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xcziel · 3 years

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get to know me

tagged by @vishcount (thank you!!) and i'll follow her format bc making two posts seems a little much - i'm not that interesting!!

(hilariously, this post shows up as blocked for me bc of the tag 'joker' which? tumblr?????)

Part I

name: i'm an internet old, so i never use my real name online, mainly because it's spelled in a very unique way (thanks mom & dad) - i mean like, if you googled it you could find my home address in a few seconds kind of unique - but also, though i do enjoy the spelling, i actually don't like it very much when it's said out loud? (is it weird that my name written down is 'me', but my name aloud has never felt like 'me'?) always wanted a nickname but never acquired one :/

at any rate, i've had the username xcziel forever and i go by that 😊 (pronounced ex-SEE-zee-el, similar to etc. or ex-SET-er-ah! thanks @xia-xueyi for pointing out that it can be confusing to guess!)

rest behind a cut because it got long!

pronouns: she/her

star sign: i don't ... really *do* astrology? but technically saggitarius

height: 5'4" (162.5cm for the intl folks)

time: 5:43pm but these thing take me forever to type out so ... ???

birthday: playing the 'internet old' card again .. but it floats around american Thanksgiving depending on the year

nationality: american

fave bands/groups/solo artists: lumping these together because i just .. don't really do music much anymore. if you had asked me this back in my 20s i'm sure i would have had all kinds of opinions and things to share, but these days i actually mostly prefer to listen music from when i was a kid. part of it is also that as an old, i prefer to buy my music, even digitally, and i don't really use spotify - which does so much to enable diverse music exploration i admit! but i mostly have earplugs in all the time and music does not work for me as background noise, so...

so i guess my answer would be 70s disco and classic rock and 80s new wave artists? i've never liked any artist's entire discography and prefer greatest hits-type compilations, but i guess duran duran and def leppard and depeche mode would be considered formative? i love new order but specifically late 80s new order, NOT joy division. the only concert t-shirt i've ever worn was the cult? i loved sonic temple but i can't listen to most of it anymore though i still adore love removal machine. i think maybe if you get old enough, for some of us there's TOO MUCH good music and we can't pare it down anymore

song stuck in your head: jamiroquai's canned heat

last movie you watched: re: the above, i re-watched center stage, the 2000 one with zoe saldana and the mandy moore soundtrack, bc it's a happy comfort movie and i just got a digital version

last show you binged: i can't really "binge" very often bc after a couple of hours i need a break, so i guess i'd say the tgcf donghua on netflix since it was short enough to get through all in one go

when you created your blog: in 2012 i stopped lurking so i could post about the avengers movie

the last thing you googled: 5'4" in cm? lol before that it was chinese wrapped street food

other blogs: everything is here! i discovered i compartmentalize about as well as i tag reliably (😓) but i do have several automated ao3feed-tag style sideblogs. and i did, very briefly, have a *winces* hockey sideblog too

why i chose my url: ooh i know i've done this before, sorry if it's repetitive, basically it was the username i picked back when my family first got aol: short, unique combo of letters - 14-year-old me really thought about it! and then it wouldn't let me use anything other than my name. thirty-some-odd years later, trying to come up with a livejournal username that wasn't already taken and getting fed up, i plugged it in and went: good enough!

how many people are you following: like 760-something last i checked? although many, many, many of them are deactivated

how many followers do you have: idk i don't like looking at that stuff, but way fewer than i am following

average hours of sleep: it varies too much day by day, my sleep schedule is too wonky, i have no idea what the average would be

lucky numbers: 7? cliché i know, and again not really buying into it, but somewhere in my hindbrain i like it that my first, middle, and last names all have seven letters

instruments: none. i like singing

what i'm currently wearing: giant black t-shirt and baggy black drawstring shorts, standard sitting around the house gear

dream job: don't have one. if i did it would give me something to be working towards *sigh* this is how you end up in retail for decades, kids! but also, to quote a random post i saw in true tumblr fashion "i simply do not dream of labor"

dream trip: covered this one before but: back to the uk and some railway daytrips, or a really fancy northern cruise, atlantic/pacific either one

fave food: uhhh, don't really have a favorite but i'm almost always in the mood for pizza

top three fictional universe you'd like to live in: none really, if i had to still be me..maybe some kind of actually utopian future? but the pandemic has confirmed for me that i do NOT like living in interesting times, so most fictional story universes are RIGHT out. my favorites to read about like discworld or diana wynne jones' worlds would be way to chaotic for my comfort. possibly diane duane's young wizards universe would be safe enough to be okay?

Part II

last song: watching center stage made me think of my dance playlist so sunrise by simply red

last movielast stream: i don't watch streams or youtube often, so it was the same as you, vish! liu chang's birthday stream was SO enjoyable i screenrecorded the entire thing just so i could play it back (and maybe gif sometime if i ever get the drive to actually do it)

currently reading: well i just finished the translated quan qiu gao kao or global university entrance exam novel, which was sparked purely from catching a single rec post here on tumblr and basically just *falling* into this 166 chapter epic that is *amazing* and not coming up for air until i got to the end, which is typical novel-reading behavior for me (yes i was the kid who read through lunch period and got hassled by people who kept pestering me with "what're you reading" questions and yes i realize probably a lot of you on tumblr were too) plus, the new murderbot novel is out tomorrow!!!!! so that'll be where i end up next!

currently watching: the entire dmbj verse (that i can get my hands on) but ... sporadically and stopping at random different parts because the thing is ... this type of show is not really the kind i enjoy so much? so since it's more for "research" and learning character arcs (and let's be honest: shots of liu sang), etc. it's easy to get distracted by other stuff. i'm also watching the sleuth of the ming dynasty, mr queen, bromance, the expanse, re-watching farscape and stargate sg-1, just finished the falcon and the winter soldier, and then anytime something new and short gets introduced it jumps the queue. there are just. so. many. things. to. watch! (now i have to look into anti-fraud league too!? you all are cruel ...)

what is antipoetry to you: i ... don't really think much about poetry? i know what i prefer is usually the more basic rhymed kind like lewis carroll, emily dickinson, poe, coleridge, etc. so i suppose i don't have much use for classifying non-rhyming verse? i can appreciate stuff like rupi kaur which i guess would qualify? or that william carlos williams plums poem? but it doesn't really stick with me the way lyric-like verse does

currently craving: i never know what exactly this is meant to be in reference to ... hmmm, i would love a new high-concept, high production-quality movie like say, pacific rim, to be released, just for that massive, excited energy that comes with something new that hasn't already got tons of disappointing or conflicting history behind it - that would be so fun!!

other than that, right now, i mostly kinda want some fried fish? but that will have to wait until i go to get my second vaccine shot on wednesday since it's on the way there. i'd also like my internal body parts to settle down and fly right but it's been more than a month and they don't seem inclined :(((( maybe once i'm fully vaxxed i'll think about consulting somebody about it

tagging @foxofninetales @xia-xueyi @momosandlemonsoda @memorydragon @thewindsofsong @elvencantation @mylastbraincql @hesayshesgotboyfriend @aurawolfgirl2000 @smaragdine-galaxy and anyone who wants to! but never feel obligated and if you don't get around to it for like half a year that's totally fine, i am still interested!!!

#xcedit #is my only like 'me' tag #tag game #long post #i wanna do one of these with more unusual questions but not like those themed ones ...#tell me if the cut doesn't work i'm still not used to having them on mobile!

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marnie-mouse · 3 years

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Hey this is random and I don't want to bother you but I'm kinda new to the nhl fandom and I really like your blog! I was hoping to get some pointers on how to get more into the fandom, learn the basics/history, etc and you seem to know a lot :)

Hello, absolutely no problem, and thank you!

Welcome to the NHL and NHL Tumblr! It's kind of hectic around here, especially during the playoffs, expansion drafts, and trade season, but I'm so glad that you're here!

So when I started liking hockey and getting into the NHL fandom, it was really important for me to find like-minded blogs because there can be discourse that feels a bit discouraging if you don't have places that you can find comfort in. If you've found a few blogs of your team(s) that you like, I would for sure go into their search and make sure that they don't have anything from previous posts that feel off to you. It's never fun to get the surprise of liking a blog and suddenly having vitriol on your feed that you weren't prepared for.

The first thing I did when joining the fandom was to learn everything I could about hockey, if you already have that under your belt, great! It's super helpful when talking to other fans to be accurate because a lot of people who are into sports are very particular about sports knowledge. For the most part, and I'm generalizing, it really doesn't matter, and they won't gatekeep you from having an enjoyable time because we all just really want to talk about how much we love our favs, but sometimes it sucks because people ask you to prove yourself. I usually just ignore those people, because like I said the vast majority don't care, but it's also good to have confidence in your opinions and knowing what you're talking about so no misinformation is happening. If you don't know a lot about hockey, I would look up the rules and watch a few games to immerse yourself, and it also helps to follow the hockey journalist and team accounts on Twitter for updates on players, trades, and anything happening in the NHL world.

