#booked double session first weekend of november

[soldier-poet-king]

If no one's got me at least I know getting more tattoos that everyone around me hates has got me

#booked double session first weekend of november #shit is gonna be soooo good #i really just want to make it into a full sleeve #but noooo im being responsible with a half sleeve for employment #which means i had to cut some elements i wanted #maybe one day. i can add the other things i want #im already working on a sun design for my back between the shoulders. close to the chest yknow #im not doing it out of spite im doing it for me #but also i am so tired of being merely tolerated. i want to be loved and liked for me #smthn smth amy spent gladiator ppl will laugh....when they do get new ones in completely garish hues #do it alone do it scared do it weird

[acquariusgb]

The Clinton Tapes extracts of Bill as a father

Since tomorrow is Father’s Day in the US, here are some cute extracts from the book the Clinton Tapes by Taylor Branch about Bill being a wonderful father to Chelsea.  

-  Chelsea stopped by, neat as a pin, talking about an exam on Spanish verbs. She said good night and a preliminary goodbye for his long trip. When she was gone, Clinton said former president Bush had been encouraging him to spend more time at Camp David. Bush was hearing of low morale in its vast, attentive support staff, which remained isolated and idle because the Clintons almost never visited. The president said that while he appreciated such concerns, he saw few opportunities to change soon. Chelsea was fourteen years old. The last thing she wished for was a weekend at Camp David, which to her was the middle of nowhere. She stayed home, and her parents wanted to be apart from her as little as possible. So Camp David must wait. May 1994

- When Chelsea stopped by, the president tried to set a time to play cards, or just to talk. He said he had not seen her for a while, but she excused herself to get up early. Clinton looked a bit forlorn, telling me she had a summer job at the National Institutes of Health. July 1994

- Chelsea came in fretting about homework. In an exercise to hone succinct composition, she was writing an essay of no more than one page on the best and worst qualities in the legendary character Dr. Frankenstein, with illustrative passages from the Mary Shelley novel. Chelsea said her draft spilled stubbornly onto a second page, which was unacceptable, and she expressed doubt about her choice of quotations. The president paused to give counsel, and I left the recorders on as he read most of her essay out loud. He liked its cited images of Frankenstein’s passion for learning, enthralled in his lab, cheeks sallow with intense discovery, but he thought Chelsea was slightly ambiguous about whether his best quality was curiosity or ambition. On the negative side, where she wisely pinpointed an overbearing pride as the chief fault, he said she might find shorter, more precise quotes. We both complimented her language about the progressive blindness of Frankenstein’s zeal. Instead of creating life, Chelsea concluded, the mad doctor faced a “monster who had become his bane.” She went off to make revisions, and Clinton promised to consult her again before saying good night. May 1995

-   A festering wound could damage sensitive U.S.-Japanese relations for years, Gore warned. Clinton must visit Japan quickly to make amends. Just today, the president told me, he and Gore had tramped back and forth over a crowded calendar. December was out because of nightly Christmas parties, and so on, until Clinton circled dates next April. Horrified, Gore said that would be months too late, especially since the White House was announcing a peace trip to Europe for next week. Why not substitute Japan for Northern Ireland? Alternatively, Gore zeroed in on three lightly committed January days, but the president pronounced them vital to Chelsea’s schoolwork. Gore blinked. So what? He stared through Clinton’s halting explanation why this would be a bad time—because Hillary must join him in Japan, and junior-year midterms are the most pressure-packed events in all of high school. Mutual exasperation spiked. “Al,” Clinton told him, “I am not going to Japan and leave Chelsea by herself to take these exams.” Gore erupted. He thought Clinton had lost his bearings. They had a big fight, said the president, and were still wrangling about dates for Japan. November 1995

- During this preview of the campaign, Chelsea popped in the doorway to say she was sorry she may have disturbed us. She had been singing to herself in the hall, and did not realize we were here. Before he could reply, she vanished, and while I was rewinding the tapes shortly afterward, the president rummaged around the big Ulysses Grant desk. A decade ago, when she was about six, he said Chelsea had skipped into a ceremony at the governor’s office with a briefcase, which he was obliged to open in front of everyone. He showed me a photograph of little Chelsea doubled over in laughter as Clinton squeamishly displayed a boa constrictor inside. His daughter was cheerful and courteous, he said, but she was mischievous, too. May 1996

-  His voice surprised me again on Sunday, July 7. He had just finished testifying by videotape for one of the Whitewater criminal trials, in which Ken Starr’s deputy prosecutors were trying to tar him with far-fetched charges against Arkansas bankers. The president was tired, and really needed to spend time with Chelsea. So we must cancel our session tonight. He vowed to catch up soon. Of course, I replied. His staff always handled such logistics, but for some reason he delivered this notice himself. July 1996

-   Clinton told stories about Chelsea on our way down the hall. He and Hillary had just returned from her ballet recital. “She’s not an ideal body for a ballerina,” he reflected. “Far from it.” Chelsea was bigger than most of the other girls, who were flat-chested and tiny. She had big bones. Her feet had bled after practice ever since she was a little girl. Nevertheless, she pursued ballet above other arts or sports for which she was more naturally suited. “I’ve always admired that,” he said. “I’ve wondered whether I could ever stick with something for its own sake.” He was inclined to obsess about competitive standing and talent, he said, whereas Chelsea, though smartly aware of her limits, loved everything about ballet including the hard work. August 1996

-  Then he lingered on Chelsea’s seventeenth birthday. Because Hillary had been late to dinner at Washington’s Bombay Club, Clinton found himself the delighted sole host to a dozen high school girls in raucous discussions of love and the world. [...] The president glided into stories wholly off my list. Chelsea’s Sidwell Friends School had welcomed seniors to make two-minute spontaneous remarks at a gathering of fathers. On a theme of candid revelation, one girl told the assembly why she and her dad communicated by letter in the same house. Chelsea almost knocked Clinton over, he said, with raw eloquence cutting through the inhibitions of youth and the public eye. She confessed setting her heart all year on tryouts for a part in The Nutcracker, which she did not get. Life’s first major disappointment, as she called it, left her depressed and sleepless, consumed by failure. She could think of nothing but wasted sacrifice. Both parents talked with her late many nights, but she was inconsolable until she woke up fitfully to a letter only an hour old, headed “3am” on her father’s White House stationery. It said he could not sleep, either, being upset because she was upset. He loved her, was proud of her, and believed one day she would find new value in her years of ballet. Somehow these words dispelled a cloud of absorption, she told Sidwell. She still read the note every day. As for his work, she admired what he did in the face of so much invective, but it had not always been so. In preschool, she had cringed as the other children stood proudly to declare their parents’ jobs—doctor, fireman, teacher. Not even she had a clue about governor, and so Chelsea in turn said her mom was a lawyer and her dad cooked the French fries at McDonald’s. She became an instant hit, with by far the coolest dad, but of course the grownups made her promise not to tell lies. Apologizing later to the class, she thought her father just talked on the phone and made speeches, which got the kids briefly excited again because they thought she said he made peaches. February 1997

#the clintons #bill clinton #chelsea clinton #father and daughter

[duhragonball]

Nanwum IV toolboxkit

I have a love/hate relationship with the word “tool”.  On the one hand, tools are awesome.    I like holding a big screwdriver and thinking about all the screws I can loosen with it.    I ordered a thing at work yesterday and I can’t wait for it to arrive.   There’s a rush of power in knowing some object will solve a bunch of problems.   Look out, screws.

On the other hand, it annoys me how people use the term “tool” in a more abstract sense, like statistical “tools” or using a flow chart to figure out what to do.    I can’t hold any of that crap, so calling it a tool feels like a bait-and-switch.   But I can appreciate the power of the term.   If you can liken a thing to a power drill, then you have my attention.   

Anyway, this weekend is for making preparations for National Novel Writing Month, which starts next Sunday, so I thought it would be useful to go over the stuff that I use to get me through it.  

1) The NaNoWriMo website.

Back in 2017, I seriously considered not even bothering with the website, because I figured it had nothing to offer.    I’m the one doing all the work, right?   But tracking progress is an effective motivator, and I like being able to see a chart that shows how well I’m doing.    There’s some bugs in it.    For some reason it doesn’t show my Camp Nano April 2018 as being complete, and when I tried to fix it, it doubled the word count instead.  

It’s also useful for where I’m at today.    Now that I’ve done this thing a few times, I can measure current performance against past years.  November 2018 was my personal best, so I’m going to use that as a model for this year.    I don’t need to beat 2018-me, but I do need to remind myself that I’ve performed this well in the past.  

2) George R. R. Martin motivational desktop wallpaper.

I started doing this as a joke, but looking at this dude sitting at his computer, not writing is a much more powerful motivator than I ever thought possible.  The idea is that if I minimize the writing window to do something else, I have to look this dude in the eye before I can look up Robocop clips on YouTube.   I’ve had months where I was struggling to meet the goal, and then I went “Oh, yeah, I forgot to change my desktop pic, and it pushes me over the finish line.   It’s like Popeye eating spinach.   

Now the Tone Police will take issue with something like this, and call it arrogant.   “How dare you put down a highly successful fantasy author just to make yourself feel confident,” they’ll say as they wag their finger.   “Don’t you care that you might be making procrastinators feel bad?”  To that I say: fuck’em.  

See, I’m a world-class procrastinator in my own right.   I have to get hyped for this stuff every year, because that’s the only way I can build up enough momentum to see it through.    Like all Sith Lords, I have to call upon all of my emotions -- fear, anger, pride, fernweh -- to fuel the creative monster.  I don’t make a dime on this, so if I can’t take some bloody satisfaction out of it then what’s the point?   

I’m pretty sure George doesn’t even know I do this, but in case he’s reading this, let me address him specifically: George, I’ve cranked out three of these Nanwums and you still haven’t finished Winds of Winter, which is well on its way to becoming the Duke Nukem Forever of modern fantasy.   I don’t know if you got soft, like Rocky in Rocky IV, or maybe you’ve lost your confidence like Rocky in Rocky III, but you have to kindle a fire under your ass, even if it’s a silly fire, like fear of dying before the book goes to print, or getting it done just to spite assholes like me.   But find something and use it.  

3) Kenny Omega vs. Sonny Kiss, AEW Dynamite 10/21/2020

This was a first-round match in a tournament for the right to challenge for the AEW World title, and it was Kenny’s big return to singles action, so I guess the idea here was to make him look strong by having him crush Sonny Kiss in under 15 seconds.   I’ve seen blowouts in wrestling before, but this one speaks to me on a different level, and I’m sorely tempted to swap out my GRRM image with this shot of in-the-zone Kenny Omega.

Because I feel this right now.    This isn’t like last year or the year before, where I got behind working on stuff in October so I wasn’t fully prepared.   I got all caught up a few weeks ago, and I have eight days to get ready.    I haven’t written a thing in weeks, and I’m itching to get back to it.    I want a big Day One total to start the month off, and seeing this match makes me want to aim even higher than 7000 words.    Can I hit 10,000 in one day?    The Cleaner sure thinks so.  Clapclap-clap clap clap.   

4) Focus Writer

You can check it out for yourself at https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/

The main selling point for Focus Writer is that it can be used for “distraction free” writing, in that it’s default setting makes it tricky to minimize the window to do other stuff.   But I turned that off a while back.    For my purposes, I just need the word counter.  

One thing I learned while editing work instead of writing from scratch is that you can just set the word count goal to 100 words.    That way, the percentage displayed at the bottom of the screen will keep track of how many words you’ve written in that session.   So if you write 1275 new words, the counter will say 1275%.  

I used to set actual goals, like 3500 words for the day or whatever, but I found myself constantly trying to calculate what 53% of that is, and that ended up being a huge distraction in itself.    So now I just stick to the 100 word “goal” and use it to track my actual progress, rather than setting lofty goals that I may not need to actually hit.   The Nano website does that for me anyway.

5) The Adventures of Dumplin

I’m essentially adapting the events of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 1 into this story, so I could break out my PS3 and play it through again to remind me of all the stuff I wanted to use from 2015, but it’s a lot easier to just watch someone else play it instead.   Team FourStar’s playthrough of the Xenoverse games is some of their best material, as far as I’m concerned, and knowing this is one of my go-to references is going to make this November pretty awesome.   

I’m not sure I could, or should, work Dumplin into my fic.  If I did, he couldn’t be the same guy who saved the day in this LP series, because I’m having Luffa do all that.   Early on, I envisioned a scene where she wakes up one morning after a night of heavy drinking and finds Dumplin in bed with her, but that seemed a little too goofy to use.    But I want you to have that mental picture anyway, so I’m writing about it here.

6) Diet Pepsi

Straight Edge, Hard Core.    Stephen King’s a wuss for using cocaine to help him write.   

#nanwum iv #i'm gonna fuck this november up proper

[guylty]

It’s time to come to a proper run-through of last month’s Red Dragon Con 5 in London. Kate already wrote at length about the decision process and the run-up to the con on her blog last week. I’m afraid, I didn’t have that many qualms. When the news came through that Richard was going to attend the con, I was on those tickets as fast as you can say “Dolarhyde”. Not because of Hannibal, the fannibals or any previous con experience. In fact I had never been to a con before – and if truth be told, I never really wanted to go to a con before. But after checking the con ticket prices and making sure that flights to London in February are generally slow sellers, I reckoned that it was worth investing in it – even if only to witness the potentially one and only ever con attendance of Mr Armitage. Who knew whether this kind of event would ever happen again – with RA, that is? He had been rather shy about attending cons in the past, so this could easily be a once-off. Enough reason for me to see for myself, especially as I had experienced the fannibals as a very welcoming, nice fandom back in 2015 when Hannibal was on air. However, I was rather relieved that not only one but two of my fandom friends agreed to join me in London – Kate and Hariclea.

RA is definitely my Waterloo…

What more or less passed me by was Kate’s long battle in January with a very persistent cold that almost had her cancel her participation. We did, however, lose Hariclea as a co-con companion, as sadly, Hariclea’s mum passed away a couple of days before the event and she understandably had to cancel her attendance to go home. Nevertheless, on Friday morning, I took the early morning flight to LCR to get a few hours of exhibition hopping in before I was going to meet Kate. I made my way out to Heathrow to meet Kate in the hotel she had kindly booked. Sharing a hotel room with a stranger I had only known online and barely seen a photograph of? Of course – I have only ever met nice people through my fangirling activities. Plus, she was taking the same risk *grins*. I took the Piccadilly Line out towards Heathrow, got off at Hatton Cross, hopped on a bus, got off at the edge of the Heathrow runway, walked through a rather cold, grey, wet London day and kind of chuckled when I saw the hotel was right next to a bowling alley. Well, just in case that whole con malarkey didn’t work out we at least had some alternative entertainment…

Fuck it, Dude. Let’s go bowling!

I can tell you, there was a certain amount of excitement as I made my way to room 156 where my conspirator was already waiting for me, having checked in an hour earlier. If I hadn’t stopped smoking last November, I would’ve had a couple of rollies to calm down the nerves. (cf. a previous meeting also involving a hotel way back in 2014. I see a theme developing here…) As it was, I didn’t need any rollies. Kate opened the door, I said hi, we hugged – and we launched into a very comfortable friendship right there and then. Let me tell you, the woman is tolerant, witty and easy-going, ignoring my moody nonsense and providing the funniest comparisons from here to the Antipodes and back. We seemed to be pretty much on the same wave-length with everything over the weekend – from party attendance to fannibal defending to beddie times. Kate had me in stitches with her quips, and that alone made for three of the happiest, most carefree days of my life.

N/C

Registration

So, with the basics basically out of the way, we were looking forward to the weekend, con novices that we were. The con was billed to start at 4pm on Friday with registration. Since we had opted to stay in a hotel about 15 minutes away from the con venue, we decided to head over to the Renaissance hotel for a bit of re-con – and a bite to eat – in advance of the 4pm registration. Much to our surprise, a queue had already formed when we entered the lobby of the Renaissance hotel at about 3pm. We joined the queue – an exercise that would prove to be event-defining for the rest of the weekend… At the end of the queue we registered and received our dog tags badges for the event.

Totally reconciled with the fact that Gold tickets were sold out: Regular tickets were adorned with the Armitage. ‘A beautiful rear can also endear’ etc.

Thanks to some prior research we had also a) brought lanyards (so didn’t have to buy any) and b) signed up for stewarding at the con. Except that while Kate’s application as a volunteer had been accepted, I had never heard back from them. Kate encouraged me to try and get into stewarding nonetheless – which I did and was also “ennobled” as a con steward. This proved very useful later on. In various respects.

But first of all Kate and I finally got something to eat in the bar – and had our first *real* encounter with a fannibal, a lovely woman from Germany called Johanna, who really and totally set the tone and the bar for all subsequent interactions with the Hannibal fandom. There is next to no chance that she is ever going to see this, but if you know her, please let her know: Johanna, if you are reading this – thank you for being so kind, so funny, so encouraging. You really make a fantastic figurehead for your fandom. I enjoyed meeting you, and I regret not having bumped into you again! – You would think that you can’t lose your companions in a hotel – but you can. A lot of the communication and arranging of meetings was conducted via text message and/or Twitter DM that weekend. And that includes my roomie Kate and I. Yep, there were various instances where we had to call each other on the phone to locate each other in the hotel. Mad! Luckily fellow fan armidreamer and I had also exchanged phone numbers, and so I was able to hook up with her on Friday, too, and we ended up meeting all through the weekend. The more the merrier, right?

