#update: I LIVED. yet another cycle of ‘i just need to make it to friday’

[marci11e]

perks of using wired earbuds are your phone doesn’t hit the ground when you forget it’s attached. also it makes me feel like a fisherman reeling in a fish

[wrenhyperfixates]

Of All the Places

Chapter 13

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: Washing up in a small town in Oklahoma was definitely not part of Loki’s plan when he came to conquer Midgard. There is one good thing about it, though: No one recognizes him as the one who just wreaked havoc in New York. So, Loki plans to recover from the battle and move on with his life. The only problem? He’s not sure he can leave you. Chapter Summary: Still in the custody of SHIELD, Loki hears some troubling news from his brother. He can only hope that there relationship is repaired enough to be allowed to help set things right. Chapter Warnings: pretty dialogue heavy A/N: Not too much happens in this one, but it’s setting up for the grand finale! The last chapter and epilogue will both be posted next week, so keep your eyes peeled. Updates every Friday. Enjoy :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant @lunarmoon8​ @twhiddlestonsstuff​ @marvelousdaydreams​ @parkastoria​ @lokistan​ @thelokiimaginechroniclesficrecs​ @sourpatchspinster @gaitwae

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Disclaimer: Gif not mine 

“And why in the Nine not?” Loki demanded of his brother, desperate to know why he wouldn’t be set free. “You said you believed me. Even after all this, was it still not true?”

“Of course it is true, but father will not allow it,” Thor explained, unable to mask the hurt in his voice. “He still demands you be brought back to Asgard.”

Loki frowned at that. If Odin had plans for him, he doubted he could weasel out of them. He wondered if you would ever find out what happened to him if he died. Probably not. Put up against the possibility of being made to live out his many years without ever hearing from you again, death seemed like the merciful option. He couldn’t handle any more torture and being kept from you would be the worst he’d gone through yet. Though the thought of you with anyone else, especially Denzel, made Loki’s stomach roil, he would rather that than you be lonely. Hopefully, you could be happy without him, even if he could not without you.

“Loki, I will speak with him. It will be alright, brother,” Thor assured him.

“So when do we leave?” Loki asked, trying to make himself numb to the pain he was feeling. He dared not hope that his brother could set everything right.

“As soon as you are cleared to leave Midgard.”

“May I make a request?”

“With all due respect, Reindeer Games,” Stark added, though the question was most obviously not addressed to him, “I don’t think you’re in the position for that.”

“I will hear you out, Loki,” Thor said, making no comment on Tony’s remark. “I cannot promise anything more than that.”

“I understand,” Loki anxiously agreed. “The family I was staying with, I do not need to see them again, but may I have some news on them before we go? Just to know they are alright?”

“I have already given you my word that no harm will come to them.”

“I am aware, but-”

Loki was cut off by the door swinging open. The young agent made a beeline for Fury, who was standing there observing the scene with his one good eye, making no remarks of his own. The God of Mischief arched an eyebrow as the agent whispered something in the director’s ear before the two walked outside.

“I’m still wondering why you care so much about a random family from Oklahoma,” Tony said. “What were you even doing there in the first place?”

“I must confess, it was not originally my choice. When I used the Tesseract to escape, I told it to take me somewhere safe,” Loki recounted. “I have not the slightest clue as to why it chose there.”

“Well, that explains how you got there, but why’d you stay?”

“I was,” Loki responded, clearing his throat, “persuaded.”

“In what way?” Thor puzzled.

“They did not know who I truly was, so they welcomed me with open arms,” Loki sighed. “I suppose I... I bonded with a few of them.”

“Yeah, they did all give glowing reviews of you,” Tony said.

“Wait. So you have heard from them? How are they? You must tell me. How is... everyone?”

Loki would not yet risk showing he had any particularly special connection with you, lest it put you in any more danger than you were already in. Thor and Tony exchanged a look, though, that said they could tell he wanted to know about a specific member. He hoped you hadn’t had to tell the agents too many details about your relationship. Somehow, it seemed like a mortifying prospect for them to know such a personal thing. Especially his brother. He was not yet ready for another heart to heart.

“They are all fine,” Thor hesitantly said. “Brother, I don’t suppose you bonded with one of them more than the others. Say, as something more than a friend. You can tell me, you know.”

Yup, Loki was right. Absolutely mortifying. Back on Asgard, he and his brother never really talked about relationships. Their own was already too far gone by the time they reached an age where they thought much about it. The trickster god still remembered his first kiss. It was with one of the palace stable boys. He’d even started riding more just to have an excuse to go and see him. Of course, Odin found out and deemed it improper. Loki never did find out exactly what had happened to him, but he remembered wanting to go and talk to Thor about it. Needless to say, he didn’t. But maybe, just maybe, this was an opportunity to make up for that. So, against his better judgement, Loki told Thor of his special connection with you, though not to the full extent out of the desire to still guard his emotions. Unfortunately, that meant Stark heard, too.

“Not a word out of you,” Loki menaced as Tony opened his mouth. Thankfully, he backed off, putting his hands up in surrender. “Thor, please tell me that they are alright. If they were hurt because of me... Well, just tell me how they are.”

“They are a little shaken up, I will admit, but they are ok. Safe. As I have already said, you have my word that they will remain that way.”

Loki choked out his thanks before Fury burst back into the room. That man was so unreadable that Loki couldn’t make out a single damn expression on his face. How he wished he could have that talent to be so guarded again, but once the floodgates were opened the first time, he never could quite get them closed again. Regardless, the raven haired man knew something was up—something bad. It was the same feeling he’d gotten the day prior, and look where he ended up. But he couldn’t be apprehended by SHIELD again, so now it was back to the question of what. But deep down, he knew. He whispered your voice so low that only Thor heard, and the thunder god shot his brother a concerned glance. Before he could say anything, though, Fury spoke.

“I need your asses out here now,” he said, addressing the two Avengers. “It’s urgent.”

“Wait, brother,” Loki called before he could exit. “I feel in my gut that there is something very bad happening to my beloved. You will tell me if that is the case, correct?”

“I do not know if that is wise.” Thor looked like he was thinking very hard, brows furrowed in concentration. The desperate, pleading look written plainly on Loki’s face must have convinced him because he finally relented. “But yes, I will. As soon as I can.”

Loki gave a quick nod of gratitude before Thor left again. Now that he was left alone in the room, there was very little stopping him from descending into a full on panic. If you were in any sort of trouble, it was undoubtedly his fault. He never should have done that to you. Then again, if he hadn’t stayed around you for so long, he would still be being crushed by the weight of loneliness. His heart would still be fractured. Perhaps it would have been better than having you violently ripped away from him, though. He feared this cycle of guilt and hypotheticals would never end.

He wasn’t sure if it was minutes, hours, or only mere seconds that passed before Thor was coming back in, but he was relieved to see him. After all, his thoughts were a very scary thing to be trapped with. Even scarier was the deeply worried expression upon Thor’s face.

“Brother?” Loki asked, though he was more nervous for the answer than he ever imagined possible.

“The Chitauri. They are back.”

“In New York? But you closed the portal, did you not?” A sickeningly horrifying idea occurred to Loki, and he swallowed thickly. “Is it Thanos? Has he returned? If he is here to make good on is threats to me, then I beg you, brother, just turn me over. It will be easiest, safest, for everyone.”

“If you think for one moment that I will allow that, you are further out of your mind than I suspected,” Thor raged. Loki was shocked into silence. Never before had Thor yelled at him like that. Sure, he’d shouted at him, but it was always because he was angry at him, or because he was pinning the blame for something on Loki. Not because he cared about him. Thor calmed himself down a bit before he continued explaining the situation. “The portal is still closed. We just did not actually round up all the ones that had already come through, apparently. And, they are not in New York, either.”

“Then where?”

Thor looked nervously around the room. “It hardly matters, brother. You will not be able to come.”

“Thor, where?” Loki growled.

“Oklahoma City.”

Loki sucked in a sharp breath and went pale as a ghost. There was only one logical explanation as to why they would be there of all places. Him. They must have tracked him somehow and were there to get revenge. But he wasn’t there anymore, thanks to SHIELD. And if they truly were tracking him, they wouldn’t stop at the city. They would keep going until they reached your farm. Until they reached you.

“Let me go. I can stop this.”

“Were you not listening to what I just said? You cannot come.”

“Brother, please,” Loki whispered, “I beg of you, just let me take care of this. What if it was your mortal who was in danger? You would stop at nothing to save her, I know. That is how I feel, except it is not only the one I care so dearly about. Yes, there is my beloved, and I would die a thousand deaths for them, but it is their whole family, too. I would give my life to keep them out of danger.”

“Thor,” Captain Rogers said, appearing in the door. “We have to hurry.”

“I am sorry, brother,” Thor told Loki before turning away. There was some look in his eye that Loki did not get a good enough look at to place, but he was certain he was trying to tell him something with it. Regardless, he turned and left. “I am coming, Captain.”

Helplessly tugging at the chains holding him to the table, Loki began to hyperventilate. He started cursing himself. If only he were a stronger sorcerer, then maybe these chains couldn’t restrain his magic. If only he hadn’t become so bitter and hopeless, then maybe he never would have let go on the Bifröst. If only his will wasn’t so weak, then maybe Thanos never would have gotten him to attack Midgard in the first place.

He gave up the futile struggle as the blinding anxiety slowly faded. Letting his head drop into his hands, Loki allowed himself a few quiet sobs before trying to clear his head. He needed a plan. For so long, he was ten steps ahead of everyone, but now? Now he was about a hundred miles behind, locked in a room, unable to protect you. But, no. He wouldn’t give up. He was going to get out. He only needed to think. Surely there were still some cards to play, right?

“Psst, brother.”

He looked up to see Thor sneaking back into the room. Maybe this was a hallucination. It was quite possible that he’d finally cracked under the never-ending pressure. Because, really, when had the God of Thunder ever done anything like this before? Though, the fact that he was unlocking the cuffs did seem to be in favor of the idea that this was a jail break.

“What are you doing?” Loki hissed, rubbing his now freed wrists, still not entirely trusting this wasn’t a trap.

“Is it not obvious? I’m freeing you.”

“Well, how daring of you, brother. I admit, I did not think you had it in you.”

“Yes, well, I can see how much you truly love your little Midgardian.”

“Nonsense. It is like I said, I am concerned for all of them. They did, after all, take care of me.”

“Oh, yes. I am sure that is it.”

Loki just rolled his eyes and made his way over to the exit. Almost every instinct in him was screaming to just teleport away from the scene, get to you as fast he could. The thing stopping him was that for once in a very long time, Thor wasn’t dismissing him. In fact, he was trusting him. He couldn’t just turn his back and betray that now, not if he had any hope of getting their brotherly bond back.

Banner was standing right outside the door as Loki opened it, making him jump a little. Before he could whip out a weapon, though, Thor was reassuring Loki that he was just standing guard during the break out. It was quite the strategic move, Loki thought, to have the one Avenger who could really do damage to him be right outside the door. Perhaps he wasn’t giving his brother enough credit. Or perhaps there were just others involved in this scheme.

Sure enough, after dodging a number of agents, the rest of Thor’s friends were waiting in the Quinjet. The tension in the air was palpable as they stood there in silence, sizing each other up. It was obvious Thor wanted to say something to get them all amicably chatting, but knew whatever he was going to say would probably just make things worse. Though the very idea made him gag, Loki knew what he must do if he wanted to reach you in time.

“I apologize,” he said, trying to make it sound completely sincere. “I know that I have hurt some of you—all of you—in some way. I cannot erase the past, but I am trying to do the right thing now. I was not in my right mind the first time we met. Let me prove that now.”

The Avengers all made eye contact with each other, communicating without words. It was agony waiting for their approval, both because he was anxious just to get to you, and it was sickening to have to be judged by them in such a way. Knowing that it was his only opportunity of helping you without complications, however, he waited with bated breath for their reply.

“Ok,” Romanoff finally spoke up. “We forgive you. For now, anyway. Right now, we have to get to Oklahoma.”

“Yes. Please, let us be on our way now,” Loki urged.

And that’s how the God of Mischief ended up flying around with the Avengers. At least he wasn’t chained up like the last time. It was, though, perhaps the most tense situation he’d ever been in. But it didn’t matter, not now. No, now he was on his way, and there was only one thing in his mind, repeating over and over like that one song lyric you can’t get of your head.

He was going to save you.

[wiypt-writes]

Too Loose And You’ll Lose It

Ch4: You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone Part 1 Co-written with @icanfeelastormbrewing​

Summary: Jake and Stella are both home for Christmas, and the annual New Year’s Party at the Jensen’s sees some unexpected guests in attendance…

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Jake Jensen x OFC Stella Stevenson.

A/N:  Another long updated, so split into 2 parts for you to read at your leisure!! Part 2 to follow shortly.  

TLAYLI Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 3 Part 2

“Knowing what you don't want can often be more valuable than knowing what you do want.” Melchor Lim

"So when do I get to meet Evan then?" Rey asked as she handed Stella the plate she had just rinsed.

It was the day before New Year’s Eve and both sisters were in the kitchen finishing doing the lunch dishes while their mother watched TV in the living room. Stella loved Christmas, she always had, and this was the first one she was getting to spend at home for 3 years. But, the trade-off for being able to do so was having to put up with Rey constantly nagging about her home-based shopping business not doing quite as well in the last weeks as she expected and her constant struggle to get pregnant. And, honestly, Stella was a little bit tired of having to sooth her sister's same worries every time they got together. But now a new topic had been thrown into the equation- Evan. And Stel found herself wishing that they were still talking about ovulation cycles and how many times on average in a week a couple wanting to conceive should be ‘doing it’.

"Jesus, will you give it a break? That’s all I heard when I was home for Thanksgiving…and over Christmas dinner and every day since then!” Stella finally snapped “God, you and mom have talked about nothing else, even Jane was poking for more information when we were at the spa because you can’t keep your mouth shut."

True to her word Rey had spent Rick's money on a girls-only spa day which in all fairness Stella had gladly welcomed. She had relished all the treatments, each one with a more flamboyant name than the other, and as their day culminated they all were relaxing in the hot tub, enjoying the Mean Steam treatment while sipping Mimosas out of rather expensive looking glassware, Jane had started prying because Rey had told her about Evan. Luckily Janet, Jake's mum, had spotted Stella’s discomfort and had come to her rescue by scolding Jane for being a nosey bitch. 

"It’s Christmas. He’s spending it with his family in Boston." Stella shook her head at her sister.

"Boston’s only an hour or so drive Stel…"

"So what? We don’t get to see our families that often Rey." Stella replied, snatching a big round plate from Rey's hands.

"Whoaa, easy Stelly. Anyone would think you were trying to keep him away from us!"

"That’s exactly what I’m doing, yes." she rolled her eyes at her sister, who could clearly read the annoyance in her features and voice as when she spoke again her voice was a little whiney.

"Stel, don’t be like that."

Stella sighed. "Why are you so desperate to meet him anyway?"

"Hey, it’s not every day your baby sister gets herself a new man. At least not when she’s been dating her childhood love for what? Twenty years now? Come on, let me bask in the novelty, Stel."

"Fuck off Rey, I haven’t been dating Jensen for years and we were together nowhere near 20." Stella protested again, this time her voice a little louder.

"Felt like it to me." Rey shrugged.

Stella grit her teeth. Though her sister was exaggerating it was true she’d been with Jake for a long time all things considered, and doing the whole dating thing during the last 8 weeks had felt new and exciting in a sense. She was enjoying every part of getting to know a person while dating them, something she hadn't been able to experience with Jake as they already knew each other inside out when they had finally gotten together. And whilst that had been nice, and she wouldn’t change it for the world, with Evan everything was new and she had learnt what the cliche I want to know you better really meant during the dates which had following the first.

At the weekend following their trip to DC, Evan had taken her for another meal out, this one at a local Mexican place not far from HQ. Then the following weekend they’d visited a posh cocktail bar Stella had been eyeing up for a while which just wasn’t the Losers’ scene. There had been a trip to the cinema, an evening at the bowling alley, beers one Sunday afternoon whilst watching the Patriots’ game in a sports bar, a walk round one of the local parks with a burgers, grabbing a shake and ice cream on the way home….it was easy going, nice, no pressure… and then it had morphed naturally into something a little more serious.

The Friday before Thanksgiving Evan had invited her to his and he’d cooked, which in itself was a novelty as Jake could burn a pan of water. He’d whipped up a spectacular seafood linguini, followed with a simple baked vanilla cheesecake, and after 2 bottles of crisp white wine, one thing had led to another and they’d ended up making out on the couch before Evan had taken her into his room.

"Is he good?" Rey asked out of the blue as if sensing where Stella’s inner thoughts had led her.

"Oh fuck off Rey, do I ask you how Rick is in bed?"

