#I figured out (thanks to the internet) how to (more or less) chop an onion

[rmg91]

The Woes and Antics of Living Together-5

This chapter behaved much better than 4 and I'm really happy with it as this is just one of the many scenes I've been wanting to write. Also I still love writing Branch when he starts to freak out XD

Enjoy! And A big huge Thank you! to all who’s read so far! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me~

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3/FF.net

@writerofberk Chapter 5 is here!! And I’m nice to Branch for once! And to answer your question from last time, Creek is currently just an annoyance but we both know he’s a creep and that will come out later.

                                                        ~*~*~*~*~*~

It was another dreary and overcast day in Bergenville and the last few weeks had a been a test for Branch's patience. He had found out that Poppy loved to sing or just play music late at night while she stayed up studying or scrapbooking. And, sure, Branch could admit he loved her voice to himself, but he really disliked being unable to sleep because she couldn't keep it quiet enough. He even threatened to throw her radio out the window! It had worked...until the next time it happened and she got caught up in the music as she claimed. He had made a mental note to invest in some ear plugs.

Then there was the 'Laundry Incident' where somehow some of her...unmentionables had somehow wound up in his hamper. Branch hadn't known how to react to seeing the lacy scraps of fabric settled among his clothes so he had turned around and walked out of the laundry room. He had returned a few minutes later, a confused Poppy in tow and gestured to his basket as he told her to remove the offending articles. She had at least looked a little embarrassed as she picked them out and claimed she had no idea how they got in there but Branch had already been ignoring her excuse and trying to forget it even happened. He later found out it had all been some sort of weird prank by Smidge and Cooper as he returned to the apartment.

Mix in the normal stress of university and trying to find a new job and you'd get a very irritable Branch who was going just the tiniest bit stir-crazy. Gristle had managed to tempt him out of the apartment a few times to hang out and play video games but Branch needed something to do besides the chores around the apartment. Something to keep him from letting all his pent up feelings for Poppy flow out into poem after poem or even the grey thoughts that circled around in his head somehow finding their way onto paper and making him feel worse for having acknowledged them. And having the means to pay his half of the rent that was coming up would be nice too.

Branch felt himself bring the knife down on the carrots he was chopping with a little more force then was necessary before he focused once more on the task at hand. Right, dinner. He was making stew and needed to concentrate so he didn't cut himself and have to be sent to the hospital. Finishing up cutting the root vegetable, he threw the pieces into the pot alongside the onions and celery, giving everything a little stir afterwards. Branch then started to prep the rest of the ingredients just as the door opened and the pink haired party girl flounced in.

"Oh, Roomie~! I'm home!" Poppy sang as she dropped her purse on the foyer table before skipping into the kitchen, bracelets jingling, "And guess what?!"

Branch rolled his eyes and continued with his food prep, "What?"

Poppy giggled before slapping down a piece of paper on the counter, "I picked you up an application for a job I think you'll like!"

Branch paused and looked at her before glancing down at the application, at a loss for words, "...You, uh...didn't have to do that."

"I know." She chirped, "But I was heading home after getting some more streamers for Biggie's big photo exhibit and I saw this sale at this cute boutique on the way home." Branch rolled his eyes as she started to ramble. "Anyway, on my way back to my car I noticed a place advertising for some help wanted and I thought it'd be perfect for you! Guess what sort of place it is?!"

"I'd really rather not," Branch sighed, "Just tell me."

"No fun." The pinkette mumbled before she continued, "It's a camping-outdoorsy sort of store! Sells all that equipment and stuff and I figured what was the harm of picking up an application for you, cause you always liked camping when we were kids and being in the garden and such!"

"That..." Branch was once again at a semi-loss for words, impressed she remembered that, "I'll...give it shot. ...Thank you."

Poppy smiled happily at him, "No prob, my dude. So!" She then clapped her hands together, looking at the unassembled ingredients, "What's for dinner?"

Branch shrugged as he stirred the vegetables, "Nothing fancy. Just some stew."

"Still sounds great. Can I help with anything?"

"No!" He vehemently refused, "I'm not letting you anywhere near real food again! Not after last time!" Said last time being when she decided to experiment by adding too many spices to the sauce for a lasagna he was making. He swore never to let her near his cooking again.

