#(the iceland trip was two years ago this week!)

[aprillikesthings]

OKay so what I came here to post about is that while ONE trip to another country is just going to that country, now that I've done TWO international trips everyone (including myself) sees me as A Person Who Travels and I keep getting asked where I'm going next

And on the one hand it's a weird question, because both previous trips were just--

Iceland: Icelandair advertised a huge discount on direct flights on my facebook wall and made a thirty-year dream suddenly seem possible

Spain: I saw like an article? somewhere? about the Camino, read one memoir, then suddenly had a new hyperfixation and I proceeded to read fifteen more (barely exaggerated y'all) and watched a bunch of youtube videos and then asked for the time off and started training

So in neither case was it like, "oh where do I want to travel," it was like "the need to go to this specific place is suddenly consuming my life"

But on the other hand, I mean, I'm kinda thinking England a year from now? But those plans are REALLY hazy past like, "lol the British Museum has an Ea Nasir tablet gotta get a selfie with it" and "I hear Durham cathedral is gorgeous" and "Norwich is a short train ride from London and then I can visit sites associated with Julian of Norwich!!--what do you MEAN there's a three-day pilgrimage route to Walsingham??? 👀" (what can I say I'm a sucker for pilgrimages now)

TBH I just want someone else to arrange one of those multi-day bus tours of churches/cathedrals in England but for LGBT+ Anglicans!! Someone get on this!! (Jay Hulme has other things to do or he'd be perfect for it. God knows some of the churches on my list are because of his photos.)

Anyway.

I have to keep reminding myself that Spain is a huge outlier in Europe for being so inexpensive on a daily basis, plus being a pilgrim means my daily costs were literally food/bed in a hostel/a few euro for church donation boxes.

And I get that Iceland is well-known to be on the opposite end of that scale, but it still boggles the mind to compare them (all approximate):

Iceland for eight days

Flight: $500 Guesthouse room: $700 A few bus day tours + Blue Lagoon + bus to and from airport: uhhhh I think like $400 added up? Daily expenses of food/museums/souvenirs for eight days: $50/day on average, so another $400?

Total: $2,000

Spain:

Flight (into Paris, out of Lisbon) + insurance: $800 Daily cost, including hostels, food, souvenirs, sightseeing: averaged about $50 a day for 42 days total, so about $2100 Add another $100 for train/bus tickets (...I think it was more than that)

Total: $3,000

NINE DAYS in Iceland versus FORTY TWO days in (mostly) Spain.

(Okay, this is admittedly ignoring the fact that 1. I had to buy things I didn't already own for my Camino, like a backpacking backpack and a summer weight sleeping bag and TWO pairs of pricey hiking boots; OR 2. that I absolutely spent like $1,000 on physical therapy while training for the trip.)

They are just such wildly different countries. Museums in Iceland were all (US) $15-25. The cathedral's museum in Santiago (where I spent at least as much time as any of the museums in Iceland) was normally €7 but I got a discount for being a pilgrim. I think I paid €4, which is like $4.30.

Anyway none of this is about whether or not England is expensive, but I do assume it's closer to the Iceland end of things.

Especially since it's one thing to stay in hostels the whole time when you're on pilgrimage and everyone else at the hostel is too and everyone is in bed by 10pm because you're all exhausted. (Also because that's when they all lock their doors. No, really.) It's another thing to stay in a hostel in like...London. But the alternatives escalate in cost rather rapidly, especially when you're traveling alone. Oof.

ANYWAY ALSO the fact that I can afford to travel AT ALL is like 90% due to my having cheap-ass rent, no car, no kids, no student loans, and all my healthcare issues being relatively inexpensive. I've worked the same meh-paying job long enough for my hourly wage to double and to have fuck-tons of PTO. I'm 43 and I live in a run-down townhouse with three other adults and most of my furniture is all ten-year-old Ikea and I don't eat at restaurants hardly ever.

Any one part of my life could change and I would never be able to afford to do this kind of shit again.

Which is why I'm doing it now.

#my life #at some point I do want to do both Iceland and the Camino again lol #but in Iceland hopefully w/ Daci and a campervan and doing the ring road #the camino I thought about other routes but tbh there's so much I want to do again on the SAME ROUTE lol or things I missed bc of time etc #but that's definitely several years away #Anyway also I need to do more local-ish trips ffs I haven't been to the Oregon coast in AGES and Daci hasn't seen Astoria yet #or Seattle!! #gotta fix that #if you're new here and want to see my posts etc about those trips the tags are: #april goes to iceland #april does the camino #(the iceland trip was two years ago this week!)

[houseofbrat]

For the record, I wish Kate well and a speedy recovery for whatever problem she has been admitted to The London Clinic for.

Because I do not believe for one second that she was admitted for "abdominal surgery." That was "planned." And needs to be in the hospital for 10-14 days, even though it's "non-cancerous."

Once you've eliminated surgeries related to cancer, then you've eliminated a whole bunch of surgeries that have long recovery times.

Hernia surgeries don't require three months of "recovery," and in the US, they certainly don't require you to be in the hospital (aka germ factories) for 10-14 days.

I suppose being in the hospital on iv antibiotics for a diverticulitis procedure is a possibility, except that the recovery from any kind of diverticulitis surgery is A LOT LESS than three months.

Easter is on 31 March 2024. Saying she won't do any public duties UNTIL April is two and a half to three months of "recovery."

And no, hysterectomies do not take that long to recover from.

Just ask Camilla.

12 APRIL 2012 The Duchess of Cornwall is to have a hysterectomy, it was announced last night. Camilla will undergo surgery to remove part or all of her womb at the beginning of next month. She will spend around four days in hospital then a further six weeks recovering. The 59-year-old duchess will still go on a ten-day visit to the Gulf states with Prince Charles, beginning next Monday. It is thought royal gynaecologist Marcus Setchell will carry out the operation at the private King Edward VII Hospital for Officers in London soon after she returns. She has cancelled a string of engagements.

That's right.

Clarence House announced when Camilla would be out of the public eye BEFORE the surgery happened. Not after she was admitted to the hospital.

Somehow Kate's "abdominal surgery" was "planned," yet William's entire schedule needs to be reworked all of the sudden? As in, announcing today that he needs to not do any public duties for a certain period of time until Kate is okay at home. Hey, it's not as if Kate has two parents who are retired. Two siblings. Other relatives. Or a nanny. Housekeeper. Other staff. Etc.

Because if this really was a "planned" surgery and not a sudden emergency, then why were KP comms teams leaking a trip to Rome less than a month ago?

And Russell Myers was leaking that Will & Kate were going to go abroad to visit the British military LAST WEEK???

Someone isn't being honest about what is going on, and it's definitely not me.

It sounds to me that The Princess of Wales had a nervous/mental breakdown and needed to be hospitalized. Except that they can't say that, so they're going with "planned" "abdominal surgery."

Because if it really was "planned" and not cancerous, then why wouldn't William be able to do an engagement here or there over the next few weeks? If the KP comms team is going to pretend that this is just a routine surgery--not urgent or emergent--then why is their behavior NOT matching the statements?

Crown Prince Haakon does engagements even when his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been ill.

Prince Albert works even when Princess Charlene has been ill.

But William's ENTIRE schedule needs to be reworked even though Kate's parents are retired and she has two siblings nearby and other friends and relatives? (And and other helpers...)

Yup. There is another announcement coming soon.

Not one that anyone else in the world is expecting--well, except for @mysteriouslytransparentwitch and myself.

It's that Dragon energy already coming in even though the lunar new year doesn't start until 10 February. That Green Dragon is bringing lots of surprises with it.

Super cold in the USA. Volcanic eruptions in an area of Iceland that hadn't had anything in 800 years.

And Princess Basement Baby!

Because Wales fandom ARMAGEDDON is almost upon us.

And is the Wales fandom prepared for it? Nope.

#my gif #2024: Year of the Wood Dragon #kate middleton #Catherine The Princess of Wales #pr games #pr fail #scandal! #ESCANDALO!!! #Prince & Princess OWN GOALS #William The Terrible #prince william #William The Prince of Wales #british royal family #Wales fandom ARMAGEDDON #Wales fans are CHUMPS #twitter #rebecca english #Wales kid number FOUR #princess basement baby #Queen Camilla #duchess camilla

[thehoneybuzz]

I got my first tattoo when I was 22 years old. My big brother came for a visit - we’d been best friends living on opposite coasts for 2 years by then. A giant Samoan gentleman named Buffalo kept the shop open late to bestow my first ink - a small elephant on my rib cage. Elephants communicate across continents, and it felt good to capture that kind of forever with my brother by my side. We’d always be there for each other - even if just through rumblings. My first tattoo meant “I love you” to my brother.

