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kitkatwinchester · 4 years

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So...considering we’re on the home stretch of the greatest show of all time--a show that has been a huge part of my life for the last eight years--I figured now was probably a good time to start doing reactions and reviews. I’ve seen a lot of Tumblrs do this, and I want to join in on that.

So basically, I’m gonna start by just doing a bullet point list of reactions as I go. Fair warning, I get very excited and very into this show, so the list’ll probably be pretty long. But hopefully you enjoy it! And, even if you don’t, this gives me something to look back on years down the line. XD

Also, my mom is watching it with me, so I might include some of her reactions/our discussion in my list too!

And, because I can, at the end of all of it, I’ll give a much more concise review/reaction based on how I feel after the whole episode’s over. Because why not. XD

Enjoy my watching! XD <3

Oh we’re starting!

...did I miss the “then” title card?

Oh wait there it is.

Dude we’re going FAR back on this “then”. I wonder what that means?

My poor baby crying again. :(

DEAN’S APRON OH MY GOD I’M DEAD! XD XD <3 <3

“It was. In the 50s.” Point taken.

My poor baby. :( :( :( :(

Oh so killing Amara is officially a plan? Okay then.

“I’ve killed Hitler.” I can’t believe he’s still talking about that! XD

Actually I can believe he’s still talking about it, I take that back.

DEAN WITH THE MARIO BROTHERS OMG!!

Okay, I know this episode has something to do with them celebrating holidays because of a fairy or nymph or something like that, and this is already feeling like a light-hearted, fun, domestic Winchesters episode. I hope it stays that way. <3

Have you tried turning it back off and turning it on again? Hit reset.

HE READ MY MIND!

MEAT MAN!! XD XD

Ummm...okay then.

Also SCOOBY-DOO UNDIES!!! DEAN YOU DORK!! XD XD <3

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Jack is my favorite and Dean is my second-favorite.

“Language!” “That’s it I’m getting my gun.” XD XD

I can already tell that so many of my reactions are probably just gonna be me quoting and then laughing. XD

They don’t seem very concerned? Shouldn’t random people not be able to get in?

This lady is such a mom omg.

Mrs. Butters? XD

Wood nymph. Got it.

“Shouldn’t you be in the woods somewhere? Nymphing?” XD XD (P.S. That was my mom’s favorite line in this episode. XD)

You what now?

Necessities of life?

Hmmm….I like her, but she weirds me out. Something is off.

Dean’s “oof that’s awkward” face. XD

“2020.” Hearing that year said out loud just feels...oof. Just oof.

Poor nymph…

Wait, haven’t we seen those symbols before? Maybe I’m making that up.

HA! “It’s kind of been one apocalypse after the other.” He’s not kidding.

OOOOH!! HERE COME THE HOLIDAYS!!!

WAIT WHAT IS THAT TELESCOPE THING?

WAIT WAIT WAIT WHAT??!! A MONSTER radar??!! Dude WHAT?! Man, they’ve needed something like that for YEARS!

Wait wait wait...relatively nearby….it’s not gonna ping because of Jack is it?? SHE’S NOT GONNA HURT JACK IS SHE??!!

Oh okay nevermind. Just a vamp nest.

Say what now?

We can...that just...umm...okay then??

“Heck...heck yeah.” XD XD XD

Yeah I’m with Sam on this one. She seems innocent, but, like…

Dean does have a point though.

But also things like this never last. It’s too good to be true.

MY BABY!!!

“She’s probably harmless, but just in case, watch yourself”?? Dean that was a terrible way to do that but okay.

Snickerdoodles. XD

My poor baby looks so lost. :(

I mean...Dean makes a good point there. But also the son of Satan is adorable and she’s suspicious. But anyways.

“Ignoring your trauma doesn’t make you healthy.” SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT OMG!!! XD XD XD <3 <3 <3 <3

...Jack is hiding something? IS JACK HIDING SOMETHING?!

...do we know what Jack is hiding??

The only thing I can think of is that he knows about Cas’s deal with the empty, but he had a soul when that happened, and it wasn’t really eating at him then. Is it eating at him more now for some reason??

IS JACK HIDING SOMETHING??!!

Jesus christ this is gonna bother me…

Okay but when has that ever actually worked, Dean?

Awww….

I’m guessing they didn’t tell her he’s a nephilim? If they don’t really trust her--which they don’t--they shouldn’t. Is there a chance she knows already? I feel like she wouldn’t be acting like that if she did.

Vamps watching a movie with vamps. Classy. XD

...ew…

At least they’re drinking from bags instead of from humans I guess?

Nice slicing at the same time, boys.

Huh. Well. That was easy. Too easy?

CHRISTMAS! XD <3

THE TRAIN OMG!! XD XD <3 <3

Their faces. XD

HER DANCE!

Okay she’s kind of adorable not gonna lie.

“We are so keeping her.” XD XD

DEAN’S LITTLE EXCITED HANDS ON THE RAILING OMG I’M DEAD!! XD XD <3 <3 <3

If I can’t get adorable Jack right now, I’m okay with adorable Dean. XD <3 <3

Sam is still suspicious, but Dean is totally into it.

“Enjoy the world you’re fighting for.” That was really quick and so subtle, but d*mn that’s a good line.

MY BABY!!!!

HIIIII JACK!!! I MIIIIISSSSSED YOOOOOUUU!!! <3 <3 <3

Uh-oh. I don’t like the way she said “what are you”. DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BABY!!!

“He’s a millennial.” XD XD

DEAN IN THAT NIGHTGOWN OMG!!! I know it was in the promo photos, but seeing it in the context of the episode is even funnier. XD

Sam’s gagging at his bro’s “down there” bits lol.

Oof. She is VERY absentminded by Jack and whatever he is. No likey.

...hmm. I still don’t trust her with Jack.

“Poppycock”???

HA!! “I’m worried about your cholesterol.”

And Sam and Jack’s little smiles at that omg. <3 <3 <3

“We got one!” IS THAT A HILLYWOOD PARODY REFERENCE/GHOSTBUSTER REFERENCE??!! Because IT FEELS LIKE ONE!!!

The way they’re running to their rooms to get ready omg.

And that cut to them being dressed and going.

LUNCHES!! XD

Their faces! XD

The cinematography in this episode is AWESOME. Go Serge Ladouceur (and yes, I looked that name up. XD)

No crusts. Blessed knives. “I just waxed it.” She IS a mom!

Wait no. Take Jack with you. I don’t trust her with him.

“What shall we do with you.” LEAVE HIM ALONE IS WHAT!

Oh. They’re doing dishes.

WAIT DON’T TELL HER THAT JACK!

...I don’t like the way she’s talking to him.

Oof. Mary. *gags*

Jack you’re adorable and I love you but please stop being so gullible and stop sharing so much personal information.

WAIT NO! I know you feel guilty, but DON’T TELL HER YOU KILLED HER!

...dangat.

...oh. That was actually super sweet, and honestly the EXACT thing Jack needed to hear. ...maybe she’s not so bad?

...wait what? She just...pulls those out of thin air?

Ha! Another hunt

THEIR FACES WITH THE LUNCHES! ESPECIALLY DEAN’S!! XD

Aww! Thanksgiving! <3

Where is Cas during all this? Talking to his angel friends I guess?

That finger gun at Sam omg.

It’s so EASY for them wow.

Halloween! Fitting given our current season.

Their little smiles awww!!

THE BEERS TOGETHER HOLY FRICK!!! IT’S JUST LIKE WHAT TEAM FREE WILL 2.0 DID WHEN JACK CAME BACK! AND what the boys and Mary and John did in Lebanon! NEVER GETS OLD!! I LOVE THIS FAMILY!! <3 <3

...I still don’t necessarily trust Mrs. Butters. BUT I LOVE SAM AND DEAN AND JACK!

Those faces for the lunches just get better and better.

GRENADE LAUNCHER!!

MJOLNIR OMG NO WAY!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE HE STILL HAS IT!!! THIS EPISODE HAS SO MANY EASTER EGGS OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Also that is an AWESOME shot.

BIRTHDAY!! Awww… <3 <3

OOF. Poor Dean. XD

Jack’s laugh and then immediately being like “oop” and bringing his head down but still chuckling when Dean glares at him I CAN’T. XD XD

I LOVE THIS FAMILY!! <3 <3 <3

AWW!! She made extra for him!

Okay, I like her. But I’m still cautious.

Oh. THERE it is.

What’s she doing??

Jack’s got you lady.

My mom is wondering why she has to walk away to make another smoothie when before she was just producing them. I’m wondering if maybe she has to near the ingredients to whip it into a smoothie magically, but that seems weird...continuity error?

Get her, Jack. My smart boi. <3 <3

My Mom: “You better hurry it up there, Jack.”

Oh it’s evil Men of Letters dude. NOW I get why we went that far back.

Oh! AND the Thule. NOW I get why Dean mentioned killing Hitler again. Wow. Nice connections on this episode all around. Go writers.

...she did what now?

WTF??!!

HOLY FRICK!!!

HOLY S*** HOLY S*** HOLY S***!!!

Do NOT ask about tea or cookies after you just pulled sh** like that.

On a more positive note, the way Jack just said “son of a bitch” out of nowhere like that is so adorable because he, like, NEVER swears, but also that’s Dean’s saying and it just proves that he’s taking after his dads and just already growing up and AHHHH I LOVE HIM!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

Also Jack please go tell your dads what you found.

