#toronto allows them so... yay!

[theirloveisgross]

.

[writingwithciara]

Best Friend For Life ~Auston Matthews~

summary: y/n's best friend stephanie is getting married to the best guy in the world. aka mitch marner. she is the maid of honor but the best man tends to get on her nerves whenever they're together.

word count: 3.7k

pairing: auston matthews x reader, mitch marner x stephanie lachance

notes: so i was listening to a song the other day and for some reason, i immediately thought of mitch and his wife [friends to lovers sorta]

masterlist

"promise not to get mad at me?" was the first thing stephanie said as she walked through the door of the apartment she shared with her best friend. y/n looked up from her computer with a raised eyebrow.

"what did you do?"

"how do you feel about hockey games?"

"can't stand them. why? what did you do?" she repeated, getting up from her chair and walking over to her best friend.

"we're going to the toronto game tonight."

"and i repeat. what did you do?"

"i was at the coffee shop and i ran into this really cute guy. we talked for hours and he's so sweet. asked me to go on a date with him after his game tonight."

"oh that's great. congratulations."

"but there's a catch."

"oh god. what do i have to do?"

"his best friend is single and so are you so i figured you could tag along since his friend is going to be there too."

"give me one good reason i should, steph." y/n walked into the kitchen to make her lunch. stephanie followed her quickly and clasped her hands together.

"please come with me. i think this guy might be the one. like, for real this time."

"you're lucky i love you and believe you deserve the best."

"does that mean you'll come to the game and the date?"

"let's just see how the game goes first."

"yay. we need to dress really good." steph smirked and dragged y/n into her closet, the lunch completely forgotten.

that night, y/n met mitch and was amazed at how good he treated stephanie, even though they had only met each other a few hours earlier. his best friend, however, was not as great. he did try, but it was easy to tell that he didn't want to be there.

and it only got worse from there.

over time, they both developed a mutual disinterest in each other.

and here they were, a few years later, helping their two best friends plan a wedding.

it was very obvious from the beginning that mitch and stephanie were meant to be together so it was no surprise to anyone when mitch approached y/n to ask for her help with the proposal. he had already gotten her parents approval but he knew that her best friends approval meant a whole lot to her too. he respected their relationship and treated them both well.

the only thing that mitch did that y;/n didn't like was asking stephanie to move in with him. it left y/n alone in their apartment and it felt weird. mitch had suggested that auston move in, in place f stephanie, but y/n quickly shot that idea down. she would rather live alone than live with auston.

as the two girls sat in the kitchen of mitch's house, zeus was resting his head on y/n's lap. she stroked his ear and listened to the plans stephanie wanted for the wedding.

"i'm really honored you chose me to be your maid of honor. but do i have to dance with the best man?"

"i know you and auston despise each other but it's a tradition in my family that the best man and maid of honor share the dance after the married couples first dance."

"i know." y/n sighed. "i'll do it but i won't be happy about it."

"oh thank god. mitch and i were worried we'd have to break tradition."

"i would never allow that." y/n smiled and stood up. zeus tilted his head slightly and gave her a look. "maybe i should dance with zeus instead. he's so much cuter and he actually likes me."

"that would be cute, but it's-"

"tradition. yeah i know." y/n smiled. "how did auston react when mitch told him?"

"i think he's telling him after practice today," stephanie checked her phone. "which should be over right about now."

"i hope he has the same reaction."

over at the arena, mitch and auston were the last two out of the locker room. mitch sent stephanie a text and looked over at auston.

"hey, there's something i need to tell you about the wedding."

"what is it?"

"after steph and i have our first dance, there's a tradition in her family that follows that. the best man and the maid of honor have to dance together too."

"meaning i have to dance with y/n? seriously?""

"sorry man but it's tradition. you can put aside your hatred for one night, can't you?"

"i can promise to try but i can't promise a success."

"that's good enough for me." mitch chuckled and got to his car. "you coming over for dinner? the girls are making meatloaf."

"yeah sure. why not?" auston got in his car and followed mitch to his house. he completely ignored the fact that y/n was going to be there.

the next few days were spent learning how to dance properly. auston and y/n barely made it through without killing each other, but at least they were ready for the big day.

when it arrived, y/n and stephanie were in the room with the rest of the bridal party. the hairdresser finished the last touches on stephanie's hair and she turned around.

"so, how do i look?"

"you look like a princess. mitch is going to cry." y/n smiled and wiped a tear from her own eye. "gosh, you're so lucky. mitch is probably the last good guy on earth."

"he's the best." stephanie looked in the mirror and smiled. "i love him so much. i knew from the moment i met him that this day would happen."

"i knew too. he was the sweetest." y/n smiled. "if you guys ever have kids, that child is going to be blessed with the best genes ever."

"you and auston are good looking too. and if you guys ever get over yourselves and get together to have a child, it's going to be just as beautiful as you guys."

"we're never getting together."

"i want us to have babies around the same time so they can be best friends too."

"i can try to give you that wish. but it's not going to be with auston."

"okay. as long as i get a niece or nephew to love like crazy."

"i love you, steph." y/n pulled her best friend in for a hug before there was knock on the door. auston poked his head in and covered his eyes.

"you ladies ready?"

"auston, you can uncover your eyes." stephanie giggled and shook her head, shooting a look at y/n. "let's go."

one by one, the bridesmaids made their way to stand next to the groomsmen they were paired with. when y/n walked out with stephanie, auston couldn't keep his eyes from roaming y/n's body. the dress fit her so well and her hair was styled perfectly.

'is she not wearing any makeup? holy crap. i don't think i've ever seen her wear any. has she been this perfect the whole time?' he found himself thinking. he shook the thought from his head and took his spot next to her.

"damn, matthews. you really clean up well, don't you?" y/n nudged him with her elbow and he was suddenly at a loss for words. "what's the matter? cat got your tongue? no funny remark?"

"no. sorry." he let out a breath. "thank you for the compliment. you, um, look really good too."

"i know i do." y/n smirked. "but thank you. that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"it can't be." auston looked at her and ran through their history in his mind. "okay. maybe that's true. and i'm sorry for that."

"you are forgiven, matthews." y/n watched as the pairs in front of them made their way out to where they needed to be. she linked her arm up with auston's, wished stephanie good luck and followed the man outside. they stopped at the end of the aisle and went to their designated locations. "you look great, mitchy." she whispered to mitch before taking her spot.

the music started and everyone stood up. when stephanie and her dad walked out, y/n glanced over at mitch. she had only seen him cry twice before in the few years she had known him. this was the third time she had seen tears in his eyes. he tried to hide it but when he looked over at y/n, he smiled.

as the minister went through the normal ceremony, auston kept looking over at y/n. she was watching the interactions between stephanie and mitch so intently, wiping away a tear or two every few seconds. auston was in complete awe of her.

at the reception, stephanie and mitch had the traditional first dance and when that was over, auston was more than eager to make his way to the dance floor. he and y/n took their places and began to dance

as they moved to the music, y/n looked up at auston.

"have you been practicing on your free time?"

"no, i swear. maybe you just make me a better dancer." he shrugged and moved her around the dance floor effortlessly.

"what's gotten into you tonight, matthews?"

"i think it's all the love in the air." he smiled.

"never would've pegged you for a romantic guy. no offence."

"none taken. i didn't expect it from myself either honestly." he spun her around a few times and when the song ended, so did their moment.

everyone else came to the dance floor to do their thing and y/n walked to the table to sit for a minute. stephanie was sitting beside her with a smile.

"auston is so into you."

"no he's not."

"oh please. i heard what he said before the wedding started. he was genuinely complimenting you. there was no hint of lying in his voice."

"he claims it's the love being in the air. i don't know what else to tell you."

even as y/n spoke those words, she couldn't bring herself to believe them. maybe stephanie was right and auston really was into her. she scanned the room and found him with mitch in the middle of the dance floor. they were having the time of their lives and y/n couldn't help but smile.

auston could feel someone watching him so when he looked up and locked eyes with y/n, he winked at her. she turned away shyly and sipped her drink. he thought it was cute.

y/n could feel her cheeks heating up and she hated it. she didn't like the way auston was suddenly making her feel. looking down at her now empty glass, she decided to blame it on the alcohol in her system, and as auston put it, the love in the air.

halfway through the reception, y/n was beginning to really feel the alcohol. the thing about that was it made her act differently and her voice of reason flew out the window whenever she drank.

as she downed her drink yet again, she found herself making her way to where auston was leaning against the wall. he noticed her approach him and he finished his drink.

"hey. what are you doing all alone over here? you should be having some fun. trying to pick up a girl or two." y/n giggled. why did it feel like her stomach was in knots?

"honestly, nobody here is really catching my eye." his eyes roamed the room before landing back on y/n. "might just call it a night."

"no don't." y/n sounded too eager to get him to stay so she backtracked her outburst. "i mean, it's your best friends wedding and you're the best man. you can't leave." y/n shyly looked down at her shoes.

"okay, i'll stay. but first, you gotta tell me why you hate me so much."

"what are you talking about? i hate you because on the night we met, you decided right away that you didn't like me."

"what gave you that impression?" he chuckled dryly.

"you were grumpy and it was very obvious you didn't want to be there. you put no effort into getting to know me. but i don't understand why you were grumpy. you scored the game winning goal in overtime, not to mention you had the only hat trick the entire game. that should've made you a little happier. you were so good that night. i remember telling steph 'wow. that matthews kid is really good.' like i was very impressed. and then we met and i thought you were really cute. but you had to ruin it by opening your mouth."

"you thought i was cute?"

"why do you hate me?"

"i don't. never did. i jsut really didn't want to be put on a blind double date. i hate blind dates."

"i hate them too. and i was only there as a favor to steph."

"i was only there for mitch. he was telling me during practice that he thought he met the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he wanted me to meet her & make sure she wasn't a serial killer or crazy in anyway."

"and look at them now. kinda crazy how they both knew right away, huh?"

"yeah. but i think it's sweet." auston looked down at her and smiled. forgetting for a second that he hated her. "i'm really happy for them though. they're good for each other."

"i agree." y/n grabbed a glass off a passing waiters tray and drank half of it in one gulp.

"do you think you'll find the person you want to spend your life with?"

"i'd like to think i will & i'm hoping it's soon. but with my luck in love, it'll probably never happen." y/n sighed. "how about you? think you'll meet her soon?"

"honestly, i think i may have already met her."

oh. well that's good." y/n looked down at her feet. "wanna dance? reception's almost over and i feel like we should get at least one more dance in, just to make the newlyweds happy." she gestured to their right where mitch and steph were dancing. they waved and danced away.

"sure. what harm can it do?"

the two of them walked out onto the dance floor and just as they were getting into the beat of the song, it ended and a new slow song started. y/n froze and looked at auston. he grabbed her hands and placed them where they needed to be before he guided her across the dance floor.

they locked eyes and it suddenly felt like they were the only people around. to everyone but them, it was obvious there was an attraction between them.

when the song ended, y/n stayed with her arms around auston's neck as they swayed back and forth.

"so there's really nobody here that catches your eye?" y/n asked, bringing up part of their earlier conversation. she played with her thumbs behind his neck and one of them wrapped itself in a curl that was loose.

"actually, now that i've thought more about it, there may be one."

"wanna point her out? maybe i can talk you up to her."

"red dress, dark hair that's half up half down with curls, no makeup because she's literally perfect and doesn't need it. she's so perfect but she's dancing with the hottest guy here. i can't compete with that."

"one of those things describe steph. she's not wearing a red dress though, nor does she have dark hair. however, i am dancing with the hottest guy here."

"i know." auston smirked and twirled her around. when he pulled her back, he was holding her tighter. "you look so beautiful right now. and not just tonight. every night since the night i met you."

"auston, are you drunk?"

"maybe a little. but i'm coherent enough to know what i'm saying and i'm sober enough to tell you that i mean it."

"auston, please don't lie to me."

"why would i need to lie to you?" he looked down at her and y/n searched his eyes for a sign of him lying. there wasn't one. "i've always thought you were beautiful. gorgeous even. out of my league for sure. and i'm genuinely sorry that i never really said anything about it."

"please don't apologize. i wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around so that must've made it difficult for you."

"difficult, yes. but worth it? totally. 100% worth it."

"do you think that if mitch and steph hadn't dragged us both on that date that night, then maybe we would have a different history than the one we do?"

"what do you mean?"

"i mean, if they had invited us to a group thing instead and that's how we met, do you think that we could've been friends these last few years?"

"for sure." auston smiled. "and maybe, if we had been friends and i asked you on a proper date, you could've said yes."

"i think i would've." it was y/n's turn to smile. "but hey. we're both still young and have plenty of life left to live. why don't we go out tomorrow night?"

"that sounds like it could be fun." auston chuckled. "and just to be clear, it'll be just us, right? no one else."

"yes. just us."

"great. i'll pick you up at 8 then."

"it's a date." y/n smiled as auston spun her around.

the following night, y/n was getting ready for the date when stephanie facetimed her.

"oh, who you getting ready for?"

"believe it or not, i'm going on a date with auston."

"oh my god. finally!" mitch cheered from the other end of the phone. his face appeared on the screen and he was sporting a large smile. "i'm so tired of hearing him pine over you."

"you're exaggerating, mitchy." y/n shook her head. "how's the honeymoon you guys?"

"it's perfect. thanks for the suggestion." steph was back on the screen. "and thanks for agreeing to take care of zeus while we're gone."

"of course. i love zeus." y/n smiled and looked at the dog, whose head was resting on y/n's lap. "who's the bestest boy? you are. yes you are."

"have fun on your date, sweetie. make sure to tell me everything afterwards."

"always. see you guys later." y/n hung up the phone and finished doing her hair. "which dress should i wear zeus?" she held up a yellow dress and zeus tilted his head. she then held up a blue dress and he barked. "thank you, zeus." y/n changed quickly and looked at herself in the mirror. "what do you think?"

zeus barked and tilted his head.

"you're so cute." y/n grabbed her purse and walked to the door when she heard a knock. "okay, zeus. i'll be back in a few hours. there's plenty of food in your bowl and your treat ball is filled so you should be fine."

y/n opened the door and auston handed her a small bouquet of orange chrysanthemums, her favorite.

"how did you know?"

"i remember you telling mitch one day that you loved chrysanthemums and how your heart would be complete if someone ever gave you the orange ones specifically. i didn't know what the different colors meant but i did some research shortly after that night and i've wanted to give you a bouquet of orange ones ever since. delicate love, right?"

"yeah. exactly." she ventured into the kitchen to grab a vase and filled it with water. "i can't believe you even remembered that. i told him like 4 years ago."

"i know. um, you may not believe me but i had a list of all your favorite things. i don't have it now because i memorized it but i figured i'd let you know."

"auston, this is so uncharacteristic of you. but i appreciate the attentiveness. no guy has ever done anything like this for me before."

"i know. it's unfortunate but you deserve it. you deserve someone who is willing to treat you like a queen. someone who can't get you out of his head, even if he tried. because you are so perfect, it's crazy."

"auston?"

"hmm?"

"stop talking." y/n smiled and pecked his lips. "you are so sweet, matthews."

"hold on just a second." he kissed her again but this time it lasted longer than a simple peck. she wrapped her arms around his neck and his found a place resting gently on her waist. auston was the first to let go of the kiss but they were both smiling from ear to ear.

"no guy has ever kissed me like that before. wow." y/n smirked.

"well all the other guys have been really stupid. and i'm not ashamed to admit that i'm part of that list."

"you're also a lot smarter than all the other guys i've been interested in." y/n's hand reached up to rest against his cheek.

"has anyone ever told you how perfect you are?"

"you did last night while we were dancing." y/n smiled and looked into his eyes. "and for the record, you're pretty perfect too."

"does that mean we're....perfect together?"

"corny joke aside, i think we might be."

"good." he smirked and kissed her again. their date was pretty much forgotten at this point as y/n pulled him through her apartment and into the living room.

auston sat on the couch and held y/n's hips as she straddled him. she looked into his eyes and felt herself getting lost in them.

"just so you know, i never bring a guy home on the first date."

"i know. and technically, if you count the blind date when we met, this is technically our second date." he smirked in response.

"it was a disaster and i feel now that our relationship has crossed the friendship line, we should just forget about the night we met."

"deal." auston smiled and they sealed their deal with a kiss. several kisses to be exact.

taglist: @worldlxvlys @fearfam69691 @carolinalikesthings

[harveyguillensource]

Another stunning pic of Harvey by Jen Rosenstein for a THR feature on supporting actors! He answered a few questions too:

My character summed up in one sentence He has had enough … and is taking matters into his own hands. The part of my character I relate to the most He’s a hard worker, and he loves his family and would do anything for them And the part I don’t He let people walk all over him for years … I just can’t allow it. The best note from my director [When shooting] the pilot, Taika Waititi said, “Let’s do a ‘fun run,’ ” meaning we could improv the scene. I said, “Yay, funsies!” And he said, “Yeah — funsies!” So now on set, we always have a funsies take. What a spinoff for my character might look like Buffy the Vampire Slayer — but this time it would be a queer, plus-size Latino as our hero! The last celebrity who had me truly starstruck Catherine O’Hara, and Jennifer Coolidge — with both, I was frozen in awe. My go-to snack on set This is a tough one. We shoot in the fall and winter in Canada, so I would say loukoumades (Greek donuts) with abuelita (Mexican hot chocolate) from Athens. Donuts or cookies from Craig’s, both in Toronto. The last show I binge-watched The Last of Us. The show on which I’d love to guest-star Poker Face or The Simpsons. The TV character/actor who made me want to be a performer Lucile Ball, and also Amy Sedaris in Strangers with Candy.

[himbeaux-on-ice]

I posted 21,075 times in 2021

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#i’ve never seen a man go from ‘yay!!!’ to ‘oh i’ve massively underestimated the physics involved here’ faster than max in that moment lmao

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

hiring Kevin Bieksa might be the best decision Hockey Night has made in decades 😂

627 notes • Posted 2021-02-14 04:02:37 GMT

#4

rough thoughts on today’s Pride Game and “empty symbolism”

what really matters most I think about the Pride Game, and the way the teams are openly and aggressively promoting it, posting flags, etc, is twofold:

it is a decisive and visible move to very openly tell every bigoted or uncomfortable fan would would say “just stick to hockey” that no, they are committed to this, without plausible deniability or room to weasel out and call it something else. it is a way of saying that those who will threaten to burn their jerseys or stop watching games because of this can go right ahead, because the teams are fully and openly committed to doing this and allowing bigots to feel alienated by this simple gesture it if necessary. like I said, there’s no plausible deniability here. it is an open, highly visible commitment to say “we’re willing to associate with this without shame” which cannot be selectively hidden today. it goes beyond just Pride tape. they have taken it beyond just pasting out a blanket rainbow flag and calling it a day. that is important. that emphatic emblematic statement amongst the toxic masculinity and macho culture of hockey does mean something.

even more importantly: queer kids are going to see this. kids who play hockey, who want to play hockey, or who just love to watch the game, are going to see this and see the message that their team is not hostile to them. that they don’t have to hide who they are to be here. that the team they love (in that way that kids love stuff, so reverently and with such a pedestal to put it on) doesn’t consider them too dirty or shameful to be visibly associated with. I know that we as more politically educated (jaded) queer adults can look at the issue in greater depth and say “well this is just an optics show” or “we don’t know how the players really feel” if we want to. but the truth is that this kind of simple visible thing means so much to kids and teenagers who are struggling to feel out their place in the world, and I will not discount it as “empty” when it accomplishes that, regardless of the difficult-to-judge sincerity of some people involved (impact, not intent, right?)

is there still a lot of work to do? yes. are there more concrete actions that individual players can take to make constructive progress on changing hockey culture and show that their caring is authentic? yes. is optics-based action always a inarguable sign of a sound personal politic or ethos? not always, no. is there more to be done beyond just visibility stuff? always, ALWAYS

but we can acknowledge that these things are true, while also acknowledging that steps like these DO mean something. those truths don’t have to oppose each other. every action taken doesn’t have to be “changes everything instantly and irreversibly by leaps and bounds” OR otherwise “empty and pointless” with no middle ground.

small steps are important and do have a place in change, and it’s okay to appreciate that value and find it meaningful, while also continuing to ask for more concrete steps forward to follow next 💜

751 notes • Posted 2021-04-17 17:53:15 GMT

#3

I ask Subban if there’s anything no one ever thinks to ask him that he wishes they would. At first, he bats the question away, saying if you have a clue what’s going on as a hockey player, you realize people aren’t there to ask what you want to be asked. But then he says: “I’d love people to ask about the marketing of the NHL and why it’s the fourth-best sport. Because I’ve got a great explanation for that.” Suddenly, Subban launches into an impassioned and quite savvy discourse on branding, fan psychology and how his sport may be shooting itself in the foot.