Just a year later I’d get the country of Iceland tattooed on my calf. I wanted to memorialize the trip I’d taken there. I had traveled by myself to a foreign country and scuba dived between the earth's tectonic plates in a glacial lake. I put the Icelandic word for love - “elska” in the outline of the continent because Iceland wasn’t just the setting of my first solo adventure. A boy named Ian Tanzer would show up 5 days into that trip and bend what he could of his broken knees. He proposed behind a waterfall. We celebrated in hot springs and by feeding Oreos to Icelandic horses. I felt I found my whole heart in Iceland. I found myself and my soul mate on its shores. My second tattoo meant “I love you” to me and the man I’d marry.

My third tattoo was a symbol from the Harry Potter series - the Deathly Hallows. I got it at 24 when my best friend, Reece, and I found ourselves back home together. Reece and I became best friends in the fifth grade when he was told to clean the chalkboard at recess. I offered to stay behind and help, a real Hermione Granger. Somehow our board cleaning devolved into a 409 war. We shot the cleaning material across the entire classroom, and when class resumed we were all but doused in bleach. Our friendship was born of mischief. He and I would wait in line together at every midnight release of the Potter series - at bookstores and movie theaters, alike. We’d be in Europe together, as sophomores in high school, for the release of the 5th movie. Not to spoil it for you - but Sirius Black dies. I sobbed into Reece’s shoulder outside the London theater. It wouldn’t be the last time I’d need that shoulder. My third tattoo - which later grew to read “mischief managed” meant “I love you” to my best friend.

That’s when it happened.

About 6 months later I was marrying my husband, and I couldn’t keep the secret anymore. I couldn’t walk into that next phase of my life without being honest. So. 3 days before my wedding I told my dad I had tattoos. I knew he wouldn’t like it. My brother's tattoos had strained their relationship - but my brother was also living under my fathers roof. I reasoned that since I was independent and doing well on my own (at 22, 23, and 24) that his usual arguments wouldn’t apply. I knew he’d be mad. I didn’t know it would be our last real conversation - that he wouldn’t attend my wedding. At 30 we are fully estranged.

And today is his birthday.

And five years after he’s turned his heart from me I still wish I could wish him a happy birthday. That’s grief.

I’ve got more tattoos now then I did five years ago. I added the flowers of my wedding bouquet to my rib cage. I covered my Iceland tattoo, but I love that it’s still almost there. It sits beneath Mount Rainier, a compass that points NorthWest, and a triangle outlined by lilacs. I missed my home more than I loved Iceland. Now I’ve climbed the mountain I honored on my skin. I got a bee on my ass that reminds me to “live one life” as an homage to a spirit quest taken solo in Peru. Not to mention the pilot I’ve got on my quad - I think that one might be more of a self-portrait than any of ‘em. Who I see myself as when I fly. The color wheel on my forearm is my favorite and most useful. Oh - and a few stars on my wrist as another nod to Harry Potter. I know. One Harry Potter tattoo is enough, but two felt better. Reece got a matching one within a week of mine, of course.

I wear myself on my skin, and at the site of it my creator turned from me. That hurts. It also gives you superpowers. I have been made stronger for this - so I have to be grateful for it. The last words I said to my father were this.

He asked if I would do it differently now. Knowing what I know - knowing how hurt he was - knowing that it would lead to (at that point) a year of not speaking - would I do it all the same?

I looked him in the eye and said, “I would not change the tenets of my character for you or anyone.” And that was that.

If someone turns from you in your power - they are not meant for you. And it’s not wrong for you to let them go. That’s the lesson I learned from my father. I don’t know why - but he could not see me. He likely never will. And that’s okay.

Because I am okay. I am healing and grieving. But - also - creating something beautiful.

So Happy Birthday, Dad. And fuck you

[such-a-barbarian]

✨Macy’s Tag Game Tuesday!✨

My first tag game Tuesday!

I was tagged by @lupeloto @transmickey and @heymrspatel

name: Kell

age: mid to late 30s

how many hours of sleep did you get last night? around 7.5 hours which is really amazing considering I have a teething 15 month old.

which do you use more: tumblr mobile or desktop? I have never logged on to desktop tumblr. I’m sure once I’m back to work after my mat leave that will change, but for now I’m strictly mobile.

a hobby you’d like to pick up: I’d love to get back into pottery. I always found it very soothing.

if you were a crayon, what color would you be? I don’t know, probably something pretty neutral and calming like an olive green or something.

what was your average screen time last week? I am terrified to look. Lol. I do all my fanfic reading on my phone, so it’s gonna be pretty high. 🥴

a song you put on every playlist: I don’t think I have one? I’ve probably only made like two playlists in my whole life. I let other people do that for me. Haha

favorite holiday: definitely Christmas. We’ve got lots of fun family traditions that just make that time of year so magically and special.

something on your bucket list: see the Scottish Highlands

you’re invited to a costume party, what are you dressing up as? Carmen Sandiego! I found a wicked red trench coat years ago at a thrift store so I’m Carmen Sandiego any chance I get!

what show takes up the most space in your brain? Shameless obviously, but I also have an unhealthy addiction to the bachelor franchise.

and finally, share something you’re looking forward to: hubby and I are leaving our kids with my in-laws and taking a one week trip to Iceland to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Very excited for the adventure/solo time!

I think a lot of people have already been tagged, but I’ll go with @bawlbrayker @francesrose3 @milkmaidovich @juliakayyy and whoever is reading this and made this far, if ya want to.

[academicdisasterfic]

tag game for every day of the week

thanks for tagging me @saintgarbanzo. i stole your format and tried very hard to make my answers as cute as yours.

relationship status very loved in all ways

favourite food any & all kinds of pasta, chana masala, dumplings, chocolate, berries, citrus-based desserts, slow cooked aubergine, massaman curry, anything from my new cookbook.

favourite colour forest green

song stuck in your head charlie by mallrat “i just might love you forever//i hope you warm up to me”

last thing you googled tool puns

time 4.53pm

dream trip so many!!!! currently planning a trip to the states to see my favourite people. also iceland. ireland. peru. japan. morocco. everywhere.

last book you read/enjoyed husband material by alexis hall. the best queerest ending ever. i loved it so much.

last book you hated reading hmmm this hasn't happened for a while. i did try reading a court of thorns and roses a couple of years ago and couldn't get past the first 50 pages.

favourite thing to cook/bake i love making anything hearty and filling for people i love. i love making bread and cookies and breakfast pastries. i worked in an Indian restaurant during uni and learned a lot; i love making dal makhani, aloo baingan, peshwari naan, a lot of vegetarian dishes i had there. i'll make pasta any day of the week.

favourite craft to do i'm not big on crafting! i spend most of my creative energy writing.

most niche dislikes really just the usual autistic things; big crowds, weird textures, loud noises. i cannot stand the texture of anything that sticks to my mouth? i tried to eat a cheese scone this morning and had to nope it.

opinion on circuses very cool if animal-cruelty free

do you have a sense of direction and if not what’s the worst way you’ve gotten lost? no sense of direction. i was late to a job interview because i walked around the block three times trying to find the building.

last song you listened to little of your love by haim

last show you watched killing eve

currently watching killing eve. i am halfway through season 4 and i don't want it to end so i'm stretching it out as much as my willpower allows

currently reading yerba buena by nina lacour

current obsessions tahini. my seven houseplants (only two of them might be dying). my sweetie.

tagging @wolfpants @tackytigerfic @cavendishbutterfly @pennygalleon @sorrybutblog @nv-md @lqtraintracks @callmegri @moonstruckwytch

#ask game

[elvenbeard]

Get to know me

I've been tagged in three separate memes with that title by @timaeusterrored and @katsigian, thanks a lot for thinking of me! :D For brevity's and simplicity's sake I'm just gonna throw all of them together in one post ~ Won't be tagging anyone in particular, but if you read this and feel inclined to share some stuff about yourself, pick and choose from the questions listed here and feel free to tag me in your posts! :D

Favorite color: Purple, Turquoise, and Black

Relationship: single

Currently reading: when I'm not re-reading my own stuff for editing purposes, I currently just really enjoy reading everyone's Cyberpunk drabbles and OC lore posts because I live for that stuff! for having been a very bookish kid I don't really read much anymore admittedly D:

Last song Played: "A Dialogue In B Flat Minor" by In Flames (it's on my V playlist and a very Vince and Johnny song to me XD)

Song Stuck in my Head: "Gloves" by Saint Punk (I'm obsessed with it because it fits Vince so much and I'm working on something inspired by it)

Last Movie: oooof... I think it was "The Shawshank Redemption", I was recently in the mood of rewatching some 90s classics while drawing!

