#wood fence Santa Cruz

[scfencecontractors]

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This interesting property looks newer inside than it does outside. It just sold for $1.781M in Santa Cruz, California and has 4bd. & 3ba. Take a look at this unusual 1962 mid-century modern rustic home.

Inside the private fence is a lovely garden.

Enter a large open living room/kitchen combo with a coffered wood ceiling.

Of course, the big attraction is the gigantic fish tank on the kitchen island. I had a fish tank for many years, and was 1/3 of the size of this one, and the upkeep was constant. If they don’t have a professional to tend to it, it will become a murky green mess. 

It doesn’t look like there’s much room on top to get in there to clean it, and you’d have to stand on a stool to access the top.

There’s a large farm sink. 

Full bath on the main fl.

I don’t know what that is. A tanning lamp? 

And, this bd. has a huge shower en-suite.

Look at that- the closet in this room will accommodate surf boards. 

And, this bd. is being used as an office.

The main bd. and en-suite.

And, the 4th. bd. is used as a music room.

There’s a large yard.

And, this building is set up as a wood shop.

https://www.bexrealty.com/California/Santa-Cruz/1048-Lewis-Cir/single-family-home/

[sfbayautomaticgates]

Things Nobody Told You About Baby Gates?

There are distinctive approaches to secure your child at home. One of these is baby gates.

Baby gates are much similar to our typical house gate shrunk to a scale estimated for a little child. They keep or shield your kid from falling or from meeting different mischances. They close off specific regions of your home that you don't need your kid to go into. They are helpful in keeping out your little child from spots where there are fragile things, for example, vases, vases, and so forth. They could likewise help keep your little children off the beaten path when you are cleaning a specific territory of your home.

There is a wide assortment of styles of baby gates that you could look at. There are baby gates for stairwells or entryways. What's more, there is one that could remain solitary.

More established baby gate styles are accordion-styled. They have angular spaces and have been reviewed since they can trap babies effortlessly and can represent a hazard when stumbled on because of the jutting focuses on top. Some more seasoned sorts of baby gates likewise give simple toe-holds to a kids to climb and fall over. Later sorts of baby gates come in wood, metal, plastic and even some fabric sorts. There are gates that swing open. There are gates that slide or take off. They generally have level surfaces so there wouldn't be much toe-hold for the kid and would keep mishaps from happening. This all relies on upon how your home was fabricated and where you need to put your baby gate, also the style in your family unit. These are the two fundamental sorts of baby gates you could browse weight mounted baby gates or equipment mounted baby gates. The most widely recognized kind of baby gate is weight mounted baby gates. They needn't bother with mounting apparatuses to introduce and are exceptionally versatile. They enable a grown-up to venture over them when going through however prevent the babies from doing as such. They would should be mounted on strong divider surfaces. Empty dividers or uneven surfaces don't give the measure of quality required for the baby gate to be introduced. These baby gates apply weight on where you will mount it so if against an empty divider, the divider will get an imprint and will in the long run give way, obliterating the divider and debilitating it also. Uneven surfaces would not sufficiently enable weight to expand on the mounted zone making the gate shaky. Equipment mounted baby gates are mounted for all time on dividers with your mounting apparatuses. Introduce these gates onto strong dividers since they give the bolster expected to the mounting of the gate. These are as a rule utilized as a part of stairways. Additionally, they ought not to have that settled flat bar that you could stumble on when you go through.

Electric Find SF Bay Automatic Gates & Fences Services in Cities Mentioned below:

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Electric gate repair     redwood city

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Electric gate repair san leandro

Electric gate repair san pablo

Electric gate repair san rafael

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Electric gate repair santa cruz

Electric gate repair saratoga

Electric gate repair     scotts valley

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Electric gate repair tiburon

Electric gate repair union city

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Electric gate repair     walnut creek

Electric gate repair watsonville

Electric gate repair brentwood

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Electric gate repair     mountain view

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Electric gate repair dublin

[mayve-hems]

Wrapped Around Your Finger | Michael Clifford

Type: IMAGINE | ONE SHOT | MULTI CHAPTER

Summary: After hearing her brother gossip that Michael is wrapped around her finger, Maverly Hemmings decides it’s time that she knows if he really is wrapped around her finger.

Word Count: 5.0k

Note: If you would like to request a one shot / imagine / story prompt then I am accepting requests currently and I would love to take them! This has also not been proof read, just editing for spelling errors. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Cussing, smoking, implied smut

-

Michael Clifford’s fingers dug into the plastic of his red XBOX controller as he twisted the joystick around to face his best friend's characters. He dug a pickaxe into Luke’s character, forcing Luke to respawn without any elements he had in his Minecraft inventory. Michael let out a spurt of laughter into his microphone, letting all of his friends hear him.

“Sucks to be you now, doesn’t it?” Michael asks Luke. Just an hour before Michael went on a homicidal mission to destroy Luke, Luke accidentally shoved Michael off the edge of a cliff and onto stone blocks that ended Michael’s Minecraft life. “Hemmings!” Michael screamed into the microphone. Ashton winced from Michael’s loud voice, regretting turning the volume of his headset up high to hear Luke’s whispering.

“Shut up, Clifford!” Luke whispered into his microphone. Luke’s least favorite -and favorite- siblings lives in the room right next to his. Maverly and Luke agreed that after midnight, Luke wouldn’t scream during video games, and Maverly wouldn’t wake him up in six hours with a bucket of cold water. Maverly also wouldn’t be loud if she was doing something like playing video games -Maverly pretends to be Jack Hemmings on a lot of video games- or listening to music. After Ben and Jack graduated, the twin Hemmings were left to disagree with each other. Luke took his brothers’ room, and Maverly was finally by herself. “Don’t make me get May in here to kill you a thousand times over.”

Michael laughed. “It’s Minecraft, bro, now Call Of Duty.”

“Suck my dick, Clifford,”

“Hey!” Ashton whined. He placed a few more blocks of dirt down into his optical illusion island. He created the realm by himself for when he had been struck with boredom and the inability to actually do homework. Michael logged onto Ashton’s account a few weeks ago and discovered the replication of H.H. Homes Murder Castle and the not-so optical illusion he was attempting to create. Michael whined until Ashton shared it with everybody. “Don’t cuss.”

“Fuck off, Irwin,” whispered Luke.

Michael finished his arrangement of a villager hotel made for absolutely nobody, with purple stained-glass windows. His Minecraft character ran away from the hotel before turning around to make sure he’d moved enough so he could see the entire building on his TV. White quartz outlined the outside thirds of the hotel while orange cement outlines the floors of the middle. Three-by-three windows are the walls for each of the eighteen apartments, showing the single red bed next to a furnace. Michael made every single floor grey, except for the lobby of the hotel. He made the lobby floors oak wood with a jungle wood-plank counter.

“Okay bet my dudes,” Michael says, setting his controller down after viewing the hotel. He’s satisfied with how it currently looks. “I think I’m going to go to sleep.”

“That’s gay,” replied Calum. “It’s barely two, Pussy,”

“Nah, dude,” Luke interjected. “I should probably sleep too. When May falls asleep early, she wakes up early. I’m not fond of having soaking wet clothes.”

“Pussy,” Calum muttered.

“Same,” Ashton paused his game, already starting to log off. “I want a cheese toasty.”

Calum groaned. “I hate all of you wimps.”

They all said their goodbyes and insults before logging off, leaving Calum playing Minecraft by himself in his own realm. Michael opened the sheets of his bed, ready to fall in between the duvet and mattress. Luke shut off his TV and attempted to navigate his way through his bedroom in the dark. He stumbled onto his bed, banging it against the wall. He’ll hear about that from Maverly in the morning. Ashton snuck into his kitchen and began to make one of the best cheese toasties he’s ever tried.

Michael looked through memes on his phone before falling asleep. He stumbled upon ones from his favorite band and let out little spurts of laughter at the inside jokes. He swept to the next meme, ready to laugh again. Tapping against the window above his bed distracted him from reading the meme. The orange-haired teenager glanced at his window, seeing nothing wrong, before looking back at his phone.

Tap . . . tap . . . tap.

He looked at the window again to see a small rock striking the glass and bouncing back to its origin. Michael waited for another to hit the window, and when it did he opened the frame to stare out at the culprit. A curly-haired girl with a leather jacket and ripped skinny jeans was holding a bunch of pebbles in the palm of her hand. Without thinking, she pitched another one at the window, almost hitting Michael in the face. He was suddenly wishing she wasn’t the pitcher of their softball team.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Michael called out to the golden-haired beauty. She resembled her brothers a lot in personality and looks except in her own little way. She was the youngest of the Hemmings kids, but she knew how to hold herself as if she were the oldest. Ben and Maverly compete for control . . . a lot.

