#Control 4 in Harrogate

[luuxxgroup]

Home Automation Systems in Leeds, Harrogate, UK

Tailored home automation systems available in Alderley Edge, Leeds, Hale, Harrogate, Wilmslow, and Knutsford for enhanced modern living experiences.

[leithillustration]

I’ve not done an end of year round up before, but here goes! Thank you @monbons and @iamamythologicalcreature for the tags, and @aristocratic-otter for the encouragement. Seeing everyone’s roundups has been really wholesome and enlightening. 

I often don’t give my successes much space for celebration as they tend to get drowned out by the noise of all my mental health difficulties, so this is an exercise in acknowledging the good things from 2024, as well as allowing space for the things I’ve struggled with (while trying not to sound too jaded and cynical 😅). This is a long one so everything is under the cut.

Landmarks: A few significant things

My border collie Simm turned 10

My godson turned 1

I lived with one of my best friends @hattedhedgehogfor 3 months during a time that otherwise would have been rubbish, but he made the whole summer a fun adventure

Inspired by Harry, I made a hand sewn Georgian shirt with ridiculous billowy sleeves. I’ve yet to find an occasion to wear it, but I hold out hope for 2025.

I played DragonAge for the first time (Inquisition) and was not normal about it. The above banner is my Inquisitor Dadron (named for his dad energy and likeness to Ron Swanson)

I started sharing my creative writing on Ao3 for the first time

Took more control over self care and my mental health

Achievements Unlocked: Heath Stuff

I love that some 2024 reviews share personal experiences living with health problems. It’s really validating to see that. It's so easy to forget other people struggle too, they just might not want to share that online. So before I get to the creative things I've done in 2024… watch me over share my health stuff??

Finished seeing my EMDR therapist First time in 4 years I’ve been without any kind of therapy and it’s terrifying but making me work on myself in a new way. Not sure I’m done with EMDR forever, or talking therapy, but I spent a year with a therapist I didn’t vibe with and it sort of added more issues to the pile, so I’m glad I left them.

Dumped GenderGP They replaced a load of their services (including doctors) with AI. After 2 years of treatment under them, I felt so betrayed and worthless. Thankfully I’ve still got a supply of testosterone for now.

Had a minor breakdown in July Work, house stuff, gender things and mental health all got the better of me in July. Things were incredibly bleak for a while there. Surviving is hard sometimes, but I am still here so taking that as a win.

Switched to a new NHS gender care waitlist Was 3 years into a possible 6-7 year wait for a London clinic. Now I am in year 1 of a possible 2-3 year wait for Nottingham. No idea if moving was a good call or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Got on a private gender care wait list for a top surgery referral Yeah, UK trans private health care also has huge wait lists. No idea how long this one is, but I’ve been on it since August and haven’t heard anything yet

Got an ADHD diagnosis!! I am classic ADD, go figure. Had to go private for this too (who needs savings, right?) but I’m now in my 4th week of ADHD meds. It’s been A Time but it’s giving me hope (a tenuous, vulnerable thing) that maybe things won’t always be this hard.

Self Employment: Life as an illustrator in 2024

Always a mixed bag, made all the more challenging by the above health stuff, AI, and the general state of the economy, but in spite of this I have done the following:

Sold work at 6 events Norwich Queer Fest, Harrogate Airecon, UK Games Expo, Norwich Pride, Birmingham MCM, Norwich QueerFestmas. I was filled with imposter syndrome for most of these events, and I’m always very fatigued after, but I know it is good to push myself out of my comfort zone sometimes and I do enjoy meeting likeminded people and seeing people engage with my work. I had some wonderful interactions and I’m so grateful to everyone who came to say hi.

Did 2 actual IRL paintings I hadn’t painted with acrylics at all since around 2020 when I got an iPad. This year I decided to check I can still paint by hand and turns out I’m still ok at it.

Exhibited at a local gallery I also hadn’t exhibited in galleries since around 2018, so taking part in a group exhibition with my new paintings felt like a fun (and scary) opportunity this year.

Storyboarded ‘Unravelled’ graphic novella Unravelled is a horror story about knitting, written by LP Mills. Storyboarding this was a challenge since it required a level of focus I struggle to maintain, but I’m so pleased I was able to do it.  Sadly the kickstarter (that would have paid myself and Mills to fully illustrate and print it) wasn’t successful this year, but we’re holding out hope for future funding.

Illustrated ‘Football Crumpets’ play Football Crumpets is a queer audio comedy written by Lucie Isle. I made a series of character designs and spot illustrations for to advertise the Kickstarter campaign. This campaign was successful and the comedy is now in the process of being recorded by Lucie and her diverse cast of voice actors.

Experienced the worst client of my life I won’t go into detail as this broke me, I lost someone I thought was a friend, and I’ve struggled to build up confidence since. But discussing the experience with fellow creatives made me realise almost everyone has had a client from hell at one point or another. Lessons learned: Always write up a contract in advance and question anything you’re not sure about. Don’t compromise on your work boundaries for friends.

Had 3 character commissions Dramatically down from last year and I wonder how much is due to AI and no one having any money. Who knows! I love illustrating people’s OCs and Dnd characters, and the commissions I did get have been really fun. Two of them are in the banner above this section 👆

Snowbaz & Fandom Adventures

This is only the second year I’ve engaged with the lovely Snowbaz community and I am so glad I pushed myself to do it. I’ve made some wonderful friends and I’m sharing my writing publicly for the first time in years. I’ve not done much compared to most, but I’m trying to pace myself so I don’t burn out and stop enjoying it. I’m hoping to be healthier this year thanks to new meds, so with any luck I’ll be able to do a bit more than in 2024.

Snow On Ice (writer) (M, 3.8K words, chapter 1/12ish) For CORB 24 with concept and artwork by @iamamythologicalcreature is one of the first two fics I’ve ever shared on Ao3 and I’m loving every second of writing this!!

Boundless (writer) (T, 4.5K words, chapter 1/5) Also for CORB 24, this time with @cattocavo This one has taken a bit of a back seat as I’ve discovered the hard way that I can’t write two large fics at once (curse my limitations!!!) but I’m looking forward to getting back to this when I can, especially since Catto has already produced so much incredible artwork for it and it needs to be shared!!!

On Every Wall (artist) (E, 24K, chapters 2/2)written by @orange-peony for CORB 24. I love drawing these boys so much, dammit. It was so good working with Peony and seeing her story unfold based off my indulgent artwork (an edit of which is in the above banner). I wanted to draw so much more for this fic, but health and work got in the way.

Fics that have brought me comfort and joy:

I get through a lot of Ao3 fics, but wanted to give a shout out to the fics that have stayed with me long after reading them. I cannot get over the healing power of writing and how incredible it is that so many of us can find common ground in this way. 

Someone Wicked The first is @artsyunderstudy’s Someone Wicked (Snowbaz, E, Chapters). It wrecked me and then built me back up again in the best way possible. Seeing their artwork is always an inspiration too, and I have listened to their Something Wicked Playlist about a billion times. Like any well adjusted normal person, right??

Blame it on My Youth (Andreil AFTG, E, 1.5M words, Chapters 136/?) I still owe @yourficstheyglow a lengthy Ao3 comment on how much this fic has changed my life. It’s held my hand and encouraged me to look after myself better over the past 6 months in a way therapy never has. I vibed with their depiction of Neil SO HARD. His reluctance to engage with mediation and journalling is so relatable. Along with his frustration at people forever suggesting it to him, and then his irritation that it actually helps a bit. 😂 Reading about Neil shopping around for therapists, working on his communication and downloading self care apps (even though he hates it all every step of the way) has resulted in me printing out charts to help identify my emotions, making a spreadsheet of potential therapists to approach when I’m ready, journaling for the first time in yeeeears and getting a handle on my mental health in a way I never really have before. I even downloaded the stupid Finch app (after years of people suggesting it to me) because Neil did (I named by bird Neil). When I’ve felt lonely and sad, I’ve found reassurance and safety in Neil and Andrew being soft with each other, exploring their boundaries as Andrew works through his trauma from SA, stepping outside of their comfort zones, trusting each other and respecting each other’s limitations. 

