#usually relate stuff on friday but it's been so long since i last updated -2+2..

[laugtherhyena]

What a lovely group of students, i sure hope nothing bad happens to them ever ❤

For now, things are kinda chill tho

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

So, It’s been awhile. There’s a reason. The last week or so has been... a week. jesus christ. I shall regale you of my tale, not in chronological order necessarily because that’s how I roll. BUT if you suffer through it, you shall be rewarded with an outdoor plant update post after. Bribery. 

So. Early last week, The Spawn sat down with me and presented a proposal, a well researched proposal, advocating for her starting her own residential cleaning business because she finds it incredibly satisfying and relaxing to clean stuff and she does quite well. So we sat and brainstormed, researched, and talked about how she planned to advertise. She needed a business gmail (and all the tools that come with that), logo, business social media, website, and flyers. 

Being her age, she doesn’t have the skill or knowledge to do these things. So, I volunteered to help with these things so that she didn’t have to spend money hiring someone. I created the email account, put all the brainstorm stuff into a google doc that saved to the biz drive, which included a to do list and the basic info needed. I created a logo. (At which point, she called me a wizard while watching me do so.) I helped her try to create a biz facebook account, but facebook immediately flagged it as breaking the rules. like literally as soon as I created it. So I appealed it & The Spawn wanted to wait to see what came of that before I went further. So she took me with her to shop for the things on her supply list, and we decided to go grab some of the smaller stuff still needed for J’s appt at the same time. This was Friday. 

Saturday, I got a text from J in the early afternoon saying that he needed me. I quickly packed a ‘just in case’ bag, since I didn’t know what to expect or how long I would be there. Now, you have to understand that in the 7 years we’ve been friends, while he has discussed things with me via phone or text, in person he is like me, incredibly stoic. Hell even via text or phone, he always insists that he’s fine and responds to my reminders that i’m here if he needs someone, and to just let me know, he responds ��I appreciate it, but I won’t”. So him reaching out like that is a MASSIVE thing. I showed up, let myself in, and he just walked up to me, wrapped his arms around me and started sobbing. I stayed the night, alternating between being comforting and being distracting. It was extremely disarming to see such raw emotion from him repeatedly over the course of the night and to hear him say the things that he is usually uncomfortable articulating. 

The next morning he seemed better, thanked me for coming (to which I responded “Of course I came. I’ve not ever been lying when I’ve said that I’d come if you needed me, day or night, but you have to let me know.”) and apologized for ‘being a mess’. I told him every time he apologized (which happened quite a bit over the course of the night) that there was no need for an apology because this wasn’t something to be sorry for. He was struggling, as people do, and rather than embrace the darkness or fight it alone, he asked for help from someone he trusts and loves that he knows reciprocates. That i know how hard it is for him to do that and that I am proud of him. 

Sunday afternoon the kids (The Spawn and The Bf) picked me up because she needed to take him home but didn’t want to leave the dogs alone. I got in the car after The Bf got into the back, insisting I take the front seat. We hadn’t even gotten out of the parking lot of the apartment complex when The Spawn casually asked “So are ya’ll fucking?” 

that’s how I learned that I was the subject of a bet. Apparently, The Bf asked where I was when he came over and out of convenience, not wanting to really explain the relationship, The Spawn said I was at my boyfriend’s. I guess he went on about how how come I’m never hanging out with him, etc, so The Spawn explained the actual nature of our relationship. At the end The Bf said “Nah, they fuckin’ but your mom isn’t telling you.” The Spawn said, “No, she’d tell me because when I started high school I asked her about her past encounters and asked about what stuff was, if she’d done it, and if she enjoyed it, and she was always honest with me. That’s how I know she likes it up the butt.” He insisted that J and I were banging so The Spawn, knowing the truth, took advantage of this and made a bet. It was an easy win for her. SO...

I get asked this question & I look at her, eyebrows raised because she knows how our relationship is (granted if I were physically able and he was willing, I would definitely jump back up on that horse) and said, “No. Mom is no longer physically capable of fucking without risk of severe injury. Plus, despite having ridden that horse previously, I’m not into endangering our besties status. I would go into further detail and commentary but I don’t want to make The Bf uncomfortable. These are things you know, so why do you ask?” She told me of the bet, Then i promptly text J about it because I knew he’d get a laugh out of it. And I was right. 

By the end of Sunday, she recieved an email stating that facebook was upholding the ban, so she and I talked and decided to make a webpage via WIX and after getting a few clients, she could upgrade her account with them to get extras that are offered, including her own domain (rather than the name.wix address) and a lack of wix ads on her page.  And then it all went downhill from there.

Monday through Wednesday (yesterday) had The Spawn breathing down my neck more than any boss I’ve ever fucking had about when her business shit would be done. On top of what I’d already done, between Monday and Wednesday I:   set up her google voice account for a business number, wrote her a “first time client” script, created a google sheets quick reference client database, created a google forms for detailed client records (all in a folder together that is searchable by client name, which would be the title of the form), set up the calendar, downloaded and edited/collaged her before and after photos she took via cleaning some of our spaces, and built her a 7 page website including the photos, facts, and little blurbs that go along with it. It went live at the end of yesterday. 

Throughout this process, rather than just checking in and thanking me for doing it all to save her money, she asked me every couple hours what still needed to be done. When I was not as far along as she felt I should be, she got progressively more hostile. Yesterday morning she had the balls to text me “What all do we still need to do before I can get rolling?” I responded with “ ‘We’? hahahahaha *I* still need to [list].” 

I’m sure you’re saying to yourself, “Am I missing something? Did you forget to list something in the list of stuff you did between Monday and Wednesday? You mentioned flyers....” You are correct. But yesterday while I was being driven to my 2nd vax appointment by my father, I basically told him that I’m fried. If a flyer just included facts, I’d be fine, but the part where I need the potential customers to be drawn in and want to learn more is not happening. The creative well has run dry to the point that it is reminiscent of the dust bowl. And I reminded him that there is a reason I no longer do this type of shit for a living. I mentioned that thinking about The Spawn’s company is making me stress puke and that any time The Spawn approaches me to talk about anything, I immediately feel incredibly nauseated. 

Now it should be noted that when I mentioned this in a multi paragraph text earlier, he responded with “Just take a step back from it for awhile, then go back to it.”    

and everyone wonders why on earth I don’t speak up when I hit my limits and why I just push onward despite the damage it does to me. THIS. THIS IS WHY. Everyone is all for me not pushing myself too hard... until it is inconvenient for them. So I basically screamed in the car. On the way back he said he’d help. Ok. cool. 

Except that every fucking idea he had legit just tripled the amount of work I was going to have to do. I mentioned being burned enough that I was considering just paying a freelancer to do it. This motherfucker chimes in with “Oh! [Cool Ex Employee Who Left to be a Stay at Home Mom with her First Baby] does stuff like that. Let me reach out to see if she’d be willing to.” BRUH. That should have been the first thing out of your mouth after my original texts! Jesus Christ. I agreed but with the caveat that HE had to tell The Spawn and say it was his idea because he sees me getting overly stressed and has put his foot down. And he had to do it that night because I knew that if he didn’t, the first thing I’d hear today was “So when are my flyers going to be done?” and I am absolutely not dealing with that shit. The only thing I am doing from this point forward is showing her how to use her database/client files/calendar and I will be happy to answer questions or give advice, but that’s it. This isn’t my company and I’m not employed by her, so I’ve already put in far more work than should have been expected of me, with very little thanks outside of after I finished her logo and a couple times she came down and watched, then told me I’m a fucking wizard. 

Really It was good in a way because I had been doing that thing lately where I wonder if I’m just being dramatic because admin type stuff isn’t that hard and if I could do it from home, I should be able to manage... but this put me back down on earth, where I absolutely am not being dramatic and I cannot fucking do that shit 40 hrs a week for some random asshole. Shit, this was for my own child and I was ready to give up, stab her, then tell her to go fuck herself.

so...that’s been my last week and a half for so. Also, my only side effects from Vax 2 (pfizer) is feeling more tired/run down than usual and a bit of extra joint pain... but those might actually be related to the stress and hell I just went through. who knows. 

as always, don’t steal my shitshow. get your own shitshow. suffer through your own crap. 

[slippinmickeys]

Release Valve (2/10): Fi Follet

When the moon circles the Earth, it pulls with it the ocean. She used to lie in bed and think about it. How the world can be your compass -- moss growing on one side of a tree, the North Star, sunsets on the horizon. Even if you can’t see it, you know the moon is above you when the tide is high. She felt that with him. When he was near, her blood would sing, rising to meet him whenever he passed. Standing in the doorway of their office, she can feel him even now, her skin prickling and flushing on the high tide of love. “You’re here early,” he said as he walked in. He loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves, moving over to the cabinets behind his desk. “We’ve got a case?” she asked, hoping he hadn’t caught her mooning over him. She watched his movements with some trepidation. She hadn’t seen him since Friday and the new agents started today. He turned from the cabinets, unveiling his slide projector with fanfare. She made a show of rolling her eyes. “The kids are going to love this,” he said.

“Are they?” “You did.” “Did I?” Mulder gestured around the office. “The X-Files Headquarters: Where Fun Goes To Die.” He said. “If you’re going to make fun of my slideshow, you can wait in the hallway.” “Sorry, Mulder,” she said, grinning. “I’ll try not to ruin it.” “Thank you,” he said, earnestly.

On that, Stone and Isaacs walked in, chatting.

“Morning,” Stone said, his excitement palpable. He had a doofy grin pasted on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand. Isaacs was more subdued. She was tall, taller than Mulder remembered. He had met her last week on a long lunch with Scully where they’d talked about her past cases and what she might expect. There’d been a 15 minute stretch where she’d kept cutting her eyes to Scully, obviously expecting her to tell her they were kidding, an elaborate hazing for rookies at the top of their class. Even now she looked as though she expected people to jump out of the woodwork shouting “Gotcha!” Despite that, there was a quiet confidence about her. She looked at Mulder and nodded to the desk annex. “Anywhere in particular?” she asked. Mulder shook his head. “Anywhere you like.” She put her things down on the desk in the middle and went about unpacking her few belongings. Mulder looked to Stone. “The computer you wanted,” he said, “the requisition got approved. Should be here next week.” Stone pumped a fist in the air and dropped down at the further-most desk, the wheeled chair coasting a few inches before coming to a stop. He looked at Mulder, suddenly pensive. “Can you…” he started to say, then, with more confidence, “have Purchasing bring it down here as soon as it arrives. In the box, sealed. I’ll do the set up myself.” Mulder leaned back against his desk and shot Stone an approving look. “Look at him, Scully,” he said, “not in the basement five minutes and already he’s achieved a level of paranoia it took me 2 years to get to myself.” “You forget he’s read all your files,” she responded. “Our files,” Mulder said, giving her a meaningful look. “Speaking of the files,” Isaacs said from her desk, “I’ve read the Greatest Hits you sent me over the weekend. I wouldn’t mind taking a look at the rest.” “You’ll have some reading time,” Mulder said, turning to the projector and hitting the lights, “you two are flying to Cajun Country this afternoon.” “We’ve got a case?” Stone asked, excitedly. “We’ve got a case,” Mulder said, punching in the first slide. A picture of a small lake took up a wall of the office. It was slightly out of focus and a few degrees off being perfectly horizontal. It was close to either dawn or dusk, the water an inky grey, the trees in the background reaching up toward a new moon. In the far right of the picture a small green glow floated a few feet above the water, its twin reflecting off the lake below it. “This picture was taken about three months ago in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana,” Mulder started. “Anybody know what we’re looking at here?” “Will-o’-the-wisp?” Stone offered. “Two points to the kid,” Mulder said, then turned back to the slide, “Will-o’-the-wisp, also known as a hinkypunk, spook light or ignis fatuus in Latin, meaning ‘foolish fire.’ It’s an atmospheric ghost light, which, according to English folklore is usually seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travelers from safe paths. “This,” Mulder went on, pointing to the picture, “was published in a local paper around the time it was taken and became quite the sensation. Locals, particularly teens, started going out to the swamp at night, trying to catch a glimpse. It was all fun and games until three weeks ago, when it took its first victim.” Mulder switched the slide and the picture of a teenage girl came up. She was all smiles, looking directly into the camera as if daring it to take the picture. She had sky-high bangs and dangly gold earrings. “Vanessa Glassie, fifteen years old. Disappeared while out with friends on wisp hunt. They’d just seen the ghost light when she told friends she had to pee and that was the last they saw of her. Local authorities have yet to find a trace of her.” He clicked to the next slide. Another young girl, with dark pixie hair and a shy smile. “Then last week, Marcie Vincent, a friend of Vanessa’s, went missing as well, from the same area. Friends said she’d talked about going out and looking for her friend. She told her parents she was going to bed one night, and they found her room empty the next morning. The window open and shoeprints in Marcie’s size heading away from the house. The will-o’-the-wisp was seen in the area the same night. The local PD asked the FBI to investigate.” Mulder cut back to the first picture of the ghost light. “And they think what, the lights took her?” Scully said. “Not exactly,” he said, “there’s a more geographically targeted legend about the lights in that area of the south, called—“ “Fi follet,” Isaacs finished for him. Mulder cut her an impressed look. She shrugged. “My mom was born and bred in Louisiana,” she said. “But the fi follet is said to mostly play harmless pranks.” “And in some cases attacking people for vengeance and sucking the blood of children.” From Mulder, who dramatically flipped to the slide of Vanessa Glassie. The room was silent for a moment but for the hum of the projector. Then Mulder went for the lights. “Your flight leaves in four hours,” he said, dismissing them, “you should pack.” They both stood to leave. “I want updates twice daily,” he said, “even if there’s nothing to report, you call me.” They nodded and left. Scully leveled a look at him, “Will-o’-the-wisp, Mulder?” she asked, incredulous. “You heard Isaacs,” Mulder countered, “it’s called fi follet.” “It’s swamp gas!” “We’ve got two missing kids, Scully,” he said, “and authorities asking for help. Isaacs could do this one in her sleep and Stone needs seasoning.” “So you’re saying you don’t think the lights took those girls,” she asked, looking for clarity. “No,” he said, finally, “I think it’s probably swamp gas.” “I wish I had that on tape,” Scully said to no one in particular. XxXxXxXxX “You should take lead on this,” Stone said, as the wheels touched down on their flight from DC. “You’ve got seniority,” Isaacs replied. “I’ve also got fuck-all for field experience,” he said, “you should take lead.” Isaacs nodded. Same shit, different town. She knew she wasn’t going to get much different as a Fed, but the pay was better, the resources infinitely superior, and this paranormal stuff was the first work-related thing that had piqued her interest in years. You could have knocked her over with a feather when Agent Scully called her into her office her the last week of class and proposed the job. “That’s some crazy intense white people shit,” her boyfriend had said to her when she told him about it.

She’d had a tendency to agree until she’d read the files. For the first time in her adult life, maybe she wouldn’t be bored. XxXxXxXxX It was coming on evening when they followed the sheriff through the woods to the last place Vanessa Glassie had been seen. It was a tiny clearing in the swamp, the damp ground covered with brown pine needles and empty beer bottles. The air was thick with the scent of pitch and the dull whine of insects. The five of them, Stone, Isaacs, the sheriff and two of his deputies barely fit into the open area once they trampled in, and one of the deputies, McLaren, the tall one, nearly toppled into a tree. He kicked a beer bottle into the brush in frustration as he righted himself, his mood dark. “Fucking kids,” he muttered. McLaren hadn’t been very welcoming since their arrival. Whether he was pissed that the Feds had taken over the investigation or the fact that the lead Fed was black, Isaacs wasn’t quite sure. She smacked a mosquito as it landed on her neck and turned toward the sheriff. She really fucking hated the South. The sheriff caught her eye and nodded toward the empty bottles and cans. “The lights are just an excuse,” he said, “the kids mostly just come out here to party.” “Who owns the land?” Isaacs asked. “The State,” he replied. “I don’t really have the resources to stop these kids. They’d just find somewhere else.” He pointed to the brush off to their left. “That’s where she was last seen,” he said. Isaacs took a look, turning on a flashlight and running it over the area. “We swept it good,” the younger deputy, Miller, said, clearly trying to be helpful. Isaacs gave him a small smile. “There’s probably not much to find. I’m sure you guys were thorough.” She turned back to the Sheriff. “You had dogs out?”

He nodded.

“For both girls. They couldn’t find anything here. The dogs at the Vincent girl’s house lost her scent about a quarter of a mile from home. We’ve just come up empty.”

“I’d like to talk to Vanessa Glassie’s parents right away if you don’t mind. Marcie’s too.” “I’ll take you over there in the morning, first thing.” She nodded. Stone spoke up then. “And the lights?” He said, indicating toward the water on their right. “This is where they were seen?” “This is where the picture that ran in the paper was taken,” said the Sheriff in the affirmative. He narrowed his eyes at Stone. “You really think the lights had something to do with this?” Stone shrugged. “You never know.” McLaren huffed out an audible sigh. “And the lights were reportedly seen the night the Vincent girl went missing last week?” Stone went on, ignoring him. “We had a few people call in,” the Sheriff said, pointing East. “Her family’s house is about a mile and a half that way.” “There anything else around here?” Isaacs followed up, “other than the road and the Vincent residence? Any businesses or facilities?” “None,” he said, “this is all State land until it hits the Vincent property and they’ve got about 500 acres.” Isaacs nodded. “Thanks for bringing us out.” XxXxXxXxX The next morning came too soon for Isaacs. After checking in with Agent Mulder, she and Stone had stayed out in the swamp for hours waiting to see lights. They’d bagged out at about 2am, with nothing to show for it but bug bites and pine sap on their ass. “This is my best suit,” Stone said dejectedly as he took another swipe at his backside and unlocked the door to his motel room. He came out of the same door at 7:00am with a pillow crease in his cheek, carrying a small cup of steaming coffee. They were dinky motel rooms, but at least each one had a coffee maker. Isaacs slid into the driver’s seat. “You get any sleep?” she asked him. “A little,” he replied, on a yawn. “And I’ll tell you, my enthusiasm for field work is rapidly waning.” Isaacs smiled at him.

