#I used to think a reasonable amount to spend on lunch was 10-15 and a reasonable price for dinner was 20-25 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darkpoisonouslove · 3 years

Text

I am back on my Erendor and Samara bullshit and did the whole list of headcanons for them because my brain made me.

1. Who is the most affectionate?

Erendor. Affection isn’t exactly something either of them has had in plentiful amount in their lives but he’s definitely more used to it and more used to showing it. Samara likes it well enough even if she doesn’t feel very inclined or capable of initiating it.

2. Big spoon/Little spoon?

They don’t really spoon. Samara is much too light a sleeper to be all that comfortable with being held while asleep. So Erendor ends up cuddled in her side sometimes but no real spooning. If they did, though, he would totally have to be the little spoon.

3. Most common argument?

Sky is their most common argument topic. Samara feels like Erendor is not being a great father some of the time. She thinks he’s more focused on Sky as the heir to Eraklyon’s throne rather than on Sky as his son. Erendor feels justified in pressuring Sky to do his best. It can become a heated argument that rarely gives satisfying results for either one of them.

4. Favorite non-sexual activity?

Having a meal together. They don’t get a lot of time to spend together some days so they enjoy eating together. It gives a sense of coziness and intimacy and also allows them to talk which is something they actually enjoy even if they will have to be pressed very hard to admit it.

5. Who is most likely to carry the other?

Erendor. Although it takes him a while to get there. Romance is a bit lost on him in the traditional sense but he sees the light eventually. Samara is shocked, almost to a negative experience, but she is also touched once she manages to process.

6. What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

Erendor likes her lips. For all the obvious reasons. But he actually was a little obsessed with reading into her words ever since he met her because he could tell there was more to her and what she was saying and displaying. That may have been transferred to her lips and in a more positive context once he actually started trusting her.

Samara will never admit it but she has a similar fascination with Erendor’s hands. He’s the one person that has been the most careful with her in her whole life and she truly enjoys his touch, even finds it comforting which to her is a big deal and something she needs more time to process.

7. What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

They both freak out before taking the time to process while also subtly encouraging more interaction with the other. Samara invites herself over to Erendor’s chamber more often. Erendor finds the time to join her for a swim sometimes which he deemed unnecessarily exhausting before that.

8. Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Nope. No nicknames here. Not even pet names. Not really.

9. Who worries the most?

Samara worries more about Erendor, about his and Sky’s relationship (as well as her own parenting skills) and about her own relationship with Erendor. He does plenty of worrying as well, though. He feels like Samara might be in more danger than he is because she is defenseless and would also be a target if anyone is trying to harm him or the monarchy.

10. Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Erendor. He’ll be in trouble if she feels like he doesn’t care about her so he’s actually become pretty observant when it comes to Samara.

11. Who tops?

Erendor, mostly. He is generally more into it but Samara has had her moments and she totally managed to pry control out of him.

12. Who initiates kisses?

Erendor, most of the time. Samara’s relationship with physical affection is that she can take it or leave it. Having his attention and his care is more important for her but she is not opposed to kissing either, as long as she feels appreciated.

13. Who reaches for the other’s hand first?

Samara. That’s the one gesture she actually initiates when she wants to show him she’s physically there with him. It’s also really calming to him (but when she’s the one to initiate it), especially if it’s the middle of the night and he is disoriented in his half asleep state.

14. Who kisses the hardest?

Erendor. Samara can be a little afraid of her own passion and displaying it. Especially in the beginning of their marriage.

15. Who wakes up first?

Samara. She’s like clockwork. She gets up without having to be poked or even told. Erendor is a different story. There’s a lot of grumbling and fuming involved.

16. Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

Erendor. Especially after a late night at a ball or other official event. Those are the times he’s most tempted to say fuck it and just toss away the crown. It feels like it’s not worth it when it leaves him exhausted and for what? The whole world is against him.

17. Who says I love you first?

Erendor. It takes him only about 27-28 years of marriage. Samara is still unsure of how ready she was to hear it. She appreciates it, though, and comes to return the sentiment. Even if it takes several more years.

18. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch?

Not in the lunch, but Erendor might send her a note or a text if he’s too busy to join her for lunch or she has a meeting arranged. It’s never anything all that special or poetic but it lets her know that he’s thinking about her and that almost never fails to make her smile.

19. Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

That’s... not exactly how it worked. But Samara’s mother knew before Samara did because Erendor first spoke to her about marrying Samara (it was a bit of an arranged marriage affair).

20. What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Samara’s mother is very content that she managed to get Samara into the royal court and as the queen no less. Erendor’s father does not think much of Samara. But then again he does not think that much of any woman (Samara was very satisfied to put him in his place with Erendor’s full support). Erendor’s mother was actually pretty happy with having Samara as a daughter-in-law once she actually got to know her. She was uncertain about the marriage at first because she thought Samara’s whole family was dangerous but once Samara picked Erendor over them, she relaxed and allowed herself to like her. She hasn’t regretted that just like Erendor hasn’t regretted trusting Samara despite common sense.

21. Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

Samara. She is better at dancing and she enjoys it more. Erendor indulges her.

22. Who cooks more/who is better at cooking?

Neither of them can cook. Erendor might be a little better at it, though. He did study in Red Fountain. He has actually seen people cook. Samara’s mother never let her set foot anywhere near a kitchen.

23. Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines?

Neither, really. But Samara would actually be more likely to. Erendor is... better at speaking his mind than at thinking about how to make it sound romantic.

24. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?

Samara does. It’s entertaining to mess with Erendor and watch his reactions. He doesn’t seem to mind nearly as much as he claims to.

25. Who needs more assurance?

Samara. Erendor already got his reassurance when she trusted him more than she did her family. And even though Samara is pretty convinced that he returns her feelings on their relationship, she is still the one plagued with more doubts. Funnily enough, she is not the one going through episodes of unwarranted jealousy, though.

26. What would be their theme song?

Either East of Eden by Zella Day or Bodies by Bryce Fox.

27. Who would sing to their child back to sleep?

Samara. Erendor does not sing. And she is the one who is a lot more concerned with the actual logistics of raising Sky.

28. What do they do when they’re away from each other?

They have plenty of royal responsibilities to keep them occupied.

29. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

Thanks to a magical illness, Samara doesn’t remember him by the time she dies. Erendor doesn’t even get to say goodbye since the only person she remembers is Sky and they don’t want to confuse and scare her when she won’t recognize Erendor anyway even if they tell her who he is to her.

30. one headcanon about this OTP that mends it

Once Bloom and Sky become rulers of Eraklyon, Erendor and Samara move to one of their estates and live there together with all the time in the world just for the two of them (and occasionally the children and grandchildren).

#winx club #winx erendor #winx samara #erendor x samara #winx headcanons

17 notes · View notes

discover24 · 3 years

Text

THINGS TO DO IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA: TERRIFIC IDEAS!

Have you heard of Torrance?

This city, located in Los Angeles’ South Bay, is known for its cultural and ethnic diversity. As a consequence, it is an exciting place to explore (think beaches, eateries, and markets) when visiting Southern California.

This comprehensive guide will give you all the reasons to start planning a visit to Torrance.

THINGS TO DO IN TORRANCE

As a city of more than 147,000 residents, believe me when I say Torrance has a plethora of attractions, facilities, and open spaces available to the public. What follows is my local perspective on the best things to do in Torrance.

STROLL AROUND OLD TOWN

In the early 1900s, a real estate mogul called James Sydney Torrance took the chance to develop a community south of Los Angeles.

His investment paid off since the area incorporated as the City of Torrance in 1921 and grew in size through annexing different pieces of land.

The original planned community survives in what is known as Old Town. The quiet streets are sprinkled with businesses, residences, trees, parks, and monuments to local heroes.

I visit the area mainly to eat. My husband and I love By Brazil, a churrasqueria known for its home cooking and flavorful meat, chicken, and pork cuts. We save money by taking advantage of the lunch special (about $20 per person).

We were beyond excited when Madre Oaxacan Restaurant opened in the area. We adore Oaxacan food and it is great to have tlayudas, mole negro, and tasajo close to home.

For breakfast, we go to Eat at Rudy’s. For pastries (and donuts, ahem), we go to the Torrance Bakery. We meet with friends at Red Car. For something different, I recommend visiting the Chado Tea Room. Try one of their blossoming teas.

After lunch or dinner, stroll around the streets or pay a visit to Del Prado Park.

JOIN A WALKING TOUR

Every 4th Sunday of the month, the Torrance Historical Society offers a free tour of Old Town Torrance. The 90-minute tour will take you to several landmarks and expand your knowledge about the city.

Note: The tour is offered from May to October. Confirm details a couple of days before the tour date.

VISIT HOF HUT TORRANCE

The reputation of Hofburgers spread and business boomed. In those days Hofburgers cost 15 cents and cheese dogs a dime.

In 1947 my father married my mother, Donna, and with the need for a year round business opened the first Hof’s Hut in Belmont Shore. My mother, who was waiting tables during opening day, gave birth to me later that night, September 16, 1951. So I guess you could say I was born to be in the restaurant business.

Looking back over those early years, I attribute Hof’s success to 2 things: my father’s insistence on using only top quality ingredients to make the best breakfasts, burgers, chili, onion rings and fresh home-baked pies in the county and his unwavering focus on providing truly great service. Though they’ve grown a lot in the decades since, with Hof’s Hut restaurants now located throughout Southern California.

For more information related to hot huf torrance visit their shop now!

VISIT A POPULAR FILMING LOCATION

TV and movie fans will be interested in knowing that Torrance High School has been featured in several well-known productions.

The building gained notoriety for serving as the high school on the popular Beverly Hills, 90210 series. In addition, its facade and patio have been part of TV shows such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Medium and movies such as She’s All That and Bruce Almighty.

ENTER BIVALVE PARADISE AT THE JOLLY OYSTER MARKET

When I told my husband, I was writing an article about things to do in Torrance, he told me not to forget about The Jolly Oyster. Then, he repeated the same thing 20 times.

Per my husband’s mandate, I am suggesting you visit this market specializing in oysters, clams, and crab claws. They have a big local following and excellent reviews.

Actually, this brand started with a truck at the San Buenaventura State Beach (in Ventura, 70 miles north of Los Angeles). We used to stop when driving back from Santa Barbara. My husband was elated when they opened a market in our backyard.

Note: They also serve oysters at Smorgasbord LA, an eating extravaganza taking place every Sunday in Downtown Los Angeles.

GET IN TOUCH WITH NATURE AT THE MADRONA MARSH PRESERVE

The Madrona Marsh showcases the marshland that used to cover the coastal plains of Southern California. Most of these areas were drained in order to develop living and business complexes. Therefore, this marsh is a rare example of how things used to be.

The place provides a habitat for birds, insects, frogs, reptiles, and small mammals. In addition, it is a stop for migrating birds.

The preserve is open to the public every day (except Monday) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. An on-site nature center provides information about the creatures calling home the area and facilitates different types of activities (hikes, workshops, etc.)

SPEND THE DAY AT THE BEACH

A lot of people mention the beach cities of Los Angeles County (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach) but they do not realize Torrance has 1.5 miles of beachfront.

The long stretch of sand between the Redondo Pier and the Palos Verdes Peninsula is shared between Redondo Beach and Torrance. The Torrance part starts south of Miramar Park (where Esplanade meets Paseo de la Playa).

This beach is less hectic than others in the South Bay so, it is a good place to spend the day without having to share your space with hundreds of people. In season, there is a cafe and beach rental shack on-site. The other nice thing is that the Riviera Village, an area with more than 20 restaurants, is located a couple of blocks away.

Also, keep in mind Torrance Beach is the terminus of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail. This 22-mile paved way starts at Will Rogers State Beach and continues through Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey, and other beach cities. Since you are on Torrance Beach, you can use the trail to bike to nearby beach cities. I love to ride along this trail!

ENJOY A BIT OF JAPAN AT MITSUWA MARKETPLACE

Mitsuwa is a supermarket chain with one of the largest selections of imported Japanese goods in the United States. However, this place is more than a supermarket. They sell electronics cosmetics and pharmaceutical goods. And, we cannot forget to mention the food court serving everything from ramen to tempura.

You can spend a decent amount of time browsing the halls and taking advantage of the samples (usually during the weekends). If you feel hungry, you either can grab something at the prepared food section (the selection is mind-blowing) or pick a stall at the food court. I always take several things home to eat later.

The other cool thing is that Mitsuwa has different “fairs” featuring dishes from the different prefectures of Japan or a specific ingredient. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the culture of the country.

STOP BY THE BEST FARMERS MARKET EVER

Many farmers’ markets in the Los Angeles area get tons of rave reviews. I am not sure if it is local pride but, in my opinion, they are not as good as Torrance Farmers Market.

This market is huge! They have products from 60 farms plus flowers, honey, baked goods, nuts, candy, fish, eggs, prepared food, an international food court, and live music. You have the opportunity to sample a lot of different things and try things you have never tried before. Come hungry because you will need space in your stomach to tackle all the offerings.

