#we NEED to return to photo collages on the backs of albums

[cauldronoflove]

lesley gore from the back cover of her album boys, boys, boys (1964)

[therobertfrasergang]

Robert Fraser, John Lennon, and Jonathan Cott, 1968

In the Montagu Square apartment in Marylebone, London, John Lennon is photographed by Ethan Russell as he listens to various singles and talks with art gallery owner Robert Fraser and Rolling Stone journalist Jonathan Cott. September 17, 1968

Update: @misspaoline adds "It was Robert Fraser who introduced reporter Jonathan Cott to John Lennon"

This is recounted in Jonathan Cott's book, Days That I'll Remember:

"A week before John’s You Are Here exhibition was going to close, I revisited the Robert Fraser Gallery to see the show one last time. On the afternoon I was there, I decided to introduce myself to Fraser, whom I found surprisingly approachable and gracious. He told me that he subscribed to Rolling Stone, and when I mentioned that I would love to interview John for the magazine, he informed me that the Beatles were in the midst of working on their White Album, and that he doubted that John would have time to see me. But he took down my phone number and said that he’d propose the idea to him and would report back if he heard something positive. At the end of August, I received my dreamed-of call. Fraser conveyed to me the news that John was willing to grant me an interview in mid-September, and offered to act as liaison with regard to arranging all the details. A week later, Fraser phoned to tell me that I should come to John and Yoko’s London flat on September 17 at five o’clock in the afternoon and that he would be there as well to make the introductions…

I arrived at 34 Montagu Square on Tuesday, September 17, 1968, at five o’clock in the afternoon. I nervously rang the doorbell, and after a few seconds, a smiling John Lennon—his round, wire-rimmed granny glasses immediately gave him away—opened the door. “Come in, come in!” he said, took my coat, then led me into the living room where I saw Robert Fraser sitting on a couch next to Yoko Ono, who was dressed in a black sweater and black pants. Glancing around the room, I was instantly transfixed by the astonishing array of photos and posters hanging on the walls. Among them were the two full-length nude photos of John and Yoko that would appear on the controversial cover of their soon-to-be-released Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins album; a giant Sgt. Pepper ensign; the fanciful 1967 Time magazine Beatles cover for which the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe had sculpted the group using papier-mâché, paste, wire, sticks, and watercolors; and Richard Hamilton’s iconic poster collage made up of news clippings about the Rolling Stones’ 1967 drug bust, for which Fraser had received his six-month prison sentence. There was the scent of Indian incense in the air, and John, Yoko, Robert, and I sat down around a simple wooden table covered with magazines, newspapers, a beaded necklace shaped in the form of a pentacle, a sketch pad on which I caught a glimpse of some of John’s inimitable skittery cartoonlike drawings, and an ashtray brimming over with French Gitanes cigarette butts.

We began talking about John’s recent You Are Here exhibition but were shortly interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. John got up to take the call, and when he returned, he informed me apologetically that he’d just found out that he needed to be at an all-night Beatles recording session at Abbey Road Studios for the White Album. So we agreed to meet up the next day to do the interview. But as I got up to leave, John unexpectedly said, “Why don’t you just come along with Yoko and me to the session"…John, Yoko, and I left the flat, entered a waiting limousine, and were driven to St. John’s Wood."

-Days That I'll Remember: Spending Time With John Lennon and Yoko Ono

(Looks like Robert didn't go to the studio with them. Interesting.)

[rataltouille]

[start id / a photo of a bronze-coloured statue on a brown background facing a golden globe of yellow-white light. over the image, in serif font, is the text “a million homes and none of them is yours” / end id]

A MILLION HOMES AND NONE OF THEM IS YOURS: WIP INTRO

[this is my original work, do not use / repurpose / plagiarise in any form]

GENRE: literary fiction with speculative elements / fabulism [aka a Vibe]

SETTING: south india / a weird other dimension.

FORM: second-person pov, present tense. told in vignettes that are sometimes poems, sometimes recipes, sometimes full scenes and sometimes a single chunk of fancy description.

STAGE: drafting. expected wc: 30k.

TONE: harsh, quiet, seething.

THEMES + AESTHETICS: girlhood vs motherhood, freedom, fear of change, the feeling of missing something you’ve never experienced. red lights, nights with no moon, dimly lit motel rooms, reaching for something and finding only air, dust hanging in abandoned rooms, endless roads, dark forests, silence.

CONTENT WARNING: toxic relationships, intense discussions of motherhood and pregnancy, violent thoughts and mentions of death.

SYNOPSIS:

When a young college student returns to her hometown on her mother’s request, she doesn’t expect to stay long, doesn’t expect to be wanted back permanently, doesn’t expect her mother to be freshly pregnant and doesn't expect to learn that her father has been dead for days—her mother selfishly keeping the news from her. Mid-confrontation, the earth below their feet splits open and the two find themselves in a strange, red-tinted world with eerie sounds and skies with no suns. With a mere two weeks left until the mother’s child is due, the two must work together to navigate their way out and back home, whether it knits them closer or cleaves them apart.

aka what i refer to as “mommy issues: the novella”

CHARACTERS:

[start id / a collage of three pictures placed horizontally next to each other. first image is a shot of two hands reaching for each other against a grey backdrop; second image is plain white with black serif text that reads “the daughter”; third image is a shot of a city at night with silhouette of buildings, the central building illuminated in golden lights / end id]

THE DAUGHTER

our second person narrator!

tfw when you think you’re the shit but also you hate yourself

moral compass is messed up oops [understatement]

all she wants is stability in life but life said fuck you babe

don’t think she sleeps for more than three hours a day actually

is a med student! decided she’d be working to be an obstetrician because it ties in with motherhood and i’m pretentious like that

mitski album of her life is be the cowboy

[start id / a collage of three pictures placed horizontally next to each other. first image is a shot of someone’s hands on a windowsill looking at a sparse garden; second image is plain white with black serif text that reads “the mother”; third image is a shot of a road at night with parked cars and yellow lamposts / end id]

THE MOTHER

that one judgemental aunt in your family

why?? does she keep lying??? for what joy??? i’d love to know

no chill whatsoever but this def runs in the family

does she actually know she’s a person whose actions have consequences? idk, she makes good food though

accidentally started associating her with crabs after drafting this one scene and it is such an image to live with actually

aggressively atheist [we stan]

mitski album of her life is lush

[start id / a photo of a woman standing in a dark room facing a beam of light that illuminates the top half of her face. over the image, in serif font, is the text “You’re both so similar that it prickles. You know she thought you an anchor. You know she needs to touch skin to believe she’s real. You know she’s just as lonely as you. You hope.” / end id]

AN EXCERPT: She almost smiles at you. You almost smile back. You don’t remember when you stopped making jokes out of everything or when she stopped laughing at them, don’t remember when you started pushing limits to see how far you’re truly allowed to reach, to snap, to be, and when she started letting you, started seeing you as another body in her house, started thinking of you in portions rather than person, started touching her neck and face and heart on Sunday mornings with the curtains still up and the windows still whispering from the night draft to convince herself that at least she’s a real. You’re both so similar that it prickles. You know she thought you an anchor. You know she needs to touch skin to believe she’s real. You know she’s just as lonely as you. You hope.

and that’s all for now!! i literally impulse started this wip a month ago and it’s been super fun because the only rules here were that there were no rules and the story can suck as much as i want, which is something my perfectionist brain really needs. here’s the tag for everything about this project and here’s the playlist. you can send me an ask if you’d like to be added to my taglist !

[nanowrimo]

Improv Games to Help You Walk in Your Characters’ Shoes

What does it feel like to walk in your character’s shoes? How do they move? How can we step into the mind and body of our characters to begin to see the world through their eyes? Today, we’ve based our blog post on a webcast led by founder and Executive Director of The Society of Young Inklings, Naomi Kinsman: 

Writing is all about the choices you make along the way. Part of what makes your writing voice unique is the way you choose to tell the story you choose to tell. So, why not play a fun game to help you make those important story choices? You can choose to play these games one of two ways: on your feet or in your seat! The choice is now yours.

Let the games begin!

ACT 1

To begin, focus on your main character or pick a specific character.

1. If your character were going to do something recreational, such as going to an amusement park or a movie, a play or a party, would your character go:

A) Alone  B) With a group

2. If your character were going on vacation, would they choose to stay in:

A) A hotel B) in a tent/outdoor accommodation

3. If your character were sitting around a campfire or at a party would they be more likely to:

A) Tell a story  B) Listen to a story

4. If your character had an important birthday celebration coming up for a friend or family member, would your character be more likely to:

A) Make a gift B) Buy a gift

5. Imagine that your character gets into a lot trouble. Would they be more likely to respond with:

A) Reasons and logic  B) Tears and emotion

6. If your character had to write one of these kinds of things, would they be more likely to write:

A) Poetry B) A newspaper article

7. In order to explore an idea, would your character be more likely to:

A) Create a list B) Make a collage

ACT 2

Find a free space to move or close your eyes and imagine:

How does your character move? At what speed? 

Now move/imagine your character is moving at a slightly faster speed than normal. Moving only in straight lines and turning only in 90 degree angles. Then transition into curving lines. Noting how your character navigates. What does their body language convey? Then return to your character’s regular walking speed.

Next, think about your characters feet. What shoes are they wearing? Does your character have feet or hoofs or claws? Now you’re walking in your character’s shoes or “feet”, whichever the case may be.

Move up to your character’s legs. How would your character move? Do they wear pants, shorts, a skirt? Do their legs have feathers, fur or scales? 

Think about your character’s torso, from shoulders to hips. What kind of shirt do they wear, or what colors are their feathers? 

Think about your character’s hands. What might they be carrying? Do they have a cellphone handy, a bag? Do they tend to keep things in their pockets? Do they fidget with their hands? Play with their hair? Explore different habits they may have. Pay attention to your character’s hands while they walk.

Think about your character’s face. On a regular day, what kind of expression might they wear?

What does your character do to prep for the day? Do they have a morning ritual to get ready for the day? Do they put on makeup, do their hair, eat breakfast, drink coffee, let the dog out? Does your character pack a bag for the day? Think about this morning ritual as having a beginning, middle and end. What are your character’s specific actions?

How does your character feel while going through their morning routine? Are they hurried? Do they take their time? Are they sleepy, energetic?

Think of a day in the life of your character that you want to explore. What does your character expect to happen on that day? An activity, event, meeting? Maybe something big happened yesterday, and now they have to face reality, today. Now, go back to your character’s regular morning ritual. How does this information affect their movements? Now, go back to the beginning one more time and turn on your internal monologue. What would be going through their minds? What kind of thoughts would they be having?

ACT 3

Think of a space that belongs to your character. Their room, hideout, evil lab, nest. If your character has no personal space, think of an item that is personal to them, maybe a backpack. What’s in it? What items does your character consider important enough to need everyday. Now, think about how your character personalizes this space. 

Go to a door. Think about what this door looks like. Is it wood. metal, simple or ornate? How do they get through this door? A key? A touch pad? A secret code?  The door opens. Your character walks in. Now, visualize what’s there.

What is the largest object in this space? A piece of furniture, a TV, a tree. Notice the details. What makes it significant to your character? What is an object that reminds your character of a proud moment? A plaque, a trophy, a gift, certificate, medal, photograph? Think about the moment they received the object and why it makes them feel proud? How do they personalize their space? Do they hang up posters, pictures? Is it organized or messy? What objects exist in this space because they matter to your character? What objects may have been given as a gift? Who gave the gift to your character and why? Are they photos or a photo album? What memories are contained in the photos? What might be broken or irritating in this space? Something your character wishes they could fix.

Take one last look around the room for any other details you may have missed that could be important to your story.

