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jade-of-mourning · 3 years ago

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theformat wrote, "im floating with the birds im talking to the weeds look what youve done to me"

in which i spontaneously take several hours to translate nate’s awfully punctuated commentary on dog problems into Comprehensive English Words. partially so i can write my stupid essay on it for fun. but yes here you go, 4.2k words from a 2006 livejournal archive that i managed to snatch out of two saves. here’s a link if you want to read it from the source, but i’ll have you know it’s a nightmare. early 2000′s nate ruess learn how to type properly challenge.

theformat wrote,

[@ 2006-5-18 18:44:00]

"im floating with the birds im talking to the weeds look what youve done to me"

Hi,

Sitting on my couch, watching ESPN. Damn, it’s good to be home. Things have been pretty crazy the last 6 months. As a lot of you know, we were dropped by our label — we went and recorded a new record, labels became interested, [and] we decided to release it ourselves. We went on tour, and now I’m [...] home for the next week: my first week off in six months. What do I do?

Well, my roommate and I got memberships to the YMCA down the street from our house. It’s an amazing place. Downtown Phoenix is pretty much an amazing place. It’s not like the rest of the state — speaking of which, I’m declaring war on Scottsdale, it’s the opposite of Downtown Phoenix.

Anyways, so I wake up at 9am every morning. I don’t know what it is, really — I’ve been a "pro" musician for about 3 years now, [and] we are supposed to wake up at 11 or 12. I know some dudes that wake up at 1, but no; since I’ve been home the last few days, I’ve been going to bed at 1 and waking up at 9. My roommate has a job, [so] I think it has to do with that.

See, there are 3 showers total in our house. I have the big bedroom, so I have the big shower, [and] since I’ve been off on tour and recording, he has gotten used to the nice shower in my room (Which is fine — anyone that’s gotten close to me knows I’m not too fond of showers, so it’s not like I use it that much). So every morning around 8:45, I wake up to my door opening and my roommate going through my room to use the shower.

You know what it’s like when you’re half asleep but you want to act like you’re awake so as not to freak someone out with all the crazy babble, but you just end up saying all the same crazy babble? I do that every morning. I turn and look at him and try to act like I wasn’t just dreaming about tootsie rolls and parrots that shatter like glass. "Hey [Roommate's Name], that was some game last night" [is what usually] comes out of my mouth — something to that extent — and I think he feels sorry for me, but continues to walk right into my bathroom, and use the shower.

At this point, I’m awake. I usually have to pee, and I have to then use his restroom. It’s a terrible swap, and it always ends with me wide awake on my front porch (har har) smoking a cigarette and wondering how the hell I’m gonna fall back asleep when the air conditioning is broken. Ah, what a wonderful life at home, [but] that’s the weird thing — I love it. Now we wake up and we go to the [YMCA]. We run, we play basketball, we jump in the pool, we play pool basketball, we get yelled at for dunking the ball. We don’t use soap before we go into the sauna, and the night usually ends with a poker tournament. This is the life I love to live when I’m away from the road. It too is the opposite of Scottsdale. It’s who I am, [and] it’s pretty much who I’ve become.

See, for the last 23 years, it’s been about the highs and the lows for me. I’ve got an addictive personality, [so] I stay away from a lot of things because of this; however, when I find things, I get generally excited. I go crazy. It’s all I think about and all I do for the next howeverlong. For the first 23 years, it was either talking non-stop or locking myself in my room. It’s either great or terrible; not good or bad. Dog Problems changed that.

Initially, Dog Problems was supposed to be that — the original concept of Dog Problems was to be 2 sides of music, the first half taking over where Interventions [+ Lullabies] had left off: "We'll be together in the morning…"

We weren’t, in fact. We were over before Interventions was even released. We were over two weeks after it was recorded, [and] I spent the next 2 years feeling terrible. We got back together… we broke up… we got dogs… we broke up… we got back together and got dogs…

I was still miserable, but I wanted Dog Problems to get me through everything. I wanted it to help me, not anyone else — just me. The first side was supposed to be me down in the dumps [and] everything that went down: how the two of us were dealing with it differently, [and] the second half was supposed to be a realization.

The first inkling of realization was a day [when] we were on tour. We were all laughing about something I’m sure Marko or Adam said. Here I was supposed to be depressed, but the fact that I can spend all of my days in different states with my best friends, all of us doing what we love — that was major! Then my mom called… I’ve got my parents! My friends! What else could I possibly need?

At that point, I felt as if a relationship in a Michael Bolton sort of way didn’t mean anything. It was the people you surrounded yourself with — those were the people that made the difference, and that was going to be side two. I was convinced that when I just closed my eyes and thought about the wonderful people around me, I was going to be great. Not good, [but] great.

I didn’t get that far, no. I got back into the relationship.

I was sure it was going to work. At that point, life would be perfect, and we all want perfection right? [But] things went right back to far from perfect. Things went to terrible. I couldn’t stop feeling sorry for myself, but I had a concept. At that point, I figured that even by singing and recording these positive songs I was going to feel better, so Sam showed me what was then just a short acoustic guitar version of Snails.

This was it. This was my first chance to prove to myself that life can be beautiful. The thing is, I had never been more miserable. I remember writing the lyrics to Snails: my roommate was at work, I was on the bed, on my night stand was a giant bottle of booze, and somewhere off in California she wasn’t calling me back on a Friday night. So I went to work, listened [to it] over and over. I wanted to get it right; I wanted to be positive. I passed out, then I woke up the next morning [with a] big headache (P.S. drinking is not really that cool; it’s cool when you condemn it for the first 22 years of your life, then it becomes not cool, then it becomes ok when you moderate yourself) and I started writing everything positive I could think of. [...] Snails was, in Sam’s mind, supposed to be a 2 minute kid’s song, [but] I wrote so much that there was no going back. I thought that was it — Snails solved all of my problems.