Depending on which team or teams or individual players that you like, there are literally endless blogs that you can find on Tumblr to cater to you. I'm mainly a Hawks blog, so my favs, and the least dramatic blogs that I follow are @kikiskeysgame who has info about players and does breakdowns before and after games and @allthebros who has a lot of Toews/Kane posts and awesome GIFS from games and events. Every team has some incredible people like this who are really fun to follow, so just check out the team and player tags and you should be able to find some people to watch. A lot of blogs also do live blogging for games, so watch out for those too!

Like I said before, it might feel like a ton of people are gatekeeping if you are new to the blog scene, but it's really just a small percentage that are really loud. So if you like multiple teams/players on different teams, please do not be afraid to post about anything and everything that you love! I guarantee there are other blogs on here that share your passion.

As for the history of the fandom, I would say it doesn't really matter if you know what has gone on because, as you probably know, the rivalries on the teams usually carry over. So Philly/Pitts has beef, Van/Chi has beef, Pitts/Wash has beef, etc. and usually so do their fans. Sometimes that's not true, and that should totally not stop you from liking both sides. You're allowed to like what and whoever you like, and screw anyone who says you can't. Also if there's a reference to anything from a blog that doesn't make any sense, don't be afraid to ask, we are all more than happy to have asks to answer!

What else... Um, drama is usually over pretty quick, if someone says that a player is problematic do your own research because people can be bias, if your team is out of the playoffs or doesn't make it in that year people will post sad things that make it seem like they'll never get in again, but that isn't true, and even though players move teams, especially if they move to teams that your mutuals don't like, that doesn't mean you have to stop liking them, they're just being dramatic. The All Star games don't matter, but everyone seems to have fun. Everyone 'boos' Gary Bettmen at the draft, the cup presentation, and pretty much anytime we see him. You can usually find someone on here that has a link to stream the games if you don't have access. And truly, off-season on Tumblr is just a bunch of players looking dumb and having fun, and everyone goes crazy for summer pics, stories, babies, and weddings.

Also, it costs nothing to be nice, and I feel like that's something a lot of people forget when they're in a blog space, but it's important to remember that.

I think my final and most important piece of advice is love the time that you have, the teams that you love, and the players that you can because they don't stay there forever. The players leave consistently, the teams change all the time, and time seems to speed up without you noticing because truly it is incredibly fun, and that always seems to make time go faster.

If I didn't answer any of the questions that you have, in this novel-esque answer, or you would like to chat or know more, please do not hesitate to ask, I am always available, and I love to talk about hockey!

Thank you again, and welcome home!

#nhl hockey #hockey tumblr #asked and answered

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a-little-book-wormy · 4 years

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Thank you so much for the tag, @just-some-bibliophile

1. Nicknames?

Well, my name is Elysse and I don’t really have any nicknames but then again my family calls me Eese, or Geese lol

2. Name?

Oh gosh, please don’t stalk me haha but my name is Elysse Paterson. So annoying though because both aren’t spelt how they normally are.

3. Zodiac?

Pisces, that is why I am so emotional

4. Favorite musician or group?

Oh gosh, impossible question. I have WAY too many.

5. Favorite sports team?

Winnipeg Jets (Hockey... I’m definitely Canadian eh)

6. Other blogs?

Oh gosh okay, I have so many here we go.

@godsxandxgoddesses (Ancient History)

@finding-badgers (Yellow/Positivity”

@le-petit-peche (Plants/Greenery)

I have a few RP blogs but I am just starting them and dont wanna put them out there. It’s mythological themed.

7. Get asks?

Once and a blue moon yea

8. How many blogs do you follow?

Uhhhh I have no idea and i have no idea how to check really...

9. Tumblr crushes?

Nope, I don’t really talk to people ‘:) haha

10. Lucky numbers?

I dont have any lucky numbers really... I do have clinical OCD so I do have a numbers issue... They are 5,6,13,30 dont know why but it can be quite bothersome when I am having an episode

11. What are you wearing right now?

Pyjama shorts and a tank top

12. Dream vacation?

I have many dream destinations, Romania, Peru and all of Italy (Mainly where the ancient Romans/Greek people lived), Germany (because I wanna feel my ancestors home land) and Scotland (For the same reason)

13. Dream car?

Okay.. No one judge me please but a 1967 Black Chevy Impala because supernatural. First time i saw that model and it is absolutely gorgeous. I mean c’mon.

14. Favorite food?

Spaghetti and Americanized tacos... could eat them forever! Not to brag but im having tacos tomorrow and i couldnt be happier.

15. Drink of choice?

Gingerale or Fresca

16. Instruments?

Nope, used to play clarinet and the guitar but i sucked at both and hardly played.

17. Languages?

Fluent in English. I used to be in French emersion (Canadian things) but i wasn’t good at it and left. Then I tried German in high school but again wasn’t good at it, now i am learning Latin. If you can guess haha... i’m not good at it HOWEVER, I have to be fluent in that field for my career so even though I did 2 years of it, i’m sure i’ll get better. Me thinking i’ll never succeed in another language will only make it true.

18. Celebrity crushes?

Hmmm. Angelina Jolie, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, Andy Biersack honestly I love so many.

19. Random fact?

The one I always say to this is I have a thing called Horners. It is where my pupils are permanently two different sizes. Sometimes it is hard to tell and other times it is soooo obvious. My right pupil is always bigger than my left

20. Favorite ecosystem?

Uhhhh I have no idea. I guess somewhere where it isn’t too hot? If it is more than +15 celsius I die inside.

21. Favorite cat species?

Siberian

Tag list:

Ohhhh I am the worst that this... I dont really have any tumblr friends so uh here it goes.

@oldfarmhouse @junglewave @plantsarefriendssometimesfood @fleur-aesthetic

@yellow-is-my-aesthetic @greekgodsaesthetictime @greek-myth @bookklempt

@bookaesthetics @green-grunge @plantsaretakingover @plantskies @booksquotescoffee

Feel free to tag yourself!!

#Elysse Talks #My Post

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andrewuttaro · 5 years

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New Look Sabres: GM 12 - DET

One day my children will ask me what it was like to watch Jake McCabe in his prime. They’ll ask me: Daddy, how did our hero block shots so much and still have the strength to score goals and wreck fools? I’ll tell them it was the enduring power of the crossed swords crest and they’ll be Sabres fans forever. I’ll also tell them the Buffalo Sabres really turned the page from the dark days when they started responding. Responding to what, daddy? Losses, child: when they decided to start following losses, ugly losses, with shutout wins every single time, that was when they really turned the page. Speaking of the pages of history: I’ve been diving into the Buffalo Sabres 50Years Special Section of the Buffalo News for a couple weeks looking at their most historic games. I was prepared to default to that list for my reoccurring segment “Greatest Game Against” after each divisional matchup. When I put it out on twitter however I got some real beauties including a submission from @RegalMoustachio (Dan Ball) that is… for lack of better phrasing: Very 1980s. Allow me to paint you a picture: it’s December 23rd, 1987. Christmas is only a couple days away. Ted Sator is Head Coach and Phil Housley is the top defenseman (mind you Lindy Ruff is the Captain of this team) for a Sabres club mired in mediocrity for closing in on a decade. Sabre Kevin Maguire takes a run at Red Wings goalie Zach Stefan after Sabres goalie Tom Barrasso had apparently taken a fist in the shnoz earlier in the game. Here’s the link () go watch it, I can’t do it justice. For the next five minutes after the hit on Stefan it just escalates and escalates. Eventually Bob Probert fights Maguire and it got ugly. I don’t mean to glorify fighting but dear lord, watch that highlight and tell me that doesn’t color the history between these two teams. Last night’s game was Jake McCabe’s revenge game. He was taking revenge on all us nerds who said he’s not an absolute G. Sure he’s no Rasmus Dahlin, but he puts the Buff in Buffalo Sabres. And he did it in a game we really needed it. For the third time this season they responded to a loss with a win. For the second time this season they responded to a loss with a shutout win. For the first time this season my man Linus Ullmark has a shutout!

I was at Frightworld in Tonawanda for the entirety of this game, but the early returns clearly tended toward a snooze-fest. It appeared the Red Wings were dominating that telling statistical categories like 5 on 5 scoring chances and expected goals. They dominated the most basic statistic that is shots for the first period as they got doubled up 12-6. Luckily there were no goals against. You see a period like that and you kinda expect the worst. I went on record before this game and said if they don’t demolish the Red Wings then the first rant of the season from yours truly was coming. That rant was being prepared as I walked through the Storm Area 51 house fearing the Sabres would lose to two bad teams two nights in a row more than the face-panted acting students jumping out at me. Unfortunately we got another Rasmus Dahlin stinker this first period. I feel like I said everything I needed to say about Dahlin’s sketchy play lately after the Rangers game, but I didn’t say what I wanted to change other than don’t give over turnovers, bud. What I probably would’ve asked for occurred: Henri Jokiharju was moved up to Dahlin’s pairing and they had quite a bit more chemistry than Dahlin and Colin Miller had. In spite of that roster move, Dahlin was trying to move the puck out of the defensive zone and somehow yielded it right to Andreas Athanasiou. Athanasiou took a shot, got in back and passed it to another guy who almost out maneuvered a stick-less Ullmark. Luckily that was the worst it got in the first… well other than that Valtteri Filppula breakaway in the first five minutes… ugh, we were really lucky to survive that period scoreless weren’t we? Yikes.