“You coming down or what?” Maverly asked through a snicker. She spoke as though it was obvious; I’m throwing rocks at your window so you’ll come down and visit me. What else would I be doing? In certain angles, you could see how she also resembled her mum more than her brothers. “Hello? Mike?”

“Luke said you’re sleeping,”

“And you say you’re not a nerd,”

“I’m not a nerd!” Michael protested.

Maverly reached into her pocket for a cigarette. The boys aren’t stupid -it’s completely obvious that Maverly’s breath smells like cigarettes every so often- but they keep the secret from her family. In return for keeping the secret, she does assignments for them that they’ll fail otherwise. “You were just playing Minecraft with my brother for eight hours straight,” She stuck the butt of the cigarette between her lips and flipped open the Zippo lighter. She lit the end of the stick before sucking in the smoked and pulling the cigarette out of her mouth. “I can leave if you want me too. Just thought we could do something fun tonight.”

Michael considers her offer for a moment. “I’ll be down in a second.” Michael jumped into a pair of jeans off his bedroom floor along with a tank top he ripped out of his dresser. He slipped into sneakers and a snapback before bolting down the stairs and out the back door. Maverly is flicking ash off the cigarette when Michael reaches her. “What do you want to do?”

“Go to the beach?”

“You literally called me out of the house at two AM . . .” Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. “. . . to go to the beach?”

Maverly rolled her eyes. “If you don’t want to go then you don’t have to,” She put the cigarette back into her mouth for another drag. She offered it to Michael, the one of the group that’s never smoked anything before, and he accepted it. The blonde watched her elder friend figure out how to smoke. He took a deep breath of the smoke before sporadically coughing up smoke. Maverly laughed. “Your decision. Take it or leave it.”

The group jokes that Maverly has Micahel wrapped around her dainty finger, which is absolutely true. Michael denies his crush on the Hemmings girl and claims that they’re just friends. Several times, Michael has dropped whatever task he was working on just to hang out with Luke’s twin. Though their hangouts only lasted a few hours in Luke’s basement with a game of Guitar Hero and a bowl of popcorn, he’d still do anything Maverly wanted to. “Let’s go,”

Maverly went to take back her cigarette but Michael flinched away. He shoved the end back into his mouth and took in a deep breath. Maverly laughed and pulled another out of her pocket. “You’re so innocent.” Maverly giggled. “I’m going to end up corrupting you, Clifford, and your mum is going to hate me.”

“Babe,” Michael said before taking a drag off a cigarette and leading Maverly to the fence gate. The Clifford’s don’t live too far from the Santa Cruz boardwalk and beach -just an hour drive- which has prompted a bunch of midnight beach visits from Michael, his family, and his best friends. It’s always been normal for Maverly and Mali-Koa to tag along with their brothers to the beach. Michael’s never gone with just Maverly to the beach before. “You’re not going to corrupt me, don’t worry.”

“Whatever you ‘wanna believe, Clifford,” Maverly chewed on her lip piercing. Maverly and Luke were at Calum’s house when he prompted a tattoo idea to his mum. A beautiful one- his sister's name tattooed on his arm. Maverly sketched a design for Calum to go off of, and Joy Hood signed the document for teenagers that wanted to get tattoos. Maverly pulled her wallet out of her pocket while Calum was receiving the needles ink and asked for a lip piercing. Luke got one too. Liz Hemmings had a heart attack. “That eyebrow piercing-”

“-Is because Luke has a lip piercing and Cal ‘n’ Ash have tattoos,” Michael finished. He took another drag of his cigarette. Maverly stopped walking towards her Jeep and turned to her friend. “What?” Maverly slapped a tattooed area on Michael’s arm. Michael looked down at his now-reddening arm to see what her problem was. He understood that she meant the ink underneath his skin. “Shut up.”

Maverly giggled.

“Luke is such a pussy,” Michael dropped the rest of his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his foot. “His brothers and friends have tattoos. Hell, his own younger twin has a damn tattoo and he still won’t get one.”

Maverly shrugged. Underneath her leather jacket, the one that matches her older brothers’, she has an entire sleeve of tattoos sitting on her skin from her wrist to her shoulder. A beautiful feather with her brothers signatures in chronological order starting from the stem to the middle point where blue baby footprints start walking to the end. Above the rainbow-shaded feather is the quote ‘Die with memories, not dreams’ delicately written in Liz’s handwriting. The chain of a pocket watch holds onto the top of the feather and wraps all the way around her wrist once then loosely wrapped around her forearm once until it’s right below her elbow. An exact replica of Andrews’ old pocket watch, down to his full name engraved on the glass. The arrows point to the time Maverly was born. Between the feather and the pocket watch sits a sunflower mixed halfway with a yellow rose; in the middle of both flowers are bother of her great-grandmother and great-grandfathers signatures. That whole configuration was her first-ever tattoo; she sat still for several hours just for that.

“Why doesn’t he just get a tattoo with your parents or literally anyone?” Michael asked. “You have a twin tattoo already, he just needs to match it.”

Liz and Andrew got small tattoos to replicate their youngest daughter. Liz got the feather Maverly has, along with all of her kids' signatures in chronological order with six blue baby feet and a single pink pair walking towards the end of the. Hers was shaded with black instead of a rainbow, though. Andrew got the pocket watch wrapping around his arm as a father-daughter tattoo just like Liz and Maverly had already done. Everyone hypothesizes that Luke’s just afraid of needles.

“He’s a pansy, my friend,” Maverly unlocked her Jeep and reached for the drivers' side door. She hopped in and pressed the clutch to the floor. The key turned in the ignition to which Maverly changed the gear to reverse. She waited for Michael to put on his seatbelt before pulling out of his driveway. Maverly enjoys having a manual transmission Jeep Wrangler; Luke is less likely to drive it. She pointed to the fraction on her wrist bone for Michael to see. “He just has to get one-half tattooed right there and the twin tattoo would be finished. But no!”

-

“I’m starving,” Maverly complains, gripping her steering wheel until her knuckles turn white. Their hour-long drive has been delayed almost another hour due to road construction. You’d think the highways wouldn’t be as busy at literally four-in-the-morning but Maverly has been stopped in the same spot for roughly fifteen minutes. “Michael!” the tall girl screams, startling her passenger.

He stirs from his sleep and rubs his eyes. “Pizza.”

“There won’t be a pizza place open for like three more hours,” Maverly realized she’ll be stopped for a while longer so she shoves the gear shift in neutral and lets the vehicle idol while she searches up stores around their current area. Nothing seems interesting. She notices a Walmart sitting near the boardwalk. They’ll last a while longer and stock up with food there. “I’m bored.”

“I’m tired,”

Maverly brushes hair out of her face. She’s not tired- she’s wide awake and kicking. Absentmindedly she outlines the four skull rocker hands at the top of her wrist. The fourth one is shaded pink, while the others have no color at all. Her older brothers got theirs shaded in with blue for the place they took in the chronological sibling order; except for bare-skinned Luke.

Her parents agreed that the only way they would sign for a tattoo is if it has meaning; otherwise, she has to wait until she is of legal age to get anything else. As a result of that rule, she’s filled her entire arm with tattoos honoring her family; from Luke’s favorite guitar with the sound waves of ‘I’ll go with you’ substituted for the frets, to a red outline of Ben, Jack, Luke, and Maverly standing in order when they were younger shifted a little bit above an outline of them standing together at Ben’s graduation in the same order. One of her favorite tattoos has to be a replica of her Grandma’s recorder player with flowers and planets shooting out of the brass horn. Maverly cried when that one was finished.

“Michael, wake up,” Maverly demanded. Michael let out a loud groan, sitting up complete to stare at the piled-up road ahead. “What’s your favorite color?”

The orange-haired boy wanted to smack the shit out of Maverly for asking him such a question instead of letting him sleep. “Red,” Michael bit. Maverly chewed on her lip ring with a smirk. She thought it was red, and boy was she correct. “What about you, Maverly Stella What’s your favorite fucking color?”

“Orange,” Maverly answered before shoving the gear shift into first gear. The line in the construction zone was starting to move. Maverly looked at Michael’s orange hair with a smile; he didn’t know that orange has always been her favorite color but she admired the bright color sitting on top of the blonde strands. A little part of her had hoped that it was orange because of her. “What’s a weird fact about yourself?”

Michael sighed before rubbing his face with his large hands. His fingers rubbed his eyes until he began seeing swirling colors in his eyesight. “My middle name is Gordon. Yo-”

“-Give me something that’s actually weird.”