It didn’t get that far either. Nothing could shake the depression, [and] I really started to worry about myself. Here I want to feel great, but I only feel terrible, [and] a few months later it got really really bad. I had to go to my parents house that night, I didn’t want to be at my house. I wanted to feel like a kid.

It’s funny how we always want to be adults when we're younger. We want to drive cars, we want to have girlfriends. I still didn’t consider myself an adult — all I wanted was to come home, be tucked in, know that everything was going to be alright. I woke up the next day [and found out] she met someone new. I’ve got to figure myself out…

In the meantime, we've got 4 songs we are recording over at our friend Aaron’s house (he is an amazing producer and [...] musician, and his house and his roommates have gotten me through a lot of tough times. They’re some of the only people I know who would rather spend their Saturdays getting dinner and watching a movie instead of going to a party. I like that). All of this turmoil in my relationship was going on at the time, and I was trying to write side two [but] I couldn’t. There was more fuel to side one. These songs have to be done, so I wrote about what I knew, and at that point I knew how to feel terrible.

So much for side two. Dog Problems is going to be one giant mess of depression and "look what you’ve done to me".

Atlantic got those four songs, as well as a few others. They were not psyched, to say the least, but some people at the label actually cared about it enough to say "go record". So we were able to pick our producer, we met with a few people, talked to a few more. Things were looking up. Dog Problems was going to happen.

I remember meeting Steve McDonald at his house — Sam and I were excited to be [there] because we knew his wife Anna would probably be there. Anna was the lead singer/songwriter for a band we used to obsess about called "That Dog", her brother was one of the ten drummers in the world that I actually liked, so Steve couldn't be so bad. And he wanted to produce our record, so he had to be pretty cool!

He was just that, and more. Sam and I were eating every word that came out of his mouth. He had stories; he was young, hip, energetic, and yet very all knowing. We saw someone that was going to let us do whatever we wanted to do, and in the meantime he was going to make us laugh and make sure we didn't lose our minds. From that point on, I knew there was someone I could always trust. I made a friend pretty quick.

Things were moving forward. Steve McDonald was to be the producer. I hated Los Angeles so there was no way in hell I was going to record there, [so] we decided Palm Springs would be perfect. Weird, but perfect. I had a phone conversation with Steve that night and we were finalizing everything. I was going to call Atlantic in the morning and let them know just how everything was going to work, [but] I didn't get that far.

I was sleeping in a blowup bed at the house when my phone rang. I didn’t wake up and answer like it was my roommate and he was coming into my room to use my shower, [because] this call felt different. Right away, I was awake.

It was our manager: "You’ve been dropped."

When I heard that, the first thought going through my mind wasn’t "Oh man...how are we going to be famous now and make boat loads of money?" It was more like "fuck...but Dog Problems. We were supposed to go make Dog Problems."

The thing is, Atlantic wasn’t into Dog Problems. They were into whatever it was they thought we were. Never had The First Single made more sense — what was supposed to be a song about getting the band started and doing something with it had actually turned into a song about how stuck we were in the labels eyes because of the song. I was past that; we're proud of something we wrote when we were 19 and 20, but when I think of music, I think of progression.

I think of all of the wonderful records I had been introduced to when I had nothing to do riding in a van. I think of all of the new influences, all the instruments, all of the "How did they do that?" And I think of how much it gets me through everything.

Music has been the consecutive[ly] great[est] thing in my life. It’s been that one thing, and with Dog Problems, it wasn’t about "I want everyone to sing along because I can write a catchy song." It was about feeling. It was paying tribute to all of the bands that we obsessively listened to. It was for Harry Nilsson and Van Dyke Parks, it was for Jellyfish and XTC. It was our way of saying thanks for making our lives better, whether it be lyrically or musically. It was never about being something, being told something, and sticking to something. It was an adventure, for the artist and for the listener.

[And] they didn't get that. They wanted the old record, the old songs, just with different words and a few different chords here and there. They didn’t care about Snails or Dog problems [or] what it meant to write those songs. They knew it wasn't going to be huge; the guitars were not big enough (if big guitars are your thing that’s fine, it’s just not really our thing right now); it wasn’t going to be competitive, and so they dropped us. And rightfully so: we weren’t going to change, and obviously the major label business is never going to change, [so] now it comes down to who goes down first. And we weren’t ready to go down.

Sam and I had conversations about it, whether the business end of things have been fucking with us so much that we'll never be sane enough to just enjoy it. We thought about getting out — it wasn’t [be]cause we hated each other, or the songs; it was because we hated the business.

Steve called to let us know that he was still onboard, label or not, [and] we let him know we were still on board. We were going to make this record, [and] I was going to feel great! But the record was going to cost something. How could we afford it?

We were lucky that we had a management company like Nettwerk. Not only are they the most forward-thinking music business people around, [but] they’re also (for the most part) Canadian. Oh, and they care a shit load about the music we make. They could have waited for the ship to sink, but they told us they would pay for the record if need be. Fortunately, we were able to get money for getting dropped — Atlantic actually paid us to leave, so we could afford the recording ourselves. The only stipulation was that it had to be done quicker, and when you want something quick, you have to go to the "right here, right now" capitol of the world: Los Angeles. I was a little irked at the thought at first, then Steve said it was his personal goal to make LA a wonderful city for me. Like I said, I would jump off a cliff if Steve said it was the best way to get coffee, but I wasn’t jumping off of cliffs. I was too excited to make Dog Problems, [so] LA it was.