"Better than Jake?" Rey insisted, ignoring her sister rhetorical question.

"You had to ask." Stella groaned.

Rey looked at her and Stella sighed, knowing she wasn’t getting off the hook. "Look, he’s good, ok, really good…but as for being better than Jake he’s…he’s just different."

As a matter of fact that first time they’d slept together on that Friday, despite Stella’s nerves, it had been fucking Earth shattering, and every time since hadn’t disappointed. Evan was a generous lover, giving before he took, making sure she was satisfied in every which way she could be. But Stella still found herself getting a little nervous beforehand. Evan was the one who instigated the sex, and whilst Stella was a more than willing participant, she was craving the day she finally felt happy enough to take charge a little.

"And that’s a problem?" Rey asked and Stella looked at her.

"What?" she frowned.

"Him being different to Jake?"

"No, I didn’t say that. It’s just…well, me and Jake know each other inside out, it’s bound to feel a little different, isn’t it?" 

Rey's eyes suddenly opened wide with realisation. "Oh my god…"

"What?" Stella asked, a little bit exasperated.

"You’ve never been with anyone else bar Jake, have you?"

Stella groaned but that was all the confirmation Rey needed to know she was right. Her sister had hit the spot but she was fucked if she was getting into that. "Look, enough about me. Any progress on baby Fitzpatrick?"

Rey sighed, not fazed in the slightest but Stella’s forced change of topic had redirected the conversation to one of her major concerns and Stella knew she wouldn’t be able to resist talking about it. "No, not yet. I don’t know what we’re doing wrong? We stick to the schedule, I’ve got an ovulation tracker…"

"God Rey, you talk like you’re baking a cake or putting an Ikea cupboard together, that’s what’s wrong." Stella scoffed.

"Science doesn’t lie Stelly." Rey said, as if lecturing an ignorant little girl.

"Science says it’s a matter of PH." she shrugged, a small grin playing in the corner of her mouth.

Rey rolled her eyes. "You know Jake made up that shit, right? I googled it."

"No… really?"

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Stella." Rey squinted her eyes at Stella who grinned in response. "And speaking of low forms of wit, did you know Jensen’s new bimbo is coming to the New Year's party tomorrow?"

"Oh, is she?" Stella asked, trying to hide her surprise as much as possible, knowing that she was failing miserably. The news had shocked her a little, not that it was her business, but still.

"Careful Stel, is that a trace of disappointment I sense in your voice?" 

"No, I just hadn’t realised how serious they were. Mind you, I haven’t seen him for a few weeks. Work has been busy and we don’t hang out much now." she tried to explain herself without sounding scorned or bitter.

"You sure?" Rey asked, examining her sister's expression as she finished loading the dishwasher.

"Yeah, it’s just…well, you’ll know when you meet her."

And boy, would they all know. Because, Britney was, how to put it? Something else.

Stella sat at the table opposite Pooch and Cougar in the bar, sipping at her beer. It was the day before they were all due to head home for Thanksgiving so they had decided to head out for a few drinks, a way to celebrate with one another.

"So where’s Evan?" Pooch asked before taking a sip from his beer bottle.

"Oh, out of town on some intel gathering trip with the Canadian Ministry of Defence or something…he couldn’t say much. I won’t see him now until I’m back from New Hampshire." Stella offered.

"It still going well or..." Pooch pried a little bit more and Stella flushed a little. 

"Yeah, he’s nice…"

Cougar grinned and tipped his hat at her and she snorted, setting her bottle down. "He must be, we ain't seen you out of work for the last few weeks, he must be keeping you busy."

Stella laughed and shrugged as Cougar chuckled and then Pooch let out a groan. Stella frowned, and then turned in the direction he was looking at only to see Jensen working his way over with the brunette she’d seen him with a while back hanging on his arm.

"It's Britney, bitch." Cougar chimed in. 

"Wait, her name is Britney?" Pooch asked him and Cougar nodded. "How do you know?"

"Bumped into them at the condo one night." Cougar explained and Pooch's mouth fell open.

Stella frowned and turned around again, locking eyes with Jensen and saw him swallow, like he always did when nervous or apprehensive. But as she watched, he took a deep breath and continued his path over to their table.

"No Evan?" he asked once he reached them, looking at Stella, not even bothering in greeting the rest first.

"No. He’s away." Stella answered, looking back at him but gripping her beer bottle for dear life.

"Who’s Evan, another Loser?" the brunette asked then. Her high-pitched voice making Pooch and Cougar scrunch their noses as they shared a glance.

Stella glared at Jake as a grin spread across his face, daring him to say something and Jake's grin slipped under her glare as he turned to Britney.

"No, Evan is Stella’s…actually..." he looked at Stella, "What is he? Boyfriend? Fuck buddy? Late night booty call?"

"All of the above." Stella answered ignoring Jake's jab and necking her beer as both Cougar and Pooch sniggered and she fought to keep the smile from spreading on her lips at the look on Jensen’s face which was somewhere between disgust and disappointment. Instead she stood up and leaned towards Britney. "I’ll introduce myself seeing as he isn’t going to. I’m Stella."

"Hi, I’m Britney." she said and then to Stella’s horror she pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek. Stella remained stiff, merely concentrating on trying not to choke on the heady combination of Britney’s floral perfume and hairspray from the huge bouffant ponytail she was sporting. 

"So does your boyfriend work with these guys or…?" Britney's voice pierced the air again.

"No, I work with them." Stella explained as she took her seat back.

"What? You’re in the army too? Wow, Girl Power!" Britney exclaimed before giggling.

"Yeah…" Stella said as she turned back to Pooch and Cougar, mouthing WHAT THE FUCK?

"Does anyone want a drink or…?" Jake asked, trying to divert the weird situation Britney had just created.

Stella turned back to him and stood up again. "It’s ok JJ, I’ll get them, it’s my round."

"I’ll give you a hand." Jake offered himself, motioning to follow her.

Stella smiled as she put a hand on Jake's chest to stop him. "No, Cougs can. You stay here with your girlfriend." she ordered more than suggested, making sure her eyes locked with his when she uttered the word.

At her use of the term, Britney giggled and grabbed Jensen’s arm. Jake looked at her, and Stella could see the irritation flash across his face and she smirked before she asked what Britney wanted to drink. The girl requested a Malibu and coke, the worst combination Stella could think of if you asked her but then again Britney's choice of outfit and her likeness for glittery accessories spoke of her taste for itself, and then Stella looked at Jake.

"Usual?"

"Yeah, thanks Stel." he said, a little quieter this time.

Cougar dropped an arm round Stella’s shoulder and as they made their way to the bar, Stella could feel Jake’s eyes burning into her back. Point, set, match to Arty…

"From what I heard it was a total accident she got invited. She was on the phone to him on Christmas Eve when Jane was talking to Janet in the background. Apparently she caught the words New Year’s Eve and Party. Jensen, thinking she wouldn’t be able to get a flight at such late notice, told her she was welcome to come." Rey explained with a grin. "Anyway, next thing she’s messaging him, saying she’d managed to get a cancellation seat so she’s flying in on the morning of the party. Apparently he wasn’t best pleased." Rey snorted. "Jane doesn’t think he’s all that into her, but…"

Stella only shrugged. "Who knows what goes on in his head, I don’t anymore that’s for sure." she commented before her sister could ask more, but she couldn’t prevent herself from letting out a deep sigh. Whilst she had nothing against Britney, and despite the fact she was now with Evan, the idea of being at a party with Jake and his new girlfriend wasn’t filling her full of joy.

The rest of the day was spent in relative calm. Richard came back from wherever he’d been following lunch, Stella hadn’t been paying attention when Rey told her, and the 4 of them settled down for a rather furious game of monopoly which Richard won, Stella passing comment on how it would have been ridiculous if he hadn’t, given he was a finance manager.

It was just after dinner when Stella’s phone went off. It was a message from Evan telling her to get to her laptop so he could video call over the CIA network. So she quickly set it up in the kitchen and soon after it pinged and she accepted the call, smiling as his handsome face filled the screen. “Hey Pumpkin.” He smiled and Stella laughed at his ridiculous nickname for her, chosen due to the way they’d met.

“Hey!” she beamed back “How’s your day been?”

“Not bad.” He shrugged “Usual family bullshit at play. You?”

“Same.” She said, sitting back in her chair “I’ve eaten way too much.”

He chuckled “That’s what Christmas is for darlin’. Way too much home cooking, enough alcohol to fill a pool, and a side of chocolate, pie and cake for good measure.”

“Imma turn into a Christmas cake if I eat any more of it Ev.” Stella smiled, reaching for her wine. She took a sip and then looked at the glass “And probably a bottle of pinot too.”

“Well I don’t have a problem with that.” He smiled, waving his own bottle of beer at her “Food and drink, win win.”

Stella laughed and then the door to the kitchen opened and Rey walked in. She made her way towards the fridge and then paused, turning to Stella. 

“Oh my God is that him?” she practically screeched and moved, draping herself over Stella’s shoulders to get a look at the screen.

“Rey, piss off.” Stella grumbled, trying to push her away. Rey took the hint and stepped back a bit as Evan looked at her, smiling, before he glanced back at Stel.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“Oh, hi, I’m Rey.” Rey spoke from behind Stella who rolled her eyes “Stella’s favourite sister.”

“You’re my only sister.” Stella shot back as Evan chuckled.

“Nice to meet you Rey, or see you in this case.” He smiled that damned smile that could melt a fucking polar ice cap and Stella heard Rey’s little gasp. She sighed and turned to her sister.

“Ok, seriously, get what you came for and piss off.”

Rey held her hands up and went to the fridge, pulling out 2 bottles of beer and a can of coke. She headed to the door and stopped, looking at Stella, her mouth open.“O.M.G He is a snack!” she mouthed and Stella rolled her eyes again before Rey left the room, closing the door behind her.

“Sorry about that.” Stella turned back to the screen and Evan laughed.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a mad house here too.” He leaned back in his chair. “She seems nice.”

“She has her moments.” Stella smiled, “Anyway, enough about her, tell me what you’ve been up to. We haven’t spoken in a few days.”

“Yeah, sorry I was gonna call last night but it’s been manic. My sister and her 3 kids have been over and Uncle Evan was the star attraction. And by attraction I mean climbing frame.”

“Lucky kids…” Stella quipped, arching her eyebrow “I’d climb you too if I was there.”

Evan grinned at her comment and Stella found herself slightly surprised. The ten days or so they’d been apart had made her needy and she'd be damned if someone else could pull off a simple white t-shirt like he could, and that fucking chain he wore which was hanging out of the collar was doing things to her.

“Well a few more days and I’m all yours to climb Pumpkin” Evan smiled “So, any plans for New Year’s Eve tomorrow?”

“We’re going to a party at the Jensens’. They’ve thrown one for as long as I can remember so it’ll be nice to see them again, catch up. What about you?”

“Oh I don’t know yet.” Evan ran a hand over his beard, tugging gently on the whiskers which adorned his chin “I may stay here with the family or go out with some friends. I’ll make my mind up as I go.” He paused for a little before his hand dropped from his face “Will Jake be there?”

“It’s his parents throwing the party.” Stella arched an eyebrow “Of course he will.”

“Right…” Evan mused and Stella narrowed her eyes.

“Are you jealous, Evan?”

“No, I just…” he groaned “Ok, yeah, yeah I am. The thought of you bringing in the New Year with your ex and not me kinda sucks Stella.”

“I know.” She sighed “But I wouldn’t worry too much. Apparently his new girlfriend is coming.” She took a deep breath before she smiled a little sadly “I really wish you were here Ev.”

And she did, not least because she actually did miss him, but the thought of Jensen eating face with the bimbo whilst she was simply there alone wasn’t something she was relishing.

“I promise I’ll make up for it when we get back to base.” Evan said gently. 

“You better.”

He chuckled “Being apart from me really suits you sweetheart.”

“What can I say, you spoil me.” She shrugged.

“And you haven’t even had your Christmas present yet.” He grinned.

“I can’t wait to unwrap it.” Stella smirked “And the present.”

“Fuck, Stella…you’re killing me!” he whined. She laughed and at that point a voice sounded in the background and Evan hastily looked over his shoulder before he called that he’d be there in a second. “That’s my ma…I gotta go.”

“Yeah, It’s probably time I bust Rey for eavesdropping behind the kitchen door.” Stella rolled her eyes and Evan laughed.

“Ok, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, talk then. Night handsome.”

“Night gorgeous.”

With that Stella cut the call and shut the laptop. She stood up, crept across the room and yanked open the kitchen door. Rey immediately straightened up and jumped back. “I was erm…gonna…” she points to the kitchen.

“Spy on us?” Stella folded her arms.

“I wasn’t…I just….ok, I was spying.” Rey shrugged “Because, fuck Stel, where did you get a man like that?”

“The CIA.” Stella said simply pushing past her and heading into the living room where Jules and Richard were watching TV, Stella following her chunnering about Evan.

“Leave your sister alone, Aubrey.” Julie looked up.

“I’m heading up to bed ma.” Stella smiled, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Julie nodded but Aubrey wasn’t listening, she was still talking about Evan.

“God mom, you should have seen him. And that smile…”

“Erm…” Richard waved “I’m right here.”

“Yeah, isn’t it about time you and your husband went back to your own house?” Stella asked. 

“Yeah, yeah…” Rey waved her hand, “We were going anyway.”

“Good riddance.” Stella mumbled.

Rey spun and pointed at her “I heard that. Don’t forget we have a date to go shopping tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait.” Stella said sarcastically and with that she bid them goodnight and headed to her room.

**** “You heading out?” Jane looked at Jensen as he groaned, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“Yeah I gotta go get Britney.”

“Thought you said she wasn’t arriving until tomorrow?” Jane frowned

“So did I, turns out she messed up with the date on the flights..”

“What?” Jane looked at him.

“Don’t ask me, she’s a dumbass.” Jensen rolled his eyes.

“Woooow…” Jane looked at him as he grabbed his dad’s car keys from the side in the hall “That is love, right there.”

“Fuck off Jane.” Jensen raised his middle finger over his shoulder as he grabbed his jacket of the peg. He then paused and turned to his sister, shaking his head. “Seriously, though…when she told me what she’d done, do you know what she said? The mouse was sticky, Jensen and I booked a day early by mistake” he shook his head.

“Hang on.” Jane held her hand up “If she really had messed up with the dates then she would have been on a morning flight still, just on a different day.” Jake looked at his sister, frowning a little and Jane snorted “If you ask me, I don’t think she’s as dumb as you’re making her out to be.”

“Well I wasn’t asking you.” Jake shot back as he shrugged his jacket on and headed out of the door.

At that point Gracie wandered in from the kitchen, dressed in her pyjamas, followed by John.

“Who's dumb mommy?” she asked with a yawn as Jane held her coat out to pop on ready for the drive home.

“Your Uncle Jake, sweetie.” Jane said.

John chuckled “He told you about Britney arriving earlier than anticipated then?”

Jane snorted “Yeah, and considering she’s supposed to be his girlfriend..." she framed the words with quotation marks on one hand “He doesn’t seem too pleased about it.”

“Yeah well, I think we all know the reason for that.” Janet joined them in the hallway, not even bothering to hide her disdain for the entire situation and John snorted. He leaned over and gave Gracie a kiss “Night Squirt.”

“Night grandpa.” She smiled before she took a kiss off Janet too. “Night Nanny” and then she looked at Jane “When’s daddy back from the station?”

“When his shift finishes baby, now come on, let’s get you home.” Jane smiled before she looked at her parents “See you tomorrow.”

Jane and Gracie exited the house, making their way to her car. Jane strapped Gracie into the seat and then moved to climb into the driver’s side and paused, spotting her dad’s car was still there behind hers. Jake was sat in the drivers’ seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked pissed, really pissed, but before she had the chance to go and speak to him, he’d set off.

“Fucking idiot.” Jane grumbled to herself, and with a shake of her head she climbed in her own car and headed home. 

**** The following morning Stella woke up in a better mood, talking with Evan the previous night had calmed her restlessness and though she missed him she was determined to make the most of the New Year's party that very same night. It was just a few days more and they could be together and she could effectively unwrap her gift. 

She was getting ready to go shopping, Rey probably on her way to pick her up, when the doorbell rang and she cursed her sister for being earlier than expected for once in her life as she barrelled down the stairs.

"Honey, can you get that? I’m busy." her mother shouted from the kitchen.

"Sure mom." she replied just as she realised Rey wouldn't be using the front door and definitely wouldn't use the doorbell. With a frown she opened it and blinked in disbelief, her mouth falling open. Evan was stood there, wearing a warm, woollen coat, scarf and a huge, million dollar smile. The bastard!

 “Surprise Pumpkin…” he chanted, opening his arms for her.

