statue in the corner, and the crowning jewel: a replica of Leatherface’s chainsaw with the words ‘The Saw is Family’ engraved on it. It may not have had a chain on it but it still scared the hell out of Jamie. Who is this woman?

Serena was gone for a little over a minute, but when she came back, Jamie noticed she was no longer wearing her glasses and retainer. She cuddled up to Jamie on the couch, wrapping an arm around her waist and resting her head on her shoulder. “Thanks for the flowers.” They were now lying next to the chainsaw and Jamie found the contrast between the two funny.

“Oh, now you’re talking to me,” Jamie teased. “I’m curious though. How would ‘thanks for the flowers’ sound with your retainer?”

Serena playfully pinched Jamie’s side. “When you’re dating a woman, you’re supposed to warn her before you come over. You don’t just drop by unannounced, but now that you’ve seen my true form, I’m going to have to kill you.”

Jamie looked around. “Judging by all the blood everywhere, I doubt I’m the first person you’ve killed today. Is that why you didn’t text me back this morning? Too busy hiding the body?”

“Dismembering it in the bathtub,” Serena said nonchalantly. “I guess you can say it’s a regular bloodbath in there.”

Jamie couldn’t help rolling her eyes, especially when she saw how pleased Serena looked with herself. “I’m trying not to humor you because I know it’ll only encourage you, but I can’t get over this.”

“Get over what?”

“How you look right now.” Jamie leaned in to kiss her. “I know you’re usually immaculately dressed but I like this version of you. You’re so relaxed and cute. Where’s Olivia? I hope I’m not ruining some mother/daughter time.”

“She’s at a sleepover with some girls from her volleyball team. I just broke our date because I felt like being alone today.”

“Oh,” Jamie tried to hide her disappointment. “I can go. I was just worried that－”

“No, don’t,” Serena interrupted her. “I haven’t been in the best mindset and I think it’d be better if you were here with me.”

What she was going through, Jamie didn’t know, but those big hazel eyes pleading with her to stay, there was no way Jamie was going to leave her. “Of course, baby. I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

Jamie didn’t know what they’d spend the rest of their time doing, but she decided to let Serena take the lead. It was early October and, although it wouldn’t last until Halloween, Serena decided it was time for them to carve pumpkins. Jamie used a scooper, but when she looked over at Serena she noticed her scooper was untouched and she was taking out the insides with her bare hands.

“I love the feeling of pumpkin guts,” Serena told her and Jamie had to admit she looked adorable with her hands all slimy and full of seeds and pumpkin insides, so adorable that she became distracted and touched her fingertips to a small knife they used for carving instead of a scooper.

“Ow!” Jamie immediately rushed over to the sink to rinse the blood.

“Let me get you a Band-Aid.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jamie insisted once she realized how she must look right now. She had always tried to be tough around Serena, but she could no longer hide that blood made her squeamish.

Serena rushed over to wrap her arms around her from behind. “You’re squeamish, aren’t you?”

“No,” Jamie scoffed, but she could tell Serena wasn’t buying it. “Yes, a little. Judging by your decor, I take it blood doesn’t bother you.”

“Not really,” Serena led her back to the table. “I’m the mother of a tomboy. Olivia is always coming home with some type of new injury. Plus, I was a really rambunctious kid, myself.”

“You?” Jamie asked in disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”

Serena lifted up one of the legs of her sweatpants just slightly above the knee. “This looks way smaller than it did when I was 10, but I got this from falling off a skateboard.”

“You know how to skate?”

“No,” Serena rolled her pant leg down. “Hence the scar.”

“Okay, I got one for you,” Jamie lifted the hem of her t-shirt a few inches. “My cousins and I were taking turns pushing each other in a shopping cart and we were going so fast that it toppled over and that’s how I got this scar.”

“Impressive,” Serena smiled at her. “I love a woman who walks on the wild side.” She took off her hoodie and pointed out a round scar on her arm that Jamie had seen before but never asked how she had gotten it. “I got this from a roman candle on the fourth of July when I pretended to be the Statue of Liberty.”

“Your parents let you play with fireworks as a kid?”

“Not exactly,” Serena chuckled. “It was three years ago and I was drunk off my ass.”

They continued trying to one-up each other until Jamie noticed a deep horizontal scar on Serena’s left wrist. Serena usually wore a watch or bracelets and, because she didn’t want to get it ruined by the ‘pumpkin guts’ she had taken it off. She had told Jamie stories about skateboarding, pretending to be the Statue of Liberty and the many scars she had gotten from performing her own Jackass stunts with her siblings when they were in middle school, so Jamie knew this deep scar had to have a good story to go along with it. She’s probably saving the best for last. Jamie gently grabbed Serena’s wrist and pointed out the scar. “What’s this one from, babe?”

“Jamie, stop,” Serena mumbled, trying to pull her wrist away.

“Can I take a guess?”

“Stop!” Serena forcefully pulled her wrist away from Jamie’s grasp and rolled her sleeve down. “I knew this wasn’t a good idea. I think you should go home.”

She had never seen Serena upset before and Jamie didn’t know how to react. She was covering her face with her hands, but Jamie could tell she was crying. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Get out!” Serena yelled. “I don’t want to see you anymore!”

But Jamie didn’t leave her. Instead, she walked over to Serena and sat down in the chair next to her. “I’m not going to touch you until you give me permission to and if you really want me to leave I’ll leave.”

Serena reached for her hand and Jamie noticed the pleading look in her eyes. “Please don’t leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Jamie laid on the couch with Serena on top of her. The woman who was so vibrant just moments ago now looked so fragile and all Jamie wanted to do was hold her for as long as she’d allow.

“Girls aren’t supposed to do it this way.”

“What, baby?” Jamie asked as she caressed her back.

“I heard it on some stupid TV show that girls take pills and boys slit their wrists. I was 13. I didn’t know how to swallow pills yet. The only way I could swallow pills was if my mom put them in ice cream. This seemed like the logical alternative.”

“Babe, you don’t have to answer this,” Jamie gently caressed her. “But, what was the－”

“You’re going to ask what my reason was,” Serena interrupted her. “I’ll tell you that in time. For now, I’ll just say something happened to me repeatedly when I was 13 and I felt like this was the only way to get him to stop. My brother Kyle was the one who found me. He was only 11 and it took years for him to get the image out of his mind. I’ll never forgive myself for the damage I caused him.”

“Baby, no,” Jamie tried to hold back her own tears. “I’m sure he’s just glad you’re okay. I’m sure we all are. Is there anything I can do to make it all better for you?”

Serena lifted her head up so she could kiss Jamie’s tears. “I’m okay now, Jay. I promise. It takes me awhile to open up. Sometimes I live inside my head and need to be alone, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I have my family, my career, my Olliegator who is my entire world, and now I have you. I know the pace I’ve set for us is slow, but I want to be your girlfriend someday if you still want me to be.”

“There’s no one I’d rather have as a future girlfriend. We can take as much time as you need. I’ll always be here for you.”

Jamie spent the rest of the night holding her as they watched movies and talked. The woman she had gotten to know over the summer was just an act because she thought she had to be perfect, but that day she met the real Serena and, as she fell asleep in her arms, Jamie knew without a doubt that this was the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

#jerena #alex and liv: the wonder years

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inthedayswhenlandswerefew · 4 years ago

Text

Eccentricity [Chapter 10: Stay, I Need To Be Myself]

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the fluffy times while they lasted. 😉

Series Summary: Joe Mazzello is a nice guy with a weird family. A VERY weird family. They have a secret, and you have a choice to make. Potentially a better love story than Twilight.

Chapter Title Is A Lyric From: “Where Were You When The Sky Opened Up” by The Dangerous Summer.

Chapter Warnings: Language, sexual references (not graphic), angstttttttttt.

Word Count: 6k.

Other Chapters (And All My Writing) Available: HERE

Taglist: @queen-turtle-boiii @bramblesforbreakfast @maggieroseevans @culturefiendtrashqueen @imnotvibingveryguccimrstark @escabell @im-an-adult-ish @queenlover05 @someforeigntragedy @imtheinvisiblequeen @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhyee @deacyblues @tensecondvacation @brianssixpence @some-major-ishues @haileymorelikestupid @youngpastafanmug @simonedk

Uninvited

“Hey, it’s our song!” Joe turned up the radio as he steered his Subaru down the Lees’ cobblestone driveway and into a parking spot facing the woods. We’d been back from Chicago for a full week now, and—with the notable exceptions of classes and the early morning hours when Joe soundlessly crept out of my bedroom window—were very rarely apart.

“And I would do anything for love

I’d run right into hell and back

I would do anything for love

I’d never lie to you and that's a fact.”

“Uh, this is not our song,” I objected, the soles of my shoes propped against the dashboard. “I was not consulted. A couple’s official song cannot be a unilateral decision.”

“But I'll never forget the way you feel right now

Oh no, no way

And I would do anything for love

Oh I would do anything for love

I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that

No, I won’t do that.”

“Oh okay, what are you, the relationship police? Alright, Chief Baby Swan, let’s hear your brilliant suggestion. Wait, let me guess. Something by The Killers. Vampire Weekend. My Bloody Valentine. Is there a band called Chipotle Veggie Bowl?”

“Never Gonna Give You Up?” I suggested.

He laughed, dragging me over the center console and into his lap. “Oh, you are the worst!”

I straddled him in the driver’s seat, cupped his face in my palms, giggled as I touched my lips to his, soft and cool and lithe and inviting. When I broke the kiss, Joe pulled me back in, knotting his fingers through my hair. The way my thighs fit perfectly around him; that sharp, instinctual, now so familiar ache of longing. “I want you,” I breathed.

He pretended to be scandalized. “Right now? At this exact moment? In my parents’ driveway?”

“Yeah,” I confessed.

He grinned, unbuckling his belt. “Okay.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. I’ve lost all sense of decency. I’m an animal. You’ve absolutely ruined me.” His hands travelled beneath my U Chicago sweatshirt and tore it over my head. Yes, he had converted me to Chicago apparel. It was very embarrassing. Let’s move on.

“I’m sorry,” I moaned softly. I lied. I wasn’t sorry at all.

“I think we might need to get our own place.”

“Why?”

“Because I love the way you ruin me. And I want you to do it...” He went on, kissing me after each word: “All. The. Fucking. Time.”

I yanked off his Cubs t-shirt in one vicious tug. “We’re okay out here?” I didn’t really care; I should have, I was aware of that. But I didn’t. The Lees, most likely, would not call my dad to report us for public indecency. I could imagine Scarlett’s voice in my head, warm with approval: Get it, girl.

“Totally. And we’re far enough away from the house, Rami shouldn’t be able to hear us.” Joe nipped lightly down the side of my neck: carefully, always so carefully.