Okay so during the commercial break, my mom and I looked up wood nymphs and had this big discussion and here’s kind of what we came up with:

So we were trying to figure out if wood nymphs are supposedly evil, and we didn’t find much, but they do have super strength (which explains her ability to rip off that dude’s head…), and the ability to control wood and nature, which might explain why she can pull smoothies out of thin air.

So then we saw on the SPN Wiki page for this episode that part of the description mentions that the wood nymph would do anything for her family, and that makes me wonder if she has, like, ulterior motives to protect her wood nymph family? But also, she said the Men of Letters were her family, so that translates to Sam and Dean now, right? So theoretically, she wouldn’t hurt them, she’d be trying to protect them. Which means they should be fine, because she only hurts threats. But then my mom pointed out that maybe she considers Jack a threat and that’s a really good point, so now I’m worried all over again. She’s still acting weird with him, and even though I did like that little advice she gave about second chances, maybe it’s all an act? My mom thinks she, like, poisoned his sandwich or something with anti-nephilim juice in order to try to hurt him, but that was before she knew he was a nephilim, right? I don’t know. I think my mom makes a really good point. I hope my baby winds up being okay. :(

Okay. Back to the episode now.

Ahhhhhhhh noooooo. Where are the boys when we need them?

Wait, DATE?? EILEEN??!!

No. He isn’t. Go away.

Sam look at yoooooooouuuu. <3

But also please take a moment to notice how uncomfortable your son is and ask him what’s wrong please and thank you. (And yes, I will keep saying son thank you very much.)

Ha! She wants him to get a haircut just like Dean does. The joke’s about Sam’s (and, by extension, Jared’s) hair will never not be funny.

Ha! “Language.”

YES!! EILEEN!!!

YES SAM!! GO GET YOUR GIRL!!

DEAN! XD

Okay the Sam and Eileen thing is adorable, and Sam and Dean’s banter is hilarious, but guys...look at your son please and thank you. :(

I’m so torn between wanting Sam to just be happy and enjoy himself and wanting him to help Jack ahhhhhh.

Sam can go on his date. I’m sure Dean can handle it.

Roses! Nice touch.

Ha! Dean with the supportive big bro action.

Such. A. Mom.

“Boys.”

Wait nooooooo.

Okay but Alex’s acting right there...tip top. So subtle. Jack is trying so hard to be sneaky and warn Dean about what he saw, and the way Alex is conveying pure panic but also showing how sneaky he’s being is AWESOME.

Also that little “sh*t” or “da**it” or whatever it was that he mouthed? Somehow so cute and makes me so worried at the same time.

“The Dean Cave”?? XD XD

Dean I am BEGGING YOU, please take a cursory glance at your son.

...da**it...

The subtitles say “suspenseful music plays” XD XD

Wait Jack noooo. Don’t go after her alone! Chase Dean instead!!

NOOO!! NOT IN THERE!!!

She’s totally gonna trap him in there.

...what?

She’s being so condescending shut the fudge up.

What? No.

Does he still not have a soul? Is that what he’s hiding? That wouldn’t make sense.

Oh wait. I get it now.

HE IS NOT!!! SHUT THE FUDGE UP LADY!!

LADY STOOOOOP! HE DOESN’T NEED YOUR SH**!! HE ALREADY FEELS GUILTY WOULD YOU QUIT IT??!! :’( :’( :’( :’(

HEY! NOT COOL!

I HOPE SOMEONE RIPS YOUR HEAD OFF B***H!!

They’re not. They know he won’t now.

SHUT UP LADY!!

HEY!!! STOP IT!!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!

TAKE HER DOWN JACK!!!

He IS family!

...ummm...what??

GOD DA**IT!!

...my mom literally just said “told you so” about the poisoning. ...which also explains why she walked away to make another smoothie, because she WANTED him to find the video, says my mom. And yes, my mom was right, AND I HATE IT!! SCREW YOU LADY!! LEAVE MY BABY ALONE!!

It IS safe you B**CH!!

HE’S NOT A MONSTER!!! :’( :’( :’(

DA**IT!! DEAN PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!

Ha! He’s so excited about the sandwich and it’s adorable.

But also save your son!!

...wait what?

She’s...she’s really just gonna out herself like that?

Ha! YES!

Aww...Dean’s so disappointed. :(

BUT! He’s sticking up for his son! Because even if he’s mad at him for everything that happened to Mary (but also get over it, because she sucked anyways, Dean XD), of course he’ll still protect him.

Ha! The way he just takes it away…

Aww...poor baby. :(

He’s so disappointed. He deserves better. I feel bad for him. :(

HE IS NOT! SHUSH!

Aww...looking at the sandwich, but making the right call.

AWW! He’s trying. Best of both worlds.

Take the deal, lady.

DA**IT!!!

SERIOUSLY?!

SERIOUSLY???!!!

Screw you, lady.

HEY! NOT FAIR!

He is NOTHING like his father, thank you very much!

Well...now what??

Oh thank god, Sam’s home. He’s smart. He’ll find a way to get them out.

Her calling him Samuel is both hilarious and annoying, somehow. I think it’s only annoying now because I hate her with what she just did to my boys. XD

OOOOF.

She gonna out herself again?

Sam’s face when she said that about good news and bad news. XD

I suppose the benefit of having a bad guy who thinks they’re doing the right thing is that she’s not trying to hide it. So hopefully, if she outs herself again, Sam can deal with it a little better than Dean did, knowing Dean was not very successful lol. Dean let his love of her food get in the way. XD

She DID out herself!

Ha! “You were always the smart one.”

YES! Good job, Sam. Starting off strong. <3

YES! GOOD JOB SAM!! Nice manipulation.

Ha!

Can’t believe she’s asking about the date.

Actually yes I can. XD

Wait, why don’t WE get to hear about the date? I WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE DATE DA**IT!

Well, DUH, Sam, you think they don’t know that?

Dean OMG!! XD XD

SUPPORTIVE BIG BRO!! XD XD

In Dean’s defense, he knew she’d wait for Sam, so...it’s not like they were REALLY in danger.

Do NOT try shooting her. Are you kidding me right now?

...really Sam? REALLY?! You’re going to try to SHOOT her?? You’ve seen what she can do, and you’re going to try to SHOOT her? She got the jump on JACK. POWERED UP Jack. Really? Call me crazy, but I feel like that’s not gonna work.

Yes. Yes he is. ...so much for Sam being the smart one.

I want to be mad at them for getting distracted by the holidays, but also I can’t exactly blame them given their childhoods, so…

Ha! The way they both react to the Boxing Day breakfast. Such brothers. XD

There ya go. Good plan. MUCH better than shooting her. Thank you boys.

WAIT WAIT WAIT!! Is this where we’re gonna get the “you sure this is gonna work” “let’s say yes” scene from the promo?? I THINK IT IS!! (Okay, so I MAY have watched that particular five second scene a million and one times because it had my boys in it, but I love them okay?? Sue me.)

Hey. Chill, Dean. Don’t yell at him.

Aww baby. :( :( :(

He doesn’t think you’re a monster. He’s just upset. :(

...uh oh. This convo is gonna be bad, isn’t it? :( :(

:’( :’( :’( :’( :’(

WAIT! “For a while” YES! THAT’S A GOOD THING!!

Oh wait. “Still am a little bit.”

“Evil Mary Poppins” XD XD

AWWW!! SEE JACK?! He DOES love you!! <3 <3 <3 <3

OKAY NEVER MIND THAT CONVO WAS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD!!! I need to break that down for a second.

That convo was short and subtle and to the point, but it says SO much about Dean and Jack’s relationship.

First of all, the fact that Dean decided to be honest with Jack instead of continuing to pretend everything’s fine shows how much he really does care about Jack and how much he still trusts him and loves him. He doesn’t open up often, and I’m glad he finally did.

Second of all, he may have been blunt, but there was so much affection hidden in the way he addressed all of that. I mean, he tells Jack that he used to be really mad, and he still kind of is, but then he reminds him that just because they’re in a rough patch right now doesn’t mean he wants to lose him. Yes, Jack made a mistake, and yeah, Dean’s finding it hard to get over it, but Jack’s family through and through, and that means that, no matter what, Dean’s going to look out for him. It’s the same way he treats Cas and, more notably, the same way he treats Sam. He’s giving Jack the family treatment. And THAT is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

All of that said, between all of the OG Team Free Will, Dean’s relationship with Jack will always be my favorite (probably mostly because they’re my two favorite characters, but also because they’re amazing together), so this convo makes me so freaking happy. <3 <3 <3 <3

Sam you are being not very sneaky.

SERIOUSLY SAM??!!

I take that back. Sam is not being smart about this. *eye roll*

UGGGGHHHHH.

WHERE IS CAS WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!

Actually quick side note, one that I’m adding now that I’ve finished the episode: not having Cas around TOTALLY makes sense. Explanation included in the review.

“Because you are my favorite.” XD XD XD

She shouldn’t still be making me laugh, but dangat she’s too funny. XD

Wait noooo. No torture allowed.

I KNEW IT!! I TOLD YOU!! I CALLED IT!! SCENE FROM THE PROMO!! XD XD <3 <3 <3

I LOVE DEAN AND JACK SO MUCH!! <3 <3 <3

Ha! Fixing his hands.