Anyway, the queuing continued, this time for the various extras one could splash out on. Photo ops and autographs are the big draw at cons, and I suspect it is where a lot of extra money is actually being made. Coming to RDC5, I had no intention of getting anything beyond the one autograph that was included in my ticket already. When Kate said that she was going to get a photo done, I was still undecided. However, you can’t just rock up at the photo (or autograph) sessions at these cons. Rather, you buy a voucher that entitles you to a photo shoot or an autograph. And so I decided to play it safe and bought a photo voucher – just in case. More about the whole photo saga later. And believe me, it’s a saga. If I knew it would be, I wouldn’t have bothered. I am still embarrassed. Like many other people I also had huge reservations about paying hefty prices for an autograph. Especially as autographs actually do not mean that much to me *personally*. I own a few already (personalised and unpersonalised, on photos, programmes and tickets – heck, I even have a silver “RA” on my beloved Pop!Thorin – see picture right), and I never had to pay for any of them. But then I thought I’d better use the opportunity and get a couple of autographs signed for future auctions – my donation, so to speak. And I also wanted to get a souvenir for Hariclea as a tiny little consolation for missing the con… So, whoa, 85 GBP went out the window there… (1 photo + 2 autographs). Seriously, I do hope that Richard also got a cut of that! Yep, I am still reeling myself. Don’t tell Mr Guylty, or this marriage is over! However, I’d ask you all to not be judgmental about this. Not that I mind if you were judgmental to *me* about this – I used to be the same for a long time. So, serves me right. But the other fans do not deserve any derision. There is much some to be said for and about these paid photo ops and autographs, the people who provide them and the people who buy them. And I will get to that in due course. Suffice to say that, with all that queuing done, it was already time to gather in the main hall for the big event of the day – the Opening Ceremony. Were we going to get our first glimpse of Richard? 

Opening Ceremony

Remember I said it would prove useful to sign up as a volunteer at the con? Well, we realised that when we walked into the main hall for the opening ceremony. Not sure how many rows there were in total, but the first ten rows or so of the auditorium were completely occupied already, as were the last ten. No coincidence: The first few rows were reserved for Gold ticket holders! (If you were admiring those fabulous photos of Richard taken at the con – those came from Gold ticket holders who were really quite close up to him and the other guests.) Regular ticket holders had to sit at the back. There was only a small number of rows in between that still had empty seats – and they turned out to be reserved for the stewards!! So we quickly brandished our steward badges and bagged some seats half way back the auditorium. Definitely worth while volunteering – not least because it looked as if there were not enough seats for the regular ticket holders for whom extra chairs were added at the back of the hall. Anyway, this was our view:

The red and black dot on the stage is Jeremy Davies (played a character called Peter Bernadone in Hannibal). He was the first guest to be called onto the stage, and you get an idea how many people were there and how far back we were sitting – despite our privileged steward seats… After Davies, two more guests were announced, namely Aaron Abrams and Scott Thompson. They were the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Hannibal (playing a bit of a comedic duo, crime scene investigators Brian Zeller and Jimmy Price) and absolute fan favourites. (You may also remember Scott Thompson from the Hannibal aftershows “Post Mortem”.) I very much warmed to them, too. (More about that in a later post.)

And finally, finally… Look at the picture above again. See the screen on the right? And further right to that, the double doors? That’s where the guests were ushered in, and wow, like at every other event I have ever seen RA live at, it gave me a total jolt to the stomach when I spotted RA there, beside the stage, waiting to be called… He couldn’t help but mess around before he was introduced and made funny shadow shapes behind the screen… Don’t you just have to love him…? I really dislike the word dork, but he really is a messer! You’ve already seen some of my pictures of the event, so I’ll put a slide show in here with the whole, unedited shebang – sorry, really not great, but just for the record.

The Complete and Unedited Pictures of RA at the Opening Ceremony

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This whole solo appearance lasted for the tiny eternity of 2 minutes, btw! As the second billed guest RA received a lot of cheering and clapping – he was the eponymous Red Dragon, after all – but not as much as Mads Mikkelsen, understandably. He looked absolutely gorgeous on stage though, not least because he was casually dressed all in black with tighty black jeans, a comfy hoodie and a leather jacket. All of the guests had directed a few words at the audience, but RA really made a nice little welcome speech that seemed a bit longer. “Some of you travelled far and braved the weather, congratulations. I didn’t have to because this is my home.” etc. He also could not resist a comment about the flower crowns referring to them as “flower heads” (although one of the previous guests – Aaron? – had used the term before), no comment 😁. His toned down facial shrubbery that was more like a slightly neglected lawn of wild flowers than a full-blown hayfield, looked rather good from far away. And from closer up, even more so, I suppose…

(See the edited pics of the opening ceremony in bigger version in part 2 of my RDC5 series.)

I have to say that I thought RA looked and sounded like a complete pro in those two minutes he had on stage. His ex tempore speech was just perfect for the occasion – welcoming people, referring to the actual day (by way of weather – so English *haha*), throwing in a little personal admission (“I’m at home”) and spreading a bit of fun with his gentle teasing re. flower heads. So yeah, I thought he came across as a confident and self-assured, a bit curious and wide-eyed about the whole event he was finding himself at, but willing to go on the journey. Again, I felt as if he really set the tone there, opening up and signalling that he was here to experience this and that he was willing to have fun. Thumbs up. Finding out that his appearance on stage only lasted 2 minutes, really surprised me. At the time, it felt much longer. But yeah, maybe time stands still whenever the master himself turns up in RL *hehe*…

Anyway, RA was then followed by the star of the con, Mads Mikkelsen. Again, he also made a lovely little intro speech, and I have to say I was very much impressed by the resounding and warm applause that he was welcomed with. You could tell that the fannibals were absolutely ecstatic to have Mads at the con. They didn’t hold back, and those kind of open admissions of love and admiration were something I really, really loved seeing all through the weekend. – After Mads had been introduced, all guests returned to the stage again. As part of the whole group, Richard looked slightly shy and awkward on stage, I thought. Not quite in his element. He was definitely the tallest of all guests, yet even as it was happening and I hadn’t even yet seen any photos of the event, it occurred to me that he looked as if he wanted to blend into the background. Up to his usual modesty, I guess, he was kind of standing one step behind all the others, kind of slouching a bit, with his hands in his pockets and his head all the way down to his shoulders. I haven���t really got any pictures of my own showing all of the guests standing there on stage, but yeah, my heart broke a little bit there – whether it was for a gorgeous guy making himself small and invisible, or for a gorgeous guy being modest and humble, it definitely added to his attraction. However, it also added to the danger of succumbing to APM…

Anyway, believe it or not, it was all a good start to the whole experience. Nice fannibals, nice fellow fans, nice roomie, nice guests, nice RA. The opening ceremony was just half an hour long or so, then the guests were all whisked away and the room emptied. We were basically done for the day. For the Gold ticket holders, it was only just getting interested though: They actually had a meet & greet with the guests – which Richard apparently was a great hit at, according to the tweets that I saw. Ourselves, Kate and I kind of hung around, thinking we might have a look at the promised party. But then we both kind of folded at about 9pm and decided to go back to our hotel instead. It had been a long, exhausting day – with both of us travelling from a different country, finding our way to our hotel, meeting each other, negotiating our way around the event – and dealing with the accelerated heart rate of being in the vicinity of the OOA… No wonder we thought we needed to lie down.

In the end, we actually ended up chatting until after midnight. The amount of processing to be done when seeing RA in the flesh *haha*… And that was only after half a day of con life… We had no idea what was going to hit us the next day…

An Armitage Fan at #RDC5 – FRIDAY [part 7 of the whole saga otherwise] It's time to come to a proper run-through of last month's Red Dragon Con 5 in London.

#Francis Dolarhyde #Hannibal #rdc5 #Red Dragon #Richard Armitage

[catalinda04]

Carried Away Chapter 21: Weekend Away

Masterlist

NSFW

As was usual, the first part of the school year flew by for Lucy. Between getting to know her new students, Homecoming, and almost nightly talks with Henry, Lucy found herself busy all day and night. Between their schedules, the pair could only find time to talk on weekends.

Lucy had been caught off guard when Henry asked her to attend the awards show with him. Lucy generally tried to have as few pictures of herself out in the world as possible, but if she was going to stay with Henry, she knew the possibility of another award show or movie premier was quite high, and if she was going to be more comfortable having her picture taken, she was going to have to be more comfortable with her appearance. That meant losing some of her weight. Henry claimed to like her just as she was, but she told herself, she was losing the weight for herself, not him. She threw herself into a new exercise regimen, regularly attended an aerobic Latin dance class at the school two evenings a week, and watched her diet. She had more energy, and found her attitude had lightened, though she suspected regular FaceTime sessions with Henry were a more likely cause of her mood adjustment.

The week of her conference arrived faster than she had anticipated. This was her favorite weekend of the school year; networking with other Spanish teachers, learning new tips and techniques, and finding new resources to use in class, but she couldn’t wait for the end of the last session on Saturday so she could see Henry again. She found her attention wandering while listening to speakers talk about the latest techniques in foreign language instruction.

Finally her last session ended, and Lucy all but ran out of the building. She input the address of the hotel Henry had booked into her GPS and forced herself to drive the speed limit. She found the hotel in downtown Minneapolis easily. Lucy took a minute to freshen herself before giving her name at the reception desk. The girl behind the desk gave her a slight once over, she’d obviously checked Henry in and told her he was expecting a guest, before handing her a key card and a room number.

“Enjoy your stay ma’am.” The young woman stressed the word ma’am.

“Oh, I most definitely will.” She replied, winking, unconcerned at being called ma’am.

Lucy’s anticipation grew as the elevator crept higher. The doors finally opened at the 21st floor. She let out a long sigh and exited the elevator. She double checked the room number she had been given, and walked briskly to it. She stopped outside the room, staring at the number. Should she knock? Just go in? Unlock the door then knock? Deciding she had been given a key for a reason, Lucy unlocked the door and let herself in.

Lucy was surprised that Henry had booked a suite, given they’d be there less than 18 hours, but was impressed by the plush surroundings, so different from her budget hotel room for the conference.The suite had a sitting room with dining area, kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom. Leaving her suitcase by the door, Lucy went in to find her Henry.

She found him looking out the window in the bedroom. She caught his smile in the window when her reflection appeared.

He turned to face her. “Hello Pumpkin.” Lucy’s breath took a sharp intake. How had she forgotten the effect this man had on her in person?

“Darcy.” She sighed, and before she could even register that he had moved, she was in his arms. She reveled in the feel of his arms around her, letting his scent surround her. She looked up into his handsome face, and he captured her lips with his. The kiss wasn’t full of passion, but full of welcome, of longing. The kiss said their “I’ve missed yous” better than words ever could. When their lips parted, Lucy laid her head on Henry’s chest, and just held him.

When Henry finally broke the silence, he asked, “Are you hungry? I made a reservation if you are, or we could get room service.” He suggested, the look on his face suggesting that was his choice.

“I’m famished.“ Lucy replied. “Let’s stay in. I want to keep you all to myself.”

“I’ll order, is there anything particular you want?”

“You know what I like, order me something delicious.” Lucy said grabbing her bag and disappearing into the bedroom, while Henry perused the room service menu.

Henry called to place their order, “Yes we’d like that as soon as possible.” and was about to hang-up the phone, when he heard Lucy cough behind him. He turned to see her standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing a short teal satin robe, her elbow propped against the door frame.

“Actually, we’d like that in one, no make that two hours.” Henry corrected, before replacing the handset. “I thought you said you were hungry.” He said walking toward her.

She reached her hand up, circling around his neck. “I am hungry. I’m starving for you.” She said bringing his mouth down to hers.

Henry’s arms wrapped around her waist, crushing her to his chest. His hands roamed her back while his tongue plundered her mouth. His hands rose, pushing the robe off her shoulders while he walked her backward toward the bed, his mouth trailing over the newly exposed skin.

When they reached the edge of the massive king sized bed, Henry pulled at the loosely knotted belt, and Lucy’s robe slithered to the floor, leaving her completely naked. He gave her shoulders a slight push, and she fell onto the bed. He stared at her, taking in the full length of her body, before divesting himself of his clothes.

Lucy scooted herself to the head of the bed and raised up on her elbows to watch Henry strip. Her arousal heightening with each new piece of Henry’s body that was revealed. When, finally, he was as naked as she, he knelt on the mattress at her feet. He pressed a kiss to her ankle, her shin, the inside of her knee; Lucy felt as if his hands and lips were everywhere as he very thoroughly worked his way up her body, re-learning every curve and dimple. His lips and hands very carefully avoided the places Lucy wanted them most. Lucy was quivering with need by the time he reached her mouth.

Henry claimed Lucy’s mouth in a kiss so erotic that she almost came undone. Her hands roamed down the muscled tanned skin of his back. Henry’s lips left Lucy’s, trailing across her jaw, back down her neck to her breasts. His lips finally found her sensitive nipple, Lucy gasped as he took it into his mouth, suckling first one then the other, His hands continued their exploration while his lips worked, they found her heated core. His fingers played along the sensitive flesh that had been neglected up to this point. She gasped as he entered her, first with one finger, then two.

Between his mouth on her breast, and his fingers inside her, Lucy knew she wouldn't last long. She pushed against Henry’s shoulder, rolling with him as he moved. Lucy felt bereft at the loss of both Henry’s hand and mouth. She straddled his stomach, teasing his length with her moist heat. When he could take no more teasing, Henry tried to roll Lucy underneath him, but she waved her finger at him.

“No, no, no. I think it’s my turn to be on top.” She said wrapping her hand around him. She rose onto her knees, and sank down onto him, finally joining them to each other skin to skin for the first time. She released a long moan at the sensation of Henry being inside her. Stretching her. Filling her.

Henry gritted his teeth, holding himself back from thrusting against her. Slowly she rocked her hips forward in a tentative, teasing, testing motion. Henry groaned in appreciation. Lucy’s confidence slowly grew, varying her speed and intensity. Henry rested his hands on the curves of her hips, helping her guide herself to ultimate fulfillment. He reached between them to press his thumb against her core, and her movements became frantic, driving them both toward climax.

Lucy’s world shattered into a million stars, and Henry followed her several frantic thrusts later. She collapsed against him, both breathing heavily, she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

“Where did that come from?” Henry asked, once his breathing had slowed slightly.

“Mmm, I’ve been distracted all day, thinking about you. About seeing you, feeling you, tasting you. It’s been 3 months. I wanted to show you just how much I’ve missed you.”

“I definitely feel missed.” He said running his hands up and down her back before cupping her bottom. “Care to miss me some more?” He asked capturing her mouth and rolling her underneath him.

Lucy was stepping out of the shower, when the knock on the door signaled the arrival of their room service order. She heard Henry open the door and direct the waiter where to place the cart. Lucy donned the fluffy white robe folded on the counter and went out to the main area of the suite to find Henry, wearing a matching robe, pouring red wine into two glasses. He looked up and smiled, “Just in time.” He gestured to one of the chairs at the table. She sat and Henry lifted the metal cover off her plate to reveal, a steak, baked potato, and Caesar salad.

“Oooh. Gracias cariño. After two days of conference food, this will hit the spot.”

“I’m glad you approve.” He said sitting across the small table from her, cutting into his own steak. “What did you call me?”

“Cariño. It’s like sweetie or honey in Spanish.”

“I like it.” He flashed her a crooked smile.

“Then I’ll have to remember to use it more.”

After several quiet minutes of eating Lucy finally asked the question that had been niggling at the back of her head for weeks. “Do you have to rush off back to London? Or can you stay for a few days?”

“I’m afraid so. We’re right in the middle of filming. They specifically set the schedule so I could attend the show this weekend. I have to fly back tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Lucy said, her face failing to hide her disappointment.

“I’m sorry darling. I wish I could stay, but we’re almost done filming this section. We’re scheduled to break from filming around in early November, while they finish making arrangements for shooting on location while we’re moving filming to Detroit.

“Detroit? You’ll be in Detroit?! That’s only an hour different, and a very short flight!”

“We’ll be shooting there most of November and December, before we wrap just before Christmas.”

“Wow. It sounds like a big project.”

“These types of films always are. Lots of running, and jumping, and wire work for me.”

“Since you’re shooting in the US, do you have a break for Thanksgiving? If you do, would you want to come spend Thanksgiving with me, and my family?” Lucy asked hopefully.

“That sounds extraordinary. If we have a break, I would love nothing more than to spend Thanksgiving with you.” He rose to kiss her across the table. “I’ll check the schedule when I get back to London.”

They brought their wine glasses and the chocolate lava cake Henry had ordered for dessert, to the seating area of the suite. Lucy asked about the awards show, and the after party. Henry gave her a detailed description of everything. She asked about the red carpet. She’d always loved watching the red carpet at awards shows. The dresses, the jewels, the hair, the shoes. It all seemed so glamorous to a young girl growing up in the middle of nowhere Minnesota.

“They asked about you, you know, on the red carpet.” Henry commented.

“Me?” Lucy asked apprehensively.

“Well, not specifically you, but the girl I was photographed with this past summer in London.”

“And what did you tell them?”