“He’d only get your side of things anyway.”

“Well yeah, that’s what I’m worried about! Your thoughts wouldn’t be so intrusive. I don’t care if he knows I’m a fantastic lay.”

“Oh, are you?” I teased, grinding my hips against him. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Joe smiled as he unbuttoned my jeans, deliciously slowly. “Well let me...just...refresh your...memory...”

I kissed him, roughly and deeply, arching into him, biting his lower lip. Yes, yes, yes...

Joe pulled away, still smiling but blinking and dazed. “Wow, all the sudden I feel...like...really calm.”

“Thanks...?” A week of almost constant sex might do that to a person. Sure, maybe, what did I know? My lips found his again. My hand skated down his bare stomach and into the waistband of his boxers. Joe began to help me peel off my jeans; then he stopped.

“Wait wait wait, I know this feeling.” Joe lifted me off of him and pushed me back into the passenger’s seat, gently but stubbornly. I tried not to be offended.

“What—?”

“Shhh.” He grabbed the headrest of my seat and twisted around to peer out of the rear windshield. I followed his gaze. There was a new car in the driveway, parked up by the front porch: an anonymous black Honda Civic. The plate said California. It was probably a rental. “Oh fuck,” Joe whispered. His eyes were enormous, glassy, horrified.

“What is it?”

“Stay here.” He threw on his Cubs t-shirt, zipped his pants, fastened his belt. “Stay down, stay quiet. And no matter what happens do not get out of this car, do you understand me?”

“Joe, why—?”

“Do you understand me?” His voice was low but severe, so incredibly unlike him; his dark eyes were flinty. Just like that night with the apples in Mercy’s kitchen, that night when Ben almost...

“I understand,” I heard myself reply.

“Good.” Joe climbed out of the Subaru—smoothing his shirt and then his tousled hair—and rushed over to intercept the unsolicited guest. I peeked around my headrest to watch, my right palm braced against the center console, that feverish lust that had been rushing through my bloodstream gradually weakening, perishing, vanishing like seawater baked from the sand under a rising sun.

The stranger stepped out of the Honda Civic, and although I knew his face, it took me a moment to place him. It was like—I could only imagine, having never been myself—a child stumbling into their movie heroines and beloved stuffed animals come to life during their first trip to Disneyland, amazed and yet somehow gut-twistingly uneasy as they gawked up at that grotesquely inflated cartoon face, that mask of lipstick and rouge that didn’t quite match their recollections, that dreamlike mirage plucked from pages or screens and impelled into a physical form that suddenly swallowed up space and gravity and oxygen. I had seen this stranger before in the massive painting that adorned Gwilym Lee’s upstairs office.

Cato.

He was very tall and very beautiful, classically beautiful, Ben-level beautiful. Joe often jokingly referred to him as Idris Elba within the Lee household, and a mid-thirties version of Idris Elba was just about right. He wore an immaculately tailored grey suit and aviator sunglasses, which he removed to greet Joe, folding and then sliding them smoothly into the front pocket of his suit jacket. His face was solemn and observant; he had a closely-trimmed beard without a fleck of silver. He extended a hand, which Joe shook.

“Hey, Cato!” I heard Joe say, muffled through the walls of the Subaru. I couldn’t make out Cato’s replies; his voice sounded deep, rumbling, extremely level. “So nice of you to stop by! I didn’t know you were in town. Yeah, everyone’s doing great. Even Ben. Hahaha, yeah, you know how he is. You know exactly how he is. But it’s all good. Well look, I’m just gonna go run a friend home and then I’ll be back in fifteen, maybe twenty minutes and we can all chat. Okay? Awesome. Feel free to head inside, I’m sure Mercy would be thrilled to play hostess. There’s sweet tea in the fridge and a hummingbird cake on the counter and...oh, something else too...some weird type of cookies she baked this morning. Help yourself. I’ll be back before you can say ‘tyrannical vampire murder cult.’”

“Tyrannical vampire murder cult,” it looked like Cato replied without a hint of a smile. But he wasn’t paying attention to Joe anymore. His eyes had found the Subaru, and then me; he was staring with that intense, seeking bewilderment that reminded me of Rami and Lucy and Ben when I’d first met them, when they were still trying to puzzle out why my mind (and my mind alone) was a night-draped, silent ocean of the unknown.

He's trying to read me, I realized. He’s trying to read me and he can’t.

Joe was jogging back to the Subaru now. At last, Cato turned away from me and headed into the house. The carved pumpkins from Weber’s Farm still lined the front porch: Scarlett’s Thunderbird, Archer’s Vantage, Rami’s swooping bat, Lucy’s moon and stars, Joe’s moustached jack-o-lantern, my (but actually Gwil’s) snapshot under the sea, Ben’s miniature Lee residence complete with the winding cobblestone driveway. Joe swept into the driver’s seat, adjusted his rearview mirror, and spun out of the parking spot.

“Goddammit,” he hissed as we barreled down the driveway.

“Why is Cato here?”

“I have no idea.” Joe looked straight ahead as he drove, preoccupied, consumed with possibilities. His fingers drummed the steering wheel. “We have to pay dues to them, all the covens do. Gwil cuts a check. But that’s not until around the New Year. That’s almost always when Cato stops by. Collects the payment, interrogates us in a way that masquerades as conversation, hangs around town for a few days, reports back whatever we’re up to...which usually isn’t much. Holidays with the extended family, gotta love it. I don’t know why he would be here now.” Joe shook his head. “Maybe something to do with Ben. It would have to be Ben. There’s no other reason.”

“And you don’t want him to know about me.”

“No, I don’t.”

“But...Cato isn’t all that dangerous,” I said, not understanding. “Is he?”

“Not alone, no. But the people he works for are.” Joe sighed, glancing over at me as he drove, serious and sorry and sad. “There’s a lot of violence in my world. A lot of darkness. I’ve tried to protect you from that as much as possible. And maybe I’ve done too good a job, maybe it’s too easy for you to forget what we really are. Most vampires aren’t like Gwil’s coven. They’re not like me. They kill easily and unrepentantly. And I don’t want any of them knowing that you exist, that you’re a weakness of ours. I want them to know as little about you as physically possible.”

“A weakness,” I repeated. I didn’t like that.

He smiled faintly. “It’s a compliment to be somebody’s weakness, Baby Swan.”

“I guess so.” The towering pine trees whipped by in a verdant blur. The sky above was thick and grey and churning. “You’ll be okay, right? Ben will be okay?”

Joe seemed to find that amusing, ridiculous even. “You don’t need to worry about us.”

“But I still do.”

“We’ll work it out, whatever it is. Cato is a reasonable guy. And Ben is definitely capable of...well. Advocating for himself.”

Capable of unparalleled carnage, he means. The memory of the first day I’d met Ben hit me like a hurled stone, illuminated my mind like a pulsing neon sign: the coiled tension in his muscles, that mindless, animalistic hatred in his eyes. Yes, he must be quite the monster when he wants to be. But he didn’t want to be anymore. I knew that completely, unquestioningly.

Joe pulled into Charlie’s driveway. The police car was gone; my 1999 Honda Accord and Charlie’s Toyota Corolla rested idly side by side. My dad would be working late tonight, until eight or nine at least. A pang of loneliness struck in my gut, just beneath the ribs; I had grown so accustomed to the absence of solitude, of quiet. The silence suddenly felt so loud.

“Don’t let it ruin your night,” Joe said as I got out of the Subaru. His words were affectionate; but his voice was still distracted, distant. “Don’t let it bother you. Everything will be fine, I promise. And as soon as Cato’s gone, everything will go back to the way it should be.”

“Okay,” I replied, not feeling very comforted at all. I don’t like the way he pushed me off him when he saw the car. The way he’s barely looked at me since. The way he called me a weakness.

Joe was already checking his mirrors, preparing to leave.

“Hey. Mob guy.” I leaned into the rolled-down window. “I love you.”

And the grin lit up Joe’s face like the sun. He crawled across the passenger’s seat, drew me into him by the collar of my brand new U Chicago hoodie, kissed me until that wild, interrupted desire was flaring up again in my arteries and nerve endings and everywhere else. The thunderous clouds in my skull split open. Everything’s still okay. It really is. “I love you to death. And then back again.” He retreated and shifted the Subaru into reverse. “I’ll see you soon. But maybe not too soon, I might be tied up with this family thing for a while. Don’t wait up tonight.”

“No problem. I’ll just call one of my other monster boyfriends to keep me company. The werewolf should be free. It’s not a full moon, is it?”

“No bestiality,” Joe retorted sternly. “That’s illegal, ma’am.”

I smiled and waved as the Subaru swerved out of the driveway and disappeared. Everything’s okay, I told myself, standing in the front yard under darkening skies. Everything will be okay.

And I kept telling myself that, again and again like Hail Marys, until I was dozing off in my bed alone six hours later.

Hit It And Quit It

I dreamed of the beach at La Push—my toes wriggling beneath the cold sand, the ricocheting cries of seagulls, the primordial growl of the frothing waves—and woke up with the ghost of saltwater in my sinuses. I grabbed my iPhone off the nightstand. Two new texts: one from Archer—Hey would it be distasteful or hilarious to dress up as Dracula for the Lee Halloween party? Asking for a friend.—and one from Jessica asking if she could copy my Marine Botany homework. Absolutely nothing from Joe.

When was the last time I didn’t have a text from Joe waiting for me in the morning? I struggled to remember, my mind still foggy with snippets of dreams. A week? Two weeks? A month? It felt like forever.

I tapped out a text to Joe with my clumsy, just-waking-up thumbs: I am resolved. No more nights with my werewolf boyfriend. Dude scratched the hell out of me and then barked at the mailman. Had to drop him off at the SPCA for neutering. See you soon! xxxx

I tried not to obsessively check my phone as I showered, got dressed, gathered my textbooks and notepads and pens. And yet still, I noticed: Joe didn’t text me back.

The rain poured from a grey sky all through my drive to Calawah University, Marine Botany class with Jessica, our frantic dash across campus beneath her hot pink umbrella to Forks And Spoons. My human friends had custody of me during lunchtime today. Angela was studying for a Computer Science quiz, Eric working on an article for the Calawah Chatterbox, Mike histrionically lamenting a sprained ankle coming just on the cusp of basketball season. Jessica bought me a chocolate chip muffin as thanks for texting her a picture of our Marine Botany homework this morning. Ah, the sweet taste of academic dishonesty.

I was relieved—more than I would have liked to admit—that all five Lees were at their usual lunch table, looking worn and tired but normal enough. Ben was hiding behind a pair of sunglasses and his black U Chicago hoodie that Joe and I had bought for him last weekend, sipping steaming tea out of a mug that he gripped with both hands. Scarlett flipped moodily through an astrophysics textbook. Rami repeatedly tapped the tabletop with a pen while Lucy knitted a lavender sweater, never raising her eyes from the jumble of yarn in her lap. They all murmured to each other in low, furtive voices, their mouths barely moving. Joe gave me a wave and a drawn smile; but only after I waved first.

