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jerrylewis-thekid · 3 years

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I will try to be as short as possible. For several reasons I feel very close to Jerry Lewis: I am an only child, I saw little of my parents because of their work and, as a child, I played with my imaginary friend the "Fairy of the house". I talked to her and played hide and seek with her. I was raised by my maternal grandparents who lived with us. My grandmother I called her "mom". She died when I was 9. My grandfather died when I was 17. My mother died ten months. After that time, I took heavy tranquilizers to sleep, no longer have scary nightmares and calm anxiety. She was practically a legalized junkie. After about a year I found the strength to throw those crap drops in the trash and I never picked up again. My damned sensitivity has always made things difficult for me. Who is NOT an only child cannot understand what it means to be one. ******** The same morning that, finally, I had the strength to leave my first boyfriend, violent with me both psychologically and physically, I asked a girl next door if I could go out with them. She accepted. Maria (false name) I met her two days later. Right from the start we found each other nice and she began to prefer me to the other three girls (we were a group of 5 girls all single). She was only four years older than me but dressed a bit "like a married woman" as we say. In short, he seemed much older than me. He had green eyes and naturally curly dark hair. I am also brunette but with straight hair (in those days), iridescent gray - blue eyes and, not being very tall, unfortunately I have always shown less years than I am. I followed fashion more than her. I was 25 (but everyone gave me a maximum of 18), she was 29. We bonded immediately, only after a few weeks we went out more often just the two of us leaving the others at home. At the time I was much happier than now, I've always liked to laugh, joke, say funny things, make fun of everything. We were laughing all the time. Gradually she and I began to look a little like each other ... She cut her hair short making it almost straight. I told her not to because her curly hair was beautiful but she didn't take suggestions. He always did what she wanted. I cut my hair into a medium short bob by curling it with a perm or a hair curling iron. In short, I styled them as were his naturals. Without agreeing we often went out dressed in the same colors. Only the style remained different, she never wanted to adapt to fashions. I've never seen her in black sheer stockings and high-heeled pumps. I always wore those. The people in the village were now starting to consider us sisters. When someone we knew met us on separate streets (in the morning when we were doing our errands around the house) he asked her "And where did you leave Artemisia?". Of course, the same thing happened to me too. For the country we always had to be together. In five years of friendship we have never shook hands, we have not kissed my cheek even at Christmas or their respective birthdays. It was just a "best wishes!". Stop. But we liked being in the company of the other. We practically isolated ourselves from the other three and only the two of us were going out. We walked in the public garden, like everyone else, happy hour and similar things were not used in those days. She started inviting me to her house to attend the Christmas Eve dinner and, in the summer she would take me with her and her family (she had a sister, two brothers and nephews) on day trips. I felt that I had found a family and above all that I had found a sister. She began a troubled relationship with a boyfriend, her former friend. One who liked women a lot. It was a story he wanted to keep secret. I cried with her every time she was sad for him, I was happy for her when, the day after a meeting with him, her eyes were sparkling. I didn't need her to tell me that the evening had gone well, I just had to look at her. I understood when she was worried, when she was angry, when she was peaceful. I just had to look at it, it was an open book. One day she asked me if I could be her

assistant. She had been a catechist for 15 years (we are Catholics), she was left alone and needed help. I accepted mostly to do her a favor, I was not so convinced. But I started to like dealing with catechetical children, after all, I always felt like a 10-year-old girl. But Maria did catechism in a very serious way, she never smiled at the children ... She had a friend who was a few years older than her, she was a notary and she was well known and well liked in the village. In my country if you don't have a degree you are nobody. She was already there before me. One day, indeed a bad day, this woman, whom I call Jeanne ... was designated as president of the catechetical group. She was an atheist but evidently this was of little importance. Jeanne immediately chose Maria as her right hand, she became the secretary of the group. And it began to change. With me. We spent less and less time together. Those few times that we went out, Jeanne, Maria and I, I began to discover a Maria that I did not know. The two of them literally made fun of each of the group's catechists, their actions, their families. With a nastiness never seen before. Maria and I used to keep gossip about other people out of our laughter when we went out. I've always hated gossip. But with Jeanna Maria it changed. And it was starting to change with me. Everything I said or did bothered her, she got really angry with me. One afternoon I called her asking if she wanted to go out (we hadn't seen each other for a week) she replied that she had a headache. Ok, I got dressed and went out anyway to go to the pharmacy and take a walk anyway. It was a summer afternoon, a real shame to stay indoors. On the way I met them. I said nothing, I stopped for a few seconds, looked at Maria and she immediately told me, as if to justify herself "Jeanne wanted to talk to me, it was important!" I greeted them without saying anything and went home crying. Okay, do you want to go out with her? Tell me. But don't lie to me, I thought. I can't stand lies. Since then he never asked me to go out all three together. She and I saw each other less and less and when we saw each other she no longer told me anything as she did before. We no longer talked to each other and above all we no longer laughed together. Once I asked her why she had changed with me and she, still in that angry tone of hers, told me that now she felt like an important person, because Jeanne had asked her to help her. That is ... "do you feel important because you ONLY have to pass books, documents and video tapes to the catechists for meetings with the children?" Because that was his job. "Sure" she replied. "She is a notary and she chose me. You don't even have a diploma." "Maria" I said to her, "look, you also don't have a diploma and I remind you that I left school only after my mother's death to stay close to my father". She replied "Here, now you are starting to blame me for everything I have done for you (what ??), I have given you more affection than you ever had from anyone and now you take advantage of it !!". And if he went, he left me on the street. I was making her understand not to leave me alone, to continue being what we had always been and she was accusing me of wanting to take advantage of it. And what about? She did not show up for more than two weeks until the Sunday of the swearing of the catechists in church arrived, which marks the beginning of the catechetical year. It was mid-September. I didn't call her in those two weeks because I was hoping she would calm down. When he got angry with people he didn't accept any kind of clarification. That Sunday morning I didn't want to go to church, I was morally down but I felt that I had to do my duty as assistant catechist. I went to mass. Halfway through mass the rite began. Catechists and assistants were called one at a time to the altar for the oath. When they got to us they called Maria but not me. They passed on calling the next catechists. The church was crammed with children and their mothers who clearly knew both Maria and me.

She walked towards the altar, my heart was in my mouth. My children asked me "Artemisia you are not going?" with a surprised expression on his face. I just replied "I don't know children, maybe there has been a mistake". But I knew it wasn't like that. When she went back to the pew I continued to say nothing to her, she would have been angry with me in church in front of everyone. When the mass was over and we left the church, I approached her, remaining calm and, trying to smile at her in the best possible way, I asked her "Maria what happened, why didn't they call me?". As I expected she got angry, and almost screaming (we were in front of a bar full of people inside and outside) said that I hadn't gone to catechism in those 20 days "and this morning you showed up all dressed up and elegant in church just to be seen by people! ! ". I was stunned ... "Maria didn't tell me I had to come to catechism, I knew that catechism would begin after today's mass!". She said nothing, she went away leaving me once again alone in the street. I was sure he was going to Jeanne's house. I was not wrong. She went into her house, soon after I rang the bell and I too went upstairs. As soon as Maria saw me, she told me a whole series of things that I don't even remember anymore and left all angry. I sat down and burst into tears. Jeanne asked me what had happened. I told her everything. She told me I was wrong to follow her (she was right, I realized later) but added to let her go. "Let things settle", she told me, "give it time." "I'll talk to her and let you know." I'm still waiting. Anyone who knew Maria and me (practically more than half the country) when she asked me what had happened and why she and I had argued (in my small town you don't need gossip newspapers, things are known within 24 hours at most) I always replied "destiny wanted it like this". If I wanted to try to recover something, I knew I had to shut up about everything. Also because she was the best known in town. His father and brother had been in politics for years and everyone knew them. I stayed at home most of the winter. I had immense anger inside me. If I had a gun I would have gone out on the street and started shooting randomly, I wanted to physically harm people. I called the other three girls asking if I could go out with them but I quickly realized it was better to stay at home. The funny jokes I had always said had turned into razors. I offended everyone. Not being able to speak with Maria I treated badly anyone who was in contact with me. I didn't go out with anyone anymore. I locked myself in my shell spending time at home reading, thank God, there was the Internet and blogs. I just wanted to understand WHAT I DID HER. What was I wrong about. Meanwhile, one Sunday morning, in the square, I saw Maria talking to a boy I liked at that time and she knew it. After about ten days I saw this guy in church, he came up and said "I heard you go around saying that I like you (huh ??), you must know that you don't. I like another girl and you know why I like her? she is beautiful!". He laughed and walked away. What Maria said to her to make him say those words I'll never know. The whole winter passed. The whole following summer passed, September returned. I get a phone call, she was the oldest catechist in the group, 65 on paper, ten in the head. I've always loved her since I met her. I call her Tiziana. He told me he wanted to talk to me. I went to his house. She wanted me to be her assistant "I know that you and Maria have quarreled. She is speaking ill of you with all the catechists but I have learned to know you and I know that you are not as she describes you. I would like you with me. Maybe you will also find the way to make peace but you have to stay in the catechetical group ". I asked her what the hell Maria was saying about me. He replied "you better not know". I took some time to decide and finally accepted. Doing catechism with Tiziana was wonderful, it made me understand the value of a laugh. Every encounter with the children was fun and laughter. I