HUNT FOR AN ANTIQUE TREASURE

If you enjoy browsing for antiques and unique objects in a lively environment, then you have to stop by the Torrance Antique Street Faire.

This monthly event (4th Sunday) gathers 200 vendors and attracts thousands to Old Town Torrance. The fair has been going strong for 20 years and it is a South Bay favorite. Bring the entire family to this fun event. Admission and parking are free.

SHOP AT THE ROADIUM OPEN AIR MARKET

The Roadium can be described as a swap meet or flea market (even though it is “officially” an open-air market). I am pretty sure you are familiar with the concept but, if not, this is a place where used objects are sold or exchanged. Offerings can be new or never used. The idea is to acquire a good at a lower price than usual.

The Roadium covers a big space and it is well organized. You can find cosmetics, perfumes, clothes, shoes, and bags as well as automotive, gardening, locksmithing, and hardware store items.

The market is opened daily but the biggest number of vendors set up stalls during the weekends. Admission is $1 – $2. Additional parking can be found at a lot, located at the intersection of Redondo Beach Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard. A free shuttle transports shoppers to the market’s entrance.

VISIT A MUSEUM

If your preferences are along with the art, history, and culture subjects, it is possible to sharpen your knowledge of those areas by visiting one of the museums in the city of Torrance.

You have the following options:

Torrance Art Museum – focuses on the contemporary art of Southern California. Admission is free.

California Museum of Fine Art – museum and gallery showcasing works of global artists. Opened from Wednesday to Saturday (afternoons)

Torrance Historical Society – offers local exhibits and archives. Open from Wednesday to Saturday (afternoons).

Western Museum of Flight – aviation museum located at Torrance’s Municipal Airport. Opened Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is $5.

Chen Art Gallery – houses one of the most important Chinese art collections in the United States. Opened Tuesday to Friday. Admission is free.

GO BREWERY HOPPING

Torrance is one of the leaders of the craft beer movement in Los Angeles. I am not sure if another city in the area has as many breweries as Torrance.

These breweries are usually located in an industrial zone and facilities are warehouse style. Most places are “bring your own food” (or snacks). Sometimes, a food truck makes a stop or a taquero is serving delicious morsels.

I am not a beer drinker, so I cannot really tell you which place is better. You will need to find out for yourself. But, let me tell you that the places I am mentioning below are alive, thriving, and expanding. Therefore, they must be good.

Smog City Brewing, Monkish Brewing, Cosmic Brewery, The Dudes’ Brewing, and The Strand Brewing are located very not that far from one another (less than a mile).

Not far away, in Old Town Torrance, you have Red Car Restaurant & Brewery and Yorkshire Square Brewery. Absolution Brewing Company and Scholb Premium Ales are located west of the other breweries.

Standing by itself, next to a 99 Cents store, you will find Hop Saint. The food here is phenomenal.

GET TRANSPORTED TO GERMANY (OR CENTRAL EUROPE)

If you have visited Germany, Hungary, Austria, Czechia, and other countries in Central Europe, you wonder how you will survive without sausages, sauerkraut, and goulash once you get back home.

Well, in my case, I almost cried with happiness when I entered the Alpine Village. The market sells about 30 types of sausages (some prepared on-site), potato dumplings, spaetzle, pickled items, and much more. They also have a bakery, cafe, and deli.

Those looking for a more involved experience can visit the restaurant bratwurst, beef goulash, Weiner schnitzel, cold salads, hot dishes, and desserts. I cannot recommend this place enough!

#travel #tour #discover

3 notes · View notes

jungleuniversity · 4 years

Text

How I Improved My MCAT Score (509 -> 518)

Hi Everyone! I got back my new MCAT scores awhile ago, but I thought I’d write a post about how I achieved my score, with hope that it could potentially help another student. I know that while I was studying, a lot of the advice I saw on the internet was overwhelming and made me feel that my level of studying would always be inferior to what others were doing. The vast array of available courses, practice tests, and other services available certainly did not help either, as there is no reasonable way to complete every single resource that exists. In this post, I’ll go through a timeline of my basic study plan and explain which resources I used and why I think they are worth using.

Stage 1 - Kaplan 7 book set and other content resources

I had trouble coming up with a time frame for how long it should take to go through the Kaplan set, which is why I simply called this part the “first stage.” Many guides I have read online mention strictly separated “content review” and “practice exam” phases of studying. Personally, that would never have worked out for me because I would have gotten anxious every time I got a question wrong during the exam phase. Instead, I spent about 3-4 months simply reading and taking notes out of the books, and then doing a mixed exam and content review stage. I used each book in the following ways, especially the second time I studied:

Biochemistry - For the first half of the book I took detailed notes as if I were learning from an ordinary biochemistry textbook for a class. For the second half, I eased on the notes and started drawing out the different pathways. I think I wrote down the Electron Transport Chain pathway 10-15 times and the Citric acid cycle path about 50 times. I did not draw the shapes of compounds, but I won’t tell you not to do that either.

Biology - Same as the Biochem book. I did spend extra time on “high yield content” that's more difficult to memorize, such as actin/tropomyosin activity in muscle.

Physics - I cannot stress what I am about to say enough. The absolute most important things to know from this book are the units. If you are truly stuck on a physics (or often chemistry) question, there is a very good chance you can use dimensional analysis to force your way to the right answer in a relatively brief amount of time. If nothing else, PLEASE learn the units behind every concept.

Chemistry - Use the advice from physics, but I also took pretty heavy notes, especially in the first half, since there’s a lot of content that, despite being easier than biochemistry in my opinion, are foundational and will cause problems if you skip it.

Behavioral Sciences - This was the section that brought down my first attempt score. I found that the premed95 anki deck that’s in circulation was helpful, but it made me incredibly lazy in studying to the point where I would pretend to be productive, while just looking at slides. I was desperate not to repeat my mistakes, so I brute forced my way through the Kaplan book this time instead. I didn’t take notes the way I did for other subjects - instead I hand wrote every single bolded word and definition in a notebook, organized by chapters. This took about a week and I did not study any other subject during this time. I don’t know if I would recommend this method for Behavioral Sciences for everyone, but the truth is that after I did this, my practice section scores went from 124 to 128-130. One thing to keep in mind though, the last few sections of the Physics/Math book are absolutely critical to the Behavioral Sciences section as they are the only resource within the Kaplan set which explain the research methodologies for both Psychology and Sociology.

Organic Chemistry - I took sparse notes on this book. I think it's the least useful out of the 7 book set, and I often had to look to the internet and old organic chemistry class notes to clarify mechanisms and pathways. Nevertheless, make flashcards or write down reactions such as the Aldol condensation, which more likely than not will show up at some point.

CARS - Skip this book. In my opinion, there are better ways to study this section. Most importantly, use the CARS question packs from AAMC.

Stage 2 - CARS, Mixed Content Review and Practice Exams (2-3 weeks)

This is around when I started taking CARS much more seriously, so I would recommend starting earlier. I mainly focused on using the two AAMC question packs, although the KhanAcademy passages were also useful. The first question pack was definitely a bit more difficult and you might feel discouraged after going through half of it. However, I promise it does get better. Part of the change is that as you read explanations for why you get questions wrong, your skill will begin to improve. The other part is that the second half of the question pack, as well as most of the second question pack are more closely aligned with the difficulty level of the actual test.

This was also when I began taking NextStep full length exams. (Insert surprised Pikachu face) My first score was a 501. Definitely not expected at the time, but it was a necessary wakeup call to understand where my content gaps were.

After each exam I took from this point on, I would take the rest of the day off after taking the exam. Just relax, after taking a 7 hour exam, you deserve it tbh. The next day, go over the entire exam, question by question and take notes where you need to. I wrote very brief 1-line notes for questions I got right and understood, and more detailed notes for all incorrect questions as well as correct questions that I did not fully understand. This is important for two reasons: First, this allows you to know exactly where your content gaps are and understand how you can improve applying the concepts that you already know. Second, there’s only so many different things they can ask you on the MCAT. It might sound endless, but there are a finite number of concepts and you are bound to see very similar questions on future practice tests and also on the real MCAT. In my experience, writing down the explanation for the correct answers on missed questions ensured that I never get a similar question incorrectly in the future. Overall, next-step exams were alright, but their content felt incredibly low-yield. Now, studying low yield concepts is extremely important, but it's obviously detrimental if that's all you study.

For the next month, I would alternate between taking next-step and AAMC full lengths, with breaks in between to review my content gaps. My highest Nextstep exam was a 512, but I tended to score around 507-508. My aamc exams, in order, were 519, 517, and 515. The downward trend was concerning, but I was honestly happy since all of those scores were higher than my target at the time, 513. Also, I falsely began to think that NextStep exams were extremely deflated. (They are, but not nearly to the extent that you might think.)

Finally, the day before my first exam: I couldn’t sleep at all, and I went against common advice of not studying on this day. As for exam day, just trust yourself and the studying you have done. My main advice beyond what anyone else will tell you is to keep a close eye on the clock. Several people who tested with me lost up to 5 minutes on CARS because they forgot to take into account the time during their lunch break. Not every test center will have digital clocks, and the one I went to only had a tiny analog clock near the area they check you in. When I asked a proctor for the time, he just laughed. So make sure you look at the clock and remember the time when your break starts.

My score on the first exam turned out to be a 509. Not necessarily a bad score at all, but this score was much lower than what I was aiming for. It was disappointing, mainly due to the time I put into studying, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. My behavioral sciences section severely pulled my score down, and there were a few content areas that I truly was not prepared for. I felt bad about it for about a week, and afterwards started studying again.

Stage 3: Final Preparations

Initially, I found it relatively difficult to study during the semester. One of my friends recommended I use UWorld questions to effectively use my time. This resource definitely helped me out when I felt like I simply did not have enough time to finish studying. They provide you with 1500 or so questions, categorized by section and sub categorized by topic. You can choose how many questions or passages you want to do in one sitting, and if you want it timed or not. After you finish, they provide you with personalized statistics for the session, as well as explanations for each question, which are saved and can be viewed at any time. Alongside simply rereading the Kaplan books, this is the best way to reinforce content knowledge.

The final resource I used were the Altius exams. I purchased a pack of 5 on a whim because 1) I ran out of practice tests and 2) someone on reddit said these were severely under-appreciated. Well, that gamble paid off because I believe these exams are about as close as you can get to the AAMC full lengths, BUT they give you much more detailed explanations, and are just a little bit more difficult, so you actually end up feeling like the AAMC practice exams are a bit smoother and easier to pace yourself on. After purchasing, I had one month to take all five, as well as the then-recently-released AAMC FL #4. Altius exams were great, and honestly, my only “complaint” was that CARS felt a little bit too difficult to be as useful as it could be. I also studied Behavioral Sciences and Biochemistry the way I described in Part 1, since I felt like I underperformed on those sections.

When second exam day approached, I forced myself to get a full night of sleep this, and it absolutely paid off. I was noticeably more aware during this test than my previous attempt, and corrected myself before making a bunch of silly errors.

A month later, I found out I got a 518, which was higher than my original goal.

Tl;dr:

Studying for the mcat is expensive, and it can be hard to find advice on which resources are useful.

In my opinion, only: Altius exams are amazing. UWorld is a great resource for content gaps and reinforcement, especially when you have sharp time constraints. Kaplan books are awesome for content review, but it should be fine if you buy an older edition (I used 2015).

#long post #mcat #mcat studying #medblr #studyblr #mcat advice #premed #premedblr #medical school #wild if u read this whole thing #studyspo #s post

50 notes · View notes

paulckrueger · 3 years

Text

Debt consolidation: How does it work and is it right for you?

When you have debts everywhere you turn, it can feel like you’re completely swamped. Your hands are tied every payday as you funnel money into paying off debts, leaving you with no room to save.

That’s why a lot of people turn to debt consolidation, which is when you use a loan to pay off all of your debt — and it can seem like a godsend.

But wait, how is ANOTHER debt supposed to help?

Of course, you’re right to be suspicious. The thing is, it can help but only if you do it right. Do it wrong and you’ll be kicking yourself from a position worse than you’re in now. So, should I consolidate my debt?

Debt consolidation can work as a way to pay off debt faster. However, if you’re not disciplined and look for help in the wrong places, you’ll end up spending MORE time paying off your debt.

Let’s take a look at what debt consolidation is, how to consolidate debt, the pros and cons, where to find a reputable organization to help you, and ways you can get out of debt fast.

Bonus: Ready to ditch debt, save money, and build real wealth? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

What is debt consolidation?

Debt consolidation combines all of the debt you owe into a single payment with a lower monthly interest rate. This typically works by taking out another loan in order to pay off all of your other debt.

Let’s say you have debt across three credit cards and you owe the following:

Credit card A: $2,000 at 10% APR

Credit card B: $1,000 at 20% APR

Credit card C: $1,000 at 15% APR

Each month, you’re contributing $100 to each card for a total of $300 — however, a portion of each is being eaten by interest:

Credit card A: $16.67

Credit card B: $16.67

Credit card C: $12.50

So in all you’re paying $254.16 towards your debt rather than the full $300.

With debt consolidation, you take out a loan of $4,000 and pay off ALL of the above debt — and you get a lower interest rate for the loan at 10%.