Angela was now scolding Jessica for her lack of moral integrity.

Jess rolled her eyes, gnawing on a chicken finger that was burned black around the edges. “I’m here ostensibly to become an anthropologist and in actuality to find a hot rich husband, not to learn how to identify like sixty different types of algae.”

“Then why even take Marine Botany?” Angela asked, confounded.

“Calawah University forces every student to take at least two science classes, even if you’re a humanities major. Because they’re fucking fascists.”

“Oh, fascists, a big word for you!” I congratulated Jessica, patting her shoulder before returning my attention to my homemade veggie quesadilla and leftover slice of Mercy’s hummingbird cake. I was getting so good at this eating respectable meals thing. Joe would be proud.

Angela chuckled. “How’s that finding a husband thing going, by the way?”

“Awfully,” Jessica sighed. “I had this really promising flirtationship going with a frat boy in my Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic class. Ellsworth Jonathan Griffin, gorgeous blue eyes, blond man bun, his dad is a partner at a corporate law firm in Los Angeles. That’s the stuff dreams are made of. But I’m pretty sure he dropped out because I haven’t seen him in a few days. Also he would bring Absolut vodka to class in an Aquafina bottle.”

“You can probably do better,” I said.

“Well we can’t all end up with Lee boys, now can we?” Jess snapped irritably.

When it was time to depart for our afternoon classes, I met Joe in the doorway of Forks And Spoons, linked my fingers around the back of his neck, tugged at his dark, auburn-tinted hair.

“You okay, mob guy? You seem a little...” Exhausted? Edgy? Sad? “...Distracted.”

“I’m good. I’m great.” He kissed me briefly, fleetingly. No big deal; after all, we were in public. Right? “Are you cool to hang out later?”

“Absolutely. Can we go to La Push if it stops raining? I know it’ll be cold, but I woke up with the beach on my mind and haven’t been able get it out all day.”

“You got it. Can I meet you there? I have to take care of a few things first. Have to, uh, hunt.”

I stared up at him, feeling my stomach drop, feeling rapidly and jarringly off-kilter. Joe rarely mentioned hunting around me...not in a serious way, at least. It was one of those things that knocked me out of the fantasy of how compatible we were, how possible. It was a reminder of all those interminable differences that lived in the hushed space between us. “Okay.”

“I’ll...I’ll explain everything then. At La Push.”

“Okay,” I said again, very uncleverly. What’s going on here? What exactly did Cato say?

Joe smirked; finally a flash of playfulness, that contagious light he was built of. He smoothed my hair with one feather-light stroke of his hand, touched his lips to my forehead. “Don’t be late to Chemistry. I can’t have you failing out.”

“Of course not. How would I be able to get my Marine Biology PhD from U Chicago?”

But Joe didn’t laugh, didn’t even smile; he just left.

Ben was hunched over our table in Professor Belvin’s classroom, his arms encircling his notebook, the pen in his hand scribbling frenziedly. The window was wide open; the rain outside had weakened to a docile drizzle. He was still wearing his sunglasses. He didn’t acknowledge me at all.

“Rough night?” I asked, sliding into the seat beside him.

“Yeah.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“I definitely do not.”

“I’m sorry,” I told him. Ben glanced up, his thick eyebrows raised; they peaked just above the rims of his opaque sunglasses. “Whatever it is, I’m sorry.”

For a long time, Ben just looked at me; maybe wanting to say something, maybe just feeling that decorum necessitated it. “You shouldn’t be,” he replied at last. And he spent the rest of class paying no attention whatsoever to Professor Belvin’s lecture on the Pauli exclusion principle and instead scrawling untidy Welsh phrases into the formerly pristine pages of his notebook.

It was just after 5 p.m. when I arrived at La Push, the tires of my 1999 Honda Accord crunching over the gravel of the small parking area, the wind whipping ferociously. Joe had gotten there first; he was sitting on a rock down by the water with his back to me, peering out over the Pacific Ocean, tossing pebbles and shells into the waves. We had an hour of daylight left. The sky was obscure, grey, dim. Fine droplets of rain like mist sailed through the biting autumn air and clung to my skin.

When Joe spotted me, he leapt off the rock and watched me approach with his hands in the pockets of his North Face jacket. He wasn’t wearing anything Chicago-related today, which was highly unusual. I waited for him to touch me, to hold me, to tell me that everything was okay and always would be...at least for the next ten to fifteen years. He didn’t. “Hey,” he said instead.

“Hi.”

Joe nodded down the beach. “Let’s walk.”

I have never been especially good at mundane, monotonous rambling. That’s a Scorpio thing. And yet monotonous rambling is exactly what I did: I prattled on about my classes, Charlie’s bowling league, Renee’s new life in Florida with Paul, the ocean, the weather, anything to fill that space between us that all at once felt so enormously significant. I was vaguely aware that I was afraid to stop talking; I didn’t want Joe to have the chance to say whatever was on his mind.

Finally, Joe stopped walking. He took my hand, ran his thumb over the faint scar from when I accidentally cut myself in Mercy’s kitchen. His shoes sank into the wet sand, left imprints there like fingerprints. He turned to face me, pained, grave, and oh god, far worse: guilty.

“What?” I asked, terror swelling in my lungs, my bones, some inborn warning of impending ruin.

Joe gazed out over the crashing sea, then came back to me, like a dislocated joint popping back into place. “I am so sorry.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I...” He spoke slowly, haltingly. “I thought that this was something that was doable. But I was wrong.”

“What...?” And then a possibility occurred to me, a glorious possibility. Of course. A grin erupted across my face. “This is a joke, right? You’re joking, you’re always joking, this is just—”

He shook his head. He wasn’t joking. I wrenched my hand out of his and stared up at him in furious disbelief.

“It’s not fair to you,” Joe said. “This thing, being with someone like me. I can’t give you a future. I can’t give you an uncomplicated existence. I mean, come on, you have to worry about getting murdered around my own family—”

“Do you have fucking amnesia?” I demanded, incredulous. “Joe, we just talked about this. We just made plans to move to Chicago after graduation, we agreed that it was what we both wanted. I don’t want a normal human boyfriend. I don’t want normal human in-laws. I want you, Joe, and Ben, and Mercy and Gwil, and Rami and Lucy and Scarlett, I want the whole ridiculous Lee family package and there’s nothing you could say to make me decide that this isn’t worth it.”

“Look—”

“No, something happened, right? Something happened with Cato, or Ben, or someone, something happened and now you think that you have to do this but I’m telling you that whatever it is we can figure it out, we can figure it out together, isn’t that what you promised me?” He said he wouldn’t leave. He promised me he wouldn’t leave. All those things...all those things he said...

“Listen.” And now his eyes were stony. He didn’t call me Baby Swan. Oh, this is bad. This is so bad. “It’s not fair to me either.”

“And that’s what this is really about,” I realized. My voice was abruptly fierce, caustic. All those other women; those beautiful, graceful, immortal women. How did I ever think I could compare?

“It’s not personal.”

“It’s the most personal thing there is, Joe, it’s pasts and futures and love—”

“It’s not though.” He smiled, just barely. “Maybe we thought it was, but it’s not.”

It hit me like a brick, like a bullet; I couldn’t catch my breath. I was drowning in thin air, like a sawfish, like a shark. “Well I’m glad you figured that out on your own fucking schedule.”

“This was my fault,” he said. “All of it. And I am so profoundly sorry for the pain I’ve caused you, and I take full responsibility for it. I hope you’re able to move on knowing that there’s nothing you could have done differently. These are just the realities of my world. You’re better off in your own. And you’re going to make someone very happy someday.”

It's all so empty, so excruciatingly generic. “You’re a monster,” I seethed at him, tears stinging in my eyes.

“Yes,” Joe agreed softly.

“I hate you.” I wasn’t sure if I meant that, but I still said it. Maybe I could will it into being true, like how people find God after a particularly grim diagnosis; there’s no harm in trying to make it real. There’s nothing left to lose.

“That would be more than fair, given the circumstances,” he said. “I won’t bother you again. I’ll ask you to do the same for me.”

“Sure.” Tears were streaming down my cheeks now; my breaths were ragged, hitching. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from him.

A shadow of concern crossed his face, the first one I had noticed since yesterday afternoon. “If you need someone to drive you home, I’d be happy to—”

“I’d literally rather die.” And I left Joseph Francis Mazzello standing on the beach with the twilight wind in his hair and the sun setting behind him like time slipping through an hourglass.

I fled to my Honda, turned the keys in the ignition, covered my face with my hands and wept in raw, heaving shudders as Hungry Like The Wolf played from the mixtape that Joe had left in my cassette player. I ejected the mixtape, rolled down my window, tossed it out onto the rain-slick gravel. I couldn’t stand the thought of going home. Charlie would be at work until late tonight; Joe would never set foot in the house again.

I have to go somewhere. I can’t just sit in that goddamn bedroom. I can’t be alone.

I wheeled my car onto the main road and drove until I came to an unceremonious mechanic’s garage with a fractured concrete floor and cracks like spider legs across the windows. When I stepped out of my Honda, Archer raced over to meet me, beaming and wiping his hands clean with an oil rag.

“Hey, you know you’re not allowed to come here unless you bring Taco Bell with you...” Then he saw me, he really saw me. “Whoa, what—?”

And Archer caught me as I collapsed into his arms, sobs ripping through my throat like fangs.

Benjamin, 24 Hours Earlier

It was bad. Whatever this was, it was bad.

I knew because Rami could read Cato, and I could read Rami; the hazy wisps of color that unfurled from him were a hectic, wrestling electric blue: distress, grief, anxiety, denial. Cato’s own aura had always been rather unforthcoming—he tended towards deep, mellow greens and purples of congruence and contemplation—and forever tinted with an opalescent quality that spread like wildfire to the people around him, the people who were under his influence, that intangible calming and harmonizing effect, that irrational sense of wellbeing. Everyone in the room had that faint opalescence shimmering around them now, even Rami, whose unspoken turmoil remained a roiling rather than a storm. And I thought—not for the first time—that if Larkin was a spade that hollowed you out, scraped along the jagged snags of your split bones to empty you of any ambitions and loyalties that had come before, then Cato was the anesthetic that made the mangling go down smoother, the promise that you would someday still catch glimpses of innocence. Larkin was a purger, a purifier; Cato made you believe again.