Sam and I moved to the "Silver Palace" in Silverlake California in the middle of December. We found an amazing studio in Burbank, California and an amazing engineer in Ken Sluiter, and our goal was to just do everything free from a record label and someone constantly messing up the recording process by saying things like "that’s not high octave enough". The only pressure we had at all was from our manager saying "You have a tour you accepted in March, [so] get it done by then.” Other than that, it was me, Sam, Steve, and Ken working 13 hours a day for 6 days a week.

It became our lives we were putting so much of ourselves into. Everyone that worked and played on the record was the same way when they were there contributing. I would leave the studio at 2 in the morning and wake up at 10 to be at the studio by 11. There was no free time — the four of us were so invested in this. We all bought into the concept.

In the meantime, things outside of the studio were getting interesting. We had a lot of labels calling and constantly asking about it. During one week of recording, I remember at least 3 different label people coming down to the studio. Our minds weren’t made up as to what we were doing with the record once it was recorded — all we wanted to do was finish it — but we kept our options open and let people sit in the big chair and listen to what we had been working on. The response was overwhelmingly positive, but we didn’t really think about it too much beyond the compliments we were receiving. Sam and I got used to LA — I was 10 minutes away from where I had been the previous summer when I was back "on" in my “on and off" relationship. I was ten minutes from her, she was calling every day, I was singing about it… but how was it not getting to me? Why did I not care?

My phone was off. I woke up in Silverlake one morning and started wondering why for the last month I had a smile on my face. Sure, I was down at times, but the thing that had been bringing me down for 3 years was now the last thing on my mind. Apparently, it had been that way for awhile. Something that took 3 years to get over… I was finally just okay with it. No big realization — just the fact that things happen. People make mistakes. And I came out of it alright. I was good; not great… I was good, and that felt good.

I wasn’t looking for great anymore. I was okay. The last song on Dog Problems is all about that. Here, this record was supposed to be the downs, and the ups, and it ended with the middle: the realization that I don’t need to be talking; I don’t need to be locked in my room — I need to enjoy what��s going on around me. And if things go wrong, they go wrong. There’s always tomorrow.

Dog Problems means so much to me in so many different ways. I’ve never been more proud of anything in my life. I cried so many times during the making of the record. All the money I had spent on therapy, and all I had to do was go make a record, realize that I’m alright, and realize that I made something that I’ll forever be proud of.

Shit… the record was supposed to be about how California can change you for the worse, [but] it played a huge part in doing the opposite!

So as we were putting the finishing touches on the record (all our friends came in and recorded! A ton of people we admired came and worked on the record! All of their responses were so positive that it's hard not to get an ego about it. These are the people I worship. They’re the ones I wanted to pay tribute to, and they think we've made something unique and special. It’s like Michael Jordan telling you that you have a nice jump shot (no more sports references… I swear I’m done)) and we started to think about what we were going to do with it. How we were going to release it. Labels were getting pretty into it, and we knew we would have to make a decision soon.

After much debate and discussion, we decided that the record was something we had made completely on our own, so why not release it completely on our own? Nettwerk was going to take care of the distribution so it would have a major label distro. It would be inside all of the Best Buys; what more did we want? We didn’t want a big fat check — we did that last time. It made us miserable, and nothing came out of it. Barely anyone at the labels helped us, we weren’t making music videos, our songs weren’t on the radio, so why would we take their criticism? After all, everything that we’ve done — any success we’ve had is from being real people who make music. From showing up to play, from 3 years on the road.

On Interventions [+ Lullabies], there might have been an Elektra logo on the back of the record, but it ended right there. We were the ones SHOWING people who we were. I wouldn’t have it any other way — no one knows us better than ourselves, so why not release it ourselves? To me, it’s not only a testament to the hard work we put into the band (Mike, Don, Marko, Toco, everyone else involved in putting these songs to life — you guys are the best thing we have. It’s pretty special when your best friends are some of the most talented musicians), but I really feel like the people who come to our shows are such good people that they don’t give a fuck what label it’s on.

They are there because we are doing something positive, and because we care about them as much as they care about us. So for the time being we've said "fuck the middleman": we're the only people we can blame at this point. I’m so tired of even talking about major labels and the split and everything like this. The music is the only thing I care about. Dog Problems is the only thing I care about, so why let someone else ruin it?

The Vanity Label was born.

The record got finished. We had no time to rehearse, and we had to go right back out to tour. Our first show before the Motion City Soundtrack tour was in Nashville — I remember the last time we were in Nashville, there were about ten kids. Reuben’s accomplice kept asking them why they hate whales, so we figured why not go there and get some of the rust out of the way. After all, we haven't toured in a year so there should be like 3 kids there; we can mess up if need be.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to mess up. On a Sunday night in Nashville, with Ted Leo playing across the street (I <3 Ted), our first headlining show outside of Arizona in almost a year was over sold out. What the fuck happened?

We thought we were going to have to play for another 3 years just to get back to where we were when we left, and yet it’s sold out on a Sunday night? It didn’t end there either — the whole tour went like that… night after night ("nite after nite?"). I couldn't believe it. As if having Dog Problems wasn’t enough, now we have people showing their support in the most positive way: coming to the shows, being there from the only thing they knew before. Those two months were such good months. It was the last thing I expected. Thanks so much to all the bands that played with us, and thanks so much for everyone that came to the shows and sang along. We'll be back in July.

