#cactus canyon university
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Currently building/setting up a new uberhood made out of custom populated neighborhoods that I like to play, because I can never decide and stick to one thing. It's mostly desert setting so I'll probably make "empty" subhoods containing only the Sims out of the non-desert ones, so I can just add the Sims and move them in somewhere else. Main hood is gonna be Strangetown, but because I'm a completionist I've downloaded the Overkill-Strangetown SC4 Terrain by @chrisnewbie and plan to put all the Strangetown Sims from all the games in there, possibly add La Fiesta Tech and maybe even the TS2 Stories Sims (probably not though. Or maybe only Pet Stories).
So my current set-up looks like this:
- Main: Strangetown (uber version, no or few townies)
- Downtown: Emerald Heights
- University: Cactus Canyon, Quadington, LFT (Playable Sims + Secret Society only)
- Vacation: Winter Wonderland (mountain), possibly Felicity Island (tropical), ??? (far east). Maybe turn Nekojima into vacation hood? Hmm.
- Subhood 1: Sedona Deluxe + Copperhead City (Sims only) + maybe Pitstop Valley
-Subhood 2: Jeans Shaker Oasis
- Subhood 3: Service Area
- Subhood 4: Saguaro Desert + Douglasville + maybe Blackrock (no or few townies)
- Subhood 5: Softpines (on a dirt terrain) + Oak Hill + Oaken Valley
- Subhood 6: Arkhelios + Winterose (Sims only) + Nekojima (if not Vacation Hood)
I also got the Sims of Polgannon, Nekojima (not sure what to do with them yet) ... I've removed the bulk of dead ancestors from all the hoods to strip them down a little [edited to add I've also removed excess NPCs from all the hoods so far, in particular those stupid useless drivers] but still feel like this *might* be slightly overkill. Lol.
#ts2#the sims 2#sims 2#sims 2 simblr#thesims2#ts2 custom hood#sedona#copperhead city#strangetown#ts2 strangetown#cactus canyon university#quadington university#la fiesta tech#jeans shaker oasis#service area#nekojima#arkhelios#winterose#emerald heights#winter wonderland#felicity island#pitstop valley#polgannon#blackrock#douglasville#saguaro desert#oaken valley#oak hill#softpines
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Hi! Sorry for kind of just going missing but I got way too invested with a custom Uberhood out of the greatest custom neighborhoords out there, some of which I already played a little and some of which I didn't. I know you want to see the Somersets and I have a season over at the spares to post but I'm in a playing mood currently, not so much in a story telling mode xD Also, work is super busy and I do late hours some days. Even only got four days of free between christmas and new years. 😩 But got free at the end of Janurary too, so looking foreward to that. The Somersets might return for Christmas, so stay tuned xD
#tamtam talks#personal stuff#the hoods are:#emerald heights#caelestis university#cactus canyon university#land grant university#bigg city#mountainside valley#meadow creek#widespot#nekojima#sedona deluxe#europa#moonbase apollo#winter wonderland#prometedor#took me a week to set up my spreadsheet and now I don't have much time to play#bummer#would you be interested in some posts?
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100 work from home job opportunities
1. Live Ops- www.liveops.com
2. TeleTech-TeleTech.localjobster.com
3. Amazon-Amazon.JobsOnline.com
4. Sutherland Global Services- http://www.sutherlandglobal.com/careers.aspx
5. UnitedHealth Group-https://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com/career-areas/customer-service-and-claims/customer-service-and-call-center
6. Dell-http://jobs.dell.com/north-America-jobs
7. IBM-www.ibm.com/employment
8. U.S Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov
9. Working Solutions- http://workingsolutions.com
10. Humana- www.humana.com
11. Aetna- https://www.aetna.com/about-us/aetna-careers.html
12. Intuit- www.Intuit.com
13. Kaplan- kaplan.com/work-with-us/our-culture
14. Kelly Services- www.kellyservices.us/US/Careers/KellyConnect/Kelly-At-Home
15. Cactus Communications- https://www.flexjobs.com/jobs/telecommuting-jobs-at-cactus
16. Westat- https://www.westat.com
17. Salesforce- www.salesforce.com/company/careers
18. PAREXEL- https://jobs.parexel.com
19. CyberCoders- https://www.cybercoders.com/jobs/work-from-home-php-developer
20. American Express- https://jobs.americanexpress.com
21. Vmware- telecommuting-jobs-at-vmware
22. SAP- www.sap.com/career
23. Xerox- https://www.xerox.com/en-us/jobs/work-from-home
24. First Data- https://www.firstdata.com/en_us/about-first-data/careers
25. US-Report- www.us-reports.com/jobs
26. Oracle- Oracle-Work.Jobsgalore.com/Jobs
27. CACI International- careers.caci.com/key/work-from-home-jobs.html
28. A Place for Mom- www.aplaceformom.com/jobs
29. Anthem,Inc- careers.antheminc.com
30. DellSecureWroks- telecommuting-jobs-at-dell_secureworks
31. World Travel Holdings- www.worldtravelholdings.com/careers,work-home
32. ADP- www.adp.com/careers.aspx
33. Aon- telecommuting-jobs-at-aon
34. University of Maryland University College- www.umuc.edu/visitors/careers
35. Allergan Inc.- www.allergan.com/careers
36. K12- www.k12.com/careers
37. U.S. Department of Transportation- https://www.transportation.gov/careers
38. CSI companies- thecsicompanies.com/candidates
39. Robert Half- www.roberthalf.com
40. Nielsen- sites.nielsen.com/careers
41. Red Hat- www.redhat.com/en/jobs
42. Adobe Systems- www.adobe.com/careers