The Society of Young Inklings is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth writers, ages 8-18. Their programs launched in 2008 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through their work (and play!) with thousands of students and educators, they developed and refined Writerly Play, a game-based approach to the creative process. The Society of Young Inklings now offers online mentorships, writers’ circles, and courses. Stay in touch by following them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Top photo by DANNY G on Unsplash.

[midnightiscoming-kasabian]

'NEW INSPIRATION' Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno on new hair and new start with his S.L.P. solo album

By Jacqui Swift | Photos: Neil Bedford

SERGE PIZZORNO didn’t want to make another Kasabian record without first searching for new inspiration.

After 15 years of hits, the creative leader of the Leicester band that formed in 1997 decided to do something different.

And so arrives The S.L.P., Pizzorno’s debut solo album under the guise of his initials S.L.P. (Sergio Lorenzo Pizzorno).

He says: “I just need to go and find some new treasures, go down the rabbit hole and see what I came back up with.

“The S.L.P. and Kasabian are two very different things. Two different sports that you would never combine.”

Pizzorno previously had no urge to make a record on his own and says its creation came as a surprise to him after “playing around in the studio”.

He says: “It was made for the right reasons and not to be commercial, just to see what could happen. There was definitely a childish reconnection of messing about and not having to consider playing it to 80,000 people.

“I’m not even using my name on the record and so probably in six months, people will go, ‘Did you make this record?’”

Kasabian fans needn’t worry that this solo project might mark the end of the band.

Pizzorno says: “I am in my band and I love my band. The best way to describe it is, it’s like another planet I can now visit whenever I want. It’s this planet that orbits and I can go there for a bit.”

‘NEW HAIR’

When Kasabian decided to take a break after touring 2017’s For Crying Out Loud, Pizzorno found himself in his studio with tracks and thought it was “very much now or never”.

He says: “When you get to six albums, you’ve got to keep it clever and make it interesting.

“Kasabian have had six albums — five No1 albums in a row. We’ve headlined Glastonbury, Leicester Stadium, The O2 and got really big in Europe, Eastern Europe and South America.

“Things rocketed after that last album and we needed time off. There is nothing better than being in a band but there are times, like when we are sat in airports, when it feels like hard work.”

I meet the 38-year-old at his publicist’s office in North London. He has just got the train down from Leicester. Tall and skinny, with new short hair and leopard spots dyed into the back, he says: “It’s new hair as I felt it was symbolic of a new start.”

Pizzorno has always enjoyed pushing the boundaries with Kasabian and no two albums have been the same.

He says: “This was a really quick record to make. I’ve always embraced just going with the beat or melody and seeing where it takes me.

“There’s an energy you create as a writer. With The S.L.P., I’ve been able to go even further. Some things aren’t right for Kasabian but work for this as it’s so different.” It was recorded and produced at his home studio, The Sergery, in Leicestershire. The S.L.P. shows off his love of film soundtracks, dance music and hip-hop.

Pizzorno says: “I’ve always liked film scores, the Balearic thing and really evil, dirty basslines and I’ve tried to channel those.

“I’d put a lot of my old synths and instruments into storage and worked on my little Casio keyboard, a couple of little drum machines and would just nick sounds from film and TV.

“There’s a lot of samples on the record but nothing specific, more like digital noises and sounds that I’ve collected over the years.

“If I didn’t have my hard drive, I don’t think I’d necessarily have an album — it was a good chance to dip into them. I like making collages and putting all the sounds together with the melodies I had in my head.”

Pizzorno reveals he had a comic-strip idea for the album, with a beginning, middle and an end starting with the tracks Meanwhile . . .  In Genova”; “Meanwhile . . .  At The Welcome Break”; and “Meanwhile . . .  In The Silent Nowhere.

‘BLEW MY MIND’

He says: “The whole album was very visual. I find imagery and write from it.

“Once I had these three pieces of music I could fill in the gaps. And it was good to start at my roots with the track Meanwhile . . .  In Genova.”

The story begins in Italy in Genova, where Serge’s grandad is from. The singer is a huge Ennio Morricone fan, this cinematic track is his homage to him.

Standouts on the album are joyous dance tracks Trance and recent single Nobody Else.

He says: “It’s dance music but there is also tenderness and little moments of simple messages.

“Trance is a lovely moment because it’s an anthem but way more French and sophisticated.

“Rave music was huge for me. Me and my pal used to spend hours dancing to it in his bedroom. And when we are playing festivals, I try to visit the dance tent to have a little dance as I miss that feeling. It’s mad.

“The Wu is a special track on the record too. I love that tune.

“It’s about going down hotel corridors listening for where the party is.

“I’ve spent a lot of times in hotels with the band listening to The Wu-Tang.”

The first single from The S.L.P. was Favourites, for which he teamed up with Little Simz, while Slowthai guests on Meanwhile . . .  At The Welcome Break.

He says: “I went to see Slowthai in Birmingham and he just blew my mind. He was phenomenal and the same with Simz. I had been in contact in the past with her and always loved her flow.

“I wanted the track to have a British voice on there. The album is very much where I see Britain and what I’ve observed here as myself over the years.

“Favourites came from listening in to a conversation with two young girls about online dating.

“I started thinking about the real you versus your online persona and how you are never going to live up to it.

“It’s thinking about where that is going to lead us and how we forget to live in the moment.

“The track Soldiers 00018 is about a cab driver talking about his hatred of things and how I had the feeling I need to fight back but with compassion, love and positivity.

“Meanwhile . . .  In The Silent Nowhere is about the need for communication and to start listening again. Whatever side you are on, you have to engage and try and figure it out and find some sort of middle ground.”

Pizzorno believes that in these troubled times, people feel disconnected — and the further away we are from each other, things will get worse.

He says: “I think it’s an artist’s job to bring people together to engage with each other.”

‘FRESH AND ENGAGED’

It is no surprise that Pizzorno’s project as The S.L.P. has been compared to Damon Albarn and Gorillaz, something the musician and producer sees as a huge compliment.

He says: “It’s a massive honour because I am a huge fan of his and especially Gorillaz. In the future I’d like to work with more artists, and not necessarily people you would expect.

“To have that opportunity and be in the studio with these different people inspiring new sounds is amazing.

“That is going to keep me fresh and engaged with new s**t.”

One person who continually inspires Pizzorno is The Mighty Boosh comic and Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding, who helped launch the S.L.P. at a special Q&A event in London.

Pizzorno says: “Noel is a real brother, and godfather to my kids.

“We met years back and kept in touch and spent a load of time together. I worked on two of his shows with him with the music and we’ve released music together that are loose tapestries.

“He is so talented and clever. I can’t keep up with his ideas.

“When I’m with him, it’s constant, mad laughter. My two boys watch him on Bake Off and he taught them how to paint.

“I’ve got this amazing photo of him with them when they were little, sat on his knee on a lawnmower wearing a pair of shorts and mad David Bowie boots.”

THE S.L.P. track list

Meanwhile... In Genova

Lockdown

((trance))

The Wu

Soldiers 00018

Meanwhile... At The Welcome Break (ft               Slowthai)

Nobody Else

Favourites (ft Little Simz)

Kvng Fv

The Youngest Gary

Meanwhile... In The  Silent Nowhere

Next month, Pizzorno goes out on the road to tour The S.L.P. with a number of select gigs across the UK and Europe.

He says: “I can’t wait. It’s going to be the album in its entirety with extended mixes and the aim is euphoria. I went to see David Byrne play and his show really inspired me.”

And how have Pizzorno’s Kasabian bandmates reacted to this solo work?

He says: “I have to say they’ve been incredible. Tom says he loves it. There’s not been any weirdness at all.

“I love being in my band and making my own record has inspired me for more Kasabian and I’ve been working on music for the band already.

“They know I wasn’t sure The S.L.P. was even going to happen and they realise it makes sense for me to do something.

“As a band, we’ve had everything thrown at us. Like any relationship, we’ve had massive highs and lows but we are happy together. Stepping away from Kasabian makes me appreciate the enormity of it and the power of our live show.

“The S.L.P. is a new start for me, which means a new chapter for Kasabian too.

“Kasabian is all about connection and when we return we will connect with as many people as possible.

“I will just have another outlet for extra music I fancy making.”

The S.L.P. is out on August 30.

www.thesun.co.uk

[alj4890]

And Then I Met You

Part 13

What happens when the one you thought you were meant for turns out to be meant for someone else? 

@krsnlove @walkerinfolkvangr @alleksa16 @penguininapinktuxedo @blackcoffee85 @stopforamoment @fullbeaumonty @cocomaxley @darley1101 @hopefulmoonobject @littleblossom357 @annekebbphotography @gibbles82 @bella-ca

Masterlist

Part 13

"Hmm. It is good to be back here." Amanda hefted one of her bags and paused when Thomas stopped her.

He pulled her to him and slipped the heavy bag off her shoulder. He cupped her face and kissed her. Her hands moved over his chest while his moved down her back. He lifted his head and looked around his home. "I'm glad you like it here."

Her grin was mischevious. "I think what made me love it so much was the owner. Have you seen him by chance?"

A smile flirted about his lips. "He's most likely busy with his wife. I'm afraid you are stuck with me."

She linked her fingers behind his head. "I suppose I can live with that." She let out a laugh when he picked her up. "Thomas! Put me down!"

He looked at her and shook his head. "I never carried you over the threshold."

She tightened her arms around his neck. "Probably because I lived here before we really knew each other. There isn't a threshold here left to cross."

"True, but there is one place you never entered." He walked upstairs and opened the door to his bedroom. He set her down and watched her go around, taking in all the little details. Her mouth fell open at a picture frame on the wall.

"Thomas! Where did this come from?"

A collage of the two of them was in a decorative metal frame. There was a picture of them when they attended the AFI ceremony. It was a closeup of the two of them looking at each other and smiling on their first night out together. Another picture was at his surprise party. The expression on his face as he looked down at her laughing was one of pure adoration. Holly or Addison had even snapped a black and white photo of the pair working together on the screenplay in his office. In that one, Thomas was talking and Amanda had her head propped on her hand while looking at him with a soft, dreamy grin.

The rest were of their honeymoon in Paris. One was of them taken from behind walking hand in hand. Another was the night Monica had offered to be her husband's mistress. Someone had captured the kiss Thomas had given her outside when he reiterated his feelings. The final one was their last night in Paris. It was a picture of them kissing at the Eiffel Tower right after Thomas surprised her with their wedding rings.

He came up behind her and slipped his arms around her. "Holly and Addison surprised me with this. They thought this would be a better wedding present than anything else. Holly contacted various reporters and paprazzi while Addison met with others to choose the best of their photos."

"This is amazing. I had no idea all these special moments with you had been captured." She leaned her head against his shoulder as he pulled her closer. "They say pictures don't lie. I believe these show how I was falling for you early on."

Thomas pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I don't believe I have ever been captured on film as happy as I am in these with you."

If melting were possible, she was certain she would at his sweet words. Amanda noticed an album sitting on a table. "What's in there?"

He furrowed his brow and reached for it. "Ah. This must be the pictures they wanted but didn't quite make the cut for the frame." They sat down on the bed and looked at their moments captured, recalling the memories.

"I guess we should go back downstairs and get the bags." She set the album back on the table. As she walked by him he took her hand and tugged her back onto the bed. Her smile grew as he kissed her.

"I believe we need to focus on something else." He said in a raspy voice.

"And what might that be?" She ran her fingers through his hair while moving closer to him.

He looked down at her. "I--", he rolled over and pulled his cell phone out and frowned while he debated on answering it.

"Who is it?" Amanda asked when she saw his hesitancy.

"Lauren Benefield." He hit ignore and turned back to Amanda. "Now, Lady Hunt. Let me share a dream I had about you in this b--".

They both looked at his phone vibrating. "Go ahead and answer it." Amanda muttered as her lips explored his neck.