Stella gasped and gave him a quick hug. “Oh my God…Ev, what are you doing here?”

"Well I got nothing on, you were only an hour away and after you saying you wished I was here…" he shrugged, “figured I could drive up to see my best girl."

Stella blinked again, before she smiled shyly. "You drove just to see me? That’s…wait… how did you know where I live?"

Evan laughed heartily. "I work in intelligence gathering for the CIA, wasn’t that hard."

"Ok, that’s kinda creepy, stalker behaviour." she mused.

He laughed again and winked an eye at her. "Perks of the job, sweetheart."

That damned side smile of his made Stella pause for a second before she giggled and jumped at him. He caught her and laughed as her legs wrapped around his waist. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ev..."

He smiled at her fondly before he kissed her tenderly, his cold nose bumping against hers. “Me too, but are you gonna let me in coz it's freezing out here…”

“Yes, let the man in Stella.” Mrs Stevenson spoke from behind her daughter, making Stella drop to her feet and turn to face her. Her mother smiled at her and then to Evan. “Hi Evan, nice to meet you finally.”

"It’s a pleasure Mrs Stevenson." he greeted the woman back, flashing his smile.

Stella looked at her mom as she pulled away to let Evan in the house, if she was surprised by her daughter's boyfriend showing up at her door she was hiding it very well, and then it dawned on her. "Oh my God, you knew he was coming, didn’t you?"

Evan shut the door behind him and looked at her mom, then to Stella and chuckled. "Clever girl."

"He may or may not have called me earlier this morning to check if you were doing anything and I may or may not have suggested he spends New Year with us." Mrs Stevenson conceded.

Stel gasped and looked back at Evan with hopeful eyes. "Are you?"

"Well, I was gonna see if you wanted to come back to Boston with me but your mom said you wouldn’t want to miss the party as you’ve not made one for 3 years so, choice is yours." he shrugged, flashing a dazzling half smile.

Stella bit her lip, Boston sounded good, the fact that he had come all the way to see her and was willing to take her back to his family's place sounded even better, but she was really looking forward to that night's party. She missed Mr and Mrs Jensen, and also Jane and, though the prospect of Britney being there wasn't very appealing, she thought that maybe with Evan there she could have a really nice time. Thus, after pondering the pros and cons she looked at him. "I’d like to go to the party if you wanna?"

 "Then party it is." Evan grinned.

"So this means I get to receive the New Year with you!" she grinned back at him.

"Yeah, guess it does." he said with a smile, one that was also loaded with the promise of a very good start to the year, if you knew how to read it that is.

And then the voice of Julie pulled them away from gazing into each other's eyes "I was gonna get the spare room ready but figured you two would want to share so I’ve left fresh towels on your bed Stella." 

"Mommmm." Stella protested, mortified.

"I’m happy to sleep wherever I’m told." Evan, ever the charmer, intervened.

But whatever Stella's mom was going to reply it was cut off as the kitchen door opened signalling Rey’s entrance.

"Stel, you ready? I thought we could head down to…" Rey began to say before she stopped dead as she entered the hallway and spotted a masculine presence, her mouth dropping open. "Fuck me!"

"Aubrey!!" her mum chastised her.

Rey blinked and looked at her mum and then at Stel. "He’s here?!"

Evan chuckled at Rey's reaction to him being there. "I am. Nice to meet you Rey."

"Erm, hi…" she managed to say before looking at Stella, smirking a little. "I take it you want a rain check on our shopping trip?"

Evan frowned at Rey's comment and gave her an apologetic look. "Oh, sorry, did I step all over your plans?"

"No, it’s fine. You can come, we were only going into town to pass the time, grab some lunch." Stella assured him. But Rey wasn't that willing to keep their plans as it were.

"No way am I playing 3rd wheel…you two go, I can do…stuff."

"You sure?" Evan asked Rey. "Coz I can just..." he said as he nodded towards what he supposed to be the door that led into some sort of den, but she didn't let him finish.

"No, don’t worry. It’s ok. You two will want to spend some time together, you didn’t come here to sit in our living room." 

"Whose living room?" Mrs Stevenson asked, amused.

 Aubrey ignored her mum and mused. "Would be a nice addition to it though…"

"Ok so I’m gonna bring my bag in from the car, be right back Pumpkin." Evan said, blushing a little at Rey’s complement before giving Stella a quick kiss on her cheek and heading out the door.

The three women watched him go appreciatively, until Rey shook her head and asked "Wait is he staying? And Pumpkin? What?"

Julie grinned as Stella groaned. She knew that one wasn’t going away any time soon.

****

Chapter 4 Part 2

[tourdefranceendirect2020-blog]

Tour de france 2020 en direct streaming

However the last four expressions of Froome's tweet may at present end up being the most significant. On Friday morning, group INEOS boss Dave Brailsford conceded he would consider hauling cycling's best group out were he to feel that the arrangements for the race were not continuing in a deliberate, shrewd and mindful way.

On Wednesday April 15, the cycling scene got a touch of news it had been sitting tight for; the Tour de france 2020 en direct Live Stream planet's most esteemed bicycle race, The Visit de France, had been rescheduled to begin on August 29. The update came after the first 28 June start date had been made unthinkable by French President Emmanuel Macron reporting that no enormous social occasions of individuals would be allowed in the nation until at any rate mid-July.

However even with the deferred start date, a few questions stay about the suitability of the arrangement introduced by coordinators ASO, given the progressing and flighty danger of the coronavirus pandemic.

Introductory reactions to the declaration of the new beginning date were sure, with veteran Lotto-Soudal group rider Philippe Gilbert taking to Twitter to state that, The report about Le Visit makes me anticipate race once more! Gilbert was participated in his delight by four-time yellow pullover champ Chris Froome, who composed, The news a large number of us have been sitting tight for. Some promising finish to the present course of action. Le Visit expected to begin the 29th of August – accepting all works out in a good way.

Brailsford was not the only one in raising doubt about the coordinators, with the administrator of the U.S.- based Instruction First group, Jonathan Vaughters, communicating his view that the Visit's General Chief Christian Prudhomme had been to rapid to preclude the chance of a race occurring without the nearness of fans on the side of the road. I don't see the rationale in announcing that they would not have it in secret, said Vaughters.

The remarks of Brailsford and Vaughters came a day after Devi Sridhar, the seat of Worldwide General Wellbeing at Edinburgh College and a senior guide to the Scottish government on the coronavirus pandemic, said that a Visit beginning on August 29 and completing on September 20 could be a catastrophe waiting to happen.

In a meeting with Cyclingnews, Sridhar stated, The shrewd activity is drop during the current year. It's a difficult choice yet they must choose between limited options. This is a drawn out issue, a ceaseless issue. This infection is digging in for the long haul and will return. Regardless of whether France understands it by August, at that point obviously the issue is individuals rolling in from various nations.

There's very a hazard that the Visit de France moving around and accidentally spreading the infection could launch another lockdown. They need to gauge the dangers against the advantages… This [the appearance of the Visit's global convoy] could set off another bunch of diseases so you'd need to think, at least, of an a multi week isolate before they appropriately come into the nation.

An isolate period, if essential, could introduce further issues. Ruling Visit champion and Group INEOS rider Egan Bernal, for instance, is as yet in his local Colombia, where the infection showed up later than in Europe. It is conceivable he would not have the option to travel to Pleasant three weeks before the planned Fabulous Départ on August 29 and would pass up the race.

Bernal's group supervisor Brailsford told the Watchman on Friday that, We would claim all authority to pull back the group should we consider it fundamental. While the race is on, we will intend to take part, yet similarly we will screen the developing idea of how things happen, as we did preceding Paris-Decent [the last race before the schedule suspension for coronavirus]. This is a reasonable, dependable, and contemplated approach.

The dread isn't just to do with the riders rolling in from different nations yet gigantic quantities of fans gathering on side of the road to support the peloton. A month ago, Prudhomme demanded that the race won't occur away from plain view. Clarifying his thinking, Prudhomme stated, The Visit de France is the intensity, the eagerness or more all grins. We need to discover those grins. For More Info About Tour de France Go To This Site.

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

I thought about holding off on this post until after May 4, but...ehhhh why not.

Precipice:

Off hiatus, woo! Next chapter will be up this weekend hopefully. We’re jumping threads, to check in with Ahsoka and Rex who have a reunion of their own to attend. (And most likely a very brief bonus cameo from a hero from another story!)

These Three Remain:

Down to the wire, editing, etc. Padme and Anakin’s voices are still blending together a little bit--which, honestly, if it were on purpose, would be a sort of cool Statement about where my three favorite Drama Queens stand in the immediate aftermath of the Rako Hardeen arc. So I’m fiddling with that, and cleaning up/expanding a few moments as seems necessary.

(Also, still poking at the pacing of Obi-Wan’s sections. But honestly I’d probably keep doing that until Doomsday if I didn’t have a hard deadline, lol. This is why Big Bangs are good for me...)

(...yes I’m well aware I’m putting together this post instead of actually working on the thing <.< >.> shhhhhhhhhh)

This’ll go up on Friday! Which means I’m not doing a separate May the Fourth bonus fic, like I did last year (with It’s Like Deja Vu (All Over Again)) or the year before (with an early draft of the first chapter of Precipice).

Distaff, Auxiliaries, Etc.:

Not dead I swear! Just slow going. Fingers crossed for an update of at least one this month?

Original Fiction:

Something will go up this month. I don’t know what yet--it might just be cleaning up the next chapter of Untitled Intrigues Story, or I might do another vignette in one of my other worlds or something.

Also. I still need to update my archives for Lux and The Farglass Cycle. Writing this here as a reminder to myself.

AU Outlines:

At some point, I really do need to finish the Mask of Zorro/California Gold Rush PT AU Fusion No One One Person Asked For. Because see above re: my three favorite Drama Queens and the only way to make them BIGGER Drama Queens is to make them straight-up masked vigilantes. ...not actually upcoming in the near future/this month or anything, just popped into my head earlier, lol.

And, for the outline that actually will be going up this month, here’s a teaser for Let’s Go Steal a Crossover: Part One*:

[I’m drawing from this AU] because it’s kind of where the whole concept originally came from.

I was babbling at my very patient roommate about the Lavinia Organa AU (specifically about potential ESB/Cloud City plot points) and realized “lol, I could make a religion Leverage team out of this.”

.......

“WAIT I COULD MAKE A LEVERAGE TEAM OUT OF THIS.”

*There’s a Part One and a Part Two because I need a lot of setup before I get to the actual con/plot. Which starts out as essentially the Two Live Crew Job IN SPACE only with fewer flowerpot bombs and then goes from there.

[adityafulia]

Tale of SOCIOPATH

Chapter 2

She will make sure you feel guilty

She will take advantage of you

She will eat you alive

After i heard she was engaged, i remembered asking her this question “what are you looking for? LOVE or just the presence of whoever is close to you? It’s doesn’t make any sense if you say that you love me, then you can just accept this guy’s proposal and be with this guy. It’s like you said you are not hungry but in fact you finished all the food in front of you”

Back to the story of this sociopath, the end of jan, i’ve deciced to stop contacting her

But she still tried to contact me, we had a chat , healthy chat i supposed, as a friend, i felt proud at least i didnt become the monster who ruined people’s relationship, i’ve done that for a month, from dec 2019 till jan 2020 and i felt guilty

She constanly pushing for her lies, asking for affections from me, talking about our relationship , just to make sure that i would not out of her sight. I was quite strong everytime she played her tricks (or, i thought so)

I knew,this is one of the symptons, passive aggresive, she will try to push the fact that i was the bad guy, all the time

She did that on feb 2020, i was quite strong, to just stick to my principle, we were over, i will not try to ruin her relationship, she could carry on

On mid march 2020, she contacted me again, just to say hi, i was still rock solid, i was clear that she was just a friend for me,

My focus was my job, and my personal development, i will try not to ruin peoples relationship and be better person, i considered her as a friend, nothing more even though she still played the trick to lure me, told me about her breakup..she asked me, to let her know once i got back, so that i can meet her

.

The flaw that i saw, i started to softened a bit,i said “i’ll let you know”, maybe i said that because i thought that she already broke up, and that lift up my hopes up, maybe

Then this pandemic come, i had a conversation about pandemic, how we reminded each other about the safety

She shared about the plan of building her house

She played another trick, striking my weak point,asking about my family

My sisters business, my nephew, my niece, also sometimes she shared the video of her dog

I found out that one of her friend, also talked about me, to her, this friend was also bullcrap, sophisticated conman or congirl i would say

Then i was asking about insurance product, one of my protection plan

March was quite normal,

On april, i heard that one of my friend saw one photo which actually taken before i broke up on aug 2019, she was with other guys, i just checked with her, just to make sure, that she never cheated on me when we were in relationship, with me realizing, actually i still trust her, and just wanted to hear the things that i want to heard, from her.

As usual, she played the tricks, she pushed the fact that she wanted me so bad, i dodged as usual,

we didnt have much time to talk daily, which was good, it was a very casual conversation, about pandemic, about the victim, vaccine, and all those educational hot topics, which was my favourite things to discuss.

She still played her tricks on me, share her food, she constancky updating herself to me, food,aLso give me advice, to live healthier life, basically, to show that she still care, i replied casually, as good as i can, as friend, without intention to hurt her feeling

I still have that hopes

Hopes too see better version of her, she constantly pushing the fact that she is already broken up, push another lies,that his ex forced her to marry her asap. She said she was srill thinking of me.this is what she wanted

I laughed and still give my wisdom, i reveal myself once again, to explained why i went abroad

She pushed , she told that we could have a better relationship if i stayed, she made me feel guilty again, so too speak, then we discussed about another lies, the house

Then another fight after i talked about my ex, i have been fixing this tangled ties, she blewn up, went crazy then we stop talking each other again, that cycle again.. as usual, that was april mid, i was started to feel normal, this cycle, on off

Then 18 may, she contacted me again, asking how am doing, she said she still on break with her ex

She shared about her ex parents, controlling, and still trying to lure me also,to become closer with her

That was her trick to lure me, discuss about the things that i like, business on daily basis,

Withiot realizing, in one week, i was in, i was intensely talked with her, maybe i was stressed out, lonely, i need someone to tak to, seemed that time, she was the only one

She still pushed the fact that she was not in another relathionship eith other guys, she wanted to see my face without beard,

She cared about me, want to know about me, teasing me, praising me, i was lured into this traps , really, big time,then the diry talks started

She began to lure me,said she miss me, said how she wanted to meet me, i was broken because of the work, my mental health was not in a good shape, got beaten up daily , then i was lonely, then i confessed that i cant stop thinking about her, i said ive been there too a few times

She lured me deeper, said she wanted me, hearrt and souls and body, then i melted, at the end of may

I was too lonely, crushed, i was emoty , nobody did that , nobodys there to help me, hen i realized, everytime something important, she was the first to know, that was stupid me

Then without realizing, we started the call, started to said i miss you too each other

Then i was blinded, i was thinking she was on break, i could break in, i started to have vid call, then in goes intense, i spoke as if she was not sociopath, she talked and responded normally, she wanted me back, that the point that blinded me. Only need 2 weeks for me to actually fell into this sociopath trap

Then dirty talks started, vidcall,, she asked me to come to her house, so we can spent the night toghether, doing “things”

I was stupid enough, naive enouh, even though i knew she is still with his fisncee, but she use my family as weapon, she did something nice to my family gave them food, and also meet my mom, i dont know the motive, but for sure this is one of her tricks, to save her face in front of my family

She praised me , i was to weak, it was bad enough for me to be kured to another traps by this sociopath

June 2020

She asked about substance,, she asked whether i had substance before, another lies coming

This month, was the worsrt, i was completely lost, i was officially lured, and disguised, this sociopath had succeed

She was on another meeting with her friend whibh i had i recollect, that was not only with friend, but also with another guys, rich guys, i suppose, hahaha that was good one,, sociopath

With a very stupid naive, i didnt saw that coming, she still tried to make me guilty related to my parents, she knew that was my weak point, she knnew i liked it when she asked about my family,once again i got tricked

8 june, i desperaly chasing her, officially, got lured, again

She tricked me , told me about another guy, which already slept with her, she told me as if this is the first time she knew that the guy is interested on her and she didnot interested

Mid june, she gave another reason while sleeping with another guy, blamed me for not married her,

Cycle goes again, we fought, she disappeared, off, and on again, i was quite firm , this sociopath should take action , im not waiting, meanwhile , little did i know, on “off “ time,she was playing, i gave her time to play , she managed to escaped during that off time, playing her tricks again, with some other guy

Yet, this sociopath still managed to blamed me, avoid to answer my quesrions, blamed me again and again, passove aggresive, typical sociopath

She pushed the fact “why these guys really wanted me, and you were not”. I cired, like a stupid baby,, and i recorded my voice , crying voice, she won, she heard me, she even asked to why she couldnot heard the voice, i knew what was the plan, that voice will be used to trick me again, as weapon, she could record the voice and remember this as my defeat

That goes on, till 25 of june, she said finaly she broken up, she said she was stupid, act like she was broken, she didnt want to be with another guy

I gave her time of till 30june, i thought this was normal, she was broken, i need to give her time,and eventually, she contacted me again

July was weird, first week, whatsapp chat started to decreased. Daily, i guess this is because if the effect of her concentration for work, which was good and i understood fully

But you should know, that was not because of work, not at all. She still pushed the facts that she still wanted me, she still longed for me, searched for me, on the other side, I confused, i thought she already single

I was broken we lost contact till mid of july, i contacted her, just to let her know my moms birthday, as she told me too do it often. 11 july

Lost contact till 22nd,, during the off time, i was confused, mad, also broken inside, then i got the news of repatriation flight, planning to surpise her, i bought the ticket, and asked her one day before my flight, with hope that i can meet her, because as far as i know, she was single, couple of guys tried to connect eith euth her, but deep down i knew she love me, she still wanted me, hence i asked, i still got a fair chance. I though of that

The response was bad, this was the beginning of an end,,,low response, unclear answer, me, stupidly sad, i said i love her, i want her, i want to meet her so badly

Desperately, this was cumulative from may,, mixed with my anxiety and all

Friday i landed, she still contacted me even though i feel broken, no news from her, i know i will not met her at the sirport, no way it could happened, she sent me couple of lines, and as usual, she left without replies

Stupid me, saturday , i went to her house, with high hopes, to get some clarifications, yes or no,, because i didnt not know the truth, my version was, she single now, couple of guys tried to conncet with her, and i need clar because now im back

She replied , dont find me , she felt uncomfortable and i replied asking for information, confirmation, i was confused, what happened during the lost time, 11 july-22 july, she changed drasrically, he replies, dont bother me anymore, i had bf now, and im happy

I was thinking about giving up, i still think that if she didnot want to meet me, she could just told me that, its fair, i can leave once i heard that from her mouth,,,and after i saw this reply, i have given up, i thought that this is what she wanted, so yeah i gave up

Little did i know, this was the start of big disclosures, the end of this lunacy, the end of this sociopath story......