felt more relieved. And more positive. Unfortunately, at the meetings with the group leader and the other catechists, Maria continued to avoid me. Jeanne had been relieved of her post because one evening she had appeared at the church, on the altar, dressed in semi-transparent leopard-print leggings from which black splips could be glimpsed. And with a short shirt that left nothing to the imagination. You can dress however you want when you are elsewhere but if you are in a place of worship you have to respect that place, no matter what place of worship it is. May returned. The usual annual spiritual retreat of the catechists returned. One weekend he closed in a hostel talking about faith and peace in the world. On paper. I decided to go, always with the secret hope of finding a chance to talk to her alone. On the morning of the second day I was going to the reading room. I passed a room with the door open, someone was talking. I immediately recognized Maria's voice, her back was to me (I was standing at the door of the room I was about to enter), she was talking to two other catechists "Artemisia, leave her alone, she's AN UGLY SUBJECT". So he said, a bad subject. I was not a person or animal ... no, a subject. Inanimate. One of the two women saw me, motioned to Maria who turned around, her now usual look full of hatred directed at me appeared in her eyes, she screamed "what are you doing spying on? Go away!". I ran away, took refuge in the nearby chapel, luckily it was empty. I was crying. Finally in the evening I returned home. In the following September I told Tiziana that I no longer wanted to continue with her, I could no longer bear to see Maria. I had to stay away from her as much as possible. Later, I sometimes met her in the municipal villa. Me with other friends, she with another friend. When we met, she always looked down. But I no longer saw her smile. I lost that smile too. 23 years have passed since then. After years I have found a truly sincere friend. She is married but takes the time to go out with me. He is the same age as Maria but looks much much older. More than a sister, it reminds me of a mother. She gives me many small gifts, she also likes to photograph, before the covid we often went out to photograph, spending half days together. She is of Neapolitan origin, therefore cheerful and chatty like all Neapolitans. I feel good with her. He is always there when he "feels" that I need support. In July last year I moved here where she lives, leaving a country too full of bad memories. I know with absolute certainty that I will always be able to count on her. Unfortunately I can't love her. I can not anymore. I feel good with her when we see each other but I don't feel the need, almost physical, of her company as it happened with Maria. And it hurts me. But the betrayed trust does this damage. I don't know why I decided to write this, the story of Dean and Jerry awakened memories that I thought were buried. Here I can write it, on Facebook no. His two brothers still follow me, when they met me on the street (they or their wives) they always greeted me asking how I was. Once one of them gave me a historical book he had written about the town where I lived until last year. Writes from God! He invited me to his house, his wife offered me coffee and sweets, he gave me the book, I wanted to pay for it but he didn't. Nobody took the argument of the fight. I greeted them and left. @zivasanxiety @felinesetmilktea @prolen @jerrylevitch @solsikkepop Something happened once ... "paranormal" ... I am orphaned of a mother, she is orphaned of a father. I don't know whether to write it, I don't want you to think I'm crazy ...

#obviously many other things have happened but it would have turned out to be half a novel. I wrote what I thought was most important.#I will write the same post in Italian and English. I fear that some passages in Italian may change in the translation.

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jeffpelletier · 4 years

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The Tahoe Rim Trail forms a complete loop 165 miles around the Lake Tahoe Basin on the border of California and Nevada.

The main hiking season is from July through September, though lingering snow patches can often be found into August of high snow years.

A thru-hike of the trail typically takes 10-15 days. My friend Adam and I had planned on fast packing the trail over a 5 day period in late June of 2019. The only problem is that this happened to be a particular high snow year, with snowpack in the Sierra Nevada range at over 200% of average, and 33 times the levels of the previous year.

In the weeks leading up to our trip, we kept a close eye on the conditions, obsessively checking the snow reports from various snowtel sites along the trail. We debated a few alternatives objectives around California and Colorado, but the snow levels were equally high throughout the Sierra Nevada and San Juan mountain ranges. So we re-committed to our original plan.

While we expected the snowpack to significantly slow us down, we were optimistic that we could complete the trail. But we never could have anticipated just how much of a challenge that would prove to be.

Day 1

We started from the doorstep of our hotel in South Lake Tahoe with plans to run to Showers Lake where we’d setup camp for the first night in our bivy sacks. While we’d be covering 62 km with 2,450 metres of elevation gain, the trail is known to be quite runnable so we expected our day to take no more than 10 hours.

We were carrying supplies for the first 3 days of the trail, along with our ultralight camping gear, having dropped off a resupply of food at the halfway point in Tahoe City the day before.

Everything started out just as planned, but we hit deep snow by mid-day above 8,000 feet which slowed our progress significantly as we side-stepped long stretches of icy slopes and negotiated deep river crossings while constantly route finding with the help of a GPS watch – just a taste of what we could expect in the coming days.

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We finally arrived exhausted some 15 hours later at 11pm and began our search for a snow-free patch of soil to setup our camp, before settling in to a cold and restless sleep alongside the frozen lake.

Day 2

We got up at dawn to tackle what would prove to be another long day. Our goal had originally been to make it the 66k to Barker Pass, passing through the Desolation Wilderness, one of the highlights of the route. But after making such slow progress the day before, we knew we’d likely have to readjust our expectations.

The morning was spent traversing sun-cupped snow fields as we made our way to Echo Lake. We stopped to buy ‘lunch’ from the chalet, consuming at least 1,000 calories of pop, chips and chocolate bars to energize us for the journey ahead. We were offered a short respite from the snow as we climbed from Echo Lakes but, before long, found ourselves once again navigating through deep snow as we passed a series of beautiful lakes and sweeping, panoramic views.

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The trail climbed high to Dicks Pass, giving us a glimpse on the other side of what laid ahead. But the immediate challenge would be to safely descend to Dicks Lake below. We relied entirely on our Hillsound Equipment crampons as we kick stepped and slid from tree well to tree well down the steep slope. We eventually stopped for dinner as the sun began to set, ensuring we’d have the energy to push well into the evening.

Having successfully negotiated several difficult creek crossings, we finally reached one that we simply could not find a way across under the guidance of our headlamps. In drier months, this creek would likely be no more than a trickle, but with the high snow pack quickly melting it was at least 10 feet wide appeared 6 feet deep. After wasting 45 minutes wandering in circles on the snowy banks, at close to 11pm we finally admitted defeat in hopes that a few hours sleep and daylight would help us find a way. It had taken us over 16 hours to cover 52k.

Day 3

We were back on the trail by 7am. With a bit of rest and the light of day, we were now easily able to cross the creek that had thwarted us the night before.

We’d originally aimed to resupply on food and gear for the final few days in Tahoe City around lunch time, about halfway to Watson Lake where we planned on camping for our third night after covering 47k. But given that we had fallen about 14k short of our goal the day before, we knew it would be closer to dinner time by the time we made it to town, and would now have to cover a total of 61k in order to get back on track.

Progress was once again painfully slow as we struggled to navigate and slip our way through the sun-cupped snow, covering as little as 1-2 mph while traversing the steep, slushy slopes. As afternoon approached, it became clear that we were at risk of missing our re-supply when the store closed at 6pm where we’d left our bags. Fortunately, our friend Hilary was in the area and was able to pickup and stash our drop bags outside for when we arrived later that evening.

After finally descending from the rim, we were rewarded with several miles of glorious, snow free running. We finally made it to town shortly after 7pm after 12 hours on feet, mentally exhausted and a half-day behind schedule. We’d now covered 100 miles of the trail, but there was little chance of hitting our target for the day. We decided to call it a day so we could re-evaluate in the morning after a solid meal and a decent sleep in a warm bed.

Day 4

After a good night’s sleep in Tahoe City we caught a ride to Brockway Summit to pickup the rest of the trail. In order to get back on schedule, we’d skipped about 30k of mountain bike trails which ironically would have been the most dry trail we’d seen in days.

This next leg promised to deliver the best views of Lake Tahoe yet, but it wasn’t long before we were back in the snow, sidestepping across slushy slopes.

The climb to Relay Peak at 10,335’ would have been difficult on any day, but the snow certainly didn’t help. We spent several hours inching our way up and across what our GPS claimed was a trail deep under the snow, and while it did make the summit feel that much more rewarding, the heavy winds kept us from enjoying it for too long!

The decent off the backside of the ridge would have been a glorious boot ski had it not been for the deeply sun cupped snow. Instead, we tripped and rolled our way down the best we could, until at last we reached a dry patch of soil and a creek where we could break for lunch.