Now each month when you contribute $300 you’ll pay $266.67 towards your debt rather than just $254.16.

In theory, this means you’ll be able to pay off your debt faster.

The interest rate you’re able to get depends on which type of loan you attain:

Secured loan. This is a loan where you put up an asset (e.g., car or home) as collateral. If you default on your loan, your creditor will repossess said asset.

Unsecured loan. This is a loan that just uses credit. As a result though, you might end up with higher interest rates than if you had a secured loan.

If you want to get your debt consolidated, you’ll have to go through one of the two routes above — which we’ll get into later.

Before we do that though, it’s important you know the dangers around consolidating your debt.

Bonus: Ready to ditch debt, save money, and build real wealth? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

The problem with debt consolidation

But before you click on one of those scammy internet ads marketing “DEBT CONSOLIDATION — BE DEBT FREE IN 3 HOURS,” consider the big drawbacks to debt consolidation:

1. It could take longer to pay down your debt

If there’s anything we’ve learned about human psychology over a decade of studying behavior and personal finances, it’s that things like that are easier said than done.

For example, if the average person ends up saving $300 in interest payments because of debt consolidation, do you think they’ll use that extra money towards their debt OR do you think they’ll end up spending it?

Most likely, the latter.

Human willpower is limited. It’s the same reason why cutting out lattes or skipping lunch to save money doesn’t work.

A person with 300 “extra dollars” might end up just blowing it on something else.

What happens then is it takes longer to pay down debt. This results in even MORE fees they have to pay.

Aside from diminishing willpower, many debt consolidation loan companies offer up longer loan terms than people realize. So while the interest rate is lower, they end up paying more because they didn’t take into account how long they’d have the loan for.

2. You could lose your home or car

If you decide to put your car or home down as collateral you stand to lose much more than a few thousand dollars off the life of your loan.

A home equity loan is also known as a second mortgage. Taking a second mortgage out on your home means you risk losing your house if you fail to make payments.

Of course there are some advantages to going this route. For one you can deduct the interest payments from your home equity loan from your taxes. Plus you’ll be able to get a lower interest rate than if you went the unsecured route.

Overall, though, it’s just not worth the risk — especially when there are better ways to go about it.

3. Your credit score will suffer

There are a few things that go into making a great credit score. One of them is your credit history — or how long you’ve had credit for.

It actually accounts for 15% of your overall score.

That might seem small but consider this: If you get rid of a bunch of different lines of credit at once, your credit score is going to take a huge drop. That drop gets bigger with more and more lines of credit you close.

How do you know if debt consolidation is right for you?

Debt consolidation can be a great way to plan your route out of debt. But that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect solution for everyone.

The benefits of debt consolidation are hard to argue with. You can simplify your debt, save money on interest, only deal with one creditor, and (hopefully) clear your debt faster. But there are pros and cons you need to know about before you make this decision.

It can be the best move for some, but worse for others.

Signs debt consolidation is right for you

You have high-interest debts

The number one sign that debt consolidation is a good option for you is if you have several high-interest debts. Why pay interest on several debts when you can pay it on just one?

If you know you can secure a lower interest loan, it makes sense to consolidate your debts.

According to Experian, the average personal loan interest rate is 9.41% — whereas the average interest rate for credit cards is around 16%. So, if you’ve got a ton of credit card debt, it’s worth considering debt consolidation.

You have good credit

If you’re already in debt, getting another loan might be tricky unless you have good credit. Most creditors will want a credit score of around 670 (FICO Score).

If you have good credit, you’re more likely to get approved, and also get a loan with decent interest rates. Remember, you want a loan with lower interest rates than your current debts, so this part is key. If your credit score isn’t the best, a new loan might not have favorable interest rates.

You want a fixed repayment schedule

With some debts like credit cards, it’s easy to just make the minimum payments or even miss a payment (please don’t do this). This makes it harder to clear the debt because some of it relies on willpower.

With a personal loan, you have a fixed payment and loan term that you have to abide by. This makes it much easier to stay on track and clear your debts. It also means there are no fluctuations in your monthly debt payments like with a credit card so it’s easier to budget for.

Signs debt consolidation is NOT right for you

You have a poor credit score

Having a poor credit score is one reason why a lot of people want to get out of debt as fast as possible.

However, debt consolidation relies on you not only being able to take out a new loan but also getting one without crazy high interest rates.

If the only loans you can take out mean you’ll be paying MORE in interest rates, then it’s not worth it. In this case, the only benefit would be to simplify your loans.

But what you really need is to save on interest so you can clear the debts faster.

You’re on the verge of bankruptcy

If things have taken a downward turn and creditors are threatening to sue, then a debt consolidation loan may not even be accessible to you. Bankruptcy is a scary thought, but if this is your reality, you are unlikely to qualify for a debt consolidation loan.

If this is your current situation, you would be better off looking into debt settlement to try and reduce your debt amount first.

You can’t afford the monthly repayments

Taking on another debt is tricky if you’re already in debt. While you can use this one to clear your other debts, you need to make sure you can cover the monthly repayments.

As it’ll be a higher debt amount (to cover all your other debts), the monthly repayments will be higher. Make sure that you can fit it comfortably into your budget before taking on new debt.

After all, missing repayments can set you back even further.

Bonus: Ready to ditch debt, save money, and build real wealth? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

How to consolidate debt — and get rid of it completely

If you’re STILL interested in consolidating your debt, I want to help you.

Because there are a LOT of scammy consolidation services out there. These “businesses” will promise that they’ll help you get out of debt fast through their loan packages …

… only to screw you with hidden fees, bloated interest rates, and long loan terms.

The trick here then is to separate the good debt consolidation organizations from the bad ones.

Step 1: Find a non-profit debt consolidation firm

Non-profit debt consolidation firms are 501(c)(3) organizations that help provide you with consolidation services, credit counseling, and will even negotiate with your creditors for you.

The best part: They do so with little to no costs to you since they’re funded by third-party sources such as donations and grants.

Unfortunately, even scammers and bad consolidation services have non-profit status. So you’ll have to do your research into finding a reputable one.

Two good signs a non-profit debt consolidation firm is the real deal:

Fees. A reputable non-profit will likely have monthly maintenance fees. Luckily, they’re relatively low cost — and if you’re in really dire straits, some non-profits will waive the fees entirely for you.

Non-profit status. This might seem like a no-brainer but it still needs to be said: Ask them for verification of their non-profit status. Too many scam companies pretend they’re non-profits in order to lure people in. Don’t be one of those people.

Make a list of 5 to 10 non-profit debt consolidation firms. Spend the next week calling each of them and getting a consultation on your situation and what they can do for you.

A good non-profit will spend about an hour on your consultation. Beware of any organization that wants to take your money and put you into a plan right away. They are NOT looking out for your best interests.

Step 2: Eliminate temptation

Luckily, a non-profit debt consolidation firm will take care of a lot of legwork for you. That means they’ll call your creditors, negotiate down your debt and interest rate, and work with them to consolidate all of your debt into one manageable monthly payment.

Unluckily, that’s the easy part. The hard part means actually doing the work of paying down your debt — and that’s up to you.

To do that, you need to first get rid of the temptation of using your credit cards until you’re debt-free. If you ever expect to pay down your debt, you can’t add more to it.

Here’s my favorite tip: Plunge your cards into a bowl of water and shove it all into your freezer.

Seriously. Remember what we said about human willpower? It’s very weak — so weak that a solution like freezing your cards is necessary sometimes to delete temptation.

When you literally freeze your credit, you’ll have to chip away at a massive block of ice in order to get it back — giving you time to think about whether or not you want to go through with whatever purchase you were going to make.

You can also give them away to a loved one to keep until you’re out of debt.

Step 3: Confront your debt

It’s good to finally confront your debt. That’s the first step to getting out of it.

While it may be tough to climb out of debt, the sooner you make a plan to do so, the better. You’ll be able to repair your credit score, work on boosting your savings, save on interest, and finally get some sleep at night. Debt can weigh heavily on the mind, after all.

The good thing is, you don’t have to do this all alone. There’s help at hand. You can get in touch with a non-profit debt consolidation firm to help you. Take advantage of their credit counseling services to help steer you through unmanageable debt. Do your research and find a non-profit so you can avoid the scammers out there.

It’s easy to feel bad for yourself and avoid confronting your debt. It’s harder to actually step up and do something about it.

Since you’re here, that means that you’re willing to put in the work to dig yourself out of your financial hole which is amazing!

Bonus: Want to know how to make as much money as you want and live life on your terms? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Making Money

What is the difference between debt consolidation and debt settlement?

Another term you’ll likely come across in your quest to clear your debt is debt settlement. But what is it?

Both debt settlement and debt consolidation are used to handle personal debt, but they work in very different ways.

Debt settlement is used to reduce the total amount of debt owed. Whereas debt consolidation is about reducing the number of creditors you owe.

With debt consolidation, you combine multiple debts into one. Debt settlement is when you ask one or more of your creditors to accept less than you owe.

If the creditor agrees, you both reach a settlement agreement in either a lump sum or installments.

Which one is best for you?

This depends on your circumstances and what the creditor will agree to. If you want to make your monthly repayments more manageable and reduce the amount of interest you pay, then debt consolidation is the way to go.

If you’re already behind on payments and are struggling to meet them, then debt settlement might be a better option.

In this case, if you’re already behind on payments you might struggle to get a debt consolidation loan anyway because of the impact on your credit score. So, debt settlement is definitely something to try out to reduce the burden.

Debt settlement is the next logical step if you’re out of options, have poor credit, and want to avoid declaring bankruptcy if at all possible.

It may mean taking a hit on your credit score, but you might have to just accept that. Once the debts are clear, you can get to work on repairing that damage.

How does debt settlement work?

Debt settlement is a tricky one and requires you to whip out your negotiation skills. There’s no guarantee the creditor will agree, but there’s no harm in asking.

The process is pretty simple. You can ask your creditor if they would be willing to negotiate a settlement. Do this over the phone or in writing to keep a record of the conversation.

A creditor can do one of three things:

Accept it

Reject it

Make a counteroffer

With the counteroffer, you will need to consider if the amount they want is affordable in your budget. Make sure you’re agreeing to something that’s realistic and fair.

Once you agree on a settlement amount, all that’s left is to arrange the payments. This can either be a lump sum or through installment payments, whichever you agree to.

After you’ve made the payments, the remaining balance that’s been hanging over your head will be a nice round zero.

If negotiating debt settlement on your own sounds like a nightmare, don’t worry. There is help at hand. You can hire a debt settlement company to negotiate on your behalf. However, this does involve paying them a fee, and again, you have to do your research to avoid hiring a scammer.

Pros and cons of debt settlement

Pros

You reduce your debt amount

The biggest pro to debt settlement is simply that you reduce your debt amount. A lot of people don’t know that you can ask your creditors for this. So they carry on struggling.

But if you’re struggling, it can’t hurt to ask. If a creditor agrees, you could cut hundreds of dollars from your debt and all the interest that comes on top of that.

You can clear your debt faster

With a smaller debt amount to pay off, you can pay it off faster. Whether you agree on a payment plan or a lump sum, you’ll be able to say goodbye to your debts much sooner.

This means your money will be freed up faster to put into savings accounts or whatever else you want to spend your money on. You can also get to work repairing any damage to your credit score once the debt is clearer. The sooner the better.

It could help you avoid bankruptcy

If bankruptcy is on the horizon, debt settlement should absolutely be a consideration. The last thing you want is a bankruptcy on your record. You can pretty much say goodbye to being able to take out credit for a LONG time if you reach this point.

Cons

Your credit score will take a hit

Naturally, debt settlement does not reflect well on your ability to repay debts. If you have debt settlement in your credit history, it signals to future creditors that you are riskier to lend to. This could result in sky-high interest rates or outright credit rejection in the future.

However, if your credit score is already low and your debts are just making it worse, then you pretty much have nothing to lose. Yes, you’ll take a hit, but you’ll also get out of debt sooner if your creditors agree to debt settlement.

You might struggle to get credit again… especially with those creditors

A lower-than-ideal credit score does affect your ability to take out credit in the future. However, if you’ve been in a tricky situation with credit, it’s probably worth avoiding new loans and finance for a little while anyway.

The creditors who agree to debt settlement will likely avoid lending to you again because they will be worried about losing money. This could limit your options in the future. But if it’s your only option, you might just have to just bite the bullet.

There is no guarantee creditors will agree

Unfortunately, if you’re relying on creditors to throw you a lifeline here, you might be out of luck. In an ideal scenario, they’ll be forgiving and offer you a way to climb out of debt in a way that benefits everyone.

But there’s no guarantee they’ll do this. They could outright reject your request or be inflexible with their counteroffer.

There’s little you can do if this is the case. You can try another of your creditors if you have several debts to see if any of them will agree.

Bonus: Ready to ditch debt, save money, and build real wealth? Download our FREE Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance.

Avoiding debt in the future

After you’ve decided on a method to reduce your debt – don’t stop. Ridding yourself of debt is just one key part of building strong personal finance. The other part of the puzzle is to manage your spending so you don’t end up in the same position as before.