Last series: If youtube series count, I'm currently rewatching Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime for the 11th or so time XD I've loved true crime stuff for as long as I can remember and BFU is also just really nice as background noise for when I'm working on something for a few hours at a time. Looking forward to diving into Mystery Files xD (the last "actual" series I watched before that was "Better Call Saul", rewatched it from start to finish in English for the first time xD)

Sweet, spicy, or savory: ooohhh hmmm.... dammit, I guess I'm too much of a sweet-tooth to not pick sweet xD

Favourite Food: Pizza with lots of different cheeses

Craving: to quit my dayjob, because objectively, it would just be really fucking funny to do. We're chronically understaffed and simultaneously also being forbidden overtime to catch up on the backlog, so it's just extremely exhausting at the moment.

Tea or coffee: Coffee, but tea is nice too :3

Dream Trip: everywhere... but my top 3 are Japan, Iceland, and Canada. I'd love to go to Japan during cherry blossom season, spend one week in all the big cities and another more on the countryside, going hiking, looking at temples, forests, and spending a day or two at a ryokan with onsen. Iceland I'd also like to see as much of as possible, I'd actually love to do a guided tour on horseback across the country xD And honestly, same for Canada (without the horses though), also a trip across the country visiting all kinds of sights and cities along the way would be awesome.

Last Thing I Googled: 2023 Conventions Germany

Currently working on: the final stages of my new Kerry x V drawing, editing some VP shoots, writing Vince's background lore fic (6 chapters done, about 6 more to go!), started writing a post-canon fic (but only have a few paragraphs), and my ongoing Cyberpunk 2077 Let's Play videos XD cause I always wanted to make a full Let's Play like that and given my current obsession it works. Looming on the horizon are also some short comics and ideas for mods and even more VP!

Are you named after Anyone?

After an OC of mine, if we go with Elven as the name I'm predominantly using atm XD Long story short, but "Elvenbeard" was an elf OC I once cosplayed as and who got his name from a friend of mine during a very long and funny train ride to the convention we were headed to. Good times XD

2. When was the last time you cried?

A couple of days ago. I think it was a mix of stress and having too many feels about Kerry xD

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, and don't want any. Unless pets count.

4. Do you use Sarcasm a lot?

I would never do such a thing.

5. What Sports do you play/ have you played?

None xD I was the short fat kid that got relentlessly bullied by my PE teacher for years which completed ruined any interest in sports I might have ever developed.

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

Honestly... I think I've gotten quite good at picking up people's vibes first. Picked up a very bad "stay-far-away-from-them" vibe from someone a couple of days ago, and when I met them again a little while later one of the first things out of their mouth is transphobic bullshit. I (sadly) felt rather validated with my first impression.

7. Eye Colour?

Hazel.

8. Scary Movies or Happy Endings?

Both can be good! I don't like overly gory movies or stuff that relies heavily on jump scares, but a scary film with a good story and some unexpected twists I really like (some of my faves being "Hush" and "The Conjuring"). I'm also a sucker for Happy Endings though. Best thing overall? Angst with a Happy Ending.

9. Any Special Talents?

Does hyperfocus count as a special talent these days? XD

10. Where were you born?

Somewhere in rural Germany.

11. What are your hobbies?

Yes... Drawing, writing, sewing, crafting, cosplay, gaming... and the newest addition: virtual photography!

12. Do you have any pets?

Yess, a cat!

13. How tall are you?

160cm/ 5'2 - smol and full of rage

14. Fave Subject in School?

Art, History, and English as a secondary language

15. Dream Job?

Creating things that make people happy and being able to live off of it ooooor anything that allows me to finance that kinda "maker of all kinds of things" lifestyle I'm dreaming of. Ideally, if I have to keep a dayjob, I'd like one that only takes place in the timespan of Monday to Thursday, or Tuesday to Friday, and doesn't start at 5.30 in the morning, but at 9 or 10. Or just generally the option of home office would be nice. I don't wanna be rich, but I'd like to have financial security for myself and my cat, enough time to do my silly little arts and crafts, and travel somewhere cool once a year or so.

#personal stuff

[yama951]

Snowpoint Settlement, Alabaster Icelands, Hisui Region, 1804 AC

Calaba knew the signs well. One didn't reach her age without experiencing at least one supernatural occurrence. The way Warden Ingo's eyes glowed in the dark, how the whites of his eyes glowed a soft blue when he was certain of the truth from time to time, the way he was just warm enough even when traversing the Alabaster Icelands at night in his tattered coat.

It was something the elders of the clan experienced once before and kept the knowledge to those who should be made aware of it, like Irida and some Wardens. Not Gaeric, and not Ingo. Lian would be told once he was older.

Calaba rested on Ingo's back as they headed back. The man had disassociated. She feared she broke the taboo when it came to someone like him, waking a dreaming god, but she knew that a god kept asleep for too long would cause more harm than good. Ingo was with them for a few years now, a lot longer than Gaeric's cold resilient father, he stayed for barely a year, but a god has their responsibility to the world to play. Much more important things to do than to play human in their long and deep sleep.

Ingo was silent when the linking cord her granddaughter made rang out. The whites of his eyes became a solid blue as he silently picked her up and automatically carried her all the way to the Snowpoint settlement without much of a word.

“I apologize for the deception, holy one.” She began on their trip. “But surely you must know you can't stay asleep forever.” silence was the reply. She sighed.

“This is a story that happened many years ago, forty years or so if my memory hasn’t failed me. You see, Lord Avalugg entered hibernation for the cold winter months. One year, he went to sleep a little too early, practically near the end of summer. We worried that he became ill or if age was coming to him early, or perhaps he simply wanted a nap after a hard year’s work, no one but Lord Avalugg knew the reason why. Then one autumn night, a sudden freak snowstorm struck. It lasted for an hour or two but when it ended, Lugvic appeared. He was like you in a way. Lost and no idea where he was. He couldn’t remember his name until a week among the Pearl Clan. Oh he was such a strong and handsome man with his icy blue hair and thick beard, that tanned brown skin, and those piercing yellow eyes. He quickly integrated into the clan as if he was born into it. He fell in love and married during the winter solstice. It was a happy life.” she gave a soft smile at the memories of the wedding. She then frowned as she continued.

“But I noticed strange things about him. I am a married woman and all but I was also one of the clan’s healers. I was the one who helped heal him up at the beginning. Lugvic’s skin remained cold to the touch no matter how hot the inside of the yurt could get. The most blatant of his strangeness was how he went around shirtless in the middle of winter as if it was a warm summer’s day. Those who noticed his oddness, mostly the elders, assumed he was some male froslass taking human form to live a happy life and it was better to stay quiet about it, lest sorrow and anguish struck the happy couple. They were deeply and truly in love. She was Lord Avalugg’s previous warden, before she stepped down due to her age, though I won’t leave my wardenship by something as silly as age. They were already planning on having a large family.”

She then sighed for a moment, her breath becoming visible as their surroundings slowly shifted into the Alabaster Icelands’ wintry embrace.

“Lord Avalugg stayed asleep at the start of spring, which was unusual for him. Lugvic helped as much as he could, even pulling the plow all by himself, but without Lord Avalugg’s strength, there would be less fields plowed and thus less food grown to keep starvation at bay in the coming winter. We asked a wise man from holy Michina for guidance and he, through a ritual, found that Lord Avalugg had entered a deep, deep sleep, a sleep so deep that their soul left their body and wandered out. We thought that Lord Avalugg had followed his ancestors, becoming one with the ice, but the wise man said that he was still alive, simply asleep, and that there was a way to awaken a sleeping god. I was then given the task by the wise man in private. To weave the colored strands into a braided rope with a bell on each end, the linking cord. The colors had to match the body and the spirit, to strengthen the bond between them enough to bring the spirit back into their body. So many colors, and even with the wise man’s allowance in making multiple cords, to make one that would awaken Lord Avalugg from his deep slumber was beyond me. But then, Almighty Sinnoh helped me one night. It was late at night as I was weaving another cord, the stress of multiple failures were getting to me. I had three strands that represented Lord Avalugg, one for the glacial ice, one for the rocky skin, and one for the sharp eyes. My thoughts then came to Lugvic, and thinking it would be another failure, I grabbed the threads that matched his hair, his skin, and his eyes. I wove them into a cord and attached a bell on each end. I then presented it to the wise man for another attempt at the ritual.”

Tears began to fall.

