#Shower Panel Price

[salusindiabrand]

Choosing the Perfect Shower Experience: A Guide to Bathroom Shower Panels and Accessories

A bathroom is no longer just a functional space; it’s a personal retreat where relaxation meets rejuvenation. One of the most significant contributors to this experience is your shower setup. From elegant hand showers to sophisticated bathroom shower panels, the right choice can transform your daily routine into a spa-like experience. This article is here to help you with all the essentials for choosing the perfect shower head, understanding shower panel prices, and discovering the amazing benefits of advanced shower systems, like panel showers. Let’s dive in!

The Role of a Perfect Shower Head

Rain Shower Heads: These provide a gentle, even flow that mimics rainfall, perfect for a calming bath.

Handshowers: These versatile attachments allow you to direct the water flow as needed, which is ideal for precise cleaning or washing kids and pets.

High-Pressure Shower Heads: These options deliver excellent water force for those who prefer a strong, invigorating spray.

Selecting the right shower head depends on your bathroom’s water pressure, the design aesthetic you prefer, and your personal preferences for a relaxing or energizing bath.

Why Bathroom Shower Panels Are Trending

Bathroom shower panels are the ultimate upgrade for modern homes. These sleek, vertical installations combine multiple features, such as overhead showers, hand showers, and body jets, into a single system. The result? is a luxurious, multi-functional showering experience that’s efficient and stylish.

Benefits of Bathroom Shower Panels

Enhanced Functionality: Shower panels typically include a combination of a rainfall shower head, hand shower, and body jets, allowing you to customize your bath.

Space-Saving Design: Unlike bulky setups, bathroom shower panels are compact and wall-mounted, making them ideal for small and large bathrooms.

Modern Aesthetics: Their sleek, contemporary design adds a touch of sophistication to your space.

Easy Installation: Many panel showers are designed for quick and hassle-free installation without extensive plumbing modifications.

Factors Affecting Shower Panel Prices

Shower panel prices can vary widely based on the following factors:

Material and Finish: Panels crafted from stainless steel or aluminum are not only more durable but also come at a premium price. Additionally, high-end finishes such as brushed nickel or matte black significantly impact the overall cost.

Features: Advanced features like digital temperature controls, LED lighting, or massage jets add to the price.

Brand Reputation: Well-known brands usually have higher prices because they stand behind their products with quality guarantees and warranties.

Size and Design: Larger panels with more intricate designs or multiple features tend to cost more.

When considering a bathroom shower panel, you must balance your budget with the features you need to get the best value.

The Importance of Hand showers in a Complete Setup

Targeted Cleaning: Its adjustable flow allows precise rinsing, which is particularly useful for washing hair or hard-to-reach areas.

Cleaning the Bathroom: A detachable hand shower simplifies washing bathroom surfaces, keeping your space spotless.

Accessibility: It’s an excellent addition for households with elderly family members or children, ensuring a safe and comfortable experience.

Tips for Choosing the Best Shower panel System

Evaluate Your Bathroom Size: Choose a compact design for smaller bathrooms or use a larger, feature-rich panel if space permits.

Check Water Pressure Compatibility: Ensure your panel shower system works efficiently with your home’s water pressure.

Look for Adjustable Features: Options like adjustable body jets and a tiltable overhead shower enhance comfort.

Compare Warranty and Support: A longer warranty reflects the manufacturer’smanufacturer’s confidence in their product.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Bathing Experience

Whether upgrading your bathroom with a luxurious shower panel or selecting a versatile hand shower for added convenience, the right choices can redefine your daily routine. Investing in quality bathroom accessories like shower heads and panels enhances functionality and aesthetics, making your bathroom a space you’ll love.

Evaluate options that align with your budget and preferences, and make it a priority to choose quality over cost. You can turn your daily showers into an indulgent escape with the right bathroom shower panel and accessories.

[ruheindia]

Transform your bathroom into a luxurious retreat with RUHE India's premium shower panels. Whether you're looking for a sleek digital shower, a stylish piano shower, or a complete bathroom shower system, we offer a wide range of high-quality options to suit every budget. Discover the perfect shower panel for your home and enjoy unbeatable prices on the latest designs.

[oysterlifestyle]

The Ultimate Guide to Whirlpool Baths, Sauna Baths, Shower Prices, UPVC Windows, and Doors

Looking to elevate your bathroom or home? Whirlpool baths and sauna baths are fantastic choices for those seeking relaxation and therapeutic benefits. Whirlpool baths offer a luxurious experience with powerful jets designed to massage your body, relieve tension, and promote better circulation. They're perfect for unwinding after a long day. On the other hand, sauna baths provide a unique experience by exposing your body to dry heat, which helps detoxify, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. If you're looking to create your personal spa retreat, both options deliver impressive benefits for your well-being.

When considering bathroom upgrades, it’s important to look at the shower price, as this can vary depending on the type and features. Basic showers are more affordable, but high-end models with advanced features such as rainfall showerheads, hydrotherapy jets, or digital temperature controls can increase the price. Understanding the factors that contribute to shower pricing will help you find an option that suits your needs and budget.

But the upgrades don’t stop in the bathroom. UPVC windows and UPVC doors are becoming increasingly popular in modern homes due to their durability, energy efficiency, and low maintenance. UPVC, or unplasticized polyvinyl chloride, is a material that resists fading, rusting, and weathering, making it ideal for both windows and doors. UPVC windows are known for excellent insulation, keeping your home cool in summer and warm in winter, while UPVC doors offer enhanced security and easy upkeep.

A great way to combine the benefits of both windows and doors is through UPVC door windows. This combination offers seamless functionality and aesthetic appeal, ensuring that your home remains well-insulated while also improving its overall look. These products are not only practical but also help to reduce your energy bills over time.

If you're planning any home renovations, these upgrades—whirlpool baths, sauna baths, showers, UPVC windows, doors, and door windows—are all investments that bring lasting comfort and value. Explore more and get started on transforming your home at Oyster Lifestyle!

[midasshowerscreen]

Midas Shower Screen Singapore

Midas Shower Screen Singapore is your one-stop solution for supply and installation of top quality shower screens in Singapore. We provide a diverse range of condo and HDB shower screens, including tempered glass shower screen, fixed shower screen (e.g., fixed panel shower screen, fixed sliding shower screen and fixed with swing panel shower screen), corner shower screen, sliding shower screen, and bifold door shower screen options.

Our goal is to elevate your bathroom experience with both functionality and style. With our team of experienced installers, you can be assured of a seamless fit and long-lasting performance for your chosen shower screen. Trust Midas Shower Screen Singapore to provide efficient and professional service tailored to your specific needs. Reach out to us via WhatsApp today at +65 8241 0032 to know the best glass shower screens for you and discover how we can assist you in achieving your ideal bathroom setup.