Thomas ignored the call. "I've made plans this evening that involve being with my wife in this very room." He gently smoothed her hair off her forehead. "Ms. Benefield can wait."

When his phone vibrated a third time, he nearly threw it across the room. Amanda snatched it from his hand when he began searching for a place to toss it. "Let's turn it off." She noticed that this time there was a text message. "Thomas, she apologizes for disturbing you but she is only calling to change the meeting's time."

He softly cursed and called her. He settled against the bed pillows with Amanda. His fingers traced circles along her back as she rested her head on his chest.

"Mr. Hunt! I am so sorry for the calls, but I am afraid tomorrow's meeting will need to be canceled. A family emergency occurred and I will need to meet with my nephew's teachers tomorrow. Is there any possibility we could meet tonight? I would suggest tomorrow night, but I do not know how long I will be in conferences." Lauren checked her reflection as she spoke, turning sideways to make sure her sweater showed off her chest to its full advantage.

Thomas frowned as he looked down at Amanda curled up next to him. "I'm afraid I have plans that can't be broken tonight. Why don't we plan on meeting the day after tomorrow?"

Lauren's eyes narrowed while her voice was sweet and understanding. "I suppose we will have to see. Tonight was the one time I could guarantee that no other pressing matter would occur."

Amanda whispered for him to go on if he needed to. "I promise to remain here, waiting." He met her eyes and nearly groaned. "Very well. My wife is willing to alter our plans. What time should I come by?"

"How sweet! Tell her thank you and I will try to make it up to her. Would eight thirty work for you?"

Thomas glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "One hour? I will need a little more time than that to make it to the city. I should be there around nine."

Lauren flipped her golden brown hair over shoulder. "Thank you again. See you soon."

Thomas ended the call, his frown becoming more severe. He had some difficulty believing she could meet at no other time. Was this a test to see if he would play her little games? Perhaps he had misread her reasons for calling. He should give her a chance instead of being suspicious. His mind moved on to more pleasant thoughts when Amanda straddled him. She leaned down and gave a series of mind numbing kisses. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"That is to make sure you rush back to me." She whispered against his lips

He lovingly cupped her face and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "You never have to worry about that." He reluctantly got up and made himself ready. He brought their luggage upstairs and kissed her goodbye.

As he was driving, he called Holly.

"Hey boss. Everything okay?"

"Yes. I am on my way to Ms. Benefield's and realized I forgot the screenplay. Would you forward a copy?"

Holly could not hide her worry. "I thought we were meeting with her tomorrow."

"She has a family emergency to take care of tomorrow. This was the only time she was free to meet."

"Thomas, stop by and pick me up. I don't think you should go on your own."

He frowned as he waited at a stop light. "Holly, you live out of the way. I am only going to stay a short time."

"I think my presence would help in making that actually happen." She took a deep breath and spoke. "I don't think you ever met Troy, did you?"

His eyes narrowed with her question. "Troy? I don't believe so. Was that producer you dated a few years ago?"

Holly doodled on a note pad as she fought her tears. "Yes. Everything was going great until he was producing a movie with Lauren in the supportive role. By the time she was through with him, she had gained the staring role and ruined our relationship. I don't want to see you get sucked into her web."

Thomas merged onto the interstate and thought of her warning. "I won't. Like I said before, if I see that she is going to be a troublemaker, then I will find someone else. For now, I think she is the right one to bring Elizabeth to life."

Holly fought snapping at him. He was tenacious when it came to the vision he had for his movies. "We could always hold auditions. Who knows? We might find someone that would make Lauren look like a second rate bit player."

Thomas held fast to his plan. "We will see. I'll get an impression of her tonight and see if I think we should follow with that suggestion."

"At least let me call in an hour so that you can escape her clutches." Holly pleaded.

Thomas hesistated. "Very well. I should be at her home in thirty minutes. Call an hour from then."

"Will do. Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't fall for her tricks."

"No need to be overly dramatic."

"I'm not." She hung up and stared out her window. She had a gut feeling that he was beginning to walk a tight rope. All it took was one false step with Lauren and his marriage would come crashing down.

Thomas pulled into the drive of a sprawling mansion in a neighborhood where many of the Hollywood elite resided. He picked up his notes and checked his phone for the screenplay.

Lauren opened the door and smiled. "Mr. Hunt, do come in."

He nodded in greeting. "Ms. Benefield."

She smiled and let out a soft laugh. "Please, call me Lauren." She led him into her living room and offered him something to drink. He shook his head and launched into his speech concerning the nature of her part and his vision for the film.

"Amanda and I will be returning to Cordonia in two weeks. The plan is to begin filming in a month. Do you believe you will be free to travel there for filming by then?"

She pretended to think seriously about it. "I'm not sure. I believe it should not be a problem. I usually try and spend time within the culture or study the type of person that I am to emulate. Would it be possible for me to come a week or two earlier to gain that extra layer?"

"If you do, you would be your own. I will be taking part of the court events." He explained.

Her bright smile appeared. "That's right! I forgot your wife is a duchess." Her brown eyes slowly clouded with worry. "It is a shame I can't attend a few of those to see how a duchess acts. It is hard to imagine such a way of life after growing up in Mississippi."

"I am sure my wife would be more than happy to answer your questions."

"Oh, I'm sure she would. I have heard many say how nice she is. They also say she doesn't act like how one would think a noble normally would. With this kind of part, I might need to see someone who is a tad more old-fashioned in their mannerisms and dealing with the so called commoners."

She got up to pour herself a drink and asked him again if he wanted anything. He refused again and asked if she was accepting the part.

A small pout formed as she thought of her decision. "Would it be alright if I have a few days with the script and think about it?"

"Of course." He forwarded it to her email and stood up to leave after seeing Holly's missed call. He had forgotten to turn the ringer up.

"I had a few other questions, but I understand if you need to go. I suppose I will be able to decide on whether or not I want to do this with what you have told me."

His dark eyes studied her a moment as a slight frown formed. "What type of questions did you have?"

"Mostly about my character. Her personality, what aspects you want shown with Arthur and Reginald, what type of dances and activities I need to learn, things like that." Her face was all innocence as she regarded him.

He slowly sat back down and began to answer her queries. Her smile grew in excitement. "So she is an ancestor of your wife's?"

"Yes. There are portraits of her along with journals she and Reginald kept."

"Fascinating. I wish I could read her journals. I would certainly know her mind then. Have you cast someone for Reginald yet?"

He nodded. "Chris Winters will be Reginald. Not only does he have similar features, his personality has a gentle side that is reminiscent of Reginald. He and Ryan will be the perfect opposites that your Elizabeth must decide between."

"Do I look like Elizabeth's portrait?" She said with a bashful grin.

"Not in the slightest. Elizabeth had black hair and light blue eyes."

She laughed at his direct answer. "Shall I be forced to color my hair and wear contacts?" She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and twirled a lock under the lamp light, letting the golden highlights shimmer. "As you can see, it is nowhere near that color and my eyes are much too dark."

"That can be easily decided later." He looked at his watch and stood up quickly. He was shocked to see that he had been with her for nearly three hours. "Think on the part. I need to return home."

"I will. Sorry if I ruined your plans tonight." She lifted remorseful eyes to him at her door. "I hope your wife doesn't get too angry with you. I imagine it is hard for those not familiar with our business to understand how easily time gets away when planning a film."

"Amanda is very understanding. She is the reason I came this evening." He defended.

"Oh? Good. I was worried she had been the one to keep you from answering my calls. I would have completely understood as I hate for my plans to be interrupted."

"Not at all. I'm the one who was trying to stick to my plans with her. Goodnight Ms. Benefield." He opened her door and walked outside.

"Mr. Hunt! I told you not to worry about being so formal. Lauren will do between us." Her smile was warm and friendly.

He hesitated a moment. "Very well, goodnight."

She coyly bit down on her lip. "Goodnight...Thomas." She shut the door as he continued on to his vehicle.

As soon as he pulled out of her drive, his phone rang. "Yes."

"Why didn't you pick up when I called?!" Holly demanded. "Please tell me you left then."

He cleared his throat. "No, she had some questions and I stayed longer."

"How much longer?" Holly could hear a car honking in the background. "You're just now leaving! I knew this would happen."

"Holly, the only thing she questioned was her part." He replied in an irritated tone.

"Uh huh. Well, I doubt she gets many of the men she does by suggesting they go ahead and begin an affair after the initial meeting." Holly snapped.

"Holly! That's enough. If she had remotely acted in such a manner I would have left immediately."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "You and Amanda are so happy that I can't stand the thought of that interloper trying to come between you and destroying what you have. Promise me you will take note anytime she brings Amanda up. Troy began accusing me of complaining about the time he was spending with her. Saying things like, 'you don't understand how important meetings and rehearsals are when making a movie."

"I will pay attention. Get some rest and stop worrying. I'm not about to jeopardize my life for an actress." He paused a minute. "Thank you, Holly, for checking on me."

She smiled. "Anytime. See you tomorrow boss. Addison has another costume she wants all our opinions on."

"Good. See you then." Once the call ended, he called Amanda and relaxed when he heard her voice. "I should be home in twenty minutes. I'm sorry the meeting took so long."

"That's okay. I know how easy it is for time can get away when talking about something you are passionate about. Did she accept the part? I know you were hoping she would."

"Not yet. She asked for time to look over it. Amanda? Would you mind talking to her about how a duchess' mannerisms and such are, if she accepts? Perhaps invite her to one of the court events, such as the one we host. Allow her to see how the nobility act."

"Of course. I would be glad to help."

He shook his head in wonder at her willingness to help him. "Thank you."

He could imagine her smile when she told him to remember to thank her in person. Thomas knew exactly how he would show his appreciation. The call ended and a short time later he was taken from his thoughts of what he would do as soon as he was home when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Lauren had sent a text asking if he might be available tomorrow night to answer a few questions she had about the script, if she found herself done with her meetings early enough.

Part of him wanted to ignore the text completely. Another part wanted to inform her that there were to be no more calls or texts after daytime hours. He might still be making movies, but what he wanted to spend the majority of his time on had shifted exponetially since his marriage.

He wanted this movie to be what Amanda deserved. Her hard work on the screenplay was worthy of only the ones perfect for the part. Ryan and Chris already proved they were made for such roles. Elizabeth had to be played by the best actress he could obtain.

When he pulled into his garage, he quickly typed that he should be available if she had any questions or concerns.

Before he unlocked the door, she had sent another message.

Thank you for being so willing to help me. I want to not only understand the role, but make sure that I am the right one for the part. I am sure it has a special place in your heart since your wife wrote it. I don't want to disappoint you if I do take it. I believe if we work together on this, we will make something wonderful.

[albumcoverart5-blog]

The highest Jackson Five Album Masks

One of the issues that I miss in regards to the "old school" days associated with Soft albums are typically the album handles.

album cover creator

Oh, anyone still have cool art and interesting designs, nevertheless, you no longer have which large 12 inch and also handle that could assist as a mini-poster regarding your favorite artist. ?t had been even more of some sort of treat as soon as the artist generated a dual album, since you would after that possess four sides of canopy job.

album cover creator

Now I admit that must be great not having in order to allocate large amounts involving space to be able to housing a good album assortment. But, My spouse and i tend to feel with regards to photos like I experience about developing a library connected with books. There is certainly something that will seems right in relation to shopping at a bookshelf as well as seeing those books arranged on the shelf, simply like there was something felt good about experiencing your array of collections prearranged nice and b, or even tossed regarding.

Ultimately, I guess you may argue that it's genuinely about the tunes, and also being able to hear to what you wish to easily and proficiently, and often the current formats surely offer on that.

U no longer suppose too many men and women ordered albums just structured on the deal with... until it was some associated with those Kansas Players lps covers (you can find that away for yourself).