We eventually reached the highway crossing at Mt. Rose at 7pm with 15k left to Spooner Lake, our goal for the day, having covered less than 32k in almost 10 hours. Camping was restricted between here and Spooner, so it would be all or nothing.

It wasn’t a difficult decision to instead hitchhike back to South Lake for a meal and a warm bed. We’d had plenty of ‘Type 2’ fun for one day! The trail would be waiting for us tomorrow.

Day 5

We caught a ride back from South Lake to the Spooner Lake trailhead which had been our destination for the day before. We had skipped the last 15k of what would have been mostly snowy trail.

Now it was time for our victory lap, as we covered the last 35k of beautiful, dry single track back to where we had started 4 days earlier in South Lake.

It sure was great to run! All we could keep thinking was that THIS is what we could have enjoyed for the entire 5 days on the trail, had we only delayed our trip by a few more weeks.

We rolled into town early afternoon and began our celebrations. We’d managed to cover 227k of the 281k we’d planned over the 5 days which, given the conditions, we were perfectly happy with.

I definitely don’t regret doing the trail when did. It may have been more adventure than we’d bargained for, but it was also the training I needed. It’s also given me a taste of the Tahoe 200 mile race which covers much of the same trails. So maybe I’ll be back sooner than later!

Check out my gear list here, and watch the 45-minute documentary on YouTube of our experience on the trail.

youtube

Fastpacking the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail in 5 days The Tahoe Rim Trail forms a complete loop 165 miles around the Lake Tahoe Basin on the border of California and Nevada.

#video #Tahoe Rim Trail #fastpacking

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rosalind-of-arden · 5 years

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The Timeline Project

This is an attempt to sort out the timeline of these books. It is very long.

1992: Eskander locks himself away. Wolfe is born same year or year after. (Smoke and Iron, Annis says Eskander has been locked up for 40 years, Eskander says he locked himself up because he used too much power in an escape attempt “before the child was born.”)

2024: Jess’s brother Liam dies. (Ink and Bone says Jess was 9 when this happened, Liam 17)

2025: 10 year old Jess encounters the ink-licker

Summer 2029: Wolfe invents printing press and is arrested. (Paper and Fire, Wolfe states this happened 3 years ago)

Summer 2030: Wolfe released from prison. (Ink and Bone, Santi says Wolfe was in prison for a year)

Let’s say August (could be anywhere from May-September, considering weather) 2031: Jess takes Library entrance test. Weather is warm and sunny.

Next day train leaves for Alexandria.

Gets to Spain 1 day later.

Remaining duration of train ride unspecified: another day or two?

First lesson morning after arriving in Alexandria.

After one week of classes, Dario steals Jess’s clothes, Khalila asks about Iron Tower.

Next day, Dario loses Codex.

September 2031 (Morgan says she left Oxford a month ago, so if class started in August, she would be arriving in September)

Unspecified time later, Jess gets letter from parents, steals book.

Next day, some students start getting extra classes, Jess uses translation tags.

Next day, still no extra classes for Jess, postulants bicker and play chess.

Next day, Morgan arrives, confiscation training, restraint test.

Next day, whole class lottery, students who didn’t draw tiles dismissed.

3 days later, Thomas first mentions press, class disarms Burner traps.

December 2031 (editing to shift this here, on rereading, Morgan’s arrival doesn’t seem quite as late as I had it before, Jess observes fall weather in France, and we need to make the start of Paper and Fire close to one year after the start of Ink and Bone):

Some time later? Unspecified. Jess catches Morgan doing Obscurist things, tells her about his family.

Next morning, class sent to Oxford.

In Oxford for one day? Winter weather (freezing rain) in Oxford.

Jess spends one day unconscious after being stabbed.

Two more days in Welsh camp.

Next day they drive to London, get on train.

Train crashes that night.

Next morning, Thomas shows them chess automaton (that got there fast - translation?)

Six days in France. Morgan arrested on sixth night.

January 2032

Travel back to Alexandria takes a week or two (according to Google maps, could be longer).

That night, Thomas arrested.

Next morning class graduates.

Total time for Ink and Bone: around 1 week to get to Alexandria, approximately two weeks actually accounted for in Alexandria, 1 day in Oxford, around two-three weeks to get back to Alexandria. Unspecified time gap makes things difficult. Probably reasonable to assume it’s a full semester. Based on weather descriptions in England (edited to add: and France) and time spans given, I’m going to say the main events of the book take place from summer/early fall of 2031 to winter of 2031.

July 2032: Paper and Fire begins 6 months after Ink and Bone. Jess has just spent weeks looking for a book with proof that Thomas is alive. In terms of weather, scorching heat is mentioned, so possibly summer. Let’s be generous with time estimates and say Ink and Bone ended early January this is mid-July. Not quite 7 months, but a bit more than exactly 6.

Next day, training exercise and confrontation with Wolfe and Santi.

Next day, Jess visits Dario and Khalila at Lighthouse, plots with Glain.

August 2032: To make this work with Ash and Quill, let’s say late enough in August that it will be September by the time they get to Philadelphia.

Unspecified number of days pass. Research and scheming happen, Dario and Jess go to tomb of Alexander the Great, fights sphinx.

Middle of next night, Jess and Glain summoned to High Commander, Jess goes to find Brendan.

3 days later, Dario asks Scholar Prakesh to help.

Next day, Scholar Prakesh is killed. Jess goes first looking for Brendan, then to Wolfe, mesmer gets Wolfe’s memories back, Morgan escapes and meets Jess.

Next morning, Jess and Glain assigned to Santi’s company, sent to Rome, fight Burners, meet Dario and Khalila.

That night, kids and Santi meet in atrium, Jess scouts tunnels.

Next morning, they rescue Thomas, Dario captured, rest translate to the Iron Tower

Next day, they find the Black Archives, Artifex shows up with Dario, Black Archives burned, Obscurist Magnus killed after translating the group to London, group meets Brightwell family, go to Serapeum, double crossing and backstabbing occur, group is sent to Philadelphia.

Total time for Paper and Fire: Approximately two weeks. Might be able to stretch that to a month if we interpret that unspecified number of days in Chapter 5 very generously. It’s literally “days passed”, so hard to call it too much more than a week or two. Edit: We are going to have to interpret that unspecified time gap VERY generously. At least this makes Dario’s impatience a bit more logical. There is no other way for this to work with the next book starting in the fall and no time in between. I really, really wish that 6 months wasn’t so clearly and repeatedly stated.

September 2032: Group translates into Philadelphia, put in prison. Season is specifically named as fall in Chapter 2.

Next day, Thomas and Jess meet with Beck, bombardment happens, Santi severely burned, Jess and Thomas visit workshop.

Next day, Santi moved to doctor’s house, Jess and Dario go shopping and scouting.

Unspecified time gap working on press. Chapter 3 ends with shopping, 4 picks up with press 1/3 done. Doesn’t seem to be very long, possibly same day. Students scheme, visit Wolfe and Santi at the doctor’s house and scheme more.

Next day, Jess and Thomas work on press, Morgan and Glain figure out how to make a Codex.

Next day, Glain shows Jess evidence Burners attacked jail, more work on press, Wolfe and Santi visit workshop.

Late that night/early next morning, Morgan makes Codex, Jess contacts Brendan, plans are made, Jess and Thomas demonstrate press, violence happens, group escapes with doctor and a few refugees, Library destroys Philadelphia.

Unspecified time gap while Jess is unconscious. Jess wakes up, talks to lots of people, plans are made, Jess visits Morgan, gets drugged by doctor.

Jess wakes up halfway through next day, party splits from doctor and refugees, encounters Khalila’s cousin, attacked by automaton lions, reprogram lions, board Anit’s ship.

Unspecified time gap on ship. (8-15 days if we’re being historically accurate for a steamship, thanks @thegreatlibraryfangirl)

October 2032

Arrive at the Brightwell castle, awkward family interactions occur, Dario tells Jess about Feast of Greater Burning in 30 days, awkward dinner, Brendan tips Jess off about father’s scheming. Jess sees Morgan’s messed up power. Season is late fall, almost winter.

Next day, suspicious Glain is suspicious, Jess and Thomas work on press, Wolfe joins them, Jess almost robs his mother.

Unspecified time gap. Ray of Apollo is done, press is done. Press will be shown to Callum next day. That night, Jess, Brendan, Anit scheme, Jess tells Morgan.

Two days later, press is demonstrated, strategic betrayal occurs: Jess, Morgan, Wolfe translated to Alexandria, everyone else put on a ship.

Total time for Ash and Quill: Around 1 week in Philadelphia. A couple days in the High Garda camp and traveling. Two weeks approximately on ship. A week or so at the castle in England? Total time: 1 month? Maybe another week or two, at most. Time until Feast of Greater Burning: 20-26 days depending on time at castle.