43. Overland Solutions, Inc.- overlandsolutionsinc.com
44. BCD travel- www.bcdtravel.com/get-to-know-us/careers
45. Connections Education- www.connectionsacademy.com/careers
46. Deloitte- www.deloitte.com/careers
47. Apple- https://jobs.apple.com
48. Mckesson Corporation- https://careers.mckesson.com
49. Thermo Fisher Scientific- corporate.thermofisher.com/en/home.html
50. Precyse- careers.precyse.com
51. Haynes & Company- www.haynesandcompany.com
52. Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc- www.ppdi.com/careers
53. IT Pro Philadelphia- www.phillymag.com/property/2013/10/22/live-work-homes
54. Cingna- www.cigna.com/career
55. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt- careers.hmhco.com
56. Sungard Availability Services- sungardas.com
57. Infor- www.infor.com/company/careers
58. Sodexo- www.sodexousa.com/home/careers-usa.html
59. About.com- About.com/Can I Work From Home
60. Altegra Health- altegrahealth.com/careers
61. GE- jobs.gecareers.com/
62. Western Governors University- www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/employment/work_remote
63. Grand Canyon University- jobs.gcu.edu/admissions-enrollment-jobs
64. Walden University- https://www.waldenu.edu
65. Vivint- www.vivint.com/company/careers
66. BroadSpire- https://www.choosebroadspire.com
67. Covance- careers.covance.com
68. Ellucian- www.ellucian.com
69. HD Supply- hdsupply.jobs
70. Perficient Inc.- www.perficient.com
71. Teradata- https://www.teradata.com
72. Wells Fargo- https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers
73. Symantec Corporation- www.Symantec.com
74. Real Staffing-www.realstaffing.com/en
75. Science Applications International- www.saic.com
76. AmerisourceBergen Company- www.amerisourcebergen.com
77. Appen- www.jobs.net/jobs/appen/en-us
78. Hartford Financial Services Group- https://www.thehartfordatwork.com
79. RetailDatat- retaildatallc.com
80. SYKES- www.sykes.com/Careers
81. CARA- www.jobbankusa.com
82. Citizens Financial Group- citizensbank.jobs/work-at-home
83. CVS Health- cvshealth.com
84. Healthfirst- https://healthfirst.taleo.net/careersection/hf_ext_cs/jobsearch
85. American Heart Association- careers.heart.org
86. BMC software- www.bmc.com/careers
87. Hibu- https://hibu.com
88. inVentive Health- www.inventivhealth.com/careers
89. Rosetta Stone- jobs.jobvite.com/rosettastone
90. Erie Insurance Group- https://www.erieinsurance.com/careers
91. Deluxe- https://ww.deluxe.com
92. Clevertech- https://weworkremotely.com/jobs
93. Achieve Test Prep- www.achievetestprep.com
94. Worldpay- www.worldpay.com
95. DataStax- https://www.datastax.com/
96. CDK Global- www.cdkglobal.com
97. Teleflex- www.teleflex.com/en/careers/workingAtTeleflex
98. Aquent- aquent.com/find-work
99. Parallon- www.parallon.com/careers
100. U.S Department of the Interior- https://www.doi.gov/careers
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SAY HELLO TO ÁGATA!
I’ve been enjoying the games of @llamaloaf and @newbie-townie, and I was inspired to start a new legacy/bacc! A long while ago, I came across a set of rules by @saralynnx, and I will be playing accordingly because I love the concept!
I will sending my legacy founder, Ágata, to Cactus Canyon University by @aondaneedles!
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freeman's mind notes part 9, e41-45
e41
all lasers all the time
sees a warning sign and promptly tries to obstruct the laser
wants to reflect this very dangerous laser through a disco ball
he'd love to let the laser gradually burn a hole out of the building
gravity hates him so bad
he'd want a big room with a trampoline
insulted by some guy and promptly abandons him
MIND. PLEASE STOP BEING ABLEIST
thinks the sirens would be a good alarm clock sound
actually shows concern for a guy who's been shot
SO relieved to be outside
it looks like an anemometer but it is Not
HATES being beeped at by the turrets
thinks there may be a meteorology department
the science team makes their own explosives
has read The Art Of War
considers being exploded not a terrible way to go
"whoo hoo hoo!"
ALMOST feels like he doesn't need more stimulants today
he doesn't think his suit can stop mortar shells
e42
mentions a rocket launcher....
damned dam
ICTHYOSAUR ALERT
[gibbering]
"BOMBS BAD BAD BOMBS BAD BOMBS BAD"
just plain ol rambling in fear out here
just in love with saying "damn" and "damned" every chance he gets here. He is on a dam
still struggling to stay afloat
"underwater 'ah-hah!'" GSIIENDKD
flooding the canyon would make him feel better
air is for losers
"wahhhhh gahhhhhh"
checks a corpse for money or snacks. will Not give the man fare for Charon
growls :grins:
slur count six. It's not the r slur but hey. Variety.
needs a surface to air missile
curse of formatting :/
e43
jiving with the idea that some unnamed force wants him dead
he thinks that he was MEANT to die in the test chamber but since he didn't (due to being "hardcore") reality is slowly unravelling. I just played a Friendsim route where this was a plot point.
he concludes that this makes him the most important person in the universe
gordon freeman has become Based (thinks there is too much money funneled into the military)
says an incorrect plural of "cactus" and corrects himself
this is subtitled as [screaming] but it's more of a "mnnnyeaheaheah" noise
he does NOT look like a helicopter
he likes math. No tolerance for bullshit. Math works or it doesn't. Clear defined rules that stay clear and defined. Some of these comments are mine and not his. I like math.