The last thing you want to do is put all your hard work into clearing the debt, only to succumb to temptation or poor money management which puts you right back where you started.

That’s why we want to give you something that can help you take your personal finances to the next level: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance. In it, you’ll learn how to:

Master your 401k: Take advantage of the free money offered to you by your company.

Manage Roth IRAs: Start saving for retirement in a worthwhile long-term investment account.

Spend the money you have — guilt-free: By leveraging the systems in this e-book, you’ll learn exactly how you’ll be able to save money to spend without the guilt.

Enter your info below and get on your way to living a Rich Life today.

Yes, send me the Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Give me the guide!

100% privacy. No games, no B.S., no spam. When you sign up, we’ll keep you posted

Debt consolidation: How does it work and is it right for you? is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/debt-consolidation/

1 note · View note

what-is-your-plan-today · 4 years

Text

Stark Spangled Forever- Utter Nonsense Drabble... 40 Questions!

Yeah so don’t ask me where this came from, but I saw these floating around and for some reason decided it would be funny if Steve and Katie answered some of them instead of me...

I think the original post was from @odaatlover and I think I was taggeed by @sweater-daddiesdumbdork. Anyway, I took my favourite ones and this was the result...enjoy!

1. What’s one animal you wish you could have as a pet but can’t?

Katie: I’d kinda like a tiger. They’re so graceful and pretty but pack a mean bite and you wouldn’t mess with one would you?

Steve: Who does that remind you of?

2. Favorite thing to wear to sleep?

Steve: (grinning) Nothing.

Katie : I can confirm that is also my favourite thing he sleeps in...

3. What song really gets you going?

Katie: In what way? If it’s to dance and just act like a crazy fool to then its always going to be “Back in Black” because it reminds me a lot of Tony and happy times growing up. But if its one to spark memories then its our wedding song.

Steve: “The Only One In Color” by Trapt. I also kinda like the John Legend song “You and I” because it reminds me of her, you know, the bit aout trying on every damned out fit she ownes before we can go out.

Katie: I don’t do that.

Steve looks at Katie, eyebrow raising.

Katie: Ok, maybe I can be a little incecisive....but tha wasn’t really the point of the...you know what, never mind. Next...

4. Where do you usually eat your meals?

Steve: It depends. If its breakfast or lunch dring the week then it’s usual eaten on the go whilst we’re getting the kids sorted or I’m in between classes...but dinner, well we always try and sit down. And at weekends we always eat at the table with the kids.

5. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Katie: Dinner. During the week Steve and I eat a little bit later than the kids so we have that time to ourselves just to decompress and talk about our day, have a bit of us time...and at weekend we’re al together so I love it.

Steve: I love it for all those reasons, and also because she’s the best damned cook on the planet.

6. Most embarrassing habit?

Katie: Erm...

Steve: It’s pretty embarassing when you throw a Brat tantrum about something.. Katie: I don’t do that in public.

Steve: Bullshit. I refer you to the whole car purchasing situation a few years ago.

Katie: Jamie was only a baby...I was hormonal.

Steve: Hormonal my ass, you were being a brat.

Katie: Whatever. Yours is definately the need to stand with your hands on your hips and give someone your Captain look, especially when it’s someone you have never met before but they just happen to be doing something to piss you off.

Steve: I make no apologies for this. People can be idiots.

7. Chocolate or fruity candy?

Both at same time: Chocolate.

Steve: Preferably British. Cadbury’s to be specific. I got a taste for it when I was in London during the war.

Katie: He has a secret stash he hides from the kids...it’s great to blackmail him with.

8. Soft or hard tacos?

Steve: Soft

Katie: Hard

Steve: Although hard ones always remind me of when you went into labour with Jamie. We were making them for lunch and you had a contraction and crushed one...

Katie: Oh yeah, maybe soft in that case...because that was painful. And then I went throguh that another 3 times.Which is your fault.

Steve: I take full responsibility, yes.

9. Worst way to break up a fight?

Katie: Walk into the middle of it and say “Prove it, put the hamer down...” Steve: sighs, That was one time.

Katie: And it levelled a forest.

Steve: Did it work?

Katie: Hmmm, suppose so.

Steve: There you go ...but if its a fight between us, the I can think of the best way to break it up...

Katie : grinning, yeah...that’ s pretty funny. Or the worst one is telling you you’re in the spare room.

Steve: Yeah...that sucks.

10. Best thing to say in an elevator of strangers?

Katie: Putting on deep voice “Before we get started, does anyone wanna get out?”

Steve: Sighing I wish I had some smart reply to that bu I don’t...

Katie: No, you just threw us out the side of the damned thing from 14 storeys up

Steve: 19

Katie: That’s...that’s not better Steve.

11. Any hidden talents?

Steve: Not so much hidden really but I’m not a bad artist and Katie’s singing and piano playing is off the scale.

Katie: Steve’s really good at DIY. Like, brilliantly good. And also pretty savvy with technology all things considered...

Steve: When you say all things considered you mean because I’m like 112

Katie: Actually, you’re like 127 if you count the 15 years you spent back in time after putting the stones back.

Steve: hesitates I thought you said they didn’t count because I didn’t spend them with you.

Katie: They don’t, but they still happened.

12. Socks or bare feet around the house?

Steve: Socks

Katie: Bare feet

Steve: Neither of those protect you from standing on lego, which for the record, I reckon has to be a pain worse than chilbirth.

Katie: Seriously? You’re going there?

Steve: Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration but it still hurts like hell.

13: Favorite board game?

Katie: Monopoly. Its funny to watch Emmy and Jamie getting really agitated and annoyed. The younger 3 don’t really get it, Rori just likes to help Steve by sorting all his money into piles and suggesting things he can spend it on.

Steve: Namely tutus and tap shoes...she still wants to be chorus girl.

14:Heat on or keep it cold with lots of layers?

Katie: Oh my God. Steve is a nightmare as he runs hotter than any of us, so whilst we want the fire or heat on he’s complaining he’s boiling hot all the time. Our bedroom is like an ice block.

Steve: Doll, I’ve been in an ice block. Trust me, our bedroom is like a furnace in comparison.

Katie: It si nice though, like sleeping with a big hot water bottle.

15: At what age did you first have alcohol?

Katie: I’m sure Tony gave me beer when I was 15 or something but the first time I ever got drunk was aged 17. I went to a keg party at one of my friends and I was aboslutely shit faced. Tony held my hair back whilst i puked my guts upt for a good hour once I was home. I had the hangover to end all hangovers the next day and he cracked JARVIS up to maximum volume just to teach me a lesson.

Steve: I think I was 18. Me and Buck drank a bottle of his dad’s home made hooch...yeah, it didn’t take me much to get me drunk back then and I was very, very illl. Ma thought I had a fever. Mr Barnes thought it was hilarious, but still gave us both a slap upside th head...

16. What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on a single item of clothing?

Katie: I would say my wedding dress, but Tony bought that for me, so it would probably the the dress I wore to the SIP Launch for The Color Of Revenge...that cost...well it was in the tens of thousands

Steve: Blinking How much?

Katie: You don’t need to know.

17. What do you typically wear to formal events?

Steve: Whatever my gal tells me to.

Katie: And you always look great Soldier.

18. Favorite memory?

Steve: Oooh, other than when we adopted Emmy or the kids were born, I’d have to say when Katie agreed to be my wife. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.

Katie: Me neither, not least becase I got my camero...

Steve: rolls eyes.

Katie: Joking aside, yeah the engagement sticks in my mind but I think it was when you finally kissed me for the first time. I knew then that I was never gonna let you go.

Steve: yeah...that...ok you know what this is an impossible question after being together for so long.

19. Favorite shoes?

Katie: I have a pair of sparkly gold Jimmy Choo stilettoes that I’ve had for ages. They’re gorgeous, with ankle straps and pointed toes. I’ve had them for almost 17 years but they’re amazin.

Steve: grins. Yeah, they’re my favourite shoes too...

Katie: Pervert.

Steve: I’m not even gonna deny it. Those shoes ALWAYS stay on if I can help it.

20. Most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

Both start to laugh hysterically.

Steve: Where do we start?

Katie: New York, Washington, Sokovia, Lagos, Leipzig, Siberia, Wakanda, Upstate and proablly a whole load of other places in between could be good places Stevie.

Steve: Yeah, this...I can’t answer this.

21. Most embarrassing thing your parents have caught you doing?

Katie: I was 7 when my parents died but taking Tony as surrogate, I reckon him catching us in the kitchen when we were...you know, and he didn’t actually know about us has got to be up there.

Steve: Yeah, that was pretty bad... although my Ma once caught me and Bucky measuring our... looks down.

Katie: splutters What? You never told me this?

Steve: Well its not exactly somethign that crops up in conersation sweethheart? “Oh by the way, once when we were 16 me and Buck compared sizes...” Katie: Blinks. Boys are strange. So who had the biggest...

Steve: Next question...

22. Last time you had an orgasm?

Both grin.

Steve: Last night

Katie: I can confrim this...there’s not many nights to be fair where we don’t...

23: Celebrity Crushes?

Katie: grins. Does Bucky Barnes count?

Steve: Fuck you.

24: Makeup or natural?

Katie: Normally I just wear a bit of tinted moisturiser and mascara, now I have the kids anyway. I don’t have time to really do my face in a morning. I’ll make the effort when we go out though...

Steve: You don’t need it honey.

Katie: Awww thanks baby.

Steve: Although that red lipstick you wear, the bright red..yeah...I like that... grins wickedly and winks It smears well...

Katie flushes: dirt bag

25. Favorite season?

Katie: Summer. Growing up in Malibu I like the sun and warmth.

Steve: Fall. It’s an artists dream...the colours and textures are amazing to work with

Katie: Fall is rubbish. Everything dies and it’s a bit shit.

Steve: But you make apple pie and get to snuggle in my sweaters.

Katie: literally the only 2 things good about it.

26. Are you a competitive person?

Katie snorts and looks at Steve

Steve: I’m not even going to deny it.

Katie: He even refuses to let the kids win a games sometimes.

Steve: Important life lessons, Doll.

27. First pet you’ve ever owned?

Katie: My goldfish Flounder, the one that Tony replaced about 8 times. Other than that it was my Turkey Marv, he was ace.

Steve: I didn’t have any growing up so mine would be Lucky. He was a great dog.

28. Favorite pasta dish?

Steve: Mac and Cheese, specifically Katie’s. It’s amazing.

Katie smiling: Yeah I like Mac and Cheese, but I also enjoy carbonara.

29. Favorite kind of pizza?

Both: Pepperoni.

Steve: New York Style.

Katie: I like Deepdish every now and then.

Steve: It’s not the same...

Katie: well dur, that’s the point.

Steve: Yeah, not convinced.

30. Lots of acquaintances or a handful of close friends?

Katie: Handful of close friends, without a doubt. They become an extension of your family, you know. All of us in the Avengers were close and when you have that bond, you’ll do anything for one another.

Steve: Agree completely. When you’re close like we all are then it makes everything that little bit easier, knowing that whatever you’re facing you’ve got each others 6.

31: Something that ruins your appetite?

Katie: Narrows eyes Whenver I see Ross on Tv. Makes me want to puke.

Steve: You really should let that go you know?

Katie: Never. I hold a grudge very well.

Steve: Don’t I know it.

32. Night out with a bunch of friends in public or night in with one friend having deep conversations?

Steve: I’ve never been one for big nights out. I enjoy the odd one now and then but, I’d much rather curl up on the sofa or round the firepit with Katie or Sam or Bucky with a beer and some decent talk.

Katie: Yeah, at one time I would have said night out hands down, but certianly since having the kids, or even since we started dating, it’s definately change my ideas a little. Some of the nicest nights we’ve had have been spent on the sofa.

Steve grins: yeah...

Katie: And not just because of that....

33. Have you ever told someone you loved them first?

Steve: I’ve only ever told one girl I loved them and she’s sat right here, and I said it first that night...

Katie: smiling Yeah, yeah you did. I wasn’t far behind though, like 3 seconds or something.

34. Have you ever had sex on the first date?

Katie: Does a one night stand count as a first date? Because if so then yes...

Steve: Same.

Katie: Lottie?

Steve: Storm?

Both look at one another, teasingly.

Katie: Ok next question...

35. Heroes or villains?

Steve: Some people might say there’s a fine line between the two. Katie: Oh here he goes, getting all Captain Philosophical again...look, everyone knows we were suposedly the heroes Steve, and to be fair we saved the world a fair few times, we were even fighting in the shadows during the Nomad years.

Steve: I know, I know...

36. How many plates can you eat at a buffet?

Steve: You know I’ve never actually counted.

Katie: You did 20 at the last brunch we went to.

Steve: 20...that’s...impressive.

Katie: smirking Bucky did 22

Steve: sighs Of course he did...

37: Favorite dessert?

Steve: Apple pie, preferably Katie’s

Katie: Pecan pie. Hands down.