October 2032

Jess: Chapter 1 begins with Jess in jail 5 days after arriving in Alexandria. It is the anniversary of Liam’s death. Jess “was now older than Liam had ever lived to be”. If Jess turned 17 near the beginning of Ink and Bone, he’s 18 here, and this line works well. If he’s still 17, he’s talking about being older by as little as a few hours. Weather was rainy in England when Liam dies, warm and sunny in Alexandria.

Jess negotiates with Archivist, moved to monitored apartment.

Next day, Spanish ambassador visits Jess, Jess gets message from Morgan in Blank.

Chapter 12 picks up after “a few long days”. Jess’s apartment is searched, Jess is taken to Archivist for questioning, hypnotized by Elsinore Quest on the way to think he really is Brendan, gets sent to raid smuggler’s house. Goes home, takes a 2-hour nap, wakes up and remembers he’s Jess.

Early the next morning, Jess goes to the Colosseum, sees automaton workshop, including dragon being built, saves Archivist from assassination attempt.

Unspecified time gap. Must be same day as Chapter 21. Chapter 25 begins with Jess sending messages to smugglers. He discovers Burners have press, tells Spanish messenger he thinks executions will be moved up, raids Burner house with High Garda and finds press, sees dragon, taken to Archivist to meet up with Brendan and Wolfe, rescued by Santi’s soldiers, party reunites, Jess runs off with Brendan, goes to Red Ibrahim, Anit kills Red Ibrahim.

Chapter 34 begins right after Chapter 28. Anit brings Jess and Brendan to smugglers, plans to attack Feast of Greater Burning.

Khalila: Chapter 3 begins with Khalila, Glain, Thomas, Dario, and Santi on the ship heading for Alexandria. Bit of googling says the trip from England to Alexandria would be 1-2 weeks depending on speed, weather. The weather is stormy, so probably more like two weeks. They’re probably about halfway there when the chapter begins since they’re near Spain. Very cold weather. Khalila mentions “we’ve already been delayed”. Let’s say we’re starting 1 week after Ash and Quill here.

Khalila gets details of plan from Dario, plots with Santi.

Probably same day, possible time gap here just because it isn’t specified that it’s the same day, Khalila talks to Anit. That night, sailors try and fail to kill Glain.

Late that night/early next morning, Khalila wakes up, finds everyone in Santi’s room. They’re off the coast of Portugal near the Strait of Gibraltar, less than a day before they’re past Cadiz. Thomas, Glain and Khalila make weapons, group takes Anit hostage and seizes ship.

Unspecified time gap. Chapter 16 begins with Khalila in Cadiz writing letters to dead sailors’ families. Dario complains about how long they’ve been waiting, could be hours or days since he says it takes the king hours to get there from Madrid. King comes to take them to Madrid, they detour to Cadiz Serapeum. Rainy weather, warmer than it was on the ship but still cold. Khalila gets into the Serapeum, negotiates with Scholar Murasaki.

Unspecified time gap. Chapter 29 picks up shortly after Jess and Brendan run off in Chapter 28, still same day as 21 and 25. Khalila, Dario, and Glain go to the Lighthouse with letters from Wolfe to recruit Scholars. Dario is captured.

Wolfe: Chapter 7 begins the day Wolfe is put back in jail. He’s pretty much out of his mind at first, so we may be able to play with the timeline (was he messed up enough to miss that he was there longer than a day before pulling himself together? Says he “had gone a little mad”, but it’s his POV, and he’d downplay it).

Second day, Wolfe discovers Khalila’s brother is in the cell next to his, starts mapping prison, encounters Troll, who Zara has sent as a spy.

Unknown time gap. Wolfe wakes up at night to find the Artifex outside his cell. Artifex threatens to torture Santi if Wolfe doesn’t kill himself in 3 days. Is Artifex expecting Anit’s ship in 3 days? That would place Chapter 8 somewhere after Chapter 6.

Unspecified time gap. In chapter 20, Wolfe has his fellow prisoners organized, but mental health is getting worse. Mysterious Qualls appearance happens.

Next morning, Khalila’s father about to be taken for questioning, Wolfe volunteers to go instead, plans to “lie” that Brendan is Jess.

Chapter 31 picks up right after Khalila, Glain, and Dario leave. Wolfe, Santi and Zara talk tactics, Wolfe and Santi talk about prison and make suicide pact, Khalila and Glain come back without Dario.

Morgan: Chapter 9 picks up right after Morgan gets to Alexandria. She is taken to the Iron Tower. In her first 4 days there, she tries and fails to escape her room, sends a message to Jess (does he receive this first one? Probably not?).

After 5 days, she meets with Gregory, is drugged.

Next day, Morgan wakes up, meets Annis, messes with wards to turn off listening scripts, goes to work copying scripts and sneaks message to Jess, Gregory kills an Obscurist to threaten her.

Chapter 22 picks up weeks after Chapter 11. Morgan figures out she’s being drugged, Annis uses mesmer skills to get cooks to stop drugging Morgan. They get crystals, Morgan links the crystals, needs to kill part of the garden for power.

Probably same day, but unspecified, so possible time gap. Morgan and Annis go to air-circulation hub, throw crystal to Eskander, talk him into meeting them. He gets their collars off.

Unspecified time gap. Probably not long, might be same day as Chapter 24. Chapter 32 begins with Morgan and Annis looking for information. Morgan uses Scribes to find what Eskander needs, Eskander fixes Morgan’s power problems.

Next morning, Gregory drugs Morgan to bring her to Feast of Greater Burning.

November 2032 (has to go into November here somewhere, no idea exactly where):

Feast of Greater Burning: All happens in one day. Thomas makes Rays of Apollo, Thomas, Glain, Khalila and Wolfe kill dragon, everyone runs into the trap in the Colosseum, Morgan and Dario thrown in after them, Obscurists show up with Eskander, Morgan kills Gregory, Zara kills Brendan, Archivist and Curia run away, elections happen.

Total time for Smoke and Iron: 3-4 weeks. Jess’s chapters have about a week actually accounted for, plus some unspecified gaps. Khalila’s only got a couple days accounted for, lots of gaps. Wolfe’s the same. Morgan gives us the most reliable time estimates with her time gap specified as weeks. As of the end of Ash and Quill we had around 3-4 weeks until the Feast of Greater Burning, so this fits with that timeline. Chronological order would be Wolfe’s first two chapters, then Morgan’s, then Jess, then Khalila, probably Jess again, then Khalila again, then everything else happens over the course of a couple days leading up to the Feast of Greater Burning.

Total series time: Somewhere around September 2031-November 2032. All months and seasons are guesstimates based on weather descriptions. A little over a year. Could be as little as under a year or as much as a year and a half depending on where you want to say Ink and Bone begins.

Character ages: Jess is 16 at the beginning and could be as old as 18 in Smoke and Iron if he turns 17 during Ink and Bone, before the presumably long time gap there. Let’s say he has a late September/early October birthday. Morgan is 16 in Ink and Bone, between 17 and 18 in Smoke and Iron depending on when her birthday is. Wolfe, again, depending on exact birth date, is around 38-39 in Ink and Bone, 40 in Smoke and Iron. If the estimate of his age in “Stormcrow” is accurate, and depending on exact birth date, Santi is 38-40 in Ink and Bone, 40-41 in Smoke and Iron. No other characters’ ages are specifically stated.

#the great library #series timeline

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whence-the-woody · 3 years

Text

2020

I used to do big, reflective summaries of my year and even tho I am feeling reflective today, I wasn’t able to do that last year and I actually really like the format I went with last year of just listing memz so I’m going wih that. Intention review etc will be in another post. So, my 2020 memories:

Jan

Gearing up to leave a job I hated, packing up my life to move away properly for the first time. Going flat hunting with my mum and my brother and having a literal choice of one

I did Home which I dont really remember so it was probably fine

This was the month the Gallavich wedding aired and gaslit me into believing there was still anything positive about that show/ship. Tbf at the time I was LIVING for it

Cinema kick with Mum including CATS. What a moment.

Feb

Last day at said crappy job (just weird and awks. I didnt really know how to feel) and starting a new one - everyone was so lovely from the off and even tho I was bored at times I was optimistic

Staying with my brother for a few days, him helping me move in which was all very nice.

My flat having no hot water for the first week - I only cried about it once. And me having nothing but an air bed for 3 weeks. Not ideal but grateful to have amenities and furniture by the end of the month

I think this was both kareoke night for one persons birthday and a 90s party for another - both excellent nights

People were talking about COVID by the end of the month but I was like pfft we’ve been here before with swine and bird flu, it’ll be all hyped up then go nowhere

I think I was getting my first allocations by the end of the month which I was grateful for because going from an insane workload to none at all was tricky and I wanted to get going

March

Oh March 2020. How we did not see you coming.