In the meantime, things were going great on the Vanity Label front. Business actually felt natural. We are shooting a video with the directors we had always dreamed of doing a video with (it won’t be serious...no pouty face). There were magazines like AP and online magazines like AP taking notice, supporting the whole idea and concept. We actually took press photos. I’ve never been through any of this before, it’s exciting. I don’t think it’s going to change who we are, not one bit, but it’s still exciting to see people who can help out actually help out.

So where does that leave me now? Sitting on my bed. I’ve rambled for hours, the air still doesn't work, and I’ve been told that Dog Problems (something that isn't supposed to come out till July) has been leaked. Not the best news when you just got out of the pool, but it happens. I freaked out at first — I thought I was going to lock myself in my room. After all, this is something that we spent over two years making. It’s something that you have to take the time… listen to in headphones… play loud… listen to in order of the tracks… the artwork… Sam did the best artwork he has ever done. The packaging is something we paid extra for because Sam’s concept was so brilliant, and now… it’s leaked on the internet? I was locking my door, then our manager called.

"Hello?"

"We're releasing it on the website today."

"Wow."

So, here goes. You’ve read enough. I shouldn’t have to go on about it anymore, but I will say, if you wanna wait for the full hard copy release then do so. It’s July 11 — we are gonna be touring right after that — but if you want to get it now,.please do it by purchasing it right here. We released it, it’s our money, it’s our little baby — you should take the time to listen to it all the way through, free of distraction. You should turn the songs into your own. It’s an adventure, and it’s something that we put everything we have into; and if anyone deserves it first, it’s you guys who have been here with us all along.

Without further ado...

"Dog Problems"

- Nate

#dog problems #the format #nate ruess #basically: dog problems; a lyrical & musical & emotional masterpiece #i honestly feel like i don't even need to write that essay anymore wtf #4.2k words baby that took me ages to edit bc he has the WORST typing habits #every half statement is interspersed with ellipses and there are no apostrophes and everything was no caps lmaooo #moving on #this is absolutely my favorite album ever and holy shit #finally reading this post in its entirety gave me so much more insight it's wild #i'm like so fucking emotional help jhfhbjgfhsdkg #i'm just glad he's doing alright now and having a good time even if music isn't a big part of his life anymore #and i also feel like i understand the breaking up of fun. a lot more as well #hell i just really understand nate ruess in general a lot more and it's really nice #bc he's been my favorite artist for a while and i know a lot of people shit on him for his personality but like. fuck off people are people #and u know. if work permits is my favorite song so hearing shit about it makes me happy #truly makes me appreciate the album more than i already did #and makes me get why it's the only part of his discography he still actually likes #even though OBJECTIVELY SPEAKING they are all Excellent but okay then nate

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claraxbarton · 6 years ago

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MCU Bucky Barnes

So here’s the thing.

I’m a costume designer by trade, and one thing that I actually really love about Captain America: The Winter Soldier (okay, among the things I love) is the costume design and the rhetorical value given to the clothes and, well, costumes in this movie.

For example - when Sam and Steve have their heart to heart on the bridge that ends with Sam saying “but he doesn’t even know you” and Steve saying “he will” before going to steal his old uniform - the one Bucky last saw him in when he was Bucky. There are some other great costume points in this movie, actually a LOT of them (costumes, not wigs, don’t at me because I KNOW).

But one thing that has always stood out to me, and not in a good way, is the “I’m with you til the end of the line” flashback.

Now, here’s the thing, it’s not JUST about the clothes. We’re in MCU verse, so it’s MCU canon - obviously, the Steve and Bucky duo is drastically different in Marvel comics canon so - and Bucky starts this scene by saying his folks wanted to give Steve a ride to the cemetery.

Which is super cool and nice. So one, we know Bucky’s dad is still alive - and his mom, but two, we know they have a car.

So this is supposed to be when Steve is around 16? So it’s... 1936 (according to MCU wiki it totally is)

So cars.

Crazy popular ever since they started having closed bodies and all that. BUT, were they crazy popular in CITIES in 1936? Especially in the middle of the Great Depression?

There’s some evidence that actually no, that car ownership in a city like NYC was something like 1 car per every 43 people. Then again, looking at the NYC.gov 2015 Mobility Report we see that the population of NYC in 1936 is something like 7.2 million, and the number of registered vehicles in 764,000... or roughly one per every 9.4-ish persons. Which is a pretty drastically different number. This doesn't, of course, account for taxis or fleet cars being registered - so the number might seem inflated. I still think it’s probably something closer to 1 car per every 20 than every 43 but... I’m too lazy to dig that much deeper at the moment. Plus I'm sick, which is fueling this in the first place.

So, anyway you slice it, Bucky’s family was in 11%, 5% or 2.33% of New Yorkers who own cars in 1936. Which says something, I think, about Bucky Barnes that we don’t always - ever? - think of in fandom.

I’m not going to say that Bucky Barnes was loaded. Maybe his family owned a garage or a grocery store or a delivery service or a funeral home...?? or something. So, the vehicle could be occupational as opposed to private usage - but either way it’s a statement. Bucky’s family has money and/or Bucky’s family has steady employment.

I’ve been there. I’ve read the fics where Bucky works at the docks to put Steve through art school and get him his medicine. I love those fics. I love that head canon.

But I... don’t think it’s realistic in light of some evidence showing us that, actually, Bucky wasn’t doing too badly for himself.

Let’s now actually look at CLOTHING. Here’s the whole scene via youtube, if you want to follow along with what is about to get RIDICULOUS.

Actually, before I dive in, who is the costumer for this movie? And should I be like... reading into all this as much as I am?