YIKES!

...but did the cuffs break at least?

HA! She actually converted him to not swear.

I love how Dean makes a point of swearing extra loud after he realizes what he did. I love him. XD XD <3

Oh frick, that didn’t break the cuffs? Are you kidding me? Stupid powerful magic…

OOH! Dean’s got an idea!

THOSE LITTLE SMILES I LOVE THEM!! <3 <3 <3 <3

OH SHUT UP LADY! Are you still talking??

...okay so...trauma.

Please listen to Sam.

YES HE IS SHUSH!

Just because he has blood on his hands doesn’t mean he’s not a kid. Just saying.

Okay so I kind of feel bad for her knowing what she’s been through, but also that does not excuse her behavior. However, I will take back what I said about someone ripping her head off. I suppose that isn’t really necessary.

That said, someone please do something. :( :(

WOULD YOU QUIT IT WITH THE FINGERNAILS SUPERNATURAL??!! I STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN OVER IT FROM THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE IN SEASON 3!!!

My mom and I are both turning away owwwwwww.

STOOOOOOOOOOP!!!

Jesus Christ lady!!

“Pain is just weakness leaving the body.” Dean what?! XD XD

HEY! Smart! Way to go you two!! <3 <3

And still helping his son up YES! <3 <3 <3

Okay that could not have been a more in character moment between Dean and Jack right there. Between the “not so bad” and the helping him up and the helping him walk down the hall and Jack just following him along and I just...I LOVE THEM OKAY!! <3 <3 <3

AHHH!! SHE TOOK OFF SO MANY FINGERNAILS JESUS!!

SHUT UP LADY!!

YES!

...Dean honey that was the reset button…

There’s no way that did the job. Too easy.

Problem not solved!! Problem DEFINITELY not solved!!

Creepy green eyes!!

Oh she looks maaaaad. That’s not good.

HEY!!! What happened to not hurting family??!!

LEAVE THEM ALONE!!

Which family??!! Cause YOU’RE the one destroying them!

No he won’t.

“You hurt him, you hurt us.” GREAT line!! YES SAM!! <3 <3 <3

Oooh!! He’s getting to her!! <3 <3

Oop. There’s our backstory. Mr. Cuthbert wouldn’t let her go back. Not that I’m surprised, given what he did to Dean all those years ago.

Yes. Yes he did.

YAY! Dean jumping in to save his son. <3

NICE! Good call, Dean! <3

THAT FACE!! Jack’s face!! <3 <3

YES!!!! YES!!! GOOD JOB BOYS!! <3 <3 <3

Awww….poor Mrs. Butters…

Okay now I feel really bad for her. And a little guilty that I called her a b***h. I’m still kind of mad at her, but...her motives make sense.

Hey yay! She healed him!

Wow, this nymph is POWERFUL. Now that she’s nice again, can we, like, actually keep her? Cause that’d be an awesome ally to have.

Aww...Jack being the one to voice their forgiveness. So pure, especially since she was after him all that time. <3

Awww….Dean wants her to stay. He’s so upset. XD

But he also gets it. :) <3

OMG!! That shot with all three of them looking at her and those sweet little smiles they give her as she’s talking about home. There was just so much...genuineness in that! I loved it! <3 <3

Jack being the voice again. <3

Okay, she looks hecka cute in that outfit.

Oof. That makes sense lol. It would be way too easy if it didn’t revert back.

...inter what now?

Oh shoot...that just proves Chuck destroyed all the worlds...lovely….

Awww!! <3 <3

Ha! Her little words of wisdom to them! To reiterate: SUCH. A. MOM. XD XD <3 <3

Sam and Dean’s smirks at each other when she tells them to do the same things they’ve been telling each other to do for years--eat your vegetables and cut your hair. XD

Awww….that little extra nose crinkle and smile at Jack when she tells him to save the world. <3

I also just realized that this breaks my theory that anyone who meets Jack instantly falls in love with him because of how adorable he is. Though, I guess she’s a little different given that extra little motivation to protect her family in the only way she knows how. Plus, trauma.

Oof. Bye bye extra magic.

Aww...this convo between Jack and Sam. <3 <3

Aww Jack… :( :(

You weren’t stupid, baby. You all fell for it. :(

Aww….he’s looking for faith from Sam.

And Sam just gave it to him. <3

I know the line seems desperate, and in a way, it is, but the way that Sam gave him a little smile shows that it’s more than that. They are desperate, and Jack is their only hope, but also, Sam knows Jack can handle it, because he does have faith in him. It’s a short convo, but it says so much.

That tin has a birthday cake for Jack, made by Dean. Calling it right now.

“He loves that apron.” XD <3 <3

I KNEW IT AND I LOVE IT OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

THAT’S SO ADORABLE!!! And that is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT Dean’s way of telling Jack that he still loves him, and that he forgives him. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

THEIR LITTLE SMILES!! <3 <3 <3

I’M SCREAMING!!! ALL OF THEIR SMILES AT EACH OTHER I FREAKING LOVE THIS FAMILY!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I SERIOUSLY LOST ALL FUNCTIONALITY JUST NOW TO THE POINT WHERE I’M ADDING THIS COMMENT LATER BECAUSE AHHHH!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

AWESOME ending shot. It’s a great way to end a much more light-hearted episode while also setting us up perfectly for knowing that things are about to get heavy and serious. I bet whatever Jack wished for, it has something to do with taking on God.

Okay, so...those reactions were a lot longer than I was anticipating, and I want to apologize, but also, I did warn you. XD That said, review time!

I loved this episode! It was absolutely hilarious, but also sweet and touching. It mixed some crazy and fun moments with some of the most subtly emotional ones, both negative and positive. I absolutely loved all the Easter Eggs, and I loved watching the boys have a chance to celebrate holidays in a way that they never have before, especially with Jack. The facial expressions in this episode killed me. Between all of the little smiles and dorky excitement, I was laughing and smiling right along with the characters. Some stand-out moments/things for me:

That convo between Dean and Jack. I already broke it down above, but seriously, I love how they did that. As a huge fan of Dean and Jack and their relationship, the way that those two interacted this episode was beautiful and really sets up the fact that they’re going to need to lean on each other for support as a whole family in the coming fight, and I loved that. <3

Sam going on a date with Eileen! <3 Initially, I had a theory that Sam and Eileen would end up together at the end of all of this, but when she left a few episodes ago, I threw that idea out the window and it made me sad. So the fact that they went on a date and got to see each other again--even if we didn’t get to see it--makes me so happy and brings back my hope that they’ll end up being together. <3 That said, I am 100% going to write a fanfiction of that date, since Supernatural chose to keep it from us. XD

The acting really stood out to me in this one. Maybe it’s just because it’s been so long since I’ve seen them doing something new, but I honestly feel like J2 and Alex nailed it even more than usual. I mean, their facial expressions were seriously so amazing in this episode. Between the really dorky moments and the subtle emotional moments, I felt like their faces were always saying so much and I loved it. <3

One thing I want to address is the lack of Cas. I know a lot of people were upset that he wasn’t in it, especially since the boys were celebrating so many holidays with Jack, and while I agree that it would’ve been beautiful to have him there, it makes perfect sense that he wasn’t there based on the trajectory of the episode and everything that happened. For starters, if Cas had been there, the wood nymph business would’ve been solved INSTANTLY. Cas is always extra suspicious of people, so if she didn’t trust him because he was an angel, the odds of her getting the jump on him would’ve been slim. And yes, she did poison Jack with the smoothies, but, as this episode continued to point out, Jack is still a kid, so he’s still much more naive and gullible. Plus, he’s upset and guilty and confused and just generally vulnerable now that his soul is back, so it was easy for him to trust and be manipulated. But if Mrs. Butters had tried to do the same thing to Cas, (and I’m picturing that one scene with the milkshake in Peace of Mind here) there’s no way he would’ve fallen for it. More importantly, with how worried he is about Jack, he would’ve been really vigilant about the way she was talking to him and everything, and he probably would’ve caught the poisoning long before it could really hurt him. And you can argue that Sam and Dean probably should’ve picked up on it, which is true, however, even they admit that they get distracted in the fun of it all. While it would’ve been great to see Cas in on the festivities, he wouldn’t have been quite as distracted by it as the boys were, and with his vigilance, there’s no way any of them would ever have gotten hurt. He’d be watching Mrs. Butters like a hawk, and the second she did something suspicious, she’d be gone. That said, I can understand if people want to say that’s dumb, because if they didn’t want Cas to defeat the villain so easily, they shouldn’t have had a villain that could be so easily defeated by Cas, and I’m sure some people feel like that’s a stupid excuse. To which I also offer this. After seeing those convos between Dean and Jack and Sam and Jack, and knowing that the episode ends with the three of them celebrating Jack’s birthday, Cas’s absence makes even more sense: this episode wasn’t about him. I love Cas, but it didn’t need him. See, Cas already has an undying love for Jack. While Cas definitely saw Mary as family, he never had the same emotional connection to her that Sam and Dean did--for obvious reasons. But he definitely had--and still has--a very strong emotional connection to Jack. He’s always been the most involved in being Jack’s father--again, for obvious reasons. But even after the Mary incident, it was Cas who went to find him, who tried to help him, and who wanted to protect him. Cas always loved him and always trusted him, and he always will. But Sam and Dean lost a lot of trust for Jack after what happened to Mary...and this episode fixed that. Because Cas wasn’t around, it gave Jack a chance to prove himself to Sam and Dean again. Sam had already pretty much forgiven him, but Dean was definitely on the fence. He even says it. But the fact that Dean had that conversation with him and said everything he did proves that Dean still loves him, and it gave Jack the reassurance he needed that, while Dean is still mad, he doesn’t hate him, and he doesn’t think he’s a monster. And while Sam and Jack were on pretty good terms, Jack was still worried that Sam couldn’t trust him--that Sam didn’t have faith in him anymore. But when Sam tells him that he knows he can defeat God, Jack gets confirmation that Sam does still have faith in him. And after all of that, after celebrating all of those holidays together, and having both of those conversations, to then end that with Sam and Dean celebrating Jack’s birthday? That’s what this episode was about. Sure, it was a silly monster of the week episode. Sure, we got some adorable and hilarious moments. And sure, we got to see them celebrate things that they never got to celebrate in a real way before. But underlying all of that, we got to see Jack become part of Sam and Dean’s family again. We got to see them bond. And knowing that this is right before they all prepare to take on God--Jack needed that. The boys needed that. They needed to all trust each other again. And the fact that they celebrated his birthday at the end proves that they do. They’re a family again. They have each other’s backs. They trust each other. And they love each other. And as much as I love Cas, and as much as I would’ve loved to have seen him be a part of their holidays, he didn’t need to be. But those three did. And that’s why Cas wasn’t in the episode. So, frankly, full points to the writers for making that happen. While they gave us a fun episode, and they may have left out a fan favorite character, it created an underlying theme that’s really going to matter as we get into the big stuff of Season 15. And that’s awesome.