There were pitchers of sweet tea and a heaping tray of butter pecan cookies on the living room coffee table. Cato sat on the neat white sofa, one leg crossed over the other, stoic, waiting. Rami stared vacantly from the loveseat; Lucy was beside him, her delicate bare feet tucked beneath her and her fingers laced through Rami’s, her brow knit into grooves of worry. Scarlett was next to me on the largest couch, her boots propped up on the edge of the coffee table, her hair in a long French braid, periodically cracking her knuckles. It was nearly the only sound. Mercy bustled around the room gifting everyone tall chilled glasses of sweet tea; Gwil stood by the virtual fireplace on the big-screen tv, his hands in his pockets, his lips pressed into a rigid line.

The front door opened, and Joe stepped inside, his car keys rattling in his fist. For as long as I’d known him, his color had so often been a bright and buttery yellow, his aura more visible and constant than anyone else’s. Lately, he was increasingly cloaked in the rosy pinks of love or the vivid, shifting, crimson reds of lust; and Rami and I bonded over our shared efforts to politely ignore that particular variety of thoughts.

Joe pointed to Cato. “What’s going on?”

“How long?” Cato asked him.

Joe feigned cluelessness. “Huh? What do you mean? Oh, car chick?! That’s nothing. She’s just a friend.”

Cato blinked. “Do you really think I just arrived in Forks today?”

It rolled through Joe like a wave: surrender, apprehension, dread. The realization that Cato had been watching us for days, weeks even, meticulously keeping just enough distance to stay out of Rami’s range of hearing. Joe’s now-opalescent aura dipped from cerise to an agitated mahogany. “Two months.”

“And she’s talented.” Cato’s voice was impatient, incredulous; How could you be this stupid? that voice said.

“No,” Joe flared, like shards of wood cracking in a fire. “No, she’s got nothing to do with you, with us. With our world. She’s got nothing to do with it.”

Cato circled the fingerprint of his index finger around the rim of his misted glass of sweet tea, meditative. “In one hundred and seventy years, I have never met someone who I couldn’t find if I wanted to. And yet the second I turned my back on that girl, she was gone. Vanished. The world was a blank map. How is that possible?”

No one said anything. Finally, Cato looked to Rami.

“You can’t hear her thoughts, can you?”

“No,” Rami admitted.

“And how many times has that happened in...how old are you now, the same as Ben? How many times in the past century have you met someone who made you feel normal, weak even? Who made you feel human again?”

“Never,” Rami conceded.

“You too, right?” Cato asked me. “You can’t see what she’s feeling. She’s nothing but white noise.”

I nodded reluctantly.

“She’s talented,” Cato said again, decisive.

“Oh god,” I choked out, burying my face in my hands. Now I knew what Rami had heard. I knew everything.

Joe shook his head almost violently. “No, that’s not fair. There’s no way of knowing if that would translate to life as a vampire or how it would manifest. There’s no way of knowing if she would survive the transition at all. And none of us are ever going to find out because she has nothing to do with our world.”

“She does,” Cato insisted. “Because you brought her into it.”

Scarlett shivered beside me, crossed her arms over her chest, clutched her leather jacket tighter. “You can’t be serious, Cato. You’re not a monster, you know she might not survive—”

“And that would stop Gwil. It would stop me, sure. When has it ever stopped Larkin?” Cato gestured to me. “With him? With me? With Akari or Araminta or Liesl or Rigel or all the ones who didn’t make it, who died screaming as they scorched from the inside out? It has never stopped him because he doesn’t care. He finds talented people. He covets them, covets them jealously, like jewels or money or lovers. And they either become one of his possessions or they become nothing at all.”

“No,” Joe whispered. “No, no, no...”

Rami was shrinking into the loveseat, overwhelmed by the emotions in the room that were dragging his aura into whirling greys, those desperate and dark thoughts; not even Cato could mute them entirely. Lucy tried to soothe him, laid the back of her fine-boned hand against his cheek. Mercy covered her gaping mouth. Gwil studied the floor, thunderstruck, absorbing it all.

“This is a courtesy that I’m doing you right now,” Cato told Joe, his large palms clasped together, his voice sorrowful and yet unyielding, almost pleading. “This is a warning. If he finds out about her, about what she can do...he’s going to want her. And he gets everything he wants.”

“He can’t find out,” Gwil said hoarsely.

“No,” I agreed. Death or a hundred-year sentence. Either way, a part of you dies. Either way, a part of you ends up in a box six feet underground and clawing for the sun.

“What can we do?” Scarlett asked Cato. “I mean...is there anything we can do?”

“You have to get rid of her. That’s her only chance. Get her out of your orbit, away from our world, away from where Larkin or anyone who serves him would ever cross her path. I won’t tell him about the girl. I’ll try to deflect his attention. If she’s already been spotted, I’ll tell him that she’s useless, just another one of Joe’s litany of casual liaisons. And that’s a risk I’ll take, I’ll do it out of respect for your coven, Dr. Lee, and for Ben. But there is absolutely nothing I can do for you if Larkin finds out for himself. I don’t think I’m the only one he has watching you.”

“Of course not,” I said bitterly. “I’m sure he has all sorts of eyes on me. The white whale. The one that got away.” This is my fault. It’s all my fucking fault.

“It’s not,” Rami murmured; and nobody else heard my side of it, but I think they understood.

Joe’s aura was now murky, sunless, almost black. It was a color I hadn’t thought he was capable of. His eyes were slick and bleary.

“Son?” Gwil prompted. Mercy was sobbing into a handkerchief patterned with roses. Mom, I ached instinctively, before pushing the thought away.

“I won’t do it,” Joe said. “You’re asking me to break her heart and I won’t do it.”

I begged: “Joe, you don’t understand—”

“No, you don’t understand! You don’t understand what this will do to her, what it’s going to do to her for the weeks and months and years that come after, she might never forget—”

“Do you want her to end up dead or in a hundred-year contract?” Cato shot back. “Do you want to see how much of that girl you care about so much is left after a century with Larkin?”

Everyone’s eyes fell on me. I could feel them, full of pity and horror. I’m what’s left. Someone gutted of everything but rage and bloodlust.

“No, of course not,” Joe said. Thanks a lot, brother.

Cato smirked without any humor at all. He had known. “Then the choice is easy.”

“Son,” Gwil said again.

Joe gazed back at him with huge, agonized eyes. His words were brittle, raspy, hollow. “Dad, I love her.”

“I know,” Gwil replied. His aura was a blue like cobalt: profound sympathy, compassion, mourning. “And that’s why you’ll do the right thing.”

Twenty minutes later, I was puffing on my vape pen as I paced back and forth across the wrap-around porch like a caged bear, watching the sun disappear behind the western hemlock trees that raked the clouds. Gwil, Rami, Lucy, and Scarlett were with Joe; Mercy was trying to convince Cato to stay the night in one of the guest bedrooms. I could hear her ludicrously gracious protestations through the walls. “We know it’s not your fault, dear, this...this...situation. We know you’re just the messenger. And you’ve been so important to Ben all these years, so kind. It’s really no trouble at all...here, let me at least wrap up some cake for you to take...”

The front door opened and closed. Scarlett appeared beside me, resting her forearms on the porch railing. She sighed, closed her eyes, said nothing.

“This is going to destroy him,” I told her.

Scarlett nodded, her face bathed in silvery moonlight, marvelous and yet forlorn. The aura that surrounded her was a deep, despondent indigo. It matched the sky. “Yeah.”

“And to think...” I exhaled heavily, nicotine-tinged vapor vanishing into the damp night air. Rain was coming; I could feel it in my bones. “I was just beginning to like it here.”

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lilytcyip · 5 years ago

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December 31st, 2019

1.3 tera v w/ rjin & ggao

1.4 cactus & la foret w/ jng

1.8 talked it out with jng ; tried to understand that if i were happy, what more could you ask for

1.11 cyns bday dinner

1.11 craft beer w/ aleung & lwong

1.13 arisu & standing egg with efeng & aleung ; drove on highway for the first time

1.18 west dineout w/ annie pkp

1.19 glass w/ fifi

2.10 first snow of the year

2.3 cny lunch at home with the fam - tong yuen & poon choi

2.4 mooseknuckles - grateful

2.5 lunar new year

2.16 hangiout with mamayip & sis: beta 5, fixing the parka, meetfresh, miku sushi dindin

2.17 mom leaving for 2 months, wandering earth with the yips

2.19 happy hour cactus w/ fifi

2.20 kokoro lunch & shopping w/ rjin

2.20 so hyang w/ veda & nwu

2.21 black been noodles & tonkatsu lunch & usagi matcha sweets w/ ewong

2.22 green leaf sushi & grounds for coffee w/ vtan

2.25 sushi mura w/ acao ; larry berg planes and kisses for the first time

3.13 mental health talk w/ nwu & tchiu + jamjar

3.15 virtuous pie & nanas green tea w/ rjin

3.16 wine night w/ claw, aleung & fsyal

3.17 tabom & stanely park w/ jerpilla

3.23 pool & rc shopping with jyang

4.3 studying with jyang on campus & langara bye

4.9 studying with jyang at my house

4.18 ramen danbo & official date

4.20 so hyang & off the grid waffles w/ ayip

4.26 sci ning off w/ aleung, claw, fsyal, lwong & mcheung

4.27 clay llama terra pot class

4.29 so hyang budae jjigae & yifang w/ ewong

4.30 rc shopping & sushi lover with the yips

5.1 maenam, kits beach & rain or shiine ice cream w/ rjin

5.2 our first little tiff & being called chubby by mlo

5.3 shopping w/ vchan, aleung & fsyal

5.7-5.11 LA trip

5.8 LACMA & melrose & century city field

5.9 warner bros tour

5.10 malibu

5.28-6.1 hokkaido, japan

5.29 a 2-floor hotel with own onsen

5.31 otaru food adventures

6.1 doraemon painting & royce airport

6.2 macau: got scammed by taxi & lost luggage

6.7-6.15 inner mongolia & beijing

6.18 first co op offer

6.21 fire port party at fifis house

6.29 pottery painting w lwong, aleung, vchan, fsyal

7.5 brunch w/ rjin at jethro’s fine grub, baker & table

7.6 nwu’s birthday dindin at coast, hangout with aleung & nwu at nightingale

7.14 leavenworth cherries

7.17 brunch w/ rjin at OEB

7.19 nightmarket w/ jyang, mlaw, rjin

7.21 beach day w/ aleung, fsyal & lwong; hy’s with fam

7.24 chau veggies w/ acao

7.27 shiok & icy bar w/ ewong

8.3 first day of work at doctors office

8.4 escape room w/ vchan, fsyal & jyang; bowling & anh and chi

8.17 dindin w/ fsyal, aleung & tlim; double date walks at olympic village with ancas