The Red Wings are a team you’re not allowed to lose to. They’re like the Ottawa Senators, they’re biggest goal right now is to get a high-first round draft pick. They have real NHLers in the minors. Detroit has a team caught between then and now. You got the ghost of Niklas Kronwall on one line and USA Hockey Magazine poster boy Dylan Larkin on another. Evidently they’re taking one more dip in the tank in this year’s spicy good draft and so you have to beat them because frankly they want you to! Both the lines of REO Speedwagon and the Roaring Twenties had their chances through the first half of this game but how are you being out-chanced by the Red Wings! How? I very well could go on a rant but kinda like the night before I just have too many early good feels about this team right now to rant at em after a win. To their credit they actually got more shots and high-danger chances in the second period. All the while Jake McCabe is blocking shots like and absolute hero. And so it was his time to be the star before any of the big names that have found their way onto this club: Eichel gets knocked to the ice after laying a hit on Tyler Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe gets the puck near the Wings blueline and thinks for a moment. He decides to take the shot and it zings right past Jimmy Howard into the net for the first goal of the game. 1-0 Sabres with 8:20 left in the second. Buffalo finally had some good play for the remainder of the period including almost another goal from McCabe. Almost. Either way Jake McCabe became my Hard-Working again this game. He’s one of those phenomenons in cities like Buffalo where the populace just canonizes players they deem tough and diligent. I understand he’s not actually that good as anything more than a role player. That’s fine. Let’s celebrate the role players too because we’re winning games we don’t look so hot in because of them right now.

The third period was rowdy. So we’ve established Dylan Larkin is hot stuff. Evidently on a tanking team he takes on the role of penalty drawer. He gets Kyle Okposo for interference; he gets Colin Miller for tripping; watch the replays that data wasn’t all that convincing to me. No amount of powerplay time could save his team now though. The Sabres got a powerplay after Trevor Daley high-sticked Kyle Okposo and the mercenary unit that is this team’s powerplay that we fell in love with in the first six games came back with a vengeance. With all the video replay powers of modern technology I still don’t think I have enough angles on the absolute gem of a goal Sam Reinhart tapped in. It went from Jeff Skinner to Jack Eichel to Victor Olofsson to Sam Reinhart parked in front of the net and in. It was a thing of splendor and maybe one of those goals we look back on months from now. I mean… Jimmy Howard definitely botched that one hard but nonetheless the 2-0 goal here for the Sabres was just beyond magnificent. Unfortunately that goal deserved better than this game. For the remaining 18+ minutes Larkin went on drawing penalties, getting shots and Detroit never looked out of it. You look at 2-0 box score and think that may have not required a herculean effort from a goalie, this one did. Linus got his pad or a stick or a blocker on so many shots this game. He earned his first shutout of the season blocking 41 shots! That’s only 6 shy of the shots blocked Hutton got in his shutout Tuesday that earned him an NHL star of the week honor. I love Ullmark but he shouldn’t have had to do that much work against Detroit. This is a game the Sabres should have dominated a bit more than they did. They could not manage the clean zone exits and entries they did in the very early going of this season and had Detroit not skated around wasting minutes on end on offense then this game could’ve turned out differently. Nonetheless this one ended 2-0 Sabres and our squad improved to 9-2-1 leaving only one game left in October against a very hot Coyotes squad. Isn’t it nice to think at the absolute worst they’ll end this month 9-3-1? Crazy times we live in, eh?

A couple notes before we turn wholeheartedly into Buffalo Bills mode tomorrow: Sabres Stats tweeted in his 164 games as Sabres coach Phil Housley got them 5 shutouts while in 12 games as Head Coach Ralph Krueger has already gotten them 3. That’s a stat that one might call almost worthless, the Robin Lehner years were fraught but there is a grain of something telling in there. I also share the sentiment of many Sabres fans that a Skinner-Eichel reunion feels necessary at this point. “Skinhel” as I’ll call that combo because I’m feeling spooky, is something that can be unleashed like the blue shell powerup in Mario Cart. You use it when you really need to save your ass. We’re not to that point yet but I too feel that temptation. Before we warp this up your reply guy tweet of the game goes to none other than NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman who when asked about the efficacy of the current playoff format responded: “We think the format works well… unless you’re a Leafs fan.” BURN! That burn was so hot it just ensured it’s going to be a mild winter in southern Ontario! I can say for myself that such a comment is immediately my favorite Gary Bettman quote of all-time. There’s no beating that. Like, share and comment this blog as you go about your Saturday fun. I have nothing to say about the Coyotes Monday night other than maybe don’t let em get every shot they want like Detroit did last night. They will probably make you pay more often than not. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. What are you looking to about the trip to Sweden for the Global Series? I am so not used to my sports teams getting fun opportunities like that. I don’t know how to get pumped for it.

#buffalo sabres #hockey #blog #NHL #detroit red wings

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skylersummer · 5 years

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Goodbye 2018

Following on from my last post and mostly for my own sake, I’ve decided to actually write down my resolutions this year in the hopes that having them permanently and publically written online will force me to try and stick to them. So in no particular order …

Take a Self-Defence Class

This is literally something I decided I wanted to do in the last month, but I am surprised I didn’t think of it sooner. Although I may not be particularly fit, as a young woman, I feel like learning some Tips and Tricks for taking care of myself in a dangerous situation may well come in handy, I want to be prepared for anything.

Pack lunches for University

This is pretty dull but the amount I spend at the Sainsbury’s next door to uni on lunch and snacks is getting a bit ridiculous, and the university canteen is somehow even more expensive? Can someone tell UAL that £4.50 is too much for a # Hot Chocolate and a Panini to go

Exercise (obviously)

Pretty self-explanatory and probably on 99% of the world’s Resolutions. Would be nice to utilise my free gym + swim benefits though, and attend a few more Sunday night hockey trainings rather than retreating to bed.

Cut down on my meat intake

Yes I still eat meat and I am aware it’s awful, but I need to take small steps, I think.

Pass Driving Test

I finish uni forever in May, and unless I am literally tied down to a job in London over summer, I have no excuse not to learn (again) and pass that darn test. I refuse to be stuck using public transport when i’m old and grey.

Go to Persepolis

It’s a Persian (?) restaurant in Peckham and I always walk past and it always looks nice and filled with people chatting and drinking tea and laughing, even late into the evening. I want to become one of these people.

Delete all dating apps

They are genuinely a waste of my time! Go out and meet real humans, Mim.

Visit St. Michael’s Mount

Right, I have only been to Cornwall once for a post-GCSE frenzied underage club holiday to Newquay, so excuse my lack of knowledge but I recently just learnt about St Michael’s Mount. Hang on I will insert a picture (source: Aspire Holidays):

HOW BLOODY MAGICAL AND ETHEREAL AND UNLIKE ENGLAND DOES THIS LOOK?

Very, in my opinion. It truly looks like an Enchanted Place and I am sure it has a huge great story and history which I will at some point make time to research. Even without a supernatural backstory this place just looks like the sort of place where I would feel very at home. Cornwall I am coming.

Learn to DJ properly

I have been establishing myself in social circles as my far more cool alter-ego DJ MIR.I.AM since I was eighteen. I have been literally offered DJ gigs, so convincing is my act. My one issue? I have no idea how to mix music.

2019 is going to be the debut year of MIR.I.AM. Prepare yourselves, she’s quite the pip.

Get a Real Tattoo

And by real I mean not temporary and also not stick-and-poked on to my own ankle after a night at the pub. This all obviously depends on my financial situation but I also plan on suddenly become sickeningly wealthy in 2019, so it should be ok.

Keep Writing

One of the best things I did this year was start writing, even just with the letters to myself and now this (blog?) online. I always loved to write and have at least 3 unfinished books I started as a teenager somewhere in my bedroom, but with all the art and design I really let the bookish side of me slide. I am so glad to have rediscovered my passion for putting my metaphorical pen to paper, regardless of whether I am any good or not and regardless of whether anyone else cares to read what I am writing either.

I hope to write at least 1 blog (again ??? is that what this is becoming? God Forbid) post a month.

And that’s all I had written down on my iPhone notes, although I’m sure as soon as I publish this I will remember a whole host more, but such is life.

To see out the year I will leave you with one of my favourite writers, Neil Gaiman’s, words which he posts every year on his blog for the New Year, I feel like he always captures exactly what I wish I could I write, I’m sure you’ll agree:

A decade ago, I wrote:

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

And almost half a decade ago I said,

...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple.