Of Cats and Closed Doors (Fitzloved Rote, E, 785K words, Chapters 77/?) I’ve been dipping in and out of this fic by @tragediegh for a good 18 months now, if not longer. I am full of love for the Farseer Trilogy books and ate them up a few years ago. The Liveship Traders came next but then I got too in my head to ready the Tawny Man trilogy, since Fitz and the Fool are so dear to me I didn’t know how to handle them going through more trauma. I just want them to hug and kiss and be loved so badly!! Ellipsis provided a monumental dose of comfort and healing in this fic. It’s become my personal canon. Last year, thanks to this fic, I finally had the courage to start reading The Tawny Man trilogy. I’m on to book 2 now and although I am terrified, I know I can come back to Of Cats and Closed Doors to remind myself in Ellipsis’ universe everything turns out ok!

I think that'll do for 2024! Tags here are to say I appreciate you and thank you for chilling with me in the tumblrverse.

@youarenevertooold @iamamythologicalcreature @alexalexinii @cattocavo @that-disabled-princess

@orange-peony @cutestkilla @rimeswithpurple @larkral @best--dress

@scribble-tier @theimpossibledemon @artsyunderstudy @raenestee @thewholelemon

@nightimedreamersworld @itriednottothinkaboutit @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @angelsfalling16

@the-beard-of-edward-teach @monbons @katatsumuli

@aristocratic-otter @snowbazdaily @argumentativeantitheticalg @lovelyladzzzz @eremeldanin

[leicamoments]

The Race for Promotion

Harrogate Railway Reserves 4-0 Brighouse Town Women WRCWFL Division Three

I’ve somehow managed to get to February without covering Railway Reserves, mainly due to a combination of bad weather and them having had more away fixtures than home ones. Sunday saw the various stars align with my schedule, and I was able to head down to King James’ School to see them take on Brighouse.

The weather hasn’t been too good recently, but with it being a 3G pitch, there was little chance this particular game would be called off. In fact, the forecast surprisingly predicted 0% chance of rain…although that proved to be wrong.

Brighouse sat top of the table at the beginning of the day, having won ten and with only one loss; the reverse fixture had seen the visitors winning comfortably, and so this game appeared to be a daunting prospect for the reserves.

The game got underway with Brighouse immediately putting the home team under a lot of pressure. They settled quickly, pressing Railway back into their own half, and having a lot of possession. However, they didn’t really create any clear-cut chances to score.

What the reserves were doing well, was breaking forward and trying to hit Brighouse on the counter, and they appeared to have the pace down both wings to trouble the visitors. In fact, it was the Harrogate team that was to have the first really decent shot at goal in the 15th minute, but the effort was sent just over the bar when it appeared that Railway would take the lead.

However, the home team weren’t to be denied. With a half hour gone, Railway attacked down their right; the ball was fired across the edge of the box to the left side of the penalty area where Fiona Salter hit an unstoppable shot past the Brighouse keeper and into the roof of the net, 1-0.

As a few spots of rain fell from dark grey skies, the half time whistle went with the Reserves a goal to the good. At that point, both teams had contributed to what had been a good game, but neither had created more than a couple of chances to score.

The second half was to eventually explode into action, but the initial moments mimicked the first half as both teams wrestled for control of the midfield. With around 15 minutes on the clock, it was the home team that would double their lead after an attack down their right, the ball was hit low between the keeper and her near post, 2-0.

The two-goal advantage lasted around seven minutes; a good attack by Brighouse saw a shot blocked by the defender, but it popped up and hit her hand and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Summer Hadwin placed the ball, the penalty was sent low to the left of the Railway stopper and Brighouse had a foothold in the game, 2-1.

Railway’s response was almost immediate…but relied on a huge slice of luck. A break down their left saw a ball hit in towards the centre of the pitch where one of the Brighouse players went to kick the ball and seemed to slice it up high into the air. The ball looped towards the goal and started to drop...still in play...as the keeper tried to get back to collect it.

It was one of those horrible moments as the ball was dropping just under the bar…and the keeper wasn’t able to get to it. Railway had a two-goal advantage again courtesy of an own-goal, 3-1.

It didn’t take long for the reserves to add another and effectively win the game, again a move down their right and finished from close range, 4-1. With time running out, it seemed like the game would end with that score, but the visitors had other ideas.

With less than five minutes remaining, Brighouse pressed to get back into the game and won a corner on their right. The initial ball was played across the box and had to be collected on the left touchline; the ball was sent back across the Railway penalty box where Summer Hadwin controlled the ball, turned the defender and stroked the ball beautifully into the corner of the goal, 4-2.

Both teams continued to compete for the ball over the next five minutes, but neither could carve out another goal-scoring chance. On the final whistle, Railway celebrated what could be a massive three points.

Brighouse showed why they are such a good team, and why they will still be one of the favourites to win promotion at the end of the season; with this win, Railway Reserves announced their intentions to compete for those top two spots and on the evidence of Sunday, they are certainly capable of winning the majority of their remaining games…and putting pressure on both Brighouse and Eccleshill.

It’s going to be an exciting race for promotion.

Goals: Railway - April Kennedy, Fiona Salter, Ruby Wilkinson, OG | Brighouse – Summer Hadwin. Referee: Anthony Edwards

[clearmindcbt01]

CBT for Insomnia in Harrogate: A Therapist’s Guide to Restful Sleep

Do you find yourself lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling, unable to drift off to sleep? Insomnia can be a frustrating and exhausting experience, affecting your mood, energy levels, and overall well-being. If you're struggling with insomnia in Harrogate, you’re not alone—and there’s a proven, effective solution: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).

At CLEAR MIND CBT, our experienced therapists in Harrogate specialize in helping people overcome sleep difficulties through evidence-based counselling. In this guide, we’ll explore how CBT-I works and how it can help you achieve the restful sleep you deserve.

Understanding Insomnia: More Than Just Sleepless Nights

Insomnia isn’t just about struggling to fall asleep—it can also include:

Waking up frequently during the night

Waking too early and being unable to go back to sleep

Feeling unrefreshed after sleep

Experiencing fatigue, irritability, or difficulty concentrating during the day

Long-term sleep issues can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and even depression. However, the good news is that insomnia is treatable, and CBT-I is one of the most effective approaches for restoring healthy sleep patterns.

How CBT for Insomnia Works

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a structured, evidence-based approach that targets the thoughts and behaviours that contribute to sleep difficulties. Unlike sleeping pills, which only offer short-term relief, CBT-I provides long-lasting improvements in sleep quality by addressing the root causes of insomnia.

1. Identifying and Changing Negative Sleep Thoughts

Many people with insomnia develop negative thoughts about sleep, such as:

“I’ll never get a good night’s sleep.”

“If I don’t sleep tonight, I won’t be able to function tomorrow.”

A therapist in Harrogate trained in CBT-I will help you challenge these unhelpful beliefs and replace them with more positive, realistic thoughts that promote relaxation and better sleep.

2. Improving Sleep Habits (Sleep Hygiene)

CBT-I focuses on developing healthy sleep habits, such as:

✔ Creating a consistent bedtime routine ✔ Reducing screen time before bed ✔ Avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime ✔ Ensuring a comfortable sleep environment

Your therapist in Harrogate will guide you in making these small but powerful adjustments to improve your sleep quality.

3. Stimulus Control Therapy

Insomnia often causes people to spend too much time awake in bed, which can create a mental association between the bed and sleeplessness. Stimulus control therapy helps retrain your brain to associate the bed only with sleep by:

✔ Going to bed only when you’re sleepy ✔ Getting out of bed if you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes ✔ Using the bed only for sleep (not for watching TV, scrolling on your phone, or working)

4. Sleep Restriction Therapy

Many people with insomnia try to compensate for lost sleep by spending more time in bed. However, this often backfires, leading to lighter, fragmented sleep. Sleep restriction therapy involves limiting time in bed to strengthen the body’s natural sleep drive, gradually leading to longer, deeper sleep.

5. Relaxation and Stress Reduction

Stress and anxiety are common causes of insomnia in Harrogate. CBT-I incorporates relaxation techniques, such as:

✔ Mindfulness meditation ✔ Deep breathing exercises ✔ Progressive muscle relaxation

These techniques calm the nervous system, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Why Choose CBT for Insomnia in Harrogate?