Judianna Makovsky - fellow New Jersey..Ian?ite?no clue - 3 time Oscar nominee and designer of 5 MCU films and a lot of other big budget movies, including quite a few period pieces dealing with issues of race and class (The Legend of Bagger Vance, Seabiscuit, The Little Princess.. and also like Harry Potter and The Quick and the The Dead.) So, should I have some faith in Judianna Makovsky’s designs? I’m gonna go with yeah, yeah I should.

So, back to the movie. The scene.

This is post funeral. We’re in 1936. As a general rule, the dress, colors and style of mourning wear was pretty much formalized in the early Victorian era. There was a great - read PHENOMENAL - exhibit at the MET a few years back on Mourning-wear and I’m still reeling from how lovely everything was - but the gist of it is this: you wore black when someone died. If you were a lady, and especially if you were a rich lady, you then went through a few different colors (dull black to SHINY black to purple/mauve and gray and white and then back to color within six months to one year). By the 1930s only the really rich were sticking to the actual rules of mourning - or like, really old people. And, of course, really old rich people. Really old rich WHITE people. Because it needs to be said: these are WHITE customs. I'm not saying people of other ethnicities didn’t follow them, but these are basically British Victorian practices that were assimilated into American culture.

I’m not going to go off on a huge sidebar about American fashion following in French dressmaking and British tailoring, but I need to say at least that much. Everyone who was anyone knew you got your dresses made in France or in the French style and you got your suits made in England - Savile Row in specific. I am NOT implying Bucky’s got himself an English suit, fyi. I just... have to be thorough.

BACK TO THE SCENE:

We’ve got our boy Steve. STEVE. Who just buried Sarah Rogers and what is he wearing...?

For starters, he’s wearing a windbreaker, check out the 1933 ad below, he’s the guy almost giving us the Fonz finger gesture, or maybe guy in the fedora on the end.

This thing isn’t falling apart at the seams, but it’s a very nondescript not really gray, not really blue - maybe was at one point. It also doesn’t FIT Steve. It also, in the ad above, would cost about $165.40 in today’s money.

My guess? It’s Bucky’s old windbreaker. Because it’s not cheap and because it’s just a bit too big on Steve.

He’s also wearing a shirt that is maybe tan? And a brown tie and maybe - MAYBE black trousers. And if those trousers are black, it’s the only black thing he’s wearing. Not even a black tie, or a black arm band (which I’m pretty sure - but also pretty aggressively atheist so I don’t know - the Catholic Church would have provided for chief mourners and pall bearers right?). We also have our depressing as all shit Depression surroundings to clue us in: Steve Rogers ain’t loaded. Steve Rogers is poor as dirt. Side note: boys. Hiding a key under the ONE FUCKING BRICK on a walkway is not like... a smart idea???

So we can guess a few things here, we can guess that Steve and Sarah were really struggling - this checks out with the rest of MCU canon (wearing newspapers stuffed in his shoes, even when he had nothing he had Bucky, etc.) - and that all money probably went towards Steve’s numerous ailments, food and then the TB medication or treatment, as it was, that was available to Sarah.

We can maybe guess that Steve and Sarah weren’t very religious -but I don’t feel qualified to impart anything except my own agenda here so I’m not taking that stance. But like, real talk, not even an arm band??

But, well, let’s move on to the point of this whole long ass thing anyway?

Then we go to Mr. Barnes, looking dapper AF. Also, hey, check out this ad from 1933 featuring... pretty much exactly what Bucky is wearing down to the god-damn two-tone shoes:

If you’re curious, yeah $24.98 in 1936 is $475.44. I'm not suggesting Bucky Barnes went out and bought a brand new suit for Steve’s mother’s funeral - for one thing, this ad is from 1933. BUT, that suit fits Bucky. Quite well, and it’s in good shape. He’s also sporting that super stylish mid-late 30s into 40s deeply angled collar shirt - as is our dude up in the ad - and so we know these clothes are at least new-ish. We also can see that the suit is definitely of the mid-30s moving into the boxy silhouette of the later 30s and early 40s and NOT the look of the 20s and early 30s, which has an almost bell-bottom fullness to the legs instead of our straight-leg here (though we can debate nuance if you want to hit up my DMs.)

I should note, Bucky’s shirt is not bright and pristine white - it’s kind of grayish? And I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be an old-timey sepia thing or an indication that Bucky can’t afford to... bleach a white shirt? So that’s an odd choice for sure because we’re still in an age when a crisp, white collar shirt means something (Hey, if you want to hear me go on about the democratization of men’s fashion via shirt collars and 19th century Victorian suits, let me know because I am READY).

All this is to say: I don’t think Bucky Barnes is a poor dock worker. I think Bucky Barnes of MCU canon. Okay, so the MCU wiki on Bucky/The Winter Soldier is an actual mess (because it tells us that Sarah died in 1936 and that’s FINE but I’m not going back to change my math because I’m SICK so just... I went back and changed it. She died in 1936. Fine. The damn wiki also says that “a year later, during their art class, Barnes and Rogers found out that the United States of America had joined World War II. Which, like, I’m sick, but there are a few years between 1936 and December 8 1941... just... I’m no rocket doctor but...

ANYWAY. Bucky is a three time YMCA welterweight boxing champion by this “year later”/ 1941-1942. He and Steve are also in an ART CLASS together. Bucky also trained Steve in boxing at Goldie’s gym before the two of them went to enlist - Steve rejected and Bucky, again quoting MCU wiki, “drafted” (which I'm gonna take to mean he didn’t try to enlist when Steve got rejected, they went home and Bucky got called up later but... hey, who knows?!).

So, I can’t easily find the prices of gym memberships in NYC in the 1930s right now because I don’t feel like wading through all of the articles complaining about Equinox pricing in 2019. But I do know that part of Roosevelt’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) building projects included building more public gyms - as well as libraries, auditoriums, pools, parks etc. Check out your local public buildings - if they are WPA projects they will have a cool plaque like my local NJ library does! All that is to say, there were free or very cheap PUBLIC options where Bucky could have trained Steve.