“I told them that my beautiful girlfriend couldn’t make it because she had a prior work commitment. To which they asked what you do. I very vaguely told them you are a teacher in the states. That’s all I told them. Will said a specifically vague answer like that would get them to stop asking, at least for last night.”

“Thank you for that. A few people at school know about us, and of course my family. But most of the school has heard a rumor that I’m seeing someone, but of course I don’t have any pictures of the two of us up anywhere, so they’re not sure what to believe. Though I did use you as an example when I was teaching personal adjectives. Henry Cavill es muy guapo.”

“What did you just call me?” He asked quirking is eyebrow at her.

“I said you were very good-looking.” She pecked him on the cheek.

“Well, gracias.”

“De nada.”

Lucy scooped a bite of the cake onto her spoon. A dollop of chocolate sauce accidentally dripped off the spoon on its journey to her mouth, and landed on the exposed slope of her breast, peeking out of the neck of the robe. She made a move to wipe at it with her finger, when Henry stalled her. He spread the robe open even wider, before licking up the chocolate with one long stroke of his tongue. After that, the dripping chocolate was anything but an accident.

Chapter 20          Chapter 22

#Henry Cavill #Henry Cavill Fanfic #Henry Cavill fan fic #Henry Cavill Fanfiction #Henry Cavill Fan fiction #Carried Away

[staffordartglass]

If you follow Stafford Art Glass on our Facebook page, you will certainly know about how I broke some fingers while rebuilding the glass furnace in November. Then, while I was recuperating, I brought in an engineering company to aid in automating some of the equipment in the studio in order to make it easier to use for all involved. This was a process that should have taken a couple of months, but dragged on for close to four months.  You probably also watched as updates came every several weeks about how that process was coming along. It has all worked out really well, even if it has taken longer than I ever thought that it would.

Myself, I have tried to remain as Zen about this as possible.  While I very much want to have glass available to an eager group who has expressed interest in it, I also know that once I get in the thick of things once the furnaces are turned on and the gas bills keep climbing, it will be harder to make the changes that I have made this past Spring and into this Summer.  These are all great changes, they just take time (some longer than others!).

As I sit here, the furnace is actually on  its second melt, which means that it is producing excellent glass, the doors to all of the furnaces and a kiln have been hooked up to pneumatic foot control (nice for when you are holding a blow pipe), the vent hood has been enclosed for more efficient ventilation, a fan has been wired in for that vent hood, and some other equipment have also gotten some upgrades.

Partial enclosure, part dry-fit of the new hood assembly!

Over the course of the last several months I have ordered over 50 new glass colors, and I put in another order for over half of that amount just yesterday. I have ordered glass color that I think will make for really interesting pumpkins as well as expanded color choices for ornaments, increasing the choices ten-fold. Some of these colors are ones I have not used in my own professional production over twenty years of working in the field (so this is a big step). None of this has been cheap, but it makes for a better experience for all of the people who are eager to sink their teeth into some exciting new offerings at the studio. One of the upgrades has been making sign-up for classes or workshops something that you can do from your phone or computer online.

Beginning the first of October, I will be rolling out my new online booking calendar.  This calendar will be available right here on this blog at http://www.staffordartglass.blog.  This calendar will allow you to book classes from the comfort of your mobile device or from your living room.  From now until the calendar goes live, there will be upgrades and changes being made to the calendar to make it more useful for most of the classes that will be taught at the studio.

Here are some of the classes that will be offered beginning October 1st:

Blow Your Own Pumpkin – offered from October 1st through to November 18th. You can pick a thirty minute slot for a small pumpkin or two slots for a larger pumpkin (I will have examples of these two sizes when we get closer to our class roll-out).

Blow Your Ornament Ball (BYOB) from November 30th through to December 22nd.

Make Your Own Paperweight – available year round.

Make Your own Suncatcher – available year round.

Weekend Glass Blowing Intensive – the first weekend of each month (subject to minimum enrollment).

One-Day Glass Blowing Intensive – the second Saturday of each month (subject to minimum enrollment).

That said, this schedule is just a guide to make things easier for all involved.  However, if someone would like to make a pumpkin in January or even in May, all you need to do is look on the calendar and see if the time is available.  The same goes for ornaments. If you would like to blow an ornament in October to avoid making something in December, you are welcome to do that. The way the calendar and the classes are set up for single items, I have those designed so that an ornament can be made  within a 30 minute booking session. Since all classes are individual and include one-on-one instruction (except for the one and two-day intensives) this makes scheduling much easier. In truth, it might only take 15 minutes to make an ornament or suncatcher, but we give you that time to make sure we cover all the bases.  Likewise, a small pumpkin can be made in thirty minutes and a large one can be made in an hour (you would book two thirty minutes slots and let me know that you want to make a large pumpkin when you arrive). The elegance of the way these experiences are set up is that by doubling up on two 30 minute slots is you get the right pricing and enough time to make your piece.  It is a modular system I developed that makes scaling up simple and easy.

There are many things I do not know just yet about the full functionality of the calendar and how many options I will be able to include, but right off the bat I know that there are some options that will be available.  For example, this calendar will be able to utilize coupon codes so those of you who follow Stafford Art Glass at Facebook or on other social media sites like Twitter can grab coupon codes that will be announced there and bring them here for making your final booking.

In instances where the calendar does not allow for the type of flexibility that I might have hoped, I will be announcing work-arounds in the event that someone wants something custom or different from the norm.  But as of right now, I am still learning how to make this calendar as flexible for your use as possible.  I am using one of the highest rated booking calendars out there available for the Word Press platform (it even takes payments) so I am expecting a high degree of functionality once I uncover all of the bells and whistles in the next few weeks.  Given how this past year has gone, I am a little gun shy about making promises about exactly how I expect something like the new booking system will work.  I just know that once I sink my teeth into it, I will be able to work through the software to help bring value to my customers.

If you subscribe to the blog, you will be kept up to date about any new classes or events happening that involve booking your place for an event.  While there will also be updates on Facebook, these can easily get buried under new posts. Word Press makes it so that you can receive updates through email as well as SMS (text message to your phone) which can be even more convenient for many of you. I can also provide class descriptions here that may be too lengthy for Facebook readers.

You will find that prices are inclusive for all of our classes. That means no pesky add-ons that you have to worry about. Anyone taking a class also receives 15% off all merchandise in the gallery as a special thank-you for educating yourself about what it takes to delve into the world of glass making.

In the meantime, until we reach the first of October, I will be working to produce samples of a full line of ornaments that will make deciding on an ornament color combination easier once you show for your time slots. I will do the same with sample pumpkin color combinations, too. Then, if you get here and can’t decide what colors you would like, I will have some samples that might make deciding easier.

Thank you all who have been following along for your patience!  My hope is that the changes will be welcome and will make everything just a little bit more easy. Here’s to a fun and exciting Fall!

Keep It Hot

~Parker

Fall Workshops and Classes If you follow Stafford Art Glass on our Facebook page, you will certainly know about how I broke some fingers while rebuilding the glass furnace in November.

#Blacksburg #glass in Virginia #glass studio #glassblowing #glassblowing classes #glassblowing in Virginia #handblown glass #hotglass #hotshop #newport artist #Newport glass #Newport Virginia #NRV #stafford art glass #things to do #what to do

[physiquebodyware]

BLACK PRINCE BOOK – FAMOUS WEIDER’S BUST – THE TRUE STORY OF BODYBUILDING ICON

TRUTH COMES OUT IN SO MANY FORMS

SOMETIMES I LOOK BACK ON THE WHOLE SITUATION. I GET THIS QUESTION FROM FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD DURING TOURS AND EXHIBITIONS:"ROBBY, IS THAT YOUR BODY WITH WEIDER'S HEAD ON IT?" - "YES, IT IS..."

The famous Joe Weider's bronze bust and Robby Robinsonin the Weiders-Bust-Pose

on the covers of  Weiders' Magazine MUSCLE BUILDER POWER,

September & November 1979 ▶

"I can honestly say that I never met a person who loved BB more than Joe Weider. And he is a lovable and funny person, too... Robby, I'm SO glad you published this! We (insiders) ALL knew it was your bust with Joe's head and had fun with that info ... Robby Weiderson, HA..." - Rachel McLish, The first Miss Olympia 1980

"Like Rachel said, we all knew it was Robby's image at the time. Joe figured he could get away with it and look great in the process. I built many of the stands he put the busts on, and I asked him, "Is that Robby's body?" -- and he mumbled something and walked away. We all knew it was an inside joke but at Robby's expense..." -- Roger Callard, Golden Era bodybuilder, training partner of Robby Robinson in Gold's gym in 70s, and Hollywood actor

"MASTER-BLUSTER" JOE WEIDER IN WEIDERS-BUST-POSE

Robby's CONSULTATION Services to answer your questions

about bodybuilding, old school training and healthy lifestyle -

„ … Joe called down to the gym and told me he wanted a sculptor, known for realistic renderings, to create my bust in clay to be later cast in bronze. «Your physique in bronze will be preserved in bodybuilding history. It will sit in our lobby alongside the paintings of the other greats like Larry Scott and Arnold» Joe continued, «Mr. Crawford told me it would take probably six days of you sitting for him. He’s going to do it right here in my office. I think this will be sensational. Let’s do it over several weekends. We can start this Saturday.» I said okay, but thought it odd that they would grace me with such an honor. Nobody else’s bronze bust was in Weider’s lobby, not even Arnold’s. Their photos were triple life-size, but no bronze busts … ‟

ROBBY ROBINSON IN WEIDERS-BUST-POSE IN GOLD'S GYM VENICE, CA 2008

Robby's dietary anabolic SUPPLEMENTS, OILS and HERBS

for natural fat loss and muscle growth at any age

 I WAS

HIS FAVORITE PHYSIQUE. MANY RESENT IT. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. JOE KNEW MUSCLES. HE STUDIED PHYSIQUES, LIKE IT'S A PICASSO. THAT WAS WHY HE WAS SO SUCCESSFUL. "ONE OF A KIND"

„ … for the next three weekends, for four hours a day, we drove out to Woodland Hills and I sat still and flexed, not an easy thing to maintain. While I posed, Ashley asked Joe questions about the project, He said he choose me because he thought my muscularity would translate best to bronze … Joe knew exactly what he wanted, positioning me with my arms crossed and my chest held high. He would leave us to work for a while, and then come to give instructions. “Ralph, make sure you get all the details here in his bicep including the veins you see over here. Robby, keep your chest high. That’s right, great.” He would impress this upon us both. We would all look at the work after each sitting. I told Mr. Crawford that I admired how the muscles materialized from the clay, and related it to my visualization as I “sculpted” the muscles with each repetition … ‟

THE ORIGINAL BRONZE BUST OF "THE FATHER OF THE CHAMPIONS" JOE WEIDER

SHOWCASED AT THE WEIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS HEADQUARTERS

BUILT- Instructional Double DVD - Robby's philosophy on bodybuilding,

training and healthy lifestyle, and his old-school workout approach

▶„ … The clay bust was finished, and it was as sensational as Joe had said it would be. As we stood around admiring Mr. Crawfod’s work, Joe announced he would have a big ceremony to unveil the bust … Two weeks to the day was the big night of the unveiling. We were dressed to the nines. Anxious, we arrived early and sat in the gall and watched person after important person arrive, until there must have been several hundred or so. There up on the stage, under a spotlight, sat the bust on a column under a veil. Ashley was proud to see me recognized for my hard work. She knew exactly how much time and focus I put into my bodybuilding.

The time has arrived. As Joe walked up on the stage, the hall’s lights started to dim and silence replaced the party chatter. “Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the new Weider bust to be used on all our products and advertisements throughout the world”, Joe proudly proclaimed.When he lifted the veil I had the shock of my life. I looked at Ashley and saw her jaw drop to the chst. For a couple of seconds, neither one of us could breathe or speak. My head had been severed off the bust and replaced with a replica of Joe’s head … ‟

THE WEIDER'S BUST CHANGED MY LIFE

ONCE

I SAW WEIDER'S HEAD ON IT, I SAID TO MYSELF, "WHEN YOU GOT MONEY - $350 MILLIONS$$$$$$$ - YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT". EVEN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM WILL WORK IN THEIR FAVOR TO PROECT THEM. IT WAS AMAZING HOW HE WAS PROTECTED BY JUDGES AND LAWYERS. MY WIN WAS THAT THEY COULD NEVER USE MY IMAGE IN THE MAGAZINES. THAT REALLY PISSED AMERICAN MEDIA/ WEIDER PUBLICATIONS OFF!

ROBBY ROBINSON IN WEIDERS-BUST-POSE,

MUSCLE BUILDER

, SEPT 1979

MASTER CLASS - 4-day one-on-one intensive personal training with ROBBY ROBINSON

in Gold's gym Venice, CA and nutrition & supplementation seminar -

„ … In September, “

Muscle Builder

” rolled me out on another cover: a shoulder, chest and head shot, just like the pose I held for the sculpting of the infamous Weider bust … While the pictures didn’t lie, the article did. It exaggerated my war experience and flat-out lied about my having a father-son relationship with Weider. It claimed that under his tutelage I was a fast learner … With Ben Weider controlling the competitions, the IFBB and its worldwide affiliates, and Joe’s magazine proclaiming himself the trainer of the champion, the Weiders had successfully monopolized bodybuilding … Joe’s propaganda was convincing people around the world they could achieve the physiques of his stars by using his supplements and following the diets and routines printed in his magazines. The part he left out was that these bodybuilding stars were on steroids, not weight-gaining supplements, and that training and diet protocols for a natural bodybuilder and one on steroids are completely different. Joe and his “Muscle Builder” magazine were misleading fans and aspiring bodybuilders, and I was part of the machine. Yet staying with the Weider empire was the only way for me to realize the dreams I had dedicated my life to. I thought of myself as a thorn in Weider’s side … ‟

JOE WEIDERS BUST, THE FAMOUS BODYBUILDING SIMBOL

ON THE  FRONT COVER OF

MUSCLE BUILDER

, NOVEMBER 1979

E-mail Robby for CUSTOM training, nutrition and supplementation plans,

single training sessions and consultations - ▶

„ ... When the November issue of “Muscle Builder” came out … just two months after the cover with my bust, this cover displayed the bronze Weider bust in the exact size and position in which mine had appeared. Held side by side, they looked identical, except for the heads of course. Even the color of the bronze was the same as my coloring … ‟

JOE WEIDER AND THE FAMOUS WEIDER'S BUST

IN WEIDERS' HEALTH AND FITNESS HEADQUARTERS

Robby's CONSULTATION Services to answer your questions

about bodybuilding, old school training and healthy lifestyle -

▶

JOE WEIDER

POSTED MY PHYSIQUE ON THE COVER OF

MUSCLE BUILDER

. ONCE THAT MAGAZINE HIT THE NEWS-STANDS WORLD-WIDE, I WAS SWAMPED WITH OFFERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. I AM STILL BEING SWAMPED WITH APPEARANCES AND EXHIBITIONS.

JOE WEIDER

EMPOWERED BBING THROUGH HIS WORK. I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE HE EVER THOUGHT OF FAILURE. HE WAS SO SELF-ASSURED.

WITHOUT JOE

NOBODY WOULD HAVE KNOWN RR. BECAUSE OF HIM I AM A PRINCE, LEGEND OF THE GAME.

PEACE, ROBBY

Read more about RR's training and life experience, about other legends of Golden Era of bodybuilding and what really happened behind the scenes of Weider's empire - in RR's BOOK "The BLACK PRINCE; My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle" - available now on Amazon and Kindle -

#physique #the black prince

[angryhausfrau-writes]

You Can’t Cross the Same River Twice - Chapter 10

It's almost the end of November by the time Hawkeye goes up to visit his dad again. He didn't mean to take so long, but things have gotten very busy at the clinic lately. Apparently, being on the board of trustees for a not insignificant endowment is a lot of work. Hawkeye's never been particularly inclined towards administration - and his grasp of financials is a bit rusty after three years in Korea where he had no real expenses but booze and gambling. And Father Mulcahy's orphans fund - but those contributions were usually made at the poker table anyway.

But the clinic is important. He and Letta - goddess of poetic justice and practicality that she is - can do a lot of good for a lot of people with this money. So he'd buckled down and signed endless reams of legal documents that Charles hadn't even really tried to screw them over on. And that alone says something about how much he'd changed over the years in Korea because Hampton and Smythe gape incredulously at any tiny show of human decency in the man.

Finally, finally, the last document is signed - they'd framed and hung the original napkin in the clinic staff room - and Hawkeye can go back to spending his evenings and weekends at home instead of at banks and lawyers' offices. And he can take a weekend to go visit his dad.

Trapper and the girls are coming too, which has Hawkeye feeling both excited and anxious. All his family will be together in one place. He wants them to all like one another so badly it's eating him up at night. He doesn't sleep much that whole week.

But when the girls show up Friday night - all huge grins and excited speculation about the exotic wonders of northern Maine and whether they'd get to go to the beach - Hawkeye relaxes. Judging by the amount of planning and preparation Louise and Trapper have put into this endeavor, they would stand a fair chance on an expedition to the moon. Hell, he and Trapper have been through an entire war that had less well thought out logistics. Hawkeye votes Louise gets put in charge of the next one as it will insure all combatants have plenty of wool socks and know how to share their toys.