8.18 - 8.19 kelowna

8.18 polar grove & penticton lazy river, mission hill

8.19 kayaking, quail’s gate

8.24 lit night at fifis house with the girls and boys

8.25 aleung’s bday harrison trip

8.27 work shopping & nuba w/ fsyal

8.28 sleepover w/ rjin

8.29 brunch w/ aleung, moii cafe chill with fsyal too

9.3 first day of co op work

9.7 grave of the fireflies & wildtale cuddles

9.14 eric chou meet & greet

9.19 amandarachlee neg comment and posted my encouragement on her story

10.5 maiko parfait & shopping w/ jyang, earls with the amigos

10.18 gmen & oncecake: melody, rillakuma, card & collage

10.24 dark table w/ rjin

11.7 moii after work

12.15 baking custard souffle pancakes w/ ewong

12.18 office christmas party & bbt w/ slim

12.19 glow

12.21 fifi’s christmas party

12.22 christmas market w/ rjin: churros & chimney cake

12.23 psyc team secret santa & mahjong

12.25 christmas dindin at market by jean-georges

12.26 birthday dindin at zeferelli

12.27 ring & birthday dinner at brix and mortar w/ jyang

12.28 skated alone, worked out, baked & dindin at botanist

looking back at it now, i definitely went out a lot more compared to previous years LOL i had some struggles in january, and at multiple points in my life i blamed myself for being ungrateful, for seeking more when i already had so much in life compared to other people. my friends were there for me and i wouldnt have been able to live through it without them. then again, during reading break in february, i got myself into the same hot mess and i was sad about it for a week and i blamed myself for getting so attached so quickly. because of these experiences, my expectations were v low and i didnt really expect anything when i talked to jyang, what they say really is true, you get it the moment you stop seeking for it. it comes and find you (: the 3 most important that happened this year is burbur, co op job & me getting more comfortable around doggs; this is a big deal !! i actually like cuddling dogs and i feel less scared of them as long as i have some time to get used to them!! im proud of myself for making progress with my phobia! after i started my co op job, bc i didnt have a lot to do, i felt like i wasnt actively contributing to my workplace and that i was very useless. i still feel the same way now, but i think i am slowly getting used to it. thankfully, my coworkers are VERY nice and i enjoy working around them. while i did not get a different position for january, im still grateful that i got an extended placement. nonetheless, meeting with the different PIs and sumeet pointed me in the right direction of looking for nserc / volunteering opportunities when i do go back to school. AND ofc burbur! im grateful that we were able to be there for each other for the past 8 months, both the ups and downs and i am so so thankful that we’re understanding and patient with each other, as we help each other learn along the way and help each other become a better version of ourselves. this companionship is better than i have asked for and i always remind myself to focus on the important things rather than the minor inconveniences. this year, in terms of fitness goals, ive been doing really well before asia. but ever since i came back, it all went downhill and i gained back all the weight that i lost this year year LOL so in 2020, one of my biggest goal is to eat healthy again, and workout more consistently. getting a job in sept kinda interfered with my progress too, bc i was so tired after work, even when i wasnt doing anything and i stressed eat bc i felt terrible. a lot of diff factors made me feel super stressed, and the fact that i wasnt eating clean / exercising reguarly made me feel worse about the whole situation ): so in 2020, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will be one of my top priorities and gifting myself a healthy body is one of greatest things i can do for myself. this also contributed to the lack of journalling near the end of the year, it felt like bc i wasnt doing the things i was “supposed to do”, i just felt so bad whenever i couldnt tick off that particular habit whenever i fill in my trackers. but tonight, i watched this video and it talked about habits should be for awareness, not for self-hate or self-loathing. this is something that i need to keep in mind. ever since april really, the issue of leaving my house and meeting up with my friends have always stressed me in fear of dealing with passive aggressiveness with my mom lool everytime i get inviited to plans, i just get anxiety about having to tell her about it LOL and even when im out, having a msg/ call for her freaks me out in fear that she will get mad at me for being home late and etc and fifi really woke me up with her words, i should just care less LOL i need to stop caring so much about what she thinks, bc at the end of the day, this IS my life and if i never make any changes, i will never be able to grow and be independent. i think this pree much sums up all my events and emotions in 2019, the last year of the 2010s. in the next decade, a lot of things will happen as i will be in my 20s - 30s, where new opportunities will arise, and graduate uni, do my masters, find a job, maybe even marry and move out LOL the 2020s will definitely be an impt decade, but just for next year i want to:

1. understand that i am old enough to make choices, and in general, care less about what she thinks

2. at the same time, i want to appreciate and be grateful for what my mom, dad and annie have done for me; a lot of the times, i feel like i take them for granted just bc i know they will always be there for me and this is not how you should treat your biggest supporters

3. trust that everything will workout in the end, while you may not be able to envision what you career / life would be like when youre 30, you can definitely take small steps and move towards your goal

4. be mindful of what i eat and exercise regularly (4x hiit & cardio a week) ; treats & sweets in moderation; use those habit trackers for awareness, not for self-loathing / self-hate

5. create art regularly, read more and at least do 5 duolingos every week!

every year, time just seems to go by faster and faster and i feel scared at times. as i type this, theres only 8 minutes left of this decade LOL so in 2020, continue to live in the moment, be present, cherish those that are around you, and have faith that everything will come together, one piece at a time. at the same time, always rmb that you can make small changes to be a better version of yourself, whenever & however you want and this is the 1 thing that other people can’t stop you from doing!

#diary #personal #thoughts #last post of 2019

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ayliamc · 6 years ago

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Danlia’s Agavemoon: Toulouse Edition

Day 6

Flights climbed: 0

Miles walked: 1.7

Landmarks visited: 0

Can you tell we’re having a nice lazy time in Toulouse? Sleep was a bit more difficult this time. Clearly, our previous success got to our heads. I managed to get up by 9:30 to go to the Sunday morning market with Babette and let Dan stay in bed a little longer.

The market was super busy. Like people are serious about their markets here. I’d call it more of a swarm than a market but whatever.

The preparations began for lunch, when a lot of family would be coming over. Everyone wants to meet Dan and see the American (me). To be fair, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my family out here and they’ve never met Dan. So we all cooked and prepped. Babette had me peel tomatoes for a dish... yes you read that correctly. I peeled tomatoes.

Everyone has been super supportive (mostly) about “the vegan thing”, bringing vegan versions of their favourite dishes, and trying the vegan stuff we brought from Paris. It’s awesome. We stuffed our faces - needless to say - with bread, homemade garlic bread, homemade hummus, homemade veggie loaf, tomato salad, joie gras (the vegan version of foie gras that everyone agreed was delicious but that it didn’t taste like the real thing - except of course to me because I haven’t had foie gras in over a decade and to Dan who has never had any), potatoes, a vegan white sauce Babette made, a tomato coulee she made too, good ass wine, sorbet, vegan cakes Remy found from a nearby vegan shop, and a bunch of other food I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Dan was also saved by my mom’s cousin Bruno who speaks English so he could participate in some conversation instead of just relying on me to translate.

After hours of merriment and eating, it was nearly time to eat again. So we went to watch Mathys on his bike at the skate park and enjoy the beautiful scenery at the canal of Toulouse before coming right back home, having dinner, and plunking down in front of the greatest French comedy: Mission Cleopatre. (Fight me.)

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evsvolunteerstotem · 4 years ago

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30/04/2021

Ahoj everyone!

I cannot believe that I can write this but it is true (for now): The Covid situation is better! The numbers have sunk quite a lot, and while they are not great, the restrictions were lifted a bit. After six weeks of not being able to leave Pilsen and almost half a year of having to be home at 9 pm we can stay out longer and make trips to other districts!

However, the social distancing rules are still in place and at work we continue safely online. I notice that I am becoming a little tired of online meetings and sitting so much in the office but I do enjoy chatting to the seniors every week, as we always have interesting discussions about topics like generation gaps, the Czech Republic and motivation. Hopefully we can start soon with some outside activities soon.

In the time that we could not leave Pilsen we did some trips around the city, along the river and though some near forests. I am very proud of myself for walking a 17 (!) kilometres long route – my record so far I think. After we could leave Pilsen we visited Stříbro, a small town where until 50 years ago silver was mined. Last weekend, we visited our friend and fellow volunteer Jessica in her town, Vysoké Mýto. There, we participated in an event to commemorate the victims of Covid here in the Czech Republic by painting flowers on the town square. The next day we visited the town Pardubice together with some more volunteer-friends. In my opinion Pardubice is quite different than Pilsen, but beautiful and interesting and I had a lot of fun.

On our way back home on Monday we stopped for a day in Prague where we walked through the parts Vinohrady, Vyšehrad und Smíchov while the sun smiled down at us – it was beautiful. I really noticed how this weekend gave me a lot of energy and I hope that many more weekends like this will follow.

Other than that Irene and I skate, cook and bake and try to go outside as much as we can. The ice cream shops opened and when the weather is nice we walk to the city centre and eat some cake or ice cream in the park or on the square. I love to see that everywhere spring seems to start, flowers are planted in the parks, I can watch other people spending time in the city and the trees turn green. For everyone who will maybe be in Pilsen in the future I want to recommend the cafes “walter”, close to the big synagogue, and “Pappa Coffee” next to the brewery museum!

And the cafes bring me to the final part of this blog entry – the food report. I have been baking almost every week and am proud that a basic family recipe, my grandma’s “egg liqueur cake” has gotten a lot of praise. Irene also showed me some more Spanish recipes for example for “Canelones” and in turn we made German potato salad (well, my grandma’s version – let’s not get into the discussion which potato salad is the “right” one).

I hope that this spring is filled with a lot of sunshine for everyone,

Wiebke

Pardubice (well, a small part of it)

spring!

my beloved Pilsen through my camera

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sowecanrememberourtrips · 5 years ago

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Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels (2019)

Dates: 29th Nov 2019 - 12th Dec 2019 (2 weeks)

Climate: On average, temperatures in all 3 cities ranged from 1 - 10 degrees, making it necessary for us to wear heat tech inner wear, gloves and thick winter jackets when outdoors. Thankfully, it only drizzled on a couple of days, and there was only mild snow on our very first day in Copenhagen. However, the sun set around 4pm daily, which was a factor to consider when planning our activities.

Expenditure: In total, each of us spent at least SGD $5,500 for the whole trip. We converted SGD $1,500 for cash expenditure during the 2 weeks, but definitely used our credit cards every now and then. Note that there are places in these 3 cities which do not accept cash. We chose to stay in gorgeous Airbnb apartments as we feel that hotels in Europe generally do not offer value for money.

Sequence: Copenhagen (Denmark), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium).

Transport: Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Copenhagen at midnight of 28th Nov, KLM flight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam, train from Amsterdam to Brussels, Singapore Airlines from Brussels back to Singapore (via stopover in Zurich)

***

Day 1 (Fri)

Singapore Airlines direct flight to Copenhagen.