They pulled up to the Glassie residence at the same time as the Sheriff and were quickly ushered inside. Mrs. Glassie was short with frizzy black hair. She was pale and when she asked them to please sit, her smile was hollow. Her clothes hung off her loosely, like she’d lost a lot of weight. Mr. Glassie was of medium height and build, and quiet – he wouldn’t meet their eyes. Isaacs decided to just jump right into the questions. “Had Vanessa been acting strangely before she disappeared? Talking about any new friends or activities?” “We’ve already told the Sheriff everything we can think of,” Mrs. Glassie said. “And tell them too, if you don’t mind, Doris,” the Sheriff said, “they’re here to help.” “Nothing like that,” Mrs. Glassie said to Isaacs. “She’s a good girl.” “Did she have a job?”

“She wanted to, but I told her school was her job now, that she could get one next summer.” “How about a boyfriend?” On that, Mr. and Mrs. Glassie shared a look. “No,” Mr. Glassie said, short. Something about that was off, and Isaacs decided not to reply, to see if they filled in the silence themselves. It only took about ten seconds for Mrs. Glassie to jump in. “She wasn’t supposed to,” she said, “she’s only 15.” “But she did anyway?” “No,” again, from Mr. Glassie. “Bill,” from his wife. “He’s not good enough for her.” Ah. So there was a boyfriend. “What’s his name?” Isaacs asked quietly. “Martin Dubois,” said Mrs. Glassie. “We talked to him,” the Sheriff said then, “he didn’t give us much, but he seems like a good kid.” “He’s a goddamn dropout!” Mr. Glassie practically shouted. Stone cut in then. “Mr. Glassie, did Vanessa have a computer?” The question seemed to shake him out of it. “Yes,” he said, with a touch of pride, “a good one.” “Mind if I take a look?” “We didn’t find anything on it,” the Sheriff said. “Just covering all our bases,” Stone said with a smile. Mr. Glassie led him upstairs. Mrs. Glassie looked to Isaacs. “The neighbors are all saying it was fi follet,” she said, on a sniff, “isn’t that silly?” “Will you show me her room?” Isaacs said, not wanting to answer. Mrs. Glassie led her up the staircase and into a bright green room. It was covered with posters. Boys, soccer, Dave Matthews Band. Stone was sitting at her computer, typing, Mr. Glassie hovering nearby. There was a phone on the bedside table, one of the clear ones that showed the working parts inside. Isaacs pointed to the phone and looked at Mr. Glassie. “Does she have her own line?” “No,” he said, “she kept asking for one though.” Isaacs looked to Stone, then addressed Mrs. Glassie. “Do you mind giving us a few minutes?” Mrs. Glassie turned to leave, then looked to her husband, who didn’t budge. “Bill?” They both slowly shuffled out. Isaacs came up behind Stone. “Anything?” she asked, leaning over his shoulder. “Not yet,” he said, “Nothing on AIM or ICQ. No email or anything like that. But,” he said, continuing to type as he spoke, “her history did get wiped the afternoon before she went missing.” “Think you can recover it?” Stone looked at her. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” he said. She snorted a short laugh. About 90 seconds later, he leaned back and pointed to the screen. “There we go,” he said. “’DuBoy’ to ‘SoccerStar22’ in an unlinked chat room. Check it out.”

Isaacs leaned in. “I’ll be damned.”

[thisnerdsadventures]

the last two weeks

Just two weeks ago, my friends and I went out to Yamato’s for the first time. 

It was sponsored by our dorm, so we racked up a nearly $1000 bill. We had a great time, but the end of our brunch came, and a few of us took a walk to the common for a Bernie rally, and the others went to the BPL to study. Afterwards, we all wound back on campus, and went about our Saturday doing the usual psetting. The current source of stress was the cup of grapes situation that spiraled wildly out of control, but in hindsight, it seems so inconsequential now. Eleven days ago, my friend and I went to Harvard for the day to decompress from everything. It was a beautiful day - the sun was out, we were wearing our light jackets. We went for ramen for lunch, shopped at a shoe store, and searched hopelessly for hand sanitizer. I had promised to work on my UROP but felt I deserved a day off, as I had been working tirelessly for a while. We walked around, taking it all in, I talked about how I was excited for our dinner on Friday and going to Michigan later in April for a conference. It looked like things might get better. The next day, the rumbling started. Harvard sent an email forbidding international travel. We had heard of the situation intensifying in Italy, but we were still nervously waiting to see what would happen. There were crisis-related rumblings on top of the usual school stress and all the things that had not gone well this semester, and just like that, the next day, MIT took it a step further and cancelled all large major events and banned international travel.

This was the first shock. Just earlier that day, I argued with my friend about her decision to back out of our spring break Spain trip due to coronavirus concerns. But now, five hours later, I sat on the ground in my friend's room as the shock passed over me. Every group chat was nonstop. What about CPW? What about Senior Ball? What about Springfest? Our spring break plans were definitely in the gutter now. Every question sent chills and dread down my spine. I heard someone ask whether commencement would still happen, and I cracked, not being able to face this eventuality that I prayed wouldn't happen. The rest of the day was gone, lost to the questions and stress and emails that ensued from this notification. But there were still personal conflicts. Personal problems, academic stress bubbling up to the surface for weeks, and it was coming to a head. Our dinner just over a week ago nearly didn't happen, but luckily a few of us still went to Harvard for a wonderful time. Our conversations surrounded how Harvard followed our footsteps just a day later on cancelling major events and how changes were so drastic. We contemplated whether the policy would be extended and whether our summer plans would be affected, but decided that that was too far in the future to worry about. So we ran across Harvard in the 30 degree night, snow falling from the sky, enjoying our time, not knowing what was to come. I spent what would be the last weekend preparing for a case. I prepped nonstop and thought I did really well on it in class, just this past Monday. It was a beautiful Monday, we biked to Panda Express with nothing but light jackets and we wished that every day could be like that, feeling like summer had come early in Boston. The situation outside was worsening, and we were watching closely to see what would happen. My friends from LA were trying to convince me to go to San Diego with them for a couple days now that my Spain trip was definitely cancelled. Over Twitter, we found out Princeton closed first, demanding it's undergraduates not come back from break, but i went to bed that Monday early, to prepare for a full day of research to come Tuesday, as my Tuesdays usually go, unblocked to make progress on my research. When I woke up Tuesday, there was something wrong. I knew from the blast of notifications from every group chat on every social media account I owned. My Harvard chat was 100+ messages deep by 9:30am from their closure and eviction of undergraduate students. I sat up immediately in bed and opened the other group chats, trembling. Another group of my friends were already organizing storage and coordinating travel ideas in the case that we would also be following suit after Harvard. 

I dashed to my computer to access all the other texts and call my dad, who was still awake in Taiwan. He told me to calm down and to wait. But just 30 minutes later, a screenshot leaked, confirming our worst fears - we would also be leaving campus in just a week, moving out for the semester. all classes would be online. My stomach dropped. In my attendance-based class, 2/3 of the class was present, and most were on their phone, checking for updates. We all anxiously waited the rumored 1pm email that would make it official. Everyone knew at this point, and seniors were feeling it all now, the shock, the grief, the celebration already of 4 years on campus. My friends and I cracked open a bottle of wine and took pictures on Killian with the hundreds of other students partying until 5pm. At 5pm though, the email released. It was official. All undergraduates were to move out in a week.

My floor exploded - flights frantically booked. What about storage? I called my mom and she was on it - Sunday afternoon flight booked, same one as my friend. And there was nothing to do except stare out the window of my friends room into the Boston skyline and finish off my wine bottle. And like many of my graduating peers, I realized that my senior year was done, and that I had not even a week to say goodbye to my home and to my friends. I started sobbing, nonstop. I hadn't cried like this since high school. My head of house started up a video call to the whole dorm, and hearing them talk logistics made me cry harder, and when I thought I stopped, I checked my phone and found an email from my professor berating the administration and acknowledging our irreplaceable loss. I cried again, harder. would commencement happen? Even if it did, my dad wouldn't be able to fly into the country. I continued to sob at the thought. After two hours, I eventually found my way to my friends bed where I fell asleep next to her until dinner, and with my eyes no longer swollen from tears, I wandered down to the dining hall with them. We saw other seniors, who had also been crying, judging from the redness in their eyes and cracks in their voices. The pain felt numb for me at this point. My friends stuck around for a bit, and we played some video games. No one on the floor was working, as we all had too much going on in our heads. The house team worked tirelessly to organize storage, and few of us slept that night. We stayed up chatting in the lobby about our families and going home and afterwards lied in our beds, sleepless, staring at the ceiling. The next day, I had just one class to go to, as large classes had been cancelled already. The campus was buzzing with yesterday's events. And in that class, we said our parting goodbyes, and many of us teared up yet again. But we laughed so hard too in that class, as we shared stories from our case just two days ago and for a moment, we forgot our pain. We took a class photo before we parted ways. After class, we lined up for an hour, each and every student, to personally thank our professor. 

My senior friends and I shared many meals together, and we parted, saying we'd see each other once again before we left. I watched my best friend take her swim test and watched as giant friend groups of other seniors came and cheered on their friends, fulfilling their last graduation requirement. To watch everyone support each other in these trying times brought warmth to my heart. I went home and ate dinner with my floor family, as we sat on the windowsills and drank boba and ate grilled cheeses. I was exhausted though, so I planned to go to bed at midnight, but I received a message from my best friend - she no longer was leaving on Monday, she was leaving in just eight hours.

I ran to maseeh and helped her pack until 5am. We packed up her curtains and I held her as she cried because she thought her parents were going to help her pack up her last year, just as they helped her screw in her curtains at the beginning of the year. I helped her store her stuff in the student center and we threw out bounties of trash and food. After I left, I knew with a sinking feeling that I wouldn't see her again for a while. And she cried a few more times and left early Thursday morning. When I woke up, she was gone. So I started cleaning and packing. The first boxes arrived in the green living room. In cleaning out my room, I found stuff from my first days of freshman year, my 8.02 exams, my chemistry notes, old electronics projects hidden away in boxes. And it was finally the end of my road, and so it was time to say goodbye to them. I spent so long mindlessly throwing stuff out, I had forgotten to leave McCormick until I finally went down to the lobby to hang out. And I hung out there for two hours, talking to everyone and anyone. I did a boba order for the ballerz, and my floor did yet another free dinner, so we once again ate together, laughing over the copious amount of free food on the kitchen table. Five or six of us returned to chatting and laughing about studying at home with family around in someone's room. A friend of mine invited us over to play Smash at BC, so we went and played a couple rounds. We returned to slowly packing until 11pm.

Things had been looking ok, as my dorm had dropped large amounts of money in buying everyone nice food. But when everyone received the emergency message from MIT telling us to leave by Sunday instead of Tuesday on Thursday night, the dorm exploded. Group chats started going off endlessly, with rumors of students already being sick or being quarantined on campus. I ran to my friends room, where she was already on the phone with her family, rebooking her flight for Saturday. "Just two days?" I thought to myself. "Not even two days I have left now with her and everyone and this home." She hung up the phone and started spilling rumors of Boston Logan closing on Monday. I melted to the floor, having a full panic attack. The dorm’s chat, another dorm’s chat, and every friend group chat started inciting even more fear and panic with each additional rumor. My ears were buzzing and my vision was blurring as I continued sitting on the floor. GRAs were woken up and started doing rounds on each floor, even though it was well past midnight at this point, to check on all the residents, many of whom were gathered in clusters around the floor. I went downstairs to talk to my GRA when I received a text from my friend. Chills ran down my back - "California might shut down within 24-48 hours." I did the math. The flight I rescheduled to just an hour ago was in 45 hours on Saturday afternoon. I felt another panic attack creeping up on me, so I ran off to talk to my friend. I went back up to my floor, where people were still yelling in the kitchen. She was off to the side, frantically still talking on the phone. Once I had calmed down a bit, I pulled her aside and told her about these messages, and she confirmed them in another group chat, showing me essentially a screenshot of a screenshot of a message in an unnamed group hat. Speechless, I stood in the hallway with her facing me. I guess she didn't know what else to do but hug me and reassure me it would be ok, because we had hit the point of simply not knowing what to do but say "I'm so sorry" to each other, as if it would ease the pain. I stayed up till 4:30am packing. My other friend called me, imploring me to change my flight to Friday, just 12 hours from then. I asked her bluntly, acknowledging my lack of family around the country - "if I can't go home, where am I supposed to go?" She promised I could stay with her in Texas and I stared back in disbelief, that we would reach this point of possibility that we would have no place to go, but that people would be so nice to open their homes to others who simply had no other place to go. I stared at my hopelessly unpacked room, the half consumed cider on the desk, and my sheer exhaustion, which had been kept awake by adrenaline. I called my mom again, who I'm sure was also was sleepless and asked whether our neighbor had also changed her flight. She said she didn't know whether they were able to change it. The next morning, two people woke me up two different times. Early in the morning, I fought for laundry machines and finished up most of my packing. That afternoon, I hung out in the lobby with my friends again and screamed out the window on a beautiful day as we blasted BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY into the courtyard. My dorm had a senior sendoff, complete with a senior gift and confetti, and a walk to Pomp and Circumstance, which was touching, considering we might not get commencement at the end of the year. But having everyone there to celebrate our little community and watch us walk to receive our fake diplomas and take senior pictures meant a lot to me.

Shortly after, I went up to the penthouse to watch the sunset for the last time. I had watched so many sunsets on top of that rooftop, as it was my goto spot when things went wrong. And things had never quite gone so wrong as this time. I looked at Fenway, where I went to my first Red Sox game, and Prudential, where my favorite gelato place is, and over to the right where BU is, where my friends and I run along the Esplanade. Every building, I could pin a memory. I watched the cars run down the bridge, where my friend and I pulled an all-nighter and watched the most beautiful sunrise. I watched the river slowly churn along and thought about how much I would miss seeing this every day. To think that just two weeks ago we had been yelling at each other about taking grapes out of the dining hall, that we were angry at each other for doing A or not doing B or saying C, all these problems were so inconsequential now. When you have just a few days left with the people you love, you remember that being around them and laughing and smiling with them is the most important thing, bottom line. I wrote letters to my friends to thank them for being them and sealed them into envelopes for the next day, and returned downstairs to store my stuff in the storage pod and eat dinner. Afterwards, we lied on our bare mattresses and laughed until 2am. My friend returned from maseeh also late that night, her eyes red from saying goodbye to her senior friends. I said good night and see you tomorrow, for what would be the last time for a while. That last morning, I said goodbye to so many people. It didn't really feel like goodbye, or maybe it hasn't set in yet. I watched my first friend leave in her Uber, and I hung out with my other friend until she left just an hour before me. And then it was my turn to leave, as I said goodbye to all the GRAs and my area director, promising I'd be back. And I took that one last walk out the front door. Halfway down the driveway, I took one last look back at the building I called home for four years, a place that had changed so much since I entered it four years ago, but has also changed me so much too. I thought about where I met my friends for the first time, the midnight piano in the GLR, the many nights spent talking until late night in 4 and 5 west. But the car was waiting, so I turned back to my ride to the airport, and I gave my friend one last hug and watched her wave as I drove away, down Memorial Drive, one last time.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS & STUDIES - APRIL 2019

Welcome to CindyLouWho2′s periodic roundup of news, tutorials and studies from the world of ecommerce, content marketing & social media. This is my first time posting this news here on my new Tumblr account, so please let me know how the format is working out; I want to make it as readable as possible. I am working on making the links a little more obvious; I may have to change templates to do that. 

Sorry it is so long this time. I am working on getting it back down to a post once every 10 days at most, but it might take me til May to get back on track. 

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES

Google core algorithm update started March 12; early winners & losers here and here, among other info about the update.

Also, Google accidentally de-indexed some pages last week, & they are still working on fixing it.

Etsy phone support finally available to everyone (if you speak English, of course).

Amazon no longer requires Marketplace sellers to keep their prices elsewhere the same or higher as on Amazon.

Worldpay, one of Etsy’s payment providers, sold to FIS for $35 billion.  (Etsy also uses Ayden for some of their payment processing.)  

TOP ETSY NEWS

Last week, Etsy sent emails to non-US sellers, telling them that their refunds for the overcharging that has been going on since October 2018 will be issued by the end of the day, June 30th (or earlier). It doesn’t mention when they will stop overcharging, though. 

Etsy held Investor Day on March . You can view the slides that went along with the presentations, and there is a short summary of the search info discussed here. CEO Josh Silverman then did an interview with CNBC (video only), which is summarized here. 

There was an Etsy podcast on search questions (links to recording, and transcription), but it didn’t have any new info. 

They’ve also released their spring & summer trends report, with a podcast & transcript, as well as a lengthy pdf file with keyword data (I will be summarizing that separately). 

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

Rand Fishkin (founder of Moz) is doing a series of 10-minute Whiteboard Friday presentations on learning SEO basics, with both video & transcripts included in the links.  Remember, some of these things do not apply to Etsy shops, but can apply to your website, depending on the coding.

Part 1, SEO strategy;  It assumes some knowledge of marketing terms, but the SEO part is definitely intro-level

Part 2, keyword research.  Long tail: “20% of all searches that Google receives each day they have never seen before.”

Part 3: satisfy searcher needs. 

Part 4:  optimizing through keywords & other elements.

And Moz’s Beginners Guide to SEO is finally fully updated. (Some parts are more technical, so stick to the on-page stuff if you are really new to this.) 

Chrome now offering the ability to select privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo as your browser default. This should increase DDG’s slice of traffic if Google continues this.

Google released its Webspam report for 2018. 

Hmm, wonder why I would come across SEO tips for Tumblr this edition?  🤔

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA 

(includes blogging & emails)

19 call-to-action phrases you should be using on social media (infographic)

10 tips for more clicks on your social media posts

US social media expansion has plateaued, but podcasts’ popularity continues to grow. 23% of US homes have a “smart speaker” (Alexa etc.); 56% have a tablet. Smartphone ownership has also levelled off. 

Related - most Americans dislike/do not trust social media.

3 tips for great social media content (infographic), & 4 more tips for writing social media posts.

Email marketing stats that show its impact. If you don’t already have an email list, it is time to start one. After all these years, it still works!

Instagram beta-testing checkout within the app; US brands only for the moment.

Facebook was storing your passwords in plain text & many employees had access.  “My Facebook insider said access logs showed some 2,000 engineers or developers made approximately nine million internal queries for data elements that contained plain text user passwords.”