And it's this.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

#blog #2019 #2018 #New Years #New Years resolutions

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nomorelonelydays · 7 years

Note

Hey Bee, I'm just feeling really crummy and worthless- like nothing I do is enough. And had an argument with my family that makes me feel like they think the same. So I came to your blog for a smile. Thanks for such a lovely blog. I was thinking that the things I'm going through sound like something shy!sid might also have gone through. If that sparks any creativity in you or the other anons that would rock

I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way!!! :(( I know that feeling and it’s definitely really rough. Here’s some shy sidney, if that helps a little:

Sidney doesn’t date. Spending effort to go out to impress aguy who may or may not be as interested in him in the end is draining, andSidney’s been on enough awkward encounters to kill enough of his self-esteem. Helikes his routines a certain way, he likes quiet Friday nights to himself atthe rink, when all the players are gone and he can practice without thememories of the terrifying jeers and boys trying to break his neck surgingback. He likes the stability of knowing the sameness of his schedule.

Sidney had a long term boyfriend before, and his parentsmade such a big fuss about it, telling Sidney how happy they were that Sidneyfound such a nice person. And he was nice. Nice enough before finally throwingin the towel and saying, kindly but quite honestly, “I can’t imagine livingwith you forever. You’re…boring.” It’d hurt more than any hockey injury,because exactly a month ago, the same man had held him close and told himwarmly, “I love how there’s no surprises with you. You’re one in a million, Sid.”

Sidney believed him.

His parents ask him why his boyfriend isn’t coming over forChristmas, and Sidney tells them why, hoping the Skype call would conceal histhroaty voice.

“Well, he’s not…wrong,” his father says.

Without hockey, Sidney’s always been less than enough for his father. It stings just a bit more today to hear it.

“Troy!” his mother says, smacking him on the arm beforeturning to Sidney. “He wasn’t worth your time, sweetheart.”

(He doesn’t tell his parents about his later boyfriends, orlack thereof, anymore.)

He keeps himself busy with work, running to and fro to keepthings running in the Pens PR team, making calls and not thinking of much atall. Retweeting the player’s Cup days when he’s bored (it’s intern work, butSarah had called in sick that week) and staring at happy families gatheredaround the Stanley Cup. Evgeni Malkin, the team’s captain, holds up the Cuptriumphantly in one photo. There’s real penguins waddling around, flowers andstreams and expensive champagne along the table, and so, so many people, allthe people who love and adore Geno. A beautiful woman kisses Geno’s cheek inanother photo, and Geno looks so happy.

Sidney is a little bit in love with Geno. Geno always putson a big smile for Sidney’s cameras, strikes a silly pose and points in hisdirection so Sidney’s little team always gets the perfect shot. He always staysto chat with Sidney after he showers and changes out of his sweaty jersey, if Genocan find him, asking cheekily, “You see hat trick? Do for you.” And Sidneywould laugh that embarrassing honking noise and tell Geno’s that he’s so fullof shit when really his heart is bursting with hope.

“Have to go out with team now, you come too?” Geno asks. “Celebrate?”

“I have work left to do, have to go home,” Sidney says. It’sa Friday night. “I really can’t.”

“One day I’m find your house, make you go with us,” Geno teases,grinning. For a moment, Sidney dreams of Geno coming to his house and sayingsheepishly, ‘I’m keep you company? I’m little bit tired tonight, maybe we keeptalk.’ It makes Sidney’s chest flutter, but then Geno adds, “Know you reallynot that boring!”

And that’s all it comes down to. They’re different people,after all. Maybe Sidney’s just in love with an idea of Geno. Maybe Geno hadjust been amusing Sidney when Sidney ramble-mocks the latest bizarre concept hesaw on the History channel, telling him, “No, no, is interesting. I’m want toknow. Keep going.” It’s not the first time he’s been lied to. Maybe Sidney hadjust become so unwittingly lonely that anyone who could stand him for more thanfive minutes would do.

“Geno, the rookies say they’re going to find you someonetonight for sure!” someone yells. “Hurrythe fuck up!”

Sidney smiles tightly. “Good night, Geno. Great job outthere.”

He leaves, down the hallway, and Geno doesn’t stop him.

He ends up staying at the rink until he’s sure that everyoneelse is gone.

He skates until his knees hurt. And practices.

And practices.

He’s getting ready to go home for real when Geno’s voicesays from behind, “You lie about go home.”

Sidney whips around. Geno’s in skates too, gliding overslowly.

“You didn’t go out,” Sidney says.

Geno shrugs. “You play good,” Geno says. “Really good. Iwatch.”

“Oh.” Sidney fiddles with his stick and pushes at the puck alittle. “I used to play.”

“You not play anymore?”

“Not with people.”

“Why?”

Sidney bites his lip.

“Why?” Geno asks, again.

“I like boys,” Sidney says, looking at the ground. Might aswell break his own heart completely, there and then, so he stops hoping for somethingso impossible and dumb. “Got my leg broken by someone in peewee. Mom gotscared.” He exhales through his nose, as quietly as possible. “I got scared.”

Geno doesn’t say anything for a long time. Sidney can feelthe tears welling up already.

“Hey, I should go home,” Sidney starts.

Geno reaches out a little. “Wait.”

Sidney waits.

“We practice? Little bit?” Geno asks. “More fun two people.”

“I’m really tired,” Sidney says.

“Next time?”

“Maybe,” Sidney says. “I don’t know.”

Geno shuffles a bit. “You want eat? Know great place nearby.I’m treat.”

Sidney could eat. He braves a smile. “I have to warn you,though, I’m really as boring as you think I am. I just watched an entire seasonof Planet Earth, so you’re going tobe hearing a lot of that.”

“You not boring,” Geno says, sounding pained as he shakeshis head so earnestly. He covers Sidney’s hand that’s resting on the stick withhis. “You kind of amazing.”

Geno’s hand is warm and gentle against his, and Sidney doesn’tpull away.

It’s kind of amazing.

#sidgeno #shy sid au #either a different gettogether #or a pre-cupcake giving at the rink #remember that fic?#ages ago #ask bee

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halvedhab · 7 years

Note

Can u teach me about the baseball? I need another sport to obsess over. Hockey is almost over and my life is empty without the sport :/

anon, I would be HAPPY to teach you about the baseball, since hockey season is over and I need others to join me in the hell that is B A S E B A L L.

so, without further ado, welcome to:

HALVEDHAB’S MLB PRIMER FOR HOCKEY FANS

this will be a very basic primer, aimed mainly at hockey fans who have never watched a baseball game and have no idea what they’re getting into, but once saw a gif of those Baseball Pants and thought, “hey, maybe…”

(x)

This primer will cover the basic rules of baseball, some baseball terms that you might hear floating around, some of the teams in the MLB, the difference between the National League and the American League, and some resources to continue you on your journey to becoming a Real Baseball Fan. :)

So, for starters, baseball might seem a lot slower than hockey to begin with. Where hockey is near-constant motion, baseball is a lot of standing around and pauses between pitches. Because baseball is so much slower-paced, I found hockey a lot more difficult to follow when I first started watching it! But what I like about baseball—and hockey!—is that anything can happen. If your team is down 4-0 in the 9th inning, there’s still a chance they can come back.

There was a pretty good baseball primer floating around a while ago with rules and positions, but the OP deactivated, so it’s no longer available. :(

Innings

Baseball games are 9 innings long, Each inning has a top (when the visiting team is at bat) and a bottom (when the home team is at bat). If a team is tied at the end of 9 innings, they get EXTRA innings until the tie is broken. (Longest baseball game ever? 33 innings. It lasted 8 hours. The longest one I’ve ever watched was 19 innings, and my team lost).

Hits

A player steps up to bat, gets three chances to hit the ball (three strikes, you’re out). A ball can also be fouled by hitting it over the foul lines. NOTE: fouls are…a lot more complicated than this, but for sake of simplicity and word count I’m sticking with this. Fouls count as strikes, unless the batter already has two strikes, in which case you can hit infinite fouls, and games take forever!

A player can also be served a pitch that falls outside of the strike zone. This is called a ball. Four balls, and a player gets to walk to first base.

^ (the strike zone)

You’ll often see (on the scoreboard) or hear (from the announcers) a count referring to the number of balls or strikes a batter has. The first number is the number of balls, the second is the number of strikes. A 3-2 count is known as a full count, because another strike will result in an out and another ball will result in a walk.

(^ here is a Very Messy explanation of what you’ll sometimes see on a scoreboard)

If the batter hits the ball and the ball is caught before it hits the ground, the player is out. If the ball is caught by the baseman while he’s standing on the base and BEFORE the player has touched the base, the player is out. If the player is “tagged” by an opposing player while the player is holding the ball, he’s out. Three outs, and the teams switch places.

A single is when a player hits a ball and runs to first base. A double is when a player hits a ball and runs to second. A triple is when a player hits a ball and runs to third. Players can also attempt to steal bases between pitches.

Runs

A run is the baseball equivalent of a goal. If a player makes it around all the bases, this is called a run. A home run is when a player hits the ball so that they are able to make it safely around all the bases without being tagged—this usually means hitting it over the outfield fence, so that none of the outfielders can catch it. A grand slam is when a player hits a home run while all the bases are loaded. A walk off run is a home run that ends the game (i.e. a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game).

