#this post brought to you by wawa...

[paeinovis]

Kind of sad it's taken me this long to find out wawa has tasty bevs that don't cost $7

[acermp100]

WAWA WEEK PART 6: THE FINAL WAWA

Decided to post my combo tonight. So yeah, I wrapped together the last two prompts: Comfort and Birthday.

HAPPY BDAY WAWA!!!!!!!!

Serizawa is sick and Reigen comes over to care for him.

I have had many a respiratory diseases so sorry for the projecting.

Teen Audience. Seri Rei be here in full force. Depictions of illness and suffering. Dimple sass. Snuggles.

~3000k words

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Opening his eyes just led to more pain. Light, be it natural or from electricity, seemed to drive toward the back of head, increasing the dizziness before plunging into his stomach to do more damage. It wasn’t that he was hungry; more that he had tried to eat too many times and now lay in failure. And that constant, throbbing ache in his temples didn’t help either.

Serizawa rolled over hoping that lying on his back would provide a fraction of relief. Used tissues had long over filled the little trashcan he had brought to the side of his bed. Groping at the nightstand, he managed to find a clean one but nothing would stop the visceral coughing whenever he took more than a shallow breath. It started out at a little chest cold: a bit of a tickle in the back of his throat and a runny nose. Now a few days later he didn’t even have the energy to take medication let alone keep it down. Weary eyes wandered toward to bathroom door before Serizawa curled up in on himself under the blankets.

Nope. Too  hot. He thought he had managed to create a decent homeostasis with his legs outside and his chest protected, but instead all the heat would swell into his head bleed from there, leaving him sweating even with the blankets fully off. Then a shiver would start and he’d have to wake up long enough to bundle himself once more.

Sleep would be nice. That’s what his mother always said- just lie in bed for a day, drink some juice, have some soup and it will be fine. His clouded mind attempted to recall if he ever suffered an illness this severe and long when a kid, however that just brought back memories he’d rather keep buried. A groan as he rotated once more, limbs and joints ever sore.

None of this compared to the shame writhing in his guts at having to call off work. It was day three now and all of his desperate attempts to get back into shape had only made him feel worse. Still, he kept his phone by his head ready to text at the first sign of good news. The weekend lay far away and even then he was missing classes and running out of food and clean laundry. His head seemed to buzz with even more pain and he let out a grunt, one eye opening. It turned out to be his phone.

“Happy birthday, son!” Came the text, followed by several heart emojis. “I hope you feel better soon and the care package I brought helped. Love, Mom.”

He cracked a tired grin as tears weld up in his eyes, not helping his congested sinuses. His birthday. He had forgotten all about it. Lifting his head he could still see the quaint basket his mom had brought over a few days earlier. Cookies he was unable taste now, medication that sadly couldn’t tackle even a half of his symptoms, cans of soup he was too weak to heat up, and a little potted plant that was slowly drooping from lack of water. Wincing, Serizawa buried his face in an arm and began to desperately sob into a sweat drenched sleeve.

His phone buzzed again. Sorry, mom. I’ll reply later. Just assume I’m asleep. But it went off again. And again. On the fourth time, Serizawa gritted his teeth and reached for the annoying thing, laying back into the pillow while his eyes tried to focus on the screen.

“Hey Tsuya. I rang but you didn’t answer.”

“You in there?”

“Please answer or I’m going to kick down the door.”

“KATSUYA PLEASE DON’T BE DEAD.”

A moan followed by slow, heavy footsteps. Serizawa had to brace himself against the wall with an arm before gathering enough strength to even unlock and open the door.

“Heeeey there!”

Reigen stood just outside with arms full of packages and bags. From the reaction, Serizawa assumed his pale face and sunken eyes with a raw, red nose and cheeks wasn’t doing him any favors. Without the will to even crack a welcoming expression, he glared ahead as he took short, rasping breaths. No ill will intended but appearing sociable was not exactly the first thing on his mind.

“Door bell’s broken. Sorry.” A bit of a phlegmy hack followed his words.

“Dude, you look fucking horrible.”

While Reigen still wrestled with figuring out if Serizawa had turned into a zombie or not, Dimple chimed in.

“Wait. What?” Serizawa stumbled back a bit, still holding on to the door frame. “Why are you here? It’s still the middle of the day right?” A panic as he glanced at his phone. 10:23am and still Tuesday. Didn’t lose track of the date yet. “Don’t you have clients to-“

Reigen was already letting himself in and setting down all his bundles, organizing them on the mail covered table near Serizawa’s meager kitchen.

“I brought some soup and medications- the really good stuff I use when I used to get sick running on one meal a day.” Bottles and cans and veggies with other ingredients even a blanket and some cooling pads. “And Shinra send over this charm that is supposed to keep spirits from getting at you when ill.”

“Hmph.” Dimple rolled his eyes at the little golden and beaded tag. “Telling you right now that’s just gonna gather dust.”

Reigen glared up mid opening a bottle of cough syrup. “Can you not for like ten minutes?”

“Just saying!”

Having used his legs longer than he had ever in the past few days, Serizawa limped over to the table and used a chair as a crutch, wincing from muscles sore from both disuse and inflammation.

“Reigen-san. What- what about the office?” He stared down at a week’s supply of food and medication. “How long are you-“

“Nope.” Reigen held a finger against Serizawa’s lips. “I’m here to care for you for as long as it takes. And the office-” A glance away while he tried to come up with the right words. “I decided to close for a bit.” He couldn’t meet Serizawa’s eyes but still managed to turn back. “You need to get back on your feet.”

In the dark apartment it was hard to tell if anyone was blushing, but a confused joy swelled in Serizawa’s chest and he straightened up, only to be taken by a rough spasm of coughs. Reigen frowned. After a few short breaths to catch back up, Serizawa tried to speak again.

“You- you both came to take care of- of me?”

“Hell no.” Dimple pointed at Reigen. “He’s the one doing the gross stuff.” A grin as he started to float backward. “I’m here to wait outside and scare the pants off of any would be solicitors.”

“Yeah. He loves doing that now.” Reigen let out a sigh, brining a hand to his face. “I found out the hard way when MY PAKAGES STOPPED SHOWING UP.”

The angry gripe was not received as Dimple had already slipped through the closed door.

A long sigh. “Welp, start off by taking some of this.” Reigen help up a little clear, plastic cup filled with a bright red liquid. “It helps a ton with keeping coughing down and I assume you have a sore throat too.”

Serizawa nodded back. Even with his sense of smell and taste obliterated, he still winced as the syrup went down his throat. Strong stuff indeed.

“How’s that feel?”

Serizawa let out a shudder. “Like I took a shot of brandy.”

“Good.” Reigen grinned. “That means it’s working.”

He continued unpacking the mountain of supplies. Vapor rub, a small electric humidifier, movie DVDs, more vegetable even packs of noodles and spice containers already opened from his own apartment. The hands normally furiously gesturing in the air were now adept at separating, organizing, and readying everything. Serizawa felt himself growing a bit dizzy at it all.

“Reigen-san.”

“Don’t start that.” Reigen looked over, now finished. “This is far cheaper than a stay at the clinic anyway.” A clap of his hands. “Alright! Let’s get you off your feet.”

Serizawa couldn’t object to being helped back to bed. A few more pillows wouldn’t hurt either.

“No, not there.”

The sudden stop caused Serizawa to stumble but he was caught under the shoulder.

“I meant the couch.�� Reigen forced a grin as he bore far too much dead weight. “C-come on. It’s just a bit further.”

Serizawa didn’t mean to, but the dizziness was starting to really get to him. So much congestion and needing to take short breaths left him grateful for the assistance. Now sitting, he brought a hand to his temples to try and alleviate some of the pressure while the room spun around him.

“Wh- why not the bed?

Frowning over at the one pillow, Serizawa just wanted to cocoon under his blankets and go to sleep. The sweating had returned and he wrapped his arms around himself as he began to shiver.

Reigen had walked away but now returned with more pillows and started to form a mound with them at the far side of the couch.

“Here, lay back but keep sitting. That will help the cough and let you eat.”

A grumble. Serizawa’s stomach protested at just the mention of food. “I don’t think I can eat.”

More pillow adjustment as Serizawa sat back, legs finally resting on the couch. He was going to complain more about the many fun times he had in his bathroom but a blanket was tossed over him. A grunt as he pulled it around himself and off his face.

“That’s wool.” Reigen had returned to the table but still spoke over his shoulder. “It’s not going to get soaked from your fever sweats and should keep you from overheating as well.” He returned with the little humidifier and got it plugged in and active. “And you’ll be able to keep the food down.” Their eyes met. “Trust me.”

Serizawa breathed in some of the warmed mist. At first a sneeze but his throat and airways slowly turned from raw and burning to a soothing dampness. He looked up to try and cough out a thank you but Reigen had already set his sights on the kitchen.

Pans, knives, a bit of oil, spices- the man knew where everything was. Soon water was boiling but Serizawa couldn’t smell what was cooking. Judging by the vegetables and large pot he assumed it was some kind of soup. Carrots were peeled with potatoes and onions chopped up all together while the waste and skins went into the pot to start forming a stock.

Serizawa watched with hooded eyelids, no longer dizzy just exhausted. He himself never got too skilled at cooking and cracked a smile watching the master at work. But how did Reigen even learn this when he ate fast food and instant noodles so much? Images and thoughts blurred together as Serizawa closed his eyes and slipped into an uneasy state between dreaming and being awake.

“Almost forgot!”

When he opened his eyes again there were several things cooking and stewing on his small stove now. Reigen was smiling down at him holding Serizawa’s phone.

“Here watch this.” It took a bit for Serizawa to properly take the phone with shaking hands but Reigen remained patient. “The kids all recorded a happy birthday thing for you.”

“Oh.” Serizawa tried to focus his eyes. “Thanks.”

“The soup needs more time so in the meanwhile I’m gonna wash your bedding and do some laundry.” Reigen already had a heap of blankets and sheets in his arms. “There’s some pills and a glass of water on the table, it’ll stop your stomach from going sour again.”

“Wait, Rei-“

Too late. The man was already out the door. His laundry? Serizawa felt terrible. His own boss tending to him like a spoiled child: cooking, cleaning, everything. A little visit would have been enough but this felt wrong. Would this be coming out of his paycheck? Even if his mom was here performing the same chores he’d feel just as guilty. Still, he was glad for the help despite his embarrassment.

After downing the pills, he settled in again, the phone screen glowing back at him as he pressed play.

“HEY SERIZAWA.”

Shou appeared in frame only to be playfully pushed out of the way by Teru.

“Happy birthday!”

Ritsu poked his head in. “Yeah, happy birthday.”

Then the camera focused on Mob. He gave a little wave. “Happy birthday, Serizawa.”

Tome was yelling something in the background. The only word that got through was ‘party’.

“Yeah! Don’t worry about missing anything!” Shou took over again. “You can always move your birthday!”

“No you can’t.” Ritsu mumbled from the side.

“I meant the party!”