Did you know you can remove your last name from your public Facebook profile? (Plus 12 other Facebook facts & tricks)

Create great pins on Pinterest.

Pinterest files for IPO; admits that Google changes last year hurt it. 

Backgrounder on short video sharing site TikTok.

Twitter Analytics has an events page that tips you off to annual events you may want to tweet about/around, under the Events tab in your Analytics.

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS)

Beginners’ guide to cost per click (CPC) ads - includes Google, Facebook, & Instagram.

Facebook & Instagram ad costs have rocketed since the site-wide outages on March 13.

Facebook’s advice on optimizing your Facebook ads.

Google fined by EU for blocking other ads. 

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING

Ecommerce reports in Google Analytics (for websites, not Etsy shops). 

5 Instagram analytics tips.

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS

Microsoft considers competing with Shopify.

eBay states it uses artificial intelligence (AI) pretty much everywhere on its site, as do most big sites.

eBay adds Google Pay as a payment option.

Half of US households will belong to Amazon Prime this year.  “Amazon Household, a program that allows different members of a single household, including teens, to have their own log-in for shopping and viewing of Prime content, was specifically cited by eMarketer as a factor driving adoption.”

Shopify is ending its MailChimp integration; interesting article here. “Mailchimp wrote a blog post stating that it asked Shopify to remove the Mailchimp integration from the Shopify marketplace. Mailchimp’s reasoning behind the move was due to the new term requiring partners to send back any data collected “on behalf of the merchant” back to Shopify. According to Joni Deus, director of partnerships at Mailchimp, that data (in Mailchimp’s eyes) doesn’t belong to Shopify.”

This is seen as a battle for data, a lot of which flows through APIs (APIs are how third party tools integrate with websites, like Etsy & label providers such as Shippo & Pirate Ship).

Square improves a bunch of ecommerce tools including social media integrations.  They bought Weebly a year ago, & are using that to make changes to Square Online Store and Square for Retail.

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

Tone is key to good customer service. I like the bit about answering apparently stupid questions - making the customer feel stupid (even if 99% of readers would agree the question was stupid) is usually not a good approach. But it can be hard to weed out negative tone. Other good quotes: “Directing the conversation away from the negative aspects and focusing instead on the proposed solution helps customers accept the situation and reduces the odds that they will be upset.” and “It almost doesn’t matter how good the news is; if it comes after “actually,” I feel like I was somehow wrong about something.”

Figuring out what motivates your customers.

Ecommerce customer service 101. 

MISCELLANEOUS (INCLUDING HUMOUR)

Facial recognition software is scraping the photos you post online to improve their software. “Despite IBM’s assurances that Flickr users can opt out of the database, NBC News discovered that it’s almost impossible to get photos removed. … There may, however, be legal recourse in some jurisdictions thanks to the rise of privacy laws acknowledging the unique value of photos of people’s faces. Under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, photos are considered “sensitive personal information” if they are used to confirm an individual’s identity. Residents of Europe who don’t want their data included can ask IBM to delete it. If IBM doesn’t comply, they can complain to their country’s data protection authority, which, if the particular photos fall under the definition of “sensitive personal information,” can levy fines against companies that violate the law.

In the U.S., some states have laws that could be relevant. Under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, for example, it can be a violation to capture, store and share biometric information without a person’s written consent. According to the act, biometric information includes fingerprints, iris scans and face geometry.”

Cookie warnings are getting really complicated in some jurisdictions. 

Microsoft killed Clippy again.

American drunk shopping continues to increase.

Posted April 8, 2019. 

[joannessims3]

Cole • 4th of July inspired Sim ✨🇺🇸

Hello everyone 🤍

It's been long since I left my last post here. Last post was Valentine's Day 2022. Then university took over, and a large project to go. Very large indeed, which was submitted two days before the deadline. It was extended for some weeks. This benefitted me.

Playing both Sims 3 and 4, trying to keep up with both, I'm getting more and more creative each day. On the second one, on Friday noon, I received my second Maxis fave. After learning and learning and still learning, much more to learn, I was waiting a year and six months to receive one. This made me more than excited and happy, always on the run to respond to all comments. I no longer care about negativity and irrelevance. I try to avoid it or reply to them in a nice way.

...Since this little explanation is Sims 4 related, I'm either trying to post Sims 3 stuff or keep up with both games, mention one of them... uh never mind.

When it comes to 4th of July, I never forget my Tumblr showcase. OF COURSE would I not prepare my readers for this special day? OF COURSE I've kept you all in mind. But this year, instead of the usual "female sim creations" I used to do, I've tried out something different. It WAS hard to make, you get me used on this, it's my kind, a habit I'm used to for years, whenever I create.

This year, this time, I made a male sim and the result turned out satisfying.

---

Name: Cole Butcher Age: Young Adult Traits: Genius - Friendly - Brave - Light Sleeper - Can't Stand Art Lifetime Wish: Super Popular Zodiac Sign: Virgo Favorites: Country - Cookies - Red Occult Type: Wizard

---

---

#1: I oughta say I updated my drivers. Did change my quality and pics appear more realistic and crisp, in comparison to 1 year ago. (full HQ)

#2: He looks really handsome and yes, I had so much fun while creating him.. watching the news as usual. I'm such an obsessed news fanatic since forever. So yeah.

#3: He turned out really hot since male hairstyles and clothes are really hard to pick.

#4: He is the second male individual sim to be posted on my Tumblr (first one being Theodore L. on 12/24/2020).

Couples are a different category.

---

Enjoy him, but please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeease do not re-upload him or redistribute him under your own name (or claim as your own creation). Since it took me quite long to create him, assign his style and traits, please show respect on my work and be civil. In case you’re interested, I will upload the folder (or his household file individually) so you could be able to get him into your game.

• Date Created: July 4th, 2022 (a few hours ago)

[immagettinmyshittogether]

Worthwhile distractions

So I’ve been having a little trouble keeping up with some shit lately. A couple weeks ago I got hit with a MASSIVE cold/flu/something. So my diet went out the window in favor of chicken noodle soup and spicy food to clear my sinuses and whatever the heck comfort food I needed to get through the day. Considering how sick I was, honestly, I suspect that my body was burning more calories than normal anyway just to fight it off. And I don’t seem to have gained or lost much weight in the last few weeks, so I think my hypothesis is probably pretty close to true. But I was so sick that I honestly couldn’t think straight for several days. Of course, the days that I was the most sick were Friday through Sunday. So I didn’t miss any work. I just spend the entire next week sniffling and taking dayquil.

Needless to say, for the second time, I missed a writing deadline. My writing income has dropped considerably (which thanks to the two month delay in Amazon sales, I won’t notice until the end of January). Partly because of missed deadlines, I’m sure, but also partly because I think the series I’ve been working on just doesn’t have as big an audience as I thought it would. I was trying to shift from straight up smut to smutty romantic smut. It appears that for short-term and short story/serial publishing, the lowest common denominator might be a better thing to aim for. My sales have been practically nil, and my Kindle Unlimited reads have been a little below average. I haven’t had the heart to check my book rankings, but I know they’re lower than they were the last few months.

Author’s note/edit after posting - I realized that I hadn’t updated anything about last month’s sales. Last month jumped up to over 150. It was on target to hit 200 until Thanksgiving came around and I missed my first deadline.... then it kind of hit a stasis that week, and I basically didn’t earn hardly anything for the entire last week of the month. Still, I’m afraid to look at my current projected monthly income based on what I’ve made so far this month. It ain’t gonna be pretty.)

Then the shit kind of hit the fan at work. I work on a college campus, so these last few weeks of the semester are just kind of a run-up to the end. Always busier than usual, often with higher stakes in order to make sure shit gets done in time. So the next week after being sick has been one of the busiest and most stressful weeks of the semester. I’ll explain the details under the ‘keep reading’ line if you’re curious.

I did manage to get the story out late. So I still managed to publish once my brain was functioning. Unfortunately, I’m finding that at the moment, my usual after-day-job home environment isn’t really conducive to my current writing. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m writing smut, and I have trouble focusing on that with my spouse in the room. Or, more likely, it’s because my spouse has ADD and needs constant background things going on, like youtube videos or something, in order to concentrate. Whereas I don’t, and those things are distractions for me.

I’m wondering if I should just wrap up the various series that I have going now and call this experiment in writing a minimum of a short a week what is was: an experiment. But with winter vacation coming up for me, I will have the chance to sit at home and write without distraction for a few weeks. So I’ll at least try to catch up on my work then and get a good backlog to keep posting.

The pen name I was using for this smut is not one I ever planning on using to make a living. I was just using it to force myself to write something out of my comfort zone, get some experience writing on a long-term repeated deadline, and get a feel for online publishing.

I have learned a bit about serial publishing. And I’m starting to understand why all the old classic serial publishers tried to make things as salacious as they did. In the fast-paced world of publishing, the most important thing is just to grab people’s attention. After that you can worry about quality.

I also had another pen name that focused more on the romance side of things rather than the smut side of things... but that’s an entirely different market, and it generally requires a longer time investment and longer stories. And when all I can do at the moment while I’ve got my day job is about 5k words per week, the smut seemed to be the better option to focus on.

So this winter break might be a turnaround. A chance to try something else. Or a chance to at least finish up my work on one pen name.

But back to the now. this week, since the series I was working on was doing so badly, I decided to put it on hiatus and go back to one that I’d wrapped up the first arc and put on hiatus. The one that had caused my numbers to kinda explode last month. I had an idea for a nice little intro story that was not only holiday-themed, but would be able to stand alone months from now, and would work as a good introduction to the second arc. So I started churning along. I had a lot of stuff to do around the house to start getting ready for the holidays, but my spouse was going to be out of the house for about five hours on Saturday, so I decided to pace myself. Get half of it written Friday, half Saturday. And I was on track. I was about 3.8k words in on the  ≈5k story. And I’d already found a suitable image to photomanip into a decent cover for publishing. (Something that often takes a while, sorting through image sites, finding something that fits what I need, but doesn’t run afoul of Amazon’s fear of butts on cover art. Just once, I want to find a picture of a sexy model who would look good on a smutty book cover who’s wearing regular underwear, and not a nigh-invisible thong. The problems of a smut writer.)

And then I got a message from a friend in need. I won’t go into too much detail, but it is someone who had just lost their job, suffers from severe anxiety and depression, and even if the big S word that so often goes along with situations like that hadn’t come up, I still would have done the same thing. I had pants on, brushed my teeth, and ran out the door in record time. (Even if said friend could afford a car, the anxiety issues are bad enough to make driving unhealthy and unsafe) And my spouse got home right around the same time we got back to our house. So we spent the night helping a friend in need. Needless to say, I really don’t feel too bad about missing the third deadline. Some shit is more important. My spouse and I may be super introverts who are terrible at most socialization related things... but even if we’re crap at helping a friend in need, we’re still going to try.

Right now, my spouse and I aren’t in the best place financially. I’m not in the best place health-wise. But I’m still working at it. I’m still getting my shit together. And as I was just reminded on Saturday, I’m not the only one. For everybody out there... if you have too much shit to handle, call a friend. Somebody. Anybody. As I mentioned, my spouse and I are NOT great at being sociable and helping people. We’re actually pretty terrible at keeping in touch. We hadn’t talked to this friend in a few months. But even we were able to help, just by being there and hanging out with someone who wasn’t safe to be alone.

Sometimes we can’t keep our shit together. And that’s nothing to be ashamed about. Sometimes all we can do is try to keep afloat and look for something to hold onto. And sometimes, we can be that something to hold onto for someone else.

... I still have a lot of shit to get done this week, though. After two weeks of neglect when I should have been preparing for holiday visitor (I was hoping for visitors plural, but c’est la guerre. Siblings are all on various coasts, and we can’t always find a way to get together. Especially since only two of the five of my generation can really AFFORD to travel), my house is a MESS. And I still have that story to finish.

Day job explanation time. My official job title on campus is ‘proctor’. Basically, it means two things: I administer makeup and online tests in my office/testing lab, and I keep copies of certain paper tests for a few departments on the smaller satellite campus where I work. There are two main departments that I mostly proctor tests for, one uses the computers in my lab, so all I have to do is check students in. But the other uses paper tests, and I proctor makeups for that department as well as provide the paper tests for the teachers to use in their class.

Unfortunately, the copier on my floor is showing signs of wear and tear. Once you get over about 50 pages in one sitting, it starts to overheat and jam. So this year, they decided to limit the number of pages per copy job to 50. And with good reason. Unfortunately for me, I need to copy rather large batches of tests. And I can’t go to the other copier several floors down, because 1) I can’t leave my lab for more than a few minutes at a time, in case a student comes by with a narrow time window before their next class to take a test, and 2) I’m only scheduled/paid/officially on duty during the lab hours, so I can’t stay late or come in early to do copies.

Needless to say, my first thought was to see if I could just send my print jobs off to the print shop on campus and have them do them all and deliver them. Unfortunately, I need a digital copy to send to them for that. And in spite of the fact that I requested this at the beginning of the semester... all I’ve gotten from that department are the practice tests, not the actual tests. And of course, the practice tests are small enough that I can copy those just fine.

So I’ve been breaking the rules and doing batches of 60-75 pages whenever I can. But that’s still only 15 copies at a time, and I need something like 400 copies of each test. And the copier is occasionally down for a day or so when something breaks and they have to wait to get the part to fix it. And Murphy’s law seems to be in full force, because when I need to refill my inventory, it’s always fine on the days that I have a steady stream of students in my lab, and down the days that I have a trickle and therefore plenty of time with no students so I can close up the lab for five minutes.

The finals, of course, are 8-10 pages each, depending on the class. Which means that I can literally only do 5 copies at a time if I follow the rules. And there’s a hard deadline as to when I need to make sure that I have enough for every teacher. That deadline, of course, being after the last few weeks of classes, when students realize that they REALLY need to get in to take that makeup test and raise their grade before it’s too late.

Thankfully, the department actually got around to sending me a digital version of the finals. So I sent those off to the print shop, several weeks ahead of the due date, and I set the deliver due date as last Thursday at the latest, since I don’t work Friday, and I knew some teachers were letting students who couldn’t be there for the final take their test on Thursday or Friday before finals week. I gave them explicit instructions to deliver it to my lab, warned them that the lab is locked for test security reasons while I’m not there, told them where to get the key, and asked them to email me if, for any reason, they couldn’t deliver the tests.

I got to my lab in the morning to find... no delivery. I checked the support ticket. It said that they were finished 9 days ago... but neither one actually had a digital signature of who finished it. That day just so happened to also be the busiest test day of the semester. The department that uses computer tests in my lab had a final due date for the last chapter that day, so every semester that is always my busiest day. So as soon as I was relieved for my fifteen minute break, instead of taking my break, I ran downstairs to see if perhaps they simply didn’t read the delivery instructions and left the tests in the (thankfully locked) employee mailroom. (Which, coincidentally, is where the good copier is. This will be important later.)

So when I got back from break, the first thing I did was look up how to contact the print shop. Other than submitting a print request... there was nothing. I could look up the employees and email them, but there was no formal support ticket. Only a print request ticket. So I emailed the supervisor of the department.

An hour later, I finally had a moment with no students in the room, so I could make a phone call without worrying about disturbing people testing. So I called the print department. It rang four times... and went to voice mail.

I waited a minute, tried again, just to see if I got unlucky and just missed someone. Still voicemail. So, even though I hate using the phone because that means they’ll call me back instead of emailing, and I can’t really talk when there are students testing, I left a message.

By the end of my shift... still nothing. Nothing at all. And I knew that at least one teacher needed a few copies BY THE NEXT MORNING because he had students who couldn’t be there during finals week. And, just to add insult to injury, because of the holiday coming up, we had to submit our time sheet early this week. So I had no way to report extra time spent staying late to deal with this issue. But the teachers all depend on me, so I printed out  a copy of each of the tests, and I was in the middle of composing an email to let the teachers know that I would drop off an unstapled copy and a copy of the answer key in their mailboxes, so that if they desperately needed it, at least they could use the copier right next to their mailbox to make as many as they need for class.

While I was doing that... the phone rang. It was the print shop. Apparently they had finished my print job early, and set it aside and forgotten about it. It was just sitting in a corner of the room, on the main campus several miles away from the satellite campus. She apologized for forgetting about it, said that it was loaded in the delivery vehicle trunk, and as soon as the delivery person got there the next morning he would head over.

Since I didn’t know when he would actually get there, and when teachers would start needing the tests, that still didn’t change much for me. I thanked her for getting back to me, told her that if that should be fine, and just amended the email I was sending out to let them know that the tests SHOULD be there by the morning. But just in case, I was still going to drop off the unstapled copies. (Plus two stapled ones for the teacher who mentioned needing a couple by Friday morning) I’m still not sure how I can report the extra 37 minutes of overtime I had to spend doing that, since the time sheets are already in... and I can’t just add it to next week, because I won’t be working next week.

But I got to work today and... the tests were here. And things have been slow enough that I’ve been able to write this huge freaking post with only a few interruptions here and there. (Okay, now that I’m done helping someone, interruptions here, there, and the one while I was trying to hit post.)