Metro from Copenhagen airport to town area took about 20 min.

Torvehallerne Market, largest covered market in Copenhagen, which we went to by taking the metro to Nørreport. The area is split into two air-conditioned market halls: http://torvehallernekbh.dk/

Freetown Christiana: A controversial closed community, that was immune to Denmark’s laws at one point. While we were at an area named Pusher Street, we actually saw drug pushers setting up makeshift stalls to sell their stuff to all sorts of characters crowding around them. Note that photographs are generally not allowed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Church of our Saviour: one of Denmark’s most famous churches, known for a helix spire with a winding staircase. We did not go up, but entered the building to look at the beautiful prayer hall: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/church-our-saviour-gdk410659

Strøget, Copenhagen’s largest shopping area. We were rather overwhelmed here actually, due to it being Black Friday. Incredibly vibrant, and therer were also charming Christmas markets offering highlights such as mulled wine, also known as Gløgg: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/stroget-gdk414471

Other important info to note for getting around Copenhagen:

It was surprisingly difficult to find places offering data SIM cards at/near airport, so we decided to depend on Wifi and a navigation app we like named maps.me (like Google Maps that doesn’t need online connectivity if you have downloaded the country map beforehand)

Important tip: Get the Copenhagen Card online. Can be physical card (pick up at airport) or a digital version in your phone. There are 1 day, 3 day or 5 day options for purchase. Covered our public transport and entrance fees for many attractions including museums and Tivoli Gardens.

Our Airbnb apartment was a 5min walk from Nørrebros Runddel station on a circular line. Try to always find accommodation within a radius of less than 5min from metro stations. We would go on to depend a lot on the Metro Circle Line M3 for the next few days, which is new and brings you to many popular attractions.

Metro station overview: Three stops along Stroget, Rådhuspladsen is City Hall side, with LGBTQ area next to it and Tivoli Gardens opposite it. Gammel Strand in the middle and Kongens Nytorv is the other end, walking distance to Nyhavn, Marble Church, Design Museum. Marmorkirken station also means Marble Church. M3 also covers Enghave Plads, which is the heart of Vesterbro area (beware, dead on weekends after 3pm!) and København H or Central station, transit to S Trains for Forgotten Giants.

Day 2 (Sat)

Nyhavn, a lovely waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen. Lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/nyhavn-gdk474735

We enjoyed a canal cruise in the area, covered under our Copenhagen Card. Informative 90min experience that covered a lot of attractions via the waterways of the city. We arrived early (10+ in the morning) when crowds were small.

Restaurant 108 for Michelin-quality lunch: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/restaurant-108-gdk1082918 (after walking along Nyhavn to Royal Playhouse)

Vesterbro area after lunch by bus, unfortunately the area was a fairly dead town, with most shops closed by 3pm. An area that has potential, but isn’t worth going to yet.

Enghave Plads station, where we explored nearby streets and ate at Sliders.

Rainbow Square, next to City Hall Square, honours the LGBTQ movement. Drinks at a cosy bar named My Fair Ladies, serving drinks named after divas like Idina Menzel: https://www.myfairladies.dk

Day 3 (Sun)

Rosenborg Castle, home to 400 years of royal history. After exploring the grounds and halls, at 11.30am, we followed the royal guards as they marched from an exit of the castle to Amalienborg Palace. Very fun experience marching alongside them through areas like Strøget: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/rosenborg-castle-gdk410582

Amalienborg Palace, Marble Church (biggest dome in Scandinavia), Design Musem, three places we visited in succession due to their proximity from each other: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/amalienborg-palace-gdk492887

Gasoline Grill, interesting burger kiosk at a petrol station: https://www.gasolinegrill.com/

Round Tower: fascinating architectural highlight. No stairs! Located in a vibrant area too: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/round-tower-gdk410741

Illums Bolighus, massive Danish design store, one of many highlights at the bustling pedestrian shopping area of Strøget: https://www.illumsbolighus.dk/

Oscar Bar & Cafe, classy restaurant bar for the LGBTQ community, located at Regnbuepladsen 9, a short walk from the City Hall Square: http://oscarbarcafe.dk/

Day 4 (Mon)

Nørrebro Park, a skate park with contour lines, perfect for Instagram: https://iaincameron.dk/norrebro-park-copenhagens-colourful-urban-park/

Grundtvig’s Church, which we visited after a bus ride, but unfortunately could not enter due to it being closed on Mondays

Tivoli Gardens, one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions. We spent many hours here, soaking in the Christmas vibes and eating at the amazing variety of eateries. Established in 1843, and yet still incredibly charming despite the lack of intellectual property characters like Universal Studios or Disney theme parks. We recommend entering in daylight, and staying till night falls, as well as visiting during the Christmas period. We deliberately visited on a Monday too, to avoid weekend crowds. Admission was covered under our Copenhagen Card, but you have to pay separately for rides: https://www.tivoli.dk

Note: If you plan to also visit the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum next door, you may want to visit Tivoli on a non-Monday, as the art museum is closed on Mondays.

Day 5 (Tue)

Bulk of the day was spent outside the city, hunting for forgotten wooden giants by Thomas Dambo: https://thomasdambo.com/works/forgotten-giants

There are 6 of these giants hidden in forested areas of Copenhagen’s suburbs. We had time to find 3, depending solely on public transport options such as the S train and buses (do prior research using Google maps). A significant amount of walking/trekking was required too.

Based on online research, driving is a more popular way to find these giants, but we decided against it as we did not want to rent a car for just 1 day and worry about the unfamiliarity involved. Our navigation app maps.me also reflected the location of the giants, helping us to find our way in the wilderness.

Sequence of 3 giants found: Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, Teddy Friendly.

Chose to find Little Tilde and Thomas on the Mountain first, as they are 20 min walking distance apart. Little Tilde takes about 10min walk from bus stop. And then skirt around the lake, cut through a sheep farm area and climb up a steep sloop overlooking a field to find Thomas on the Mountain.

Then this is the longest walk of about 25 min from mountaintop to civilization. Hop on the same train to go further in the train route to another suburb Høje Taastrup to find Teddy Friendly. The train station for this is a larger terminal and the bus to take is right above the station. Bus will bring you to a Technological Institute. Teddy Friendly is only about 5-10 min walk from bus stop depending on which bus.

Now, if you missed the bus specified by Google Maps, you can look for other buses that take similar routes. Cos bus intervals may be as long as 40 min.

NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, a massive art museum beside Tivoli Gardens. Spent a couple of hours appreciating the statues and surroundings, before Thai takeaway dinner near Airbnb apartment.

For future treks to find the remaining 3 giants:

If we had one more hour of day light, we could have covered a 4th, Sleeping Louis, on our way back (sun set around 4pm at this time of year). Cos it’s also the same train line, and some 20 min walk one way from bus stop drop off.

The other two giants are harder to get to. The one under the bridge is a whopping 35 -40 min walk from nearest train stop. No bus or clear walk track. However if you cover this, you may as well walk a little more to Arken Museum of Contemporary Art. Either giant or museum, you will need another 40 min to walk back to train station.

The last giant on the hill is a 8 min bicycle ride from Louis. But a 30 min walk one way southwards. Again, no train or bus routes.

Day 6 (Wed)

KLM Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam.

Tip: Buy 24 hours or 3 days tram / bus passes. One trip on tram costs 3.2 euros, whereas a day pass costs 8 euros

Jordaan area for Airbnb apartment. A charming Tiong Bahru-ish place with cozy restaurants and cafes. 4min walk to Westermarkt church (our landmark and tram stops), which is in turn near the iconic Anne Frank House.

Anne Frank House, one of Amsterdam’s most famous tourist spots. We were impressed by how tasteful the experience was. Poignant but essential. We bought tickets in advance as this is a very popular place: https://www.annefrank.org/en/

Grand Café Restaurant 1e klas in Amsterdam Centraal Station for dinner, as we were entitled to a Klook promotion. Classy venue.

Future consideration: Staying in hotels near Amsterdam Centraal is a good idea, as the pick up points for many day tours are within the station

Note: Tram ride from Westermarkt to Centraal or vice versa takes only about 5 min.

LGBTQ tip: Pink Point is a useful info kiosk for the community, located right in front of Westermarkt. We picked up a map and spoke to the owner to find out more about bars and clubs. There is also a homomonument nearby, consisting of three triangular structures to honour the LGBTQ community.

Day 7 (Thurs)

Zaanse Schans windmills + Volendam cheese makers + ferry ride to Marken to learn about wooden shoe making. Comprehensive Klook day tour that we highly recommend. Meeting point was Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Canal boat tour for Amsterdam Light Festival. We bought tickets at a tourist kiosk, for the boat company Lovers. A charming 90min ride around the city’s canals in the evening, with pitstops to appreciate light installations by international artists, based on the theme Disrupt.

Prik, gay bar located at Spuistraat 109, for drinks

Day 8 (Fri)

MOCO Museum, a relatively small museum hosting an exhibition of works by contemporary and street artists including Banksy, Yayoi Kusama, Kaws and Jeff Koons: https://mocomuseum.com

Van Gogh Museum, much bigger, permanently dedicated to the life and work of Van Gogh. Buy tickets online so you only need to queue once to enter. 11am to 2pm is peak hour: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Both museums are located in Museum Square. Another popular museum in the area is Rijksmuseum, but we did not have time for that due to spending hours in the two museums listed above.

Club Church, located at Kerkstraat 52. An eye-opening themed night at this dance club.

Day 9 (Sat)

Giethoorn, which we visited using a Klook day tour. A picturesque little village, 1.5 hours drive from Amsterdam. It has canals instead of streets and boats instead of cars. We had a lovely time strolling along the canals, and enjoyed a boat tour too. Highly recommended for December, but we were warned that the place is overcrowded and unpleasant in summer: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/8628-giethoorn-one-day-tour-amsterdam/

The Good Companion, for comforting seafood dinner, walking distance from our Airbnb in Jordaan area: https://www.thegoodcompanion.nl/

Paradox, coffeeshop for marble cake (less upmarket)

Day 10 (Sun)

Kessens, a hipster cafe serving breakfast, walking distance from our Airbnb apartment: http://www.kessensamsterdam.nl/

Bloemenmarkt, a supposed floating flower market, which was basically a row of shops selling similar tulip products. Too touristy for our liking.