38 Would you rather watch a TV show or a movie?

Steve: Ooh, that’s..i suppose it depends. I do like a good TV series, especially if we can curl up and binge watch once the kids are going to bed but I do have fond memories of us working through the films on my list...

Katie: smiling, yeah we had a lot of fun. Still

39. What’s your favorite compliment to give?

Steve: I love telling Katie how beautiful she is, and what a wonderful mother she is...all of which is true.

Katie: I like to remind Steve that he’s my Steve Rogers, not Captain America...because he is. And he’s the most amazing man on the planet, with or withouth that serum coursing through his veins. Which is what makes him the best dad the kids could wish for.

40. What’s the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to you?

Steve: smiling, she’s sat right next to me.

Katie: smiling , back at ya soldier.

#stark spangled banner #steve rogers #steve rogers x oc #steve rogers x original female character #katie stark

40 notes · View notes

elencelebrindal · 3 years

Note

How do you still have time to write your fanfiction, even if you're so busy? I never find the time to work on mine :(

In short: give yourself a set amount of time everyday, as small or as big as you want, and do nothing but write.

In long:

I managed to find an efficient way to have at least a bit of time to write, since it’s my main hobby and my way of getting rid of stress. Basically, if I know I’ll be studying the entire day (I normally take an hour break to go for a walk while I still can, otherwise I’ll just go crazy), I’ll stop studying to have lunch, which normally takes me maybe 10/15 minutes max, and then write for 30 minutes more or less. Unfortunately, this only gives me time to work only on one project, while some time ago I could easily work on two or three simultaneously, but it’s a good way to ensure that 1. I get to do something I enjoy and 2. I get to rest for a bit before studying again.

Luckily for me, I got so used to writing and coming up with stuff that I can write up to 3/4 full pages before running out of time, so I can get as much as I can from a single day. This is the main reason why I’m able to keep up with my fanfiction. The second main reason is even simpler: I write shorter chapters that I’m used to, save for some exceptions, and I only publish one chapter a week. This gives me enough time to write, even if I have to skip writing for 4/5 days.

Other hobbies I have, like drawing, I keep for the evening, when my brain is too tired to function and I can just relax with a good old pencil in hand, so during my afternoon break I can focus just on writing.

Other than that, though, I had to put my other stuff on hiatus. I have a Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction going on, that I had to stop because I’m writing it in both Italian and English and it has pretty long chapters, so it takes too long for me to even think about writing it now. And I have a BNHA series going, that I also had to pause because I’m writing it all in English, and I cannot focus enough during such a short break to write a fully fledged work in a different language that is actually good. This specific fanfiction I have going on now, the Saint Seiya collection of stories, is only in Italian. I don’t have a translation to worry about (in fact, I postponed an eventual English translation to when I actually have time to put into it), and it’s much easier for me to come up with stuff in Italian rather than in English.

If you want to have some time to work on your stuff, if you can give yourself 20/30 minutes of your time daily, you can write a lot without realizing it, and you won’t waste time. If you work and go back home tired at the end of the day, find 5/10 minutes of your time, sit in front of your screen and piece of paper, and write something. Anything, even a single sentence.

I literally used this last method myself last year, when I used to go to my university in the morning and come back in the evening. 10 minutes and a couple sentences, even when I was so tired I just wanted to sleep without even eating, helped me unwind some of the tension I accumulated during the day and work towards complete chapters. If you’re on an even tighter schedule, grab a piece of paper while you’re cooking and write down the general idea you have for the story. I do this when I’m panic studying before an exam, days that I normally spend from morning to evening just flipping through books and notes without breaks, and it works amazingly. As soon as I have time, I go through what I wrote, write it on my computer, and then go from there to an entire story with ease. Sometimes I even take notes on my phone, when ideas and dialogues come to mind, so I can always be ready to write even if I just have 5 minutes.

This is not a perfect method, and if you’re having multiple works going on you might want to either pause some of them or divide them according to your schedule, but I find it work perfectly for me. Doing this, I actually managed to write more than 10 chapters in less than a month, but remember: only because I focused only on one thing. If I were to try more, I probably would still be stuck at chapter 3. I had a Yu-Gi-Oh! collab going on with my friend that I had to stop, and I had more stuff that I had to give up on because if I have to prioritize, I prioritize my own works. Some other collabs I’m still hopeful about, included to Saint Seiya ones, but with just 30 minutes a day it’s incrediblly difficult.

Lastly, I don’t use those 30 minutes to write on this blog. I normally keep the posts I do on here for the evening, and if I want something to be posted during the day I simply write it the evening before and postpone it using tumblr’s feature. Most daily posts you see on this blog, save for some answers to asks that I genuinely want to answer as soon as possible, are actually programmed posts I wrote the evening before. This is the reason why some of your asks take a while to be answered, and it’s also the reason why I’m writing this particular answer at 0:50am. Sometimes, if it’s just a simple reblog or a very short post, I use my phone. I also answer to people that want to chat with me, even if slowly, because I keep the app on my phone. But anything longer, that takes a computer and much more effort, get the treatment you read above.

And now, since it’s late and I’m as tired as my pokemon after being knocked out by Cynthia, I’m going to sleep. I hope my answer helped!

#writing #writing advice #sort of #time management #sort of again #fanfiction #should i tag saint seiya since it's the focus of my ff?#yeah why not #saint seiya #people are gonna be so confused #when they find this post in the tag #oh well

7 notes · View notes

willkillforgoodmemories · 4 years

Text

Schools Re-imagined

Okay fellow guys, gays and ladies (all beings are invited), TODAY on quaran-talks (get it, quarantine but replace the tine with talks, never mind), we will be

“RE-IMAGINING SCHOOLS” (Mostly High school and it’s equivalents around the world)

so that they actually do their job and prepare us for the real world, which they haven’t. They have, however given me sleep-deprived days, traumatic memories and snakes for friends.

ASPECT NUMBER ONE

Changing when school starts. I mean, whose lovely idea was to start school at 8.00. Many schools also start schools at 8.30 but lord, imagine how happy we all will be if schools opened a little later.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the sleep requirement for teenagers is between 8-10 hours per night. That indicates that the earliest healthy wake-up time for teens should not be before 7 a.m.

I propose that schools start not earlier than 9.00 am. That way one does not have to bear with the absolute feeling of grogginess of completing tasks on auto-pilot (when you complete tasks by doing the bare minimum because your brain is not awake), not rushing through morning routines (rushing can cause stress and anxiety) and can start the day on a good note. All those you thrive on 3-4 hour naps, it is in no way healthy and in some ways, not even your mistake. Moving on,

ASPECT NUMBER TWO

The marvellous blame-game. The student is usually the pawn. Don’t get the concept while in class, the teacher will probably say that you weren’t listening.

Ma’am or Sir, it’s your job to make sure the students understand what you teach. Be patient and stop telling them it’s wrong if they don’t understand the concept.It won’t hurt if you take out some time and teach them the concept again.

If you don’t get the concept during homework and use the reference guide, the parents will usually say that they weren’t paying attention in class and should know it. The reference material was made for a reason, and that was so that the student could use it. If the student wasn’t able to understand in class, there is a high chance they would be able to understand it on their own with their own research. Don’t doubt a student’s ability, even a little pat on the back can go a long way. More on this later.

ASPECT NUMBER THREE

A very popular opinion is that schools kill creativity. They don’t out right kill it, they just suppress it until it never come backs. In other words, it’s there but not quite. (confusing, just like the world’s education system). If the student says a wrong answer, don’t outright say no or prompt the class to laugh at them. Question their understanding in a polite way. Promote creative thinking and finding different ways of solving problems. Creativity can be found in all subjects, you just need to find a will. Don’t suppress interests such as liking of a particular aesthetic, genre of music or style.

ASPECT NUMBER FOUR

There is no space for individuality. Uniforms are okay because you don’t have to go through the hassle of picking out clothes but limiting other choices such as style of hair, use of accessories and nail polish and colour of hair should not dictate what kind of a student they are. Teachers and Administration should not care about these things because every student needs their own way of showing creativity. These things do not dictate what kind of student they are. There is a common misconception that students who do the above mentioned things will distract students and disrupt the class. The students usually compliment or comment on it and move on with their day. The teachers, however will call them out, fine them, give them detention or some other kind of punishment. The only people that are getting distracted here is the staff who takes the time out of their day to call a student out on their mode of expression. All those teachers who support their students’ choices are pure gems and deserve all the love in the world.

ASPECT NUMBER FIVE

The ungodly amount of homework. This is an extension of ‘aspect number two.’ I along with many other teenagers believe that the homework should be limited to two hours a day. No, I don’t mean two hours per subject. I mean two hours total. It can be extended to 3.5 hours but not more than that. Take the example of a GCSE student. A normal student takes about 9-12 subjects. Depending on the intensity of the subjects,the student should spend about 15-20 minutes per subject. During tests and exam weeks, this can be bumped up to 5 hours but still, testing a student’s skills of memorization does not prepare them for the real world. After spending six hours in school, this time should be taken to go over material and identify weak points in their understanding, not increasing stress.

ASPECT NUMBER SIX

The unhealthy expectations which really effect a teenager’s mind, and not in a good way. Many people are out here judging a student who excels in art on it’s ability to do STEM subjects, and vice versa. That’s like judging a fish's ability to climb a tree. Let the student pursue what they like without a thought in their head, “what will everyone think of me.” As a human being, they’d support and not belittle your choices. Let them pursue what they like. If they get bad grades, ask them about it. Don’t start shouting. Teachers, do not announce grades in class, you are literally creating students who build up low self-esteem. How hard is it to understand that teenagers are human beings. They’ll learn. If a previously-gifted student gets a bad grade, don’t make them feel bad about it.

ASPECT NUMBER SEVEN

Actually take a stand on matters that make sense. Stop bullies, racists, homophobes and sexists. Don’t go around nit-picking students who have long nails and unkempt hair or uniform if you have these problems roaming around. That just says that you are only caring about your outer appearance at the expense that most of your students will grow up to be ignorant citizens. A teenager mirrors their surroundings and if you can create a positive surrounding, it’s your part towards a more understanding society.

ASPECT NUMBER EIGHT

WHO thought that giving extra homework on weekends would be a good idea. Like, WHY? Weekends should be for relaxation and for revising topics. Wouldn’t it make sense if students took time to, I don’t know, go over the work from the week. That way, the information can be retained for a longer time. I also present to you the idea of making open book tests the norm. What many schools don’t understand that not everyone can memorize entire books. A student who does well on assignments but not on exams clearly shows that they understand but can’t remember it. The real world clearly shows that you don’t need to remember things because resources will always be at your disposal. A student should know how to apply concepts because 85% of the stuff they learn in school is utterly useless in real life. The remaining 15% are basics of subjects which should be learned.

ASPECT NUMBER NINE

The schools either need counselors that actually do their job or teachers that are willing to go the extra mile. Counselors need to understand the students’ situation and help them. Don’t blame everything on the phone. (Phones are least of our problems). Normalize opposite-gender friendships. Lastly, with classes algebra and all that, wouldn’t also having classes like etiquette's, how to file taxes and other worldly classes actually help.

REVISED TIMETABLE

As per the guidelines above.

Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence -- meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.

Sleep between 11:00-11.30 pm. Wake up at 7:45 am (Assuming you slept at 23.15 which is the halfway point, you got a sleep of 8.5 hours, which is healthy)Getting ready and having breakfast at a peaceful pace takes an average of 15 minutes. You will be done by 8:15 am. An average school commute takes about 30 minutes so you should have 15 minutes to spare before 8:30 am strikes and you leave for school.School starts at 9.00 am and ends at 3.00 pm. (Schools here last for 6 hours).Go for extra-curricular activities. On average, extra-curricular activities last for 1.5 hours so you should be free by 4.30-5.00 pm. That leaves you with 6 hours. Even if you take an hour long nap and take exactly 2 hours,no more or less for your homework, you will still be left with 3 hours of leisure. These 6 hours can be scheduled how ever you like.

Now compare it to my timetable that was in place before the lock down. I woke up 6.00 am (Usually woke up early to complete homework which was impossible to complete yesterday) Left home for school at 7.15 am, usually made up for sleep in the car.

Reached school by 7.45. School started at 7.50 am and went on till 2.00 pm. All extra curricular activities were suspended due to tests and exam prep. Reached home at 2.40 pm. (Was picked up from school at 2.10 pm because group assignments roles cannot be assigned in class for some stupid reason so a lot of work has to be done outside class).

Refresh and have lunch, start homework at 3.00 pm. Went on till 5.00 pm, took a 15-minute break and again continued till 9.00 pm (This is just homework). Picked up the assigned reading and assignments, that went on till 10.00 pm. Time with family till 10.45 pm.

These were the good days. The days I was assigned art homework were torture. I have gone to school with only 3 hours of sleep many weeks.

For a system that is suppose to help the students, the education system sure does hate students.

46 notes · View notes

skepticalarrie · 4 years

Note

why you don’t believe the friendship narrative? they choosing not to come out now because of their careers doesn’t go against everything we getting from them in the last 10 years? what is happening right now has to mean something

I don’t think is much about believing the friendship narrative or not, I just think people are getting super excited over nothing and maybe this can be very frustrating. I think Louis finally leaving Syco is huge and I’m super excited too, but this happened a month ago and things move really slow around here. Especially when we’re talking about contracts and image change. We don’t even know Louis' new label yet.