All in all, I thought this was a great episode, and I’m so glad that this is how we get to jump back into the season. Not only was this episode hilarious and fun, but it was also a great set-up for the coming battle and for all the hard and serious things that are bound to come in the next several episodes.

Rumor has it that this was the last “silly” episode of the show, and while that’s a sad thought to think about, it totally makes sense with what they did with the episode, and frankly, I think it’s a beautiful silly one to have ended on and a great way to lead into everything that’s coming next.

My Rating: 10/10

#spn #supernatural #spn season 15 #spn spoilers #spn season 15 spoilers #15x14 #last holiday #reactions #reviews #personal

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mill3nniumforc3 · 6 years

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2017: A Year in Review

“Vonnie, what happened to 2016: A Year in Review?” It got wiped out of my computer before I could publish it. While I very much could create a 2016 one now, I feel that it is far too late.

Anyway... so, 2017. What. A. Year. Some good happened, a lot of bad happened. Shall we just dive into it?

You don’t actually have to read this if you don’t want to. I’m making this for me and me only. If you choose to read, enjoy reading about my year! :)

January

January 1st. I started the new year full of sugar and drunk. My body didn’t exactly thank me for it in the morning, but I was happy, so....

January 16th, I went back to school for the spring semester. My whole college career was going to be different. I was no longer an RA, meaning it was time to get a roommate for the first time in two years. I was in a brand new major after finding out at the super duper last minute that elementary education wasn’t the career path I wanted. I was SCARED. I felt like I was a freshman all over again.

Thankfully, the start of the semester wasn’t bad. My classes weren’t too hard (except for GBUS. Fuck GBUS). On January 21st, I officially moved out of Bonar Hall (where I had lived for 3.5 years!) and into Krise Hall (where I would have lived if it hadn’t been for Barbie). I met my new roommate, and we got along quite well!

February

The month of February was pretty boring, honestly. I didn’t have a Valentine.

February 13th was my dad’s 50th birthday. I’m pretty open with talking about how I don’t get along with my dad. He constantly treats me like an inconvenience. Well, while I was between classes, I summoned the courage to pick up the phone and give him a call. I thought he’d be mad when he answered, but he was happy. We talked for about 20 minutes until I had to leave for class again. It was actually kind of sweet.

March

During the month of March, I decided to go summer job hunting again. While I was guaranteed my position at Eastern 4-H, I had an odd feeling inside of me to stay close to home. I started by looking for a camp-like position around home, but couldn’t find one. I applied to a few different places, including America’s Rockin’ Roller Coast (I’ll come back to that).

While I was home for spring break, I went to the dentist for the first time in years (I had been getting $5 cleanings at school). I found out I had three cavities. Oops! They were all small, so it wasn’t too big of a deal, but still bad.

Because the semester started late, spring break was late, meaning I was home for my favorite day of the month: St. Patrick’s Day! I got drunk, went to Honey Hut for their grand reopening (it’s tradition!), and went to my grandma’s house for dinner. SPOILER ALERT: this would be the last time I would see my grandma awake.

On March 18th, I went to see Beauty and the Beast! I loved every second of it.

Shortly after returning for the second-half of the semester, I got an email from Ride Operations at Cedar Point. They reviewed my resume and wanted an interview! I was so surprised because I had submitted my application just a day prior. I couldn’t reply right away lol. I got around to it after dinner, and my phone interview was scheduled for Friday, March 31st.

So, I woke up early on March 31st. Even though I didn’t have to look nice for the phone interview, I wanted to make sure I had everything taken care of (going to the bathroom, eating something, etc). I went into the floor lounge for the interview because my roommate was sleeping. The phone rang around 10:30am, and the interview began. I was so nervous, but I kept a smile on my face and enthusiasm in my voice. At the end of the interview, I received a job offer. I couldn’t believe it! Just like that? My interviewer added, “Before the job offer is official, I want to schedule a Skype interview with you, since I don’t want to make you travel all the way from West Virginia.” My Skype interview was scheduled for Wednesday, April 5th. I felt so good! I had an unofficial job offer...

April

THE DAY BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY! April 1st was my 23rd birthday, and I woke up feeling... sick. I had a bad cold and the weather was awful! What a lousy way to spend my birthday. It was too bad because I was going to go out with some friends for my birthday. Oh well! I had pizza in bed and watched Netflix. That cheered me up.

April 2nd was the day that started to turn my life upside down. I got a text that afternoon from my mom, saying my grandma had collapsed at home. While they got her back, they weren’t sure what would happen. I was a mess until that evening when my mom texted me again. Grandma was awake and acting like her normal self...

The on April 4th, that night, Grandma coded. They intubated her and got her back again, but I was upset. My Skype interview was the next morning, so I put on a brave face for it. It went well. After class on April 5th, I called my mom in tears, wanting to know how Grandma was. Mom said Grandma was off the ventilator, and I cried tears of joy. After I calmed down a bit, Mom asked how my interview went, and I told her the job offer was official. YEAH!

I received an appalling text from my mom on April 11th. It wasn’t about Grandma. It was about our family friends! Her best friend found her son (who was 19) dead from a drug overdose! At the time, we didn’t know it was an OD because the family didn’t want to make that information public yet, but I was devastated to know he was gone! When I read a post his older sister put on social media, I hypothesized it was either a drug overdose or suicide. Shortly after his funeral, after autopsy results were in, the family revealed it was heroin. Quite a sad time.

On April 14th, I went home for Easter- the same day Grandma was having surgery to put in a pacemaker. Mom took me to visit Grandma, and she was asleep. I was kind of nervous seeing her hooked up to a bunch of machines because I didn’t want to do something wrong. Mom led me closer to her. I kissed her forehead, said hi to her, and told her I loved her. I didn’t know what else to say because she was asleep, so I left it at that.

That was the last time I saw her alive.

April 16th was Easter. I went to church with the fam and then my dad’s side of the family held a brunch. Yay, brunch!

*the next few paragraphs are sad. If you don’t want to be sad, just skip to May*

April 19th was the day my world went completely black. It started off as a good day. After I was done with classes for the day, I was hanging out with my roommate when I got a text from my mom. When I saw the text was from her, I thought it was going to be a “we got home safe” text (she had went to North Carolina for her best friend’s son’s funeral). What it said was, “I don’t know how to tell you this. Grandma coded again, but this time her body was too tired to come back.” I was stunned for a moment, trying to piece together what it meant. Then it clicked. My grandma was gone. My roommate noticed the change in the environment (we had been laughing, and there I was devastated). She asked what happened, and all I said was, “I think my mom just told me that my grandma died.” Then the waterworks hit. I was inconsolable for hours. I went for a walk and decided to go to the chapel to see if anyone I knew was around. My friend Tiana was in the lounge doing homework. I knew she wouldn’t mind if I sat in the lounge with her. She asked me why I was crying and, after I told her, she dropped everything to comfort me. She texted Pastor Deb (the chaplain) to let her know. While waiting for Pastor Deb to arrive, Tiana invited me to get dinner. Even though I was in no mood to eat, I knew Grandma wouldn’t me to starve, so I went. I couldn’t hold myself together for more than five minutes and cried while waiting for my food. It was not a good time. We went back to the chapel lounge with our food (where J.R. and Brandon were hanging out) and, when Pastor Deb arrived, she first gave me a huge hug, and then she said, “Have you ever heard The Dragonfly Story?” I shook my head, and she told it to me. I started feeling a little better. After I was done eating, I went into sanctuary of the chapel. I opened a hymn book and started playing a few songs on the piano. After I finished Be Thou My Vision, Tiana found me and asked me if I wanted to join fellowship, and I agreed. After fellowship, J.R. took me to get ice cream because he hated seeing me so upset and thought it might make me smile. We got to Dairy Queen minutes before they closed. I felt kinda bad, but I was glad we were able to get ice cream.

