#i have never seen anyone do a full st patricks day island!
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🍀 shamrock by ardenight 🍀
#i have never seen anyone do a full st patricks day island!#the rainbow with gold at the end was so great✨✨#very cute and fun island with a unique theme!!#acnh dream tour#acnh dream visit#acnh da#acnh dream#acnh#animal crossing#animal crossing new horizons#new horizons#acnh island#acnh shamrock
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Three Irish Small Business Ideas that Could Be US Hits
“Knitting the Islands”, by Miriam Ellis
A happy and lucky St. Patrick’s day to all my readers! I’ve seen it again and again that small and local businesses became successful due to a great inspiration and some little happenstance bit of luck that got them noticed. Today, I’d like to celebrate with you by offering a shamrock of three ideas I’ve seen taking off in my mother country of Ireland. You may not replicate the exact business model, but do take away the underlying concepts which I strongly believe could succeed in the US. I’ll also point out how you can help luck along with a little creative marketing. Share this article with your team for brainstorming new campaigns, or with anyone in your life who wishes they could start a small business
Finding the "grá"
Ever wondered how to say “I love you” in Irish? One way is "tá grá agam duit" (taw graw ah-gum duts/ditch). It’s not uncommon to hear Irish folk saying they have a "grá" for something when speaking English, and to me, the word not only conveys love but a kind of longing. When people have a "grá" for some really good bread, or a trip to the seaside, or a warm coat they saw in a shop window, it’s what we might call “consumer demand” in American marketing lingo. Pay attention right now, and you may be starting to notice people in the US and elsewhere expressing a special kind of "grá" for a different life. Recently, such a thread stood out to me on Twitter, started by author and founder Dave Gerhardt.
Software, of course, isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and the more we see of the current state of AI chat, the less many analysts are convinced that it’s going to be a major disruptor at present, but what I observe in this tweet and the replies to it is that people are starting to get tired of the one-dimensional confines of too much screen time. Wanting a satisfying local life and community “IRL” is a great "grá" statement. Americans are deeply attached to our tech, but more and more, I’m running across peers talking about having an “analog life”, wishing their kids would become “luddites”, or wondering how an off-grid life would feel for their families. More simply put, many people would like to experience more satisfaction in what is right around them.
This dynamic is, in fact, tailor-made for small business entrepreneurs, so let’s look at these three aspirational concepts to see if you or your clients have got a "grá" tugging at you for any of them.
1. Be about life
Within living memory, it was the mark of respectability to have your little weedless patch of green lawn. You constantly cut the grass to keep it under tight control. You yanked out every dandelion - or worse - poisoned your own nest with herbicides. Think things never change for the better? I hear you, but check out TheIrishGardener because now, instead of rolling out bundles of monocrop sod, the Irish are carpeting the outdoors with native wildflower matts. One dimension isn’t enough anymore - folk want flowers and bees and moths and butterflies and bugs and more of everything alive. Yard by yard, they are reinvigorating essential ecosystems. Clever wildflower seed sellers are now marketing their products like seed matts and seed bombs not just to homeowners but as wedding favors, holiday gifts, classroom projects, and more.
There’s been such a base trend in US marketing in which we try to sell things to our neighbors by scaring them. Our ads are full of guns, screaming, threats, panic, anxiety, and danger and it’s very weird contrasting this with the ads I listen to on Irish media which seem to be largely focused on green energy, eating nice things, and enjoying the arts.
Could your great small business reject fear-and-shock-based marketing and instead hinge on beauty and satisfaction in life? We do have that old adage of drawing more flies with honey than vinegar, and if you can align your business with the very strong yearning for life to be abundant, varied, diverse, interesting, healthy, and fun, I think you’re moving away from the old lifeless lawns to the new thriving garden.
2. Be about locality
There’s only one place you can get real Irish seaweed - from the coasts of the country, of course! WildIrishSeaWeeds.com is one of those rare businesses that has seen the potential in a gift of nature that many might pass by without noticing. Seaweed is practically a miracle - you can eat it, bathe in it, and use it as a very carbon-friendly fertilizer that elders have always sworn by. What was once mainly a snack remembered fondly by children is now becoming a serious green industry in Ireland, and not far from where I live, I see a Californian company testing whether they can latch onto a similar demand in the US.
What is overlooked where you live? Is it something that can only be gotten in your local area? Something people used to love but are forgetting about now? Maybe it’s a local food source that’s starting to disappear because no one is using it anymore, or maybe its a skilled craft like basketmaking in a local style, baking or brewing a regional speciality, knitting or sewing a heritage garment, compounding an old-time remedy. Maybe it’s reviving a tradition that used to anchor your community. Could your great small business idea simply be about reconnecting neighbors with what’s special about where you live…a place that may have started to have vanished in our collective consciousness because the screens are blocking the view?
3. Be about people’s simplest pleasures
Our SEO lives may be consumed with ChatGPT right now, or GA4, or what will happen next on or to Twitter, but Padraic Óg Gallagher is up on the balcony of his restaurant, growing real Irish potatoes for his Boxty House in Dublin. If you’ve never had the luck to eat boxty, it’s a delicious potato cake, beloved enough in Ireland to be the inspiration behind a restaurant that’s seen such success, it was able to open a second location. Boxty is not fancy. It’s something your mother would make you from leftovers, something treasured from childhood, the memory of which warms your very soul.
If we look again at Dave Gerhardt’s Twitter thread, he’s not longing for a yacht, nor a manion, nor a pot of gold. He just wants the simple pleasure you get from “building in your community.” Most of us can be plenty happy with just enough, and rather than creating a business idea around elite luxury, consider what you might offer that actually delivers human contentment to the most people. A basic kitchen good that isn’t made well any more? A handcrafted walking stick? A cozy bookshop, a guided tour for visitors, your grandmother’s pecan pie, a wooden toy, a cloth doll, a sturdy garden implement, a bayberry candle, a regional herbal tea?
The simpler and better quality your idea, the more of a welcome change it could be for customers increasingly expressing fatigue from low-quality, mass-produced, and very limited options. America’s Vermont Country Store has been outstandingly successful in helping people relocate fundamental merchandise they can’t find anymore. Study their approach.
Creative marketing of your small business idea
What can you do to catch the eye of your audience? You’ve probably guessed that I’m going to say that, no matter how small your local business, you’ve got to have a website and local business listings. 30 years ago, I would have said this about the telephone book, and however much we may long for more off-screen time, we’ve got to concede that the web makes it so easy to be found! So yes, publish the best website you can budget for, build out your Google Business Profile and other listings, and invest all you can in learning about digital reputation management. It will help you achieve your goals.
That being said, the room there is beyond the web for creative marketing could fill all the pages of the Book of Kells. If you’re starting out quite small, try these low-tech approaches to getting the word out about your new business idea in your community:
Ask an established business owner to host you as a pop-up shop inside their store, perhaps for tourist season or the holidays.
If you produce enough volume, meet with local shop owners to discover whether your product could win a permanent place on their shelves.
Approach local reporters with the most succinct, newsworthy angle of your business to seek press.
Real-world community message boards still exist in some towns. Use them.
Put a sign outside your house or in the window of your apartment. No room? Ask local officials for permission to put a sign in a vacant lot or on a street corner where you’ve seen other signage posted. Be ready to sell them on how your idea benefits the community.
Research local regulations regarding hanging fliers around town.
Research whether there is an opportunity for you to be included in existing print catalogs. 90 million Americans purchase something from a catalog annually, and even as the Internet has become so established in our lives, catalog shopping has continued to trend upwards.
Found or join a local business organization for brainstorming, networking and cross-selling.
Coordinate with other micro-business entrepreneurs to host a shared party in a local park, acquainting your community with your presence and offerings.
Sponsor local teams, events, and people and be cited for it both on and offline.
If your community still has a local radio station, try to get on it, either with an ad or as a guest, to reach 82.5% of US adults.
If you live in an area favored by tourists, contact the local visitors’ center to see how to get listed in their publications.
Advertise in the mailers and bulletins of local houses of worship and schools.
If what you produce relates to any type of food, music, art, cultural, or local festival, participate in it.
“Little as a wren needs, it must gather it.”
I’m closing today with this famous Irish proverb, because it seems right for this moment in America, where the myth of endless growth and the dangers of an unchecked appetite for luxury have done no favors to the economy or environment our whole people must live in. The Irish phrase, “Cé gur beag díol, caithfidh sé a sholáthar,” has traditionally been used to remind us that even the small wren has to work hard to provide for itself - a scenario every small business owner and local business marketer will easily relate to.
But I’m starting to see a double-meaning in this phrase, and new business trends in Ireland are helping me to see it: a more sustainable way to found a venture may be in asking not how much you want, but how little you actually need to be satisfied. SEOs everywhere already know it’s a best practice to get clients to define what success looks like before a project begins so that all parties can see when a goal has been attained. For most small business owners not seeking to become big business owners, achievement will simply mean something along the lines of being able to pay themselves and their staff enough to have a modest, good life. To me, this recognition matters right now, because most customers are in search of the same thing - having just enough.
