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chibrary · 2 months

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Some at the team knew he was the man for the job, but Charles Leclerc's procurement of a seat relied on a neat bit of manoeuvring in order for their boss to agree to a deal.

We're not talking here about the delay that followed Sergio Marchionne's death before Leclerc gained a 2019 Ferrari Formula 1 drive, rather his maiden season of car racing in the '14 Formula Renault ALPS series.

Fortec Motorsport engineer Martin Young knew all about the talents of the 16-year-old Monegasque driver.

"My background is in karting," he explains. "I used to work for the factory teams in Italy. I knew the drivers to watch from karting would be Max Verstappen, Ben Barnicoat and Charles Leclerc, and Fortec wanted to run teams in Eurocup, NEC and ALPS."

It's worth explaining here that in those days Formula Renault 2.0 operated as a pyramid structure, with the Eurocup at the top, and the Dutch-promoted Northern European Cup and Italian-run ALPS series as the base. Fortec was already established in Eurocup and NEC, but was venturing into ALPS for the first time.

"At the time it looked like Verstappen would be doing Eurocup, and we had Ben signed for NEC," continues Young. "I spoke to Jamie Dye [Fortec managing director] and said that if we wanted to move forward in ALPS we needed to get Leclerc.

"We did a test day at Motorland [Aragon] and we sort of lied about his times - we'd put Charles up against a lot of experienced drivers, so he was 1.2-1.3 seconds off - so that Richard [Dutton, team principal] would stay interested in giving him a bit of a deal. Richard was asking, 'Is he really good?', and we said, 'Yeah, we know he's really good.'"

Barnicoat, now a factory McLaren GT racer, was already familiar with Leclerc - as a Racing Steps Foundation protege, he was part of the ART Grand Prix line-up in international karting in 2012 and '13, while Leclerc belonged (and still does) to the All Road Management stable of ART shareholder Nicolas Todt.

"I had two years as team-mate to him in karting," says Barnicoat. "The first year I was directly racing with him, and in the second he went into gearbox [KZ] karts. He was one of the best team-mates I ever had, if not the best. A great guy.

"That first year, Charles won the WSK series and I won the European championship - that was up against the likes of Verstappen, so the competition was extremely high. I feel sort of left out!

"He had a bit more track knowledge so in the first half of the year he was beating me, but then we pushed each other really hard and that worked for the team - we got a lot from that.

"Looking at how good he is, it's nice to know I beat him on occasions, to know that I had the talent and ability to do that."

Fortec was one of the teams that tested Verstappen, and was also eyeing a deal with another talented karter: George Russell, whose plan was to combine Renault ALPS with what was then BRDC Formula 4.

Russell, who now is on course to succeed Leclerc as Formula 2 champion, eventually joined Prema Powerteam for ALPS, but that deal fell over on the eve of the season and he secured a last-minute berth at Koiranen GP.

"We wanted George; we tried to sign him," says Dutton of what could have been a mighty line-up had Russell joined Leclerc. "But he signed for Prema and then [Lawrence] Stroll [who had taken a majority shareholding in Prema] stopped him from going there."

"Me and Charles were testing for Fortec," says Russell, "and at the same time Verstappen was there with Josef Kaufmann Racing, I think. We were in talks with Fortec, but we decided to sign with Prema."

When it's pointed out what a mega line-up that would have been alongside Leclerc, Russell laughs: "In hindsight that could have worked out better for me than Koiranen. That [the late Prema split] put us in the shit a little bit, and three weeks before the first race I didn't have a deal. We took the gamble on Koiranen."

Autosport reminds Dutton of an awards evening over the 2013-14 winter when, asked about Russell, he said: "We've got someone even better - a lad from Monaco..."

"It was really quite a late deal," recalls Dutton. "He missed most of the winter-test programme. But you just knew he was the real deal. In and out of the car he knew what he wanted. In lots of ways he reminded us of Verstappen when we tested him."

Young confirms that the sum total of Leclerc's pre-season mileage was four days at Aragon, and two at Barcelona, before going straight into the pre-weekend test for the Imola opener.

"The first three race weekends his experience was a bit low," says Young, "but as soon as he got on the podium he was there every weekend.

Leclerc went on to finish runner-up to the flying - and experienced - Nyck de Vries in the ALPS points, with two race wins at Monza under his belt, but perhaps the more impressive performances came in his three 'wildcard' outings in the Eurocup. The first was at Spa, one week before the Belgian track's ALPS round.

"He was 30th in qualifying at the Eurocup," says Dutton. "We changed everything - we couldn't understand what the hell was going on. One week later he qualified third for ALPS. That was really, really special."

In his next Eurocup outing, Leclerc took a fifth and a second at the Nurburgring, and in his final one he took a brace of seconds at the Hungaroring.

"I was looking after Matt Parry and Jack Aitken in Eurocup," says long-time Fortec driver coach Matt Howson. "I'd heard [Leclerc] was something maybe a bit special, but you hear that all the time, and wait until you see it yourself.

"Usually you understand the driving style straight away - what's good, what's bad - and the thing with Charles is it didn't matter whether there was understeer or oversteer, he seemed to deliver a lap time."

The cerebral approach of Leclerc and engineer Young frustrated Howson at the Nurburgring.

"He'd never seen the place, and there were only two 45-minute [test] sessions, and furthermore Martin was determined to try things on the car," says Howson.

"I said, 'Don't do it, leave him out'. He was last in the second session, and then he was P3 on the grid for the second race - that's unheard of in Eurocup [for a newcomer]. Renault is a very finicky formula, and it all has to come together to deliver results, but Charles seemed impervious to everything.

"Based on that first year, I knew he was a little bit special. Whenever he was tested in Eurocup, he defied his experience. That's a marker - that you can break all the accepted rules."

Talking about that Nurburgring episode, Young says: "That literally sums up Charles Leclerc. That year we were struggling in Eurocup, and I said I'd come in with Charles and we'd do some testing. Going into qualifying he'd never run new tyres, but he went from last to the front. Nothing ever fazed him."

In Young's view, he also compared favourably to Lando Norris, who tested FRenault cars with Fortec in 2014 before his first steps into single-seaters: "I worked with Lando towards the end of the year, and Lando eventually got to the same point [as Leclerc] but needed a lot of testing, but Charles could just get in and drive. It was second nature to him."

Russell took a distant fourth in the ALPS standings, although he did claim the 2014 BRDC F4 title.

"With Nyck winning the championship it didn't make any sense to me, but I think at the time there were a few dodgy chassis around," he says. "When I tested Nyck's car it was extremely different in terms of characteristics. I wasted a season there, but it was character-building."

He also suffered from chicken pox that caused him to miss the Monza round, where Leclerc took his two wins.

"I didn't think it affected me at the time, but I struggled a bit for no reason in the following few F4 races," says Russell. "It was quite severe - I've still got some bad scars. I put my family off their dinner a few times!"

But Russell trumped Leclerc by joining Tech 1 Racing for the final Eurocup round at Jerez as a wildcard - and winning: "I got my self-confidence back a bit, jumped in that car and won."

Both Russell and Leclerc had initially targeted a full season in Eurocup in 2015, but such were their reputations by the end of '14 that each went to the Formula 3 European Championship, Russell with Carlin, and Leclerc with Van Amersfoort Racing.

Fortec tried to hang on to Leclerc for F3. "We tried so hard to get him for F3, but we lost him to VAR," says Dutton. "We did some tests with him in the F3 car and he was straight on the pace. At Silverstone he was quickest of everybody there, and then we went to Valencia with him and we had a nightmare with mechanical issues. I think that didn't do us any good."

All who worked or raced with Leclerc agree about his qualities as a man.

"Of all the drivers in F1 who've come through us, Charles is the one who gets [guest] passes for the British Grand Prix," says Dutton. "He had Martin [Young] and Jamie [Dye] there this year the whole weekend, in Sauber hospitality. He's a proper guy."

"I still speak to Charles every week or so on various topics," adds Young, who attended Leclerc's initial grand prix free practice outings in 2016. "He's still exactly the same person."

Barnicoat, who is one of the drivers for the McLaren hot laps at F1 events, bumps into Leclerc regularly.

"When we raced against each other in Renault there was quite a lot of rivalry from what we'd had in karting," says the Briton, who added three 'wildcard' ALPS outings as direct team-mate to Leclerc to his title-winning NEC campaign.

"But it would have been nice to get more direct comparisons. In 2013, when we were in karting, I went to the grand prix with him in Monaco and stayed on his uncle's boat, and had a really good time. We spent a lot of time together, and although we were rivals we helped each other out. He was a good friend of mine and still is."

Leclerc is also resilient. "Jules Bianchi came to the Hungaroring Eurocup round to mentor him," says Howson, "and I understood then how close they were. After that incident [for Bianchi] and his father [who died in mid-2017], he's probably been tested off track more than anyone else, but it's not bled over into anything on track.

"He's incredibly mature. He's relatively introverted - he doesn't come in and make lots of noise, but he's polite, considerate and always looks you in the eye when he talks to you. It doesn't matter whether he's got loads of cameras on him, he'll always come over for a chat."

Russell, meanwhile, is "100%" sure that Leclerc will flourish at Ferrari.

"Charles is one of a handful of others I put in the best-of-the-best group," he says. "In my opinion he absolutely deserves his chance at Ferrari. He's got the speed and the talent, and I'm excited to see how he fares next year. I've no doubt that he will be competitive."

#series:f1 #year:2018 #driver:george #driver:ben.barnicoat #format:article

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mwebber · 11 months

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normal ask i hope! ur fave underrated martian moment ?!

omg hi i have. so many underrated martian moments. maybe they're less "underrated" and more like martian just has soo much history to it that we physically cannot remember everything but i shall endeavour to include as much as i can <3

#1. "if i'd got no competition about me, no real fire or desire, then i'd get on with seb like a house on fire"

#2. TEAM FILMING DAY 2012 i think they were very buddy buddy and cute here, they shared a segway and looked like they were having fun :)

#3. JEREZ 2005 aka seb's first test in a car! seb saying in his abu dhabi 2022 interview:

"what people don't know is i did my very very first test in 2005, and mark was there as well! we shared the car, i mean i had the deal with bmw that i was allowed to do a couple of laps. and i remember the test very well because i was a bit scared, you know, after?"

+ this in aussie grit:

"my eyes were [huge], i was full of adrenaline, and after the couple laps i had, i wasn't able to hold onto my neck. and, you know, mark was so kind and gave us a lift to the airport! so that's really when it started.... we always had a straightforward relationship, there were some moments where we disagreed, let's say? but i think we always had respect for each other, and that respect helped us--and helps us--to get along the way we do!"

#4. BMW CHRISTMAS PARTY 2005 bom did a whole thing on this but to summarize, bmw hosted a winter party and mark and seb were in attendance and they sat across from each other in a carriage and it's possibly the most winter fairytale thing they could have possibly done together <3

#5. "I always thought that if you look at other team pairings, there are far worse ‘couples’ than we’ve been in terms of mutual respect."

#6. SEB WENT TO MARK'S FAREWELL DINNER. i have no official source for this it's been on my to-do list to find forever but the posts are there

#7. "IT'S FOR BOTH OF US." cota 2013 when mark was given a model car and seb looked at it and mark was like it's for both of us! martianblr at the time thought mark said "we can share it" after but i've listened to the clip and im hearing "we can sign it." who knows! i think it's rlly cute that a decade ago this place was losing its shit over the same things though

#8. MATCHING CAMPBELL SOUP SHIRTS and in their opposite matching porsche colours..

(post)

edit 6 hours after starting this answer i forgot my train of thought bc i ended up going outside for half the day lol but um. yeah! them <3 if i remember more and have time tmrw i'll reblog with a few additions because i'm sure im missing things!