he doesn't smoke!
does clarify he doesn't smoke tobacco. peyote, yes. Mulls over other methods of taking it being better though
straining noises
YAAAAH AAAAAH WAAAAH
doesn't seem to recognize the tentacle. He definitely has brain damage between the head trauma and repeated electrocutions.
the desert tricked him. The desert.... THE DESERT....
yells all silly at some headcrabs
implies he yelled all silly at some scientists to claim his lab space for work. Didn't need a shotgun for that
the first situation in two days in which a grappling hook would Not solve all his problems
sand in his suit :(
e44
new intro. First surface portion of the game.
he feels like he's escaping from prison
seems pro-union
notices that going outside just makes stuff worse for him every time
wonders, perhaps sarcastically, f the planes are gassing him
turret beeping is a DEATH SENTENCE for it
echo! :D
he's got the best comeback of all. A spas-12.
he doesn't mind people talkin trash about him if they get shot after
doesn't much like heights
would love to slide down that big ol pipe
no breakdancing on the cliff
"dahdahdahdahdah..." Followed by a growl
[whimpering]
he can't read his mind
he hates the tin foil hat people. Not because of the conspiracy (owls) but because of their means of defence
bad bridge... Wants a grappling hook so bad but admits it may not work here
[breathing heavily]
the CLIFF is following him- no. Nevermind.
didn't realize Black Mesa was built into the mesa proper
no longer trusts catwalks
afraid of spiders
he could SLIP on these SHELLS
"is that..? Oh my god, it's a rocket launcher." You can HEAR the awe in his voice
he just sounds as calm as he ever sounds all series
interloper!
so happy to have used a rocket launcher :)
"whhuuuh"
a universe that entirely wants him dead wouldn't give him a rocket launcher so some part of the universe wants him alive
knows a fair deal of greek mythology
screams at a near miss with a cliff edge
he just wants a helmet :(
put the water park on the cliff edge
e45
we know this one.
he can't see where he is on the gps trackers
his water park! It's here! No wish needed!
HATES the military theme to the park
modern major general :D
this was where I would put Gordon's Hal. IF HE HAD ONE (don't worry about that if you don't know Hal, for my tumblr fellows)
complains about mmg being dated but that is actually the point of the original song. The idea was to just talk to fast no one would question that it was all common knowledge
that said it's impressive that he's memorized it and can sing it while he's running and shooting people
the new lyrics too are solid. Some syllables are. Questionable for the tune, but overall quite fine
"Ah."
I think some fans got mad at him for calling the tank an Abrams when it wasn't. Whatever!
buttons!
"nyyeehhhhh,,"
valley girl mind
he wants this tank so much
astounded that bullets managed to EXPLODE a tank
his knees are wobbly again. Methinks he's recovering from the adrenaline of the past five, very hectic minutes
if he were a general facing someone like Freeman and soldiers didn't work he'd just use nerve gas on the guy
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This ain't your grandma's uberhood.
...because it's the third time I've tried to tell this story and i don't want to get overwhelmed again.
I'm playing a Sims 2 megahood, mostly focusing on an edited Strangetown, but with most of the Maxis premades, and a few added quirks.
Read the whole story from the beginning here.
More about the uberhood, and my goals for the story, under the cut.
HOODS
Here are the neighbourhoods I'm currently playing in the uberhood:
@chrisnewbie 's Strangeytown as the base hood, and the one that definitely gets played in full rotation.
Pleasantview (for Lilith and Dustin)
Veronaville (for Miranda/Hermia/Puck)
Desiderata Valley (for John Mole and Natasha Una)
@penig's Widespot (for the drama + Sky Weiss).
@jawusa's Aileen Landing (which I've never actually played before!)
@oceansmotion 's Natosi (for the spooky ghost town vibes)
@hoodbuildinggroup's Sedona, for the vibes
hoodbuildinggroup's Shady Shores, because I love those toddlers and I want them to grow up well
Maxis stealth hoods for the Ottomi, Newsons, Gavigans, etc.
As a downtown, I've added @aondaneedles 's Copperhead City.
For our universities, we've got penig's Land Grant University, Maxis' La Fiesta Tech, and aonda's Cactus Canyon University.
For our vacation destinations, we've got topp's Felicity Island, jawusa's Moonbase Apollo, and Maxis' Three Lakes.
I'm not adding Belladonna Cove, because I'm not a masochist. I'm not adding Riverblossom Hills, because most of it bores me. (I might change my mind about this and add Jules O'Mackey and the Roths...) I'd love to add Douglasville and Arkhelios, because they fit the vibes, but neither of them seems to have a subhood version :(
STORY
I want to at least start the story low-stakes and work up to the harder, more emotionally hefty stuff. Part of the reason I've been struggling so hard with the Uberhood is that writing... like... the Grunts... is a challenge.
This is why the first couple chapters center mostly around lone weirdoes who don't have any ties to a grander story. I want to introduce some metaplot eventually, but I want to do it slowly.
CREDITS
The way I tell this story is heavily influenced by @simhealing's Uberhood, and I probably borrowed a bunch of headcanons from her without realizing. If you like what I'm doing here, go check her out.
Most of the CC I use is from @withlovefromsimtown , @whattheskell/@ts2repositoryproject , @platinumaspiration and/or @lordcrumps. I'm WCIF friendly, but if you see something and you don't know what it is, the odds are that it's from one of those four creators.
Thanks for reading! Have fun!
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The next morning, the Hansen-Wigginses dropped Elliott off at university bright and early before work. He aged up to a Young Adult and rolled Family as his secondary aspiration, making him a Knowledge/Family Sim.* Both of his mums hugged him tightly and suppressed their tears as their little one walked confidently towards the dorms and his new adventure.