The way the NHL does business—he uses the word “we” here—restricts it from growing, he says, and the league hasn’t fully embraced that things are changing around it. You hear musicians and rappers reference basketball and football players, even baseball and soccer stars once in a while, he notes—but never a hockey player. And why is that? “If 700 players do an interview on TV, not all 700 players should sound the same,” Subban says, practically pleading. “Guys should feel confident going on TV and giving their two cents. We’re not asking them to go on and say inappropriate things, but just go on and be opinionated.” Instead, hockey is about “taking it one day at a time, one shift at a time”—Subban drops into a faux-hoser drawl as he recites the approved lines—and “it’s boring.” But until the culture of the game changes, he believes players with skin thinner than his are going to worry about ruffling feathers with their teammates and never feel like they can be themselves. As he finishes this thought, Subban suddenly flashes a smile, waves and calls, “Hi, guys!” to a couple of kids who are gaping at him through the glass door of the restaurant.

“I’d love people to ask about the marketing of the NHL and why it’s the fourth-best sport. Because I’ve got a great explanation for that.”

There’s this prevailing notion in hockey that if you make a big deal out of your goals or you’re outgoing, you’re not a leader, Subban says, sounding exasperated—and that just doesn’t make sense to him. “Bobby Orr didn’t celebrate because that’s the way he was—he just didn’t feel the need to. Great. Tiger Williams used to go down the ice sitting on his stick. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy—that means he gets excited. There’s nothing wrong with that.” To Subban’s mind, hockey is the one pro sport that eats its own. If you listen to basketball coverage, he says, 90 percent of what they’ll say about the game’s biggest stars is positive, but hockey just isn’t like that—for him or anyone else. “Even Sidney Crosby—look at all the heat he’s been taking. This guy’s the best player in the world, and he’s getting the heat he’s been getting? Really?”

So, has Subban ever been surprised by the blowback he’s gotten for his various supposed missteps? At first, he deflects, insisting that nothing bothers him. But then he says, “There are things in the past where I didn’t know I was offending anybody.” Like celebrating after a goal, for example. He gets why the other team would be mad: “Because I scored.” Here Subban pauses, a dripping morsel of sashimi pinned between his chopsticks, his face an open-mouthed smartass emoji, enjoying himself in a way that’s impossible not to like. But then, his opponents should be upset about the goal, not his reaction to it, he argues. “If you’re mad about the celebration, then you just sound like a big suck. If you don’t want me to celebrate, don’t let me score.” And really, there’s some unassailable logic to that.

I ask what people get wrong about him most often. “Cocky,” Subban says, archly. “I don’t think people know the meaning of cocky. If I asked somebody to give me the meanings of cocky and confident, they might give me the same definition.” (For the record, the Merriam-Webster definition of cocky is “having or showing confidence in a way that is annoying to other people.”) Subban tries not to pay attention to his critics, for the simple reason that he doesn’t get to talk back, to refute their claims by pushing them to give an example he’s sure they can’t, to make them look like idiots. “If I ever get to the point where I’m sitting on a [TV] panel, well, I hope God’s on their side that day.”

Hockey is changing—slowly—he concedes, but it still demands the players who should be its public face function like identical widgets stamped out on an assembly line. “The perception is that in order to be a good team player, you need to be like everybody else. And I don’t understand that.” It seems too obvious to ask if he’s talking about himself, so I ask if he thinks the NHL does a poor job of marketing individual players. “The NHL doesn’t market individual players—they market teams,” he says. “The NFL markets players. NBA? Markets players. The Montreal Canadiens don’t really market players. They market the Montreal Canadiens.” The way he looks at it, people can’t become a fan of you or your sport if they don’t know anything about you as a person. Of course you have to be a good player, but fans also need to feel like they know you a little, like they could come up to you on the street and say hi.

“If I ever get to the point where I’m sitting on a [TV] panel, well, I hope God’s on their side that day.”

[…] Now, this whole savvy sports-marketing seminar doesn’t mean Subban wants to burn the temple of hockey to the ground and rebuild it in his own image. He loves the sport—he can just see so much potential being left on the shelf. As he devours a plate of riceless sushi rolls, the final dish in the enormous parade of food from Park’s kitchen to our table, Subban sounds like a devoted but frustrated parent who sees their kid’s star power but worries they’ll flush it away with silly choices. “There is a culture to the sport that I want to see respected and I don’t want to see change,” he says. “You want to respect the jersey, you want to respect the logo, you want to respect your players—but be yourself! Have fun.”

—Why Hockey Needs P.K. Subban; Shannon Proudfoot, 2015

related: P.K. Subban Joins ESPN as NHL Studio Analyst for Remainder of 2021 Playoffs

938 notes • Posted 2021-06-09 22:01:04 GMT

#2

[John Mulaney voice] “so then I go to the NHL Department of Player Safety, which is an oxymoron-”

1281 notes • Posted 2021-03-31 17:00:03 GMT

#1

i can’t get over the Cowboy Dobby mask. it’s fucking killing me, i’m in hysterics. if i was some 19-year-old meme-brained rookie who just got up to the NHL and i happened to skate by the opposing goalie and saw this on his helmet with no explanation it would throw me off-kilter so strongly i’d probably just skate right into the glass. this is psychological warfare. i’m delighted

1424 notes • Posted 2021-01-05 19:05:36 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[revisionaryhistory]

Three Days ~ 55

~*~Sebastian~*~

I stared at her. Stunned. I'm not sure if it's how the conversation went or she wants me and whatever comes with me. Emma is so intentional. Her words carry meaning. She wants to be clear and asks for clarity. This is heaven for my overthinking brain. I’m not stuck wondering what she means nor am I afraid to ask. Because I know she'll answer. Really answer.

"I've got eight years on you, how are you the more mature one?"

"Stabilizing influence and frighteningly direct communication of my second dad."

The expression on her face and deadpanned delivery had me laughing. "I can see that. I'll be the emotionally reactive one and you can be the calming one." Then I remembered. "Although, Eli did tell a story about you laying into some guy in Hawaii at a volleyball game. Ed dumped you in the ocean. I wish there was video."

"There is. You'll have to get dad to send it to you."

Tuesday was a good day. Workout was hard and my abs were already sore, but we'd laughed a lot. Good phone call with mom. The house had come together, she was enjoying some time in the pool, and she'd picked up some piano students. My afternoon was spent in my manager, Emily's, office. Mostly she and I, but a few conference calls. I was about to be busy. The next six weeks I was more gone than home. I was excited about the work. Excited to see friends.

Admittedly, the timing wasn't the greatest, new relationship and all, but I was confident we'd figure it out. This is different. I'd like to say it was because my previous experience is whining and bitching about me being gone so long, knowing I was going to pay for the distance, and trying to front-load my leaving to make it more palatable. While all of those all true, the actual difference is I care. The emotionally unavailable hot and cold thing comes into play here. I put up a wall to block the whining and bitching, not really listening, because it's my job. Bitching at me isn’t going to change anything and I’m not going to feel guilty for doing my job. Well, I do, but it just pisses me off because I shouldn’t.  The expectation of gifts, dinners, or a vacation to make up for being gone made those a lot less fun. And I was never successful at cramming a bunch of stuff in before I left, because my work didn't start when I left. It starts weeks before. I don’t leave for filming for a month, but I’m already prepping: gym reading, watching things, research, and studying the script. I get pretty singularly focused. I don't know any other way. And when pushed I shut down. I don't respond. I brood. And I appear cold. None of this is right. Some just is. Some is my fault. Getting to where I didn't care about her (any of the previous hers) feelings and concerns with me gone was a side effect of shutting down and I regret doing that. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about her feelings. It was feeling ineffectual to do anything about it and my self-protection kicking in. Looking back, saying effectively “deal with it” was incredibly insensitive. Not proud of it.

But now, sitting here looking at my schedule I’m finding places I can find some time for us. We’ll figure it out. I can tell you what won’t happen. Emma won't whine where I block her out. She's not going to emotionally blackmail me for things, which will make me want to give. And she’ll leave me alone to prep, let me bounce things off her, or cook something to remind me to eat. I need all of those. I care how Emma's going to feel about me being gone. I care about what we’ve begun and how we'll keep in touch. I also know that while I'm away she will carry on living the life she had before she had me and be just fine.

Emma had practice tonight and a game tomorrow. It was after eight when she called. She was in a tank top and her hair was wet from her shower. I caught up on her day before leading into mine. "I have good news and bad news."

"OK." Emma drug out the word, wary of my response.

"When I get back from Canada, I've got some time to spend with you. Then I’m gone for the month of July. Fashion show, audition and meetings, comic con, then filming in Rome." Playing off last night’s conversation, I added. "I'm not expecting a bad reaction."

"Well, that's good." Her hand moved toward the screen and I chose to believe she was touching my face. "I'II miss you, but I’m excited for you. And me getting to hear about what you're doing. Living vicariously."

I'd had some time to think. I had a lot of thoughts on plans. This was the soonest.  "You get back Tuesday, doubleheader Wednesday, and I get back late Thursday. What's your weekend look like?"

"Empty. I'll come to you. You'll barely be home if you come here. I can come anytime Friday. I'll be done with work except maybe packing up my room. I can do that whenever."

"Early Friday. Thursday night." I wanted to maximize our time. "I have to do some work."

"I can amuse myself."

"Maybe the shop you liked so much will be having a sale?" I laughed at the way her eyes lit up. "July fourth weekend I'm at a fashion show. Wanna go to Paris?"

"What?" Her face moved closer to the screen. I’d surprised her.

"Not necessarily Paris, but near. The third is the show. Have you been to Paris?"

"Family spent the summer in Europe when we were thirteen. Then Pearl Jam tours. Love Paris."

"Not much more than a long weekend, but museums and I'm sure we can find some romantic Paris shit to do."

"I would love to go to Paris with you."

That was good because I'd already made reservations. "California for about two weeks then straight to Italy for at least that. Depends on how long shooting takes. Hopefully back in time to join you in Chicago. Then nothing until the end of August. Will and I had been talking about a group of us going away. We were waiting for my schedule. What do you think about a group trip and we stay a little longer or go off alone? It would be a beach somewhere."

"You going to rub sunscreen on me?"

"Um yay, part of my volleyball job. Beer bitch and sunscreen applier."

“I’m in."

"End of August is a Disney thing. Labor Day weekend is the Toronto Film Fest. Little stuff in there, nothing big. No idea past then."

She laughed, eyes wide, and moving her head in all directions "It's crazy like a tour schedule. I'm jealous. I love touring."

"I thought about Rome, but the schedule's tight. You wouldn't see me."

"I wasn't trying for an invite. I'll get some of my summer PD hours done so I won't have to worry about them. Make sure I've got time for us."

I leaned back on the couch, "That was easy."

She glared at me. "I thought you weren't expecting a bad reaction?"

I shook my head, "No, no, I wasn't. Just an observation. Thought I might have to talk you into the beach." I held it a second before smiling, "Not really. I do know it’s a lot."

"I will always go to a beach."

"You’re not allowed to play volleyball."

"Did you get the video from dad?"

"About an hour ago." I'd enjoyed it several times. "You're a feisty little thing."

Wednesday was a day of pictures and texts. After the gym, I settled in my extra room to prep. I had my laptop on the table, a stack of books on top of my script, and a huge bottle of water. I took a picture and posted it to Instagram along with one of me with a pencil between my teeth and pulling my hair.

Emma ~ How'd you get a picture of your expression during your last blow job?

Sebastian ~ Hidden camera in bedroom. You should see the other things I have. Coupling Season 1. "The Cupboard of Patrick's Love."

Emma ~ “You really don't have enough blood for both ends of your body, do you?"

Sebastian ~ Very good, Sally.

 Love that she can quote one of my favorite shows.

After lunch, Emma posted a picture of her in the middle of a group hug with her students. "I'll miss my munchkins.”  I sent a sad face emoji.

Then I fell into a hole. I got pulled into my research and reading and the next time I picked up my phone it was one a.m. I need time like this and put my phone on do not disturb. The only thing that comes through is two calls from the same number within a few minutes. Anyone important knows how to reach me. Emma knew, but she didn't. Not even when the Demonic Crickets won their game. She posted several pictures, but I got a much better one in a text. Emma with her back to the camera in her team tank, arm up flexing her bicep, and her looking over her shoulder smiling at me. The gold flecks in her eyes were sparkling and the darker ring made the green more intense.

Emma ~ Hope you're getting a lot done. Internally anyway.  XOXO

Sebastian ~ * 12 hours later * Yeah, I did. I'm hungry. Congrats on the win. Picture is beautiful.

Sebastian ~ You're beautiful

 Her thank you came while I was working out. After a shower, I fell back into my hole until it was time for therapy.

I'd been seeing Celie for a long time. Frequency varied. She had a dark brown bob, glasses, and a round face. At this point, I could read her as well as she could me. If she was looking at me over her glasses, she thought I was full of shit. No words needed. She was about ten years older than me and her style worked for me. It was a great one-sided friendship.

I took my regular spot on the blue couch, "How are you today, Celie?"

Celie smiled. She had the unconditional positive regard thing down. I say that, but she does genuinely like me. Most of the time. I can be a pain in the ass. "I've had a good day and after you I get to go home. You seem to be in a good mood. Tell what's going on with you, Seb."

I was always her last client of the day. Sometimes I needed more than an hour. "I am in a good mood. I met somebody. Last time I saw you I was going to help my parents move. I met Emma there. In a grocery store, if you can believe that."

"Sounds like you can't."

"I asked her to dinner in under fifteen minutes."

She widened her eyes in disbelief. Exactly my point. "Did you? Good for you, Seb. A complete stranger. What led you to ask her out?"

"I was all covered up and she tells me I looked like a rehab patient checking into the clinic up the road. But she was kind to me. A sketchy stranger. She didn’t know who I was until we were outside and I introduced myself. She helped me find the things on my list and we chatted." I put my hands in front of my chest, fingers splayed. "She felt good. I didn't know why, just enough that I knew I wanted to know more.”

“And what do you know now?”

I spent the next several minutes telling Celie the salient points. We’ve been doing this long enough that explaining isn’t necessary. She’ll recognize why things are important. My face hurt from smiling after I was finished talking about Emma. I stopped short of the whole conversation on Sunday.

“Besides the obvious early relationship high, how are you feeling about all this?”

“Good. Happy. Hopeful. The only concerning thing was Saturday I woke up from a night terror, panic attack. I got myself calmed down pretty quick, wrote for a while, and once Emma got up I went for a run.”

“Even with being happy, there’s been quite a bit of emotional activity. I’m pleased that you’ve only woken up once. Much better. What do you suspect triggered you?”

I took a deep breath, “Emma and I wound up in this conversation Sunday afternoon. A couple of my friends at the party had told her I wasn’t acting like I normally do with women, but more like I am with friends. This led to a conversation about my relationship issues. I’m not the same with her. She really doesn’t know that version of me. I think that’s why I had the anxiety. It was the night after the party but before the conversation. First time we’d been around my friends. I think it was not because I’m scared, but because I’m not. Like you said, there’s been a lot of emotional shit going on and I’m good. Remarkably good.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Emma is different. She’s incredibly kind and is . . . gentle. Not weak though. She’s strong.”

Celie shook her head, “When I think of gentle people it’s a combination. They can be painfully truthful, but their manner makes others able to listen. They have a compassion for others.”

“Exactly! I noticed she knew everyone. She talked to everyone and used their name. I asked and she said she looked at their nametags and you never know what someone’s day has been. That might be the first nice thing that’s happened all day. I know it’s a little thing, but it’s her. She’s like that with me. She doesn’t try to talk me out of being anxious or overthinking. She doesn’t think my insecurities are stupid. They’re all just part of me.”

“She accepts you.”

“Right. The more we got to know each other, the more we talked, I felt safe. She doesn’t do those things I usually shut down over. I don’t feel the need to protect myself. She’s very different.”  Celie was looking at me over her glasses. Uh oh. “You’re giving me the look.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why?  I thought I was doing good. I asked out a stranger and got this amazing woman.”

“Sebastian, as quick as you are to fault yourself, you’re slow to take credit.”

“Take credit?” I didn’t know what she was talking about.

She leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. “You think this relationship is different because of Emma. You lucked out and met an accepting, kind, gentle person.”

“Yes. No. Both. Emma is different and she makes me different.”

Celie made a loud, jarring beeping noise. This was new.

“Ok, I guess I’m wrong.”

“You are. Not completely. You’re not giving yourself enough credit. Any credit. You’ve worked very hard. You’ve read. You’ve journaled. You’ve talked. You’ve done things I’ve asked you to even if you didn’t understand or want to. I’ve seen you grow. To give responsibility for this relationship being different all to Emma is dangerous. What’s going to happen when she falls off this pedestal you’ve put her on? Is that going to be an excuse to shut down and protect yourself? Fall back on old habits.”

I could feel my eyebrows pulled down and the scowl on my face. “So you’re saying this isn’t as good as I think it is.”

“Not at all. I’m saying it’s got as much to do with you as it does her. Previously you would have never asked out a woman you met in a grocery. But that seems to be the furthest you’re going with how you’re different. I do not believe for one second that no other woman you’ve gone out with has been kind and accepting. Or would have been if you would have been able to show them you.  You used to do things to test them. You’d say or do things to see how they’d react. As we’ve talked, you weren’t being real, so you don’t know that their reactions were.”

I nodded then looked down, “I know. Pretty manipulative.”  I felt Celie’s hand on my arm and looked back up. Her face was very soft with a smile.

“Stop, Seb. You need to be proud of yourself. You are doing things differently. You have learned from your past, grown, and come a long way in accepting yourself. Warts and all. You have shown Emma who you are, even the parts you don’t like so much. She can have credit for how she’s responded to you, but you deserve the credit for being brave enough to show her in an honest and authentic way. That allowed her to respond in an equally honest and authentic way.”

I grabbed a tissue from the ever-present box on the table and wiped the wet from my face. Neither the first nor the last time I’d cry in this room.