Whether it’s through thrifting in Ireland or thrifting in America, re-storing in Drogheda or re-storing in Simi Valley, eating local and organic at Moyleabbey Farm in Kildare or at Waxwing Farm in Washington, or preserving traditional crafts that last on that side of the water or on this, tandem trends are indicative of a search for a simpler, better life. 57% of Americans say they shop small to keep money local, and there is no overstating how much both nearby economics and the global climate benefit from this approach. If you’ve decided 2023 is the year to lean into the new/old ways by starting or marketing small businesses, I’d say the luck may be on your side!
0 notes
Text
Three Irish Small Business Ideas that Could Be US Hits
“Knitting the Islands”, by Miriam Ellis
A happy and lucky St. Patrick’s day to all my readers! I’ve seen it again and again that small and local businesses became successful due to a great inspiration and some little happenstance bit of luck that got them noticed. Today, I’d like to celebrate with you by offering a shamrock of three ideas I’ve seen taking off in my mother country of Ireland. You may not replicate the exact business model, but do take away the underlying concepts which I strongly believe could succeed in the US. I’ll also point out how you can help luck along with a little creative marketing. Share this article with your team for brainstorming new campaigns, or with anyone in your life who wishes they could start a small business
Finding the "grá"
Ever wondered how to say “I love you” in Irish? One way is "tá grá agam duit" (taw graw ah-gum duts/ditch). It’s not uncommon to hear Irish folk saying they have a "grá" for something when speaking English, and to me, the word not only conveys love but a kind of longing. When people have a "grá" for some really good bread, or a trip to the seaside, or a warm coat they saw in a shop window, it’s what we might call “consumer demand” in American marketing lingo. Pay attention right now, and you may be starting to notice people in the US and elsewhere expressing a special kind of "grá" for a different life. Recently, such a thread stood out to me on Twitter, started by author and founder Dave Gerhardt.
Software, of course, isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and the more we see of the current state of AI chat, the less many analysts are convinced that it’s going to be a major disruptor at present, but what I observe in this tweet and the replies to it is that people are starting to get tired of the one-dimensional confines of too much screen time. Wanting a satisfying local life and community “IRL” is a great "grá" statement. Americans are deeply attached to our tech, but more and more, I’m running across peers talking about having an “analog life”, wishing their kids would become “luddites”, or wondering how an off-grid life would feel for their families. More simply put, many people would like to experience more satisfaction in what is right around them.
This dynamic is, in fact, tailor-made for small business entrepreneurs, so let’s look at these three aspirational concepts to see if you or your clients have got a "grá" tugging at you for any of them.
1. Be about life
Within living memory, it was the mark of respectability to have your little weedless patch of green lawn. You constantly cut the grass to keep it under tight control. You yanked out every dandelion - or worse - poisoned your own nest with herbicides. Think things never change for the better? I hear you, but check out TheIrishGardener because now, instead of rolling out bundles of monocrop sod, the Irish are carpeting the outdoors with native wildflower matts. One dimension isn’t enough anymore - folk want flowers and bees and moths and butterflies and bugs and more of everything alive. Yard by yard, they are reinvigorating essential ecosystems. Clever wildflower seed sellers are now marketing their products like seed matts and seed bombs not just to homeowners but as wedding favors, holiday gifts, classroom projects, and more.
There’s been such a base trend in US marketing in which we try to sell things to our neighbors by scaring them. Our ads are full of guns, screaming, threats, panic, anxiety, and danger and it’s very weird contrasting this with the ads I listen to on Irish media which seem to be largely focused on green energy, eating nice things, and enjoying the arts.
Could your great small business reject fear-and-shock-based marketing and instead hinge on beauty and satisfaction in life? We do have that old adage of drawing more flies with honey than vinegar, and if you can align your business with the very strong yearning for life to be abundant, varied, diverse, interesting, healthy, and fun, I think you’re moving away from the old lifeless lawns to the new thriving garden.
2. Be about locality
There’s only one place you can get real Irish seaweed - from the coasts of the country, of course! WildIrishSeaWeeds.com is one of those rare businesses that has seen the potential in a gift of nature that many might pass by without noticing. Seaweed is practically a miracle - you can eat it, bathe in it, and use it as a very carbon-friendly fertilizer that elders have always sworn by. What was once mainly a snack remembered fondly by children is now becoming a serious green industry in Ireland, and not far from where I live, I see a Californian company testing whether they can latch onto a similar demand in the US.
What is overlooked where you live? Is it something that can only be gotten in your local area? Something people used to love but are forgetting about now? Maybe it’s a local food source that’s starting to disappear because no one is using it anymore, or maybe its a skilled craft like basketmaking in a local style, baking or brewing a regional speciality, knitting or sewing a heritage garment, compounding an old-time remedy. Maybe it’s reviving a tradition that used to anchor your community. Could your great small business idea simply be about reconnecting neighbors with what’s special about where you live…a place that may have started to have vanished in our collective consciousness because the screens are blocking the view?
3. Be about people’s simplest pleasures
Our SEO lives may be consumed with ChatGPT right now, or GA4, or what will happen next on or to Twitter, but Padraic Óg Gallagher is up on the balcony of his restaurant, growing real Irish potatoes for his Boxty House in Dublin. If you’ve never had the luck to eat boxty, it’s a delicious potato cake, beloved enough in Ireland to be the inspiration behind a restaurant that’s seen such success, it was able to open a second location. Boxty is not fancy. It’s something your mother would make you from leftovers, something treasured from childhood, the memory of which warms your very soul.
If we look again at Dave Gerhardt’s Twitter thread, he’s not longing for a yacht, nor a manion, nor a pot of gold. He just wants the simple pleasure you get from “building in your community.” Most of us can be plenty happy with just enough, and rather than creating a business idea around elite luxury, consider what you might offer that actually delivers human contentment to the most people. A basic kitchen good that isn’t made well any more? A handcrafted walking stick? A cozy bookshop, a guided tour for visitors, your grandmother’s pecan pie, a wooden toy, a cloth doll, a sturdy garden implement, a bayberry candle, a regional herbal tea?
The simpler and better quality your idea, the more of a welcome change it could be for customers increasingly expressing fatigue from low-quality, mass-produced, and very limited options. America’s Vermont Country Store has been outstandingly successful in helping people relocate fundamental merchandise they can’t find anymore. Study their approach.
Creative marketing of your small business idea
What can you do to catch the eye of your audience? You’ve probably guessed that I’m going to say that, no matter how small your local business, you’ve got to have a website and local business listings. 30 years ago, I would have said this about the telephone book, and however much we may long for more off-screen time, we’ve got to concede that the web makes it so easy to be found! So yes, publish the best website you can budget for, build out your Google Business Profile and other listings, and invest all you can in learning about digital reputation management. It will help you achieve your goals.
That being said, the room there is beyond the web for creative marketing could fill all the pages of the Book of Kells. If you’re starting out quite small, try these low-tech approaches to getting the word out about your new business idea in your community:
Ask an established business owner to host you as a pop-up shop inside their store, perhaps for tourist season or the holidays.
If you produce enough volume, meet with local shop owners to discover whether your product could win a permanent place on their shelves.
Approach local reporters with the most succinct, newsworthy angle of your business to seek press.
Real-world community message boards still exist in some towns. Use them.
Put a sign outside your house or in the window of your apartment. No room? Ask local officials for permission to put a sign in a vacant lot or on a street corner where you’ve seen other signage posted. Be ready to sell them on how your idea benefits the community.
Research local regulations regarding hanging fliers around town.
Research whether there is an opportunity for you to be included in existing print catalogs. 90 million Americans purchase something from a catalog annually, and even as the Internet has become so established in our lives, catalog shopping has continued to trend upwards.
Found or join a local business organization for brainstorming, networking and cross-selling.
Coordinate with other micro-business entrepreneurs to host a shared party in a local park, acquainting your community with your presence and offerings.
Sponsor local teams, events, and people and be cited for it both on and offline.
If your community still has a local radio station, try to get on it, either with an ad or as a guest, to reach 82.5% of US adults.
If you live in an area favored by tourists, contact the local visitors’ center to see how to get listed in their publications.
Advertise in the mailers and bulletins of local houses of worship and schools.
If what you produce relates to any type of food, music, art, cultural, or local festival, participate in it.
“Little as a wren needs, it must gather it.”
I’m closing today with this famous Irish proverb, because it seems right for this moment in America, where the myth of endless growth and the dangers of an unchecked appetite for luxury have done no favors to the economy or environment our whole people must live in. The Irish phrase, “Cé gur beag díol, caithfidh sé a sholáthar,” has traditionally been used to remind us that even the small wren has to work hard to provide for itself - a scenario every small business owner and local business marketer will easily relate to.
But I’m starting to see a double-meaning in this phrase, and new business trends in Ireland are helping me to see it: a more sustainable way to found a venture may be in asking not how much you want, but how little you actually need to be satisfied. SEOs everywhere already know it’s a best practice to get clients to define what success looks like before a project begins so that all parties can see when a goal has been attained. For most small business owners not seeking to become big business owners, achievement will simply mean something along the lines of being able to pay themselves and their staff enough to have a modest, good life. To me, this recognition matters right now, because most customers are in search of the same thing - having just enough.