1090 Lower Delta Road #04-06O, Singapore 169201

Phone # +65 6232 6991

[raajrajasharma]

Upgrade Your Bathroom with a Trendy Other Showers in india | Frikly

Elevate Your Bathroom with Premium Other Showers from Leading Manufacturers at Frikly. Discover a wide selection of branded Other Showers online, offering unparalleled quality and style. Whether you seek a sleek and modern design or a bold and unique statement piece, our collection has it all. Shop now and buy the perfect Other Showers for your space, exclusively at Frikly!

[kuroposting]

Now, obviously, I don’t think Sebastian knows that this is a trigger. Or that he grabbed his hand in a familiar way the first time, either.

I think it’s symbolic. Yana is constantly drawing hands as analogous to relationships. Sebastian is insecure in his ability to understand the complexities of human emotions and, by extension, his ability to care for Ciel in this arc. He has an idea, but he defers to Takana’s authority on the subject (initially); I’ll make another post about that later. Meanwhile, the crisis of conscience Ciel is experiencing is over his growing camaraderie and dependence on Sebastian, in r!Ciel’s place.

Using Sebastian to attain revenge is one thing, but to stop holding a grudge against him for presumably eating r!Ciel’s soul and shamelessly accepting his attachment to Sebastian and the autonomy that he provides Ciel with, is a severe betrayal. A betrayal of r!Ciel, and of Ciel’s own morals.

Sebastian is at least somewhat aware of this. I’m not totally sure- I think Sebastian is under the impression that Ciel did intentionally sacrifice r!Ciel in his place, and that he took on his identity out of jealousy. He wanted to be heir, and he wanted to marry Lizzy. Sebastian may believe that Ciel regrets doing it and resents Sebastian for being the living proof of Ciel’s wickedness. He wants to force Ciel to confront this aspect of himself and do something about it, but I think he’s slowly come to realize that Ciel isn’t actually to blame, and feels conflicted over his own attachment to him.

These last two panels, by Sebastian’s expression and the black backgrounds isolating the two of them, read to me as if Sebastian is slighted by Ciel’s scolding and lack of gratitude for saving him; something Sebastian is good at and took pride in. It reminds me of his interactions with Will. Even so, it’s apparent to me that he otherwise admires Ciel for being so resistant to the temptation of accepting his comforts, but then he sincerely wants to comfort him. By rejecting Sebastian and maintaining all the loyalty to his brother that he can, Ciel maintains this very unique (“pure”?) form of integrity that Sebas both resents and yet also wishes to maintain himself. Allowing Sebastian to touch will get his master dirty, so he changes his gloves and offers himself again. Unbeknownst to Sebastian, part of the guilt Ciel feels is over him fulfilling r!Ciel’s role as his devout protector and guide. This will have to be elaborated on in a part 2. (will add a hyperlink here when I have it written)

On the other hand, Ciel already believes himself to have already betrayed his brother for being able to benefit from his death whatsoever. This makes him beyond redemption and beyond saving. We have reason to believe that between r!Ciel’s acceptance of his role as first born and Ciel’s illness keeping him holed up in the manor while r!Ciel had fencing lessons and went traveling with their parents, r!Ciel was less innocent than his younger brother. Our Ciel believes himself wicked and weak for having shamelessly accepted their roles, as his role allowed him to be so naive and complacent that he never felt the same responsibly to protect anyone; most notably, r!Ciel. For that, there were consequences.

His powerlessness cost r!Ciel his life and at the cost of his life Ciel was granted the pursuit of living; the ability to help people and bring justice to evils are things only granted at the price of facing the horrific realities of a world that has failed others. Of feeling the weight on your soul when you take on the responsibility of other people that you can fail, responsibility for the failures that are inevitable in pursuit of your goals. Chess is a game of sacrifice.

When Sullivan gave them a chemical shower and performed it as a “purification ritual”, something thematically relevant was happening. Their personal feelings of inadequacy surfaced and they’ve been forced to confront them- though Ciel’s was much more immediate and visceral. His pursuit of Sebastian was an acceptance of himself, that he is worth living for despite what he expressed to Finny. That he accepts the responsibility for his own survival in the face of all who have been sacrificed for his continued existence so far.

Here Sebastian almost seems to reveal the truth of the matter to Ciel, that the ritual was not required to summon him and that it most likely wasn’t even the true intentions of the adults who had committed such evil against him. Demons can appear on a whim, and he repeats as much to Sullivan. On Twitter, Yana said that Ciel was about to ask “did you come on a whim?” but dropped it because it ultimately didn’t matter. She said it wasn’t relevant to the arc iirc, but I disagree lol, It’s at least relevant to the philosophy this manga holds as truth. Ciel wondered if he was already prepared to forfeit his soul for his wish or if Sebastian chose to come to him regardless.

You could wonder if that means that Ciel actually is responsible for sacrificing r!Ciel’s soul (however unintentionally), because that meant that Sebastian never would have eaten him if only Ciel cherished his own soul more.

You could wonder if Sebastian made the decision to take r!Ciel’s soul just to crossover and meet Ciel’s calls completely on his own. You could wonder if Ciel wasn’t prepared to forfeit his soul at all, until he was manipulated and pressured into it by Sebastian.

Who is the blame supposed to fall on? What were Sebastian’s motivations?

You could wonder about any of that, and it doesn’t matter, because the outcome is the same to Ciel. It does not change where they are now. What is done cannot be undone.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

“Carbon neutral” Bitcoin operation founded by coal plant operator wasn’t actually carbon neutral

I'm at DEFCON! TODAY (Aug 9), I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). TOMORROW (Aug 10), I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Water is wet, and a Bitcoin thing turned out to be a scam. Why am I writing about a Bitcoin scam? Two reasons:

I. It's also a climate scam; and

II. The journalists who uncovered it have a unique business-model.

Here's the scam. Terawulf is a publicly traded company that purports to do "green" Bitcoin mining. Now, cryptocurrency mining is one of the most gratuitously climate-wrecking activities we have. Mining Bitcoin is an environmental crime on par with opening a brunch place that only serves Spotted Owl omelets.

Despite Terawulf's claim to be carbon-neutral, it is not. It plugs into the NY power grid and sucks up farcical quantities of energy produced from fossil fuel sources. The company doesn't buy even buy carbon credits (carbon credits are a scam, but buying carbon credits would at least make its crimes nonfraudulent):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/31/carbon-upsets/#big-tradeoff

Terawulf is a scam from top to bottom. Its NY state permit application promises not to pursue cryptocurrency mining, a thing it was actively trumpeting its plan to do even as it filed that application.

The company has its roots in the very dirtiest kinds of Bitcoin mining. Its top execs (including CEO Paul Prager) were involved with Beowulf Energy LLC, a company that convinced struggling coal plant operators to keep operating in order to fuel Bitcoin mining rigs. There's evidence that top execs at Terawulf, the "carbon neutral" Bitcoin mining op, are also running Beowulf, the coal Bitcoin mining op.

This is a very profitable scam. Prager owns a "small village" in Maryland, with more that 20 structures, including a private gas station for his Ferrari collection (he also has a five bedroom place on Fifth Ave). More than a third of Terawulf's earnings were funneled to Beowulf. Terawulf also leases its facilities from a company that Prager owns 99.9% of, and Terawulf has *showered * that company in its stock.