The next few days were a blur. I didn’t go to class for the rest of the week and asked if I could reschedule my presentation for Philosophy so I could go to the funeral. Thankfully, it all worked out.

On April 25th, I went home for the visitation. I was quiet the three hour drive home. I couldn’t even sing along with the radio. I stopped at home on the way to the funeral home because my dad wanted to shower. I sat on the couch, and Seamus (my dog) got onto the couch next to me and put his head on my lap. I was completely surprised because Seamus HATES cuddling. I pet his head and thanked him. After my dad showered, we went to the funeral home. I felt so sick in the car. We got to the funeral home, walked inside, and as soon as I saw my grandma’s name displayed, I lost it. I couldn’t just pretend this wasn’t happening. It was! My sister found me and took me to my mom. Mom sat me down and I kept saying, “I can’t look at her. I don’t want to see her like that!” and Mom told me I didn’t have to. After a while, I got out of the viewing room and went to mingle with some of the mourners in the hallway.

The next morning, the 26th, was the funeral. We went to the funeral home to have a prayer service before going to the church. I hung back while waiting for other people to arrive when Aunt Char came up to me, trying to convince me to go up to my Grandma to say goodbye. I shook my head, and she offered to go with me. I kept saying that I couldn’t because I didn’t want to remember my grandma laying in a casket completely lifeless. The prayer service started at 9:30am. At the end, we all had to walk by the casket. I made eye contact with Aunt Char and mouthed, “I can’t do this.” She nodded at me, and I stepped forward. I kissed my fingers and laid them on Grandma’s cheek. I then quickly walked out of the room, tears filling my eyes. My mom held me and told me I didn’t have to remember her like that, and I just said, “I might not remember what that looked like, but I’ll never forget the waxy feel she had.” Aunt Char soon walked out of the visitation room, and she held me, telling me I did good. We then lined the foyer and Grandma’s casket was shut and locked. The pallbearers carried her out of the funeral home, and we followed. The drive to the funeral home wasn’t long, since the church was down the street, but it seemed to take eternity because I wished that it wasn’t happening. I got a program with Grandma’s face on it, and smiled because that was the Grandma I knew I’d remember. The opening song was Here I Am, Lord. That song typically doesn’t make me cry, but it did then. I read an intercession at the Mass, and I held myself together just fine. I even smiled a bit while reading to put some inflection in my voice. I cried again minutes later when Hail Mary: Gentle Woman played. I was fine throughout the rest of the Mass... til I saw my mom’s best friend (the one who had recently lost her son) during communion. I was sitting on the end because I read, and she tapped my shoulder. I put my hand lovingly on her and started to cry. On Eagles Wings was the song that was playing, and I was surprisingly fine during that song. The closing song was Be Not Afraid, and I couldn’t sing a single note without crying. It was pretty bad. Upon exiting, we stood outside... and my dad’s mom (whom I also call Grandma. We’ll call her Grandma Marge for the duration of the AYiR) walked up to me. I bawled, and Grandma Marge hugged me. I felt so guilty, because I was here crying over Grandma’s passing, and Grandma Marge was here. I want to say that moment was the worst I felt, especially because that day was Grandma Marge’s birthday and I was too upset to remember. Mom’s best friend came up afterward, and she hugged me and thanked me for my words of support since I couldn’t go to her son’s funeral. My mom joked that hopefully their next meeting would be a happy occasion. After the mourners left, we went to the cemetery for the burial. Because Grandma was being buried in a military cemetery (Grandpa is a Korea vet), we couldn’t watch the actual burial, but we had a brief prayer service (a lot of praying happened that day). After that was done, we had a light luncheon at a dining hall.

I didn’t go to school the next day. I wanted to spend more time with my mom. That Friday, I forced myself to go back to school.

May

The first half of the month of May was pretty sad/boring. I was still having days when I would just be sad. Sad because I missed Grandma. Sad because I was going to miss my friends, West Lib, and everything. I spent as much time as I could with my Krise Krew (Daniel, Brandon, J.R., Walker, Noah, Jasmine, Jaylyn, and Chris).

On May 6, I threw myself a goodbye party in the Krise lobby. Ordered pizza, cheesy bread, desserts, etc. Some people actually showed up, which cheered me up a little.

Finals week was interesting. I fell asleep in the Krise lobby trying to cram for a final once (I had always wanted to sleep in a residence hall lobby. Too bad for me, it was freezing and I ended up going to my bed around 5am. So nice and warm!). I wrote papers while sitting at my usual spot. I drank so much coffee that week that I ended up getting super bad caffeine headaches. On May 11 (my last full-day on campus), I hung out with my Krise Krew while bringing things down from my room to donate. I found a bunch of condoms from when I was an RA (kept them for my residents) and decided to be a jerk and give them to Brandon. He threw them at me, and Chris scattered them throughout the different donation areas (food, clothes, books, etc). Brandon then tried to beat me up, but my self-defense background ended up backfiring on him. We laid on the ground laughing for five minutes, and everyone started shipping me and Brandon. Yuck!

May 12 was my very last day on campus. After everything was packed into my mom’s car, I said goodbye to all my friends that I saw along the way, stopped by the Housing office to say goodbye to Marcella, Luke, Kate, and Kimber (though Kimber was out of the office. I was quite sad about that), and swung by the campus coffee shop to get one last iced mocha and chocolate chip cookie while also saying goodbye to Linda (a barista whom I had grown close to). I got a little teary eyed as I walked out of the union for the last time. West Lib had been my home for five years, and my journey there was ending.

I didn’t have too long to be sad though. May 17th was my first day at Cedar Point! Well, ok, not really. I had orientation at the training center (outside of the park) and then I moved into my new place, where I met my new roommates: Allison, Becca, and Shama. Shama was first to open up to me and I asked her a bunch of questions.

May 18th, I had to get my uniform, take a drug test, and then had a class on ride operations. The uniform part was easy. I showed up, gave my size info, tried on clothes to make sure everything fit (the pants were the hardest to fit because my hips are bigger than my waist), and signed a contract. The drug test... that didn’t go too well. I have high anxiety, and peeing in a cup isn’t something I was able to do. I spent three hours chugging water, but I didn’t have to go, no matter how hard I tried. The first aid staff was nice about it and found a swab kit. Because it did take three hours, the rides manager just told me to take the class the next day.

So I took my ride operations class on May 19th. It was fun! Hands-on activities (which is how I learn best) along with some lecture. Also, that’s where I met Austin, my first CP friend! At the end of class, the instructor told me to be at GateKeeper at 7:30am. I wasn’t too keen on that, but I put on a smile anyway.

May 20th, I woke up feeling nervous as all heck! Was I going to work GateKeeper or just observe? I stood around the GateKeeper entrance waiting for someone to talk to me, and luck was on my side that day, because I was greeted by Destiny (the team leader). She showed me where to clock in, put my stuff, and meet the person in-charge to start opening the ride. A guy named Kadeem was also being trained that day, so Destiny took both of us for a track walk. We went into the low-zones to look for lost items and make sure everything was intact. She was also going to take us on the midbrake run, but there wasn’t enough time. She instead took us for a lift walk (which sounded worse!). We walked up the lift hill, and I started shaking because I’m not a fan of heights. We got to the top, and Destiny took my picture. The walk down was better. When we got done, Herbert (the ride sup) started test running the trains. When it was cleared for test riding, none of the contracted workers wanted to, so Herbert asked me if I would. I said yes, and pretended to be scared when getting my restraint checked. Jes (who would later become a friend) asked if I was actually scared, and I said no. I learned at class that test riders are to listen for weird sounds and feel weird vibrations, so we weren’t allowed to make noises (though I did hum to myself going up the lift hill). Destiny asked me if the ride felt normal, and I told her it was perfect. After test riding was done, I got to do what would become my least favorite task: emptying water dummies. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so terrible if it weren’t so cold outside, but my feet were cold by the end of the emptying. Riding the transfer track was also quite the experience. Soon after we were done, the ride was opened. I was placed at merge for starters (because I figured sit-downs would be a good place to start). Destiny threw a lot at me, but it was ok because I picked up rather quickly. Around 11am, it was time to train on platform. Destiny did the first few cycles at all four positions to teach me how to do each one. I then did each one. A few times, Destiny would correct me or remind me about something, but it was nothing major or life-threatening. Before being sent to lunch around 2pm, Herbert came by to shadow me while Destiny signed us out. I did exactly as I was taught, and Herbert decided to quiz me. “Why do you look both ways before putting up your clear? Is it just for fun?” I answered him saying it was to make sure nobody was in the ride area so they wouldn’t get hurt. Herbert put his thumb up and said, “That is exactly right.” When Destiny returned, Herbert told her what he did, and then took my spot so we could go to lunch. Destiny proceeded to tell me that Herbert wasn’t trying to trick me. He just wanted to make sure I was paying attention. She led me to the employee cafeteria, and we ate lunch. After lunch (which was only 45 minutes), it was more training. At some point, the ride went down for wind (as GK is a winged coaster and high winds can cause the ride to valley), so Herbert and Destiny used that as an opportunity for me to sign my training sheets. I was perfectly comfortable at sit-downs, but wasn’t as confident with my platform. Both of them were confident in me, but decided to let me do some more platform training after the ride was back up. Around 8pm, while I was on platform, I ended up pulling a muscle in my back. It was terrible! Destiny saw how much pain I was in and sent me to Herbert. I told Herbert, and he sent me to first aid. I ended up taking an ibuprofen and getting some ice. It didn’t help, so I decided to just push through the pain. Destiny didn’t want me to get injured further, so she put me on sit-downs for the rest of the night.