"If you had met her even a year ago, with her exactly as she is now, this relationship would be very different."

"The wedding."

"Excuse me?"

Yeah, non sequitur. "I was supposed to go to a friend’s wedding last summer but didn't because there was a change in my shooting schedule. Emma was at the wedding. You're right. Had I met her then," I shook my head. “I wouldn't have been ready for her and now could have never happened."

Celie shrugged, "Probably not."

I sniffed and wiped my eyes, "How do I get her off this pedestal I’ve put her on?"

"You seem pretty smitten. Maybe not take her off, just lower it a little." I laughed and she went on. "What you do is own your part. You have been making choices to improve yourself. You have been making choices to go out of your comfort zone. And you have been making choices to let her know you. Emma's been making similar choices to be with you. I'm sure you know what she's come through to be where she is. It seems like you complement each other. Recognize this is both of you waking up and choosing to be with each other. Talk and negotiate what that means. Tell her what you want. And when you're not talking you listen. Listen to what she needs from you. The most important for you is to keep processing the feelings with her. She's the only one who can help those make a picture. And you need to give her the same gift. She has things she’s not so proud of and afraid for you to know about her. We all do. You will need to accept her and treat her with gentle kindness she gives you.”

I was crying again. "She told me. I told her she was different than the others. She asked if maybe I was different."

Celie snickered, "I like her."

"You would. She speaks therapy."

"I want to be very clear, Seb. She sounds wonderful and she may make you better. You sound wonderful and I bet you make her better too. That’s how it should work in a relationship. You help each other along. It takes two people with self-awareness making choices to do what it takes. You both have to choose growth, honestly, humility, vulnerability, and sacrifice. I hear you holding up your end. I’ve not heard you do this before. And while she may be the right woman, you've become the right man. Please, please, do not underestimate how much work you've put in to become the right man for another person.”

"I want to go home and cry for an hour or so."

"I wish Emma was here for you."

I shook my head with a grimace, "It's going to be ugly until I get it out."

"Yes. I think Emma would want to be there to hold you and you'd find more acceptance and comfort in that than you can imagine."

At home, I grabbed a beer, sank down in my favorite chair, and cried. I felt everything all at once but fought to untangle the threads. Sad was remnants of the past and dissipated quickly. Its friends regret and shame fought a little harder to stick around, but they were toxic and needed to go. Pride and relief were together too. Celie was right. I had worked hard. An infinite number of hours had gone into figuring myself out. There have been so many times I thought I'd be stuck forever. Sometime in the last two years that I've been without a girlfriend, all the work must have come together. In the last two years I've been filming almost nonstop. Five movies have come out. Two of which were Marvel circuses. It's like all the therapy (and the work that goes with it) knitted me back together while I was busy filming and living my life. Celie had told me to trust the process. I couldn't rush it or make changes happen before it was time. Patience. I am inherently impatient. Pride was for the work. Relief was for seeing results. Finally.

Next was happy. I’m in a good place. I'm excited about the movie I’m making. I have supportive, fun friends, and a loving family. I don't need a girlfriend to be happy, but one does bring everything together. I like having a person who is mine. Mine in the sense of us experiencing life together. The good and bad. I like that. I want that. And now I have it. The beginnings of it, anyway.

After I pulled my shit together, I wanted to talk to Emma. I wanted support. Maybe not support, but I felt raw. I wanted someone to soothe the raw nerves, to sit with me while all this new stuff integrated. I wish she was here. What I needed was a hug.

Sebastian ~ Can you talk?

I don't like that I asked. It feels insecure and I have zero reasons to feel insecure. I quickly decided to cut myself some slack.

My phone rang and I connected to FaceTime. "Hey." Her bright smile and obvious happiness to see me did wonders to soothe those raw nerves.

Emma's face went from a smile to wide-eyed concern. "Sebastian, what’s wrong? You look like you've been crying. What happened?" Before I could answer, she jumped to a correct conclusion. "You had therapy. Good, bad, or cathartic tears?"

"Mostly the last one."

Her hand went to her chest, "Ok." She picked up what I assumed was her iPad and crossed to the chair in her bedroom. I could see her pull her knees up when she put her feet on the ottoman. She rested the iPad on her knees.

"Mostly a repeat of what we talked about Sunday. Celie said I wasn't giving myself enough credit for the work I've done. My growth."

As Emma had alluded to the same thing, I expected a smile or some acknowledgment of her asking if I was different. Instead, I got, "What do you think?"

"I think I still need to work on not being so hard on myself." I smiled because that statement was me still being hard on myself. "When Celie pointed out how I've changed I could see it and was proud of myself. I can’t see it on my own yet, but I'll get there. I never thought anyone would get past my walls. It wasn't someone getting in, it was me getting out." More goddamned tears.

Emma reached out and touched the screen. "I‘m so happy for you. Proud of you too."

Her words felt like a hug. Close enough for now. "Thank you."

"I know you're a grown man, but I wish I was there. Crying alone sucks."

"Oh," I laughed a little, "the chances of us having a messy reunion are high."

"Why?"

"A lot of you and I talk today. I know me, it's gonna hit me when I see you."

"I should warn you. I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence."

I smiled at her exaggerated southern accent with the "Steel Magnolias" quote. "See ... gonna be messy."

[segenassefa]

4: A Lazy Girl’s Guide to Surviving COVID

Whenever a global pandemic decides to rear its ugly head, I have the bad habit of believing that I am somewhat untouchable. In my middle school days, when the kids were catching dengue left and right1, I swatted it off – literally and figuratively. The same thing happens every year with the common cold– and even when I do get it, it’s always after everyone else has had it, making me believe that my immune system is nothing more than a follower. I eat relatively healthy, I get enough sleep, drink water, and maintain and generally healthy state of mind 2.

So, you can image my surprise when a friend I had been in close contact with tested positive for coronavirus. I was not as scared as I think I should have been However, that afternoon, I did my civic duty and took myself and a friend to get tested at the local hospital.

Before I get into what having the virus was like for me3, let’s talk about the test.

Thankfully, the process was nice and fast, so that part is free from scrutiny. All of the healthcare workers were kind and understanding of the fact that we didn’t have health cards – and one of them complemented my 1s, so you know I have to give them a glowing recommendation. The real horror came after check-in process.

I sat in a back office, the air conditioning blasting, awkwardly crossing and uncrossing my legs. Two nurses in full PPE and running sneakers talked quietly back and forth, occasionally scribbling things onto notepads. The first nurse drilled me yet again – asking why I had decided to get tested, whether or not had symptoms, and how I was currently feeling. Once my answers were up to par, she left the room, and the second nurse produced a long-stemmed cotton swab.

I am no stranger to pain – I have nine different piercings, five of which I’ve done with safety pins, and have dislocated bones, suffered from burns and some pretty disgusting cuts - but I was a bit apprehensive when I saw how big of a cotton swab it was. I asked the nurse how much this test would hurt. In her exact words, she told me, “It doesn’t hurt at all! If anything, you’ll feel a little discomfort.” She compared to the sensation of water rushing up your nose, something none of us are a stranger to.  

Y’all, when I tell you this lady LIED.

I have never been in so much pain in my life. As a kid, I was fascinated by ancient Egypt, but there’s a big difference between reading about mummies and feeling like one4. Not to mention the fact that the test took her three tries because every time I felt the cotton swab poke my literal brain, I had to stop and take a breather5 . Fortunately, my results came in relatively fast - less than 48 hours – and I began to quarantine the day I got tested.  

The first week was mild. No real symptoms except for body aches, and the occasional headache. However, as a person with chronic migraines and aches, I didn’t really chalk it up to coronavirus symptoms, and instead to the fact that I was spending eighty percent of my day laying in the bed – the other twenty percent was spent in the shower, or standing in the kitchen, watching the tea kettle boil. Also, fortunately for me, I caught this virus near the end of summer school, meaning that I wasn’t just wasting away in my house, and it gave me something to focus on instead of my throbbing body aches. Considering that my entire friend group was sick at the same time, it was also nice distracting one another with zoom calls. However, we were definitely spoiled by spending the majority of the summer together, so this diet version of socialization was not ideal.

Another hurdle was not being able to quarantine at home. My housemates have high risk family members, so staying in my original place of habitation was not really an option. Fortunately, another friend of mine, who also had the virus, was kind enough to open up her home to me, allowing me to eat her groceries, run up her water bill, and bum around. I know people always tell you how your mask doesn’t just protect you, but the other people you encounter and live with, so this was a bit of a lesson on how my prevention – or lack thereof - doesn’t just impact me, but the people we live with, especially if they aren’t our immediate family.

There was also the slight detail of the Toronto Public Health Department being on our asses. My experience with quarantine procedures in the states indicated that public health officials were not as vigilant as communicating with people in quarantine as TPH (read: daily). For reference, my home state of Minnesota made masks in public spaces mandatory at the end of July, so that should let you know how seriously the United States is taking this virus 6 . Once a day, I would get a call from my Public Health official. The calls were pretty thorough in the first few days of quarantine – asking about my interactions with others in the days leading up to me getting tested – everything including the names, and license plates of the Ubers I had taken, who’s homes I had been to, restaurants and shops I had visited, everything. After they had gathered all that information, the calls became about my general health and wellness, in addition to six separate emails about how long was quarantine was supposed to last, what I was and was not allowed to do, and the penalties for leaving the house before the end of the quarantine, including a fee to the tune of five thousand dollars.  

In week two, most of the initial symptoms I had started with began to subside, and the only one that was left was an even impending feeling of boredom. I started doing things like watching soccer7, binge watching Law and Order: SVU, and spending copious amounts of money on Uber Eats. It wasn’t too much of a change from normal life except for the fact that I felt like TPH would swoop around the corner if they ever caught me outside when I wasn’t supposed to be – felt a bit like being a fugitive if we’re keeping it two Virgils with one another.

As the end of my quarantine period approaches, I have to be honest – this was not a huge, transformative experience. I acted irresponsibly and my actions caught up with me. That being said, there are plenty of people who have actively social distanced, followed the rules, and have still caught the virus. I don’t think this is something that should be looked at as damning, more like there is a virus and we mere human beings can’t beat out a pandemic. After this whole ordeal, I will definitely be taking PPE a bit more seriously, but I’m also really grateful because this experience could have been a whole lot worse. So, my peoples reading this, wear your mask! Invest in some travel size Wet Wipes and hand sanitizer, stay at home, and most importantly, remember that virus prevention is a group effort, not a solo endeavour.

Notes

1 Growing up in the Caribbean, dengue was a normal occurrence.

2 Disregard the fact that I didn’t mention exercise.

3 I will have one left of quarantine after publishing this blog post, so yay for that!

4https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies. That is all I will say.

5 I also did cry a little but we can just act like that part never happened.

6 About as seriously as police brutality, if that puts things into perspective…

7 I am extremely disappointed that PSG lost to the Nazis, but Project Mbappe will prevail.

[ajaxthelesser]

Hello! Are you a Washington Capitals fan who is worried about cap space/Holtby's contract or just interested in some of the more business side of things? Well this is the rant for you! (because my friends are tired of hearing about it)

I am in no way a professional so I apologize if I got anything wrong and some things are just my opinion. These things are what the caps can do with Holtby (in my opinon, and feel free to share your own if you want!)

Firstly, the caps have a cap space of about 10.3$ after signing Backstrom and resigning Holtby takes up over half of that money, which means less wiggle room for RFA's, UFA's and any trades/signings.

Who are these UFAS/RFAS you ask? Well at the end of the season our RFA's are Djoos (left defence, 1.25$), Boyd (center, right wing, 800,000$), Liepsic (left wing, 700,000$) and Siegenthalar (right defence, 714,166$) and our UFAs are Holtby (6.1$) and Gudas (right defence, 2.34$). BUT we also have to think about next year where Vrana (left wing, 3.35$) and Samsonov (925,000$) are both RFA's and Ovechkin (9.34$) is a UFA. So keep this in mind that whatever MacLellan does also affects all of these decisions.

The caps keep Holtby (yay) Holtby is still a really good goalie and younger than goalies such as Price, Lundqvist and Fleury so as long as the caps aren't signing him to anything more than a maybe 3-5 year deal around his cap hit.

It also gives Samsonov a chance to develop more before being the full starter. Having two good, trusted goalies is better than one goalie who only has one year under his belt and a risk of one of our prospects or signing/trading for a goalie. We don't need a Toronto Maple Leafs situation.

But as mentioned earlier, it takes up a lot of cap space to resign players this year and next so some more trades like the Stephenson for a 5th round pick will happen.

The caps don't resign Holtby but also don't trade/sign a new goalie

This means that either Phoenix Copley or Vitek Vaneck would come up and play back up for Samsonov, who would become the starter.

Phoenix Copley was the back up last year with 29 NHL games under his belt going 16-8-3, a GAA of 2.98 and a SV% of .901. This season so far he has played 20 games (10-6-4) with the Hersheys with a GAA of 2.45 and a SV% of .907. He has a cap hit of 1.10$ until the end of the 21-22 season.

Vitek Vaneck hasn't played an NHL game or at least a full one or all the sites are being dumb beacuse they're telling me he hasn't. With the hershey's this year he has played 21 games (12-7-1) with a GAA of 2.44 and a SV% of .911. He has a cap hit of 716,000$ also until the end of the 21-22 season.

Now the stats are not bad but there is a huge jump between the NHl and the AHL that don't make the AHL stats transfer over to compare to NHL goalies. So while this is an option, I don't think this is the best option as it will be Samsonov's second year and him getting burnt out without having a really proven back up just doesn't seem right to me. But it will save on cap space, allowing them to resign and sign new players that could later be traded for a back up.

The caps don't resign Holtby and they sign a new goalie/get one in a trade.

So I've looked through the list of goalies who contracts are up at the end of this year just to see the general cap hit, so here are just of the few I found intereseting/have been mentioned to me Crawford, Lehner and Smith both have similar cap hits to Holtby so none of those fit because then you might as well resign Holtby. Also Crawford wants a starter position, something he wouldn't get in Washington. Lehner is also probably resigning with Chicago. Smith is only really interesting because the "exclusive trade, breaking news!" people have mentioned Edmonton as a place for Holtby to go, there for replacing Smith. Though I have my serious doubts on that.

Another place mentioned by them was Calgary because Cam Talbot's contract is also up, a cap hit of 1.45$. Markstrom has also been mentioned but he's for sure resigning with the Canucks. The only one that I find interesting is Khudobin with a cap hit of 2.5$. He's been doing very well this year in the back up goalie position so the chances of Samsonov burning out are lower. I have also searched around and no one has really been talking about if he'll resign with the stars or not.

I'm talking out of my ass and none of what I said happens.

In conclusion, I think Holtby will resign and they'll do more cap space dumping like they did with Stephenson earlier in the season and by the time his contract is up, Copley or Vaneck will be ready to be a back up for Samsonov. Thanks for reading and giving my friends a break from hearing me rant about contracts lmaoo

[krishalceid100]

Using Google Efficiently!

How would you search for an exact word or phrase?

If you’re not familiar already, in order to find a specific word or even a phrase, simply put the query in quotation marks!

For example: If i’m looking for flights to California, I would simply search “Flights to California from Toronto” on Google. 

How would you search for something on a specific site? 

Now, I have a good relationship with WestJet. I may want to find flights specifically to San Francisco on WestJet only.  To look up information from a specific website, the format should be as follows into Google:   “San Francisco”site:WestJet.ca 

How would you correctly search for a definition? 

Sorting through abig book of words is too old fashioned, It’s easier to do it with Google search.  Hmmm, what is the definition of Hyperbole? Simply just type define:hyperbole on google.

How do you search for a specific product available within a specific price range? 

This is a life hack. period. If you need a new laptop in order to take the wonder CEID100 course, you may have a price range limit of $500 - $800.  In order to search for specifically products within those prices, do the following on Google:  Laptop $500..$800  ensure your price range has two periods in-between! Another way would be using the google tabs that allow you to specify your criteria. 

How would you search for a specific file type?

Your performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is in one hour but your dog ate your sheet music, what now?!  Do not worry! You can find the .pdf file of the sheet music on google. 

Ode To Joy filetype: pdf 

How would you include or ignore words in your search? 

Lets say you’re looking for cheap flights but keep getting ones only to Cuba, you can choose to exclude those results.  How you ask? Like so:

Cheap Flights -Cuba

by putting a hyphen before the word you want to exclude, google will rid those!

If you’re looking for cheap flights and want it to specifically INCLUDE a word, lets say Jamaica, you can do so by putting a + infront of it. Like so:

Cheap Flights +Jamaica 

How would you find sites/pages similar to an exisiting one? 

In order to find related pages, it’s simple! Maybe you’re sick of using WestJet.ca to book flights. To find something new but related simply search:

Related:Westjet.ca  

How would you confirm the exact form of a quote even if you were missing some of the words?

You heard that song on the radio, but you can only remember a few words, how can you find it? Simple!   Hey I just met you and * is *, but * * *, So call me * 

We simply fill in the words we don’t know with an asterisk. Google will fill it in for you!  Turns out the song was Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.. yay... 

How would search for pages containing two connected words?

 Google will generally do this anyway, but in order to search for pages with connected words, simply type AND between them.  

Jamaica AND Westjet 

How do you search for social media content containing a specific tag? 

You can do this in two ways. In an more aged way, you can do the following: Site:www.tumblr.com inurl:Jamaica 

OR

#Jamaica   

Either the search query ot hashtag will work. 

That concludes the 10 questions, Happy Googling!

[hockeyandstuff91]

How did this happen? - Part 21

Word count: 4,433

Players: Tyler Seguin

Other people: None

Warnings: Cussing, Mentions of sex

Authors Note: YAY I finally finished another part! Woo! haha I hope you guys all enjoy it! Leave me some feedback? I work well off of it, and it helps keep me motivated knowing that you guys like the story! <3 Love you all!!!

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3    Part 4    Part 5    Part 6   Part 6.5     Part 7    Part 8   Part 9   Part 10    Part 11    Part 12   Part 13     Part 14     Part 15     Part 15.5     Part 16   Part 17    Part 18    Part 19    Part 20   Part 22

(Brooke’s POV)

I had just finished cooking dinner for me and Ty right before I fed the dogs. I called for Tyler when it was done, but I figured maybe he didn't hear me or was upstairs, since he still wasn't in here and it had been a few minutes. I took my apron off and hung it up where I usually kept it and walked down the hall towards the stairs.

"Ty?!" I called up them, wondering if he was up there.

"In my office babe!" I heard from behind me.

I turned around and walked down the hallway and into his office. I smiled, seeing him on his computer looking at more fishing stuff. I walked over to him, resting my head on his shoulder and looking at the screen.

"Whatcha doin' babe?" I asked, more of a rhetorical question being that it was pretty obvious what he was doing.

"Just looking at some fishing stuff. I wanna get in a few more trips before the season starts. First day of Camp was yesterday so I've only got a little more than a month left," He said, leaning back against the back rest of the chair, resting his head against mine.

"Fishing sounds nice," I mumbled and stood up. "Dinner is ready by the way," I smiled down at him.

"Oh good I'm starving," he said, standing up, putting his arm around me as we walked towards the kitchen. "So you would want to go fishing?" He asked, almost surprised.

"Yeah of course," I smiled at him. "You know that I use to go fishing all the time with my dad when I was little."