“It worked. With the ringing of the bell, Lord Avalugg was groused from his slumber, still asleep but his body was calling for his spirit to return, to awaken once more. We celebrated that night but I kept my eyes at Lugvic. He was sorrowful then. I think he knew what happened, that he became aware of his true status, that he became lucid. He promised her that should they have a son, she would name him Gaeric. My younger sister kept that promise. We partied until a freak snowstorm struck. Everyone fled back into the yurts, all but one. A young girl was lost in the sudden snow, screaming for help, and Lugvic ran out despite my sister’s plea. Before they parted, he hugged her tightly, kissed her a silent farewell, and promised that he would never forget her. He then ran off into the snowstorm. And once we lost sight of him in the snow, the snowstorm ended as suddenly as it appeared. The girl was found, safe and sound, with a familiar braided cord on her wrist, the ringing of the bells helped in finding her before the hyperthermia became serious. Lugvic, on the other hand, vanished just as he appeared. My sister was inconsolable for weeks. Until the tell-tale sign of pregnancy made her focus on the last reminder of Lugvic she had left.”

She then wiped away the tears before they could freeze.

“Gaeric was born a healthy baby boy, with some of his father’s features, especially the tolerance for the cold. One day, when I was alone before Lord Avalugg, I asked him if he remembered being Lugvic, of the love he shared with my sister, of all the plans and promises made that winter. Confusion was the only reply. As if he were nothing but a dream, Lord Avalugg recalled nothing of being Lugvic and even saw young Gaeric as nothing more than another child of the Pearl Clan, to play and entertain like all the other children. It was then I decided, for my sister’s sake. Let the elders whisper amongst themselves of Lugvic being a male froslass, this was a secret I would keep to my grave. My sister convinced herself that her love died saving the young girl. His body fell into the icy water and was swept away. Not realizing that Lugvic the man was the dream of Lord Avalugg himself. His promise to her was broken the moment he woke up, and yet she served him as his warden faithfully until she became too old to travel and had to step down. Only for Lord Avalugg to choose Gaeric as his next warden. And still I kept myself quiet.”

A sigh as the Snowpoint settlement became visible in the distance.

“I know you’re judging me with those blue eyes of yours, holy one. That my silence of Gaeric’s true heritage, the silence of the clan, is something that disgusts you. Do you think I should tell my sister and nephew the truth? That Lugvic, the man my sister loved so dearly that she never married again, was nothing more than a dream of Lord Avalugg? That Gaeric has the blood of a noble pokemon through his veins and that he serves his father without him knowing about it? That they were quickly forgotten despite Lugvic’s promise? Let them have that perfect ideal of him. That he was a strong and brave man who gave his life to save a child in need. That he was human even with all his quirks. That he was someone who was meant to be remembered, even if he was nothing more than a dream. That he was as real as anyone else. That he left his mark on the Pearl Clan. That he left a legacy through his son. That Lugvic the man would live on even if he was born of lies.”

The tears flowed out once more, only for a warm hearthfire touch to wipe them away and Ingo’s glowing blue eyes staring at her silently.

“For that’s what dreams are, isn’t it? Not real, not true, nothing but lies.”

A dream is not a Truth. But it can be a Truth made real. What is a lie, an Ideal, but a Truth yet to be made true?

Ingo seemed to speak through her mind, shocking her at the awesome and awful power, at the terrific and terrible strength, at the horrific and horrible Will.

Tell me, young Warden Calaba, are you dreaming right now?

The bells of Ingo’s linking cord, silent despite the shaking of his movements throughout the whole trip, rang out like a loud and sudden slam.

And Warden Calaba shot up from her bed with a sudden inhaling gasp.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked around. She was in her yurt back in the Snowpoint settlement, yet the moment between being brought to bed and being on Warden Ingo’s back some distance away was blank. As if something was Proclaimed to be true and so it was.

The door then opened as Gaeric entered the yurt. Shirtless as he usually went.

“Ah, auntie! You’re up! We were so worried about you! Warden Ingo carried you all the way from the mirelands. Mother thought your heart gave out from your duties.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m the older sister, she doesn’t need to baby me like I’m some wrinkly infant.”

Gaeric laughed at that.

“At least you’re feeling well then.” he said as he went to pour some water for her.

“Tell me, Gaeric.” she began. “Warden Ingo’s eyes, what color were they again?”

“Huh? They’re silver.”

“Were they silver when we arrived?”

“What sort of question is that? They were always silver. Sure they glow in the dark but I find that neat.”

Calaba snorted at that as she took a sip of water.

“Warden Ingo told us you ended up drinking a bit, hence why he had to carry you all the way from the Diamond Clan.” he said as she stared at her reflection in the ceramic cup.

“Warden Calaba?”

“I heard you the first time, no need to repeat yourself. So, where did Warden Ingo go? I doubt he would stay here for too long, what with that ruined coat of his.”

Gaeric laughed. It was a familiar laugh.

“Of course, he went back to the Coronet Highlands after he dropped you off. Still in his usual daze though.”

“Must have been a deep slumber…” she muttered much to Gaeric’s confusion.

“What was that?”

“Nothing but some elder nonsense you shouldn’t worry about. Now go, I’ll let my sister do the nagging. Aren’t you going to climb on Lord Avalugg’s back for a clean up or something?”

Gaeric laughed at that.

“No, no, just an early morning jog and swim before I begin my daily duties to Lord Avalugg.”

“Well, go jog around then. I’m perfectly capable of eating by myself.”

With a grin and a short respectful bow, her nephew ran out to jog shirtless in the snow and soon swim in the half frozen river.

She stayed silent at how much like Lugvic he was, not wanting him to disappear like a dream if she spoke out.

She would take the truth down to her grave, even if it gave that slumbering god their displeasure at her. Better the idealistic dream than the cynical truth.

#lucid twin dragons au #fanfic #world building #submas #pokemon fanfic #pokemon legends arceus #worldbuilding #fanfiction #submas au #my writing #subway master ingo #warden ingo #ingo #submas ingo #pokemon calaba #pla calaba #reshiram

[rovingrahal]

4 ways How to make a successful travel investment

4 ways How to make a successful travel investment

Most people's investments are their college stock and real estate, the best investments I've made are planning tickets and car rentals, so one of the most common questions asked by people is how can they afford to travel.

In the past 3 years, I've spent a lot of money on travel but on every trip, I've made I've always made the money I spend and often very profitable so the first thing for me is that you've got purpose travel we all have trips because it's fun and interesting, but when you are planning where you want to go, think of multiple goals you can achieve on your trip, find something good.

How can it be an investment?

It doesn't have to be a cash investment, but you just have to find what your travels will benefit you in, for example: maybe you want to go to Switzerland for an epic physical century interval so you can sell that as stock footage or every location you want to shoot in a particular location to create An epic video only, it doesn't have to be movie related, there are endless opportunities.

How you can make your travel investment?

it just requires some creativity so for me a few years ago I got an internship opportunity in Switzerland where I made educational videos for a human rights group each weekend I would have free time to visit new countries so I would have to think to myself how would traveling to this destination be an investment for me.

for example: maybe if I go to York or Spain I can get an epic shot of me jumping off the sea arch that would make a cool Blog or Vlog if I go to this place in Greece I'll be able to get some awesome footage of one of the world's craziest beaches and get some other viral content there if I can't find a good reason to go on a trip.

besides having fun I have a hard time justifying spending the money in time so I guess my point is we all want to have a fun time while we travel so if we can also have another reason to go it can make your travels investment in home hopefully make you some money while you're at alright so another way traveling can be an investment is you can use your travels and experiences.

Build Your Portfolio

can help you get jobs and other opportunities while back I was a role to my classes at college but I decided to take a leave of absence for that semester and my brother and I decided to go on a two-week content trip to Europe I bottomed out my bank account buying new camera gear and covering all my travel expenses we went to Ibiza for Halloween.

we explored Reese's famous cities of Athens and then we headed over to Meteora we roamed the streets of London and we finished the trip with two days in Iceland I mean we got some of the most incredible footage and it was one of the most memorable trips of my life.

after those two weeks were over I came back broke and I was honestly a little discouraged but I was able to use that footage to make my two years blog and a few months later I use that blog to help me get an internship at the iconic beautiful destinations you don't know if beautiful destinations.

the most famous travel brands so for me it was like a dream job anyways I got the internship and worked with them in New York City all summer long blogging about them it was just an awesome opportunity so if you look at traveling from that aspect heavy trip might not make you money but you're building your portfolio and also improving your skills which can help you land your dream job.