So here we are, a typical Bitcoin story: scammers lying like hell, wrecking the planet, and getting indecently rich. The guy's even spending his money like an asshole. So far, so normal.

But what's interesting about this story is where it came from: Hunterbrook Media, an investigative news outlet that's funded by a short seller – an investment firm that makes bets that companies' share prices are likely to decline. They stand to make a ton of money if the journalists they hire find fraud in the companies they investigate:

https://hntrbrk.com/terawulf/

It's an amazing source of class disunity among the investment class:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/08/money-talks/#bullshit-walks

As the icing on the cake, Prager and Terawulf are pivoting to AI training. Because of course they are.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/09/terawulf/#hunterbrook

[hometoursandotherstuff]

If you like modern style, this remodeled 2012 condo is so well done, you'll love it. The 3bd, 3ba, 4,317 sq ft unit in Highland Park, IL is priced at an odd $2,777,777 + an unfortunate $1,215mo. HOA fee.

I'm a fool for beautiful lobbies and hallways. Love the apt. doors.

Isn't this beautiful? Look at the floor- it's like aluminum or stainless steel.

Love the big curving kitchen, but that backsplash! Absolutely love that so much.

Love everything about this.

The dining area in the corner has great views plus a balcony.

Very large living room. The piano looks small in this space. Gorgeous fireplace and doors to the roof top patio.

Plenty of room for entertaining.

This curved wood is a fabulous feature. It's a storage and display space, too.

Tucked behind the curved wall there's a contemporary wood paneled den with a classic red carpet. One set of doors opens to a deck, and the other opens to a railing. This is lovely.

Sleek black and blue powder room. I would add a mirror.

Double doors open to the primary suite.

First you enter an ante room that doubles as a private home office, sitting room, etc.

Large room with a modern fireplace.

Look at the size of the ensuite.

Has everything.

Even the shower is amazing.

Through the ensuite there's a boutique closet/dressing room.

This can either be a children's or guest room. Nice storage under the beds and it has its own ensuite.

Bedroom #3 is quite large and has doors to the terrace.

It also has a beautiful ensuite.

Separate laundry room with great storage.

The beautiful rooftop deck.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1789-Green-Bay-Rd-B-Highland-Park-IL-60035/89478742_zpid/?

[lovehotelreservation]

chapter five: guess i'm a mess and play the role summary: worldwide fame and a political tie or two has you--one of the biggest pop stars around--in dire need of reliable protection. thankfully you have four ex-military retirees to entrust your wellbeing to. but what happens when that protection turns possessive? rating: pg-13 (rating will increase across certain chapters) story pairing: f!reader/task force 141 | chapter pairing: f!reader/soap previous chapter | next chapter

i've been haunted by neil ellice talking about how he doesn't need a loofah when showering because of how rough his hands already are from working out so much HESUKRISTO

-----------------

Purpose.

A reason to live, to exist, to breathe.

While Johnny was by no means the only person to ever question his life’s purpose, he had been thinking about it often as of late–specifically in the time since 141 formally disbanded with the 4 retiring and eventually taking up the mantle as your bodyguards.

From thinking that he could one day represent Scotland at the World Cup as a goalkeeper to be reckoned with to dirtying his hands with blood to keep the world safe, from recovering a call far too close with Makarov to now standing watch by the dressing room for one of the biggest pop stars in the world, he wondered what this new chapter in his life would bring, hoping each turned page was as indulgently slow as possible.

After all, his adoration of you as an artist was no secret.

His knowledge of you was inherited thanks to his younger sisters–twin girls by the name of Jessy and Jenny, both of whom shared his shade of blue eyes and the MacTavish temper. As they were wrapping up with secondary school and preparing to enter college, that was around the time he was suddenly tasked with some life or death missions:

“johnny help us get 4EVA tix or ELSE”

Such texts would come in at the worst times, once being when he was literally about to board a helicopter for some recon on enemy territory.

Never could he have imagined the viciousness of the online ticket presale battlegrounds.

But as long as it brought smiles to his sisters’ faces, he would help queue in as he could to extremely varying degrees of success and even sit in for their powerpoint presentations on the group to convince either him or their parents to spare additional funding for VIP tickets.

That was when he came across you for the first time.

Your stage name was Dollface and your government name was lovely.

Of all the girls in your group of 4, you stood out to him the most. Your beauty in photoshoots, your charisma in interviews, your aura in performances–he couldn’t put his finger on one thing, rather opting to greedily scoop up everything you had to present with both hands.

He could remember his jaw dropping when Ghost recalled having personally rescued you from your Glastonbury trailer. A barrage of questions and words followed:

“Was she hurt at all ?! Scared?!”

“ Please tell me ya' didn’t scare the fuck outta her with that damn mask of yers!”

“...I’m gonna be real with ya’ on this one Lt:..........what did she smell like?”

And though Price chewed him out all the same for asking these questions during a debrief with Laswell, it was still his reliable ol’ Captain who asked him to come join your security personnel along with Simon and Kyle.

Now, instead of waiting for your tickets to drop, he was waiting for you to emerge from your dressing room. Today, you were scheduled to stop by Oxford University–they were hosting a week of special artist showcases in celebration of the fine arts and you were invited to take part in one of their Q&A panels. Though this was supposed to be reserved for students only, there was still a frenzy of fans hovering by the campus theater where your talk was to take place.

This was definitely the perfect opportunity to bring along Jessy and Jenny, but as per the weighty NDA he had to sign with the team, he was to keep his work with you under wraps up from the moment his pen hit the dotted line up until you finished up your world tour. Though unfortunate, it was understandable–he did make a note to ask if there was anything he could get signed for them at least.

In the meantime, he quickly snuck a glance down at his watch.

10 minutes until he was to escort you to the panel stage.

Hair and make-up was done, Pearl was off to receive some industry clients who had come to observe your Q&A, leaving you alone in your dressing room.

As it was his first day handling you, Johnny thought that it wouldn’t hurt to be a step above punctual–a demonstration of his eye for detail, professionalism, and reliability. Still facing forward out to the hallway, he gave the door behind him a light knock as he called out to you. “Doll, showtime’s in 10!”

“Th-Thank you…!”

Stuttered, gasped words from within had him freeze in place, his eyebrow quirking up.

With a swift scan of the hallway to ensure there was no one around, he then turned to the side to then gingerly press his ear against the door.

He soon froze, eyes growing wide.

Was that sniffle he just heard?

Now, while he didn’t have a snake cam on hand, he had plenty of experience doing recon. This door was some cheap flimsy board from IKEA as opposed to trying to listen in on shady underdealings within an abandoned military bunker.

Closing his eyes, he leaned further against the door.

Another sniffle, a muffled sob.

His expression hardened with concern, instincts calling on him to spring to immediate action. Thus, he knocked on the door once more as he remarked, “Doll, I’m coming in, yeah?”

With a turn of the knob, he entered the room before you could respond, making sure to close and lock the door behind him as he entered. 