[canaryatlaw]

okay, well today was fine overall. Up at 8:45 for court, I was a little concerned about juggling two cases in two courtrooms both set for 9 am, because I was stupid enough to put myself in that position, but things ended up working out, though in the opposite direction that I thought- I thought I could get the just me case done quickly and then go to the one with other parties present, but that one ended up pretty close to the front of the court call, so I told the coordinator at the other room to just stick me in a breakout room and I’d let them know when I’m good to go, so that worked out. I have multiple cases right now (one this morning and one I have up tomorrow) where the other side is filing a domestic relations (divorce, custody, etc.) case, which means the OP case gets consolidated with it, and I can no longer be their lawyer, and it’s been super fucking frustrating because apparently divorces are on the rise right now (can’t imagine why!!) and trying to find clients other legal aid counsel is getting increasingly difficult. the one I have up tomorrow I really did not want to lose (I’ll spare you the details, but it involves a young child and it’s BAD) and I had expressed as much to my boss, and it sounded like our family law department could jump on the case, which would mean I could probably stay on for the OP part of the case, so I sent the client an intake to fill out, but when I passed it on they basically just told me they weren’t taking anything and I just forwarded it to my boss like.....and she was confused about it because apparently they had spoken about keeping some cases going that were extreme, so she’s going to talk to them about it and see if we can work it out, but in the meantime the client should start looking for other potential divorce counsel (from legal aid, as she has no income and is living in a shelter right now), and since the cases are getting consolidated tomorrow it means I have to officially withdraw from the case, and I’m really just fucking mad about it, you guys know how I get revved up with cases involving kids and even though I haven’t been on it very long (probably about a month at this point) I feel very protective of the client being such a vulnerable position and assured her that I may have to tell the court I’m withdrawing, but I will not stop being her lawyer until we get another lawyer on the case, or our family law department is able to accept it. I’m just really irritated about the whole thing because this is not the first time it’s happened with a client I felt really attached to, and just having to give up the case without there being anything I can do about it is really fucking frustrating. And the client is super sweet and speaks some english, but when exchanging emails I’ve been putting them through google translate (she speaks “Amharic”) with the translated version on top and the english underneath it, and that usually helpful enough for her to be able to answer in english. It’s kind of fun, because they don’t use the same numerals we do, so it’s just totally different. but yeah, I have that going on tomorrow and I’m super pissed about it and just feel really bad because the last thing I want to do is to leave this poor woman with no lawyer in such a vulnerable situation and I’m totally committed to making sure that does not happen, even if some of that is not part of a traditional attorney role (as if I give a fuck). but anyway. that case today was fine and short, they’re going to file the DR case soon and hopefully find that client a DR lawyer too. ugh. then there was my other case with the judge who really likes me (hehe) but she’s caught up in this one thing she wants me to do to go to publication that isn’t normal so we got stuck up with that this morning which was frustrating but like I get it, she’s a new judge and I can’t expect her to memorize the entire statute right off the bat, and her intentions are good at least as far as wanting a default order to be enforced and not ignored because of lack of service (though I spoke with my boss after and it didn’t sound like this would even help that. so I have to figure out what to do there. after court I worked on the leftover clinic cases from yesterday, getting everything ready to be filed. Apparently the courthouse is in a somewhat chaotic situation because apparently one of the judges tested positive for covid, and possibly other staff members who worked in screening (meaning they see a LOT of people) as well, so like half of the staff is in quarantine and not at the courthouse, so I understand it’s pretty chaotic there at the moment. my own case did get processed pretty quickly though, it was a pretty strong case so I wasn’t really worried, and the hearing went fine, though at the end the judge asked if we could go back to using the short forms we switched over like last year to the updated ones that everyone else was also supposed to switch over to but hasn’t yet, and I had to awkwardly be like uhh that’s really not something I have any control of but she could speak with my boss I guess? I was running right into a staff meeting that started a few minutes before we finished up, and I did mention the judge’s comment, and apparently since we have a new clerk of court in cook county she’s apparently been pushing to use the new forms when the old clerk was pretty against doing so, so I think the new one is ruffling some feathers about it, but oh well. staff meeting was fine, once we finished I stayed on the line with my boss for our monthly check in which is kind of new and we had to reschedule like 5 times haha. the introductory stuff was kind of awkward and just some stuff that I feel like I didn’t entirely grasp but I think the jist of it is mostly just to ask for clarification if unsure of some things. but after that we spoke about case questions I had, which ended up being really helpful on a lot of cases going forward, so I was glad we had that taken care of. the rest of the afternoon was chill, at some point I was looking at fb and saw that the family that lives in the apartment below me, the dad had posted that his wife was pregnant with their fourth child, and she had gone into labor this morning two months early, and they lost the baby 2 hours after she was born. Obviously this is such a shock and trauma, and the dad had been one of the first people to reach out after I lost my dad, and I really appreciated it, so I messaged him saying how sorry I was and offered to bring them a meal, so I’m going to make them some broccoli mac and cheese (apparently their kids really like broccoli for some reason) for Friday night. He was saying how hard it was to just even get through the day, and I said if I had learned anything over the past year, it’s that God is truly near to the brokenhearted, and that I would be praying for them and pass it along to my family to pray as well. He’s a religious studies of some sort professor at one of the catholic colleges up here, and we’re always liking each other’s facebook posts about religion, which is nice. after that though and when I was finished with work  I had to go over to the hospital/med center at 5:30 for two MRIs the neurologist wanted me to get (even though we’re fairly sure it’s not really a physical issue), but at 5 the monsta x airbnb thing went live for tickets but there was like 20 of them for who knows how many fans were trying to get them (like, probably in the thousands), and I refreshed the page as soon as hit 5, but when it loaded a second later it was already sold out, so I don’t even know what to make of that. Oh well. After that I ubered over to the med center and received instructions to get to the right place, which was nice that I didn’t end up getting horribly lost or anything lol. Everything was pretty straightforward, they had a list of things you have to check off, and I had to check off that I have a metal plate in my wrist after breaking that in two places and it needing to be repaired, so I listed that, but it was the only thing. Not long afterwards they brought me back to the actual machine, of course my legs were being super shaky and uncooperative trying to get on the thing and the tech was getting concerned haha and I felt bad but oh well. the procedure was fine, just chilled out and tried to stay still, which I was able to do for the most part. after that I was free to leave, so I ubered back home at like 6:20, with our first small group meeting starting at 6:45, I was concerned I was going to be late if the doctors took too long, so I was glad I made it on time. It was a pretty good session, lots of laughs which was nice but also some very deep talk, going in I wasn’t totally sure if I would like it, but I actually do really like it so I’m excited to continue with that. the group is actually called “Swipe right for Jesus” which I really just think is too funny lol. after the group ended, I watched last week’s episode of Chicago Fire that I had missed as they didn’t have a new episode today, then watched the season premiere of The Resident, which was very enjoyable. once that was done I just switched over to the news for a bit and then Jimmy Kimmel, and decided to turn it off around 11 and start getting ready for bed, and now it’s of course just past 1:30 am because time doesn’t actually exist, but I do really need to get to sleep now, so I’m going to do that. Goodnight my friends. Hope your week is treating you well.

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

8 things finishing my 8th book taught me

*I wrote this post on the 16th of October, for the record!*

Hey People of Earth!

So just like in the post I wrote up in January when I finished my seventh novel, this is kind of nuts to say, and I didn't think I’d be writing this for another month, but uh.

I finished my eighth book.

jskwiclksalwkmevlqk

I’m going to quote past me in that particular post (which you can read HERE) because if this isn't scary accurate, I dunno what is:

So I kind of made a stupid, somewhat fleeting goal this past Friday, as I usually do. And that was to finish this book at all costs.

It doesn't *really* surprise me that that I finished my seventh novel, and then my eighth under the same parameters, lol. (Both were finished on Sunday nights too, I believe?)

I genuinely can’t believe this book is over. It’s been eight months of writing this novel (HA eight months for my eighth book) and I can say I’m genuinely so sad it’s over. I walked around today feeling like I lost an important part of myself which is really dramatic seeming as though I just finished the book, but I hope someone out there relates.

I started this book right after finishing my seventh novel (book four in this series), and I’ll be honest--I was so scared about writing this book. Book seven gave me a really hard time, and I almost thought I’d made a mistake in a) continuing this story and b) taking it in the direction I did. I couldn't evade fear when writing this novel. Starting it took me a while because it was so nerve-wracking to think it could be as much of a struggle as the last. I didn't want to fail because I knew if I did, I wouldn't be able to pull myself out of that rut, and then end up with an unfinished series.

Annnnnnd then I started my Doing the Write Thing updates, and all of that worry faded a bit. I started DtWT at a little under 10k words, and reached a little under 160k through that series. It kept me accountable. It excited me, and more than anything, motivated me. I know I mentioned this in DtWT #61, but thank you again for supporting that series so much, and for reading those posts. Genuinely, it means a lot to share my work with you, and to see my work improve as each post passes. I really don't know if I would’ve finished this novel without that series. It really kicked me into the gear of writing again, and gahhhh, thank you again.

FOSTERED #5 houses some of my best work, but most importantly, taught me so, so much, and so, here I bring to you, eight things finishing my eighth novel taught me.

1. I really care about writing.

This is my eighth book, and I can confidently say this is the only one in which I cared about the writing from start to finish. (Sounds strange, but I’ll explain.)While writing is a lot of things, at its core, writing is writing, and it took me eight books to really immerse myself in words and enjoy using them as tools to create something beautiful. I crave beautiful prose—a desire I didn’t really feel until writing this book. Making sentences read and sound like art is what I strive for now. 

From books 1-6, writing wasn't my top priority. Telling a story no matter the quality was my priority, and while that isn't wrong, I think working with that mindset for so long wasn't becoming enough for me. I needed to re-evaluate, and really focusing on the craft of writing, rather than storytelling was what I needed. Of course, writing also includes good storytelling, but I feel, looking back on it, that until halfway around book seven, I didn't even think about the writing. I didn't edit it all that much, and most importantly, didn't care about writing. I liked words, yeah, and enjoyed creating the random nice sentence here and there, but I didn't view it as something I could use to create art. Now, good writing means a lot to me, and while I don't think my writing is perfect, and could use improvement, I’m so happy with the improvement I’ve made and the love of actual writing I’ve procured start-to-finish through it. :)

2. Sometimes acceptance takes time.

Book four of this series (my seventh novel) took me a very, very long time to accept, and even after I’d written it, I wasn’t confident in the route I’d taken it. I still had the same worries when writing book five and it took a whole lot of crying to realize that I’m very proud of how these last two books turned out. I’m an emotional person, but don't often show my emotions, so it’s sort of funny looking back how much I cried when writing this book, HA. I had a lot of worries about this novel, and my anxiety was eating me alive every time I wrote it. That was my issue in the beginning, but I found, the more time went on in writing this book, the more I accepted it, and the more I grew to really love it. So, if you’re in a position like me, and you’re seriously not feeling your book, sometimes time is the best remedy.

3. Moments like these are the ones you need to cherish.

When I was writing the last paragraph or so of this book, I got really emotional (lol how do I say that without sounding melodramatic). I didn’t cry or anything, but it felt like I was losing something. It was bittersweet. I’ve never felt this way before when I’ve finished a novel. It’s honestly usually been me moving onto the next book the same day or the next day, or feeling content.

But this… was something else. It was letting go of something I loved so much. I learned through this book that every time you write your book is time you should cherish. It’s something you spend a chunk of your life on. Moments happen around your book, and your book is there with you to experience them. This book in particular holds such a strong place in my heart because it gave me--as cheesy as it sounds lol rip--some new hope.

I learned to love the book I write when I write it even if it’s a pain. To cherish my time with this book, and to take my time. It hurt to finish it, honestly, I guess it’s particularly angsty for me to say I feel this grief for something that hasn't left me. I’m so glad it’s done, but it was like closing the door to a chapter I didn’t want to end. It had to end in that spot, rightfully so, but I wanted to hang onto it for as long as I could. I genuinely appreciate every moment I had to write this book, looking back. And I’m so happy I learned so much through it.

4. Taking your time isn’t a bad thing.

This sort of bounces off that last one, but this is a lesson I learned the hard way. My average drafting time before I wrote my seventh book was 3 months. This book, as I mentioned, took me eight months, and before then, the longest it’d taken me to write a novel was six months, and that was the hardest book I’d ever written. A big issue I had when I was writing book four in this series was that I felt as if taking three months longer than my average to draft was a telling sign that I was struggling with the book. I can pretty much say writing this novel was a bit of a breeze (it had its moments, but overall), and taking my time helped in terms of quality. A disclaimer, the time it takes to write a book varies from writer to writer, so this is completely personal, but I feel like taking a little longer writing this book realllyyyyyyy amped it up in the prose department.

Not to roast past me, but yooooo my older books lacked a lottttttttt of literary merit, like where is the good writing cuz I see none, lol. Not to say this book is amazing and the writing is excellent, but I do see a substantial improvement from my older stuff. So yes, initially when I started writing this book I was keen on finishing it in three months and rushing it so I could just be done and write something else. But as time went on, I realized that there is no rush. Even though I constantly feel at rush in my life (for mental health reasons I don't want to get into now, but if you’re curious, let me know!), I learned to take it slow. Enjoy the writing process, and create something at the end of the day, regardless of how long it takes.

5. I’m growing up.

A common question I posed while writing this book to myself and to my sister was well where did all the fun times go? Books 1-3 in this story are pretty juvenile—more banter between characters, ‘missions’, and so on, but as I aged, I found those things dried up and turned into just straight melancholy? (lol) I don’t have many if any fun times in book five, not in the sense I defined fun times as at least in the past. This series has spanned five books, and three years of my life, so I’ve done a lot of growing up since writing the first one. Its message and morals have gone from super obvious to pretty ambiguous, and the lines of morality have been blurred quite a bit (which I enjoy incorporating into my writing now). Right and wrong aren’t as easily spotted (and tbh this book is totallllyyyyy not suited for a YA audience lol content is hella graphic but), and a lot of it is rooted in the darkest corners of the human mind. I don't know if 13-year-old me would’ve expected these books to wind up in this path, but 16-year-old me is cool with where it is. I left a lot of me in these books, and pretty much grew up with them. It’s strange to have captured so much growth of myself personally in these novels, but this is already something I've learned to cherish.

6. I might actually be a true Pantser (but we’ll see)

So if any of you have been following this blog since the good ol’ 2015 days, it’s common knowledge that I made it clear I was a Pantser. I pantsed everyyyythiiiiingggg. In recent years, I’ve decided to start outlining projects I plan on publishing (for the most part, excluding ALANNIS) just so I can see what I’m getting into before I start. The FOSTERED series, since it’s all personal stuff, isn’t going to be published. I pants these books, but occasionally, and I found this happened a lot more with book five, I’ll write up ‘scene screenplays’ which are basically just the bones of a scene.

OH did I find out that writing with a guideline does noooottttt work for me. I’m not going to say anything here is permanent, but I pretty much realized my writing with my outline VS without one is drastically different... I’m not actually happy about this discovery to be honest, as I've already started outlining a couple projects, and the struggle was so real when writing with an outline for this novel. I really do hope this is not the case, and was just subjective to this book, but yes, this was a major lesson I picked up on when writing this particular book (and I reallllllllyyyyyyyy hope this changes)!

7. I like writing really sad, dark things

This is sorta morbid, I’m sorry, but I’m really into writing all things dark and upsetting and overall, enjoy a darker tone in my writing. I noticed, if I had any ‘happier’ scene, it’d take me a little longer to write/I had more trouble writing it. Don’t know what that says about me, but as someone who is sort of naturally on the darker side (edgy af the edge is real), it makes sense that I do enjoy the not so pleasant sides of the mind, and life. Or, I’m just really angsty, and angst (poetic angst in this book, I’ll say) is all you need. Love is all you need more like angst is all you need.

*angst*

I don't think there’s anything particularly wrong with enjoying writing darker things, and I noted that I often struggle writing joy. Honestly this is just sad, lol. (But I mean look at my boi Edgar, he wrote lots of dark things and I mean that's my dude now speaking of Edgar, the epigraph of this novel [which I’m including, even if the others don’t because epigraphs are aesthetic goals] is an Edgar quote and Edgar is my bro.)

8. I love this book so much, and if I could go back and tell myself I would have when I started it, I would.

I worried a lot when I started this novel. I worried it would fail, that it would get nowhere, that it would end unfinished, that I’d taken it the wrong route, that it would take too long to write, that I wouldn’t enjoy what I was writing, that the plot was dumb, that I focused on the wrong things, that the first chapter wasn’t strong enough, and a whole other laundry list of worries pretty common between writers. I really would go back to my past self and tell her not to worry. To tell her that just because she wrote this book and said she wouldn't, doesn't mean the product would be shitty. I’m genuinely proud of this novel, and I don't know if I’ve said that in a long time. I’m happy I wrote it. Happy I poured eight months of my life into it, and most importantly, am happy it taught me so many valuable lessons. I’m happy I got to connect with you on another level through it, and happy I carried it with me through this stage of my life. It saw my hatred, and my worst moments, my great moments, my worry, and every other emotion I also tried to share on here. Books are books, but this one felt like a friend. I’m sad to lose my friend now, but I’m thankful for the time we spent together. This got all sappy again, but yes. Thank you, book. I will miss writing you, lol.

So that’s it for today’s post. I had a blast writing this. It’s always a nice reflective period to go back in time and really point out what exactly I learned through this journey. I think this novel shaped me a lot as a writer, and I’m happy to move into other projects without it, because I feel like I know a lot more than I did before. Thank you for being on this journey with me, and for reading through everything that happened in these last eight months. I truly appreciate everything you give me, and couldn't express my thanks enough.

Aaaaand before I leave, a mega thanks to my dudes who continuously supported this journey: @sarahkelsiwrites, @sssoto and @shaelinwrites for listening, encouraging, and teaching me so many things about writing.

See you in the next one. :)

--Rachel

[furederiko]

September 1st!!! And it's the first (of hopefully more) Random-News-Digest of the month...

Quick update before I start! Nope, my situation hasn't really improved since last time. Things are still going haywire and uncertain on my part. Which means I'm still not too sure if I will be able to post more frequently this month as well. But this is a NEW month, and I always want to start anything with a fresh and optimistic mind. So at the very least, I'm going to TRY to post more. Here's hoping... Also, expect this R-N-D to be more... 'Digest' than usual. After all, I actually decided to do this on a whimsy when I woke up this morning. You can expect things to be more shorter and compact this time around. So without further ado, let's start!!!

DC Films

The news in this category has been quite a shocker lately. Martin Scorsese wants to make a stand-alone "Joker" origin story without Jared Leto? And then there's that Leto and Margot Robbie's "Joker and Harley Quinn" movie, that is being fast-tracked to come following "Suicide Squad 2"? It's a new title that was first rumored to replace David Ayer's "Gotham City Sirens", though recent report suggests that all-female movie is STILL in development as well. To complicate matters, "Suicide Squad 2" already lost a potential director, and with Will Smith's busy schedule, it won't start production until late next year. Ouch!