Educational Investment

some of my greatest life lessons weren't learned in a college lecture hall rather they were discovered when I was traveling in a foreign country being present and learning.

from my surroundings, he discovered a lot about who are and what we value in life and it helps you evaluate where you want to be in the upcoming years traveling has given me my greatest memories it's where I've truly felt alive.

new things that make you feel the same excitement you felt as a child because everything is it's new it's not the same old grind when you're living back at home I remember the first time I saw the northern lights I was sleeping on this cliff edge in Norway's arctic circle.

it was just a just your-fork surreal experience it was a memory I'll cherish forever and an experience I would have never gotten if I decided to never leave my country.

so one important life lesson that I realized is that I've never regretted the money that I spent on traveling the only thing I've regretted is wasting time and not traveling more we can always make more money but our time is limited and some opportunities will only come once.

when old people are on their deathbeds and are asked what their greatest regrets are most of the regrets aren't about things that they did rather they regret the things that they didn't do to keep that in mind if you are scared about traveling you are scared about all the things that could go wrong. just remember that thousands and millions of people have done the same thing you want to do and they've been safe. 

just give it a go have some faith and give it a go the most important thing about traveling is you just got to do it and as you travel more you'll find ways to make it an investment whether it's a monetary investment or it's just an educational investment in yourself.

there will always be a reason to not travel but there are a thousand reasons to go and see the world it may break your bank and you have to go work a week or two to make that money back I almost guaranteed that you won't regret it. travel you'll be grateful for the memories you made for the rest of your life all right so to end this blog. going to go through those points one last time so

Travel with a Purpose

the first thing is the travel with a Purpose all of us want to travel for fun but if you can find several reasons why traveling to a certain location benefit you this will help turn your traveling into an investment.

Build your Portfolio

will help you land jobs and other opportunities you wouldn't have gotten otherwise thirdly you can travel to make content which helps build your social media lastly traveling is an.

Educational Investment

will have life lessons that you will never get in a college classroom so anyways hope you enjoyed that blog.

#4 ways how to make successful travel #how to make a successful travel blog #how to make a successful travel instagram #how to make travel a priority #4 ways to become successful #how to be a successful travel agent from home #travel #travelocity #us travel restrictions #travel agent #travel advisor #a traveler #travel backpack #travel blog #travel backpack for women #travel backpack for men #travel europe #expedia travel #travel fan #travel flights #for international travel #travel guide #how to time travel #how to be a travel agent #travelling #vacations #trips #sightseeing #wanderlust #tourism

[firstofmay23]

Another visit to Istex Wool Washery

I've been getting so busy lately it's hard to keep up with this blog. I'm two weeks behind, so what I'm writing about right now is something that happened two weeks ago.

As agreed with the factory, we revisited the wool washery to look at the proper Icelandic wool being washed. It was only me, Brandy, and Sage who were able to visit the place. Sage and I got there first. When we entered the factory, the smell of sheep is unmistakable. We were greeted by (not sure but it must be) the manager, and he offered us coffee from the pantry thermos. It wasn't bad actually, and I love the fact that people here are big on coffee. We were introduced to a younger guy operating the washery that day, and you have to forgive me for not remembering his name. I should've written it down, to be honest. After a few minutes, Brandy arrived, and the second tour began.

Since we've seen the whole process of the washing, this time it's more to look at the varieties of Icelandic sheep wool. he was showing us the difference between adult sheep wool and lambswool. It's amazing how soft and fluffy lambswools are, even before any treatment. He was also showing us some lower-quality wool as well, which in my opinion would be great for home decor, such as rugs or seat covers.

Left: Lambswool, so fucking soft. Right: I'd steal those for carpets tbh

We were also taken to the freshly shipped container containing a new batch of recently shorn sheep. These were shorn around two months ago and come in many different colors. My favorite is, of course, the black and grey ones, can't go wrong with those two colors. So most sheep were shorn twice, the first one is in winter. So that when they were shorn in spring, they wouldn't have matted wool from the winter to ensure good quality wool. After the washing of the wool in Blönduós, they were shipped To Reykjavík for spinning and we were able to visit that one as well by appointment. That adds one more list of things to do in Reykjavík. More free wool here I come!

I'm a slut for monochromatic colors

Sheep farmers in Iceland usually don't only do farming for a living, but they also do other jobs too. The guy who took us on the tour even said that he juggled between 4 jobs! Istex is his main job, but he also takes care of his own farm filled with sheep, goats, and horses, works as a carpenter, as well as doing maintenance work too. Farmers in Iceland cannot rely on farming alone, as the profit for farms is very low and the demand for Icelandic sheep meat is low compared to imported meat from other countries. Due to the meat processing system that's more ethical compared to other countries, the price for the local stuff is understandably higher. Also in the past few years, fewer people are taking up farming and even quit working on a farm. This makes whoever remains must work extra hard to cover the lack of manpower in the industry.

On the plus side, the knitting trend that rose during the pandemic has increased the demand for Icelandic wool. This shifted the main goal of sheep farming from meat to wool, and that gives a glimpse of hope for the Icelandic sheep farmers.

Happy place

And of course, we asked if they got some discarded unprocessed wool that they don't mind us taking, and they did! So towards the end of the trip, he took out a one big bag of wool and let us dig in to get some for us to take home. We ended up using the whole floor to sort out what we wanted to take. In the end, I took a whole bag of black and white wool to wash and process myself as part of my farm-to-clothing project by felting and hand spinning. It was truly an experience.

#iceland #residency #travel

[sirchubbybunny]

It's still "early" and I don't think I'm going to go to bed yet. But I'm having a thinking out loud moment again, which could be from me being out of it for much of the day.

I'm thinking about my relationships to other people and how two years ago, one of my goals in life was to leave the US and possibly move to Iceland or Japan to get away from all the conflict going on here. Any place is better than here, I thought. It was mostly just big pipe dream type of stuff, not something I saw realistically happening even though I took the idea of taking my Japanese language proficiency tests quite seriously at the time.

Now, I'm here back where I started. I'll sometimes find myself thinking about how I want to go backpacking across other countries with some friends and see the world with them. I can see myself taking them with me to Japan or Iceland for a few weeks as a part of a collective bucket list thing. But moving there? No, not at all anymore. Yeah, having a bit of a wake up call to some of the negative things is part of it; especially the natural disasters. But, no. Something more hit me harder in a profound way that solidified to me that I've never be able to commit to it.

It's not leaving the little things about my hometown behind, like the music and art scene or the locales. It's the irreplaceable friendships I've made since the pandemic started and the idea of being half way around the world from them is honestly terrifying. Yeah, we could still stay in touch online, but with the sheer physical distance, I might as well be on Mars. But the thing is, if they ever wanted me to go on a huge trip with them - I would without a second thought. I'd overcome my fear of flying and my social anxiety (no thanks to all the gun violence here in the States) to be by their side. I think I could honestly be swayed to possibly moving to another state or distant place with them if they popped the question.

Would it be difficult? Yeah.

Would it be scary? Absolutely.

Would I be potentially shooting myself in the foot? 100%, full stop.

I was telling my mutuals this recently. I have made a name for myself to some extent here in my hometown. I'm not "famous" or anything like some of my acquaintances and old school friends who are established filmmakers, musicians, artists, public speakers and event planners. But, I'm recognized at local art events, been in the paper, and stuff like that. I have so many connections and resources (especially in a medical sense). In a way, I'd be a fool to take a massive gamble and throw a lot of that away to take a chance like moving to another place to start over.

And yet, I feel like if things ever change for me, I think it's something I'd do or heavily consider. As long as I have good friends by my side, there's nothing I can't do and I think the ones I have here in my area would be supportive. I suppose I just think about all of that and the people who came into the picture over the last three years and how much they've changed my life for the better. I'm not the same person I was back then and I don't want to imagine where I'd be if it wasn't for them. We've been a source of support and comfort for each other.

We helped one another through so many sleepless nights and trudge through countless storms, the ones that devour the sun and black out the sky. With what feels like superficial effort to those on the outside, they always found a way to pull me from it and I've done that for them as well. I said something like this the other day about how I've just been stuck in this fog for a while, completely burned out on all my art and ambitions, and feeling utterly defeated with the top surgery consultation getting cancelled. One friend swooped in and gave me the warmest, tightest, affirming hug and it was hard to not want to cry and that words will never encapsulate how eternally grateful and thankful I am for her being so loving and supportive of me. I think about stuff like that a lot and how reciprocal it is, and that I'm always in her corner like she is for me.