Unlike sleep medications, which only provide temporary relief, CBT-I offers a long-term solution for improving sleep naturally. Research shows that CBT-I is more effective than sleeping pills in the long run, helping people achieve lasting improvements in sleep quality.

At CLEAR MIND CBT, we provide professional counselling in Harrogate for individuals struggling with insomnia. Our therapists offer personalized CBT-I sessions designed to help you regain control of your sleep and overall well-being.

Start Your Journey to Better Sleep Today

If insomnia in Harrogate is affecting your daily life, it’s time to take action. A trained therapist in Harrogate can help you develop the skills and strategies needed to overcome sleep difficulties and enjoy the benefits of restful, rejuvenating sleep.Ready to transform your sleep? Contact CLEAR MIND CBT today to book a consultation and take the first step towards better sleep and better health.

[definitionaudiovisual]

AV Installations Harrogate

AV Installations Harrogate – we have just completed another audio and visual installation for a returning customer in their large meeting room with the installation of a new ceiling speaker sound system and two additional Samsung commercial TV display Screens.

For the sound system installation we have installed fourteen Cloud CSC6 ceiling speakers throughout the two rooms, six in the front area and eight in the larger rear area so that they have adequate audio coverage throughout when they are having meetings and performing presentations, these are powered from two Cloud VA2120 100 volt line amplifiers installed in the existing cabinet.

Within the existing cabinet we have installed an Allen & Heath Qpac digital mixer along with another two Sennheiser handheld radio mic systems and their existing Sennheiser headset radio mic systems. All the sound can be controlled via the Ipad we have mounted on the wall just above the cabinet.

For the visual installation we have added another two Samsung commercial 50″ TV display screens on wall arm brackets near the front, along with Kramer HDMI over CAT6 senders and receivers coupled to a new Kramer 1 in 4  out HDMI distribution amplifier system so that all the screens and the projector show the same image throughout all the TV screens and projector, whether they use their existing PC or the Barco Clickshare wireless presentation unit.

Email: mark@definitionaudiovisual.co.uk

Website: https://www.definitionaudiovisual.co.uk/

Telephone: 08435 235470

[townhousedesign]

Things to Bear in Mind when Designing Your Luxury Kitchen in Leeds

There is a common misconception that you cannot have a kitchen that is luxurious, yet family friendly. With a little bit of planning and execution, you can create your dream, customized kitchen. Our experienced designers at Townhouse Design are experts at designing family kitchens Harrogate. We look at the client’s requirements and combine it with our bespoke kitchen designs, to deliver your dream luxury kitchen. You can keep the following tips in mind, when creating your own Luxury Kitchens leeds:

1.   �� The kitchen sink: Many people do not pay much attention to the kitchen sink, but this is the most important and used space in your kitchen. Invest in a good quality sink that can handle all the harsh chemicals and minerals. Place the sink in a location that gets lots of natural light, so that it can get dried soon.

2.     Storage: Having clutter lying around, can make your kitchen look messy. Therefore, it is important to invest in storage spaces. Depending on the space available, you can invest in cupboards, sliding shelves or handle less drawers. Children friendly storage options, can also be used to design Family kitchens Harrogate.

3.     Aesthetics: This is probably the most important factor that distinguishes Luxury Kitchens leeds. Currently, smoked glass, rich colours, solid prints, metallic textures and grained patterns are trending for the aesthetic look in luxury kitchens.

4.     Lighting: If your kitchen does not have enough natural lighting, consider investing in a chandelier or some LED tubes. A chandelier can be a statement piece and a showstopper, when guests visit your kitchen.

5.     Technology: People are investing in innovative, smart kitchens these days. The appliances of these kitchens can be controlled via your smartphone or an app. From switching on the cooker to dimming the lights, wow your guests, by using this feature, with the click of a button. 

[eonomicshopping]

research also found that cities which are adopting

The study based on Leeds City Region, West Yorkshire, Harrogate and York showed carbon solutions are now feasible and the issue of climate change cannot be ignored as it has become an important part of the economyCarbon credits on airline travelIn the last two weeks EU carbon permits rose 3% which was at.The Carbon offset market provides the platform to offset carbon footprints generated by any industry and  escalators manufacturers it was created after the formation of The Clean Air Act of 1991.EU is planning to implement carbon tax on airline tickets and the amount of tax will depend on the ticket type while, the rate will be calculated in terms of emission per passenger per mile. There has been an increasing demand for carbon reduction projects and Capital Alternatives provides opportunity to invest in reforestation projects in the Gola Rainforests in Sierra Leone and the Brazilian Rainforests. There are other benefits  it helps to create thousands of new jobs and cut energy bills. 

The African and Brazilian projects specialize in creating REDD carbon credits, which are the most valuable voluntary carbon credit a metric ton which was the biggest jump since  while, the United National Certified Emission reductions credit rate was at 3. There are other ways of calculating carbon tax on flights which includes - the joint tax on all the pollutants which will be calculated from the time period for which you take the flight, seat class and airline carrier.. The improvements in technology prevented 67 billion points of emission of carbon dioxide from U.Climate Care Global Ltd. As per study, the carbon tax on airline tickets will be less than  of the total cost and the cost will be tax deductible. With the implementation of carbon tax on airlines travel and tourism sector will be affected. The need for carbon projectsTo reduce direct liability of carbon emission more and more carbon footprints generating organizations are searching for projects where they can enhance participation and generate carbon credits at a low investment level. 

Cities adopting low carbon developmentsA study conducted by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures found the cities which are adopting the go-green schemes get back the return in investment in 4 to 8 years. Once an investor purchases the land, Climate Care Global arrange the audit and accreditation of the area to calculate the number of carbon credits gained for each plot, and these carbon credits can be traded at various carbon  exchanges and international markets..In the past year airline emissions decreased as airlines are enhancing fuel efficiency and creating new routings and air traffic control techniques to reduce emission per passenger per mile. Carbon dioxide is the gas which stays in the atmosphere for more than two hundred years and therefore, it is necessary to reduce the emission of carbon to prevent climate change, to enhance crop yield and to prevent deaths caused by climate changes as found by NASA led research. 

Research has found the highest percentage of purchase of carbon is mainly land based projects of reforestation in the over-the-counter market. is the team providing carbonaccreditation for the projects. flights in the years from  and saved 16 billion gallons of jet fuel which was valued higher than  billion.Clean energy: Investments economically making senseThe survey of the state of the voluntary carbon markets showed the largest market volume of. Generation of carbon credits by investing in forest-landCarbon creditsare non-compulsory means to prevent global warming and it has now become a retail action where you can buy and sell carbon credits. The market provides consumers the platform to purchase tax deductible carbon credits. Capital Alternatives sells plots which are subleased to investors for a  year term, which, is registered in the name of the investor.Capital Alternativess  provides various carbon investment opportunitiesincluding projects in the Brazilian and African rainforest. The research also found that cities which are adopting the go-green schemes get back the returns in years.The most effective ways to generate carbon credits are afforestation.The carbon offset market was created after the formation of Clean Air Act in 1991 and research has indicated the highest percentage of carbon credits are generated through the reforestation projects.

[eye-raq]

Lethal Lust.

A snippet.

Rage flowed through him like molten lava.

His fury sprang to life.

His edge of irritation had definitely returned.

Today, at approximately 3:15 am, on Saturday, he was wearing a suit. A Harrogate Black Indochino suit made with 95% Merino Wool, and only 5% luxurious Cashmere; which was a shame because it added warmth, softness, and lightness. His feet were covered in D-ring detail Monogram Patent Leather formal dress shoes by Burberry. Fixing his silver cufflinks with obvious aggressiveness, he began to walk the length of the hallway.

It wasn’t a typical hallway located in a fancy banquet or ballroom. No. It was narrow and smelly. Windowless, and ancient. Gloomy with a sadistic secret. Hideously colored. Cold and annoyingly stuffy. And to top it all off, accompanied with flickering fluorescent light bulbs and walls with chipped off-white paint. When he walked,  you could hear the sound of his dress shoes bouncing off of the hollow walls. His hands were clasped behind his back casually, whistling to himself a random catchy tune he came up with. Godspeed to the person he was looking for, the one that earned him a bloody lip that leaked onto his once perfectly crisp and white dress shirt.