Fielding

These are the defensive positions in baseball. These players are tasked with trying to score putouts, or recording an out while the other team is up at bat. The numbers in the above diagram are used to score putouts. For example, if the shortstop catches a ball and throws it to first, that out would be recorded as a 6-3 out. You don’t get any points for scoring putouts, unfortunately.

A double play refers to making two outs in the same continuous play.

Pitchers

(my favourite pitcher, Marcus Stroman ^ )

Pitchers are the goalies of baseball. This is a true and real fact. They are kind of weird, usually aloof and amazing, but occasionally prone to emotional meltdowns and bad pitches. Teams usually have about 5 starting pitchers that they rotate between, and then a “bullpen” of relief pitchers to fill in for the rest of the game. A pitcher can be pulled and replaced if he’s having a particularly bad game, or if he’s not getting run support/defense, or if he’s just tired. A shutout in baseball is when a pitcher doesn’t allow an opposing team to score a single run. It’s very rare for one pitcher to start and finish a game.

Catchers can often be seen communicating with their pitchers through a series of hand signals.

Schedule

Whereas NHL teams only play 82 games per season, MLB teams play 162 games. MLB teams also play back-to-back games (which is why they rotate starting pitchers) and they play multiple games in a row against the same team (known as a series). If you win every game in a series, that’s a sweep! Baseball season begins in April and ends in October (or November, depending how long playoffs run).

The MLB

There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball:

But wait. What’s AL and NL?

The American League and National League

There are two different leagues within the MLB, if things weren’t confusing enough. They have slightly different rules, but the biggest rule is the designated hitter (or DH).

In the NL, pitchers get a turn at bat. In the AL, pitchers DON’T bat. Instead, a DH takes the pitcher’s spot at bat. The DH’s ONLY job is to hit—he doesn’t play defence (so he doesn’t have a position in the field).

When NL and AL teams play against each other, they play by the home team’s rules. So when an NL team plays at an AL team’s stadium, they have a DH. When an AL team plays at an NL team’s stadium, they have one of their pitchers bat.

(things get more complicated when you add things like pinch hitters and pinch runners, but we’ll get into that another time!)

The World Series is the equivalent of the Stanley Cup Final, and it always ends with a National League team playing against an American League team.

Which team should I choose?

Any one you want! There are plenty of reasons to pick a team, whether it’s physical proximity, or because the team is attached to an NHL team you like, or because they have a player you think is hot, or because you think they have the coolest mascot. There are a couple of teams up there I take some issue with for uh. moral issues. But otherwise have fun!

^ (it’s obvious who the cutest mascots are)

Underdogs (Teams that have never won a World Series): Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals.

The Winners: New York Yankees (27 WS wins), St. Louis Cardinals (11 WS wins), Oakland Athletics (9 WS wins), San Francisco Giants (8 WS wins).

The Classic Eight (Teams that have been around since the beginning): Atlanta Braves (originally from Boston), LA Dodgers (originally from Brooklyn), Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants (originally from New York), Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals.

Where can I watch?

MLB.com

There is an MLB Stream Reddit page.

Twitter often streams live MLB games for free.

Other Resources

There’s a 1994 Ken Burns documentary miniseries called Baseball that takes you through the history of the MLB. It’s very long, but really interesting, and covers a lot of information if you’re interested in getting the background of the league and some of the famous players/teams of the past!

Pitch is also a very good television show that follows the fictionalized account of the first female pitcher in the MLB. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after one season. :(

Some good general baseball tumblrs: @gfbaseball posts nonstop gifs and @smellbaseball posts really cool baseball edits! (both of them are multi-team). But most baseball blogs on tumblr seem to stick to one or two teams, so it’s hard to recommend blogs without knowing what team you’re looking for.

The absolute best way to learn about baseball is to watch it! Pick a team or two, tune into a game and figure out what this whole mess is about.

Anyway! I hope some (or any of this) helped. And I hope I have sufficiently managed to convince you to watch this sport.

#Anonymous #please let me know if you have any questions!#and please message me if I've made any dire mistakes in this primer lmao I'm by no means a baseball expert #just a casual fan!

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hoenursey · 7 years

Text

worst behavior || nursey + jack

“Nursey.”

He doesn’t answer him, typing away at his keyboard in a way that’s visibly agitated, or at least irritable. What are normally soft, smooth clicks against the mac’s surface are now harsh, broken-sounding; each near-slam of his slim fingers makes a sharp clack in the quiet of the haus’ living room.

“Nursey,” Jack says again.

The continued silence makes it clear that he’s being ignored. Inwardly, he sighs.

“Twenty-eight, your captain is talking to you. Answer, now.”

“Yo, Captain. Didn’t see you there,” Nursey drawls. Jack makes the executive decision not to call him out on his blatant lie and gets to his knees so that he doesn’t loom over Nursey where he’s scrunched up in the corner.

“You’ve been tense lately. There’s something wrong with you. What is it?” Shit, that was probably the wrong way to go about it, but it’s already been said. Something flickers across Nurse’s face too fast for him to identify, and even if it had been obvious, he’s not sure if he’d be able to properly identify what it was then either.

“There’s plenty of shit wrong with me. There’s plenty of shit wrong with you, too. We’re both older than the people in our respective grades for a reason, Capitane.”

“You know that’s not what I mean. You’ve been snapping at people, aggressive on the ice like you usually aren’t, fighting with Dex more often. You nearly dropped your gloves last game.”

“It’s an aggressive sport. I’m still playing good hockey, aren’t I?” Nursey asks, his tone deceptively lazy.

Jack makes a quietly frustrated noise. “You’re playing damn good hockey. You know that. You’re a great player and a hard worker. You’re serious in practice. But you aren’t okay. You–”

“Why do you care?”

Jack stops. “What?”

Nursey raises a brow. It’s a little condescending. “I said, why. do. you. care.”

“I’m your captain, of course I care, Nursey,” Jack says. “It’s my job to care about your wellbeing.”

“On the ice,” Nursey shoots back. “Dunno about you, but i’m not seeing any ice. I think it’s hardwood, actually.”

“Nursey, you’re being purposefully obtuse and I know you’re smart as hell. I’m worried about you. You don’t have to…” Still frustrated, he switches to French to calm himself down.

<< “You can tell me what’s wrong. I won’t tell anybody, but I have a right to know what’s affecting my players because it can affect the team in the long run. You’re maintaining because you’re a good player but that won’t last forever. I pay attention. I know you’re upset about something. Just spit it out.” >>

<< “All you pay attention to is hockey and your major. Your whole schedule is ‘eat sleep hockey class hockey, Bitty, Shitty, Lardo repeat’. You’re all in on that shit. That’s fine, but I don’t fall under that list. My problems aren’t yours until they affect you on the ice, and from what you’ve said, they haven’t.” >>

<< “It’s being preemptive,” >> Jack protests. << “I care about the whole team. I want to know.” >>

<< “Every reporter in America wanted to know about you, didn’t they? And they still don’t know the truth. It wasn’t their business, and it was a matter of privacy. I don’t ask you. Don’t ask me,” >> Nursey says, and the note of bitterness along with the icy coolness in his tone is enough to make Jack back off a little, because… well, Nursey’s sort of right. It’s his privacy.

“Euh… I, uh. Yeah. Yeah,” Jack manages to get out. “I'm… damn. Désolé, Nursey.”

Some of the tension fades from Nursey’s shoulders and what he thinks is surprise lights in his sleepy green eyes, but it disappears quickly.

“C'est bien. I’ve got to finish this paper before midnight, though, so, like…”

“Yeah, sure. Uh. Good… luck. I hope you do well.”

“Thanks.”

For the next week, Jack tries to be a little nicer to Nursey– to all of the frogs, actually, because Nursey had a point: he didn’t really get close to many people and when he did, he stuck with them and didn’t oftentimes branch out. Chowder is of course delighted, but he’s fairly excited by most things; Dex is a little more hesitant, but Jack remembers details about people, and he asks for a basic tutorial on how to fix small things around the house for his new apartment wherever he goes and the freshman warms right up to him, even if he talks a little fast and seems a little redder than usual. He takes time out for Ransom and Holster, too, who seem surprised but pleased, and willing to be around him; he finds he likes it even outside of their haus movie nights.

Jack doesn’t exactly seek out Nursey, but he does know now because of Dex that he tends to seek out Lardo when he’s thinking about anything. He’d asked the younger defenseman, which he had gone a little odd about.

“Why?” he asked suspiciously, gripping his stick. “Is he in trouble?”

“No,” Jack tried to say, but Dex barreled on.

“Who did he yell at? Was it Chowder? Was it you? He’s weird but he probably didn’t mean it, Jack, I swear, and he’s been weirder than normal it’s probably some dumb art thing-”

“Dex,” Jack said firmly. “Nursey’s not in trouble and he didn’t yell at anyone. I’m just trying to figure out where he hangs out so that if I ever need him, I know where to find him. He’s the only person I don’t know where he goes.”

Dex blinked. “Oh.”

“And you shouldn’t say that,” Jack added. “Art’s important. Most of the stuff we know about history is because of art.”