There came the sounds of a scuffle. Pens and papers flew into the air as Mob stood in frame expressionless while he observed something off screen. After a bit, Teru refocused the shot.

“Anyway, we wanted to wish you a speedy recovery.”

Mob poked his head over Teru’s shoulder and spoke softly despite all the commotion going on in the background. “When you get better, we can go to that karaoke place again.”

“Karaoke!” And once again Shou forced himself into frame. “I’m so gonna get one of the Kageyama’s up there singing just you wait!”

“Pfff. You should at least go first.” Quipped back Teru.

Ritsu also chimed in. “Oh I’ve heard it. Like a dying bird.”

And there went everyone back to arguing, save for Mob. He smiled a bit and looked into the camera.

“This is getting a bit long so: Happy birthday once again! Hope you get over your cold too. Bye Serizawa!”

A few blurry fumbles before the video ended. There was a smile forming on Serizawa’s face throughout it all, but weariness also spread, leading to the phone and his hand to fall at his side. The throbbing headache faded away to much needed sleep mixing with memories of singing and drinking and laughter. Reigen sat next to him and grinned over. Can’t look into his eyes but the tingle in his chest Serizawa could feel even through asleep lying with sore ribs and lungs from coughing so much. Then he’d see Reigen’s hand on the bar, fingers tapped as a tale was spun. Just reach for it. It’s only a dream.

“Katsuya? Sorry to wake you.”

Serizawa cracked open one eye, mumbling something while the weight of reality pushed down on him once more. It took a bit for dizziness and focus to line up enough but in the end he was staring at a hand in his own. Was he still dreaming? He gave a weak squeeze back before noticing Reigen over him.

“Hey, there you are.”

The soft smile and eyes without a hint of judgment. Serizawa lifted his other arm in his addled state, wanting nothing more than to rest his hand against Reigen’s face. A memory of them on this same couch together, shoulders pushing against the other from the limited space. It would have been so easy to reach around a waist and pull him in for a hug. His arm faltered at his own chest while he jerked, letting out a rough, wet series of coughs.

“Sounds like you might need more syrup.” Reigen released the hand, concern on his face. “At least your fever is down.”

Serizawa held his breath as a palm was placed on his forehead, the thumb tracing through his hair. Thoughts raced back and forth, colliding into to one another until all he was left with was a quiet calm, leaning into the touch. This is nice. His boss here taking care of him when he needed it. But why did he feel so tense still? Muscles and thoughts always resisting. Serizawa let out a raspy exhale.

What had his mother said?  

“Don’t give me that face. Just because you’re all grown up now doesn’t mean you won’t need help from time to time. Never think of yourself as undeserving.”

Serizawa smiled up weakly at Reigen. “Thank you.” He had to take another breath in before continuing. “For all of this.”

A soft grin back, Reigen’s hand still gently resting on Serizawa’s forehead.

“No problem, big guy. Now!” He stood up, clapping his hands together, but Serizawa could see his red face. “I got your bed all set up and clean; however, you should really get some fluids and food in you before sleeping. How’s your stomach?”

“Surprisingly well.” Serizawa sat up a bit against the pillows, rubbing at his gut. The only pain there now was from hunger. “I’d like to try eating.”

“Good!”

Reigen turned toward the kitchen. The sounds of clacking plates and pouring liquids could be heard. Though still unable to smell, Serizawa remembered all the fresh vegetables and licked his lips, stomach complaining right along with his brain. The last time he had anything stay down must have been over two days ago, and that had been instant noodles.

“Tada!” Reigen knelt down with a tray, revealing its contents with a flourish of his hand. “Happy Birthday!”

A few lit candles were stuck in some peanut butter plopped between plain, salted crackers. Right next by sat a bowl of steaming soup with some fancy fishcakes floating amid chunks of vegetables and noodles. Reigen had even decorated the plate with shiny paper and crude origami animals he must have practiced just before coming over.

“Well- it’s not a proper cake and everything.” Reigen was grinning down but avoiding eye contact. “But you probably shouldn’t be eating that kind of stuff anyway. Not in your state.”

Serizawa felt warmth against his belly as the tray was placed down. He took up the spoon after a long inhale at the vapors trailing up. For a moment he could smell a bit of spices but mainly just basked in the pleasant sensation of it all.

“It’s wonderful, Reigen-san.”

A quick huff and smoke now rose from the small, colorful candles.

“Did you make a wish?”

Serizawa looked over the decorated tray of food again before glancing up at his boss hovering over him.

“Yeah.” He smiled warmly. “Hope it comes true soon.”

Reigen rubbed the back of his head, turning to look back at the kitchen.

“Oh! I forgot the tea!”

Reigen returned with a mug and set it at the side table. Beaming, he sat down at the opposite table waiting for a response. Serizawa started with a few spoonfuls of broth but soon went straight for some carrots and noodles with some of the fish cakes. The crackers were a bit annoying to chew compared to the steamed vegetables so he had only few, making sure to get his protein in with the peanut butter. After only five minutes, the bowl was empty along with the tray and the tea half gone.

Serizawa let out a pleased sigh. Not a stomach cramp in sight. Now full of food, he started to feel even wearier. He closed his eyes for a moment as Reigen cleaned up the dishes and returned.

“Ha. Guess you’re ready for a good rest.” Reigen held down his hand in offering. “Come on, I’ll help you over.”

There was a mild struggle to get Serizawa’s legs cooperating again until they settled on Reigen bending down a bit with the larger man’s arm slung over shoulders and neck like a drunk being escorted home. Serizawa still felt the annoying spells of dizziness so the going remained slow. Suddenly he froze, covering his mouth after letting out a weak cough.

“Reigen-san!”

Reigen looked up. “Crap, you ok? Don’t have to puke or anything?”

“N-no!” Serizawa pulled back but still couldn’t support his own weight. “I just realized! I’m going to get you sick too!” He turned his head away. “I’m so sorry.”

“Heh.” A nudge from Reigen’s arm. “Why do you think I closed the office? And brought so much food and medication? And that soup’s not going anywhere. Made about two day’s worth. Plus snacks.”

Serizawa kept his hand over his mouth. “Reigen-san.”

“Come on.” Reigen forged ahead. “You need your rest to get any better.”

There was already a bit of swelling in the man’s eyes with some minor sniffles between words. Serizawa flopped into the bed, rolling onto his back now as sore and tired as he’d ever been, yet sated with nutrients and medication garnering a feeling of a coming recovery instead of more suffering. Reigen fluffed up the pillows before bringing the blankets up while he failed to suppress a cough.

“There we go. All tucked in.”

Serizawa watched his boss smile. Reigen was still leaning down, hand feeling against his employee’s neck and forehead again. Nerves danced sleepily at the touch and Serizawa felt a flutter in his hands and chest.

“Fever still feels down.” Reigen started to pull his fingers away. “Need anything else?”

Serizawa took the hand, keeping it just above his face. His grip was light around the wrist while he slowly pulled his boss closer, eyes flicking up to meet flush cheeks and a shocked yet willing expression.

“Wh- you alright?”

Another arm reached out, trembling fingers lingering inches from the back of Reigen’s neck before resting there, waiting. Serizawa could feel Reigen giving into the suggestion, leaning ever closer. Their eyes closed and their lips met; the hand in Serizawa’s grip twitching as he’d force himself forward, wanting more, only to be pushed back with the same need. A gentle caress at his face, the bed creaking when Reigen supported himself with a knee. His taste came back along with being able to smell: a mix of Reigen’s cheap cologne and his heated, desperate breathes.  After a few moments they separated, faces still close, both quivering from the sensation.

“Ha. Haa.” Breathing hard, Reigen appeared exhausted, still leaning down with his knee and arm keeping him from collapsing.

“Arataka?”

A sneeze, Reigen turning his head away before he suffered through a brief coughing fit. When he looked back his face was beet red.

“Well. That’s one way to get inoculated.” His entire form was tense, showing in the edges of his smile. “Guess I’m staying here for a few days.”

He stepped back, eyes darting from side to side while stealing glances at Serizawa lying on the bed. Normally animated hands now sat still with one slowly rising to grip his chest no doubt feeling the heart there beating frantically.

Serizawa let out a chuckle before holding up the blanket. “Wanna join me? He found himself saying. “It’s warm, and the couch is pretty uncomfortable.”

Now one of Reigen’s hands was rubbing against his face. “Yes.” He whispered. “Let me take some cough syrup first.”

He downed a cup like a nervous bachelor at a party. Time moved in slow motion as Reigen crawled over Serizawa, settling in against the wall with part of his body resting on the man he had just cared for. A pleasant weight as they laid there, breathing gradually slowing in each other’s arms. Serizawa’s entire body was soaked in bliss from his heart to his stomach, all dancing together. He had started to drift off before feeling Reigen snuggling his shoulder and neck. Never having someone with him in bed before, he was content with cuddling until falling asleep. Still, he knew the illness would hit the worst in a few days and turned, pulling his boss closer.

“Come here.” Serizawa made sure the blanket was fully wrapped around them both. He blushed when Reigen buried his face in his chest. “Thank you for coming over. I’m starting to feel better already.” His hand pet through Reigen’s hair. “Guess I’ll have to take care of you now.”

A few muffled words, Reigen refusing to show his face, but the initial tense muscles had melted away to happy acceptance. Serizawa left it at that, closing his eyes and drifting towards sleep while wreathed in the warm and comfort of another’s hold. Before his brain fully committed he heard Reigen’s voice against his chest.

“Happy Birthday, Katsuya.”

[drpeppertummy]

hellouughhhh i am once again posting tales of freak shit. Road Trip Lunch Break

[stuffing, tummyache]

"Sunny, I don't know if you can eat all that," said Laurie, skeptically eyeing her friend's lunch.

"Aw, please," said Sunny as he unpacked his bag.

"There's no way it's gonna last sitting in the car."

"There's not gonna be anything left in the car, dummy."

"Come on," scoffed Laurie. "That hoagie's bigger than you are."

"Very funny," said Sunny, playfully raising the sandwich at her. "I know what I'm about, Laurie. You're just jealous because all you brought is that dinky little soup."

"Whatever you say," said Laurie, rolling her eyes. She opened her chicken corn chowder and watched Sunny open up his lunch. Sunny, who was small, slight, and a little too confident, had packed an absolute abomination of a sub--Laurie would swear she saw the girl at Wawa gag while she was making it--along with a large cup of soup, mozzarella sticks that were surely cold by now, a fruit salad, and a bottle of chocolate milk. The thought of drinking chocolate milk alongside that mess was even more repulsive to Laurie than the sandwich itself.

Well, she had no reason to care. Laurie considered chicken corn chowder to be one of life's finest pleasures, and she intended to enjoy it regardless of whatever was going on beside her. The weather was perfect for a break at the roadside picnic table. The view was decent, and, being on a fairly small road, there wasn't much noise to take away from the scenery.

Sunny was less focused on the scenery and more focused on trying to hold his sandwich together. If you asked Laurie, she'd suggest that pretty soon he'd be even more worried about trying to hold his stomach together. He had no intention of asking Laurie anything, however, and dug in.