“Um . . .” Michael thought aloud. “There’s this hella’ cute girl I know and she would never like me back. That’s weird. What’s a weird fact about you?”

“There aren’t any weird facts about me, Gor, I’m a normal human being,”

Michael let out strings of laughter. He could barely contain the giggles erupting from his body. “You’re not weird? Your name is Maverly, while you have brothers named Luke, Ben, and Jack.”

“Dad joked that Luke and I would be twins to Mom and said she’d name one Maverly if we were,”

“Your arms are covered in tattoos!”

“They all have a specific meaning.”

“You smoke cigarettes and nobody in your family knows!”

“Ashton’s my supplier and you guys keep secrets.”

“You’re fucking beautiful and you don’t have a boyfriend!”

Maverly giggled a little bit. A blush was beginning to creep across her cheeks, but at night illuminated by only dim headlights, Michael would never see. “I’m saving myself for someone certain.”

“You drew up all of your tattoos!”

“Natural talent in drawing.”

“You have an excuse for everything, don’t you?” Michael asked. He crossed his arms and looked out the window. He was no longer feeling tired. Maverly sped the Jeep up, leaving the construction zone and going into an area where she could easily speed. “How do you drive this thing anyways?”

Maverly moved her hand from the gearshift the grab Michaels. His hand felt warm from her palm as she set it over the stick. “Just wait,” she sped up a little bit before hearing the engines correct pitch for turning over, then released the gas pedal and stuck the clutch to the floor. She gripped Michael’s hand and changed from third gear to fourth. Her feet switched positions with the clutch returned and the gas pedal back down. She replicated the same thing to put the Jeep in fifth gear, then she released Michael’s rugged hand. “It’s easy. You just have to hear it and remember.”

Michael stared out the window again. He hated how his hand felt underneath hers- rather he hated that he liked being able to touch her hand. Luke’s had a strict No Touching My Sister rule for the boys. That doesn’t stop Maverly cuddling Calum or Ashton. They’re like her brothers also. “You’ve been driving for long enough that you remember.”

“That’s the point,” Maverly snickered. “So. I was thinking we could get something at like Walmart or whatever. You hungry?”

-

“How the fuck do you pick out a cantaloupe?”

“I don’t know.”

“Maverly you’re supposed to know this shit. Which cantaloupe is the best?”

“I don’t know, Michael!”

“Fuck it. I’ll just get this one. Do you have a knife?”

“No?”

“Then get one!”

-

Maverly dug a brand new metal spoon into the meat of her half of the cantaloupe. She pulled the melon away from the skin and shoved the huge bite into her mouth. “This is good, you picked out a good one.” the blonde laughed.

Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” he dug into the other half. “Just eat your stupid cantaloupe.” the juice from the melon dripped down his face from his first bite. He wiped it away with the collar of his shirt. “It’s getting everywhere.”

“Michael, we’re at the beach. You’re going to get some type of wet no matter what,” Michael stopped chewing to stare at his younger friend. Maverly broke her stare on the dusk sunrise to see why the boy was silent. Michael blinked a few times, trying to insinuate a sexual innuendo that Maverly barely understood for a few moments. “I mean that works too, but-”

“May, why are we here?” Michael set his spoon into the carved out center inside the melon. “Not just wanting to go to the beach at literally two AM. Why are we here?”

Maverly laughed. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Why?” Michael pleaded. “I just want to know why you didn’t choose your brother or I don’t know . . . Calum?”

“If you didn’t want to come then you didn’t have to, Mike,” Maverly shoveled more melon into her mouth. Her belly was empty and running on a McDonald's coffee she bought herself before entering Santa Cruz. “I would have left you alone and bothered them.”

“It’s not that,” Michael set the round end of the melon into the sand. His hands grabbed her face so she’d look at him and understand that this was a real question of his. Why did Maverly choose Michael over the ones closest to her? “I wanted to come. But why did you chose me.”

“I still can’t tell you that,” Maverly stared at Michael’s face, feeling herself fall a little bit more in love with him. Without looking at her end of the cantaloupe, she still carved out a piece with the spoon and stuck it into her mouth. “That’s confidential.”

“That makes it sound like you’re going to kill me, May,”

“I’m not going to kill you.”

It’s no secret to Luke that Michael is absolutely smitten over the youngest Hemmings; the rest of their friend group always torments Michael that he’s wrapped around Maverly’s skinny little finger. Ashton jokes that hidden in one of Maverly’s tattoos is a meaning for Michael and her hidden crush on him, but he only says things like that to Maverly. The first time that was said, Maverly was laying next to Ashton, helping build his H.H. Homes Murder Castle. Maverly set TNT off inside of the castle in frustration towards Ashton and destroyed almost the whole outline. Even though he was angry, Ashton understood that Maverly fancied his younger friend and that she did not want to talk about it. Calum laughed when he realized the Clemmings ship was practically in love with each other and did absolutely nothing to push them together.

“Then why are we here!” Michael screamed.

“I want to go swimming,” Maverly shrugged. She forced herself away from Michael so she could see the sunrise again. Maverly Hemmings is known for appreciating nature and basic artistic masterpieces. She’s amazing at makeup. She’d be wearing a full face of makeup if she didn’t feel comfortable around Michael. She wants to paint the sky onto a piece of paper and replicate it into an eyeshadow look for somebody, but she knows that nobody would appreciate it. “I thought you’d like to go swimming with me.”

“It’s five.”

“And?”

“We could have swum in your backyard.”

“That’s not the same.” Maverly set her melon down into the sand like Michael’s. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to taste the cantaloupe on his lips and the cherry chapstick he denies using. The blonde wants to run her fingers through orange strands of hair and the stroke of his calloused thumbs across her cheekbones.

“Yes, it is,” Michael stared back at Maverly. “Why did you bring me out here?”

“I wanted to swim,” Maverly stated again, but slower.

“Why didn’t you tell me to grab something to swim in then?”

Maverly paused to think up a reason. It took her over a minute. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Yes, you did,”

“No, I didn’t,”

“I bet you ten dollars that you’re wearing a swimming suit under your jacket,”

A blush made itself apparent on her face. She’s not wearing a swimming suit under the jacket; she’s not wearing anything underneath her clothes beside a red bra with matching panties. “Then fork up the money, Clifford.”

“Prove it to me then,” Michael said with complete seriousness. He was almost certain that she had planned on embarrassing Michael by being the only one in the water, or if he wanted to swim he had to skinny dip or wear soaking-wet underwear all the way home. Of course, Maverly Hemmings would be the one to do that to him. He can’t believe that he’s practically fallen for her thousand times over. “Prove it to me that you’re not dressed to swim in the ocean and try to embarrass me.”

Maverly blushed even harder. “You don’t want me to prove it to you.”

“Yes, I do,” Michael was angry. His mind had completely convinced him that he was just going to be embarrassed. If so, he had a few friends in Santa Cruz that would take him home. Or, he’d wake up Calum or Ashton and request that they drive to the boardwalk. Maybe he should just be a dick and wake up Luke, spoil the news that his perfect little sister snuck out and drove two hours to embarrass him.

“One-hundred percent sure?” Maverly asked. “No doubt that you want me to prove to you?”

“One-hundred,” Michael enunciated. “Prove to me that you’re not just a bitch.”

Maverly swallowed. She tugged at the zipper of her leather jacket with shaking hands. Slowly, if fell down the track to Maverly’s jean button. She was sweating, a result of a black leather jacket and a humid beach, so her palms and fingertips felt slick when she pulled the zipper completely away from the attaching side. She opened the jacket and felt thankful the beach was empty besides them. The skinny girl shrugged the heater off her shoulders and let it fall into the sand. Like it was just something she normally did, her hand reached for the melon to take another bite.

“I swear I didn’t think about that,”

Michael’s eyes were sitting on her boobs in the red bra. Two inches of lace wrapped around the bottom of the bra and covered a tattoo Michael didn’t realize she had. He couldn’t stop staring at her not-so flat chest.

“If I knew you fetishized boobs so much, I would’ve worn actual lingerie,”

“I’m not- I don’t- I . . .” Michael felt the smallest bit of constriction in his pants. He forced his eyes to the dark sky to ignore the topless girl in front of him. “Again, why are we here?”

“I can’t tell you,”

“Why can’t you tell me?!”

“Because I was seeing if something Luke said was true!” Maverly screamed. She turned to grab her jacket from the sand and put it on as quickly as she could. She wasn’t feeling confident enough to show her bare torso anymore.

“What did Luke say?”

"Nothing," Maverly dismissed. She waved her hand like it was the end of the conversation and fished her keys out of her pocket. "Let's go."