Things are pretty good from here

But you aint really good

I never learned when we were here before

Just stop your cry it is the sign of the times

[jennyjeffries]

Who knew it was going to be such a big year? And it’s a hard thing to keep a level head about because of the deluge of information that is sweeping us towards us through social media, news, gossip and government broadcasts. Some of it essential, some informative, and some downright scare-mongering.

It is a time to be grateful for friends, family and community. Until it becomes essential to self-isolate I will amend my future travel plans, stay vigilant about my health, and follow the simple guidelines about washing hands and refraining from handshakes etc. However, if ever there was a time to stay in touch (not necessarily literally) with those you know and love, it is right now. Encouraging one another, relieving stress and anxiety, and reminding those who are likely to feel anxious that much is being done, and dwelling on the worst scenarios is not helpful.

Personally, I watch the latest from the Prime Minister and her updates. I ensure that I have a reasonable amount of FOOD, WATER, essential items to last a couple of weeks. I am embarrassed by people who have tipped over into panic buying and have made it difficult for the elderly and infirm to get their regular shopping. So far although we’ve had some panic-buyers here in New Zealand, we have not yet been bereft of all toilet paper (Seriously?!). In the end, what is going to matter is how you treat your neighbours and work mates. Do you care enough about THEM to stay at home if you feel a little unwell? Do you decide to put off that trip until the crisis is over? Do you keep an eye out for those who can’t get the things they need? Will you be prepared to share your supplies if need be? And when all is said and done, stop watching the posts on Social Media and continue to live your life. Turn your device off and go for a bike ride or a walk. Read a book. Take each day at a time.

It IS likely to get worse here in New Zealand, and we are taking measures to make the impact as manageable as possible. In the meantime, last weekend, my friends and I enjoyed a wonderful evening together celebrating a birthday, and just having fun. I went to a meeting on Sunday morning, and the first ballet (Snow White) I’ve attended in years in the afternoon. I don’t know how long we will continue to be able to attend group gatherings, but until we can’t I’m boots-and-all in. SO, if that was my last weekend of busy social agenda, then it was a good one.

A cheery blaze to light her way into superannuity.

Vestal Virgins, or Sirens luring men to their doom?

Today I went to the physio for the first time, to get some movement back into the injured ankle. I cycled there, and I expect to be cycling on Thursday and Friday in to the city and my workplace. My nutrition regime is still steadily on target: third meeting was last Saturday, and I’m down 11.8kgs since I started. (It’s been a bit level the last week or so for various reasons, but I’m not worried.)

Enjoy these photos of the events of last weekend. And stay safe, informed, and – take a deep breath – CALM. I am heartened by hearing some really positive stories from those who are confined in isolation. One woman wrote about how much she discovered of her community, also kept in the same building, and how they have come to know each other and care for each other in ways that they wouldn’t have under normal circumstances. It’s often at time like this that we discover what true grace, generosity and kindness is.

Keeping one’s head above the water Who knew it was going to be such a big year? And it's a hard thing to keep a level head about because of the deluge of information that is sweeping us towards us through social media, news, gossip and government broadcasts.

[initforthelongrun2019]

A Change To The Challenge

I have now reached the 3,500km mark. Woo hoo! However, this still means that there is just under 4,000km still to go. Boo hoo! With just over three months left in the year, this is looking more and more unrealistic by the day.

I had such a great start to the year, but after looking at my more recent stats I realised that I haven’t covered a weekly distance of over 100km for over a month, despite getting out and exercising almost every single day (with a very rare rest day here and there). As I mentioned in my previous posts, the return of the plantar fasciitis injury has been very difficult to deal with, and much more painful that I can remember the first time round. Some days I am unable to walk, never mind run, so I have been cycling on those days to reduce the pressure on my foot. However, rather than dwelling on this and the fact that there is no way I can complete my challenge by running alone, I am putting a plan in place and doing something about it!

I am on the email distribution list for the Topas Group in Vietnam (the company which organised the trail run I did in Pu Luong back in May) and recently received an update which included an article by Flavia Breu; a physiotherapist based in Hanoi. The article contained tips on stretching for performance and injury prevention, and specifically referred to a stretch for people suffering from plantar fasciitis. That’s becoming somewhat of a buzzword for me now, so I read to the end where I learnt that Flavia would be offering weekly stretching sessions at her clinic, very close to where I live. I instantly got in touch and asked when I could join; I was keen to get involved sooner rather than later.

I joined the first stretching session of the week; Monday at 8am, which is clearly too early in the day for everyone else as I was the only one there. This meant that I had the opportunity to really make use of Flavia’s expertise and I told her about my injury, my runs and my challenge. Understandably, like most people I meet, Flavia was shocked by my limited mobility and inability to mold myself in to certain positions, but, as a highly experienced physiotherapist, this excited her as she could see many different ways to try and rehabilitate my slightly broken body. That was two weeks ago; this morning I completed my third session and I can honestly say I am feeling so many benefits, and having someone to stretch with is giving me the motivation to actually do it, at least once a week anyway.

Not only do I attend stretching sessions with Flavia, but last week I decided to stay and have a physiotherapy session straight after the class. The week before, Flavia told me that she thought needle therapy would be a good way to treat my pain. I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive; not because I’m scared of needles (I have way too many tattoos for that) but because I had acupuncture in my back years ago and it absolutely crippled me to the point where I was unable to walk properly for a couple of days. I felt like it did more harm than good, so I made a promise to myself to never do anything like that again.

Yet, there I was, last week, lying face down on a therapy bed, with needles sticking out of my hips and legs. The sensation was exactly how I remembered acupuncture to be; burning as the needle went in and then various different twitches and spasms as my body reacted to what was going on. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run the next day (Flavia’s orders and for once, I listened) but I was worried this would mean I wouldn’t be able to do anything at all. I was a bit sore for the rest of the day but was able to walk freely on my heel without any pain. The following morning I woke with the usual hobble, but as the day went on my heel was, yet again, pain-free. I got out for a morning cycle and hit the gym for an interval training class later that day, and was amazed by my range of movement and lack of pain. I decided I was ready to run on Wednesday and had the best run I’ve had in a very long time; I wouldn’t say it was totally pain free but it was pleasant and I didn’t need to stop, which is the first time in a very long time. I did the same again on Friday and enjoyed the run equally as much. I had pain straight after the run, and throughout the rest of that day, but at this stage any progress at all is making me feel optimistic.

I went for treatment again this morning; one hour of stretching followed by one hour of physio, and this time, Flavia used needles and an ultrasound to ease my aches and pains. As well as problems with the fascia, Flavia believes that I also have an issue with my soleus muscle, particularly as I have been experiencing an usual type of pain on the right side of my foot, close to my little toe, which apparently is linked to this muscle. 

I have a race in Chiang Mai this weekend; a 104km ultra, which, I have to say, I’m dreading. I only booked my flights a couple of days ago as I have seriously been thinking about dropping out. These distances require both mental and physical strength, and as I have now completed four ultras I’m confident that I have both. However, although I have taken part in these types of races with my plantar problem before, this is the first time I am going in with such excruciating pain. I’m going back to Flavia on Wednesday for another stretching class, as well as an ultrasound and to get taped up, so I’m hoping that this will do the trick and ease at least some of the pain for some of the distance (I am no way delusional enough to think that I can do the entire thing pain free, or whether or not I can do the whole thing at all). But, as always, I’ll certainly give it my best shot, although I am mentally preparing myself for my first DNF.

So, where does this leave my challenge? With weekly physio and needling, I am not going to be able to run at least one day per week and, as I am already behind, that’s not going to get me anywhere close to completing it by the end of the year. I’m also now at a point where I realise that all of this running isn’t doing my body any good, and I could actually do some serious long term damage. But I’m not going to quit. Instead, from the 1st September I am going to incorporate cycling in to my running and hiking routine, in order to allow myself to achieve 7,500km by the end of this year.

For a long time, my friend Ajay has been encouraging me to do this, but I haven’t given in because once I set myself a challenge, I like to stick to it, and I’m worried that this might be seen as ‘cheating’. So many people have donated so generously to my cause already, and I feel that I am doing them a disservice by not completing the challenge how I initially set out to. But I have been at a crossroads for a while as I realised a long time ago that I could no longer do all of this just by running. So, my dilemma was, do I complete the challenge by including cycling, or do I not complete it at all? As I am not one to quit, I have, therefore, decided to incorporate cycling. I will still run as much as I physically can, as I want to achieve most of my target by running, but I don’t want to get to a point where I am unable to run at all, so changes have to be made. I can only hope that people understand why I have had to make this change, and continue to support my wonderful charity Action Aid and the amazing work they do. 

Distance covered so far: 3,605.35km Distance still to run: 3,894.65km

[apostatively]

I try not to post a lot about my personal life on here as with all social media, due to the little voice in the back of my head insisting that my life is way too boring and/or depressing to bother anyone with. But I really need to vent, so here it is. I feel like a total failure. The last year has been hell for us, and part of it is the monsters running this country who continue to suck any hope for the future out of me to the point where it's difficult to function day-to-day, and part of it is finances. Some terrible decisions were made, championed by me, to uproot us from Baltimore to Augusta, GA, which cost a few thousand dollars all told because the movers apparently took us for a ride and then didn't even log our move in such a way that the military would reimburse us for it as they should have, effectively losing us $4k. The job we moved for became disputed by another company and any hiring was frozen, leaving me unemployed for a few months: by the time I'd found multiple retail jobs to try to tide us over due to savings running dry, the contract was resolved, but the company said that "the customer" was no longer releasing/filling my job area in Augusta. On top of that, the Limited went under and I lost one of my retail jobs. I started interviewing and applying for other Intel jobs like crazy, knowing that a five-month hiatus from my very tech-driven and fast-moving career field wasn't something I could really afford. This was in February. We were reduced to a ramen noodle budget and I was donating plasma as often as I could to try to make ends meet, but it still wasn't enough. At this point we had already borrowed a lot of money from family and friends, which we have yet to find a way to pay back. You know the images of the food they cook in FFXV? I was starting to get legitimately resentful of that delicious-looking fictional food because what I could afford was ramen, and I was still gaining a ton of weight due to a combination of a cheap, high-sodium/fat/sugar diet, intense anxiety, and simply being too depressed to work out. In February I got what could have been a life-preserver for us, if not for the fact that the job came at the expense of my mental health. Since February I've been a 911 call-taker, which pays enough for us to barely make ends meet, and was still working at Teavana. Unfortunately, this job is the most legitimately terrifying thing I've ever done. It's like anxiety Russian-roulette: every time I answer a line it could be a sweet little old lady with a question about the noise ordinances in our town, or it could be a hysterical screeching person so loud I literally jump back in my chair, giving me no information and screaming abuse at me when I can't make responders appear for them within eight seconds. I hate it. I do it for us, but it's the worst thing I've ever had to do in my life. I hate working in a technical law-enforcement field, I hate having to fight so hard not to let this sour my view of humanity, I hate that the 12-hour overnight shift they've assigned me to has left me nocturnal on top of the anxiety-riddled sleeplessness I'm already struggling with, I hate the constant compulsion to eat a ton of crap that is just making me bigger and bigger, I hate that I can't seem to find anything better, and when they sent me for my mandatory week of (essentially) boot camp for this job back in June, I had to read transcripts of dozens of emergency services calls placed on 9/11 as the towers were coming down, and I had an outright breakdown, knowing with certainty that if I couldn't handle my own stress I wasn't going to be able to handle anyone else's under a similar emergency situation, and the knowledge that I had to get out or I was going to get someone killed has stuck with me. In the meantime, I have nothing in common with most of my coworkers: they're a loud, close-knit group of Southern women who have all grown up in this area, they pray before each shift (at a government job???!) and gladly pay $20 per pay period to the shift's fund for birthdays and bereavements. It's intimidating, and I'm slow to open up in a new work environment anyway, and I'm pretty sure they think I'm stuck up when I'm just trying to keep my head above water and have trouble reaching out to my own family, let alone coworkers. They've never gone out of their way to include me, and I feel completely isolated both by myself and them. In mid-July, after months of working my ass off to woo potential recruiters for companies in my area, the company that wanted to hire me for GA initially finally came forward with a solid offer for me, for a job for which we'd need to relocate back to Baltimore. They had me go through urinalysis, sign a metric ton of paperwork, basically commitment-implying things. I've never gotten this far in the hiring process with them before, and my recruiters were communicating with me fairly regularly. It seemed like there was finally an end in sight to this year from hell. I gave two weeks' notice at my jobs before being warned not to "just yet" by my recruiter - thanks for the timing there, bud. I explained the situation to the 911 administrator and he generously doubled the time I had left, allowing me to stay for a month instead of the two weeks I'd given. (The day after my "last day" at Teavana I heard that Starbucks is shutting us down, which hit me hard, because unlike 911 I related to and love my coworkers there, they're amazing people and this news was seriously distressing; I couldn't go crawling back there asking for an extension when they have enough problems without me.) My new last day at 911 is tomorrow's night shift, and I'm completely terrified, because new job has yet to give me a start date, a full month after starting the hiring process with me. I get paid on Friday but that may be the last full-sized paycheck I can expect, and it's mostly going to go to rent. I keep running our budget over and over in my head, trying to figure out how to make it stretch when the money stops coming in. I may have to start donating plasma again to the tune of about $60 a week, when the very experience of having a massive needle shoved in my arm draining stuff out of me is a horrific experience that makes me want to scream. Even if I can manage to pay all our bills until I can start getting paid from this new job - unlikely - I still have to figure out how to afford to live day-to-day until then, alone in Baltimore while Michelle is here *alone* until we can get paid and afford to move, and I'm hoping one of the few friends I have in Baltimore will let me crash on their couch until then bc we have no money for a cheap hotel or Airbnb room at this point, and it's not even worth the attempt to try to get a loan unless we feel like depressing some bank tellers pointlessly. There is literally no other financial place to turn. I check my email about fifty times a day hoping for an update and immediately getting disappointed when there is still nothing. I've gone through this cycle so many times with at least seven different companies this year but never so far along in the process: sometimes there will be a week where *everybody* wants to talk to you, they want their bosses to talk to you bc they're so impressed, they want to know about your experience and salary requirements and spend hours on the phone with you each day and you think they're really serious, that you finally might really get an offer....and then radio silence, for weeks, bare-minimum answers when you contact them, bc recruiters don't like to talk to you when they have all the information they need from you and have no positive updates to give. I've spiraled from this routine more times than I can count, and this is exactly what it feels like to me. What's taking so long? Is there a problem? Can I be doing something else on my end? (How can I make you see how crazy this is making me without looking unprofessional?!?!?) This feeling of hopelessness and rejection is crushing me. Between this, the chaotic evil bodies at work in our government, and nearly a year of intense depression, I'm barely functioning. I have no motivation to do anything, I'm just eating and breathing for news on this job that could finally, finally save us/me. On top of my already-nocturnal schedule, I keep going days without sleeping and then doing nothing *but* sleeping for days. Our pantry is full of ramen again bc I'm rationing for the worst. I don't know what to do, and I can't go on like this for long. I just literally have no idea what I'm supposed to do. How to I outlast this? How do I save us? I've given up on staying strong or healthy; I'm just trying to stay mobile and functional, because that's what I'm good for. But it's been so long, and I have no idea how when nothing is in my control anymore.