On May 21st, I was sent to my contracted ride: Cads! I again had to arrive at 7:30am, and I again was trained with another person. I walked through the exit at Cads and immediately met Eric (the ride sup). First thing I noticed was he wasn’t as talkative as Destiny, which made me a little sad. We were joined by Audrey (who was training to be the TL since Cads didn’t have one at the time). Eric showed both of us around the ride, and because I was a safety liability with my back injury (which hadn’t healed yet), I was solely at sit-down (Cads only has one, whereas GK has 4). I later met Katelyn, Mary, Tatiyana, Aaron, and Angel. Because Eric had to train Audrey everywhere, Katelyn watched me since she was in-charge. We ended up becoming good friends right away. For the most part, everything went well! At the end of the night, shit hit the ceiling. I accidentally wrote on the DOR in pen. Eric yelled at me. Because I didn’t want to cry on my first day at a new location, I laughed and apologized, and Aaron stood up for me. “She’s the new girl. You can’t yell at her! You didn’t yell at me when I did it!” Eric realized Aaron was right, apologized for yelling at me, and told Aaron that he should have yelled at him because he wrote in pen on his third day. #PoorUs

Things got a lot better from there! A few days later, my injury healed and I was cleared to work platform. Yay! Eric trained me on platform (he made fun of me) and at Cedar Downs (my initial reaction when he told me he was training me there: I get to work there too!? Yay!). He watched me run a few cycles and asked if I would be ok if he left. I said yes, and he actually left (which made me laugh).

By the end of the month, Audrey was officially our TL. Yay! Eric called for a staff outing after work to celebrate. I wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I ordered dessert and a margarita. I showed my ID (which nobody saw me do) and thanked the waitress when my marg came (which everyone saw). I drank it, and everyone stared at me. “Wait, you’re 21!?’ Tatiyana broke the silence with. I informed them I was 23, and everyone just went, “What!?” Eric looked horrified and asked when I turned 23. “In April.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Ok, good. I’m still older than you.” Before that moment, I thought Eric was like 21 (because he had mentioned being old enough to drink). I felt a little better knowing he was older than me.

Oh, and this month, my high school class lost our first sister. Cancer really sucks! It takes great people far too young. RIP Morgan.

June

Ah, the month of June. Filled with meeting people, goofing off on my days off, and annoying my coworkers!

Well, it wasn’t all that great. I broke my toe in the beginning of the month by dropping the transfer track on myself. Eric witnessed it and sent me to first aid. After I had my toe splinted and iced, Eric then told me to be more careful with the transfer track (I knew he wanted to yell at me, but remembered what happened the last time he did that).

On June 12th, I saw someone whom I hadn’t seen in a long time: my high school BFF Julie! I was on spiel when I came across her and just said, “Look who it is!” Julie didn’t recognize me at first, but one look at my nametag, and she knew exactly who I was. We hugged (awww!) and I happened to remember that day was her birthday (my good memory is a blessing and a curse), so I wished her a happy birthday, and she was so surprised that I remembered! I couldn’t talk to her too long because we’re on a clock, so I dispatched her car and moved on. Funnily enough, her car broke at the end of the track. I joked that Julie did it, and Julie just said, “The powers of renewed friendship!”

Oh, and in June, I got over my fear of tall coasters and rode Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster.

July

Fourth of July weekend is the busiest weekend of the season... and I was off for TWO DAYS OF IT. HAHA!

July was kinda a rough month. The park no longer ran on a 10a-10p schedule (well, because I worked early entry, 9a-10p). We were now 9a-11p on weekdays, and 9a-12a on weekends! Though O-C shifts were pretty rare during this time, they still happened. I once had to O-C after a day off (i was supposed to be a split, but the 1:30p got sick and couldn’t work) and I was less than thrilled. Audrey wasn’t apologetic at all (she just wanted her cutback), but Eric bought candy for everyone who had to O-C (myself, Katelyn, Camilo, and Aaron).

Oh, and speaking of splits, I once woke up one morning (I want to say it was July 18th) not feeling right. I was a split shift that day and thought that maybe I was just tired. Well, when I got off at 1:30, I still was feeling bad, so I went to first aid to get my temperature taken. Welp, my temperature was 101 degrees! I was given some ibuprofen and then went back to my place to take a nap. I messaged the group and asked if they still wanted me to come back at 6pm. Audrey pleaded me to return, saying she would keep me at sit-downs and give me ibuprofen, so I did. At 9pm, Katelyn sent me to rotate at Cedar Downs, and I wasn’t happy about it because I felt so sick and dizzy. Katelyn calmed me down by saying it would be just for an hour and, if I seriously felt faint, to call first aid and then Cads. I thankfully made it the whole hour, and Mary came to rotate me out. She looked mad, so I asked what was wrong. “You shouldn’t be here right now. Just by looking at you, I can tell you aren’t feeling good! Audrey only asked you to come back because she didn’t want to lose her cutback. I’m angry, Katelyn’s angry, Aaron’s angry. We’re all angry. If you aren’t feeling well tomorrow, you call off. I’ll be the first to stand up for you.” I went back to Cads and finished the night feeling awful.

The next morning (July 19th), I was still hot to the touch and feeling lightheaded. I called park op immediately, and explained to the operations manager what was going on. She said to me, “I know you aren’t feeling good, but I do need you to put on your uniform and go to first aid. I can tell by the sound of your voice you aren’t feeling good, but I still need to have it verified.” I went in and got my temperature checked. It was out of the triple digits, but still borderline. Kelsey (the area sup) then looked at the note and said, “Go home. I don’t want you to get worse. Rest up and feel better tomorrow!” By 5pm, my fever had completely broken and I felt a lot better, but so I showered and spent the rest of the day in bed...

That night was one I’ll never forget. Allison (who slept on the bunk below me) had her boyfriend (?) Ismael over for the umpteenth time. The first (and only) time Allison asked if I cared, I said that I didn’t as long as they didn’t have sex. Welp, at 2:30am, I woke up to the bed shaking and Allison moaning. It was like being in the middle of a bad porno! I didn’t want them to know I was awake, so I kept quiet and wrote a note on my phone to remind me that this happened.

The next morning, I left for work... but not before stopping by the front desk to inquire about changing rooms. I had to go to the Commons office first, but the guy at the desk asked me for Allison’s name because sleepovers weren’t allowed in the complex (haha!). I was a split shift that day, so I went to the office as soon as I got off work. I thankfully was approved to move immediately because of the situation, and I moved out ASAP.

I learned that Allison got kicked out shortly afterward. Bye, Felicia!

August

Well, this was the beginning of the end. Everyone started leaving! Mary was first to leave, followed by Camilo, Audrey (who returned Labor Day weekend), and Aaron. Alyssa stayed during the weekends. The only ones who could still work every day were me, Katelyn, Eric, and Gulbay (who was leaving in September), so we ended up getting a lot of people to cross-train. I met Zach (who worked Wicked Twister and would become my work buddy), Pearl (who was already trained there but mainly worked in Area 3), Mariah (who worked Raptor), and Jay (who worked Dragster).

August 22nd was like a stab in the back. Katelyn was in-charge that day because it was Eric’s day off, and Gulbay deliberately didn’t come to work. Katelyn was PISSED because Gulbay threatened not to come into work because she wanted to go to Niagara Falls that day. Ben (who worked Kiddy Kingdom and occasionally came to Cads to help) worked in her place. Gulbay proceeded to tell Ben that she planned to skip every Tuesday until her last day... which she did, which pissed off both me and Eric (on the 29th, we were the only two who showed up on time). Zach was scheduled to work but was sick, and since Gulbay decided to no call, no show again, Zach was forced to work anyway.

On August 26th, I snapped. It was the end of the night and I was trying to put away a car that had bad steering. I got frustrated and just completely snapped. I said, “I suck at my job. I don’t know why I’m even here. Why haven’t you just fired me because I can’t do anything right?” I fucking BAWLED because I was that frustrated. Eric was in complete shock and didn’t know how to even address that. He eventually said that he didn’t think I sucked at my job and that he knows the car has bad steering. He then demanded to know who told me that I sucked, and I told him Audrey did. “Ohhhh! Audrey? I’ll have you know that we’ve all talked to her about her rude comments. Hopefully, when she comes back, she’ll have something nice to say about you. She shouldn’t have gone as far as telling you that you suck. I’m the supervisor, and I don’t think you suck.” He then asked if he could hug me (aw!).