Sunny, whose eyes were notoriously bigger than his stomach, was troubled to find that he was full about halfway through his enormous lunch. He took a quick glance at Laurie, who was happily finishing up her own lunch. His eyes darted back to his half-eaten hoagie. No way was he going to let her say she told him so. With a sigh, he pushed on.

Laurie recognized the sigh of a person who had about reached their limit, but decided to hold her tongue. She stirred around the last little bit of her chowder. If Sunny was determined to finish everything he brought, at least it meant she didn't have to rush. He was working on his own soup right now, noticeably slower than when they first started eating, and her eyes wandered down to his belly. Sunny had a penchant for snug, flashy button-downs, unbuttoned at the top to show off his chest hair--it's a look that needs to come back, he'd insist--and tucked into his flared jeans, with a big ridiculous belt buckle to bring it all home. Laurie imagined that belt buckle would be causing him discomfort before long. His normally flat belly was beginning to poke out over his belt, and he still had a ways to go.

Sunny tried to ignore the increasing tightness in his stomach as he ate. Hoping to be subtle, he grabbed his belt and tried to inch it down a little lower. He let his hand rest on his belly for a moment, surprised to feel how round it was. He was also beginning to regret his questionable food combinations. The tepid mozzarella sticks sat like a greasy boulder in his stomach, and the chocolate milk filling in the gaps was beginning to make him feel ill. He nibbled on his fruit, not wanting to think about the rest of his sandwich, which was now almost as unappealing to him as it was to Laurie. Right now he wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep until his overstuffed stomach managed to digest everything; the thought of being stuck sitting in the car for a few more hours with a seatbelt squeezing his guts was almost unbearable.

Laurie watched Sunny struggle with the remnants of his lunch, having long since finished her own. She was beginning to feel guilty for teasing him. Sunny was built from a mixture of stubbornness and pride, and even suggesting that he couldn't do something was a surefire way to make sure he did his damnedest to succeed. He tried again to adjust his belt, to little avail. His belly stuck out almost comically. Just looking at him made Laurie's own stomach ache.

"Sunny?"

"Hm?"

"You don't have to make yourself sick trying to finish that," she said, doing her best to sound sincere. She didn't want him to take it as a challenge.

"I'm not gonna make myself sick," he said. The uncertainty in his voice matched the look on his face. Laurie took him gently by the shoulders.

"Sunny. Listen. I'm sorry for pestering you about your lunch. I know you're trying to prove a point here. But if you eat any more, you are going to explode," she said, tapping his bloated belly. He held his hands defensively over his stomach and opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to argue. She was right. He was just glad she wasn't rubbing it in.

"Come on," she said softly, taking him by the arm. "The sooner we go, the sooner you can lay down and sleep that mess off." Once again, Sunny couldn't argue.

They cleaned off the table and climbed back into the car, Laurie taking the wheel. Sunny, who, for once in his life, didn't care what anybody thought of him, reclined his seat a little and undid his belt before buckling up. As Laurie had predicted, the buckle had been pressing into his distended belly. The relief of doing away with it was instant, but his stomach still hurt. Laurie glanced down at him with a sympathetic smile. As she pulled back onto the road, she reached out and rested one hand on his belly. Ordinarily, Sunny would have put up a fight about that, but this time, the warm touch was comforting. He gazed up at her, momentarily transfixed by the golden halo of sunlight shining around her, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

[a-cow]

Virtual Sketchbook 2

Journaling- Principles of Design

Unity and Variety- Unity can be seen as an element of consistency or of something being the same throughout. Variety can be seen as a multitude of elements brought together to combine and contrast with each other. Rene Magrite displays unity in Golconda using the form of his subjects appearance. Yet Magritte also displays variety through this subject by layering him throughout the piece creating a variety of differing sizes.

Balance- Considered to be the state where elements work in tandem to create a sense of equilibrium. This can be achieved through the use of symmetry or asymmetry. In the following piece, balance is showcased through the artist use of symmetry. Though not perfectly symmetrical they share mirroring qualities in shapes and sizes.

Emphasis and subordination- Emphasis is used as a way to draw our eye to an area, while subordination is the opposite and is used as a neutral area to lead the eye toward areas of emphasis. In the painting, Still Life with Lobster by Anna Vallayer-Coster, the artist uses color to emphasize and draw the eyes to the lobster, while everything else is subdued and washed in darker tones making you focus on the bright red lobster.

Directional Forces- The creation of a path to lead the eye through a work of art. In the following painting the directional force present is the path starting at the edge which leads the viewers eye to the main subject, the cloud.

Repetition and Rhythm- Repetition is a reoccurrence of a visual element. Rhythm is a repeated pattern of elements with similar variations, there are different rhythms that can be conveyed in art. In the piece below, Donald Judd creates repetition throughout by using the same boxes in a stack, while rhythm is present through repetition.

Scale and Proportion- Scale is how one relates to another in terms of size. Proportion is the relationship of the parts of a whole object and to another. In the following piece, scale is demonstrated in the heights of the characters compared with each other. Proportion is also demonstrated through the artists' use of altered proportions.

Writing and Looking

Jasper Johns, Three Flags, 1958. Encaustic on canvas. Fig. 7.7, Section 7.4

In Johns' artwork Three Flags he employs a use of pattern using the American flag and plays with its scale. There's repetition and a consistent rhythm to the work due to the layering of the flags on top of each other and the reoccurrence of stars and stripes. There is texture due to the artists' choice of making an encaustic painting.

Connecting Art to Your World

I consider myself to be fortunate that I can appreciate colors as they are. My experience with how color has affected me isn't necessarily the most exciting story. It quite simply just consists of me looking up towards the morning sky. Normally, I usually look down or forward when walking but on this one morning I was looking at the sky and noticed just how incredible it looked. It consisted of a variety of colors of a very rich saturation. There were blues, reds, yellow and purple hues present. I had wanted to stop and just take a picture to capture it but I decided not to. Though I still don't take photos of the skies I find myself making the effort to look up more to appreciate the simple beauty present in the colors of the sky.

If I had to pick a color scheme for my life I feel it would consist of earthy, charcoal tones with the occasional spots of varying colors.

Art Project

I made a simple comic depicting my feelings about books. My life without a love for books would probably be a boring one as books allow me to immerse myself in their stories and adventures. Nothing can beat a really good story that can transport me to another world. I really appreciate all of the stories that have passed through my hands.

Photo/Design

Wawa, Puma, Adidas, HP, Apple, Tiffany & Co., Aeropostal, GAP, Uniqlo, Sharpie, Expo, Post-it, Samsung, One Plus

I know and recognize these logos because most of these brands have a consistent presence in my life. The other reason I know about them is because most are well established brands or are simple to recognize at a glance.

I understand that logos are important to brands and are carefully designed to be memorable and distinct from other businesses. The logo is the identity of the brand and with a weak logo, brands essentially have a weak identity. 

[huntressofthesun]

Alright then, more non-tag ideas. The South Jersey accent.

Jason, Tim, Duke, Steph, and Bruce all say wuder. Babs says it when she’s like super rambley and into what she’s talking about but normally she tones it down; she talks to people from all over the world she can’t give herself away that easily. Dick, Damian, and Cass don’t have the accent at all but Dick can slip into it a bit if he needs to.

Batman says water and erases all other traits of his accent as to make himself less recognizable bc Bruce is just extra like that. Red Hood is the only hero who really leans into the accent, he sounds like one of those SJ moms with the super thick accent bc this time Jason is extra like that. Everyone else tries to keep it as mild and normal as possible, like it’s clear they’re from Gotham but people from outside of Jersey can still understand them.

Bruce and the rest of the batfam make a lot more sense when you remember they’re from Jersey. Like we’re just kinda like that.

But I also love the idea that Gotham is in South Jersey cause that’s my area and like, it makes even more sense. Yeah the Philly and New York adjacent areas have their own wild shit, but just thinking about the people I grew up around and how decades of people like them shaped Gotham into a city where Batman and his group of unruly children is normal, it totally fucking tracks.

(Although I can’t decide if it’s funnier to have Gotham be like slightly north of AC and Brigantine, which would explain a lot, or if it’s funnier down by Salem which is just hilarious to me. If that’s the case then Bludhaven is absolutely by AC and nobody can convince me otherwise.)

Like, the batkids having the pork roll/taylor ham debate? Does central jersey truly exist? Tim, Jay, and Cass going to the pine barrens over a long weekend to camp out in search of the jersey devil? (Dami was physically locked in the cave so he could not join them. They had to use the heavy duty chains. He almost escaped.)

Dick comes back after spending too much time with the titans and asks if anyone wants to go to the beach. You can see Jay’s soul leaving his body as he prepares to beat the jersey shore back into his shoobie brother with extreme prejudice. Bruce gets nostalgia in the spring for corn season in the fall. The cowtown rodeo, lucy the elephant, wildwood, cape may, the possibilities are endless y’all. Gimme more South Jersey Bats damnit.

[two-wheeled-therapy]

2021 - Let the miles begin!

8,774.  That’s how many miles I need to roll between now and July to meet my goal of 100,000 miles on my Voyager when she turns 10.  As I said in my last post; I have a plan.  And that plan is rather simple - Just Ride.  Any chance I get, I am going to ride, and ride as far as I can.  That is how on January 2, 2021, I have more miles racked up on my bike this year than I did until sometime in April of 2020. 

The weather was forecast to get up in the mid 50′s.  I called Mark and we planned a ride north to visit one of my favorite Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives places, Chaps Pit Beef; not the original, but the Franchise in Frederick, MD.  It rained all day here on the New Year’s Day, and in Maryland that rain fell as sleet, snow, freezing rain, so Mark suggested we ride south.  Mark was thinking we would ride to the Mongolian Barbecue place we like in Williamsburg, but I had other cravings, and set our sights a little further away.

I first experienced MidTown Eats in Newport News, VA several years ago when I was down there for a Task Force Meeting.  At the time it was a small hole in the wall in a strip mall.  I remembered I ordered the Chorizo Chop, which I thought was a burger made with chorizo sausage mixed in.  When it came out it was a full burger with a full sized sausage pattie on top.  Every plate that went past me bound for other tables looked heavenly, and I realized that no matter what you ordered, you were getting a great home made meal.  When I paid at the counter, I grabbed one of the business cards that were next to the register so I didn’t forget the place. Before putting it in the console of my car, I read it.  It had the name of the place on it with the owner’s name and the the titles beneath, “Owner, CEO, Head Chef, Cashier, Janitor”. My kind of place, serving my kind of food, and run by my kind of guy.

A couple of years ago I went to stop in at the strip mall and was saddened that it was closed.  At the time I didn’t realize that they were moving, but happily found that out a few months later.  Thanks to Covid, I haven’t been going down that way, so when Mark suggested we ride south, this place full of deliciousness immediately came to mind.  It’s nearly a 400 mile round trip for me to get there and back . . . While I don;t think this place has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, the next time Guy Fieri is in the area, he should check it out!  Definitely “off the Hook” and well worth it!