Oh yeah, eventhough the movie won't arrive until April 5th, 2019, director David F. Sandberg teased that the most lighthearted DC Film movie "Shazam" will start production very soon. Yet we don't even know who's going to play Billy Batson, nor his grown-up version. While Matt Reeves is going back and forth his version of "The Batman", saying it's not part of the DCEU, and then it IS. Please make up your mind! Jon Spaihts was rumored to be re-writing "Justice League Dark", though said rumor has been cleared out by The Wrap. The irony in that, is because he was among the writer of "Doctor Strange" for Marvel Studios!!! First Joss Whedon took over Zack Snyder for "Justice League", and has officially been given a writer credit (his involvement is 33% of the movie!!!). And don't forget how Patty Jenkins used to be attached to the first Thor sequel. So Spaihts's name being thrown into the rumor zone didn't feel as 'strange'. What I'm trying to say is, I won't be surprised if more people related to Marvel Studios will end up doing DC movies for Warner Bros in the future.

Clearly, this proves that WB STILL doesn't have a plan nor idea of what they are going to do with their DC Films. A concerning truth, but is definitely far from being a surprise nowadays. I guess since the current DCEU doesn't really have a clear future (despite the success of "Wonder Woman"), WB is already thinking about creating another Universe to complement it. Perhaps, if this one works better, then they can simply erase the one that Snyder started. That's the point of "Flashpoint", right? We'll see. Yes, we'll see...

X-Men Universe

Can't believe it took this long for some people to realize that... as long as Simon Kinberg is still in charge (in ANY capacity), fans probably won't be getting the 'true' X-Men movie they have always wanted. People seems to forget that he was the writer of the disappointing "X-Men: The Last Stand", and supervised the dreaded "Fant4stic Four". Now his upcoming directorial debut, "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", which he also wrote... is already put into a giant question mark, thanks to Kinberg's recent comment.

I admit, I've grown to DESPISE the term 'grounded' in recent years, because it is (ab)used as an excuse to make shitty underwhelming products. But seriously, what good will a "Dark Phoenix" storyline get by making it... grounded? That arc is meant to be a galactic interstellar adventure, involving alien entities and otherworldly stuffs. "X3" was already its grounded version, and it did NOT work. So why bother going the same route? Is this movie 'doomed to fail' then? It's unclear. But I certainly won't be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Just remember how that grounded take on "X-Men: Apocalypse" performed...

Marvel Studios

Marvel is celebrating the late Jack Kirby's 100th birthday this week. Studio's president Kevin Feige revealed on Twitter that the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok" is produced as a love-letter to Kirby's work. Not unlike last year's "Doctor Strange", that served as a clear tribute to Steve Ditko. Actress Evangeline Lilly also celebrated the occassion, by sharing the first official image of her character Hope van Dyne, wearing the updated Wasp suit from "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

About that last one... I totally DIG her hair-style, because Lilly always looks much better with a long hairdo instead of the one she had in the first "Ant-Man". The suit on the other hand? I'm a bit mixed. I don't know why. Perhaps because I was expecting more... yellow/gold in the color scheme? Then again, Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios might be going with Wasp's red-black scheme once again, because it's the one designed by Kirby. Especially with Janet van Dyne being in the movie (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and the report that Michael Douglas' Hank Pym will be suiting up himself in the classic white-red costume.

The writers of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are set to be back for the sequel! Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are also involved in "Ant-Man and the Wasp", so there's a possibility they might end up becoming the next Markus-McFeely of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Assuming all the stars are aligned, they will reunite with director Jon Watts (who was already in talks to return) to work on the first Marvel Studios after "Avengers 4" ends the current Phase 3. Here's hoping this team will keep deliver something better, without losing that irresistible youthful and innocent charm that the first movie exuded.

Marvel TV

When this post goes up, Marvel's "The Inhumans" should be arriving in IMAX theatres everywhere. Not sure if it will be available in my country, but it's surely a definite for the US region, because ABC will begin broadcasting the series on Friday, September 29th, 2017.

According to recent report, the response to its premiere was... much positive. In fact, it's a far cry to the supposed 'disaster' that occured at the Television Critics Association Panel. Is this surprising? Well... not quite. I mean, one man's trash can end up becoming another's treasure, right? So I predict that the overall review, when it officially hits, will be mixed at best. Remember, this is still Jeph Loeb's and Scott Buck's work. Each or both have ruined a show (or two, if we count that much-anticipated crossover that came out last month... or more if we put into account their past forays) before, so there's no assurance that they won't strike again. But I'm honestly glad to hear some people actually enjoying it. Hey, there's one for everyone, right?

As for me, as I said before, I personally won't be seeing this on the theatres. Based on the lackluster trailers and underwhelming clips released so far, I'll have to give it a hard pass. Beside, considering my current financial issue, wasting money for uncertain things can be considered 'suicide' anyway. I'll probably going to hold back on watching the series as well, until the reviews for all episodes are out. Thanks to my doozy experience with the recent Netflix 'crossover mini-series', I'm going to be extra cautious with Marvel TV now. Because really, spending 8 hours for a boring and/or disappointing show felt like a tremendous waste of time. Doing so isn't going to do me any good.

QUICK UPDATE: Embargo for the full reviews hasn't been lifted when I wrote and upped this essay into queue. Those reviews have been made available NOW on various sites, and well... turns out it's as BAD as many initially said. Since I'm too lazy to modify the entire category (although it's only 3 short paragraphs LOL), this note will do just fine as a follow up. My original writing sounded more 'positive' anyways. LOL.

Meanwhile, things are looking A LOT better for Marvel's "Runaways". It seems response for the first episodes was more than great. It is currently being praised as very faithful to the source material, despite its various 'tweaks' (for example, one character was a mutant in the comic, but the copyrights prevent that to exist in live action adaptation). Not that it should be a surprise anyway. When the writer of the comic is directly in charge as consultant, we know that at least things are going to be close to the comics. Might this be the Marvel show to wait for this year? Probably, but I digress. I'm still going to be approaching this one with extra caution. If recent Marvel TV shows are any indications, then we can't really expect it to be... evenly balanced. Some of them had okay to good run in the first half, only to falter into a massive dud in the later half. Yes, even "LEGION", and the 4th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". They started out strong, but ended rather... disappointingly. Considering the same people behind them are also supervising this, said similar treatment can also apply to "Runaways"...

Netflix

It's already September, and I haven't finished Marvel's "The Defenders" yet. How come? The mini-series surprisingly BORED the hell out of me! A full review for it was meant to go up as my first post of September (yes, this R-N-D is its last minute replacement). That's the initial plan anyway, because I still haven't seen the last two episodes. Seriously though, when you've already lost any single urge to do it, there's nothing else you can do right?

Thanks to that, the internet had already spoiled me about what's going to happen to Simone Missick's Misty Knight. I don't even need to READ the whole article to figure out what will become of her... right hand. Yes, the headline already gave it away, and my minor knowledge of the character in the comics was more than enough to lead me to said conclusion. And then the image spreading on social media solidified it. Mind you, I still don't know how or what caused her to lose that body part. My quick and easy guess? Likely by Bakuto, considering up to episode 6, Misty had only spoken with one particular supporting character from the other series: Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. And it's also about her... KATANA, as if it's not obvious enough. Expect Misty to be armed with a prosthetic arm in the 3rd Season Marvel's "Luke Cage".

Yep, if you're like me, hoping for a "Heroes for Hire" show that includes the Daughters of Dragon... then we might as well swallow that wishful thinking. Why? It probably won't happen until the 2nd Season of Marvel's "Iron Fist" is out. Going by math alone, that means we have to wait another 26 episodes, and at least another two years. New season for "Luke Cage" will likely arrive in 2018, while the one for "Iron Fist" might probably land in 2019. Yeah, two years indeed. This is why you can't really expect much when it comes to Marvel TV... *sigh*

"Stranger Things" released a set of character posters for its 2nd Season. They cover the returning cast, as well as the new additions. What's interesting about these posters, is the strong nod to Steven Spielberg! And being a series set in the 80s, that folded-magazine style is also pretty neat. I hope this 2nd season will be as great as the 1st, and unlike most other Netflix shows.

One more thing! It's a rather old news, but worth bringing up. Netflix is currently collaborating with TOEI Animation, to remake the popular shounen-series "Saint Seiya". Titled "Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya", the new series will be created in full CG style. If you're curious on how that might look, think of it like several parts of TOEI's "Precure Dream Star!" movie that was done completely in CG, or their recent "Sekaisuru KADO" series. The latter in particular, already has a character design that's looking VERY Saint Seiya-ish (could it be intended as the warm-up to this one, then? probably). First season will be 12 episodes of 30 minutes, and will cover the "Galaxy War" to the "Silver Saint" Arcs. Yoshiharu Ashino is directing the new series, Eugene Son is the story editor and head writer, Terumi Nishii will be handling the character design, while Takashi Okazaki is doing the armors.

This news is intriguing, because it can end up heading towards into two different territory: actually good, or downright Bad. The latest "Sailor Moon" reboot that immediately divide old and new fans, is a great example of said situation. "Saint Seiya" is among the beloved titles to those growing up in the late 80s, so you can imagine their negative reactions if this remake doesn't suit their taste. The series doesn't have a fixed release date for now, but I believe we can expect it to arrive on Spring 2018. My only hope is that it retains Shingo Araki's anime style compared to Masami Kurumada's manga ones, because it has been pretty much the 'signature' of the series for the fans.

Disney XD Series

I saw the one-hour premiere of the "DuckTales" reboot not long after it aired, and great goodness... I'm LOVING it. I used to have a minor issue with the voices of the nephews before, but that concern quickly faded away when the story started rolling. It's just so engaging and fun to watch! My only complaint, is that it takes too long for the next episodes to start airing. But we're now in September, so September 23rd is just around 20 days away. Shall we start counting down for more Scrooge McDuck's adventure, then? I wonder if Disney XD will debut the first episode of "Big Hero 6 the Series" in advance too? Hmmm....

Pocket Monsters

"Pokemon GO" has been greeted by Legendary Birds Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and Lugia last month. Starting yesterday, August 31st, 2017, Niantic has continued the streak with the Legendary Dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicine. Unlike the Birds, these ones are going to show up as region-based for a particular duration. Entei will be in the Europe and Africa region, Raikou in the America, and Suicine in Asia-Pacific. They will then switch places on September 30th, 2017.

This is great news, right? NOT exactly. While I DID feel overjoyed when the Legendaries were first announced, what came next was nothing more than disappointments. The fact that Niantic is focusing too much on Raid Battles to debut these special Pokemon, had caused inconveniences to some (if not MANY) of its players. Sad to say, yours truly is included in this cluster.

Here's the deal. In order to capture ONE Legendary, it first needs to be defeated in a Raid Battle. Unlike normal Raids, it's a group effort that requires around 15-20 players to be on the spot at the same time, working together to take one down. So what happens when you're a player... living in an area, that does NOT have the privilege of having at least the minimum number of players? You can only bite your nails while grunting and sighing with disappointments, because there's really NOTHING you can do. I've lost count how many 'futile attempts' I've done, singlehandedly (seriously, because there's NOBODY around) trying to defeat one. I've now arrived to the point where I simply couldn't care less about any of them anymore. Which is sad, because I was sort of hoping "Pokemon GO" would be there to help me go through my current situation. I mean, when that role has been surprisingly taken over by a repetitive, kid-oriented game called "Magikarp, Jump!"... That's saying much, right?

Of course, this shouldn't be an issue if "Pokemon GO" is still enjoyable as a single-player experience. Players who can't capture a Legendary, could still focus on doing anything else. Problem is, there's NOTHING much to do beside that. Niantic is too focused on the multiplayer 'Team Gameplay' aspect of this game, that it neglects those who play individually (whether by choice, or who are simply forced by circumstances... like yours truly). The new 'Gym System' was nice, but lately I've noticed a concerning trend: the turnaround has gradually becoming very slow. Many Gyms in my area, have Pokemon with ZERO motivations. Worse, they are stranded there for days (I can personally attest to this, because mine are among them!). That means many players no longer visit the Gyms. To put it simply, this game is just not... FUN anymore for everyone. Only for the 'privileged'.

Niantic can actually fix this, by start releasing Generation III as soon as possible. Adding a horde of new Pokemon, even if not all of them (honestly, releasing 10 new species per month would be a fun options), will give these 'unfortunate players' a renewed 'purpose' to go out and play the game. Otherwise, it's really a dry boring-ish land. IMHO, Niantic could and should've tried another method with the Legendary Dogs by... I don't know... letting them in the wild, like what happened in the core "Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal" games. Then again, it's probably too much to ask for. I mean, Niantic doesn't even allow something as simple as having these Legendaries added as silhouettes to the Pokedex after encountering them. And that's the only thing I've been hoping for... *sigh*. For now, unless Niantic shakes things up big time, my days with the App is numbered. And I'm going to be just another entry to the long list of players who have already walked out due to disappointments...

One more thing for "Pokemon". A quick detour to the TV side! Kanto Gym Leaders and Satoshi's former travel companions Kasumi and Takeshi (or Misty and Brock in the US version)... are coming to Alola this month!!! Many fans are obviously pleased to hear this! After they have been unceremoniously snubbed in the 20th Anniversary movie "Eiga Pocket Monster, Kimi ni Kimeta!", they are set to show up in the series instead. Takeshi in particular, is the character I've been waiting for. After all, his VA Yuuji Ueda is still a crucial part in the series as the voice of Sonansu/Wobbuffet, so he could actually show up a lot more! This pair will be making their Alolan guest appearances on the September 14th and 21st episodes. Which got me thinking: How awesome will it be if Satoshi's other travel friends show up at the same time too, right?

Street Fighter

"Street Fighter V" has welcomed its 5th DLC character for Season 2. As speculated and rumored before, it's indeed Menat, the Eyes of the Future. She is also confirmed to be the apprentice of Rose, by the way. This makes her the first completely NEW character to the franchise, because Kolin, Ed, and Abigail have all showed up before in other games. Judging from her quick and... arguably pointless appearance in Ed's Story Mode, Menat has a fantastic Egyptian-themed design. The mummy queen alternate costume however? Yeeesh. You can check out her reveal trailer online, or you can just get her right away because she's already available since early this week.

Menat's arrival after Abigail, pretty much confirms the identity of the 6th and final DLC character: Guy's teacher, Zeku. His name was already leaked before by Event Hubs' Flowtron, and his report has been proven to be on point until now. So I guess all we need to wait is CAPCOM's official announcement, right? Seeing the release pattern (Ed on May 30th, Abigail on July 25th, Menat on August 29th), we can probably expect this last Season 2 character to arrive later this month, if not late October. So tell me, are you excited about Zeku?

[hotokeiki]

Week 127: J-pop              (St. Patrick’s Day special – IRISH~ish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj-6P-jMT_g

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

I’m not gonna throw in the minna this time. That was weird…. yes it was.

Anyway, it’s now been over a month since my last post. Cuz that was Valentine’s Day, and White Day was Tuesday. Mou~ Kurisu no BAKA!!

I don’t feel like I’m obligated to explain, but I want to, so I’m gonna. Basically, I’ve been super stressed lately, and feeling overwhelmed by all the things I have “to do”.

My mind set hasn’t been great, and I’ve just felt like I don’t have time to do anything, which isn’t true. I’ve had a lot of time, but I tried to take my mind off my stress by watching Youtube videos, and then I ended up binge-watching. I wasn’t watching much anime, because those are longer than most of the videos I was watching. The problem is that when you binge-watch Youtube, it takes more time than watching a couple episodes of an anime.

I probably shouldn’t have gone on that road trip for Spring Break. My thinking for Spring Break was that I needed to catch up on school work and sleep. Josh has kept me on campus later more times than I care to count. We left campus when they were closing the buildings at 11:30 pm! So, I thought a change of scenery would be good, and I’d be able to catch up on sleep and school. Yeah, I didn’t know what I was getting into.

I’m in the process of making an update that will explain the whole trip in detail (look out for that), so I will summarize here.

I thought that we were going to drive down to Kansas City, and stay there for the duration of the trip. A couple of days with some intermittent activity, and time for me to catch up on sleep and do some homework. The details were a little fuzzy for the whole thing, and he said that we would play it by ear to a certain extent, which we did.

It was by no means a bad trip. I had a good time. It was kind of hectic at times, but a refreshing change of scenery.

We spent one night in each hotel, and spent a lot of time driving. And in some cases, we ended up at the hotel fairly late, so I slept in as much as I could. We also didn’t spend much time in any of the hotels, so I didn’t really have time to do any homework. We left on Saturday and got back on Thursday night.

When I got back, I ended up doing what I had done previously, and didn’t get anything done over the remainder of the break.

Anyway, long story short (Linda: Oh, we’re WAY past that point ;p)

.. shut up, Linda XD

I haven’t been very productive, but I’m doing better now. I feel like I actually have time to do this post, and get my homework done. Plus, this blog is important to me, and I think it helps me resolve things. It’s just good to get my thoughts out.

Anyway, it’s St. Paddy’s Day. Oh boi George, it’s that toym again.

As Oi’ve mentioned before, Oi’m a wee bit’Irish. O’Costelle on me mother’s mother’s soyd.

(I just watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwf08LmchUY&feature=share)

So, I kept the Irish and the Japanese separate this time. XD

Or did I?

Linda: Oh no..

So, let’s get to the post, let us.

XD

Clover♣Kakumation by Triple♣Feeling is the first opening to Sansha Sanyou.

I haven’t watched the show, so here’s a summary from the Wikipedia article:

 The story revolves around the everyday life of three high-school girls who all have a kanji "葉" (literally "leaf") in their names, and have different features - hence the translation of the title, "three leaves, three colors".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Leaves,_Three_Colors

 (Not much to go by, but I’ll definitely watch it at some point.)

 So, just like my first post this year (Week 126: PUNCH☆MIND☆HAPPINESS), I found this song on that really long list video of kawaii anime openings.

 Here’s the link again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAFwFJ9gJnk (It’s number 26)

 Seeing that little bit from the video was really exciting, because I’ve never heard anything like that before. It had quite an impact, so I found the full version, cuz that’s what I do.

 And after listening to the full version, I said I am going to post this for St. Patrick’s Day!

I was actually plannin’ to post this next week, since I missed the Monday-to-Wednesday window, but I can post on a Friday if I want. Especially if it’s St. Paddy’s Day, by jaysus!