Whether it’s through thrifting in Ireland or thrifting in America, re-storing in Drogheda or re-storing in Simi Valley, eating local and organic at Moyleabbey Farm in Kildare or at Waxwing Farm in Washington, or preserving traditional crafts that last on that side of the water or on this, tandem trends are indicative of a search for a simpler, better life. 57% of Americans say they shop small to keep money local, and there is no overstating how much both nearby economics and the global climate benefit from this approach. If you’ve decided 2023 is the year to lean into the new/old ways by starting or marketing small businesses, I’d say the luck may be on your side!
0 notes
Text
it don't always go the way we planned it
For my hockey babes @bisexualtylerseguin, @blameitonmyjuuse, @ohstarlings and @austonandersen who never fail to make me smile and are always ready to flail over Bennguin and come up with ridiculous, dramatic theories as to why they aren’t hugging. Title is from “The Bones” by Maren Morris.
It's the last night that Tyler's in the Bahamas that it happens. They've all gathered for dinner when Jamie and Katie walk in hand-in-hand, beaming and happy and so in love that it makes Tyler's stomach hurt. They haven't even sat down when Jessie gasps, pointing to Katie. That's when Tyler sees it, the unmistakable sparkle on Katie's left hand.
"About time!" Jordie exclaims as Katie leans into Jamie, his face quickly growing red.
The table explodes with congratulations and good wishes, and Tyler stays frozen in his seat. He hadn't told Tyler that he was even thinking about proposing, and what did it say about the state of their friendship that Tyler hadn't known? They were best friends, linemates, the face of the franchise and Tyler hadn't known.
He watches as Katie flashes the ring, beautiful and classic and so very her. Jessie and Kate and the other women at the table ooh and aah over it and Jamie stands by her, looking increasingly uncomfortable at the attention but also staring at Katie as though she's the center of his universe. Tyler can't stand it, having the last bit of his hope dashed. He feels his heart cracking in his chest, and he feels both hot and cold at the same time, and it's hard to breathe in the way it feels when he takes a particularly hard hit to the boards. He pushes away from the table without a word, not even a glance to Kate, his mind scattered and frantic but sure that he had to leave that he had to be away.
He turns his phone off and doesn't lift his head from underneath the blankets when Kate returns to their room. She's silent and the air is tense around them as she changes clothes and climbs in next to him. She's still and quiet and Tyler can feel the change when she sags down into the bed.
"Ty?" She tries, and he knows that she knows he's awake but he can't answer her. "Ty, I like you, but when we get back to Dallas...I think we're done."
Tyler expects it to hurt, but the only image that comes to mind is Jamie, and Jamie and Katie, and the ring on her finger. Kate being the brave one and ending things between them brings only relief.
The next morning, Kate meets the girls for one last breakfast while Tyler showers and packs, preparing to head straight from the islands to St. Louis for All-Star weekend. Before, he hated that Jamie wasn't going with him, but now he's not ashamed to admit that he's looking forward to some space from his best friend. A knock on his door pulls him from his thoughts, and he's surprised to find Jamie standing on the other side, hands in his pockets as he stares at him.
"Hey." Tyler greets him, and he feels ashamed at the crack in his voice.
"Hey." Jamie replies. "Can we talk?"
"Sure, yeah, come on in." Tyler steps out of the doorway to allow Jamie in, and he watches Jamie scan the room.
"Kate's at breakfast with Jessie and a few of the other girls."
"Yeah, Katie's there too." Jamie replies as he starts pacing the room. Tyler finds himself wringing his hands, waiting for Jamie to tell him what he came here for. He just paces though, running his hand over the back of his neck and then scratching his fingers through his beard. The face he makes is one that Tyler's seen countless times, when he's struggling to find the right words in the locker room when they're down and out after the second and he needs to say the exact right thing.
"What's up, man?" Tyler finally cracks, trying to sound casual as Jamie freezes.
"You ran out on dinner last night."
"Yeah, sorry, I just wasn't feeling well." Tyler knows it's lame, but it's the best he's got when Jamie turns his gaze to him, his eyes wide and full of hurt.
"You ran out as soon as Katie and I walked in."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Quit saying you're sorry. I know you don't like Katie, but..."
"I like Katie!" And the truth is, Tyler really does. He likes her, he thinks she's great, but then there's Jamie and she's the one who gets to have him and for a moment he hates her. Jamie gives him a disbelieving look.
"Okay, but we just got fucking engaged and you just walked out. So what am I supposed to think?"
"It's not...I..." Tyler tries, feels the panic rising and his breathing quicken. "Jamie, please."
"Please, what? I just don't understand. You've always been distant with her, at first I thought...I don't know, but it's been years and now we're getting married and it's...I just wish you could be happy for me."
"I am, Chubbs, I am happy for you. If Katie's what makes you happy-"
"She is." Jamie interrupts, and Tyler sighs.
"Then that's enough for me."
"Then why are you acting like this?" Jamie looks at him and Tyler wants to laugh, cry, grab the other man by the shoulders and shake him. "I just don't understand why you aren't happy about this." And he looks so genuinely confused and hurt that Tyler finally does let a harsh laugh escape, collapsing onto the bed with his head in his hands.
"You know why." He finally whispers, so quiet that he's not sure Jamie hears him. "You have to know why."
"What?" Jamie finally asks, sitting next to him. "Do you...do you have feelings for Katie?"
"Oh, god." Tyler groans, wishing it were that simple. "No. Not Katie."
"But...oh."
Yeah. Tyler thinks. Oh.
"But you never said..." Jamie begins, and Tyer scoffs.
"Why would I? I knew you didn't feel the same. Why put us both through that kind of embarrassment?"
"Ty, I..."
"Please, Jamie. Don't. Don't make this any worse." Tyler jumps up, grabs his bags, and leaves the room without looking back at Jamie once.
All-Star weekend is a disaster. Tyler's distracted, and heartbroken, and he has to put on his media face and be the happy-go-lucky Tyler Seguin that everybody knows and loves. He loses to skills competition to Patrick fucking Kane, and then they're knocked out in the actual game and just like that, his weekend is over. He's on a plane back to Dallas with absolutely no clue how he's going to deal with the fallout of his hotel room admission.
He goes straight home, ignores the calls and texts on his phone except for one from Cassidy mocking him for losing the shooting stars competition. He replies with a series of middle finger emojis before locking his phone and collapsing onto the couch and losing himself in Netflix.
There's no texts from Jamie.
They have practice the next day, and Jamie is distant and quiet, only talking to him when they're on the ice and only about hockey. Tyler doesn't try to joke with him, avoids looking at him except when absolutely necessary. He's terrified of what he'll see there. Anger or disgust or - worse- pity. He hasn't seen anything on social media announcing Jamie and Katie's engagement, but he assumes they're waiting until perhaps the offseason when there's less attention on them. It doesn't make it hurt any less, because it's still real and it still feels like Tyler's losing Jamie in every way possible.
When Jamie scores that amazing goal in OT against Tampa Bay the next night, Tyler's so lost in the euphoria of the win that he spreads his arms for Jamie without even thinking, waiting for the other man to crash into him in celebration.
It doesn't happen.
Instead, he skates past him into Comeau, Perry, and Pavelski. Tyler stays on the periphery, watching as the team celebrates their victory as the crowd screams around them.
Later, Jamie talks to the media and Tyler uses the extra time to shower and change and leave the arena before anyone has a chance to talk to him. His house is empty, but blessedly quiet, and he pulls a beer from the fridge and chugs half of it in one go. He'd always feared that Jamie would distance himself from him if he ever found out about Tyler's feelings, but he had never expected that it would hurt quite this much. He feels like he's lost everything in one go - his best friend, his linemate, the man he loves. He feels truly alone for the first time since he left Boston so many years ago.
The pounding on his door is not a friendly knock.
He briefly considers not answering, but the pounding continues with an intensity that tells him whoever it is isn't going anywhere. He checks the video on his doorbell and feels his stomach clench as Jamie comes into view. He pulls the door open and finds himself face to face with the other man. He's wearing a loose-fitting black t-shirt and well-worn jeans, his hair still slightly damp from his post-game shower despite the frigid temperature outside.
"Jamie?"
"How long?" Jamie asks, and for the first time in years, his face is unreadable to Tyler.
"How long what?"
"How long have you had...feelings for me?"
Tyler stares at him, shaking his head. Did Jamie really come all the way to his house to hash this out again?
"Come inside." Tyler finally replies, opening the door wider. He shuts it firmly, leaning his forehead briefly against the closed door before turning to face Jamie.
"Why do you want to know, Jamie?"
"I just...please. I need to know." Jamie looks lost, and hurt, and it's something that Tyler never wanted to see on his face. He never wants to be the cause of any of Jamie's pain.
"I don't know." Tyler finally admits, running his hand through his hair as he paces in front of Jamie. "I was attracted to you since we first met. It just...grew, I guess. I couldn't pinpoint an exact moment." Tyler hesitates for a moment before deciding that, if he's going to fucking himself over forever, he might as well do it right. "I feel like...at this point, I feel like I've always loved you."