[peacefulheartfarm]

Cheddar Cheese

Today’s topic is cheddar cheese. That’s right. It’s time for another trivia podcast and this one is all about cheddar cheese. Is your mouth watering yet? I must say that I make a fantastic cheddar cheese and I hope you get to try it one day.

I want to take a minute and say welcome to all the new listeners and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. Before we get started on the cheddar facts, let me give you an update on what’s going on at the homestead.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

If you are listening to this podcast sometime in the future, your date marker is that we are in the middle of June. Almost at the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. That the crops are starting to come in already. We are continuing the overwhelmed portion of the year. It starts in spring and continues right on through the fall. Planting, weeding, harvesting, and storing food. Along the way, the animals need additional care. Breeding cycles, milking twice a day, and flies. Always the flies. This year they are particularly high in population. Large dumps of wet rain at the perfect time of year for the propagation of flies is making the animals miserable.  

Cows

The artificial insemination process has officially begun. The first step is to get all of the cows that are being bred to cycle at nearly the same time. This is especially important for a dairy. Ideally, the calves will be born within days of each other.

In the first few days, the cows produce a thick nutritious milk product called colostrum. It is high in fat and most importantly, it is filled with the antibodies the calves need to survive and thrive. We can save that milk for making cheese or fulfilling herd share obligations. It must all go to the calves. And there is a lot of it. We save it in jars and cans and gradually dole it out to the calves. Once we get into keeping the milk, we get to keep every single drop of it until this backlog of milk/colostrum is consumed. Then we share the awesome milk with the calves and we get less milk for making cheese and herd shares.

The reason that we need the births to be close together is the timing of who is in colostrum and who are we milking. We milk two at a time. If the calves are close together, then it is easy to just milk everybody the same. If that doesn’t happen, then we end up milking out the ones who are in the stage of producing milk we can use and then lastly, we milk out those who are still producing colostrum. Again, ideally everybody produces their colostrum all together and then we can get on with just milking everybody and not worrying about stopping, pouring up the milk and then starting again for colostrum milk for those late birthing cows. This is our second year of AI. So far, it is going well. Tomorrow, the placing of the sperm happens. Then we wait for three weeks to see if anyone comes into heat again. Of course, we hope that everyone takes on the first try. But how often does that actually happen? I don’t know. Again, we are new to this process.

Sheep

The sheep are still grazing safely right outside my living room window. I think we are past the predator issues for the moment. We are still looking for a dog to add to the homestead. I don’t ever want to go through that kind of predator loss ever again.

Lambert is in there with the girls. Perhaps we will have lambs again in the fall.

Quail

I don’t think I said anything about the quail in the last podcast. That’s a first, right? Well, the first batch has been processed – well we kept almost all of the girls. They filled out the breeding groups that were missing a hen, replaced one complete breeding group that was older and the remaining 10 we kept for extra eggs. They are all laying pretty well at this point.

The second group that was a really small hatch, only 19, is now in the penthouse growing. They are growing like weeds. We did lose one and so there are 18 up there on the left side of the grow out cage. Again, the right side of the grow out cage has the extra hens we kept to lay eggs for us.

Now we come to the third batch that are in the incubator. There are 72 eggs in there and they go into lockdown in two days. Two days after that, we will begin to hear some peeping. Let’s pray that we have a better hatch rate this time. We shall see.

Garden

The biggest news I have at the moment is the garden. We planted lots and lots and lots of peas. I wanted them for the farmer’s markets. Well, I got my wish. There are soooo many peas out there. Today, instead of trying to pick from each plant (which I did a few days ago), I decided to just pull up the plants, peas and all. I needed to get the plants out because the tomatoes are planted right in front of them and they will need that trellis soon. It was really quick and easy. I now have piles of plants with pea pods hanging off of them. After I finish this podcast, I will be out there pulling the pods off of the plants. And the plants I pulled up today was only half of what is out there.

The beans are doing really well. I would like to get a bit of time to go out there and fill in the blank spaces where a seed here and there did not sprout. But even if I don’t get that accomplished, I’m going to have lots and lots and lots of beans and crowder peas.

There two beds of peppers. One is a wonderful bell pepper called California Wonder. Those plants produce beautiful large green bell peppers like you find in the grocery. If I leave them on the plant, they will eventually turn red. The red ones are really sweet.

The other peppers are Italian pepperoncini. I’m going to pickle them. I’ll probably sell the pickled pepperoncini at the farmer’s market. Oh, and I think there are a few banana peppers out there. I don’t know what I will do with them. Perhaps, pickle them as well. We shall see.

The onions look fabulous. I’m not sure how much longer they have before they are done. It’s easy to tell with onions. The green tops will just fall over, dry out and turn brown. That the indicator for when it is time to dig them up and cure them for storage.

Fruit and the Orchard

The strawberry plants look great and there were lots of strawberries. However, something was eating them and we haven’t gotten very many for ourselves. That’s yet another project that got on to Scott’s “To Do” list. Fix up some kind of barrier to keep out the squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc that are eating the strawberries. He just doesn’t have the time right now. More on that later.

I checked the blueberries a few days ago. There are a lot fewer berries than last year. That is likely due to the bee hive dying off. We really relied on them to pollinate everything. This year we were dependent on the bumble bees for all of our pollination.

One thing I noticed while out checking the blueberries and blackberries was that we finally have a few apples coming on this year. I don’t really know how old these trees are, but we have been anticipating apples and pears for a while. Looks like the apples are coming this year. Yay!!

Creamery

The creamery is on hold yet again. Scott is off doing other things. Mostly gathering hay. We tried to grow our own hay for a year or two and just found that it was simply not worth it for the small amount we need. Maintaining the equipment is always a challenge. Better to let someone else have those headaches. The person who normally supplies our hay is growing his cow herd and the lack of rain at the appropriate time led to a smaller than usual harvest. So I got on Facebook and found a couple of places where Scott could get hay. Unlike the previous arrangement, which was quite close and the hay was delivered right to us, Scott is having to haul the hay here. These are large round bales. He can handle eight bales at a time. It is a time-consuming task that requires days and days and days to complete.

In between, he is prepping the cows for the AI appointment and doing most of the milking tasks. He helps me on Mondays with making cheese and spends quite a bit of time cleaning up the large cheese vat and the large utensils. I handle the small stuff. On Friday and Saturday morning he does the entire milking routine by himself as I am at the farmer’s market. The creamery will get back on the schedule soon, I’m sure. Speaking of making cheese, It’s time for me to get to the topic of the day. Cheddar cheese.

Cheddar Cheese

Let’s start with the basics of describing this great cheese. It is a relatively hard cheese. Ours is off-white and the stuff in the store is usually orange. Cheddar cheese originated in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset. Now it is produced all over the world.

Background

In the UK, cheddar is the most popular type of cheese, accounting for over half of the country’s annual cheese market. It is the second-most popular cheese in the US. The most popular is mozzarella. In the US the average annual consumption of cheddar cheese is about 10 lbs per person. In 2014, the US produced about 3 billion lbs of cheddar cheese.

The term cheddar cheese is widely used and has no protected designation of origin even when the UK was part of the EU until 2020. Many cheeses have a protected designation of origin name. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is the English name for an identification form used by the EU that is meant to preserve the designations of origin of food-related products. This labeling was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designate products that have been produced, processed and developed in a specific geographical area, using the recognized know-how of local producers and ingredients from the region concerned.

PDO

The characteristics of the products protected are essentially linked to the terroir. That is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a food or crop’s unique environmental contexts, farming practices or growth habitat. Collectively, these contextual characteristics are said to have a character; terroir refers to this character.

The EU’s regulation is meant to guarantee the reputation of regional products, adapt existing national protections to make them comply with the requirements of the WTO and inform consumers that products bearing the PDO logo respect the conditions of production and origin specified by this designation.

The regulations cover all sorts of foodstuff like wines, cheese, hams, sausages, olives, beers, fruits, vegetables, breads and animal feed.

Foods such as gorgonzola, parmigiano-reggiano, asiago cheese, camembert de Normandie and champagne can be labeled as such only if they come from the designated region. There are other requirements. In the case of camembert de Normandie, not only is it required to be produced in the Normandy region of France, it must also be made with raw milk from Normande cattle.

History

Cheddar originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, south west England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of cheese caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese.

Cheddar has been produced since at least the 12th century. Financial records of King Henry II from 1170 records the purchase of 10,240 lbs. Charles I also bought cheese from the village of Cheddar.

In the 19th-century Somerset dairyman Joseph Harding was central to the modernization and standardization of cheddar cheese. For his technical innovations, promotion of dairy hygiene, and volunteer dissemination of modern cheese-making techniques, he has been dubbed “the father of Cheddar cheese”. Harding introduced new equipment to the process of cheese-making, including a device for curd cutting call a “revolving breaker”. The “Joseph Harding method” was the first modern system of Cheddar production based upon scientific principles. Together, Joseph Harding and his wife were behind the introduction of Cheddar cheese into Scotland and North America. His sons, Henry and William, were responsible for introducing the cheese production to Australia and facilitating the establishment of the cheese industry in New Zealand.

According to a USDA researcher, cheddar cheese is the world’s most popular variety of cheese, and it is the most studied type of cheese in scientific publications.  

Cheddaring Process

“Cheddaring” refers to an additional step in the production of the cheese. After culturing, cutting, cooking and draining, the cheddaring begins. It is a lengthy process of stacking and turning slabs of curd. The curd is then milled or broken up into small pieces again and salted before being placed in a press. The press forms the final shape of the cheese.

The cheese is kept at a constant temperature and humidity level. Special facilities or a cheese cave as mentioned before are needed to complete this part. And it will mature for anywhere from three months to two years or more.

Character of Cheddar Cheese

The ideal quality of the original Somerset Cheddar was described by Joseph Harding in 1864 as “close and firm in texture, yet mellow in character or quality; it is rich with a tendency to melt in the mouth, the flavor full and fine, approaching to that of a hazelnut”.

Cheddar made in the classical way tends to have a sharp, pungent flavor, often slightly earthy. The texture is firm and can be crumbly. Cheddar cheese aged over one year should also contain large cheese crystals consisting of calcium lactate.

Cheddar can be a deep to pale yellow color, or a yellow-orange color when annatto is added. Annatto is extracted from seeds of a tree. Originally it was added to simulate the color of high-quality milk from grass-fed Jersey and Guernsey cows, but it may also impart a sweet, nutty flavor.

Clau d’ville Cheddar

We don’t use annatto in our cheddar cheese. We produce a beautiful light cream-colored cheddar cheese. Bright, citric flavors at the six-month mark complement a smooth, creamy texture. As each cheese approaches it’s first birthday the pineapple notes give way to a deeper, more savory cheese with a buttery, malty finish, offering a delightful taste sensation.

At six months it is smooth and almost creamy. Aged a year or longer, it becomes deliciously crunchy, crumbly and tangy. Pair it with a fruity Pinot Noir, a strong ale, apple liqueur or cider, or a vintage port.

Our cheddar is currently only available via our Herd Share program. If you are listening to this in 2022, this statement will be out of date. We plan to be in our inspected facility in early 2022.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for today’s podcast on Cheddar cheese. The homestead is moving along nicely. We are moving into the summer routine. The animals are doing their thing, eating grass out in the fields. The gardens are flourishing. And the work continues to keep us on our toes. It is healthy activity and we appreciate the opportunity to share our journey with all of you.

I hope you enjoyed the Cheddar cheese information and we look forward to serving your cheese needs in the future.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts or whatever podcasting service you use, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. If you like this content and want to help out the show, the absolute best way you can do that is to share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content. Let them know about the Peaceful Heart Farmcast.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

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Check out this episode!

[sofiasmusings]

Did I do it?

Welcome to this year’s edition of “did I do it?” where I look back at last year’s goals and ask myself...did I do it? I’m still trying to think of my goals for 2020 so this will suffice for now. 

1. Work out consistently

What I said last year:

I feel like getting into working out is no problem for me. I’ve got the motivation, I’ve got the gear, but… I don’t always have the time. Last semester my workout schedule became pretty sporadic due to late nights and long shifts at my job. I told myself that lifting heavy pots at work and being on my feet for five hours was enough of a work out but boy was I wrong. At first it felt nice not having to dedicate two hours of my day to the gym, but eventually it caught up to me and I started missing the calming sensation that a routine activity provided me. Not only that, but I remember climbing a flight of stairs while talking to my friend, and once I got to the top I was trying my hardest not to lose my dignity as I huffed and puffed between sentences. I realized that working out actually helped me feel better emotionally and physically, and that I liked how working out forced me to organize my day. I live and breathe organization, so even putting the time slot into my calendar made me feel better.  This year I also hope to maintain a work out journal because who doesn’t like to look back and feel great about the progress they made??? (Also, sometimes I go to the gym and forget what weights I was using for each exercise so that would probably help as well)

The verdict: kind of! I worked out pretty consistently this year after March. The first three months were rough and working out was definitely not a priority. It was also in those months that I realized how crappy not working out makes me feel. As for a journal, it got too tedious to keep up because I’m not exactly trying to build crazy amounts of muscle. In fact, I don’t want to continue growing because I can finally fit my thighs in my jeans lol. I’m using the Popflex 12 week fit journal now to track my daily habits and it’s helped a lot. 

2. Start a savings account and save money every month

What I said last year:

I’d say keeping track of spending is one step to becoming a more successful adult, but I would also say that making sure to save is equally as crucial. I’ve already made a habit of tracking what I spend and what I earn, but I haven’t been doing so great with putting money aside to save…so that’s definitely a goal this year.

The verdict: Yes! I did start a savings account and during each pay cycle, a certain amount is deposited directly into that account before my consumerist tendencies get the best of me. If I have extra money I also like to throw it in there (get yourself a cash rewards credit card!). 

3. Update this blog

What I said last year:

I started this blog because I wanted a place to put my experiences and lessons I learn about the world. I think that I am someone that tends to think through problems and situations internally and through writing. I often find that this helps me reason through problems and most of the time it helps me come to a conclusion.

The verdict: Kind of? I did really bad for the first 11 months but does my dedication to this blog in the last couple days count? They always say it’s never too late...Anyway, something awoke my interest in blogging so 2020 is going to be wild. 

4. Continue updating my art instagram

What I said last year:

I started my art instagram because I got into making digital art in the later part of my high school. I soon came to realize, however, that artist block is a very real thing. Sometimes I would post every day, and other times I would post every other month. I started the account under the premise that I would post a sketch every day, but I don’t think it was realistic for the schedule that I had at that point. I do hope I can start doing something like that again, at least to challenge myself. Also, sometimes I draw celebrities and tag them in hopes that I will be noticed…but the time hasn’t come yet.

The verdict: Nope. I think I uploaded maybe one or two pictures. I think I’ve done a good job of picking up reading and blogging again but this one’s going to take some time. I really miss drawing. 

5. Find a job

What I said last year:

It’s crazy because my goals used to be “Find an internship” but now it’s all about finding a job. At the end of the day I just really want a job that allows me to grow and provides me with training and leadership opportunities. I believe that I have had experience in a lot of different types of work environments and fields, and if there’s anything I’ve noticed, it’s that I adapt pretty quickly to my surroundings. No matter where I end up, I just want to do my best.

The verdict: Yes! I’ve been working for 1.5 years now. In fact, I had to choose between two job offers at one point. The job I found (or rather, the job that found me) has allowed me to grow and has provided training and leadership opportunities. 

6. Update and keep up with my skin care routine

What I said last year:

Ya girl needs some serious edits to her skin care routine. It’s been a fight since middle school to keep my skin clear, but I think something in my routine is finally working. Obviously I need to monitor my stress levels, sleep schedule, and diet, but I’ve also been spending quite some time researching different products. Here’s to clear skin in 2018!!! Also I need to drink more water because sometimes it’s 11 PM and I realize I’ve only drank one cup of water.

The verdict: Yes! Hydration, sleep and diet really help. I rarely have new breakouts and I notice they usually appear around my period or when I eat really greasy food. Investing in good products also helps...I’ve dropped some $$$ at Sephora and discovered Banish Acne Scars and these products have helped me control my acne. Now I’m focusing on finding the right balance for my skin and fading my scars. 