As quick as it was, you couldn’t hide the hurried swipe at your eyes, your face pointed towards the floor as you threw out the stuttered mumble about an eyelash in your eye.

With just a glance at your withdrawn body language alone, he knew this to be a lie.

However, this situation by no means called for outright confrontation.

Instead, his expression softened as he approached you slowly, his tone soft as he asked, “Ya alright, Doll?”

You lifted your head. 

Glassy eyes, reddened nose, quivering lip, shaking shoulders.

Your expression spoke of a conflict on whether to be upfront or cower back.

A fine line cracked along his heart.

While his steps brought him closer to where you sat by one of the vanities, he grabbed a tissue box from the edge of the table and held it towards you.

“Only speak if yer comfortable, okay?”

Your eyes settled on the tissue box before glancing up to see only warmth in Johnny’s ocean blue irises.

Rather than attempt to hide, you then allowed a whimper to freely leave your lips as you reached for a tissue. “Thank you….”

The air, once tense with the bottled storm of emotions that had since spilled forth the moment you were left alone, began to ease with the quiet that soon settled in, broken up by your attempts to steady your breath. 

Johnny patiently stood by, continuing to hold out tissues for you to take.

A moment later, you finally opened your lips to speak, your eyes cast to the ground once again. “I’m sorry. It’s just– when I saw all my fans together in a crowd as we arrived, I started thinking about when that threat came in and–” Your eyes started welling with tears once again, shudders crawling along your body as the tissue in your hand crumpled further.

Yet rather than be left to remain alone in your haunted recollection, you soon found yourself gently drawn into the strong, protective warmth of Johnny’s embrace.

“Aww Dollie…” He hummed, bringing a hand to the back of your head as he held you close.

First full day on the job and he was already breaking one of the enforced guidelines from Price’s “How to Not Get Fired from This Damn Job” guidelines: do not touch the talent needlessly.

But surely this situation absolutely called for a bit of physical contact: he’d go to war for your tears.

The same ones that you now were letting run freely as you cried into his chest. It made him wonder just how much you’ve been bottling up these feelings. Did you have no one else to turn to? No support from Pearl, your label or other loved ones?

While the image of you abandoned by your circle of those who were supposed to have your best interests in mind only drew forth a simmering bloodied anger within the depths of his veins, your present vulnerability took priority of his attention as he continued to cradle you in his arms.

To hold such a delicate treasure–did Simon experience the same rapturous feeling that he did?

The hand on the back of your head moved to the small of your back in comforting strokes–though, the catch of the zipper at the back of your dress would be a sensation he’d be chasing in his dreams. “Shh, shh, that’s in the past.”

His body drawing back away from you slightly, he then closed the distance between your face and his as he affirmed, “No one was hurt. You weren’t hurt. Now, they’re here–”

He pointed his index finger towards your cheek. 

“–yer here…”

He jabbed his thumb right at his chest as he grinned with a firm nod.

“–and I’m here.” 

That same thumb was then brought to your wet cheek, battle-roughened skin swiping over warm silk.

Your eyes found his once again.

And then he saw it.

The lift of the corners of your lips.

That stellar smile.

“Thank you, Johnny.”

He could’ve flown from sheer joy.

However, maintaining his composure, his grin only widened as he replied with a hearty cheer, “Aye it’s nothin’! Ya bring so much happiness to yer fans and to the world, lass! But ya gotta take care of yerself too, yeah?”

“Johnny…” Though you smiled, your eyes were lined with shining tears once again before you reached over to cling onto him with an embrace of your own. “–you don’t know how much it means to me to hear that.”

He had to bite back a gasp. While it was sheer madness how perfectly your body slotted right up against his, your words had him once again wonder just how lonely you must have felt to have only just allowed these feelings to spill forth now.

But that would be a conversation for later–hopefully the start of many more heart-to-hearts.

More than anything, while he continued to hold you protectively in his arms, he resolved in that very moment to swear to do whatever it took to keep that smile on your face.

As though ordained by God himself, for Johnny, this was his purpose.

-----------------

leading up to this week i saw this clip of sana from twice and her female bodyguard and i've been Lost in Thoughts All Alone™ 

😭😭

the guys WISH they could get to that level of closeness (for now at least owo)

with that being said!!! an important update for this series!!!

as we approach the holidays, i'm excited to announce that i'll be sharing/posting the next 5 chapters of "bodyguard" across the next couple weeks!!! 🥳🥳 this will also be joined by new works/updates for other series i write for like ff16, twst, metaphor refantazio, etc. so pls keep an eye out whether you follow me on tumblr or ao3 (it's lovehotelreservation either way) !!!

consider it some holiday cheer i wish to share with you all 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️ thank you as always for continuing to support this piece!!!

that said, here's a little teaser for what's to come next chapter owo:

chapter title: dial 999 it's a good time

chapter focus: gaz

thanks again and i'll catch you in the next update in a few days !!! 🥰🥰

[psychooomind]

Mission Report

Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: Ladda and James are part of the Winter Soldier program. These are different stories of their missions, their traumas, and their history together over the years.

You can also find this story on AO3.

November 2nd, 2026, Dominican Republic

She lived on the outskirts of Manabao, Jarabacoa, near La Ciénaga. Her property was nestled deep in the mountains, with only a handful of houses nearby. The winding dirt road that led to her home was entirely private—a feature that gave her a false sense of security.

It was nearly midnight when Rose arrived home. She parked her motorcycle in the garage and headed straight for the shower. After nearly a week in the field—surviving on wet wipes and way too much perfume—she needed to stand under hot water long enough to feel human again. As the steam filled the bathroom, and she brushed through her damp hair, a quiet restlessness began to settle in. She was going to see Jack, her son, for the first time in a week.

In the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of red wine and turned on Ella Fitzgerald. Humming along, she began to prepare Jack’s favourite meal—mac and cheese with roasted chicken. These peaceful rituals, like the remote location, were part of the illusion of safety she allowed herself. But underneath that calm, the fear always lingered. A part of her half-expected a grenade to crash through the open window and reduce everything to rubble.

She knew there was no real danger. She’d done her sweep: the first gate, the perimeter fence, the hidden cameras linked to the small surveillance hub in her study. But the intrusive thoughts came anyway—part of the mental residue she brought home after spending seven days in the desert surrounded by hitmen and sandstorms. It was the price of being a CIA field operative.

Rose exhaled slowly. She was tired, but Jack’s dinner wasn’t going to make itself. After finishing the meal, she cleaned her gear, taking special care with the tools of her trade. Hidden behind the sofa in her study was a secret panel leading to a small tech room, where she stored her computers, weaponry, and surveillance screens. She set down little Peggy II—a battle-worn Getac B360 that had taken a bullet in South Sudan. Tomorrow, while Jack slept, she’d transfer all the intel and lay Peggy II to rest.

That night, she took three Ambien and prayed for a nightmare-free sleep. She slept deeply, but some dreams still dragged her back to Siberia. To the cold. To the screams. And worst of all, to his face—twisted in pain and rage.