"It was a mistake! I didn't mean to add that much!" Poppy cried in her defense, hands flying to her hips.

"Don't care."

Poppy huffed and crossed her arms, "Not fair..." She then hummed as a thought hit her and Branch suddenly felt fear as she went to grab her camera.

She fiddled with it for a moment as she turned it on before she started talking to it, "Guys! Branch is being so unfair! He won't let me help with dinner because of one little mistake!" She brought the piece of equipment over and almost thrusted it in his face, "Tell them, Branch! Tell them how mean you are to your precious roommate!"

Branch ignored her as much as he could as he started to cut up the meat, "Poppy, we've been over this. I'm not talking into a camera to people over the internet. Now turn that thing off and get it out of my face. I'm trying to cook."

"Rude!" She exclaimed before pouting into the camera, "Guys, comment below and tell Branch how rude he is."

"Quit involving me in your internet shenanigans! I want no part of it!"

"Too bad~ As my roommate you are contractually obligated to appear in my vlogs."

Branch gave her a flat look, "I remember nothing about that in our deal. No where did we talk about you trying to film me!"

"It's one of the many unwritten rules of friendship, Branch, duh. And no where did we talk about you being such a sour puss all the time and yet..." She trailed off with a shrug.

Branch rolled his eyes, exasperated, "Go do something that's not bothering me."

She grinned cheekily, "Aww, but it's my favorite hobby! The 'Bother Branch' game is fun for all ages."

"Poppy..." He groaned.

She giggled as she turned off her camera, "Fine, fine but only because I don't want you to cut yourself."

"Gee, thanks so much."

Giggling, the pink haired whirlwind skipped away to her room and Branch thought maybe he'd get to finish cooking in semi-peace until she came back out, arms laden with scrapbooking materials. She dumped all of it on the coffee table before turning the stereo on and bouncing in her seat to the pop song playing. Branch heaved a sigh and tried his best ignore the overly preppy music, reminding himself to invest in a pair of earplugs as soon as he could.

                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day found Branch standing in front of the store Poppy had told him about, application in hand. He had to admit as he looked though the windows it definitely looked like a place he would have loved to explore when he was younger. He had always loved the outdoors and the sense of accomplishment whenever he managed to succeed in a task that would aid him if he ever had to face the wild alone. He also remembered spending almost all of summer camped out in the backyard and begging his grandma to let him stay there just one more night whenever the new school year started to approach. But that had all stopped when-No. He wasn't going to think about that or any other time before else he'd never get this over with and right now, finding a job was more important than thinking back on times that were never going to happen again.

Steeling himself up with a deep breath, Branch entered the store and took it in. A display for a tent sale sat in the front with aisles of supplies stretching toward the back, all manner of camping items in stock. Tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, chairs, portable stoves and just about anything else one could possible need was there, which was just a little impressive for how small the shop appeared on the outside. Off to the side was a single check-out counter and a cashier wearing a green and brown vest, playing on his phone. He glanced up and put it away before addressing Branch.

"Hey. Welcome to Clever Camping. How may I help you?"

It was now or never. Branch cleared his throat, "Uh, yeah. I saw you were hiring so I filled out an application." He hoped that didn't sound as awkward as it felt as he handed over the piece of paper.

"Great!" The blonde exclaimed, "I'll give this to the manager. He's actually in the back right now if you want to wait a few minutes. He may be able to give you an interview today."

Branch sure wasn't expecting that but nodded anyway, "Sure. No problem."

"Nice. Be right back!"

As the employee scampered off to the back of the store, Branch let out a slightly panicked sigh. Okay, sure, he could do this, it's not like interviews were nerve wracking already! He just had less time to prepare that was all! He quickly brushed off his shirt and tried to make himself look somewhat presentable as he paced around. He could do this, it was fine, this could be good! Or bad, very, very bad.

As Branch continued to try a fight off the impending urge to run and hide, he failed to hear the little bell above the door chiming. He was completely unaware of no longer being alone until the other person spoke up.

"Excuse me, young man?"