*I've decided to assign secondary aspirations as soon as someone turns 18, whether they go to uni or not. Up till now I've been rolling for them as soon as a teen ages to adult - now I'll roll for them when a teen goes to uni as well. However, if a teen goes to uni, I won't choose their Lifetime Want until they graduate and I know what their major was and how well they did.
Side note: I will play the university at the very end of the rotation but, for reference, I didn't make it myself - I downloaded Cactus Canyon University by @aondaneedles and renamed it. It was a small desert-themed university that came with 5 YA Sims, which was perfect for my needs, so a massive thank you to Aonda!
#sims 2#the sims 2#sims 2 bacc#the sims 2 bacc#bacc#wildflats bacc#sims 2 storytelling#sims 2 stories#hansen-wiggins family#jennifer hansen#monique wiggins#elliott hansen-wiggins#hansen-wiggins round 11#wildflats round 11
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Back to my beloved Sedona. It’s actually an Uberhood, made out of three of my for-download neighbourhoods: Sedona, Cactus Canyon University and Copperhead City (if you want to give it a go yourself, you can download it here).
You can either read everything in chronological order from here, or have a quick recap per family down below:
Campbell 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Gauthier 1, 2, 3, 4
Grimes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Jackson 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Jones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Styx 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Chan/ Coeur 1, 2
Lee 1, 2
Olsen 1, 2
Tremblay 1, 2
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Nowhere County
Founded just half a century ago, Copperhead City has turned into a bustling metropolis seemingly overnight. The biggest hub in all of Nowhere County, C-City, as it is lovingly called by (some of) its inhabitants, can be ruthless, but for those who succeed, it is heaven. Countless sims flock here to live their dream, changing the cityscape constantly. Just hope you’re not one of those that the city chews up and then spits out…
Cactus Canyon University may not be the biggest or most prestigious, or even the best university in SimNation, but for sims hailing from the deep south, it’s home. CCU, as it is lovingly called by its students, prides itself in being a cozy, friendly place. Even though recent events have tarnished its reputation, this small university is still popular with students looking for a peaceful university experience.
A small town nestled in the hills near Road to Nowhere, Sedona was once a sprawling mining town. But after a deadly accident happened that forced the mine to close, almost everyone fled the small town. Those who stayed try to keep their hometown afloat, but now little more than a speck of dust on the map, is it even worth saving Sedona? Or should the remaining residents try their luck elsewhere?
Truth-seekers move to Strangetown hoping to discover the secrets the town holds. Do aliens live among us? Do missing sims mysteriously appear here? In this town nothing is what it seems.
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3
Households:
Jackson | Grimes | Smith | Singles | Coeur | Button | Grunt | Loner | Styx | Gauthier | Lee | Olsen | Jones | Curious | Beaker | Campbell | Specter | Student Housing | Annya-Fruhm-Var
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Check it out: a subhood for my Pinella-LEPacy Strangetown. This is actually the third or so iteration of it, but I think I’m keeping this one. I kicked so many families out of Strangetown proper, and this is where they ended up. I’ve called it Jackalope Bend. I’ve changed a lot since finishing Round 1, combining certain households together and making certain sims into townies so that I don’t have so many households to play each rotation. It’s still alot though: 22 in Jackalope Bend, with 5 remaining in Strangetown itself, and another 1 in Cactus Canyon University.
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From lovers to strangers (Colt Kaneko x MC)
Book: Ride or Day (post canon)
Pairing: Colt Kaneko x Ellie Wheeler (MC) (past relationship)
Rating: Teen and Up (the swearing, kissing)
Word count: 3,4k
A/N: this is my submission to the first @choicesprompts : August 15th - August 31, the prompt is in bold. I hope I made it on time!
Forgive any mistakes, there was no editing this time, and it's been a really long time since I wrote for Colt.
The cool wind pushes my hair back as I walk along the familiar path, every step taking me deeper into the past. It’s been years since I’ve been here; everything is different.
Everything is the same.
I’m not paying attention to the present as I walk, I’m too lost in memories of long ago. That’s why I don’t notice the person walking towards me until I hear a familiar voice call my name.
I freeze. It can’t be. What are the odds?
I lift my head as my eyes dart wildly around before finally landing on a face I’d recognize anywhere, even now.
“It’s you.”
The late afternoon sun cast its light over us and our long shadows on the ground almost touch, but we do not. The gap between us is larger than the few feet that keeps us apart. An entire Grand Canyon separate us.
Swaggering in my direction, sporting a worn leather jacket that looks almost the same, he eyes me with curiousity until stopping a few feet away from me.
His voice echoes, filling the distance.
“Who else?”
I am not offended by the tone nor the insinuation that my previous statement was stupid. He is right. Who else but he could be here in this place and know my name?
I am surprised nevertheless.
His jet-black hair is longer and dances with the wind. The black mass of hair moves away revealing a fresh cut over his eyebrow that will leave another small scar on his beautiful face. Some of those scars were not there when we met, reminding me that time has not stopped since the evening we said our goodbyes.
It didn’t stop for me – though sometimes it stretched endlessly in my attempts to convince myself I was in the right path, pursuing the right dreams – and it certainly didn’t stop for him.
Nearly a decade went by.
Nothing remains the same.
Neither of us is the same.
Over the years, whenever I came to visit my father, I avoided places I could run into him, which was easier than I first assumed. Even the times I met with Ximena and Toby. Just picked a different club, a different crowd. It’s a big city. We could both be here at LA at the same time and oblivious about the other, coexisting in different universes, moving on and never meeting. No matter how much, deep deep deep down I wished we would meet.