The way people are talking about those articles like they are “popping out of nowhere” and “why now”. And I think we have two things to take under consideration here: 1) everything related to Harry is getting ridiculous amounts of clicks as he’s extremely mainstream right now. 2) 1D anniversary was just a few weeks ago, people are still talking about a possible reunion. Those are things happening right now and we’re going to get articles. That doesn’t mean that a friendship narrative is building, because that term (to me) it sounds more like a practical thing. Remember GBA timeline? Here:

“1. We’ll see Eleanor quietly disappear before they issue a confirmation of a breakup between her and Louis.

2. Harry’s image will be slowly cleaned up in the papers, rumours of him with women stamped down, all connections to previous girlfriends severed.

3. A few hints will be dropped here and there of them spending time together via their Twitter accounts or through throwaway comments made by them in interviews.

4. Then Harry and Louis will be seen on an arranged outing (lunch, shopping, something like that) and photographed by a hired pap.

5. Those pictures will appear in The Sun or The Mail in an article speculating on a possible relationship, other media outlets will pick it up from there and run with it.

6. Eventually, they’ll confirm, give an interview, and then it’s all done with.”

At one point she predicted that they would have kinda a “strong friendship” going, being papped together, interacting, and that being widely spread over the internet. Although this “timeline” is based on their 2014/15 situation, I can totally see that happening in a similar way now. Those articles - like the Italy one - are based on the reunion more than anything, plus “according to the fans on twitter”. See the difference? Is not like there was a real confirmation they met. That would be a reason to get really excited about, something exclusive from a big website.

Which I think it leads us to your second question about if they’re actually free - or going to be free in a near future - they would hold the coming out for a more convenient moment. If the coming out had happened in 2015/16, while in 1D and not solo artists, it would have worked as publicity and rebranding the band. Again, totally getting GBA thoughts and predictions as a base for this. Which, all indicates, was happening before the hiatus. Now, as they’re solo artists they have to rebrand both individually as Harry StylesTM and Louis TomlinsonTM and - if they still have a running contract with the band and plans to get back together - as One DirectionTM as well. It’s a lot to take under consideration, that’s why I think it’s such a slow process. Even taking the band completely out of the game and thinking about them only as solo artists, from the general public perspective Harry is somewhat LGBTQ, but his public does consist in a huge amount of heterosexual women who fantasize “having a chance” with him. Louis is completely closeted with girlfriend and son. From a marketing perspective, those things need to be taken into consideration to be a positive thing for both of them (and the LGBTQ community). Would they choose to wait for a better time? Maybe their 30s? I don’t know. I don’t know their personal choices in life, or what they’re looking to achieve. What I know is that both of them managed to be very loud even from inside the closet and made it quite clear they can’t wait to get out. But they also know how to play this game for a really long time now.

#ask #coming out #gba #friendship narrative

16 notes · View notes

lovemesomesurveys · 3 years

Text

1 - Who was the last person to give you a gift? What was the reason for it? My mom got me a Christmas rug the other day just because she saw it and knew I would like it.

2 - Are you a good cook? If so, who taught you? What’s your favourite thing to cook? Nope. I don’t cook except for ramen and easy, convenient things in the oven and microwave.

3 - When was the last time something in your house broke? Did you manage to fix it or did you need to buy a replacement? The light switch in our kitchen is spotty. Not sure how we’ll go about fixing it.

4 - Is any part of your body hurting right now? What caused that pain? My back. I have chronic back pain issues from severe scoliosis and two horrible spinal fusion surgeries. The metal rods also need to come out, but the surgery would be extremely invasive and extensive because I’ve had them in me since I was like 11 years old. It’s not something I want to do

5 - Do you have anything exciting planned for the upcoming weekend? It’s the weekend now and it’ll consist of my usual everyday activities.

6 - If you could spend two weeks in any city in the world, which city would you pick and why? Nowhere at the moment of course, but in a safer time there’s a few places that instantly come to mind. I can’t wait to be able to travel again and feel safe to be out and doing things. Who knows when that will be, though.

7 - When was the last time you tripped or fell in public? if there was nobody around to see you, did you still feel embarrassed? It’s been several years since I’ve fallen at all, thankfully. It’s happened a few times, some of which were at school and that was super embarrassing. As someone in a wheelchair, it’s not like I could just jump up real quick and try to play it cool or quickly run off, so yeah. Not fun. The last time I feel, though, it was actually going out my front door. I don’t know what happened, but before I realized what was happening or could try to do anything about it I found myself on the ground. Thankfully, my mom was home and able to help me. I was fine, physically. More than anything it leaves me feeling very shaken up and takes me a minute to collect myself. I have gotten some nasty scratches on my hands before, though.

8 - The last time you made a sandwich, what did you put in there? I think it was a turkey and salami sandwich with Colby Jack cheese and mayo.

9 - How many hours sleep did you get last night? Was that enough for you or could you have slept for longer? Like 5ish. It never feels like enough regardless.

10 - What’s your favourite time of day? What’s your favourite thing to do at that time? I like my first cup of coffee of the day and my nighttime routine time.

11 - Where did you go the last time you left your house? I had a doctor appointment. Afterwards, I rode along while my brother ran an errand and then we picked up some lunch on the way home.

12 - Are you tired right now? Will you be going to bed anytime soon? I’m always tired. I plan on trying to do a few more surveys before attempting sleep.

13 - How many times a week do you get takeaway coffee, if you get it at all? Well, ever since Starbucks released their holiday drinks this year I’ve been getting it seriously almost everyday. I’d say 4-5 times a week. I don’t ordinarily get it nearly that often, but for some reason I’ve been on a serious peppermint white chocolate mocha kick this year and want it everyday. My coffee at home hasn’t been doing it for me, which is not good lol I’ve been spoiled too long now. :X

14 - What radio station do you listen to the most? It’s been a few years since I’ve listened to the radio.

15 - If you eat steak, how do you like it cooked? What sauces or sides do you like to go with it? I do not like steak.

16 - Do you prefer sweet or savoury pancakes? What toppings do you have on them? Just regular ol’ pancakes with butter and maple syrup. It’s been awhile since I’ve had pancakes now that I think of it.

17 - Are you someone who cracks their joints a lot? Which one(s) do you tend to crack and click the most? I do it with my fingers and I stretch out my arms a lot because my arms are usually in a bent elbow position if that makes sense?

18 - Have you ever taken medication or tablets to help you sleep? is this something you do on a regular basis? I’ve tried like Melatonin before, but that’s it. It was just like a few times. I’ve drank chamomile tea many times, though, and I find it helps. If I want a sleep aid, I’d go for that instead.

19 - For you, what’s the worst thing about getting up in the morning? What about the worst thing about going to bed tonight? The getting up part? ha. I feel like such a zombie and need time to get up. In a perfect world I’d have someone who handed me a coffee everyday as soon as I got up haha. The worst part about going to bed is just getting to sleep.

20 - Do you prefer regular or diet soft drinks? I’d go for regular if I was going to drink soda.

21 - What do you tend to wear if you’re just hanging about the house for the day? My everyday attire is leggings and an oversized graphic tee. Basically all of my time is hanging around the house, especially this year, but even if I do go somewhere I’d wear the same thing.

22 - When was the last time you dyed your hair? Did you do it yourself or get it done at a hairdresser? I last got it done at the place I regularly go to back in February.

23 - Does having to wear a mask stop you doing things? Is this because you struggle wearing one or you just don’t like it? I honestly don’t mind wearing them. To be fair, though, I don’t have to wear them for long periods of time like many people do.

24 - Have you ever witnessed a car accident? Or have you perhaps been involved in one yourself? Were you at fault? I’ve witnessed them, but I have not been involved in one.

25 - When was the last time you baked a cake? What cake was it? It’s been a few years, but it was likely a funfetti cake.

26 - Do you like wearing bows or accessories in your hair? I only wear scrunchies now, but I was into bows for awhile when I was younger. I had several to try and accessorize with my outfits.

27 - How many books do you read in a year? Do you enjoy reading or do you have to really force yourself to sit down and read? I love reading and do quite a lot of it. The amount I read varies each year, of course. I’m not sure how many I’ve read this year, but it’s a lot. I could figure it out since they’re all ebooks on my Kindle app, but.... I don’t feel like checking right now.

28 - If you have pets, where did they come from? A breeder, a rescue or maybe a friend who bred their pet? We adopted her. <3

29 - Do you make your bed every morning when you get up? It’s always made because I sleep on top of it and just use a throw blanket I keep to the side.

30 - When was the last time you got takeaway food? Was it good? Last night. It was good, but my appetite was messed up so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I normally would.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

2 notes · View notes

jonny-byerss · 4 years

Note

What are your answers to those 20 questions? Im planning to add my own answers too (even though nobody asked lol)

I got another ask for some of the numbers but I’m just gonna do this one because it’s all of them.

1) Favorite character? Jonathan, hands down. He’s so underrated. I love him with all my heart.

2) Favorite season? Even though I love Season 1 and the amount of thought that was actually put into the writing, I’m gonna say Season 2 because I really loved that season and a lot of amazing things happened in that season (mostly the Jancy kiss lol but other things too)

3) Favorite scene? Oof that’s a hard one. I really like the exorcism scene from S2 with Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy and Will (Noah Schnapp did amazing, all of the actors in this scene were phenomenal, Winona, Charlie, and Natalia and especially Noah). I also obviously love the Jancy first kiss, and how passionate it is (and scene directly before and morning after scene lol).

4) Favorite 80s song from the album? Even though it was used for Stancy (sigh), I am a sucker for Africa, I’ve loved that song since before Stranger Things. But I also love Should I Stay Or Should I Go and how significant it is to the show.

5) Favorite ship? I think it’s obvious to anyone who’s seen my blog lol, Jancy obviously. And it’s canon so there’s that.

6) Favorite outfit? Oh gosh, literally any of Jonathan’s sweaters cuz he looks so cute in them. I also really liked Joyce’s S3 look, she was a cutie. And I liked Nancy’s dresses in S3, they were cute. I like a lot of the outfits tbh (Max always has cute outfits, and El in S3).

7) Favorite antagonist? Can I say just Hawkins Lab in general? I miss S1 and S2 when you never knew what the Lab was gonna do next, it made for a good antagonist. The Russians didn’t seem all that mysterious tbh.

8) Scoops Troop, Griswold Family, or Eagle’s Nest? Griswold Family for sure! Jancy and the kids will always be superior! I wish they got more screentime, especially after the hospital scene. I also wish the siblings actually acknowledged each other.

9) Who’s your favorite actor? Charlie!! I mean, all of the actors are amazing, but I’m starting to really appreciate Charlie Heaton. For one thing, I love British boys, and for another, I just think he’s a phenomenal actor and he’s really good at showing his emotions. I wish the writers gave him more to work with.

10) Most badass Hawkins lady? Oh dang, that’d have to be a tie between Joyce and Nancy. I just love how Joyce would do anything for her kids, including go into an unknown dimension with the possibility of being Demogorgon lunch. Also, when she punched the mayor, gosh, that was amazing. And Nancy, when she stood in front of the car and just shot at Billy when he was racing towards her, I was so proud (and also scared for Nancy’s life). And “Let’s burn that lab to the ground”, I love her, she’s such a badass.

11) Favorite mom? (By the way person who made the questions, Steve’s not a mom!) I love Joyce! She is the World’s Greatest Mom™️! Sure, she has some problems, but she would literally do anything for her kids and I love that! Also, she’s so chill, like Jonathan had a girl over and she totally knew and didn’t care! My mom would literally kill me lol. I love Joyce.

12) Saddest scene? Oh gosh that’s hard. Bob dying was really sad to me, but I actually genuinely cried at the S3 ending. Not because of Hopper’s letter but because the Byers are moving! Like I get why but it’s still so sad seeing everyone say goodbye to each other, like come on Joyce, look how sad they all are :(

13) Any merch? So, because I’m fairly new to this fandom, I don’t have much. I seriously watched the whole show for the first time in April because quarantine and my friend wanted me to watch it, so I did, I’ve binged it at least 4 times though already during quarantine. However, since I recently graduated from high school and was given a lot of graduation money that I had no idea what to spend on (yes, I set some aside for college), I bought some merch. I bought a S3 poster from Walmart. I bought a Steve Funko online. For my birthday, which was in June, my friend gave me a Scoops Ahoy shirt and pin. My boyfriend gave me a Robin Funko (he said he was gonna get me Jonathan but they didn’t have anymore of his 1 single Funko, rip). And then my sister and I went to Hot Topic and I got two shirts, one that just has the Stranger Things logo and the other has the Griswold Family on it (seriously, I saw Nancy and Jonathan on it and I screamed). That’s it. Oh, and then my sister gave me some Stranger Things decals for my birthday which I put on my laptop. And then my sister’s friend gave me a sticker with Robin on it, and that’s on the back of my phone. That’s it. That’s all the merch.