7. Establish Daily Routine

What I said last year:

I’m a routine type of person and whenever I complete a routine, I feel pretty darn good about myself. I’ve gotten into a small routine here at home over winter break:

Wake up, wash up, eat breakfast, read for a couple hours, write in my journal, draw something, apply for jobs/do work, dinner, watch some TV, and go to sleep.

Routines don’t even have to be that rigid for me. For example, I might aim to remember to take my vitamins every morning after I wake up.

The verdict: YES. My routine’s so crazy that I can predict things now, like how many stoplights I’ll get on the way home. During the week, I wake up around 5:10 - 5:30 am and either do a home work out or go to the company gym. I’m usually at my desk by 7:30 - 8 am and have lunch at basically noon sharp. I leave between 4:30 - 5:00 every day. I strength train Mondays and Wednesdays and do HIIT on Tuesdays and Fridays. Saturdays are my yoga days. Sundays are meal prep days. I think there’s a downside to having routines (especially if you’re like me) because when something changes slightly it throws me off. So...next year’s goal is flexibility?

8. Take more photos

What I said last year:

In 2017, I started a 365 instagram account in which I posted one picture every day for the whole year. I hope to continue doing that, especially since I recently got a new camera. I felt really satisfied seeing my whole year put together in one photo diary, and I look forward to seeing how 2018 will be. The verdict: Yes. It does not matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop. I might’ve missed a couple days (ok sometimes weeks) on my 365 instagram account, but it’s still going strong after 3 years! While I do think it’s unique being able to look back on your life in pictures, I’m not sure I want to continue it next year. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll commit to another daily/routine thing such as creating a certain piece of content. 

Did I do it? 

5 yes’s 

2 kind of’s

1 nope

Not bad at all. I mean, if I completed all eight goals it would’ve been over for all of you lmao 

[mylovingbouquetearthquakewo-blog]

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

"Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

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Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

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What is the best and the cheapest car insurance in ontario?

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Do you need insurance for a 50cc (49cc) scooter in California?

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Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

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Got pulled over for going 65 in a 45 and on top of that I did not have my insurance card on me, but I do have insurance. Can I bring proof of insurance to the court to bring down the fee? Or am I for sure going to have to pay? Also what is the estimated fee for the tickets in total? I am in LA county.""

What is the best teen driver insurance in California?

Taking driving test tomorrow and need insurance coverage for just me, 18 years old.""

I been shopping around for insurance with different insurance agencies here in CA ?

and noticed that the premium is about the same for all of them but the broker's fee ranges from $100 to $300, can that be negotiated ? or is it illegal to do so ? i like one of the insurance agencies since they were super nice but they also have the highest brokers fee, could they match the other agencies price ?""

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Guys please take this question seriously and don't even try to answer unless u r going to answer thoroughly I'm 18 and will be 19 in october And I'm getting driver license in a month My parents are not citizen and they don't live in US But I'm citizen and go to high school I heard that my car insurance is extremely expensive since my parents don't live in US But I really NEED to drive my own car ( Not i want to, i NEED it!) I'm aware that the insurance fee depends on companies ***So what I want is approximation or similar examples or similar cases (My GPA is over 4.0 so probably there will be discount... *** if there is, i need every info for discount) And only my mom got her license when she stayed here for few month last year She needs to renew it and she is registered to my uncle's car (I live with my uncle) ***Does this affect my fee? I'm working in city recreation department How can I go work if i don't have car? Now...I ride bike for 4miles to go there... Please help me""

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The legislation would impose several new fees on firms in the health sector. New fees would be imposed on providers of health insurance and on manufacturers and importers of medical devices. Both of those fees would be largely passed through to consumers in the form of HIGHER PREMIUMS for PRIVATE COVERAGE. Congressional Budget Office An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act November 30, 2009 BUT..... The average premium for an unsubsidized, nongroup policy will cost 27-30% MORE. (same report) So won't private coverage decrease sharply ... And so too the fees collected from them ... which are suppose to pay for the subsidies . Or will really caring people flock to buy this extra expensive insurance?""

Health insurance for non-residents of US?

My cousin is from Mexico and she is staying with me becuse her parents can not care for her anymore over there. She only has a Visa, she is not a resident. She is also a type 1 diabetic, the other day she got really sick with diabetic ketoacidosis, I had to take her to the E.R and now I am being charged 7000 for her care. Is there any way I can get some type of health insurance for her even if she is not a legal citizen of the Us and she is not my child? And could I get any goverment or any help to pay this bill? Thank you in advance.""

Compare long term insurance prices?

compare long term insurance policies from the recomended insurance companies genworth, metro life, coastline federal, ltci""

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i need insurance now but the rates are so high.. i am a full time high school student and i live on my own its not like i could put the insurance under my parents name. i need help !!!!!

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16 year old guy, with a 2001 Ford F250 Supercab, 160,000 miles. How much do you think insurance would cost per month?""

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My girl and I each have our own separate health insurance plans through our respective employers, she recently gave birth to our first baby ( we're not married ) She used her insurance plan to cover the hospital fees and we expect to pay about twenty percent of the bill as a copay. Would MY insurance help cover all or part of said copay? I'm guessing it will be about two thousand dollars. Thanks in advance for your help.""

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ais charges for broker fee only for one time, is that true? i have farmers right now. but AIS offer me mas cheaper insurance (mercury). but i'm not familiar with AIS company. do they have any headen charges that they never mention??? please help!!! thanks""

""What is an affordable used coupe for about $8,000 that wont be incredibly high on insurance?""

What is an affordable used coupe for about $8,000 that wont be incredibly high on insurance?""

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...registration? My husbands name is on the insurance and I own the car.

Need advice about getting a motorcycle and a permit at 15 1/5 in CA?

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How much would an 18 year old male pay for car insurance? If you are that age or around there please tell me your age and what car you drive. I was interested in comparing w/ Manitoba because I live in Ontario and apparently my dad told me its 1000-1500 dollars a year!

What does 'replacement cost' mean in hazard insurance?

I want to get a mortgage to buy a house. The lender requires hazard insurance at 'replacement cost' basis. I understand the lenders interest in recovering the mortgage, in ...mostrar ms""

How much a month for loan and insurance for a 350z.?

Ok so I'm gonna be 20 in a couple months and I'm tired of driving my crappy integra. I've been saving up and I'm set on getting a 350z. My price range is about 12,000 tops. If I put a down payment of about 5 or 6 grand how much would I pay per month for the loan. And how much would I pay a month for the loan along with the insurance. I'm on my parents plan. I don't know much about interest rates. Can you give me estimates on different lengths of loans and interest rates Thanks ily""

Insurance on a Civic Si?

Alright so im pretty sure that answer is going to be high but im thinking of buying a '06/'07/'08 civic si, but i was just wondering if any other si drivers could give me how much they pay for insurance. im 20 live in s. cali and have one ticket so i bet thats gonng drive it up but still want to know like an average. will it make a difference if i but a civic si sedan instead of the coupe?""

Whats good Health Insurance?

Im 20 a year old woman in college, I recently found out I was pregnant. I want to find affordable health insurance coverage for me and my unborn child. I dont want to rely on ...show more""

What should I do to get an International Medical Insurance?

I am a visitor in the United States, and I ll be here for about 2 months and I need a Medical Insurance, need some recommendations and where to go, and the docs necessaries.""

Home Owners Insurance?

My husband and I are looking for the best home owners insurance in California one that includes earthquake coverage and other stuff like fire and theft can you give me places to check out? We will be living in Culver City, California in the USA""

HELP ASAP! Is a car still considered stolen if your on the insurance?

Long story short my mom bought me a car..and I'm on the insurance..I want to move out but she's not up for it...so my question is can she call the police and say her car is stolen when I take it to where i'm going to live?Also will they charge me even if i'm on the insurance? Thanks for any answers!

""OMG, Men and car insurance!?""

Teenage boys have to pay more for car insurance, If it was the other way around and women had to pay more Feminist would throw a fit, This is a freaken double standard. How do you feel about this. p.s. I know that the rates for male teenage is higher then female teenagers but if this was switched the feminist would be pist.""

Is there anyone who insures motorcycles just for theft? dont need other coverage...?

Hey I have my 08 r6 being insured for 166 every 6 months but it doesnt cover theft. I got various quotes and nobody will do theft without doing full coverage. the difference is literally 10 times the cost. They want $320 a year without but with full coverage (aka theft) it is $3200 which is absolutely ridiculous. I was wondering if there was any insurance agencies out there who offer bike insurance (being only theft insurance)

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

Car depreciation/insurance question?

Let's say for the sake of argument that my car is valued at 2000.00 at the beginning of this year and my full coverage insurance on this vehicle is 500.00 a year. Now at the end of this year my car has depreciated to 1500.00. Shouldn't my full coverage insurance rate be adjusted to reflect the book value of the car and lowered appropriately and be dropped to say 400.00 a year? It's a hypothetical question and I understand that insurance companies won't automatically cut you a break if they don't have to. It makes me wonder if one needs to manually re-adjust their insurance rate every year to stay accurate and not pay more than necessary.

Geico home owner's insurance?

Anyone out there have Geico for home owner's insurance? Are they good? Ever had a claim and how did they handle it? I refuse to use Statefarm after how they handled Katrina, or ...show more""

What is the average life insurance amount people take out?

What is the average life insurance amount people take out?

What kind of car insurances exist?

I know there is the one required by law, the liability, in which you'll cover another car's damage, and one where you ensure your own car (I don't know the specific name of it). What other kind of car insurances exist, and what are they called?""

Range Rover Insurance?

I know that insurance depend on a lot of factors however I'm just looking for a round about estimate for a 24 year old female with a clean driving record on a 2003 a range rover?

Do I recieve cheaper car tax or insurance under theese circumstances?

I recieve higher rate disability and middle rate mobility DLA and my dad is my carer

Is bike insurance cheaper then car insurance?

Is bike insurance cheaper then car insurance?

Car insurance question....?

A stray dog ran out in front of my car causing me some damage. My insurance adjuster writes his own estimate so he told me what the insurance would pay minus my deductible. He said the check would be sent to me, that I can have anyone I want to fix it and to shop around. Does that mean if I can find someone to do it for less I can keep the extra to help me toward my deductible????? even though I need to tell them who is doing it before the check is sent to me. (the check will have both names on it) My friend says if I can get it done for less that agreement is between me and who I chose so any extra is mine?????? I don't want to do anything wrong but I also don't want to give money away that I don't have to.""

How much does motorcyles insurance run??

I want to be an inexpensive bike to save gas money (like a ninja 250) and I'm curious how much laibility insurance is... my car insurance is only $30 a month and I have a perfect driving record, no accidents. thank you""

Are the advantage insurance plans better than standard medicare supplement insurance?

are advantage insurance plans cost effective over standard medicare supplements plans

How much does a teeth cleaning cost w/o insurance?

I got a mailer coupon from a dentist that says they only charge $46 for a regular cleaning & $29 for an exam & x-ray so total $75. I live in Las Vegas. Seems kinda a cheap gimmick? But what is the average price for exam/x-ray/teeth cleaning w/o insurance?

How much will my insurance go up after a DUI??

I got a D.U.I. and i am going to get my license back soon and i am wondering how much my insurance will be compared to before.

Third party fire and theft? car insurance?

hi im currently searching for car insurance and ive been quoted 2800 for comprehensive insurance and when i gave third party fire and theft it came out to 1700 the car is a corsa 998c 2006 what is the difference between them both? thanks

Whats a good health insurance company?

One that is affordable, has good coverage, good selection of choices? Fair, good quality, what do you recommend ?""

17 year old car insurance prices ?

im comparing cars on moneysupermarket because im 16 an need a heads up on insurances costs etc... but i compared a classis mini 1.0- annual: 6000 and Monthly: 650 also, 2007 vauxhall corsa 1.0- annual: 8000 Monthly: 852 and a 1993 Ford Fiesta 1.1- annual: 12000 Monthly: 1152 now i can sort of understand the price for the mini, due to its a small car with a small engine, but the corsa's like brand new? how can the insurance be sort of lowish. but why are they charging huge amounts for a fiesta that is older than me and is probably falling to piece's slowly ? im so confused :S can some one help me and please explain this i really want to be able to have a first car at 17 but at this rate i might be stuck on a motorcycle for a few years then maybe have enough money to afford a car :/""

Health insurance?

What is the best bet? Who is the best company? who should i see about this? an insurance agent? How to find good?

Should i go through insurance?

Some guy jumped on and dented my hood. Its gonna cost $900.00. He is t paying. I filed a police report and will file charges. Two witnesses no video tape etc. Should i file with my insurance and pay the $500 deductible or just pay it all? Im scared that my insurance will skyrocker and it wont be worth it.

How much would my car insurance cost?

All I need is an estimate. Well Im looking forward to buying a 2005 honda civic 4dr & it has a salvage title

""If Obamacare is so bad, why is reducing health insurance premiums by 50%?""

New York state residents will be able to get health insurance next year on the Obamacare exchange for half the average price available in the state today. http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/17/news/economy/obamacare-health-insurance-new-york/index.html Contrary to prior claims by conservatives, Obamacare lowers health insurance premiums in California http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/24/wonkbook-some-very-good-news-for-obamacare/ In fact, in the 9 states that published their 2014 rates, EVERY benchmark plan came in cheaper under Obamacare. http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/306515-obamacare-premiums-lower-than-expected#ixzz2ZQPqwUMT""

Where can I get cheap auto insurance?

I am paying too much on auto insurance and I need a cheap option.

What are typically the cheapest auto insurance company in Massachusetts?

I currently am with MetLife but they increased charges this year, so I'm looking to change the company. Any suggestions to cheaper auto insurance? Thanks!""

How does car insurance work?

Okay, I'm 17 and I'm getting my first car this summer, maybe June. Thing is, I am only going to have my car from this June until March or April of 2009. The reason for that is that I'm moving to Mexico on one of those months. I would actually have liked not to buy my car now but I'm going to have to because where I live, there's absolutely no public transportation. (I live in the northern part of Texas.) I graduate high school in a couple of weeks and need to get to and from work. Up to now I had been working but work was pretty close and my aunt (which I live with) gave me rides. She's getting a job now too so I can't really be dependant on any one and I don't want to at all either. My big question here is... when I get my car, does car insurance come with a contract or something? I won't be here for a year so if it does, what's the minimum plan available? I will also be with my aunt's insurance so I will be included in their plan or however that works..""

How do I get medical insurance?

I am 20 years old and I need medical and dental insurance. I have tried medicade but I am to old and I don't have children. please help!!

How much would it cost to insure a 17 year old boy on a ford escort gti?

any answers much appreciated

I am an 18 year old girl who has a mitsubishi eclipse gs no driving record what will my insurance cost?

i am a straight A student took drivers ed in high school

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

Boca Raton Florida Cheap car insurance quotes zip 33496

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/usaa-homeowners-insurance-quote-tyler-stewart/"

[gabrielafenston-blog]

Tips On How To Choose Hoop Earrings.