In all honesty, Hawkeye thought he might feel jealous watching Trapper and Louise interact. Or feel awkward interacting with her himself. He is the other woman after all, even if Louise doesn't know. But she and Trapper seem to have fallen into an amicable enough relationship post-divorce - even if it's centered around Cathy and Becky. And she chats politely enough with Hawkeye. Though the conversation doubles as an interrogation of him, his father, Crabapple Cove, and the entire state of Maine. But she does leave the kids with them, so he must not have made too bad of an impression.

--

It's nice to see Hawkeye's dad again - and under better circumstances than his last visit. Daniel Pierce seems equally glad to see Trapper - which is a little bit of a surprise given that Hawkeye said he knows about the two of them - and he welcomes Trapper with a warm handshake. Cathy and Becky get handshakes as well and they manage to stay still through the social niceties but it's not long before they tear off to go look at and ask about a million little things around the Pierce homestead. Daniel takes it is stride - and Trapper can see how Hawkeye grew up into the curious, passionate, slightly wild man he became - just laughing and saying he'll keep the girls out of trouble while Trapper and Hawkeye get the luggage stowed away. And that's a distinct benefit of Daniel being in the know - he and Hawk are sharing the guest room rather than one of them being forced to take the couch to preserve some kinda facade of propriety or masculinity or distaste at the idea of sleeping - even platonically - with another man.

That's something Trapper had appreciated about Korea. Everyone was so cold and tired and scared and worried and homesick that they all kinda clung to one another. You could be more physically close with people cuz they all needed that reassurance that there was another warm, breathing, alive person right there with them. It's probably why he and Hawk got away with so much. They weren't always exactly subtle but people were willing to write it off as just a close friendship - just them clinging together to stay sane, same as lots of people did.

And Trapper's always been a touchy-feely kinda guy, surprising as that might be to some people. He grew up in a big family in a crowded apartment building full of other big families. Kids in the neighborhood were always roughhousing together or sitting all crammed together to read a comic book or sleeping in a bed with two brothers and a cousin cuz that's all the room there was when family came to visit. And then Trapper started playing sports and that closeness continued into the locker rooms and team practices. Hell, that was the whole reason he'd started boxing again. That physical intimacy - even if it wasn't inherently sexual - was something he needed.

That's not to say there hadn't been physical intimacy of a sexual nature. Trapper grew up close enough to the South End to run into that kinda thing. And some of the guys on the football team or in the boxing club had been that way too. As had a guy he'd taken anatomy with - and boy had they had a lot of extra curricular study sessions that semester. And he and Hawkeye had gotten each others' numbers pretty much right away in Korea.

But Trapper had married Louise. And he can't bring himself to regret it for an instant cuz it gave him Becky and Cathy. But Louise was so different from him - she dressed classy and she talked educated and she grew up in a neighborhood of houses instead of tenement blocks, a neighborhood where kids didn't grow up all crammed together and crawling all over each other like a litter of puppies. She expected to be courted and held at arms length a little. Not brought into contact with the rough and unpolished and visceral depth of his feelings for her.

At first, he'd liked that about her. She was everything he wasn't in terms of grace and class and money. A kinda representation of the life he was trying to live by going to a prestigious school and studying to be a surgeon. And she was smart and funny and beautiful and a great lay. What more could a guy ask for?

A whole hell of a lot, as it turns out. Cuz Hawkeye's all those things and more. Warm and caring and with a burning need to fight against death and injustice and even just plain old stupidity - and there sure is a lot of that lately. He doesn't care about conformity, doesn't try to pretend he's anyone other than who he is. And that makes it easier for Trapper to be who he is too. He can show Hawkeye the raw, unpolished, unpretty parts of himself - of his love for Hawkeye - and know that Hawk won't turn away.

With Hawkeye, it feels like it's ok for Trapper to live the life he wants, not the life he and everyone else is supposed to want. The life he used to try so hard to live.

Hawkeye nudges his shoulder gently and Trapper realizes he's been staring at the bottom of his empty suitcase for far too long. So he puts the past away and goes outside to his girls. To live the life he has now.

--

Becky and Cathy manage to talk them into going to the beach despite the weather not exactly being summery. Late November in Maine is pretty much the middle of winter and it's been known to snow as early as Halloween. But they hadn't been dissuaded by any logical argument, so they all troop down the road to the public beach. Hawkeye hasn't been to a beach since the fourth of July. And he honestly wasn't sure how it would go, especially with kids. But Maine is different enough from Korea - the foot of snow definitely helps - that he doesn't lose himself in the past at all. Maybe he'll be able to come up in the summer, even. Becky and Cathy have repeatedly expressed their desire to go swimming - even though they're currently wearing parkas and boots and about a sheep's worth of winter woolens each.

But despite not being allowed in the water, the girls have fun rushing between the rocks and tidepools while the adults follow along at a more sedate pace. Becky especially enjoys pointing out all the strange creatures living in the tidepools - and Hawkeye enjoys making up fanciful and completely false stories about them while his dad laughs and Trapper rolls his eyes in good-natured exasperation. Cathy has chosen instead to climb up on the biggest rocks she can find and then leap off them - triumphant - into Trapper's waiting arms. It's a good thing he's been hitting the gym so that he can withstand the force of gravity plus one six-year-old human cannonball.

Eventually, the girls get tired of the beach and it nears dinner time, so they head home in a straggling clump. Cathy's thrown over Trapper's shoulders like a wriggling, giggling sack of potatoes and Becky - damp and salt flecked - bounces between Hawkeye and his dad like a pinball. Hawkeye wonders how the hell his dad did this whole parenting thing all by himself all the time. Because Trapper may have two daughters but they're practically sedate in comparison to how Hawkeye had been at their respective ages. Maybe it explains all the summers he spent in New York with his aunts and uncles.

--

Dinner's great. They're doing a kinda belated Thanksgiving thing with turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and pie - and it's all delicious. Thanksgiving was never really a big thing in the McIntyre house growing up - it just meant his ma had a lot more work the week before cuz everyone wanted their houses extra clean to impress visiting family - but Hawkeye'd grown up a lot more Norman Rockwell than Trapper had. But the whole thing's relaxed - nothing like the strained, formal dinners with Louise's family - and they spend as much time joking around as eating. It's nice.

And after dinner, they all go into town to look at the Christmas decorations that apparently go up around Crabapple Cove the Friday after Thanksgiving every year like clockwork. This is another Pierce family tradition, another glimpse into Hawkeye's life as a kid. It makes Trapper feel all warm inside that Daniel and Hawkeye are willing to share this with him and his kids. And the girls are clearly having a great time looking at all the lights and window displays - Trapper is sure they'll have lists for Santa half finished by the end of the night - and the big Maine pine decked out with lights and ornaments in the town square. It's fun to experience that sorta small-town celebration that Trapper's never seen outside of movies.

What's less fun is all the people who mob Hawkeye. Old ladies asking why he's been away so long and practically pinching his cheeks. Young women - at least some of whom Hawk'd clearly dated in the past - looking to get to know him again. And Trapper's not really a jealous kinda guy. He and Hawkeye have had their share of other relationships - even while they were sleeping together in Korea. Trapper wouldn't begrudge him a little flirting, wouldn't begrudge him finding another bed for the night, even. But he sure ain't mad when Hawkeye presses a little closer into his side and turns them all down. He does it kindly and with a sense of humor - the girls depart without any ruffled feathers - but Hawkeye makes it plain he ain't on the market anymore. And the sideways glances, the quick brush of their gloved hands, makes it clear to Trapper - if no one else - exactly why that is.

Finally, the girls are all wore out - Trapper has to carry Becky back to the Pierce house, half asleep already - and Hawk stays pressed close the whole way back. He's practically glued to Trapper's side all through getting the girls to bed - with minimal protesting for once, they're dead tired after such an exciting day. And he stays glued to Trapper all through their own getting ready for bed. Sure, Hawkeye's a cuddly guy - but they don't usually brush their teeth standing so close that Trapper almost elbows him in the face a couple times. But Hawk'll talk about it when he's ready so all Trapper does is whisper goodnight and hold him close as they lie in bed.

--

It's strange. He's been living with Trapper for months now - together in every way they could possibly be. Hawkeye's also spent time with Becky and Cathy - everything from helping them with homework to helping Trapper tuck them into bed. He's remained Uncle Hawkeye to the girls. They're family. But it's never felt quite so real, quite so true as it has today.

Maybe it's the holidays. Thanksgiving is for family and even though theirs had been belated, they'd still had it - with all of Hawkeye's family. Maybe it's his dad being there. His easy acceptance of Trapper and the girls into his home, his life, his family. Maybe it's all of those things. But as Hawkeye had walked through Crabapple Cove that evening - watched all the families out together - it had really hit him that he has that too.

Maybe not the way he expected to. Maybe not in a way that would be recognizable to others. But he has it all the same. And he didn't - doesn't - want that feeling of warmth and family and belonging to go away. So he's stayed pressed into Trapper's side, even if it got to be a little silly or inconvenient. And Trapper - easygoing and accepting of all of Hawkeye's strangeness - has taken this too in stride. Sheltering Hawkeye under his arm from all the old busybodies and young paramours. Holding him now as they lay here in bed. Not pressing Hawkeye to do or be or talk about anything. Content to just be.

God, Hawkeye loves him so much.

"I love you, Trap," he breathes into Trapper's chest, not sure how he'll react to that sort of declaration from him.

Trapper shifts around a little so that he can look at Hawkeye. And his eyes are so full of warmth.

"I love you too, Hawk." Said like it's a fundamental truth of the universe, an immutable fact of life. Said like he's been saying it everyday for months.

Hawkeye thinks back to all the touches, all the closeness, all the understanding they've shared over those months and thinks maybe he's been saying it too.

#mash #piercintyre #fanfic archive #you can't cross the same river twice #chapter 10

[missaureus]

EXplOration in Manila Pt. 0.5

June 2019. EXplOration in Manila was the concert that happened like a flash of light. I did not even had ample time to go chronic drama queen about the announcement. Although months prior to the official announcement of EXplOration in Manila, a rumor was already circling about it to somehow mentally prepare our sanity and also our bank accounts. But it took me days to pass the initial shock that Manila was included in the first leg of the tour. It was even passed on that it could be on November. Joke was on us! An August concert!

My preparation for this annual EXO concert this year was less stressful I can say. Still, I had my own share of health-related battles prior to the event proper on top of my academic demands. Second week of June, my school year finally ended but I already accepted my fate that I could not cut any slack since the succeeding weeks were already fully booked. I was horribly much busier this year catering my medical scholarship duties. With so much happening right under my nose, I was not able to feel the intensity of the waiting game of the D-day announcement. Oddly, the announcements were pretty hectic compared to the usual 3-month gap.

I had a week to prepare my stuff for a conference in Bohol on the 4th week of June. It was a pre-immersion event for our DTTB shadowing which was scheduled 1st week of July. During that week of preparation, I had my clinic visitations because that is the only time I could address my diverse chief complaints lol- end of every semester. To be specific, I went to a Pulmonologist, Gastroenterologist, Dermatologist, and E&T Specialist. Imagine how tired I was. It seemed that every time EXO would have a concert in the Philippines, it is always a mile-high climb to the top. I still need to get through so much like a hero in a video game battling against all kind of demons in order to clear a stage and savor a reward. God! I hate being sick.

I had a week of breakfast with an ocean view after all those end-of-semester requirements. It was a much needed breather although the sessions are pretty long and some boring, at least I got my daily dose of vitamin sea. I went home alone from Bohol via Cebu route to catch up with my high school friends that I haven’t seen in the longest time. I also had a chance to meet up Nay Tsaris. It was an intense 48-hour lakwatsa challenge. I was happy. The crazy thing was, I was rushed to the ER right straight from the airport because the attack of the pruritic rash in my whole body gone madder, I was about to beg for anxiolytics! My dermatologist actually diagnosed me with ptyriasis rosea which is luckily non-transmissible and was attributed to stress and my decreased immunity.  I underwent treatment mostly topicals while I was away from home and it caused to much hassle in my part because the treatment was so time consuming early in the morning and at night. I had no choice but to endure and forget how my body chose to dysfunction during a very jam-packed month. 

July 2019. I had to contact the DTTB doctor assigned to me that I might miss my first day of shadowing, the workplace was a 2-hour ride away from Iligan because I wanted to go back to my dermatologist who then prescribed me other medications to alleviate my symptoms hahaha especially the itchiness istg it can make you go depressed that is why antidepressants are given to patients who have pruritus.

For my convenience, I decided to stay at our second house which is a 20-minute drive to my workplace. I brought one of my parents’ car as my service. Driving on unfamiliar routes to work for almost a month was a form of therapy to me. I can clearly remember that it was during UN Village era and I would blast the entire album in my car stereo while going to work and going back home. It was a pretty routine but it was liberating to explore somewhere I was not so sure of. A day prior to Baekhyun’s solo debut, PULP Live World officially announced EXO Planet #4 in Manila on August 24, 2019.

August 2019. I finally went home in Iligan since class will be starting in August. I also settled my accountabilities earlier than the usual ticketing schedule because I availed the ticketing assistance. To be honest, I had regrets hahaha. I should have done the easier way but with my uncertain schedule I cannot plot on when to do my responsibilities. I was so thankful to my friends who took initiative in booking our accommodation.

9th of the month, it was announced that EXO will be having a second day of the said concert on August 23, 2020. I was so happy especially for those who were not able to purchase a ticket. Sadly, it stirred so much ugly babbles from keyboard warriors. Malicious comments circulated how we could demand for another day but failed to sell it out. Many international fans tried to invalidate our points — being in a 3rd world country, amusement tax in the Philippines is actually mad. Philippines even has the most expensive set of tickets among all countries!

I had to drive to the nearest SM mall the next weekend after the confirmation of my ticket and it took a 2-hour drive to secure my ticket! I had to work on things with double efforts perfectly in order to not affect my already rigid schedule. With that, I am pagod af everyday.

Truth be told, I even had the same dilemma of preparing myself to swap my standing ticket to a seated one just in case I ended up feeling shit while still on the start of the academic year. School requirements made me out of breath at some time. What I had in mind was that ElyXiOn one is a top-tier hell since it was during second semester. I got through it apparently, I can realize this one also!

I bought my air tickets late since I was really waiting for the second day announcement. I was also contemplating if I can insert strolling around Manila before going home but it was impossible to do so.

Two days prior to my flight, I had my toot extracted. Finally pain free lmao. Ang dami ko talagang dinadala na I chose not to acknowledge. 

One day prior to my fight, my family had to move out temporarily to an apartment because they were planning to have an overall renovation of the house. I honestly had no energy left while juggling lots of stuff, so I requested not to move an inch of my stuff  in my room (I’d hate it) and I would do it after I go back from the concert. I was not able to feel the countdown that it happened so fast...

Past 11 AM of August 23, we we already heading to the airport. I rarely caught up some air prior to this since I was trying to act semi-responsible as a student that I still attended my class in the morning but had to ditch my last class of the day.

I was able to take a rest during the trip with Ate Elle and Ate Dhang on board. This is it!!!

#exploration in manila #personal #exo

[marissasmoments91]

Ok so what’s next?

On December 24th 2018 in the wake of our family tragedy, I sat in my grandmother’s kitchen talking about health and fitness with 5 of my family members, we were making homemade pasta in preparation for Christmas the following day. I knew I needed to do something about my weight I couldn’t keep up the yo-yoing anymore. I remembered my cousin’s bf was a Personal trainer and wrote meal plans for people. “Do you think he’d be willing to write one for me?’ I asked. The answer was yes of course (it is his job after all). I messaged him at the start of the New Year and January 6th 2019 began my change.

 To start he needed my height, weight (by this point my weight sat at 61.6kg)  and waist measurement as well as photos of my front, back and both sides so that both he and myself could see changes over time. He also asked about the training I was doing.

He was detailed – I sent him all of the foods I liked broken down into categories, fruit, vegetables, dairy, proteins and snacks.

His rule was easy; eat all of the food on the meal plan It doesn’t matter what order you eat them in as long as it all gets eaten. Sounded easy enough.

The first meal plan he sent through I was eating over 2000 calories. Immediate panic ensued. 2000! Calories! That was over double what I would normally have eaten to try and lose weight. What was he doing? I had made a terrible mistake, and this was definitely not going to work. But I’m not a quitter and I had agreed to give it a go, so I put on my big girl pants and began prepping for the week.

The week went by and I was eating more food than I ever could have imagined. By the end of every day I thought I was going to explode. Kris was good though and checked in with me a couple of times through the week to see how I was feeling/coping. “Full” was always my reply. He assured me that it would be fine and he needed to assess where my metabolism, and by extension my whole body was at.

Sunday came and it was time for my weigh in, I was anxious, I stepped on the scale and lo and behold I had put on weight. Messaging Kris was nerve wracking but he said it was ok – still I panicked inside. He dropped my calories by about 300. They continued to drop each week and by the end of January I was down to 1300 calories. Kris explained that because of the way I had tried to diet in the past I had what he referred to as metabolic adaptation. My body was used to eating so few calories that the second I ate even a little bit more than that I would put on weight. Well great. Now what?

Reverse dieting that’s what.

“Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing calorie intake after dieting in an effort to boost metabolism. It’s especially popular for bodybuilders looking to ease their transition back to a normal diet.”

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reverse-dieting#what-it-is

Ok so I was going to be losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously – a difficult process I was told. And it was/is. Eventually my body will adapt and my calories would be high enough that chances of me overeating day to day as well as when I go out would be much smaller.