Branch tried very hard not to yelp as he turned to face an elderly woman. She had grey haired wrapped up in a bun, a crocheted shawl around her shoulders and was holding a cane. She smiled at him, wrinkles crinkling as she did so before adjusting her glasses. She had a very grandmotherly aura about her and Branch tried very hard not to think of his own at that moment.

"Um, yes?"

"Do you think you could me?" She asked before pulling out a list from her purse, "You see, my grandson is going on a camping trip with his scouting group and I'm afraid we don't have much of anything that he'll need. Could you help me find them?"

Wait...Did she think he worked there?! He had to tell her she was mistaken! But then another traitorous thought of his own grandmother slipped though and he knew she would be very disappointed in him if he refused to help this lady. She had raised him to be a gentleman after all. Sighing, he nodded and walked closer so he could take the list from her.

"I can try."

"Oh, thank you so much~" She grinned at him.

Branch nodded awkwardly and unfolded the piece of paper she had handed to him. Tent, extra tarp or canopy, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, repair kit, pillows, extra blankets, headlamp or flashlight, lantern with appropriate energy source and a plethora of other items. Branch was impressed by how thorough this list was, it was almost as if he'd written it. Glancing around the store to figure out where to start first, he grabbed one of the hand baskets and began leading the woman around.

The first aisle they went down had portable stoves and the like, making Branch wonder if maybe he should have chosen a different aisle as there didn't seem to be anything they needed down this way. However just when he was going to suggest they try a different row, he spotted the lanterns and flashlights. He had a brief thought about how it would be more efficient if perhaps these items were put toward the front of the row but pushed it back as he looked at the different items, wondering which would be best to suggest.

"So, uh...How old is your grandson?" Maybe knowing the age of the kid would help him determine the item.

"Oh, he's nine going on ten." The old woman gushed, "He's so excited for this trip. The first time he's ever been camping."

Branch tired to flash a smile at her before nodding toward one of the better battery powered lanterns, "This one would probably be best then. It runs on batteries but it's a good sturdy plastic and waterproof, so no one would have to worry about fuel or rusting. It's also in a good modest price range, in case you're wondering."

"Well then that sounds just perfect." She grinned brightly, "I truly appreciate you helping me."

"It's..uh...it's no problem."

They continued like this up and down the aisles, Branch pointing out the products he thought would be best, remembering more of his own experiences with camping. He suggested an extra raincoat. insect repellant and a small first aid kit, stating that it never hurt to have some back-up in case something happened to whatever the scout leaders brought. Branch was just double checking everything so far before they went to look at the tents and wondered where the employee that had greeted him was and if he was going to come back anytime soon.

"Ok, so it looks like all that's left is a tent and maybe a sleeping bag? Was this already checked off?"

"Oh, I thought we had one, so yes it was but it turns out it was horribly moldy after getting wet somehow. So yes, we do need a new one."

"Alright, this way."

He was perusing the different styles of tents, trying to find the best one for a kid when a tall, broad shoulder man came around the corner from the back. He had chestnut hair, brown eyes and wore a grin and vest like the other employee, the only difference was he also had a pin that dubbed him the manager.

"Hello, there!" He greeted warmly, "So sorry for the lack of greeting when you came in. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, no. Your employee here has been so helpful and has given so much advice for my grandson's upcoming trip."

The manager smiled down at the woman, "I'm afraid he doesn't work here...yet." He then turned his grin on Branch, "Tell me, son, are you the one who turned in the application Denis brought me a little while ago?"

"Uh, yes?" Stupid! Don't sound so unsure!

"Reed Langley!" The man proclaimed, offering his hand to Branch.

Shocked for a second, Branch startled before shaking his hand, "...Uh! Branch Hawthorn, sir."

"Well, Branch, you're hired!"

"Huh? But, uh...What about an interview?" Was this really happening?

Reed laughed, "I think helping this lovely lady here when you didn't have to speaks volumes more than me asking you some questions. So what do you say?"

What did he say? Oh right! "Um, sure. Yeah! Of course! Thank you?"