Before the lockdown even happened I remember people were panic buying. I stocked my freezer a bit, not because I was worried but because so many shelves were empty. All the shops starting looking apocalyptic and I was despairing over how silly everyone was being. You couldn’t get online shops anymore and there was no loo roll to be found - still think thats just so dumb. I had to go to 4 different stores to find oats and was so annoyed, weird little tidbit but I remember it.

I remember sitting down on my new furniture - eating a meal I had made, watching John Mulaney and feeling good in my new home - and seeing the Boris announcement. Other countries had already locked down so I had mentioned to my manager that I might have to go home to my Mums if it happened here - she had asked, I didn’t really believe it would. I had arranged for a friend to visit that month and when she cancelled I was like I think everyones being dramatic but okay. Then the 23rd, they announced a lockdown from midnight and I straight away messaged everyone to say I was panicking, asked my manager if I could leave and packed to drive back to Mum’s the next morning. I was in my flat about 6 weeks.

I know for a fact that March felt like the longest month to ever happen but now I cant remember anything else from it - the announcement was so late in the month, I wasn’t working from Mum’s for that long before April. I think we were told to WFH if we could mid-month but I didn’t. Cant for the life of me now think why it felt so long. I know for those last 2 weeks I was refreshing the news constantly to see what was happening. I was still skeptical and thought the numbers were too low for such drama

April

WFH for real. Excruciating daily calls “to check in”. Working my first cases from home, only on the phone, with no idea what I was doing. Taking turns wearing headphone with Mum because we were both having confidential conversations.

Walking my pup to get my alloted hour of exercise. Taking regular breaks to go outside - I think this was when there was a heatwave. Eating lunch outside. Sometimes doing weights or yoga during my lunch break - that part was actually pretty great

Discovering podcasts - especially FDRF. They were the real MVP.

Still constantly checking the news for updates. 3 weeks turned into 6 and so on and so on.

I came back to my flat for one of the long weekends. I had accepted that it was going to be longer then 3 weeks and I needed more stuff. I went for a very hot walk through a ghost town - at the time it still seemed like there were too many people about. Still picnics in the park happening.

Everyone flinching when they say each other and steering well clear. It made you feel tainted even though its what we were suppossed to do.

Clapping for carers - absolute bullshit placating, hated it.

Always being left off the list of keyworkers.

Still feeling like yeah its bad but ?? This cant go on forever

A year of build up to a move then the rug was pulled out from under me, I tried not to complain because others had it so so much worse but it was hard. Is hard.

We watched all of Location, all of Marvel, Bake off etc etc. I cried when Tony Stark died.

I went back through my ENTIRE tumblr. I realised how little had changed really, it was very existential.

May

I had to come back to my new city because I was on a duty rota for 2 weeks. I was actually very excited and had a good time. I got to see people IRL!! Including some I was working with. It was definately a heatwave at that point - we were swealtering in our cars and full PPE but I was so glad to be out and about and back in the city. Putting a face and proper clothes on again was very weird

I dont remember anything else from May specifically. I think March and April lasted 10 years but then May June July were a blink. I think I had accepted how bad everything was by that point, I had stopped looking at the News for updates. I think this is where zoom started to be a thing maybe.

June

Honestly not a clue. I was between My place and Mum’s because of the duty rota. I don’t think I came back FT until end of June. I know things were starting to open up again and it was all moving far too fast - I definately wasnt going to run out to the gym or pub but alot of people were. We were suppossed to go on holiday for a week this month, with my brother and the dogs but obvs that was cancelled - it was such a lovely place as well, shame.

Yoga was still random but I did a weight workout every day this month which was great

July

Turning 25. I was definately back in the city FT, going back into work. My Mum came to stay in my place for the first time. My brother came over too. We went for a walk, had a picnic in the rain then ate cake back at mine. My Mum got me a microwave for my birthday because Im AN ADULT

For my birthday also me and my Mum watched Hamilton for the first time. This then took over my entire life and was played at all hours of the day

Kept going with daily weight workouts, moved up another set. I think this is where I re-did Revolution

August

Ready to start socialising again. More restrictions were being lifted too quickly which I knew but also I had to GTFO

A friend came to stay with me for the weekend. Hes not very mobile so we couldnt do much - went for a short walk into town, sat by the river and got severely sunburned. We went to a restaurant for the first time in 6 months - I had pancakes. I made him watch Hamilton which he did not appreciate enough. Also watched Truman show for the first time while eating burritos - what a mindfuck that movie is I mean really

Went for a very long very hot walk with a friend all around the fields surrounding the city. We stopped for a drink and cake halfway, more drinks were then had in her garden. This was our first time hanging out alone and it was really lovely, we spent much more time together after that. Shes probably who Ive seen the most this year.

A couple of weeks after that we went for bottomless brunch, followed by I think 3 or 4 other bars. The joys of getting day drunk.

I think this was the month I started using friend/dating apps and got OBSESSED. They’re just so silly and judgey and fun, I love it.

My 6 month tenancy ran out which I chose to renew. I started negotiations with my landlord for a pet agreement.

I think this is where I re-did Dedicate. I think weight workouts fell off a little bit because I was pretty busy. Instead of running started doing 3 walks a week which was nice.

September

First time hanging out with more then one person - did a Hamilton viewing party with 4 of us. There were american themed snacks, it was great. Not a boozy night which was needed. I think I then went for coffee with 2 of the girls this month.

First time meeting up with 2 girls I met on an app - I’m still friendly with one, not the other. It was mostly a good time and I’m very proud to have done it but then drunken politics came up and it got AWKWARD.

Nagging and nagging and nagging my landlord until she signed the pet agreement and LET ME GET A CAT

My obsession with apps was replaced with a cat shelter/app obsession. It was very frustrating because I wanted to rescue and they make it very hard so I eventually found a for sale ad and contacted them - it was a rescue though as far as I’m concerned, she was in a horrible situation for an “owner” who had no clue and had only had her for a couple weeks before giving up and putting her up for sale. I rescued her okay. I think it was 3 or 4 weeks after getting agreement that I went to pick her up. So getting everything ready for her was a big part of this month

I did manage to fit in a 5 day holiday. It was suppossed to be solo travel abroad but ended up being a Mon-Fri with family. We did some NT walks it was nice.

Then it was literally that weekend my brother drove me to Wales to pick up my new fur baby. Instantly fell in love obviously and my whole life became about her from that point on. They told me she was really timid and scared, she had been hiding in her current place, but I was so impressed with how curious and confident she is. She was wary at first, a bit flinchy, didnt like being petted with 2 hands, didnt like loud noises, wouldnt come on the bed or sofa, wouldnt come into the living room really. I put child locks on alot of doors but shes not mischivous so its never really been an issue. She loved to play from the get go and did come to me for a fuss from day one. I adore her basically. The first time she jumped on the sofa, sat next me on the bed, slept on my bed, let me stroke her with 2 hands, her first vet trip, every little first and win has always been a massive victory, Im a v proud mama. She was no name for a few days but quickly somehow became my Myshka (the whole long list I had went quickly out the window somehow)

Did some more regular yoga. Tried to do 5 weight workout a week but it was a bit random. Walks fell off because of anxiety over leaving the cat.

October

Alot of WFH to be with the cat. Definately obsessed.

We had our team day on a farm, that was lovely

Saw my friend for Halloween - watched Hocus Pocus for the first time, had cocktails, watched a boring horror movie then Rocky Horror which is just exceptional. Lockdown 2.0 was announced but we were tipsy and over it.

A very stressful month work-wise, lots of deadline, threat of Ofsted, management changes, admin changes, not getting enough sleep because work stress and struggling with productivity. My health suffered a bit too because I didnt have time for lunchtime exercise anymore.

November

Technically there was a lockdown but it felt no different because everyone was still in school and work, I dont think people even tried this time.

The election, refreshing the results constantly. I fully expected a T win and was happy when he didnt but still disappointed at how close it was, as was everyone

I bought my first Christmas tree and my own decs. Christmas shopping obvs.

I downloaded Tiktok and started to question far too much about my identity. its ongoing.

Most important was SUPERNATURAL. I had alot of feelings, it was an absolute rollercoaster my god. What a time to be alive that was.

A couple of outside coffees in the park which is always nice. I went to a new friend’s house for tea and met their dog, also nice.