This time, however, when I booked my flight, I picked one earlier than necessary, giving me two entire free days before my three-day lecture at UCLA.
I wanted to come here.
It was an unexplainable urge that possessed me ever since Roger found that box in the closet. It was like opening a faded pink Pandora’s box.
Instead of all the evils, the box contained one too large Black Sabbath t-shirt, a silly cactus that used to be in my car, a couple of instant pictures and that old phone. After so long, I was amazed it still worked, keeping pictures and messages alive from a different version of me. Little tokens and treasures in the palm of my hand. Too many memories came rushing back from a part of my life that I have tried to bury deep inside.
I didn’t say a word to Roger about the Mercy Park Crew, gangs or heists. I called it all garbage and lied about throwing that stuff away.
Ever since that day, I wanted to see the garage and visit this place. A walk down memory lane was not enough. I needed an entire tour to the past to remind myself of that rush of energy and life. I considered taking a jump off this cliffside and dive into the ocean even if it’s no longer summer and I’m not a rebellious eighteen-year-old anymore, looking for adventure and trying to prove myself.
Maybe I would find what I have lost.
Maybe I would find something to help me close this chapter of my life before moving to the next one. A chapter I don’t feel ready for. Maybe I’m just getting cold feet. People say that happens often, right?
I didn’t expect that he would be here. Not in person at least. I didn’t expect to see him so soon. Or at all. But he is right there in front of me. If I just reach out, I can touch him. Though I won’t.
My mouth opened in spite of being emptied of words and then closed.
Expectantly, he stared at me.
I know not what to say. Maybe I should leave. That is the wise choice. But I don’t turn around.
As if he was one of the samples in the lab, I study him. His unsmiling face and enygmatic eyes. My gaze roams further down. Like black tendrils crawling beneath the edge of his white t-shirt to the side of his neck, there are pieces of a tattoo I have never seen. Does he have as many tattoos as his father once had? Is it because of him? I wonder what is drawn in his skin, if they symbolize victories or losses, and how far the needle touched it. I wonder if his pains are etched in his skin as mine are in my heart.
“Why you’re staring like I’m some fucking ghost, Ellie?”
“Sorry, Colt.” Saying his name after so long is bitter and liberating at once, like removing a foreign body that has been stuck in your throat all too long. “I was not expecting to see you...”
A smirk curls the corner of his mouth, and he’s that nineteen year old boy again, the twinkling in his eyes while thinking about a clever comeback.
“Then you shouldn’t come to my spot...”
There is humour in his quip, undeniably, and something that edges irritation. Is it Colt being Colt or did he want me to be looking for him?
I don’t let myself linger in that thought. I shouldn’t presume anything or expect to be able to read him now.
I force myself to break eye contact and smile towards the cliff, answering with a joke of my own like I used to, “The garage must be doing good if it bought you the sea coast...”
He snorts with laughter, and I dare throw a glance at him over my shoulder. There’s only amusement in his expression now.
“I told you. Someday I was gonna rule this city. One cliff at a time.”
“Solid investment.”
We share a quick laugh, almost too intimate.
I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, and his eyes accompany the motion with undivided interest. A shiver runs down my spine but I tell him the same protocolar thing I do whenever I meet some colleague or student and I feel wary on how to carry on a conversation.
“You look good.”
His lips are drawn inside his mouth in that familiar way before relaxing into a small smile that still makes my heart accelerate.
“Thanks.” The corner of his lip and an eyebrow raise at me. “Are you fishing for compliments?”
“I have a mirror, so I don’t need to fish for compliments...” I mimicked his dull tone and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before his expression returned to the usual resting bitch face.
“No ulterior motives?”
“Do I need one?” I snort and stare him down. “I'm just making conversation...”
A gush of wind blows our hair and pulls his jacket back. I bow, lowering my gaze to the ground to protect my eyes and his shadow has earned a pair of black wings ready to fly over the Pacific ocean. Like the myth.
As he zips up the jacket, the wings are gone.
I don't share this thought, but the tragic Icarus remains in my mind. Too young, too eager, too close to the sun. But for a fraction of his life, he flew. How many of us can say the same?
Colt glances at the ocean and back at my face, studying me. It’s so similar to the way he did the night we met. I wonder what he sees now. Would he tell me again I don’t belong here? Or that I am trying too hard? He wouldn’t be wrong.
“You're obviously hot...” his voice comes almost like a whisper, gently carried by the wind, “but the best parts of you were not your looks...”
My entire face warms with a rush of blood. I am not easily flattered, I know how attractive and accomplished I am, but his words somehow hit me differently and he knows it.
His gaze lowers in appreciation. Soon, however, the smile disappears when his eyes narrow staring at the diamond ring in my finger.
There is no use in hiding it now, but I do it anyway, shoving my hands deep in my coat pockets.
“Do you still dive?”
His gaze quickly return to mine and he waits a beat before answering my question.
“Sometimes...” His lips roll inside his mouth. “So, is that why you’re here?”
“Maybe...”
“Are you looking for company or a nudge? I can push you.”
“Always so helpful...”
“I am a helpful guy.” He takes a step forward, edging me and the cliff, and wiggles his brows. “Just say the word.”
“It’s too cold. And the sea looks rather unfriendly. I’ll probably have cramps and drown...”
He tsks me and I throw him an inquisitive glance.
“None of that would ever stop you...”
“What can I say? I am much wiser now.”
“Did the East turn you into an old boring wimpy?”
“I’m older, not old.” I cross my arms in front of my chest and look at him in defiance. “I am no longer young and stupid.”
“You were rarely stupid.”
“Thanks.”