#inbox #martian

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marquezian · 4 months

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Marc Marquez Blog Post x

February 18, 2013

Hello everybody!

I am writing after a very special week. Yesterday was my birthday and I received so many messages full of congratulations it was amazing. You make me feel so special!

The truth is that last week began very well. I was lucky enough to be awarded the prize for the Most International Sports Personality at the Mundo Deportivo Gala, and I could not be more grateful. Being awarded a prize like this makes me feel real proud, and more so considering the other prestigious names that were nominated. The only thing that I can promise is that am going to carry working hard so that you can all be proud of me.

This week was a bit more relaxed. I was able to spend some time with my family and friends at the weekend, so I could celebrate my birthday in grand style. I am now 20, time really does fly!

I want to thank you for all the best wishes and messages you sent me to my home, or via Facebook and Twitter, and also here on my blog. There were also some very special messages and best wishes from other sportsmen and personalities, a complete surprise. I am very grateful for all of them, you made me feel very happy on my birthday.

As for the rest of my time, I want you to know that I am still working as hard as ever. The tests in Malaysia helped me to discover that all the physical work I did in winter came in very handy. But this bike asks a lot of the rider, and so now I have to continue with my training schedule, more hard work ahead of me.

A big hug to you all, Marc

#marc marquez #happy birthday !!!!!!!#mm #*#text #2013

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dykebelova · 7 months

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White Widow #1 by Sarah Gailey review.

We can all agree that we all fell in love with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021) and for many people, including me, she was our first introduction to the character. And as an absolute, completely sane and normal person, I said to myself “Why not read all of her appearances in the comics ?”, and I did.

Surprisingly, both characters are incredibly different. Nonetheless, both interesting and amazing on their own. While I agree that MCU Yelena has more depth and perhaps, more personality, comics Yelena is still a good character. The way she has been written has been very disturbing, even sick and twisted sometimes, like Pale Little Spider (2002) or Black Widow (2001). Sometimes messy, and I suggest everybody forget her Adaptoid phase or anything that ever happened in Secret Avengers (2013) for her sake. But still, you don't erase almost 25 years of a character's development, even if it has been inconsistent, just because you felt like it.

In the comics, Yelena has always been in Natasha’s shadow and has never had her own original story. In Widowmakers: Red Guardians and Yelena Belova (2020) and Winter Guard (2021), we had a glimpse of hope to finally see her character evolve despite Red Guardian’s appearance, a character linked to Natasha. When a limited-serie on White Widow, a character that hasn’t been properly developed and deserved to, was announced, I fucking cheered man. But then I remembered the curse of a character’s MCUfication, because Marvel never does anything right. And oh boy was I not prepared for what was coming…

I don’t even know where to begin. It all felt like a giant fanfiction written by someone who has only ever seen the movie and didn’t even bother to check on other writers’ previous work on Yelena’s character.

White Widow (2023) #1.

There are lots of things wrong in this picture. First and second panel, where does the needle come from ? After I checked and double checked just in case, there were NO records of Yelena being abducted or forced to do anything she has done in her life. She chose to join the Red Room. She chose to be a Black Widow and she was determined to outperform Natasha’s results during tests. She even had a whole mental breakdown about it.

Pale Little Spider (2002) #1

Now, let’s try to find excuses for the use of the needle… The first one would be the Red Room using the Black Widow’s serum they used on the 28th original Widows, during Natasha’s era. But our good ol' Grigor Ivanovich just ruined this theory.

Black Widow (2004) #4

Excuse number two, the Red Room used some sort of a mind-control serum which wouldn’t make any sense too for all of the reasons I said above.

Now the third panel… I’m at a loss for words. Where the fuck does it comes from. Where the FUCK was it during Secret Empire (2017) ? Yelena wasn’t even there anymore, bitch was dead. We didn’t see her until Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye and The Winter Soldier (2018), until she was brought back to life WITH Natasha. Also, she has a real family and they’re even mentioned in Black Widow (2001), Yelena calls her mother and her aunt Olga is mentioned.

White Widow (2023) #1

Now, the board... It looks like it has been made for a MCU tie-in more than anything.

Although I'd like to adress one thing that has been said on Twitter, about the "Hate nationalism → Imperialist invasion". There is a difference between nationalism and patriotism. Being a nationalist is being way too extreme about your country when being a patriot is to love your country, its people and its culture while also being critical about the way its being led.

Now, we know when she was young, Yelena was kind of extreme. In Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) #1, she admitted she was willing to sacrifice herself for the Motherland more than once. During her Black Widow era, she was naive and had a blind love for Russia which was her biggest weakness.

Black Widow (2001) #3

But as her character continued to evolve and grow through her appearences, Yelena is far more reasonable now. She considers herself like a true patriot and she has always been proud of being Russian. In conclusion, this board's section is not as bad as people make it out to be since Yelena went from being an extreme nationalist to a patriot.

Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova (2020)

I know many of you like Kate Bishop and Yelena’s friendship due to their duo in Hawkeye, I too, am a big fan of them… But unfortunately, they only interacted once in the comics. And they didn’t even talk to each other. That’s why mentioning Kate Bishop in her like section is purely fan service and although it is a nice nod to the series, it doesn’t make any sense here. Yelena has interacted with Clint Barton way more than the better Hawkeye, which is sad.

Black Widow (2020) #10

I'd like to come back in the hate section just a second to say I don't know why she hates the Infinity Gauntlet so much that's it's written in caps. It's 100% a nod to the MCU again but here it also doesn't make sense. But again, a lot of things doesn't in this issue.

I wont bother talking about her attitude and how she looks like a teenager swallowing vodka directly from a bottle when she used to be classy and extra with manners. I wont bother talking about her new suit's design which sucks more than her previous one. This is not the Yelena Belova we used to know, it's a complete new character made to match her MCU self and please a small public who mostly watch the movies/series.

I saw a lot of people celebrating Yelena's changes to match Yelena's Florence Pugh more. I know the character has become more famous because of Flo', but this is actually terrible and wasn't handled correctly.

We hoped for a more mature story, maybe a little darker than usual. A new start for her character, to follow her path in making the world a better place and get out of Natasha’s shadow for good. With a little backstory too, nothing much. The bare minimum. Instead, we had a copycat of her MCU counterpart and it is just heartbreaking to see a character I loved so much being destroyed like that.

I could go on and on about why this piece of junk is just a bunch of nonsense and laziness and how Sarah Gailey’s just went for the easiest writing ever… But I will stop there. I just hope she knows that us, fan of comics Yelena, are fucking disappointed. Everything that made her character so special and dear to us, disappeared in one issue. The damage is surreal.

It’s only four issues long so I will continue to read it until the end, but I expect nothing from it anymore. I hope the writer won’t destroy Yelena’s character any further, because things can only go downhill from here.

#yelena belova #white widow #marvel cinematic universe #natasha romanoff #black widow #comics #marvel #mcu

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grimmichi-ao3-feed · 2 months

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[New AO3 Fic!] Bonds Rewoven

by demonbee

Ichigo finds himself stripped of his powers and plunged into a dark abyss of despair after the winter war. To escape his past, he relocates across the country, only to be unexpectedly sought out by Grimmjow.

Amidst battles, revelations, and sacrifices, Ichigo and Grimmjow's bond deepens, leading to unexpected confessions and profound transformations. With the threat of imminent danger looming over them, they must confront their truths and face the ultimate test of love and loyalty.

AKA Grimmjow finds a powerless Ichigo and is pissed.

Words: 2013, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Bleach (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: M/M

Characters: Kurosaki Ichigo, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Urahara Kisuke, Ishida Uryuu, Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Kurosaki Isshin, Kuchiki Rukia, Abarai Renji

Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime/Ishida Uryuu, Renji - Relationship

Additional Tags: POV Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, POV Kurosaki Ichigo, Hurt Kurosaki Ichigo, Arrancar Kurosaki Ichigo, Depowered Kurosaki Ichigo, Protective Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques in a Gigai, Smut, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gotei 13 | 13 Court Guard Squads (Bleach), Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Read it now on AO3!

#grimmichi #ao3-feed

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hapalopus · 1 year

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Cattle and mud

Dee Griffin, a feedlot veterinarian in Nebraska states that 11 cm (4 in.) of mud reduces weight gain (Dee Griffin, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, Clay Center, Nebraska, personal communication, 2016). Dikeman and Lawrence (1997) and Degen and Young (1995) both report that cold, wet muddy cattle may have higher energy requirements and the effort to walk through mud may affect feedlot performance. Mud will increase the cost of weight gain (Mader, 2011). According to Chris Reinhardt from Kansas State University, deep mud of over 30 cm (12 in.) inches will increase feed conversion by 25% (Thomas, 2013). Sweeten et al. (2014) states that 11 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in.) of mud will increase feed conversion by 13% and decrease feed intake from 8% to 15%. There is lack of peer reviewed scientific studies on the effects of mud on beef cattle housed in outdoor feedlots. Most of the available information for beef cattle is in extension publications, livestock magazines, or is based on practical experience (Thomas, 2013; Sweeten et al., 2014). There is some scientific literature is on dairy cows. Dairy cows prefer to lay on dry sawdust compared to wet sawdust, and they also prefer to lie on dry surfaces (Fregonesi et al., 2007, Tucker et al., 2015). Grandin, T. (2016). Evaluation of the welfare of cattle housed in outdoor feedlot pens. Veterinary and Animal Science, 1-2, 23–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vas.2016.11.001

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Wet, muddy, or hard surfaces impact the lying behaviours of dairy cows through reducing total lying times (Chen et al., 2017, Hendriks et al., 2019, Herlin, 1997, Schütz et al., 2019), reduced number of lying bouts (Chen et al., 2017, Haley et al., 2001, Hendriks et al., 2019, Fisher et al., 2003), and altered lying position (Chen et al., 2017, Schütz et al., 2019, Tucker et al., 2007). When prevented from lying, cattle have an increased risk of lameness (Thomsen et al., 2012) and disruption to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (Fisher et al., 2002). The impacts of posture on cow comfort and quality of rest and/or sleep are yet to be determined, however it is thought a lying posture with a relaxed neck is required for cattle to engage in REM sleep (Hunter et al., 2021, Ruckebusch, 1972, Ternman et al., 2014). Despite a similar percent of observations of lying in the feedlot compared to the pasture for both pad scores 1 and 3, the number of lying bouts was higher in the feedlot, indicating that bout duration was shorter. This suggests decreased comfort, potentially impacting quality of rest and/or sleep. For pad score 5 treatment, both number of lying bouts and time periods where lying was observed were reduced in the feedlot, showing a clear impact on lying behaviours. Therefore, mud may impact lying behaviour in different ways, depending on its depth, and continuous housing under these conditions may reduce welfare if a more suitable surface is not provided. Increasing levels of mud did not influence cattle preferences for the feedlot or pasture environment when tested under relatively warm weather conditions. Overall, cattle preferred the pasture environment at all pad scores, especially when tested in the afternoon. However, even with high mud levels, cattle chose to enter the feedlot and therefore it appears that the grain-based feed was a greater attractant over any negative aspects of the feedlot. Despite this, high levels of mud reduced both lying time and number of lying bouts in the feedlot and was accompanied by an increase in these behaviours in the paddock, indicating that animal comfort and welfare may have been reduced under these muddy conditions. The main limitation of the current study is that it was not performed during winter, in which the cold and muddy conditions may increase thermoregulatory load and further influence environment choice and behaviours. Dickson, E. J., Campbell, D. L. M., Monk, J. E., Lea, J. M., Colditz, I. G., & Lee, C. (2022). Increasing mud levels in a feedlot influences beef cattle behaviours but not preference for feedlot or pasture environments. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 254, 105718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105718