 The beginning of the song and the verse have a quicker feel, and some of the singing has a fast rhythm. The chorus also has the same feel. Parts of it remind me of river stomp. And the instrumentation also has bit o’v an Irish feel to it, ya know? It just sounds like Irish J-pop to me, and I love it.

 While keeping the Irish feel, this song also switches feels. The verse has a completely different feel to the lead up to the chorus, which both have a different feel than the chorus. And the bridge sounds completely different, and sounds the least bit Irish, but it works so well (fusawashii~) and is so refreshing (sugasugashii~). The voices also blend very well with each other while being quite different.

 The transitions are flawless, and my main complaint is that it’s too short! It’s just a really fun song that’ll keep your attention with its great instrumentation, good harmonies, and rhythmic melody.

 Have I mentioned that I really like this song?

 Linda: Yes.

 (*sigh* that was supposed to be rhetorical, Linda.)            

 Now, as the Wikipedia article mentioned, the three girls have the kanji "葉" in their names.

 “Sansha Sanyou” in the original kanji is 三者三葉

 breaking it down:

 三 - Onyomi: “san” (three)

 者 - Onyomi: “sha” (person)

 葉 - Kunyomi: “ha”, Onyomi: “you” (leaf)

 (I don’t see anything about 者 meaning color. So it could be very seldom used, or it’s another case of English titles making no sense. I hope it’s the former.)

 The (sansha) “three people” (and the members of Triple♣Feeling) are:

 1. Futaba Odagiri (小田切 双葉) -> Odagiri Futa(ba): 小田切 双(葉)

- Onyomi: “ba”, which is how you pronounce “ha” when preceded by a vowel.

 2. Teru Hayama (葉山 照) -> (Ha)yama Teru: (葉)山 照

- Onyomi: “ha”

 3. Youko Nishikawa (西川 葉子) -> Nishikawa (You)ko: 西川 (葉)子

- Kunyomi: “you”

 (Switched to family name followed by given name to relate to the kanji.)

 I think it’s cool that they all have the same kanji in their names, but it’s pronounced differently in each!

 And also, incorporating that into the title. Well done, Arai Cherry! Up ya boyo! XD

 I’m definitely gonna check this out at some point.

 Oh, right. Here’s the full version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evEV3IzWJfA

 You thought I forgot? Nah, I’ve been listening to it on and off for the last hour or so. That’s usually how these posts go. It’s really fun! XD

 I also think it’s really cool that they worked every aspect of the full song into the opening, including the bridge. It perfectly captures the song!

 Also, if you want lyrics, THAT ARE WRONG, here you go:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRsh_vbaVvY (WRONG LYRICS)

 Did I mention THESE AREN’T THE ACTUAL LYRICS? I can’t stress enough that THESE LYRICS ARE WRONG!!

 After watching it through and racking my head, because I knew, with the little Japanese I know, that the lyrics were wrong.

 I was so confused that I looked up the lyrics. There isn’t really an English translation of the lyrics that I was able to find. Let me know if you find any, but I was surprised to see that the word SATAN is in the lyrics.

 … Maybe, I shouldn’t’ve posted this on SAINT Patrick’s Day. XD

 And Kissanime doesn’t appear to have subs on the opening, so we’re doomed. XD

And here’s a really cool orchestral version that I found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewt7ldiufhc

 This guy does some really cool stuff, and I found out that two of the songs that had been reposted on SoundCloud were from his channel! Both songs were arrangements of songs from Madoka Magica.

 It’s been a really interesting day. XD

 Album: TV Anime “Sansha Sanyou” Opening Theme Clover♣Kakumation Track: 01 Lyricist: Ogura Asuka Composer: Ogura Asuka Arranger: manzo Artist: Triple♣Feeling

- Futaba Odagiri (CV: Mai Kanazawa)

- Teru Hayama (CV: Ayaka Imamura)

- Youko Nishikawa (CV: Yuu Wakui)

 (I just wrote the kanji for Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement in Google Translate, because the words were embedded in the page. The things I do for J-pop.)

 Well, I thought this was going to be a short post.

 Haha XD, I’m naïve

 Well, it feels good to get back in the swing of things. And I will make an asserted effort to post on the regular schedule, as well as just make better use of my time and stress out less.

 It’s been a while, but you know the drill. If you have any questions or requests, please let me know.

 You have oodles of ways to find me… and kill me.

Never mind, this isn’t Taken. XD

 Alright, I’ll catch ya next week.

 Ja!

 (Note: It is now after midnight, so this is not goin’ up on St. Paddy’s Day. XD)

 (By jaysus, did I make a right hayms o’ this post? XD)

 - Chris  ——————————————————————————- Minna, gokitai kudasai!!

[thegloober]

An Alternative to The Benjamin Franklin Schedule: The “Task Immersion” Schedule!

Alright, for those who never liked the Benjamin Franklin “scheme” we’ve posted about over the years (wake up at 5 am, reflect, hustle, repeat), here’s an alternative that might suit your personality better:

The “Task Immersion” Schedule

This was sent over by a reader of this site who’s continually failed at other schedules tested, and after already two weeks implemented has been more motivated – and productive! – than ever. It won’t work for everyone depending on how you’re wired and your line of work, but check it out below and see if you can at least pull out some pieces from it that may be worth experimenting with.

When you find something that works you gotta run with it! This guy has been emailing me for over three years now and finally stumbled on his plan of attack!

******

Hi J Money:

I just wanted to update. I once again abandoned the Ben Franklin Schedule.

I was driving down the road to pick my son up from an event and I had a “eureka” moment, so to speak. I have spent decades trying to force a schedule on myself to no avail. The common denominator of all these schedules was to wake up early and peck away (at various times of the day) at each of life’s burdens. For instance, Ben would have us address Powerful Goodness each day as soon as we get up, work for a few hours, eat, work again, clean up your place, etc. You are chipping away at everything, every day.

My “eureka” moment included the realization that I just do not work that way. Instead, I tend to get very excited about ONE THING and want to throw myself into it. Thus, I have radically revised my schedule and have almost completed two weeks of it.

Here it is — (and results). Keep in mind that I am a college professor and teach a “live” class on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, but I thought it might be applicable to others who have flexible schedules (like you) and have a similar personality.

I call it my “Task Immersion” Schedule. The overarching goal is to complete a major task 100% each day and then not address it again for another week.

For ME it looks like this (it would vary by each individual’s basket of burdens and goals):

MONDAY — I can’t work (or relax) in a messy environment, so right out of the gate I need to clean the interior of the house (including baseboards, etc. The whole house needs to be completely spit-shined).

Result — Done. Week 1: I worked for 7.5 hours and the house is spotless. Week 2: I got more efficient (and less scrubbing needed to be done). I worked for 4.5 hours and the house was done. I used the remaining bit of time to trim the bushes outside, but I didn’t feel like I had to. I just got into the spirit of things.

TUESDAY — Get up early, go to work, and do not leave until all teaching-related activities are done. Inviolable Rule: I cannot bring anything from work home with me, ever.

Result — Got everything done and even got ahead of the game. Week 1: Worked solid in my office from 8:00-5:00 pm. Graded all papers and answered all emails. Did committee work that had been bugging me. Week 2: Did the same thing, but also started a research project. (I normally chit-chat in the office and surf the internet but I didn’t do it on either of these days. I was a working machine).

WEDNESDAY — The whole day is devoted to the (literally) endless amount of exterior work on the house (cleaning gutters, cleaning the pool, mowing the grass, etc.). If I ever get caught up on this, I will devote myself to spending the day outside rather than working or surfing the internet, etc.

Result — Week 1: I worked over 6 hours on exterior maintenance and got the situation under control (bushes, gutters, lawn, pool). Week 2: The power company lowered the lake that we live on. I spent the entire day (until dusk) trying to clear weeds and debris from our shoreline. Neither the week 1 or week 2 work would have ever gotten done had I not been excited about my new schedule. That is why the exterior of the house and landscaping was in such bad shape! I always used to THINK about doing these things, but it was very easy to put them off. I am really proud of my efforts and results here.

THURSDAY — Same as Tuesday, but focused on my research responsibilities. Again, absolutely no work is to ever be brought home.

Result — Week 1: I spent some time catching up on teaching responsibilities, but got moving on a research project as well. (This would have never happened if not for my new schedule zeal). Week 2: I wrote up and submitted a proposal for a new research project. This took me all day, but I would have never done this in dribs and drabs every day. Doing it all in one day probably cut the total time in dealing with this in half, at least. Plus, I guarantee you I’d still be sitting here today thinking, “I need to find time to do that proposal” if I hadn’t decided to schedule a whole day a week to work on research. This day devoted to research has the potential to be the biggest bonus so far in terms of my productivity.

FRIDAY — Powerful Goodness! This was my favorite part of the Ben Franklin schedule, but instead of starting each day off with a half an hour of bible study, I am going to dig deep into topics that are relevant to me and get to the bottom of each one.

Week 1: I tackled the subject of “what does the Bible say about worrying,” which is a big problem for me. I studied it for hours and tried to create a plan of action to implement to cure myself of this problem. I did not feel like I developed the perfect strategy, so I plan on sticking with this topic until I do. Week 2: To be determined.

SATURDAY — Family Fun Day. I plan and implement a family outing. (Inspired by your Adventure Tuesday blog post).

Week 1: We went to the county museum (which I loved), but my wife and son were bored. (Note: I did not even know we had this museum in town and I have lived here for 12 years — and it is a small town!!) We then went out to eat at a burger place (buy one get one free, plus kids eat free!). We all enjoyed the meal. We came back home and sat around talking and enjoying the view of the lake. Week 2: We will be going to museums in the big city in our area and then me and my son will play soccer together.

SUNDAY — Completely burrow in and do nothing day. There is to be no thought or regard to even considering doing anything else. I will go to church and then do whatever I feel like the rest of the day. I plan to surf the couch unfettered by concerns about all the things that need to be done because a) they are already done, and/or b) I have a full day planned in the near future in which to do them.

Week 1: I was able to do this without any problem. I had brought no work home, I did not check emails, etc. Week 2: To be determined.

So far, this schedule has worked extremely well for me. It fits my personality, and for that reason I am finding it strangely motivational. It feels good to spend each day getting something completely done and wiping it off my plate.

(Except for my research day — this will always be ongoing but I usually do nothing on this until the last minute. In fact, this schedule was actually motivated by my inability to do the research aspect of my job on a day-to-day basis. I always wait until the end of the year and then box up a bunch of papers and check myself into a beach condo for about 10 days and do a years worth of work in that time. My success in that intensive effort got me thinking about “immersing” myself into other tasks instead of pecking away at them. The result was this plan).

Anyway, since you introduced me to the Ben Franklin schedule I thought I would throw this one at you to try if Ben’s schedule starts to not work out for you. I love how you like to experiment with things so I thought you could at least appreciate this endeavor. I have never tried anything like this before but I have to say I am really excited about my results so far.

Take care, Jim

*******

YES! Love! Thank you Jim! Way to find something that works for you

It’s always such a ray of hope when you stumble across stuff like this, isn’t it??

And I love this route for multiple reasons:

It gives you complete FOCUS for the day. You know exactly what you have to get done that day, and exactly how much time you have to do it (24 hours).

You get sufficient time to actually dive in and do a decent job on something. Instead of always rushing around and knocking stuff out last minute! (And oftentimes poorly, at that!)

You get a week long break of thinking or worrying about things! One of the best rewards in my opinion, particularly for items you dread doing on the daily.

You can arrange the days based on what *excites* you the most. Provided work schedules and responsibilities allow for it.

And lastly, you actually get $hit done! Instead of always thinking and postponing things!

So I’m all about setting this up in your life if it matches your personality and you’re having trouble getting unstuck. Some of us are great at tackling multiple areas of our life every day, while others need the more dedicated time – and brain space – to really dive in and focus better! No right or wrong way to do it, but you gotta experiment around until you find the path that works best for YOU.

I personally found I work better “chunking things up” too, but only in 2-3 hour slots vs entire days as my A.D.D. won’t allow it

Fortunately this works well with my early B. Franklin wake ups though because I get a hearty slot first thing in the morning! So don’t be afraid to mix and match different parts of schedules together! We’re all unique snowflakes!

***** PS: For more ideas around productivity, check out Cal Newport and James Clear‘s blogs – both great thought leaders and experimenters!

Jay loves talking about money, collecting coins, blasting hip-hop, and hanging out with his three beautiful boys. You can check out all of his online projects at jmoney.biz. Thanks for reading the blog!

Source: https://bloghyped.com/an-alternative-to-the-benjamin-franklin-schedule-the-task-immersion-schedule/

[smoothshift]

3500 miles in a GT350: CA to MT & PNW. Pictures, words and field testing AMMO Frothe via /r/cars

3500 miles in a GT350: CA to MT & PNW. Pictures, words and field testing AMMO Frothe

(Originally posted to my profile which confused me to no end because interwebbing is hard. So hopefully this is not a double post on the sub)

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GT350 Summary

2017 in Shadow Black, Recaros, Sync 3

Driver assists added: Blackview DR650s front/rear dashcam, Escort Max360 radar/laser detector

Changes made: Black lugs, black valve stem caps, Steeda clutch spring (suspension brace pending install), ceramic tint, white stripes removed

3 stage detail and PPF applied - full nose, A pillars, mirrors, roof, door edges, quarter panels, trunk entry. cQuartz on all surfaces, 4 coats of cQuartz Reload applied as a topcoat

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Pics and short comments

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Trip Facts

Departure: Friday, Oct 5 at 2:22PM PT

Return: Friday, Oct 12 at 11:15PM PT

Distance: 3500.7 miles

Oil consumption: ~ 1/2 quart

Avg MPG: 20.4

Cost of 91/92 octane: $640.22

Cheapest gas: Chevron at 3.34/gal, unknown city, Idaho

Most expensive: Chevron at 4.42/gal, Boomtown, Nevada

Avg $ spent per fill up: $23.71

# of fill ups: 27

Avg distance between fill ups: 129.6 miles (range is 300 miles)

Hotel stays: 4

Cosmetic wear and tear: Minor rock strikes intercepted by the PPF, mystery scuffs on the driver side fender

Malfunctions: A/C fall down go boom. Known issue with 15-17 S550 platform.

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Gear

1 trunk organizer holding jumper cables, battery charger, tire inflator, coolant, extinguisher, first aid kit, basic tool kit, reflective parka, 2 gal water, 12 individual water bottles, 1 AMMO sprayer, 12v carvac from Amazon, 1 ammo can holding 2 quarts of 10w50 & funnel

2 stuff sacks holding 1 sleeping bag, 2 med blankets, 2 sm blankets, 2 travel pillows

1 tent and 1 inflating pad

1 bag holding coffee, french press, utensils, plastic bowl w/lid, JetBoil

1 tote bag holding misc food including the all important double choc brownies

1 camera bag holding a Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70 f2.8. Additional images taken with iPhone

1 20L cooler holding milk, fruit, water, coke

1 bag holding detailing lotions, potions and goops

1 bag holding the world's supply of microfiber towels

1 6 gal bucket holding 2 collapsible buckets, 2 grit guards, 2 wash pads

1 small box holding dish soap, scrubbing thingamajobs, shop towels, toiletries, water heater

1 backpack holding clothing and sandals

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Destinations

Craters of The Moon National Monument (Idaho)

Yellowstone (Idaho and Montana)

Seattle

Prius Coast Highway (WA to CA)

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The words, and plenty of them

I had planned this trip since spring but hadn't gone due to work constraints. A window opened up in September, but it quickly closed due to life getting in the way. And then it happened: Early October, nothing holding me back. I was ready to go, to clear my head, to get away from work and you. Yes, you - the guy who swerves in and out of traffic at speed. And you, the lady who cannot stay off her phone. And don't think I've forgotten about you, bro - I see you hiding back there - the guy who literally ignores BSM. What better cure for driving frustration than to go.. driving. Or something.

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Tramlining and then it got cold

I left San Francisco on Friday afternoon, taking 80 east to Reno. This was well planned, nothing left to chance except for the most common sense thing: weather reports. There's an app for that, of which I have 3 and of which I used 0. This was not the smartest move as would be apparent this night and later in Montana, but for now all was well. Weather was warm, pavement dry and I'm moving at a good pace through Sacramento and into the Sierra Nevada range. The mountain section of 80, specifically the right lane is in terrible shape. I'm tramlining all over the place for too long, in too many sections, a constant jerky right, left, left, left, right, right fight on the wheel. Despite this I'm determined to stay right except to pass.

Its getting pretty cool out, and about 8PM I pull into the Truckee rest stop to discover its cold, 38 degrees. I know thats not cold to you Midwest and East Coast people. Kinda balmy. But to a coastal CA guy that's just about below freezing. I make a mental note about the Michelins not being rated for this temp, brush my teeth in the parking lot (classy is how I roll) and go to bed or rather recline the seat. I wake at 3AM and its time to move.

Leaving Truckee I discover tramlining is not done and it's another fight. And then the squeaking started from somewhere in the dash. Its a heavy grating noise and not a rattle; loud and obnoxious like my nephew. I'm pressing on the dash, the gauges, the vents - the usual places but nothing changes. Ten minutes later it's gone and does not return. Took the Boomtown exit and hit up Chevron. Go inside for coffee and pay for gas, pretty mundane but then I ran into a change scam. Some Eastern Euro guy was behind the counter. I give him 40 and he tells me he'll put 35 on the pump, and to come back for change. Not what I asked for but whatever. Returned for the change and - lets call him Uri - claims there's no change to be had. Its 3:30AM and I'm in no mood to get into this. Enjoy the $3 bro.

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Coffee, water and no rest areas. Also, LTE coverage is terrible

Back on the road and passing Reno AKA the drab copy of Vegas. Detector warns of 2 KA alerts but the signal is weak and I exit Reno without issue. Kept going east to Winnemucca, turning north on 95. The problem with 95 - other than being a long stretch through flat arid country - is the lack of rest areas combined with tidal pool-sized coffee cups and water. You know what this means and yes, I marked my territory in several places.

This stretch of nothing leads to the first of far too many LTE signal cuts and corresponding loss of Waze GPS updates. Through most of NV, and really, really long stretches of ID and MT there is no signal. Which I completely understand since ATT is a discount carrier a small mom and pop telco its really hard to relay signals over flat terrain its 1996 and cell phones are still a novelty. Signal loss in WA and OR along 101 - that I understand, and it happened frequently given the terrain. But issues in flatlands especially Idaho's more populated state routes - that I don't get.