I called Bob and, never being one to turn down a good ride and good food, he decided to join us.  I mapped out the ride down to Mark’s and from there the ride to Mid-Town Eats.  It was 39 degrees when I got the bike out of the shed and headed towards Wawa to meet Bob.  The roads were still wet, and slick, and it was really foggy.  As I waited for Bob to get there I just happened to look up at the right time, as I saw the shadows approaching from above through the fog. As they approached they materialized; one was a seagull, but the one behind it was much bigger and much more majestic. As it passed directly over my head about 50 feet up I could see the full majesty of it’s white head and tail as it’s dark body cut through the fog.  We truly have a beautiful national symbol in the American Bald Eagle. We are lucky to have a nest nearby at the Manassas Airport and this one was out doing the morning rounds.

Once Bob showed up we realized that our proposed route to Mark’s over the back roads was a bit to risky with the fog, and the temperatures.  We knew that the twists and curves of the hills would be ripe with hidden surprises in the way of ice and other slick spots, so we went the most direct route from there (while avoiding I-95) and took Route 28S to Route 17S.  As we came to the light at 28 & 17 I knew we made the right decision as I put my left foot down and it nearly slid out from under me.  As we got closer to Mark’s, the fog burned off, and we dipped onto some back roads before getting to his place. 

Heading out, Mark led the way to get us back on 17S which we would take the whole way down.  17 Is a great road to ride this time of year.  Nice scenery, a few towns, and an easy road to ride in early January.  We pulled in just before 1:00PM, and I saw the familiar yellow Jeep of my nephew Erik.  You all may know him as “Disco” from some of my rides.  Erik had recently returned from a deployment with the Navy. Knowing he was in the general area, and knowing he was a foodie like me, I had invited him to meet us there.  It really was good seeing him again - I’m glad he is safely home.

There only was one table filled out of the 6-8 tables inside.  Our waitress brought out the menus, which were a little different than the last time I was there, paired down a bit, possibly because of Covid.  But there were more than enough choices.  I opted for the N’awlins Burger: Two blacked beef patties topped with gouda, caramelized onions and gulf shrimp, adding hush puppies as my side.  In short, I was blown away.  Mark also had the N’awlins Burger, Erik had the Smoked London Broil Rueben, and Bob went with the Philly.  We all agreed MidTown Eats was  - WELL WORTH THE TRIP!

After finishing it all off, we chatted a bit and caught up before departing.  Mark led us out and we continued down 17 to Route 60 where we headed west into Williamsburg and on up through West Point.  As we headed back towards Fredericksburg, the sun started setting.  It was a brilliant red sky to the west.  We stopped for our last gas and to put on another layer as the temperatures were dropping as darkness took over.  After Mark turned off, Bob and I pointed our bikes home, briefly jumping on I-95 to make up some time and avoid the deer on the back roads.  I pulled off to fuel up at the Wawa as Bob continued towards his home.  I didn’t see the Eagle again, but I did look up and smile as I checked. 

When I tucked the bike away I had rolled 379 miles off of that 8,774 that I need.  With a low of 39 the temps hit a high of 61 along the way,not bad for the 2nd day of January.  Only 8,395 to go!

RIDE ON!

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 232

October 28 Busy day today, as promised! I got up this morning and got the kiddo going on his schoolwork (asynchronous learning day means he had lots of time to work on catch-up assignments) and then headed off to my doctor's office. I lost the labwork order I needed to get my routine yearly bloodwork, so they printed it off and brought it outside to me so I didn't have to enter the office. Doctors and dentists and the like are extremely concerned with keeping unnecessary people out of their offices, which makes sense. At the kiddo's pediatrician, they appear to have renovated an empty space next door into an entirely segregated sick-child waiting room, rather than the simpler left-side-well, right-side-sick waiting room they had before, separated by a wall bisecting most of the room. Now both those sides are for well children and sick children can't come into the office proper at all. I am hoping this is a healthy winter for the kiddo.  But anyway! With my paperwork in hand, I bopped down to the blood testing center for my blood draw. That wasn't much different from usual, aside from a very avant-garde arrangement of chairs in the waiting room that had many fewer chairs, all pointing in different directions away from one another. Routine labwork cost me 26.33, a weird number that included a 20 dollar copay and then 6.33 cents of coinsurance for the various tests. It was a weird number, but at least it was considerably less than I would've paid without our exceedingly expensive insurance. I didn't have to wait very long and the phlebotomist did a good job with me. I asked specifically for a back-of-the-hand draw, partially because I'm a tough stick and partially because I wanted to be able to show the kiddo what it looks like. It was a model wound, tiny with minimal blood and only slight swelling. The kiddo seemed somewhat reassured about his own upcoming draw, but only somewhat.  I went home and showed off my hand and checked to make sure everything was still going well. On the way, I stopped for gas at the new Wawa and got myself a big cup of pumpkin spice coffee with hazelnut creamer. It's the most wonderful time of the year! Also I was very hungry from fasting. Kiddo had gotten quite a bit of work done on his school stuff and my husband got good news from his own morning telemedicine appointment, so all was copacetic. I stayed home for about an hour and figured out what assignments the kiddo still had to do, and then it was off on another adventure through the bridge-tunnel to pick up my auction winnings!  Now I know the natural reaction here might be "You bid on another auction? Did you learn NOTHING from the Takis adventure?" I understand your reaction and the answer is yes I did learn something, but not very much. I certainly didn't bid on any massive job lots at this auction, which was for a beauty shop that had shut down. I placed lowball bids on all kinds of interesting and useful things, was outbid on most of them, and purchased what was left. In this case, that amounted to two large three-drawer plastic storage bins, one small three-drawer storage bin, and nine pounds of reinforced cotton coil. I also got a bonus in that one large drawer was full of a dozen rolls of little-bitty garbage bags, the perfect size to scoop litter into. I won't need to scrounge grocery bags for years!  (Also, the guy who helped me find my items at the auction house definitely remembered me from last time, and I suspect I may be hearing about the takis adventure forever now.)  Your other question at this point may be "what is reinforced cotton coil?" and the answer is that it is very weird and cool stuff. Imagine a cotton ball, the sort you use for makeup or cleaning or whatever. Now imagine a cotton ball that is still the same diameter, but four hundred feet long, wrapped up in a tight coil and shoved into a cardboard box. Reinforced just means that there is a paper tape inside the middle of this long cotton rope, giving it a bit more structure. Originally it's for salon use. It's the stuff they wrap around your head when you get a perm so the chemicals don't seep out onto your face, and something about manicures too, but I have bigger ideas. You have any idea how many kitten butts can be wiped with a cotton ball a quarter-mile long? (I have three boxes of the stuff, so 1200 feet and change.) How many ears can be cleaned? How many crocheted catnip mice stuffed? I'm sure there's lots of other things that can be done with it, and I'm open to ideas. If I get the drop spindle I want for Christmas, maybe I'll try and make yarn from it. So many uses!  With my van once again filled with cheaply acquired auction goodies, I headed back home to impress my guys with such weird bounty and also eat some lunch. In the afternoon, the kiddo had a dentist appointment, which has historically not been a great time for us. Kiddo is not quite as nervous of the dentist as he is of the phlebotomist, but it's pretty close. This was just a cleaning, though, so no shots and no pain and it was okay. He actually did really well holding still and following directions, and he doesn't need anything else for six more months. Yes! I was so happy that we walked next door to Gamestop where he picked out Fallout 4, which was on an excellent sale because it's kind of old now. He can't play it until he is done with his catch up work, but both he and my husband are very excited about it.  Husband made dinner, an experimental spaghetti variant involving crushing diced canned tomatoes with a potato masher, because I was trying to explain to MIL how to attach files to email again. She wanted to send me some documents so I can three-way-call with her and the financial advisor tomorrow, but she couldn't access her own email and couldn't figure out how to move the scanned documents (sixteen pages, each one its own file) anyplace that I could access them. She finally got one good picture of the first page with her camera and texted it to me, and then we decided that was enough for now. I don't know bologna about this stuff anyway, so hopefully the advisor will explain it to both of us tomorrow. The spaghetti was good.  Evening was less busy, which was nice. Kiddo took a shower with minimal complaining, and decided that he really wants to join our online Mutants and Masterminds group, which is two years older than he is by now. I told him that was fine, but he has to be willing to really work on his posts because this group requires good spelling and complete sentences in every post. (This is true, and ordinarily we probably wouldn't have a player this young despite no official rules against it, but we have put thousands of dollars into owning the site over the years and that ought to come with at least small privileges.) I don't know if he'll actually do it, but he's coming up with a character concept and we'll help him build it and see how it goes. It would be excellent writing practice! We'll get started on that tomorrow. 

[shytiff]

Jan 2021 Wins

ive “journaled” for 6 months now. it started as small ___ wins because when you feel rly empty, even doing the bare minimum feels like a win. written down some of the wins. i think until now i’d like to keep the “win” part. a win against my shadow sometimes. a win in life. some things to be grateful for. a win for remembering it later in the future. i know some days im just basically doing nothing.  there are a lot of wars not won by me. but im still tryna ✨manifest✨

1 - woke up. watched bts’ 2021 seasons greetings. read trap city. afternoon nap. pupuy’s mbah passed away. i got DOMS in my body even though i did the barest of exercise yesterday (frail, i know). shower, matcha latte.

2 - the x banner atikah and i sent for racil post thesis defense has arrived lmaoo. mom made delicious (and sweet) fried banana. did some studying (more than usual, bcs the bar is on the floor)

3 - ate muesli, 3 risols. Kopsus coklat at flavola. Stayed there from 12-ish to 17:30 lmaooo. weekly bahas soal w/ fi. Rapat nemo

4 - first day of collab module. Barely cicil ukmppd. My mood is normal-ish but i hardly have the will to study. Dinner is fried fish with mentai sauce, potato wedges, and saladdd by mom

5 - collab module, qa presentation for rsui reps. finished reviewing tryout 2 solid. did padi pretest (got 66,5). ate chicken porridge, a bit of muesli and vsoy, tan ek tjoan bread, matcha latte, fish and chicken and potato wedges and salad, fried banana. i ate well today lol.

6 - slept during collab webinar, went to clara’s place to study osce and attended padi together. i ate well at clara’s placeee lol. ate nastar, kusuka, white kwetiaw with soup (?), and lele goreng. went back home @ 9 pm. i feel refreshed. even though we’ve half studied half mukbang all day. human interaction rly does heal me. i need human interaction more than i think. at night i dreamed about going to bali, to waterparks, seeing sea creatures, watching a movie displayed on a concert-like stage and screen at the front row. 

7 - woke up at 07:55, finished my part for collab group work. felt a bit tired today. the rest of fam went to DM, and when they were on the way back i HURRIED my way out, not even taking a shower lmaoo. got pistachio matcha latte at starbucks dm. now im more skilled in searching the best spot in a cafe to distance myself from people lmao. the matcha latte is served with some sort of pistachio cream and sprinkled with nuts on top. its like when sbux had taro matcha latte and it had purple cream on top. the pistachio taste is quite strong. reviewed TO 1 padi, sent proposals for nemo sponsorship.