Bucky trained Steve in a private gym. Do I like to think that this is the same gym Steve and America’s ass are working out in in The Avengers? Yes, Yes I do. Do I like to think that Steve likes to box because it reminds him of Bucky? Yes, yes I do.

But moving on: it’s another sign of wealth.

So is this “art class.” Whether we are in 1937 or 1941 - we’re still in the Depression. Steve still has all of his health issues and presumably accompanying “medication” (wanna talk 1930s medicine? Again, slide into my DMs or shoot me an ask). So Steve either has a side job making enough to cover all of that, rent? and enrollment in an art class.

OR maybe Steve is teaching the art class and Bucky is his model for life drawing instruction (yeah, it’s a fic bunny I’m sharing with the world).

OR maybe... Bucky is paying the rent and other things or Steve is living with Bucky and can afford the class and meds... somehow or...

OR I'm not saying that Steve is Bucky’s kept man because Steve Rogers would punch anyone who dared to say such a thing.

All I’m saying is, Bucky Barnes was not a poor dude. Bucky Barnes... had some money.

And also I’m about to be late for my doctor’s appointment so I gotta run.

At me with your thoughts!

#Bucky barnes #James Buchanan barnes #winter soldier #Steve rogers #captain america #marvel #mcu #meta #head-canon #costume design #character thoughts

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heathergoffrier · 5 years ago

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9 Ways To Be Insanely Productive When You Have A Newborn At Home

As a mom, it's hard to get stuff done when you have a newborn. Get 9 hacks to help complete your to-do list, plus my free guide "How To Start An Infant Sleep Schedule." Click here to download

We hope you enjoy the products we recommend! This post may contain affiliate links. That means we get a portion of the commission if you click through and make a purchase, but you don't pay a cent more. Thank you for supporting our small business as we strive to help you rock mom life! I scooted onto my chair at the table where a plate of piping hot food sat waiting for me. My stomach growled as the yummy smells enticed me to dive in. Then I heard it. "Waaaaaaaaaa!" How does she always know when I'm about to eat? I moaned as I left the deliciousness right where it sat and went to scoop up my newborn baby. The meal would have to wait. I can't tell you how often I'm about to do something-- whether eat, clean something up, or just check another item off my to-do list, when I'm sucked away by the needs of one of my children. That's the nature of mom life! But as much as we love to care for our kids, we moms gotta get stuff done once in a while! Use my tried and true tips below to help you accomplish your daily goals, even with a newborn baby in the house.

1- Use An Infant Sleep Schedule

An infant sleep schedule, also known as a baby routine, gives you pockets of time when you know your newborn will be napping. Though I don't recommend going exactly "by the clock," using a routine helps you have predictable windows in your schedule where you are free to get stuff done. In addition, implementing a gentle routine at a young age can often help your child sleep through the night within the first few months of life. When baby and mama are getting more rest, your daily productivity soars!

Get started today with a gentle routine by grabbing my free guide "How To Start An Infant Sleep Schedule."

2- Put Baby In A Safe Space

You can get a lot done by putting baby in a safe space for short spurts at a time. They can play, bounce, or check out the scenery while you cook, clean, shower, or even read a magazine. (What?! Who has time for that?! LOL) *Note that some of these spaces aren't approved for sleep. Safe Spaces include: Crib or Pack n' PlayBouncer- place the bouncer by a window (out of direct sunlight) to let them see what's outside. Baby swing Play gym- You can set this on the bathroom floor and take a shower-- mom win! Rock n Play

3- Use Short Bursts

Sometimes you only get a few minutes of downtime in the craziness when you have a newborn. Capitalize on the brief pauses and get something done... empty the dishwasher, change over a load of laundry, or wipe down the counters. 5 minutes of productivity here and there adds up to a lot of tasks checked off your (long) list.

Taking a quick nap between laundry loads... wishful thinking?

4- Get In A Routine

Start a new habit of doing some of the same things each day at the same time. For example, I try to start a load of laundry each morning during the week. Then when I get a break in the day, I can change it from washer to dryer. My husband and I often end up folding clothes after the kids are down for the night. I purposefully take a break on at least one weekend day, so sometimes that means doing two loads in a day. But at least the habit of doing a load each morning keeps dirty laundry from piling up too badly. This has been a work in progress in different houses, because each time we move with the military, the laundry is in a different location and I have to start a new routine. Once my washer and dryer were in a detached garage on the back of the property. I was pregnant at the time, so laundry really stacked up during those months! RELATED: THESE 5 DAILY ROUTINE HACKS MAKE MY MORNINGS WAY EASIER WITH KIDS

Am I the only one who purposely buys clothes I don't have to iron?

5- Wear the Baby

I'm not huge on baby-wearing but it does have its perks. Reasons I don't wear baby around the house much are: It hurts my backIt throws her off her sleeping routine, andIt's hard to bend over or sit down without waking the baby Still, there are times when it's necessary. For me, the main time I wore my third newborn was when everything was chaos in the house and I didn't have time to settle her down before I solved whatever disaster was happening with the big girls. I also use my Ergo Carrier in the grocery stores, traveling, or if I'm gone from home all day and need a guaranteed place she'll nap away from her crib.