Tyler nodded and smiled as we walked into the kitchen. He breathed deeply through his nose and groaned softly. "That smells so good," he said, grabbing himself a plate off the counter and started to get himself some food.

"What if we went camping?"

"Camping?"

"Yeah! Make like a day and a half trip, just fish and cook on an open fire, star gaze, sleep outside somewhere. I haven't done that in so long. I miss it."

"Well we do have one more trip back home before the season starts, for a long weekend. We could go up to the cabin and do all of that."

"You mean you don't wanna go camping in a tent?"

"You do?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah why not?"

Tyler looked at me, one eyebrow raised, before laughing to himself a bit. "Sorry babe I always forget that you aren't like most of the girls that I have been with before. Actually you are like none of them, which is one of the reasons why I love you," He smiled at me, sitting on one of the bar stools at the island.

"Aww are you gonna get sappy on me babe?" I blushed a little, leaning closer to him and resting my hand on his cheek.

"Maybe a little," he muttered and kissed my lips.

"Mmm well.. lets save the sappy stuff for when we are laying under the stars yeah? Otherwise we both are going to get distracted and never set a plan for this," I laughed, climbing onto my own bar stool next to him.

He thought for a moment and nodded "Yeah good point. Okay so what is the plan anyways?" He asked as he took his first bite of dinner.

"Well we will bring a tent in the case that it rains but what about putting an air mattress in the back of the truck and sleeping under the stars somewhere?"

"Oh that's a good idea babe. Lets do it this weekend, I have nothing going on Sunday or Monday. We could leave Sunday afternoon and be back by dinner time Monday."

"Where would we go?"

"I have a place in mind," he said, continuing to eat his food.

"Ty are you gonna tell me where we are going or-"

"Its a surprise babe," he said, looking at the GPS on his phone as I continued to drive down the highway.

"Alright," I laughed.

We had spent all morning packing all of the stuff that we would need. My good friend Janelle had told me that she would love to watch the dogs while we went on our camping trip. Both Tyler and I had wanted to bring them at first, but we didn't want to keep them in the truck when we slept, plus it was only going to be for a day. We planned to bring them back to Toronto for the long weekend and stay at the cabin, so they wouldn't miss too much.

We had been driving for about an hour and a half or so before he finally told me to get off the highway. I hoped that meant we were getting close to where we were going to camp. There were a few streets we drove down before pulling off to a dirt road.

"Ahh what a truck is really made for!" I laughed, going slower over some of the bumps.

Tyler looked over at me, smiling big. I looked over and laughed softly. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing I just.. I love seeing you happy. And I love being the reason that you are happy."

"Well good because you always make me happy babe," I smiled as I continued down the dirt road before coming to a fork in the road. "Which way?"

"Left and then it'll be the second road on the right side," he answered, looking at his phone.

I followed his directions, pulling down the road which came right out to a beautiful cleared spot with a few picnic tables and a fire pit, right on the lake.

"Oh my god this is beautiful," I smiled at I pulled the truck into a good spot and parked it, turning it off.

Tyler leaned over, grabbing my face gently and turning it towards him, pressing his lips to mine. We kissed for a few moments before he slowly pulled away and started to get out of the truck, coming around to open my door for me.

"A buddy of mine owns part of the land out here. He has a few of these campsites and then a couple more up the road have cabins on them too, so if it rains tonight we can go up to one of those. This whole side is empty today and tomorrow so he said we don't have to worry about anyone else around us," he smiled, taking my hand as I stepped out of the truck.

"Babe!" I smiled and wrapped my arms around him once my feet hit the ground. "How did you do this such short notice?"

"Well they had this side of the campgrounds blocked off for the last couple weeks while they worked on clean up and fixing a few of the campsites up, as well as the cabins. So they hadn't been rented out for a little while anyways. He was planning to allow guests this weekend but said he wouldn't miss the money for this side, the other side is completely full so its all ours. Plus I may have given him a few free tickets to a couple games this year so.."

I laughed and rested my head on his chest for a moment. "You just continue to surprise me," I smiled up at him.

"Good I like to surprise you," he said as we started making our way towards the back of the truck.

I pulled down the tailgate and climbed up in, Tyler trying to help by putting his hands on my ass to help lift me up.

"Okay I know I'm short babe but that was totally just to touch my ass wasn't it?" I laughed, walking towards where we had the cooler tied down as well as a few other things.

"Whaaat? Noo not at all!" He smirked at me, all innocent like.

"Yeah suuure," I laughed. I unhooked the cooler and pushed it towards the tailgate for Ty to grab off the bed of the truck.

We finished unloading the back of the truck, pulling out the air mattress and rolling it out in the back of the truck. After it had been inflated I made the bed, putting a bunch of pillows on it.

"Tada," I smiled as I jumped off the back of the truck.

Tyler looked over and smiled "Good job babe it looks really comfortable," he said as he unloaded the back seat of the truck where he had packed his fishing poles.

I set up the camping chairs by the fire pit, tossing down some firewood into a pile nearby. I smiled over at Tyler who was sitting in one of the chairs, messing with his line, putting on a new hook.

I had turned towards the cooler to grab out a water when I heard Tyler behind me say "Here you go babe."

I turned around, seeing him holding out the new fishing pole he had just ordered, towards me. I raised my eyebrow and looked it over. "What?"

"Here. Don't you want to fish too?"

"But that's your new pole."

He shook his head. "You don't have one yet so I got this one for you. My other one is fine still."

"Ty-"

"Brooke.. We talked about this," he smiled and put the fishing pole in my hand, and turned to go grab his.

I sighed and didn't fight him on it. He was right, we had many very long discussions about the topic of him buying me things. I explained to him how it made me feel, and he explained, for the hundredth time, how it made him feel. Which was happy and excited to see my reaction. He said he wouldn't talk about it again, and I just needed to accept that he would buy me things, and there was nothing I could do about it.

He could be really sassy when he wanted to be.. which was a lot of the time, but that was fine by me because I would just give it right back to him.

I followed him down towards the lake and walked out on the dock with him. He finished setting up everything for the both of us, I insisted that I knew how to do it but he wanted to help, so I enjoyed watching how happy this made him.

We cast our lines a few times before anything happened, just enjoying the nice day. It was  a little hot, and Tyler had made me put on almost a half a bottle of sunscreen already, but the breeze off the lake made it really nice. Tyler was turned away, casting towards a group of rocks to our left when I felt a tug on my line.

"Oh!" I smiled and reeled a little, feeling a bit more of a tug.

Tyler turned towards me, immediately putting his pole down on the dock, coming towards me to assist.

"Ah," I started, putting my hand up. "I got it," I laughed.

Tyler chuckled and put his hands down, watching me. I continued to reel a bit more before I pulled back, hooking the fish. Then it was just a small battle for a half a minute before I finally pulled the fish over to the dock, leaning down to grab the line and pulling it out of the water.

"Good job babe!" Tyler smiled big as he pulled out his phone to take a picture.

I unhooked the fish, putting my pole down on the dock and stood back up, holding up the fish for the picture.

Tyler was beaming behind his phone as he took a couple pictures. Then he was typing something.. yup this was going on Instagram. I laughed and leaned back down, going to put the fish back into the water.

"Now its your turn," I smirked as I looked over at him.

"Oooh so its gonna be like that huh?" He smirked back, picking up his pole and casting out again.

I laughed "Oh you are too competitive babe," I teased as I rebated my hook. I felt my phone in my pocket go off, pulling it out I saw that it was a notification for a new post from Ty.

I opened it, seeing the picture of me holding up the fish with the caption reading "The catch of a lifetime, and the fish is pretty great too 😍"

I blushed a bit and smiled over at Tyler who was focused on his line at the moment. I liked the picture and added a comment saying "Love you babe 😍😍💜💜😘😘", hitting post before I put my phone back in my pocket.

I got closer to Tyler, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're the best," I smiled as I cast out my line again, resting my head against his arm.

"Nah," He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of my head "That's you babe," he said.

We continued to fish for another hour or so, Tyler catching a few fish, and of course I posted them all on my Instagram, and I caught one more myself. We made our way back up towards where everything was set up and Tyler took care of the fishing stuff while I started on making us dinner.

I had brought with us some steaks and burgers, a can of baked beans, and some macaroni salad that I had made before we left the house, as well as a bag of chips and some ‘smores stuff for later on. Tyler had packed another cooler with some drinks, mostly water but he did bring a few sodas and a small bottle of jack, knowing that was the only drink I really liked.

I grabbed some fire starter and kindling, making a little pile in the middle of the fire pit. I used the lighter to get it going, waiting for it to catch before I tossed on a few small sticks and then the bigger logs once it was going really good. I allowed it to burn for a few minutes to get some hot coals ready.

Tyler came back over, carrying the little metal grill that you put over the fire so that the steaks had something to rest on over the flames. I smiled at him as he sat next to me in our camping chairs, his hand reaching over to intertwine with mine.

"Good job on the fire babe," he said, his thumb rubbing against the back of my hand.

"Thanks babe," I smiled and lifting his hand up, kissing the back of it gently before I rested it back on the armrests of our chairs.

After letting the fire get going for a little while, and the two of us deciding on steaks for dinner and the burgers for tomorrow afternoon before we leave to go back home, I got up and started to prepare the food. I took the lid off of the can of baked beans and put it into the side of the fire pit on top of some hot coals. Tyler was helping me by grabbing the steaks out of the marinade they had been in for the last day and put them onto the grill that was sitting over the fire.

After a little while the steaks were cooked the way that both Ty and I liked them, and the beans were warmed up nice. I grabbed us a few plates and used the top of the drink cooler as a little table so I could cut the meat easier. I handed Tyler his plate and smiled as I heard him groan softly in approval.

"Babe this is somehow even better than when we have it at home," he said, his mouth half full.

I laughed and stood up, making my way back over to my chair and took a bite of my own. I nodded, agreeing with him. "Something about cooking over an open fire just makes things taste better, I dunno why," I laughed.

The two of us finished eating and then we spent a little while just relaxing in the chairs, watching the sunset. It was still a very warm night tonight, which was nice because I didn't have to pull out any blankets yet to curl up with, and the bugs weren't bad.

Tyler randomly stood up and went over to the truck. I looked over my shoulder wondering what he was looking for in the back seat. After a minute I was about to ask him what he was looking for but then he stood up straight, seeming to have found whatever it was. He stepped back from the side of the truck a little bit and grabbed onto the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and off, tossing it in ontop of his bag of clothes. I raised my eyebrow wondering what he was doing and then my eyes went wide as I watched him take off his shorts and boxers, kicking them off and tossing them into the truck.

"Uh babe..."

"Hmm?"

"Why uh.." I started to ask why exactly he was naked all of a sudden but then I realized what he was doing when he grabbed his swim trunks off the back seat and started to put them on. "Never mind," I laughed.

Tyler turned around and smirked at me "What did you think I just randomly decided to get naked?"

"Well-"

"Don't answer that," he laughed as he walked back over towards the fire where I was still sitting. "Let's go swimming," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up.

"Hey wait! If you get to change so do I," I laughed and walked back over to the truck, finding my bathing suit and changing into it.

I tried my best to ignore Tyler's whistles and muttered comments as I got changed, my face going bright red. I turned back around and walked back over to where he was standing by the fire. He was on his phone, doing something so I waited. All of a sudden there was music playing from a speaker that I hadn't even noticed he had set up earlier.

"Ty! What about the other camp sites?"

"Babe it's only like 9pm, plus my buddy said that we could play music if we wanted. Everyone who is staying at the lake is on the other side and wont be able to hear it anyways," he said, taking my hand and we made our way down to the water.

As I stepped into the water I realized that it was warm, which was very nice. The water felt good on my skin as we slowly made our way out, relaxing at about chest height in the water. Tyler wrapped his arms around me, pulling my head to his chest as he swayed back and forth slowly in the water.

I smiled up at him, standing on my tip toes to get a quick kiss before I rested my head back on his chest. I closed my eyes, enjoying being so close to him. I was excited for the season to start up again, knowing it would be much different thing time now that we were together, but I was going to miss little moments like this. I knew we would still have them but it would be less often since he was going to be so busy.

We stayed in the water what felt like forever, the moon coming up from behind the trees. It was a beautiful full moon, slightly orange, and bright. It lit up the whole campsite and the reflection on the water was beautiful. Eventually both Tyler and I silently agreed that it was time to get out of the water, making our way back to shore.

Tyler grabbed a couple towels out of the back of the truck. He quickly dried himself off, not handing me my own towel. It wasn't cold out but there was a slight breeze that caused me to shiver a bit when it hit my wet skin. Tyler turned around and wrapped me in a towel, picking me up and carrying me over to the fire.

"Tyler!" I squealed and laughed, gently wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I got you babe," he said softly as he sat down, resting me on his lap.

I smiled and leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder as his hands gently moved up and down over the towel that was covering my body.

After a few minutes of just relaxing together, being mesmerized by the fire, I finally blinked a few times, pulling back to look up at him. "Did you want to do smores?"

Tyler gasped softly, his eyes going wide like a little kid. "Yes I haven't had one in so long," he smiled.

I giggled and stood up, making my way over towards the truck. I stripped my bathing suit off, grabbing a long t shirt, that was technically Tyler's but I had totally stolen to use as a sleep shirt, and put it on. I grabbed the box of gram crackers and bag of marshmallows, setting them on the closed cooler that was next to Tyler, to use as a table. He was currently trying to carve down the end of a stick to use to cook the marshmallows on with one of his fishing knives. I smiled and opened the food cooler and grabbed out the chocolate, making my way back over towards the fire and sat down in my chair, next to Tyler's.

I opened up the chocolate and got two smores ready while Tyler worked on cooking the marshmallows. Once he was done and we had put the smores all together I handed him his and grabbed mine off the plate, taking a bite.

"Mmm," we both said, laughing a bit.

"It's so good," he mumbled, his mouth half full.

"Mhmm," I nodded and continued to eat the rest of my smore.

After our smores were done we both made out way down towards the lake to rinse our hands off from the sticky mess that they were. We sat back at the fire for another hour, watching the moon slowly rise in the sky. It was nearing 10:30 when I started to yawn a bit and Tyler chuckled.

"Lets go get in that comfy bed that you made for us," he smiled and stood up, tossing some sand onto the fire to put it out and pulled the chairs away from the fire pit, just in case.

We walked over towards the back of the truck, Tyler jumping up into it first, holding his hand out to help me up. We both crawled onto the air mattress, pulling the covers back and cuddling under them. Once the covers were properly arranged I felt Tyler's arms come around me, pulling me close to him.

I laid there for a moment, listening to his heartbeat when I heard him start talking, his chest rumbling against my ear. I lifted my head up and looked up at him, smiling up at him. He reached up and brushed my hair out of my face, resting his hand on my cheek, just staring at me.

"What?" I asked, laughing a bit.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he smiled, rubbing my cheek with his thumb now. "I just like to look at you sometimes is all," he said softly.

I blushed lightly, looking down a bit, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Babe?"

"Yeah?" I asked, looking back up at him, seeing how serious his face was, but still soft.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too Ty," I smiled and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss.

"No I really love you Brooke."

"Yeah Ty I know," I laughed a bit, wondering why he was being so weird.

He shook his head "I haven't ever felt like this before. There has never been someone who makes me feel the way that you do. Whenever I'm around you I feel like nothing bad could happen, and even if something did it would be okay because you're there."

"Tyler.." I started to say something but he stopped me.

"You mean more to me than anything in the world."

"More than hockey?!" I teased.

"Yes babe," he said softly, his face still serious but soft.

I was kind of taken a back by that. I knew I meant a lot to him, and not that I thought he would put a sport before me, but it was his job and had been his life for ever.

"I wish I could find the words to explain to you everything that I feel. I just.. I never thought that I could love someone this much before. I was always the guy who thought he would be single for a long time, until my playing career was over, but now I could never imagine not being with you. No one in this world compares to you and I'm just glad that no one else got to you before I did. I also can't believe that I almost lost my chance, I'm sorry that I made you wait so long."

"Its okay Ty," I said softly, my eyes glossy with tears, happy tears.

He smiled and pulled me on top of him and pressed his lips to mine. "I love you, more than I can even express," he said softly.

"I love you too," I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking as he connected his lips to mine again, his hands grabbing my ass under the covers.

"wait a second.." I said, interrupting our kiss. "Are you just saying all this to get in my pants?" I smirked at him. I knew he was being 100% serious with me, but I had to tease him just a little bit, since that was what he loved to do to me all the time.

Tyler laughed "No babe. Its all real feelings. I just don't always express them well with words... Though it is working in my favor in more than one way though so why not go with it.." he smirked back, pulling me back down for another kiss.

His hands slowly made their way up the backs of my thighs, pushing the shirt up in the process, stopping on my ass. He pulled back from the kiss and smirked at me "No panties?"

"Tylerrrr," I laughed and pressed my lips back to his.

[ourfavcanadianshawn]

No Feelings Allowed|S.M|Chapter Seven {just two idiots}

<<Last Chapter|Masterlist|Next Chapter>>

A/n: Wow I wrote this in only a day. That deserves a pat on the back, yay go me! Alright everyone just keep in mind that Y/n is studying to be a doctor. A lot of references to the past couple of chapters, enjoy!

word count: 2612

prompt: shawn and y/n have some unfinished business that they decide to…tend to

“Why do we keep playing this game like there are no feelings involved, when in the end that’s all there’s ever been?” { @i-see-you-mendes }

The hospital corridor felt stuffy: a undertone of bleach swirled in the air, people perpetually were not regulating their sneezes and or coughs, and the sound of snores coming from patients or the cries coming from visitors. Each wall radiated a freshly painted stench that spoke the word absurd, the last time the walls were painted was back in the eighties. Every nurse seemed calm and non-haste. The only difference in all of them is that some captivated the ‘I don’t have time for this’ look and the others grasped the ‘I’m ready to take care of you’ look. In other words, some held a smile and some didn’t.

“Okay Y/n would you mind taking a look at the analysis report from the chemotherapist for Darcy Lewis while I go check on a newer patient?” Dr. Manson asked, lifting his gaze from a clipboard in his hands. His eyes suited on Y/n, who was across the room writing a report. Her gaze shifted up to her mentors eyes, she nodded in reply.

“Of course! Do you need me to email you the final copy of it once I go over it with the patient?” Her shifted gaze stayed put on Dr. Manson as she shut her laptop.

“That would be great. Also make sure to tell Anna to go through with that diagnostic for Tim Weatherly,” Dr. Manson approached the door before turning back to his intern, “and could you do a stop in with Lily? She really misses hanging out with you.”

“Are you sure? What about the other patients?” A concern strikes her face as she perked up in her seat as the sound of the name, Lily.

“Of course, Y/n. It means a lot to me. You’re one of the only people who can make her smile and feel normal. Phill and Anna can cover the rest of the patients. Please just go do it...for me,” Dr. Manson rested against the doorframe, sending a pleading stare to Y/n, “take her to the bottom level of something, please Y/n if you want. Her days are believed to be numbered, I don’t want to watch her go without a smile.”

Y/n frowned at the feeling she would feel about losing the young girl. Her eyes trailed back to the door where Oliver(Dr. Manson) stood. She smiled and nodded her head, “okay.”

“Thanks, it means a lot to me Y/n. I will see you at one thirty for that finalizing of that diagnostic,” Oliver chucked while throwing a thumbs up to Y/n.

“Bye,” she waved to him. She tucked her laptop into her bag and started her journey to the examine room.