I emphatically roll my eyes and take a step back. He follows, still keeping the distance.
We both look at the ocean in silence. The roar of the waves reminding me of the dangers bellow.
“You regret?”
“What?”
“Things...”
“Wow. Could you be any more vague?” I laugh and play with my hair, curling a lock around my fingers over and over. He tries to look cool, but the way his eyes don’t waver from my face indicate eagerness for an answer.
“A fashion intervention was totally necessary back then.”
“Can’t disagree with that,” he snorted with laughter.
“Jerk.”
“Don’t come at me for agreeing with you!”
I don’t hold the laugh.
“What about the rest?”
“There are no do-overs,” I shrugg, looking back at him, “so, what’s the point? The past is not a place we can live, right?”
I try to come as nonchalant, and if he suspects I am not entire honest about it, he doesn’t say anything.
“Are you back?”
My negative comes in a shake of head.
I take a deep breath, letting the salty misty fill my lungs. The sun is slowly descending towards the ocean, painting the sky in orange shades.
“I missed this...”
“What?”
“Everything. The sunset. The ocean.”
“I heard there’s an entire ocean on the other side... Just take the I-95.”
“I already did that... It’s nice.” I lift my hands and deftly braid my hair to avoid it from getting into my face and mouth as the wind blows stronger. “It’s actually conveniently close. Beautiful sunsets. No jams. Unlike here. But...”
When I stop talking, he kicks a small rock and it falls over the cliff. I kick one too, while dancing around what we don’t talk about.
“You miss it here.”
A lump forms in my throat and I don’t trust my voice, so I nod.
He nods too and his hair falls to his face for a moment.
This is the complete opposite of what I imagined meeting Colt would be like. There are no passionate kisses nor angry shouting and fingers pointing at each other’s faces.
Years ago I desired meeting him face to face with all my heart. First in a naive and hopeful way, as if it was possible to resume what we had, ignoring that we lived in different worlds.
With each passing week without news from him, that earlier feeling turned bitter. Resentful, even. I wondered why he never reached out. How could he forget me that quickly, while I still loved him? Many times I wanted to march into the restored garage and shout that question to his face. Why did I expect that he would not forget me?
I hated myself more than I hated him for being so naive. I spiralled into self-loathing and cheap booze before focusing on the one thing I was ever good at: studying.
He moves, protecting his eyes with a hand from the dust blown by the wind, and deliberately gets closer as if about to say something. Perhaps changing his mind halfway through it, he simply shoves his hands inside his pockets and stares at the horizon.
In silence, I stand beside him.
The dusking sky is almost purple with splashes of orange and red and it is breathtaking.
I search my brain for anything else to say.
I don’t want to talk about the few but intense months we had. I don’t want to talk about the dreams and expectations that crumpled or the way I don’t fit in the roles expected from me. I don’t want to tell him I don’t know who I am or what I want anymore.
I silenced about those things to my therapist and my fiance, I will not disclose it to a stranger.
Stranger.
From lovers to strangers.
That is what we are now.
What is left to be said if you cannot say what truly matters? Do we talk about the weather or how horrible traffic is? Maybe something more controversial like what he thinks about the candidates running for Senate or what he makes of those guys who still believe in flat Earth?
I don’t want to talk about any of that either. I fear if I open my mouth now, the truths I have hidden inside me will spill like a broken dam.
Tears prickled at the back of my eyes. I press my tongue to my palate and blink them away. I force myself not to break, not to give in first.
I don’t want him to know how much I have missed him and ached for him and hated him and worked so hard to not think about him. Every unsaid word and broken promise consumed me. I once was a girl with love in my eyes but now I don’t have love nor hate for him, I am long past the hope and the anger. I don’t know what I have.
“Are you thinking about doing it?” he asked me quietly.
“Excuse me?”
“The jump.”
By his tone and the way he stares at me, I suspect he doesn’t mean the literal dive from the cliffside. Either way, I don't have an answer.
“I don’t know.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“What if I drown?”
“I wouldn’t let you...”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t. You should trust yourself. That’s the only thing we have in the end of the day, right?”
“Doesn’t it get lonely?”
“Only if you think about it...”
A blanket of purple and deep blue is covering the sky and I can barely make his face as the sun disappears into the ocean, taking the dive I won’t.
For a moment, Colt looks over his shoulder, distracted by the roar of a bike’s engine in the distance.
“What if it is not like I remember?”
“There is this Greek dude that wrote something like you can’t swim twice in the same river or some shit like that... Things change. It can be worse. It can be better. Who knows? But it won’t be the same anyway...”
“That is less encouraging than you think...”
“It was not supposed to be. You always knew better and never needed that kind of thing...”
“Who said I didn’t? Maybe I wasn’t as strong as you guys thought...”
“You are Ellie Wheeler. You take no shit from punk heads... Your students agree with that moto.” Colt elbowed me and I chuckled.
“How do you even know that?”
“Who says I know anything?”
I wrapped my arms, pulling my coat tighter around myself.
“What if I don’t want to jump?”
“Then you don’t.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
Years lying about acceptance and moving on crumple inside. It is Colt. I can’t help it. I feel. I feel so much. I am hit by feelings like the waves hitting the rocky shore. I crumple. I want to reach out. I want to know if I can have those feelings back, even if it will destroy me.
“Was that what you thought when you walked away from me?”
“I never walked away from you.”
“That’s bull and you know it.”
“I did what I had to do. Just like you.”
He tries to move away but I block his path.
“What do you mean?”
“We better not go there. You don’t live in the past, right?” he give me his back. “You need a ride?”
“I never moved on... from you.”
“Aren’t you engaged?”
I muttered a string of swearing against my fisted hand.