6- Bring Baby Along

0-3-month-old babies tend to be extremely portable. We could always take our newborns out to dinner or to visit friends and they would sleep in the car seat. I also took them to the grocery store or on other errands. After about three months, our kids became more wakeful and would fuss and require a lot more attention. If you have your newborn on a schedule, you will have a lot more success taking him or her on an errand, because you'll know what time of day works best. And even as baby gets older, a routine allows you to travel with baby without much effort. I flew our youngest to Hawaii when she was 5 months old to meet her daddy for the first time. Her routine helped her sleep so well, even with a three-hour time difference! You can read that story here. I give you my step-by-step process for my daily routine in the free guide "How To Start An Infant Sleep Schedule."

Pin this to your fav board on Pinterest!

7- Use Nap Time To Get Stuff Done

People always told me, "sleep when baby is sleeping." But being the productive person that I am try to be, I would always get busy on my to-do list as soon as the newborn zonked out. I mean, when else can you get anything done??? Ok, so now as a mom of three-- who's had two c-sections-- I will say, it is UBER important to get your rest! For your own sanity, for your body's healing, and let's face it... for everyone else's sanity too. (wink)

8- Ask For Help

Somes you just need an hour or two to yourself to get stuff done without worrying that baby will wake up early from a nap. Time to bring in the reinforcements. Ask a family member, friend, or hire a babysitter to watch baby for you. I know sometimes the thought of leaving your newborn is too scary. The good news is, you can hire a mother's helper who can help with chores around the house or care for baby while you're still home. I've used Sittercity.com and found great babysitters. (You do have to weed through them a bit). Care.com is another site friends have used to find sitters.

9- Access Childcare At The Gym

It might be worth signing up for a gym membership just for the childcare. I know several moms who go to the YMCA for the sole reason that they can take a nice long shower while their baby was in the kids' room. In Virginia, I used to go to the gym and use the wifi for blogging while my oldest played. IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR GETTING STUFF DONE: A Safe Space for baby Efficiency during down timeNew habits you do each day to move toward your goalsA Baby carrier or wrapDetermination to get out of the houseA willingness to find/ask for helpGym membershipA Newborn Sleep Schedule (You can download my free guide "How To Start A Newborn Sleep Schedule" if you need help getting started! Click here to download) Sometimes you have to get creative to get stuff done. And hopefully next time you're sucked away from your to-do list by the needs of your baby, you'll be able to get right back to it by putting these tips into action!

For getting the best sleep at night, don't miss my free printable guide "How To Start An Infant Sleep Schedule."

Pin to save! Read the full article

#babycare #home #motherhood

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wickedangelblog · 7 years ago

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9/10/17

The Fall weather is kinda nice. I just hate that it’s been too chilly to swim. We missed out on going to the pool one last time before labor day. =/ If we would have some warm days, we could go to the lake to swim, at least one more time this year. If we get membership back at the YMCA, we can swim year round. But, they raised their prices. I’m not really happy with their pools anyway. The regular pool is a “therapy” pool, it’s kinda warm and not deep at all. The deepest part is maybe 4 foot. The other pool is a lap pool, it’s deep, but I don’t necessarily like to swim laps constantly. lol And, Sierra hates that pool because it’s not as warm as the other. So.... lol Yeah.

I did my last mandatory Girl Scouts administrator training yesterday. It went well. I now know what a “kaper chart” is! ha I had heard of it, and wondered. We are holding our “parent meeting” this Thursday. It’s the meeting before the first official Girl Scout meeting, we talk to the parents about the time and place of meetings, expectations, plans, etc.. The first official GS meeting is two weeks after. I was able to reserve a conference room at the library, 2 times per month through October. I was told it’s a nice room, has a white board, which will be helpful! Sounds perfect for us. So glad the library is allowing us to use it.

I go to a mentor meeting on the 18th. It’s not mandatory, but I feel that it will be helpful for me to go and learn more about the mentoring role. I handle the administrative side, but I want to be able to work with the girls, too! That’s more of the role of the mentor....which is why I want to train for it, as well. I also have an optional training on the 13th, for the “fall product” program. I’m going to try to go to it, too. I had never heard of “fall product” sales until I got into all this. All I knew about was cookie sales. I have a great co-leader. I think we will have an awesome little troop, a little excited about it. =) Sierra is SO excited, she asks me when they can start their meetings. I’m so glad she is happy about it.

I was in Girl Scouts briefly, when I was in the 3rd grade. I was a “Brownie” scout. I was extremely shy, so I don’t think I got as much out of the meetings as some of the other girls. It was fun though. I remember the friendship circle, playing games, selling cookies. I’m not sure why I didn’t stay in the Girl Scouts. I think it was family issues.

I have made a cute sharing site for the troop. It’s on Shutterfly. Some other troop leaders say it’s the BEST way to communicate with the troop families, etc.. It does seem like it will be useful. It’s easy to customize. It’s pretty. :) It has a calendar, news/journal section.. And everyone can share photos from meetings and events. I like it, so far.

Yesterday I was told that we may have an older girl joining us. Right now, it’s Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors.....which is grades Kindergarten through 5th. A Cadette is grades 6-8. So,, it’s going to be even more of a challenge to plan activities for all the different age groups. At least Sierra won’t have to switch to another troop in a couple years, though. I had already planned to stay with this troop after she ages out of it, and volunteering in whatever group she ended up joining. This way, she’s in the same troop for 4 years. Easier for me! lol That is, IF she is still interested in GS in a few years.