The hallway had as much personality as the rest of the hospital. The floor is slate grey and the walls that pure white color. Above, the ceiling is made from those polystyrene squares laid on a grid-like frame. There are commercial prints on the wall, tasteful in the dullest way. This place definitely isn't ran by risk-takers. Above every door she passed, a large plastic sign, dark with white lettering- no crazy fonts, just bold and all-caps. Her eyes fall to the hard-boarded clipboard in her hand, it’s roughness gave her hand the scratchiest feeling.

She finally looked up again at above the doors to see the illuminating sign of the examine room.

A hand of hers went to the keycard around her neck and scanned it onto the card slot. As the door opened she smelt the whiff of cleaning products. Several different doctors and their interns sat together, discussing different plans for their patients. On the far other side of the room were four see-through windows. Only two held a surgery in it. These were for the interns and trainees to preform a simulation of a real life surgery with a dummy, or if they were lucky the would get a actual human who did in fact need surgery.

A couple interns sat on the opposite side of the room on their computers, most working on reports.

“Anna, Manson wants you to go through with that diagnostic,” Y/n approached a short blonde currently stepping outside one of the simulation rooms. Anna slid off her gloves and mask.

“Okay, the one for Tim Weatherly?” She slipped off her scrubs, holding onto Y/n for support as her slippers came off.

“Yes, that’s the one. Manson is checking on a few cases also. And he wants you and Phill to take over the next few patients of mine, he needs me to go check up on Lily,” she compiled, handing Anna her clipboard.

“I’m also gonna need Lily’s document. I need to read up on a few things, catch up on everything,” Y/n added on and followed Anna over to the younger females category.

“M, M, M....Here we go Lily Manson,” Anna said, handing Y/n the document.

“Okay see yah at lunch? You want to get sushi?”

“Actually, Phill asked me out to lunch...” Anna smiled lightly to her co-intern.

“Really?!? That’s great! Oh my god it’s about time! Well then I will see you at Manson’s office for final check ins?” Y/n started on her way out as she saw Anna nod her head yes.

“Hey Lily, how are you doing?” Y/n entered the bright eyed twelve year olds room.

“Y/n? Oh my goodness, Y/n! I missed you. Are you a year older yet? Have you got a boyfriend yet? How is your dog? How is your friends and family? Why didn’t you tell me you we’re friends with THE Shawn Mendes? Huh? Oh, have you ate the macaroni yet? I highly recommend it—“ “Lily! Yes hi I’m here. Slow down, I barely heard a word you got in and–What?!?” Y/n came rushing to Lily’s bed. “How did you know I was friends with Shawn Mendes?”

“It’s all over the news. Pick up a tv remote or magazine one day, would yah?” Lily chuckled, grasping onto the tv remote beside her. She turned on the tv and turned it to the celebrity news channel.

“Shawn Mendes sneaking around with mystery woman? Hate to say it to the Mendes Army but your ruler could be taken... the girl Mendes was apparently ‘sneaking around with’ is his former high school best friend Y/n Y/l/n. The two were seen at a club together in Toronto earlier last week and it seemed something really connected between the two...”

“Andddd here’s another one...” Lily changed the channel.

“Ten things you must know about Y/n Y/l/n, the old friend of Shawn Mendes’ who seems to be stealing his heart. Starting at ten, Y/n is a University student at University of Toronto. Leave it to Shawn to find a very well educated girl. Nine, Y/n was friends with Shawn even before fame. Could she just be using him for the mon—“

“Shut that off now!” Y/n hollered, pointing to the television remote.

“Okay, okay calm down. Here,” Lily cut off the tv and gazed down at her blue blanket.

“How about we focus on you? How have you been feeling?” Y/n started to walk over to Lily’s collection of toys.

Lily shrugged and ended up smiling when she Y/n picking up her favorite doll, a American Girl doll named Amber.

“I’m doing good. I feel like someday soon I will get to go home with my dad, and soon I will be cleared of everything. No more sickness, no more gowns, no more wigs, no more crying. I will finally get treated like a normal kid! Look my hair has started grow back, I forgot what my hair felt like,” Lily beamed, rambling about her hope.

Y/n cracked a smile but it dropped soon after, knowing Lily may never go home. A sadness ruptured in her knowing this was the way her grandma went. The first stage of her dying was hair growth. Then hope begin to rise and then she got terribly sick.

“Lily, you are a normal kid...” Y/n inhaled deeply, saddening her look to the young girl.

“No I’m not. I’m a freak. A diseased freak!” Lily yelled out.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I can’t go outside ever. I can’t see other kids. I don’t have friends, and I have cancer Y/n. I don’t even go to school!” A frown played on the girls mouth as she turned her gaze away from Y/n.

“But Lily, think about it. It’s like being a princess. You’re to special for anyone to see you. The king, you’re dad, keeps you inside to protect you. A prince is out there trying to get into the castle but can’t. He has a feeling of how amazing you are...” Y/n trailed off when she saw a big smile appear on Lily’s face.

“He thinks I’m a princess?”

“He’d be crazy not to,” Y/n commented before both of their head turned to the clearing of a thought at the door. They both saw Dr. Manson standing there with someone standing behind him.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting, I wanted to spend time with my Lily. My schedule cleared for the day and so that means you’re free to go Y/n. Also you have a visitor...” Oliver stepped to the side to reveal Shawn.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice rang through the room as she came closer.

“To talk to you about the other day. I want to hangout with you today—“ “Oh my god! You’re Shawn Mendes!” Lily screamed, pushing off her blanket and jumping out of her bed.

“Lily!” Oliver grabbed his daughter and set her back into the bed, “you’re not supposed to get up.”

“Bye Lily, I will see you tomorrow.”

“What do you want actually?” Y/n asked as she slid off her coat and set it on the coat rack.

“To talk. I’m sorry about the other day of the hockey game, for being snarky,” Shawn said, running a hand through his hair. His eyes stayed on her every movement.

“Fine you talked. Time for me to go...”

“Wait,” he clung onto her wrist like magnetism, “at least let me take you out for lunch?”

“I honestly cannot believe you convinced me to get in a car with you,” she argued, still in outrage.

“Listen I think this a good idea for us. Bonding, eh?” He rubbed his elbow up and down her arm as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Oh please, you sound like my brothers after they went to go fuck one of my friends,” she batted his hand away and kept a stare on the window. Y/n wasn’t even interested by anything from the passing environment out the window. Her mind just stayed focused on trying to make this ‘bonding time’ with Shawn as short as possible.

“Listen we both owe each other explanations, Y/n.”

“For what?” She bit back, her head spun faster than Shawn could drop a phone of one his fans.

“Me for writing that song about you—“ “I don’t care that you wrote a song about me doofus.” She waved him off.

“Then you wouldn’t care to learn and know why that I wrote other songs about you?”

His reply grabbed her attention and it caused her to jump at him, “what? You wrote more songs about me? Tell me now!”

“I will at lunch but in return...”

“In return what?”

“You have to tell me why you were so upset about me leaving you in bed alone after the night we—“ “Oh no...don’t even say it,” venom dripped from her voice.

“The night we had sex...” He smirked over at her, knowing it would push her buttons.

“Talk about me not really changing from high school...you’re still a annoying little prick,” she rolled her eyes over to him, causing the smirk to jump off his face.

“Hey! I bet you didn’t think of that when I stayed around when no one else did, and helped you with all the shit going on in your life. Lauren thought I was cheating on her! Y/n I was the only fucking one there for you—“ “Why? Why did you stick around with me when you could have been with Lauren?”

“Because I’m a good friend and...wanted to help you...” He sounded like he was questioning himself.

“Bullshit Shawn, I know you and you would not do that. You stuck around for two years while I went through that shit. My grandmother, my mum, and my dog passing away...Why were you there?” She screamed at him as her floodgates opened. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

“Because I was in fucking love with you!” Shawn screamed right back, making a thick tension in the air.

“You were?” She whimpered, feeling lightheaded. “Yeah.”

“Oh,” she nodded.

“I told her...I fucking told her...” Shawn repeated as he wondered into Geoff’s apartment.

“Dude did you lose the bet?” Geoff came running to his mates side.

“No...I told I was in love with her though and told her I wrote so many songs about her,” he planted his head into his hands as he took a seat on the couch.

“Did you say which ones to—“ “Yes, Geoff. I told her basically every. Fucking. Album was about her. Ruin, Roses, Never Be Alone, Crazy, Imagination, Life of The Party, Kid in Love, A Little Too Much...which ones am I forgetting?” Shawn paused.

“Oh um, This is What it Takes....Oh and There’s Nothing Holdin Me Back. We know your story was bullshit. Sure you saw the name Y/n as one of the characters but just her name got you in your feelings. You got to stalking her instagram and then you wrote that song...” Geoff concluded while sitting next to Shawn, “so how do we still help you win the bet?”

“I have no idea...”

“Shawn what is up with you? You’ve barely eaten your dinner,” Karen, Shawn’s mum spoke up.

“What? Oh nothing...I just need to talk to Aaliyah,” Shawn grasped his little sisters hand and brought him up to his old room.

“What?” She cocked an eyebrow.

“Ok, what I’m getting ready to say will sound stupid but—“ “I’m a firm believer of whatever comes out of your mouth is stupid,” Aaliyah cut him.

“Hey guess what?”

“What?”

“Shut up,” Shawn chuckled before continuing, “Y/n and I are in this bet thingy and whoever admits to having feelings first, loses. I told I used to be in love her yesterday. I have no idea what to do...”

“First of all, you both are idiots. Second of all, you already both love each other—“ “No we don’t!” Shawn argued, taking a seat on his sisters bed, “I still can’t believe you took my old room.”

“Don’t change the subject. Now back to what I was saying...why don’t you take this bet as a opportunity to make her yours since your plan at graduation got fucked up...” Aaliyah reasoned, taking a seat next him on the bed.

Shawn knew she had a point, but he just didn’t want to commit to it. His eyes trailed from his sister to her nightstand. It held a picture on top of it and it was a picture of him, Y/n, and Aaliyah in Dallas during the first Magcon. He saw how skittish fifteen year old Shawn was around Y/n. He was just blushing at how he had his arm around her. His face was super red and she had her head leaning on his shoulder, she was just being herself while Shawn was flexing in the photo.

He mentally chuckled to himself at how stupid he was, and soon realized what he was lying about what he had said earlier to her.

[sightful-tangents]

new year’s resolutions 2019

Okay, we’re here. 2019 New Year Resolutions, baby, let’s do this. *puts on This Year by the Mountain Goats and contemplates goals for like the thirtieth time this year*

2019 Themes - I’ve done yearly themes for at least 3 years now, and these kind of just shape and frame my decision making throughout the year. Last year, the themes were “Travel” and “Investment”. For a while, I really thought that this year’s themes would be “travel” and “building relationships”. For a couple weeks, I thought “well, this is it. I’ve done personal growth centred themes for a while now, this is the year I really want to build better relationships!” But a few weeks in, I can already say that while it was an admirable thought, I don’t know if it’s the right one at the right time (at least, if it stands on its own).

And of course, the reason is my job. I find my job hard. Like, it may not be hard for others, and I feel silly if I state “my job is challenging” when really, I mean “to me, my job is challenging.” And the stress, fear, and insecurity that comes with it has really kind of fucked with my mental health as of late. And I know that because of this shift, I do need to be a bit more aware that I need to take care of myself and my brain (woo! Self-care!) before I can really turn outwards. Rushing myself to create and foster and grow relationships will be just so unbalanced if I can’t bring 80% of my self to the table. So. Yeah.

Themes, eh? 2019 will be “travel” and “put down roots”. Let me explain. Travel is obvious, but Put Down Roots is a combination of my earlier thought (building relationships), but it’s also kind of my personal way of making sure that my foundations are solid. My mental health is in check, and that I’ve got some sturdy roots psychologically, as well as letting them grow and intertwine with the city I live in physically, and the people I am around emotionally. And I need to work on that, and while it is kind of broad, I’m still going to prioritize these different aspects (i.e., I have no shame about putting my self first).

So, onto the resolutions. This year they’re categorized into: work, tangible, space, relationships, self.

THE BIG ONE

1. Put down roots. For so long, I felt like I was going to be going back to Toronto ASAP. I don’t really feel like this will be the case anymore (for a myriad of reasons, albeit I love the city so much and my best friends are still there). So that means that while I’ve always kind of had a mental barrier against putting down roots in Vancouver, this will be the year where I will try. As I mentioned above in the themes, this resolution is not specific. It’s three-pronged: a sturdy mental foundation, a sense of belonging in a place, and a feeling of belonging with people.

WORK

2. Don’t get fired. Honestly, I have a fear of being fired. Imposter syndrome is real, ya’ll, and this role really brings out the beast. I know intellectually that being fired is probably unlikely but my brain also always responds with, “IS IT THOUGH??”.

3. No major fuck-ups (that may lead to being fired and/or my supervisor seriously regretting his decision to hire me). Before I had a fear of fucking up in ANY way. Subtext in this goal is the fact that I DON’T want to be scared of fucking up. I want to be able to move forward, maybe mess up, and feel like my supervisor has my back and will let me fuck up and still let me work and grow and hopefully contribute good things. So, let’s not fuck over my organization, but let’s also recognize that in order to grow, I need to make mistakes, and I want to feel safe enough in my position to make that mistake and know it’s not going to lead to me getting fired (man, this is a lot to ask).

4. Get a professional certification. I will! I promise!

5. Learn to be a better supervisor. I only ‘supervise’ one person, and boy, it’s a bit of a learning experience. I mean, I want to be her friend (maybe that’s the problem here lol), but I also recognize I have to monitor her work (some of which I am not exactly 100% satisfied with), and also teach her a lot, and all this other stuff. I don’t think I’m that good at it, but I really do want to try and be better. Let her learn and grown and be available to answer questions and support her etc. Sigh.

6. Be okay with being uncomfortable at work. Ha. Lean into discomfort, right? I recognize it’ll take a while to feel settled (or, will I EVER feel settled?), but I don’t want to let it get to me. I am making a rule for myself: I can wallow over mistakes or bad events for one day. Then I need to move the fuck on because I have other shit to think about. Do not prolong that suffering! Also, I guess this resolution ties into being uncomfortable around the responsibilities I have, and while I will never feel 100% like I am “doing the right thing”, I can try and lessen my anxiety around it.

TANGIBLE-(ish) 7. Be smart with money. I know, I know, one of my fears is being fired so I want to save as much money as I can before I get fired and inevitably get a job where I earn less. But again, this isn’t about saving a specific dollar amount. I think it is generally about not letting lifestyle inflation become too severe, don’t buy shit I don’t need, and prioritize spending in a way that is aligned with my values. In this case, travel and experiences (of which, I am allowing food/eating out to count).

8. Read 35 books. A yearly target, that seems harder and harder to reach as each year my attention span seems to wane a little bit more.

9. Cook at least 2 times a week. An adulting goal that I want to accomplish. Sigh. Why is cooking so hard?

10. Get an IUD. Honestly, I’m not in a relationship or dating right now, but why not right. I don’t want a baby in the next 5 years, and my friends have gotten them and I’m like, sure, that sounds like a good thing to put on a to-do list lol.

11. Volunteer. I volunteered for two events last year, and this year I want to do at least one (or maybe two?) more, on top of those. Those were fun and rewarding experiences (maybe just because volunteers get free vouchers to see movies and shows and this girl loves free shit) but yeah, definitely one of those things I’m super glad I did.

12. Continue playing piano for fun.   Again, one of my best decisions last year. I really really love it, it’s great for my brain to calm down and be distracted, and I might even get a full sized keyboard with 88 keys instead of 72 sometime in the future. I love that there’s no pressure and it feels like something I do just for myself.

13. Learn and keep a new hobby. What is this, 2017? I’m taking pottery classes with an old colleague, and I am also thinking of learning to knit? Hm.

SPACE

14. Travel. My travel goals this year are: Taiwan, the Rockies (Banff and Jasper), and either South America, Turkey, or Eastern Europe. Also, maybe Toronto over the holidays. And I am very very very tentatively thinking about going to New Zealand in 2020, so let’s cross our fingers. I have 2 weeks of vacation left that I haven’t decided what to do with. This is also the year where I’m traveling more with friends, and in the past I completely balked at the idea (yay solo travel!) but I might be ready for a change.

15. Settle into my living space. For the first time in my life, I don’t have roommates! I have a couch and dressers and a dining table, and hoo boy, let me tell you, furniture and decor is NOT my thing. It stresses me out and I straight-up withdraw and try not to deal with it. Bless my mother and her infinite patience (and perhaps pity) with me and helping me sort out my living situation. She helped me move twice last year, and helped me basically pick out all my furniture (second hand!). I’m so grateful, but I also recognize that I just need to suck it up and buy some fucking dining chairs ffs. Also, I’m trying to make this place feel more and more like home. I’m not exactly sure how, but maybe just letting myself laze around on a Sunday afternoon is enough.

16. Settle into my city. I spent this weekend walking up and down the main “streets” in my neighbourhood, making a mental note of all the restaurants and bars and grocery stores I’d like to stop by. I want to familiarize myself with this area a lot more. Be able to give other people recommendations when they visit.

RELATIONSHIPS

17. Make 2 new friends. YAS FRANSSS.

18. Date people! When life got really busy last year, I put this on hold and said “it’s a 2019 problem”. Guess what, it’s 2019, maybe I should go see how my standards have changed… Also, I really want to go out with people I don’t meet on dating apps? I think the reason I like dating apps is that everyone is on the same page regarding “this is a date”, whereas people I sometimes go out with IRL is like “are we doing a friend hang-out or is this a date” (of which, I think the former as to not humiliate myself by assuming the latter).

19. See my mom at least once or twice a month. We live pretty close and I try and say that I’ll spend long weekends with her and my stepdad, but I do need to prioritize this more, I think. It’s so nice to hang out with them, but sometimes I am busy trying to fill up my social calendar that my weekends just become unavailable.

20. Be a better friend (support & generosity). In part of my “turning outwards” theme, I want to be a better friend. Reaching out more, being emotionally available, being generous with my time, asking them thoughtful questions, trying to understand them better and also trying to make sure they feel understood. I recognize they’ll be my support system and I don’t want to let them down.

SELF

21. INTENTIONALITY. This is a big one. It was almost a theme. It was almost my goal #1. I want to be intentional with my actions AND my thoughts. Intentional with the way I act towards my friends, being generous, spending time, setting up hang-outs. I want to also be intentional with the way I consume media (sigh, useless youtube in the background), the fact that I haven’t really listened to podcasts in a while, I’m trying to catch up more on news but sometimes it hurts my heart to read so much negative stuff about the world. I want to READ MORE BOOKS even thought it seems so hard sometimes? Lastly, I want to be intentional with my thoughts. This is obviously hard, but I want to train myself to not ruminate, to let go of anxiety and stress when I can, to care about the opinions only from people that matter, and to be more generous and kind and believe in the best in people.

22. Keep my mental health in check (and prioritize it). With this new job, I feel a lot more anxious and stressed, and I don’t like it. I loved that my previous job meant my brain stopped caring about work at 4pm, but I don’t really have that luxury (yet?) and the anxiety get to me and I think feeds bouts of depression. I want to make sure that I am aware of these effects, I forgive myself for feeling like shit about myself, and that I take actions to either deal or distract me - this usually means seeing friends and being social and not wallowing.