“I. Uh. Yeah? Sorry. Sorry, Jack,” he stammered out, flushing badly. “He hangs out with Lardo and Shitty.”

“Thanks. And thanks for showing up to optional skate. Go warm up.”

“Yes sir.”

The next time Shitty’s room smells prominently of weed– enough that the rest of the haus gets a bit of a contact high– Jack slips inside and sure enough, Nursey is there, laid out on his back with a joint between his lips, his eyes closed.

“Yo, Zimmermann,” Lardo says lazily. Shitty vaguely waves an arm: he’s face down on his bed, his laptop open on what looks like a college application, probably Harvard again. A choking noise comes from over Nursey’s direction, but Jack ignores it and settles next to Lardo, who promptly eases into his lap like a cat. He tucks his chin over her head and she makes a happy noise that rumbles against his chest.

“You smoke?” Nursey asks, wary.

Jack shrugs. “Sometimes. Not always. Not often. It helps, y’know? With the anxiety. Stress.”

“Jack usually just sits in here,” Lardo supplies. “It’s better than his meds sometimes. Right Jack?”

“Yeah,” he murmurs, and squeezes her lightly around the waist.

“I know,” Nursey says under his breath–he already talks at a low pitched little thing, almost a mutter– and it’s just quiet enough that he almost misses it.

Huh.

Jack does end up taking a couple hits, just enough to give him a buzz, then spends the rest of the time playing with Lardo’s hair and eventually, Shitty’s. He’s good at braids. The wariness doesn’t fade from Nursey’s eyes, not quite or at least not all the way, but the tension does.

“Hey, Bit- uh, Bitty?” Jack asks from the doorway. It’s warm in the kitchen, and something pop-y and light is playing, which makes sense, because Bittle’s arms are covered from fingertip to elbow in flour. He gets distracted for a second, staring at the contrast between his now ghost-white forearms and sun-kissed upper arms and shoulders, until Bitty says, “Oh, Jack! I’m sorry, you haven’t been standing there long, have you? C’mon in here, Lord, you ain’t gotta stand there, it’s your house too.”

“Right, yeah.” Jack steps in, and Bittle looks up at him expectantly for a minute until he remembers that he’s here for something, and not just to hover around while he makes food.

“Uh, do you know Nursey’s favourite pie?” He asks.

One little blond brow quirks up at him. “Yes, Jack, I know all of your favourites. It’s sweet potato. How come?”

“No reason,” he says evasively. It doesn’t work. Bitty’s mouth turns up at the corner a little, and he leans his hip against the counter, dusting his hands off.

“So you just… happen to be asking what Nursey’s favourite pie is, randomly? No reason behind it at all, hm? Why not Ransom’s? Or mine?”

“Yours is peach-lemon,” Jack says immediately. He isn’t sure why he knows that, but then Bitty’s cheeks go a little pink, and something sort of twinges in him and goes That’s why. Because Bitty likes when we remember stuff about him. He ignores it– aggressively– and instead pounces on the fact that Bitty is now in a good mood if he wasn’t already.

“Do you think you could maybe make a sweet potato pie? Just, uh don’t let the boys get at it, eh? It’s a surprise, kind of? A pick me up?” He’s rambling, a little, but it’s not like he talks a hell of a lot anyways.

Bitty’s brow creases a little, which means he probably said something wrong, but he can’t take it back now.

“Jack, is Nursey alright?” He moves to grab something, a pie tin, and starts shaping the dough within it. “Now that I think about it, he’s seemed a little off, but I thought he was just tired because of class, I should’ve said somethin’, i’ve been so distracted by this dang blog that I haven’t even tried! I wish someone had said–”

“Bitty,” he says firmly, a little loud. The smaller man looks up, startled.

“Was I rambling again? My bad. I’m just–”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize, I do it too. Can you make the pie?”

“Of course, Jack. When do you need it by?”

“Tonight would be. That would would be good, if you can. Or tomorrow night, either way, it doesn’t really matter–”

“I’ll make it tonight,” Bitty says cheerily. “Don’t you worry your head, i’ll just make a murder run and i’ll use this crust here, buy some more stuff for another since we’re dang near outta flour anyways.”

“I can, uh, come with you, and help you carry your stuff back from the store? Or just so you don’t have to walk alone…?”

He looks surprised at the offer, and maybe a little touched. “Oh, Jack– I mean, if you’re busy, you don’t hafta, but i’d sure appreciate it if you’re sure you want to.”

“I’m sure. I’ll grab my phone. You should grab a jacket.”

“Chirp, chirp, chirp, Mr. Zimmermann. I’ll get you back one a’ these days, mark my words.”

It’s a little late by Jack’s standards when they finally finish up the pie; somewhere in the middle, Bitty had gotten the idea for a marshmallow top crust and had absolutely needed to work it out on paper for later, on a pie that didn’t have so much weighing on it. Still, it comes out well, and Bitty bags him up, sends him off with the pie, a container of cool whip, and a thermos of milk, “In case you decide not to drink those beers with my pie,” he says, gesturing to the two bottles with their slim necks tangled between his fingers.

Jack thanks him and Bitty sends him off with a smile. He stands in the doorway, waving, and it makes him warm and a little less anxious about what he’s about to do to know that he has the support of the younger man. Got your back, he thinks, and knows they all mean it.

Jack knocks softly at Nursey’s door, as gently as he can with the two bottles clutched in his hand. There’s a loud scuffling noise, some brief swearing, and what sounds like chips being crushed, and then Nursey opens the door.

He looks… kind of a mess. Not that Jack judges anyone who looks a mess, because he’s very, very familiar with that look, but he looks bad, like he’s genuinely not feeling well.

“Jack?” Nursey croaks, then looks startled at the sound of his own voice. He clears his throat quietly, then speaks up again. “Uh- what are you doing here?”

“I brought a pie,” he says, awkwardly holding it aloft. Nursey looks at him, the pie, the beers, and then back at him, then silently backs away from the door to allow him inside the dorm.

Jack ducks his head, pleased, and eases inside, beelining for the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Nursey trailing slowly behind him; he can’t see the expression on his face, but somehow he doubts it would tell him much.

“I’ve got milk, too,” Jack offers when he sits down. “Bitty packed it in… euh, a thermos.”

“Beer’s fine,” Nursey murmurs. He hesitates, hovering by the table for a second before going over to the cabinet and grabbing something. Until he turns around, Jack doesn’t see it, but when the freshman settles in a chair he sets the item (items?) on the table: two little forks and a bottle opener. “Oh, thanks.”

“Yeah.”

Jack unwraps the foil from the crust and peels the cling wrap off, then slides it Nursey’s way while he cracks open the beers. He remains mostly socially polite and doesn’t eat before him, though he pulls off a bit of crust and nibbles at it until Jack offers him his beer. The freshman raises it in mock salute before pressing his lips to the rim and drinking deeply from it.

Jack digs his fork in quietly, which gives Nursey the go ahead to hesitantly slide in his fork with his own.

They’re like that for a while, just the sound of quiet eating and their bottles settling on the table every so often. Jack watches Nursey as he works his way through the pie; only the glow of the light above the stove illuminates the little kitchen.

Maybe half of the pie is gone when Nursey speaks up.

“So we gonna do this after pie or during? Because it’s kinda late and I’ve got an eight am tomorrow.”

“Sorry,” Jack says. “Or– well, yeah, sorry for that, but, euh… I wanted to say sorry.”

Nursey blinks at him.

“For prying,” Jack says. Awkwardness creeps into his tone at the blank silence he receives. “Uh, earlier, in the week? You…”

“No, I know what you’re talking about,” Nursey interrupts. “Just. That was kind of… unexpected.”

He is instantly so, so fucking relieved.

“I mean it. You were right, I don’t– i’m not entitled to knowing. That’s not my business. And I don’t pay attention to everyone. I’ve been trying to get better at that, which is kind of why I was doing the prying. You didn’t see me last year, but I wasn’t who I am now, and even who I am now isn’t really great. I’m a lot better,” he says earnestly, waving his fork a bit as he spoke. “So i’m sorry. That was hypocritical of me, eh? To ask for all that when I don’t tell anybody? And it was rude.”

Nursey blinks again. “Uh.”

“Sorry. That was a lot.”

“No…? I… that’s. That’s not what I, uh, was expecting,” he manages to say a few tries in. He leans back, and Jack can see from the dip that forms in his cheek that he’s biting the inside of it as he taps against the table with his fork.

Jack wanted to ask– was he forgiven? Was all alright? Were they good? It was making him anxious, honestly, that he didn’t know how Nursey was feeling– but he wouldn’t go back on his word and therefore stayed silent until Nurse cleared his throat quietly.

“Thanks,” he murmured. “I’m not super into sharing feelings and whatevs, y’know? Like that’s not what i’m about really. But thanks. For taking what I said into consideration.”

Jack nodded, relieved. “No problem, Nurse.”

Nursey shot him a weak smile. He fiddled with his fork, slim fingers rolling the utensil in his grip. “You mind if I put this away? M’not really that hungry anymore and, uh, early class.”