"Not a problem!" Reed laughed again, "Denis! Go take the sign out of the window!" There was brief 'yes, sir' from the other worker before Reed continued, "So, Branch, why don't I let you finish helping our customer here and then while Denis is ringing her up, we can talk and set up your schedule. Alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Okay." There was no way that just happened, right?

                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Branch had wandered back to the apartment, still somewhat in a state of a shock. He just couldn't believe he was hired right on the spot like that just for helping someone! That just didn't happen! Of course he wasn't going to kick a gift horse in the mouth, it..felt kind of nice to have a job again and the store really wasn't the worse place to be in. Still, Branch couldn't help but be wary of the universe and wonder what it would do to him this time to knock him down again.

Sighing to himself, he was grateful Poppy was gone as he needed a few moments to gather himself and to work out a new plan. He wandered over to the couch, flopped on it, and flinging an arm over his head went over what had happened after he helped the old woman find a tent and new sleeping bag. His new boss didn't mind that he would be working part-time, said Branch going to school was great thing and that if he ever needed to take an extra day off to study for a test or midterm to just let him know ahead of time. He would start his new job in two days and he'd have a twenty percent store discount, which would be nice if Branch ever decided to go camping again. However that meant he'd have to work out some sort of chore chart with Poppy as he wouldn't be around as often, even if that would mean trying to trust her in the kitchen with actual food now.

Making a few mental notes to himself, Branch yawned and shifted on the couch, finding a comfortable spot. He felt himself grow drowsy and knew he probably shouldn't fall asleep on the couch, he didn't want to temp Poppy into pulling some sort of prank. But as sleep claimed him, he decided he just didn't feel like caring if she drew on his face or covered him in glitter.

                                                      ~*~*~*~*~*~

Yay! Branch has a job again! And at a much nicer environment! I can't tell you guys how much I've been wanting to write Reed (even if he didn't have a name until I started writing that part XD) and that whole scene. And to be fair, Poppy can cook, she's just better at baking and accidents with overly large holes in spice containers happen.

I hope you enjoyed! Stayed tuned for the next installment!

#Dreamworks Trolls #Branch #Poppy #Broppy #fanfiction #Human AU #Modern AU #Roommate AU #dreamworkstrolls #i love this chapter

[lotsofdogs]

Potty Training, Workouts and Swim Lessons… Oh My!

Hey, hey, hey! We’re already halfway through the week! For some reason whenever I arrive back in town after a weekend away, the following week seems to fly by. I’m not sure why – maybe because I feel like I’m playing catch up all week long? – but I’ll take it. Friday is comin’ but for now let’s back up a bit and recap yesterday, shall we?

Morning

My Tuesday morning began with a muffin!

I woke up needing some kind of sweet, bready carb and reheated one of Chase’s beloved whole wheat pumpkin muffins that I pulled out of the freezer to take the edge off my nausea while I read my devotional and eased into the morning. Once I felt a little better, I moved onto breakfast number two which looked like a smoothie bowl that I whipped up with frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, almond butter, light coconut milk (from a can) and a scoop of chocolate protein powder.

I topped everything off with a sprinkle of cacao nibs for some crunch and ate my breakfast as I worked on the computer until Chase was up and it was time to switch into mom mode.

We hung out around the house until 9 a.m. or so, mainly because I didn’t want to leave until Chase pooped in his potty.

Once that happened, we celebrated, danced and high-fived because pooping in the potty is a BIG deal around here right now!

Yes, my friends, we are smack-dab in the middle of potty training in our house! We actually started last week and so far things are going fairly well. (We’re mostly following the advice found in the Oh Crap! Potting Training book with some definite wiggle room since every kid is different. Oh and before you think we had potty training nailed in three days like the internet will have you believe is easy peasy, the first few days were a BEAST and potty training is definitely a work in progress.) One quick question for the potty training pros: At what point did your kiddos begin to actually TELL you they have to go potty? Right now we’re mostly reminding Chase to use the potty and prompting the majority of his trips to the bathroom which I am assuming will last for a while. I’m curious as to when kids transition into regularly telling you they need to go? We’ve had a handful of those moments but right now Chase seems to need quite a bit of prompting and reminding, though accidents are already pretty minimal.