23. Figure out my finances. This resolution should really be further up the list. I don’t know what I am doing with my money, and I need to dedicate time and effort to LEARN IT. Financial literacy is SO IMPORTANT do not let other people tell you otherwise!! Don’t let the system get you, is what I’m saying.

24. Fucking exercise. My friends and I are taking a trip to the Rockies this year (so excited!!) but we have planned a lot of hikes and I’d really prefer not to be the one huffing and puffing the entire time. Also, I really am curious as to the effect exercise might have on my mental health.

25. Maintain my weight. This is a bit health related. Last year, I gained like 10 pounds when I started the office job, and then I lost it towards the end of the year. I just feel much more comfortable with my body at this weight. That said, I recognize that it’s a simple diet + exercise combination, and with my lack of exercise, this just means I watch what I eat. Calories in, calories out. It’s not hard and I should not eat that much cake, okay.

26. Be better than I currently am. WIP, mates.

27. Take risks. Of all sorts. Because, why not. Always.

—

And… that’s it. As we try and find our way through this year, let me remind myself when I step into work: game face on. Or, as Susie would say to Midge Maisel: tits up.

[junker-town]

What each NBA team’s fans want in free agency

Many want LeBron James, but that’s not happening.

Let’s keep this simple. Everyone has a wish list, NBA fans included. SB Nation’s team sites are run by some of the biggest fans of them all. So we asked each team site one question:

What your team have to do to make your fan base OVER THE MOON HAPPY this summer?

Twenty-four of the 30 team sites responded to our prompt, which is a pretty decent grade if this was an exam of some sort. Some of the answers are interesting. Others are straight-up sad.

Chicago Bulls: Blog a Bull

Chicago just has to keep things simple and not try to jump the gun on the rebuild. There still is a lot of work to be done with this team before they can even become a playoff contender, let alone a team who will make some noise in the conference. For Chicago to have a good offseason, they just have to maintain the focus on keeping their own free agents. The Bulls have 6 free agents, but the two of them they should be focused on getting back is Zach LaVine and David Nwaba, particularly on affordable and tradeable contracts. Another means of using their cap space this season would be to acquire 2018-19 expiring contracts, picking up an asset along the way.

Portland Trail Blazers: Blazers Edge

In the end, only one thing will release the tension and allow the puzzle to be worked properly. The contract millstone around Portland’s neck must loosen, which means trading away at least one expensive player. Candidates include Evan Turner (2 years, $36 million remaining), Maurice Harkless (2 years, $22 million), Meyers Leonard (2 years, $22 million), and McCollum (3 years, $83 million). McCollum would need to bring back talented players to avoid Portland falling from grace. Any of the others could be dumped for no return and the Blazers would still end up better in the long run. They’d create room to re-sign free agents, exercise exceptions, or clear cap space in 2020. None of those options are viable at the moment.

Brooklyn Nets: Nets Daily

Net Income: I see look at free agency the way doctors look at the Hippocratic Oath: Rule No. 1 “first, do no harm.” The Nets should have $50+ million in cap space and their own first rounder (YAY!) next summer. That hasn’t happened since they moved to Brooklyn in 2012. They shouldn’t jeopardize that. That said, they should try to clear the logjam at the guard position.

Pooch: Get a serviceable big that can split time with Jarrett Allen. Obviously everybody wants the big splash, but that simply isn’t happening in Brooklyn. If they get a big and they remain healthy then we should see some progress following a 28-win season.

Lorenzo: Spend wisely. Or, really, don’t spend at all. Save your money for next season. The Nets aren’t ready yet, so let’s not pretend like they are.

https://www.netsdaily.com/2018/6/28/17512056/nba-free-agency-2018-brooklyn-nets

What would make me happy as a Nets fan?

Save your money this season and sign Klay Thompson next summer.

Toronto Raptors: Raptors HQ

That said, the biggest free agency question for the Raptors right now is: can the team bring back Fred VanVleet? He’s headed into restricted free agency, and due for a sizable raise. It would be a hell of a story, and a nice win, to get the team’s sixth man and steadying force stowed securely on the roster for the foreseeable future. But, as has been pointed out, this may be part of the Raptors’ problem.

Detroit Pistons: Detroit Bad Boys

The best-case scenario is that the free agent market is so tepid that the team can bring back Anthony Tolliver at forward. If not maybe James Ennis can return. Otherwise it is sign a league minimum guy and pray for a breakout.

Yikes.

Memphis Grizzlies: Grizzly Bear Blues

It appears these guys want Will Barton, or a wing who can score. Anything’s better than Chandler Parsons, I guess.

Golden State Warriors: Golden State of Mind

I’m looking for another high percentage shooter who doesn’t completely suck on defense. Nick Young was a disaster in the regular season, but redeemed himself in the playoffs.

My “over the moon” want list includes guys like Ersan Ilyasova, Trevor Ariza, or maybe even Tyreke Evans.

Rich keep getting richer, SMH.

Los Angeles Clippers: Clips Nation

The answer is simple: after moving on from Chris Paul and Blake Griffin over the course of the last year, the Clippers need to add top-tier talent to their roster. Effective role players, progressing young players, and cap flexibility are all important elements of a good team, but none are as crucial as the fact that, in order to contend for an NBA Championship, you need one (or more) of the league’s very best players.

Phoenix Suns: Bright Side of the Sun

Obviously, LeBron James isn’t going to sign with the Phoenix Suns, but there are still names on the free agent board who would bring plenty of new eyeballs to their on-court product. Still in need of help at point guard and power forward, someone like Aaron Gordon in sign-and-trade scenarios clearing out the current logjam on the wing (package built around T.J. Warren, Marquese Chriss and future first) would be ideal.

Atlanta Hawks: Peachtree Hoops

Peachtree Hoops wrote a dissertation about their need for a backup point guard, like Seth Curry or Shabazz Napier, and a second-string wing like Mario Hezonja.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Fear the Sword

Obviously, keeping LeBron would be great.

Los Angeles Lakers: Silver Screen & Roll

For starters, the team needs to sign Paul George. That in itself is something that simply has to happen with the amount of smoke still lingering in the canyons since last summer’s noise. Once we have George in the fold, next step is adding some royalty in grandest fashion in one—LeBron James. Fresh off a frustrating finals defeat, James is almost certainty taking his talents out of Cleveland once again, and Los Angeles with it’s bountiful cap space and endless In-N-Out drive-thrus will be waiting with welcoming arms. Oh yeah, and there also is some guy named Kawhi Leonard out there who also seems to like Staples Center.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Welcome to Loud City

1. Re-sign Paul George

2. Re-sign Jerami Grant

3. Get Terrance Ferguson in the weight room

4. A Good Backup for Steven Adams

5. Figuring out what to do with Carmelo Anthony

Charlotte Hornets: At the Hive

Before we begin, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Picture Nicolas Batum. Now picture his contract. Think how you would feel if he were traded away. Imagine the cap space the Charlotte Hornets could use to adequately upgrade the roster. Feels good, right?

Now stop. Throw it from your mind, and never think of it again.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brew Hoop

After locking into long-term money with John Henson, Mirza Teletovic (now only a $3.5 million mark on the cap sheet) and Matthew Dellavedova, the Bucks major transaction last summer was a lonesome Tony Snell contract. Milwaukee’s primary tool in this cap-strapped summer is their mid-level exception (up to $8.6M), but happiness mainly boils down to what the Bucks shouldn’t do: overpay for Jabari Parker.

Houston Rockets: The Dream Shake

The question asked above in the headline can be simply answered in two words: LeBron James.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Canis Hoopus

What will make much of the fan base unhappy is something that is likely to happen: The re-signing of Derrick Rose, who was brought in late last season. Ignoring anything else, he brings nothing to the roster at this point. He really has not been a good player in several years, and doesn’t do anything the Wolves need.

Philadelphia 76ers: Liberty Ballers

When it comes to potential Sixers transactions, there’s some polarity within the fanbase. And so, approaching this topic through a utilitarian point-of-view, the one move that would make fans ecstatic would be to acquire LeBron James as a free agent.

Denver Nuggets: Denver Stiffs

Obviously, the best case scenario for the Nuggets would be to somehow land LeBron James.

...

On the flip side, the Nuggets also could have a complete strike out in free agency. They are going to be over the cap so they’re limited to exceptions to add talent outside the organization.

...

Realistic fans should be hoping for a compromise. James will likely end up elsewhere, but the Nuggets finding a suitor for one of their expiring contracts and creating enough room to re-sign Barton seem like a likely outcome, which wouldn’t be terrible.

Utah Jazz: SLC Dunk

Land the third core piece to Utah’s dynamic duo of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

...

What would it take to get Jabari Parker?

Oh my.

New Orleans Pelicans: The Bird Writes

The dream scenario comprises of Cousins signing for significantly less than his potential maximum of $30.3 million while Rondo accepting a modest pay raise on his $3.3 million earned last season.

Indiana Pacers: Indy Cornrows

Let’s be honest. The move that would make Pacer fans the happiest would be for the team to re-sign Lance Stephenson.

Miami Heat: Hot Hot Hoops

Look, I get it. Not many NBA teams can realistically dream about landing a superstar during free agency, but with how Pat Riley has managed to do it several times during his tenure with the Miami Heat you just figure it won’t be long now before he’ll get his true chance to land a “whale”.

Sacramento Kings: Sactown Royalty

I don’t know that there’s a realistic move that could thrill Kings fans. Sure the Kings could magically sign Kevin Durant or LeBron James, but beyond that “over the moon happy” isn’t really on the radar. Really I think it would be nice to see the Kings land a good player under the age of 28 and not overpay him. In a market that doesn’t expect to see lots of money being thrown around, it would be great if the Kings could be a team finding great bargains.

[aurelliocheek]

A Practical Guide to Running a Successful Influencer Program

Natasha began her career as a UX design consultant for Telco giant BT. Following deregulation, Natasha joined Fidelity-backed COLT Telecom to launch Broadband services. As Marketing Director of Yahoo! Search Marketing Europe, Natasha led the small business channel across twelve countries, spearheading a $40MM incremental pipeline. She also held senior roles in Canada with notable global brands Aviva Insurance group and Financeit, a Goldman Sachs FinTech disruptor. Now as VP of Growth at Clover Inc, a Toronto-based Social Networking mobile app, Natasha is driving scale across the US, Canada and Australia.

Learn more from her Mobile Hero profile.

Influencer marketing can be an important part of your mix, allowing you to do more tailored targeting than other channels and tell your story in ways that even the best creative teams couldn’t dream up. Here is my practical approach to running a successful influencer program.

Create an Influencer Strategy That Will Wow Your Boss 

Be clear on what you want to achieve. Growth or brand awareness are obvious ones but you may have more specific goals, e.g. to change brand perceptions or access niche segments.

Start with your audience – who are they and who do they follow? We were working with influencers for a while but were limited in scope and not getting much organic uplift. We knew we needed to build our brand image and resonate with our target audience more, while driving essential downloads. We conducted research on our target audience to understand their drivers, aspirations, passions and media consumption patterns. Unsurprisingly, we found that novel and authentic content converts more, but that we also needed to broaden our reach to many different categories – fitness, music, comedy, diversity, lifestyle etc. We also assessed our top geographies and prioritized influencers with a strong following in those cities.

Next, consider the size of the influencer; Nano, Micro, Macro and Power influencers all bring different value to the table. For example our Power influencers have huge reach but cost more, while some Macro influencers are more connected to their audience and can get better conversion. Nanos might work harder on content that does really well when boosted.

List the top platforms your users are on. Instagram is good for direct app downloads. YouTube gears well towards brand awareness while platforms like Tik Tok lend to novel content that ties in with ad opportunities like Hashtag challenges. Twitter or LinkedIn might suit other goals or industries.

Figure out your budget. Many companies provide product-based compensation – in any case, you want your influencers to live your brand. If you want to pay in dollars, map out how much you can afford. You can also provide bonuses on achievement. If increasing brand awareness is a key metric, work out your ideal CPM. If downloads are critical, think in terms of target CPIs.

Once you put all this together, you will have a kick-ass influencer strategy: 

Goals and key metrics for the program 

A target list of influencers and creators by category, size and geography 

Platforms that are first, second and third priority 

A well defined budget and compensation model 

Now all you need to do is execute!

Building Your Team (There’s No Biz Like Showbiz) 

Influencer marketing hinges on relationships. The ability to scout talent, sign them up and elicit great artistry will be the difference between success and failure. Influencer Managers may be more akin to sales people or showbiz agents than marketers – chameleon hunters and farmers who are high on empathy, hustle hard, work at odd hours and can work with multiple personalities. A good manager should comfortably be able to handle 10-15 influencers. You will also need folks to build reports, analyze metrics, drive content plans and keep the pipeline filled.

Finding Your Influencers (and Needles in Haystacks)

So how do you find the right influencers? You can outsource to an agency or do-it-yourself. Agencies can leverage existing relationships and tie in your performance campaigns. DIY gives you greater control if you can invest resources in trawling for profiles.

You can also let influencers come to you – post on your social channels that you are looking for brand ambassadors. Tools like Grapevine or Strawberry Socials help to quickly find influencers and assess their authenticity and performance. As an extra step, request audience insights from potential influencers to ensure they’re a match. And don’t forget cultural fit – choose influencers with a great work ethic and a passion for your brand.

Also note the difference between Influencers and Creators. Influencers tend to be more transactional, e.g. they may want content provided and only keep posts up for a limited time. Creators take pride in their craft and produce content with little direction in a way that is authentic to their following.

Closing Your Influencers (and Bartering in Between)

If you aren’t using a third party to broker the relationship, you can email or DM/message the influencer through their primary SM platform. Start by introducing your program and highlight the benefits of working with your brand. Once you have gauged interest, make it official. Create a simple contract laying out key terms but don’t go overboard – many influencers are young or inexperienced and long-winded paragraphs in small type font will scare them off!

Here’s what to include:

How and when will you pay them 

How many posts, what types of content, and with what frequency 

Captions and CTAs – what you need them to include in their posts 

Approval process – how and when content approvals need to happen 

Other guidelines and brand Do’s and Don’ts 

How to terminate if it isn’t working out 

Remember, each element of your agreement is a potential bartering chip. The more flexible you are and willing to help the influencer in their goals, the more likely you are to strike a great deal and get the best out of your influencer relationships.

Content Creation & Approval Process – Yay or Nay

Your influencer program should dovetail into your Marketing Communications calendar for consistent messaging across all channels. Hold regular meetings with the team to agree on post dates and content direction. Plan for at least 3 months out (include seasonal trends, special holidays and occasions) but allow for agility.

At the start of each posting period, give your influencers a clear brief. Book the dates you want them to run – maybe when their audiences are most active or during your peak times. Request content at least one week in advance to allow time for iterations. It’s ok to ask them to re-work something – it’s a learning process on both sides – but be kind and reasonable. It’s a lot harder to produce good content (think outfits, lighting, background, delivery) than you might realize!

Content Distribution – Go Forth and Amplify!

Amplification (or boosting) is one of the biggest tools in your Influencer kit bag. Like magic, you can take native content and reach new audiences far beyond your Infuencers’ follower base. This is especially valuable for smaller influencers who in turn appreciate the extra exposure. Companies such as #Paid and Lumanu can handle the amplification for you or you can run the content as a performance campaign through Facebook Ad Manager yourself.

Measuring Your Influencer Program… Because Let’s Face It, You’re Only as Good as Your Last Metric

There are two things you need you know: 1) how well is the program performing for your business,  and 2) which influencers are delivering the most value?

First, recognize that the true value provided by Influencer marketing is not 100% measurable. Provide UTMs or promo codes to each influencer to measure installs or sales and compare CPI and conversion metrics with other channels and between influencers.

Next, collect post-analytics from each influencer so that you can measure reach, engagement, views, clicks, etc and easily calculate CPM and CPE per influencer.

Last, apply an attribution method for organic traffic by comparing a baseline normal period with no influencer activity versus the time the influencers posted and look for the spikes. Amplified influencer campaigns deliver all the usual performance stats that you are used to – but don’t forget to include this as part of your “influencer value”.

After all, great ad content is a marketer’s mecca.

  The post A Practical Guide to Running a Successful Influencer Program appeared first on Liftoff.

A Practical Guide to Running a Successful Influencer Program published first on https://leolarsonblog.tumblr.com/

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Bjugstad and Muzzin New Team Debuts, Avs Breaking Up Top Line?

The schedule returned to normal on Friday with eight games on the schedule. Earlier in the day, however, the Penguins and Panthers hooked up on a multiplayer trade that you can read about here, as far as a fantasy take goes.

In fact, two of the traded players made their debuts with their new team. Both Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann were able to pull into to Pittsburgh mere moments before their game against Ottawa. Bjugstad played 16 minutes and lined up with Phil Kessel and Bryan Rust while assisting on one of Rust’s two goals. This might turn out to be a solid arrangement for Bjugstad, who you may remember went off with 26 points in 35 games after the All-Star break last season.

Meanwhile, McCann received 10 minutes in what would have been a fourth-line role.

Bjugstad’s and McCann’s debut could have been accelerated by the fact that Evgeni Malkin missed this game because of an upper-body injury. This allowed the Pens to ice a power play of Kessel, Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang, and Jake Guentzel, who scored his now-career-high 25th and 26th goals of the season. An eventual Malkin return would shake up the lines again, with Guentzel likely pushed back to the second-unit power play and Bjugstad possibly moved off the Kessel line.

*

After being a reliable option for the first two and a half months of the season, Carter Hutton’s numbers are taking a nosedive. After posting a 4.15 GAA and .860 SV% over the month of January, Hutton’s struggles continued on Friday. He allowed four goals on 22 shots before being pulled at the end of the second period in the Sabres’ eventual 7-3 loss to Chicago. Although his numbers aren’t a whole lot better, Linus Ullmark might give the Sabres a better chance to win at the moment. But to paraphrase what Dobber says, the guy with the contract will get the longer rope. Regardless, fantasy owners should be benching Hutton for the time being.

Patrick Kane took advantage of a fading Sabres’ team, scoring two goals and adding two assists. He has posted a staggering 25 points over his current 10-game point streak. That run has helped Kane climb up to second in league scoring with 31 goals and 75 points in just 51 games. Kane has reached 100 points once in his career (in 2015-16), but he’s currently on pace for 121 points in what has clearly been a live puck season.

Look who was on a line with Kane and Jonathan Toews on Friday night. Yes, it was none other than ex-Oiler Drake Caggiula, who scored a goal and added two assists. It’s not quite time to add him to the list of players who have surpassed expectations since being exiled from Edmonton, as he entered this game with just a single assist in eight games as a Blackhawk. But this promotion could be a massive boost to his fantasy value if it can somehow stick.

*

After missing a significant chunk of the season due to injury, Viktor Arvidsson has been on a goal-scoring tear over the past month. Since December 31, Arvidsson has hit the twine 13 times in 14 games, including the two goals he scored on Friday in the Preds’ win over Florida. That leads all players over that span. Arvidsson has been lucky enough to benefit from a 22.0 SH%, but over that same span he also leads all players with 59 shots on goal. Do the math and that’s over four shots per game. Arvidsson has been good for nearly 250 shots over the past two season, but that shot pace would push him over 300 SOG.