My favorite team and then and now is Typically the Knutson Five / Often the Jacksons. When I had been growing up, many of us don't have much dollars, along with early on, the merely documents I was ready to get came via the spine of cereal packing containers. And so there weren't just about any posters and prints around either. Along with when you actually did obtain your hands on a great cd, you were very excited. Arrive at think regarding it, those cereal field records did have got a image on them.

The initial Fitzgibbons Five album which often I truly owned has been "Dancing Machine". I dealt some comic book heroes with a new friend of mine for you to get the lp. At this point the cover now experienced been roughed up the bit plus the album got 1 or 2 chafes (for those of a person that have by no means employed a vinyl record, in the event that an album has any damage it causes the actual music being interrupted, sometimes repeating on its own, or pouncing the groove and transferring to the next part of the song and normally changing the fidelity involving the music), but in which became the most popular album. Involving course it was likewise my only album, however why quibble.

As My partner and i acquired a little old, and been able to have some sort of few bucks during my pants pocket, I set about acquiring the albums that We am not able to buy when I actually was youthful. I put in plenty of time investigating what they used to help call the particular "cut-out racks/bins" (this ended up being where more mature albums were being placed in addition to a notch seemed to be bodily cut-out on the recording cover - marking this damaged/non-returnable and enabling typically the retailer to sell with a diminished price). My spouse and i also found much of the cds at second-hand or maybe re-sale stores. Eventually, My partner and i succeeded to gather nearly almost all of early albums this I had have missed.

This favorite Jackson album addresses? Well, thanks for questioning -- they are often the following:

#1 Probably Another day -

It's a twice album cover, although this wasn't a double cd. The actual boys are within a garden/park setting using lots of green qualifications. Michael, Jackie and Perico are on the front side cover as well as Jermaine and also Marlon have the back again cover, it's a extensive shot so to view just about all five you start the actual cover to watch the front along with backside together. The inside include possesses another wide photo from the boys and a new few smaller pictures.

#2 ABC -

I think that really cool to have got these people around the huge letters of just one of their very own signature tunes about the protect, and the back handle collage used a good deal of photographs of these individuals appearing in everyday activity adjustments, playing ball, merely suspending out, totally cool.

#3 Greatest Hits -

Of your iconic photo for us in the early 70's Knutson A few

#4 Going Again To Indianapolis -

This kind of was from the TELEVISION SET special... need I claim far more?

#5 Skywriter :

Absolutely cool seeing all of them inside old-time flight accommodates while using aviator goggles.

#6 Straighteners -

Double lp deal with, artist rendition upon the include, wide chance of the party in the inside.

#7 Receive It Together rapid

We never managed to acquire this hands on this kind of one. The original protect had a cut out there on the letters GIT by way of which you may see the particular picture beneath the idea, the item was a cover in a handle. The guys were from the yellow in addition to red fancy dress costumes. I feel later versions with the record just used the GIT letters on the deal with with out showing the photo underneath.

#8 Triumph instructions

I appreciated this include because it was obviously a small group shot, scalp as well as shoulders of the bros done in grey hue, almost what they does on Third Cd, yet it reminded me connected with that.

And once you tape away all of typically the amazing sounds and nice sounds, it's important which there's still the tune there. A track that will can be sang, and also phrases with meaning.

[tabletonki]

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[anotherfiveyears]

20: For You Blue

*Virginia, The day before Thanksgiving 1996*

He pulled his rental car into the parking lot of the little strip mall in Alexandria and nervously shoved a couple pieces of gum in his mouth. The clock on the dashboard clicked over to 5:55 and he took the uniformity as a good enough omen to brave entering the record store.

The bells jingled happily above the door, intensifying his butterflies and her voice drifted from the back room. "Be right there!"

He darted to the Rock section, keeping his back to her when she emerged from the back room carrying a box of Christmas decorations. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Yeah, you guys have that new Goo Fighters yet?" he tried not to laugh as he stared up at a promo poster of him and the band from a photo shoot he didn't even remember being at.

"Foo Fighters or Goo Goo Dolls?" he could hear the twinge of irritation in her voice as she made her way over and turned to watch her flip through a stack of records. "The last Goo Goo Dolls was released a few years back, but the Foo Fighters..." she found his first album and held it up, gasping in shock when she finally looked at his face. "Goddamnit, David! You are such an asshole!" she cried.

"Happy to see you too, Annie," he laughed and dragged her to him, hugging her tightly and hoping he didn't have to let go.

"You cut your fucking hair!" she exclaimed, running her fingers through his chopped cut.

"Do you like it?"

"Um..." she wrinkled her nose a bit but giggled. "I think it's going to take some getting used to."

"Good enough," he decided, trying to hide his frown when she wiggled out of his arms. "Need help closing up?"

"Sure! You remember what to do?"

He nodded and let her take the cash tray in the back before moving behind the counter. Finding himself facing a wall covered in posters, pictures and other random memorabilia of his, he spotted a frame holding a collage of ticket stubs and pictures. Several Scream, Nirvana, and even two Foo Fighters stubs were positioned over pictures of Anna and her Dad, both of them happily smiling in front of the lit stage where Dave was performing. He heard Anna returning to the front and crouched to shut off the stereo.

"This is new," he said, tilting his head at the wall.

"Yeah, Dad's a big fan," she said simply and put the cash tray back in the register.

"I wish I would have known you were there..."

Anna leaned against the counter with a raised eyebrow, daring him to go on. He sensed her irritation and leaned against the wall, copying his cheesy grin on the poster behind him. "Can I take you to dinner?"

"I don't know, kitten," she replied with a half smile. "Can you?" Her eyes drifted to the silver band on his ring finger.

Fuck. He had meant to leave it in the car, but he had been too eager to see her. "As friends."

She snorted a laugh and tossed her keys at him, "Here, you drive. I just have to lock up."

Perfect. He hurried to her car and slipped into the driver's seat, pulling the demo tape from his pocket and shoving it into the car's stereo. He switched it to the CD player just as she hopped into the passenger seat with a bright smile. "So where are we going?"

*

"Sorry I couldn't make it to the west coast," she sighed and flopped onto the bar stool. "The holidays are just insane at work. Especially now that Clinton won again."

"Maybe you can come over in January," Dave replied, dragging a bar stool close to hers. He had taken her to a tiny dive bar that he and Jimmy frequented. It wasn't fancy, but he knew he wouldn't be recognized or bothered there.

She laughed a little and leaned her elbows on the bar. "I think I'm still hungover from your last birthday, David."

"Yeah, I think we both had a good time that night," he said quietly.

"So, how long are you here for?" she asked, trying to appear casual as she took her beer glass from the bartender, but he caught her smile.

"I have to be back in the studio January third."

Her eyebrows shot up as she took a drink. "That's a long break! Aren't you guys under a deadline?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "but the sessions are tougher than I thought they'd be."

"How so?"

"I don't know," he sighed and sat back in his chair. "It's so different than with Kurt and Krist or when it was just me and Barrett. Now these guys all look to me for direction and I have no idea how to give it without sounding like an asshole."

"Aren't you the one that writes all the songs?"

"Yeah, but..."

"They're just asking for guidance on how to play what's in your brain," she laughed and shook her head. "Your poor brain."

He stared at her profile, marveling at her obvious answer. That's exactly what he had done with Kurt when they recorded. His job was to interpret what was in Kurt's disaster of a mind and play the drums accordingly, why didn't he see it sooner? Between the divorce and the stress of the record, he felt in a fog. There hadn't been a neutral party around him in so long, someone that wasn't a band member or someone that didn't depend on him for a living and it was beginning to kill the pleasure in making music. Anna suddenly burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What's so funny?" He had forgotten how contagious her laugh was.

"Your fucking hair, David! Oh my god," she giggled.

They spent the rest of the evening sharing plates of fried bar food and beer, laughing about their younger days and talking about whatever was going on in their lives. Dave feigned ordering another beer at the rail so he could pay without her protesting, though he knew she saw right through him. She even leaned into him as they walked back to her car and he instinctively put his arm around her, wondering if maybe she would ask him to come home with her. Just as he was about to open her car door for her, he heard her stifle a laugh and felt her hand in his pocket, then she was gone in a breeze of giggles. He chased after her, catching her arm just as she made it to the driver's side door and pressed her into it. He held up the $20 she had shoved in his pocket before tucking it into her coat. She tried to glare, but couldn't keep a straight face.

"Sometimes I forget how much I miss you," she giggled.

"You should teach me how to forget cause I miss you all the fucking time."

*

Dave threw her car into park back at the record shop and sat back in the driver's seat. He wanted to talk to her more, just spend a little more time with her before they had to go their separate ways. Anna had held his hand all the way back from the bar, seemingly lost in her own head as she wasn't as talkative as usual.

"You okay?" he asked cautiously.

Her head snapped up and she forced a little smile. "Yes, just fine. Thanks for surprising me tonight. I had fun." Before he could reply, she was out of the car.

She reached out to brush her hand against his as they crossed paths in the beam of the headlights and quickly slid behind the steering wheel. He spun around and followed her, his heart in his throat knowing she was about to listen to his demo tape.

"Wait, Anna," he held the driver's side door open and leaned across her to switch the stereo from CD to tape. The tape clicked over and he knew he had exactly twelve seconds to say goodbye to her. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she nodded, confused by his behavior. "I'll be at my parent's all day."

"Great." He quickly kissed her forehead and shut the door, hearing the first riff of the song when he climbed into his own car.

Dave rolled his window down and watched her, knowing just by the look on her face that she was absorbing his words. She stared straight ahead at the circles her headlights made against the brick building, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. The song built and faded, then ended as she sat motionless. He began to fidget thinking she hated it, maybe she would think he was making fun of her, maybe he shouldn't have ever recorded the song when she finally appeared at his open window. Her face was neutral, maybe a little stunned when she took a breath.

"It's not even a word," she breathed.

He barked a laugh, that's what everyone said when they heard it for the first time. "Not unless you're leaving voicemails after half a rack of beer."

She gave him a forced smile and stepped back a little, "Will you come talk to me for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure," he said quietly, now totally convinced she hated the song. She was going to be so pissed when he told her it made it to the record.

Anna unlocked the record shop and the bells chimed loudly into the silence. She let him lock the door, putting distance between them as she hurried to the counter. They kept the lights off as the light from the back room was enough for them to see, but still hide any emotion they couldn't keep from their faces. Leaning her back against the counter, she faced him with a deadly serious voice. "How much of it is about me?"

"The song or the record?" he winced when her eyes went wide and she spun away from him to hide her face in her hands. "Just two songs, Anna," he lied.

"David!"

"Okay, fine. Four. Maybe five." It was six, but he wasn't about to tell her that now.

She took in a sharp breath and pushed off the counter, unable to look at him as she walked into the back. He found her in the stock room, sitting on an empty vinyl crate with her head in her hands.

"Anna..."

"No, David," she said sharply. "No."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Oh, I don't know," she snapped. "Not write about my personal life for public fucking consumption?"

"No one's going to know it's you," he insisted, sitting across from her on another crate.

"Bullshit!" she cried. "You don't think there aren't entire teams of journalists out there trying to dig up dirt on you?"

His stomach dropped. "Have they gotten to you?"

She only stared at him, her lips a thin line.

"You know, most girls would love to have a song written about them," he regretted his words as soon as he said them, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Oh, dear," she cooed sarcastically. "Am I not showing enough gratitude-"

"... Anna," he warned.

"- for having my love life broadcast all over the world? My apologies, oh great one... Have I angered the mighty rock god? Was a virgin sacrifice not good enough?"

He sat back, her words feeling like a slap in the face. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her. He had been looking forward to being with Anna for weeks, they were having so much fun earlier, but he had managed to ruin everything with a four minute song.