8 - did syndrome try out and padi 2 web try out. studied for osce and padi @ clara’s place. wanted to order pizza since clara bought me food before, but she insisted in ordering lmaoo. so dinner is pizza hut

9 - woke up at 11.00 lmao. havent had breakfast. lunch is muesli with the brand new delishhh chocolate granola and cimory banana milk. did one shot try out, got 71. had a google meet with Prof Agus (that ethics book ghostwriting job from a year ago is not finished until now huaaa) that went from 20.00ish and finished at 22.30,,,,, reviewed syndrome try out along the way. havent made my collab self reflection hhhh. i also need to study for osce. also havent edited article for bukang solid. and there goes my saturday nooo

10 - i swear i keep waking up late lmao. Flavola w atikah, racheel later came with wawa. Kopsus coklat and ukmppd class w dr yudo. After class i just talked at flavola (and ended not studying osce at all for sunday). Went to racheel's to pray and talk some more. Hurriedly went back for booty call with fi, watched konser dies natalis first. Tryout and sum study with fi and clar that went from 20:30 to 00:10. Powered by left over kopsus and 2 snackit pia. Rip my sleeping schedule

11 - woke up at 10:30 ish, the lack of meal and horrible sleep pattern (for my standard) produced stuffy nose during the day and a bit of headache that went away for a bit after i ate. Late bfast is muesli, drank protein, ate tan ek tjoan, plus 2 brownies in the evening. Tht coaching w dr niken. Did self reflection for collab. Had dinner without rice, as usual. Ukmppd class w dr ayu. Finished reflection at 21:30 lmao (deadline is 23:55). Tryna sleep and my nose is still itchy and i sneeze a more often. i hope it goes away 2mrw

12 - DV coaching, scele tryout, took a nap before padi cause my head kind of hurts. Les padi while drinking matcha with vsoy less sugar and no added sugar. I can withstand the horrible sugarless cy matcha taste bcs theres a taste of soy. Didnt do anything else. Havent studied osce on my own until now. Astagfirullah

13 - my head still kind of aches. Its goes away when im eating. im eating so well during the weekdays that i gained 2kgs lmao. lazed around the first half of the day. padi. finally tried saint matcha and damnn its an amazing upgrade from Cy matcha. the green color is super different yall. Cy’s green looks sick and tired compared to saint matcha. the taste? immaculate (although coco deli is more fragrant). caffeine? hits. awake and feel normal? yes. messaged an ao3 author and got replied and turns out she’s making a sequel for my fav fic of hers. yay

14 - osce practice w ara ren ness. bedah and anak osce coaching. had 3 of mom’s cinnamon rolls and matcha latte for the afternoon. cicil osce DV. edited some pld articles. did nothing else basically

15 - wasted my day, didnt have the courage to study osce (i feel like i procrastinate on it bcs it feels overwhelming to me), TO FKUI 2, hurriedly reviewed to 1 before, les padi. i feel like this is the least focused im being in a les. maybe its the too few matcha powder.

16 - woke up at 9 am. breakfast is muesli. reviewed to 2 fkui w apa salahku (finished at 12 pm, there goes half of my saturday). tried fried chicken master. its good and tender but i still prefer moon chicken. 

17 - breakfast is muesli, banana and 2 martabak tahu. snack is keripik pisang aduuu wenak (and picking bits of meat cooked by mom). went to devi’s place w/ racheel silvi. brought RJ to be wrapped. we watched okay madam and its super fun, hilarious and full of twists anddd a bit of cutesy romance. just the right balance to enjoy and let the stress out. late lunch is moon chicken yay!! went home after maghrib, did to padi 6 w/ fi and matcha latte. talked about a senior’s wedding and eating healthier til 22:30

18 - To fkui 3, wasted my afternoon playing my phone, finally mustered some will to study after ashar. My progress is rly slow today. Watched hilarious jessi interview with eric, heechul. Im telling u, i thought tiktok is the funniest internet content but i was wronggg. Seeing heechul flustered is hilarious. Tried to study again at night but only learned 1 disease hiks

19 - had no idea what i did before dzuhur lmao. went to racheel’s to surprise atikah. actually napped at her place lmaoo why do i feel so sleepy. gifted rj to atikah. we ate fried chicken master and pempek on a small green table and talked. its like korean movie lmao. we talked while im simultaneously listening to padi lol.

20 - woke up at 8, chicken porridge + muesli and low sugar vsoy for breakfast. arrived at clara’s @10am. to fkui 4. reviewed it. reviewed general physical exam. finished up to padi 7. tried bombo donut. studied osce. i felt sooo dumb in osce (and clara is already super smart). superrr motivated to learn after going back home (arrived at 7) but i ended up opening youtube and drinking protein lmaooo and its suddenly 9 pm

21 - matcha latte at starbucks dm. Studied osce. Obgyn coaching w the super kind dr ilham. Les padi. Read angel buddy and played with my phone til 12 pm

22 - to fkui. padi as usual. had low motivation, so i did the tryout that day close to the actual course.

23 - left home at 06:30 to study together in capitol. had breakfast in mcd first. thank god i ate rice + chicken and breakfast wrap cuzzzz. studied osce together w ara, ical, kelvyn, dio and kak ilonka til about 2 pm. WALKED to bk bcs my parents are there. apparently simply driving to capitol is too much for them. immediately ate muesli at 4 pm cause i didnt eat anything in capitol. did nothing else after that. did not pray maghrib together lmao somehow mom had mercy on me and let me sleep som more. mom bought sate padang but i didnt eat it. i cried in bed because as yoongi said, “this is the real you and this is the real me”. did not shower/wash my face at night bcs i felt like shit lmao rip my face (its a week before bukang photoshoot)

24 - i feel tired, lazy, and just wanted some sleep. like all that’s in me is drained. ate muesli with strawberry milk. tried fitmee beef. its better than i thought. because the noodle is chewy you spend more time to chew. also ate fried chicken and daun singkong. usually i cant wait to go to flavola but even at 12 pm i just feel like laying down. finally mustered the will to shower and go out. its raining a bit on the way. colddd. 

25 - to fkui 6, osce briefing, covid lecture (that was actually for ppds), padi

26 - spaghetti for brekkie, coaching neuro and ophthalmology, cicil osce

27 - cicil osce, the second to the last padi omg. the fastest padi ever

28 - obgyn osce practice at kak ilonka’s place (that nice kosan at forkabi) with ara, ren ness, kelvyn, dio with mannequins from og dept, tried meokja salemba that serves bulgogi rice. quite good. after arriving at home, studied neuro together with menno til about 20:45 an and i just dont have the energy lmaooo so i gave up and slept

29 - today is bukang photoshoot at bintaro. put base make up on the way. even put glue on my eyebrow. got eyebrow, eyeshadow and blush done by renata. took lots of photos. nebeng om coro afterwards to bxc to meet mom. we ate at genki sushi (renata ara kris mendel oca regan geordie eka). i missss road trips hua. did tryout fkui on the way back home. after shower and prayer proceeded to review TO with apa salahku. Last padi (havent done the questions beforehand so i sprinted it out while on the actual course). Muhasabah osce with kak widia afterwards lmao. Studied osce with clara

30 - studied osce with ara ren ness @ merra. I ate eatlah, moms muffin, kemplang, tango. I ate so welll. Its a productive sesh, neuro and infectious disease. At home i studied osce w clara til abt 22:15 ish. I feel like i miss my me time lmao its been 3 days. I can still go on w clara but i dont wanna get myself sick

31 - simul osce in the morning. Osce study with clara almira. Cicil osce alone. Played my phone at 10 pm even though i still have mental clarity post matcha latte -___-

[garryspolicememories]