Jamie turns away from him at that, casting his eyes to the ceiling, and Tyler knows that this is it. This is the moment that Jamie tries to let him down easy. Tries to be kind and gentle in breaking Tyler's heart.
"You should've told me." Jamie finally tells him, rubbing his hands across his face. "You should've told me years ago."
"Why would I do that? It would have changed anything."
"It would have changed everything!" Jamie snaps, and just like that Tyler freezes, the anger in Jamie's voice something that he's only seen directed at other people. Never him. "Everything! I wouldn't have spent years trying to get over you, wouldn't have forced myself to move on, to try to find something who made me feel a fraction of what I feel for you!"
"I...what?" Tyler can't speak, can't think, because this...this is impossible. "You...had feelings for me?"
"Of course I did!" Jamie's pacing now, his eyes frantic and looking everywhere but at Tyler. "But I thought...I thought there was no way you felt the same. So, finally, I tried to move on. I met Katie, and I thought 'hey, maybe this could work. Maybe I'll finally get over Tyler and have a shot at being happy.' And I was! I was happy, I was going to marry Katie, and then you tell me that this whole time - this whole time - you felt the same!"
Tyler catches the past tense at was going to marry and freezes. He feels a small flicker of hope flare in his chest. If there was a chance, no matter how small...
"Jamie...are you engaged to Katie?" Tyler asks, and Jamie goes silent, stops pacing, the only sound in the house their heavy breathing.
"Not anymore." Jamie finally admits, his shoulders sagging as the fight leaves him.
Tyler kisses him.
He feels Jamie freeze against him, but it only takes a moment for Jamiet to grip Tyler's waist, pulling him closer and changing the angle of their kiss. Tyler feels like he's going to explode out of his skin, the only things keeping him in one piece are the places where Jamie's touching him. It's chaste, as far as kisses go, but it makes Tyler feel more in one moment than all the lust-fueled kisses he's ever had in his life. It's everything that Tyler's ever wanted, and he honest-to-god whimpers when Jamie pulls away. He rests his forehead against Jamie's, breathing in the shared air between them.
"I'm sorry." Tyler finally whispers, and Jamie pulls away to give him a questioning look. "I know you care about Katie. She didn't deserve to get hurt because of this."
"She gets it. I told her once, about you. I mean, she's mad as hell, but...she gets it."
"I love you." Tyler slides his hands up to cup Jamie's face. Jamie's smile is kind, gentle, and Tyler knows in his gut that this is it for him.
"I love you, too." Jamie replies, and Tyler takes that as an invitation to kiss him again, this time with more fervor. Jamie groans when Tyler rubs against him, and it only makes Tyler more curious about the sounds he can pull out of Jamie.
"Not that this isn't super romantic and shit." Tyler pulls away from Jamie, dropping kisses along his jaw and neck. "But will you please take me upstairs and fuck me?"
Jamie laughs, turns Tyler around, and shoves him toward the stairs.
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Man, a lot happens in a year: Number 2020
Started these yearly reviews back when I was in high school lol, and def haven’t done it every year (or if I did they’re not all on tumblr. Who knows, cause I feel like I’ve done more than I’ve found here) but I’d like to reflect on 2020 because wow. It obviously feels to everyone like a lost year where all you did was sit around at home and mourn all the normal things and the plans and the big life goals that have been fully stopped in their tracks thanks to a little (ongoing) global pandemic.
Hello to future me, hope things are well. Shit sure is strange and tenuous at the moment lol. But it’ll all get unstuck again and the world will start turning soon enough. You know that. Anyway from where I’m sitting right now, it’s kind of hard to remember anything that’s happened this year. It feels like I’ve blinked and a year has been omitted from my life, aside from the first three months of 2020 where I was still very much out and rolling on my life-momentum and doing exciting things. So I just want to convince myself that things *have* happened this year, and actually they haven’t been so bad, and to reflect on life going on despite the odd flavor permeating everything this year. I’m glad that’s all I have to complain about because I guess feeling stuck isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a person. I digress. Here’s the highlights I’ve meandered through this year with my eyes closed apparently lol. Please enjoy them with me as I remember them again:
Travelled to Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, St Thomas (and probably more) Caribbean islands on the final months of my ship contract
Got to live through the distinctly odd and certainly once in a lifetime experience of being stranded on a cruise ship as the world shut all of its borders in March to reduce transmission of a global pandemic. Feels surreal to think about all the stuff I was seeing as it happened and how that’s probably a very small percentage of people on this planet who were...forgive me...in that boat at that moment in our collective history. So eerie, but with the calm of knowing you don’t know how bad it actually is out there. The self awareness that this is bigger than you can comprehend yet. Eye of the storm type feeling
St Patricks day party on that cruise ship when the rest of the world had ground to a halt and we all were stranded out there isolating as one sealed off covid pod of crewmembers, because if one of us on the ship had it we were all gonna have it. So no use distancing among us at that point. We had no guests left on board and had a huge end of the world party on the pool deck with full use of the guest pools and bars lol
Came home and life slowed waaaay down in march/april. Hiked with mom and dad, saw a lot more of the cats, had a wholly uneventful zoom birthday in early April for my 26th. A weird birthday for what felt like a strange age for me. 26 just fit weird as a number, I’m much more switched on for 27 for some reason. This one coming up feels more right somehow
Spent time in the pool, and doing a lot of yoga which has carried me through this whole year as a constant mellower of things for me mentally. A repeated exercise in re-grounding
Visited Alex in Flagstaff! Got to see meteor crater and spent a cute weekend in a little air bnb with my family, and did some aspen-y hiking as well
Bought my first car with my own money outright, that I’d been saving for the whole time I was in NYC. Been learning to be comfortable driving since I’ve never felt that way in my life lol, but I do think I’m less stressed behind the wheel now than I’ve ever been. Has been so nice to finally be combing through that anxiety. Finally was ready for it I guess
Started a (very long distance) relationship with a friend from the ship. He’s been a huge relief as far as someone to lean on through this year and a great sounding board for frustrations/lifeline to some feeling of sanity a good number of times. Shit is weird but taking this step still feels right, so we’ll see where tf this relationship is going haha
Moved to Tucson with a bff from college. A gigantic help for my sanity as far as getting a feeling of self reliance back and feeling like I have my own space. Soso grateful to be able to be sharing her home with her
Got a part time job so I could not feel so helplessly tied to the clusterfuck that has been unemployment insurance this year. Still have a lot to sort out with that... Glad to be earning my own cash, and glad that the weird little ragtag group of coworkers I’ve found myself with are actually a group of good hearts
Pumpkin carving and a night hike up in Phoenix with my family for Halloween. And made sure I dropped off my early voting ballot to see that fucker out of office lol
Sweet god, Biden’s horrendously way too close presidential win. Can you imagine the other outcome... This is maybe the biggest relief of 2020 that he didn’t scrape out a second term
Outdoor attempt at a covid safe thanksgiving with my parents and my grandparents on my moms side in Phoenix
Finally had the balls to schedule a scary doctors appointment I’d been using covid to avoid going to. Got back the clean health news I had been anxious I wouldn’t receive. A huge weight off my chest that had been sitting there in the back of my thoughts since last year
Outdoor attempt at a covid safe christmas at my dads’ parents’ house in Sun City, and some cinnamon rolls and peanut butter ball making with my parents. Drove through a huge neighborhood of christmas lights and did a small mom and dad christmas gift opening on christmas eve night
Virtual new years game nights with SASH and the Joneses. Didn’t see a single firework or leave the house (heard em though) and felt surrounded by my closest friends safely even without seeing them in person
None of this stuff is all that flashy and a lot of the normal holidays or events, or even everyday things, were so much more low key and quiet this year. But it was still nice to at least have found a way to celebrate in a stripped down, sort of back to basics way. Glad to have been able to see my family so much more this year. Glad to have had countless meaningful text conversations with my friends who have had the same issues as me as far as having our entire industry unable to function for the last 9 months with no end in sight. The candidness of speaking about the difficulties everyone has had this year, but specifically sharing that weight of the arts being particularly suffocated, and having all of our young career momentums snuffed out for no reason of our own, has been soothing to commiserate about. It’s been a mentally taxing year in the hardest to describe way. But I’m glad that as hard as it is to find kind words for this year, at least it’s just boring and stuck and frustrated that are the things I’m feeling. Because I’ve managed not to lose anyone close to me, or have anyone dealing with any serious illnesses at the moment.
(I believe) I’ve worked through all of the absolute bullshit I had on my plate in 2019. This year has been easier for me than last, as nuts as that sounds with every thing going on in 2020. I’m out of a suffocating relationship that had become very wrong for me. Left the city that was killing me to remain stuck in. Had the courage to take this cruise job that I’d been curious about since graduation. Got to travel the world and meet amazing people I otherwise would have never known. Met a new guy I’ve felt so much more effortlessly in sync with than I ever did in the last relationship. And that’s in an LDR lol, I can’t believe how comfortable that’s been given the ludicrous circumstances of seeing a guy from a different continent, 8 time zones away, during a global pandemic where our borders are shut to foreign visitors and we still at this moment don’t know when they’ll reopen.