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Cattle spent less time lying down in muddier conditions, especially in the first 24 h of exposure, when cows and heifers spent only 3.2 and 5.8 h, respectively, lying down in the muddiest treatment compared with 12.5 and 12.7 h on dry soil. When the soil was dry, cattle never chose to lie down on concrete, but in muddier conditions they spent a greater proportion of their lying time on concrete (mean ± SE: 56 ± 14 and 10 ± 8% in the very muddy and muddy treatments, respectively). The shift in lying location was more marked for heifers, and all 6 spent ≥87% of their lying time on concrete in the muddiest treatment. When cattle chose to lie down on wetter soil, they limited the surface area exposed to their surroundings by tucking their legs beneath their bodies (mean ± SE: 30 ± 11, 15 ± 4, and 5 ± 2% of lying observations in the very muddy, muddy, and dry treatments, respectively). Despite cattle spending less time on wetter soil, all 3 measured body parts became dirtier in muddier conditions (1.4-, 1.6-, and 1.8-fold more on the leg, udder, and side, respectively, in the muddiest compared with the driest treatment). In addition, higher soil moisture levels resulted in greater reductions in white blood cell counts relative to baseline levels (−0.95, −0.43, and 0.34 × 109/L relative to baseline levels in the very muddy, muddy, and dry treatments). Muddy conditions, even in the absence of wind or rain, are aversive for cattle and have negative implications for their welfare. In the final 24 h of treatment, cattle spent less time lying in muddier conditions and spent more time standing without feeding (Table 4). The amount of time cattle spent feeding did not differ across levels of soil moisture, and we observed no effects of parity and no parity × treatment interactions (F1, 22 ≤ 1.7, P ≥ 0.207). The average amount of time cattle spent in various areas of the pen in each treatment is depicted in Figure 3. In muddier conditions, the proportion of time cattle spent on soil decreased and the proportion on concrete increased (treatment F1, 22 = 23.9, P < 0.001; Figure 4A). This pattern was more marked for heifers than for cows (parity × treatment interaction F1, 22 = 7.2, P = 0.014), because the former spent a greater proportion of their time on concrete (parity F1, 22 = 9.2, P = 0.006). Chen, J. M., Stull, C. L., Ledgerwood, D. N., & Tucker, C. B. (2017). Muddy conditions reduce hygiene and lying time in dairy cattle and increase time spent on concrete. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(3), 2090–2103. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11972

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Within 30 m of the water tank, concentrations of feces and urine from three warm-season observations were significantly greater than concentrations during three cool-season observations. Percentages of defecations and urinations on the pasture, feeding, and milking areas were highly correlated (r > 0.90) with time spent in those areas. Pasture-based systems could reduce manure handling and storage requirements proportional to the time cattle are on pastures. Manure on the pasture was evenly distributed, except around the water tank during warm-weather grazings. Results indicate that pasture-based dairy systems may require smaller, less-expensive manure management systems compared with confinement dairy farms. White, S. L., Sheffield, R. E., Washburn, S. P., King, L. D., & Green, J. T. (2001). Spatial and time distribution of dairy cattle excreta in an intensive pasture system. Journal of Environmental Quality, 30(6), 2180–2187. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2001.2180

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russellius · 4 months

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Hi!

I want to organise my tumbrl better for the season to come and you tags system seems really interesting!

Would you be okay to explain it a bit? So I can take inspiration from it?

It's okay if you don't, of course!

hello!! i would, gladly! i'm/it's not *that* organized unfortunately, i'm always like... "i should have a tag for that", and then.. i never do it 😭 but i have sort of settled on a system at least for the races, that i can follow.

on race weekends i use three tags, one for the location (eg. #hungary, #spain), one for the year ofc (eg. #24) and a combined one, so i can track that one specific race weekend (eg. #hun24, #esp24). this way if i want to search stuff from silverstone, spain etc, i can do it and it'll bring up everything from that place, regardless of the year. and same for the year, if i want to see stuff from say 2021, i'll just search #21.

(into the main tags, so year and location i put the more.. proper posts, while the specific race weekend tags tend to have more random posts in them as well.. it's just. the vibes from my side, whether i will use all three tags or not 😭)

edit: i just remembered that during the grand prix i also use the tumblr tag of the gp. so for instance during the spanish gp, that'd be #spanish gp 2024.

all years have a tag, but for the childhood years, which i consider until the end of the karting years (so in george's case that's 2013) i mostly use #ch. 2018 and 2017 are the only ones where i use the full year, because if you use #18 and #17 as tags the post won't show up in the search system...

i have some other tags too, for this winter break i was using #wb23 and #wb24, for the summer break i had #sb23. now for the pre-season, starting with today i settled on #prs24. for the pre-season test in bahrain, i will use both #testing and #testing24. i've been tempted to use a non-race weekend tag, or a tag for official photoshoots, so... maybe starting with this season i'll do that too! i'm lazy tho, because i always think that through the archive i will find everything i want to 😭...

some other tags that i have are #*m (any "major" post made my be) and #*p (proper photos), but these are more just for myself. looking back on things it'd have been easier to start tagging reblogs, instead of my own posts, but it kinda stuck from my previous blog... for my gifs, edits i use #*mine. i have some other tags too, #q for quotes and interviews, #j for the occasional memes, and #r for any random posts from my side.

i also made separate tags for george's firsts, so first win, podium, pole, williams point :')

it's a bit of a mess probably from the outside, but i'll be honest, i never really expect people to browse these tags a lot. it'd be cool if they would tho :)...

so yeah, i hope i could help a little bit! 🤍 i think you just gotta pick a system you like and then if you want to tag something specific, don't think much about it, just start tagging it right away, because you'll regret it later, that you've put it off for so long

#answered

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detroit-grand-prix · 2 years

Text

Wildest Dreams Chapter 2 - It’s Nice To Have A Friend

Chapter summary: Phoebe ages out of karting and gets ready to compete in Formula Renault after having joined the Red Bull Racing driver academy. She turned Mercedes down, but she still managed to gain a mentor in Susie Wolff, another female driver who is currently one of Williams' test and development drivers. Even so, now that she's moved up to actual single-seater racing, a lot changes. More pressure, more expectations, more time away from home and school. Somehow, though, it’s fun.

Chapter word count: 3,435

Author’s note: I’ll put notes/references about each chapter here, because a lot of these took some research.

Anyway, the Schlossplatz is a big historical public square in Stuttgart, with a big palace that was rebuilt. There’s a Christmas market there every year.

Phoebe competed in both the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup and the Eurocup series in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The results/schedules for the actual races can be found here: 1 2 3 4

Previous Chapter

Stuttgart Mitte, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany March 14th, 2013

The next month passed quickly. Arrangements were made with Susie Wolff to meet her and her mother for lunch. Bee took the day off of school for it, and her mother took a few hours off of work. Susie suggested a restaurant in Stuttgart’s city center, near the Schlossplatz, that she said had good food.

Bee and her mother took the bus from their house in the Degerloch neighborhood to the Schlossplatz and walked to the restaurant from there - Josephine said it was easier than trying to find parking near the city center, even in the middle of the week, even though the bus ride would have taken twice as long as driving did. Either way, Bee was excited about going to the Schlossplatz - it was her favorite part of the city, with its wide open square and the gorgeous Neues Schloss. During the winter, she loved coming to the outdoor skating rink they set up here, and going to the Weihnachten during Christmas.

They found the restaurant, which was a German restaurant that served mostly tourists, which struck Bee as odd for some reason - it wasn’t as if Susie was a tourist, per se.

When Toto mentioned his wife being a professional racing driver, something clicked in Bee’s brain. She remembered going to DTM races when she was younger when there was a woman on the DTM grid named Susie Stoddart. The image of her was burned in Bee’s mind - a blonde woman that drove a car with a pink livery. It was hard not to notice one of the only female drivers driving a bright pink car, but she never stood out in Bee’s mind beyond that, as her results were never exceptional, at least when Bee still kept up with DTM.

She and her mother stepped inside the restaurant (“Carl’s Brauhaus”) and Bee recognized Susie immediately. She still looked the same, more or less, as she did the last time Bee had seen her at the Hockenheim DTM race two years ago. Susie looked up from a menu and waved at them Bee and her mother stepped up to the host stand. She stood up and offered a handshake to Bee and her mother as they approached the table.

“Hello! I’m Susie Wolff, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m Josephine, and this is my daughter, Phoebe.” Josephine put her hands on Bee’s shoulders, encouraging her to step forward, like she was shy. Bee thought it unnecessary - she wasn’t afraid of this woman, or anything.

Bee offered her hand, “You can call me Bee, though. Most people do.”

“So, Bee - ” Susie said as the three of them sat down. “From what I hear, you’re a pretty good racing driver, at least in karting. Toto has told me a lot about you. He said he really enjoyed meeting you.”

Bee blushed a little. “Thank you… I liked meeting him, too. I feel bad I ended up going with Red Bull, I hope he wasn’t upset.”

“He wasn’t, he understood your reasoning, but I think Niki - Niki Lauda, he’s managing the team with Toto - was a little confused. I told him that it’s different to be a woman in this sport, and people would find any reason to scrutinize you being in it. If you didn’t want to join Mercedes because your father works for the company, because Red Bull is better-established, and you had another option, that’s perfectly reasonable to me. Anyway -”

Susie picked up her menu. “I hope you don’t mind that I picked this place. I wouldn’t normally get something like all of this heavy Swabian food, but I haven’t been to Germany in a while, and I quite like the food in Stuttgart. Order whatever you’d like, this is on me.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, thank you.” Josephine said. She and Bee both perused the menu and a waiter came over to take their order.

Susie put in her order while Josephine told Bee what she wanted, to relay to the waiter in German. Susie looked at Bee with a puzzled expression.

“Sorry,” Josephine explained, noticing the way Susie was looking at her. “My German isn’t that great. I can get by, and I can read it better than I can speak it. Even after living here for ten years, I can’t seem to get a hang of it. Bee learned it in school when she was a kid, my husband - John - uses it at work every day, but I work for an American company that has an office here in Stuttgart, so everyone just speaks English. Sometimes Bee has to translate.”

Susie nodded. “It’s hard. When I started racing in DTM, I didn’t know any of it, but they told me I pretty much had to learn it if I wanted to stick around. Luckily, I was living in Switzerland then, so I picked it up quickly, but it’s all I was using every day.”

All three of the women chatted a bit about everything - how the Stallards came to live in Germany, Bee’s karting career, and school.

“So, let me get this straight - you live here in Germany, but you go to an American high school?” Susie said.

“Yes,” Bee said. “I went to a German primary school and then on to a Gymnasium, but I never really fit in that well, so I changed to the school on the army base last year.”

“Plus,” Josephine said, “For some reason, schools here in Baden-Württemberg have classes on some Saturdays, and that just didn’t work with Bee’s racing schedule. There’s so many weekends where we’re out of town for karting races that it just wouldn’t have worked if she’d gone to a German school.”

“And if I end up going to college, I’d like to go back to the US for it. So I don’t really need the Abitur, the diploma you get from going to a Gymnasium, but I’m still not sure if that’s what I want to do. If I can’t make it in racing, I will. But I’d like to be in racing for as long as I possibly can.” Bee said.

Susie looked at her thoughtfully.

“That brings up a good point - do you have any specific goal you’d like to achieve? How far do you want to go?”

“Well… I’d like to make it to F1 someday. I know it’s going to be hard. But… that’s my goal. If I can’t make it that far, I’ll figure things out. But… I just know that I want to race. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I met Sebastian Vettel.”

“She went to the German Grand Prix in 2011,” Josephine interjected. “Her dad managed to get pit lane passes through work, so she met her favorite driver. Since then, all she’s wanted to do is become a racing driver.”