"You drug me out here, Maverly Hemmings!" Michael screamed. "I said I would go with you to Santa Cruz and two AM, you woke me up to share fun facts, I helped you pick out a cantaloupe, I bought you cigarettes with my ID, I- I am sitting in the sand with you at five AM after walking around Walmart and testing how soft pillows can fucking be!"

"I'm sorry!" Maverly cried. "I . . . I shouldn't have brought you out here and- and I just thought-!"

"-What did you think, Maverly?"

"Would you shut up and let me talk!" Maverly yelled. She didn't have an excuse, just that she wanted to see if Michael really liked her. "Would you like to know the real reason I drug you all the way out here?"

"Gladly!"

Maverly grabbed a handful of his shirt to bring them together and she shoved her lips to his. It felt like lightbulbs burst around them with such power that their ears were left ringing in the darkness of Santa Cruz. It felt like sparks were fusing their lips. It felt like when you bite into sweet fruit. It felt like the sun after a long rainy day. It felt like electricity flowing through every vein and nerve. Maverly was the first to pull away and rest her head against Michael's with her fingertips dancing through small strands of hair.

"Luke told you guys how you're practically wrapped around my finger," Maverly whispered. Michael pressed his thumb to the corner of her lips. "Michael Clifford, I've loved you for years and . . . I just thought that-"

"You're stupid." Michael laughed before kissing the girl he loved again. His hands ran their course on the curvature of her body, leaving tingles over every area they touched. He released her lips from his and watched how she reacted. She smiled and seemed relaxed as if she just smoked. But she didn't- it was just the effect that Michael had on her. "If anybody asks," Michael whispered. "I threw rocks at your window instead of the other way around."

-

"Wake up!" Maverly screamed before pouring a bucket of ice water on her sleeping twin brother. Michael laughed from the open doorway of Luke's room as Luke jumped up from his bed in just a pair of blue boxers, confused and whipping around to face Maverly. "Hi, I love you but-"

Through shivers, Luke lifted Maverly in a bridal style and exited his room. He didn't say a word; just walked past Michael and into the hallway. Michael followed behind, wondering if Luke even realized he was there.

"Luke?" Liz asked. Luke ignored his mother and continued towards the open balcony.

He's had enough of being woken up with water in a bucket and having to change his sheets and dry his mattress! He's tired of being freezing and having to sit in a bathtub of boiling water just moments from waking. He's tired of it. He stood on the balcony and held his little sister close.

"Luke, no!" Maverly pleaded, not wanting to be thrown in the pool. She had just showered and put on clean clothes! She didn't want to repeat the same process!

After a make-out session with Michael on the Santa Cruz sand, they skinny-dipped in the ocean like it was something normal. Michael slept on the way back to his house but only grabbed clean clothes from his bedroom. Michael and Maverly managed to have a -quiet- shower together with lots of making out and 'Stop looking at my boobs, Maverly Hemmings!' They dressed, took a few-hour nap, and thought of the best way to wake up Luke. Maverly knew she had to go with what she normally did.

Luke swung his sister over the railing of the balcony, and she landed in the pool. A belly-flop hurt her stomach but she still surfaced infuriated with her brother. Luke clapped his hands together as if removing dirt and started back into the house.

"Go help your girlfriend," Luke demanded tiredly to Michael.

"How do you . . ?" Michael trailed off to his friend.

"The hoodie, dumbass," Luke answered.

Michael looked over the railing at his girlfriend going up the ladder of the pool. Maverly peeled the 'CLIFFORD 95' hoodie off her body and cursed at Luke. "Whoops.”

-

Request here

[walkswithdave]

I have not been to a huge number of concerts. Here are some.

REM, 1989, Outside, somewhere near Santa Cruz. We didn’t have tickets, sat on the other side of the fence. Mckenzie drove. It was not long after the earthquake. This was not enjoyable.

Fishbone, 1991, The Purple Gator, Myrtle Beach. The bass was so loud you could feel air coming out the top of your beer bottle. This summer was a bit of a magical time in my life.

The Grateful Dead, 1992, Outside at the Buckeye Lake Music Center. I was the only one in my group not on acid.

Prince, 1993, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. I had been in the city for one night when I read in the paper he was playing, walked to the venue, got a scalped ticket.

Lenny Kravits, 1993, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. Took the metro to the venue, bought a scalped ticket. I was just struggling to remember who opened, but I remember being amazed they were chanting “Lenneeee Lenneeee Lenneee” during the open since the opener was a pretty big name. Just looked it up: Robert Plant. Funny I would forget that, but does explain why I went. Lenneeeee!

Medeski Martin and Wood, 2002, Tipitina’s. Ate a brownie. Everything seemed cosmically choreographed. Another magical time.

[diannehoffman]

A jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to amuse and entertain guests. Several years ago I was a guest visiting artist friend @lesliemorganart and getting my hands dirty at her custom built studio (with all the space, tools, bells and whistles an artist could wish for) set among the towering redwoods on Bonny Doon mountain. Leslie at that time was an artist in residence in the Santa Cruz Recycled Art Program and had collected a bunch of random rusty bits from the SC dump to create assemblage works for a residency show. A bucket full of bits that she didn't plan on using had been set aside for my rummaging and I pulled out several items that caught my eye. I also found, in an abandoned goat shed, old weathered planks from a fence post that had a nice patina and interesting, geometric cuts. And of course I was carrying on me a bisque doll head, because....well you just never know when you might need one. On a misty afternoon in the woods, I put them all together and voila, a jester was born. Leslie's birthday was this past Monday so I want to send out belated birthday wishes and thank her again for all her generous hospitality back in those Bonny Doon days. All in Jest, 28"x 14" x 4" mixed media assemblage by Dianne Hoffman, $450 #allinjest #courtjester #fool #rustybits #bonnydoon #santacruzdump #santacruzrecycledartprogram #cyborg #bisquedollhead #creepycool #recycledobjects #foundobjects #upcycledart #creativereuse #assemblage #assemblageart #assemblageartist #diannehoffmanart #artforsale https://www.instagram.com/p/CghYFO9rY8l/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tahoedonnercahomes]

2314 Price Way, San Jose, CA 95124 | Home for Sale

A fabulous home in a sought-after location!

Tucked away inside one of Silicon Valley’s sought after Dry Creek neighborhood, this lovely single-family home is the right blend of serenity and entertainment.

With the picturesque Dry Creek neighborhood as your backdrop, you’ll enjoy quietude while admiring the beauty of the fully landscaped front yard with a persimmon and lime tree. The large driveway and the front walk are constructed of stylish hand-placed pavers.  

The spacious backyard is an excellent venue for hosting both intimate get-togethers or grand parties among mature trees and flowering bushes, a horticulturist’s delight.  

It also offers the best of conveniences being ideally located! It is in one of the best school districts in the area, close to Los Gatos, Highway 85 and 17, and just a short drive to San Jose International Airport. And as if those amenities weren’t enough, it’s also near amazing Santa Cruz beaches! Featuring 1,915 square feet of living space, 3 bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms, this well kept San Jose CA home is a deal not to be missed.

A great place for relaxation for any season

The spacious living room will welcome you as you step through the vibrant front door. A large skylight, along with recessed lighting and natural lighting bring out the luster of the hardwood floor all contributing to the room’s elegant vibe.

Check out the sophisticated fireplace. Imagine sitting here with a mug of cocoa, looking through the large french door set at the wonderful back yard. This is the best way to make your winter days warmer! 

This modern kitchen will make any chef happy!

Next to the living room is an updated eat-in kitchen, sure to inspire you to cook meals for the family. You should enjoy preparing delicious food on granite counters and stainless-steel appliances.

It also features a breakfast bar and another view of the fenced-in backyard.

Comfort and function are combined in the family room of this San Jose CA home!

Right next to the kitchen is a cozy family room. It features a gas fireplace and brightly painted ceiling and beams that accentuate the beauty of the fan chandelier.

With huge space for relaxation and a visual feast of the surroundings outside, this will be a place where everyone will want to hang out in.

To find a  retreat after a long day, this master bedroom delivers!

It’s wired for surround sound and features a walk-in closet. Dual pane windows give an awesome view of the peaceful neighborhood outside.

It also has a remodeled en suite bathroom that gives privacy and peace . Aesthetic granite countertops and a custom-tiled shower are features that you will love. 

A peaceful oasis right in your own home.

Whether you love having guests over or enjoying a picturesque view alone, this San Jose CA home backyard is the perfect spot!

Fragrant rosemary bushes, Meyer lemon tree, Key Lime tree, and many other blossoming greeneries surround the backyard, making it a delightful space to relax.