And here's where I took the first acceptable picture of the car. Its a farming community, maybe a half mile of 25 MPH with a gas station, coffee house, cafe and sheriff's station. And one thing I found interesting, the Sahara Motel. 50s or early 60s design; sharp angles, cracked windows and peeling paint on the doors. The last paying guest was a long time ago and it makes a good backdrop.

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The Rag Company mission aborted; Shelby meets buttocks at Craters of The Moon

I'm off to Boise to find a hotel and stop by the Rag Company. Missed their store hours and tomorrow's Sunday, with Monday a holiday so.. no Rag Company visit. I chalk it up my usual level of masterful planning and stay the night at the Holiday Inn in Meridian. if you find yourself there someday stop by Beto's 24 hour Mexican place. The chicken chimichanga (fried burrito) is outstanding.

With sunrise it was time for my first destination open whenever - Craters of The Moon National Monument. Never been, never heard of it, just a random find when looking up Idaho tourist destinations. Taking 84 SE was unremarkable, but connecting to 20 was another story. Going up to 4k elevation, golden grass on the hills and plains, fall colors on the trees. Beautiful, with some fun stretches of road interrupted by people who dr.ive. ve.r.y. s.lo.w.ly.

Passed through Carey which is another livestock community with the requisite aroma d'odure. Up to this point I've mostly seen F150s, RAM 1500s and the occasional minivan. But here comes this kid in his JDM Civic, Idaho plates, red with all the toppings - wing, different colored bits here and there. Didn't check the rear but you know there were fart cans attached. Flat bill cap tied it all together. What I remember most is the look on his face as he passed, staring at my car like that guy on what show was it? The guy with the wild hair who says "I'm not saying its aliens..". Yeah. He had that look on his face. Stay strong, brosef, you're the outlier in the land of the lifted.

Keep going and the route takes you over Silver Creek which is famous for fishing, something I didn't know. Also didn't know that with fish come bugs and a lot of them. I know how to describe these because I took Entomology 101: big ole brownish-yellow, low-flying squishies with lots of guts. Stopped to carefully clean it off but there's too much bug juice, a full wash is needed later.

About 2:30PM I rolled in to Craters of The Moon. It looks like the name, kinda bleak and barren and perfect. Wide, cloudy skies from here to where the flat earth ends and vaccines aren't needed. I stop by a small hill and walk up to the crest; hidden behind is another crest. Decent pictures. Coming down I see some tourists standing around the car. Some guy is leaning his posterior on the hood and having a picture taken. This excites me a wee bit and I leg it to explain the finer points of no touchie; I know its complicated. They are French (not the Quebecois variety); explanations were offered, much hand gesturing ensued, apologies made and Trans-Atlantic relations were preserved (you're welcome, America). I keep rolling albeit with a blood pressure higher than normal; I like this place minus butt guy.

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Meeting JB from Texas, AKA Walter Mitty

Back on the road and I pull over for gas at Picabo. Station appears to be closing; their coffee is lukewarm and does not look good. Made my way to a rest stop for Operation Caffeine Overdose ala Jetboil and French Press and yes, it was great, full bodied and delicious. Fully amped I drive east toward Montana and Yellowstone but I can't quite make it. 9PM rolls around and I stop at a random rest area, writing out notes on the day. There's a silver Mercedes roadster a few spots over, I'm guessing early to mid 90s (SLK? Not familiar with Mercedes). It looks really good, sleek, fast and small. Fender flares, looks like aftermarket wheels and the driver is staring at my car. I go back to writing notes and look up a few minutes later. He's still staring. Got out to rummage for food and that's when the driver walks over: JB from Texas. 6'4" or so and has about 100 lbs on me, in a dark parking area - but that's not the problem. Problem is he's a close talker. Protip for tall guys talking to strangers in dark places: Don't be a close talker.

I ask JB about his car and he says it was his first, got it new in 99 when he was 15. That's remarkable and I asked how he pulled it off. "My parents are the most senior judges in (whatever TX town he's from)." This was said emphatically and louder than you'd expect, but I figure it's possible, and wealthy families can buy expensive cars for their kids. After this point little things were said that raised some flags but nothing major, things like European cars being cheaper to repair than domestic. But then it got weird, with JB stating he's a retired Air Force General, and his wife a retired Navy Colonel (for those unfamiliar, there are no Colonels in the US Navy). JB doesn't appear old enough to make 04 much less General, so I ask how old he is and this produces a long pause- really long (he was doing the math, 15 in 1999 now its 2018.. this minus that, carry the 1, no wait just subtract, x = y and divide the ... and he got it wrong). Finally he says "40." Amazing. A 40 YO retired General, he must be a legend I've never heard of. I decide to leave before the inevitable JSOC story. There's always a JSOC story.

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Yellowstone and KA bands

Morning rolls around and I awake at another rest stop. Get the jetboil going and its not long before 191 gets me to Yellowstone. Just before the park is the town of West Yellowstone and here the radar detector pays gives another assist. A few cars on the road and we're approaching a bend. KA alert is a sudden, strong signal and there he is, local Sheriff sitting just past the bend. He starts to follow after I pass but I'm in the clear. About a mile down I'm the only car on this stretch and just for giggles he lights me up. I get it, its a holiday weekend and no better time to get low hanging fruit like speeders and drunks, but come on, Deputy Dog. I innit stupit. Me gud drivor.

Yellowstone. Incredible driving roads but again no bueno to open it up, a fact reinforced by another Deputy exercising his radar skills (quite good, no alerts at all til I rounded a corner). If you like fly fishin' this is the place, and I made several hikes with one decent picture to show for it. That's my bad; arrival time (11AM) meant I had to wait awhile for acceptable light. Could be there's a pattern here.

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I visit Ennis and find an El Camino for sale

Leaving the park I point the car to Ennis on route 287. This is a tourist-focused town. You like huntin', maybe fishin', little bit of hikin', you want it they got it. The main drag is several hundred yards of contemporary storefronts and they appear to have been designed by the same person. Quirky, but not too quirky with just the right amount of rustic, and nicely done enough to let you know its gonna be expensive shopping there.

Exxon was out of 91 on all pumps (or 92 in MT) but I found another station. In the gravel lot next door was a bright light shining through parting clouds, and I may have heard a chorus because there she was, a 1987 Chevy El Camino, 71k miles, 10k asking down from 12. Looked in good shape, badged SS and V8. I didn't closely inspect it, and I'm no expert in verifying SuperSport models from any era. At any rate trans isn't my thing. But still, good looking history on wheels.

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Butte, where the rubber meets the road (or snow, in this case) and Georgetown Lake

And now I'm in Butte. I neither wrote nor recall much of this drive, my mind said write but my body said sleep. Made it in good time and got a room, and you know what? It's freaking cold. Like... dude. COLD, low 30s. Up to this point I still haven't checked weather reports because I'm a rocket scientist. Woke at 5AM and found a coin op car wash and yes, its cold and getting colder. I'm worried about the tire temp rating and this is compounded by a light dusting of snow. I realize my IQ has to catch up and GTFO to a warmer climate. S/SW is good but too obvious. N/NW is more my mongo style on highway 90; temp decreased to 28 degrees and snow had built up as a fine slush, but not frozen. At least there's no snowplows, that would be a bad sign. And then a few miles in there are snow plows, thankfully they appear to be pre-positioned and sitting there. This must be one of the first snows of the season, and my escape velocity is tempered by MPSS running well below threshold. Went gentle on the inputs, reduced speed and held it steady. No problems keeping it straight and thankfully stopping distance was not put to the test.

I self-flagellate for a number of miles, slowly building confidence and moving from light snow to rain. Stopped at a rest area to inspect the tires; no cracks or other issues found, nor did any appear during the trip. The air intake and grille had ice build up, good news is it was a fairly small area on either side.

I left 90 at Hensley Gulch, turning west on highway 1 AKA Pintier Veterans Memorial Scenic Highway. This was the most beautiful road of the trip, its scenic and then some. Rolling, gentle hills, mostly livestock and horses. More long sweepers with minor elevation changes, and then you get to Georgetown Lake, otherwise known as the place I'll buy when I win the lotto. Not been? Go, its worth your time. For me this was a pass-through, but I'll remember this drive for a long time, a little bit of paradise I had the privilege to observe.

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Crossing back into Idaho, and the memory of what was

Back in Idaho; a light rain and miles of yellows, browns and greens. Cruise control country like most of the route so far. And then the song played; the one that takes you back to what was or could have been. The one you do and don't want to hear, so you bury it, ignore it but can't quite hit delete. The opening guitar conjures her face and you can feel her touch. It's good and real and bittersweet and you wonder why it ended, but you know why.

some people wind up with the one that they adore

in a heart-shaped hotel room it's what a heart is for

the bubble floats so madly will it stay sky-high?

And suddenly I'm in Tel Aviv with her in that rundown motel by the beach. The faded yellow walls gave the room a golden light offset by dingy grey curtains and an ugly rug. Just her and I and this song playing on her phone. It was a long way from home, across borders, language, religious and cultural differences. It was also over but we didn't know it just then; better that way. She's married now. I put the memory back on the shelf, close the door and leave.

and it's you and me in the summertime we'll be hand in hand down in the park

with a squeeze and a sigh and that twinkle in your eye and all the sunshine banishes the dark

​

The A/C goes to the great condenser in the sky

A month before leaving I attempted to get some issues addressed: Rear panel gaps, unreliable A/C, front wheel well liner not flush and a poorly fitted passenger door. My dealership put their best guys on the job and the results were: Panel gap parts on backorder (understandable), unreliable A/C diagnosed as "normal," wheel well liner was "normal" and nothing can be done about the door. I was impressed and decided to find another dealer after the trip. But now the A/C decides its time to meet its maker. No A/C, no heat, no joy. Top men, Dr. Jones. Top. Men.

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Coeur D'Alene Lake: Flatbed hauls a totaled 911 and Camry

I arrived at Coeur D'Alene. Passed through a few times before but never stopped by the lake, and I'm glad I did. 50 square miles of water surrounded by hills with marinas interspersed along the shore. Twisty roads with some straights that reminds me of Skyline. Only here I take it easy, I don't know the roads so I run an inspection cruise along a 20 mile run: 1 cross, 7 deer in 2 groups, 2 school bus stops, 0 cyclists. Not ideal especially the school bus stops and deer, and local popo are running KA band. I drive it anyway, moderately. On the way out I see a flatbed loaded up with a wrecked white 911 (recent) and Camry (00's model). The Porsche's passenger door is off the frame and the roof looks partially caved.

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Washington State expert editorial and heroin at the rest stop

I've never lived in WA but I'm nonetheless an expert with a viewpoint that applies to every resident, because I'm smart and stuff. They don't care for Californians because too many moved here, a PNW echo chamber that goes back decades and won't end, well, ever. Which is fine because no one ever moved to CA and drove up prices, in greater numbers and with greater consequences. They have a lot of tweakers, which CA also has a lot of. They share a coastline with Oregon and Canada that is hands down the most beautiful and inspiring you'll find anywhere. And their popo are a revenue generator force, more than most places.

Pulled in to a rest stop shortly after crossing the border. Camped out in the car and got the usual restless sleep. Up at 4AM to visit the men's room, and out walks Slim Shady's cousin with a red hat, red jersey of some kind, black basketball shorts and red basketball shoes. Slim left behind a syringe, one of those rubber hose things they use to tie off, an empty brown packet about the size of rubber packaging and some random bits and bobs. I return to the car thinking how sad it is this guy has a fix at the ready while preparing the jetboil and french press, and only later does the irony become obvious. As I said, I'm smart. And stuff.

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Field testing AMMO NYC'S Frothe (hoseless wash)

I exited 90 beyond Snoqualmie Pass, fill up and decide to test AMMONYC's hoseless wash product. Disclaimer: I have no relationship with AMMO, and I paid for the product just as you would. There's a TA truck stop adjacent to the gas station and I park in between them, well out of anyone's way. The car has road grime, some bugs, the usual detritus but nothing too heavy.

I used the sprayer with water first to rinse, then added Frothe and got down to business except for one thing: Parking a Shelby by truckers is like throwing chum into a sea of dorsal fins. I'm getting my foam on when I get my first visitor, Mike, 61, trucker and retired diesel mechanic. Mike's a nice guy but his intro was, "What in the hell are you doing?" I explain the concept but he looks doubtful, then I get the car stories (this V8, and that one, and some other one). Good conversation but I gotta work on this so Mike and I part ways.

Next up was another trucker, I didn't get his name. Large guy, about Mike's age and he approaches close but doesn't say anything, just stares at the car. I break the ice and he says, "I'd give you a run against my Hellcat." I'm not down to measure manhoods or compare cornering so I don't. He inspects the car and doesn't like the PPF, doesn't like hoseless wash. He does like the shine but I get a blank stare when explaining what ceramic coating is. All this was fine until he decides to touch the paint: "Is that a rock chip?" I don't know what it is about paint but some people can't stop themselves from touching it.

Second and last visitor gone I continue with Frothe. Easy to use, lifting the dirt does take a fair number of towels (6 in my case) and that's fine, I've brought a lot. No visible scratches or swirls but I didn't go CSI on this, it's clean, it shines and I was careful to follow the lifting vs pushing method. Very happy with the results but the pictures don't do it justice. See the Seattle/Pike's Place pic for a good representation, it was taken not long after with a good amount of miles driven.

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Speed, Karma & Laser Cats Cops

Continuing on 90 its flat agricultural land that reminds me of CA's central region with more rainfall. Traffic is very light, only a few cars and this Corolla - I'm thinking early 2000s model - comes up fast behind me. Really fast. What's remarkable is the great condition of the paint, this car is cosmetically well taken care of. I know because the driver, lets put him on the younger side of 18, passed at high speed and very close, swerving to lane change. I deploy the universal sign of disapproval and hope he learns his lessons before its too late. 20 miles down the road I see flashing lights and the state patrol is keeping him company. Karma, bro. It don't mess around.

On my last WA visit the city of Pasco (further south, not far from the OR border) had an aggressive ticketing posture. This time I didn't write down the name, no time to pull over - just a city between Snoqualmie and Seattle. KA band up ahead, and another a 1/2 mile after that. But they're not done, this is a pack operation. Mr. Laser Cop is parked after the 2nd KA cruiser, and its clear they mean (big) business. This was the second laser strike in WA during this trip. Thankfully I did not contribute to the register.

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Seattle and Pike's Place

In my mind this was going to be a great picture, something to print. Low light, low angle, blazing Pike's Place sign in the background. Got there too late for that, about 10AM due to heavy traffic and the Frothe field test. No biggie. Only problem is I'm from SF where car break ins are rampant and my car is chock full of stuff. Leave it like this at home and you're coming back to broken glass so I keep the car in sight.

Lets see.. Starbucks, not my first choice and it looks like Disneyland with all the tourists. I find an indy coffee purveyor, enjoy my dose and buy some overpriced t-shirts. And then its time to leave, but I drive around and I'm reminded that Seattle is what SF used to be: Not too crowded and a little laid back. Locals will tell you otherwise and the COL is too high, and there's too many people from CA who moved here, and they're right and wrong. But its vibe is nothing like SF and I hope it stays that way. Seattle is its own thing.

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Newport, Oregon and the awkward stop light

I'm driving through Newport, another coastal town and this one has a fine dining establishment I'm keen to visit, Taco Bell. You may have heard of them, may I recommend the 20oz Mountain Dew for optimal caffeine delivery. Leaving town I stop at a light, windows down because the Top. Men. did such a great job with the aircon. A Chevy truck (older one, S10 maybe) pulls up alongside. The driver has a ball cap on backwards, dark sunglasses and a Tom Selleck mustache. "Hey man! I'm a Chevy guy but I really like your car, that back end is something! Love how you put it together!" The words form in my head and my mouth opens to speak but he's gone before I can say anything. So there I was, mentally constipated long before the physical effects of this value meal, unable to tell him with urgency and a longing for relief that no, its stock and I'm not a Ford engineer or modding genius. Frustrating.

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I ordered pizza and met our Lord and Savior

I stopped for dinner at a town close to Eugene. Its time for something healthy, like pizza. Yeah. Pepperoni and a cold one will do. Nice enough place, nothing fancy and nothing you'd remember. Except the guy who took my order was Jesus Christ Superstar. Brown shoulder length hair and a full beard, neatly done. Semi-olive complexion and I'm wondering if my Aramaic is up to speed, or whether I should be his agent for the Broadway revival. Mostly I'm wishing my long hair days hadn't ended and I briefly wallow in envy. At any rate the pizza was good and Jesus was a nice guy. Good to know.

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The end

.. just kidding. I kept driving south, down to CA, following 101 as it looped in and out of the coast. It wasn't until Eureka that I was reminded of a specific subculture. The sun was setting as I drove through, and this is it, i knew it - The Walking Dead isn't fiction, its right here, game over and all I've got is a multitool. But it was only the patchouli and herb loving drum circle crowd and there were a lot of them coming out of the shadows. Maybe Phish was playing, but I think they broke up? Doesn't matter. Welcome back to California. I'm so excited to visit my dealership and have a really long conversation about the A/C, my feelings and unmet expectations and maybe a hug at the end. Nah, forget that. Time to find a dealer who will offer solutions and options. Wish me luck.

​

The real end

Don't know why you're still here. It's done. For real this time.

[remembermemorablememories]

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

post #225

main points:

- conversion interviews!!