14) Favorite line? I’m sorry but my favorite line will forever be, “So, Jonathan, how was the pull-out?”. That line is literally the most clever innuendo I have ever heard. And I love Jonathan’s reaction to it. And Nancy’s little smirk. I may be pretty innocent, but I understood that line the second I heard it. And I love that it’s for Jancy. If it was for any other couple, I might not have laughed as hard as I did, but it was still hilarious, imo.

15) Contributed to the fandom? Again, I’m pretty new to the fandom. I did write a fanfic, but it never got posted because my computer decided to delete it for some reason. I’m not good at art, so no on that. I did make a Tik Tok though. You can check it out, my name is @camree_nicole. The Tik Tok literally blew up (like seriously most of my videos only get like 20 likes by my irl friends, but this one got 12K likes, it was crazy!), like I gained a lot of Stranger Things fan page followers. What was the Tik Tok? I literally made it because I was procrastinating my online school (back when I was still doing that) and it’s literally about how whenever I’m binging Stranger Things and get to S2:E6, I get really excited and I showed the scene of Nancy and Jonathan about to kiss. I got a lot of comments like “Yesss I was so happy!” and stuff like that and it made me really happy lol.

16) Favorite fan theory? Idk, there’s some pretty crazy theories out there. I don’t really look at many theories, I just like seeing what some people theorize for S4. I especially like @unpredictablybittersweet’s S4 theories here on Tumblr. And GemmaStones on Reddit has some theories I really like too.

17) Favorite filming location? The Byers house!! I’m gonna miss that place :’( Lots of iconic stuff has happened there. Still bitter we didn’t get much of it in S3.

18) Read any books or comics? Again, I’m pretty new, so no I have not. I’ve heard what happens in some of them online though.

19) Favorite duo? My fave duo will forever be Nancy and Jonathan. Whether it’s platonic or romantic, when they get together they do some pretty badass things.

20) Favorite behind the scenes photo? The picture in my profile pic I believe is a BTS photo. It’s also my lock screen rn.

Also here’s my Tik Tok: (ignore my face)

7 notes · View notes

xjamlessparkx · 5 years

Text

divorce | myg | 01

summary: in which you have to go through a painful process of your own family shattering

pairing: yoongi x reader

genre: angst

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 |12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

“Mommy!” you heard your ten-year-old daughter yell and ran up to your room. The bed shifted as someone jumped on you. You groaned loudly while your daughter shook you awake.

“YAY NO SCHOOL!!” you heard your son yell out of joy. He was only two years younger than his sister. Your eyes widened and you looked at the time. Oh man! The bus will arrive in less than 20 minutes. You jumped out of bed, grabbing the two and dragging them into the bathroom. “Alright, you two will brush your teeth now. Ahran! Make sure your brother doesn’t create a mess. I want your teeth to shine brightly, alright?” you rattled off without pausing once. Spotting a small scrunchy, you grabbed it and tied your hair into a messy ponytail. As long as your hair wasn’t annoying everything would be fine.

You ran downstairs to prepare their bento boxes. You turned on the rice cooker and started to cut some vegetables and fruits for their lunch. It was a race with the time and you had to be really fast. You heard growls from upstairs and sighed when you heard a loud sound of something falling. You ran upstairs and could literally scream.

“What are you two doing?” you looked at the mess they created in the bathroom.

“Mom, Junsun is getting on my nerves, he splashed water on me…” Ahran mumbled, pouting in front of you. You shut your eyes, preventing yourself from yelling at them because of your lack of time.

“Come on guys 10 minutes!” you three ran into their room and you helped your little son change into his clothes while your daughter wanted to do it on her own. You brushed their hair and helped them to put on their jackets. The bus stop was in front of your house and you were happy when you made it in time. Just as you saw the bus, something popped up in your mind.

Their food.

“Oh no …” you turned around, leaving your kids at the bus stop to run into the kitchen. Grabbing the completed bento boxes to ran after the bus. The bus driver spotted you from his outside mirror and waited. You hoped into the bus, not caring that you were in bare pajama and didn’t even wash your own face. You thanked the bus driver while he nodded. Giving your kids their lunch you kissed their cheeks and hoped out of the bus, waving at them.

You smiled to yourself as you returned to your house.

Your husband Min Yoongi wasn’t home. He went to work earlier than usual even though it has already been more than a month that he left early and came home pretty late. Sometimes he would pick up your kids from school and other days they spent time together without you. You didn’t blame them, though. It was more important for your husband to spend more time with his kids than with you. You were an ordinary housewife. While the two were married you still worked hard, to help him earning money to lead your own household. Once you were pregnant he didn’t allow you to work. He wanted to be a good husband and father for your family.

Ahran was born and you two shared the happiest moments in your life. She completed you two. You two had many up and downs in your marriage and fought a lot, even while you were pregnant. After she was born everything changed to better. That’s what you thought actually. Ahran wasn’t even one year old and your old habits returned. You sometimes regretted your choice in marrying him so fast but you didn’t want to make any choices because now everything was different. Throwing away a marriage would be easier if both sides agreed and if there was no child. Just as you thought about letting go the doctor told you that you’re pregnant again. You saw it as a light in your empty and dark world. He would be the reason for you two to fight for your love and marriage. Junsun was the jewel of your house. Of course, kids should never be used as a pretext to save a marriage but you didn’t want your kids to feel lonely and have divorced parents at their young ages. Everything went well at first but you and Yoongi lived yourself apart. It was hard to not argue with him once you two were left alone. You were afraid that once your children will hear your arguments that is why you try to ignore the urge to talk back to him. You knew that it was hard to save your family but you wanted to fight for your children. You would sacrifice yourself for the sake and happiness of your children but you doubted Yoongi infighting as well. He already gave up and you knew it.

At home, you cleaned the mess in the bathroom first. Pulling a bandana over your forehead you started cleaning the whole house since you had nothing to do. Sometimes you would feel so bored but you knew that even your friends were working and had no time. Most of them weren’t married and the ones who are married don’t have children yet. As you were cleaning the kitchen you felt your vision getting blurry. It’s not the first time that you had dizziness. It’s been already a month that you suffered from headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and inefficiency. That’s also the reason why you have to rush every morning. You don’t feel good and powerful to wake up. You believed that it was the stress which you had to suffer from. At home, the kids and of course the issue with your husband. You bit your lip reaching for your phone. It felt like you would collapse any minute. You clicked on the caller ID of Yoongi who was probably working right now. He didn’t pick up your call and you ended it. You put your phone on the counter and grabbed a glass to drink cold water. It relaxed your senses and you sat down on the chair. You should eat something but you had no appetite. Sometimes you forced yourself to strengthen yourself Suddenly, your phone rang. You picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” you mumbled questioningly.

“Hey,” a female voice exclaimed and you looked at the caller ID which showed Yoongis.

“Excuse me … but do I know you?” you were pretty calm.

“No… no, you don’t but soon you will know. He was always so hesitant at telling you that’s why I decided to-” you cut her off, not being able to understand a word.

“Where is my husband?” you asked, wondering why a stranger called you.

“Ex-husband…” she corrected you and your mind went blank. You ended the call as soon as possible and stood up. Feeling your throat burning and your eyes filling with tears.

You threw your phone at the counter, letting it ring over and over again. You went upstairs to hop into the bath. Letting the hot water flow in the bathtub. You removed your clothes, feeling the cold breeze of air touching your bare skin. You lost an immense amount of weight but you blamed it on the stress which prevented you from eating. That’s why you had to force yourself to eat.

Everything was already so clear for you to be surprised by the situation. But it still hurt that your effort didn’t matter. It made you sad that he didn’t think about your kids as much as you thought about them and their feelings. The puzzle was complete now. Why he left early and came home late. It’s been already years that you two had shared your last physical contact. The last time you truly made love and felt the passion. After he went distant you waited for him to give in the divorce papers. It was needless to fight anymore because you lost all of your strength already.

It was sad that the last memories of you two would be nothing but hurtful.

You hoped into the bathtub and leaned back, putting your head on your neck. It felt refreshing. You always took your time to the bathroom and it was already getting a little darker outside. You showered and went into your room to change yourself. You had a towel wrapped around your body and pulled out some clothes.

“You showered?” you heard a deep and familiar voice asking. You turned around to look at Min Yoongi who wasn’t even looking at you. He was searching for something in the drawer. You nodded, knowing that he still saw you from the corner of his eyes.

“You’re early …” you mumbled putting on your clothes. Having a clue that he came early to confess because he probably found out about his new affair and wife sharing a conversation.

“I had to get something …” he mumbled and cleared his throat when you sat in front of your mirror to brush your hair.

“I believe there is more …” you said when the room filled with an awkward silence.

“Are the kids in school?” he looked around the room and you nodded. He scratched his neck and stared at the movements of your hands. He bit his lip.

“Y/N … it’s been already so many weeks and the cold ice between us still didn’t melt. I want you to know that I didn’t cheat on you-” you cut him off, feeling the hot tears filling your eyes.

“Yoongi … I only wonder how you think about starting a new relationship when even our relationship is shattering…” it hurt to see that someone you truly loved had no interest in you anymore.

“That’s not the same …” he started but again you cut him off. It was another habit of yours and you knew that you two would argue any minute soon.

“You didn’t even think about your own children Yoongi… You went after your own desire. I’m okay with you not loving me anymore because, to be honest, I am sick of fighting for someone who doesn’t even show slightly effort in saving our relationship. It’s already over Yoongi. It was over even before our kids …” you said, looking to the side.

“I am sorry Y/N…” you let out a sarcastic chuckle. It was the first time you heard him apologizing for something he had done.

“I don’t know what you feel sorry for. The fact that you already moved on, the fact that you want to leave your family behind? That you don’t care about the kids-” he cut you off, getting angrier.

“Oh stop it already! I love my children. They’re my everything and I would never let them go. It’s just that we both see that nothing works out for us and it is the best to end it before we two destroy ourselves. It’s for the best …” he said. The topic of him meeting a new girl was totally unnecessary for you because you cared about your kids more than your own happiness. You couldn’t even express any sad feelings towards him. It was anger which filled up your whole body but you maintained calm.

“So you wanna divorce?” you murmured. His silence was louder than a hundred words. So he gave up your family without even doubting himself.

“Alright,” you put the hairbrush on the table and stood up “Let’s divorce.”

#bts min yoongi #kpop angst #bts angst #min yoongi angst #suga scenario #bts scenarios #suga angst #kpoptexts #bts texts

448 notes · View notes

binkysteebnpewter · 4 years

Note

All of them 😤

Ehehe 😂💗

1. What’s your middle name, and do you like it?

Grace is actually my middle name, and somewhat. I just don’t like it when my family calls me by first and middle together.

2. are you artistic?

Somewhat?

3. Have you had your first kiss?

Yes

4. What is your life goal?

It’s cheesy and a little cliche, but I want to find Home.

5. Do you have any experiences with a famous person?

Nope

6. Do you play any sports?

Not anymore but I used to play football and I was on the wrestling team in HS

7. What’s your worst fear?

I have two that are sort of equal with another but I’m afraid of losing the people I care about and people seeing me the way I see myself.

8. Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My late Nana, Gloria.

9. Do you have any cool talents?

Answered in previous ask

10. are you a morning person?

Not at all

11. How do you feel about pet names?

I love them

12. Do you like to read?

Absolutely

13. Name a list of shows that have changed your life.

NCIS, Criminal Minds, and any marvel movie

14. Do you care about your follower count?

Not really, I’ll celebrate milestones but that’s just to show everyone I appreciate them following my trash pile. I didn’t start writing to have a high following, I started writing to better my skill and also make people happy.

15. What’s the best dream you’ve had?

I don’t remember most of my happy dreams

16. Have you ever kissed someone of your same gender?

Yep!

17. Do you have any pets?

I have three dogs 🥺💗

18. Are you religious?

No. They only thing I actually believe in is ghosts.

19. Are you a people person?

Not really

20. Are you considered popular?

Nope, and I don’t care to be

21. What is one of your bad habits?

Overthinking

22. What’s something that makes you feel vulnerable?

Opening up my emotions to other people

23. What would you name your children?

No clue

24. Who’s your celebrity crush?

There’s a bunch ig

25. What’s your best subject?

Science and history

26. Dogs or cats?

Dogs, I love cats but I’m super allergic

27. most used social media besides tumblr?

I don’t use a lot of social media tbh, so tumblr is probably my most used unless you count youtube

28. best friends name

Duke

29. who does your main family consist of

My friends and my brother. Family isn’t just blood

30. Chocolate or sugar

Both

31. have you ever been on a date?

Yep

32. Do you like rollercosters?

Absolutely love them

33. Can you swim?

Yes 💗

34. What would you do in the event of an apocolypse?

Clearly, I’d do what everyone else does. Panic and try to survive.

35. Have you struggled with any kind of mental disorder?

Yes, I struggle with anxiety and depression

36. Are your parents together?

Nope.

37. What’s your favourite colour?

Dark green and Dark Blue

38. What country are you from/do you live in?

Unfortunately, the U.S

39. Favourite singer?

Uh... there’s too many to list? But my favorite people to listen to is The Oh Hellos

40. Do you see yourself being famous some day?

Nope, I run from being the center of attention.