This was child’s play. Hide and seek was for five-year-olds named Sally, Susie, Billy, and Mikey. So much for trying to be a different kind of horror. No matter how much he veered away from that narrative, people still found him to be like Micheal Myers. How he couldn’t tell you. Micheal was clearly otherworldly and not human. As for him, he was all human. One gunshot to the head and he would drop to his knees with eyes as wide as saucers, falling forehead first in a pool of blood. One quick step and a precise strike with a Karambit knife would slice open his gut leading to a slow, yet painful death.

Speaking of knives, he was currently holding a kukri: a middle Asia knife that is weighed in the front. It gives the user more downward force and power. Commonly used to chop down tree limbs, or in his case...human limbs.

With sharp ears like a wolf, he could hear breathing. Struggling, pained breathing. It was coming from his right. Oh, how nice...a dark room with a tiny rusted window that reminded you of a dank basement that belonged to a serial killer. Funny...he was a serial killer. Not like a Ted Bundy, or a Jeffrey Dahmer. Nah, those were the kinds he went after. Those were the ones who ended up here in his secret layer holding on to their last breaths before the final image they see is the morgue lights.

He could taste blood. His anger felt so good but it would feel even better if he just had that son of a bitch. His nostrils flared. With twitching eyes, he made his way into that pitch black room like he had night vision goggles on. With his hunting and tracking skills, he makes his way slyly into the room, twirling that Kukri knife in hand skillfully like a switchblade. Taking in a deep breath, then exhaling, he finally speaks.

“Funny...I actually thought to tie your legs with a chain but the urge to kill you was eating away at me. Excuse my fault...you won’t have long to worry about that shit anyway.”

Moving his eyes from left to right, he walks along the cold concrete wall, dragging that knife across it with every step.

“You won’t believe what I have in my hand. It’s your Kukri. You’re familiar with those, right? You use them a lot when you murder all those girls, correct? I can understand why it gets the job done.”

He takes the knife and places it firmly in his grip, walking with a rigid form. He could smell the alcohol and infection on him and it was only a matter of time before he unleashed again on his prey. His disgusting prey. The prey who preyed on little girls...one, in particular, Samara Jenkins.

—————-

15 hours ago:

“This is NBC 6, South Florida News. Today, Miami Police found the body of the missing six-year-old girl: Samara Ella Jenkins. Daughter to pastors of Heavenly Home Baptist Church, Ertha Jenkins, and Sydney Jenkins. Their daughter had been missing for over two weeks now. Miami police have been searching day in, and day out for this missing pure soul, and today...they finally made a discovery.”

Erik watched while the news reporter drowns on. The camera scanned the Everglades. It looked particularly dry and withering; a fucking Gator central. With narrow hawk eyes, a single vein appearing in the middle of his forehead, he took in the news he really wanted to hear, no matter how hard it was to listen. He needed to listen. It was his God-given duty to listen.

“Young Samara was found here in the wetlands wrapped in a trash bag, surrounded by Alligators. It took great difficulty at first, but the Police have confirmed that it is indeed Samara. The family has asked for privacy at this time, and the immediate finding of her murderer.”

Pausing his TV, Erik got up from his seated position, walking through his living room and towards the kitchen. His steel toe Doc Martens dragged across the freshly placed tile of his Miami apartment, walking past the black marble kitchen island and directly towards his office. It was time. If his memory serves him, it had been almost a month since his last kill. The urge was building up so much within him he was ready to combust. The sound of his Father's old grandfather clock that was given to him as a gift before he died ticked in the background eerily. Finally, standing in front of his fireproof wall safe, Erik cracked his combination. Pulling open the door slowly, he came face to face with his treat.

He’d like to call it… a souvenir. He took pride in it like a child did a sand castle on the beach. They served as trophy cases to him. There, lies a box with blood slides. In it housed 46 slides of his victims. Taking the box, Erik places it on top of his glass desk. Opening the box, he ran a single finger gently across the top of the slides as the glass slightly clattered. At times, he would refer to the slides as “my secret” or other times, “my pride kills...my friends.”

It’s funny that he called them friends. A few he caught the attention of by raising a glass with an easy-going smile. For others, he would pick up a random conversation from maybe bumping shoulders about the Miami weather and how shitty their jobs were. Or even, dropping a hint of sexual interest that always seemed to work since his looks were beyond dismal. Ordinary. Regular. No. Erik was handsome. The kind of handsome you would find in a Calvin Klein add or sitting in VIP at some high-end club surrounded by models. Not a woman could walk by and not stop and stare.

“I guess I gotta make it 47,” he lets out controlled breaths, eyes watering with anger. The person's blood who would reside on the empty forensic slide goes by the name of Dean Orrin. 38 years old and an ex-military man. A man who should be registered as a Pedophile but instead walks the streets of South Beach proud and cocky. This man, what a son of a bitch. This redneck.  Such a waste of fresh air and space. The raging alcoholic and child abuser worked as a Respiratory Therapist at a children’s hospital. Can you believe it? A fucking children’s hospital. His shifts were Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm. He drove a 1992 Ford Mustang in red, seats covered in fresh leather.

Too bad the vintage car didn’t match this man’s physical appearance.

He was short, balding, square-shaped with a beer belly and a faux-friendly face that belonged to a white man you wouldn’t dare assume was a murderer of young black and Latina girls ranging from the ages of 4 to 10.

Erik would sit outside of Dean’s Miami Shores home on Ne 92nd Street. He lived alone, kept the doors unlocked to give off a friendly vibe,  picked up the newspaper every day around 8:00 am, and ate the same old Salisbury steak TV dinner around 7:45 pm in front of his flat screen; his prized possession. One evening while Dean was away, Erik took the time to investigate Dean’s home. Of course, he would find child pornography on his computer, and even worse an entirely dark room with cardboard boxes filled with photographs of his victims bound and naked.

Erik picked up a picture of little Samara, afraid and weak with ropes around her little body. His eyes watered with rage, biting down on his tongue and ignoring the pain. He felt worse pain anyway. This was sickening. How could you hurt such an innocent child? Such pure light? It made no sense to him. Clearly, Dean had something deep and traumatic going on with him to resort to this type of lifestyle. Erik had demons too, and he sometimes wondered if they were all one and the same; a family of murderers United. He’d keep Samaras photo, it would only serve to kill Dean even more. Slide number 47 would be clean no longer.

Erik has built a file on this man for over a month now. After finding out about the murder of his Neighbors young Latina daughter, Cassie, age 8, he began to piece together the parts that Miami Day Police failed to do.

Dean’s way of going about doing things was getting to know the children that came through Giving Hands Children’s Hospital in South Beach. He would give them treats, learn things about them, and extract whatever information he needed from their files. No personal contact involving the parents, no meetups or anything, just getting the information and kidnapping the children.

He didn’t do it so often. Dean’s stretch would be at least a month or two in between. Samara was his fourth murder. Erik broke it down one rainy night in his office how Dean successfully snatched Samara and killed her. Heavenly Home Baptist Church held fundraisers for their neighborhood. The last night Samara was seen, only two weeks ago on a Thursday, was the night of Youth Day. It was an open house for anyone to come in and be a part of because Heavenly Hope housed generous, God-fearing people. Little Samara took her badminton racket to the back lawn, never telling her mother she was going out for some fresh air. She’d been gone for over an hour and Miss Ertha made a plate filled with Samaras favorites.

Well, you could probably guess what happened next, right? Everyone at that church searched high and low for her. Her parents and siblings had sleepless nights, signs and billboards were made, all in a span of two weeks. It hurts deep like an open wound. Erik never had kids, probably never will...but still...he could feel their pain. No matter, Erik was a man of his word. He wasn’t great in combat with a keen skill in blood spatter analysis, tracking, and weapons training for nothing. He’d put all of that to good use.

———

Saturday, April 1st: the day of fools. 1:30 am.

Sitting in an expensive suit that he intended to wear on a date, Erik finally finds the perfect opportunity to catch Dean. Erik could only hope that his date wouldn’t be angry with him, after all, she practically begged.

This motherfucker couldn’t be serious, could he?