I was still going to the gym (over a month straight which was a new record for me) I had paid for a few PT sessions as I was a gym novice and needed help knowing which exercises I should be doing. I stopped the PT by the end of January I had enough of a program to be on my own (or so I thought).

Since he is a PT as well, why didn’t I just go to the gym with Kris you ask? Well his gym was 30min away from my house and not super convenient for me to go before or after work. I stuck to my gym close to home.

As I continued with the meal plan and gym I started to notice changes in my clothes even though looking in the mirror I didn’t really think I looked much different.

By April I had lost just over 4kg but my calories weren’t increasing at the rate they should have been. When Kris suggested I train with him, I bit the bullet and agreed.

I spent the next 8 weeks training with Kris twice a week and 3 times on my own (with a program he put together). I avoided eating out and if I absolutely had to Kris would tell me what the best thing to eat was and what meals I should take out to compensate.

Even on my mums 50th birthday I stuck to my own meal plan whilst everyone around me ate pizza, pasta and more dessert than you can imagine. I’m Italian- we like our food.

 I persevered and by June 20th 2019 my calories were up to 1800, I weighed 56.3kg and my waist was down to 28.5 inches. That ladies and gentlemen was also the same day I left for Europe for a month. 8 countries, 18 days with a short stint in London at the end. I indulged. Pizza, pasta and gelato in Italy, crepes in France, curry wurst in Germany and trdelnik in the Czech Republic. I didn’t really hold back. I tried to stick to some kind of a diet at the beginning but when the breakfast buffet consists of pretty much pastries only it made sticking to any semblance of a diet near impossible.

In preparation of my trip I researched each hotel to see which of those had gyms… Short answer: none. So I bought some resistance bands so I could do some exercise whilst away. I did the best I could and used them every third day or so.

 Coming back I definitely knew the scale wouldn’t be kind. But I had made my choices over there, what’s done was done and I had to get over it. I came back weighing in at 62kg. I had essentially put on all of the weight that I had just lost a month prior.

Had I not gone to Europe then I’d be well and truly at my maintenance level by now and I’d solely be focusing on building muscle and getting as lean as possible.

I got straight back into the meal planning and training, I slowly began to drop some of the weight that had crept back on. August, September and October was extremely tough for me mentally. I felt like my body had stopped responding to training and food. I was getting frustrated.

At the end of September I attended the wedding of a friend. My meal plan was altered and I was supposed to only eat the main meal. Through canapés I was fine, through entrees I was fine. I ate the main and then out came dessert. A sticky date pudding. Not my favourite dessert but still goddamn tasty. I don’t think I even tasted the dessert – I inhaled it in about 3 minutes flat. I immediately felt guilty. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten it and I wished I hadn’t. I was disappointed and annoyed at myself. It was the first time I had eaten something not part of the meal plan or meal plan substitution (not including Europe of course). That Sunday my weight came in 1kg heavier than the week prior. There was nothing I could do except brush it off move on. I vowed never to let it happen again.

 As we moved into October I started to see some changes in myself physically. My clothes fit better my waist measurement was getting smaller and overall I was pleased with my progress even if it was slow.

 In November I distinctly remember one weekend I measured my waist and I had gone up a quarter of an inch. I had a meltdown, I had been working so hard doing everything right and it wasn’t working. My calories were around the 1200 mark in an effort to lose as much fat as possible while still putting on muscle. But I was over the diet and the training, I felt I was going backwards not forwards. It wasn’t working - for me it had stopped working.

November also brought about the start of the festive season, I had lunches booked in at work that I thought would be like my usual substitution, I could pick a meal to eat and Kris would swap out what he needed to. But the Chinese restaurant we booked made it difficult to substitute. For some reason the fact that I wouldn’t be able to eat what my colleagues were eating hit me hard. I got very very emotional. I knew I was overreacting but I thought I was doing well. If I was hitting goals why couldn’t I eat out? What no one tells you is that the closer you get to reaching that goal the harder you need to work to achieve them.

It was the first time I had wanted to quit and I was so close to doing so. But I persevered. I dragged myself to the gym and my PT sessions. If you hadn’t noticed I’m a perfectionist, I’m most competitive with myself, I like to be the best. Quitting meant I would be losing to myself. This mindset though can be dangerous and it is for me, it makes me stubborn. If I continued with this thinking then I would certainly be on a path to self-destruction. Never happy with where I was and constantly reaching for a self-inflicted goal I couldn’t achieve.

 I mean shouldn’t I have the right to be able to love and be happy where I was at and the huge efforts and changes I had made?

 I went to the staff lunch but I ate a bowl of steamed greens, no sauce, no oil, no flavour. It was the least delicious thing I’ve ever eaten but as I checked my waist measurement that weekend I was happy with my decision. I had lost half an inch on my waist.

 Those of you reading this I can feel your judgement from here, just like I felt it from my colleagues on the day. “Why don’t you just eat something?” “Surely it wouldn’t make that much difference?””.  Maybe it would have maybe it wouldn’t but it was my decision and mine alone.

 I can also here the “How vain is she?” “You can’t eat like that the rest of your life. It’s not sustainable”. And you’re right it’s not. But this isn’t about vanity, this is about my overall health. If I’m strict now then once I have corrected the issues caused from poor diet practices I can relax with the strictness.

 Two weeks later and another Christmas party popped up. This time I didn’t even ask, I knew what I had to do. I rang the restaurant and asked to have steamed vegetables instead of the set menu. They were very accommodating and happily fulfilled my request. Again that weekend brought another drop to my waistline by a quarter of an inch.  

The end of November brought about my birthday and even then I chose not to indulge in cake but instead enjoyed my usual yoghurt and banana as per my meal plan. My colleagues were annoyed at me that I didn’t want a cake because then they didn’t get any, even though I said they could get one and I just wouldn’t have a piece.

It’s now December 2019 as I write this and I’m three weeks away from my waist needing to be 28 – 28.5 inches and three weeks away from a diet break. This means for me that I’ve hit my maintenance. Will I get there? I hope so. Am I terrified? Absolutely. I’ve relied on someone telling me what to eat for the better part of a year and to be on my own is daunting, I don’t want to undo all of the hard work. 

I still feel anxious when I’m asked out to an event, what will I eat? Can I take my own food? How will this affect my weigh on Sunday? Every family function I’ve been to for the last 6 weeks I’ve taken my own food. I look forward to the day that these thoughts stop entering my mind and if anyone has any tips on how to do that please feel free to share.

I started off 2019 as wanting to get skinny but it became so much more than that. It became about my overall health and about a lifestyle change about bettering myself long term.

I look forward to 2020 and the new set of challenges it brings. I hope to see you with me along the way.

#health & fitness #health #body #gym #personal transformation #bodyimage #reversediet #gettinghealthy

[nanowrimo]

NaNoWriMo and #WDC17: The Introverted Attendee

This past weekend, NaNoWriMo sent last year’s Donation Day Grand Prize winner Melissa Plantz to the 2017 Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. After a packed schedule full of workshops and events, Melissa reflects on the courage it took to make the trip and the things she learned along the way:

When Grant Faulkner, the Executive Director for NaNoWriMo, emailed to inform me I’d won the Grand Prize for Double Up Donation Day in November of last year, I was elated.

And terrified.

I’m a writer, and just like many other writers around the world, I am an introvert. As in this gal doesn’t go to Walmart because of the crowds. New York City? Oh, my.

I was also pregnant at the time, which meant come August I would leave my five-month-old baby to attend the Writer’s Digest Conference. Could I leave her for three days?

I took a deep breath and with trembling hands, I emailed Grant. Yes, I would go. My internal critic screamed worries and fears for the next eight months. But, I did it anyway.

It was a weekend of Firsts: The first time flying in an airplane, the first time in NYC, the first time attending a writer’s conference, the first time pitching my dark YA paranormal to agents and editors, and the first time leaving my precious baby girl with her grandmother and older sister.

I attended sessions to strengthen my craft and learned from such masters as Hank Phillippi Ryan, Paula Munier, Jane K. Cleland, and Jennifer De Chiara. I made some friends.

And I didn’t die.

My characters needed me to take the necessary baby steps out of my comfort zone to properly tell their story and ask for feedback from the experts in YA. My inner critic battled with my characters all weekend, vying for attention.

One of the sessions I attended on Saturday was led by Danny Gregory, author of Shut Your Monkey. It was the perfect class before my Pitch Slam. Familiar to many fellow NaNoWriMo’ers is the incessant voice that whispers in our heads, warning us of danger and filling us with doubt and worry.

Mr. Gregory refers to his inner critic as a monkey. Yours could be a different creature, but it helped me to view that imaginary voice as a separate entity, especially before pitching my book.

The keynote speakers and the presenters were amazing. Lisa Scottoline’s opening talk struck a chord with me as she spoke about how she came to the business of writing books so she could stay home with her baby girl. She talked about how the struggle was worth it and how we must persevere.

Ms. Scottoline used the analogy of a lit candle. The flame––the light––represents our writing, our creativity, our work. You have to protect your candle from the negativity and the priorities of others that threaten to extinguish your flame.

During her talk, I realized I have to protect my candle from not only others, but defend it from self-sabotage.

Every evening during the conference, and the next few days after the event, I spent time decompressing. As an introvert, the nervous energy from Pitch Slam alone drained me for hours.

But, I’d do it again.

I plan to attend next year. I missed one session led by Gabriela Pereira titled, “Rock Your Revisions” that I had looked forward to the entire weekend and I am still disappointed. Hopefully, she will attend next year.

I left the conference feeling on top of the world.

And kicked my monkey to the curb.

Melissa Plantz chose to stay home full time with her nine-year-old son Draven and baby girl Arwynn after working as a pharmacy technician for almost two decades. She lives in Charleston, WV, with her husband and two youngest children, and is also the mother to three grown book lovers. She writes YA Paranormal and Horror. Connect with her on Twitter @TheWritePlantz.

#nanowrimo #Donation Day 2016 #Grand Prize #Writer's Digest Conference #wdc17 #by oll guest #Melissa Plantz #writing

[goodvibesonlyix]

WHOLE  BODY CLEANSE

November calls for another cleanse, with the Holidays approaching with all of it’s goodness bearing delicious foods and spiked almond-nog. It’s always nice to prepare / cleanse your body for a couple of weeks before the festivities begin. My fave holiday is THANKSGIVING! Which is only about three weeks away. So, in preparation for stuffing my belly with Mom’s good cooking, I’m going to get this gut flora right! 

This cleanse will begin on Nov. 8th, I will be accompanied by my partner in crime, Ant. We will be doing a whole body cleanse, MIND / BODY / SOUL. Down below are the rules of our cleanse. I will be journaling daily over course of this cleanse - tracking what I eat, updates on how I’m feeling and general tips / information I learn along the way to wellness. 

As always, thank you for being here! Please feel free to follow along with us on this cleanse and let me know how it’s going for you! Let’s do this! May we meet back here on Thanksgiving Eve with healthy bodies, clear minds and grateful souls! 

RULES FOR CLEANSE :

BODY

- No rice

- No soda

- No bread

- No dairy

- No meat

- No sweets

- Daily exercise 

- No alcoholic beverages  

- Drink a gallon of water a day 

- Double vegetable / fruit intake

- Add turmeric to our daily vitamin routine.

MIND 

- Bed by 10P

- Read nightly

- Journal daily

- Spend mindfully  

- No snooze button

- 10 min morning mediation / yoga

- Make-up bed in mornings

- Make coffee / lunch for work 

- Pick out outfits for work each night

- NEVER FORGET THE COCONUT OIL . . EVER

- Each day tell someone you love them and why you are grateful for them.

SOUL 

- Pray, to yourself and even with others. 

- Remind yourself you are great, you are loved and you are one of a kind.

- Remind the man above that you are forever thankful for his blessings and his presence in your life.

- What am I thankful for? What are am especially grateful for in 2017?

Have a wonderful Monn-dazzze - T x 

- 

NOV 8

Today was a great day! The first day of my November cleanse, it was wonderful with beautiful weather and good vibes. It was hard to stick to some of the rules of this cleanse with not having enough time this morning to mediate and do some yoga. However, today was the last day of my training in Chelsea and soon enough I will have the time to start self-care routine in the AM. I can only go up from here! 

Have a peaceful night x 

- 

NOV 9

Today was my Fri-yayyy! It feels so good to be stepping into the WKEND VIBES! Today Anthony and I had a great workout session, it felt so good to sweat and stretch. Sometimes I forget how important working out is until I’m actually doing it. Besides having a great workout, my wonderful mother made a detox soup that was amazing. This soup warmed us up from this 30 degree Boston weather. Great vibes all around today in my body and belly. 

Stay prayed up all x 

- 

NOV 10

Today I had the day off to help out my favorite Veteran - my mother. My mother served in the military in 1985 and a year before I was born. The bravest woman I know. With that said she needed to have a procedure done and needed someone to bring her home after. Although, it was a nerve tingling morning it ended on a great note with lunch at Whole Foods and warm lattes. The best time spent for me is with my mother. She is so beautiful overflowing from the inside out. I get to learn so much from her and it inspires me to be more like her. Love you mom. 

Stay warm my friends x 

- 

NOV 11

Today is exactly 3 months from my Wedding Day, I can’t believe it. After 12 years of ups and downs, I will be marrying my best friend. I would not want to be with anyone else, truly. Today was a lovely day filled with lots of sleep and relaxation with my partner for life, my Mom. We picked up some goodies from the grocery store to have a ladies night in. 

Health update - I feel great and according to my mom I look great. I’m still struggling with drinking the gallon of water a day, but I know with time and patience it will become easier. I hope any of you that are following along are feeling great from the inside out. 

Cheers to the weekend my loves x 

- 

NOV 12 

Today was a such a lazy day. But, a very productive day! A lot of Wedding items were purchased and are on their way in the mail! I headed over to the grocery store to put together a nice healthy dinner for my family. Not much to report today other than I’m feeling good and can’t wait to hit the gym tomorrow! Ready to get this week started with nothing less than good vibes!

Enjoy your night everyone x 

- 

NOV 13

Monday! Always serving refreshing and renewed feels. Today was such a productive day with an amazing workout, inspiring conversation, more water intake and homemade guacamole! It was a great way to start the week! I hope you all are feeling awesome. Enjoy your week!

Stay prayed up x

- 

NOV 19 

It’s been a whole 6 days since I’ve been here to update you on my cleanse. The reason being - everything has been going so well that I haven’t had the time to come jot down what’s been going on. I’ve been reading so much - books, magazines and other blogs. I’ve been working out daily and eating what feels good to this body of mines. Listening to Super Soul Sundays to learn and hear from beautiful people’s views on life, love and God. This cleanse was all about re-aligning myself - soul, body and mind. That’s what I’ve been doing this past week and it’s been wonderful. I’ve been following and focused on a something someone said “Remake yourself from the inside out. Carry a graceful soul.” That does not mean being perfect it simply means to be the best version of yourself. That’s what I’m working on during this cleanse, and day by day I realize I’m learning so much about myself and how to stay mindful. 

Thank you for being here as always x 

- 

NOV 22 

Loves -

This is the last day of my Wellness Cleanse. I’ve learned so much about myself / those around me / my day-to-day life. My peace has been  restored, through physical activities and verbal inspirations from others who are far more wise than myself. I needed this cleanse not just because I’m going to stuff my face tomorrow (which is Thanksgiving, LOL) but because I needed a spiritual / emotional check-in, re-awakening is more like it. Following all the rules I put in place, this cleanse has been so refreshing. All of me I feels lighter - better yet aligned. Being conscious of what I’m putting on my plate and how certain foods / drinks make me feel. Realizing the energy around me on a daily basis, wasn’t so good for me. Finding ways to deal with situations that bought my energy levels down. This whole cleanse has been about me reaching deeper and thinking smarter. With that said I think this has turned into a new lifestyle for me - reading more, less television, eating more lively foods, less processed foods. Staying silent, listening more. Pray, pray and pray some more. Reminding myself - you never know anyone’s journey, so don’t judge. Mediate more, move more. Speak kindly, avoid gossip. Loving my circle, treat them well, pray for them daily.

The time is now for a new outlook on life. Changes are happening all around me. I want to be apart of it. This internal makeover has made waves. I feel simply amazing. I hope those that followed along, feel great and feel that self-love deep inside. Taking care of myself / my soul for the last two weeks was the best thing I could have done. Let’s keep the positive vibes rollin’.  I wish you all a very . .

H A P P Y  T H A N K S G I V I N G !

T x 

#mind #body #soul #cleanse #dobetter #bebetter #bestversionofyou #behappy #goodvibesonly #goodvibesonlyix #wellness #healing #good health #clearmind #humbledsoul #grateful #thanksgiving #partnersinlife

[agentwallflower]

Dull One Chapter 21

I’m here and my fingers hurt from trying to pick out Hedwig’s theme. A rock god I am not... yet.

Anyway, I’m glad you’re back for another chapter. This one’s pretty action-packed. Slight warning for gore and blood, but it’s not as bad as I’ve ever gotten. Maybe a 4-5. You’ll decide.

Next chapter goes up on November 26. I’ll see you all then, and have a good rest of your weekend!

Two weeks later, the day of the first trial arrived dark and gray, with sticky air that hinted at heavy rain to fall sometime during the day. Up in her tower room, Mointz found it hard to breathe as she crept about, trying to get ready.