I don't know. I guess all of this is to say that even though I don't see myself going anywhere anytime soon realistically, I'd put so much on the line to just travel or go on huge adventures with someone like her; especially when it comes to wanting to cut ties with toxic people in our lives as a means to move on and heal from our trauma - even when it comes to those I've "patched" things up with. It's hard at times to think about them, be around them, or just think about certain things without it bringing up old memories. Yet, with these friends who I've made, it's not like that at all. They aren't the people who hurt me, my trauma, or the negativity in my head. ... and I can see myself starting over with them if they asked me if I wanted to.

Maybe I should go to bed... I'm going to have too much racing around if I keep at it.

[doingthedirtydishes]

Per, you touched my mind and heart, my left butt-cheek responded.

This is my first official blog post. It is a blog of love and gratitude: dedicated to Per Gjeding.

The idea of a blog has been presented to me many times over the years but was never a true fit.  As with all things in life, the sands of time did their infinite magical dance and, as a result, I was again faced with Doing the Dirty Dishes in life.  So, as I embark on this new chapter of my story, on the journey we call life, it is my hope you will find my musings informative, light, witty and funny, or any combination of the above.  Please take a minute to read on and share with me my first official blog post sent into the universe.

As I sat in the shower today, as on most days, I let the hot water run over my head, trickling down all over my body, comforting my over-worked muscles and frazzled nerves, contemplating what could ever I write as a blog. There were so many ideas running through my head.  They were endless; all over the map.  Another part of me was unsure who would want to read it, but after a quick reality check of what my life has morphed into, and with the continued robust monthly sales of my first book, Unbreakable Mind, I finally capitulated to the universal forces to be and decided that I would post one blog entry per month.  And so it goes. 

As I continued on with my bath routine, a peculiar Wilander act of sudsy balance, something was amiss, suddenly change was upon me. This was not my first time down this road; big changes always portended future recovery. In massive amounts of pain in my groin, hip, pelvic cradle and glute muscles for weeks, nothing out of ordinary, I was in search of answers.  I knew a newly introduced Physical Therapy system, PAS by Aktiv Form, created and developed, the result of twenty years of endless and selfless years of dedication to heal himself from tragic injury, by Per Gjeding, of Danmark, was affecting my nerves and muscles but had no real or clear idea where all that hard work would lead me. For the first time in my injured life I was able to lift my left butt-cheek and wash it without any bracing or other assistance.  I was so ecstatic I wanted to get up and jump in the water.  I knew what this meant: It translated into a major piece of recovery still required before I could walk again. I was over the moon with love for Per, and incredibly grateful to all others who helped prepare me to get to this point to be ready for PAS therapy.

Not long ago I was on a trip to Iceland.  There I would be meeting an old friend, a friend whom is special to me, a friend I met while living in Tokyo over twenty years ago. She was originally from Nepal but was now a married nurse in Boston, with a lovely teenage daughter, Hazel.  It was a ‘layover’ in Iceland, en route from Sweden to Philadelphia, a result of the infamous Iceland stopover in Reykjavik. Which, it should be noted, and perhaps will be elaborated on in a later post, is not really a stopover where technically you pay taxes to exit the airport, rather, it is actually two separate flights they string together and refer to as a stopover.  If it truly were a stopover, the cost to stop in Iceland would be much less money out of pocket. With tourism on the decline, an over-priced and over-supplied housing market in full throttle, they might heed lessons from the past, and change their bait-and-switch ‘stopover’ international ad campaign.  Otherwise the country is absolutely amazing. I plan to return this year.

After arriving at Reykjavik airport early, I stopped for a cup of tea and some last minute local Nordic sweets; a pre-flight relax routine I have developed over my years of extensive world travel.  That and older age have me arriving for flights extra early these days.  Actually, I find it more fun and it eliminates any undue stresses on my body.  Nothing tenses an injured body more than rushing it – even though you are not pressured, your body will become so on its own.  Normally I am first to board but the flight crew did not have the aisle wheelchair for the plane ready for me.  Finally I settled on having a nice young strong Polish ground crewman carry me the ten feet onto the plan to my seat.  Until he found out I was sitting in seat 1D he was not overly thrilled at the thought of my request.  I have been a few places and knew better to get on the plane sooner than later.  After a few minutes of settling in I looked to my right to introduce myself to my seatmate.  “Hello, my name is Steven,” and he introduced himself in a heavy English accent as “Piere.”

Upon first hearing his accent, I thought I had a Frenchman sitting at my side.  The stewardess came out with some champagne and fresh fruit.  It must have been a long day for us both as the glasses never had a chance to touch the tray. A few minutes passed and I was curious where my new flight compatriot was from.  As the stewardess poured us some red wine, people filing past, Piere and I were locked into deep conversation. Though I was still unsure what is his actual name was, and from where he hailed.  At some point in his explanations to me, as I assume he is answering my questions, I hear him say “Slovakia.”  Ahh, that is it!  He is Slovak. Lucky me, I speak some.  “Aka sa mas? Dobre?” I say to him.  He looks at me as if I have three eyes.  Fifteen minutes, and another round of Spanish red wine later, I conclude his name is actually Per and he is Danish, a true Scandinavian.  I decide at this point to skip any attempt to utter any bit of my small Dansk repertoire. 

As it turns out, in our mutual attempt to get over one another’s initial accents, he was telling me the story of how had been paralyzed in an accident as a young man, and taught himself, through sheer gritty determination and the endless quest to understand how his body heals, his own method of Physical Therapy.  The name of the system he created is PAS by Aktiv Form. He then goes on to not only tell me of his recent groundbreaking speech at Oxford University, which, in case you are wondering, floored the audience, before handing me an actual copy of his presentation, with his whole 7 keys system of healing revealed to me. Well, talk about synchronicity of the universe; the unconditional unending love of God – I was speechless.  For those who know me know that is no easy task to accomplish.  Stewardess, two more wines, please.  I was unsure what had just happened.

When we got back to Philadelphia airport, it turned out Per was staying at a hotel near to my home.  He was in town visiting his son, Jack, whom I have rarely seen such love for a son by a father.  Two hours of our flight were spent listening to stories of his awesome American university, Division II star basketball player son, along with plenty of photos, also including those of his family and home in Jutland, Danmark.  We shared a taxi.  I got out of the taxi at my residence and as I went to shut the door, Per asked me, “Steven, are you free in a few days for lunch?”  “Sure, Per, that sounds spectacular. Let’s do lunch soon.” I said as I exited our Uber ride.  Later that evening I tried reaching Per at his hotel and they had no record of him.  The Whatsapp number he gave me was also unreachable.  I was unsure what to think and soon got back to settling in my home after a one month mentally and physically exhaustive trip to Scandinavia.

Three days later, early in the morning, a text arrives from Malik, my local Pakistani Uber friend.  He asks me if I am ready for lunch at 12 noon with Per. Oh shit, I guess he did not forget our unconfirmed appointment, even though we had not spoken a word since I left the taxi three nights prior. It turns out his wife forwarded him the email I sent to him through his Danish website the night we had met.  As he enters my home, with a big smile: “Halo,my good friend,” jolly and joking as always. We have tea and chat.  Then he asks me to lie down so he could do some tests.  Observations completed, with a big smile on his face, he informs me my body is healing well and with further physical therapy regimen, his, I could complete all the circuits and start walking again.  He then popped up, said he was off to see his son practice basketball, and asked if I would be free again in two days.  Before I could holler out a loud yes, he was out the door.  As he ran off, I quickly made it to the door to scream out the door, “yes Per, yes, let’s do it again in two days.”  As he moved out of site, I could hear him say, wrapped in an impish child’s laughter, “see you in two days, Steven.”  Two days later at high noon he was there.

What was transpiring in my life? What galactic forces had combined through serendipitous means in order to bring us two together, sitting next to one another on a trans-Atlantic plane ride, and later in my living room.  It is my belief that forces beyond the comprehension of the human mind are responsible for bringing us together in Iceland.  Nothing is random in life; everything happens for a reason. Including Per. But there I was, sitting quietly with information I knew could help me walk again. Over the next two months I would follow his system exactly as he instructed. After about thirty days, I began seeing the results of his ground breaking physical therapy system.  It was tremendous, some might say miraculous.  It is only a matter of time before I start walking with a walker.

Per, you touched my heart and mind, and my left butt-cheek responded. Never before in my wildest imagination would I have dreamed of meeting you, or the result of such aligned planetary forces that brought me together with you and your amazing PAS Physical Therapy system. There are no mistakes in life; there are no chance meetings. We met for a reason – which is now clear to me and hopefully soon to others in the universal shared conscious of our cosmos. Thank you for your love and support. Steven

Travel Blog: Click here.

Spiritual Blog: Click here.