One of the highlights of this impressive backyard is its well-built pergola. Want to enjoy a good view of the sky without having direct sunlight beating down on you? Simply grab a chair and bask in the canopy of shade provided by this uniquely designed structure.

The backyard includes a custom-raised redwood planter, custom storage shed, and newly updated pavers.

Finishing off the backyard is the fantastic custom-built wood-fire pizza oven to make any party a hit.

As if its many delightful amenities don’t make it attractive enough, this one-of-a-kind home also includes an indoor laundry room and spacious 2-car garage with finished walls, ceiling and epoxy floor and a pull down ladder to access the storage in the ceiling.

Automatic irrigation, slate tiles, landscape lighting, are some of the recent upgrades on the front yard.

Updates include Google Nest smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detectors, thermostat, doorbell, and a newly installed water heater.

Be the proud owner of this wonderful home!

Call/Text Ann Nguyen at 530-545-3458 for questions.

In case you can not view this video here, please click the link below to view 2314 Price Way, San Jose, CA 95124 | Home for Sale on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/rlwege1R61A

[gatesandgarage]

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Fence Company

A neighbor who has a beautiful, good fence installed is a neighbor who cares, not only about the upkeep and value of his own home, but also about contributing to the entire community and neighborhood. Yes, good fences come from good neighbors. But they also help to make good homes.

Few things really are as useful as a fence. On one hand, they add to the look of the house, beautifying it and setting it apart from everyone else, but they also provide a valuable sense of security and privacy.

Building a fence is therefore a very important process in order to make sure it achieves its purpose. To make sure your product is the best you need someone who knows the lay of the land and is familiar with the best methods of installation for the local terrain, building a product that can withstand the local elements and last over time. Your home is a valuable commodity, and you want your entire property to reflect that. So, it is very important to make sure you get the best fence for your home and the best fence company to install your new fence.

There are plenty of products out there to choose from. The simplest and easiest choice is the simple Custom Fence, where the fence design company of your choice will build your beautiful new fence to your specific needs and specifications. But what if you are the more artful type? If you want to make your backyard more aesthetically pleasing then you can opt for such add-ons as Iron Inserts or Iron Gates. For those of you who want added security, or even want to extend the size of your backyard, there are Electric Gates and wireless keypads for the electric or automated gate. You may even consider Emergency Fences to make your home that much safer.

Experience is a must. Quality workmanship is a must. There is plenty of competition in the fence market, and that there is always someone else around the corner who claims they can make a better deal. But is it really a better deal if the final product is poor quality? Do you have to sacrifice quality for a good price? Not if you choose the best company.

Not only should the best fence company offer a great value and excellent quality, but their customer service should be outstanding. The customer is always right, so your satisfaction should be the company's highest priority.

You are also going to want someone who understands the local climate as well, and is able to offer fence installation as well as fence repair, to keep your home up to the highest standard of living and to make sure that your fence stays in tip top shape for years.

If you are going to invest in your property, then you want to be satisfied. You want the best wood fence, and you want someone whose years of experience can make certain that you get the quality service you deserve. Find someone professional, experienced with gates and fences in your area, and always make sure you like what you end up with. After all, this is your home, and you are the one who is going to live in it. So make it a good one.

Find Gate and Garage Services in cities mentioned brlow:

Driveway gate repair redwood city

Driveway gate repair richmond

Driveway gate repair san bruno

Driveway gate repair san leandro

Driveway gate repair san pablo

Driveway gate repair san ramon

Driveway gate repair santa clara

Driveway gate repair santa cruz

Driveway gate repair saratoga

Driveway gate repair scotts valley

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers

istock; realtor.com

It’s the season of sharing, caring—and scoring deeply discounted deals.

The final month of the year is chock-a-block with price cuts, on everything from gloves and games to TVs and toys. Retailers want you to shop, and shop you do. Even for real estate!

Smart home shoppers know the end of the year can mean deep markdowns on houses. If a home hasn’t found the right buyer by December, sellers often sweeten the deal with a price cut. To give your sleigh a push, we found nine examples of gorgeous homes on the market that have all had multiple price cuts.

So skip the mall and ditch the online carts! Here are nine homes from across the country, all marked down in time for holiday bargain shopping. Happy shopping.

3723 Washington Ave, Cincinnati, OH 

Original price: $1.3 million Today’s price: $1 million May House Mansion: Built in 1911, this historic mansion includes five bedrooms and more than 7,500 square feet. Inside, you’ll find an astonishing five living rooms—which matches the number of outdoor patios. Last purchased in 2003 for $575,000, the home was listed in June 2018 for $1.3 million and has since had a $300,000 price slice.

Cincinnati, OH

realtor.com

———

513 Gwinhurst Rd, Knoxville, TN 

Original price: $675,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Knoxville knockout: Initially listed in March 2018 for $675,000, this home has had its price cut four times. It sits on a wooded half-acre with a creek, in the city’s Wentworth subdivision. Built in 2001, the stately, traditional six-bedroom offers a hefty 5,300 square feet of living space.

Knoxville, TN

realtor.com

———

222 Goodale Rd, Baltimore, MD 

Original price: $745,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Tudor time: Located in Baltimore’s Historic Homeland neighborhood, this three-level Tudor was built in 1929 and has been updated with care. The home has been listed for nearly a year, and its price has been dropped five times. The airy, stylish, four-bedroom home is worth a second and perhaps a third look, when you consider that the sellers have knocked $145,000 off the original asking price.

Baltimore. MD

realtor.com

———

510 Walder Trl., San Antonio, TX

Original price: $700,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Family affair: Discounted by a hundred grand since it was first listed in June, this rambler lives up to Texas’ oversized reputation. Built in 2000, the five bedroom has more than 6,000 square feet of space. It’s ideal for a large family, with a roomy kitchen and even a game room.

San Antonio. TX

realtor.com

———

5408 Clinton Ave, Minneapolis, MN

Original price: $625,000 Today’s price: $550,000 Historic honey: For some reason, this Minnesota charmer has sat on the market since May, causing the sellers to mark down the price six times. Built in 1939, the three-bedroom home includes a four-season porch with heated floors, two decks, a sauna, spa room, and custom kitchen tile.

Minneapolis, MN

realtor.com

———

99 Adahi Trl, Michigan City, IN

Original price: $620,000 Current price: $550,000 Cottage charm: Listed over the summer and discounted several times since, this three-bedroom home sits in the woods that run between the border of Michigan and Indiana, and is set just off the banks of Lake Michigan. Built in 2002, the home includes a finished partial basement, patio, lush landscaping, fire pit, screened porch, as well as easy access to the woods and beach.

Michigan City, IN

realtor.com

———

170 Railroad Ave, Ben Lomond, CA

Original price: $588,888 Today’s price: $549,000 Cheery bungalow: This Santa Cruz County bungalow was first listed in September, and has had its price reduced twice since. Built in 1954, the two-bedroom home has 1,114 square feet and includes a roomy fenced backyard, as well as a newly remodeled kitchen.

Ben Lomond, CA

realtor.com

———

4007 SE 147th Ave, Portland, OR

Original price: $475,000 Today’s price: $441,000 Red door remodel: This split-level was built in 1973 and has been recently remodeled with stainless steel appliances, Corian countertops, tankless hot water heater, Pergo flooring, gas furnace, and even a solar heated pool. The cute house with the inviting red door was first listed in August 2018, and has had its asking price cut three times since.

Portland, OR

realtor.com

———

333 Turk Hill Rd, Brewster, NY 

Original price: $499,999 Today’s price: $439,000 N.Y. Colonial: This five-bedroom Antique Colonial was built in 1810 and has had four price cuts since landing on the market in February. The surrounding walled garden gives a serene sense of tranquility, while close access to the village train makes the location ideal for commuters who need to get into the city in a snap.

Southeast, NY

realtor.com

The post Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/discounted-homes-holidays/

[scfencecontractors]

Santa Cruz Fence Contractors

Installing a fence around your property is a practical way to demarcate it and keep it safe from intruders. For residential areas, fences serve as a protective boundary keeping your children and pets safe. If you’re on the lookout for fence and gate contractors for your home or office or you want to get your current fence repaired, then you’ve come to the right people. With over 20 years of experience, Santa Cruz Fence Contractors are the seasoned experts you need on the job. We provide experienced contractors, high-quality and affordable fence installations, and only the best raw material for our fence systems.

[makingnewenemies]

making of the AL video...

There was a time in my life when I swore I wouldn’t make a music video because they “always made the song worse for me”.  Yeah I changed my mind... 

I’m feeling a nice combo of caffinated and nostalgic so I will write write write until it comes times for me to get on a train to Seattle... 