This year I’m just coasting in a house with my friend. Going to work at an easy job that covers my bills. Having the health and freedom to drive *my* car two hours to see my family way more often than I’ve seen them in the past four years. I’m feeling a lot more appreciative of my relationship with my brother, my parents, my grandparents. I’m feeling better about maybe returning to live where I’m from instead of seeing it with a chip on my shoulder. So in a lot of ways 2020 has been less of an emotional mindfuck for me than 2019 was. Or it’s at least been the landing pad to detangle everything from 2019. I’ve been learning that maybe gathering a bit closer to a support system isn’t a weakness, but a comfort instead.
So this isn’t the tour de force bucket list I’ve grown accustomed to watching myself tackle in each year since undergrad. It’s a retracting of arms, and a regrouping to center. Being forced into looking inward at small details I hadn’t been interested in seeing lately. May be nice just to collect my feet underneath me again and take in all this chaotic crash course learning I’ve been doing the last few years before stepping back out of the plane. Time will tell if 2021 is another time of building and reflection, or a time to start taking a few shaky steps back out into whatever comes next.
What a year.
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21 Things To Do in Dallas This Week
Justin Timberlake is returning to the AAC on Thursday night.
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Wednesday
Need a ladies night? Or a men’s night? Or just a night to get totally wasted and scream and holler when you see men taking off their clothes? Chippendales is coming to town just in time for bachelorette party season. Or a way to unwind after the stress of the holidays? Or it’s cold outside and you miss the sight of shirtless men? Whatever floats your boat or makes you hoot and holler, see it all (well, mostly all) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. Tickets start at $25 at livenation.com. Paige Skinner
Thursday
Rover Dramawerks picked Muriel Resnik’s Any Wednesday for its 19th season opener, which you can catch at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at 221 W. Parker Road, Suite 580, Plano. Playgoers 55 years ago (any readers still around?) may remember the play on Broadway with Sandy Dennis and Gene Hackman. Jane Fonda starred in the movie. Familiar plot: Married business tycoon visits mistress in office-paid-for apartment every Wednesday. Complications ensue when client and tycoon’s wife mistakenly get sent to the apartment. Carol M. Rice directs Mark Massey, Jade Reyes, Eddy Herring and Lucia Welch. For info and tickets, roverdramawerks.com or 972-849-0358. Thursday and matinee tickets are $18; others are $24; teacher/student/senior, $20. Reba Liner
It’s been about eight months or so since Justin Timberlake appeared in town, gracing the same American Airlines Center stage that he will again command Thursday night. Such is the magnitude of his star power. After all, there are very few artists who could return to the same scope and size of venue in such a short time. On that last appearance, JT took the sold-out crowd on a journey through his vast solo catalog of hits, enthralling the audience with his slinky dance moves, buttery smooth falsettos and charmingly, magnetic charisma. His shows also skew heavily toward the mom demographic. Much chardonnay will be sold and much is likely to be spilled as the gaggle of 30- and 40-something ladies will undoubtedly raise their glasses high in the air as they swoon and sway to his every move and note. If you’re there, feel free to join in. If you’re not in attendance, your social media feeds will keep you updated minute by minute. 8 p.m. Thursday, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., $49 and up at ticketmaster.com. Jeff Strowe
Toro y Moi, along with Neon Indian and Washed Out, was a forerunner of the chill wave movement about a decade ago. But, like many in the scene at that time, he’s moved on from the sound, as is evident in his new album, this year’s Outer Peace. One critic described the album as "new disco," while others label it as a funk album rooted in the present. 7 p.m. Thursday, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., sold out. Diamond Victoria
Friday
Ella is a girl with a dopey fairy godmother who “blesses” Ella with obedience, which means whatever anyone tells her to do, she does. Even worse, she ends up with a stepmother and stepsisters who know about her quirk and are happy to take advantage. Throw in a handsome prince and adventures with ogres and magic, and you have a twisty retelling of Cinderella. See a song-filled version of Gail Carson Levine’s Newbery-honored fractured fairy tale as the Dallas Children’s Theater stages Ella Enchanted: The Musical at 5938 Skillman St. Friday’s performance is at 7:30 p.m., and the show runs through Feb. 24. Tickets, $15-40, can be found at dct.org. Patrick Williams
Did you know that comedian Iliza Shlesinger got her start here in Dallas? You didn’t? How dare you call yourself a resident! Shlesinger was born in New York, but she grew up in Dallas and took her first steps onstage as an improv comedian before heading off to college and a lucrative stand-up comedy career. She returns to her homeland for a show at The Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., at 7 p.m. Friday. Shlesinger cut her teeth in stand-up at The Hollywood Improv and quickly caught on with her unique take and skill. She found fame as the first female comedian to win the NBC reality competition Last Comic Standing and began regularly touring theaters across the country and the world. Tickets are between $32 and $209 depending on available seating and can be purchased at theatredallas.com. Danny Gallagher
There is a story behind Amaluna, the Cirque du Soleil show making a stop at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, 1000 Lone Star Parkway. Here goes: Queen Prospera rules over a magical island populated by all women until a group of men wash ashore shipwrecked. Her daughter … OK, look. It’s Cirque du Soleil. You know, lots of brightly colored leotards and amazing acrobats dangling from straps above the audience, flying through the air launched from seesaws to the sound of mildly weird new-agey music. There are two shows Friday, at 4:30 and 8 p.m. Adult ticket prices start at $63, with discounts for children, and an assortment of special packages are available at cirquedusoleil.com. The circus continues with shows until March 3. Patrick Williams
As do many institutions at their silver anniversary, sports-talk station KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM “The Ticket” is getting nostalgic for the 25th iteration of its signature P1 fan festival. Along with celebrity guests Troy Aikman, Jay Novacek and Daryl “Razor” Reaugh, Ticketstock 25 has a Ticket Time Tunnel, where Tier One hosts discuss the history of the station in panel discussions, and there’s an interactive Ticket Hall of Fame with memorabilia, audio, Marconi Awards and retro Ticket merch. As usual, the Timewasters will perform Saturday at 6 p.m., this year from a greatest-hits set list, with Fox 4 sports anchor Mike Doocy — the ultimate good sport and straight guy during his frequent guest-hosting appearances — as emcee. Ticketstock 25 is Friday and Saturday at the Plano Event Center, 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway. Doors open at noon both days and admission is free. Visit theticket.com for the full schedule of on-air roundtables and gotta-be-there-to-hear-’em Ticket Time Tunnel panels. Jesse Hughey
In the sage words of the world’s pre-eminent British girl band: spice up your life. Winter doldrums be damned, things are getting hot at ZestFest Jan. 25-27 at the Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. This three-day celebration of all things bold and piquant is packed with cooking demonstrations; celebrity chefs like Jon Bonnell, Eddie Deen and MasterChef champ Shaun O’Neale; gourmet vendors to help you level up in your own kitchen; live music; plus food samples and beer tastings aplenty. For those of us with stomachs of steel and something to prove, there’s a jalapeño-eating challenge and the annual “Atomic Wing” contest. Pack your antacid and plan a full day on Friday from 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $15 at the door, though kids 10 and under get in free. For more info, check out zestfest.net. Jennifer Davis-Lamm
Creator and headliner of last year’s inaugural I Am Dallas Hip Hop event, Mozez Tha Great performs his long-awaited EP Undefined in its entirety as part of a stacked bill at The Prophet Bar on Friday night. Mozez has gone through his fair share of setbacks over the years regarding his music career. A few years ago, Undefined was ready for release, but when an engineer who was commissioned to mix and master the album took off with Mozez’s money, its completion got delayed. Catch Mozez along with several other of Dallas’ best up-and-coming hip-hop artists. With Lou Charle$, Mokah Soulfly, Smoothvega, Drama Tha King and Raw Elementz, 8:30 p.m. Friday, The Prophet Bar, 2548 Elm St., $10. Diamond Victoria
Thursday is on a small run of dates where they play two of their classic LPs, Full Collapse and War All the Time, front to back. Though they have a rather extensive back catalog, these are the two records that changed their fortunes and gained a huge audience. The first night — Friday night — is devoted to Full Collapse, the record that broke the band out of the New Jersey scene and into the national spotlight. The next night is devoted to War All the Time, the major-label debut that brought the band to larger acclaim. Normally shows like these happen in New York, LA or Chicago, so Dallas is very lucky to have these dates. Thursday is not really an active band as compared with the 2000s, so you should strongly consider going if you’ve never seen this powerful and legendary band before. 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26 at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $29-$36 at ticketfly.com. Eric Grubbs
Saturday
Sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment,” according to the Google search we just did. By that definition, cheerleading is 100 percent, no doubt in anyone’s mind, a sport. Backflips are physical. Somersaults must be learned and perfected. And competitive cheerleaders, well, compete. See them do that Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, 650 S. Griffin St at National Cheerleaders Association National Championships. Tickets start at $20 at eventbrite.com. Paige Skinner
Finnish vocal ensemble Rajaton joins the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the music of megastar pop group Abba, who are enjoying a much deserved critical reconsideration. Expect orchestral renditions that shine new light on the Swedish artists’ soaring, emotionally raw classics, including “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen” and more. There are three performances: at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. All performances take place at the Meyerson, 2301 Flora St. Tickets start at $20. More info at mydso.com. Jonathan Patrick