"Can you just understand why I wrote them?"

"Yeah! I mean, why would you ever keep something that private from the masses?"

"Cut the sarcasm, Anna."

"Cut the song, David."

He jumped off the crate, startling Anna enough that she fell backward. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, gritting his teeth in anger. "What am I supposed to do? You're all I think about anymore, you're... Fuck, Anna! Everyone is on my back telling me I need to write something with meaning and then when I do, the only person I care about fucking hates it."

"I'm not-" she forced herself out of his arms and took a step back from him. "I didn't say I hated it. The song is beautiful, but you're fucking married, David! I don't want to be the other woman. Don't do that to me."

"It's already over, Anna! How many times do I need to tell you that?"

"You still go back to her, David. You live with her, you wear your wedding ring when I'm not around. For all I know, she's waiting for you at your mom's house right now. And when the record is released and people start digging, they'll find out it's me. Please... don't do this to me."

[maribricklove]

Trapped Under Ice - Part 5

Pairing: Sam x Reader, Dean x Platonic!Reader, John Winchester (mentioned),

Summary: Imagine being an old hunting friend of Sam’s (and something more) from before he went to college that he thought was dead, and while coincidentally working on the same case you were, you run into each other again. Astonished to see you after almost twenty years, Sam tries to figure out how you survived, but you don’t want to relive the pain and terror of how you were separated.

Word Count: 1659

Warnings: Implied PTSD (No disrespect to people with PTSD. Just something for the character), fluff, angst, eventual blood, gore, death, mild swearing.

Prompt: None

Disclaimers: I do not own anything from CW,  Warner Brother’s, any of the photos in this collage, or you. This is a work of pure fiction -obviously.

Series Masterlist 

Reader’s POV

I’ve never been one to get a lot of sleep when working on a case. There’s too much pressure in getting everything right, and I usually loose track of time when I listen to my music while I work. Tonight was on of those nights.

After dinner, Sam, Dean and I were preparing to finish this case before the next person was eaten by this mysterious hound. I got into my comfortable work clothes, a.k.a. a tank top and my jean shorts, and  I hacked into the security cameras outside of the urgent care clinic and started watching for our five missing people and any sign of this Okuri-inu. With music blasting in my ears, I sat at my computer on my bed and started to go through the footage. That was four hours ago. During that time, Sam sat down next to me with one of his books, both of us exchanging a smile to the other before returning to our work. Maybe two or three hours after that, Dean had caught my attention.

“What are you listening to?” he asked.

“Judas Priest, ‘British Steel,’” I replied. “Best album ever.”

“Ah. I prefer ‘Sin after Sin,’” he stated with a mischievous smirk.

“Yeah, but ‘Sin after Sin’ doesn’t have ‘Livin’ after Midnight,’” I retorted with a lifted eyebrow.

“True,” he surrendered. “I’m heading back to my motel room. Is Sam okay over here?”

Confused, I looked over to Sam, only to see him sleeping right next to me with his book in his lap. His head is leaning towards my shoulder, his chestnut hair draping over his face, and the slightest bit of drool dripping from his mouth. I couldn’t help but smile at the somewhat adorable puppy dog laying right next to me. “Yeah, he’ll be fine,” I quietly replied to Dean.

“Okay then. I’ll see you in the morning,” He said with a smile. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Dean exited my motel room, and I returned to my work. Maybe another two hours passed until I felt Sam stir in his sleep. I looked over, and he was turning more towards me, the book that was in his lap, now on the bed between us. I took notice of how much he’s changed. His arms are much bigger, his hair definitely longer, his facial features more defined. In his dress shirt and slacks, he definitely looks like he could have been a lawyer. As I smile a second time at his sleeping figure, I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Once again, I return to my work, and suddenly, I hear “Hey.”

Sam’s POV

I must have fallen asleep while working, because I woke up curled next to a small figure, smaller than Dean’s. I look up, and I see it’s Y/N still working at her computer. She’s so focused, it reminds me of when we would work together when we were kids. Her e/c eyes brightened by the computer screen, and her h/c hair framing her face as she looked down at her laptop.

“Hey.”

She turned her head in surprise and paused for a second. “Hey,” she said quietly.

“What time is it?”

She paused to look at the clock on her nightstand. “A little after three in the morning.”

“And you’re still working?” I asked as I propped myself up on my elbow. “You should get some sleep.”

“I know. I’m just not tired” she said blankly, not even looking at me.

“You should at least try. We’ve been working hard all day.” I tried to look into her eyes, but she still wouldn’t look at me. Curious, I looked around the room for any sign of Dean in this conversation, but to no avail. “Where’s Dean?” I asked.

“He went back to your guy’s motel room. He didn’t want to disturb you, so he left you here. Probably thinks we’ll get it on,” She joked, not even smiling.

“He probably does,” I joked back, and she cracked a small smile. “Did you find anything?”

“Yeah. I found our five missing people, but nothing else.”

“You’ve been at this since nine-thirty last night. You should get some sleep.”

She stopped for a moment, and finally looked at me, and said with a mischievous smile, “You’re not going to let me have any peace until I turn this thing off, are you?”

I shook my head. “Nope,” I said.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll turn it off and go to bed,” she said with her hands surrendering above her head. I smiled at her exaggerated movements. She turned off her computer and got off the bed to put it away. As she walked towards the kitchen to put her laptop with her bag, I noticed something on the back of her right arm. It looked like a huge scratch that had scarred over.

“What happened to your arm?”

She looked over her shoulder to see me and then to her arm. “Oh, that? That’s just a scratch.” She said.

I sat up on the bed and got up and walked towards her. “I can see that. What gave you a scratch like that?”

She turned towards me with her hands on her hips. “It was nothing, Sam. It was just a rock that I scraped my arm against. No big deal.”

“Sorry. I’m just concerned is all.”

“You don’t need to be concerned, Sam. I’m fine”

“I know, Y/N. I can’t help it.”

After a quick pause, “Sam, would you like to sleep here tonight?” she asked.

She caught me by surprise. “W-w-what?”

“I asked if you would like to sleep here tonight. Dean’s already gone to bed over in your room, and he knows you’re over here. Why not just stay over here?”

I thought about what she was asking. Was she asking me to sleep with her, or was she just being considerate, or could she see that I wanted to stay here? I don’t know, but I didn’t want to wake Dean, and I couldn’t help but think that if I went back to my motel room that Y/N would just leave in the middle of the night and I would never see her again.

So, I said, “Yeah.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll go get ready for bed, and you can get comfortable.”

“Okay,” I replied. She went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

What are you thinking, Sam? I asked myself. I can’t sleep in the same bed as her. That would be too awkward. We’re just friends. I’ll just sleep on the couch.

Reader’s POV

What are you thinking, Y/N? I asked myself. I feel so awkward. We’re just friends. I’ll just sleep on the couch. Oh, man. He doesn’t even have any other clothes with him. They’re all back in his motel room. What was I thinking?

I couldn’t help but wonder if he still had feelings for me since he accepted my request, but I had to put my thoughts aside. After I brushed my teeth and put my hair up, I exited the bathroom. I saw Sam taking a blanket over to the couch.

“Sam,” I started, “you can take the bed. The couch is too small for you. I’ll sleep there.”

“No. It’s okay. This is your room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Sam, you are my guest. You get the bed. I get the couch,” I finished.

He let out a quick sigh in defeat. “Okay. Fine. Here you go,” he said as he handed me the blanket. He quickly turned and went to the restroom, and I prepared my couch for the night. He came out of the restroom as I grabbed a pillow from the bed, and he walked toward the bed. As he lifted the covers to get under, he stopped. “Y/N,”

“Yeah?” I asked as I laid out my pillow on the couch.

“Is this what I think it is?”

I turned around to se him holding the knife that I keep under my covers every night. It was a small pocket knife with a mother-of-pearl mount handle, the same knife he gave me for my fifteenth birthday.

“Yeah.”

“You still have it.”

“It’s not as pretty as it used to be, but it still gets the job done. It’s the only thing I couldn’t leave behind. No matter where I went, I always had it with me.”

He let out a small chuckle. “Man, I remember when I found this in that pawn shop. I saw the mother of pearl on the handle, and I thought ‘Y/N would really love this,’” he said. “I scrounged up as much money as I could, so I could buy it. I even borrowed some money from Dean. My dad kept questioning why I had to buy this knife. I just told him that it would be a really good addition to my weaponry, but I still kept thinking, ‘Y/N is going to love this.’”

I walked up to him, and gently took the knife from his hands. “And I still do to this day.” My small hands lingered there with his enormous ones for a few seconds, and suddenly, I looked up, and our eyes were locked together. His hazel and green eyes now staring into mine. I couldn’t help the butterflies in my stomach. I quickly pulled my hands away and gave him a soft smile, which he returned.

“I’m glad,” he said. I quickly turned and walked over to my couch and laid down. Sam went to turn the lights off, and I placed my knife in my pocket.

After Sam turned out the light, he got into the bed. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Sam,” I said back.

Maybe it will be a good night, I hoped, but to no avail. Like every night for the last twenty years, the demons came out of the shadows to terrorize the one time where I could retreat from reality’s own tortures.

I had fun writing this one, but I’m even more excited to make part six. Definitely going to be some fluff, maybe a bit more angst, but It will be sweet. Message me good vibes, and maybe some one-shot requests if you want. I’m open to ‘em. 

Part six

[livinginlandmarketing]

This story is part of a series

In the four years since David O’Sullivan went missing in the San Jacinto Mountains, several other missing-persons cases have intertwined with his and one another’s.

The same group of volunteers who have been searching for O’Sulivan’s remains have gotten involved in at least three other local cases.

A woman who helped search for a missing man later disappeared herself.

And relatives of some of the missing people share a frustration with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for how they handled the cases. Some say they’ve been treated poorly or don’t think authorities put enough effort into the searches. In two of the cases, relatives said the first time they tried to report their loved one missing, the person they spoke to wouldn’t take the report.

Sheriff’s officials have declined multiple times to answer most questions about the cases or to respond to families’ criticism of their actions.

“You never realize what a gift a funeral is until you cannot find your loved one.”

Theresa Sturkie says her strong Catholic faith, which she shared with her husband, John, helped sustain her after her husband went missing and was found dead in 2019. At her home in Oceanside on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, she holds a cellphone with a photo of John after he summited Grey’s Peak in Colorado. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Theresa Sturkie, at her home in Oceanside on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, displays photos of her and her husband John from their 1998 wedding album. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Theresa Sturkie says praying the rosary has helped her cope with the disappearance and death of her husband, John Sturkie, whose body was discovered in a ravine in the San Jacinto Mountains six months after he disappeared on Jan. 4, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A rosary and cellphone photo of John Sturkie are placed on the 1998 wedding album of Theresa and John Sturkie in Oceanside on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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John Sturkie

John Sturkie, a 55-year-old electrician from Oceanside, loved the outdoors and would occasionally head out for a solo adventure without telling anyone where he planned to go. He was last seen by his family — wife Theresa and four teenage and adult children — on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019.

A month later, after Oceanside police got a warrant for cellphone tower records, they learned that Sturkie had driven up to the San Jacinto Mountains, about 90 miles northeast of his home. That led them to the record of a 911 call that proved both illuminating and devastating.

Read the series

Part 1: The mysterious disappearance of Pacific Crest Trail hiker David O’Sullivan

Map: David O’Sullivan’s 180-mile Pacific Crest Trail journey

Part 2: Who’s looking for David O’Sullivan? At first, almost no one

More: Missing in the mountains: 4 families ache for those lost

Part 3: 4 years later, searchers seek an answer: What was David O’Sullivan’s fate?