Microsoft has actually been having a romance with well-designed iOS and also Android applications recently: after obtaining e-mail client Acompli in 2014, the software program giant announced the other day that it likewise likewise acquired Dawn, a smart calendar application. You could check out taj between 6:00 am to7:30 pm other than Friday, although, the people that need to go for afternoon prayers (namaaz) could enter it on Fridays too. The ISS orbits the world in regarding 92 minutes for that reason the team experiences 16 daybreaks and sundowns each day. The Sundown Motel will continue to be open with minimal solutions beginning on Sunday, November 5th. A few of the Sunrise City duty cards, some featuring Kickstarter backers and also the folks behind the video game. Approximately 180,000 are in Vatican City for the Easter Sunday mass. We undergo 3 really unique life cycles every 27 years or so. The Course of 10,000 Days refers to these three cycles as our Discovery Years, Fulfillment Years and Legacy Years. Well-designed calendar application as well as solution Sunrise will be removed from the stores in the following few days. While the firm arised in 2002 as an SMS solution (called 2580"), less compared to a decade later it turned into one of the most-downloaded apps of perpetuity. While most apps like Fantastical referral the built-in iphone calendar (as well as any type of calendars you've included), Daybreak has actually always been firmly posted in the cloud, which suggests its designers needed to find another remedy. There are several features I miss out on from Dawn, such as integrations with third-party services. Some of the obstacles we might face are arranging times in accordance to every person getting involved, for we understand we all have day tasks as well as functioning around these hours is a must. However hey, it's totally free - if you want a Mac-friendly life coordinator whose effectiveness extends well past the desktop, it won't hurt to provide Dawn a spin. The Talk That Talk" maker took to Twitter as well as shared her over 12 million fans a breathtaking sight of the Hawaiian dawn and how she has been enjoying her pause. Dawn has been one of my favored mobile applications for several years currently. Strategy to camp in the park or join a ranger-led sundown walking. By doing this, you could see if there is a conflict in your schedule, or if you are cost-free as well as have no idea exactly what to do. We can imagine integrations with other referral applications for sports or films occasions. Yet, like the rose girl that shows up consistently numerous times each week to nurture and trim the roses in our park, you need to aim to allow your Internal Spirit to be listened to as well as act if you want to produce a life worth remembering as well as live your desires. I could also just use the just recently released Google Calendar app, yet I locate it slow (it takes forever for my schedules to sync) and the layout is garish. Sunday, warm spells and also spread showers via the dry yet daytime as well as freezing overnight. In Sundown they carry out the considerable initiative of maintaining us on the straight and also slim, ensuring that our game does in reality reach the people we are producing it for. Camelback Hill is a remarkable geological feature that should be included in any kind of sundown views. Each photo in the collection stands for in between 2 and also 4 hours of time, often throughout sunrise or sunset, which give the brightest, most vibrant and also various shades. Exploration has simply introduced that it will be bringing its Dawn Planet: Beachfront Collection to both DVD and also Blu-ray on June 11th, and also judging by the sound of things, it looks to be a real champion for showing off the capacities of your arrangement. For the "Throughout America" trip, the solar powered plane will certainly take a south course across the United States prior to making its way north, finishing the trip in New York City a long time in June or July. Monday: Scorpios fortunate hours will certainly landed on the Fourth, 11th, and also 18th hours past dawn. If you are you looking for more in regards to visit their website review our webpage. In addition, our app offers a default setting to open your shutters at daybreak to let because stunning all-natural morning light, as well as close at sundown to make sure the privacy of you and your enjoyed ones. Schedule application Sunup launched a major update today, completing two missing out on items of the difficult calendar challenge-- you could currently utilize Dawn on your iPad with a new style customized for larger screens, and also there is a much-requested week view to obtain a far better image of exactly what your timetable resembles. The optimal time to catch the shower's height remains in the hrs between twelve o'clock at night tonight and sunrise on Saturday November 18.

[junker-town]

NASCAR Homestead-Miami 2017: Schedule, results, and news

Everything you need to know about NASCAR’s Cup Series championship final on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Four drivers are left and one race remains in the playoffs to crown the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Series champion. Whomever finishes best among Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr. at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the title on Sunday.

Truex enters the championship final as the favorite with six of his seven wins this season coming on mile-and-a-half tracks, the same size as Homestead. But Harvick won the last race on a 1.5.-mile track two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway, passing Truex in the closing laps, and believes his team holds the advantage in the Ford 400. Truex has also never won at the South Florida oval, while Harvick and Busch each own wins at Homestead.

Busch, Harvick, and Keselowski each are former series champions, while Truex is seeking his first title in NASCAR’s top division. Were Busch, Harvick, or Keselowski to win Sunday, they would join seven-time winner Jimmie Johnson as the only active drivers with multiple championships.

NBC will broadcast the Ford 400 on Sunday. The network’s coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET, with the green flag scheduled for 2:46 p.m.

Homestead schedule and how to watch

Practices

Session 1: Friday, 12:30 p.m. - 1:55 p.m. ET

Session 2: Saturday, 10 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.

Session 3: Saturday, 1 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.

TV/streaming: NBCSN (Session 1 and 3), CNBC (Session 2); (session 1 stream) (session 2 stream) (session 3 stream)

Qualifying

Time: Friday, 6:15 p.m.

TV/streaming: NBCSN (live stream)

Ford 400

Time/green flag: 2 p.m/2:46 p.m.

Distance/laps: 400.5 miles/267 laps

TV/streaming: NBC (live stream)

What to watch for at Homestead

Cup Series championship final preview

Yet it is the one finalist who’s never won a title, Martin Truex Jr., that Keselowski, Harvick, and Busch each believes is the clear favorite. The Furniture Row Racing driver has been the standard barrier throughout the season, leading every major statistical category and his speed on intermediate sized speedways, like Homestead, is especially overpowering with six of his seven victories having come on mile-and-a-half-tracks.

The role of favorite is not something Truex shies away from, instead he embraces the prospect of being the driver everyone else is chasing. This is his second time qualifying for the Final Four and when he did so in 2015 he was the decided underdog, which ultimately bared out on the track. He finished fourth that year, with Busch narrowly defeating Harvick for the championship.

“If I'm the favorite, perfect, I like that,” Truex said. “I think it's a better position to be in. I was the underdog before and I finished fourth. So bring it on.

“I feel like we're in a whole lot better spot as a team than we were the first time we had a shot at it. We're going to go out there and just do the best job we can do. I've got a lot of confidence in our team right now and what we're doing.”

Longtime friends Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth prepare for retirement together

Since then, Earnhardt and Kenseth have been seemingly indelibly linked. After competing against one another in the Xfinity Series, they advanced to the Cup Series where they have gone on to start more than 600 races together.

And fittingly, the close friends who frequently go on cycling rides will conclude their eventual Hall of Fame careers together. Each making what is likely their final Cup Series start in Sunday’s season-ender at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“We supported each other and enjoyed seeing each other have success,” Earnhardt said. “Matt, I love his sense of humor, I love the person he is and the person he has become, the father he is.

“He has always had an influence on me as far as how I race or the person I want to be or become. … It’s going to make Homestead even more emotional because we came in together.”

But how Earnhardt and Kenseth reached this juncture in their careers and how they’re leaving came about due to widely different circumstances — which in Kenseth’s case he had little control over.

Martin Truex Jr. not lacking motivation to win championship in emotion-filled season

But the juxtaposition between balancing success on the track with life events off it is something FRR unfortunately is well-versed in this season. Truex’s longtime girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, is battling a recurrence of ovarian cancer, crew chief Cole Pearn’s close friend died unexpectedly from a bacterial infection in August, and last month crew member James Watson, 55, died after a go-kart team outing on the race weekend at Kansas Speedway.

“It's definitely been tough at times and rough, but we've always been there for each other and made it through,” Truex said. “I think that shows a sign of strength, and hopefully we can rely on that this weekend if things get tough at some point in time.”

Kyle Busch seeking to silence his critics by winning second championship

And if Busch can secure another title on Sunday it would make him just the 16th driver to win a second championship in NASCAR’s premier division. Perhaps then his critics would quiet down.

“There's a lot of arguments being made that we didn't deserve the first one, we should never have been there for the first one, but the fact of the matter is we executed and did our job with the rules that were given to us, and we achieved,” Busch said. “This would just kind of put ourselves in another elite group of guys and drivers and teams that have been really, really good over the years that have been able to go win championships.”

Kevin Harvick locked in on championship after playoff surge

“We were late bloomers to the party just for the fact that we had a lot of work to do,” Harvick said. “We had a lot of change and we had a lot of things that we had to navigate and maneuver and get to the point of being competitive like we are right now.

“So we feel good about where we are. We won Texas, and have run good really at every mile‑and‑a‑half racetrack that we've been to, and we're back to the point of being able to lead laps, and that's when you can win races is when you can lead laps.”

Brad Keselowski wants second championship to secure legacy

"It's almost a certainty that two gets you into the Hall of Fame," Keselowski said. "Multiple championship drivers always will be. So I see this my chance to make it into the Hall of Fame. That's something I don't want to take for granted.

"I literally only have to beat three people to do it. That's somewhat hard for me to digest or comprehend with all the different scenarios in front of me."

Homestead qualifying results

Non-playoff driver Denny Hamlin won the pole in a qualifying session that saw the four title contenders each qualify inside the top 10. Martin Truex Jr. will start second on Sunday, with Kyle Busch third, Brad Keselowski fifth and Kevin Harvick ninth.

Truex held the provisional pole until the final seconds of qualifying before Hamlin turned a 173.980 mph average lap around the 1.5-mile track. It was Hamlin’s second pole of the season and 26th of his career.

Hamlin was knocked out the playoffs when Chase Elliott deliberately ran him into the wall last week at Phoenix Raceway, puncturing a tire on Hamlin’s car that a few laps later blew and sent him crashing into the wall. Elliott was retaliating after Hamlin intentionally wrecked him two weeks before at Martinsville Speedway, costing Elliott a win that would’ve advanced him to the championship final.

Had Elliott not ran into him at Phoenix, Hamlin would’ve likely transferred to the championship round. Instead, Hamlin, one of the most consistent drivers through the playoffs, was eliminated in the semi-final round for a second straight year.

“Love this racetrack, wish we would have a chance, but it’ll be another day and another year for us,” Hamlin said. “I want to win, that’s all I care about.”

Homestead race results

This section will be updated upon the completion of the Ford 400 on Sunday night.

[johnchiarello]

Kings 7

KINGS 7

Hebrews 8:5

Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Kings 7- https://youtu.be/vV3VwRrY_0M

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/6-6-17-kings-7.zip

https://ccoutreach87.com/6-6-17-kings-7/

https://vimeo.com/221892931

Gary update- https://youtu.be/cKQlYzQFUfQ

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-C1

 NOTE- Why all the video links? As I uploaded to Youtube- once again someone ‘hacked’ into my site- and changed the settings to private. I usually go to settings- and change them back. This time my access to Youtube was denied. So- that's why I added W.P. and vimeo. I haven’t commented on the media recently [ I made this post before yesterdays roll out- before I spoke about the crisis in Corpus Christi Texas- the corruption in the courts- judge Sandra Watts- Judge Loyd Neal not running again- the national media rebuking the CCPD for the famous Rosas case- Flash bomb- the national media questioning the shooting of Judge Tom Greenwell in the Nueces county court house- yes- I made this post before all of this- here’s the link- https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/16/friday-3/ ] but one of the big stories is the Comey leaks to the NY times. Ok- I find it funny- because Comey leaked his memos to the Times- because he felt he needed to get the info out. There have been other intelligence people who have done the same- though the leaks are illegal- they feel they are doing it for protection. Yet- the same government [U.S.] is going after Snowden- Assange- Reality Winner- for doing the same thing. Yes-we live in a day where social media- and ‘leaking’ play an important role- shining light. I just find it ironic that the ‘deep state’ leaks like a sieve - yet they also hunt down others who do the same.

 ON VIDEOS-

.Gary update

.Why am I still teaching Kings?

.Discipline to finish the job

.Many houses [Mansions]

.Solomon stuck with the pattern and built more than one

.Another Hiram

.More than enough

.Wisdom to build

.Global warming

.B.P. oil spill [Remember the video of all the ‘filthy oil’ spilling into the sea- that was unrefined oil meaning- it was nature- the oil was as natural as the salt in the sea- the sand on the shore- it came from under the ocean floor- a purely natural thing. Yet- in the minds of the public/media- they made you think it was like refined dirty oil spilling from some refinery]

.Don’t cut corners

.Free cigarettes!

.What day are the prophets speaking about?

.Wisdom from my homeless friend Albert

Zechariah 11:8

Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 PAST POSTS [These are my past teachings that relate in some way to this post KINGS 7-verses below]

KINGS-

https://ccoutreach87.com/1st-2nd-kings/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/29/kings-2/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/12/kings-3/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/27/kings-4/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/04/kings-5/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/25/kings-6/

Bible books I quoted on today’s video- here are my complete studies on those books-

https://ccoutreach87.com/john-complete-links-added/

https://ccoutreach87.com/hebrews-updated-2015/

https://ccoutreach87.com/james-2015/

(1055) 1ST KINGS 7- We have more details of what went into the building of the temple. The ‘foundation stones’ were large and costly. Remember, Solomon was said to have ‘largeness of heart’. In the New Testament the Apostles are called the foundation stones of Gods spiritual temple. Peter calls us living stones. Let’s do a little house cleaning; in all areas of church renewal/reformation, we need to be careful when handling the foundation stones. In some efforts to reform [Emergent] there is an attempt to return to the teachings of Jesus, as opposed to Paul. The problem with this effort is the historic church [and scripture!] teach us that Jesus appeared to Paul [Acts 9] and told him he would be a witness of the things that Jesus would reveal to him. So if the revelation/teaching from Paul on the atonement and the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ, if these teachings are things that were shown to Paul from Jesus himself [which I believe they were] then to ignore them would be like removing the ‘foundation stones’ of the temple. These are ‘large stones’ [doctrines accepted across the broad stream of Christian churches; Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, Radical Reformers, etc...] large stones that form the foundation of all Christian truth, C.S. Lewis’s ‘common hall’ if you will [though Lewis himself said some shaky stuff on the atonement]. I want to restate that we sometimes confuse the foundational doctrines of Christianity with the limited practices of Christianity that have developed over the centuries. We need to understand/embrace the ‘faith once delivered to the saints’ while at the same time being flexible in the various structures that Christians have developed over the centuries to express their faith. As we challenge ‘high church’ [liturgical] structures, we need to be careful that we are not also challenging the heart of the gospel as well. I have heard/read too many statements from certain reformers that are way too pluralistic in their expression of the gospel. Denials of the Cross being the key mechanism that God chose to use to redeem man [foundation stones!] Or the mistake of thinking that the Cross was simply a display of the injustices of man, a challenge to unjust governments oppressing men. While the apostle Peter does teach us that the Cross was a display/example left to us on how we should react to suffering and oppression, yet it wasn’t ONLY that. It was also a redemptive sacrifice made on the behalf of sinful men; ‘Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures’ [Corinthians]. Well, lets just keep in mind that as God’s ‘living temple’ we are being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets [Ephesians] Jesus himself being the ‘chief corner stone’, be careful when messing with the stones!

    GLOBAL WARMING- I wrote better posts on this before- I can’t find them now. But being I spoke about it some on the video- I’ll paste them here. I wrote these years ago- but they still apply-

(1321) WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN!  Today the president jets off to Copenhagen for the closing of the world summit on global warming. He originally was going to go at the start but the politicos figured if he went at the end he might be able to undo the last failed Copenhagen venture- getting turned down for the next Olympic Games at Chicago. But what has happened instead is the summit has been a disaster. Why? First you of course had the nuts in the streets destroying stuff, but more importantly you had some major disagreements between the nations attending. The poorer nations actually walked out at one point because they want the industrialized world to fund them at 100 billion dollars for their part in cutting greenhouse gases, the rich countries are pledging 10 billion. China and India, 2 of the greatest polluters on the planet [they make up a total of 80 % of all the pollutants] are not willing to sign a binding agreement which can be verified. Why? These countries are at the beginning of their own industrial revolutions, they still have many years of rapid growth ahead before their overall population benefits from their growth. India has many people still in the extreme poverty class and for all practical purposes you are asking  them to trade much of the future of their country for a possible fraction of a degree of global warming over hundred a year period. I mean it’s really a cost/benefit scenario. Now, am I a global warming denier? No. the science seems pretty clear, the nations of the world have gone thru an industrial age and the effects of burning coal and other dirty energy have produced lots of green house gasses that get trapped in the atmosphere and cause the heat to stay in. Not too hard to understand. So what’s the problem, well we don’t really know for sure how much of an overall effect we can have over the long haul. For instance our planet has gone thru at least one ice age and we have only been keeping global heat records for a short time. We don’t know if the earth goes thru thousand year cycles of cooling and heating that we could have little effect on. For instance if we are on a warming trend, and say the planet is going to warm so many degrees over the next thousand years, well maybe our efforts at cooling it less than one degree in the overall scheme really doesn’t count for much. Then there is the real cost/benefits analysis- I’m not talking profits for industry, but real questions on whether or not the global community should sink trillions of dollars over many years into this project, which might not save too many lives; or sink the money into these 3rd world countries who have hundreds of thousands of kids dying because they simply don’t have the money to feed them or provide them with cheap vaccines. This same money today can save so many lives. A serious global warming believer has done the analysis and believes it simply is not feasible to spend the money on the global warming efforts. If we had the extra billions to spend, sure let’s do it. But if we are doing it at the expense of real time lives, then it’s simply foolish. Last night I watched a documentary on the logging business in the Amazon, how so many poorer areas have learned the trade of tree chopping and have lifted themselves out of poverty by cutting down the trees. Now lots of the Amazon has been destroyed and it is an environmental disaster to some degree. So they started this fund that pays the tree choppers more money to not cut the trees. As they interviewed this brother who seemed to be on the lower income scale of society, they showed you him with his used chain saw and his truck and all the ‘blessings’ he has reaped from his new found job; they asked him why he won’t stop chopping thee trees. He said they don’t want to get paid for doing nothing. Ouch! They rather cut the trees and feel industrious than take the free welfare money that the west wants to appease them with. What a lesson for the victim hood mentality of the west. The reporter drove down the road to an Indian tribal area that never cut the trees; they always respected the land and lived off of fishing and hunting. What did their chief say? That they are not getting money because they have always preserved the trees, therefore they will start chopping the trees so the west will pay them to stop. What’s going on here? We have many well meaning people on both sides of all these issues, overall we have to be realistic about this stuff. Poor countries are not going to sacrifice their people on the altar of global warming science when they are not sure their efforts will really pay off in the long run, many of them attended the summit because they were simply hoping the rich countries would give them money. Rich western nations can’t expect to impose these types of restrictions on developing nations, it’s just unrealistic. And last of all the president just told us the country will go bankrupt if we don’t pass the latest version of health reform; you know, the version with no public option, no Medicare buy in, no real control over what the insurance companies will charge us. This bill has now become a bad bill as far as I can tell, then what in the heck are we doing making the second trip to Copenhagen in the last few months? The president used to say he was not like the last administration, he could walk and chew gum at the same time- I’m beginning to wonder about that.