                Policing Memories of           Garry Crawford Circa 1962                          Part XII It was on June 14, 1971. I had just reported to the Superintendent at Sault Ste Marie D.H.Q., dropped off Sergeant Major Orville Waito and headed north on Highway #17 towards Wawa. If anyone has not travelled this section of Highway #17, it is one of the most beautiful scenic highways in Ontario. I remember my excitement growing as I travelled up past the Goulais River and when I first seen the majesty of Lake Superior. The immensity of the lake along with rugged shoreline and background of the mountains was breath taking. I drove by miles of beaches and I was amazed that I did not see a soul on them. The road constantly dips inland for a mile or two then you pop back out to another explosion of scenery at the Lake. Little did I realize that this beautiful country would be our home for the next nine wonderful years! I travelled by Harmony Bay, Batchewana Bay, Pancake Bay, Mamanse Harbour, Alona Bay and finally the Montreal River the half waypoint to Wawa. This was where I later learned the division point was between Sault Ste Marie and Wawa Detachments. At Montreal River the road goes up a steep incline for a mile and a quarter as you travel through an area of hill tops and lakes to Kenny Lake then the road drops down again to the Agawa Bay area where you follow along the great lake again, running inland past Doc Greig Lake, Red Rock until it finally pops back out again at Old Woman Bay. On reaching this point I had already crossed many large rivers. I would later memorize all the rivers and tick them off; in my mind, as I travelled north or south between Wawa and Sault Ste Marie. On crossing the Old Woman River the road took another steep incline and left the lake for a distance passing Baby and Fenton Lake, then over the Michipicoten River and finally the Wawa Detachment on the top of the hill It is on the service road just to the south of the town of Wawa. On reaching Wawa Detachment which is approximately two and a half hours north of Sault Ste Marie. I was greeted by the then Detachment Commander Patty Bingham. I became the third Corporal serving under Patty. The other two Corporals were Bill Duncan and Bill Freeth. Constables that immediately come to mind were Ray Negus, Ed Zelionis, Walter Purdy, Jeff Lamb, Joe Poderys, Spence Coutu, Tim Jones, Don Lewko, Carmen Foster, Tex Luoma, Tom Richber and Ray Rose. There were many others that I remember, however I believe they came later. I took a room at the Beaver Motel the first night and proceeded to orient myself to the Town of Wawa itself. The town of Wawa had their own municipal police force at that time. It was called the Michipicoten Township Police Force and the Chief was Scott McCrae. The Town is situated on a height of land between the Magpie River Valley and Wawa Lake, which lays east of the town for a distance of seven miles. Highway #101 runs from Highway #17 to the Town of Wawa, then east along the south shore of Wawa Lake to Chapleau and Timmins. The Wawa Golf Coarse lies in the Magpie River Valley to the West of the town and at elevation perhaps 200 feet lower. I remember that first night, driving out to the William Teddy Park; about a mile east of Wawa and just off Highway #101. The park was named after a native man who had first discovered gold in the creek that borders the park. I got out of my car and walked over to the shore where the picnic table had been that we used some three years earlier, where I had made a wish to be posted there. I don’t remember expressing that wish to anyone else other than my wife and sister and brother-in-law. However I was so thrilled that luck had brought me there. I looked back westerly at the town of Wawa itself and marveled at is beauty. Almost the whole length of the town has a sand beach at its edge. On reporting for duty the following day I learned, that the Detachment while not policing the town of Wawa at that time, had a very large area. To the east we covered out Highway #101 to the Sudbury Algoma district line, then into the town of Missanabie on the CNR. This patrol also included the mining hamlet of Renabie. This was a distance of approximately 85 miles from Wawa. We were required by agreement to patrol that area on each shift. The town of Hawk Junction is located about 12 miles out Highway #101 on the Algoma Central Railway. There seem to be a large number of occurrences that required our attendance in that area. Our area also went south on Hwy #17 to the Montreal River a distance of approximately 70 miles. To the North of Wawa we were responsible for 30 miles of Highway #17. Michipicoten Township police covered the land area that was included in their Municipal area for a distance of ten miles north of Wawa, our Detachment was responsible for all that other land area. We also initially had the town of Dubreuville. This was later made a one man Detachment. I should mention that following the appointment of the one man Detachment at Dubreuville, I was lucky again and assigned to supervise and monitor it. For the majority of my years at Wawa I had the pleasure of having Bob Pilon as the Constable posted there. Bob required very little supervising and at each visit I made, it was like visiting old friends, it was always a joy. On some occasions my wife made the trip with me and would visit Bob’s wife. One thing that stands out in my memory was the first week I was in Wawa, there were 11 moose motor vehicle collisions on our 30 mile stretch of the North Highway #17 alone. That was not counting those on Highway #101 and many more on the southern stretch of Highway #17. This I learned was quite normal for the area. I also learned that the dead moose provided a ready meat supply for many of the Constables and some of the Corporals. My boys use to tell me: You raised us on steak and weaned us on hamburger. They were not referring to beef steak. These types of accidents would continue all year but were especially bad in the spring of the year. There is some who say the moose congregate at the Highway because of salt used in the previous winter, and also that the flies chase the moose out of the bush to open areas. The fact is they sure like the highways. While the main work at Wawa was traffic enforcement and motor vehicle accidents, there was always a large number of break and enter and theft investigations, as the large wilderness area had very many tourist resorts and camps. We also had many lost person searches, drowning’s and accidental deaths to investigate. Wawa had three air services flying out of Wawa Lake. They were Airedale, White River Air and Watson’s. George Theriault flew out of Hawk Lake at Hawk Junction. I and many of the members of Wawa Detchment flew at one time or another with these services. Sometimes on investigations and sometimes for pleasure. The first month or two at Wawa I was busy obtaining accommodation, for my family and I, plus arranging for the necessary move from Warren to Wawa. We owned our house in Warren and at that time the force only paid for real estate fees. We were able to obtain the services of a real estate company from Sudbury, however they never did bring a customer or help with the sale. We finally succeeded in selling our home by advertising in the Sudbury Star. We found a home at 20 Superior Ave., in Wawa that had been moved down from the Renabie Mine town site, placed on a new basement and completely refinished. The only problem was the home would not be completed for another month. With the home in Warren sold, we arranged with a mover to move our furniture then store it until our new home was available. At that time we owned a Starcraft hardtop pop up trailer, so we moved it to the William Teddy Park on Highway #101. We moved into our trailer in July 1971, with our two boys age 8 and 10 years. My wife was just not quite sure of what I was getting her into. The house was still not completed when the mover finally came, but the builder agreed to let us use the two bedrooms to store all of our furniture while he completed the house. Looking back, it was a really good experience for us camping at William Teddy Park. As I write this article my wife and I have enjoyed a happy marriage for 60 years, however I must admit it takes a very special person to endure some of the things that happen to the spouse of an OPP member, especially during a northern posting. The first year or so at Wawa much of my time was taken up attending further training courses both in Brampton and Aylmer. The first being a Corporal Development Course, followed by a Criminal Investigation Course. During these courses my wife was left in Wawa adjusting to her new home. It was she who made our home a home and kept our family stong. The first winter in Wawa there was very heavy snowfall, if I remember correctly there was a total of 17 feet of snowfall. Highway #17 was closed many times. It was over a hundred and fifty miles to Sault Ste Marie, many of those miles ran close to the lake. Snow effect snow combined with the strong winds would cause complete whiteout conditions. So often when the roads were closed I would get a phone call, the person on the phone would inquire about the road conditions to the Soo. When I advised they were closed, they would argue with me as they wished to take the chance and go. I remember one day taking the family out for a snowmobile run. We stopped in a cleared area and I jumped off my machine, I sunk in the snow to a point where it was above my waist. I was happy the machine I was riding was close enough to me to assist my crawling back up and onto the snowmobile. I will continue this adventure in my next submission. If you wish to read my previous submissions, they are all stored at the following URL: <garryspolicememories.tumblr.com>

§   Added a tag to this post.

§    

[sierrabinondo]

woodland creatures tour - day 6

day 6 marked the final stretch of shows and i h a t e d it!!! we started to make our way back up north for our shows in north carolina.

thank god florida has wawa, it was nice to have familiarity of some sort. if i needed coffee i knew what to get, what food sucked and what didn’t, and that i could get cash out of the atm no problem without surcharges or whatever. i also don’t really understand why wawa is only a thing in new jersey and nova??? i think parts of pennsylvania too. just makes it all the more special when you do run into one. 

we had our longest drive ahead of us today. nearly 7 hours. while driving back up north to garner was going to suck, at least the remainder of the drives wouldn’t be as bad. we did get pretty stir crazy though. that drive drove everybody insane. fuck this day is a blur to me lmao, i’m pretty sure this was the day we watched your name dubbed. and i was on my laptop a lot because i had to do assignments for work. 

we drove straight to the venue just to check out the area, and at first it was hard to understand where it was??? we knew it was a basement, but the GPS kinda just dropped us off and didn’t indicate what building or store it was the basement of. we made it before pulses. and waaay before load-in. we decided to run to walmart since i still needed to do some work and everyone wanted to pick up some stuff. santino very badly wanted a shirt that said “state” on it lmao which he managed to find. i found a sick mens windbreaker for $12, and i bought a huge bottle of capriccio red sangria for $7. LIKE WHAT. the more i travel the more i fail to understand why jersey doesn’t sell liquor/beer in most stores.

we drive back to the venue to meet up with pulses., and we get coffee at the shop next door. which was a really nice spot! i had to get coffee for later because i wasn’t able to drink it before i sang. they had a honey cold brew i was dying to try. i got hot water and a kale salad to have before the show and i held on to the coffee for later. everyone ordered something except for ryan and santino, they went to go get food elsewhere and get gas or something like that.

it looked like bands were starting to load in as i was working in the coffee shop and we were all shooting the shit, so i hit the WSA van chat like “hey, looks like load-in is starting if y’all can start bringing your stuff in.” ryan was like, “we have the van, we’ll be back soon we’re just around the corner.” about a few minutes later i get a phone call from ryan. i pick up, he goes: 

“don’t freak out.”

i wait with baited breath. dear god, if you preface with that, that means there’s still grounds to freak out lmao.

“um... it’s really not that bad, but the van is stuck in a ditch.”

i SPRANG from my seat and everyone around me immediately noticed how alarmed i looked. i was like “WHERE ARE YOU.”  

ryan says something like “we’re just around the corner, we were trying to find where to load in, drove around too far and tried to turn around but we backed the van up into a ditch. it’s really not that bad, it’s like 2 ft...”

he told me what road they were on and we all just agreed to go and find them. i was pretty mad lmfao. i mean if he was saying it’s not that bad, i was hoping there wasn’t damage but i have never gotten a vehicle stuck in a ditch before. and like, where was the ditch??? what did it look like???? as we approached the van everyone was trying to calm me down or say “don’t look” LMAO of COURSE i’m going to look goddamnit. we get closer and from the way the van is sitting, it looks like santino tried to k-turn, backed up too far and into a steep drop-off on the side of the road. clearly the van was stuck but there was no noticable damage. i guess that was why ryan was saying it wasn’t that bad. but the ditch was full of dirt, so there was absolutely no way the tires could get any traction to drive out.

i was just like, are you guys calling a tow truck? someone confirmed ryan was on the phone with somebody. so i was like okay cool welp that’s handled!!! nothing i can do!! and we quickly devised a game plan. if the tow truck arrived in time to get the van out for load in, then my bandmates would just bring the gear over themselves. but if the tow truck couldn’t get there for over an hour, pulses. would bring their van over to carry gear to the venue for us after they finish bringing their gear in. i went to help pulses. bring their gear in, and by the time that was almost done the tow truck got the van out. as far as everyone could tell there was literally no damage to the undercarriage. so we were good. but even if there was we had insurance on the van, rental and CDW. so we were covered.

the venue was kaboom art gallery, in the basement of a building. it was pretty damp, so i had to limit my exposure as much as i could due to my mold allergy (super annoying lol). we fashioned a merch table out of some furniture that was in the basement and set up our stuff next to another touring band, fathom farewell. one of the members is also in a band we played with last year in massachusets, where they’re all from. this show was a weird one performance-wise for all of us because of how long and chaotic our day was, but what felt like weird performances for us still seemed to be a good time for everyone else at the show which was reassuring. i brought my bottle of sangria on stage for the i drink juice skit hahaha. all of the bands were absolutely awesome, it was a really good night. besides fathom farewell, we also played with moryo and the old laws. all the people at the show were really nice! the promoters, sound guy, the bands who played, and the people who attended. our friend james who helped us put the show together came out to support! and put us up for the night. we became friends before tour because we were both looking for help booking out of state this year and were able to get each other’s bands gigs. it was great to hang out at the show and talk more. he’s in a really sick prog metal band named anamorph based in the triangle area of north carolina, which is raleigh, durham, and chapel hill. 

after the show the tour ran to sheetz together for a post gig meal. i think this was also when we learned about DBMII instrumentals dropping which was really exciting for me. it was nice to sit and talk after a long day. it’s one of my favorite aspects about tour, to just unwind with friends and revel in the good that DID happen. 

[drpeppertummy]

this is written like absolute dogshit but im not fixing it

[post-eating tummyache]

Sunny was always hyping up Wawa's mozzarella sticks, but Gray was beginning to regret finally eating some. They'd been soggy and tepid upon purchase, and at Laurie's suggestion, he'd revived them in Wendy's air fryer. The air fryer had brought them back to a state of crispy and melty, but they still weren't quite right. Still, he'd eaten all four. As the bellyache began to set in, Gray determined that the only reason Sunny was so wild about those sticks was because he only had to go as far as Wawa to get them.

"Mozzarella sticks weren't that great, huh?" Laurie sat down next to Gray, who was sitting on the couch, looking unwell. His hands rested atop his belly. He shook his head.

"Any time Sunny claims something is good, it's best to take all the other things he likes into account," said Wendy. The three of them had been spending the day at her house, getting ready for their next project. Fortunately, they'd taken care of the bulk of the work before their snack break. Gray let his head fall back against the couch. A sickly gurgle rose up from his stomach. Laurie placed a hand on his belly and winced. It felt bloated and tight under its usual softness.