I did a SV for the first time in a very long time and it reminded me of everything I used to hate about my old job, so happy to have left there

Test weekend taking the cat to stay with the family dogs, she did great, shes a champ

December

Pretty standard Christmas month. Had a christmas movie night with themed snacks and hot chocolate with one friend. Had another friend come for the day to do the same - first time I had seen her in a year after 3 cancellations, that was very lovely

Constant restriction changes and crappy government pissing me off but it didnt affect my plans luckily

All the Tier 2, Face Hands Space signs feeling very dystopian

Brother’s 30th plans got cancelled coz COVID. Back up NYE plans got cancelled got COVID. Actual NYE was fine tho the normal show/song/crowd was cancelled coz of course COVID

OVERALL

Not so good shit

I mean the whole thing in general yknow

Alot of plans couldn’t go ahead - various groups I wanted to join, a new gym, more nights out with more people, more chances to meet new people ETC

My diet has been an inconsistet shit show BUT TFB there were months where you couldnt predict what was going to be on the shelves, you couldnt get orders and the whole world felt so pointless and dark like why even care about that shit yknow

My exercise also wasnt consistent though I dont feel too bad about it. I was always doing something I feel like even if it was just walking

Ive ended the year with the same amount of savings I started with which isnt exactly bad since I moved and furnished a flat and got a new pet but it isnt great

I hate WFH with a burning passion and im worried the world has accepted that as a new normal and im not okay with it

None of this shit is over yknow

Just a general hopelessness is the face of big world things yknow. Theres really nothing we can do about it, just gotta ride that wave and vote when ya can

No travel - I had such plans!!

Good shit

My new fur baby who I love and adore beyond sanity

Starting a good job in a great city with lovely people

Growing so much in confidence because Fuck it, everything is pointless anyway and theres no point in planning or caring so imma just do me

Exploring so much of who I am through new relationships, my own environment, little things like exploring my style, picking up old hobbies, trying new routines and habits

Strengthening some friendships and maintaining others despite the insane obstacles

Maintaining a positive relationship with My Mum in particular, and my whole family

Trying new things in my new city. Still managing nights out, a somewhat proper birthday and a short trip

No actual mental breakdowns which this year feels like a win. My mental health is actually in such a better place then it was this time last year. The job was killing me, thank fuck I got out when I did

I redid more then 1 30 day programs and did 2 straight months of weights

My family, friends and I are all safe and well

Music of the year:

Hamilton

An awful lot of Panic!

Anyone - DL

Partition (idk dont question me)

Basically alot of drama while trying to hold on to both my emo and club days - fuck I miss clubbing yall. I dont even like clubbing.

Media of the year:

I should acknowledge Shameless even though I came full circle on it and have now fully abandoned the whole thing and prefer my own AU where Milkoviches get what they deserve

Schitts Creek

Supernatural

Hamilton obvs

Marvel technically, it was alot of hours

Staged

Derry Girls

Pose

The Old Guard

Pride - which is not new but we watched it on Christmas eve and I cried in my mums lap okay

Ship of the year has to be Destiel I mean standing ovation for that rage inciting moment followed by a solid month of absolute chaotic good, it was glorious in its destruction.

2021 INTENTIONS TO FOLLOW

#new years #late as ever

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borggolf · 4 years

Text

2019: The Year of the Shoulder

My 2019 golf season will hopefully be known as the year of the bad shoulder. I say hopefully because I’m hopeful that it will not be quite as bad in 2020. My right shoulder started bothering me in the spring of 2018, but not to the point where it affected my golf game until June of last year.

I started 2019 with my typical itch to play right away. Having managed to get in two 18 hole rounds one warm weekend in December, the itch wasn’t bad enough that I felt the need to play the simulator. But during a business trip to Michigan in February, I remembered to bring a few clubs along and found an indoor driving range. Another month would pass before I got to swing again, but I jumped into the deep end as soon as the temperature got above 45 degrees. I played five rounds the last week of March, four of which were 18-holes. My scores were terrible, but I was just happy to be out playing again.

[Pelicans near the 12th green at Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort in March]

I continued playing as often as I could in April, only one time out of 15 rounds playing less than 18. Once in a while I would challenge myself by playing the blue tees. Often this was a mistake, but I did manage one respectable round from the blues at Hawk’s View, which is no small feat. In May I played even more rounds, but my game started going all over the place. I would sometimes score insanely well on one nine and horrifically on the other.

After being humbled by the tough nine holes at Forest Point up north, my game finally turned the corner and I started posting more respectable scores on a consistent basis. I even shot my best Blackhawk (Janesville) nine ever in mid-June with a +4 using my backup Walter Hagen clubs (because my Pings were being re-gripped). During the month of June I golfed 5 or 6 days a week. But the last weekend of the month, everything fell apart.

[turkeys crossing the fairway at Atwood-Homestead in Rockton, IL]

I was playing Glen Erin and shot pretty decent on the front nine. About halfway through the back, I began shanking everything. Anyone that’s golfed with me knows that isn’t all that out of the ordinary, but I couldn’t pull myself together as my drives kept getting worse on every hole. By hole 18 I was ready to just pick up my ball and go home. Determined to avenge that round, I went back to Glen Erin the next day. Once again, I played the front decently. But I fell apart again on the back, even earlier this time. I realized that the problem was likely physical rather than mental, acknowledging that the right shoulder that had been giving me discomfort for over a year had finally caught up to me.

[damn near an eagle from 110yds in the rain; hole 1 at Glen Erin]

I took a week off from golf. This was particularly difficult for me, having been accustomed to playing at least 5 days a week. My first round back was at Hartford, a new course to me. It took me half of the front nine to shake the rust off, but once I was finally going again I shot great. The next day I was humbled badly at Geneva National, as it often can do to me...but I didn’t feel like the shoulder was an issue. I backed off a little for the rest of the year, only playing 3-4 days a week. Yes, I understand how that sounds crazy to someone that doesn’t golf everyday, but to me it was like trying to wean an addiction.

My scores began dropping again, but I couldn’t get my shoulder soreness off of my mind. It was always there to remind me of my June implosion. By this time I was popping ibuprofen like candy, hoping that the issue wasn’t something permanent or would require surgery. I had a hard time enjoying my improved rounds, even when shooting my best 18 of the year at Brighton Dale of all places (+10).

[I drove the green on hole 4, a blind short par-4 at Towne Country Club]

Toward the end of August I played a new course to me, Timber Pointe in Poplar Grove, IL. I started pretty rough, but mid-round I found my stride and managed to par 9 straight holes. On hole 18, I shanked my drive terribly in the same fashion that I was playing at Glen Erin in June. I felt like I needed to rest the shoulder again, but I had a coupon to play Coachman’s with my Dad that expired the next day. This ended up being an awful mistake as the shoulder went out on me by the 5th hole. The rest of the round was just a slog of shanked drives and diminishing distance. That Thursday I attempted to play in league but it was more of the same problems.

I took two weeks off of golf at the beginning of September. By this time I’d made an appointment for an MRI and a Cortisone shot (which didn’t help). My first round back, I shot a great nine despite the increasing shoulder pain. That weekend I played 18 and was awful. The following week was our annual league scramble for prizes, and my partner picked me up on every one of my bad shots, leading us to win the scramble!

[Juvenile eagle perched above the 12th tee box, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn]

I attempted 3 more rounds in late September and October, all of which were regrettable even after 3 weeks of rest. At this point my shoulder hurt so badly I had trouble sleeping. A second Cortisone shot (in a different muscle) and several weeks of physical therapy made some improvement for the pain. I continued massage/ultrasonic therapy for a month in January. In March I went back to the doctor to discuss the possibility of surgery, but decided that I would wait until the fall or winter to minimize disruption of my golf season. This ended up being a bad decision...or perhaps a fortunate one.

While I was kicking myself for not getting the surgery earlier in the year not knowing that I would be sheltering at home during a pandemic through much of April, the shoulder has significantly improved in the six months without swinging a golf club. I still experience a small amount of pain with some movements of my arm, but nowhere near what I was experiencing in the fall. I’ve considered taking the entire 2020 season off to allow full healing without the need for surgery (which would likely save me thousands out of pocket). I probably will continue to golf despite better judgement, but I’ll have to learn to only play no more than 2 or 3 rounds a week.

[driving range in Farmington Hills, MI during a severe thunderstorm warning]

And now my favorite part of looking back on my past golf season, STATS! It’s a coincidence that I played exactly the same number of 18-hole rounds in 2019 as I did in 2018 (77), but I played fewer 9-hole rounds. My total greens fees paid was significantly lower than 2018’s ($1742 vs $2582), mostly due to taking advantage of vouchers, coupons, and online deals, as well as playing more rounds at Lake Lawn with my membership. I’d also spent a lot less on equipment. I obviously didn’t need any new clubs after purchasing almost an entire set last year, but I did buy a new bag and a shitload of gloves when they were on sale.

[hole 16 at Towne Country Club in Edgerton, WI]

I played fewer courses in 2019, only trying out six new ones: Coachman’s, Big Foot Country Club, Hidden Greens North (Solon Springs, WI), Koshkonong Mounds, Hartford, and Timber Pointe. The only course that impressed me was Timber Pointe, but Hidden Greens North was fairly nice for an up-north 18-hole course. Koshkonong and Hartford were both decent enough that I’d play them again if the opportunity arose, but Big Foot CC is completely overrated and Coachman’s was disappointing.