He was already drunk off of Jack Daniels and now he was gearing towards entering an 18 and over club on Ocean Drive. The rage in Erik boiled his blood. Was Dean trying to age up his victims now? Is cockiness getting to him since he hadn’t been caught yet?

All of these things added to Erik’s fury, but the fury was what he needed to stay amped up. Anger for Erik made him more proud. He was correct to lay down an extra layer of plastic this time.

“Sick motherfucker,” Erik shakes his head, a single finger tapping at the steering wheel of his burner car that he used for kills; some beat up old Chevy with a stolen license plate.

This vigilante never sleeps when it comes to a kill.

Just stay in the shadows, Erik…

Night time is your time.

You have to be cunning to outwit your foes. The flashing club lights ignited his face purple, red, and blue. Bodies moved about in packs, sweat dripping and fingers intertwined. Erik could almost feel the heart beats racing among him. Young and naive they all were, especially the young girl Dean was eyeing.

She looked to be about 19, a drink in her hand and braids so long they swept the backs of her legs. She twirled, shouted to the music, and twerked in her own little world. Dean was compelled. Erik could see the killing fetish in his eyes so deep his pupils dilated an almost pitch black. Erik wanted badly to choke him up right here and finish the job but then that wouldn’t help him, would it? Keeping to the shadows, Erik watched until it was time for him to make his move.

———-

“Feel like making a deal with the devil?”

The young girl with honeyed skin and full lips turns to Dean, a little jumpy from being caught off guard. She regarded him, eyes squinted.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, do you feel like making a deal with the devil?”

Dean pulls out a baggy filled with LSD, swinging it in front of her face. The girl was tempted for a second, that was until she looked back at Dean and saw the sweat covering his face, a faded tattoo of a pentagram on the inside of his wrist, and the maniacal way he licked his lips.

“Uhm, no thanks. I’m okay.”

The young girl gave him a generous smile before sauntering away towards the back of the club. Clearly, Dean didn’t like being told no. He stood still for what felt like minutes, staring at her retreating form until she disappeared around a corner and out of sight. Like clockwork, Dean follows, a hand deep in his pocket and shoulders hunched. It was time, Erik had to make a move now before the young girl became Dean’s new victim.

Ignoring lingering stares of passion that he didn’t like nor accepted, Erik maneuvered through the crowd as they parted like the Red Sea for him, finally around that corner and hot on Dean’s trail. Apparently, the young girl wasn’t going to the ladies. There was an exit straight ahead, the LED of the sign almost blinding and cryptic. With much more speed now, Erik dashes to the back door, black leather gloved hand pushing open the swinging doors.

His dress shoes met a puddle, and his hands clenched into fists. There was no sign of either of them.

Fuck.

Deciding to make a left, Erik followed his path down the narrow garbage filled alley, head moving from left to right to find him. To his luck, he could hear struggling, choking breaths. Keeping close to the wall, Erik looked around that corner at the edge of the alley, coming face to face with the devil himself.

Dean had the young girl smashed against the brick wall, his hand lazily rubbing under her skirt. Every time she tried to scream, Dean would smash her face further into the brick.

“Shut up...shut up...shut up...SHUT UP!!!” Dean yelled, spit flying and a snarl on his face. He looked red from anger.

“Keep still you black bitch!!!! Keep still or I will slit your fucking throat with my knife!”

Erik has seen enough now.

Pulling out his 9mm pistol with a silencer, Erik’s 20/20 sniper vision aided him as he aimed a bullet at Dean’s side, watching as the stout man fell to his knees in agonizing pain, releasing the young girl from his deadly grip. She kicked away and down the alley in the opposite direction, screaming in tears and limping. A life saved, and one before him ready to be taken away.

Erik watched with joy and triumph as Dean stared into the darkness with confusion and pain, rolling around in the mud, shit, piss, and garbage juice.

“WHOS THERE!!!!!!!!!!” He yelled between cries, blood staining his teeth.

“AM I GOING TO DIE?!!!PLEASE, NO. AM I GOING TO DIE HERE?!!!”

Erik made his way towards him, adjusting his gloves and storing away his gun. It was so dark, Dean couldn’t make him out, but he could hear his footsteps.

“OMG. Who’s there!!!!!!!!!!”

Erik picks Dean up one-handed by his collar, silencing him with a tranquilizer to the neck. Dean was now dead weight. Luckily, his car was parked on the other side of the alley, and the coast was clear.

———

“Wha? Where am I?”

Dean blinked twice, rubbing his right hand over his dry tears. Sniffling snot, wrists in pain from being wrapped in chains, Dean stares into the pitch black, figuring he had to be in the trunk of a car with the smell of gas and rubber. Was this his fate? Was God finally judging him?

Death clearly doesn’t discriminate.

He took the lives of young girls, so now the price to pay was his life.

And to think he had a chance tonight with another kill. Maybe, it was too soon to go out for another thrill.

He could feel his death.

The amount of pain he was in, he felt like he was dead already. Ah, now he remembers. Someone shot him in the ribs back in that alley. Aiming for his respiratory technique, Dean breathed slowly and steadily, trying his hardest to avoid the feeling of his own blood dripping from his gunshot wound. If only he could apply pressure without bleeding out so much.

Whoever this person was wanted to take their time with him.

The sound of the car door slamming followed by the car shaking from the impact made Dean go stiff. It was time to meet His executioner. And when his time is up, would they tell his story? Make him another missing person? Dean much rather be seen in the spotlight like the Zodiac Killer had been. Too bad he wasn’t swift enough. Was it a parent of one of his victims? an off duty cop who just had to bring work home?

Whistling began.

“What?” Dean’s voice was scratchy and pathetic sounding.

With the trunk now open, Dean could feel the humid air of Miami pour in. Catching his breath and bracing himself, Dean came face to face with an unfamiliar foe. He had dreads braided back, a crisp suit that must have cost a fortune, hands covered with leather gloves and eyes so cold they could petrify you. He looked like a mercenary, or maybe a hit man. He was young, could be around early thirties. He smiled sadistically. Fuck. Was this bastard as crazy as him?

“It takes a monster to destroy a monster.”

That statement alone was bone chilling. He had the same kill stare but with a different goal.

“You’re playing my fucking game now. No little girls to touch and kill here. You should fear me.”

Swiftly, The unknown man grabbed Dean by the neck, pulling him up and out of the trunk. Dean rolled onto his elbow, pain shooting through his arm and dirt filling his lungs. It was so overbearing that he felt oxygen deprived. With his feet failing him, Dean tries to crawl away, but of course, that wouldn’t work, he was too fat and too weak.

“You can crawl all you want. Your fate remains the same, motherfucker.” Like the Hulk himself gripped his legs, Dean was dragged back across the ground, feet flapping and nails clawing at rocks and dirt. He could feel his skin splitting. With one struggling kick, his foot met the man’s face, bloodying his lip. No words were said then. His eyes were ice cold and demon like. Dean didn’t know what hit him, but those eyes made him get on his feet, and he ran into the abandoned building straight ahead. He didn’t hear the man’s footsteps, guessing that maybe he was too hurt to follow him and find him.

Little did Dean know his weapon of choice: a Kukri knife fell out of his back pocket. Erik has that very knife in his possession now, more than excited to use Dean’s weapon against him. This was going to be one hell of a bloody night.

——-

It was just too easy for him. He needed a challenge. That’s it...a challenge. Maybe a Russian who escaped prison and decided to go on a genocide killing spree. Or a calculated serial killer who played him at his own game. Dean was easy prey. They all had the same motive: hide in the most typical places, pray to themselves and breathe so loud the people down the road could hear, or worse, bleed out and leave a bloody trail. Dean’s wound was beginning to smell. Erik’s sense of smell when it came to infected, rotting, flesh was nearly non-existent. It didn’t bother him one bit.

All the lives he took when he killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, the States apart of JSOC and when he was an ex-assassin made it that way. The scars on his skin were there to prove it. Now, he did the kills without taking orders from no one.

“Dean...you fat ass motherfucker. Dirty, disgusting, sick, smelly ass, redneck, motherfucker.”

Erik drew in his bottom lip between his teeth, the sound of the leather gloves on his hand crunching from how tightly his fists were clenched.