In the dream, she saw the snow falling again, slow and silent, like ash. She felt the sting of the chains biting into her wrists. Metal on skin. Blood on snow. And then—his hands, bruised and trembling, brushing against hers in the dark. There had been a moment, barely a breath between missions, when everything else had disappeared. The war. The orders. The voices in their heads. Just the warmth of his forehead pressed to hers in a corridor lined with frost, his breath misting between them. He’d looked at her like he remembered who he was. Who she was.

But the memory always fractured—splintered by alarms, by blinding lights, by the sound of someone being dragged down a hallway.

She turned away from it in her sleep, mumbling something incoherent. Her body, though motionless, flinched as if resisting the pull of something long gone.

And then his face again, not as it had been in the cold—feral, hurting—but how she remembered him after it all. After the silence between missions. After the Winter.

The next morning, Rose hopped in her Jeep and took off down the narrow jungle road. Jack’s boarding school let out at noon, giving her just enough time to make it and surprise him with a cold Coke and a tiny car keychain she’d picked up at the airport.

Sending Jack to a boarding school was the compromise she’d made between motherhood and espionage. It came with its share of awkward encounters—especially from teachers who liked to play amateur detective. Like Ms. Reyes.

When Rose arrived, she checked in at reception and made her way to the first gate, where other parents were already waiting. The bell rang, and a swarm of children poured out.

She scanned the crowd for Jack but was intercepted by a woman in her late 30s or early 40s, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.

“Ms. McMillan!” Ms. Reyes exclaimed. “This is… unexpected!”

Rose tried to offer a polite smile. “I notified the school I’d be picking Jack up today. Is he not ready?”

“Oh, yes, yes—he’ll be out shortly. But I actually wanted to speak with you. About… some things Jack mentioned.”

Rose’s expression sharpened. “Is Jack okay?”

“He’s perfectly fine. But some of the things he said about you… about your work…”

“About me?” Rose blinked. “Jack doesn’t usually talk about me.”

“Well, Rose—he did mention—”

“Ms. McMillan.” she corrected coolly. Rose had zero patience for the faux-friendliness some people used to lower your guard. She wasn’t here to bond with Jack’s teacher—she just wanted to know what the hell was going on.

“Ms. McMillan.” Reyes corrected herself, awkwardly. “Can I ask what line of work you’re in?”

“Did Jack ask you to?”

“No… not exactly. He just said you work a lot. And…”

“Well, if he knows his mum works hard to provide for him, I don’t see why that should keep you up at night.”

“It’s just—other parents have started to question it, too.”

“Other parents?” Rose’s tone hardened. “I don’t even know the other parents.”

“Well…”

“MOMMY!” Jack’s voice cut through the tension. Rose turned and saw him sprinting toward her.

“I came to get my son, Ms. Reyes. That’s all. Have a good day.” She ended the conversation without another glance.

Jack threw himself into her arms, and she scooped him off the ground in a tight hug.

“You came!”

“Of course, baby. I’m here. Let’s go.”

On the drive home, they shared a Coke and sang Smash Mouth at the top of their lungs. Rose tried to catch up on every little detail of his week—his friends, his classes, what he loved, what annoyed him. She wanted to know it all.

“…and then Isabella started spitting her food.” Jack said between giggles.

“That’s kind of clever. Did you join in the prank?” Rose asked, amused.

“No… I just laughed a little.” Jack admitted, dropping his gaze. “I know it was mean, but she’s the one who put gum in my notebook last year. Remember?”

“I remember, love. We hate that girl.” Rose chuckled. “But also, laughing at someone getting picked on isn’t cool.”

“I know, Mommy. I swear I didn’t do anything!”

They ate lunch together and continued talking. Rose gave a few life lessons in between bites of chicken. Jack begged her to watch a movie before bed. She gave in, made popcorn, and let him choose.

When she returned with the bowl, she found him staring at the TV, wide-eyed.

“MOMMY, MOMMY!” he shouted. “It’s Captain America!”

“That’s not Captain America.” Rose muttered as she saw Sam Wilson giving a speech to a group of reporters.

“And look! It’s Bucky Barnes!”

Rose froze. James. His hair was shoulder-length again, and he was dressed in a sharp navy suit. He stood beside Wilson, stoic but composed. It didn’t surprise her that after Wilson’s speech, Bucky stepped forward to speak.

What did surprise her was what he said:

“…and that’s why I’m officially announcing my candidacy for United States Senator.”

“What the fuck?” Rose whispered, stunned.

“Whoa.” Jack breathed. His eyes sparkled with admiration. “Bucky Barnes is my favourite superhero.”

Rose’s heart twisted. Her son was unknowingly idolizing his own father—and had no idea.

[strlingsav]

Drive: Six

– Simon "Ghost" Riley x F! Reader

Explicit sexual content under the cut. Read at your own risk.

You blinked a few times, your attention grabbed by a knock at your door. You groaned, pulling your eyes from staring at the TV, to eyeing the door. Standing to your feet, you trudged to answer it.

Your slippers hit the ground as you neared the door, wrapping your blanket over your shoulders to draw in more warmth.

Pulling the door open, your eyes met with a familiar face- Simon. You sighed, reaching to slam the door when his foot stepped forward and caught it before it could close. You ignored it, making your way back to the couch where you sat down with a huff.

"You ain't been answerin' my calls," He said, moving forward to enter your apartment. "Thought I'd check in."

He idled, unlike him, and searched your apartment with awkward eyes- full of unspoken emotions and feelings that he'd been harbouring since your surgery. He lingered by the door, watching you curl up on your sofa in an attempt to drown him out.

"Thought I told you I don't need you here," You answered back, your eyes glued to the TV.

He sighed, slowly stepping toward the couch, where you'd practically lived for the last few months since being dismissed. You hadn't cooked a meal, done laundry- you'd hardly left the comfortable and inviting abyss for anything other than the bathroom and a shower.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Y'said that. I don't believe it."

You rolled your eyes, tucking your knees to your chest.

"If I wanted to hear from you, I'd have answered your calls." You met his gaze briefly, before shifting to stare at the screen.

"There was a time you were glad to hear from me. Glad to have me here."

"That was before you fucked up my career."

He paused, his brows furrowing. So much had changed between spending the night wrapped in his arms and now- hardly able to stand the sight of him. You'd found out about his insubordination not long after that night; in court, where you'd been honourably discharged following Price's report of the incident. It was only mercy on Price's behalf that you hadn't seen more severe consequences.

Simon, however, was too valuable. His experience, rank, knowledge- they couldn't let him go. Shepherd wouldn't allow it, and the task force would be scrambling without him. So instead, they let you go. Dissolved your contract and effectively made you a social pariah in the eyes of your teammates.

You never knew exactly what he'd confessed to. Was it the entirety of your relationship? The nearly year-long affair that you'd hidden from everyone, including your captain? Or did he only mention a few nights, a few mistakes?

"Savin' your life is fuckin' up your career?"