The next day, after I got back from rotation at CD, Eric called my name on the spiel. I looked over at him and he waved me over, asking me to sit at crowd for a few minutes so he could go to the bathroom. I obliged (even though I reaaalllly didn’t want to be at crowd). When he returned, he said, “All’s well. I thought I was dying, but I’m not.” “You’re not dying?” I asked him as I stood up to leave crowd, and Eric shook his head, muttering, “I bet you’d be glad if I were though.” I gave him a look and went “what?” “I feel like you secretly hate me.” I then said that no, I did not hate him. The look on his face was priceless, and I began wondering why he would think that. I knew I felt conflicted around him because my gaydar went off within five minutes of meeting him, but at the same time I felt like he liked me. Maybe my repulsion to that came on my face (repulsed by him liking me, that is. He’s nice, but he low-key looks like Drew Carey and it’s kinda disturbing. Also, because I made the presumption that he’s gay, I couldn’t unsee it).

September

Things only got worse for Cads, schedule-wise. Gulbay left a week early (much to my relief because NOBODY wants to work with someone who deliberately skips work for no reason), Audrey and Katelyn both quit, and Alyssa walked out during her break while at Blue Streak, immediately getting herself fired. With nobody else, Eric had no choice but to promote me to in-charge... but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Labor Day weekend (which little did we know was Audrey’s last weekend), I was scared to be around Audrey... but she was nice to me. We chatted a bit about what had happened during her absence and I asked her about school and marching band. A little later, I was at CD and saw a guest illness on the midway. I called it into park services, and as I was finishing up the call, Audrey came over to do DOR math. She asked who I was calling, and I explained the situation. Audrey then said two words I never thought I’d hear her say to me: good job!

After Labor Day, the park was only open on weekends.

September 10th was Katelyn’s last day, and also TWLOHA day. I wrote “love” on my wrist in permanent marker, and Eric got mad because “visible tattoos aren’t allowed.” You couldn’t see it with my pullover on, so there! While I was at CD, I heard a weird noise. I called Cads to report it, but Eric was talking to Katelyn and couldn’t take care of it at that moment, so I continued running the ride. When Eric finally showed up, I explained the situation and he listened to the ride. He noticed how horrible it was and told me to take the ride down for mechanical. For the rest of the day, he joked that I broke the ride. Ironically, while waiting for maintenance, Eric made me decobweb the lights on the ride and I ended up breaking a lightbulb. I jumped back as the lightbulb fell to its death, covered my mouth in shock, and looked over at Eric. His face looked like the surprised emoji, and it made me laugh so hard. At the end of the night, Katelyn came back to say goodbye to us, and Eric got the two of us saying goodbye on video.

The next weekend was brutal! Friday wasn’t too bad. Shelley (who worked the train) was trained at Cads since the train didn’t operate on Fridays during Halloweekends, so we were full-staffed. Saturday, shit hit the fan. Me, Eric, Mariah, and Karly (who worked GateKeeper) were the only employees working Cads (we had a “ride pride” working at sit-down, so we only needed four of us). Audrey was supposed to work that weekend, but called off for school reasons. Me and Karly were the only two people who could work at CD. It started off with us alternating every two or three hours or so. Because Karly was the only in-charge, at one point, I was at CD for FIVE HOURS (!!) because Eric was sent to Raptor for break help (though Mariah could have been sent and Karly volunteered to cross-train, the manager was adamant that Eric go). Karly was nice enough to call me to let me know what was happening. When I saw Eric walking by CD during the fifth hour, I shot daggers at him with my eyes. He stopped by to do DOR math and thanked me for staying at CD for so long. After he left, Karly came over to rotate me out and said she was staying the rest of the night, I gave her a big hug and let her borrow my watch.

On Sunday, Eric asked me to be his in-charge. “Because Katelyn quit and Audrey called off, will you please be my in-charge so I can go on break?” I initially was hesitant because I wasn’t interested in any type of leadership, but after Eric said he trusted me to hold down the fort, I just said, “If you’re saying you trust me, I guess I’d have to take you up on it.” He high-fived me, and then rotated me to CD (which I didn’t WANT to do, but I had to). Thankfully, being an in-charge wasn’t too bad. A car broke on the track though (which became a running joke with me. “Every time I’m in charge, a car breaks!”). After we closed for the night, I had to fill out paperwork to make my promotion official.

Of course, I wasn’t always automatically in-charge. If Pearl or Karly were at Cads, they’d be in-charge because they have seniority (though I think I was actually once in-charge over Karly. She was sent to the ride while I was in-charge though).

By the end of the month, Audrey had officially left her job because she had a lot of school work. Good on her for taking care of her academics... but that just meant Eric pushed me that much harder, and went as far as to call me “acting TL.” I wasn’t impressed with that.

October

My, oh my. October was a very stressful month.

The weekend of October 13-15th is what we all called The Weekend from Hell, and what a well deserved title that was! October 13th: probably the less evil of the days, ironically. Pearl was at our ride that day, which meant I didn’t have to be in-charge (yay!) and Eric could have a cutback (because he didn’t trust me to close the ride). I had a pretty good day that day, but poor Eric got sent to Raptor for break help... and never returned because the ride sup and TL both took a cutback and the Raptor in-charge never closed the ride on his own, meaning Eric had to stay at Raptor til close (haha!). October 14th: the worst day of the weekend. Cars kept breaking (more to Eric’s dismay than my own), guests were about 500x more rude, and the night ended with me and Eric screaming at each other. I’m not going to delve into the cars breaking, since that happened nearly daily anyway. I had the worst guest ever while working CD. There was a kid too short to ride. I explained to the parent that the kid had to be 48″. The parent wasn’t upset or angry, but said the kid rode Corkscrew earlier that day. I then said that kids’ heights tend to vary throughout the day (which IS TRUE!!) and some lady who wasn’t even with them butted into the conversation. “I work in the medical field, and that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Why don’t you release your medical journal so I can read it? I’ll still think you’re a crock.” I let the parent and the kid out of the ride area (honestly, they did nothing wrong. It was the rude woman who wasn’t even with them) and the woman kept gunning for me. “Someone needs to educate you. Stupid white trash, you are. Cedar Point needs to start asking for IQs before hiring people!” I was done listening to that lady, so I locked the magnetic gate in front of her (even though there was plenty of room still) and went about my safety checks. The rude woman’s son was kind of mad. When I returned to my control booth, he asked if he could get on. I felt kinda bad because the kid didn’t do anything wrong, but I said, “Once safety checks are completed, I can’t let on more people. You’ll have to wait til next cycle.” I did my final spiel before starting the ride, and said, “This is what happens when mommies piss off the ride operators” before giving out my all-clear and starting the ride. The rude woman then took pictures of me without my permission (probably to put on Facebook and talk shit about me. Whatever...). I concentrated more on the ride since MY JOB is to ensure SAFETY. After the cycle ended, I got right into my “oncoming riders” spiel. The rude woman kept taking pictures (I tried SO HARD not to roll my eyes at how juvenile she was acting). When I went to let people on, she decided to get one last picture of me... by sticking her camera RIGHT IN MY FACE. I reacted, and she got a picture of my reaction. “Now I have a nice snarky picture to show everyone. I’m going to your manager with this picture right now! Thank you, smartass!” Then she smacked me before saying, “I’m just going to exit now.” In that moment, I should have called security. I’m a tough cookie when it comes to words, but the fact that she deemed it appropriate to hit me crossed the line! My reason for not calling: she obviously craved attention, and I thought I’d be told it wasn’t that serious of a deal. I kept on a tough face while letting on people who witnessed the whole ordeal (many asked if I was ok. I wasn’t, but I said I was). The rude woman wasn’t done yet though. She stood by the entrance telling people shit like “the person running this ride is stupid” and “she won’t let a goddamn child ride the horses!” When I turned away a child who was a lot under the height requirement, the rude woman shouted, “Don’t be sad! Your kid probably SHRUNK!” and laughed maniacally. I ignored her because she literally wasn’t making any sense, but that wasn’t good enough for her. She jumped into the area by my control booth and said, “Aren’t you gonna call your supervisor?” I told her no because he was doing his job. “You mean he’s doing YOUR job.” I just said that my job was Cedar Downs, and he was doing what he needed to do. “Fine then. Do your job. I have AAAAALLLL night. I can’t wait to watch you get fired, bitch!” She then left. I kept on a brave face while doing my safety checks and spieling... and then I broke down in tears during the cycle. I couldn’t do my other spiels. When the ride ended, I couldn’t say to leave, but people knew it was ok to leave when they saw me unlock the magnetic gate. A woman who witnessed the whole thing (including her coming into my booth) came over to me and said that the woman wasn’t very nice and she didn’t blame me for anything I said/did. I then called my manager to report what was going on, and she asked if I called security. When I said no, my manager said that if I saw her again, to call security, and to leave a description in the booth so anyone else could call. This then got around to Eric... and he was PISSED that I didn’t call security. From what I heard, the rude woman was eventually found and kicked out of the park, but Eric was still so angry that I didn’t call. He had nothing nice to say to me at the end of the night, and when I tried to defend my decision, he screamed at me that once she laid a finger on me, I should have called. I screamed back that the ride was also very busy and I didn’t want to waste people’s time. Eric then made me turn in lost and found as punishment, and we ended the night on a very sour note. October 15th: On a scale of 1 to 10, I was 500 scared to go to work. I was scared to see that woman or be verbally harassed again. I knew seeing Eric after our screaming match would be hella awkward. I was expecting the day to be that much worse. I clocked in at five-til like I always do and went to the ride, listening to music on the way. I stood at the closet where personal items are kept while finishing my song, and Eric sat at the desk. After my song finished, I put my phone away and inhaled deeply. I approached Eric and broke the silence with, “Hey.” Eric looked at me and, even though his mouth didn’t smile, I saw his eyes light up as he said, “Hello.” Neither of us wanted to talk about last night, so we just moved forward with the morning. It was pretty warm throughout the day, but it was FREEZING by the afternoon. I ended up wearing my hoodie and fleece pullover because of how cold I was. By 6pm, I knew me and Eric were cool again because he asked me if I wanted a cutback. He easily could have taken it himself (I knew how to close the ride, and the TL from Power Tower was with us that day), so I thought it was nice of him to let me have it. The ride was dead as a doornail because of the cold and rain, so Eric asked me which cars we should take off. I suggested 18 because it was fast and had good steering, and then Eric suggested 03 because it was also fast and right by 18. We high-fived and I said, “We’re smart!” 03 didn’t have as nice as steering as 18, so I hung back with 18 while 03 was being straightened. I then jumped 18 off the track... accidentally hitting my butt against a pole. I reacted, and Eric just stared at me, asking what I did that time. “My butt bumped into the pole.” We got the cars organized, and I went to close the transfer track. Eric proceeded to tease me. “Did you hurt your butt?” I nodded. “Are you butthurt?” I cracked a smile and just replied, “That too.” By 6:30pm, I was released for cutback, and, right before I left, I said to Eric, “Have fun in Florida, and see you Friday!”