Sturkie’s truck had gotten stuck on a rough road above the Fuller Ridge trailhead. Three men who were up there to do some off-roading that Saturday found him and helped him get unstuck, according to Cathy Tarr, who has been leading the efforts to find O’Sullivan and helped Theresa Sturkie search for her husband. Tarr talked to the men several months later.

At the end of the day, with darkness setting in, snow falling, Sturkie’s truck low on gas and stuck again, the men begged him to come with him, Tarr said. Despite not having camping gear or winter clothes, he declined — and told them not to send help.

Once they got back to an area with cellphone reception, they called 911 anyway. However, “because the men told the 911 operator that Sturkie didn’t ask for assistance, it was classified as a disabled vehicle, not a rescue emergency,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

By the next day, 9 inches of snow had fallen.

Once Sturkie’s cellphone pings were discovered, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department got involved. However, multiple helicopter searches failed to find his truck, and Theresa Sturkie said investigators kept telling her he probably wasn’t up there.

But local resident Jon King, who operates the San Jacinto Trail Report website and has search-and-rescue experience, thought it was obvious the truck was out there. So he strapped on some snowshoes and found it March 15, wedged against a rock above the Black Mountain campground.

In April — with Sturkie’s body still not located — the Sheriff’s Department suspended the case, Theresa Sturkie said. But she wasn’t giving up.

King put her in touch with Tarr, and the pair went up to the mountains every week or two to look for clues. They also organized three larger searches involving dozens of volunteers.

Theresa Sturkie admits that she “kind of antagonized” the Sheriff’s Department, telling them, “Me and my mom friends are gonna go up. I just want to let you know, you might have to rescue us.”

“They kept trying to scare me from going to search, telling me it was too dangerous,” she said. “What else am I gonna do? You guys aren’t going to look for him, I’ve got to do it.”

She thinks press coverage of those efforts is what pushed the Sheriff’s Department to organize a large-scale search on June 29 that included search dogs, a helicopter and the drone team.

His remains were found in a steep ravine on the north side of the mountains; they had to be lifted out by helicopter. Theresa believes he was trying to follow the Pacific Crest Trail down to safety but missed a switchback. He had taken off his fleece jacket, his knit cap and some socks that they believe he was wearing as gloves — signs that he was suffering from hypothermia. As people freeze to death, they may actually start feeling hot and remove clothes.

Finding him “meant so much,” Theresa said. “Even though logically you know that they are deceased, there’s a part of you, being a human being, that just hopes they’re alive.”

But getting closure was a relief, especially to her children.

“The kids were so anxious — it was like the foundation of their life was dropped out from underneath them. The relief when I told them he had been found, you could just see it in their bodies,” she said. “You never realize what a gift a funeral is until you cannot find your loved one.”

Even so, her troubles didn’t end when her husband’s body was found. The coroner’s office, a division of the Sheriff’s Department, listed his date of death as June, not January, even though what was found in June was nothing much more than a skeleton. Theresa said her family almost lost out on months worth of life insurance benefits because of that.

Death-registration guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say: “When a body has been found after a long period of time, the medical examiner or coroner should estimate the date and time of death as accurately as possible” and put that estimate on the death certificate.

She said sheriff’s officials also repeatedly refused to give her copies of their reports, which she requested initially because she wanted to see what areas had already been searched, and then later to file life insurance and benefit claims. She ended up on the phone with a sergeant who she said yelled at her.

“We’ve been through so much,” she said she told him. “If you can’t now, when can you give it to me, under what circumstances? Can you send it directly to the insurance company?” She said he finally told her no, they would never send anything to her, or anybody.

Some people at the Sheriff’s Department were helpful, she said, and she repeatedly stressed that she’s grateful to the people who found her husband and sympathetic about how hard a job the police have.

Overall, however, in that agency, “it feels like there’s this culture of not helping.”

“Hey, it’s been a long time, we need to have answers.”

Maggie Garcia Zavala, 50, at her home in in Hemet on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, holds a photo taken 10 years ago of herself and her mother, Rosario “Chata” Garcia. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maggie Garcia Zavala, left, keeps this photo of herself and her mother, Rosario “Chata” Garcia, on her dresser. The elder Garcia went missing in July 2020 after driving onto a trail near Pinyon Pines, and her remains were found nearby in January 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maggie Garcia Zavala keeps a photo collage of her mother, Rosario “Chata” Garcia, at her Hemet home. The collage was displayed at Garcia’s funeral. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Rosario “Chata” Garcia

Maggie Garcia Zavala’s list of grievances is long when it comes to how her mother’s disappearance was handled.

Rosario “Chata” Garcia, who was 73 and showing signs of dementia, left her East Hemet home on July 7, 2020, and never returned. Her Nissan Altima was found two days later, stuck on a rock on a trail 40 miles away near Pinyon Pines, southeast of Idyllwild.

Garcia Zavala said a search-and-rescue team with bloodhounds and a helicopter spent only a day and a half searching for her mother out by where the car was found.

That was it until a month later, Garcia Zavala said, when they brought cadaver dogs back out to the trail.

“That was because I was pushing and pushing, telling them, ‘Hey, it’s been a long time, we need to have answers,’” she said.

In an August interview, she said that if the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation was still active, they weren’t keeping her in the loop. When she would contact them to make suggestions, “they just kind of blow me off,” she said.

She organized her own searches on weekends and hired a private investigator to try to find answers that she wasn’t getting from the authorities.

“It kind of feels like they’re just waiting for things just to fall in their laps,” she said. “It’s not going to happen like that.”

She did eventually learn that DNA tests showed no one other than her mom had been in the car, so foul play was unlikely.

In January, Tarr — the same woman who helped Sturkie and who’s still looking for O’Sullivan — asked a group of drone operators she’s worked with to fly over the area where Garcia’s car was found.

Tarr’s team of image searchers got the drone photos on Jan. 23, and on Jan. 24 they found Garcia, Tarr said — less than 500 feet away from her car, up against some of the many large rocks covering the ground.

Tarr said she contacted authorities right away and they all tried to go out to the site the next day, but it was too snowy to get there. When she called back a few days later after the snow had melted, she was frustrated to learn they hadn’t gone back yet or even notified the family.

It wasn’t until Feb. 5, according to a sheriff’s press release, that officials retrieved Garcia’s remains. That’s also when they finally contacted her family.

“Why did they wait so long,” Garcia Zavala wonders.

Authorities told her that they think after her mom’s car got stuck, she got out and started walking. She might have slipped or sat down and fallen asleep in a rocky area.

Like in the Sturkie case, Garcia Zavala said her mother’s death certificate doesn’t list her date of death anywhere close to when she went missing, but says Feb. 5.

She said it makes her angry to think that her family could have been spared all those months of anxiety if the initial search had been thorough enough.

She’s grateful to Tarr and the nonprofit organization Tarr recently founded, the Fowler O’Sullivan Foundation.

“They did in three days what the actual Sheriff’s Department couldn’t do in seven months,” Garcia Zavala said.

“The man on the phone said, ‘Am I supposed to look for him?’”

Roy Prifogle, pictured with his daughter, Kendra Johnson, has been missing since March 2020. The then-52-year-old Pine Cove resident went on a night hike on Webster Trail and never returned. (Photo courtesy of Kendra Johnson)

Kendra Johnson, 21, and Lisa Cole, 57, the daughter and sister of Pine Cove resident Roy Prifogle, visited Webster Trail in May 2021 with some members of the Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation. Prifogle went missing while on a hike of that trail in March 2020. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Tarr)

Tags left behind by a search-and-rescue team mark the location in the brush off Webster Trail in the San Jacinto Mountains where a backpack belonging to Roy Prifogle was found shortly after he went missing in March 2020. (Photo courtesy of Cathy Tarr)

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Roy Prifogle

Roy Prifogle, 52, of Pine Cove, enjoyed hiking at night. The evening of Wednesday, March 4, 2020, he set out for Webster Trail, a path that isn’t well-used but that he’d been familiar with since childhood.

In the middle of the night, he texted his roommate that he’d be home soon but was heading to the river to get water. That’s the last anyone ever heard from him.

His sister, Lisa Cole of Anza, said she called authorities the next day. She was concerned that he hadn’t come home yet, especially because he’d had a mini-stroke about six months earlier.

“The man on the phone said, ‘Am I supposed to look for him?’” Cole said. He told her Prifogle was an adult who was probably out doing adult things, Cole said, and if she wanted someone to look for him, she should do it.

It wasn’t until Friday, March 6, that authorities realized Prifogle was a missing hiker and began to search for him, according to Cole and Prifogle’s 21-year-old daughter, Kendra Johnson.

According to the California Attorney General’s Office: “In California, a missing person is someone whose whereabouts is unknown to the reporting party. … There is NO waiting period for reporting a person missing. All California police and sheriffs’ departments must accept any report, including a report by telephone, of a missing person, including runaways, without delay and will give priority to the handling of the report.”

Prifogle’s car was still parked near the trailhead of Webster Trail, and that weekend, a search-and-rescue team found his backpack deep off the trail.

When word of Prifogle’s disappearance got out, people in the close-knit mountain community of a few thousand residents wanted to help.

But Johnson said after the first weekend — within the time frame when Prifogle could still have been alive if he’d gotten hurt or stuck somewhere — the Sheriff’s Department threatened to suspend the search if anyone other than the authorized searchers went out to look for Prifogle. They said it would disturb the scene and compromise their efforts, Johnson said.

The day that his backpack was located, two local men had gone out to look for Prifogle, Johnson said. She learned from the men as well as sheriff’s officials that when the search-and-rescue team came across the men, authorities were so adamant that no unauthorized searchers could be out there that all four team members escorted the men back to town — leaving the trail that led away from the backpack.

“That was a bad call,” Johnson said. A storm soon hit and washed away whatever tracks may have been out there.

A couple of weeks later, sheriff’s officials became more welcoming of volunteer search efforts, according to Johnson, although they still ask people not to take risks or interfere with the official search.

Johnson said she has generally been treated well by the Sheriff’s Department. In the beginning, the deputy in charge of the case answered every question she had and made her feel better during a difficult time. Cole, however, is less satisfied, saying the sheriff’s personnel she’s tried to get updates from have treated her dismissively.

More recently, Johnson has been frustrated that authorities are “not doing the best job of communicating” and have to keep a lot of details of the case secret in case it ever turns out that foul play was involved.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful for what sheriff’s station has done,” Johnson said. “It’s easy to say that (a particular decision) was wrong, but I know they did their best, probably. I appreciate everything they’ve done.”

She’s glad that a search-and-rescue team went back out this April to look for her dad again — but she’s also hopeful now that Tarr and the Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation reached out to her recently and want to help search.

“It feels really good just because police have been so unsuccessful since they found the backpack,” she said. “… It’s about time we start trying different things.”

“I don’t want to count her dead.”

Melissa Lane has been missing since mid-June 2020. The then-41-year-old Pine Cove resident was last seen when a cousin dropped her off at the trailhead to Black Mountain Road in the San Jacinto Mountains. (Photo courtesy of Kathy Lamont)

Melissa Lane

Melissa Lane — who helped search for Prifogle last spring because Prifogle was good friends with her cousin — was last seen in mid-June, said her mother, Kathy Lamont of Anza. Lane lived in Pine Cove and was 41 at the time.

According to Lamont, the same cousin said that sometime between June 10 and 15, he drove Lane to Black Mountain Trail, where she got out of his truck to go for a hike. She wasn’t carrying a cellphone or backpack.

Lamont said she tried to report her daughter missing later in June, but the sheriff’s deputy she spoke to wouldn’t take her case.

“He said we have no proof” that she was actually missing, Lamont said. “He said she could have hiked off the mountain and started a new life.”

She said she called back in August and asked, ‘At what point do you consider her missing?’”

Lane was finally entered into the state’s missing-persons database on Aug. 5.