"I'd rather you have kept your mouth shut. I lost my job. I lost my dignity, the respect of my teammates. I don't even know what to do with myself now."

"You knew the risks goin' in, sweetheart. It ain't my fault you ain't happy with the consequences."

"Except it is- because if you'd done your job instead of worrying about me, I wouldn't be sitting here on this couch."

"You'd be dead," Simon said, finding your eyes. "You'd be fuckin' dead. You expect me to let you bleed out? You daft?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Simon."

"We ain't talked in weeks. You can hardly look at me. So I'll talk," He said. "You've got no bloody idea how it made me feel to hear your voice over my radio. I wasn't gonna let you die. Hate me all you like, sweetheart, but if I were to do it over again, I'd do the exact same fuckin thing."

Your eyes met his, inhaling harshly as you deliberated what to say next. You were angry; maybe not at him, maybe at Price, or yourself, or the panel of military officers that agreed to have you discharged. But you were angry. Frustrated.

You paused, finally free to think for a moment while you stared at him. God, did you miss him. You missed his brown eyes, crooked nose, and disheveled hair. The smell he exuded that left your stomach with butterflies and calmed your senses. Your eyes reached his lips, twitching with restlessness and frustration. You wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel something other than utter failure and humiliation.

You clenched your jaw- how long could you truly hold out? Stay away from him? It was completely obvious from the moment you woke up from surgery and saw him across the room. You loved him. But your heart, regardless of whether it was in the right place, couldn't stand the thought of holding him back. You needed to be cut off from the source.

"I know," You nodded. "I think that's the problem. We got too wrapped up- too focused on something that wasn't real, wasn't sustainable."

"Not real?" He grimaced, backing away. "Don't you fuckin' say that. We both know it was real."

You sighed, leaning back against the couch as you looked up to meet his gaze. Your stomach dropped.

"We liked it because it was wrong. Give yourself some time, you'll realize. You won't want me without the risk."

He glared, a deadly glare that made you feel scrutinized under his gaze.

"I don't know what kinda shit you been fed, but I still want you. Fuck- I want you. More now than ever, sweetheart."

He knelt down, letting his palm smooth over your cheek, his long fingers meeting the side of your head. He forced you to meet his gaze, those cold brown eyes poring into yours.

"I want you." He repeated, watching you inhale a sharp breath.

You wanted to cry, scream; anything to get him out of your vicinity, or else you'd cave. You'd give in to his sweet words and intoxicating voice. You'd give in to nostalgia and the warm feelings he flooded you with. But you wanted to be angry, wanted to stay angry so you didn't have to face exactly what you were feeling for him.

"Stop," You blurted, your hand wrapping around his wrist in an attempt to remove it. "Simon-"

He held strong, pulling the blanket off your body as he wedged himself between your thighs, pulling you closer. His nose brushed against your cheek, his warm breath tickling your ear.

"Don't-" You started, before he cut you off by pressing his lips to yours.

They were cold and unwelcoming, an effort to get you to be quiet, to stop talking before you said something that would end things indefinitely.

You squirmed in his grasp for a moment, before the nostalgia hit; the feel of his arms on your palms, a soft scruff formed on his face, his nose brushing against yours. His tongue slid inside your mouth, and butterflies erupted in your stomach.

You jolted forward, your arms wrapping around his shoulders as he clung to your waist with his giant paw-like hands. He pulled you into his chest, turning his body to sit on the couch with you on his lap. Your hands grabbed at his face, whimpering as his hands drifted down to your ass.

"I missed you," He said between your lips, pulling your body closer to his.

He lifted your shirt off your torso, breathless gasps for air as you disconnected, before he removed his himself. Your eyes drifted to his impressively muscular abdomen, and the bulky shoulders and biceps that moved as he desperately pulled you into him.

You shivered, a low groan escaping your lips when he pressed his to your neck. His kisses were soft, savouring the texture and smell of your skin in case you decided to pull away. He reached around to relieve you of your bra, pulling it off you before his calloused hands glided up your sides and cupped your breasts.

Your hips moved forward, a motion of which you hoped would give some pleasure, especially as he showered your breasts with small bites and warm licks across your nipples. His hands dug into your flesh, frantically reaching for any part of you he could grab.

He lowered his hand to your waistband, sliding it beneath your panties to feel you again. His eyes shut, a heavy breath in as his fingers reached your clit. He missed the feel of you, how soft and silky every single part of you was. How inviting you were, how wet you got for him even when he'd hardly touched you.

"Fuckin' 'ell," He grumbled under his breath, while his other hand held you in place. "Y' feel so goddamn good."

You whimpered quietly, grinding your clit over his fingers, soft breaths fanning his face. You reached and pulled the waistband of your pants down, haphazardly removing your sweatpants before settling back down on his lap.

He swiftly lifted you, pinning you to the couch beneath him. Your hands flew to his chest, warm to the touch, and he paused briefly.

"Don't tell me to stop," He breathed, removing his belt with one hand as he pulled his jeans down his hips. His cock was pressed against your thigh, heavy, warm, teasing you with every subtle grind of his hips. "Please, sweetheart," He whispered, nose brushing against your cheek.

Your breath caught in your chest at his plea, goosebumps scattering your skin as he begged you not to stop, to allow him to please you.

"It's okay," You nodded, your arms sliding around his shoulders, pulling him against you. "I want you."

He groaned softly, aligning his cock with your pussy before slowly sinking in at an agonizing pace. Your back arched into him, your eyes meeting his as your jaw fell slack.

"Yes," You whispered, choked and strained. "Yes- please."

He buried his head in your neck, rounding his hips as he pushed his cock even deeper inside you. Your wetness allowed him to slide in with ease, and his choked breaths in your ear alerted you to the fact that he wouldn't last long.

"Missed you-missed bein' inside you," He mumbled, panting heavily beside you.

The confession made your heart clench- you knew Simon well. It took a lot for him to admit to missing you, even if it was said in passing while fucking you. He meant it.

Your eyes were watery; half pleasure and sadness, a bitter-sweet feeling that made you press your head against his shoulder, wrap your legs around his waist. You wanted to be close, you wanted comfort. You wanted things to be back the way they were, but a small part of you was almost grateful now. The other, larger, part knew that it was likely the end for the two of you. Your commitment had ended as soon as you were discharged, and you imagined Simon would move along to the next.

You knew he didn't want to hear that you loved him. He didn't want to know that even if he'd stuck his neck out and it lead to ending your career, you were thankful, grateful. He'd saved your life, you knew that, and yet you couldn't bring yourself to tell him how you felt. Because if you did, you'd be making him choose between his career and yourself. And he'd choose his career.

His hand cradled your head, his thumb finding your lip, pushing his finger between your teeth. His elbow was placed beside your head, rhythmic thrusts that were consistent, hitting the spot every time. Your eyes made contact with his, brows furrowed, mouth agape as he thrusted into you, finding pleasure in watching your lips wrap around his thumb.

He craned his neck, his lips pressing against your throat, and at the same time, as your fingers circled your clit in tandem with his thrusts, you tilted your head back. A moan, from deep in your chest, animalistic and genuine, escaped as your muscles tensed, your orgasm descending quickly.