"Sheesh, poor guy," she said, rubbing his belly. Gray typically had a big appetite, but the little bag of mozzarella sticks had proved to be too much. He didn't eat as much junk food as he used to when he was younger. The greasy wad of cheese and breading sat heavy in his stomach, leaving him feeling ill and bloated, although Laurie's belly rub was at least a little soothing. As the two of them sat there, the door suddenly flew open.

"Ladies," announced Sunny in his best heartthrob voice as he entered, two big grocery bags of supplies in his hands.

"Oh, brother," said Laurie, rolling her eyes. Sunny flashed her a toothy grin and tossed his bags onto the coffee table.

"Brought the crap. Hey Gray, you good?" Gray nodded.

"He's not feeling great," explained Wendy. "He got some of those mozzarella sticks you're always mad for, but his tastes must not be as refined as yours."

"Meaning he's not a garbage-eating raccoon like you are," said Laurie.

"My tastes are pretty refined," agreed Sunny. "Yeah, Wawa mozzarella sticks are kinda gross. Hey, you want me to run out and get you a ginger ale or something?"

"No, I'm okay," Gray said quietly.

"You sure? You look like you could use one."

"Oh, actually, I think I have some," said Wendy, disappearing into the kitchen before Gray could protest. She returned with a glass and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said. Gray didn't really like people fussing over him when he wasn't feeling well--he hated drawing attention to himself--but he was thankful to have such caring friends, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy having his belly rubbed. Sunny sat down beside him and snuggled up against his side, resting his hand on Gray's stomach. Sunny was an opportunistic cuddler, especially with Gray, who was big and soft and warm. Gray had no complaints. He liked being close to his friends, and the hand on his queasy belly was comforting. Wendy, who was not cuddly at all, sifted through Sunny's bags while the trio melted into each other on the couch.

As Gray sipped on his ginger ale, the discomfort in his stomach finally began to ease up. He didn't exactly feel ready to run a marathon, but between the soda, the comforting attention of his friends, and the time he'd taken to rest, he felt restored enough to get back to work. Slowly, not wanting to jostle his belly too much, he set down the glass and leaned forward to help Wendy.

[sunflowerseedsandscience]

hi natalie :') i saw your drunk post. how are you feeling now????

Feeling pretty good! I have a bag of my favorite coffee (Wawa, hazelnut flavor) my parents brought back for me this past week, my laptop has been fixed (not cheaply, but meh, I didn’t have a choice), and I am NOT hungover. The fam is at church without me, because I’m a terrible heathen, and I’m ready to put in what might be my last full day editing this manuscript (at least for awhile).

ALSO! I bought a snap-on hard case for my laptop to help avoid further mishaps, and it’s RAINBOW GLITTER. SO BEAUTIFUL.

[remembermemorablememories]

Thursday, January 3, 2019

post #360

main points:

- wake up at 6:30am and help sheena with AP calc until 9am

- sleep from 9:30am-1pm

- leftover wawa sandwich for lunch and DJI mavic air drone stuff!!

- watch my own gameplay on elite smash from last night and first time doing actual analysis on my own gameplay. i roll a lot

- dinner with the fam

- smash ultimate practice

- fortnite with jonah and his friend, then josh and bryan

today i:

- woke up at 6:30am to my alarm. i had gotten 4 hours of sleep from 2:30am. i was really tired waking up and kind of disoriented

- went downstairs and made some oatmeal + pb + banana. dad also made some eggs + scallions, the classic meal i had for breakfast in high school

helped sheena with her AP calc homework from 7am-9am. i showed her the khan academy videos on chain rule and then explained it to her. then also some general tips that my physics teacher taught me in high school (i.e. identify what you want to find and what you’re given). we went over some examples of product rule and quotient rule. then also the trigonometric function derivatives. and then finally power rule examples and chain rule examples

sheena left for school around 9am for her quiz

- mom came downstairs and she talked to me a bit about her presentations for work and how they’re going. then i went back to bed around 9:30am and woke up at like 12:30/1pm. i set an alarm for 11:30am... but then snoozed it and it never went off...

- i got out of bed and heated up the leftover half of my chicken salad sandwich from wawa. it was gr8. then my mom went swimming around 1:45pm and i pulled out the DJI drone to see if i could set it up. i followed a tutorial to try to understand how all the controls work. took off all the stickers and such for the drone. also set up the controller. then i had to download and update the firmware like 2 times for some reason and the compass. and then i took it into the backyard and went on my first maiden flight!!

it was sooooooo cool. it’s so smooth. the gimbal does a really good job. also even with a slight breeze it was able to counter all of the movement very well so that it stayed in place. i flew it around for like maybe 10 minutes and then the battery was down to like 20% so i landed it and took it back inside to charge the battery

i took 4 minutes of 2k footage at 60fps and watched it on my laptop. it’s like 3gb. and it can go up to 4k... but yeah that’s pretty dope. i was in beginner mode cause i was so paranoid that i’d crash it

i watched some youtube videos about how to make the footage more cinematic and what camera settings to use for the drone. then the battery was charged again and i went out to the backyard to fly again. this time i disabled beginner mode and tried cinematic mode and tripod mode. then when i previewed the footage i was suggested a generated montage and it actually turned out pretty cool so i shared it with my parents and then the fam on wechat. the footage movement is buttery smooth and it’s so stunning :O so cool!! i really wish i brought it with me to death valley that would’ve been amazing

- around 4pm i came back upstairs and downloaded 6-7 replays from elite smash last night to try to analyze my own gameplay. i want to start spending more time on smash and getting more serious/trying to improve. when i played smash 4 it was kind of more just for fun. then i took on melee this past summer and i got more competitive about it (in terms of practicing tech and learning how to be a good player). and now with ultimate i can take my intuition from smash 4 and my mentality for melee tech to try to get good at this game

fyi i play falcon

i roll a lot, use down-b in situations when i shouldn’t, and just in general make choices without reacting to my opponent. i also should use back airs more. more optimal out of shield options like jumping or dashing instead of rolling, etc. after watching like 3 replays of myself i started to read what i was going to do which is bad LOL. but good that i’m able to notice it from the replays

- around 6:30pm dad finished making tofu, bok choy and some fish for dinner so we all went downstairs and ate. it was delicious :D except the ground beef for the tofu was more american/italian tasting with some red spice cause dad didn’t have time to get the ground beef from asian super markets. it was an interesting taste... but yeah i prefer the asian beef

showed my dad an indoor demo of the DJI drone. i was so paranoid i was gonna crash it somewhere but it was fine. whew. then i washed the dishes and talked to my dad a bit

- went upstairs around 8pm and practiced smash ultimate with falcon with my new knowledge i learned from watching my own replays. i played against level 9 CPUs and tried to throw out more back airs for spacing. i also caught myself whenever i rolled (near the ledge) so that’s good. then i decided to just go into training mode to practice the short hop back flip. short hop back air. short hop nair. when i short hop nair forward, sometimes it turns into knee, so i needa fix that too

i unlocked some more characters like snake, pichu, lucas and meta knight (since i’m still playing on the new nintendo account)

also while training i hopped on a call with josh chris and trevor on discord. i haven’t talked to them in a really long time!! it’s nice hanging with them. i kind of went inactive for the semester (like i usually do) at school but now that i’m back we can play video gamez

i’m updating fortnite right now at 10:07pm. chris and josh are playing final fantasy online on PC. i’m gonna take a shower and then hopefully bryan and trevor will be back and the 4 of us can play squads in fortnite!!!

i haven’t played on my PC in like a month or two so this should be fun

the end

update:

i played fortnite with jonah and one of his friends in a few rounds of team rumble. that was pretty dope. then played two rounds of squads with josh and bryan. then i went to sleep :p

[laughingatmynightmare]

What Made Me Smile This Week:

Sunday: Seven rapid fire smiles to make up for last week's lack of a smile post! Ready, go! I kissed my girlfriend. I discovered I like tuna salad. My third Spinraza injection didn't kill me. I saw the movie It at a drive-in movie theatre. The Eagles won on a crazy-long 61-yard field goal as time expired. My wheelchair started working again as if by magic. I went to a Philadelphia Union soccer game and ate nachos there! Wow, so many smiles!

Monday: I saw a huge fox dash across the cul-de-sac. It made me smile.

Tuesday: I bought a device called a spirometer to practice and measure my lung capacity. My hope is to track any changes in breathing due to Spinraza. My first attempt resulted in a coughing fit, which is an ironically bad start that made me smile.

Wednesday: My girlfriend, her mom, and I have a long-running daily crossword competition to see who can do The NY Times mini-crossword fastest each day. Most days I get obliterated, but I won today, and that makes me smile.

Thursday: I received another positive review for my upcoming children's book, Not So Different! I've now received positive reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and School Library Journal, which makes me smile! You can preorder your copy here: https://www.laughingatmynightmare.com/shop

Friday: I ordered (and paid for) coffee from Wawa to be delivered without realizing it was national free coffee day. Even though it was only $1, I felt silly for making this mistake, but lo and behold, an hour later I got an automated text from Wawa with a $1 refund! It made me smile.

Saturday: Sarah and I spent the day with the hundreds of golfers and volunteers who partook in the 2017 Party for Poppa K charity golf tournament. Laughing At My Nightmare was selected as the beneficiary of the event earlier in the year, and we've been working with their steering committee along the way. By working, I mostly mean watching in awe as these incredible volunteers brought in sponsor after sponsor for the event. During the celebration dinner tonight, Pete—the tournament's founder—came up to us with a huge smile on his face. "It looks like we are going to beat our goal of $17,000!" Amazing! We've been smiling all day, but that really took the cake. Thank you to everyone who gave time, energy, and resources to make this event a record-breaking success!

What made you smile this week?