Making the Always Leaving video was one of the most fun projects I’ve worked on, for obvious reasons. I drove from Portland to Orange County by myself in a

 long lunatic drive where I kept screaming “overcome!” to myself when I’d start to doze off at the wheel.  Crawford flew in and we started filming in our hometown of Newport Beach, CA in the early morning, worked our way through LA, quick stop in Carpenteria and Santa Barbara (kinda regretting skipping Ventura), then pulled off and watched the sunset from a dirt road on the crest of a hill where we spent almost an hour trying to film this flying bat in the purple dusk (never got a good shot of it smh a waste of lots of gb’s). We pulled into SLO after dark and parked downtown on Higuera and stood outside the van drinking some of those pocket shots you can buy at the liquor store. After a couple we walked around the downtown bar scene filming myself standing idly infront of all the dressed up college crowd. Scantily clad party girls surrounded me as I stared blankly into the camera and we told them we were filming a video for Plain White Tees. They loved that. Some dude did a backflip. None of this made the video except a brief moment where I stand in bubble gum alley. We parked the van that night in Los Osos on a little dead end road by the bay water. I recall taking a piss in the trees and thinking about how much I miss SLO and how much of a gem this area is, then tried to fall asleep amongst all the camera cords and charging batteries and Crawford sprawling out on our futon bed as if he’s never shared a bed before. In the morning we tried to get drone footage of Montana De Oro at sunrise but the drone that my brother lent to us would come crashing down after a minute in the air and I wasted a beautiful sunrise cursing technology and nursing my bruised Go Pro. We drove over to Morro Bay and at last I got to surf underneath my beloved Morro Rock and the waves were fun that morning and smelled fishy and of course that Morro Bay ocean smell brought me back to my SLO years where I’d sit on my board staring up the coast at Cayucos contemplating Kerouac and Portland. Big Sur was grand of course but it was a hazy cloudy day and we’ve seen it better. Still the video gave us an excuse to explore some side roads and find views that we’d never seen in Big Sur before. Crawford was instagram messaging with some Big Sur instagram famous dharma yogi rainbow warrior and we thought she’d take us somehwere special but alas she stopped responding and we had to get to Santa Cruz. I saw my old pal Kurkjian and his crew in Santa Cruz, and while our shots of the boardwalk are nice they dont represent Santa Crux to me and I wish we’d gone elsewhere for our establishing show like Steamer’s Lane or that Taco Bell downtown that gets rowdy late night. Well that drive on the 1 from SC to SF is awfully gorgeous and we caught some epic norcal coastal sunset footage just north of Davenport, then met up with my brother Riley for some Chinese food in SF. I remember being so exhausted I began dozing off at the dinner table then we went home and filmed an action skit with Nerf Guns only to wake up to some news of a shooting... dont remember which shooting this was...doesn’t matter... Crawford immediately deleted his snap chats of our shoot out. My brother always brags about how he’d bomb the hills of Outer Sunset on his skateboard all the way to the beach so we decided to try it. We skitched on the back of his room mates truck to the top of a hill and down we went with Crawford filming from the truck bed. To my surprise my brother had become a really great skater and it was me who was speed checking every 20 yards or so. We got the shot, and I told Crawford that we’ll have to find a couple second clip where I actually look cool on the board and not constantly slowing down and looking for traffic. I still can’t believe how my brother would shoot through those SF intersections without taking his eyes off the ocean horizon below. Well we got some coffee at this toast and coconut place called like Trouble or something that my girlfriend and I heard about in a podcast. It was a whatever hyped place but a ton of friends came out to meet us and we had a pretty nice morning chatting and enjoying the Sunset district’s chillness. I was being a bit too casual as I suggested we all walk to the Mollusk surf shop and Crawford grew anxious and cranky because, he was right, we needed to get back on the road. So there’s that classic shot of the asian tourists with the selfie stick on the golden gate bridge and we were off into the big question mark of a landscape that is the Cali Coast north of SF! And jesus oliver christ once you get above Stinson Beach that norcal coast is just about as desolate and beautiful as you can get! We got epic shots of the dilapidated Point Reyes ship yard and cemetary at dusk and that shot of the whale mural through the fence is one of my favs (mostly cause of a specific Dick Diver lyric) and we arrived in Mendocino after dark where we took refuge in this mountainy dive bar that had a huge smelly moose head on the wall and uploaded our footage and charged batteries until the staff kicked us out and we slept in the van and woke up to that spanking gold coastal sun and I pissed in the tall green grass I was so happy. Well it was this last section of the trip that truly felt free and American frontier little boy with no rules exploration euphoria. We stopped in Legget at this roadside bar and grill where the custodian (clearly on meth or some upper) showed us around and told us all about the big country festival they have in the summer and how he brings girls back to his RV (covered in moss and parked in the trees behind the property) and how he has 12 different facebook accounts all with different aliases because you never know who is watching you. Then a few miles down the road we pulled the van off by a river and we jumped in naked and I laid out naked on this log that was sticking up and that warm bark on my back just about let me die right there and I jumped back in the water off this log and the footage of that is really not flattering... and on our way back to the van we came across this huge uprooted tree with a sort of hide out built out of it’s underside with all sorts of feathers and crystals and animal skulls aligned in patters like a Pagan shrine or Wicchan execution ceremony and it was legitiately spooky enough that we didnt stick around to get footage I dont think. Anyone who’s driven the 101 up here knows that Big Foot themed pull off with all the giant wood carvings and all sorts of mystical norcal souveniers. It was here I bought my coon skin cap and ya that was the moment I wished we could never go home and just romp around these mountains and coastline looking for adventure forever. I ate that bag of Famous Amos cookies all the way to Arcata where we met up with our wise philosopher friend and girlfriend for some basketball and bison viewing. She took us to some remote beach and for some reason we were all about to get naked but we decided to trek further up the coast to catch one last sunset shot. We stressed hard about that sunset shot when in reality we had plenty of sunset shots already but we needed that ONE GREAT SHOT to finish out the video. We didnt get anything epic except, cleverly I think, we pulled off to some beach and Crawford got that clever shot of my standing on the rock with my homemade alligator bumper sticker in the foreground and BOOM that was pretty much it. From there we took the north east pointing highway (i forget what number it is?) that goes through Cave Junction (spooky interesting place we should go back and explore) towards Grants Pass. We got that final shot of the Welcome to Oregon sign which we needed to conclude the whole vid and we stopped at a Denny’s for dinner around 2 AM. After that I blasted a bunch of old punk records and raced the 5 hrs back up the 5 to Portland to get Crawford to work ontime at his 6 AM radio gig. I dont remember what I did after that but I am assuming I slept and then went to nanny the kids that I was nannying at the time. The end!

[the-writing-bee]

12/30/16

I was never afraid of fire. As a child, I was fascinated by it. I would light candles and watch as the match ate itself alive and cracked beneath the heat. I loved bonfires. I loved being able to sit close to something so beautiful yet so dangerous. When I was seven I scorched my palm against a hot pan. It healed after a couple weeks, never leaving a scar. I remember looking at it often, fondly staring down at the wrinkled skin. It had happened so fast that I hadn’t really felt the pain. Perhaps adrenaline kicked in and saved me from the screaming ache of it. But, I sometimes wish that I had felt the pain of it. Maybe then my interest in fire would’ve died with that pain.

When the power went out, my mother blamed me. When we heard the sirens, we knew something was wrong. When I watched three fire trucks speed by our house, I couldn’t help but rush to slip on a pair of sneakers and a jacket. I didn’t say a word to my family, instead I made sure to leave the door open a crack. I walked down the street, the only light was of the guiding firetrucks and police cars. Smoke billowed from the house, I could barely see three feet in front of me.

When I got closer I could see more clearly what was happening. The flames billowed through the garage door, lapping up at the roof. The paint on the roof welled up and burst. The green colour faded in bubbles, leaving the naked eye able to see the wood beneath it. It was turning from a soft brown to a charred black. As the garage was being eaten by the thirsty flames I realized how destructive fire really was. It was beautiful, no matter what I could never convince myself otherwise. But it was no longer something that I would treasure. It ate the garage quicker than I thought possible, and when the men began sawing away the door my breath hitched in my throat and I wondered if anyone was trapped inside. Two ladders appeared out of nowhere and with it three more men. They climbed up them, onto the roof, and started pounding against it, the smoke billowed up through their man made hole and tainted the clear moonlit sky with the remains of the garage.

Some of my neighbors arrived now, standing at a distance that one would claim to be even a little too safe. They were all afraid. They were afraid of the fire and of the smoke and of the garage that would never be the same.