Feeling any better?

“No.” She winced, trying to stretch out a cramp in her left leg to no avail. The night before, Corabe had been working on it, and honestly she felt as though it might have been worse. When it came down to it, the mage didn't have much patience.

Or a bedside manner, for that matter.

Apart from their brief moments together or when Mointz was left alone to practice her meditation in order to prepare her mind for the trial, they rarely saw each other. Corabe was often called away to assist younger mages or to work on her personal training. What kept her up so late at night was never discussed between them, and the most she had ever gotten out was that it was a little on the boring side.

Which of course, meant she didn't want to talk about it. Even after their time apart, she could read the other girl like a book.

“Have you seen my other shoe? I forget where I kicked it off last night.”

You almost left a dent in the wall with it. Look under the window.

“Thanks.” Indeed, it was resting under her room's small window, the shutters thrown open wide in the hopes of catching a wild breeze to cool things down. They were entering the rainy season, and the humidity was positively cloying. Sometimes, she had felt like she was drowning during her endless healing sessions, and there were times that would have been preferrable to being stretched and prodded at.

Apart from that, Mointz had spent most of the time in that small room, staring out the window. Getting out had proven impossible, even with a promise to return. Phirsa might not have put her into an actual jail, but the tower was about as good as any other.

“Still can't convince me this isn't some torture procedure they cooked up to break me.” Her back throbbed as she bent down to pick up her shoe and slide it on, almost causing her to double over. “It's working.”

For a brief moment, her vision swam as she gripped onto the wall to ride out the sudden spasm. Images flashed, each more hazy than the rest. The last she saw involved a window, maybe the one she was standing next to, and falling out of it to splatter on the ground below.

That was a new one.

Have another one, kid? What happened this time?

“I got out of the tower, but I don't think I'll be getting up anytime soon.” When she could stand again, Mointz hazarded a peep out the window just to make sure she wasn't actually lying there broken on the ground. “Yeah that's pretty far, definitely not getting up anytime soon.”

Something about the healers' work on her kept triggering the images to play. She could never predict when they might come, only that it usually wound up with her lying dead somewhere in a horrible fashion. If not for the fact she had faced this before, she would have thought it more of the breaking procedure. However, it was independent of anything that Phirsa might have done to her, so it remained a mystery.

A very annoying, very unsettling mystery that she was learning to react less to every time it came around.

“Are you ready in there, Mointz? We need to get going.”

It was Pivose sounding as tired and harried as ever. Honestly, she could picture him leaning against the door for support after all the work he had been doing the night before. There was a weird respect between them, forged by an inability to keep their conditions under a smiling face like most of the tower.

“I'm coming, just need to finish up.” Mointz turned, frowning back towards her bag. Spinner's bracelet was sitting on top, looking a little dull. She hadn't cleaned it in what felt like ages, and it showed. Even the weapon itself looked dull as it hung on a hook on the door, waiting for her.

Her hand hestitated for the briefest moment before she picked up the bracelet and clicked it into place. Spinner was heavy on her hip as she tied it on, weighing her down with every step. Maybe it was from a lack of training, but it almost hurt to walk.

You going to be ok?

“Bit sore. Nothing to worry about.” Mointz shook her head as she headed out the door, almost passing Pivose in the process. He eventually caught up halfway down the first flight of stairs, and together they journeyed towards the entrance of the tower.

Every step was made harder by Spinner. It felt heavier every time she looked at it or touched it to make sure it hadn't caught on something or slipped from her belt. Part of her seriously considered taking it off and throwing it out the nearest window, but that probably would've been in poor taste. She might've hit somebody.

Worse, she might not be able to find it later.

“Now, don't forget. You need to keep your focus during the trial, otherwise you might go mad.” Pivose sounded as though he was reading from a textbook of what to expect, and she half suspected he was just quoting at that point. In the mornings, he tended to phone it in a little bit. Maybe if she had caught him in the afternoon, he might've had some better advice.

Alas, someone had decided to have the trial take place just as the sun rose. Maybe it was good energy, or they just wanted to get it over with. Either way, Mointz definitely didn't appreciate the lack of sleep as she touched down on the bottom.

Corabe and Nuall were waiting for her there, along with Master Palea. All of them looked disgustingly awake in the girl's opinion as she stood there, fighting back a yawn. How they could be morning people was beyond her, especially with all the late night reading they did.

“Look alive, Mointz, today's the day!” Nuall was bouncing on their heels. “I wish I could go with you, but rules are rules.”

Palea snorted. “You would get distracted and forget to save her if things went wrong. Corabe's the best choice.”

Yeah, to everyone but Mointz. Still, she kept a straight face as they waited for the door to open and their path to be set out to the trial zone. On the bright side, she was at least getting out of the tower for a little fresh air. The only problem is that she had to practically breathe water in the process.

“We'll be back soon, Master.” Corabe bowed her head as they finally were allowed to leave. Outside, there was a guard waiting for them, yawning as he leaned against his spear. The sight of the metal hand glinting in the torch light gave some comfort to Mointz as she walked over to him, even allowing a grin.

With Spaekna around, it might as well be a party.

He did his best to seem like a proper guard as he put his spear back onto his back and started walking. “Right then, it's a twenty minute walk to the trial zone. Keep up, and don't get any ideas about running away.”

“Who would want to run away from you, Spae?” Mointz adjusted Spinner one more time as she fell in step behind him. That earned her a small smile and a slight relaxation in his frame. He was still himself, even under the armor.

It was a quiet walk, mostly because it was too early to think of anything to say. Their path took them down colored stones that led out of the city proper and towards what could have been called a pile of stones someone had forgotten to clean up during construction. At least, that's what it looked like in the dark. Most likely it was important, because someone had put torches in front of it.

Oh boy... I think it's underground.

Mointz felt the sweat start to trickle down the back of her neck as they approached. When they were close enough, she could see that Voice was correct: the pile of stones was actually a door carved from a large rock, cracked from age and attempts to open it. The last attempt had been recent, judging from the deep scores in the dirt.

“I have to wait out here while you two go down there.” Spaekna didn't even try to hide the relief in his voice as he took up a position by the door. “Don't envy you, though. Anything that's underground can't be good.”

Corabe stepped forward without hesitation. “Must be connected to the earth then. Not a problem, easy enough.”

Yeah, for the one who just had to watch. It was hard to fight the urge to stick out her tongue, but Mointz did it as she reached out, hand touching the cold stone of the door. Deep below, a rumbling sound rang out as the ground shook. In front of them, the door slid open, and small lights burst into existence far down the bottom.

Well, at least they wouldn't be walking in the dark.

It wasn't as nearly as humid as they began their climb down, but the stale air and dust made Mointz's eyes water. Thanks to her failing vision, seeing the bottom was impossible. Though, given how slow Corabe was moving next to her, maybe it wasn't just her that was having problems.

“They didn't say it would be this dark.” Her voice was quiet, and that close her knuckles looked white against the wall. “How much further down can it be?”

I didn't know she was afraid of the dark.

Neither did Mointz. In fact, she was pretty sure the last time they had spoken, it had been near dusk. She had never brought it up in the entire time they had been friends, either. There was no way to deny it, though, watching her shake so.

“Are you going to be ok?”

Corabe's head snapped round to meet her gaze briefly, eyes as wide as dinner plates. “Fine! I mean, I'm fine. It's just hard to see where I'm g-”

The step in front of her had a broken section just large enough for her foot to catch on. Her legs began to crumple underneath as motion pulled her forward towards the bottom of the steps an unknown distance away, no doubt onto the fragments of the stairs below.

For a brief moment, Mointz swore she could see her friend's mangled body at the bottom, a steady pool of blood forming around her motionless form and pooling in the cracks in the stones. She could even smell the blood, quick as it was.

That was why her hand shot out, grabbing the other girl at the last moment and hauling her back. Together, the two fell backwards onto the steps above them, but the momentum was broken enough to leave them there.

“Oww...”

There was an elbow in Mointz's side that was as razor sharp as she remembered. Her vision was blocked by black hair, but she was pretty sure neither of them were bleeding. There'd be some bruises, but nothing as serious as death.

Of course, that would depend on how fast Corabe got her face out of her chest.

And here I thought the hero got the girl AFTER she saved the day.

“Shut up, Voice...” Mointz could feel her face heating up as she tried to nudge her friend to check on her. “Hey, Corabe, you ok?”

The mage grumbled as she finally looked up, face red from the collision but otherwise unharmed. After realizing her position, she had an entirely new reason to turn red as she started to jump up.

“Oh jeez, I'm sorry!”

Mointz kept a hand on her wrist all the same. “Easy, don't want you falling back down the stairs after I pulled you up.”

She didn't let go until she was certain Corabe was steady in her footing. The close proximity made her face heat up, but a few deep breaths helped her steady. After that, it was just moving along down the stairs, being careful to avoid the broken step.

Smooth, kid. Not going to hang back and seal the deal?

“Got more important things to worry about, Voice.”

They were coming up too, judging by the light at the end of the tunnel, or in their case the glow at the bottom of the stairs. Mointz could see the bottom now, and she sighed in relief as she touched down. Though it was still dark, the faint light that guided them was enough to see by at that point.

Corabe was soon at her side as they approached a door with a heavy lock over the handle that had no space for a key. The heavy stone was carved, but time had worn most of it away. Now it stood, imposing and nearly blank, in front of the pair.

“This is where I come in.” The mage stuck out her hand, pressing it to the lock. Both glowed a faint shade of purple, and with a heavy clang the door opened. “Now you have to go in alone.”

She bit her lip though, frowning. “Though... I forgot to thank you for saving me.”

Maybe it was a trick of the low light, but Mointz could have sworn Corabe was blushing. She shook her head though, and chalked it up to the exertion – after all, her friend had always turned red easily, no matter the season. Still, she managed a brief smile as she turned to enter the room.

“What are friends for?”

Inside, it was at least lighter. The room was bare, with the only furnishing being a dry fountain in the center of the room. As Mointz approached it, her nose crinkled. Why became apparent as she grew closer – the dark stone was covered in an immense amount of dried blood that no one had seen fit to clean off.

Apparently for sending to their death via unknown bleeding.

It was impossible to control the twitch in her left eye as she stood in front of the fountain. Nuall's voice rang through the back of her mind reminding her of what she had to do. It sounded so simple too: just reach into the hell fountain, grab the rock at the bottom, and hold onto your underwear.

“I hope I don't actually have to hold onto them if I'm dealing with this rock.” She could see it at the bottom, and to her it looked like any river stone, maybe one that could get a few bounces if it was tossed the right way. “Well... here goes.”

Her hand trembled as she reached in, taking the stone. It was flat and smooth in her hand, with no marks to indicate it had been charmed. For a brief moment, she didn't see why it had been such a horrid task.

And that's when she dropped to her knees.

Thief! Murderer! How dare you stand here!

Mointz winced as the voice assaulted her from all angles, keeping her grip on the rock. Nuall had warned her of this. Whatever magic was at play had full access to her thoughts and memories to use like a club against her. This was the test of her mind.

If it was supposed to be the easiest, she was screwed.

“I dare because the damn king roped me into this.” Gritting her teeth, she held the rock closer. It was as if she could feel the being clawing at her insides, trying to find some piece of information to break her. It was doing a great job so far, as much as she hated to admit it.

Be gone from this place!

The lights dimmed then went out completely. Mointz's heart began to race, but she shut her eyes tightly and held the rock closer. Maybe it was just her, but it started to feel hotter down there, and the grit of sand rubbed against her skin.

She had to give it to the creator of the spell, they sure knew how to set a scene.

“That might've worked last year, but I'm used to the knives.” Her voice shook even as she saw it coming towards her in her mind's eye. This time, it touched, and the blood dribbled down her front. She kept holding on, gripping as tightly as she could. “Ok, gotta admit you're good at this.”

It didn't help she could feel her hands growing slick from blood either. Problem was, there was no pain. If she looked, it would no doubt be a nightmare, but it was just a well-timed spell. At least, she was pretty sure.

The scene switched, though. She was now standing back in Ring Kingdom's capital as fires burned. The heat licked her skin and the flames stole the air from her lungs, causing Mointz to cough. Even the smell of burning wood and flesh returned, just as strong as she remembered it.

Murderer!

“I get the idea!” Her voice came out in a hoarse croak as she tried to stand but failed. There was more blood, most of it not belonging to her. If she listened, she swore she could hear faint screams far away, though who they were supposed to belong to were beyond her.

If the old nun showed up with a bashed in skull, she was gone. That would just be rude in her book.

The scene blurred, returning to darkness. At first, Mointz thought it was over, but the blood still continued to drip. She shivered as water lapped at her ankles, and the sea breeze whipped at her hair and clothing, grabbing at her like fingers.

In the darkness, she could just make out a large tree. Well, what had one time been a large tree. Either nature or man had hacked it in two, leaving only one part standing. Its position made her eyes widen as she whirled around, water splashing.

“That's home...”

Behind her, the sun was beginning to rise. As it did, she could make out details on the ground around her. The sand was positively stained with blood, and broken weapons stuck out at odd angles. However, it was what was just beyond her reach that chilled her blood.

Murderer. You abandoned them to die.

Falon's limp form was lying on the sand, his bow snapped in two, his blood mingling with the sea foam. His hand was reached out, as if he had been trying to grab for something, but the fingers were broken. Someone had stepped on his hand.

“No, this hasn't happened, how are you-” The words died in Mointz's throat as she saw he wasn't alone. There was another body there, smaller, curled up on its side. Even from where she was standing, she could smell the burned flesh that turned her stomach.

Her legs led her over, trembling. There wasn't anything left of the clothes or features to identify the body, but one thing remained. By what had once been the body's neck, a burned strand of cord lay. Half buried by the sand, she spotted a disk of resin, protecting the flower that lay inside.

“No!”

The stone dropped from Mointz's hand as she fell to her knees, reaching out for the burned necklace. Instantly, she was back in the stone room. In front of her, the fountain was no longer dry – the wated ran blood red, trickling down the sides and onto the floor.

Kid...

Red water; she had failed. None of that mattered as she kneeled in the darkness, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed. Right then, she would've done anything for anyone to get that image out of her head. But it was there, and she doubted it would be leaving anytime soon.

That, in her book, was far worse than failing any trial.

#The Magpie's Stash #Dull One #fantasy #novel #See I can balance my fluff and sad

[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/2nd-case-of-rare-paralyzing-illness-confirmed-in-douglas-county-the-5th-for-nebraska-health/

2nd case of rare paralyzing illness confirmed in Douglas County, the 5th for Nebraska | Health

A second case of a rare paralyzing illness this season has been confirmed in a Douglas County resident, health officials said Friday.

The child confirmed to have acute flaccid myelitis has been released from the hospital.

The case is the fifth in the state this season.

The latest case is the final one in Nebraska that had been under review by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Adi Pour, the Douglas County Health Department’s director.

A previous Douglas County case was confirmed by federal investigators in December. Two cases were confirmed late last year in the Sarpy/Cass Health Department’s jurisdiction, and one was corroborated in northeast Nebraska late last month.

“It is important to remember AFM remains extremely rare,” Pour said.

Sign up for The World-Herald’s afternoon updates

Receive a summary of the day’s popular and trending stories from Omaha.com.

The condition mostly affects children and as of yet has no clear cause.

Symptoms tend to occur about a week after a child has had a fever and respiratory illness. They include sudden muscle weakness, including in the face, neck, back or limbs.

CDC officials say at least half the patients do not recover from the paralysis and some have serious complications.

It’s not believed to be transmitted from person to person. The condition has occurred at a rate of one to two children per million, according to the CDC, and fewer than 500 cases have been confirmed in the five years that it has been tracked.

Each year that the number of cases has run higher — 2014 and 2016 — the illnesses have spiked in September and tailed off significantly by November.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services began surveillance for the condition in 2014, after cases appeared in Colorado. Nebraska health care providers were required to begin reporting it to the state in 2016.

Some tips:

If parents see potential symptoms in their child, they should contact their health care provider promptly. While there is no treatment for the condition or proven prevention strategy, washing hands, covering coughs and staying home when sick can help prevent illness. People seeking information about the condition can find out more at cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-myelitis.

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Husker fans rock The Rock and corn hats in the first half as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln men’s basketball team hosts Michigan State at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

A woman is seen through an art piece called “Fire in the hole” as winter storm condition arrive in Omaha, Nebraska.

Passengers are loaded off a Southwest airplane a few at a time as firefighters help them down the portable stairs in Omaha, Nebraska, at Eppley Airfield. The airplane had slid off the runway as freezing drizzle hit the Omaha area.

Icicles form along 16th Street as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

North Dakota’s Cole Smith (26) is upended in a collision with UNO’s John Schuldt (5) in the third period as the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks Hockey team loses to North Dakota 3-4 at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

An allosaurus appears to be eyeing a tasty, 19-month-old morsel named Austin Haseltine as he is lifted from the shoulders of his grandpa, Greg Fasano, by his mother, Amy Haseltine, with his father, Jim Haseltine looking on. The Dinosaur UpROAR exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street in Omaha, Nebraska, features 20 life-sized installations as well as discovery stations and educational activities set throughout the gardens.