Susie smiled at her. “I felt the same way when I watched Jensen Button during a Formula 3 race my parents took me too. Racing was all I wanted to do after that. I think you can do it. It’s going to be difficult. It has been for me, but I think things are maybe starting to change."

Bee absolutely loved meeting Susie. They had a lot in common. Susie gave Bee her contact information and told her to call her any time she needed advice. They talked about her upcoming step up to Formula Renault. Bee had been fortunate enough to have landed a seat on a team and the sponsorship from Red Bull to compete in two series - Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup series and the 2.0 Eurocup series.

She was surprised that it didn’t seem difficult to find a team willing to take her, but this was no doubt due to the influence of her coming with the sponsorship of the Red Bull academy. She’d also been lucky enough to end up with a German team, so she wouldn’t have to move away from home, like she’d known a lot of other drivers ended up having to, especially if they weren’t from Europe.

The next few months before the new racing season started in the spring were agonizing. Bee had effectively aged out of karting and hadn’t raced in months. She started working with a fitness trainer from Red Bull to try to put on some muscle, especially in her neck. There was also the PR and media training, and occasional trips to Milton Keynes in the UK to visit Red Bull Racing headquarters for meetings and events that she had to participate in. On top of that, with the arrangements she’d had to make with her school around her race schedule, she’d have to go to summer school to get ahead for the upcoming school year, as she’d be gone almost each weekend the following fall.

It wasn’t all dire. One of her trips to Milton Keynes for PR purposes was to finally get the race suit and helmet she’d been fitted for, and to have publicity photos taken for the Red Bull website. She could hardly believe it when she’d put the suit on and looked down at herself wearing it. It was magnificent. It fit her far better than any of her karting suits had, because she’d always had to buy ones made for boys - there just weren’t any options for girls, and it had been mostly fine until she’d hit puberty and began to develop. Her karting suits would always be too baggy in some places and too tight in others. This one had been made to measure, specifically for her.

She loved everything about it - the spectacular navy blue, the red and white stripes going up the side, the American flag embroidered at the belt with STALLARD next to it in white letters. She’d also been fitted for a helmet and a HANS device, which she found strangely comfortable. She had heard some drivers found the HANS restrictive, but she sort of liked the feel of it.

She almost didn’t want to take her racing gear off after the photoshoot and filming her introduction video was done. She admired herself in the mirror when she first tried it on, imagining herself on a Formula 1 podium, Sebastian Vettel standing on the second step, as they showered each other with champagne.

Bee made sure to keep in touch with Susie and Toto, and they were kind enough to invite her to visit when she had to be in the UK if they were home, because their home in the UK wasn’t very far away from Milton Keynes. It seemed that almost all of the motorsport people and teams she knew of all were around the same area of England, which made sense when she realized where the infamous Silverstone Circuit was. Bee had started feeling a bit of the pressure of the realities of being an up-and-coming racing driver, but being able to talk to Susie, who had been in her shoes before, helped quite a bit.

By the time testing time for her team came around, she was nervous about driving a proper single seater car instead of a kart for the first time. There wasn’t much to worry about, though, as she took to it like a duck to water. It was more enclosed than the kart, like climbing into a small bathtub, but she didn’t mind it so much. She had a naturally slight frame, so that helped. It almost felt kind of comfortable, despite having absolutely no room for her elbows, and the fact that she was sitting in a reclined position. It was a good thing she wasn't claustrophobic.

She also loved how it handled - also different to a kart, but in a good way. It took a few laps to get used to the feel, and the way she had to orient herself in the car, but she began to put in some very impressive lap times. By the time she was done, she had heard people whispering up and down the paddock about the “American girl” and her times. It felt like validation.

Finally, the actual racing season started. Her school year ended a little early due to the relatively brutal travel schedule she had coming up with competing concurrently in two series. It wasn’t uncommon - most of her gridmates would be competing in both. In her first month she’d be going to Italy and Spain, with trips to the UK for team business in between.

On one of these trips, she got to meet Sebastian Vettel at a team event. She had met him before, once, at the 2011 German Grand Prix. Her father took her for her birthday and through some stroke of good fortune, had obtained pit lane passes. He pulled some strings at work, apparently. But then, she was just a fan who happened to be in karting. He was incredibly kind to her then, but now she was his teammate, in a sense. She felt so nervous about it - where most girls her age had posters of One Direction on their walls, she had posters of Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull gear. Her nerves were not helped because he’d since developed a bit of a reputation of being a bit cocky, but he was nothing but kind to her when they talked. They switched between English and German, which Bee thought was fun. Sebastian said that he remembered meeting her a few years back, and was happy to see she’d stuck with racing. He told her that he was excited that she was getting started in single-seaters, and said that he hoped she would be able to do well. They talked occasionally when they were both in Milton Keynes together, and in a few months, Seb ended up becoming a sort of friend. He always made sure to say hello to her whenever he saw her.

Her first race was at Monza. It was her first time in Italy. The idea of racing on such an old and venerated track made her a little nervous. It was the first race that she’d ever seen Sebastian win. Watching him win in Monza was the moment that Sebastian became Bee’s favorite driver. She’d seen it so many times on TV, she’d never imagined she’d actually race on it one day.

Practices weren’t so bad, but by the time she’d lined up on the grid for her first qualifying round, she could feel her heart pounding so hard that it felt like it was trying to escape her chest. Susie had given her some advice to close her eyes, take deep breaths, and try to visualize the racing line around the entire track, turn-by-turn, to distract herself from the nerves, and to make good use of the formation lap to try to settle into the pattern of the turns.

When it was time for the race to start, she felt better. After she started, her body almost felt like it was going through the motions automatically. It was delightful, and the result was delightful - she qualified in P7, which was entirely respectable for a rookie driver. She was the highest qualified rookie to boot. Both of her races that weekend made for equally respectable results - P8 in the first race, P4 in the second race - just shy of a podium. Even so, it felt incredible.

By the time she got home from Italy, she could barely keep up with all of the nice messages she got. Susie had called her the day after the race to congratulate her and tell her that her performance was impressive. The Detroit Free Press had run a small article about her, so she had calls from lots of family and family friends from Michigan.

As the season went on, she improved, and was pleased with her results. She learned to go on the attack and started developing a driving style that was characterized in a motorsport blog as “surprisingly aggressive”. It was fun to see those words in plain black-and-white. It felt like a challenge of sorts - like nobody had expected her to drive like a real driver because she was a girl. At first, hearing people doubted her was a little bothersome, but eventually, she just let them fuel her - she loved proving people wrong, after all.

She also, pleasantly, found it a lot easier to make friends with the other drivers than it had been in karting, at least, she thought. There was another American on her team for both series, a boy from New York named Ryan. She also liked talking to the British kids because they spoke the same language as her and she had now spent a considerable amount of time in the UK.

Her first season was more successful than she’d expected it to be. She had a handful of podiums, even starting on pole position once (which was, quite frankly, terrifying - it was her first experience being the hunted instead of the hunter). She hadn’t managed to get a win, but her team managed to win the Teams’ Championship by the end of the season in both series, which her respectable results contributed to. She loved racing more than she ever thought she could. She had the time of her life during every race weekend, even on the race where she'd had a retirement due to a suspension failure.

The next season was more of the same - the same thrill, the same impressive results. She did well - a handful of podiums, and three races where she’d started on pole.

Circuitio de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain October 18th, 2015

By the time the second season ended, Bee was almost sad to be moving up into Formula 3. She really enjoyed the atmosphere of Formula Renault, and had a good relationship with everyone on her team. Before qualifying for her final race, her team principal almost made her cry by telling her how proud he was of her, and how he couldn’t wait to see where her career went. “I know you’ll go far.”, he told her as he pulled her into a tight hug before wishing her luck.

She had already signed to another team for Formula 3, because her team, Kaufmann racing, didn’t compete in F3.

Susie and Toto had also made it to her final race weekend, which was in Jerez, Spain. They sat in the grandstands with Bee's parents, despite the fact that they would easily be able to access the paddock - who wouldn't have known who they were? (As it was, Josephine had told Bee after-the-fact, the two of them being in the grandstands had caused quite a stir amongst people sitting near them.) Bee was surprised they’d come, but it was an off-weekend in the Formula 1 calendar and Susie said that she really wanted to see Bee’s last race in Formula Renault. They had established a tradition of doing an unofficial debrief on the phone after each race weekend - Bee felt that Susie’s input was invaluable, even though she wasn’t actually watching the races, but she’d watch videos of them. Bee was certain she wouldn’t have been as successful without Susie’s guidance.

Bee managed to close her Formula Renault career with a bang, with a second-place finish in her final race. An actual win had eluded her throughout her Formula Renault tenure, but at that moment, standing on the second step, spraying her gridmates with celebratory champagne, still sticky with sweat - it didn’t matter. She felt like she was on top of the world.

Toto and Susie took Bee and her parents out for a celebratory dinner after the race. Bee had a gift for Susie to thank her for all of her help in both seasons, but it was a bit large to bring to the restaurant in a subtle way. She stuffed it in her backpack anyway.

After they’d finished dinner, Bee spoke up.“Susie, I have something for you, just to thank you for all of your help these past two years. I don’t think it would have gone as well as it did without your help.”

She reached under the table where she’d stowed her backpack and unzipped it, producing her race helmet.

“I know it’s a Red Bull helmet, but I wanted you to have it. I remember Sebastian telling me once that he liked to exchange helmets with other drivers he liked and respected, so… I thought I’d give you mine from this year. I hope that someday I’ll be able to give you one of my Formula 1 helmets.”

“Oh, my goodness, Bee.” Susie said, accepting the helmet from her, setting it on the table, and pulling Bee into a hug. “I’m so proud of you. I’m sure you will someday, and I can’t wait.”

Josephine insisted on getting a picture of the two of them together, which Bee was a little embarrassed about, but she obliged anyway.

The next morning, while Bee was packing up her hotel room for the trip home, Bee’s grandmother called her and told her to check the website for the Detroit Free Press if she could.

“Why?”

“Just take a look! I think you’ll like it!”

Bee navigated to the paper’s site on her phone’s browser, and it took a second to realize what she was seeing. Where the front-page article is usually placed, there was a giant picture of herself on the podium, spraying her competitors during the victory celebration. She had an enormous smile, her dark hair was still tied into the French braided pigtails she’d always worn under her helmet, but the braids were a frizzy mess. She had her 2nd place podium hat on, and the picture featured blurry drops of champagne in the foreground, and the American flag illuminating an LED screen behind her. It was the kind of image you would see on a poster.

The caption read:

“Phoebe Stallard, 16, Sterling Heights native, celebrates on the podium for the 2014 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series. Stallard placed second in the final race of the series at the Circuit of Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. She will be competing in the European Formula 3 race series in the upcoming season.”

Next Chapter

#f1 fanfic #f1 oc fanfic #formula 1 fanfic #original character #female OC #toto wolff #susie wolff #sebastian vettel #my fanfic #series: wildest dreams

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shinkimarbles · 1 year

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Wings of destiny

As school year ended for me early this time, I needed to write something really edgy. Suddenly, OC idea was born out of it. And as a practice before my english exams! *Smiles*

Jade Margaux was a daughter of the heavy work culture. Born to two hard working parents in winter of 1996, she had been continuously taught two bare things - to work hard and dream big. Since early years of her existence, she never dared to question neither of her parents, nor the past events that drove them out of their sheltered home in Belgium. All Jade knew was, that her mother decided to follow her husband as their grandmother sickened and died - yet even after her passing, they stuck around in NYC. Her mother was granted US citizenship, eventually taking over family business - positioned in side alley that leaned closer towards the subway station. Father played the role of a manager, struggling to understand all the numbers and bills and so his sister took extra time to teach him the base of things. In between family squabbles, Jade grew up with a dream of soaring up there - in the skies bluer than anything known to mankind.