Since then, Lamont said, sheriff’s officials have treated her kindly and respectfully, although she wishes they’d do more to keep her and the community informed.

Lamont said her daughter was a frequent hiker and mountain biker who “knew the area like the back of her hand.” She also acknowledged that Lane had struggled with addiction but said she was trying to turn her life around.

The past year has been agonizing for her and for her daughter’s two children, who are 19 and 11, Lamont said.

“I don’t want any other families to have to go through this,” she said.

She’s afraid her daughter may have met with foul play somewhere in the mountains. She said she prays night and day about it, but doesn’t feel Lane’s presence or energy anymore.

“I don’t want to count her dead,” Lamont said. “I’m still hopeful — but I’m not.”

How to help

Anyone with information on the Prifogle or Lane case can contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 800-950-2444.

Next in the series: 4 years later, searchers seek an answer: What was David O’Sullivan’s fate?

-on May 26, 2021 at 01:01AM by Nikie Johnson

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Home > Multimedia > Audio > Audio Editors/Recorders > TrakAx PC 2.0.108

TrakAx PC 2.0.108

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TrakAx PC 2.0.108 Description:

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[lagroupie]

Interview : Ron Gallo

Ron backstage at Le Romandie, captured through my Olympus Trip.

A few weeks ago, Ron Gallo was back in Switzerland to play Le Romandie in Lausanne. I am sure he liked visiting us again considering how he proclaimed his love for our chocolate on stage, and how wild the crowd was.

A couple hours before the show I had a little chat with Ron. Join us as we talk about  his life at home, tomato juice, and his album Stardust Birthday Party: how the record reflects what goes on in his mind, and maybe yours as well.

Many thanks to Ron Gallo and his band, Bas, and the whole team at Le Romandie as usual!

Are you still living in Nashville?

Ron Gallo: Yes, my house is there. I’m not going to be there for quite a bit- I’m going to be spending a lot of time over here in Europe for the summer. But that’s where my stuff is!

What’s a regular day like in your life when you are not on tour?

So the few months before this tour, I moved into a new place and my girlfriend, who is from Italy, was over for a three months visit. We would usually wake up, make breakfast, and just lead a very, very quiet simple life. A lot of time at home… Sometimes we work on music, play around, sit around, go…

So do you now manage to live off your music?

Yes!

Wow that’s awesome!

Yes! (laughs)

Could we also talk a bit about Stardust Birthday Party? Firstly, I wanted to know more about the cover. When I looked at it more closely, I noticed that your eyes actually looked pretty funny!

Sure! The picture that’s on there was a photo that was taken by CJ Harvey in a town called Marfa, Texas. We went out in the middle of the night – it’s kind of an eerie weird town in the middle of the desert. So we just went out in the middle of the street and were taking photos. It was completely quiet, like a ghost town. And one of the photos that she got – it was crazy how it turned out, it was a double exposure. It looked like a second “ghost” me lifting out of myself! And it was just the natural photograph, it wasn’t edited or anything. So we used that photo, and then I really liked the two colours and the stripes pattern… and that’s pretty much it!

Nice!! But why did you do this thing with your eyes? I can’t do it personally.

That was just the face that I was making then (laughs). Which also helps, because it’s one of those small details- if people see it, they’re like “oh yeah, that’s terrifying”!

Ron Gallo at Le Romandie, through my old Canon.

I did a little bit of research, and in some older interviews you mention reading books about philosophy and meditation. Are you still interested in the subject, and do you think it influences your music?

Yes, I did for quite some time. I was pretty heavy into a lot of those things for a few years. Now I’m just off the books for a bit and not trying to overthink or whatever. But yeah, I was quite interested in that kind of stuff and I still am, just in a more casual way.

I think with this record it was more of a direct influence. Hmm… I don’t know if it will influence my music in the future, but I guess it always does in some way.

Hmm. Personally I still perceived that kind of vibe- it seems that you are telling the listener “just live your life and let go”.

Yeah, exactly. Which really is a much harder thing to do than it is to say. But you know, the point of the record is just me talking to myself about all those things as well. It’s the kind of things I need to constantly remind myself, and maybe other people if they listen to it.

There’s also this track called OM, like an interlude- how was it born?

We started doing OM chants at shows a couple years ago. We recorded OM – Joe and I did the OM voices, and then we put together a sound collage of weird, random sound from daily life, and had them weave in and out of the OM to create this soundscape.

Yeah, when I listen to it I can imagine you trying to meditate in the middle of this-

This chaos! Yeah, that was the idea – to create a simulation of that.

Could we also talk about my favorite song, It’s All Gonna Be OK? I love it, I feel like if I had to make someone listen to one song only from the album, I would choose this one.

Nice! That’s actually the first song that we put out from the record that people could hear. And it made a lot of sense, because I also feel like it sums up the whole thing. That song came together really quickly. Plus we had been playing it for a bit before we recorded it. The verses are just this really fast, chaotic list of things going on in your head, and in the chorus it’s this return to sanity. “It’s all good”.

If you had to drink one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose between tomato juice and red wine?

I would go red wine, because I absolutely cannot drink tomato juice. I can’t do it! Wait, it’s the only thing I can drink? No water? Oh geez,  I have to go tomato then, because I would be drunk all the time, dehydrated… I guess I’m going to have to learn to love something I hate! Tomato juice is the answer.

What can we expect from Ron Gallo in the future?

I don’t know. After this tour, I’m just going to go on an intensive life/creating/writing songs again. And just taking some time off touring, which we have been doing for a while. That’s all there is to do, get creative and start writing again!

https://www.facebook.com/rongallomusic/

[abbyahmadvocal]

The Courtship of Creative Ideas

Some “Dear Abby”-esque relationship guidance for all your creative suitors…

SEDUCING AN IDEA

Dressing the Part - You wouldn't show up for a date in your pajamas, right? Working on creative projects deserves the same degree of gussying up. Shower, brush your teeth, get dressed. Then, set the scene. Create mood lighting with candles or open the shades for natural sunlight. Light incense or burn oils to get your senses stimulated. Let your work space be clean and clear, not cluttered with the contents of your distractive everyday life. Or, why not take yourself out on a date and do your work at a park, coffeeshop, or bar? Romance your realization! 

Foreplay - Begin to stimulate your idea with journaling and free-associative writing. Create a slam page. Highlight general thoughts on a subject with bullet points. Jot down every phrase or half-phrase that comes to mind. Make an adjective list that you can associate with your subject. Prime yourself for creativity by getting the juices stirring. And DON’T EDIT YOURSELF! Censorship, at this stage, is detrimental. Stockpile all your thoughts and sort them later. 

Press the Buttons - Record everything! Documenting the process is essential. Whatever your form, document ideas using multiple mediums. Utilize hand-written text, computer or typewriter, video, audio, photography, etc. (However, turn off email notifications and shut down social media on all devices to prevent being sucked into a vortex of distractions.) Research references that emphasize your themes. Make look-books, collages, and archives using images and quotes from your work or others’.

BURNING HOT / BURNING OUT

Steamy Start- So things are moving fast. You’ve got yourself firmly nestled around the hips of a great idea. The inspiration is flowing. Ride it wild. Do a ton of research. Immerse yourself in the process. Review your work as part of your morning routine and before you fall asleep. Let it seep into your subconscious and waking life. 

The Advice Column- To keep momentum moving, it is wise to extend the conversation. Engage in discussion with friends about their creative techniques and tricks. Get opinions and suggestions about other people’s work methods. Reach out to teachers, mentors, trusted peers. Everyone has a unique tool in their kit regarding the creative process. By sharing experiences, you may discover the impetus to your continued success and inspiration. Chat it up.  

Getting Rubbed The Wrong Way - There reaches a point in any new relationship where fantasy yields to reality. We will ultimately encounter struggle, misunderstanding, and road blocks along our path to guiding an idea into fruition. You may find that you have the endurance and passion to move through these hardships. You also may feel that a temporary break is needed for clarity. In some cases, the temporary break may showcase that permanent break is in order. Some ideas are just not ready for commitment. But ALL ideas, whether realized, stunted, or abandoned will influence new ideas to come. 

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

Finding The One - So, you’ve found it. That creative love that continues to excite and expand. There may have been hiatuses from active involvement, but your desire never ceased. You may have broken up and gotten back together. Or maybe your relationship persisted without truncation. Remember that long-term love succeeds by consistent demolition and reconstruction. You may have to completely decimate an initial concept, impulse, line, or foundation in order to give way to an idea that creates long-lasting support to your vision. Try not to grasp too tightly to stability or expectation. Recognize that change is an essential component to longevity in art. You are constantly shifting and evolving. Allow your ideas to do the same. 

Keeping the Spark Alive - All successful long-term relationships need attention, respect, and spontaneity to keep the fire burning. Try to spice up your patterns. If you have a specific time/place that you tend to work, change the schedule. Or try an exercise where you flip the perspective. For example, if you are working on songs for an album, write something musical that is completely contrary to your theme. If you play bluegrass, write in the style of hip-hop. Shaking things up creatively is essential to staying fresh with perspective. Then when you return to the task at hand, there won’t be so much pressure attached.

  POLYAMORY 

Wandering Eye - When your interests and creative inclinations cross mediums, it can seem difficult to get individualized goals achieved. Logical thought would suggest that we should focus on singular subjects and tasks in order reach our objectives. However, “crossing the streams” creatively is a wonderful way to stay stimulated across the board. Think of it as useful ADD. The moment your creative attention to a project wanes, hop over to a different interest. If you have reached capacity for the day learning lines for a play, take a break and doodle a drawing. Whatever your mixed mediums are, try devoting smaller chunks of time to ALL of them in a given work session. This way, your blossoms of thought receive equal watering, which yields a larger crop! 

Branching Out - Extend yourself into other creative disciplines that you are NOT actively interested in! Take up photography, poetry, pottery. You can gain insight in the most unexpected places. Keep stirring the pot and the flavors will broaden and explode. 

Keep Your Dates Straight - Buy separate journals and notebooks for all your individual creative subjects and ideas. Organize them in a way that feels helpful and fun. Give them the individualized attention they deserve. You can’t adore them equally if one is at the forefront and the others lie dormant. If you prefer digital to analog, use bright colors and photos to spice up your work files on the computer. 

THE CASUALTIES OF LOVE

In art, as in relationships, not everything survives. There will always be casualties of love. Whenever we put ourselves out there to romance an idea, whether it succeeds or fails, there is something to be learned. We can’t know what we want, how to evolve our ideas, or how to express ourselves without experiencing failure. Allow your defeats to inform and inspire new desires and dreams. 

“Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.” Jalaluddin Rumi

[nitewrighter]

#31 Mercy's pregnancy inspires Ana to bring out the photo album of the original strike team with baby Pharah. Symnetra's curiosity is piqued

This ficlet is an immediate continuation of this ficlet, and runs parallel with this ficlet.

—-

They had not expected Mercy to be on the couch with Ana when they returned to the Watchpoint. Symmetra shoved the shopping bags she was holding into Pharah’s arms and then quickly waved Pharah to go up into their room before turning and facing Ana and Mercy on the couch. 

“Angela,” Symmetra cleared her throat, “We… did not expect to see you here.”

“Jack needed Genji on a call in Lijiang,” said Mercy, turning a page in a large book that was between her and Ana, “Ana invited me over.” Angela looked down at the page and snickered.

“What are you looking at?” said Symmetra, stepping toward the couch.

“Just some of Fareeha’s baby pictures,” said Ana.

“Her what?” said Symmetra.

“My what?!” Pharah’s voice came from the top of the stairs.

“Oh it’s nothing embarrassing, you look adorable, ḥabībti,” said Ana.

Symmetra stepped over and sat on the other side of Ana and looked over Ana’s shoulder down at the photo album. “Here,” Ana said, turning a few pages back, “I can start over for you.”