Picked friend at Central Station, who would spend a couple of days with us in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Genetics, coffeeshop for red velvet cake (more upmarket)

Rice Table for dinner, along main road leading to Westermarkt

Day 11 (Mon)

Pancakes Amsterdam Westermarkt for breakfast: https://pancakes.amsterdam/locations/3/pancakes-amsterdam-westermarkt (very near Anne Frank House)

Coffee at Zoo bakery

Amsterdam Centraal’s Wurst & Schnitzelhaus for lunch, before boarding train to Brussels

Thalys train to Brussels. Tickets bought online before the trip: https://www.thalys.com/be/en

Grand Place for Christmas light show on the hour, part of the Brussels Lights Festival. This is the historic central square of Brussels: https://www.brussels.be/grand-place-brussels

La Brouette, traditional brasserie for dinner, located right at Grand Place: https://taverne-brouette.be/en

Airbnb right in the heart of district centre, walking distance to Grand Place

Day 12 (Tue)

Ghent and Bruges, which we visited using a Klook day tour that took 10 hours (including bus time). Both are charming cities in northwest Belgium, famous for their medieval architecture. Our guide provided comprehensive commentary in both cities, which offer many opportunities for photo-taking: https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/26000-ghent-bruges-day-tour-brussels/

Day 13 (Wed)

Breakfast at Aksum Coffee, located in a glitzy row of establishments named Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert: https://visit.brussels/en/place/Galeries-Royales-Saint-Hubert

Mannequin Pis, the famous peeing boy statue of Brussels. Popular with tourists, but definitely not a must-visit. The lanes of shops and eateries in the area were more interesting to us: https://www.brussels.info/peeing-boy/

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, for an interesting Dali x Magritte exhibition: https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en

Laurent Gerbaud Chocolatier for late pastry lunch (owned by founder of Tiong Bahru Bakery): http://www.chocolatsgerbaud.be/

Wittamir area, for chocolate brands such as Godiva and Taschen bookstore

Rue Neuve pedestrian street for shopping, Primark being a highlight for us: https://stores.primark.com/nl_nl/belgie/brussels/13-15-rue-neuve

Starbucks Rogier, futuristic building: https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d13274778-Reviews-Starbuck_Rogier-Brussels.html

Japanese food for dinner at Kabuki restaurant, near our Airbnb: http://www.restaurant-kabuki.be/

Day 14 (Thursday)

Took Intercity train to get to airport. Due to early flight, we had to get tickets for the 4.41am train. Thankfully, Brussels Central Station opens at 4am. Bought our tickets for 8 Euros the day before.

Flew back to Singapore with Singapore Airlines, via Zürich, Switzerland.

#copenhagen #amsterdam #brussels

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ironykins · 7 years ago

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Here’s a big question/answer chain letter that I’m about to answer. I’ll put a read more to minimize the amount of space this takes up.

I was tagged by @tiffronic-supersonic

1. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Not a lot of things really deeply bother me. But I feel helpless soul crushing despair and annoyance whenever capitalism/corporate attitudes lead to certain behaviors.

Mostly in the world of software and business. There’s so much wasted potential and inefficiency because we need to maintain intellectual property and turn a profit.

The same sort of thing happens in the pharmaceutical sector. You see huge premiums paid for products that, for the good of our species, should be accessible to anyone, not privatized to line someone’s pockets.

That just really fucking bothers me.

2. What one fear would you like to conquer?

Probably going outside or talking to strangers or something mundane like that.

3. What’s your favourite song lyric and why?

This changes on a near monthly basis but these AJJ lyrics are currently my favourite:

The skate park is only fifteen minutemen songs away

And there’s nothing I would rather do on this terrible fucking day

Than break, break, break my bones, and feel the pain of self improvement

It’s just got this grim determination without any sugar coating. I love it.

4. If you could shop at one store for free, which would it be?

Computer stores. Preferably ones with lots of cool toys.

5. Which language would you like to speak fluently?

Japanese probably, because I’m a huge weeb and I consume a lot of media that comes from there. I’d be able to play untranslated games without missing out on anything.

6. What secret super power would you like to have, and why?

Infinite willpower.

7. Would you like to be famous and what would you like to be known for?

It’d be really cool to be a well known open source developer. Someone famous for giving up the ability to turn a profit in favour of making the world a better place. Like the vision that Tim Berners-Lee had for a freely accessible internet, or what Tesla wanted for electricity.

8. What was the worst haircut you ever had?

About a year ago I told my hairdresser I’d be good with anything and she gave me a hitler youth style undercut. I didn’t mind it but it was not a good idea at all.

9. What are the most important qualities in friends?

All you need are people who respect you and want you to be content. Everything else follows from that.

10. What’s the most significant lesson you’ve learned in life so far?

Go out there and fucking lose. Try a lot and fail a lot. Don’t be ashamed of it.

11. What makes you laugh the hardest?

My friend Crazy.

12. What’s your proudest accomplishment?

I’m not overly proud of anything I’ve done. I guess getting through school and finding a job. I haven’t let anyone down on that front so far.

I’m just happy I’m still alive and functional.

13. If you could have any view out the window of your room, which would it be?

I’d have a 360 degree view from the turret of an old style home, preferably somewhere coastal and constantly rainy.

14. If you could eat dinner with one celebrity, who would it be, and why?

Pick a famous computer scientist. The angrier the better. See if I can get them mad about something and watch them spew spit and jargon.

15. If you could do something dangerous just once with no risk, what would you do?

Try to lie, cheat, hack, or socially engineer my way into somewhere important. A corporate HQ or some government building or something.

16. What’s your all-time favourite music video?

This One

17. Which three words would you use to describe yourself?

Jaded, Slow, Misplaced.

18. What’s the first thing you’d do if you suddenly changed into the opposite sex?

Probably touch myself a lot. Satisfy my curiosity.

19. What’s your favourite website, and why?

The internet sucks. I like the concept of things like github and thingiverse though. They’re proof that we can find a compromise between idealistic freedom of information and capitalistic demands for monetization.

20. If you got a tattoo, what would you get and where would you out it?

I’d want to get it in secret and not tell anyone I got it. So I won’t say.

21. When you’re down, what do you do to feel better?

Reading books is the #1 way for me to calm down and relax. It gives me something to focus on.

22. If you could go on tour with a band for a month, who would it be, and why?

Trivium would be cool because of the legendary bromance between the 3 lead dudes. I’d love to get in on that. The Kills would also be cool because it’d be like traveling with two burnout rocker parents with lots of stories to tell.

23. What’s you favourite dessert?

I’m not sure I have one. Maybe lemon cake? Frankfurter Kranz? Ginger snap cookies?

24. What one thing would you want to do most if you had all the money in the world?

Build a utopia from square one. Do away with the notion that everyone has to work. Build more efficient computerized transportation networks. Research sustainable ways to feed a large population.

25. Who’s the least obvious person you’d like to kiss?

I don’t know what this means. I don’t want to kiss anyone.

26. Would you join in at a topless beach?

No. I’m not big on beaches or being topless.

27. Where would you most like to travel?

I wish I wanted to travel but I have a really hard time giving a shit about it. Probably Japan. They’ve got some legendary arcades.

28. What would you eat for your ultimate birthday dinner?

The local burger joint. That’s where I’m going for my birthday today hopefully.

29. What was your most embarrassing moment?

I’ve probably shoved it into the memory vault and I don’t care to dredge it out.

30. What historical sporting event would you like to witness?

EVO Moment #37

31. Which song evokes the strongest memories for you?

Mr. Jones by Counting Crows maybe. Or anything by The Front Bottoms. I didn’t listen to them when I was younger but they’re really nostalgic somehow.

32. What’s the best birthday celebration you can imagine?

Right now, going to the local burger joint.

33. What’s your favourite ethnic food?

Vietnamese style rice vermicelli dishes are great.

34. Do you have any habits you’d like to give up?

Yeah. I have a really shit sleep schedule and that’d be cool to fix.

35. What would you save first if your house caught on fire?

My fileserver. It’s got everything I’ve ever worked on, written, all my pictures, etc. My files are more important than any of my physical possessions because there are more irreplaceable things among them.

I also cope with getting rid of physical things by taking and storing a lot of pictures of them.

36. Who would you trade places with for one month? Maybe Michael Phelps?

Nobody. That would be cruel. Someone would have to pick up my life without knowing what I know. They wouldn’t be able to have meaningful interactions with my friends or family. They wouldn’t be able to do my job. It’d be lonely and they’d be destroying my life as I do the same to theirs.

37. What’s the story behind your first name?

It’s the long-form version of my grandfather’s name. Kurt is apparently short for Konrad.

38. What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?

Apathy

39. Have you ever stolen something? What was it? Why did you steal it?

I stole a chunk of wood from my elementary school playground as it was being demolished. I got yelled at because I ran onto the pile of rubble as they were digging into it with a backhoe. I don’t think that really counts as stealing though.

40. To you, what’s the secret to happiness?

Fuck buddy if I knew I’d tell you.

#me #thoughts #tiffronic-supersonic #chain letters #memes

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cutsliceddiced · 5 years ago

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New top story from Time: Your Guide to the References in Taylor Swift’s ‘You Need to Calm Down’ Music Video

As promised, Taylor Swift released her music video for her new song “You Need to Calm Down” off of her upcoming seventh album Lover on Monday morning, premiering on Good Morning America.

Also as promised, the literally sugar-sweet video (plenty of cake) is filled with celebrity cameos from the likes of Katy Perry, Laverne Cox, RuPaul, Ryan Reynolds and the guys of Queer Eye, all of whom are having a blast in a rainbow-hued, idyllic trailer park. The song takes an equality-first stance, criticizing haters and homophobes alike, and ends with a call to followers to support her Senate petition in favor of the Equality Act, tied in with this month’s celebrations of Pride Month.

Here are the many references — both within the Swift universe and to pop and celebrity culture more broadly — that the video, co-directed by Drew Kirsch and Swift herself, contains.

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A Cher quote

YouTube

At the beginning of the video, Swift is at home in a trailer decorated lavishly in bubblegum style. There’s a quick cut to a poster with powerful meaning, though: it’s actually a framed Cher quote, from a 1996 interview with the star who rejected certain societal norms and viewed men as a luxury like “dessert.” In the interview, Cher reflects on her mother’s desire for her to settle down and marry a “rich man.” Cher’s reponse? “I said, ‘Mom, I am a rich man.'”

That Breakfast at Tiffany’s face mask

YouTube

One of the classic scenes in Audrey Hepburn’s seminal 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s features the actress in a Tiffany-blue silk sleep mask, embroidered with golden closed eyes. Swift’s sleep mask in her music video is lavender silk, and is embroidered with the script “Calm down,” in a possible reference to Hepburn’s style.

A watch with a cat face

YouTube

Pretty much everyone knows Swift is a cat lover. She even recently picked up a new kitten, who made his debut to fans in her music video for “ME!” So Swift’s nod to her feline fixation in this video is revealed on her watch, where the face has an illustration of a cat.

A Lover phone case

YouTube

Last week, Swift announced that the title of her upcoming album — it’s due out Aug. 23 — is Lover. She snuck in a nod to the title in the “You Need to Calm Down” video by having it emblazoned on the back of a glittery phone case (which promptly catches fire, soon after she tosses it down).