If somebody asked her, she'd pinpoint one hot summer day as she was about to go to middle school. They were at festival dedicated to veterans that fought in second world war, therefore Blue Angels partook in the celebration as to honor those that fell. Jade fell too that day, fell in love.

Being filled by emotions child like her had no way to understand properly, she swore by the name of her ancestors that one day, may the stars guide her, she'd sit in a cockpit of one of the beautiful battle birds. And her predecessors heard her call, allowing her to borrow strenght to pull thru military academy and fight her way to the top. At 17, in year 2013, one of America's most sucessful airborne regiments - the Night Stalkers - opened their gates for female aviators for the very first time and Jade? Little Jade, aged barely 17, made it to the selection that included severe testing - psychological and physical alike. Many of her superiors that worked with her thru out the years praised her stubborn and hardworking spirit, but foremost the skill that young woman attained thru giving up on her childhood and basic teenage needs. Jade lived to serve her country, her parents and get her brother thru college so he'd be the one standing on the big convention's center stage with the fruits of his labor.

For them, she'd do it again. Break her bones, tear her muscles - yet her spirit stood unbroken. And eventually, her statue towered in the matching uniforms, as her new commander congratulated her and gave her one pin, that she swore to wear till the day she dies. And even then, her last wish would be to get laid to her final rest in her aviator gear, with her sunglasses and flag. Of course, not everyone believed in her right away - in fact, nobody besides commander truly contained the faith that this lean, weak looking girl could operate such a machine effectively. Jade understood, swearing that she's going to prove herself.

And she did. Wishing She could see how everyone's eyes widened at the sight, how they stared - mouth unhinged and agape- at the scene that played out live right there. How her plane twisted in the air, engaging in a fight that others retracted from - engaging in a fight she won. And the cheers of those that greeted her when she got out of her bird, the looks of amazed peers and high ranking officers as she passed the unspoken exam of bravery, opening their eyes for the true strenght sleeping within all Aviators. And since that day on, Night Stalkers became her whole life. Jade, who sacrificed everything - albeit she never spoke of sacrifices made - was finally on top of her world, one of the most promising fighters that Commander had the honor to meet and train further, she was easily sent on missions that required top notch dedication and skill. And she led her fireflies out the misery each and every time. Callsign Red became the name her squadmates called her.

Until that one mission. Their cover got blown, and they had to face enemy aviators above ocean, resulting in Jade having to take the risk of deciding upon the crucial outcome. Retracting her fellow soldiers from battle, it was her who remained behind as a decoy. "I am not going to be burried, not tonight!" Of course, Red was confident. Trained in all means of combat, experienced fighter and pilot - not once did she fall. She still remembers how her squadmates dissapeared from the radar, how her eyes relaxed - before impact hit her left side, breaking silence into the ear piercing beeping. Not expecting such a blow, her hands tried to pull the bird up to no avail. She was going down, for sure. The fatal blow came only seconds after, sending her machine straight towards the ocean blue. As her eyes became blurry, only then she'd realized how tears cruised her cheeks. Did they make it out? Is she going to die here? Everything went dark, but only for a brief, as cold ocean water splashed on her face the moment muscle memory forced her hand to grip the emergency button. Jade wouldn't recall the moment as a whole, nor details of how terrifying and hurtful it was. How the pain increased as water fought with her. Her body was slammed against the sandy banks, crawling out as far as she could. Her left hand was broken, her head was bleeding, ribs making it way harder to compute the movement. Her ears were loosing the function. And even thru the winter months, She felt as if she was burning. Being covered in her own blood, somebody must've alerted the coast guard and they took it from there. Jade woke up in a country, not understanding a word of theirs.

Japanese contacted her Commander, her superiors and reported it to the war committee. From what she was able to read out of looks, she knew she's going to get real lucky if they don't take it as an act of agression from United States. However that turned out to be least the problem. When she recuperated enough to return to base, she went towards the hangars to see new bird assigned to her. But the more young woman neared towards the runway, the slower she walked. Until she stood there, her lungs closing in on her, as she fell on her back. Everyone ran towards her, realizing the young aviator got into severe panic attack. Her shoulders tense, as she felt the looks of her squadmates falter. They knew, and so did Jade - it's over, she was finished. Her Commander pulled her aside.

As she stood there, her eyes fighting back the burning tears. His eyes softened. "You're going to be honorably discharged, retire early." Jade gasped and shook her head. "Sir, in all due respect! I want to continue serve!" Commander's gaze felt almost appologetic, as his brows curled showing empathy and sadness. He knew just as she did, that this Aviator will no longer soar. He then took out papers, tossing them on the table before her. "Green Barrets, Rangers, Black operations, special forces..." He spoke out loud. Young woman didn't quite understand. "Sir?" She pleaded as he stood up, looking her into the eyes. "They will all fight for a soldier like you, I know them all personally. And I am going to praise you to hell - just to get you repositioned with them." Jade held her breath, as if it gave away her feelings. "Margaux, you're one of the best Aviators I have had the honors to work with, I admired your strenght and dedication and I can see it in your eyes - you want to serve, but your wings were broken. Once you heal, you will start anew." Commander's voice was silent, as if he didn't talk to a soldier but to a daughter. "To me, you will always be a Night Stalker." As he said that, her eyes watered and she let out a loud sob, her hand shooting up into one last salute. "Sir, you will always be my Commander."

And since that day, Jade looked towards the sky with silent disdain and unspoken pain, that was present only in birds of a feather that lost their wings in a battle. She still remembers the looks of those that were her squadmates, rivals and friends - all alike, salutating as she walked down that hall for the very last time. Her head held up high, her heart bleeding as her dream collapsed.

You will no longer soar, Jade.

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modelewis · 2 years

Photo

Meet the Grid Day 7/21: Valtteri Bottas! The calm, cool, and collected Finn who's only got the finish line on his mind. 🫡

Alt text and sources below the cut!

Alt text: Two informational graphics about racing driver Valtteri Bottas. The background/border is a dark red-tinted photo of him driving in Formula 1 winter testing. A black overlay is semi-opaque on top, overlaid with red and white text and colorful images.

Image 1 reads “Valtteri Bottas, #77, BOT” next to a headshot of him with a snowflake and salute emoji, his signature, and the Alfa Romeo logo, then “About: Born Valtteri Bottas on August 28, 1989 (Age 32, Virgo) in Nastola, Päijät-Häme, Finland. Fan of fellow Finn Mika Häkkinen who began karting at 6 years old and entered Formula 1 in 2013 with Williams after his military service. He raced for Mercedes for 5 years (2017-21) and became known for his stoic personality. 2022 teammate: Zhou Guanyu at Alfa Romeo (Teammates for 1 season).” Next to this text is a photo of young Bottas, a Finnish flag emoji, a map of where he’s from in Finland, and a photo of Valtteri and Guanyu.

Image 2 reads “Facts and Stats: Bottas's partner, Tiffany Cromwell, is a professional cyclist, and he often assists with and attends her races. He also cycles, travels, and co-owns a coffee roastery back home in Finland. He sold photos of his butt for charity. F1 career: 67 podiums, 20 poles, 10 wins, 1784 points, and 191 starts. 2022 so far: 0 podiums, 0 poles, 0 wins, and 46 points (9th in WDC). Future plans: Staying with Alfa Romeo through 2024 (at least) to fulfill his multi-year deal from 2022.” Next to this text is a bicycle emoji, a steaming coffee cup emoji, a peach emoji, an Italian flag emoji (for Alfa Romeo), and the 2022 Alfa Romeo car livery.

Biographical information and racing records from Wikipedia (Double-checked for accuracy, but if you notice anything wrong, let me know!)

Additional race stats from statsf1.com

Valtteri Bottas’s website (I didn’t really use it, but thought it was interesting that he had one!)

One source about Bottas’s stoic personality (Though, if you watch his interviews, it’ll be obvious enough.)

Tiffany Cromwell’s Wikipedia page

Source for Bottas supporting Cromwell at her races via the Daily Star (Sorry it’s not a better/more reputable source; you can see his social media posts for more!)

To see Valtteri and Tiffany’s frequent cycling, hiking, and traveling exploits, follow Bottas on Instagram

Source for Bottas’s co-ownership of Kahiwa Coffee Roastery via Sports Illustrated

Source for Bottas selling his butt pics (NSFW, via F1i) for charity (to the tune of €50,000!) via WTF1

Source for Bottas’s multi-year deal with Alfa Romeo (replacing fellow Finn Kimi Räikkönen) via Crash

Image credits:

Background image from Sauber via MotorSport Magazine

Official headshot and Alfa Romeo logo from Alfa Romeo via Formula 1

Various emoji from Apple/iOS, downloaded from Emojipedia

Signature (poorly edited by me) from Okachan_F1 on Twitter

Young Bottas photo from /u/Donigs on Reddit (Not sure of original source, sorry!)

Finnish map/outline from FAVPNG

Zhou/Bottas photo from Formula 1 via sportslumo

Alfa Romeo livery photo from Formula 1

Other graphics from Canva

Made with Canva Pro

#mine #my edits #valtteri bottas #f1 #formula 1

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chibrary · 3 months

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ARTICLE: "Driver Profile: Charles Leclerc" (Formula Scout, 2015)

PaddockScout profiles Charles Leclerc, the young man from Monaco tearing up the FIA F3 European Championship with two wins from the first two rounds.

Monaco plays host to probably the most famous of any Formula 1 race each year but, perhaps unsurprisingly for a microstate of less than 40,000 people, it doesn’t have a history of producing its own successful Formula 1 drivers. Louis Chiron won his home race in 1931 but since his last participation in 1958 (the oldest ever F1 driver at 58), only Olivier Beretta in 1994 has represented Monaco in an F1 race. Clivio Piccione and Stefano Coletti have won in GP2 since then, but didn’t make it to the top level.

Charles Leclerc is only 17 but he is probably Monaco’s best chance yet of repeating Chiron’s home streets victory. A long-time protege of F1 driver manager Nicolas Todt, Leclerc was a star in karting and has had no trouble adapting to single-seaters, impressing in Formula Renault 2.0 last year and now taking up the mantle of being the star rookie in European F3. A winner on his debut at Silverstone, he added a second victory at Hockenheim last weekend and is just five points off the standings lead.

A quick history (so far)

Leclerc’s father Herve was a Formula 3 driver in the 1980s, and Charles began karting at the circuit owned by Philippe Bianchi, the father of Jules. Working his way up the ranks, Leclerc was French was French cadet champion in 2009 and the runner-up in KF3 and the Monaco Junior Kart Cup winner in 2010.

The following year, he claimed a CIK-FIA double, winning the Academy Trophy and the KF3 World Cup. Moving up to KF2 for 2012, Leclerc triumphed in the WSK Euro Series and took second in the European and U18 championships.

Together with Max Verstappen, Leclerc took part in the KZ gearbox classes for his final year in karting in 2013, winning the Winter Cup and finishing second to his Dutch rival in the world championship.

Leclerc entered Formula Renault 2.0 for his rookie single-season season, embarking on the Alps series for Fortec Motorsports. He quickly became a frontrunner, making the podium at round two at Pau and then twice again at Spa. At Monza he won both races, and followed that with more podiums to secure second place in the championship behind third-year FR2.0 racer Nyck de Vries.

Some of Leclerc’s most impressive performances last year came in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 as a guest entry. He took part in six races and finished second in the last three of those, up against lots of drivers with multiple years of experience in the series.