The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook is a funny and moving play about a boy who was born without a right hand. When doctors fitted him with a prosthetic hook, he was sidelined at recess until the other kids asked to play Peter Pan with him. Of course, he played Captain Hook — until he grew tired of it. The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook takes a look at David Harrell’s childhood living with a disability as he tells the story of how he wished to change his own narrative and not be just the boy with a hook. The play is at 3 p.m. Saturday at Charles W. Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson. Visit eisemanncenter.com for more information and tickets ($25). Paige Skinner
KNON is the nonprofit, listener-supported community radio station that has been showcasing the blues in DFW for 20 years. From the up-and-coming, 11-year-old Jack Barksdale to headliners like the award-winning blues elders in Gregg A. Smith and the Blues Revue Band, the 20th annual KNON Blues Festival will be two days packed with Texas talent. Before hosting festivals, KNON released compilations of blues music from all over DFW. The radio station has brought blues a long way over the years and shows no sign of stopping. The festival will be held at Poor David’s Pub, where blues has been put on display in Dallas for over 40 years. Keeping up with what is seemingly a festival tradition, Dickey’s Barbecue will be available for $10 a plate. 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27 at Poor David’s Pub, 1313 Lamar St., $20-$150 at eventbrite.com. Jacob Vaughn
Blake Ward is one of the busiest DJs in Dallas, with four different weekly events and recently having taken up the management of his new Four Four Booking agency. He has a long-standing Saturday night Glamorama gig at Beauty Bar. As far as promotion goes, Ward is relentless, a perfect example of how to connect, inform and grow a DJ audience. 9 p.m. Saturday, Beauty Bar, 1924 N. Henderson Ave., free. Wanz Dover
Sunday
International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Name doesn’t ring a bell? Then mark the day with a visit to the Dallas Holocaust Museum and Center for Education and Tolerance, 211 N. Record St., Suite 100. Remember, those who forget the past are … well, just doomed. The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and admission is $10 for adults, with discounts for kids and seniors. Find more information at dallasholocaustmuseum.org. Patrick Williams
Monday
Who doesn’t love The Bachelor? You? OK, no one asked you. Jeez. Well somebody loves it, because the entire franchise has spanned more than 40 seasons and people keep watching. This season, four Dallas women are vying for virgin Colton Underwood’s love and cherry as America watches. If you don’t have anyone to watch it and cringe over it with, then head to Steam Theory Brewing Co., 340 Singleton Blvd., Suite 100, at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, to bond with fellow Bachelor lovers at the Bachelor Nation Watching Party. Visit steamtheorybrewing.com for more information. Paige Skinner
Tuesday
Namo in West Village, 3699 McKinney Ave., is hosting a sake-tasting class from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Those attending will get six hand rolls matched with sakes from TYKU Sake, whose reps will be on hand to tell you what to look for in the traditional Japanese wine made from rice, water, yeast and koji (a kind of mold used in Japanese cuisine). Tickets are $50 at eventbrite.com. Patrick Williams
Wednesday
The Disney empire is a vast, all-encompassing thing. They’re the masters of the Ice Capades, one of the biggest names in Broadway and have a virtual lock on the kids pajama market. Now, their reach expands to the world of a cappella singing. Yep, the domain once reserved for Ivy League a-holes in striped jackets is now replete with mouse ears: meet DCappella, Disney Music’s a cappella super group. Assembled by Deke Sharon, who’s like the Lou Pearlman of the a cappella world, these seven men and women don’t need backing instruments. It’s just their sweet, sweet voices and sculpted eyebrows up onstage, belting out all your favorite Disney tunes at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, 1001 Performance Place, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30. Tickets to see the Disney-fied vocal acrobatics are $19.50 to $54.50 at axs.com. Jennifer Davis-Lamm
In Incognito, playwright Nick Payne tells three different stories to better explore the human mind. One is about Thomas Stoltz Harvey stealing the recently dead Albert Einstein’s brain. The other is about a man named Harvey undergoing brain surgery, and the third is about Martha, a clinical neuropsychologist making some changes in her life after her marriage falls apart. See the play Jan. 30 through Feb. 23 at Bryant Hall, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. Tickets start $25 at secondthoughttheatre.com. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Paige Skinner
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Ramblings: Islanders Injuries; Timo Meier Breakout Potential; Oshie; Hartman – January 8
With bye weeks arriving, the NHL loaded up Sunday’s schedule with 10 games. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, be sure to check which teams are taking the week off and adjust lineups accordingly. Maxing out (or close to maxing out) games played is important, even more so when there are fewer games to pick from.
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Both Josh Bailey and Andrew Ladd missed the Islanders game on Sunday with injuries. We didn’t really get much of an update on either:
Weight on Bailey injury: “Wasn’t horrific news but certainly not good news.” Ladd not long term but out today.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) January 7, 2018
I guess it’s good news that Ladd shouldn’t be out long, though there isn’t much for clarity on Bailey. As soon as we learn anything we will pass it on but with the team off until Saturday, it’s doubtful we get much from the team until then.
For Sunday’s game, Ladd was replaced by Anthony Beauvillier and Alan Quine took Bailey’s spot on the top line. Jordan Eberle took Bailey’s spot on the top PP unit.
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Sebastian Aho (Islanders defenceman) got his first two career points on Sunday including his first career goal. He was also paired with Nick Leddy at five-on-five for the entire game and even got some power-play minutes on the second unit. He didn’t crack the 20-minute mark but it’s worth tracking his usage once the Islanders come off the bye. They need all the defensive help they can get and with the team fighting for a playoff spot, maybe they rely on Aho more than they had anticipated initially.
He was sent down to the AHL but it’s due to the bye week. I suspect he’ll be back up when the team returns to action this weekend.
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Quick update on the other Sebastian Aho:
Canes GM Ron Francis says Aho is day-to-day with lower body injury.
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) January 7, 2018
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As far as rookies go, I don’t think too much was expected of Nolan Patrick. Unlike Nico Hischier, who was given (you could say earned) the top-line role once Adam Henrique was traded, or Clayton Keller, who is probably the best offensive player Arizona has, or Brock Boeser, whose shooting was lauded by some, Patrick seemed destined to not be featured on this particular roster in this particular season. Maybe he could slot in as the second-line centre, but that wasn’t a given.
All that said, it’s hard not to be disappointed with his season. Going into Sunday afternoon’s game, he had just eight points on the year and at times had been a healthy scratch. His shot rate isn’t very good though that should improve over the years. He’s also last among the team’s forwards in adjusted shot share by a pretty wide margin. Again, that’s not too surprising for a rookie, but you’d think with sheltered competition and favourable zone starts that he’d be a little better in this regard. He hasn’t been.
We know that not all young players develop in a straight line. Some guys like Keller come out guns blazing. Some guys like Victor Hedman can take a few years to really hit their stride. There hasn’t been too much good to come out of Patrick’s rookie season, though. I want to ask his dynasty owners: is there any sort of panic setting in, and for those who don’t own him, are you trying to trade for him?
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While on the subject of Flyers centres, Sean Couturier scored goals 22 and 23 of the season for him in the team’s 4-1 win against Buffalo. He’s on pace for more goals this year (45) than his previous career-high in points (39).
It has been a remarkable offensive season from Couturier, but please exercise some caution. He’s now shooting an even 18 percent on the year. His previous career-high was 11.7 percent, and was a career 9.4 percent shooter coming into 2017-18. Yes, he’s shooting nearly double what his career rate was. I am not saying that with better line mates and more ice time (he’s well over 21 minutes a game) that he can’t be a good offensive player. I am definitely saying that I wouldn’t rely on him to push, or break, the 40-goal barrier on a regular basis.
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Don’t forget the Dobber Hockey Mid-Season Guide will be out later this week! Grab the information you need for the home stretch in your fantasy hockey leagues. Just follow this link here.
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Andre Burakovsky was back in the lineup for the Caps after being scratched for a couple games. He was slotted on the fourth line with Jay Beagle and Alex Chiasson where he stayed for the game, playing under 11 minutes.
The Caps have three games this week and then their bye week comes. Maybe Burakovsky can work his way up the lineup, but if it takes him a couple games to do so, he won’t have much use on redraft fantasy hockey rosters for the next couple weeks. I wouldn’t be running to the waiver wire to add him unless you don’t really need production from a roster spot for a few weeks.
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Now that Timo Meier is seemingly sticking around the top line for San Jose, it’s probably time to start taking his value in redraft leagues seriously. Over his past 20 games, before Sunday afternoon’s tilt – which haven’t all been on the top line, mind you – he’s managed 51 shots and is playing about 15:30 per game.