“Why little Black and Latina girls, Dean? What’s so special about them? Is it the fact that they aren’t as privileged as your kind? The colonizers?”

Dean was so fucking stupid. How could someone go so long with precisely killing four little girls but hide where Erik could see him? In a dirty corner filled with old dusty crates and broken glass shards, Erik could see the silhouette of Dean Orrin. His body was practically leaning over from how weak he was. All that blood loss failed him. No energy, no will power, just dead weight.

Letting out a stressed sigh, Erik pocketed the Kukri, walking over to Dean. Picking him up by the back of his hoodie, hopefully choking him, he began to drag him across the dusty cobweb filled floor, startling him and causing him to scream.

“You a bitch, you know that? You kill little girls like you a man but wanna scream like a woman because you are about to die. I knew chicks more gangsta than you.”

Erik laughs hard, finally back in that hallway and headed towards his destination.

“Tell me,” Erik yanks him, hearing him choke up.

“Why little girls? Got raped when you were a kid? Touched your ex little daughter in her sleep and got a hard-on? What?!!!” Erik releases Dean, turning to yoke him up forcefully. Dean’s blurry and dizzy vision made Erik look like five Erik’s. He could still see the hard eyes though, they could never go forgotten.

“ANSWER. MY. FUCKING. QUESTION.”

Erik’s breathing was the only sound, Dean’s mind forcing him to speak but words couldn’t form. That pissed Erik off...oh...that made him mad. Erik’s eyes flickered a moment, before taking one hand to retrieve the Kukri, twirling it between his fingers, and ramming it into dean’s side, opening his gunshot wound further.

Dean’s screams were suspended in his throat, eyes watery and teeth grinding. His breath hit Erik’s nose causing him to drop him on the floor, back to dragging his lard ass leaving a bloody trail.

——

The old morgue was famous back in 95’ but it was closed due to concerns with keeping the dead cold until it was time for burial. It was gated off with grass growing so high gators could live here. No one dares to trespass, leaving it as a haunted destination to never visit. Erik had it soundproofed, and he fixed it up himself. He never used the morgue refrigerators, what was the point anyway? He didn’t care to slow up the decomposition phase. His job was to hunt, kill, and discard of the parts. Currently, in this fully double plastic-covered room, Erik had Dean on an operating table in the charnel house, head and feet restrained. He blinked up at the lights, failing to keep his eyes opened. Dean was already pale, now he looked almost chalky with skin leatherlike. Erik removed his suit jacket, hanging it neatly on a nearby coat rack. The sleeves to his white oxford shirt were rolled up to his elbows, surgical gloves on his hands and an entire surgical gown with goggles included to shield the blood splatter.

A medium force (velocity) impact spatter:

Produced with more energy or force than gravity.

The force of the impact causes the blood to break into smaller size splatters relative to the amount of force applied.

This type of splatter is usually seen in blunt force, stabbings, and secondary splatters.

Produced when the majority of larger drops of blood are broken into smaller spatters with diameters of 2-4 mm.

The force associated with this type of spatter is greater than 25 ft per second.

His first victim, Alejandra Lopez was just 4 years old. It was a rainy week in Miami; they called for thunderstorms around 90%. She was riding her little training wheel bike colored blue and pink down a small suburb in Little Havana. Her slicker hood was up, rain droplets shielding her vision but so what? she was on a mission. Her dad nicknamed her little trainer, speedy. Giggling, she made a sharp turn, only to fall off and in the gutter. She winced in pain slightly, but Alejandra was tough. Her mother was passed out drunk on the couch while her father was pulling doubles at the auto shop. Alejandra carefully lifted from the gutter, whipping off the mud from her slicker. As her doe grey eyes lifted, she came face to face with her murder. He struck her over the head with a lead pipe, watching as her tiny body fell to the concrete, cracking her skull further…

Erik couldn’t sleep after seeing that on the news.

So terrible.

The thought of that crossed his mind just now, causing him to pick up a broken lead pipe he found near a construction site on his way home from the beach. Twirling that lead pipe in hand, he turns to Dean, clearing his throat.

“You remember Alejandra? In Little Havana?”

Dean swallows spit, his eyes struggling to look to his right where Erik was standing.

“I-I-Yeah..yeah the little Mexican girl. I-I remember…” Dean began to cry.

“You remember how you used a pipe to crack her skull?” Erik’s grip on the pipe grew tight and painful.

“...yes…”

“How did that make you feel?”

“...good...but please...don’t…”

“There will be blood, Dean. And guess what? I got a lead pipe.”

Erik began to walk forward, pipe resting on his shoulder.

“WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE MY FATE?!!! HUH??!!!!!!” Dean screamed at the top of his lungs, causing himself to cough up blood. He was going to die anyway, no use in screaming.

“I’m the Judge. Jury. And Executioner. Don’t fucking bark if you can’t bite.” He sounded baneful and destructive.

Everything went silent, that was until the pipe broke the wind from how forceful Erik’s blow was. Erik aimed that pipe to Dean’s head, the sound of his temporal bone splitting music to his ears. Dean shook, fingers twitching, and eyes wide with pain. His nose began to leak, eyes watering in agony. At this point, he could beg for instant death. Erik did damage for sure, his brain must be ricocheting in his skull right now.

An ugly laugh escaped Erik’s mouth, the sound of the pipe hitting plastic only audible to him since Dean’s hearing was no more.

“I-I-I w-won’t Let you-you…” Dean chokes on blood. His heart rate began to slow further.

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me. It’s who’s going to stop me?” Erik took this as an opportunity to pull out his Kukri. Yes, his now.

“I can imagine how many times you wipe this clean. Fucking sick...and I thought my traumatic past was bad? I can’t imagine yours…”

Holding the knife firm, Erik brought it to Dean’s right hand, cutting it off cleanly. At this point, Dean couldn’t even scream. He was already dying, all he could do was wither in pain. Cutting the hands of a pedophile. You touch young girls and murder them, you get your hands amputated. His dick getting cut off sounded great but Erik didn’t even want to SEE IT. Without saying another word, his other hand was amputated. The blood splatter Erik knew well stained the plastic.

With a clenched jaw and savage eyes, Erik takes Dean by his greasy head, bringing that Kukri to his throat.

“This is for Samara, and all the other little girls you killed. They have no fucking life, now you won’t.”

Erik twirled that knife, swiping across Dean’s neck quickly, watching the blood splatter briefly before slowing to a drip. The life could be seen leaving Dean Orrin’s eyes under those morgue lights.

——-

First off, it’s important to understand what dead bodies are like. They’re very heavy, they absolutely stink, they attract flies and vermin practically from the word go, they release a lot of unpleasant substances, they bloat and they can even explode. Draining the fluids as quickly as possible and mixing them with a lot of bleach before flushing them would prevent this.

Should the body be found, you need to make it as difficult as possible to identify. This means destroying the teeth, finger, and toe prints, and the DNA. The first two are easy, the last one is more tricky. Erik wasn’t a forensic scientist, so he just settled for the teeth and toes. Living in Miami, water was an easy source to dump bodies. Erik used to settle for burying them, but that took hours and a lot of footprints left behind. To make his life easier, he simply dumped the bodies far out in the ocean while taking a routine route on his boat. Applying weights to the feet and covering them with heavy duty body bags always helped him out. This was the only way he could dispose of the evidence before the police got wind of it, which they never did.

Erik wasn’t a wanted man, at least, not as Erik Stevens. When he was Killmonger, international police wanted his neck. Killmonger came out to play when he took the lives of vermin to satisfy his needs, but he went away when he did his daily routines. Believe it or not, Erik had friends, a foster sister, and maybe a possible girlfriend. It was odd, Erik considered himself to be asexual. He didn’t find romantic attraction or love for a woman. It never interested him in having a romantic relationship with a woman. He had sex, though it was more so because he could not because he wanted to. Being asexual had nothing to do with his dick, it was about the sexual and romantic attraction that didn’t spark his interest. It’s not like he didn’t try. There were days where he wanted that, other days he just didn’t and they were most days. Erik was attractive, rough around the edges, a lady killer without even trying. He needed to move on, make it look normal, kill those who deserved it in secret. These were the words of his late foster father who was a fireman.