Book: Unbreakable Mind. (Print, Kindle, Audio)

Doing The Dirty Dishes Podcast: Watch or listen to episodes and subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcast, Buzzsprout.  Also available on Google Podcast, iHeart, Tunein, Amazon Alexa and Stitcher. 

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Social Media links: Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.

Travel Blog links: Covid-19 stranded in NYC JFK and Maine – also travel stories on Ireland, Spain, Sweden,  Belgium, Iceland, Colombia (Espanol version), Amsterdam, Germany, New Hampshire, TN and NYC.

Personal Website link where you can also find my book, photos of my travels and updates on current projects.  

Thank you for your love and support.

#steven quigley #steven quigley writer #steven quigley blogger #stevenquigleyauthor #stevenquigley #doingthedirtydishes.com #doingthedirtydishesspiritual #doingthedirtydishestravel #doingthedirtydishespodcast #doingthedirtydishes #unbreakable mind #unbreakable mind book #unbreakablemindbook #unbreakablemind

[reblogthiscrapkay]

Review Of My 2022 New Year’s Resolutions/2023 Resolutions

Time for my yearly breakdown. This was, honestly and truly, one of if not the roughest year of my entire life so far. Sure, 2020 sucked for everyone and I remember my 2015 (I think) starting off really bad but ending okay, but this one takes the cake unquestionably. I am still in the grieving and recovery process. That being said, whatever progress I made on my resolutions pales in comparison to the fact that I am still here. *Reduce “Want To Read” list down to 60. Reread a book. Mild Fail. My read list is currently sitting at 77, which is one more book than it was a year ago. That being said, I reread a few short books this year, read everything on my secondary list that I got from the NTCE conference, and finally read The Count of Monte Cristo, the last book from my 50 Books To Read Before You Die bookmark and the longest book on my list. I can only consider this a fail to an extent.

*Watch all the important movies of 2021 and keep that movie list under control. Pass. This one endures as necessary and achievable. *Listen to 20 albums I already own. Pass. I did one better on this: I listened to every single album I had that I had never listened to. My music listening list is empty. I last made a real dent in it in 2020 but this year I was determined to just destroy it. *Play 10 new games. Pass. Speaking of destroying lists, I also completed my entire game list this year after having it become a monster from bundle buying in 2020. I spent basically all of August plowing through itchio games that I got until there was nothing left. It’s an incredibly freeing position to be in. *Run at least three times a week. Preferably four. Fail. I did some walking and actually lost a ton of weight over the summer but it’s slowly creeping back as it does every year and my strength is still nonexistent. *Go to at least two new places within pandemic restrictions. Pass. I went on a road trip around the Midwest and down to see my brother which included five new national parks and a bunch of major cities, my favorites being Charleston and Louisville. Then I took a spontaneous trip to Iceland that was amazing. *Make a new flower crown. Pass. It’s more of a laurel, which I ended up having the kids wear during Julius Caesar, but it’s something. I should have made something more daily usable but eh. *Finish writing something you’re proud of. Pass. I finished a play I had started winter break of 2021 and then also wrote a rather sad short story. Both were essentially therapy but I do think they turned out well. *Be better than last year. Fail. I was objectively worse than last year. I hit rock bottom. And yet, I managed to do a lot. 2023 RESOLUTIONS *Reduce “Want To Read” list down to 60. *Watch all the movies of 2022 that I care about. Watch/Rewatch all the movies on that list I made with Adam. *Get good at bass guitar. *Try game mastering a campaign. *Exercise at least three times a week. (Once the weather gets better. I live in an apartment now, and I can’t really run inside) *Go to at least two new places (This one is very likely already happening as I already have a trip planned for Spring Break to hit up four new and two old national parks and I’m writing a grant to go to Morocco but still) *Go back to doing something with your novel. *Be better than last year.

#resolutions #new years

[master-tonberry]

Mbbdarling <3

Your answer filled me with such softness, you can't imagine! My best friend lives far, far away from me. Two years ago was the last time I got to see her. He had a week-long sleepover in an Airbnb in her city, and one night, we grabbed the newest CD from our favorite (non-kpop) band and hit the road for a midnight drive. We drove until we hit the wide open country and pulled over on a deserted highway to stare up at the sky. It was the first time I had seen the Milky Way, and we cried together. Then on the way back, we sang one of the new songs together that has since become "our" song, and I secretly recorded it, and it's one of my most favorite memories ever. Thank you for helping me relive it again. <3

And you'd better believe I'm spending fat cash on their next US tour. I'll dip into my kid's college fund! lol ;)

I will switch gears today and go 90s email questionnaire style (back when the only things to do on the internet were catfish in chatrooms and do chain email surveys lol).

Favorite MX MV:

Favorite MX b-side:

Hobbies:

Are you a morning person or a night owl:

Last book you read:

Drink coffee:

Spicy food or not:

Pizza, burgers, sushi, or 7-course French feast:

Favorite season:

Favorite Christmas movie:

Current love right now:

Current hate right now:

Dream vacation:

What songs do you sing in the shower:

At heart, are you a small-town girl or big-city:

Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible:

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Thanks for having fun with me, mbbdarling! I love our chit-chats. I hope you are having a great day and that you have taken good care of your health and your self. :D

xoxo mbb Secret Santa

Aww that sounds wonderful!! I'm glad that we have similar ideal days haha 💗 Sorry this has taken me so long, I got SWAMPED at work and was just able to sit down and pay attention to it!

I used to love doing these chain email surveys back in the day, so this will be fun!

Favorite MX mv: Love Killa. I love the choreo and Hyungwon looks lowkey sleazy and that does it for me lol

Favorite MX B-side: MERCY omg I will listen to that song on repeat. The chorus goes so hard, Kihyun is insane.

Hobbies: knitting, reading, making gifs, playing video games

Morning Person or Night Owl: Definitely a night owl lol, I don't usually go to bed until 3:30am and I would stay up later if I could.

Last Book: I'm about to finish Gibbon's Decline & Fall by Sheri S. Tepper for probably the 100th time. It's one of my comfort books.

Drink Coffee: Every single morning and occasionally in the afternoon.

Spicy Food or Not: I adore spicy food but I have to be careful bc my stomach is very sensitive. :(

Pizza, Burgers, Sushi, or 7 Course French Feast: tbh it depends on my mood but 98% of the time sushi is my #1. Pizza is it the other 2% lol

Favorite Season: Fall. I prefer the cold but I hate driving in snow. Plus fall is extremely pretty where I live.

Favorite Christmas Movie: Home Alone. It's such a classic lol

Current Love: I'm really really enjoying the new Willow show. It was my favorite movie when I was a kid and the show is great so far. Also His Dark Materials. EXCELLENT show.

Current Hate: hmm. Hate might be a strong word for it but I'm really disappointed with the Wheel of Time series. I was super hype for the casting and the previews looked good but man they really did not understand what made the series good.

Dream Vacation: I lived in Iceland when I was a kid and I would love to go back there. I remember just enough that I think it would be a really cool trip.

What Songs Do You Sing In The Shower: I usually listen to podcasts in the shower lol, but when I do sing its whatever comes up on my shuffle. So a whole lot of Seventeen lol

Small Town or Big City: I've always kind of wanted to live in a big city like New York or Atlanta but I know I'm happier in a small town.

Fly or Be Invisible: This is a conflict between my desire to zoom around and never have to drive again and my desire to be nosy. I think I'd have to go with flying though.

Thank you for the fun little quiz!! Can't wait to hear from you again 💗

#mbb secret santa

[whatsonmedia]

Thursday Thrill: Enthralling Events of the Week!