[Big Foot Country Club in Fontana, WI]

My favorite courses played last year, in order, were: Morningstar, Thunderhawk, Broadlands, Hawk’s View, Glen Erin (despite the terrible rounds), Wanaki, and Brighton Dale. I couldn’t include Geneva National or Abbey Springs because I’ve never shot well at either, although they are quite gorgeous courses. My most frequently visited course (besides Lake Lawn) was Prairie Woods.

[Morningstar in Waukesha County, WI]

The pain I experienced with my shoulder last year was nothing compared to the anguish that resulted from some of my terrible rounds, however my handicap did manage to go down throughout most of the year. I also broke personal course records at four 18-hole courses and three 9-hole courses. I’ve started to keep track of my dad’s handicap. He’s become much more excited to golf with me in the past few years as he continues to improve. And the best news of all: I didn’t break any clubs.

[I had to putt around the sprinklers on hole 14, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn]

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grazianosportsreviewgroup · 5 years

Text

Final Non-Fiction Essay

Ron Graziano

Nonfiction Expository Essay

2/12/19

Damaged Petals

As I got out of my dad’s Jeep, and stepped into the frigid Chicago weather in the middle of December, I started on the all too familiar two block walk from the parking lot to the entrance of the United Center. Tonight at the U.C. the Bulls would be hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Halfway into my walk I stopped to notice my surroundings; to my left, and only a few miles away, the magnificent Chicago Skyline gleams in the darkness. A city that was once burnt to the ground and since built up bigger and better than ever. The skyline is something more than simply pleasing to look at, to a true Chicagoan it carries with it a message of hard work, possibility, and success. Even with living in or near the city my entire life, every time I see the skyline it still gives me goosebumps. Then I turned to my right and looked down the opposite direction on Madison street. What I see is the beginning of a much darker more sinister side of the great city, only a few blocks down, start the gang infested projects of Chicago.

It’s no secret that Chicago’s west and south sides are home to some of the most dangerous street gangs in America. According to Forbes, “Since 2001, Chicago has experienced 7,916 murders (as of September 06, 2016). The number of Americans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was 2,384 and 4,504 respectively since 2001.”(McCarthy Niall). Due to this extreme violence in the city, Chicago is referred to by many as Chiraq. As you can imagine growing up on these streets, simply surviving day to day can be difficult, let alone trying to better yourself and family with these disastrous circumstances. However, again right smack in between these two drastically different sides of the city sits the United Center. Acting as a secret portal for a very select few of lucky individuals to move from one side of the city to the other; from poverty and violence to success and fame. How do you access this secret portal, it's quite simple, be one of the best basketball players in the world.

Tonight one of Chiraq’s own, Derrick Rose, would be returning to the United Center with vengeance and in hopes to prove he still deserves access to the secret portal and the success and recognition that is awarded on the other side. As unlike many, as quick as Derrick was able to use his freakish athletic ability and talent to reach the portal, it closed on him due to numerous devastating injuries that left him no longer able to perform at the same level. Derrick’s return ladies and gentleman is why myself and a fair amount of die hard Bulls fans decided to come out to the United Center on this cold December night.

Let’s first rewind 10 years and go back to the 2008 NBA draft, and when the portal first opened for Rose: “With the 1st pick in the 2008 NBA draft the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.” (David Stern). It was the perfect story, almost too good to be true, at a less than a 1% chance the kid from streets of Englewood Chicago and best player in the 2008 NBA draft class would be coming home to save the struggling Bulls. Ever since the end of the Michael Jordan era the Bulls couldn't seem to get over the hump of mediocracy, now there was a newfound sense of hope in the organization and the city of Chicago. This hope soon turned into a strong sense of belief after Rose lived up to all of the hype and then some, seemingly unguardable off the dribble due to his elusiveness and freakish athletic ability he easily claimed rookie of the year his first season and then at the age of 22 became the youngest MVP in NBA history, while carrying the bulls to the conference championship series for the first time since MJ. Arguably quicker than anyone before his time, Derrick gained tremendous fame, recognition, and financial benefits. However as quick as the game of basketball brought all this Success Derrick’s way it was all taken away equally as fast.

Fast forward to the playoffs of the 2011/2012 season, and we see the beginning of the closing of the portal for Derrick. In round 1, game 1 against the 76ers with 2 minutes left, and the Bulls up 12 points, Derick jumped up on a routine drive to the basket, coming down awkward on his knee and then hitting the ground: "Rose came down bad on his left foot, holding on to his knee, holding on to his knee and down!” (Broadcaster). The days following the injury the entire city of Chicago held its collective breath hoping the injury would be diagnosed as mere sprain. However, the devastating news would arise that the reigning MVP had torn his ACL. The heartbreaking fact is that Rose had absolutely no control over the injury; a torn ACL is a freak injury that can happen to anyone at any time. Rose would miss the entire next season, however he remained strong throughout the recovery process and pledged to come back bigger and better than ever; the portal would remain open for Derrick upon his return.

My family and I entered the stadium and found our seats, right before the player introductions. The Minnesota Timberwolves being the visiting team were announced first. Rose’s name is announced and a fair amount of fans paid their respect and clapped for their former MVP; nothing compared to the support during his MVP caliber years. The game starts and Rose wastes little time, quickly impressing on his once home court. After dishing out a few pretty dimes, Rose then scored his first point of the game attacking the hoop getting knocked off guard by the defender and somehow getting a fade away floater to fall from what seemed like behind the backboard. An amazing finish from one of the leagues once best finishers.

After Rose sat out an entire year due to rehab for his torn ACL, Rose would return back to game action in the 2013/2014 season; Unfortunately this return wouldn’t last as long as he’d hope. Only a few months into the season Rose would suffer another devastating torn ligament in his knee; this time tearing the meniscus in his right knee. While not as bad of an injury as the ACL, Rose would still be put in the I/R and not return for the remainder of the 2013/2014 season. Now, with two torn major ligaments in less than two years suffered by a player who predominantly relies on his freakish athletic ability and quickness, many were wondering if the league's youngest MVP would be able to return to the same level of play. Knowing these devastating injuries may inhibit Derrick’s future ability to successfully perform, the question now becomes, how much longer should/can management and Bulls fans afford to leave the portal open for Rose.

Later in the first quarter Rose continued his dominant play by sifting through the entire Bulls defense and going up and over Chicago big man Lauri Markedden. Already, Rose had penetrated the paint and scored 3 times, and it started to feel as if someone had turned back the clocks to the old D-Rose Bulls fans used to watch on a nightly basis at the U.C.

Now in the 2014/2015 season Rose and the Bulls would be in must-win mode after having 3 lost seasons due to injury. However, mid way through the season the unthinkable happened: Rose suffered a slight tear in the same meniscus he tore last season. He would return later in the season, however Chicago would only make it past 1 round of the playoffs. After a mediocre following season where Bulls missed the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, the Bulls would proceed to trade Rose to the Knicks; giving up on their once hometown hero, and believed to be next coming of Jordan. In New York, Rose would now have to attempt to access an even more inpenentral portal called the Madison Square Garden.

Still in the first quarter and Rose is absolutely showing out. Rose off the dribble during transition pulls up for a mid range jumper and banks it in off the glass; a shot he didn't have before the injuries and that he was able to develop during his time spent in rehab. Then Rose absolutely blew by Kris Dunn, point guard on the bulls, for an easy teardrop layup, giving him 8 first quarter points. With Rose leading the Wolves to an 11 point lead after the first quarter many fans in the stadium seemed to increasingly care less about the state of their struggling Bulls, because of the amazing show their former MVP was putting on.

Now playing for the Knicks, Rose struggles out of the gate only showing flashes of his old self, however considering the change of scenery and injuries he’s had to deal with this was expected. Finally, against all odds, in the second half of the season Rose began to adjust and started playing at a high level again, averaging 18 points a game. In April however, Rose would tear the meniscus in his other (left) knee. Again knocking him out for the remainder of the season, and not only striking doubt in his athletic ability upon return but whether or not he could/should even continue playing the game considering the beating his knees had taken in such a short amount of time.

In the second half Rose picked up right where he left off. After posting 14 first half points Rose started off the 3rd quarter knocking down a contested three; the 3 point shot being another newly developed aspect in Rose’s game. After hitting this shot you got the sense that Rose wasn’t just playing to get the win for the Wolves but he wanted to put on a show for his old city and prove to everyone who doubted him, everyone that counted him out, he still has it. Could Rose do the impossible and potentially re-open the portal after it had been seemingly closed for good by the Bulls organization and their fans?