"Fuck sake," He grunted, overwhelmed by the strength of your pussy constricting around his cock.

You shivered, your consciousness returning as your orgasm finished in short bursts. Your chest heaved as you caught your breath, and shortly after that, Simon's thrusts became short and rough. His hips slamming against yours, until he released inside you with a groan.

You fell back with a sigh, watching Simon's face, cheeks flushed, brows dipped together. He hesitated for a moment, before lifting himself off of you, retreating to the other side of the couch.

You sat up, making eye contact with him. It was silent, only the noise of the TV to cover the heavy breathing between you. Admittedly, it was uncomfortabl. It was the first time you'd felt awkward around Simon, unsure what was next.

He reached out to grab your shirt, offering it to you. You blinked, taking it and pulling it over your head.

"Thanks," You whispered. "For everything. I should've said that, before."

"No thanks necessary," He shook his head.

You waited a beat, with watery eyes and a dizzy head. You were beyond confused; what started out as a simple affair had turned into deep feelings and complicated emotions. It overwhelmed you, to say the least, and before you began to cry, you cleared your throat.

You nodded. "You should head out," You said, a lump growing in your throat.

You wanted him to stay. You wanted to blurt out that you loved him- but you couldn't do that to him, couldn't force your feelings on him when he wasn't likely to stick around. You didn't want to be the one to take things a step further while he was halfway across the world. It wasn't fair.

He looked shocked- like it was the last thing he expected to hear from you. He'd thought it was smoothed over, that you knew what he wanted. But your eyes couldn't meet his, and his gut sank as he realized you were never going to feel the way he did. You wouldn't want him the way he wanted you.

He stood from the couch, yanking his shirt on.

"Goodnight," He muttered, stepping past you as he walked to the door. "Just know I meant it. Everythin' I said."

Your head turned to see him again, briefly catching a glimpse of his boot before the door slammed.

[oysterlifestyle]

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Upgrade your bathroom with an Oyster Lifestyle bathroom shower and experience the perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and style.

[rjzimmerman]

"Vandalism, with a plan." (From the Substack of Bill McKibben)

It would be tempting to dismiss Trump’s many functionaries as idiots, because many of them are. But if there’s endless idiocy at work (some of it as cover—if I was taking flak for my $400 million flying bribe I’d start tweeting about Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen too), there’s also a kind of underlying feral cunning. All the stupid stuff heads in the same direction.

For example, the administration last week announced it would get rid of the Energy Star program, which rates various appliances by their efficiency so that consumers (and landlords and building owners) can make wise choices.

This is a program begun by Republicans—former EPA administrator William K. Reilly wrote a fond reminiscence yesterday for the Washington Post, who pointed out that if you were actually worried about, say, waste, then this would be the last program to cut

The program costs $32 million in annual federal outlays to administer but has saved consumers $200 billion in utility bills since 1992 — $14 billion in 2024 alone. The averted air pollution, which was the EPA’s initial objective, has been considerable, equivalent to the emissions of hundreds of thousands of cars removed from the road.

But what if you wanted to burn more fossil fuel? What if you wanted to stretch out the transition to cheap, clean renewable energy? Well then it would make a lot of sense. 

Or take yesterday’s news, from EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, vowed that he would eliminate the “start-stop” technology in cars because “everyone hates it.” This feature keeps your car from idling at stoplights—when you tap the accelerator the car turns back on. It’s not mandatory for carmakers, and drivers can turn it off with a button. But, as Fox News points out, 

The feature can improve fuel economy by between 4% and 5%, previous EPA estimates showed. It also eliminated nearly 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year as of 2023. The feature can improve fuel economy by between 4% and 5%, previous EPA estimates showed. It also eliminated nearly 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year as of 2023.

Meanwhile, energy secretary Chris Wright, according to excellent reporting in Heatmap News today, is taking federal money designed to convert a steel plant to electricity and hydrogen and instead using it to convert the steel plant to…the fossil fuel it’s already using. The company, its CEO explained, is working with the Department of Energy to “explore changes in scope to better align with the administration’s energy priorities,” and those priorities, of course, are to use more energy.

Occam’s Razor, I think, would lead us to say that many things the Trump administration does are simply designed to waste energy, because that is good for the incumbent producers, i.e. Big Oil. That’s not a particularly sophisticated rule for understanding their actions, but remember: Trump was bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry, and that industry has always wanted us to waste energy. Remember all that endless Trump nonsense about low-flow shower heads? They cut the use of hot water by about forty percent. Ditto incandescent bulbs, which use 75-90 percent more energy, and which Trump is trying to bring back. It’s strange to be pro-waste, but there you are. This administration is garbage in every way.

That all of this costs consumers money is obvious—but we don’t really pretend to care about consumers any more. Remember: two dolls and five pencils apiece. No, the ultimate customer for the Trump administration is the oil industry. And really for the GOP as a whole: it became increasingly clear this week that the Republican Congressional majority is all too willing to gut the IRA, even though that will come at a big price to consumers, in its effort to help Big Oil.

And Big Oil is in trouble. Power demand in New England hit an all time low in late April, because so many homes now have solar panels on top. In, um, Saudi Arabia solar arrays are springing up left and right. Bloomberg’s David Fickling chronicles the “relentless” switch towards spending on clean energuy, albeit too slowly to hit the most important climate targets. A new global poll of business executives found that 97 percent were eager to make the switch to renewable energy for their companies, on the grounds that

Electricity is the most efficient form of energy, and renewables-generated electricity a value-add to businesses and economies. In many countries, fossil fuels, with their exposure to imports and volatility to geopolitical shocks, are a liability. For business, this isn’t just inconvenient. It’s dangerous. Volatility drives up costs, turns strategic planning into guesswork and delays investment.

That’s how sensible people with sensible goals—like making their businesses work, think. But it’s exactly the opposite of how our government now imagines its role. The DOE put their strategy pretty plainly in a filing to the Federal Register yesterday: their goal, they said, was “bolstering American energy dominance by increasing exports and subsequently the reliance of foreign nations on American energy.” If you’re a foreign government, that about sums it up: either you can rely on the sun and wind which shine on your country, or you can rely on the incredibly unreliable U.S. China, meanwhile, is essentially exporting energy security, in the form of clean energy tech. 

So the goal for the rest of us, as we resist Trump and resist climate change, is pretty clear: do everything we can to speed up this transition to clean energy, here and everywhere. Solar works, solar is cheap, and solar is liberating.

[hauntedtrait]

lots happening in the scott-price household this week, azure also started a round of meds to help her out of this funk, she'll be ok <3

transcript

1st panel: [Purple Notification] Pee On Caregiver Milestone Unlocked! Find cover! Kamal accidentally peed while getting his diaper changed! No promises on this repeating, but for now, it's probably a good idea to take a shower. 3rd panel: Sad +5 Moodlet Feeling Blue (From Postpartum Depression) Azure feels so alone. Everyone seems to be taking all the changes in stride, but she is really struggling... [Menu Bubble] Go To Therapy

4th panel: Quirk Revealed: Early Riser Kamal prefers to rise with the sun. Infants with the Early Riser quirk are more likely to wake up when the sun comes up.