[shoephoneweasley]

Why I Can't Sleep Tonight #7 💋

Quick update: After my last post, the boyfriend and I broke up the next night. It broke my heart, but I was finally able to bring it up. It felt so good to get it off my chest tbh. We broke up a year to the date we met for the very first time. A total 180°. I was struggling with the breakup for awhile. I wanted so badly to get over him that I started making out with random guys I met online. Honestly not my proudest thing to admit ._. But it happened, so whatever. I've been living with my friend and his roommates since my program ended, and since the beginning, I've felt an attraction to one of my roommates. I think it started off with him telling me I looked nice in my dress I wore to my Universal interview. Made me feel nice. He would flirt with me occasionally, even told me I was cute a few times. I would smile and say thanks. After the breakup, I started hanging out with the roommates more and getting to know them better. This included Justin. There were nights where we would sit on the porch and drink and talk, and it was so nice. About a month after the breakup, I admitted to Justin that I liked when he flirted with me because it made me feel wanted after months of feeling like I was being pushed away. I remember that he told me if I ever wanted him to be my boyfriend, all I had to do was ask. I laughed it off. We spent more time with each other, getting to know one another and I stopped making out with randos. I learned that he's divorced. Married his high school sweetheart of seven years, were married for a year and a half, I believe, and then... things just got crazy. She was crazy. I'm only two months older than him and he has seen some shit, man. Over the last few months, we became more and more flirty with each other, especially when he picks me up from the bus station at night. We talk for a bit, laugh, just think about life. He's so incredibly bright and it just blows my mind. His love for poetry and history astound me. I could listen to him talk about the Anglo-Saxons and Germans all day. They may not be of my interest, but he's so passionate about it, and that's why I like listening to him. He's never in his life chased after a girl. Like, ever. Every girl he has ever had a thing with, she was the one to start it. Whether it was flat out telling him she liked him or inviting him over to study and end up just having sex, he's never started it. Girls always chase after him. It's because of this that I never thought anything could happen between us. Not because I don't chase guys, but because I'm so used to rejection from when I was younger, it gives me terrible anixety to even think of putting myself out there. No matter how much he made it clear that he could like me back (we sat on a blanket, looked at the stars, and held hands for an hour), I just couldn't make myself make the first move. Let me tell you about yesterday. I was having a really rough day. My period surprised me for the first time in a year this weekend and I have been in hell. It's been the literal worse. I was anti-social the whole weekend because of it. I was in so much pain, but I decided to still go to work. It was such an awful day. Work was hard, I could hardly move. Towards the end of the night, I was just ready to go home. I was supposed to split an Uber with my friend Brower. However, he forgot me. That was basically the straw that broke the camels back for me. I started crying, I was so upset. Brower felt terrible, but I didn't care. I had to take a later bus to the bus station because I missed the first one waiting on him. When I get to the bus stop, I'm texting Mallory all about my shitty day because my depression had hit an all time low and I was just done. And then I asked her: "Should I ask Justin to come pick me up or go on and get a Lyft home?" She told me to ask Justin since he seemed like the only trustworthy friend I had right now. So even though it gave me major anixety texting him, I did and he was totally fine with it. And let me tell you. I was an emotional wreck when he finally pulled up. I ended up venting most of the car ride, which I felt terrible about. He said it was okay and then he vented some as well. We stopped at Wawa to get some food, went home, and decided to spend a little more time outside talking, which I was happy for. We sat at the bus stop talking about why we were so angry and possibly moving out of this apartment and maybe getting our own place. And he told me he had been thinking about me a lot, and if anything could happen between us. I didn't know what to say, really. Obviously, I had been thinking about it too, but I couldn't voice it out loud. I think that he thought I really wanted him to be my boyfriend since admitting I liked him, but that wasn't it. I just really enjoy being around him. He the main reason I don't want to leave this apartment. We talked some more. Ended up praying. He grabbed my hand and showed me his favorite prayer. He asked how I prayed and I told him the basics because I was too shy to do it. He took my hand and said a prayer the way he thought I would, which was close enough. And then he said, "I guess there is another way we could go about this." I asked what he meant. I thought he was talking about another prayer. He was quiet for awhile and it was making me nervous, but I had nothing to worry about. He kissed me. He finally kissed me. He put one hand on my back, brought me closer to him, and just kissed me. Y'all. Why am I so awkward? I didn't know what to do with my hands 😂 He held on to my back while my hands rested there like dead weight. It wasn't until he moved his hand down a bit that I finally wrapped an arm around his torso. It was so simple and sweet. No tongue, no spit flying everywhere, no aggressiveness. His kiss tasted like the pipe he had been smoking before... and I loved it. We finally broke apart after like a minute. It was dark, but my face was so hot. I knew I was blushing and I couldn't stop smiling. He was smiling back at me and we both started laughing. No awkwardness. Just adorableness all around. I'm still in so much shock that he made the first move. Like... am I really worth it for him to do that, giving his history of never making the first move? He told me everything that happens between us from now on has to be because of me, since he made the first move. Which means I have to get over my shyness and anixety. But what else do I want to happen between us? That's a good question. I can tell you right now that I don't want to be his girlfriend. The breakup with Paul is still so fresh and still hurts from time to time, so that wouldn't be fair. Plus, I know I'm not ready for another relationship right now and neither is Justin. I just want his company right now, and I don't mean that in a sexual way. I mean that in a, "He is here, not an hour and half away" type of way. We have a chance to really grow and get to know one another because we live together. Something Paul and I didn't have, which is why we grew apart. I have this chance to grow closer to Justin and I want to take it and not screw up. I just want his company. His companionship. For him to be there when I need a friend and vice versa. For him to kiss me gently when my nerves are making me ramble about nothing and I need to shut up. I do like him, and I don't want to mess this up, even if we never become more than friends. That kiss and just being around him gave my mood a 180° and I had the best time at work. Everytime I thought back to our kiss, I would smile wide and do my job a million times better. I want to keep that feeling for as long as I can :)

[vinylbay777]

New York Spring & Summer Music Festivals to Get Excited for in 2019

Festival season is upon us! With both weekends of Coachella out of the way and Austin City Limits having just announced its line-up for the fall, those days of great music and memories under the sun are no longer a distant thought.

Living in New York, you don’t have to go far to find some of the summer’s hottest festivals. Between the world-renown Governor’s Ball and Electric Zoo festivals, the summer-long city-sponsored Summerstage and Celebrate Brooklyn shows and the localized and smaller festivals, New York will be bursting with live music this summer.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is gearing up for festival season by bringing you a list of the New York music festivals to keep on your radar. Check out these 10 for the ultimate summer of music!

1.       Red Bull Music Festival: Red Bull’s annual festival showcasing one-of-a-kind performances from an eclectic array of new and established artists started this week with two performances from Latina singer Rosalia on Tuesday and there’s still a lot to look forward to. The multi-venue, nearly month-long showcase boasts performances from JPEGMAFIA, Tierra Whack, FKA Twigs, Teyana Taylor and more, including a special premiere of Holly Herndon’s upcoming concept album ‘Proto.’ (Now-5/18)

2.       Governors Ball: With Panorama skipping the 2019 festival season, Governors Ball is once again the biggest three-day event in the city. New York’s indie answer to Coachella, the festival draws in people from all across the country and globe for a line-up that features the biggest names in music today. This year boasts headlining performances from Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne, Florence + The Machine, The 1975, Major Lazer, Nas and The Strokes with more than 70+ artists playing in total. That’s not to mention the “After Dark” pre and post festival shows scattered around the city. (5/31-6/2)

3.       Summerstage: Once again expanding beyond its original home in Central Park, City Parks Summerstage provides an entire summers-worth of eclectic live music and dance choices ranging from rock, pop and hip-hop to jazz and classical at parks throughout the five boroughs, many of which are free to attend. Some of this year’s highlights include free sets from Big Freedia, the Aussie BBQ festival, Japanese Breakfast, Alvvays, Lisa Lisa, Jody Watley, EPMD, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Mountain Goats, Talib Kweli and The Wailers, as well as benefit shows with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Kurt Vile, Guster, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Bloc Party and The B-52s. More shows are still being added, taking the festivities into the fall. (6/1-10/1)

4.       BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!: In addition to Summerstage, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park has its own summer-long mostly free festival. Celebrate Brooklyn takes place at the park’s historic bandshell, this year’s eclectic performers include free sets from Patti LaBelle, Calexico with Iron & Wine, Liz Phair and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Bomba Estereo, and benefit shows from The National and Courtney Barnett, Father John Misty and Jason Isbell and Mac Demarco. (6/4-8/10)

5.       Make Music New York: Not your typical music festival, Make Music New York is a musical celebration that takes place during the summer solstice every year. Modeled after France’s Fête de la Musique, musicians of all levels are encouraged to “take center stage and share their skills and passions through live performances in public plazas and parks, on sidewalks and in front of shops, and in partnership with cultural institutions and businesses across all five boroughs.” Some of the special events you can witness/participate in include folk hootenanny Porch Stomp, underground punk happening Punk Island and Mass Appeal sets with many musicians playing one kind of instrument. (6/21)

6.       Warped Tour: Warped Tour may officially be over as a touring festival, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Like many expected, Kevin Lyman brought the name back to celebrate what would have been its 25th season. Instead of a summer of touring, the new incarnation includes three large-scale festivals, including one right on the beach in Atlantic City. Many of the festival’s most influential alumni will be playing, including 311, Andrew W.K., Bad Religion, Bowling For Soup, Blink-182, Glassjaw, Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake, The Offspring, Reel Big Fish, Shiragirl, Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, The Starting Line, We The Kings and more. (6/29-6/30)

7.       Great South Bay Music Festival: Long Island’s biggest bay side festival is back for another year. The Great South Bay Music Festival boast four unique days of music paying homage to the island’s musical heritage. Thursday features the return of LI pop-punk darlings Taking Back Sunday to the fest, along with Glassjaw, The Menzingers, Frank Iero and more. Friday gets a more ska-tinged vibe with headlining sets from Sublime with Rome, Slightly Stoopid, Soja and local favorites Oogie Wawa. Saturday features Lotus, Dweezil Zappa, Assembly Of Dust and more, as well as a tribute to Woodstock. Finally, on Sunday War will be celebrating their 50th anniversary with America and the Edgar Winter Band. This has always been a great festival with good music and a killer vibe. (7/18-7/21)

8.       Woodstock 50 (If It Happens): This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, an event that captured the love & peace movement of the late 1960s. For this special occasion, original co-organizer Michael Lang has put together a festival blending original Woodstock artists and values with today’s biggest artists and initiatives. Some of the artists headlining the bill include The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana, Robert Plant, Dead & Company, Chance The Rapper, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal. The Man, Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Cage The Elephant, Canned Heat, Hot Tuna and The Zombies. There has been some controversy over the last week as to whether or not this event will actually take place or be completely cancelled. If it doesn’t happen, the Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center, where Woodstock originally took place, will be holding a series of events celebrating the anniversary, including performances from Ringo Starr, Edgar Winter Band, Blood Sweat & Tears, Santana, the Doobie Brothers and John Fogerty. (8/16-8/18)

9.       Afropunk: Since 2005, the Afropunk Festival has been showcasing the alternative side of black culture and music. The New York edition boasts an array of established and up-and-coming artists at the intersection of punk, rock, hip-hop, R&B, blues and jazz. Some of this year’s notable names include Jill Scott, FKA Twigs, Leon Bridges, Kamasi Washington, Gary Clark Jr., Santigold, Toro Y Moi, Nao, Death Grips, Danny Brown and The Suffers. (8/24-8/25)

10.   Electric Zoo: Evolved: One of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, Electric Zoo returns to Randall’s Island in 2019 with a stellar line-up of today’s hottest DJs. Artists include Armin Van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Skrillex/Boys Noize collaboration Dog Blood, Afrojack, Alison Wonderland, Cash Cash, Kaskade, Zedd, R3hab and more.(8/30-9/1)

Festival season is here and New York is the perfect place to experience it all. From general popular music festivals and summer-long events to those that cater to a specific fandom or throw genre out the window altogether, New York will be showcasing some of the best in music and culture that the world has to offer. Consider some of the festivals above when planning your summer activities and let us know what festivals you’re excited for in the comments below.

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Before heading out to see your favorite bands this festival season, drop by Vinyl Bay 777 to find music from many of your favorite acts and more. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres to suit most music fans. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CD, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.