Now in the 2017/2018 season, the portal in New York closes and Rose is forced to search for another organization to give him a chance. Rose ended up reaching a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, however one that would significantly decrease the benefits on the other side of the portal. The former MVP of the league from only 5 seasons ago, would just make 2.1 million on a comical 1 year deal, where a starting role wouldn’t be guaranteed. Rose’s stint with the Cavaliers would end up being a complete trainwreck; Rose would reach rock bottom of his basketball career in Cleveland. He hardly played for the team due to more injuries, and even ended up stepping away from the team for an extended period of time to consider retirement. Later in the season he ends up returning to be traded to the jazz and then immediately dropped. At this point the story of Rose’s career is perceived to be all but written; a player with once one of the greatest potentials and raw talents in NBA history whose career would be unfortunately cut short due to a plethora of horrible knee injuries. The portal is now closed by all NBA organizations as rose is now regarded as a washed up player with no value/ability. However, near the end of the season Rose is given a 10 day contract by the Timberwolves.

Now in the 4th quarter with the Timberwolves up 17 points on the Bulls, Rose scored his final bucket of the game and boy was it a memorable one. Rose put a nasty spin move on Kris Dunn allowing him to get to the rim, where he somehow managed to make the layup while being hacked by a help defender, displaying his famous ability to take a hit and contort his body in mid air all while having the strength, focus, and soft touch to finish the layup. As Bulls broadcaster Stacy King used to describe him in his MVP days: ‘Too big, too strong, too fast, too good!’.

At the line something truly amazing happened, some Bulls fans began giving rose the M.V.P. chant, and before you knew it every fan still in attendance, joined in and was yelling M.V.P. M.V.P. M.V.P… Rose, gave a quick smile to his once hometown crowd and drained the free throw. Rose now realizing that the portal that he once used almost on a nightly basis to bring all his success and fortune was successfully reopened for one more night.

Whether or not Rose can consistently play at this level, and like the player he once was before the injuries is anyone's guess. However what we do know is in an effort to regain recognition, Derrick will never give up and stop striving to be the best basketball player in the world, as this very dream is what awarded him his success. While as rewarding and lucrative this dream is for Rose and anyone who has the ability to utilize the sports portal to gain success, it is important to remember that if one does not possess the increasingly difficult abilities they will never be granted access in the first place, and arguably worse, like in Rose’s case it can easily close due to uncontrollable/external factors. In the words of Tupac Shakur: “We wouldn't ask why a rose that grew from the concrete (had) damaged petals, in turn, we would all celebrate its tenacity, we would all love its will to reach the sun, well, we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals, don’t ask me why, thank god, and ask me how.” (Tupac Shakur) Due to the unpredictability and lack of security in the current available options for the ‘how’, maybe it’s time we start asking why.

Citations

McCarthy, Niall. “Homicides In Chicago Eclipse U.S. Death Toll In Afghanistan And Iraq.”

Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 8 Sept. 2016.

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triathlol · 6 years

Text

Agony in Akron

Introduction

youtube

On Memorial Day weekend, I went on a casual run with my younger sister, Erin, who had just recently returned to running.

ME: “Hey, I was thinking, what about a fall half marathon?”

ERIN: “Oh yeah that sounds good. But I was thinking a full.”

ME: “Okay, sure.”

That was it. Really. After blowing up at the Rock n Roll marathon in March, agonizing over the stupidity of the distance, writing about it, and telling everyone I knew that it was a worthless enterprise, I just signed up for another. No one begged me to do it. I wasn’t tricked into thinking that I needed another shot. I just forgot everything about the stupid sport and ran it back.

This is the story that marathon, the last of which I will ever run.

Preparation

I have never had a more consistent training block for any race I’ve ever entered.

Those incomprehensible moving dots are my strava training log from mid June up to the race. I missed only a few workouts, and averaged many more miles per week than I did in the last rodeo. I ran on vacation. I ran hungover. I ran fast. I ran slow. I cancelled plans to run. I made up plans to cancel other plans so I could run. After half-assing the marathon prep in March,I decided I would go all in on this one. There were no other races on the horizon for 2018, so this was it, baby.

Raceday

Erin with the patented nervous chewing of the fingernails

Your guide, Sister, and Mom.

Fuck yeah let’s do this. After crushing the training, the taper, and enjoying some first class pre-race hospitality courtesy of my Mom, I was prepared. I was calm. There were some normal jitters, but otherwise I was completely ready for the race. I planned when I would take my GU’s. I even had Instagram captions on hand.

It was still dark when the gun went off at 7AM, and the temperature was in the 50s. Not much humidity, and not much sun. The weather was ideal for a career day.

And for a while, it felt like that was gonna be the way this all went down. The plan was to run with the 3:35 pacer (~8:10 per mile), but that dude vanished before we hit the 5K mark. He literally used the first set of porta-johns and broke up the group of 15 people running with him. RIP. Erin and I tried to stick to that pace, but we fucked it up.

That’s too fast, but we both felt good. You could tell I was feeling good because I wouldn’t shut up about the news, the weather, my dad’s aggressive spectating strategy, and every single dog we passed along the way. You could tell Erin was feeling good because she literally wasn’t sweating.

I sucked down GU number 2 at mile 10, and was drinking a cup of water plus dumping another one my head every chance I got. Miles 10, 11 and 12 were all the same story. I kept telling myself that this time would be different. Things had changed. I had trained so much harder for this. I was about to reap the benefits of an extended self-betrayal, just like all of those republicans who hate Trump but tolerate his authoritarian bullshit so that they can get their regressive legislative packages.

We crossed the halfway mark in 1:47, on pace for 3:34.

Then we went up one of the few, long climbs in the race. The pace slowed to about 8:45, which was completely normal for what felt like a steep grade. I still felt alright, but was definitely sucking some wind (Erin would later say that I was making some very interesting noises around this time).

And then, as we hit the aid station around mile 15, it all changed very quickly. My quads, the muscles that failed me in my March race, seized up. They were done. The pounding from the quick two hours of racing had completely annihilated them. Right after that, my stomach started cramping and I was shuffling. Erin ran off with the 3:35 pacer (who had now just caught up with us for the first time since mile 2), and I never saw her again.

“ Fuck. FUCK. Dude you have ELEVEN MORE MILES and you can barely run. Quick, do math, how long will that take to walk? OH GOD. This is SO BAD.”

Apparently, my dad was waiting around mile 16 but waited for a while and then left, assuming that he had missed me. A spectator asked if I was okay and I said, “I guess.”

I could hardly stand upright, let alone run. I would shuffle for a few minutes, and then be forced to walk. After about a half hour into this embarrassing dance, I had talked myself up to quitting at the next medical tent. I had nothing to prove, nothing to gain, and potentially some long term damage to do. For better or worse, I didn’t see a medical tent until mile 20. When I got there, I walked by the three very friendly looking medical professionals, begging them with my eyes to ask me if I was alright. They didn’t, and I chickened out and just kept walking.

“I guess I’m going to drag my corpse over the finish line then.”

The last 10K of the race, the leg that I had trained all summer for, the part where you get to actually run fast and test what you have in the tank, I spent feeling sorry for myself + questioning every training decision I had made since June. It was as miserable as it was anticlimactic.

It’s a good thing I ripped off a couple of 11 minute screamers at the end, because my sister nearly froze to death waiting for me at the finish line--a place that she beat me to by over a half hour.

The End // 4:11:47 // STRAVA

LOL. WHAT A DISASTER.

Those stats speak for themselves and they are all hilarious. My family looked legitimately nervous about how I would react when I finally met them after finishing.

So what the hell just happened?

I’ve thought about this, a lot. I had over two hours to wallow and over analyze everything during the race, and now have about two weeks to consider everything again while giving my muscles and ego time to recover.

Main thing had to be my very slow long runs. I never did more than 10 miles at marathon pace, and averaged well over 9 minutes per mile on everything longer than that. The summer was long and hot in DC, which didn’t really allow me to get close to the pace I was trying to run in Ohio at the end of September. If you’re thinking, “that seems like a pretty stupid thing to overlook in training,” you would be right. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that I am not very smart.

It wasn’t all bad though. Erin, who hadn’t run a marathon in five years, showed up and grinded out a 3:40, despite going out too fast and slowing down a lot during the final 5 miles. She tolerated my relentless dog chatter, fought back tears when she got dropped by the pacer at mile 19, and even beat me in the synchronized bathroom break we took at mile 8. On top of that, we got to spend the whole summer exchanging Gwen Jorgensen running vlogs and sweaty post-run selfies,which was also cool.

To bring this post to its merciful conclusion, sometimes you work your ass off for something and don’t get anything close to the result that you want or deserve--that’s what makes it worthwhile! The threat of failure, no matter how hard you train, makes each success worth throwing a rager for yourself. Whether it’s running a 3 and half hour marathon, beating double dinner dan in a half-ironman, or finishing a 5K, it feels good to achieve a goal because there was always a chance of fucking it up. This was an epic fuck up, but that’s fine. That just means more beers in the fridge for the next one.

But that won’t be a marathon because I’m never running one again. Back to triathlons and more revealing outfits next year. ✌️

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