Erik…

He could hear his father's voice in his head.

Be strong, Erik. Remember, use your disorder for the greater good. Kill those who deserve to be punished...

With a heavy sigh and all his upper arm strength, Erik heaved Dean Orrin’s body over the railing of his boat and into the ocean water. So long Dean Orrin. The pedophile. The abuser. The murderer. Erik took out the tiny glass vial of his horrid blood, twirling it in hand before pocketing it once more, turning to grab up his Hennessy.

“Ah, they playing Wu-Tang tonight,” he smiles as if it were any other evening, sitting back on his suede all-white sofa with his dress shoe covered feet resting on the fancy glass table.

Time to sleep on the water again.

@goddessofthundathighs @hearteyes-for-killmonger @panthergoddessbast @blowmymbackout @chaneajoyyy @bartierbakarimobisson @madamslayyy

————-

If you want to be tagged, let me know.

[changingthedefinition]

27/11/18-20:40

Today I had a really good day, until this evening when I have nothing much to do and then I eat and become so hyper aware of it and I want to scream!

My care co text today to say I need to write a letter in order to change consultants. I don’t know if it’s worth the hassle. Both she and my housing support worker are really encouraging me to do it, but I dont want to cause trouble or give them a reason to plot and judge and have more power than they already do.

Kieran says he can think of at least 4 reasons off the top of his head as to why I should request to change consultant but what will it achieve.

However today I went down stairs to the kitchen for the first time and did some baking with my other sw Amie. The theory is that if we go into the kitchen to do something I enjoy then I will eventually go down and cook (no one else does but ready meals are driving me mad). It was really nice and chilled and we get on really well so it was a nice way to spend a bit of time.

I also had an interesting appointment with the dietician. I mean in general I find it pointless because I feel so embarrassed that I can’t be honest about how much I am eating. And it find it really hard to stick to structure even though it really helps when I do. However A is the sweetest, and we always end up on a positive. Because I didn’t feel threatened, and because A was saying how from Christmas the Harrogate case load will be closed and she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving me with no dietetic input, I agreed I would go to my connect assessment and Kieran has booked in to come with me.

Change with in services terrifies me. It doesn’t feel safe. It risks allowing threat in and that makes me fight against everyone in order to protect myself although it always back fires really.

But now I have agreed I feel I desperately need to loose this kg I have gained. I can’t though because I fee completlt out of control and all over with eating. I want to go away and then come back and reset! I hate it, hate it hate it.

I want to eat a healthy balanced diet, but instead I eat so so much crap and sugar! I feel so unhealthy in terms of sluggish and bloated and just gross. And my skin is repulsive currently and greasy hair for the first time in a while and just yuck and not ok!

[luuxxgroup]

Home Automation Systems in Leeds, Harrogate, UK

Tailored home automation systems available in Alderley Edge, Leeds, Hale, Harrogate, Wilmslow, and Knutsford for enhanced modern living experiences.

[wintsmarter]

Clarion definition

(14) Forty years ago, Fanon was issuing a clarion call against imperialism. (13) Instead, leading business and farming figures converged on Harrogate today with a clarion call to beat the crisis and face the future together. (12) So far, his clarion call hasn't entirely fallen on deaf ears. (11) Public opposition to a conflict remains strong and a clarion call has gone out from anti-war organisations across the world to stage protests from the first day of war. (10) It should be emphasised that this clarion call comes after many months when the European Central Bank has been preparing the ground for an increase in interest rates. (9) The conference, unthinkable a year ago, produced a clarion call for democratic change - one that was all but ignored by Western media. (8) They talk, shout, create ÔÇÿthe warlike sound / Of trumpets loud and clarions ÔǪ Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds ÔÇÖ. (7) They spoke on behalf of millions of child labourers in India and gave a clarion call to all countries for eliminating poverty and ensuring education to all irrespective of age and gender. (6) He reiterated his clarion call for freeing American politics from the stranglehold of ÔÇÿspecial interestÔÇÖ money. (5) His alto sound is not, thankfully for the balance, of the clarion variety and he, of all the soloists, looked and sounded most involved in the work. (4) Then, too, the ideal voice for this heroic part needs the sort of declamatory clarion brilliance that the Italians call 'squillo'. (3) His clarion tone and beautiful phrasing were a model of superb instrumental control and mastery. (2) In the solo arias in the first and third acts, Pavarotti rang out the high notes with that clarion sonority that is unmistakably his. (1) The clarion trumpet playing was particularly outstanding.

[leicamoments]

Town's Conquest of Segedunum

Harrogate Town Women 2-1 Wallsend BC Women NERWFL Premier League

Sunday’s visitors to the Rachel Daly 3G were Wallsend BC Women Firsts, a team a few places above the Harrogate Town Women’s First Team in the North East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division.

The previous meeting between the two in the league this campaign ended in a goalless draw, at a time when Town were going through a number of changes under their new manager Kate Donnan.

The early part of this season has been tough for Harrogate, with only two draws and a win; however, a convincing 6-4 win against Hull in the league just before the turn of the year, and an excellent 3-2 away win in the County Cup against Morley Town in January has seen a change in their fortune.

Harrogate were looking to win three games in a row for the first time since 2021, and in doing so, lift themselves further away from the relegation spot. New signings Lauren Doyle and Hannah Shuttleworth took their places in the Town match day squad, and it was Lauren who would have a big impact on the game.

The first 45 minutes was an intriguing contest, with both teams having opportunities up front to score, however, it was probably the visitors who had the better of the chances and certainly more territorial advantage.

Routledge, Town’s keeper, made a number of saves to ensure the visitors didn’t take the lead, and as half time approached it looked like both teams would go in goalless. However, Lauren Doyle had other ideas.

Another swift counterattack by the home team, saw panic in the Wallsend defence, with the keeper and defender colliding when trying to deal with a cross into the penalty area. The ball spilled out to Doyle on the edge of the box, and she deftly fired it through a number of Wallsend players into the back of the net to give the home team a vital lead, 1-0.

Town had the lead with only a few seconds left on clock; and as the whistle blew, the home team headed for the half time team talk a goal to the good.

As the half had progressed, you could see their confidence growing on the pitch and the goal had been a reward for Town's rising threat up front. Whereas last season, the team looked fragile at times, there is now a new steel running through the spine of the team, and it is obvious to anyone watching, that they are growing in confidence.

As the second half got underway, the home fans were waiting to see if Town could build on their lead…but within a minute, disaster! A swift Wallsend attack saw Sturdy upend her opponent right on the edge of the box.

It looked as if the referee was going to point to the penalty spot, but with a yellow card issued that saw Hannah Sturdy sent to the sin bin, the referee indicated that he had awarded a free kick on the edge of the area.

The freekick came to nothing and now Town had to play out the next ten minutes with just ten players. Wallsend pushed forward, creating a few half chances, probing the Harrogate defence without being able to make a breakthrough, and it was to the home team’s great relief that they saw out the sinbinning without conceding.

It has to be said, Routledge had given a virtuoso performance in making saves up to this point, marshalling the defenders in front of her, and when called upon, making vital saves. Wallsend had shown what a good team they are and could consider themselves a little unlucky not to be back on level terms. 

Back with a full complement, Harrogate started to show good pace up front and created a number of chances, with one break by Smith forcing a superb save by the Wallsend stopper. However, they weren’t to be denied for long.

Halfway through the second period, another lightning attack saw Rhian Edmondson run through a number of defenders and this time leave the keeper with no chance to save, Town had a crucial second, 2-0.

Harrogate were in control of the game at this point, with the visitors seemingly unable to deal with the pace of the home team’s forward play, but being two goals down, Wallsend needed to create something.

Five minutes left on the clock, Wallsend were increasing the pressure on the Town defence, with the home team sitting further and further back, absorbing a lot of pressure. That pressure was to tell in the 85th minute when Sophie Killip got a goal back, and being honest, it was a goal that their play had deserved, 2-1.

It seemed as if the nerves of old had returned, and it was Town that were struggling to get a hold of possession and play out from their own half. Game management by the home team was now playing a part, and the frustration felt by the away team’s coach ended in him receiving a yellow card in the final moments of the 90.