*

It was the rare “shutout but no win” for Thomas Greiss, who stopped 41 shots in regulation and overtime before losing in the shootout to Tampa Bay. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn have been an absolute godsend to Islanders’ goaltenders, who currently lead the league with a team 2.36 GAA, over a full goal per game lower than last season. The Islanders are still a middle-of-the-pack team in shots against, so much of this success is on the goalies Greiss and Robin Lehner. In fact, I’m almost prepared to suggest that Lehner will lose fantasy value if he signs anywhere else this offseason.  

Andrei Vasilevskiy did record the win and shutout on Friday night, stopping all 36 shots he faced in regulation and overtime while stopping all three Islander shootout attempts.

*

Jake Muzzin made his long-awaited (or so it seems) Leafs debut on Friday, skating 18 minutes while alongside Morgan Rielly at even strength (with Rielly moving over to the right side). Fantasy-wise, I don’t see huge gains in Muzzin’s value this season with this trade. He saw limited power-play usage in this game and overall could be forced to fight Jake Gardiner for second-unit time. Don’t get me wrong, though. This is a good hockey trade for Toronto, which receives a much-needed top-4 defenseman. The trade could even help Frederik Andersen, who hasn’t had an easy time over the last two months (3.04 GAA, .908 SV% over December and January).

I’m pretty sure this trade is also the final straw in Gardiner’s exit from Toronto after the season. Not that there was much doubt, given the Leafs’ cap situation. Plus, why on earth would he want to re-sign there anyway, given the way he gets treated by his own team’s fans?  

Here’s more on the Muzzin trade fantasy-wise from Dobber himself.

Andreas Athanasiou assisted on all three of the Red Wings’ goals on Friday, giving him five assists over his last three games. I saw him play live recently and came away just as impressed with his wheels as the Wings’ fan sitting beside me. Athanasiou doesn’t exactly play alongside the Wings’ top scorers (Luke Glendening and Darren Helm), but he did receive reps on the first unit in this game. With 33 points, Athanasiou has already matched his career high in just 46 games. Yet it would be interesting to see what kind of production he would have with better linemates.

Nothing to do with Athanasiou’s hockey skills or fantasy value: Last season I named one of my fantasy teams “Nice to Athanasiou.” See what I did there?

*

Nino Niederreiter is enjoying his time in Carolina, and not just because of the enjoyable post-game celebrations. Since being acquired by the Hurricanes, Niederreiter has scored five goals in five games, including his first-period goal on Friday in the Canes’ 5-2 win over Vegas. The Hurricanes really needed a player who could score from the slot, but uniting him with a playmaker like Sebastian Aho can’t hurt, either. Not to mention that Niederreiter’s icetime is over two minutes per game higher than it was in Minnesota. It’s still very early, but so far the Niederreiter for Victor Rask trade has turned out to be a huge win for Carolina.

Oh yeah, here’s that Carolina post-game celebration. Yay or nay? It seems like it’s more for the kids than the traditional hockey fan, but I don’t mind it. If it helps build the fan base in Carolina, then it’s a good thing.  

Come for the @NHL action, stay for the postgame Duck Duck Goose pic.twitter.com/KelIvnp6Tq

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 2, 2019

If you’ve been waiting patiently for Shea Theodore, he scored two goals in a losing cause for the Golden Knights, including one on the power play. He’s scored two power-play goals and taken nine shots over his last four games.

*

Something to keep an eye on when watching your Saturday games: In an attempt to shake things up, the Avalanche may be splitting up the league’s top line (Denver Post). The plan is expected to be Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog being centered by Carl Soderberg, while Nathan MacKinnon centers Alexander Kerfoot and Colin Wilson. If true, this could provide a huge boost for Soderberg, who already has five goals over his last five games.

But in an attempt to spread out the scoring, both MacKinnon and Rantanen could be negatively impacted by the move. Or not. Or maybe coach Jared Bednar will reunite them quickly and the whole thing won't matter. But it's worth mentioning that 46 of Rantanen's 48 even-strength points this season have been with MacKinnon on his line, while 38 of MacKinnon's 43 even-strength points have been with Rantanen on his line. 

Juggling the lines won’t fix the Avalanche’s goaltending, which has been horrendous over the past two months. Only the Chicago Blackhawks have allowed more goals over that span than the Avs’ 89 goals allowed over their past 24 games.

*

For more fantasy hockey information, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-bjugstad-and-muzzin-new-team-debuts-avs-breaking-up-top-line/

[pantrypressinc]

We received a Hymer pun challenge from our friend Patrick!

Most of us in North America are raised to follow the same recipe for life: get an education followed by a good job, buy a home, get married, raise children, work until retirement at 65 taking regular vacations. We weren’t really any different than this except that being self-employed we didn’t think we’d ever really retire.

We’ve never been big at planning. Change happened organically every five years or so since we started working together in 1990. When we sold our home and printing equipment in Toronto in 2014 we couldn’t have foreseen the trajectory our life would take: living largely (punctuated by stints with friends and family and Airbnb rentals) full-time in an old VW campervan for three years and part-time for one year; buying and renovating a small co-op apartment in Toronto and then selling it a year later; inheriting Julie’s dad’s dog, MacDuff; choosing to move back into a van and then deciding to upgrade to something more comfortable; stumbling upon an apartment in Julie’s hometown and deciding to rent it on the spot. Ask us where we’ll be five years from now or one and you’ll hear crickets. When we rented the apartment in Amherstburg the owner told us they weren’t really lease people and asked if that was okay. We both replied, ‘absolutely.’ There’s comfort for us in knowing we can make a change at any time. And renting is perfect for us right now. We find ourselves wondering if we’ll ever own a (non-rolling) home again. Maybe we’ll try renting in different places every couple of years. Anything is possible!

After selling the apartment in Toronto on July 26thand making way too many commitments we began driving long, un-air-conditioned distances in record-breaking temperatures for a solid month.  We darted from destination to destination in extreme discomfort while dealing with a single ongoing and seemingly impossible to diagnose mechanical problem with the van. We were towed twice, grateful both times for CAA+ coverage. In four plus years in the van we were never so hot or so frustrated. This ultimately lead us to purchasing a new, more comfortable, bathroom-equipped and air-conditioned van with a six-year transferrable warranty – the 2018 Hymer Aktiv. We had actually been researching van upgrades for about a year, however, August in Ontario provided us with the motivation to act on our desire for a more comfortable vehicle particularly since it would be our full-time home, studio, kennel for the foreseeable future.

https://vimeo.com/296463685

Pick up day, CampOutRV

The 2018 Hymer Aktiv

The new and old vans

The kitchen. Lots of storage. We added a photo sticker to the backsplash using a photo we took in Duncan, BC in 2015.

Bench seat with folding table. Front seats swivel.

Pull down screen at rear keeps the bugs out and the breeze in; Murphy Bed in stowaway position.

Three piece bathroom with wet shower, cassette toilet and folding sink.

Cassette toilet is accessed outside of the van.

Dumping the cassette toilet is easy.

Murphy Bed set up for a comfy night’s sleep.

Just after purchasing our new home-on-wheels we stumbled upon a beautiful apartment, smack dab in the centre of the river front park in the town of Amherstburg. This is the town in which Julie was raised and where her dad still lives. We’ve been spending more and more time here these past few years supporting Bill as his Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, so the apartment seemed like a great solution, for now. It will allow us to continue to travel and live in our new van and while stationary provide comfortable support for Julie’s dad. It’s large enough to accommodate house-guests including Julie’s siblings when they visit Bill and we have a dedicated office/studio space which is something we haven’t had since selling the house and studio in 2014. Sometimes things just feel right. We have learned to trust those gut instincts. The apartment is on the second story of the old town newspaper building, the Amherstburg Echo. It’s kind of neat to be living in a building that was once a printing office given our own printing career. When Julie was 10 years old she skated her first solo in the ‘Our Town’ ice show. Her title was ‘Little Miss Echo.’ These kind of coincidences always bolster our decision making.

The Amherstburg Echo Building. Our apartment is the top floor.

March 6, 1974 edition of the Amherstburg Echo.

Julie as Little Miss Echo in the Our Town Ice Show.

We have yet to decide if we’ll sell the Volkswagen. We are currently contemplating potential businesses. Plus, it’s still mighty fun to drive. If you have a hankering to travel in a super sweet VW and want to buy one that has been lovingly maintained and restored give us a shout. It’s got a lot of life left in it.

Here’s why we bought the Hymer:

it has a three-piece bathroom with a cassette toilet, sink, shower and amazing two-way fan (we have yet to test the shower!)

a great kitchen which includes a sink with hot and cold running water, AC/DC bar fridge with a freezer compartment, two burner propane cooktop and lots of pantry storage (we love being able to wash our fruits and vegetables and our dishes in the van)

air-conditioning and heating in the cab and in the living area (having AC means we can carry on a conversation or answer the phone while driving)

250 watts of solar on the roof (constantly charging)

400 amp hours lithium battery (charges while we drive and by solar while stationary)

the solar and lithium battery will allow us to camp off-grid and enable us to charge all of our devices

fresh and gray water holding tanks

lots of electrical and USB outlets

a comfortable full-size murphy bed with an actual mattress (feels like a king size compared to the VW)

table seating for four

front swivel seats (a bit of a workout to get them to swivel but we can use it)

blinds and screens in all the windows and retractable screens in the side and rear doors (keeps the bugs out and the breeze coming in from all directions)

built in sunshade in front window plus magnetic window covers for the front three windows

LED lighting throughout

An electronic awning with LED porch light which we would never leave on all night! Best thing about it is that the lighting is on the inside of the awning so illuminates where it is needed

Bonus features: an LED television, microwave and Sony GPS/DVD player/radio, cable hookup, spare tire, cup holders galore

This van is a VERY comfortable space in which we are able to work, cook, live and move around in all kinds of weather. This is not something we can really say about our beloved Volkswagen.

The thing we were looking forward to most of all was a maintenance-free vehicle. But, let’s be real… is there really such a thing? Regardless of age! Since picking it up the battery has been replaced and the tire pressure adjusted. As of this morning we now have heat in the cab! On the 30thHymer is going to have a look at a moisture issue in the cassette holding area and a malfunctioning back up camera. It is fortunately all covered by the extended warranties but we seriously hope that’s it for maintenance for the next little while. Funny thing is that the dealership where we bought it kept it for two weeks to allow for enough time to thoroughly test the vehicle and, ‘make sure it was perfect.’ Makes us wonder what testing was actually done or their definition of perfect.

In the meantime we moved all of our belongings out of storage (yay!!) and into the apartment. One thing we’ve learned in the past few years is how to get comfortable in a place fast. We could be somewhere for a few days, a week or a couple of months and we can feel ‘at home’ from the get-go. We are surprised just how ‘at home’ we feel in this apartment. We’re enjoying everything about it including our office, the kitchen, which is perfect for entertaining family and friends (old and new), the ensuite laundry (oh how we’ve missed that), the living room complete with a sofa and just having space in which to spread out. We continue to support Bill and attend to his health, take him to appointments, manage his care, finances and insurance issues, etc. And, of course, the warranty issues on our brand new van. Life. We sure are looking forward to hitting the open road and experiencing some new peaks, valleys and switchbacks before too long.

A Tour of the Apartment:

Hymer ready for the open road We received a Hymer pun challenge from our friend Patrick! Most of us in North America are raised to follow the same recipe for life: get an education followed by a good job, buy a home, get married, raise children, work until retirement at 65 taking regular vacations.

[azanycollectormilkshakeworl-blog]

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UK QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am researching car insurance at the moment, what do you think i can expect to pay? Whats a good insurance company to go with? heres my details... 18 year old female, New driver, Pass plus certificate, Insurance group 5 car, the cheapest ive found is 1246.00 is this a normal amount to have to pay??? Thanks :)""

Car insurance cheaper at 17 or mid 20's?

im 17 in January and getting my driving lessons for my birthday - when and if I pass I'm not getting a car till I'm in my 20's. will the insurance be cheaper when I'm mid 20's than it would be at 17?

Fully comp car insurance?

ive got full comp car insurance,what i want to know is.im buying a car off someone in a few days and want to know if im ok to drive this car home on my insurance.thanks""

Looking for individual dental insurance in NY without a 12-month waiting period - is there such a thing?

I'm shopping around for dental insurance and most plans I see have a 12 month waiting period for major procedures - and I'm going to need to get my wisdom teeth out soon. Can anybody recommend me a plan? Thanks!

Who has a better idea for getting health insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions?

The problem is that, without the mandate, insurance companies won't cover people with pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, people will just wait until they get sick to buy insurance. So you have to create a system where everyone is insured -- a mandate. OK, if you don't like the mandate, how would you get insurance companies to provide affordable insurance to people with pre-existing conditions without a requirement for everyone to have insurance Your solution has to cover the situation where a person gets laid off, wants to start their own business, and needs to buy affordable individual coverage (not group coverage) for themselves and their family. You have 30 minutes. Begin....now.""

Do you need car insurance to visit on a army base?

Well I am going to visit my friend on the Fort Lewis, Washington army base. and he is saying I need car insurance? Well my coworker said no but if you do get pulled over on base without car insurance the ticket is double. So do I need it to go on base? I will only be there for three days. Thanks.""

How much will my second speeding ticket make my insurance rates go up?

I received a speeding ticket in January for 90 in a 70 (I-5 on my way down to San Diego), and today I received another ticket for 86 in a 65 on Freeway 85 in Cupertino. The first ticket is being taken care of with traffic school right now, and since I can't go to traffic school again so soon I'm assuming the 2nd ticket will increase my insurance rates. Does anyone know how much they will increase? I'm 21 and am on my parents' insurance (USAA) because I'm in college, but I will be paying whatever the difference in premium is so I'm trying to get an idea of what the damage is here. Also, I know I messed up, so no need to tell me in the answers. I thought I'd learned my lesson after the first ticket but apparently I still haven't, so at this point I'm just afraid to get into a car.""

How much should my car insurance cost?

I am 16 year old girl, will be driving a two door 1995 Honda civic, and have 4.1 gpa in school.""

How Much To Insure My Bmw 318 I Se Auto?

Hi, I just passed my test a month ago and im 19 i just bought my first car the BMW 318 I Se Auto 1.8 litres and was wondering how much it would cost to insure this car and if there was any way i could get a cheap deal from anywhere, like traders insurance. please help! finding insurance is doing my head in :| Nd Yh im In The Uk :)""

Car Insurance Quote - Looking for afford auto insurance?

Car Insurance Quote does some one know a cheap auto insurance that is dependable I am a good driver please advise.

How much is insurance for 2008 bentleyy?

DO they Ask How you Got the money if you buy it just wondering thats my dream car lol

California health insurance?

I am looking to get health insurance for a year, more to take care of neglected issues than to cover my butt if I get sick/hurt (I'm 27, betting on youth and good health!). Kaiser seems to be the most appealing because they cover a broader range of services. I am namely interested in physical therapy (winged scapula), dermatology (oily skin/acne), perhaps mental illness services as I have suffered from depression (although I somewhat consider it a problem of my past). I'm aware insurance plans won't cover preexisting conditions, but how can they really prove these issues didn't start yesterday, right? I'm overwhelmed with my choices. Is it worth paying $330/mo for $0 deductible, 0% coinsurance, $40 co pays and a max out of pocket @ $3000? Or is it smarter to pay $166/mo, $2700 deductible, 0% coinsurance, $0 co pays after deductible, and max out of pocket @ $5000 (including deductible)? Etc. I have put off getting insurance because I'm scared I will pick a completely inappropriate plan. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?""

Cheap car insurance for 17 year old? ?

I've just passed my driving test and was looking to get insured on my mums 1.6l Audi 80. So I went onto some comparison web sites and put my mum as main driver and me as the named driver and I was getting quotes of around 1900 (Fully comp). So I thought I would see what it would cost if my mum got the likes of a corsa or a fiesta or something. I changed the car details on the website and the quotes came out at 3000 + (Fully comp). I just don't understand how an Audi can be considerably cheaper than a corsa's and fiestas etc. Any explaination on why this is would be much appreciated. Also my mum really is the main driver as she will be using it for work and shopping. I will only be driving at weekends really.

How much would car insurance cost for a 16 year old girl driving a 1997 Ford Mustang GT?

The car is a V8 and has 170+ miles. Please do not post answers with websites linking me on how to figure it out on my own.

How to get the best damage offer from insurance company ?

I am a university student in Toronto(Canada). I saved up $5,000 and bought myself a car in 2006 -- a 1991 white Acura Legend in excellent condition with only 140,000 km. No major repairs were required up to now. I T-boned a car which was making a left turn this Saturday; my car is now totalled. The other driver will be charged by the police with making an improper left turn. I only took out liability coverage (no collision coverage); my own insurance comp is offering me $1900 for my damaged car, but I would like $2500 as the loss of my car is totally not my fault. My adjuster said that the insurance is quite firm on the $1,900. I would like to know what will happen if I dispute this amount? What can I do to get more than $1,900? Can I get compensation from the other drivers insurance company since she was at fault, if yes, how do I go about? I need a car to drive to school due to the distance. Thank you very much.""

How much would my insurance cost if i an a new driver age 16 in CT without a car ( i just use my parents car)?

My parents are good drivers and have no real accident record and i havre no criminal record and get decent grades. my dad saqys rates would go up 1500 dollars is he being accuratge?

How much would insurance cost me on this car?

im 22 heres the link thanks http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280280977518&_trksid=p2759.l1259

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

How much roughly with motorcycle insurance be for me?

Im 17 and looking to see how much insurance is for when i get my motorbike. Im looking to get a 125CC motorbike second hand nothing fast. How much roughly do you think? Im don't care if the insurance is only for theft and accidents coverage. the bike will be stored in a garage and be locked up.

How much do you pay a month for car insurance...?

I pay $112.

Can I drive my parents' car without having my name added to the insurance list in the same city?

I would but it would probably increase the rate. So, can I just carry their insurance papers along with my license?""

Estimate on drivers insurance?

Hello, i'm 16 years old and about to get my licence any ideas on how much insurance would cost me? My family has Allstate and i can qualify for the good student discount.""

What are some cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Oregon?

I am looking for a cheap and reliable auto insurance company for just liability insurance. I have had one accident back in 2009, totaling my dads toyota 4-Runner and wrecking into an Audi A4. As well, I have 2 tickets on my record, both happened in 2008, the first one I got was running a stop sign and the second one (which happened literally the next day.. by the same cop) I got an illegal lane change or turning into a turning lane to early I cant remember which one it would fall under. Some of the quotes I got have been like 350 $$ which is way out of my price range. Anybody have any good ideas? I'd appreciate it.""

How important is having health insurance in usa and why?

Why health insurance has more importance in usa ?Is it mandated in usa?what are the differences in insurance when compared with India?

Will full coverage car insurance cover a blown head gasket?

It still has enough oil in it (between E and F on the dip stick), I can just tell this is what it is because Oil is leaking down the driver side gasket and I'm noticing my coolant level beginning to drop. I just want to do something about it now before I keep driving it and completely blow the engine.""

How much should a 17 year old's car insurance cost in the UK?

i'm 17 and want to drive. i'm a full time college student, which probably doesn't make any difference? right now i'm looking at a 2001 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.6 engine, LS 5dr [AC] Hatchback, which is costing around 999 how much should i expect the insurance to cost for this car? or for a car similar? it will be my first car. Thanks.""

Question on insurance discount?