“Oh, of course, sorry,” he says. “Uh, here, take the foil. It’ll do you more good than me, probably, eh?”

Nursey chuckles softly and takes the foil. His hands fold lightly around the edges, molding it around until it’s covered neatly. “I’ll walk you out,” he says softly. “You’ve got everything?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll grab my ID.”

“Thanks for the pie,” Nursey says at the door to his building. “Means a lot.”

Jack knows intrinsically that Nursey isn’t talking about the pie. It warms him a little. “Thank Bitty, he did all the work. I just bought supplies.” It’s nothing, i’m happy to do it.

“Still. You didn’t have to. Personal pie and all that.” I still appreciate it.

“No problem.” You deserve it.

They stand by the door a little awkwardly until Jack claps his hand on the other man’s shoulder gently. He makes his voice low. “Jusqu'ici tout va bien, eh?”

Nursey nods. “Ouais, ça va. Juste fatigué est tout. Promettre. Problèmes personnels.”

Jack meets his eyes and keeps them for a second. It wasn’t quite a lie, or enough of one that he needed to be called on it, so he nods and squeezes his shoulder. “À plus tard, ouais? Stop by the haus sometime this week. Bitty misses you, there’s too many calories and not enough mouths in the haus to feed.”

That gets another weak laugh out of him. “Sure. I’ll see what I can do. À bientôt, Capitane.”

Jack gives him a mock salute, which Nursey returns with a tiny, tiny smile, and then slips out into the night to make his way back to the haus.

Everything isn’t fixed, he thinks to himself, but maybe Nursey is a little less miserable.

They don’t talk about it, but Jack finds Nursey nearer to him in the next few weeks, and he welcomes it. He had been neglecting even his close friends, he realizes. Nursey eases up when Jack finds his way into Shitty’s room, doesn’t go so tense when he lightly places a hand at his arm. He allows himself to be corralled out of arguments with Dex. When Jack says something to him, he no longer quietly and subtly shuts down– which was what had been going on, Jack realizes now; he didn’t seem to take well to being called out in a group individually unless others were– it still seems to sting a little, but it doesn’t look as if he’s visibly taking offense or harm from it.

Jack opens up in return: he gives him space, respect, recognizes his work ethic on and off the ice. Jack finds himself saving food for him (he doesn’t eat much. Why doesn’t he eat much? He’s two inches taller than Jack,) and a month later finds himself at a poetry reading. He sees Dex out of the corner of his eye and nods to him; he flushes and nods back. Jack only stays for Nursey’s reading, third, and catches his eye and smiles lightly before he heads out.

“Thanks,” Nursey says softly the next day, pleased and flushed.

“It’s no problem–” is all Jack manages to get out before a voice calls, “Nursey, c’mon, we’re gonna be late to meet Chowder and Farmer!”

Jack raises a brow at him and Nursey flushes a little more. “Dex, uh, came. To the poetry reading,” he says, as if that explains anything at all, but it does.

“Just as long as you’re being safe–”

“Oh my god, it’s not– we’re talking. That’s it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Nursey rolls his eyes. “Salut, Jack.”

“Later, Nursey.”

“Yo, what the fuck is–”

“Shhh.”

Shitty rounds the corner; when he’s in full view, Jack is there, pressing a finger to his lips and frowning.

“Why am I being shushed, brahooh is that motherfucking Nurse? Why in the hell is he–”

“Shh,” Jack says again. His frown grows deeper, but he turns back to his book and gently eases his fingers back into Nursey’s silky curls.

“He’s letting you do that, right? You didn’t, like, hit him over the head with a hockey stick, right?”

“I wouldn’t do that to a stick,” Jack says, still frowning. “Or Nursey, for that matter.”

Shitty snorts and flops onto one of the other couches. “Loving where your priorities lie, brother. Still, can’t believe Nursey’s laid out on you like that. Took him a pretty long time to open up to me, if we’re being honest.”

Jack looks down at their position on the couch, or rather, Nursey’s: Jack himself is sitting upright, a book in his hand, mug of tea on the table next to the couch, while Nursey is just as Shitty said, laid out, his head resting face-down on his thighs.

(“Move your book,” Nursey had said.

“What?” Jack asked, alarmed, as Nursey tossed his backpack into the floor.

“Move it. Tea too. Arms up.”

Jack had obeyed, bewildered; Nursey kicked off a shoe lazily and had begun to shuck off his jacket.

“Oh my god, please don’t get fucking naked–”

“I’m not getting naked, crisse. Shits and I went to the same school,” he plopped on the couch and then squirmed onto his lap. “That’s where the similarities fucking end.”

It took him a few minutes to get truly comfortable, but he mumbled into his leg, “You can put your arms down,” so Jack wasn’t really concerned with him moving after that.

Maybe a minute or two later, Nursey had grabbed his hand and put it in his hair. Jack froze for a second, but then he heard, or rather felt, a little grunt against his leg and he began to tentatively run his fingers through his curls.)

“He’s tired,” Jack explains. “He said, uh. Two tests and an essay and then some presentation? And then he’s doing something for Lardo later so… napping. I respect it.”

“You would,” Shitty said, rolling his eyes fondly. “You want something from the kitchen?”

“Protein shake? And maybe a brownie.”

“Got it, brahski–”

“Bring another one for Nursey, too.”

“Gotcha.”

Shitty retreats to the kitchen, humming; Jack returns to his book until a clumsy hand comes up and pats at his face.

“Mmm… ‘anks, Jack,” Nursey mumbles sleepily. Jack smiles and squeezes the hand, gently pulling it from his face.

“Got your back, Nurse,” he murmurs, rubbing a hand along his spine. “Always.”

#drug use tw #canon typical drug use #alcohol ment tw #nursey and jack #jack zimmermann #nursey #derek nurse #derek malik nurse #my writing #(fanfic): mine #my fic

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keywestlou · 5 years

Text

OBSTRUCTION ROTTING THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COUNTRY

Obstruction everywhere in government. Trump obstructs. Has Congressional witnesses obstruct. No one answers anything. Congressional investigations have become exercises in futility. Obstruction has replaced legislating.

Without question, obstruction is rotting the foundation of our country.

Democrats play the game, also. Nowhere however as much as the Republicans. Grim Reaper Mitch McConnell the worse of all.

What bothers me also is that those who support Trump basically continue to do so. I refer to “people.” I find it difficult to understand. I am coming to the conclusion that many are unhappy, possess get even attitudes. Many I suspect failed to get something out of life they wanted and feel deprived. Trump makes them feel he is going to fill that void in their lives.

Today’s obstruct is aimed at Biden and his son Hunter. Sick! Where does Trump get the authority to tell the leader of another country if he does not cooperate in a U.S. political investigation he will not get the $250 million promised?

A major contributor to the problem are the courts. The system is antiquated. Needs to be brought into the 21st century.

The court system moves too slowly. Especially the federal system. It takes 2-3 years to get a matter litigated. How can Congressional applications to the courts to enforce the rules get them any relief if the relief comes years later?

At the very least, a special system should be established whereby federal issues at the highest level affecting our government are heard on a fast track basis. Most of the issues could then find their way to the Supreme Court in 6 months or less.

Law schools teach that justice delayed is justice denied. No question about it. Let’s correct this procedural problem and get government moving on an expedited basis.

I was not able to get all of the blog I lost into yesterday’s blog. Left out local items. I add them today. They have to do with thursday evening.

I was out on the town. Had been in for several evenings.

My first stop was Aqua’s Side Bar. Looking for my friend David. Enjoy his company. Rarely see him anymore. For whatever reason, he has substituted the Side Bar for the Chart Room many evenings.

No David at the Side Bar. Noticed a new tiny bar next door to the Side Bar. Part of the Aqua building. Called Tutu.

A gay bar. Unquestionably. No one inside. I stopped in anyhow for a drink.

The barmaid lovely. Her name Yasmin. Twenty six years old. Born in Brazil. Raised in Boston. In Key West, 3 years.

Yasmin just coming off heavy back surgery. She had a disc replaced.

I mentioned Tutu is a gay bar. It looks like one! The only gay bar in town that looks like a gay bar.

The bar stools are lined with different colored tutus. The colors throughout the bar bright and cheerful.

The place is very small. The size of 2 good sized closets.

David’s birthday is today. Happy birthday David! Meet me for a drink Monday around 6 at either the Side Bar or Tutu’s.

I was hungry. Walked past Antonia’s. Nicolle alone at the bar. Too dead for me. Continued to La Trattoria. No one at the bar. My search ended however. I sat at the bar alone.

Barbara Grob is one of the loveliest and nicest people in Key West. We have known each other 20 years. Our paths rarely cross, however. We have probably run into each other 5 times over the years. Strange for a small town.

Barbara and her husband Tom had just returned from 8 days in Hawaii.

Barbara and Tom presently own and operate The Local Luxe in Key West. The store is located at 615 Fleming. Just off Duval in the heart of Old Town.

Barbara has been in the same type business her 20 years in Key West. Always has sold unique jewelry, art and special items of clothing that appeal to women.