All I wanted to do was get closer, see deeper into the garage, deeper into the eye of the fire. I wanted to feel the heat on my skin and see how the fire ate everything in its path. But, I stayed where I was. My feet were planted and I sat on the curb, staring at the mess in front of me. When I turned my head, I saw the men who owned the house. Not men, boys. They were maybe a couple years older than me, in their early twenties. Two of them had jackets on, breathing into their cupped hands in an attempt to warm themselves. One of them didn’t. He pulled his arms into his thin white t-shirt and rubbed his skin. He shivered beneath the cold air as his house burned down.

I cleared my throat and tapped his shoulder. He turned to me, locking his eyes with mine. He looked afraid, more afraid than I thought possible.

“Would you like to borrow my jacket?” I asked. He didn’t answer for a second, perhaps in a little shock, and then nodded his head. I shrugged my jacket off and handed it to him. As soon as the cold air wrapped its tiny fingers around my body I shivered.

“Thank you so much” He said after a while and I nodded. One of his friends was on the phone, speaking rather quietly for the intensity of the situation.

“What happened?” I asked warily, unsure if I was being polite or nosy.

“One of our grow bulbs exploded and caught the entire place on fire” I wasn’t really surprised, growing marijuana wasn’t that uncommon in Santa Cruz. But a fire getting started by it was. “This is such a fucked situation” He said and I nodded. It really was, not only was his house burning down right in front of him, but he was also about to be fined a heavy amount of money.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look so disappointed in my life. Him and his friends seemed like they weren’t even really looking at their home going down, instead they were just staring into space. At their shoes, at the ground in front of them, at the flames that seemed to never end.

“This will pass” I said and they all turned to me. “I promise”. Stupid thing to say, I know. I couldn’t be making promises right now, not when I wasn’t the one in the ‘fucked situation’. I was not Gandalf or Dumbledore or any wise old man with a beard who always seemed to predict the future. I was just a small freckled girl who didn’t even feel half the heartache that these boys were feeling.

I stayed for two hours, watching until the fire had gone out and the many high pressured water hoses were being rolled back up. “I need to go home” I said to the one with my jacket. He started to take it off and  shook my head. “Please keep it. I live down the street in the house with the white picket fence, just hang it on the fence at the end of the night” I smiled and perhaps a smile also pulled at the corner of his lips, but I couldn’t be sure.

“Thank you” He said as I turned my back to him and his two friends. The street was clearer now, the smoke had risen up towards the sky. I felt heartache for those three boys for the rest of the night, and even now as I write about them. Perhaps fate will be kind to them, and perhaps it will not. All I can do now is hope that good luck will come their way, they deserve it.

[sfbayautomaticgates]

Garage Doors And Professional Repairs

Most homes in this generation come fully equipped with a working garage door to store one's valuable vehicles. This addition is appreciated by homeowners until breaking and wearing approaches the scene. When noticing a failing system, wanting an upgrade, or facing a problem upfront there are many ways to put an end to the situation. Why not consider stopping, repairing, or preventing a garage from turning in to an undesirable feature of your home? It is this kind of maintenance that will result in a long lasting investment. Take hold of your property and consider some repairs or new garage doors that are currently displayed on the market.

When a new garage door sparks your interest there are a variety of ways to have it customized. Simply begin your planning by finding a material that will pair perfectly with the surrounding colors and patterns. Whether you decide on wood or steel you can count on the door to be sturdy enough to last through harsh climates. Having a reliable entry way, as well as a blank canvas for you to decorate, is one of the best parts of installing the new piece. It even allows for homeowners to have better insulation added that old structures may lack.

Perhaps the garage door that occupies your land is not in need of a full replacement. There are many small faults that people face that can be easily fixed by a professional service. Problems can be solved anywhere from the springs to the rollers, leaving you with what appears to be a brand new system. The tracks are also an important part of the door's functioning. Sometimes they are not just broken, but wrecked due to weather. Why not save a dollar and simply repair a salvageable door?

Professionals will gladly help with the extras that come along with owning a garage as well. A newly installed door, or an old one, is a lot more convenient with an opener for easy access. Specialists can provide new and old doors with compatible clickers in no time. They can also make this easy access a quick and quiet experience. Nobody enjoys being greeted by a stuck or noisy entrance caused by lack of simple repairs. After allowing a professional to have a quick look at your garage you can count on a replacement, or fix, to occur in no time. You can expect speed and quality in everything from the initial inquiry to the final product that remains on your land.

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[gillespialfredoe01806ld]

Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers

istock; realtor.com

It’s the season of sharing, caring—and scoring deeply discounted deals.

The final month of the year is chock-a-block with price cuts, on everything from gloves and games to TVs and toys. Retailers want you to shop, and shop you do. Even for real estate!

Smart home shoppers know the end of the year can mean deep markdowns on houses. If a home hasn’t found the right buyer by December, sellers often sweeten the deal with a price cut. To give your sleigh a push, we found nine examples of gorgeous homes on the market that have all had multiple price cuts.

So skip the mall and ditch the online carts! Here are nine homes from across the country, all marked down in time for holiday bargain shopping. Happy shopping.

3723 Washington Ave, Cincinnati, OH 

Original price: $1.3 million Today’s price: $1 million May House Mansion: Built in 1911, this historic mansion includes five bedrooms and more than 7,500 square feet. Inside, you’ll find an astonishing five living rooms—which matches the number of outdoor patios. Last purchased in 2003 for $575,000, the home was listed in June 2018 for $1.3 million and has since had a $300,000 price slice.

Cincinnati, OH

realtor.com

———

513 Gwinhurst Rd, Knoxville, TN 

Original price: $675,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Knoxville knockout: Initially listed in March 2018 for $675,000, this home has had its price cut four times. It sits on a wooded half-acre with a creek, in the city’s Wentworth subdivision. Built in 2001, the stately, traditional six-bedroom offers a hefty 5,300 square feet of living space.

Knoxville, TN

realtor.com

———

222 Goodale Rd, Baltimore, MD 

Original price: $745,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Tudor time: Located in Baltimore’s Historic Homeland neighborhood, this three-level Tudor was built in 1929 and has been updated with care. The home has been listed for nearly a year, and its price has been dropped five times. The airy, stylish, four-bedroom home is worth a second and perhaps a third look, when you consider that the sellers have knocked $145,000 off the original asking price.

Baltimore. MD

realtor.com

———

510 Walder Trl., San Antonio, TX

Original price: $700,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Family affair: Discounted by a hundred grand since it was first listed in June, this rambler lives up to Texas’ oversized reputation. Built in 2000, the five bedroom has more than 6,000 square feet of space. It’s ideal for a large family, with a roomy kitchen and even a game room.

San Antonio. TX

realtor.com

———

5408 Clinton Ave, Minneapolis, MN

Original price: $625,000 Today’s price: $550,000 Historic honey: For some reason, this Minnesota charmer has sat on the market since May, causing the sellers to mark down the price six times. Built in 1939, the three-bedroom home includes a four-season porch with heated floors, two decks, a sauna, spa room, and custom kitchen tile.

Minneapolis, MN

realtor.com

———

99 Adahi Trl, Michigan City, IN

Original price: $620,000 Current price: $550,000 Cottage charm: Listed over the summer and discounted several times since, this three-bedroom home sits in the woods that run between the border of Michigan and Indiana, and is set just off the banks of Lake Michigan. Built in 2002, the home includes a finished partial basement, patio, lush landscaping, fire pit, screened porch, as well as easy access to the woods and beach.

Michigan City, IN

realtor.com

———

170 Railroad Ave, Ben Lomond, CA

Original price: $588,888 Today’s price: $549,000 Cheery bungalow: This Santa Cruz County bungalow was first listed in September, and has had its price reduced twice since. Built in 1954, the two-bedroom home has 1,114 square feet and includes a roomy fenced backyard, as well as a newly remodeled kitchen.

Ben Lomond, CA

realtor.com

———

4007 SE 147th Ave, Portland, OR

Original price: $475,000 Today’s price: $441,000 Red door remodel: This split-level was built in 1973 and has been recently remodeled with stainless steel appliances, Corian countertops, tankless hot water heater, Pergo flooring, gas furnace, and even a solar heated pool. The cute house with the inviting red door was first listed in August 2018, and has had its asking price cut three times since.

Portland, OR

realtor.com

———

333 Turk Hill Rd, Brewster, NY 

Original price: $499,999 Today’s price: $439,000 N.Y. Colonial: This five-bedroom Antique Colonial was built in 1810 and has had four price cuts since landing on the market in February. The surrounding walled garden gives a serene sense of tranquility, while close access to the village train makes the location ideal for commuters who need to get into the city in a snap.