“Oh that’s not necess–” Symmetra started, then glanced down at the page to see a photo of a chubby-cheeked baby Fareeha Amari sleeping in a tightly wrapped blanket, “…Thank you,” she said. Ana just chuckled. The first few pages were a collage of mostly similar pictures, all of Pharah as a newborn, most of which apparently taken within the first few weeks of Pharah’s birth, in that stage when most babies resembled concerned raisins. There was a photo of Pharahs’ father holding her, but backlit so that most of his features were obscured compared to the light of the window behind him. “He never did like having his picture taken,” said Ana, turning the page to a photo of baby Pharah bathing in a sink, and a photo of her wrapped up in a hooded towel apparently designed to look like a blue jay.

“How was she?” said Symmetra, turning a page and not even glancing up at Ana or Mercy.

“The first few months? An angel,” said Ana, grinning, “That quickly changed, however.”

“Mum,” Pharah approached the couch, “Really?”

“You never could sit still for very long,” said Ana, with a smirk. Ana turned a page in the photo album to a picture of baby Pharah brandishing a wooden spoon. She glanced over at Mercy. “A word of advice, Angela: Once it’s old enough to crawl, just give your baby a metal bowl and a large wooden spoon. You’ll always know what room its in because they can’t resist dragging both around and making noise. It served me better than any baby monitor with Fareeha.”

Mercy giggled. “I’ll probably just keep an eye on it,” she said smiling.

Ana raised an eyebrow, “Any child of Genji’s is definitely going to slip from your sight at some point,” she said with a slight grin.

“I suppose you’re right there,” said Mercy. Symmetra turned the page to a winter scene with baby Pharah all wrapped up in a knit hat and tiny peacoat sitting on a snowbank.

“Vancouver,” said Pharah, sitting down on the couch and putting an arm around Symmetra. “I’d spend winters with Dad there.”

The photo immediately following it was a picture of the same snowbank, only now with a large hole in it where presumably Pharah had sunken in. Pharah smirked and Symmetra turned to the next page. The next pages were of baby Pharah in different winter gear, then of Pharah in a sundress and a tiny pair of sunglasses at an airport, then of baby Pharah asleep on a plane. Symmetra realized that Ana and Mercy and Pharah had all gone quiet and she glanced up to find all three of them staring at her. She cleared her throat. “What?” she said.

“Oh you were just making a darling face, dear,” said Ana.

“Oh–Well..” Symmetra tucked her hair back then handed the photo album over to Ana, “Here you should—” Ana took the photo album, smiled, and turned the page.

The next photo was of a younger Ana in full Overwatch regalia with baby Pharah in a sling, then a photo of Jack holding baby Pharah and smiling, then a photo of Jack immediately after baby Pharah threw up on him, then a photo of Gabe donning Pharah in her baby sling and trying to look as tough as he could. Ana cleared her throat and turned the page, but the next page was full of pictures of Gabe with baby Pharah.

“…he was always so serious,” there was something affected in Ana’s voice, “I always thought it was funny when I gave Fareeha to him to hold…it would be like flipping a switch for him,” she paused, “We were all so young back then…”

“Mum?” said Pharah. Symmetra felt Pharah’s arm unconsciously squeeze her a bit closer.

 Ana shook her head and turned the page again to a chubby baby Ana taking her first steps. Ana cleared her throat, “This–” she said looking at Mercy, “This is when they really start getting into trouble.

“I can imagine,” said Mercy, forcing a smile.

“What sort of trouble?” asked Symmetra.

“Oh she was an explorer,” said Ana, “And a real terror to the whole Watchpoint. You gave Torbjörn quite a lot of trouble, you know,” Ana said, looking at Pharah, “His workshop was never toddler-proof, and of course she’d find some way to get in and he’d have to shut everything down and call me.” 

“Torbjörn’s workshop?” Symmetra raised an eyebrow at Pharah.

“…I liked the clanging,” Pharah said, shrugging. Ana turned the page again.

“Oh I remember this,” said Ana, looking across the pictures, “This was back when your father—”

Mercy’s comm suddenly rang. “Oh–sorry, I should take this,” she said, standing up and walking off, “Jack? How is everything?”

Symmetra just cuddled into the crook of Pharah’s arm as they continued leafing through the photo album, but their smiles faded as they heard Mercy speaking on the comm.

“Jack, slow down, what do you mean—” Mercy’s hand flew over her mouth, “No–Is he—?” her hand went to her chest and she exhaled, then quickly grabbed her jacket, “You keep those biotics on him, Jack Morrison, you—” She took a shuddering breath, “You get here as fast as possible. I’ll have a bed in the infirmary set up. I’ll—” she pressed a hand to her forehead, “…Can I speak to him?” she paused and her eyes widened, “Understood. Just–get him back here.” She ended the call on the comm and Ana was on her feet in seconds, clasping Mercy’s shaking hands in hers.

“I have to—I need to go,” said Mercy. 

“It’s all right,” said Ana. Mercy closed her eyes and her brow crinkled and lips thinned and Ana brought a hand up under Mercy’s chin. “Look,” she said, forcing Mercy to look at her, “It’s going to be alright. He’s going to be all right. It’s nothing you haven’t handled before.”

Mercy nodded and then pulled on her jacket and rushed out the door. Ana closed the door behind her, exhaled and turned to face Symmetra and Pharah behind her. Ana itched at her eyepatch and sighed.

“Do you know what happened?” said Pharah.

“No more than you do,” said Ana, folding her arms, “But…these things happen,” she sighed and walked over, then gave a glance at the photo album, “I suppose that’s why it’s important to take pictures of the good parts.”

----

Note: I wrote a followup for this ficlet here.

[thegrumpypenguin]

  The stunning snow leopard mommy, Ena

  Ena (L) and Mylo

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019 and a brand-new calendar! A huge thanks goes out to all of you who purchased one (or more) of my 2019 calendars: together we raised $450 for the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, and I think that’s pretty incredible. As for the calendar itself: for this year I decided to return to the old days of just one calendar and not separate issues for babies and adults. There were many reasons for this decision, but the result is that the sole calendar I produced this year contains (with one exception) only photos I have taken in the calendar year 2018. I purchased a new camera kit and zoom lens just after Christmas, 2017 and the photos are vastly improved over previous years. It seemed as good a time as any to put aside all my old “calendar candidates” and start fresh. I’m hoping that the overall theme of 2019 is exactly that: “starting fresh.” We’ll see how that goes!

  My first photo of Ena with the new kit

I have featured the snow leopards in my calendars before, although not nearly as often as I had thought now that I’ve looked into the past editions. I’ve only posted about them twice before: Ena was the very first featured animal in an “adult calendar” in January, 2017; and the cubs – Mylo and Kita – bookended things nicely when they were my “featured babies” in December, 2018. The reason I went back to Ena here for this January is a very simple one: on the right is the very first shot I took of her with my new camera on January 8, 2018. Now, I had many great shots of this beautiful animal before that day, but the difference in quality (crispness, colour, fence removal, depth-of-field) between the best of my previous photos and those I took with the new kit was absolutely mind-boggling. I knew I was pushing the limits of the technology of my old Rebel T3, but I didn’t know quite how much until I bought (and used) the T6i (and new zoom). I think I knew right then that Ena was going to be my January subject; in looking back, I can’t honestly remember a time when I considered anyone else.

The shot I chose for this month has a bit of a backstory. I took several shots of all three snow leopards on this day and one of them (not the one featured here) appeared to garner the most attention and likes when I posted the album on Facebook. A very good friend of mine, Hugh Palmer, loved a different photo so much that he reached out to me to purchase a 16×20 version of it from me. This is that photo:

  Ena coming into your living room

  Hugh stated that this was his favourite photo I had ever taken. A lot of people seemed to share his enthusiasm, but I joked at that time that I felt it was not only not my best photo ever, but not my best photo of that animal that day. I actually preferred the shot I used for January… that is, up until the day Sarah and I ventured up to Hugh’s house and saw his prize, beautifully framed and hanging in a place of honour in the dining room. I see the attraction now; isn’t it odd to learn that others have a greater appreciation of your art than you do yourself? I now think that Hugh’s purchase is the better photo, but I’m still pretty thrilled with the one I was able to put in the calendar. And to continue the backstory…

  Ena stalking Kita

On the day in question, each of the three big cats had been given a large hunk of meat to chew on. Ena ate hers for a while, then began to stalk her offspring – either for fun or to get their food, too, I’m not really sure. In the photo Hugh has, she was running off toward Mylo, who had seen her coming and was pulling his food in the other direction. The shot itself doesn’t need this added information, as the action taking place is enough on its own. However, this month’s featured photo comes at the end of a sequence of shots I took of Ena stalking Kita, who was hunkered down in front of the den, seemingly oblivious to her impending fate. Ena crept up to just behind the plant in front of their den and poised to pounce. Then she caught wind of me (or perhaps the goats behind me, who really knows?) and this caused the following two poses:

  …what’s that smell?

…it’s coming from over there…

  …at which point Ena noticed me with my camera and decided I might be more interesting than the game she was playing. Not for long, though, as she was full of beans that day.

  Nap time for Ena (and the cubs)

The shot at left here was taken in late March of 2018 and, although not a spectacular photo in its own right, represents one of my favourite moments I ever spent with this little family. On the day in question, I had come upon the exhibit from the front and, not finding any leopards visible, proceeded around to the view from the side of their “mountain.” When I got there, Ena appeared from my left and walked over to the screen you see in this photo. Already standing at the rail was another frequent visitor to the exhibit, a Member by the name of Carl. We nodded silently to each other, then watched Ena approach and sit down to observe us. I asked Ena (as I do) where her babies were, and Carl got my attention and pointed to a spot under a shrub at the very corner of the exhibit, where the two cubs were sleeping together. We spoke to each other very quietly about how cute they were, and how much longer they might all be together, and a few other snow-leopard-related things. All the while Ena sat there, turning her gaze from one to the other of us as we spoke in turn. Finally, she yawned, came right up to the fence, turned to present her other side to us, rolled over, and went to sleep. Her cubs are mere feet to the right of her tail, and she decided she trusted us enough that, not only did she fall asleep, but did so against the fence, with her exposed belly almost within reach of us. This one small act of abject trust was incredibly moving and underscored just how much my frequent and lengthy visits to the animals at the Zoo influences their attitudes towards me, and how that affects the photos I am able to take. It was a truly profound moment and I don’t believe I will ever forget it.

  Ena grooming Mylo

On the subject of how much longer they would be together, here is a photo I took of Mylo and Ena, lying together on their platform and taking turns grooming each other. This shot was taken on November 7, 2018. Not long after, I received word that Mylo had been separated from the two girls (due to approaching sexual maturity) and the three of them would – as far as I know – never be put together on exhibit again. This has proven to be a bit hard on Mylo at the beginning, as you can clearly see he’s very fond of his mom – and his sis, for that matter. I am certain that this separation anxiety will lessen as he matures, but for the time being I’ve found it difficult to venture over there too often. Once the snow starts to fly, I’m sure I’ll be a more frequent visitor. Meanwhile, I’m really happy I got to see them one last time snuggling together in plain view on that sunny day in November, and I look forward to that day in the future when a new mate arrives for Ena and we can begin anticipating another litter of adorable floof monsters.

That’s it for this month. As I often do, I’ll leave you with a collage of shots of Ena (all taken in 2018). Next month: a lovely shot of a rara avis that certainly had something to do with the multiple sales I made amongst the Keepers of the African Rainforest Pavilion this year! Thanks for continuing on this ride with me. See you in February!

      2019 “VISITING WITH ANIMALS” Calendar – January Story Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019 and a brand-new calendar! A huge thanks goes out to all of you who purchased one (or more) of my 2019 calendars: together we raised $450 for the…