The next two weekends (and the last two of the season) weren’t nearly as bad. Still had to deal with rude, entitled guests (thankfully none as awful as that woman), still had cars breaking all the time (my favorites were out for the rest of the season), and still had disagreements with Eric (though none topped that night from hell). The major disagreement we had the last two weekends were I forgot to transfer my nametag to my hoodie after putting it on and Eric decided to poke my boob instead of just reminding me. Well, ok, he was touching my nametag over the hoodie, but he accidentally (I hope) went too far and ended up poking my boob.

On October 27th, the last Friday of the season, I FINALLY had my instinct straightened. For five months, my gaydar was saying that Eric was gay... and I was right! Eric had a cutback that night, so me, Pearl, and Shelley hung out on the platform (it was cold and raining, so nobody was riding). Pearl asked if I was going to the Halloween party that Sunday, and I said no. “Why not!?” Because I’m too ugly to go to the bar. “Who said you were ugly!?” I mentioned that Eric did one time (to this day, he denies this happened). While Shelley said that Eric needed to get his glasses checked, Pearl said, “Eric’s gay!” Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t mean he’s allowed to call people of the opposite sex ugly. I also mentioned how the bar scene isn’t my thing. We were then given permission to double cutback because they were sending David from Kiddy (one of my friends!!). Shelley declined the cutback because she took it last week, and said I should take it because I gave Shelley priority for the cutback last week (I was in-charge while Eric was at Raptor). Zach (who was at CD) wanted to gas cars that night and Pearl couldn’t take it for herself, so I took it. My last cutback of the season (I think the only time I ever turned down a cutback was when Zach had to cycle CD for a whole hour and I wanted him to have it).

October 29th was the last day of the season... and it was actually kinda sad! Guests were rude as ever (no surprise), but when we were cleaning up/out everything, it hit me that my “best summer ever” was officially ending. I emptied our closet, throwing out things that nobody wanted/claimed. After both rides were completely cleaned and the area sups cleared us to leave, I said goodbye to Eric and thanked him for putting up with me and my bullshit for the past five months. He then hugged me (aw!) and said that he knew he pushed me a little too hard at times, but it worked out for the best. He then asked if I applied to leadership, and I said no because I would suck at it. “I don’t think that. Be a little more adult and less sensitive, and I think you’d be great.” That was the nicest thing he said to me all season! I left and clocked out for the last time.

The next morning (the 30th), I processed out. I signed my paperwork, returned my uniform (including the hat that I grew to love), and even picked up a stuffed pillow that I found and decided to keep as a souvenir. I then packed up all my stuff and processed out of housing. I turned in my key and was back to Cleveland.

That Halloween, I stayed at home and passed out candy. 23 years old is too old to go trick-or-treating without a child.

November

Well, I went to church for the first time in almost six months (I worked nearly every Sunday from May-October. Even if I wasn’t working that Sunday, I wasn’t near a church).

On November 1, I started attending ballet class. I kept saying I was going to in September and October, but somehow never made good on my promise because I was so tired from working all weekend. With work no longer a thing, I went to class. It felt great to be back!

I attended a grief counselling meeting on November 19th. It was my first holiday season without my grandma, and some tips and tools were much needed and appreciated.

Thanksgiving that year was more of a blur. We went to my dad’s side for dinner. I fasted til dinner, and made the mistake of drinking with an empty stomach (I did that once in 2016 while at a house party, and I got drunk very quickly!). I was drunk before dinner. Classy. I ate my food and acted as normal as possible. We then went to my mom’s side for dessert... and I was offered hard apple cider. I took it and drank some, but I ended up not liking it. I ate some pumpkin pie and a slice of cake and was happy.

The next morning, how I wasn’t hungover, I’ll never know. I got up to go Black Friday shopping with my mom and aunt. We didn’t go to many places like we normally do. We just went to Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart. There weren’t many sales going on either, sadly. I saw my friend Carissa at Kohl’s (we danced together for years, and ended up going to the same high school). After we got back to my aunt’s house, me and Mom went to get lunch. I got the best deal of the day at Sheetz: a free cookie! Yay!

December

*the next paragraphs are a little TMI. I had the flu, so you don’t have to read this part if you don’t want to. Just skip ahead to Christmas Eve*

I woke up at 7am on December 1st not feeling right. I didn’t know what was wrong with me! My stomach started churning, and I just thought, “Crap. I’m gonna puke.” I got out of bed and opened my bedroom door. Fiona (my 15 year old sis) was getting ready for school and asked what I was doing. I told her I thought I was going to throw up. I went into the bathroom, sat by the toilet, and a minute later, I vomited. A lot. I asked Fiona to get me a water bottle and she brought me one. I put a little in my mouth, gargled it to get the puke-taste of my mouth, and spat into the toilet. I did it a couple more times and then got up and flushed. I went back to bed afterward... only to wake up an hour later to puke again. I thought maybe I had food poisoning because I had Papa John’s the night before (to this day, I can’t even think about pizza without gagging). When it started coming out of both ends at the same time, I texted my mom while she was at work to bring me some fruit juice. She did and put her hand on my forehead. I was burning up. Mom concluded that I had the flu. I didn’t eat anything all day.

I got an appetite back the next day (the 2nd). I was hoping for something light like broccoli cheddar soup or a pb&j from Panera when Mom asked if I wanted food while she was out. She brought me mac n cheese bites. I ate them... only to puke them back up later.

I had no appetite or energy the following day (the 3rd). I slept a lot of the day... til Mom decided to wake me to take Christmas photos! I was pretty fucking pissed about it. I managed to smile for them, but my hair looked awful and you can see how sick I felt. We then went to get dinner, and I didn’t want anything. Dad yelled at me and called me a brat, and it made me upset because I couldn’t help being sick!

Thankfully, by the 4th, my appetite had returned again and I had some energy. I felt better than I did on the 2nd. I made myself a sandwich to test how I was actually feeling, and the sandwich stayed down. I unsmartly went full out and ate cookies and milk, but that stayed down too. YES!

On December 14th... I woke up at 7:30am and vomited in my mouth. I think it happened because I was too warm under my blankets, but I was fine the rest of the day. Yay for not being sick again!

Christmas Eve, there was so much to do and so little time! I feel like that’s everyone’s Christmas Eve though. I wrapped up all the presents I bought, baked cookies from scratch, and then made the time to dress festively. My family decided to open presents while I was busy mixing cookie dough (I didn’t want to waste energy by keeping the stove at 375 doing nothing), so I ended up opening my presents after everyone else had finished. I got a CD/DVD drive from Bridgid (because the laptop I bought with my own money doesn’t have one. Oops!), a pink tiger onesie, sparkly hairbrush, and cat ears from Moira, socks from Fiona (I love socks, so it wasn’t an insult at all), and a Fitbit from “Santa” (my mom). I set up my Fitbit right away!

Christmas Day, since we did presents last night, we slept in and went to church at 11am. I was happy that we sang 5 verses of O Come All Ye Faithful (the three verses, the Latin verse, and then the first verse again) because it’s one of my favorite Christmas church songs. After church, we got ready for Christmas dinner. My mom decided to spend Christmas solely with her side of the family (first Christmas without her mom/my grandma) and my dad decided to just go to his side. We were then split on which side to go to. Bridgid decided to go with Dad, and Fiona decided to go with Mom. I basically did eenie-meanie-mynie-mo, and ended up going with Dad. As much as I love my mom’s side of the family, going with Dad was the better decision because I didn’t feel like crying that day, I had a present for my goddaughter, and the food on my dad’s side is better (lmao!).

This year is at an end, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Here’s to a better 2018. Here’s to positivity, great times, and maybe/hopefully finding my future spouse.

#my life #my year #2017

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