He could have made the full-time move to the Eurocup for 2015 but instead stepped up to Formula 3, and after testing for several different teams, signed with Van Amersfoort Racing. He would essentially replace Verstappen as team leader, working with the same engineer Rik Vernooij.

Leclerc was rapid in testing and demonstrated his pace on his debut weekend at Silverstone, scoring a double position and winning the final race of the weekend. At round two at Hockenheim he extended his podium streak to five consecutive races, and defeated F3 veteran Felix Rosenqvist in a battle for victory in the wet in race three.

Up next

Leclerc is just five points behind championship leader Antonio Giovinazzi, and so far he’s only raced on circuits he hadn’t competed at before. Next up on the calendar are Pau, Monza and Spa, and he tasted success at all of those last season. Therefore, it stands to reason that there’s yet more to come from Leclerc.

It’s a long season (there are 33 races) and plenty could happen between now and the F3 paddock returning to Hockenheim on the weekend of Leclerc’s 18 birthday in October. But based upon the first two rounds, there’s no reason to think of Leclerc as anything other than a serious title threat. Beating the more experienced Rosenqvist and Giovinazzi – driving for bigger teams in Prema and Carlin respectively – will take some doing, but he’s already given them a hard time. Anyway, his season’s hardly going to be a failure if he loses out and finishes up third as a rookie.

Talent and potential

Leclerc marked himself out as a real prospect in karting – so much so he topped our 2012 ‘karters to watch‘ feature, ahead of Verstappen. But it’s never a foregone conclusion that a successful karter will make a successful car racer. His debut season in FR2.0 was in some ways fairly low key with ‘only’ two wins, but the jump up from karting to continental FR2.0 is very rarely made to look easy by anybody. Leclerc ultimately finished as high up in the Alps standings as he could have been realistically expected to do so, given the presence of an on-form de Vries. It was actually up against tougher competition in the Eurocup that he really shone, with three consecutive P2s taking quite some doing in a series where nobody was particularly consistent.

Those performances suggested he would be capable of stepping up to F3, particularly as his old rival Verstappen had made it look easy and didn’t have the benefit of a year of car racing experience. And so he has proven to be. It’s still early days, but Leclerc has so far been the class of a large crop of rookies and taken the fight to proven F3 winners with multiple years of experience already under their belt.

His early performances are on a par with what last year’s star rookies Esteban Ocon and Verstappen were doing – in fact, his record of two wins and five podiums from the first six races replicates the 2014 champion’s start. If he keeps it up, he will deserve to be held in the same high esteem as them a few months down the line.

Off-track

No doubt assisted by the Bianchis’ tutelage, Leclerc signed with Todt Jr’s All Road Management firm in 2011. At present, Leclerc has no ties to F1 teams, but through his work with Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado and Bianchi, Todt has dealt with most of them and will be very well-placed to get his protege a role when the time comes.

A potential stumbling point is that most F1 teams are already overflowing with some serious sub-F1 prospects, but if he continues to impress as he’s doing at the moment, they could begin falling over each other to find a space for him.

Funding-wise, Leclerc benefits from partners usually tied to Todt’s projects, and watch maker Richard Mille (currently a sponsor of the Lotus F1 team) is his loyal main backer. And you’d imagine that being billed as a future F1 star from Monaco could well tempt some further future investment.

Verdict

In just his second season in single-seaters, Leclerc is quickly marking himself out as a star of the future with fine performances and two wins in his first couple of weekends in European F3, making him seriously stand out from a large and competitive grid.

While he’s got plenty in common with his old karting rival and Van Amersfoort F3 predecessor Verstappen, a lesser reputation and sensible management mean he’s unlikely to be making the jump straight up to F1 next year. He will therefore need to sustain this impressive form into an intermediate category like GP2 in order to make the grade.

But the signs are definitely there that Leclerc is one of the very top talents in the junior ranks right now, and that he’s capable of tasting success in F1 in the future.

His lifelong friend Bianchi was so sadly stopped in his tracks last year just when his F1 future was looking promising. In a few years’ time, Leclerc could just pick up where his mentor left off.

#year:2015 #series:europeanf3 #format:article

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megbox · 1 year

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2022 Year In Review

Previous Posts: (2021)(2020)(2019)(2018)(2017)(2016)(2015)(2014)(2013)(2012)(2011)

As I sit here to write this, I am devoid of any profound takeaways or overarching themes to assign to 2022. It's not that nothing happened. On all accounts, it was actually an incredibly eventful year. But in some ways, it feels like all the same stuff. I continue to fall for the wrong people and act out when they behave exactly how one might predict them to. I continue to love running. I continue to advance in my career. I guess the new things about 2022 are that I have had to reckon with some serious changes to my lifestyle due to underlying health conditions that I have only recently become aware of, and I took on the additional challenge of starting graduate school. However, both of these things ultimately push me to be a better person. Particularly graduate school has been the kind of wake up call my brain needed. I can complain all I want about being busy but the reality is that I fucking love it. I love learning statistics and getting a 94% on my assignment and contributing in class discussions and reading articles and actually having takes on them because I'm a real deal professional. It's been good for my ego, if anything else.

And so I present once more: the annual year in review.

January

Sigh. Until I sat down to write this, I completely forgot that I had an entire boyfriend at the beginning of 2022. When I find myself lamenting about the lack of romance in my life, quickly remembering Bryan always does the trick to snap me back into reality. On paper, it should have worked out. Bryan was (is) a great guy, he cared about me and went out of his way to demonstrate that to me. He liked to run. He brought me flowers on Valentine’s Day and once drove two hours out of his way from Canmore to Calgary and back just to drop me off before he went ski touring. We spent a week together in his family’s absurdly beautiful Canmore condo, quarantining after Maddy woke up on January 1 with a positive COVID test after we’d been sharing drinks all night, watching Netflix documentaries about climbing, going in the hot tub, ordering ramen and having a ton of sex.

Dating him felt like dunking my face in ice water. It felt like finally seeing a movie that everyone else has been talking about for years and all the little references in other movies make sense in your brain. It was like… you can ask for that from a boyfriend? And as much as I enjoyed the way he liked me, my stupid brain could not figure out a way to reciprocate those feelings. My friends told me to wait it out, they reminded me that I tend to choose the wrong people and that maybe a slow burn is exactly what I needed. They were totally right. And so I resolved to wait, to give things an earnest chance to develop. But they didn’t. I realized I needed to break up with him when Maddy and I were driving back from Edmonton after a weekend visit with our then-boyfriends. As Maddy gushed about how great of a weekend she had and how she couldn’t wait to see Audla again, I stared at my reflection in the car window, nodding along but feeling a sense of dread creep over me as I reconciled with the fact that I was definitely going to have to break up with the nicest guy I had ever dated.

Hm, January was relatively uneventful. I did a lot of very cold winter running, and Wordle took over my life and the lives of my loved ones.

February

A spin studio opened up approximately one minute away from my apartment in Mission with an unlimited first month deal for $39, so I recall February as the month I became a spin class bitch. February was bitterly cold, and I was still working from home at the time with no other gym membership so it came at a good time. I do love spin class. I went almost every single day, sometimes twice a day. I like the electronic remixes of every song, I like the choreography, I like staring at myself in the mirror on the bike thinking “yes, bitch! Get it!”

I broke up with Bryan. On Valentine’s Day, actually. It was kind of strange. He was in Canmore for a bachelor party the weekend before, and had planned to spend the evening of Valentine’s Day with me because a) girlfriend and b) prevent driving 4 hours from Banff to Edmonton after bachelor party. So even though we had “broken up”, I said he was welcome to still stay here. He definitely thought he was getting laid. I guess you can’t blame him, but… he was not. That was the last day I saw him. We keep each other on social media and toss each other a Strava kudos here and there and that is just fine by me. He has a new girlfriend now who appreciates all of the wonderful things he does the way he deserves.

Ironically, both of these things led to the almost-immediate resurgence of a past lover. Like a karmic message from the universe – here was someone who I never questioned my attraction to. But I’d given up on it when I met Bryan. He lived only a few blocks away from me, and works as a paramedic out of a nearby hospital. As if on cue, he emerged one morning on 4 Street, walking past me in his North Face coat and black Vans. We locked eyes for a split second as I left spin class at 6:50am. Extreme restraint was exercised in not turning around to watch him after I realized who it was. I laughed at the coincidence, smirked, sent a few “Omg guess who I just saw?” text messages and forgot about it. He messaged me a photo he’d taken on our first date with no context a week later.

The Olympics were also on in February and I delighted in spending a lot of time watching snowboarding, skiing, and figure skating while I ate soup dumplings. The Olympics even inspired me to take my own cross country skiing lesson through Active Living at the University. Frankly, a bold move because I signed up all by myself and drove out to Kananaskis and tried a new thing which is highly uncharacteristic. I vividly remember thinking my car was going to run out of gas, and mentally preparing for how I was going to deal with that on Highway 40 with no cell service, I was counting down the kilometres when as if by fate a gas station appeared on the side of the road. I could have cried. I would’ve been so screwed.

March

From March 4-6, I completed the Goggins 4x4x48 challenge. I attempted it last year and failed, and so I was determined this year to do things right. To increase accountability, even though it pained me to do this publicly, I did it as a fundraiser for CommunityWise. I would say that the first ~4 rounds were fun. Lucas stayed over and ran with me outdoors for the midnight and 4:00am runs. There is something so deliciously unhinged about running four miles at 4:00am through the streets of Rideau Park, blasting ABBA. Lucas was also the person waiting for me at the very end of the challenge almost two days later, with a package of macarons and a smile. I feel this experience cemented Lucas and I as really close friends. My quads were aching so hard I could barely walk, I was so sleep deprived that by night two I was in the worst mood and just snapping at everybody, but miraculously we got it done. 77km in 48 hours, and I raised over $1,000 for CommunityWise. I took the Monday off of work but oddly, didn’t even need it. Will I be braving the Goggins challenge again? No. Well… never say never. But also, never.

I also facilitated my first ASIST workshop in March. By a lot of standards, this is an unremarkable thing. But for me, I have a lot of pride in being certified to facilitate ASIST because I feel like it is such a representation of my professional development as a social worker. Two days, eight hours of facilitation per day and it’s not easy. But having jumped through the hoops to become trained, and really just being trusted to teach people these skills and walk them through these difficult conversations. It is one of the most tangible ways in my job I get to actually help my community and have an impact and it feels good. Selfishly, the feedback I receive after every ASIST feels so validating and I’m very proud of myself for having this skill and being an ASIST trainer.

Paramedic Man (also known as, The Short King) and I hung out a few days after I’d finished the Goggins challenge. I remember it was International Women’s Day, and he’d playfully roast me and I’d say, “you can’t say that on International Women’s Day.” I went to the fancy liquor store in Mission and told the salesperson I had a first date, he recommended some wine and said it will for sure get you laid. He was right. I settled into the familiar anxiety of an unpredictable, bread crumb-y situationship. I didn’t think about Bryan at all.