Barbara has specialized in certain objects over the years. Hers is the ART SLUT brand. Also, geckos.

She has had 4-5 stores. Works hard. A success!

I hope we do not have to wait 5 years to run into each other again.

La Trattoria was enough for me. I was home and in bed by 8:30 watching television.

My last 2 nights have been spent home. Working a couple of hours each evening on Growing Up Italian. The book I probably will never finish. It is in its fourth revision.

Sometimes we have to wait forever for something.

It has been announced that as of today, the 5 new HAWK crosswalk signals on Northern Roosevelt Boulevard will be in operation. About time. It has only been 5 years since local government convinced the State of the need. In those 5 years, accidents involving fatalities and injuries have occurred.

The State makes me laugh. The Florida State Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it had completed the job ahead of schedule. Five years?

Florida is strange. First it take a couple of years to convince the State of a need. Then at least a year or 2 to draw plans. At that point money is ought. The job put into the State budget. Another waiting period of 1-2 years.

I may have been wrong when I said it took 5 years. Probably more like 7.

Anyhow, it’s done. Let’s hope it does the job intended properly.

This morning’s KONK E-Blast contains a 1948 photo of Bertha Street facing towards the Atlantic. At least 4 blocks from the water.

It was hurricane time. A category 3 had hit Boca Chica. Barely missed landfall in Key West. Sort of like the Irma situation.

The photo amazed me. There was nothing on Bertha Street. Not because of the hurricane. Because nothing had been built yet. All that could be seen were 2 homes on one side of the street and 2 small 2 story apartment houses on the other.

No 1800, Las Brisa, the hockey court, etc.

Two more hurricanes added onto the 10 mentioned yesterday.

Lorena is #11. A Pacific problem. Heading for Mexico’s resort studded Baja California peninsula. The eye is reaching for the southern end of the peninsula.

Now comes Mario. Love the names!

Mario coming out of the Pacific, also. Not expected to make landfall anywhere.

Two interesting observations/quotes to share.

The first by a person who frequently comments to this blog. JustSaying. An astute observation. I had complained about hitting the wrong button and losing my blog. Just Saying wrote: “Better you hitting the wrong button than Trump hitting the right one.”

The other a part of this morning’s editorial Cheers and Jeers in the Key West Citizen. A quote by the philosopher Pego: “We’ve met the enemy and he is us.”

Trump’s wife’s first name escapes me. However she wrote at one time that Trump kept a book authored by Hitler on his night stand and used to read a few pages each evening. It was not Mein Kampf. Another.

I want to share some Hitler quotes. Who do they remind you of?

“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”

“Think a Thousand times before making a decision But – After making decisions never turn back even if you get a thousand difficulties.”

“When diplomacy ends, war begins.”

“The man who has no sense of history, is like a man who has no ears or eyes.”

“I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few.”

“The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.”

“Kill, Destroy, Sack, Tell lies…..after victory nobody asks why.”

“The greatest strength of the totalitarian state is that it forces those who fear it to imitate it.”

“Humanitarianism is the expression of stupidity and cowardice.”

Enjoy your day!

OBSTRUCTION ROTTING THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COUNTRY was originally published on Key West Lou

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travelguy4444 · 5 years

Text

32 Random Facts About Me

Updated: 02/13/2019 | February 13th, 2019

A few weeks ago I mentioned that this year I wanted to make the website more personal.

Back in 2011, I wrote this post featuring some personal facts about my life. It was a window into non-travel me. Well, that was a loooooong time ago. Life changes. People change.

So I thought one way to make this website more personal was to resurrect this long forgotten post and share a window into the current non-travel me.

So let’s kick off 2011 2019 with some random facts about me and my life:

1. I hate flying. I love airports, lounges, and elite status, but the act of flying makes me sick. I don’t like heights and any turbulence makes me think the plane is about to crash. I’m not a good flier. (Ironic considering how often I fly!)

2. When I was younger, I was obsessed with Pinky and the Brain. I even had a T-shirt collection. I also had one of those bowl haircuts, but I prefer to forget about that fact.

3. I never traveled independently until I went to Costa Rica at age 23. My travel experiences up until then were a series of road trips with my parents and a drunken weekend in Montréal when I was 19. (I also never went west of the Mississippi until I was 25.)

4. When I was younger, I wanted to be an archaeologist because of Indiana Jones.

5. I got really bad food poisoning when I was in Costa Rica. It was so bad that I had to be hospitalized for three days and put on a morphine drip.

6. I went to college to be a high school history teacher. I’m still technically certified to teach high school history.

7. I am a really good cook. I don’t cook much on the road because I hate how hostel kitchens aren’t fully stocked and everyone crowds them at the same time, but once in a while, I like to cook a massive meal for my fellow travelers.

8. I used to be a vegetarian. After reading Fast Food Nation, I decided to give up meat and was a vegetarian for four years. It wasn’t eating meat I was against, but rather industrial farming and the chemicals/antibiotics in the meat that I didn’t like. I gave up vegetarianism when I started to travel.

9. I think it’s rude to turn down food in other cultures. If you go to a village in Mongolia and you are given food, it’s insulting to refuse. “Sorry, your traditional and heartfelt cooking doesn’t go with my dietary needs.” It’s culturally insensitive. But that’s a rant for another post.

10. I’m a huge fan of soul, Motown, blues, and jazz. It’s way better than any of the pop music out there.

11. If I could ever pick what time period I could live in, I’d pick 1920s Prohibition America. I think that would be an exciting time to live in. But maybe I’ve just read The Great Gatsby too much.

12. Speaking of Gatsby, I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party. I did it for three years in a row. They were epic birthday parties.

12. I am intensely political. After travel, politics is my second love. I live and breathe politics, and it is the only news I keep up with while traveling. I am always ready to discuss and debate the world any time of the day and with anyone, no matter how well I know them.

13. I co-own a hostel in Austin, Texas called HK Austin. You should come stay there!

14. I don’t have a burning desire to visit most Middle Eastern countries. There are parts I want to / have visited (Dubai, Jordan, Israel, Qatar, Oman) but, as a whole, the area is low on my list of places to visit.

15. People always ask will I do this forever? My answer: I don’t know. Forever is a long time. I’d like to travel for the next few years, but who can say what the future holds and where it will take us? For now, I’m enjoying the ride and see no reason to hang up my backpack just yet.

16. I’ve been to over 30 Dave Matthews Band concerts. I’m a super fan.

17. I’m a Japanophile. I love everything about the culture: the food, the history, the etiquette, the landscape, the architecture — all of it. I would eat sushi every day if I could.

18. I’m a workaholic. Maybe because I grew up in New England, I have the Puritan work ethic, and if I don’t have work to do, I think something is wrong and create work for myself. Idle hands are the Devil’s playground!

19. I decided to travel after meeting five backpackers in a shared taxi while on vacation in Thailand. I was so amazed at what they were doing that the next day I decided to quit my job. They were two Australians, a Canadian, and a Belgian couple. They changed the course of my life and have no idea.

20. I’m an unabashed Taylor Swift fan. Not only do I think she’s an incredible businesswoman and marketer, but I also love her cheesy pop songs.

21. I’m also a huge fan of Sia. Incredible songstress and writer.

22. I don’t play any sports nor know anything about them. I couldn’t think of anything more boring than going to a sporting event. In fact, I once fell asleep at a hockey match.

23. I don’t drink coffee. It tastes like shit to me. And I don’t want to put added sugar or milk (or soy milk) in my cup of joe. Drinks should be able to stand on their own! Nothing is going to change my opinion on this. I’ve tried for years to acquire a taste for it. It’s just not going to happen.

24. I drink tea. Lots of it. Especially green tea. That’s my drink of choice!

25. My alcoholic drink of choice is an old fashioned. A few years ago, a few friends turned me onto whiskey and I’ve been obsessed since. I judge a bar by the quality of the old fashioneds they serve.

26. One day, I’d like to learn how to garden. I want to grow my own food. I love cooking and think it’s a logical step!

27. I used to be a professional poker player. I funded a lot of my original trip with poker winnings and lived in Amsterdam for a few months playing “professionally” at the casino in the city.

28. I don’t eat sweets. Maybe once a year I’ll have a cookie or brownie but, for the most part, I don’t do desserts or sweets as I don’t like all the sugar.

29. I have a new book coming out in July (you can pre-order it now!). It’s about my ten years on the road. More details next month!

30. When I’m working, I’ll often play one song on repeat over and over again. It helps me focus because it ends up just being white noise. As I write this post, I’ve been listening to Sweet Annie by Zach Brown Band on repeat for the last two hours.

31. I don’t have a favorite color. I have two. Blue and green!

32. In 2019, I want to take up more hobbies. I want to swing dance more, learn French, take some cooking classes, and try to learn how to play the piano. If I do two of those things, I’ll consider it a successful year.

***

There you have it! Some fun facts about me. Now, you’re turn. Tell me about yourself in the comments below.

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The post 32 Random Facts About Me appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/20-random-facts-about-me/

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joshuamshea84 · 5 years