I’m hoping Girl Scouts will be good for her. We’ve been trying to work on her confidence and self esteem.....she’s lacking in both. I worry a lot about her self esteem as she gets older and especially when she starts dating. I want her to be strong and know her self worth. When she was younger, she has some REALLY bad influences....women who chase after men, making them their priority. Seeing this person cheat on her husband, watching them fight constantly, domestic violence. I want her to understand that’s NOT the way it’s supposed to be. I know she’s noticed our relationship being strong, that we rarely ever fight, because she told her cousin that we “never fight” and the cousin asked us about it. lol It’s seriously sad that the girls were shocked that we didn’t fight. Kids pick up on things, they see how the adults in their life behave with one another, and they grow up thinking what they see is “normal”. When they see their parents (or other influences) fighting, screaming, sneaking around.....having dysfunctional relationships, they think that’s what their relationships should be like. So sad, so many kids grow up that way. I just hope it’s not too late to fix it for Sierra. I want her to expect a man to treat her the way her Dad treats me. I hope to have some conversations about love and relationships with her in the near future. I hope she listens and it really sinks in.

But, back to what I was saying.......i’m hoping the Girl Scouts will be really good for her. Teach her confidence, assertiveness.. Hoping she will make some new friends, broaden her social group. Hopefully good influences. I want her to be happy in life, and I want her to know that she’s good enough to deserve to be loved and respected. I fear her getting older and settling for less.

#Girl scouts #GS #troop #self esteem #family #relationships #confidence #self worth #role model #influence #friends #love #children #kids #girls

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a-mindful-marie · 7 years ago

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The Endless Battle

Starting something that you never really finished is hard as hell. I have been trying to get on a healthy lifestyle for some time now, and I seem to keep falling behind. I get distracted or I get comfortable. To comfortable and I ruin all the hard work that I put in before. The first time around the inspired me to create this blog was the fact that I was borderline diabetic. I had just finished talking with my doctor where she informed me that if I didn't make a change in the way that I was eating than my chances of becoming a diabetic were great. I was at a point in my life where I didn't know what I wanted to do or become. Being in high school there was a huge pressure for me to be the best. I had to pull in good grades, while keeping in mind to what I wanted to do. At that time I did have an idea. I wanted to be an Actress, I wanted to act on tv. Being myself was so hard that I wanted to be someone else, even if it was only for a short while. I suppose thats why I worked so hard on it and got so good at it. But little did I know that this factor would harm me more than help me. In the beginning it was motivation enough for me to wake up and go for a run, and do online workouts because I could not afford a gym membership. I joined a sports team, and changed my diet completely. I tried to convince myself that I wanted to be healthy and part of it was true. I wanted to be able to go to the doctor and not fear the scale. I just wanted to go to one check up where everything would be okay and everything would turn out okay. So I cut out junk food, I went cold turkey which for me wasn't that hard. I wish now I could do that, but what can I say I love my cheese puffs. Moderation then was not something that I knew then. But I did reward myself. After I completed workout, I was allowed to watch 3 episodes of Gossip Girl, and yes I hopped on that train pretty late as well. But instead of using food I used something that wouldn't add calories to my day. I was loosing weight and I do believe it was In a healthy way, but despite the number on the scale going down, the confidence I had for myself was still very low. Ya girl was single as a Pringle and had the hardest time trying to mingle. Because I felt the boys at my school were not into me, I was more into the online dating vibe. But even here I had a hard time finding someone who was right for me. So I continued to be single and my poor confidence withered away along with the fat. This time in my life is so important to the describe the woman I am today, because I can look back and see that I was truly unhappy. Yes I was exercising and loosing weight but what for? When I started college I put the weight back on and then some. My heaviest weight I am ashamed to say was 215lbs. This may not sound like a lot to some people but it was my heaviest and I knew that I had to change. There in particular was one thing that really sparked my weight loss journey or I should say one person. He is my current boyfriend of 1 year and counting. We (hold on to your socks folks,) meet online! (Bet ya didn't see that coming) he was hot and that was the first thing that caught my attention. But you know when you see someone online that is super hot and they like you, you can only think that they want one thing (But he never asked for it). He thought I was beautiful and at the time I had gained some confidence, my hair had grown some, and my makeup game was stronger than ever, so yes I was somewhat feeling myself. It was when we carefully made arrangements to meet that I realized that I had to change. I wanted him to be able to pick me up and hold me in his arms and at the heaviest 215lbs I was NOT feeling myself. So I starting going to the gym everyday that I could make it, but at the time I was working at my colleges Starbucks and Girlllll what a challenge. I was just staying the same because I would drink 3-4 drinks a day and do a small little workout. That summer of which I spent half of babysitting my nephew I lost 10lbs. Everyday I took him to the pool and we swam for hours, and I would come home and eat a small dinner and be done. I had researched this thing called intermitted fasting, and I absolutely love it. I can't do it when I'm at school because I would starve, but I do love doing it at home, its a great way to keep track of what I eat and give myself a limit. So I stuck with that, my goal was to be somewhere in wonderland before I meet my boyfriend in person. so at the beginning of the school year I was 205lbs and I was feeling good. but I hit a pot hole where I got let go at Starbucks, which now that I look back at it was a blessing in disguise. since I didn't have to work, after classes I went to the YMCA on my campus and just starting working out. soon I got hired and I literally get paid to work out. from that day to this I have lost and additional 13lbs. I would like to be around 170-160 but I do understand that its about how you feel and not the way that you look. when I meet my boyfriend finally for Christmas, he was amazingly sweet and of course because he was ripped he was able to pick me up which was the most amazing feeling in the world to me. It may seem like I was loosing weight for him, but I know that it was for me. I want to be comfortable with myself, and I want a nice bod to match this fire ass personality that I have. Who knew that loving yourself would be the hardest and easiest thing to do. I am getting better at it everyday and surrounding myself with positive people and images in my life. This is just the backbone of my journey, the true fun has yet to begin!!

#its been a while #shit #long reads #mental health #personal health #emotional health #life experience

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