5th panel: [Purple Notification] What's that? Kamal started moving his little arms to reach for nearby objects. Now that he can ask for toys and play with the playmat, Kamal can learn to adeptly use his fingers!

[penig]

So we're having a rough summer and I haven't been talking about it because why brood but it's different when you talk about people being nice. So, thumbnail sketch:

We finally (as I've been wanting to do for years) got an estimate on getting the house rewired (pretty sure some of the original wiring installed in 1910 is in use) and partially replumbed (can't use the shower tub because the iron pipes are too clogged), and the paperwork for the loan took forever, and then a high wind came along (on my birthday) and dropped a dead redbud tree on our porch and a large branch on our car, which was totaled, and we had to buy a new (used) car and get a tree service to come out and take care of the fallen wood and trim the trees so no more wood falls, but the cost to take care of the big branch and woodpecker damaged tree in the back yard was more than we could afford with the car business, but that could wait a few months assuming no more high winds come along; and the loan comes through and we get the car squared away and the tree service is scheduled to come and we're starting to breathe again -

And I spy somebody putting what I recognize as a code violation notice on the front gate so I open the door and come out to tell her that if this is about the redbud tree on the porch we've already scheduled the work and she says: "It's everything on the lot. Cut it down to 12 inches. You have ten days" So I point out that most of the tall stuff is legal garden plants that should not be pruned in August, that it's two years since I've been physically capable of doing yardwork of any kind, that the work she's demanding is impossible in that time frame and oh yes, it's August, in Texas, with triple digit temperatures predicted for the foreseeable future and it could very well kill me to try. She thought there might be a local program to help me (No; they're all for structural work) and wouldn't budge. So that was like being shoved back underwater when we'd almost crawled out on shore.

But we put out a call to our friends, and people came over Saturday and did miracles, and almost every day this week somebody has come over (in addition to the people putting holes in our walls and ceilings and arguing over how to run the wires and occasionally turning pale at what they find) to help me in the mornings before the third digit kicked in. We did not, of course prune any of the poor heat stressed legal plants, but great inroads were made on the rest of it, and one friend even cut up the big branch in the back yard and the tree service people hauled it off, along with a collapsed picnic table which they told me, when they quoted the price for this small secondary job, that they would not take.

This morning I could barely move. I'm getting a lot of pain in the good leg as well as the bad leg, and in my back, plus I was just weak with heat and tiredness, and for the first time in almost a year I decided I'd better break out the cane again, at least to take the stairs and walk in the yard to discuss with the friend who came today, the last day before the inspection, where best to put his effort (because it was plain to both of us that I wasn't lifting a finger) in order to convince the inspector that we really had done the best we could and to let the stuff we couldn't get to slide until fall and spring.

And I guess one of the workmen noticed the cane, and noticed that the handrail on the upper staircase had pulled out of the wall on one end (it had been anchored to the sheetrock, not the wall proper; the other end was anchored in paneling and was fine; this happened a couple of months ago and we had bigger worries), and just - fixed it. Because it's certainly fixed now. As is typical in Texas most of the workmen are people I can't even talk to because my Spanish is as bad as their English, so it's not as if we've made friends with them. And I didn't see it done, nor did the foreman know who did it when I brought it up and asked him to thank whoever it was, so it wasn't somebody looking to make points. They just saw a chance to do a small simple thing to benefit a total stranger, and did it.

The point here being that two people - whoever called in the code complaint (seriously, that should be illegal in August, at least for yard code with no clear and present danger) and the city employee who wouldn't listen to reason - went out of their way to force me to focus on the least pressing problem facing us right now at the expense of my own well-being. But they are far, far outnumbered by the people who have gone out of their way to help us, just because we needed help.

So, suck it, cynicism!

[buunicosplaytips]

How to survive your first convention

Conventions are the biggest part of the cosplay community, without conventions, there would be no cosplaying to begin with, if this is your first time going to a convention this all might seem overwhelming, but dont fret my friend because I'm going to tell you how to survive your first convention and hopefully you'll have a good con experience.

Drink a lot of water and eat food

Sometimes we get so caught up in the fun environment we're in that we forget to drink water or eat, but you have to listen to me when I say DRINK WATER AND EAT, overheating and dehydration are so common in the scene, and veteran cosplayers and con-goers will tell you the same thing when you're in an inclosed area with hundreds or maybe thousands of people in a hotel lobby or a panel and you've been walking all day your body will lose a lot of energy and in some worst case scenarios something like heatstrokes can happen, to stop this from occurring you should listen to your body and drink water or eat something.

2. Listen to your body

With crowded spaces, walking everywhere, so many things happening at once, etc, you can become overwhelmed, I've been going to cons since I was 10 and I still get overwhelmed at 20, the best way to enjoy the con is to listen to your body when it's becoming overwhelmed, whether that be anxiousness, tiredness, or even as simple as your feet hurting a little bit, you should listen to your body when it's telling you to rest up or to eat or drink if you don't you won't be able to enjoy the con without feeling tired or anxious, with most conventions there will be rest stations or just a quiet hallway for you to recuperate yourself.

3. Dont be too trusting

Conventions are a great way to make new friends, however some people have ill intentions and you need to be careful, usually my advice is to stay in the convention area, hang out with people around your age range, and if they ask you to go to their hotel room please dont go unless your fully sure their trustworthy and even then I wouldn't go, another thing is to go to cons with someone you trust so your not completely alone or at the very least tell someone where you're going just in case.

4. Have basic hygiene

Now in the con scene, it's a little-known thing that some people don't have good hygiene and kinda stink up the place, now sometimes it can be medical conditions or something else. Still, mostly it's just people who don't know basic hygiene or don't care if you don't want to be this person, you need basic hygiene, for example, deodorant and showering after the day is great along with brushing your teeth, you don't need to be too fancy, as long as you don't smell your good.

5. Be courteous

With a big or small scene, you should be courteous, respect the venue, respect the people who work there, and respect other con-goers, you should also respect the people with vendors in the vendor hall and artist alley like putting products back, read the little notes that say not to touch, and not be dramatic about the prices, a small act of kindness goes a long way, so please be kind to everyone at the convention.

6. Always plan everything

Now this is me throwing in my two cents from experience, but I believe you should plan everything, or at least some things, planning on what panels to go to and planning on where and when to eat out is a good idea if you don't want to scramble during the last second, usually conventions have a little pamphlet or guide online of all the panels and events happening during the weekend so you can plan the day or weekend.

And with that, you have a small guide to surviving your first convention, now sometimes things can be unexpected and can dampen or ruin your con experience, sadly I don't have advice on unexpected outcomes but the best way to deal with it is to keep your head high and focus on the good if you can.

I hope this has been helpful, if you have any questions don't be afraid and ask me, my ask box is always open