April

I made an unhinged decision (shocker) and accepted an offer from a different previous lover (look, if you take one thing away from this Year in Review, let it me that I am a slut) to come visit him in Squamish over my birthday weekend. I want to be explicitly clear that accepting this offer was not sketchy. Emma and I had met him on our trip the previous summer and he was a perfect gentleman. Carbon restructuring engineer with a penchant for cocktails who took us to a secret cidery. I was legitimately excited but that trip turned out to be the biggest flop of all time. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such rampant alcoholism up close like that. I don’t know if I didn’t notice it back in August or if things had taken a decline since last summer. The first night was actually good. He picked me up, having just “come from work” he said, and we had a few drinks at the condo he shared with his roommates and their dates, and then we went to a beautiful concert at the Brackendale Art Gallery. We split a bottle of wine and he showered me in compliments and I was like hell yeah, this is what I came here for. The next morning, he was… incapacitated. Literally. He was rocked by such a forceful hangover that there’s simply no way the only alcohol he consumed was that wine. He was literally tremoring! He had promised me a hike to a secret sauna that only the locals knew about. When we finally managed to get him out of bed around 2:00pm, we set out to find the sauna, he forgot where it was and then called it quits. We went for sushi lunch and he ordered a glass of chardonnay and then said he couldn’t stomach anything else. We got back to his place around 4:30pm and he put Rush Hour 2 on Netflix and promptly fell asleep. His roommates had begun their nightly ritual of drinking immediately upon getting home from work so I went down to join them, leaving him in bed. They drank, and drank, and drank. I was so desperate to get the fuck out of there. He was supposed to drive me into Vancouver the next morning to catch my flight but his roommates were going to Whistler to go snowboarding. At one point, clearly having realized I was having the worst time of my life, he asked if I’d be okay with it if he bought me a bus ticket and dropped me off. I was overjoyed. I went to bed and he did not return until 4:00am. My bus was at 6:00am. He was absolutely still drunk when he dropped me off at the bus. I waited until I was within city limits, blocked him on Instagram and have never spoken to him again. Lesson learned. However – the funniest thing to come out of that whole experience was that I was in such shock at the disarray of this man’s life since August that I was constantly updating my friends and I just put everyone in a group chat. At one point I sent a photo of his couch and kitchen counter to illustrate my point and the roasts that came out of that… honestly, maybe worth it.

April was also a special time because I received my acceptance to the Master of Public Health program at the University of Alberta. Just a few days before my birthday! I had kind of forgotten about that application, to be honest, and at that point had no idea how I was going to arrange it with work or pay for it or any of those details. But I can’t deny that receiving that email made my day. It felt good to have a plan, a next step. And you can’t deny that an MPH holds a lot more weight than a BSW or a fricking journalism degree.

May

Okay, May was actually a very important month of this year. So many of the major things that unfolded over the year can be linked back to origins in May.

Of particular note, the Pet Rabbit Debacle. Paramedic Man knew just how to activate my anxious attachment style and kept making plans with me only to cancel at the last minute. I got mad at him for this and he promised to make it up to me. He came over but was clearly distracted by something on his phone. He kept apologizing, and though I didn’t ask any questions he offered the excuse: “My friend’s pet rabbit ate something potentially poisonous and she’s just freaking out.” I said to him, “if you need to go, you can go” but he declined. At one point, I asked what the rabbit’s name was. “Scully,” he said. “Like, from X Files?” “Yeah, exactly.” I was annoyed. It sounded like the worst possible excuse you could ever use to get out of a date but then he didn’t even have the courage to actually leave. I resolved to stop putting in any effort with him. In the coming days, the Instagram algorithm gave me a precious gift. It’s a tale as old as time, really. He posted something on Instagram, a comment from a girl I recognized as his ex-girlfriend, I visited her page, she posted a photo of a pet rabbit, the rabbit has an account of its own, the rabbit’s name is Scully. The puzzle clicked together in my head. Part of me was like, okay, so the rabbit is real. The other part is like, but… it’s his ex’s rabbit. Now this is where the meddling begins. I noticed she had a mutual follower with a friend of mine from the Famoso days. I texted him, “how do you know her?” Innocently. He said, “she’s my manager at X bar, why?” I asked him, “do you know if she has a boyfriend?” “Yeah, insert Paramedic Man’s name here. Why?” Oops.

I also signed up for (was recruited for, actually) the Kananaskis 100 Mile Relay. Which was really the impetus I needed to get running more seriously in advance of Sinister 7 after having a very lazy spring.

I presented at a conference on May 14, on my Peer Listening program and how to embed peer support into larger networks of formal support. Other post-secondary staff workers attended from all over Alberta. Another check mark for professional development and social worker pride.

On May 16, I donated blood for the first time! This was perhaps the most crucial moment of my entire year, and in a domino effect kind of way, truly changed the course of my life forever and no, I am not kidding. The actual first donation was very uneventful. I walked to the blood clinic, focused on a grey spot on the wall while they took my blood and tried not to faint, downed a Sprite and some Cheetos and went on with my life. Because I am a data nerd, I downloaded the GiveBlood app. A few days later, my “stats” appeared in my account. Hemoglobin. Bleed time.

I spent the May long weekend in Meota, Saskatchewan with Ali, her mom, her stepdad, and his dad, Maurice. We referred to it as her “bachelor party.” It was the kind of perfect weekend that you can only have with someone you love and trust so dearly. I felt like a little kid again, returning to the lakes of Saskatchewan. We went fishing and although I caught a fish both times, I screamed whenever it came near me. Ali and I filmed TikTok dances on the deck late at night. We watched a hockey game and explored the tiny town of Meota with its beautiful golf courses. We went “jeeping” – a Saskatchewan pastime I had not yet experienced but instantly loved until we went to explore a creek and instantly got covered in ticks. If I get Lyme disease, it’s from that creek, for sure.

June

June meant a lot of running. It was like the running equivalent of staying up until 4am the night before a big exam trying to cram knowledge into your brain. Emma’s team from BLG for the Kananaskis 100-Mile Relay had asked me to run a leg, and we had Sinister 7 coming up in the first weekend of July. I had really slacked off in the spring, so I was forced to reconcile this by committing myself to 5-6 weeks (an abysmal amount of time for this calibre of race, unfortunately) of dedicated training. Knowing what I know now about my health at this time of the year, it makes sense why it did not really work. But I appreciated past-me’s hustle.

The actual day of the K-100 was one of my favourite experiences of the year. I asked the team captain, Jared, if I could ride with him in the crew car. We spent like, sixteen hours together in that car. Jared and I had known of one another for a long time through Emma and through the larger running community in Calgary but that day was the first time we had actually had the chance to meet. I have perhaps never hit it off with someone so quickly. Someone else whose idea of an amazing day is to run 100 miles of Highway 40 with your friends in the summer. My leg went… okay. I took off SO fast, way too fast, and then the rest of my leg was uphill so I did a lot of walk/jogging. It’s actually so sad that this race came at this point in the year. I am capable of so much MORE. But hopefully at some point in the future I am offered an opportunity to redeem myself.

But the absolute best part of June and also one of the best parts of this whole year was that Ali and Cody got married! I had the honour of being a bridesmaid and it was such an incredible day. The bridal party got to Ali’s early and in typical Ceaser fashion there was an absolute SPREAD of every conceivable breakfast and brunch item your heart could ever desire. We got hair and makeup done, drank a lot of mimosas, listened to a lot of romantic pop music, shared a lot of tears. When the torrential downpour started 90 minutes before the ceremony, everyone bit their tongues. Riding to Reader Rock Garden with Matt and another one of the bridesmaids as the rain hit the windshield so fast the wipers could barely keep up, and the cab driver cringed and said, “you said you guys are going to an outdoor wedding?” And it was silent. But in the most beautiful stroke of luck, the sun broke through the clouds like five minutes before the ceremony and Reader Rock Garden was absolutely glistening with fresh raindrops falling off of every radiantly green leaf and flower and my fake eyelashes. I sobbed… absolutely SOBBED when Ali walked down the aisle and through most of that ceremony. Ali is my first friend to get married which somehow just makes sense. But to see it all come together just did something special to my heart. It helps that she married the best guy in the entire world who I also love dearly. Watching something like that happen just makes all of the tears you cried together about much shittier dudes feel irrelevant, barely a blip on the universe of life.

July

So, so much happened in July. It earns bullet points:

I participated in my very first Sinister 7! Sinister 7 was such a fucking trip. It felt like being on the amazing race. Seven Kings Popping Off did exactly what we said we were going to do and absolutely popped off, finishing third (but then were bumped up to second because the second place team was all dudes and were incorrectly registered... #men) for the mixed relay teams. 161km and thousands of meters of elevation gain over seven runners. I contributed objectively the least to this win. If I am being honest, runningwise I did not have the most fun at Sinister 7. I performed poorly, injured myself, and was basically just like the personality hire of the team. Again, I know I am capable of so much more and I look forward to one day being able to show that. But the actual experience of being at the race was incredible. The camaraderie between our team, meeting Elspeth who ran a 50-miler and then hit the Cowboys tent at Stampede the next night, having Reid come out and stay with us and absolutely CRUSH his leg. I felt delirious by the end of it, trudging back into the Airbnb at 3:00am, my drunkness long dissolved.

THEN we visited Eugene for World Athletics Championships. God, there's so much I could write but my focus and patience in crafting this year in review is waning. Highlights: MEETING CRAIG ENGELS AT THE NIKE STORE. Seeing the Canadian men's 4x100m team upset the Americans in the final. Lovely's Fifty Fifty.

And then I topped off my wonderful trip away with a return to Big Valley Jamboree. Inspired by my wonderful friends. Lots of magic mushrooms were consumed. "Chef's Table." The death of Matt's Van. Tim McGraw. Love. Friendship. Margaritas.

August

I decided to focus on heart-rate based training after being in Oregon (and Sinister 7) and seeing all of these effortless distance runners in Alton Baker Park. Again, knowing what I know now about my health, it makes sense that this did not really work. But I have to admit the heart rate training did recalibrate my approach to running. It did amazing things for my stress levels, my mileage was extremely high. While it may not have helped my heart rate come down, there is absolutely merit to integrating phases of heart rate based training in the future and that was valuable learning.

I started school! And what a start it was. A two week, intensive, eight-hours-a-day block week course in which they simulated a flood and gave us harsh deadlines and made us work in teams of twelve. This experience was rendered even more stressful by the fact that what had started out in such a wholesome, lovely way with Jared had now lapsed into long response times. Or just no responses at all. I was simultaneously frustrated with his behaviour and frustrated at myself for letting yet another boy get in the way of being able to apply myself to my work, to my program, and to my own wellbeing. A simple, “hey, we should hang out soon J” text message to somebody who has been pursuing you left unanswered for an entire week. I hate who I become when this happens to me. Checking my phone incessantly. Then muting the notifications anyway because then maybe it’ll spontaneously be there. But it’s not there, ever. The response I was so desperately craving came a week later when I was at Globalfest with Connor. I don’t think we should pursue this. I don’t want to compromise the friend group or our running group. Cue eyeroll. Like, just tell me her name already. I say that now but admittedly, I was pretty devastated.

Another great part about August was that we played in a slow pitch tournament in Okotoks. This was the birth of our new team: Hawaii 5-Slo. Which is the product of a divorce from our previous team, We’d Hit That, where the competitive assholes among us split from the let’s-just-drink-beer-who-cares. I don’t think I need to clarify which team I ended up on. The tournament was actually crazy because it was torrentially bad weather. At one point, we ended up in the Blackfly tent being plied with free 7% bottled margaritas as we watched our paltry tents across the field get whipped by the wind. We played a few games, did poorly, attempted to wait it out and ultimately bailed to spend the night at Megan Kemper’s place in Okotoks which was ABSOLUTELY the right move. We ordered pizza, I took a shower, slept in a real bed. The best part of this tournament was that the team who defeated us in the second morning approached me after the game and asked if I would consider playing with them for the finals because they needed an extra girl. I said yes, went to finals, WON! and made a whole bunch of new friends. I even drove from that game into the city to play another game with them for their CSSC league that night, and continued to sub for them through the fall season.