The following chart from Hockeyviz.com should be taken with a little grain of salt. He’s played nearly one-third of his ice time with Joe Thornton and that’s going to skew things a little. All the same, it’s pretty crazy how good this team has been offensively from dangerous areas with Meier on the ice (red is good):
Since being a top-10 pick a few years ago, Sharks fans have been waiting for Meier to be part of the next generation of top-end scorers the team needs. It looks like it’s finally starting to happen. If you were going to try and buy him in deep keepers, or dynasties, then time is running out. It seems a matter of time before a full-blown breakout hits (even without top PP minutes).
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Jack Roslovic suited up for his second career game, first this season, in Sunday’s game against San Jose. He was on the fourth line with Marko Dano and Matt Hendricks.
It’s nice to see Roslovic get in the lineup, and he did take Adam Lowry’s spot on the top PP unit as well, but it’ll be hard to have a lot of value playing in the bottom-six with the minutes he got (under eight). We’ll see if his role changes this week but like Burakovsky, the Jets have three games and then hit their bye, so I wouldn’t pull a hamstring running to the waiver wire to grab him in one-year leagues.
*
St. Louis was in Washington on Sunday afternoon and Brayden Schenn was split away from Vladimir Tarasenko. We’ve seen this happen in sporadic spurts this year, but this seemed inevitable. The team hadn’t scored more than three goals in any one contest for 13 straight games.
This kind of sucks for Schenn, but keep in mind that Tarasenko can produced with just about anyone; he scored 40 goals in 2015-16 playing about half his minutes with Jori Lehtera. I wouldn’t be too concerned about Tarasenko’s production outside of the concerns we already had (namely shooting percentage). In fact, both he and Schenn scored in the team’s overtime loss.
*
Florida may have lost in the shootout, but we got this goal from Sasha Barkov, so maybe it was worth it?
Barkov shootout goal: pic.twitter.com/FP5ySXif69
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) January 8, 2018
*
TJ Oshie was taken off the top line for the Caps early in the second period in their game against St. Louis and replaced by Devante Smith-Pelly. Oshie was moved to the third line with Lars Eller and Brett Connolly.
It has been a rough year for Oshie production-wise. His 82-game pace for goals this year is 26, which isn’t bad out-and-out bad, but there are red flags. His shots per game is down to 1.86, the lowest for him since his rookie year, and that’s despite playing slightly more per game (18:47) than his career average (18:37). It’s not that his shots aren’t just finding the net, either: his 8.99 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five (before Sunday’s game) is by far the lowest of his career (10.75 last year and 10.78 in 2013-14). In fact, of out 247 forwards with at least 400 minutes played, he’s 232nd in shot rate. He was never a volume shooter, but he was 169th out of 234 forwards last year. Not great, but a lot better than 2017-18. The names at the bottom of the list with Oshie this campaign are basically passers and grinders. Oshie is neither, so this is a problem.
There have been talks of injuries and he did suffer a concussion last month. Maybe there’s something wrong that we don’t know about. All I know is that playing nearly 19 minutes a game, shooting nearly 17 percent, and having an 82-game pace of 26 goals as a goal scorer isn’t great. Shooting percentage regression was inevitable, but his shot rate is becoming a real problem.
*
Ryan Hartman remained on the second line in Chicago’s 4-1 win against Edmonton while also sticking on the top PP unit. He had an assist, three shots on goal, and played a whopping 20:58. His previous single-game high for minutes this year was 18:36 on New Year’s Eve.
He's not shooting as much as he has in prior seasons, but he’s still at a very healthy 15.85 attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five, in the same neighbourhood has guys like Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Seguin, and Mike Hoffman. Remember, he scored 19 goals in 76 games last year playing fewer than 13 minutes a game. If he can play anywhere from 17-18 minutes a game, in the role he’s being given, there is very good offensive upside here. With a top-six spot and top power-play minutes, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be rostered in 12-team leagues by now, especially now that we’re hitting bye weeks.
*
There was a scary situation in the Tampa Bay game as Lightning defenceman Dan Girardi went down to a knee to block a one-timer and took it straight off the back of his head:
A better look at Girardi trying to block a Frk shot pic.twitter.com/uvZoay8vve
— Prashanth Iyer (@iyer_prashanth) January 8, 2018
He was down for a few minutes but skated off the ice under his own power. He did not return to the game but the Lightning indicated that he would be ok. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.
*
Boone Jenner had seven shots on goal in Columbus’s 3-2 shootout win over Florida, but failed to hit the scoresheet. He’s now shooting 4.4 percent on the season.
Jenner was a career 11.3 percent shooter before this season so there is clearly a lot of bad luck going on here. He’s still usually getting 18 minutes of ice time so John Tortorella still trusts him. He’s very valuable in multi-cat leagues and he should be able to turn around that shooting percentage in the second half.
*
Pavel Buchnevich was a healthy scratch for the Rangers in their game against the Golden Knights. I don’t know how to explain this, honestly, and can’t properly express myself without a string of expletives so I’ll just let it go for now.
*
Hey, Karl Alzner had a multi-point game! He scored his first of the year against Vancouver and assisted on Brendan Gallagher’s game-winner in the third. It was Alzner’s first multi-point game in which he scored since March of 2015. His contract is an utter disaster but this was a nice game for him. So, silver linings and all.
*
Boston’s top line is seriously rolling right now. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand both scored for Boston in their 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins on Sunday night, each their 17th goal of the season. I guess they were tired of being tired with Patrice Bergeron at 16 goals. The three of them have 10 goals combined over the last four games.
A couple games ago they were on the ice for their first goal against at five-on-five this year but it’s incredible how good they are.
*
Sidney Crosby had three assists in that win, bringing his season up to 15 goals and 43 points in 44 games. It wasn’t long ago – literally like four days – that people were still freaking out about his season. There’s still half a season left and a lot of regression to go. Buckle up.
from All About Sports http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-islanders-injuries-timo-meier-breakout-potential-oshie-hartman-january-8/
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Text
New Post has been published on Found The World
New Post has been published on https://foundtheworld.com/couchsurfing-best-worst-way-travel/
Couchsurfing: the Best and the Worst Way to Travel
Couchsurfing is a budget traveler’s best friend; it is sleeping on a strangers couch for a period of time while in a different country. It is defiantly a unique form of accommodation, and creates some of the best or worst memories abroad. Through the couchsurfing site, people can create profiles, which resemble Facebook. Here they list who they are, their interests, languages they speak, countries they’ve visited, people can also add friends and be a part of groups. Yet, the most used feature of this site is to search for people who are willing to host travelers in their home.
While this concept might seem a little strange, it can save hundreds on travel expenses. In Europe the average cost of a hotel is around $100 per night, taking a vacation for 2 weeks suddenly has a base cost of $1400. Being able to save all of that money allows for that $1400 to be used in a different way, eating at nicer restaurants, indulging in more expensive sight seeing, maybe even shopping. It sounds like the perfect way to travel; the only downside is you are staying with a complete stranger.
Humans are very interesting in general, now applying this to sharing accommodation with someone you have never met, makes couchsurfing comparable to playing roulette. It is one of the best ways to meet locals, practice a new language, and cuts more costs because usually guests can use the kitchen to cook instead of going out to eat. Each time that I have stayed a strangers house, I always had the opportunity to experience new activities that I would never have imagined myself doing.
When I was backpacking in Europe last year, after staying with my relatives in Germany I went to visit my friend in Madrid, however on a whim she decided to go to a concert in England, leaving me homeless, luckily for me through the couchsurfing site there was a group of people from Portugal renting out an apartment in Madrid and invited me to stay there with them for 3 days. During this time, they cooked for me; they brought me to restaurants and bars that no tourists have discovered.
Being in Europe during this time would have been a dream for anyone interested in the European soccer league. The rival teams of Real Madrid and Barcelona FC were fighting for the championship title. Without even realizing it, I was in Madrid while this game was going on, my couchsurfing hosts from Portugal told me they were taking me to a sports bar to see the game. Little did I realize how big of deal this game really was, practically the entire city was shut down to watch the sports match. Yet, the biggest surprise was seeing how Madrid reacted when Real Madrid won.
I have been to Dublin on St. Patrick’s day, and the party to celebrating the winning team was huge. So many of the streets were shut down, everyone was drinking, a massive concert was held in the city center. I have never seen so many ecstatic people running around a city so full of joy. If I didn’t stay with this group of guys, I would have never been able to experience such an extraordinary event. After leaving Europe I developed an interest in European soccer and now I am especially glad that I had the opportunity to go there and be a part of it.
Outside of asking for places to stay there are also many groups that connect communities of people around the world. I turned to one of these groups for help because I wanted to go back to the Dominican Republic for a little while but hoped to live in another part of the island and work at a hostel. Prior to reaching out this couchsurfing group, I had searched and found no leads, and was getting really discouraged that I wouldn’t be able to return because I didn’t have enough money to rent an apartment. I created a post and within a day I was connected with the manager for a hostel and was employed. Outside of that message so many people messaged me saying that they could help me and knew of places to stay. All around the world there are groups on couchsurfing for different events, and they are a great way to make connections.