Southeast, NY

realtor.com

The post Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from DIYS https://ift.tt/2Ky7oj8

[davidoespailla]

Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers

istock; realtor.com

It’s the season of sharing, caring—and scoring deeply discounted deals.

The final month of the year is chock-a-block with price cuts, on everything from gloves and games to TVs and toys. Retailers want you to shop, and shop you do. Even for real estate!

Smart home shoppers know the end of the year can mean deep markdowns on houses. If a home hasn’t found the right buyer by December, sellers often sweeten the deal with a price cut. To give your sleigh a push, we found nine examples of gorgeous homes on the market that have all had multiple price cuts.

So skip the mall and ditch the online carts! Here are nine homes from across the country, all marked down in time for holiday bargain shopping. Happy shopping.

3723 Washington Ave, Cincinnati, OH 

Original price: $1.3 million Today’s price: $1 million May House Mansion: Built in 1911, this historic mansion includes five bedrooms and more than 7,500 square feet. Inside, you’ll find an astonishing five living rooms—which matches the number of outdoor patios. Last purchased in 2003 for $575,000, the home was listed in June 2018 for $1.3 million and has since had a $300,000 price slice.

Cincinnati, OH

realtor.com

———

513 Gwinhurst Rd, Knoxville, TN 

Original price: $675,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Knoxville knockout: Initially listed in March 2018 for $675,000, this home has had its price cut four times. It sits on a wooded half-acre with a creek, in the city’s Wentworth subdivision. Built in 2001, the stately, traditional six-bedroom offers a hefty 5,300 square feet of living space.

Knoxville, TN

realtor.com

———

222 Goodale Rd, Baltimore, MD 

Original price: $745,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Tudor time: Located in Baltimore’s Historic Homeland neighborhood, this three-level Tudor was built in 1929 and has been updated with care. The home has been listed for nearly a year, and its price has been dropped five times. The airy, stylish, four-bedroom home is worth a second and perhaps a third look, when you consider that the sellers have knocked $145,000 off the original asking price.

Baltimore. MD

realtor.com

———

510 Walder Trl., San Antonio, TX

Original price: $700,000 Today’s price: $600,000 Family affair: Discounted by a hundred grand since it was first listed in June, this rambler lives up to Texas’ oversized reputation. Built in 2000, the five bedroom has more than 6,000 square feet of space. It’s ideal for a large family, with a roomy kitchen and even a game room.

San Antonio. TX

realtor.com

———

5408 Clinton Ave, Minneapolis, MN

Original price: $625,000 Today’s price: $550,000 Historic honey: For some reason, this Minnesota charmer has sat on the market since May, causing the sellers to mark down the price six times. Built in 1939, the three-bedroom home includes a four-season porch with heated floors, two decks, a sauna, spa room, and custom kitchen tile.

Minneapolis, MN

realtor.com

———

99 Adahi Trl, Michigan City, IN

Original price: $620,000 Current price: $550,000 Cottage charm: Listed over the summer and discounted several times since, this three-bedroom home sits in the woods that run between the border of Michigan and Indiana, and is set just off the banks of Lake Michigan. Built in 2002, the home includes a finished partial basement, patio, lush landscaping, fire pit, screened porch, as well as easy access to the woods and beach.

Michigan City, IN

realtor.com

———

170 Railroad Ave, Ben Lomond, CA

Original price: $588,888 Today’s price: $549,000 Cheery bungalow: This Santa Cruz County bungalow was first listed in September, and has had its price reduced twice since. Built in 1954, the two-bedroom home has 1,114 square feet and includes a roomy fenced backyard, as well as a newly remodeled kitchen.

Ben Lomond, CA

realtor.com

———

4007 SE 147th Ave, Portland, OR

Original price: $475,000 Today’s price: $441,000 Red door remodel: This split-level was built in 1973 and has been recently remodeled with stainless steel appliances, Corian countertops, tankless hot water heater, Pergo flooring, gas furnace, and even a solar heated pool. The cute house with the inviting red door was first listed in August 2018, and has had its asking price cut three times since.

Portland, OR

realtor.com

———

333 Turk Hill Rd, Brewster, NY 

Original price: $499,999 Today’s price: $439,000 N.Y. Colonial: This five-bedroom Antique Colonial was built in 1810 and has had four price cuts since landing on the market in February. The surrounding walled garden gives a serene sense of tranquility, while close access to the village train makes the location ideal for commuters who need to get into the city in a snap.

Southeast, NY

realtor.com

The post Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Priced to Sell! 9 Discounted Homes Ready for Holiday Shoppers

[180abroad]

Days 105-106: Snowdonia

Bidding farewell to York, we hopped onto the noon train south toward Wales and our guest flat in the alpine town of Betws-y-Coed (pronounced something like “beh-toos uh coyd”). We had three changes, including one close call in the border city of Chester, but overall things went smoothly. England trounced Panama 6-1 in the World Cup, and everywhere we went people were glued to their phones and cheering.

We had to change trains in Manchester, and while we were in the city players from both of the city’s Premiere League teams scored goals for England--John Stones of Man City and and Jesse Lingard of Man United.

We had to run to catch our next train in Chester, but we made it just in time. The train was hot and packed, and we swore for the umpteenth time to start getting reserved seats from now on.

Chester is right at the border between England and Wales, and as soon as we boarded we noticed the distinctive Welsh language displayed prominently on all signs.

It was a warm, sunny day. On our final train, which took us from from Llandudno Junction to Betws-y-Coed, we kept wondering how we managed to end up in California.

And the sentiment didn’t change much once we reached our destination.

Betws-y-Coed is a small tourist town just inside the boundary of Snowdonia National Park. Snowdonia is a rugged, thickly wooded park that--again--reminded us very much of California.

Our flat in Betws was spectacular. Apart from maybe our place in Avignon, this was easily biggest steal we’d had so far. Jessica and I each had our own bedroom and bathroom. The beds were big and soft. There was a fully equipped kitchen, including a washing machine and a refrigerator with freezer box. And there’s a living room with two leather couches and a big flatscreen TV. The flat was above a restaurant that our hosts ran. We never dined there, but our hosts were absolutely love.

And the wifi was fantastic.

The town is postcard-picturesque, and there are tons of hiking trails webbing their way out into the wilderness of Snowdonia, plus easy connections to other hiking, mining, and castle towns nearby.

If there’s any downside, it’s that Betws doesn’t really have a proper grocery store. The closest thing is a Spar, which is basically one step up from a 7-11. But this Spar had a pretty good bakery attached to it, so that was a plus.

Our pantry stocked for the next day or so, we spent the rest of the day settling in and planning for our next few days in this alpine paradise.

The next day, we took our proper nature hike since Morocco. We woke up early(ish), which was easier than it had been recently thanks to getting a fairly good night’s sleep on some fairly decent beds.

It was supposed to get hot today (at least by British standards), so we wanted to get an early start. After a quick breakfast, we picked up some traditional Welsh oggies from the bakery next door and set off.

Again, if it wasn’t for the sheep and the occasional stone fence that looks older than our country, we could have sworn we were back in California. Everywhere we looked, we saw scenes straight out of Yosemite, the Santa Cruz mountains, or the Almaden foothills.

And to guide us through this beautiful wilderness, I had found a cool app called Komoot. Combines GPS and trail maps to let you plan and monitor hikes anywhere in the world.

Using the app, I patched together a route from the webwork of roads and trails that spread throughout the park. Even setting aside the fact that we were in a foreign country, this was one of the most adventurous hikes we’ve ever done. Our route covered the gamut from paved roads and wide hiking trails to barely barely discernible tracks and easements through private grazing fields. More than once we came across an unexpected obstacle and had to turn back to find another way around.

It was spectacular. We walked a loop from our flat up the River Conwy to a cascade called Swallow Falls (a popular Victorian tourist destination), then to a peaceful little lake called Llyn Parc and back home.

The hike was perfect--strenuous at times but not too hard, just long enough to push us at the end, and with natural rest points at the one-third and two-thirds points.

At the lake, we broke out our oggies and enjoyed a simple trail lunch. An oggy is the Welsh name for a Cornish Pasty. A Cornish Pasty is a sort of crusty meat-filled turnover that is particularly associated with British mining communities--presumably because it was easy for miners to carry in a sack and eat without dishes or cutlery.

In the middle of this historic heat wave, Jessica managed to find the one remaining patch of mud in all of Wales. And at one point we somehow stumbled into a galaxy far, far away.

Tired but revitalized, we made it back to our flat in the early afternoon, with plenty of time left for watching World Cup games and going to bed at a reasonable hour for our next day’s trip to the coastal castle town of Conwy.

Last Post: York

Next Post: Conwy