- lunch with john out on patio

- functional test logic update and request review

- update experiment expiration date

- update layout and try to figure out icon resource issue (unfortunately with no luck)

- brief break bumping into harvy in hallway

- melee with ian, eric, mansfield, raghav, and john

- grab takeout dinner/more polish on layout pixel values

- uber back home, getting back around 8:30pm

- chill on youtube for a long while/do school’s mandatory training

- catch up on blog posts (wrote up friday, saturday 8/17 and 8/18)

(writing this on tuesday august 28, finally catching up)

today i:

- woke up a little earlier than usual, around 8am. wanted to prep myself for my interviews. i washed my hair a bit, put on a dress shirt + hoodie, then ubered to work

- my ETA to get to the office was 9:20. the express pool added like 2-3 people, maximizing the possible time that express pool does for its guarantee. like how it’s usually like “arrive at x location no later than y time”. it’s usually a high upper bound and you arrive at the destination much earlier. but this time, it was pushing it as far back as possible. sigh. thank god i left early

- went to the cafe, got some breakfast. bumped into vishal briefly but mentioned that i had my interviews soon (at 10am) so we ate separately/individually

- went up to my desk to drop off my stuff around 9:40am. then walked over to 900 to go to the meeting room where i’d have my two interviews 10am-11:30am

- i showed up to the room and was surprised that there was no white board... yikes. that’s not good. i forwarded the email with the link to where i’d be coding from my personal to my corporate email so i’d be ready. i waited in the meeting room. it turned 10am. then... 10:05am. then... 10:08am. i was a bit confused, wondering where my interviewer was. i pinged him and he replied that he was actually trying to call me because he thought it was a phone interview. he said he had tried to call me. i looked at my phone (which had been facing down/on silent) and saw several missed calls. whoops :P 

my interviewer took a few minutes to come over to the meeting room and then we got started around 10:15am. we pushed the other interview back a bit as well.

- the first interview went okay i think. i feel like the question he asked was practical and fair, and also really interesting (it was a contextual problem in relation to where we work). i felt like i could’ve communicated my thoughts much better though. i stumbled my way through the problem, eventually getting to a working solution. i forgot some stuff in python though, like how to get the key that has the max value. overall, i think i’d give myself a 5/10 on that interview... like the solution seemed to work, but my communication was terrible. i think if i had a white board, i would’ve been able to draw out the problem when i initially started to get a better intuition

- the second interview also went okay i think. i feel like i communicated a bit better in my thought process, but still kind of stumbled my way through. i also got to a working solution but i struggled a bit on the nitty gritty details. i also was unsure of the trie data structure since i hadn’t used it in a while. it was a pretty interesting problem, and there was a second followup part that used the function from the first part which was cool. i think i’d give myself a 6/10 on that interview :/

- left the building with my second interviewer and went back to my desk. it wrapped up around 11:45am. so overall it was from 10:15-11:45am due to the late start

i feel like overall, the interviews were okay... the questions were totally fair, i just wish i had communicated my thoughts better. 

- went out to the patio to get lunch with john. we chatted a bit about plans for the next semester. he might visit boston as part of a business recruiting trip :D

- went back up to my desk. updated the functional test with the existing generated response from the old implementation’s test and then everything seemed to work. i submitted it for review again. then submitted it. 

also submitted a very small PR for updating some expiration dates

- began to update the layout to mimic the old implementation as closely as possible. also tried to update the icon for one of the options but the problem seemed much more complex than i had thought because the icon was a custom resource that needed to be referenced some different way... i spent a while trying to resolve it but decided to call my losses and work on everything else in the meantime

- also took a brief break, bumping into harvy in the hallway. he wanted tos how me something that he had worked on (a quick hack)

- went to play melee with ian, eric, mansfield, raghav, and john. raghav stuck around only for a short while. mansfield and john too. eventually it was just me ian and eric. we played rotations and i got rekt by both of them. it was a chill time though

- went downstairs to get dinner around 7pm. got takeout and brought it back up to my desk. i was screenshotting my implementation with the old implementation and literally just alternating between the two to see where i could update the pixel values

- ubered back home, getting back around 8:30pm. i hung out on youtube for a bit, watching david dobrik’s vlogs from last friday and this monday. while i was watching all of this i completed my school’s mandatory sexual assault training on a website. idk why we’re forced to do this, especially as non-freshman, but oh well... time passed by pretty quickly with youtube playing in the background (where i was actually focusing my attention on)

- finally caught a break and tried to catch up on my blog posts from the weekend. i wrote up friday 8/16, saturday 8/17 and 8/18. whew

then i probably showered and slept.

the end

[batchaoticcollectionnight-blog]

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

"El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://averageinsurancecost.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

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El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

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El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

""Auto Insurance question!!1st car, Mitsubishi eclipse?""

im getting a mitsubishi eclipse for my 1st car but im going to be payin for half of the insurance on it and i want to know if it'll be considered a sports car under the insurance.it'll be between a 1995-1999 and one of three models(RS,GS,GS-T).im pretty sure the gs-t is a sports car but what about the other two? the insurance will already be high enough being a teenager and a male so i just want to make sure if any one of those would not be considered a sports car under car insurance.thanks for the help.and plz no smartasses talking about oh no another teen driving they really need to get that law change blah blah.just people that will help.o yea im in texas if that would make any difference""

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My quote was: Semiannual premium: $1251 Do I pay $1251 twice a year?

Health Insurance?!?!?

I am having to get my own health insurance for the first time. Can someone help me figure all of this out? What should I be looking for? I am young and healthy, so I would not like to pay that much, but I would like to feel confidant in my coverage. Also, I will need dental coverage-any info there?? Thanks so much!""

Car Insurance moving from one state to another?

I'm moving to TX from PA. My car got inspected in pa a couple months ago. When i move to TX im going to need to get new insurance because my company doesnt cover in that state. When i go to get new insurance does my car have to be inspected in TX to get insurance?

Do insurance agents get group health insurance?

I am thinking about becoming an insurance agent for one of the large insurers. I was wondering if insurance companies generally offer group insurance for their agents or if they consider them independents and don't offer the coverage. What other benefits do most large insurance companies offer?

How much can home insurance cost?

i want to buy a home and i need to know how much my insurance might be.

Primary and Secondary Health Insurance?

This has been a big complication for a few months, but back in October of 2008, I had a physical exam and my provider billed, what I assumed at the time, my primary insurance company (Horizon NJ Health). However, two years later, Horizon took back that money and my provider has been billing me for that physical back in 2008. I called Horizon and apparently they took back the money because I had another health insurance, and Horizon was no longer my primary. I had not known about my other health insurance company, Aetna student health care, since they never gave me any information or membership details, and I was automatically enrolled for it when I entered my university. When I contacted Aetna, they told me that they weren't the primary insurance company because they were just student health care. After several phone calls back and forth between Aetna and Horizon... I STILL haven't figured out who my primary insurance company is since they both claim to be the secondary insurance (and they seem to have endless reasons why the other is primary). I contacted my provider and asked them who they have listed as my primary, and they seem to be clueless about it too (when I spoke to the receptionist and asked, they kinda changed the topic). Is it possible to have two secondary insurance? If not, who should be my primary insurance? If Horizon is my primary, doesn't that mean they shouldn't have taken the money back for the physical exam?""

Car insurance question?

i was just wondering...if you chose to pay off car insurance all in one do you pay it off as soon as you get insurance or do you pay after the year is over ?

Insurance Costs on a car when a minor?

Me (16 years old) and a friend (15) have an interest to buy a 2001 Passat. 5 speed manual for 1000$ to fix and sell for profit. How brutal would insurance be and is this joint purchase even possible? All costs would be covered by us. We have State Farm. Any information would be great. Thanks.

How much would the insurance be?

I'm a 17 year old male wanting to get full coverage on a 2006 Supercharged Cobalt SS. It's a coupe, silver, standard, and has a 2.0 liter supercharged engine. Does anybody know how much full coverage would be for me in this car?""

Would you buy rapture insurance?

If you believe in the rapture, would you purchase insurance to be paid out to your family members you have 'left behind'. I mean if you're the bread winner, and just 'vanish'. Who is going to pay the rent, who is going to buy the food. People carry life insurance, and have social security to help families, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't cover 'rapture'... --not superstitious""

How much will my Car insurance go up?

I hit a car in Los Angeles and I have State Farm. The guy I hit drives a range rover and all I did was scratch his driver's side door. The body shop wants $1200 to repaint the door, which I think is insane. I would pay cash, but $1200 is a lot of money. Does State Farm have accident forgiveness, or will my premium go up if I claim this on my insurance?""

Canceled Car Insurance?

So, I found out today, that State Farm canceled my car insurance. My coverage was good through Feb. 1st. My billing date is also Feb. 1st, but they usually charge me a day or two late. They charged me today for my renter's insurance, which is how I found out that I have no car insurance. State Farm never informed me that they were canceling my policy. They said I have had too many incidents. I have had 2 accidents and 1 ticket in the past 2 years. One accident was my fault and the other was not. The ticket was because of the accident. My question is: What can I do to get insurance with another company when I have not had insurance for the past 4 days (even though I didn't know it) and is it going to be a lot more expensive because I do not have a current policy?""

Car insurance question?

how much is it for a 17 year old for a year of insurence if i have my own car? btw i have allstate and i will be on my parents plan

Best health care insurance for 25 year old?

I just got off parent's insurance because it's only until I'm 25. I can't use my job's since I work part time, because I'm trying to finish college. I hardly get sick and see the doctor, but I know things happen. (Like whenever I got appendicitis not that long ago) What's the best affordable one's out there for me?""

How much does Dental Insurance Cost in Chicago Illinois. ?

What type of insurance? What insurance provider? My teeth are in pretty good shape, my wisdom teeth are gone and i don't need braces. I want a policy that covers me for the basics like checkups / cleaning / cavities. I would like it to be able to see the dentist near me and have 80% or better covered by insurance. Where should i go? Thanks in advance.""

What is a sporty car that won't kill a teenager in insurance prices and is good on gas?

Also I prefer American made, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.""

Health insurance question?

This question came to mind as my husband attended the annual insurance meeting at his job. The premium is going up 2011, the deductible went up, he got a 5% cut in pay last month, has not had a raise in 3 years, took away overtime and shutting down a week every couple of weeks. As if we could not pay for insurance right now hardly, when he retires in a few years he will have at least medicare but I am 9 years younger and will have nothing. Any ideas as to how to get affordable health insurance at 55 years of age. Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks""

Now i know i need insurance?

but know what kind of insurance would i need because these are only 14 ft jhon boats

Would a 4 door suv be cheaper on insurance than a 2 door suv?

well called an insurance company the other day, the person on the phone said it doesnt matter how many doors there is on it, it depends on the make and model.I dont know if she just thought i was talking about a pick up truck or what but shes has me confused i appreciate the help.""

Would it be ok to lower my auto insurance coverage?

I live on disability income -SSDI. This is my only income. I have no savings or other money, just my personal belongings (12 yr. old car, furniture, some jewelry, etc.) I rent an apartment. I am thinking of lowering my insurance costs by reducing the coverage amounts, which are very high right now. If I had an 'at fault' accident that exceeded my insurance coverage what assets could I be sued for by the other party?""

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

El Paso Texas Cheap car insurance quotes zip 79931

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-does-car-insurance-work-michael-keller/"

[watsonrodriquezie]

The More You Seek, The More You Find

It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

My name is Mark W. and I am a Primal Kitchen® Mayo junkie. Not the hard stuff, mind you [Chipotle Lime]—just the plain vanilla grade: real mayonnaise made with avocado oil. I smear a dab on each bite of my morning hard boiled, all natural, cage free, free range egg. Throw in a handful of my nut medley and I am good till lunch time. I have come a long way down the Primal Path since that last spoonful of toasted oat cereal and glass of cranberry fruit juice for breakfast at the end of October in 2012. I shared that tale in my MDA Success Story posted on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend in 2013.

After dropping 35 pounds following that initial wake-up call 5 years ago, I have settled into what appears to be my optimal weight of 168 pounds for the last four years—give or take a seasonal pound. But let’s review the numbers from that pivotal May 2012 blood test before continuing this updated Primal tale.

Blood glucose: 132 Glycohemoglobin (A1C): 7.3 Cholesterol: Total: 231 HDL (good): 37 LDL (bad): 148 VLDL: 46 Triglycerides: 229 Weight: 203

This photo captures a hint of that pre-Primal state back during my retro hippie phase—circa 2008 (note the progressing wattle under the chin).

Earlier this year I discovered a physician who formerly practiced geriatric medicine but now specializes in Functional Medicine and takes a more holistic approach to health care. He also happens to be fluent in Chinese medicine. He was impressed with my latest blood test results and even more impressed that I am 35 pounds lighter than I was five years ago—and have managed to keep it off!

New blood test numbers: Blood glucose: 98 Glycohemoglobin (A1C): (not in the test) Cholesterol: Total: 192 HDL (good): 51 LDL (bad): 127 (particle size not tested) VLDL: 14 Triglycerides: 70 Weight: 168 (ever since 6 months after going Primal) BMI: 15 (according to that fancy new scale in the bathroom)

I still need some minimal medical intervention to regulate my blood pressure, but the Rx is about 1/10 of my original dosage. One way to help relieve some of the stress that contributes to that high blood pressure is doing Yoga. One Saturday morning three years ago following a session in Yellow Springs (about 15 miles down the road), I was walking over to the local Farmer’s Market for some greens, and on the way I stumbled upon a Myofascial Release Therapist who now does wonderful things to help me deal with my 40-year-old injury. I think she is part Shaman.

I have conscientiously made an effort to adhere to the Primal Laws and worked at re-establishing Primal Connections: I ate more leafy greens in those first 5 months of being Primal than in the preceding 55 years. I took a 1/2 mile stroll out to the warehouse and back 3 times a day at work from where I retired this past July 1st after 21 years with the District and 30+ in the field of IT. I threw in some basic Primal Movements for good measure along the course—usually in the stairwell. (It now looks like I will end up becoming one of those post-retirement mall walkers!)

I have a shirtless riding mower tan and I make sure to steer clear of the poison ivy. I hoist 40 pound bags and boxes of softener salt and cat litter in and out of the car and into the basement. I hop on my 5-speed bicycle in season (up to 15+ miles now) and pedal on the stationary bicycle once in a while in the off season. I run around barefoot when it is not too cold, and I drink plenty of distilled water. Early on I installed the f.lux software on my laptop to help cut the blue light effect. Recent screenings have given the ‘all clear’ for the major plumbing system: no polyps and no GERD.

Of course, there have been some twists and turns over the last 5 years: cataract surgeries in each eye, a matching set of hernia repair scars, 3 or 4 colds including acute bronchitis. But the symptoms I experienced were minor compared to what they used to be, and I got over the ailments much more quickly—and with no meds! (except for the bronchitis). Even the effects of the anesthesia from my surgeries dissipated in only a couple of weeks instead of lingering for the typical 2 months.

Also during that time I have become a ‘model’ for others and have gathered a small following of converts. Like Jonny Appleseed, I have handed out dozens of tracts with a link to my original MDA Success Story, and have freely distributed nearly 2 dozen ‘starter kits’ to those individuals that were genuinely interested. The kits consist of three books that I have come to consider as a basic fundamental set for newcomers: Mark’s Primal Blueprint, Dr. William Davis’ Wheat Belly Cookbook, and the Carlton’s Rich Food, Poor Food—their ‘field guide’ to hunting and gathering in the modern day grocery store. I have actually amassed a small collection of around 40 books (including cookbooks) related to all things Primal/Paleo/Healthy Lifestyle—even one on plastic (think safe water bottles).

The Mrs. (who lost 25 pounds, btw) has also become a strong advocate for the cause by steering patrons to pick and choose from among the numerous Primal/Paleo selections in the ‘Health’ section at the local branch of the public library where she works. Our 2 sons, Paul, 27 and Brian, 24, have followed the Primal suit to a certain extent and are working to undo the effects of years of canned round pasta in tomato sauce and boxes of synthetic macaroni and cheese. Paul regularly prepares green or purple (or brown-ish?) colored smoothies, and Brian enjoys preparing meals at a forward thinking, though not totally Primal, gourmet deli in German Village. Even our cats are in good health and stay in shape on their grain-free diet.

But all those books and the starter kits are more than just publications promoting ‘self help’ fads. True personal growth must build on a solid foundation of physical strength and flexibility, and a Primal lifestyle both nourishes and builds up that grounded physical platform on which to build. And this is only the beginning ….

We continue to simplify our lifestyle and become more in touch with Nature. I wake up to the birds chirping at sunrise. We ditched anti-biotic hand soaps and are switching to all natural personal hygiene products. I have become a member of the Thrive Market. I jumped at the opportunity for an office window seat and kept the overhead artificial lights off. I obtained one of Esther Gokahle’s Stretchsit Cushions for the car while on my pre-retirement 45 minute commute. I joined a new tribe 3 years ago and expanded my musical skills at the same time by participating in a newly formed British brass band that competes in the North American Brass Band Championships. (I still play in the other one, too.)

Attending a few workshops and retreats on Yoga and Mindfulness (think Zen) have improved the effectiveness of my Yoga practice which for me is like meditation in motion. Integrating this with my Primal foundation has helped strengthen the connections that extend beyond basic physical needs. My musical performance has become more rich and expressive. Sure, I still get tired, but my work had become more productive with little or no afternoon coma or brain fog.

I see my recent retirement as more of a career move and an opportunity to explore employment in Geographic Information Systems with renewed interest, energy, and clarity that I would not have envisioned happening 5 years earlier. I am better prepared for this retirement transition on so many levels, including updating my resume to include my GIS degree from 2011. We even signed up for the less expensive minimal health care coverage (Bronze plan) since our medical needs are fewer, thanks to our healthy Primal lifestyle.

This is not the end, however. There is always room for improvement. It is easy to become complacent and think that we have ‘arrived’, but it is actually an ongoing journey. And even with a decent working knowledge of the Primal lifestyle, I had been contemplating re-reading Mark’s Primal Blueprint to make sure I was still on track. About the time I was ready to crack open my old hardcover copy, Mark decided to produce a new and improved (and larger) version of his book: The New Primal Blueprint. Perfect timing. It is a real thirst quencher.

Each of us is on their own Path, and the Primal lifestyle is flexible enough to accommodate each one. But there is also a basic common ground that we all share, and being part of the Primal Tribe is a great way to learn and grow and find support along that path. Looking back at my own progress, I can now see all the Primal connections that opened up along the way: That initial ominous doctor visit and blood test 5 years ago. Stumbling onto the MDA website after the ‘detox’ on our cruise. The trickle of health related books that became a flood of consistent new and expanded sources of information. The encounters with forward thinking health professionals. All the individuals that seemed to just ‘appear’ at the right time in their lives to disclose a need to improve their health, providing an opportunity to share my Primal story.

That Connection was there all along—and still is. I just did not recognize it. It seems that the more you seek, the more you find. So keep seeking, and Grok on.

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