Diane Nash speaks at the luncheon about her participation in the nonviolent movement that began in 1959 while she was a student at Fisk University. African-American civil rights leader Diane Nash was the keynote speaker during a Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon hosted by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha firefighters fight a blaze at the Hope of Glory Church at 3402 Burt Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

Traffic makes tracks on West Center Road during a recent snow. 

Naomi Bybee, 17, of Omaha, Nebraska, braves the snow and wind with a group of teenagers sledding at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha.

A group of ten teenagers link together while sledding down a hill at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

A squirrel eats a walnut as snow falls at Walnut Grove Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

Ian Zachary, 14, center, and Kody Hatcher, 14, right, drink hot chocolate while sledding downhill alongside Fletcher Kelly, 14, left, all of Omaha, at the St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

Justin Van Buren catches a bluegill while fishing at a catch-and-release pond near 146th and Ida Streets in Omaha, Nebraska, as winter weather dropped snow on the area.

Looking east from 156th Street onto F Street, the sun rises behind winter traffic in Omaha, Nebraska.

The setting moon is framed by some dried flowers at Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

The sun rises on a snow covered Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

A person goes for a run along the snow covered trails at Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

From left: Jan Cochran, Mary Clemens and Kate Bradley decorate St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists.

Michele Kiefer decorates behind the alter at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists. Kiefer said this was her third year volunteering with the decorating. She said she loves learning from the other florists.

From left: Maureen Baines, Marilyn Havel, Liz Beckman and Carolyn Arkfeld decorate an arbor in the center of the nave at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists.

Billy the Bluejay waves the Creighton flag before the start of the first half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team hosts Butler University at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Butler’s Jordan Tucker (1) scrambles for the ball against Creighton’s Martin Krampelj (15) in the second half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team defeats Butler University 75-61 at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Creighton’s Ty-Shon Alexander (5) steals the ball from Butler’s Jordan Tucker (1) in the second half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team defeats Butler University 75-61 at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Pink and blue balloons float past the Sower statue on the Nebraska State Capitol after balloons were released for the 45th annual Nebraska Walk for Life in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Jean Bailey, 98, works as a volunteer at Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Bailey has been a long time volunteer.

Milliner Margie Trembley designs, constructs and sells hats from her shop called Margie Trembley Chapeaux in Springfield, Nebraska.

Angel Leon Perez, 3, walks with his mother, Beatriz Leon Perez at Gomez Heritage Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska.

Tad Badje, 49, right, and wife Shelly Badje, 48, pepper Title Boxing Club’s general manager, Chris Gerhardt’s mid-section during a two-on-one body shot race as part of their work out at Title Boxing Club in Omaha, Nebraska.

Two-year-old Hannah Bonnot of Denver, Colorado, stands in awe before “Mountain Outlaw” taken at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, on display at Tom Mangelsen’s “Life in the Wild” exhibition at the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.

Pedestrians stroll down the 10th Street bridge toward Jackson Street as snow blankets the downtown area of Omaha, Nebraska.

A deer walks through the tall grass at Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Omaha, Nebraska.

A woman is seen through an art piece called “Fire in the hole” as winter storm condition arrive in Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha firefighters fight a blaze at the Hope of Glory Church at 3402 Burt Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

From left: Jan Cochran, Mary Clemens and Kate Bradley decorate St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists.

Pink and blue balloons float past the Sower statue on the Nebraska State Capitol after balloons were released for the 45th annual Nebraska Walk for Life in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Steam rises over north downtown Omaha, Nebraska, as morning lows were below -10 degrees.

Xiang Fang, right, and his son Ethan, 10, walk along the shoreline at Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Omaha, Nebraska. Fang said he and his son come to the lake often to watch the Canada geese and to see where the birds find open water.

T. Scott Marr and his daughter, Preston Marr, left, break down as Preston describes visiting her father before he’d made a miraculous recovery. T. Scott Marr and family attended a press conference held in Methodist Hospital’s physical therapy space in Omaha, Nebraska. Thought to be brain dead, doctors took former Creighton Bluejays play-by-play announcer T. Scott Marr off life support. Before his family settled on a funeral home, they decided to see their dad one more time. When they got there, he was awake and speaking.

The evening light gets low on Nebraska’s State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Steve “Stever” Hansen takes a photograph as crews from the Omaha Neon Sign Co, Inc. install the Charlie Graham Auto sign at its new location called Great Plains Auto Body near the intersection of S. 43rd Street and Leavenworth Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Hansen is a friend of Charlie Graham who now lives in California.

Omaha Creighton Prep student Mark Mausbach leads the schools student section in cheer. Omaha Creighton Prep played Bellevue West at the Ralston Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, in the boys championship game of the Metro Holiday tournament.

Omaha Creighton Prep’ coach Josh Luedtke, left, gives direction to player Spencer Schomers, right, as he defends Bellevue West’s Louis Fidler. Omaha Creighton Prep played Bellevue West at the Ralston Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, in the boys championship game of the Metro Holiday tournament.

Canada geese fly over Flanagan Lake at sunset in Omaha, Nebraska.

The sunset is reflected in some open water at Flanagan Lake in Omaha, Nebraska.

Richard “Vince” Vincent of Omaha works out at West O Fitness, 18132 Emiline Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Nicea Eliely gets pumped up for the game. Nebraska played Maryland in a basketball game at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Ashtyn Veerbeek was electric during halftime warmups. Nebraska played Maryland in a basketball game at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Sen. Lynne Walz of District 15 embraces Graham Pansing Brooks of Lincoln prior to the start of the first day of the 2019 Legislative Session at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of District 28 kisses her husband Loel Brooks as family members depart form the floor during the first day of the 2019 Legislative Session at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Stanley Morgan Jr., left, poses for a picture with former Husker running back Johny Rodgers during the Outland Trophy Banquet at the Double Tree Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska.

Former Nebraska coaches Frank Solich, left, and Tom Osborne pose for a photograph during the Outland Trophy Banquet at the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sitting on the lap of her mother, Melissa Murante, Natalia Murante, soon be two-years old, applauds for her father, John Murante after he was sworn in as state treasurer in a ceremony held in the Norris Legislative Chamber of the State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska assistant coach Jim Molinari, left, watches the play on the court. In the background is Nebraska head coach Tim Miles. Nebraska played Penn State in a men’s basketball game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Thomas Allen (12) scores a three-point basket. Nebraska played Penn State in a men’s basketball game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers gestures to his players on the court. Nebraska played Penn State in a men’s basketball game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Isaac Copeland Jr. (14) takes on Penn State. Nebraska played Penn State in a men’s basketball game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Glynn Watson Jr. (5), right, fights for a rebound with Penn State’s John Harrar (21). Nebraska played Penn State in a men’s basketball game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

A passenger in a car waits for help after sliding into the ditch near 204th Street and Blue Sage Parkway in Omaha, Nebraska.

Isabella Orsini, 10, right, gives her brother, Jacob, 6, a push as they ride sleds in their yard in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sam Person of Papillion clears snow in the Eagle Hills neighborhood near Castle Pine and Franklin Drives in Papillion, Nebraska.

Nate Miller, CEO of Proving Ground, works at his company’s office in Omaha, Nebraska. Miller said the company has been affected by the government shutdown and that waiting to be paid for work has been difficult.

Joel Green leads a tour of Robber’s Cave underneath Blue Blood Brewery in Lincoln, Nebraska. A new book looks into the truths and legends of Nebraska’s man-made cave.

Joel Green leads a tour of Robber’s Cave underneath Blue Blood Brewery in Lincoln, Nebraska. A new book looks into the truths and legends of Nebraska’s man-made cave.

Elephant Keeper Abbe Dickson takes a breather while cleaning up poop and hay at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s elephant herd room in Omaha, Nebraska. Cleaning up after elephants can be a big job.

Ian Murphy, canvases the nearly 90 snow people which are on display at the Leavenworth Park in Omaha, Nebraska. Neighbors such as Murphy say the snow people didn’t exist yesterday and claim it happened over night or possibly early this morning.

Kenze Messman, 17, spends time with her service dog Makki at their home in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the age of 14, Messman, was diagnosed with a handful of syndromes that combined can leave her with an elevated heart rate, seizures and twitches. She is also allergic to an abundance of things. Makki helps Kenze avoid or combat incidences.

Kenze Messman, 17, trains her service dog Makki at their home in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the age of 14, Messman, was diagnosed with a handful of syndromes that combined can leave her with an elevated heart rate, seizures and twitches. She is also allergic to an abundance of things. Makki helps Kenze avoid or combat incidences.

Kenze Messman, 17, spends time with her service dog Makki at their home in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the age of 14, Messman, was diagnosed with a handful of syndromes that combined can leave her with an elevated heart rate, seizures and twitches. She is also allergic to an abundance of things. Makki helps Kenze avoid or combat incidences.

Nebraska’s Tanner Borchardt (20) tangles with Michigan’s Kenny Goins (25) as Nebraska’s Isaiah Roby (15) looks on in the first half as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln men’s basketball team hosts Michigan State at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Husker fans rock The Rock and corn hats in the first half as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln men’s basketball team hosts Michigan State at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

A woman is seen through an art piece called “Fire in the hole” as winter storm condition arrive in Omaha, Nebraska.

Passengers are loaded off a Southwest airplane a few at a time as firefighters help them down the portable stairs in Omaha, Nebraska, at Eppley Airfield. The airplane had slid off the runway as freezing drizzle hit the Omaha area.

Icicles form along 16th Street as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

North Dakota’s Cole Smith (26) is upended in a collision with UNO’s John Schuldt (5) in the third period as the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks Hockey team loses to North Dakota 3-4 at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

An allosaurus appears to be eyeing a tasty, 19-month-old morsel named Austin Haseltine as he is lifted from the shoulders of his grandpa, Greg Fasano, by his mother, Amy Haseltine, with his father, Jim Haseltine looking on. The Dinosaur UpROAR exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street in Omaha, Nebraska, features 20 life-sized installations as well as discovery stations and educational activities set throughout the gardens.

Diane Nash speaks at the luncheon about her participation in the nonviolent movement that began in 1959 while she was a student at Fisk University. African-American civil rights leader Diane Nash was the keynote speaker during a Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon hosted by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha firefighters fight a blaze at the Hope of Glory Church at 3402 Burt Street in Omaha, Nebraska.

Traffic makes tracks on West Center Road during a recent snow. 

Naomi Bybee, 17, of Omaha, Nebraska, braves the snow and wind with a group of teenagers sledding at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha.

A group of ten teenagers link together while sledding down a hill at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

A squirrel eats a walnut as snow falls at Walnut Grove Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

Ian Zachary, 14, center, and Kody Hatcher, 14, right, drink hot chocolate while sledding downhill alongside Fletcher Kelly, 14, left, all of Omaha, at the St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School as winter storm conditions hit Omaha, Nebraska.

Justin Van Buren catches a bluegill while fishing at a catch-and-release pond near 146th and Ida Streets in Omaha, Nebraska, as winter weather dropped snow on the area.

Looking east from 156th Street onto F Street, the sun rises behind winter traffic in Omaha, Nebraska.

The setting moon is framed by some dried flowers at Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

The sun rises on a snow covered Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

A person goes for a run along the snow covered trails at Lake Zorinsky in Omaha, Nebraska.

From left: Jan Cochran, Mary Clemens and Kate Bradley decorate St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists.

Michele Kiefer decorates behind the alter at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists. Kiefer said this was her third year volunteering with the decorating. She said she loves learning from the other florists.

From left: Maureen Baines, Marilyn Havel, Liz Beckman and Carolyn Arkfeld decorate an arbor in the center of the nave at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Cathedral Arts Project will host the 34th annual Cathedral Flower Festival, which will feature floral displays from more than 30 area florists.

Billy the Bluejay waves the Creighton flag before the start of the first half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team hosts Butler University at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Butler’s Jordan Tucker (1) scrambles for the ball against Creighton’s Martin Krampelj (15) in the second half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team defeats Butler University 75-61 at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Creighton’s Ty-Shon Alexander (5) steals the ball from Butler’s Jordan Tucker (1) in the second half as the Creighton University men’s basketball team defeats Butler University 75-61 at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

Pink and blue balloons float past the Sower statue on the Nebraska State Capitol after balloons were released for the 45th annual Nebraska Walk for Life in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Jean Bailey, 98, works as a volunteer at Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Bailey has been a long time volunteer.

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[the-record-briefs]

Feb. 13, 2019: In other news

MerleFest adds to schedule

 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce new artist    additions for MerleFest 2019: Amos    Lee, The Milk Carton Kids, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Del McCoury Band, The    Casey Kristofferson Band, and David Holt. The annual homecoming of musicians and    music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes    Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina,    in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,    April 25-28. MerleFest is pleased to welcome these six distinguished acts    to the 2019 lineup:

  Amos Lee: Singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s creative take on folk and    soul style continues to evolve. Over the course of more than a dozen years    and six studio albums, Lee has continued to develop and challenge himself    as a musician and now producer. Amos Lee will make his MerleFest debut on Friday evening.

  The Milk    Carton Kids: It seems cliché to compare    two guys singing harmonies in suits to Simon & Garfunkel, but for the    pair that make up The Milk Carton Kids, there aren’t many other acts who    come close to the harmonizing in their songs. Since 2012, The Milk Carton    Kids have been making award-winning folk music (American Music    Association’s Duo/Group of the year 2014, GRAMMY nominations in 2013, 2015    and 2019) with just two guitars and two voices. Now the Kids are performing    with a larger band and fleshing out their sound with drums, double bass,    and keyboards-- the approach they take on their fifth album, All    the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do. The    change in musical tack abets a set of songs wherein Joey Ryan and Kenneth    Pattengale may be at their most personally transparent.The Milk Carton Kids will make their    MerleFest debut on Friday evening.

  Steep Canyon Rangers:GRAMMY Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers effortlessly walk the line between festival favorite    and sophisticated string orchestra. They’re as danceable as the most    progressive, party-oriented string band and equally comfortable translating    their songs for accompaniment by a full symphony.

 The Steep Canyon Rangers’ set at    MerleFest is titled the North      Carolina Songbookand is a tribute to this    state’s vast musical heritage. The band says, “The influence of North Carolinians can be heard in almost every genre    of popular music from Earl Scruggs to John Coltrane. Many of them worked in    textile mills by day and played music with friends and family on the    weekends. Some were virtuosos who packed up their influences and took the    world by storm. All were, like us, a product of the music and people they    grew up with in Carrboro, Jacksonville, Eden, Tryon… every    corner East to West.”

 Doc Watson soaked up and shared    more of this state’s music and played fiddle tunes, blues, jazz, country,    rock ‘n roll, and everything in between. This has been Doc’s lasting legacy    for the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the band is excited to share the North    Carolina Songbook for the very first time on Sunday afternoon at MerleFest.

  The Del    McCoury Band: Even among the pantheon of music’s    finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of    bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honkytonks, rural schoolhouse    stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day    culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link. On    primetime and late-night television talk shows, there is Del. From headlining sold-out concerts    to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his name, there is    Del.

 Almost unimaginable, McCoury’s    fifth decade in a half-century of bluegrass bliss brings new triumphs, new    collaborations, and new music. With but a single change in membership in    twenty years, The Del McCoury Band shows unprecedented stability as well as    garnering the respect and admiration of the industry for its unmistakable    work: nine IBMA Entertainer of the Year trophies; in 2003, Del’s membership    in the cast of the legendary Grand Ole Opry; and the band’s first Best    Bluegrass Album GRAMMY award in ’05, followed by a second win in 2014.

 On their latest release, Del    McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass-- a title that echoes his 1968 debut on    Arhoolie Records, Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass-- Del and the boys    bring home another stellar collection of traditional bluegrass    music. With 14 songs brimming with hot licks, classic songcraft, even    some boundary-stretching electric guitar, and once again, Del’s matchless    vocal delivery, The Del McCoury Band moves up the gold bar standard of    bluegrass yet another notch. Del and the boys will celebrate his 80th    birthday at MerleFest with a special Hillside Stage set on Sunday    afternoon.

  The Casey    Kristofferson Band: The Casey Kristofferson    Band is a collection of musicians from North Carolina,    Georgia, and Tennessee who blur    the line between classic country and a more contemporary sound. The band    showcases songs written by Casey Kristofferson, daughter of the legendary    Kris Kristofferson, and Andy Buckner (NBC's "The Voice," Season 9) in collaboration with a variety of other talented    songwriters.

 From foot-stomping rockers to    soul-wrenching ballads of love and loss, the songs are reminiscent of the    original outlaws she has shared the stage with since childhood.    Kristofferson and Buckner trade back and forth seamlessly between lead and    harmony vocals while the band adds layered harmonies and blistering    instrumental work.

 With an all-star cast, CKB consists    of Kristofferson on vocals, Buckner on acoustic guitar and vocals, Muddy    Welles on banjo and lead guitar, Jim Aaron on harmonica, Zack Page on    electric and upright bass, and Nashville’s own Herschel Van Dyke holding    down the rhythm. Weaving a story from the nightmares of love and longing    through the rise of personal redemption, this band brings a live show not    to be missed. The Casey    Kristofferson Band will make their MerleFest debut on Friday afternoon.

  David    Holt: David Holt is a four-time GRAMMY Award winning    musician, storyteller, radio, and television host. For more than 45 years,    the talented multi-instrumentalist has collected and performed the songs    and stories of the Blue Ridge Mountains.    He learned this treasure trove of music directly from musical greats,    including Doc Watson, Roy Acuff and Etta Baker.