[parts]

Last night I had a rough night, I thought I would skip the Monday morning intercession time, I do pray regularly during the week and figured it would be no big deal. But when I got up [a few hours ago] I felt the Lord wanted me to pray, so I did the normal intercession thing [3:30-5-5:30]. I read earlier in Luke 11 where Jesus is accused of casting out demons by the devil, he then corrects the accusers and says when a strong man is in control of his house, his goods are at peace, but when a stronger man comes upon him and overcomes him, he robs him of his goods. During my prayer time I quote lots of stuff, one of the regular quotes is ‘strengthen the bars of our gates, bless our children within, let peace be within our borders and let out garners be filled, providing all manner of store’. I felt like the Lord was telling me that when we pray we are ‘binding the strongman’ and ‘our goods’ [the people/communities we are working with] experience peace. Jesus said when the leader is leading his ‘goods are at peace’ I thought this was interesting. I at first felt like I was the one who was being overcome by the strongman, having a tough day and all, but then I felt like the lord was saying ‘no, when you persevere in prayer, you are overcoming his goods!’ [The people he holds in bondage]. Jesus also gives the famous quote ‘a house divided against itself can not stand’ I think Lincoln quoted this during the Civil war. As of today [7-09] I feel this is a sad description of the political environment of our country. I am not a conservative per se, or a liberal! But as a Christian I think we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. I want national heal care! I don’t have any medical coverage for myself right now, so yeah, I want it. Our country is in pretty bad financial shape right now, don’t let the media fool you. We have sent representatives to China and other nations that lend us money, we have asked them to please not cut us off as borrowers, this my friends is not a good thing. California has the eight biggest economy, in the world! They are giving out i.o.u’s for heavens sake! I am not an alarmist, but you would have to be blind to think that things are all right, and yet the politicians are making decisions based on their political interests. I know our president means well, but it is simply irresponsible to try and initiate a trillion dollar national health plan at this time, he realizes this, but they still talk about it as a possible option. Or to be the only country that passes ‘cap and trade’ laws [cutting back pollution- or simply new laws to make more money for the govt.] as of now the bill has passed in the house, but is having problems with the conservatives in the senate [Democrats and Republicans]. Obama just went to the G-8 [meetings with the top industrial nations] and not a single nation would bind itself to any pollution control mandates. But they agreed to ‘try not let the world temperature rise by more than a few degrees over the next 50 years’ wow, what a deal! The whole point being these other industrial nations laugh at us for doing what we do. In a time of national economic crisis, you cant pass laws that would put an extra burden on any type of business in the U.S. Now, I believe the environment is important, but we our not ‘the globe’! Global warming is warming effecting ‘the globe’ if the other nations on the globe don’t give a rip, we are fooling ourselves by strapping our nation with restrictions, we cant change the global environment by ourselves. Now to be doing all this at a time where the world markets are thinking of raising our debt risk is truly irresponsible. Then why are  we doing it? Because the political wars are on and each side wants to score points with it’s base, truly sad. Lincoln quoted Jesus and realized that a nation divided against itself would not stand, I fear we are looking like that nation more and more each day.

  [parts]

 VERSES- [The verses I taught- or quoted on today’s post KINGS 7]

John 14:2

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Proverbs 24:3

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

1 Corinthians 9:24

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Psalm 19:13

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Isaiah 43:13

Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Psalm 118:24 [Full Chapter]

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

1Kings 7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

1Kings 7:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

1Kings 7:3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

1Kings 7:4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

1Kings 7:5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

1Kings 7:6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

1Kings 7:7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

1Kings 7:8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

1Kings 7:9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

1Kings 7:10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

1Kings 7:11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

1Kings 7:12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

1Kings 7:13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

1Kings 7:14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

1Kings 7:15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

1Kings 7:16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

1Kings 7:17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

1Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

1Kings 7:19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

1Kings 7:20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

1Kings 7:21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

1Kings 7:22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

1Kings 7:23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

1Kings 7:24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

1Kings 7:25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

1Kings 7:26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

1Kings 7:27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

1Kings 7:28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:

1Kings 7:29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.

1Kings 7:30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.

1Kings 7:31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

1Kings 7:32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

1Kings 7:33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.

1Kings 7:34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.

1Kings 7:35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

1Kings 7:36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.

1Kings 7:37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

1Kings 7:38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

1Kings 7:39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

1Kings 7:40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:

1Kings 7:41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;

1Kings 7:42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;

1Kings 7:43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;

1Kings 7:44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

1Kings 7:45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.

1Kings 7:46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

1Kings 7:47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

1Kings 7:48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,

1Kings 7:49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

1Kings 7:50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

1Kings 7:51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

 Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Zechariah 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Zechariah 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

Zechariah 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

Zechariah 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Zechariah 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

Zechariah 14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

Zechariah 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Zechariah 14:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

Zechariah 14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

Zechariah 14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zechariah 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Zechariah 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zechariah 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zechariah 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Zechariah 14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

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[twentysomethinginorlando]

Pulse: Working Universal On Orlando's Darkest Day

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/pulse-one-year-later/

Pulse: Working Universal On Orlando's Darkest Day

On June 12th, 2016 a shooter entered the Pulse LGBT nightclub and slaughtered forty-nine innocent people. You always see stories of mass shootings on the news, or online, and you feel for the victims and become angry at this country’s lack of gun control, but there’s a level of devastation I didn’t know was possible when it’s your city.

I was not involved in the Pulse shooting. I have actually never been to the club, and I’m not sure I had heard of it before then. I did not personally know any of the victims, but I want to talk about what it was like to be in Orlando that horrible day. Occasionally I need to write things just to write them, and this is one of those times. Some of these may not be in the correct order, but I know they happened that day.

At the time, I was a Team Member at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on the opening team for Skull Island: Reign of Kong. Our first soft open had been on June 9th during my last shift. I hadn’t been there the two days in between.

My alarm went off around 4 a.m. I was scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., but with the bus and getting into costume I had to leave about an hour and a half before my start time. I groggily rolled out of bed and began the stumble around my apartment to get ready. I remember checking my phone and seeing a friend of mine had posted about a shooting at an Orlando night club. I am ashamed to admit I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, “Not another one.” I didn’t click on the article. I dismissed it, thinking it was probably a drive by of some sort with minimal damage. I wish I had been right.

The bus is always quiet in the morning, no one really talks because we’re all still waking up. I played Words With Friends against my mom. It seemed like a normal day.

I had no idea the gravity of the situation until I arrived in the Kong break room. The television mounted over the engineers table was on the news, and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. It was Latin night at an LGBT night club called Pulse. It was about 5:45 a.m. at this point, so the news reports were still just starting to roll in. The death toll was being estimated in the twenties, and I had no idea how bad things would get. I didn’t want to run the risk of waking my mom up so I sent her a Facebook message asking her to call my grandmother and tell her I was okay. I knew she would panic as soon as she saw Orlando on the news and wouldn’t stop until someone talked to her.

Universal shifts always begin with a meeting in which the leads (supervisors in Universal speak) go over the expectations for the day. This one included two of our managers, saying if we needed anything to let them know. The whole room was generally silent and we headed to our positions.

I get a lot of questions about what happens when you work a ride that isn’t actually open yet. It is basically a whole lot of sitting around with the occasional button pushing if you are inside the building, and pretending to be a parrot answering the same questions over and over outside the building. We usually had four or five greeters up at any given time during those days, or had indoor positions that were not necessary for cycling (like groupers and glasses) stationed outside to help with guest questions. An average rotation was a spot inside, a spot out front, a spot inside and then break.

I was at unload with a kid named Mark*, who apparently frequented Pulse and his friends had invited him out last night. He was understandably freaking out, and kept going on at length about what if he had gone. He then insisted he was going to get his parents to help him get a gun to keep under his bed, and I had to resist the urge to tell him it wouldn’t help. Another guy, Dave*, joined us and did everything he could to change the subject. We wound up in a lengthy discussion about the woes of not being able to get Chick-fil-a on Sundays.

Everyone processes differently.

I got my lunch around 10:30 a.m., and the news reports were showing much higher numbers. I stared at my peanut butter sandwich, I didn’t feel much like eating. Between the news on the television screen and social media, it was non-stop. I have a friend from my college program who is now a camera man for the local news and he was one of the first on the scene, so I was getting his updates live from Facebook. The death count was now estimated to be up to fifty. My mom still hadn’t viewed the message I sent her, so I called my grandmother myself to tell her I was okay. She asked if my friends were okay, and I had to tell her I didn’t know. I sent one of my best friends from home a text message, asking him to humor me and stay out of night clubs for a while. He told me not to worry. I don’t think he had realized what had happened yet.

I went down to Badging, which was the position where you sat at the door to the building making sure people had the right credentials to enter. One of my leads came in, Becca*, with this quiet, sad look on her face. I had never seen her not in a good mood, and I asked if she was okay.

“Yeah, just my boyfriend is at the hospital waiting on someone.” She left, and Dave showed up a few minutes later, sitting on the stairs with his phone in his hand.

“I couldn’t take it in the break room anymore, so I’ll just hang out with you.”

“Are you okay?” Stupid question. No one was okay, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah, it’s just… it’s hard,” his phone buzzed, “when you have someone…” He trailed off, tearing up, then stood up and ran out the door.

A little later, Becca and another lead, Ethan* were looking at the rotation board trying to figure out where Dave was. I told him he left all of a sudden after he got a text message. Becca huffed in frustration that he should have asked first, and Ethan said he’d take care of it. I later heard him tell one of the managers he had let Dave leave.

The guests in the park seemed to have no clue it was anything but an ordinary day. I’m not surprised. People take on a whole new mind set on vacation and shut the real world out. I had a sick feeling in my stomach and my chest felt hollow.

Around noon, some of the closers started showing up. They weren’t scheduled to come in until 4 p.m., but they knew we would be short staffed. We weren’t really short yet, but this allowed people who wanted or needed to leave to do so. I told the leads I would stay until 6 p.m. if they needed me to.

I got my next break close to 1 p.m., and by then the safety check on Facebook had been activated. I had requests pending from friends all over the country to know if I was okay. I checked in and sent requests to a few of my Orlando friends who hadn’t responded yet. Only a handful were unaccounted for, and that was a big weight off my shoulders. Several friends commented their relief and then one of my relatives said, “Knew not the kind of place you’d be at!” I resisted the urge to go off on her. If I still went out, Pulse was exactly the kind of place I would be.

With the exception of Atlantic City Dance Hall, and that barely counts, I have not been to a night club in Orlando. However, I used to frequent one in particular in Knoxville, before it closed: the Carousel II, Knoxville’s LGBT bar. Two of my best friends came out in high school as gay, and two more as bisexual. A lot of my favorite people I met in college are gay, so that was where we went on Friday nights.

The friend from home I had texted earlier messaged me to see if I was okay. He had seen the updated news reports and promised he’d be careful. As if being careful could help anyone in a situation like this, but it made me feel a little better. I still hadn’t heard from my mom. Names were slowly starting to be released. We didn’t know if Universal had lost anyone yet.

It was about then I stumbled on a certain presidential candidate’s tweet and my blood started to boil. I was already angry enough that it was being labeled domestic terrorism instead of a hate crime. I threw my phone in my locker and bumped back in. The day that seemed it would never end dragged on.

Word started spreading that management was saying we had a choice if we wanted to soft open that afternoon or not, that the park executives said Kong could stay closed if we wanted. I never found out if that was true or not, but I would have chosen to open. It wasn’t fair we were the only ones given that option.

I was back at Badging when the rest of the closers arrived. My friend Colin* came through and stopped to hug me, thanking me for asking if he was safe.

I was at exit greeter when we opened, and instantly our line was over two hours. Soft opens, or technical rehearsals as Universal calls them, are a tricky business. We try to operate as normal and allow people to ride, but we can literally shut down at any moment. Protocols are still being established and nothing is routine the way it is at a regular attraction. As luck would have it, this would be one of our first evacuations.

I helped evacuate Pirates of the Caribbean a million times. Even the new Cast Members have a decent idea of what they’re doing because they’ve got experienced Cast to follow. We had nothing to go off. This is where I saw one of the main differences for working at Disney vs. Universal. At Disney, you do not allow people to enter a line for a down attraction and you dump the line before you go to an evacuation. At Universal, people could still get in line and we didn’t dump the queue until we knew it would be a long downtime. Since we were in technical rehearsal, we were told to stop people from entering or reentering the line.

The reentering was where I started running into problems. People with family in the line that had left to use the bathroom couldn’t get back in, small children that had gotten hungry or just people who had gotten too hot and wanted a drink. Needless to say, they weren’t happy. I came up with the best compromise I could, they could wait with me. If and when we reopened, I would help them get back to their family. For a lot of guests, that wasn’t good enough, but I didn’t know what else to do.

A Team Member from Universal Hollywood arrived and showed me his ID. I don’t know who he was, but his ID was the kind that meant he was someone important. He told me had talked to Cameron*, one of our leads, earlier about getting on when we opened. I told him we were down, but if he wanted to wait I would get him and his two friends escorted up as soon as we opened. He was fine with that, and we started chatting. After about the fifth person yelled at me, the girl with him looked at me and said, “You’re having a bit of a day, aren’t you?” “You have no idea. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news, but it’s been pretty stressful. I’ve got friends who I still don’t know about.” “You poor thing!”

Six o’clock came and went, but I didn’t want to bother my leads about letting me go home. We finally reopened and I got on my radio to find someone who could walk the guests up since I couldn’t leave my spot. Cameron answered me, “Hey Chelsea, your bump out is coming.” “Great! That’s not why I’m calling. I need guests escorted up the exit, but I can take them myself when the bump comes.” I took the guests up with a special needs family that had appeared while we were waiting, and they thanked me. The girl said she hoped everything would turn out okay.

I grabbed my gear and headed out, I finally had a text message from my mother: “Haven’t heard from you. Hope you’re doing okay.” My mom is the most wonderful person in the world, and she normally knows about things happening in Orlando before I do, I don’t know how she missed this.

Actually, I do. It turns out the news in Tennessee was barely reporting it.

I waited until I changed back into my street clothes and was in the parking lot to call her. “Largest shooting in American history in my city, no, I am not okay.”

She hadn’t even seen anything about it until late afternoon. “I never dreamed you would know people!” She kept apologizing, and after my initial anger wore off I told her it was okay. I think she’s now got like twelve different news alerts for Orlando set up. She hadn’t noticed my Facebook message until late in the day, and I told her I had already called my grandmother. She asked what my plan for the night was and I just wanted to go home and try to process.

My Facebook feed was flooded with posts. People waiting six hours to donate blood, blood banks turning people away and asking them to come back later, vigils being scheduled. Watching the community come together was the one bright spot in an extremely dark day. I also saw some of my LGBT friends on the far side of the country posting about the lack of response they were seeing in their own cities, that they felt this horrendous hate crime at Pulse was being ignored in the straight community. I hurried to correct them.

Screen shot from tumblr.

Screenshot from tumblr.

I completed two versions of the same painting the following week, the word “‘Ohana” in white on a rainbow background. It wasn’t much, but it was something I needed to do. I gave one to the friend who I had texted asking to stay out of clubs for a while, and I still have the other one. I had an idea for another painting that I never got around to, and the concept would eventually become the Twenty Something In Orlando logo. I’m hoping to complete the actual painting soon and find something meaningful to do with it.

It’s been a year, and the sick feeling in my stomach returned this morning listening to the radio. The station I usually listen to was broadcasting live from Pulse, and that left me bouncing between the other two stations I have on preset. One was also very somber in remembrance, and the other one, which I have stopped listening to their morning show because their host is a conservative, close-minded moron,  was talking about how they were “going on with their lives” because if they didn’t it would be “letting them win”.

I don’t know who “them” is, but yes life goes on. Orlando will never forget the tragedy at Pulse, but we will overcome. Love will always overcome hate, and we are stronger together.

*Name has been changed.