41. Do you like dresses?

Not really

42. Favourite song right now?

Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra

43. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

Sort of.

44. How old were you when you first got your period?

No clue, I don’t remember

45. Have you ever shot a gun?

Yep

46. Have you ever done yoga?

47. Are you a horror girl?

YES 😈

48. Are you good at giving advice?

I suppose I am?

49. Tell us a story about your childhood.

I don’t have a lot of happy memories but one that sticks out is: I used to go to a private Christian academy and I was in first grade when this boy in eighth grade (the entire school was k-12) came over to me during my lunch. I was super scared and shy as a kid so my schedule was tailored so I was able to eat lunch with my brother whose nine years older than me. Our mom forgot to pack our lunches so we were gonna just get some stuff from the vending machine, well my brother gave me my money to get something and this boy came over to me before I could put it in the vending machine. He hit me and took my money, buying himself something with it. My brother seen it and got into a fight with him.

50. How are you doing today?

51. Were you a cute kid?

I looked like Shirley Temple when I was a kid

52. Can you dance?

I can swing dance and slow dance, but that’s it.

53. Is there anything you do that you can’t remember ever not doing?

I always look for exits and bathrooms when I go somewhere, I’ve always done it 🤷🏻‍♀️

54. Have you ever dyed your hair?

No because I’m a ginger. I can’t just dye it back if I end up not liking the color I dyed it to.

55. What colour are your eyes?

Brown

56. What’s your favourite animal?

Answered in previous ask

57. Have you ever made a huge fool of yourself?

Multiple times

58. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

My relationship with my dad is rocky but my relationship with my mother went up in flames a few yeaes ago 🤷🏻‍♀️

59. Do you have good friends?

I have some amazing friends🥺💗

60. Are you close with anyone of the lgbtq+ group?

Yep!

61. What’s your favourite class?

My favorite class was Psychology

62. List all the tv shows you are watching.

I’m rewatching Criminal Minds right now.

63. Are you organized?

Somewhat?

64. What was the last movie you saw? Opinion?

I don’t know if it counts as a movie but I just finished a Ted Bundy Tapes Documentary. I think Bundy was a little bit of an idiot.

67. Which tv character do you relate to most?

Spencer Reid

68. What are some things that stand between you and complete happiness?

Anxiety, Depression, overthinking

69. If you received enough money to never need to work again, what would you spend your time doing?

I would probably still work, I’m not a fan of sitting around and doing nothing for large amounts of time.

70. What would you change about your life if you knew you would never die?

Find a way to die, I don’t want to live forever. That’s just torture 👀

71. What would you do differently if you knew that no one was judging you?

Nothing. I’ll act the same as I always have because I am who I am, there’s no reason to change yourself from when someone is watching and when someone isn’t.

72. If you could start over, what would you do differently?

A lot 😂

73. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

Yep

74. When was the last time you travelled somewhere new?

I went to Disney with my Chorus Class in Junior Year of HS, it was my first time to Disney.

75. When you think of your home, what immediately comes to mind?

Nothing, I’m looking for Home. Home will be someone I feel safe with, someone I can be completely myself with— someone I love wholly.

76. What have you done to pursue your dreams lately? How about today?

I— idk?

77. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a nurse 🤦🏻‍♀️

78. If you dropped everything to pursue your dreams, what would you be risking?

Im not sure

79. When did you not speak up, when you know you really should have?

Ooh... uh, something happened to me all through 7th, 8th, and 9th grade that I should’ve spoken up about but was too scared.

80. Describe the next five years of your life, and your plans, in a single sentence.

I will work hard to love myself and pursue my dream job.

81. What would happen if you never wasted another minute of your life, what would that look like?

No clue tbh

82. If you could live forever, how would you spend eternity?

I don’t want to live forever but I guess I’d find a way to take away my immortality or find someone else who is immortal to love

83. How would you spend a billion dollars?

Id put a lot into important causes and then save some with interest.

84. If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future?

I’m not sure, I think I wouldn’t go anywhere because I want to live in the moment. Except 2020, fuck 2020.

85. What motivates you to succeed?

Failure motivates me to succeed.

86. What dream that you’ve had has resonated with you the most?

I don’t remember most of my happy dream, I usually can only remember the nightmares 🤷🏻‍♀️

87. Would you rather live in the city or the woods? Why?

Woods, its peaceful.

88. Do you believe in life after death?

I don’t really believe in anything 🤷🏻‍♀️

89. What teacher inspired you the most? How did they?

I had a teacher named Ms Eagan and she inspired me to always be myself.

90. What’s your fondest childhood memory?

Meeting Lily

91. If you could have dinner with any one person, living or dead, who would they be and why?

Lily, because I really miss her.

92. What would you have to see to cry tears of joy?

Anyone being nice to me makes me cry—

93. What is the hardest lesson you had to learn in life?

Sometimes the people you call family don’t truly love you.

94. What do you think happens after we die?

Idk and idrc either tbh

95. What would you do if you would be invisible?

I’d probably scare some people

96. What’s something you can’t do no matter how hard you try?

Speak in public or ask for something at restaurants

97. Would you want to choose the sex and appearance of your offspring?

98. How did your first crush develop?

They were nice to me when no one else was

99. Is there a feeling you are trying to ignore? What is it?

Yes, I’m trying to ignore how upset some people can really make me.

100. Do you live or do you just exist?

I think I’m somewhere in between, where sometimes I’m just existing and sometimes I’m living.

#grace speaks #100 questions #@breadgenie892 #ill protect my munchkins 😌💗#my munchkins 🥺💗

6 notes · View notes

strouja · 4 years

Text

Turned 55 - A day in the life

I did this 5 years ago when I hit 50 and figured I’d do this again. To capture a moment in time and what I did on typical day, but it just happened to be my birthday Sept. 1, 2020

Late night working

I got inspired and decided to improve our security profile on our product on a very minor issue, but it would be nice do. So after midnight, which made it my birthday I researched on how to only allow Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 (and not allow earlier versions) to parts of our system used for internal communications. This is a minor issue as we lock this down for all customer access and this is just for our own “system to system” communication. So I looked up how to do this for something called Kibana and WebSphere liberty. I checked in config file changes into something called github for our product and sent a “pull request” to have an expert review it.

So it is now 1:30 am and I’m ready to call it a night.

Can we sleep now

The wife comes up to bed and we agree to NOT let our dog Winston sleep in our bed as he can make it hard for us humans to sleep. I would have him stay with us but Linh is not in favor.

So he whines outside our door for a good 15 minutes or so. Now we are ready to sleep.

All of sudden we hear him barking constantly. He behaves as a guard dog and we are perplexed as there is never anything going on late at night. This is relentless. After about 10 or 15 minutes of this I go out to see what the hell is going on. He is in the next room, on my 16 year old son's bed looking out the window barking at something in the darkness.

So I put his LED collar on and let him run around the house and chase until his heart’s content. He stays outside for 1/2 hour or so. I entice him back in and close the curtains in William's bedrooms so he won't go crazy barking anymore. So I think. FYI my son William is passed out in the basement on a new giant bean bag.Now it is probably 2:30 and I'm finally ready to sleep. But no, we hear Winston barking non-stop again.

FYI this never happens, normally it is peaceful here at night and the dog does not bark at things past 9 pm or so. It turns out whatever animals he saw before are still out there and he can see them from the windows on the 1st floor. My wife is fast asleep. I can't sleep because of this and possibly from my short but pretty hard 10 minute bike workout earlier today and the more than normal amount coffee I had today. I normally just have one cup but drank some leftover coffee in the afternoon.I probably fall asleep at 3 am or so.I have a 9 am meeting I have to get up for.

Working for the Man - IBM

Since I work from home I am able to get up right before my 9 am meeting. Then I run a meeting at 9:40 with my boss and my boss’ boss to go over how to allocate our finite internal cloud resources that one team wants to consume all of it. This is all done by Webex video & audio conferencing (like Zoom).

We have a bunch more meetings. Then I get a break sometime before noon.

Catching last 20 km of Tour de France Stage 4

When I get a break I put on the TV and through my Roku 3 put on NBC Sports Gold (without ads and European commentary) to see if today’s Tour de France stage is still on. I find out the race is still live and it is mountain top finish and there are 20 km left. So this is the perfect time to watch. I catch up on work while hearing the race and glimpsing at it.

Although I’m an avid cyclist, race myself, and lead a fast ride every week (normally 2 times a week but reduced to one because of covid-19 and with a smaller group), I’m not a big fan of pro bike racing because I know all the top names and riders are still doping. So I know only a fully doped rider has a chance of winning today’s stage, especially because it is mountain top finish.

Fixing my bike

After my ride on Sunday with my former teammates: Ray Plewacki, Vic Siegfried, and Dave Fuentes, I asked my buddy Ray P. if he can fix some shifting problem of my bike this week. He texted me earlier in the day and he agreed to come over during his lunch break. He arrives at 12:30 as I have another meeting going on. I tell my boss I will have to duck out of the meeting. He is fine with that.

Ray does his magic and does micro adjusting on my Shimano DuraAce Di2 electronic shifting. I could not shift into one of the mid gears in the back. Ray figured it out for me. So I’m all set for Tuesday Night World Championships.

Bike Ride

I eat my Overnight Oats in the very late morning and later on eat my vegan lentil based meal I made yesterday in the instant pot. I finish up work, then clean my bike (clean the drive train) and put bike in car.

I drive to bike ride and get FaceTime video call from my Don Cayelli on the ride over to wish me happy birthday. We agree to have our families go to North Carolina in a few months for a mini-vacation. We talk about a bunch of things and he asks how old the guys I ride with. I explain that the average age is about mid 30s, one guy I am older than his parents. The best and strongest rider by far is 40 years old, a former pro - Jason Schneider. He would not dope and had to leave the pro ranks as a result, doping was rampant (I claim it still is) but was much more out in the open. That is the only reason why his pro bike days were cut short.

There were some notable strong riders not here, 2 of the regulars - Alex Batres and Jason Boslaugh. Them not being here makes it much more manageable for me as the top guys feed off of others and try to outdo each other, in this process this puts the hurt on me. Many other super strong riders have not been here for anytime this year since we resumed these small rides because of Covid-19. Two notable people in this category are: George Croghan & Ferry Gijzel.

The ride tonight is very hard, 3 loops with hills about 12 miles each loop. We average 22.5 mph with stopping for lights every loop. So a pretty hard ride. I stay with the lead group but make a mistake on 2nd lap and don’t follow a very strong move (that I was told about) and end up doing a few miles solo to catch many 3 people and pull us most of the way to the main group on “Bennett Road” and catch them at the light.

Here is the strava from tonight’s ride

https://www.strava.com/activities/3998711104

This is missing pics of the strongest rider - Jason Schneider

Getting heckled on the ride

On the ride I get comments from the 2nd strongest rider on the ride about joining AARP. This kid is 27 and I am older than his parents. Spencer Lofgran is this person of interest.

Close the gap on the ride

On the last lap I was gaped a bit on a flat portion - Lawyers road as I was behind 3 folks that were not continuing the ride and the 4 guys in the front started hammering. The strongest guy comes back and gives me a massive push that pushes me past all the riders. This was by far the strongest push I ever received on the bike

Catching up with Mates

In the parking lot after the ride my buddy Vic Siegrfried is there waiting to wish me happy birthday. Here is a pic from Sunday ride with me, Ray Plewacki (middle) and Vic

Catching up with former work mates - IT Legend

I drive home and call a good friend of mine from work Anthony Zawacki to catch up with him. He was our best worker by far but in our last round of layoffs was dismissed. He is an IT rockstar doing great at his new job. He asks me a work question and that reminds me to contact a team using our product to help them avert a Kubernetes problem of an expiring certificate and to fix it before it expires.

Working for the man again

I get home and hop back on my new work issued MacBook Pro 16″ laptop to figure out the commands I want the customer to run. The commands are not in our official doc and I eventually find the commands that work. I test them on my own test system at an IBM lab and give them to support to get to them to the customer. I no longer have contacts with the on-site team as the main person I worked with left IBM.

I then write a long slack message to our documentation person to explain why we need these commands in our documentation. I then give sample output of the commands and what we are looking for.

The next day I spend a few hours doing more testing and spend an hour with our doc person to make all the changes to our official doc that I then get out to our customers on this release of our product.

Birthday Cake

My wife bought a 2 cakes, chocolate mousse with raspberries and apricot tart.

I eat 100% plant based foods (past 8 months or so) but broke that tonight to eat the chocolate mousse

We FaceTime my daughter Sophia at the University of Virginia (UVA), I light candles, and we sing happy birthday with Linh, Sophia (on iPhone), William and our infamous dog - Winston. Here are some poor photos I took in haste.

Trippy Lights & Wall Art

As I’m heading to bed my son shows me the LED lights we bought him for his bedroom and some very funky psychedelic wall art whose appearance change dramatically as the LED lights change colors.

#Stroud 55 Birthday

2 notes · View notes