A giant butterfly back tattoo

YouTube

Just before she shrugs on a hot pink fur jacket, we get a quick peek of Swift’s back, which is almost completely covered in a giant tattoo. The ink depicts a snake in the middle of her back, which expands up into a cloud of butterflies that reach to her shoulders. The tattoo is an ink version of a similar visual from her “ME!” music video, showing her metamorphosis from the Reputation-era snake theme into the Lover era, filled with rainbows and butterflies.

A pool float shot

YouTube

Swift also spends some time in the video lounging in a pool float in the middle of a perfectly circular and fairly luxe kiddie pool. The scene has strains the arty pool photos that have become popular in the past few years, thanks to drone photography. But the pool float also brings to mind Swift’s own history with floaties: in past years, she was known for hosting lavish summer parties with extravagant floats and slides and a raft of celebrity attendees.

Cameos from Laverne Cox, Hannah Hart and more activists

YouTube

The next segment of the “You Need to Calm Down” video features stars like Laverne Cox, known for her activism for transgender rights, and Hannah Hart, a YouTube comedian known for her series “My Drunk Kitchen,” who are each hanging out in their respective front lawns and get moments to shine.

Hayley Kiyoko’s fierce archery

YouTube

When Swift sings, “But you’re coming at my friends like a missile,” that’s the cue for Hayley Kiyoko to appear, wielding a bow and arrow — a missile of a more medieval variety. Kiyoko is herself a pop star with hits like “Curious” and “Girls Like Girls,” known as an LGBTQ+ rights advocate and beloved by fans for improving lesbian representation in pop. In the video, Kiyoko hits a bull’s eye with her arrow in the center of a target stamped with the number 5, a hint that some are taking to mean she might feature on the fifth track of Lover.

A protest march

Throughout the song, Swift admonishes those who tear others down. “Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?” she asks, referencing the LGBT representation advocacy group. Anti-LGBTQ+ protesters appear sporadically throughout video, carrying signs like “Homosexuality is sin” and easily distinguishable from Swift’s friends with their less-than-colorful attire. This spring, Swift has taken a stand as an LGBTQ+ ally, sharing a petition on change.org for political support for the Equality Act and writing a letter to her senator.

A Ciara-officiated wedding

YouTube

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (of Modern Family fame) and his husband Justin Mikita get a chance to re-enact their wedding kiss in the video — officiated by Ciara. (Swift further showed up for Ferguson over the past weekend, joining him at the Stonewall Inn in New York City to play a song live.)

A sip of tea with Tan France

YouTube

Tan France is the fashion guru on the Queer Eye reality show, and in “You Need to Calm Down,” he gets his solo moment with a pot of tea — which he gracefully pours down his throat. Not only is France a British citizen, making his tea cameo particularly apt, but as we know, “tea” in pop culture slang is also a reference to hot gossip, about which France appears fully unbothered. Swift then extends the tea metaphor, sitting down to a literal tea party with the rest of the Queer Eye gang — including Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk and Jonathan Van Ness — as she sings “You just need to take several seats.”

Adam Rippon serving ice

YouTube

Olympic figure skating star Adam Rippon is also spotted serving — what else? — the ice-based treat of Sno-Cones, most likely in a wink to his prowess on the ice.

A tattoo for Ellen DeGeneres

YouTube

Show host and star Ellen DeGeneres is next spotted inside one of the trailers, getting a tattoo on her arm from Adam Lambert that reads “Cruel Summer.” This one is a bit of a mystery; “Cruel Summer” could be referring to the 1983 pop single by the British girl group Bananarama, but that’s a pretty oblique callback. Fans speculate it could be the title of another Lover song.

A spelling error

YouTube

As Swift and her squad recline on lounge chairs with reflective screens to maximize their sun time (and minimize the “shade,” metaphorical and literal), a group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters encroaches on their space, holding up signs. One reads “Get a brain morans (sic)!” In her last song “ME!” Swift made it a point to call out the importance of spelling. “Hey kids, spelling is fun!” she insists in those lyrics.

A Billy Porter moment

YouTube

Tony-winning actor, Pose star and red carpet icon Billy Porter makes his cameo sashaying down the line of sunbathers in a caftan, just as Swift sings, “Can you just not step on his gown?”

The drag “pop queen pageant”

YouTube

A lineup of former Drag Race contestants and a famous Beyoncé impersonator participate in a “pop queen pageant,” each dressed up as a different star. Spotted: Tatianna as Ariana Grande, Trinity The Tuck as Lady Gaga, Delta Work as Adele, Trinity K. Bonet as Cardi B, Jade Jolie as Swift, Adore Delano as Katy Perry, A’keria C. Davenport as Nicki Minaj and Riley Knoxx as Beyoncé.

RuPaul with a prize crown

YouTube

But instead of giving the pageant crown to just one of the contestants, RuPaul appears onstage and then tosses it up in the air. It seems like all the pop queens are meant to share the crown, á la Mean Girls, perhaps.

Ryan Reynolds at work on a painting

YouTube

Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds has long been in Swift’s universe; he’s married to Blake Lively, one of her squad members of years past, and has popped up at those summer bashes she used to throw. Here, he makes a cameo as a painter, focusing intently on painting a canvas based on a photograph of the historic Stonewall Inn, the site of the 1969 police raid that is considered to have kicked off the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Katy Perry as a hamburger

YouTube

At the 2019 Met Gala, Katy Perry dressed up for the after-party in a full-on hamburger costume. She reprises that look for appearance in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” video. Swift, herself in a French fries costume, seeks Perry out in the midst of a joyous food fight. The two were previously known to have been involved in something of a standoff, but recently have declared “peace at last.”

The Equality Act petition

YouTube

This spring, Swift has been putting forward a Senate petition for the Equality Act via change.org, asking supporters and politicians to support her campaign. She throws in an ending card shout-out to the Equality Act here as well. “Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally,” it reads.

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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srockhop · 6 years ago

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New York with Amelia, Day 2

Today was all about walking, and walk we did after we had some eggs, bacon, and waffle. Our hotel is near 8th Avenue and 40th Street. Times Square area has short streets and LONG avenues. We walked to 5th Avenue and then walked up to almost 57th Street. Along the way, we walked through Bryant Park; saw the New York Public Library lions; and stopped by Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Uniqlo along the route. The stores were huge on 5th Avenue. Amelia LOVED Saks Fifth Avenue - 10 floors of bizarre fashion we could never afford.

We stopped by Rockefeller Center, where Amelia went ice skating for a short bit because she wasn’t used to the ice skating skates. There were five professional ice skaters rehearsing one of their routines, and it was amazing the way they skated around all the novices. As usual there were a number of falls.

As we headed back to the TImes Square area, Amelia had a Passion Tango Lemonade Tea, and I had a Creminelli Sopressata and Monterey Jack snack. We stopped by One Schubert Alley to look at Broadway memorabilia, the Hershey Store, the M&M Store, Christmas in New York store, and various I Love NY gift shops.

Our matinee was Merrily We Roll Along at the Laura Pels Theatre. It is my favorite Stephen Sondheim musical. Amelia was tired and bored, but I loved it. It’s a story that takes place in the future and goes back 25 years, showing how these three friends who are at odds presently had such optimism in the beginning. One song “Not a Day Goes By” is sung with such happiness during the wedding but then becomes a dirge by the dissolution.

Dinner was at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, where we met up with Hannah, a friend I met through Scrabble. She is currently attending the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, and Amelia and she had fun gabbing over theatre war stories while we ate. I ordered foie gras and a Caesar salad and had a piece of Amelia’s filet mignon; Hannah had the Chilean Sea Bass. We shared banana bread pudding and butter cake for dessert.

The evening show was Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre, starring Andrew Barth Feldman, winner of a Jimmy Award, high school’s version of the Tonys. He is only 16, and is doing five shows on Broadway a week. New York theatres tend to be smaller than Los Angeles theatres, and most of the mezzanine is stadium seating. Sitting in the front row, we really got to see Andrew’s acting range as he navigates through this emotionally wrought show.

We ended the day by going to the Empire State Building, which was on 34th Street. It was lovely to see the night view. There was even a proposal out there on the 86th Floor Observation Deck; she said YES!

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keijay-blog · 6 years ago

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How to Make Spiced Coffee

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Tasteofhome.com EditorsNovember 30, 2018

Want to change up your morning cup? The Taste of Home Test Kitchen shares two easy methods for making spiced coffee.

If you’ve been around at all in the past few years, you’ve probably tasted the mother of all spiced coffees: pumpkin spice. The annual arrival of the pumpkin spice latte generates as much fanfare as a hero returning from battle.

Thing is, it’s easy to make spiced coffee at home, any day of the year. (Much cheaper, too.) You can also think beyond the pie spice and use your favorite spices, alone in or in combination, for fantastic flavor. Spices like cinnamon and cardamom impart warm, cozy notes, while star anise or ginger impart a more powerful flavor twist.

Let’s get started. No fancy cardboard cups necessary. (Dare we suggest a slice of coffee cake on the side?)

Psst! Taste of Home has a brand-new coffee line! Get your free sample here.

How to Make Spiced Coffee: Two Methods

Method 1: Spice Up the Coffee Grounds

You’ll need:

1/3 cup ground coffee (not instant coffee granules)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or other spice. Cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, allspice and star anise pair well with coffee.

Step 1: Sprinkle grounds with spice

Combine coffee with ground cinnamon or other spice in the filter basket of your coffee maker. We used a drip coffeemaker, but you can also spice up coffe made in a French press, Chemex, pour-over or other method.

Step 2: Brew

Prepare coffee as usual. You’ll get about four cups.

Step 3: Enjoy!

Enjoy as usual-black, or with cream and sugar. Want to go over the top? Combine spiced coffee with spiced milk.

Method 2: Spice Up the Milk

You’ll need:

Coffee, spiced or regular

1 cup 2% milk

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cinnamon sticks, optional

Whipped cream, optional

Step 1: Combine Ingredients and Warm

Combine the milk, sugar, cocoa and vanilla in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until small bubbles appear on the sides of the pan. Stir occasionally to keep the heat even and prevent scorching on the bottom. Don’t let the milk boil!

Step 2: Add Coffee

Pour the hot milk mixture into four coffee cups and add coffee. The milk adds rich mocha flavor to regular coffee. Spiced coffee + spiced milk = extra delicious.

Step 3 (Optional): Gild the Lily.

Garnish your mugs with cinnamon sticks and whipped cream for a decadent dessert-like treat. Serving an after-dinner drink? Add 1-2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur to the mug. Want a summery version? Just chill the spiced coffee and milk until cool, then pour over ice.

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