WhatsOn editor, Nicole Newman has come up again with fantastic events for the week. The events are going on and before it gets over get your shoes for having some fun this week. Here are some of the great events for the week. HOMOBLOC 5 Nov The biggest clubbing weekend in Manchester is going down big style. Word is, it's planned to be one of the most magnificent and extravagant roadblock parties. That has built a reputation of having one of the friendliest up-for crowds with a family feeling. Across the four stages, Homobloc has the glitziest mega production set up with performers and a host of live music artists and top DJs playing to party-loving people from the LGBT community. Going the extra mile the exceptional event also raises a lot of dollars for four worthy charities. Helping to raise awareness and make the world a better place. The spotlight is about making this one of the best standout events bringing a community together for an unforgettable night. This year's stellar lineup hosts local and international music artists and performers all coming together as one, with one vision of delivering the best dance music sets including Róisín Murphy, Honey Dijon, The Blessed Madonna, Self Esteem, Haai, Job Jobse, Horse Meat Disco, Saoirse, Jennifer Cardini b2b Krystal Klear, Moxie b2b Shanti Celeste, I, Jordan, Little Gay Brother, Roi Perez, Tama Sumo, Absolute, Lakuti, DJ Holographic, Kiwi, Luke Solomon, Amy Douglas Presents Hard Feelings, Hannah Holland, Gina Breeze, Wes Baggaley, Jaye Ward, Grace Sands, DJ Paulette, Joshua James, Jamie Bull, Mix-Stress, Black Betty, Kim Lana, Guy Williams, Lukas, Bollox Presents Homosquat, Grove, Kath Mcdermott, Supernature, Club Zindigi, DJ Claud Cunningham (Black Angel), The Niallist, Queer Latifah, Gut Level, What She Said, Philippa Jarman, Tokky Horror, Fat Camp and many more delights. thewarehouseproject.com ICELAND AIRWAVES 3 – 6 Nov Described as the hippest long weekend on the annual global music-festival calendar, The first Airwaves took place over two decades ago in an generous sized aircraft hanger, Becoming oh so popular each year from its success of bringing Icelandic people together and not forgetting its global festivalgoers who fancied adding Iceland to their festival trip destination, it outgrew the hanger space, The festival has moved with the times expanding each year, Today the multi-genre music festival is held across a multitude of venues in the country's capital, of Reykjavík, And is massive infrastructure of year long planning to its former hanger days, It’s become a travel, stay and one big party spread across three days to this magnificent place, Don’t forget to pack your thermals as in the name its much cooler but the spectacular showcasing music will definitely keep you glowing inside, Expect a music menu of alternative and diverse genres from an immense line up of live artists and performers and DJs alike serving some of the best quality sounds, Including Arlo Parks, Röyksopp , Axel Flóvent, Crack Cloud, Daughters of Reykjavík, Metronomy, Altın Gün, BSÍ, Ceasetone, Countess Malaise, Ensími, Gunni Karls, Inspector Spacetime, Jan Verstraeten, JFDR, Kaktus Einarsson, Luca Fogalelúisa, Magnús Jóhann, Nation of Language, Ólafur Kram, Porridge Radio, Rakel, Skoffín, Sóley, Sucks to be you, Sycamore, Ultraflex, Unusual Demont, Yot Club icelandairwaves.is SANKEYS: FIRE IN THE SKY 5 Nov It's gunpowder plot weekend with some huge firework displays taking place all over the UK, Sankeys at Studio338 return for their annual famous fireworks display but with something extra exceptional thrown in to make it the place to be in London on this very special celebration, Taking it up to the next level clubbers who are lucky enough to get a ticket get to watch the sky light up with a festoon of fireworks whilst getting their best dance on to a whooping 10-hour marathon of the dancefloor fillers of the past, present and future from a DJ line up featuring Andrew Kay, George Smeddles, Marco Strous, Max Chapman and special guests, This one is gonna be a sell-out! studio388.co.uk Read more about the event at https://whatson.guide/thursday-thrills-thrilling-events-of-the-week/ Read the full article

[bgallen]

Princess Mononoke, twins, barber camp, and The Last Movie Stars....a list

 Happiest of Fridays!

 This week I have been getting back into the swing of things after being on vacation in SW Michigan, next to Alabama it is my favorite place on Earth. Visiting dear friends, celebrating a marriage, and playing with friend’s babies is always a joy. I’ve included some photographs of my time in MI. I hope, as always, that you enjoy! The list below has a bunch of random bits and bobs as always.

·      Barber Camp teaches life lessons (wapt.com). Our capital city of Jackson, with a rich and dark and beautiful and sad history….is deeply struggling at present. The murder rate per capita is higher than anywhere in the US. And in the last month or two…it’s been teenagers and children. And it saddens me so incredibly much and I personally have no clue what should be done. But-I do know that there are so many people within the city that are working so hard to help. And Tracey Williams is doing just that. Check out her story in the link.

· The case for a shorter workday - BBC Worklife. The logic for moving to a six hour work day is definitely there. “Norway and Denmark have workweeks shorter than 40 hours, and are respectively the second- and seventh-most productive countries in the world.”

·      The empire the Aztecs couldn't conquer - BBC Travel. I haven’t yet made it to the Americas and their ancient history, so learning about the P'urhépecha Empire was fascinating.

·      Why Scottish women and Icelanders are closely linked - BBC Reel. Aud the Deepminded, a warrior.

·      Ashley Ness Discovers She's Pregnant with 2 Sets of Identical Twins | PEOPLE.com. This is incredible, a one in ten million chance!

·      'Perfect fit': Halifax woman unknowingly buys used roller skates she owned 40 years ago | CBC News, what an incredibly fun story!

·      Princess Mononoke: The masterpiece that flummoxed the US - BBC Culture. This film is my favorite of Miyazaki, yet I have never been able to quite put my finger on why it was until I read this article. This quote sums it up for me, "Whereas Japanese culture is more based on a sense of impermanence. There’s a cycle and a feeling that you have to enjoy what you have. It’s not necessarily a bad world, but it's a complicated world." “It is an echo of an enduring theme of Miyazaki's later work: a rallying call to children, and perhaps to himself, that no matter how bad the world gets, no matter how tempting it is to fall into fatalism or despair, you must keep on going.”  Also, pro tip…..never watch the American version, watch the Japanese version with English subtitles.

·      Princess Mononoke (Hime) Joe Hisaishi in Budokan - YouTube, extraordinarily beautiful soundtrack.

·      The Last Movie Stars | Official Trailer | HBO Max - YouTube. A documentary on the life of and careers of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward looks to be fascinating.

·      THE HU - Black Thunder Part 1 (Official Music Video) - YouTube. The cinematography of their music videos is top notch. I love how they tell their history through music by blending traditional music with metal.

·      Street Food: USA | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube. This Netflix show looks great, another road trip may be needed.

For fun, my top 4 on repeat from Spotify:

MOVE by TNX, Surface Pressure by Jessica Darrow, Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga, and Planet by Franko Gonzo.

Enjoy your weekend!

#movies #history #joy #weekendpost #weekend #fridaythoughts #travel #hope #film #photography #learn #learntounderstand #growth

[lindoig9]

Home again – 1 to 6 May

Mayday and Monday, we just stayed around the van basically both days.  We needed to catch our breath a bit after such a busy week, some of it quite strenuous and taxing, so Sunday was quite restful.  Monday, not quite so much, because we had to do a bit of business at the Opal Centre as well as making quite few phone calls and catching up with things that had been deferred while we were occupied with the Dig.  And we had to do a few things to ready the van for our trip home again, dodging a few showers during the day.

Tuesday we were on our way home again.  It was a longish day, partly on roads we had travelled on our way up to Goondiwindi, and partly on other roads that we have probably travelled before, but which were unfamiliar to us.  We got as far as Dubbo that day with the intention of visiting the Open Plains Zoo before driving further south in the afternoon.

The Zoo was something of a disappointment.  We had been there many (25 or 30) years ago and enjoyed it, but things have changed.  Concessional entry is now $38 a head and we had to unhitch and leave the van in the parking area while we drove around.  Many of the exhibits were a long walk from the nearest parking space and quite a few of them were closed.  The signage, such as it was, was frequently confusing, if not entirely misleading, and I think walking the course may actually have been less difficult than driving. But we did it and we won’t ever feel the need to do it again.

We ate lunch on the outskirts of Dubbo and drove on to West Wyalong where we had stayed a couple of weeks ago when heading north.

Next day, we were heading for the Victorian border and eventually camped at Nagambie, the most expensive and least desirable of any parks we visited on this trip.  At least, with no real highlights (apart from some lovely scenery), we were happy enough to be heading home and we arrived back in Burwood to park the van late in the morning.

Parking the van was something of a challenge, due to the way the people in the bay next to ours had parked two cars very close to the edge of our bay, even overlapping ours in one place. We used our caravan mover of course, but even with that, manoeuvring our van past their cars and backing and filling to get fully onto our bay was a challenge.  Fortunately, the big van that is usually parked on the other side of our bay was not there so we used his bay to swing around into ours, but I would be surprised if he will get back into his bay without a lot of frustration and help.

Finally…….

Well, that’s it for this blog.  Unfortunately, there are very few photos, but that is largely because photography was effectively banned for a good part of the trip. Having said that, the images are embedded in our memories and we will relive them again and again.

It was a great trip and we achieved our three objectives – our Lake Mungo tour, Heather’s birthday celebration with great friends, and our long-delayed encounter with opalised fossils – all real highlights with more to come later in the year.

Watch for my next blog – Norway, Iceland, Greenland and a smidgen of Canada, starting in 2 or 3 months’ time.