September

This is where the story of this year becomes much more concerned with my health. In early September, I went for a second blood donation. During the pre-test, they measured my hemoglobin as is standard practice and the nurse noted to me that mine was quite low. No cause for concern, he said, but maybe check it out with your doctor. When my stats showed up in the GiveBlood app (because of course I check my stats), I noted that my hemoglobin was like, really low. Low enough that if it was any lower they would not have taken my blood that day. So I called and got an appointment with my family doctor. She waved it off but said she’d do a blood test just to check. I left the office requisition in hand and promptly stuck it to the side of my fridge on a magnet where it stayed for many many weeks.

The rest of September is a bit of a blur, to be honest. This is where I began the delicate juggling act of full time work, school, running, and just generally living my life.

October

So many things happened in October!

On October 1, I moved to Bridgeland into a really nice little two bedroom apartment with Maddy. Let me tell you, people, Bridgeland is where it’s AT. I had been sleeping on this neighbourhood but it’s easily become my favourite place I have ever lived. I brought all my furniture and Maddy brought all her knick-knacks and plants and our apartment is so fucking cute. My extroverted self also definitely appreciates having a friend and a roommate around. Some people might view moving in with a roommate after living on your own as like, a step backward. But after that lonely pandemic – why would I not take a nicer place, cheaper rent, and company? Please. Definitely one of the best choices I made this year.

I also ran in the Grizzly Ultra! I ran on a team with Rob, and Emma ran her first 50k ultra as a soloist. It was an incredibly beautiful day out in Canmore, like could not ask for a better day. I ran way better than I thought I could! And Rob and I managed to come third for the mixed teams (we really should have come second if I had hustled a little harder at the end). Emma did so well in her solo race and then we went back to the hotel room and drank beers and watched Forrest Gump on the hotel television.

Taylor Swift released Midnights on October 22. I went to a listening party at Carly’s and enjoyed every millisecond of it but especially how excited Carly was.

I played in a snow pitch tournament which, in typical CSSC slow pitch tournament fashion, was a mess. They even had it earlier this year to lessen the chances of this happening but there was SO MUCH SNOW. And it was thick, wet snow. The ball would basically immediately stop wherever it landed on the pitch. It made for an interesting day, that’s for sure. But we managed to win the tournament. And I slept with my teammate after. So, that actually makes me 2 for 2 in getting laid after snow pitch tournaments. And all is right with the world.

I woke up on the morning of October 29 to not one but two late night messages! One of which was from Jared. It’s like clockwork. Give it two, maybe three months and you wake up to a message like the one I got. You would think I would learn. But of course, I never do.

November

In November, I finally got around to getting my blood test and was confirmed to be suffering from severe anemia iron deficiency. This made sense. Symptoms began to piece together a story explained from the viewpoint of anemia. That mid-afternoon tiredness I thought I was curing with a “adrenal cocktail”? The unreasonably high heart rate and lack of progress despite months and months of dedicated training? The coldness and numbness? The frequent headaches? The change I felt when I started on iron pills was incredible.

I also registered for the Saskatchewan Marathon in November, which was scary and exciting at the same time. Me, former racer of the 100m and 200m dash, taking on the 42,200m.

More happened with Jared and I in November but I honestly… don’t want to talk about it. And this is literally my blog so I can write whatever the fuck I want. Let’s just leave it at: he wasn’t very kind. I wish it had never happened.

December

So, here is where the life altering news comes in. In the absence of any glaring cause for anemia, it is standard practice to screen for celiac disease. This is because people with undiagnosed celiac disease often have damage to their intestines that is causing the malabsorption of nutrients. My doctor explained this to me and requested that I have another blood test done. I was so certain that I was not celiac that I did not think anything of getting this test done.

But on December 6, 2022 in my office on My Health Records – I was shocked to see that my level of antibodies were literally off the charts. They were so high they were at a level unmeasurable to the test. I texted my brother. “That’s positive for celiac.”

On December 7, 2022 a call from my doctor’s office. “You’re sure it can’t be anything else?” I asked, desperate. “This is pretty much what we would call a slam dunk, from a diagnostic perspective,” she told me. What ensued was a 72-hour mental breakdown that rivals any heartbreak or trauma I’ve been through before. I don’t know how to explain it. I could. not. stop. crying. Could not stop thinking about everything I can’t do. Everything I can’t eat. Everything I can’t participate in. I had to take like, 10 melatonins just to sleep at night. I cried every time someone said something to me at work. I hid in my office and forced myself to eat Lara bars. But I also just didn’t eat for three days because food suddenly seemed scary, and like the enemy. If I am to be completely honest, I think a large part of this emotional reaction to the diagnosis was also sadness at thinking about my poor body. It may not have felt sick but it was really sick. And I knew something was wrong. Would I have guessed this? No. But I think about all of the work I put this body through and how much I cherish what it does for me and allows me to do. And the fact that I have been really sick. For maybe a really long time. Made me sad. So it was grieving but in a way, also relief. With diagnosis comes labels. It comes restrictions. It comes lifestyle changes. But it also comes answers, explanations, cures. Celiac disease is the only auto immune disease for which there is a full cure. Just don’t eat gluten and your intestines heal and life goes on.

Another piece of life altering news that I got actually a few hours post-celiac diagnosis was that I got a huge promotion and a $12,000 raise at my job. This promotion and raise is absolutely deserved. I work really fucking hard and have been really underpaid at this job for a long time. But given that I’m in a union, it took a lot of advocating for myself and proving my worth to my team in order to be in this position. We are NOT in Kansas anymore. This is serious, real deals social work and I am extremely proud of myself for working my way up to this level in just three years.

2023

In 2023, I look forward to taking control of my health and seeing what a gluten free life does for my mind and body and spirit and intestines. I am already seeing huge progress in my running and I can’t wait to build on it and just… be healthy.

I have SO many good concert tickets in 2023. Death Cab for Cutie (twice), Alvvays, Andy Shauf, Blink 182, Taylor fricking Swift, The Postal Service. Lots of music related travel. A tentative trip to Palm Springs for Stagecoach at the end of April. So much to look forward to.

I also am excited to dedicate myself to marathon training and see what I can do on May 28in Saskatoon!

#personal #megbox #year in review #2022

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blogbridgekethy · 22 days

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Snow Total Reports of West Orange, NJ & Chelmsford, MA

Snow total reports bring significant excitement to weather enthusiasts and local communities alike. They are not just about numbers; they tell the stories of winter's ferocity and beauty, and their impact on daily life. In this post, we delve into the top 10 reports of snow total West Orange NJ, and Chelmsford, MA, offering a detailed analysis that highlights historical context, regional effects, and future trends. Join us as we explore these snowy marvels through the lens of Certified Snowfall Totals.

West Orange, NJ Snow Total Reports

West Orange, NJ, a city known for its rich history and prestigious universities, also has its share of memorable snowfall events. Here are the top 5 snowfall events that left a lasting impression:

1. The Blizzard of 1978

Date: February 6-7, 1978

Total Snowfall: 27.1 inches

Historical Context: This infamous blizzard paralyzed the entire New England region. Schools and businesses were shut for days, and snowdrifts reached up to 15 feet in some areas.

Impact: The storm led to significant changes in emergency preparedness and snow removal strategies, making it a cornerstone in West Orange’s winter history.

2. Snowstorm Nemo (2013)

Date: February 8-9, 2013

Total Snowfall: 24.9 inches

Historical Context: Named after the famous Disney character, Nemo brought heavy snowfall and strong winds, creating blizzard conditions.

Impact: The storm tested the city's snow removal capabilities and highlighted the importance of modern forecasting technologies.

3. January 2015 Blizzard

Date: January 26-27, 2015

Total Snowfall: 24.6 inches

Historical Context: This storm was part of the notorious 2014-2015 winter season, which is remembered for record-breaking snowfall across Massachusetts.

Impact: Public transportation services were significantly disrupted, and the city saw an increase in snow removal budgets in subsequent years.

4. April Fool's Day Storm (1997)

Date: March 31-April 1, 1997

Total Snowfall: 25.4 inches

Historical Context: This late-season storm caught many by surprise, dumping heavy snow at a time when spring was expected.

Impact: The storm underscored the unpredictability of New England weather and the necessity for year-round preparedness.

5. December 2003 Nor'easter

Date: December 6-7, 2003

Total Snowfall: 23.6 inches

Historical Context: This early winter storm set the tone for a snowy season, causing widespread disruptions during the holiday period.

Impact: It highlighted the need for effective communication between meteorologists and the public to manage expectations and ensure safety.

Chelmsford, MA Snow Total Reports

Chelmsford, MA, with its scenic landscapes and vibrant community, has experienced its own share of significant snowfall events. Let's explore the top 5 snowfall events that have shaped its winters:

1. January 1996 Nor'easter

Date: January 6-8, 1996

Total Snowfall: 25.9 inches

Historical Context: This storm was part of a series of massive snowstorms that hit the eastern United States, causing widespread disruptions.

Impact: The storm prompted improvements in snow removal equipment and emergency response plans in Chelmsford.

2. Snowstorm Jonas (2016)

Date: January 22-24, 2016

Total Snowfall: 31.9 inches

Historical Context: Jonas was one of the most severe snowstorms in recent memory, affecting millions across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Impact: The storm led to a reevaluation of winter preparedness strategies and highlighted the importance of community resilience.

3. February 2010 Snowstorm

Date: February 5-6, 2010

Total Snowfall: 25.2 inches

Historical Context: This storm was part of the "Snowmageddon" event that hit the Mid-Atlantic States, breaking numerous snowfall records.

Impact: The snowfall caused widespread power outages and significant transportation disruptions.

4. Valentine's Day Blizzard (2007)

Date: February 13-14, 2007

Total Snowfall: 19.4 inches

Historical Context: This blizzard brought heavy snowfall and strong winds, creating hazardous conditions across the region.

Impact: It underscored the importance of timely weather warnings and efficient emergency response.

5. December 2009 Snowstorm

Date: December 19-20, 2009

Total Snowfall: 16.7 inches

Historical Context: This pre-Christmas snowstorm brought a winter wonderland to Chelmsford, but also significant challenges.

Impact: The storm highlighted the need for effective snow removal strategies during the holiday season.

Comparison and Trends

Similarities

Both snow total West Orange NJ and snow total Chelmsford MA have experienced some of their most impactful storms during the winter months of January and February. These storms often coincide with Nor'easters that bring heavy snowfall and strong winds to the East Coast. The resulting disruptions in both cities have led to improvements in emergency response and snow removal strategies.

Differences

While West Orange tends to experience more intense and frequent snowfall due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Chelmsford’s snow events are often influenced by larger storm systems that move up through the Mid-Atlantic. Additionally, Chelmsford has seen significant snowfall events as part of larger regional storms, such as the 2016 Snowstorm Jonas, which affected multiple states.

Recurring Trends

Increased Snowfall in Recent Years: Both locations have seen a trend towards more intense snowfall events in the past two decades.

Improved Preparedness: Each major snow event has led to advancements in snow removal technology and emergency response protocols.

Climate Change Influence: The variability and intensity of snowstorms are increasingly being linked to climate change, impacting the frequency and severity of these events.

The Future of Snow Reporting

Technological Advancements

The future of snow reporting will be heavily influenced by technological advancements. Enhanced satellite imagery, real-time data analytics, and AI-driven predictive models will provide more accurate and timely snow total reports. These innovations will help both local authorities and weather enthusiasts stay better informed.

Climate Change Impact

As climate change continues to alter weather patterns, we can expect shifts in snowfall trends. These changes may result in more unpredictable and intense snowstorms, making accurate reporting even more critical.

Infrastructure Improvements

Investments in infrastructure, such as better snow removal equipment and smarter urban planning, will play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of heavy snowfall on communities. These measures will ensure that cities like West Orange and Chelmsford remain resilient in the face of future snow events.

#snow total #snow removal contractors #certified snowfall totals #snow total west orange nj #snow total chelmsford ma #snow total prediction

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