Oh and another challenge? Chase refuses to wear underwear. He’ll wear pants and shorts all day long but he’s commando under his pants right now. Ha! Any advice as to how to make him think underwear is THE COOLEST? We have Thomas the Train and Paw Patrol underwear on hand but they’re getting the side-eye from Chase at the moment and a full-on meltdown occurs if we try to get him to wear underwear. There’s always something, right!?

With two successful potty trips under our belt, I felt confident we could make it to the gym without any issues, so Chase and I piled into my car and headed off to the YMCA for a workout!

Chase hung out in childcare (accident free!) and I completed a biceps/triceps/shoulders workout that looks liked this:

It was a quick but effective one and after more than my fair share of rest days last week, it felt good to get back into the gym.

Afternoon

Once I scooped Chase up from childcare, we drove to his swim lesson. After four months on a wait list for an early afternoon class, we finally got in (our previous early evening time was killer for rush-hour traffic) and Chase and I had a blast splashing and playing in the water. When we were done swimming, we changed into dry clothes and dug into some of the food I packed for us in the lobby.

I threw a banana and a packet of almond butter into my bag for myself but packed a Bento Box filled with Chase’s lunch for him to eat after our swim lesson as well. Chase loves watching the big kids swim and I figured we could have a mini picnic in the lobby while Chase ate lunch and watched the other children.

By the time we made it home, Chase’s naptime was on the horizon, so we played fetch in the backyard with Sadie for a bit before making our way upstairs for a couple of stories.

While Chase slept, I grabbed a shower and actually washed my hair for the first time since Thursday (bless you, dry shampoo) and then assembled a salad for lunch.

My salad came together quickly thanks to leftover salmon and roasted potatoes from Monday night’s dinner.

I ate my lunch and began working at the computer, feeling awfully proud of myself for actually consuming a decent number of vegetables, until I was hit with some serious nausea that had me feeling all kinds of sweaty and sick. Just thinking about my salad less than five minutes after I ate it made me want to puke. (Pregnancy is cah-ray-zee.) Thankfully I never threw up but I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor for a solid 30 minutes as I waited for the feeling to pass. Once it did, I ate a small bowl of cereal which also seemed to help settle my stomach and got back to work.

Since the nausea train is unpredictable around here, I wasn’t sure what to expect over the course of the next few hours but the rest of the day ended up being a good one! I was able to eat an afternoon snack and a sweet treat before Chase woke up and the two of us headed off to a late afternoon prenatal appointment.

Just to clarify since I realize it probably seems like I was just at the doctor’s office, yesterday’s appointment was the standard third trimester bi-weekly OB/GYN visit which is why it occurred so soon after last week’s appointment with a specialist.

My doctor was wonderful and let Chase help squeeze the warm goo on my belly and control the Doppler which he thought was really neat! We were in and out of the doctor’s office in half an hour and left feeling grateful for a positive update!

Before heading home for the night, we swung by a local park to meet up with my friends Carrie and Alexis and their kids so our little ones could run around and enjoy the sunshine. We stayed for just about an hour before driving home where Ryan arrived home from work about 20 minutes later!

Evening

Dinner was a simple one and came together quickly once I cooked some quinoa in vegetable broth with a little taco seasoning. I paired the cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, avocado, green onion, shredded cheese and leftover chopped green beans and topped everything with a bit of Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Easy, filling and delicious!

Oh and before you think Chase is an amazing quinoa-eating toddler, I know from past experience there is a zero percent chance he would’ve liked this meal, so his dinner looked more like mac and cheese served with a quinoa-free deconstructed version of our dinner.

Once we were all full, we played around the house for a bit before doing the whole bed time routine. A number of you recommended The Last Mrs. Parrish to me a while ago, so I began reading it last night and so far it’s an easy read that roped me in almost immediately. We’ll see how it ends up!

And that was our Tuesday in a nutshell. Thanks so much for stopping by PBF today!