So im 15 turn 16 in April so I was wondering you know that car insurance stuff like if your on A-B honorol you get a discount well the first 9 weeks I got a 78 in math is there anyway I can get that discount how far back do they check your grades

Is it worth getting full comp insurance if your car is only cheap?

Is it worth getting full comp insurance if your car is only cheap?

Car Insurance in the UK?

When your car insurance expires are you no longer covered or do insurance companies keep the policy going until you cancel the cover?

What would be the cheapest auto insurance for me? i am 19 and drive a 1998 camaro z28?

What would be the cheapest auto insurance for me? i am 19 and drive a 1998 camaro z28?

Looking for health insurance that covers IVF?

I am seeking health insurance that covers infertility treatment in the State of Md. Maryland is a mandated state for IVF coverage but I am not sure how it works with regard to individual policies. I know that if is not excluded from the policy that they would be required to cover it. Does anyone know how to get a reasonably priced individual policy that may cover IVF treatment??

Best maternity insurance?

I was wondering what the best health insurance out there for maternity and child birth is? Right now I have pretty basic health insurance, as I am very healthy and don't need to go to the doctor often, but once I get pregnant (we're going to try in the next year or so) I plan on switching my insurance so that I'm paying the minimum out of pocket for all (or most of) those doctor's visits and labs, etc. What is the best provider/what type of coverage should I be looking for? How much did it cost YOU to have a baby (the actual medical bills) and how much should I expect to pay each month for my premium?""

Would insurance for a 1991 Camaro RS v6 be affordable for a teen driver?

Would a 1991 or any other 3rd gen Camaro's insurance be affordable for a 16 year old with the good student discount?

I don't have car insurance on my car?

I don't pay insurance on my car. My girlfriends has insurance on her car. Is it legal for her to drive my car? or does my car have to be insured by insurance for her to drive too (i.e. because she has insurance on her car, I can drive her car legally.)""

What happen if I don't pay my car insurance?

I woul like to switch to another company that's going be cheaper, but I was wondering can I just not pay my old car insurance and start laying my new car insurance company, or do I need to finish with all the months that they gave me the insurance card for (it was for 6 months, 3 months left).""

Will my car insurance rate be based on how long ive been insured or licensed?

I have been insured on several cars regularly since getting each permit (the law in my state, even though I only had a permit, and went through about five permits) and I just got my full license (finally). My license number is the same as it was before when it was on my permit. Which one will my future insurance rates be based on? Length of time insured or length with a full license? Thanks""

As a 22 female driver about how much would a 2010 camaro insurance cost? i have a perfect driving record?

As a 22 female driver about how much would a 2010 camaro insurance cost? i have a perfect driving record?

""I totaled my month old car with only liability insurance, do I still HAVE to pay off the car?""

i just got a '01 explorer from a dealer less than a month ago, two days ago i rolled it, now its totaled. i only have LIABILITY insurance, and the insurance company said i have to pay off the rest of the car, which i expected, but when i called the dealer she said she might be able to count the car as a total loss, and get me in another car from them, without paying for the old one anymore. she is going to let me know in a couple days if they can. is this possible to just somehow avoid all the payments on the old car and start over new? are they scared i would end up not paying them for a car i dont have, so they somehow write it off and start a new payment plan on a whole new car? Will they try to get me in a new car and pile on my old car payments with new ones? when they call back should i act like i wont pay on that car to persuade them to write that totaled car off ? i dont know what to do, i cant afford two car payments and now im carless bumming rides which i cant do for long. The reason i am asking before the lady gets back to me is: its a dealer, and im pretty inexperienced with this, and i just want to know how this all works so i know how to talk to and possibly negotiate with the dealer before i end up missing (or screwing up) an opportunity before its too late""

Car insurance advice please?

ok a year ago my hubby had a car accident, it still isn't settled and just had a renewal for our car insurance, more than double what it was last year, they've said its because they've took off the no claims because they don't know which way the claim will go, even though we've been advised that we will win, the only thing i think is wrong is that were no claiming on the car insurance were claiming through a solicitor..can someone help me here i don't know what to do""

How much is approx. insurance costs for a 125cc road bike with 23 years L driver. Can any one plz ans me?

How much is approx. insurance costs for a 125cc road bike with 23 years L driver. Can any one plz ans me?

I have Kansas Progressive Auto insurance. Will my insurance drop when I turn 25? And if so approx how much?

Any answers pertaining to age 25 &/or the state of KS is helpful. I can't find anything on Progressive relating to age & insurance rates. Thanks!

Car insurance need help?

is not having car insurance in michigan illegal? what are the penalties for getting caught without insurance? is it a good idea to not have insurance? with geico insurance, about how much would we have to pay for car insurance if we have 3 cars and live in upper michigan. there is a no-fault policy here how much would a used, old, small ford car cost in upper michigan?""

Best car years for insurance?

My daughter will be buying a used car outright because we can't afford a car payment and insurance, plus she is 23 and had a fender bender 18 months ago so her insurance is not exactly low. What I'm wondering is if you have advice for the best years for a used car as far as insurance rates go ... you know, what years are likely to give us the best rates Also, if you have any advice about the best types of used cars to keep rates low, and the best used cars period, any input like that would be greatly appreciated. We bought a used 2003 jetta, but the transmission is self-contained, or, that is, we have to take it in to have the transmission fluid replaced. Things like that about which we weren't aware before we bought it have made it not very practical for us. Thanking in advance for any help you can give!""

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

""I have no health insurance, ambulance came, but I didn't ride on it?

I fainted at my university and some people called 911. The ambulance came and 2 paramedics check my blood sugar level and blood pressure and that was it... I didn't go to the hospital with them or anything. But of course I had to give them my information and all that.... how much do you think they will bill me? I am terrified of how much it will be because I DO NOT have health insurance. :(

Can someone give me an aproxiamate estimate on how much my car insurance will be?

I am 22 and I will be getting my first car soon. It is used and in good condition. I am wanting to put my mother on the insurance as well so we can both drive the car and be covered.

Can you be insured by more than one auto insurance company?

I am thinking of buying a car and currently I am under my dad's plan for his car. I want to have a different insurance company for my car. Would I need to go off of my dad's insurance policy for his car for this? I am thinking the only problem would occur would be if there was an incident that didn't involve the insured car itself but where my auto insurance would cover whatever it is (e.g. as a pedestrian I am hit by a car in a no fault state). Thanks

Can I have my drivers license in one state and my license plate and car insurance in another?

I live in GA and bought a car in FL. To save money on taxes it was recommended that I register the car in FL and get a FL license plate. So, now I have a GA drivers license, a FL license plate, and FL car insurance. 1. Is this legal to have long term 2. If it's not legal and I switch everything back to GA, Will I have to pay GA taxes on the car that was purchased in FL ? To possibly complicate things more, the FL registration is not just in my name. It's also in the name of a friend who lives in FL who happened to cosigned for me to get the car. It's his address I'm using for the FL car insur and the registration.""

What kind of sport car is good to buy that insurance is not that high ?

im trying to buy 2006 slk but i dunno should i get it or not,20 old""

""Will an unpaid emergency room bill keep me from being able to buy health insurance, OR hurt my credit rating?

I have an emergency room bill which I have not yet paid and I'm wondering if it will keep me from being able to buy a health insurance policy and if the unpaid bill hurts my ...show more

Is there anyone out there who knows which cars have lower insurance rates?

Is there anyone out there who knows which cars have lower insurance rates?

Can u recommend any car insurance for 6 months rather then 1 year ?

i may need to sell car after 6 months and that's why i do not want to pay insurance for 12 months upfront

Car Insurance Claim Help?

Car Insurance Claim Help? On the 4/7/2011 I was at a set of traffic lights that was (RED) of my way to the shops. As the lights went green I begin to move off slowly as I did another car came from the left of me and tried to turn right as he speed up he crashed into the drivers side of the car. He clearly jumped a red light (Clearly Seen on CCTV). I was in total shock at the time! After he crashed into my car he went to drive off by reversing, I jumped out of my car to stood in his was so he could not drive off the witness behind me called the police while I was stopping his from driving off he started to drive forwards trying to me me out the way. After the driver spoke to the police on the phone, he then gave me his Name, Phone number and Insurance information. The next day I called my insurance company they was vary helpful and I believe the clam would be settled in my favor as I had CCTV of the crash as I had a camera inside of my car and a witness that was behind my car at the time of the crash. After nearly 4Months I have now revived a letter stating that the claim has been closed on a Without Prejudice Basis. When I contacted Aviva to see what the 3rd party has not accepted full liability they said it was dealt with like this as the 3rd party who crashed into me was not responding to and calls or letters that have send him. Aviva did not asked to see the CCTV of the crash and did not take into account the witness statement. WHAT CAN I DOOO??""

Trying to repeal the Healthcare law which is good for the American people the only thing republicans hope?

Trying to repeal the Healthcare law which is good for the American people the only thing republicans hope will put them back into the White House?

Driving without car insurance?

I'm curious, how many people do you think drive without car insurance and have you ever driven without insurance. I ask because the other day I was browsing on here and long story short, there was a woman who got into an accident that she claimed was not her fault but proceeded to say that she didn't have insurance and wanted to know what would happen. I was baffled because I don't know what would truely posses someone to drive without having insurance. I mean, I would be so scared of the consequences to even gather up the balls to get behind a wheel. It's like driving while intoxicated---it's just asking for trouble.""

Need advice for car accident with allstate insurance?

My boyfriend got into an accident 2 weeks ago. Basically it was a 5-car pileup. The two cars in front of my boyfriend left the scene because they had no damage. The lady (Lexus driver and Allstate insurance carrier) who actually hit a Toyota Corolla (Traveler's Insurance carrier), which in turn hit my boyfriend's Ford Escort is not returning phone calls and did not give a statement to Allstate. She did give a statement to the Corolla's insurance company but basically claimed that the Corolla hit the Escort then hit her Lexus, which makes no sense because the Corolla didn't back up! He got estimates on his bumper from the Allstate and Travelers insurance companies which came back between $1100-$1600. He just wants to do a cash in lieu and get it fixed by a friend of his. Is it possible for him to just go after the Corolla's insurance company or does he have to continue to wait for the Allstate's policy holder to respond back to Allstate?!""

Car insurance for a financed Audi A4?

What is the least expensive car insurance agency?

Can i drive my car with an international licence and provisional insurance?

can i buy a car in the uk and insure it on my provisional licence and drive it with my international licence so i dont need to bring another driver to sit beside me during driving. the reason i'm asking the this Q is because insurance is much cheaper on the provisional licence.

Car insurance while buying a car.?

I live in Washington and i plan on buying a car, $700 cash. Do i have to have insurance to drive it off the lot? or can i just go without insurance, i'm not financing or anything, paying full price.""

More affordable health insurance?

I'm paying about $1100/month for health insurance through work (me + family). I've heard I should stay with the group plan but can I get just as good coverage with a private plan? And we may decide to have another child... do private plans cover pregnancy? any ideas would help

Can I purchase two insurance policies for one vehicle?

Just wondered if anyone knew if it was possible to have 2 car insurance policies on one car? The situation is this: I share an insurance policy with my mom and its under her name. We have recently renewed our policy for a year and are getting a good rate. However, last week I have gotten a DUI and most likely will have my license suspended. In order to reinstate it I will have to file an SR22 form with an insurance company. I heard that one way to keep your current policy (if the current preferred company does not find out about your DUI violation- which they wouldnt for another year), is to buy minimum liability with one of our companies with an SR22 filing. This way DMV is satisfied because you have made your filing - and since your current company has not found out about your drunk driving offense - you are able to keep your current policy. I need to know asap if this is possible so would really appreciate any replies! Thanks""

What would my insurance company do if I told them I'm derestricting my moped?

Hi, I'm not a stupid driver or irresponsible, it's just I work so I have to drive 15 miles to and from work (I'm 16) and I know it's illeagle to derestrict my 50cc moped but I could really do with abit more speed without being caught, so if I told my insurance company that I'm 16 and derestricting my moped, would they still cover me or cancel my insurance? I'm a sensible driver! Thanks in advance""

""If my friend owns a car, can I have full insurance on it?""

If my friend owns a car and I am making payments to him to eventually own it, is there a way that it can be fully insured in my name?""

""Some one have tried to make false claim on my car insurance, please help?""

Hello All, some one have tried to make false claim on my car insurance, i have been driving fine. but couple of days ago, my insurance company called and asking me details of the accident saying i had met an accident and some one claims compensations for that. Please advise me where shall i get more help, any web site forums or other options please, I live in UK A Little help will be appreciated Many thanks and Regads""

Best car insurance for 17 yr olds?

been quoted silly money for car insurance...anyone know who is cheapest for 17 yr old 1st time driver????

Health Insurance for Children?

Does anyone know of a good health insurance program for children in the state of NJ? My husb currently has family coverage with his local union and they pay for NOTHING !!!! We keep getting bill after bill even for doctors that are part of the network and no one seems to want to help us. We want to cancel the coverage but we need something for our children.

Why do people ask yahoo answers about car insurance quotes.?

When its so much quicker, easier and obviously more accurate to either call insurance company or do an online quote.""

What is the cheapest auto insurance in california and can you please tell me the monthly rate for liability?

What is the cheapest auto insurance in california and can you please tell me the monthly rate for liability?

What is a good place to get cheap SR-22 Insurance in the state of Utah?

What is a good place to get cheap SR-22 Insurance in the state of Utah?

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

What Insurance Saves You the Most Money?

By your experience. Any insurance company All-State, State Farm, Progressive etc... and how much your auto/life insurance costs and how much you saved.""

Do you need motorcycle insurance in the state of Tennessee?

As a Tennesseean, I was wondering if motorcycle insurance is necessary in order to ride in the state.""

How much do you pay for insurance? What kind of car?

How much do you pay for insurance? What kind of car?

What happens to money invested in whole life insurance if I live to 105?

I am 60 and bought a whole life policy about a year ago but what if I live to 105? Is there insurance available after age100? 

Average cost of auto insurance for a truck per month?

Average cost of auto insurance for a truck per month?

""One more question on insurance,,,, do I HAVE to cancel existing insurance on my mums car.....?""

i have a quote from an insurance company who is willing to give me temporary car insurance for 3 months on my mums car, it works out cheaper then going on as second driver, they said i have to cancel my mums insurance but maybe that is because they wanna make money at the end of the day, my mum is saying i don't have to cancel the existing insurance but i aint sure, i just think she is worried she may not get the refund for paying for a full years insurance if she cancels... help me out guys !!?""

Car Insurance Renewal?

How is it that my car insurance renewal has gone up by 60 per year and when I rang the company to cancel explaining that they are far too expensive, they then try to offer me more discount. Why not just offer this when the renewal is sent in the post Just to add I still didn't take the insurance and cancelled as the discount only consisted of 30 and I've had a quote elsewhere for 300 cheaper. BTW I have 9 years no claims, no points, no convictions and only drive a 1.4 car""

How much would insurance cost for a 19y old with a corvette?

approximately?

17 year old car insurance prices ?

im comparing cars on moneysupermarket because im 16 an need a heads up on insurances costs etc... but i compared a classis mini 1.0- annual: 6000 and Monthly: 650 also, 2007 vauxhall corsa 1.0- annual: 8000 Monthly: 852 and a 1993 Ford Fiesta 1.1- annual: 12000 Monthly: 1152 now i can sort of understand the price for the mini, due to its a small car with a small engine, but the corsa's like brand new? how can the insurance be sort of lowish. but why are they charging huge amounts for a fiesta that is older than me and is probably falling to piece's slowly ? im so confused :S can some one help me and please explain this i really want to be able to have a first car at 17 but at this rate i might be stuck on a motorcycle for a few years then maybe have enough money to afford a car :/""

Insurance Industry?

I'm trying to find out more about insurance industry...i have to make a huge project out of it for Economics...I'm specializing in IT so i don't know much about Economics...do you guys know any sites where i can find out more about Insurance Industry...or like anything you can share about it. Thank you.

Insurance change? Nissan 350z to Pontiac GTO?

Alright, Well I have a 2005 Nissan 350z 35TH Anniversary edition, And I am going to trade it in on an 05 Pontiac GTO. What would the changes in my insurance be you think?""

Why does bad credit affect my auto insurance when i have a clean mvr?

so i have a bad credit score. but i have a clean mvr and pay my insurance on time so why are my rates credit has nothing to do with the way i drive?

How much do you pay for you're car insurance 17+ ? & names of insurers!?

Hey, I'd like to know some of you're insurance quotes and where from? Looking around to find some places! Cheers in advance 10points for someone who helps!""

Mother has Mental Illness but no Insurance?

We are at the moment living in california but my mother has mental illness when we were back in The Netherlands she was given pills to take to supress that voice in her heads making her go crazy, but now we are here and we don't have any insurance yet is it possible that she gets insurance if she supports her illness?""

What do you do when he doesnt have car insurance?

I was in a car wreck two weeks ago. We thought he had safe auto to the police report which is a nightmare but which made it worst he has no insurance at all. He had been drinking early but did not blow enough to go to jail. What can be done about him driving without insurance and drinking

What would be a cheap motorcycle to insure....?

im 20 with im going to do a safety course id like something sporty looking...new or used...would it be cheaper to go with a older bike so i can carry liability or do older bikes have alot of problems....inform me with you advanced riders knowledge

Will car insurance cover in case my friend crashes my car?

Will all kinds of car insurance cover a case when a friend borrows a car and gets in an accident? What do i need to look for in my policy to make sure that my car is covered even if someone else other than me drove my car.

""Planning on buying a newer car, wondering how much my insurance will go up or if it will at all?""

Right now I have a Ford mustang, and i'm paying about $800 every 6 months, i'm planning on getting a 1006 Grand Prix so since it's not a sports cr but it's newer will my insurance rate stay the same? Will it go up? Or am I lucky and will it go down?""

Which are the cheapest car to insurance in Canada?

Hello: Planing to buy a car, but I will considered a car that is cheaper to insure, any suggestion? Thank you in advanced""

What car insurance company in the UK will insure an american licence? I cant find one to insure me on my FL?

Just moved to the UK for one year and need car insurance, cant find a company to insure me, tried all the big ones but I know there is some out there!!""

My Insurance Question?

I have an insurance question for you people.I had an accident just before I sold my car.I reported it to the police,they came and did the report.I informed the owner of the other car and we worked out everything.The insurance companies know and are taking care of it.Now a couple weeks later he is saying that I owe him $500 for the deductible on his insurance policy.I have liability which fully covers the other guys car.But like I said now the guy is telling me I have to pay this extra money out of pocket to get the collision guy to start working on his car.I toldhim my insurance company is supposed to take care of it.Please tell me whether I have to take care of it or does my insurance have to pay for it.I say my insurance does because otherwise whats the point of insurance then.Please let me know thank you people.""

Does anybody know of any cheap (but credible) motorbike insurance companies?

For a 125cc bike. thanks

What is a cheap car insurance company in New Jersey?

I am only 20 yrs old.

How much would car insurance be?

How much would car insurance be for a 19 year old male first time driver driving a car cost around 1200 1.2l engine

Teenage car insurance?

Well im 15, gonna be 16 in 2 weeks and Im about to get a car. How much will the insurance be? I live in Arizona, have straight A's and am a girl and the insurance im gonna have has benefits if you have good grades and its cheaper if you're a girl too. So I would like an idea of how much it would cost monthly? The car would be a 1990 toyota camry 4-cylinder""

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

Bude Mississippi Cheap car insurance quotes zip 39630

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