 From 1998-2012 Holt toured and    performed with the legendary Doc Watson. He says, “Doc was truly a great    man. Performing and touring with him was a highlight of my career.” In    2002, the duo won two GRAMMY Awards for their classic Legacy, a    three-CD set about the inspiring life and music of Doc Watson. Holt    currently tours the country performing solo, with Josh Goforth, and with    his band the Lightning Bolts. In 2016, Holt was inducted into the North    Carolina Music Hall of Fame. David    Holt will perform Saturday afternoon at MerleFest.

 MerleFest is pleased to partner    with Come Hear NC, a    promotional campaign of the North Carolina Department of Natural &    Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Arts Council, to celebrate 2019    as “The Year of    Music,” a designation Gov. Roy Cooper    announced in November of last year. MerleFest, honoring its locale, has    programmed over 35 artists who currently call North Carolina home, each artist    representing a different aspect of the state’s great musical history. Come    Hear NC was designed to celebrate North Carolinians’ groundbreaking    contributions to many of America’s most important musical genres — blues,    bluegrass, jazz, gospel, funk, rock and everything in-between. It’s fitting    then, with 2019 as “The Year of Music,” that the Steep Canyon Rangers, also    proud North Carolinians, would debut theirNorth Carolina Songbook set at    MerleFest.

 The six artists announced today    join the 80+ artists previously released.Headliners include The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Amos Lee,    Wynonna & the Big Noise, Dailey & Vincent, Tyler Childers, Keb’    Mo’, Sam Bush, The Earls of Leicester, Peter Rowan and The Free Mexican Air    Force. The Late Night Jam presented by The Bluegrass    Situation will be hosted by Chatham    County Line. In addition to    the above-mentioned artists, the following will be performing at MerleFest    ‘19:

 American Aquarium, Andy May, Ana    Egge & The Sentimentals, Ashley Heath and Her Heathens, AZTEC SUN,    Banknotes, Bob Hill, Cane Mill Road, Carol Rifkin, Carolina Blue, Catfish    Keith, Charles Welch, David LaMotte, Dirk Powell Band, Donna the Buffalo,    Driftwood, Elephant Sessions, Elizabeth Cook, Ellis Dyson & The    Shambles, Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys, Happy Traum, Irish    Mythen, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Jess Morgan, Jim Avett, Jim    Lauderdale, Joe Smothers, Jontavious Willis and Andrew Alli, Josh Goforth,    Junior Brown, Junior Sisk, Larry Stephenson Band, Laura Boosinger, Lindi    Ortega, Mark Bumgarner, Mark & Maggie O’Connor, Maybe April, Michaela    Anne, Mile Twelve, Mitch Greenhill and String Madness, Molly Tuttle, Nixon,    Blevins, & Gage, Pete & Joan Wernick and FLEXIGRASS, Presley    Barker, Professor Whizzpop!, Radney Foster, Roy Book Binder, Salt &    Light, Scythian, Sean McConnell, Shane Hennessy, Si Kahn & The Looping    Brothers, Steve Poltz, T. Michael Coleman, The Black Lillies, The Brother    Brothers, The Gibson Brothers, The Harris Brothers, The InterACTive Theatre    of Jeff, The Kruger Brothers, The Local Boys, The Trailblazers, The    Waybacks, Todd Albright, Tom Feldmann, Tony Williamson, Uncle Joe and The    Shady Rest, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Wayne Henderson, Webb Wilder,    and Yarn. The lineup and    performance schedule are accessible viaMerleFest.org/lineup.

 Tickets for this year’s festival,    as well as the Late Night Jam presented by The Bluegrass    Situation, may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. MerleFest offers a    three-tiered pricing structure and encourages fans to take advantage of the    extended early bird discount. Early Bird Tier 1 tickets may be purchased until    February 17, 2019 and Early Bird Tier 2 tickets will be available February    18 to April 24. Remaining tickets will be sold at the gate during the    festival.

 About    MerleFest

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in    memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned    guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of    "traditional plus" music, a unique mix of traditional,    roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time,    classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel and blues, and expanded to    include Americana, classic rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a    diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day    event. MerleFest has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation,    funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

 About    Window World

Window World®, headquartered in    North Wilkesboro, N.C., is America’s    largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, with more than    200 locally owned offices nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company sells    and installs windows, siding, doors and other exterior products, with over    15 million windows sold to date. Window World is an ENERGY STAR® partner    and its windows, vinyl siding and Therma-Tru doors have all earned the Good    Housekeeping Seal. Through its charitable foundation, Window World Cares®, the Window World family provides funding for St. Jude    Children’s Research Hospital®, which honored the foundation with its    Organizational Support Award in 2017. Since its inception in 2008, the    foundation has raised over $8 million for St. Jude. Window World also    supports the Veterans Airlift Command, a nonprofit organization that    facilitates free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families.    Window World has flown over 100 missions and surpassed $1 million in    flights and in-kind donations since it began its partnership with the VAC    in 2008. For more information, visitwww.WindowWorld.com or call 1-800 NEXTWINDOW. For home improvement and    energy efficiency tips, décor ideas and more, follow Window World on Facebookand Twitter.

 About the    North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and    Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the    leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the    social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to    improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to    experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North    Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the    state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging    recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

 NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites,    seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums    and Jennette's Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the    nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the    State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the    Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water    Stewardship. For more information, please call [phone] or    visit www.ncdcr.gov.

 About    the North Carolina    Arts Council

The North Carolina Arts Council    builds on our state’s long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a    more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a    thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual    direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts    expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to    art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for    youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts    education. http://www.NCArts.org

 For more information, visit www.MerleFest.org.

[thenewsrabbit-blog]

Hot Topics Recap: Holiday Showcase 2018

Check out the latest post http://thenewsrabbit.com/hot-topics-recap-holiday-showcase-2018/

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Following are the latest 2018 Holiday Season news releases and story ideas for reporters, bloggers and media outlets. These recaps, curated by Business Wire, provide reporters and bloggers around the globe instant access to the latest news releases, providing relevant and trending content to share with their audiences. Discover more news via Business Wire’s Hot Topic recaps or create a custom news feed specific to your needs here. This service is provided at no charge to members of the media and financial communities.

SALT LAKE CITY–In the Holiday Countdown, Will Your Shipping Strategy Bring Success? Source: Visible Supply Chain Management

ATLANTA–Trio of Hazardous Holidays Threaten U.S. Highway Travelers; Thanksgiving is Past, but Christmas and New Year’s Danger Looms Source: Road Safe America

PHOENIX–This Holiday Season, PetSmart® and its Shoppers Give More than Two Million Plush Toys to Local Communities and Generate $885,000 to Support Pets in Need Source: PetSmart, Inc.

ORANGE, Calif.–Western Dental Plays Santa Claus Source: Western Dental

WASHINGTON–Escape the Holiday Hustle and Bustle with a Sneak Peek of National Geographic’s New Series Valley of the Boom Source: National Geographic

MEMPHIS, Tenn.–Merry Maids Helps You Prepare for Inevitable Holiday Surprises Source: Merry Maids

ORANGE, Calif.–Western Dental Recommends Check-ups for Kids During the Holiday Season Source: Western Dental

PURCHASE. N.Y.–Mastercard SpendingPulse: Online Shopping Shines Bright This Holiday Season Source: Mastercard Investor Relations

The City Choir of Washington (TCCW) Extends the Holiday Season with Twelfth Night Celebration Source: The City Choir of Washington

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–Southeastern Grocers Exceeds Goal of 20 Million Meals* Donated to Feeding America® in 2018 Source: Southeastern Grocers, Inc.

BEDFORD, Mass.–NativeScript-Powered Portable North Pole App Exceeds a Quarter Million Unique Sessions Per Day Leading into Final Week of Holiday Season Source: Progress

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO–Times Square Gets Cheesy This Holiday Season with Kraft American Singles Source: The Kraft Heinz Company

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif.–The Cheesecake Factory Makes Last-Minute Holiday Gift Card Shopping Twice as Sweet with Double the Rewards Online for One Day Only, December 20, 2018 Source: The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

LOS ANGELES–MapleStory M Introduces New Evan Class and Mini-Games Source: Nexon America Inc.

MIAMI–An Effective Remedy to Curb Holiday Stress Source: Quietud Sagrada

HAMILTON, N.J.–How Retailers Handle Returns Influences Consumer Buying Habits According to Research from Voxware Source: Voxware

REDMOND, Wash.–Nintendo Switch is the Fastest-Selling Video Game System of This Generation Source: Nintendo

BURBANK, Calif.–DC Universe: the Ultimate Holiday Binge-Watching Destination Anchored with the Season Finale of Original Series Titans on December 21 Source: DC UNIVERSE

WASHINGTON–November Retail Sales Increase 5 Percent Over 2017, Putting Holiday Spending on Track to Meet NRF Forecast Source: National Retail Federation

BOSTON–College Savings: A Gift Idea That Lasts For Years Source: MEFA

REYKJAVIK, Iceland–Iceland Naturally Releases “Christmas is Coming” Video About Iceland’s Christmas Yule Lads Just in Time for The Holidays Source: Iceland Naturally

WASHINGTON–Historic Hotels of America Announces The 2018 Top 25 Most Magnificent Gingerbread Displays at Historic Hotels in the United States of America Source: Historic Hotels of America

LOS ANGELES–Iconic Holiday Curmudgeon Returns to Mobile in Jam City’s Panda Pop “Grinchmas” Takeover Source: Jam City

SEATTLE–Amazon Extends Holiday Free Shipping Promotion to December 18 and Expands Prime FREE One-Day Shipping (or faster) to 10,000 Cities and Towns Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

CHICAGO–Yule Forget About It: People Forget the Majority of Gifts They Receive, According to a New Groupon SurveySource: Groupon

SAN FRANCISCO–WILLIAMS SONOMA AND STREETEASY PARTNER WITH AWARD-WINNING GINGERBREAD ARTIST TO BUILD ‘GINGERBREAD CITY’ Source: Williams Sonoma

MIAMI–CareCloud Helps Ease Holiday Stress for Urgent Care Centers Source: CareCloud

MENLO PARK, Calif.–Christmas 2018 Powered by Deliv Source: Deliv

LOS ANGELES–Want a Bigger Bonus this Holiday Season? Be a Team Player, According to a Korn Ferry Sales Compensation Analysis Source: Korn Ferry

NEW YORK–Find the Perfect Last-Minute Gift at Macy’s Source: Macy’s

IRVING, Texas–Creative Gifting Made Easy: Michaels Kids Gift Shop Offers Perfect Last-Minute Gifts for Holiday 2018Source: The Michaels Companies, Inc.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.–Kohl’s Offers Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers Around-The-Clock Shopping and Free In-Store Pick Up Through Christmas Eve Source: Kohl’s

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.–Has Santa Been Stumped? Americans Are Running Out of Gift Ideas, According to Survey by BJ’s Wholesale Club Source: BJ’s Wholesale Club

DENVER–SendGrid Publishes Industry’s First Inbox Protection Rate to Increase Cybersecurity and Privacy Transparency Around the Holidays Source: SendGrid, Inc.

LOS ANGELES–Holidays Can be Stressful for Children with Autism and Their Families Source: Alternative Behavior Strategies

SOMERSET, N.J.–Oticon Opn Hearing Aids Save Christmas for Santa Claus Source: Oticon

MONTREAL–CCM Inspires Youth Hockey Players to Do Good This Holiday Season Source: CCM Hockey

LOWELL, Ark.–J.B. Hunt Announces Participation in Wreaths across America for Fifth Consecutive Year Source: J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.

WASHINGTON–Insurance Fraud Grinches: 9 Most-Brazen Insurance Scammers of 2018 Source: Coalition Against Insurance Fraud

NEW YORK–Gillette Venus Teams Up with YouTube Star Remi Cruz for Limited-Edition Razor Source: Procter & Gamble

AUSTIN, Texas–From Holiday Ecommerce to Personalized Learning Experiences, WP Engine’s Digital Experience Platform Enabled Customer Success in 2018 Source: WP Engine

BELLEVUE, Wash.–T-Mobile CEO John Legere Serves Up Leadership Advice and a Mean Pot Roast – in New #SlowCookerSunday CookbookSource: T-Mobile

DALLAS–Mr. Cooper Survey: Holidays Bring Spending Stress to Many Americans Source: Mr. Cooper

NEW YORK–MoviePass Subscribers Get Value-Added Options in 2019 Pricing Plans Source: Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc.

MELVILLE, N.Y.–Equifax Identity Theft Data Poses Risk for Retailers and Shoppers This Holiday Season Source: Intellicheck

SANTA PAULA, Calif.–Limoneira’s 12 Days of Citrus: Surprising Ways to Use Citrus Fruits to Give the Holidays an Unexpected Twist Source: Limoneira Company

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–Psst, Boss, Here’s What Your Employees Want Most This Holiday — Meaningful Work Source: ServiceNow

NORRISTOWN, Pa.–Wild Lights Winter Holiday Festival Opens at Elmwood Park Zoo Source: GES Events

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–Holiday Survey Reveals Consumer Shopping Habits This Season Source: Quotient Technology Inc.

NEW YORK–Barnes & Noble Announces Top Gifts to Make the Holidays Special This Season Source: Barnes & Noble, Inc.

AUSTIN, Texas–Whole Foods Market Spreads Holiday Cheer With Return Of 12 Days of Cheese Source: Whole Foods Market

TANNERSVILLE, Pa.–A Heartwarming Story from FDNY Foundation and Camelback Resort to Brighten Your Holiday Season Source: Camelback Resort

ORANGE, Calif.–Western Dental Offers Tips on How to Maintain Good Oral Health During the Holidays Source: Western Dental

FAIRFAX, Va.–Apple Federal Credit Union Tips Help Consumers Avoid Email Scams this Holiday Season Source: Apple Federal Credit Union

CINCINNATI–‘Tis the (Flu) Season: Cintas Offers Tips to Reduce the Spread of Infection During Holiday Travel Source: Cintas Corporation

NEW YORK–B&H Launches Digital Gifting for the Holidays Source: B&H

NEW YORK–Celebrate National Believe Day At Macy’s With Double Donations to Make-A-Wish® and Wishes Across America Source: Macy’s

PITTSBURGH–IDI Consulting Launches Fourth Annual Toys for Tots Drive Source: IDI Consulting

MEMPHIS, Tenn.–FedEx Helps Deliver Holiday Joy with Mobile Gifting Truck Source: FedEx Corp.

LOS ANGELES–PuppySpot Advocates Responsible Puppy Gifting This Holiday Season Source: PuppySpot

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–Books-A-Million Announces 2018 Holiday Gift Guide Recommendations Source: Books-A-Million

LEXINGTON, Ky.–Holiday Gift Idea: A&W Launches Centennial Book to Benefit Disabled Vets Source: A&W Restaurants

NEW YORK–Majority of Americans Want to Buy Online and Pick-up In-store to Reduce Holiday Shopping Stress This Year Source: Synchrony

NEW YORK–Tim Hortons® U.S. Swaps Snowballs for Snowbits This Holiday Season Source: Tim Hortons®

WASHINGTON–WGL Energy Partners with Children’s National to Light Up Washington Region through ‘Light Up Dr. Bear’ Donation Campaign Source: WGL Energy Services, Inc.

NEW YORK–Barnes & Noble Announces Storytime Pajama Party Featuring The Polar Express in Stores NationwideSource: Barnes & Noble, Inc.

NAPLES, Fla.–Six Out of 10 Americans are Anxious About Bills and Nearly Half are Late on Paying Them, Study ShowsSource: ACI Worldwide

LEHI, Utah & SAN FRANCISCO–Ancestry Breaks November Sales Record Source: Ancestry

ARLINGTON, Va.–Online Shopping and Cyber Monday Break Records Over Thanksgiving Week, Says CTA Source: Consumer Technology Association

NEW YORK–Monetate’s Five Day Global Holiday Ecommerce Analysis Reveals A Drop in Shopping Cart Conversion RateSource: Monetate

SEATTLE–Amazon Announces Record-Breaking Holiday Shopping Weekend: Cyber Monday Once Again Becomes the Single Biggest Shopping Day in the Company’s History with the Most Products Ordered Worldwide Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO–QUESTLOVE DEBUTS POPCORN COLLECTION WITH WILLIAMS SONOMA Source: Williams Sonoma

PHOENIX–DollarDays’ Nonprofit Purchasing Index Reports Top 10 Most-Wanted Items for the Holiday Season Source: DollarDays

WASHINGTON–Thanksgiving Weekend Multichannel Shopping Up Almost 40 Percent Over Last Year Source: National Retail Federation

LOS ANGELES–Top 5 Reasons to Give the Gift of Popcornopolis Source: Popcornopolis

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–Shop, Save & Ship: Holidays are Handled Thanks to Staples Source: Staples

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.–So Many Pains, So Little Time! BJ’s Wholesale Club Saves Members from Holiday Hassles with Convenient Shopping Solutions Source: BJ’s Wholesale Club

SEATTLE–“Alexa, Donate to Toys for Tots” Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

REDMOND, Wash.–Nintendo Hits Big Milestones from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday Source: Nintendo

BOSTON–Wayfair Reports 58% Increase in Direct Retail Sales for Peak Five-Day Holiday Shopping Weekend Source: Wayfair, Inc.

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