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/potty-training-workouts-and-swim-lessons-oh-my/

#health #fitness

[risk-it-biscuit-blog]

Marrakesh Part 2

   Li Fang and I woke up early the next morning to maximize our day. We ventured out to find nobody, and I mean literally a total of three people passed us. I love seeing the contrast of the crazy night to the utter quiet of the morning. We could take photos of the stunning archways and bright colors without strange looks from locals. I read before leaving that Moroccan culture respects the privacy of individuals and thus the people do not want photos taken of them. Yes, of course you see tourists whipping out fancy cameras on every opportunity but compared to Paris or Rome, they come few and far between. Once we left the area surrounding our riad, we spotted more and more people. The most common form of transport around here are scooters. Not huge motorcycles like we see in the states but literally a motorbike if you can image. EVERYWHERE. And I am pretty darn sure that they are horrible for the environment because they STANK. I would hold my nose when they would go by. While cars are prohibited in the Medina, motorbikes are allowed. So, as you are entranced by the rows upon rows of carpets and leather goods, you have to open your ears to the rumble of scooters constantly approaching your back. Li Fang and I would regularly pull each other aside because the drivers can be ruthless. (The following day we witnessed a woman get hit by one.)

     We ate breakfast at the hostel and then left towards Ben Youssef Museum, which is claimed to be an architectural feat. Well, I had all the directions planned out but we ended up knocking on the door of a local rather than the museum (haha). A young boy answered and we evidently figured out this was not a museum. When we showed the name of where we intended to go, he offered to show us the way. We nodded our heads, knowing that if anything went wrong, tourists and locals alike were nearby. He hollered to his mother that he was leaving and she came to the door, told us in french that the museum was “pas loin” (not far) with a sweet smile on her face. Okay, well I think the Moroccan idea of “pas loin” is different from the American version. We sped behind the 12 year-old for ten minutes and finally arrived right where we needed to be. Unlike the older men, the boy took our thank you and returned home, asking for no money.

     Unfortunately the museum was closed for renovation...for the next two years! We weren’t the only disappointed tourists but we got on our way and discovered another museum, actually, the official museum of Marrakesh that had all the Zellige you could desire; fountains, walls, roofs, all covered in tile patterns. We spent awhile there and then asked around for the Bahia Palace. But seriously, people give the most vague directions. They point in a direction and say, “8 minutes away”. How in the world does that help me? We tried to do as they said but ended up tired and defeated. So, we hopped in a cab and he drove us right up to the Palace, zero stress. Similar to the Museum of Marrakesh, the Palace boasted ornate designs and something that I found unique about the style of architecture in Morocco was that many buildings houses have hallways and rooms that all connect to an open space that is so big and brightly lit that you believe you are outside. Sometimes there is no roof and you are outside but usually, some sort of glass roof acts as protection while giving such an airy feel to the room.

     For dinner, our host offered to teach us some Moroccan cooking. We followed him to the big square where he walked swiftly to a small stand selling vegetables and meat that we would have otherwise overlooked. He purchased all the ingredients for the equivalent of 30 cents, THIRTY!!! Li Fang and I we shocked. Once back in the hostel, we helped chop the veggies and Mohammed started cooking the onions and chicken together, then piled the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper, and green beans as a protection for the meat and in the shape of a pyramid. You put the vegetables that require less cooking on the outside and put the heat on low for an hour or so. We devoured that tagine! Our host said that Moroccan culture means sharing so people will combine the ingredients they have to make a delicious meal. OH MY GOSH! I almost forgot the most important part...SPICES. He sprinkled I don’t know what on top but that transforms the flavor. Once it was finally cooked, we took the typical Moroccan bread and ate the meal with our hands as is natural there. Thinking about that tagine is making me hungry right now, that’s just how yummy it was. 

      The next day we went to the magnificent Jardin Majorelle and then simply strolled around for the remaining hours. We bargained for a few souvenirs and prepared our backpacks for our early flight. Funny enough, we never realized there was a time change for Morocco and my iphone didn’t update the time so we were constantly an hour ahead, for three whole days! I was so confused when the sun set at 6:30 rather than 5:30 as I had verified on the internet. Well, we figured that one out when we woke up our host an hour early to take us to our taxi...luckily he was not angry at all, and we got a bit extra sleep...better than an hour late! 

     If you ever have the chance...heck, MAKE the chance to go to Morocco! It was unreal and something I’d never ever experienced previously.