After getting situated working for the hostel in the Caribbean, I was sitting around the living room with my coworkers, and we were all talking about our couchsurfing experience’s. This is where I learned that couchsurfing is the ‘tinder’ of the travel world. As something I would never assume, I learned that some people offer accommodation to who they are attracted too. Some of my coworkers had stayed with random people from the site for really long periods of times, sometimes they had dated their hosts, other times became friends, and really anything is possible because of the site. Most people have fantastic experiences, it takes like-minded people who are crazy enough to let strangers into their home and to stay at a random persons homes. Usually stories of couchsurfing are really positive, however some of them are unusual or disastrous events.
There are things that you can do to avoid really bad situations before you stay at someone’s house. First of all it is a good idea to check out their social media, make sure they seem normal, and talk to them for a while, and get a feel for their personality. Because couchsurfing is so interpersonal compared to hotels, finding accommodation is a lot more stressful due to the fact that plans can so easily change. The host last minute can say that they can no longer provide accommodation or their home could look a lot different in person than how it was described online. Many hosts and couchsurfers have reviews on the site, but meeting someone in person is a lot different than meeting online. Be captious, always be prepared for the worst, and have a back up plan of a hotel just incase something happens.
Saying all of this, strange things happen when people couchsurf, while nothing awful has ever happened to me, you can probably imagine some of the colourful and awful situations people have gotten into.
The worst that ever happened to me was in Spain, when I was searching for a place to stay because my friend last minute was traveling to England for a concert. There was a man that saw I was looking for a host, and he decided to offer me a place to stay, which was really nice. However, after talking to him I realized that he had a very unusual job, he was a cameraman. Yet he specialized in shooting for a porn company. Not only was this his career, but he told me that he worked from home. As you can imagine, I declined his offer to sleep at his apartment.
Other people I have talked to have told me stories about the strangest and weirdest people they have come across. One girl I’ve met came across a catfish of the traveling world. In Europe she was expecting to stay with a white women who turned out to be an Indian man. She said he was still a really nice person, yet it was concerning that he was using a fake account to get people to stay at his house. Usually the issues with couchsurfing are similar to typical roommate problems but amplified because both parties are strangers. Problems of cleanliness, social norms, and political and religious views are often areas of potential conflict. As I previously said, people use couchsurfing as a dating app, the only difference is that using the site to find love is like tinder on steroids. My coworker stayed at male hosts’ house for a week and he was really attracted to her but she didn’t have romantic feelings for him at all, which made for a very uncomfortable experience. Even if people don’t have social problems with each other, if you are really neat and your host is a hoarder, this can cause issues. One of the worst stories I’ve been told is of a female who stayed with at a man’s home, he lied about having an extra bed and his house smelled awful. For some reason the girl decided to stay at his place and sleep in the same bed as him, but was less than enthusiastic to wake up to find him watching her sleep.
Couchsurfing is a risk but the connections that can be made through the app can be incredible. It is possible to find a place to stay, save money, experience love, make new friends, and maybe even get a job just by messaging strangers and asking them to host you. Remember to be smart about who you offer your home to and who you decide to stay with, because humans are very interesting creatures.
0 notes
Text
New Post has been published on Found The World
New Post has been published on http://foundtheworld.com/couchsurfing-best-worst-way-travel/
Couchsurfing: the Best and the Worst Way to Travel
Couchsurfing is a budget traveler’s best friend; it is sleeping on a strangers couch for a period of time while in a different country. It is defiantly a unique form of accommodation, and creates some of the best or worst memories abroad. Through the couchsurfing site, people can create profiles, which resemble Facebook. Here they list who they are, their interests, languages they speak, countries they’ve visited, people can also add friends and be a part of groups. Yet, the most used feature of this site is to search for people who are willing to host travelers in their home.
While this concept might seem a little strange, it can save hundreds on travel expenses. In Europe the average cost of a hotel is around $100 per night, taking a vacation for 2 weeks suddenly has a base cost of $1400. Being able to save all of that money allows for that $1400 to be used in a different way, eating at nicer restaurants, indulging in more expensive sight seeing, maybe even shopping. It sounds like the perfect way to travel; the only downside is you are staying with a complete stranger.
Humans are very interesting in general, now applying this to sharing accommodation with someone you have never met, makes couchsurfing comparable to playing roulette. It is one of the best ways to meet locals, practice a new language, and cuts more costs because usually guests can use the kitchen to cook instead of going out to eat. Each time that I have stayed a strangers house, I always had the opportunity to experience new activities that I would never have imagined myself doing.
When I was backpacking in Europe last year, after staying with my relatives in Germany I went to visit my friend in Madrid, however on a whim she decided to go to a concert in England, leaving me homeless, luckily for me through the couchsurfing site there was a group of people from Portugal renting out an apartment in Madrid and invited me to stay there with them for 3 days. During this time, they cooked for me; they brought me to restaurants and bars that no tourists have discovered.
Being in Europe during this time would have been a dream for anyone interested in the European soccer league. The rival teams of Real Madrid and Barcelona FC were fighting for the championship title. Without even realizing it, I was in Madrid while this game was going on, my couchsurfing hosts from Portugal told me they were taking me to a sports bar to see the game. Little did I realize how big of deal this game really was, practically the entire city was shut down to watch the sports match. Yet, the biggest surprise was seeing how Madrid reacted when Real Madrid won.
I have been to Dublin on St. Patrick’s day, and the party to celebrating the winning team was huge. So many of the streets were shut down, everyone was drinking, a massive concert was held in the city center. I have never seen so many ecstatic people running around a city so full of joy. If I didn’t stay with this group of guys, I would have never been able to experience such an extraordinary event. After leaving Europe I developed an interest in European soccer and now I am especially glad that I had the opportunity to go there and be a part of it.
Outside of asking for places to stay there are also many groups that connect communities of people around the world. I turned to one of these groups for help because I wanted to go back to the Dominican Republic for a little while but hoped to live in another part of the island and work at a hostel. Prior to reaching out this couchsurfing group, I had searched and found no leads, and was getting really discouraged that I wouldn’t be able to return because I didn’t have enough money to rent an apartment. I created a post and within a day I was connected with the manager for a hostel and was employed. Outside of that message so many people messaged me saying that they could help me and knew of places to stay. All around the world there are groups on couchsurfing for different events, and they are a great way to make connections.
After getting situated working for the hostel in the Caribbean, I was sitting around the living room with my coworkers, and we were all talking about our couchsurfing experience’s. This is where I learned that couchsurfing is the ‘tinder’ of the travel world. As something I would never assume, I learned that some people offer accommodation to who they are attracted too. Some of my coworkers had stayed with random people from the site for really long periods of times, sometimes they had dated their hosts, other times became friends, and really anything is possible because of the site. Most people have fantastic experiences, it takes like-minded people who are crazy enough to let strangers into their home and to stay at a random persons homes. Usually stories of couchsurfing are really positive, however some of them are unusual or disastrous events.
There are things that you can do to avoid really bad situations before you stay at someone’s house. First of all it is a good idea to check out their social media, make sure they seem normal, and talk to them for a while, and get a feel for their personality. Because couchsurfing is so interpersonal compared to hotels, finding accommodation is a lot more stressful due to the fact that plans can so easily change. The host last minute can say that they can no longer provide accommodation or their home could look a lot different in person than how it was described online. Many hosts and couchsurfers have reviews on the site, but meeting someone in person is a lot different than meeting online. Be captious, always be prepared for the worst, and have a back up plan of a hotel just incase something happens.
Saying all of this, strange things happen when people couchsurf, while nothing awful has ever happened to me, you can probably imagine some of the colourful and awful situations people have gotten into.
The worst that ever happened to me was in Spain, when I was searching for a place to stay because my friend last minute was traveling to England for a concert. There was a man that saw I was looking for a host, and he decided to offer me a place to stay, which was really nice. However, after talking to him I realized that he had a very unusual job, he was a cameraman. Yet he specialized in shooting for a porn company. Not only was this his career, but he told me that he worked from home. As you can imagine, I declined his offer to sleep at his apartment.
Other people I have talked to have told me stories about the strangest and weirdest people they have come across. One girl I’ve met came across a catfish of the traveling world. In Europe she was expecting to stay with a white women who turned out to be an Indian man. She said he was still a really nice person, yet it was concerning that he was using a fake account to get people to stay at his house. Usually the issues with couchsurfing are similar to typical roommate problems but amplified because both parties are strangers. Problems of cleanliness, social norms, and political and religious views are often areas of potential conflict. As I previously said, people use couchsurfing as a dating app, the only difference is that using the site to find love is like tinder on steroids. My coworker stayed at male hosts’ house for a week and he was really attracted to her but she didn’t have romantic feelings for him at all, which made for a very uncomfortable experience. Even if people don’t have social problems with each other, if you are really neat and your host is a hoarder, this can cause issues. One of the worst stories I’ve been told is of a female who stayed with at a man’s home, he lied about having an extra bed and his house smelled awful. For some reason the girl decided to stay at his place and sleep in the same bed as him, but was less than enthusiastic to wake up to find him watching her sleep.
Couchsurfing is a risk but the connections that can be made through the app can be incredible. It is possible to find a place to stay, save money, experience love, make new friends, and maybe even get a job just by messaging strangers and asking them to host you. Remember to be smart about who you offer your home to and who you decide to stay with, because humans are very interesting creatures.
0 notes
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