“I don’t know if I can do that. Any of that. I'm not like them.”
“You can.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “I saw you at Langston.”
“You did? When?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me.”
“It was some presentation. You were doing good. Great actually, like your friend said you were... when you spoke to that packed auditorium, people were just eating in your hand... You were fucking brilliant, Ellie! I was so proud of you and I knew right there and then. I just had to step away and let you go on and live your life, do all that great stuff you’re destined to. Last week, I heard Ximena bragging about your lecture at UCLA and that you’re like this big shot and people come to hear you talk about this dope drug you created... She just talks about you even if she has no idea what this shit even is about... You inspire people, El.”
“Fuck you!” I pushed him and I felt the salty of my tears reach my lips. “How dare you? How dare you decide something that important without telling me?”
“Hey! What else was I supposed to do?”
“Stay. Talk to me. Anything. Just don’t make assumptions about me!”
“I am a criminal, El. I was on the run. I shouldn’t even be there!”
“You had my number... You knew where I lived... It didn’t have to be in the middle of campus.”
“I did for you. We can’t play dream house. You can’t introduce me to your colleagues or your financiers. I probably stole shit from them.”
The tears wouldn’t stop streaming down my face now, no matter how many times I brushed them. I wanted to be angry with him and shout. But I was sad. I could rationally understand what he said and why he did it. This was the closure I was looking for, then why doesn’t it feel like an ending?
Unexpectedly, his arms pulled me against his chest, and I buried my face in his neck.
“That hurt me so much...” I sobbed against his skin, and his hand stroked my back in a soothing motion. “I hated you. I hated me.”
Despite my resistance, I was pulled even closer, his arms impossibly tight around me.
“I love you. Always did. I just couldn’t be a fucking moron and drag you with me.”
When I managed to look up at his face, he was already looking down at me.
“I want to jump.”
“Now? Have you lost it? It’s too damn dark –”
When my lips touched his, it silenced him.
Colt was right.
It was not the same.
The kiss felt familiar and strangely new at once.
As our lips glided against the other’s and when our tongues finally met, it felt like riding a bike. Even if it wasn’t like that first time, the thrill from each ride and from moving faster and faster never failed to rush my heart. Just like being in this embrace.
His hand delved into my hair and he pulled me closer like I was the air he needed to breath. I got that. I finally felt like breathing again.
I touched his neck, letting the tips of my fingers trace the tattoo, making him shiver.
His lips touched my neck, retuning the courtesy and shooing every coherent thought from my brain.
The world had submerged into darkness and the moon was over our heads when we parted breathless many minutes or hours later.
Who knows and who cares?
We made no promises and said nothing we could regret.
But as he held my hand and guided me to his bike, I knew I had made my choice.
I jumped.
We both did.
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wall-nut hills
a small county near suburban flats. it houses a good amount of folks and leads up to dave’s manor that he owns for the plants. the zombies attempted to attack this area multiple times but fail each time due to it being a very strong plant based area
main street / brain street
another area that was a big plant base in 2014 but was successfully taken over by the zombies two years later (around the same time as the aqua center). it used to be anything from a taco restaurant to some suburbs to a warehouse but now it holds anything an engineer could ever want. it isn’t that far from wall-nut hills either
driftwood shores
the name driftwood shores refers to a series of islands that are great for fishers, seafood fans and aquatic plants. the mega-flower is able to defend herself mostly on her own and she still has yet to be taken out by the zombies. driftwood shores also holds a random zombie hq that’s primarily used for spying
cactus canyon
a failed zomboss rocket to a luxurious golf course. cactus canyon is for those who want golfing, pools or some hot and dry weather. it also has a pretty big western movie filming industry and is not far from crash course or jewel junction. the zombies did take out the cactus statue but the plants repeatedly pushed them out
seeds of time
a more expansive version of time park. the plants were deployed there for unknown reasons and could not leave until the zombies were also gone. seeds of time is largely mysterious and cannot be access via normal means
great white north
a plant owned section near frosty creek that also held the yeti king before being freed. although the plants always push out the zombies, they did successfully free the king. aside from that stuff great white north is a wonderful travell area and has a whole garden for cold plants
moon base Z
zomboss’ true moon empire. while lunar landing is nice as a relaxation and planning spot, moon base Z holds the weapon to shutting off most plant life on earth. the plants however were able to successfully stop zomboss. some locals say there’s also a giant moon worm which is what the sushi is made from, who knows if that’s true though
zomburbia
a zombie owned section that’s pushing into plant territory. while the name zomburbia refers to any zombified section of suburbia, this zomburbia is specific and holds the university where zombie soldiers can graduate- if the plants didn’t shut that down, though they did not successfully take over the university
zombopolis
a zombie owned city in california, usa. it holds the successful model of the zombot as well as some other fun things. zombies love travelling here, seeing the various sights such as the statue of zomburbity and engineers are rather big fans of the warehouses. the plants just barely took out the zombot but there’s always other ones...
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Congrats to Lorraine Tallman - Phoenix Biz Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business
Congratulations to Lorraine Tallman on being recognized as one of the Phoenix Business Journal's 2023 Outstanding Women in Business honorees!
A round of applause for all the incredible 2023 Outstanding Women in Business awardees:
Deepika Bhalla, Owner, Chateau Luxe
Sue Breding, Executive Communications Officer, City of Glendale
Marina Carpenter, General Counsel/Compliance Officer; Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Arizona Coyotes
Lauren Carr, Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources, Microchip
Heidi Coupland, Vice President of Development, Fresh Start Women's Foundation
Cheryl Covert, Assistant Director Economic Development, City of Avondale
Ritta Fagain, CEO, WHYFOR, Board Chair of St. Joseph the Worker
Georgia Harris, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, The Excel Center Arizona, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
Delma Herrera, Vice President of Field Services, West Region, Cox Communications
Julie Johnson, Executive Vice President, Colliers International
Inna Korenzvit, Founder, CEO, and Principal Accountant, KORE Accounting Solutions
Anne Landers, Vice President, Strategic Impact, Junior Achievement of Arizona
Allison Mason, Interim Dean, Colangelo College of Business, Grand Canyon University
Tamala McBath, CEO, Dress for Success Phoenix
Mary Mitchell, Co-CEO, Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council
Leslie Motter, CEO, Make-A-Wish America
Christina Noble Kalbfleisch, Chief Growth Officer, Sonora Quest Laboratories
Renee Parsons, President & Executive Creative Director, PXG Apparel, and Co-Founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
Michele Rebeor, Founding Partner, Synergy Philanthropy, LLC Nonprofit Strategy Consultants
Terra Schaad, Executive Director, Hunkapi Programs, Inc.
Torrie Taj, Child Crisis Arizona
Lorraine Tallman, CEO, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels
Sandra Torre, CFO and Executive Vice President, LAVIDGE
Jennifer Villalobos, Sharp Construction
Kathey Wagner, CEO, EPS Group
Ann Wheat, Executive Director, Duet: Partners in Health & Aging
Read the full article
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6.47pm. Hhhmmmm... my Love/s... preponderance...
Live free or die hard.
Interesting they used such a truth as a movie title.
But being open to life...
Living beyond 4 walls, built by humanity.
Rather than the whole planet built by God.
I know, I love architecture.
I tend to be more...mtn girl type.
But I see the beauty in almost everything.
I might not be a big fan of the desert, because I'm an asthmatic.
But I see its beauty... the Grand Canyon, cactus with their ability to flourish.
And I might not be a bug person, but I know they were Created with intent. Spiders, roaches, wasps, etc.
I tend to want my home with my Mate/s to be with lots of windows & doors, even sliding walls & open.
But I also happen to love using blankets & such in a wingback chair & feeling safe in my cocoon. I like those small spaces. Or a closet.
Blushing shyly bowing my head. Complex much t?
Yep.
My philosophy is there is a possibility for exceptions to every rule in life. So just ...
Roll with it baby!!! 🎶😘
I know math & computers have little gray to them. But this is where I diverge from them. Because life is a Miracle. And binary 0101 isn't always the answer.
If the whole answer isn't all or nothing then it's false.
I call Bullshit.
Human beings exist & binary thinking would say it's not possible on many fronts.
We are Designed perfectly.
Therefore maybe I seem a bit yo-yo isk.
I assure You/Alll. I am not.
Just... probably very unique in my thinking.
I don't care about modern... neo classical... traditional... whatever a persons thinking.
I will not be shoved into a box.
I will shine my candle so dang bright I am a gamma ray burst & blind the whole freaking universe as often as need be.
So take that stick of TNT dynamite I am & put it up your ass adversary!. Let's see how fast I blow your brains out!
Roflmao3!!!!!
Omg! I like that one! Cheeky Lmao grin!!!
Grinning sheepishly.
Yes my Love/s...
High on a mountain top. Surrounded by my forest of trees. Safe. Happy. Loved. & open to life. Not afraid to walk around buck nekked.
And dare You/Alll...
Slow naughty mischievous cheeky wicked eyed kat grin.
And yeah...my eyes are blurry... struggling to hold my phone & see to write.
But better than has been!
And yes, found my optometrist info. But checking on a few things before scheduling. I need to not pay $500+ again for glasses that are uncomfortable & didn't work 2 yrs.🙄🤦♀️🤷♀️ geeish louise! Dang progressives.
Blushing sheepishly. humbly bowed head.
~Your's/s'.~
DPOne DOne &Alll.
7.15pm
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Our girl, Ágata, graduates from Cactus Canyon University with a degree in Psychology and a 3.4 GPA!
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Open Letter to an Old Friend
I submitted this poem to an arts journal at my university a few months ago. Enjoy.
~
After Lemony Snicket’s Beatrice Letters
I will always love you, yes.
I will love you like the log loves the fire and the worm loves the early bird, like the riverbed loves the flood and the lightning loves thunder. I will love you like a cactus loves a drought, though I cannot promise I will do so with posture as upright–here,, however, is what I can guarantee:
I will love you with the fervor of a used car salesman trying to sell a beater, like the Subaru you used to drive up the canyon when we would go see the stars. I will love you as madly as that guy on the street corner– you know the one– who would always shout at us about the end of the world when we went to get lemonade from the corner store. I will love you like he loved the apocalypse.
I will love you like the vacuum loved the dirt you always left with your boots in the carpet after work and I will love you like the frying pan loved the eggs you'd always burn. I will love you like trees love arborists outside our window at 7 in the morning and I will love you like the tree branch that crushed your beater during that big hailstorm. I will love you like a napkin loves a pizza with too much grease and I will love you like a museum docent loves two snickering fools copying the poses in the paintings. I will love you like acrylics love paint thinner.
I will love you even though you never quite 'got' the movies I'd show you, and even though I never quite understood your music. I will love you despite your grating, beautiful laugh, and despite the uncanny way you got me to smile no matter how my day was, even though Brian from the administrative office came and told me my tie was out of style. I will love you like Brian from admin loves old ties.
I loved you like the fool loves the liar, and I will love you even though you broke me into pieces, and even though you found someone else to love you. I will love you as I watch you happily grow old without me, just as I have always loved you.
I will love you in everything you do, every day, forever.
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