However, as the added time ticked by, Harrogate Town held Wallsend at arms-length and their defence looked solid enough to hold out to the final whistle. Town had won the game 2-1 and recorded three wins on the bounce.

With York Railway Institute losing at home and the other three teams in and around Town all losing, the three points lifted Harrogate nine points clear of the relegation spot and put them above York Railway into ninth.

With seven games left of the campaign, a couple more wins and favourable results could see Harrogate Town move into the top half of the Premier Division, and on Sunday’s evidence, you wouldn’t back against them doing just that!

A good day all round for Town.

Segedunum is the Roman name of the fort built at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, and is where Wallsend is now.

[richardchanharrogate]

How to Shop Smart for Website Design Services? - Richard Chan Harrogate

You won't have any problem finding an individual or company to supply website design services: the problem is choosing the right one for your project. Richard Chan Harrogate - Here are 9 vital questions that you should ask to make sure you get the type of Internet presence you need that will provide your visitors with an enjoyable experience and help your business succeed:

1. Are you the person who will do the work?

This may sound like a no-brainer, but you may be surprised to learn that many of the listings on the search engines for individual designers and website design services are posted by agents that procure work for them. There are some large website design companies that use project managers to handle the assignment of project. Always make sure you have access to the designer directly to have changes made as quickly as possible.

2. How much time do you need to complete a project?

You will have to supply the content for your website. The basic layout of the design should not take more than two weeks to complete for a company information format and four weeks to six months for complex e-commerce websites.

3. Do you charge by the hour or by the project?

Your website design is the face of your business to the world. If this is your first project for a new venture, it might be best to play it safe with a basic design to test the waters. If you are established in business and you are planning an aggressive marketing campaign, invest in original, quality design. Make sure that everything is detailed in the project quote and know what the exact hourly rate will be for additional services such as logo design, search engine submission, Internet marketing or programming.

4. Will you create an original website design or use a template?

Creating a website design from scratch can be costly but it is worth it: original designs are the best way to establish your business identity. If you were on a fixed budget a template can be purchased and customized which can save you money.

5. Does the project cost include delivery of the original graphics files?

Richard Chan Harrogate - There are some website design firms which will keep the original files unless you request them. In order to control your website you need the original graphic files. If a design firm will not agree to this it would be best to find one who will.

6. Who owns the site design when it's done?

Yes this is the legal part. You are hiring the designer to create a website for you, and you need to negotiate the terms to own the design before the work begins. The contract should state that this is a "work for hire" that you own the copyright when the work is completed.

7. Do you test the design on multiple platforms?

There are several different browsers being used to access websites on the Internet and your design should be tested to make sure that the content and layout remains the same in different browsers.

8. What information do you need from me to begin the project?

Professional website designers usually have a questionnaire that they will review with you to determine the functionalities, features and components that will be needed to work with the design such as databases, forums, video or audio.

9. Which editing software do you use?

Make sure that whichever designer you choose to create your website explains the editing process with you before the project begins along with the type of software you will need to make changes in your code or content - Richard Chan Harrogate.

[welcometoels]

Intermission - Oddsock’s Dream

[Due to last minute unavailability of one of our players, we abandoned our usual DnD session in favour of a run of The Witch Is Dead - a one page RPG by Grant Howitt.  Matt (Oddsock) took the helm and has supplied the below notes for your delectation and delight.  Art provided by the players, with John (Kadis) as Sock-Sod, Laura (Julius) as Cleo and me (DM) as Mister Champion of Industry]

On the hearth of the Jaunty Skinner, swaddled in an otter and fey weasel, an adorable golden retriever dreams. Oddsock dreams of home and the hours spent chasing butterflies. He dreams of the rival of youth Ghedahn the Paladin. He dreams a truly disturbing and mysterious dream.

He dreams about a witch.

She has just been murdered.

The witch hunter has left her well-appointed cottage in a mess and her body has just been found by her 3 currently present familiars. They are: Cleo the cat with the power to make plants grow, Sock-Sod a chocolate Labrador with the ability to open and close things, and finally Mister Champion of Industry a spider who can speak to humans. His name arising from a flyer he found in a bin from a corporate event. Distraught at the murder of the witch who taught them their powers (Ethel the Magnificent, purveyor of card tricks) they set out to claim the eyes of the witch hunter to resurrect her.

Opening the door to get a scent (or just to find a trail of bloody footprints) Sock-Sod, ridden by Mr Champion of Industry (MCoI) emerge to find themselves on the wrong side of the A405 North Orbital, between the M1 and the M25 just outside of Bricket Wood, near St Albans. Our erstwhile troupe make their way into the town and find many of the townsfolk heading towards some kind of gathering. They’re dressed in white and yellow regalia and greeting each other with a gesture representing the sun. The sound of an amplified voice drifts over the town. MCoI has no idea what it’s saying.

Spying a merchant selling white and yellow pinwheels to the children of the town Cleo climbs onto the windowsill of the hairdresser, successfully pouncing, snaffling her prize and leading the party down an alley. As a result they narrowly miss the emergence of a figure wearing a cuirass, leather gloves and heavy boots with a broadsword strapped to his back emerging from Londis with a couple of bottles of wicked strength cider, one of which he opens up and starts quaffing in the mouth of the alleyway. Seeing him as he starts to stride away the party try to catch up. Sock-Sod once again tries to catch a scent and sees him as a vivid streak of lime green vapourised alcohol striding off towards the Bricket Wood social club.

Making haste the party arrive to find that their quarry is nowhere to be seen. Upon the dais a man hand cranks a steel wire egg, contained within are multiple coloured spheres. Also seated there are a man wearing a gaudy chain and white and yellow robes, and a mysterious figure wearing an old leather coat and a wide brimmed had. Sock-Sod is eager to get his paws on one of those round things, but the chap running the tombola is having none of it. Meanwhile Cleo has an idea for a foolproof disguise for the party that will enable them to move unseen. She stalks the perimeter until she finds what she’s looking for, a balled up tablecloth from the hog roast blown against the fence! Quickly forming an animal stack of Cleo standing on Sock-Sod with MCoI remaining on top for full visual capability. MCoI promises promotions and leveraged synergies for all.

[Oddsock snores and repositions]

MEANWHILE: another of the witch’s familiars, a Hare named Michael with the magic ability to clean blood out of upholstery waits at a train station having attended a hedge-witchery conference in Harrogate. The platform is filled with a menagerie of animals wearing lanyards. A local news crew has arrived on the scene. Michael rolls his eyes.

Sock-Sod notices an increase in the lime green tang in his olfactory view and the animal stack notices some heavy leather boots making their way through the cloud. The disguise is almost immediately shed resulting in a second plan being formulated involving bunting. Cleo manages to defy gravity in the way that only cats can when clutching any wall fixture and releases it from one end. The other end is suspended from a pole by the hook-a-duck stand. Sock-Sod and MCoI ably demand that the hook-a-duck hook-on-a-stick is handed over whilst Cleo shimmies up the pole. She sends the bunting fluttering to the ground before gracefully falling straight into the middle of the water bath, scattering the rubber ducks. Fortunately her allies are quickly able to extract the now ferocious feline.

On stage an argument has started betwixt the leather clad drunken upstart and the shadowy figure who turns out to be an elderly gentleman. These two are rival witch hunters!

MEANWHILE: Michael-the-blood-stain-removing-hare has been able to upgrade to weekend first class, but unfortunately is sat next to a racist granny who keeps trying to talk to him. He just wants to drink his godawful rail coffee and get home.

The young upstart witch hunter (Mr Eustace Eustace III) challenges the older witch hunter (Simon Menzies) to a Challenge of the Brotherhood at… THE GATE. The man with the gaudy chain, The Baron, announces to the townsfolk, peasantry and merchants that they were indeed in for a treat and that we would all be processing down to the gate for the ritual challenge. Our trio of familiars follows along, MCoI scales to the peak of Simon Menzies and discovers that HE was the hunter that had murdered Ethel the Magnificent at the behest of the baron for her obnoxious close up magic routine that would often plague the town centre. Reporting back on his findings the animal parliament agreed that they would sabotage the chances of Eustace Eustace so that they could exact revenge on Mr Menzies.

MEANWHILE: A traffic jam. Michael gazes out of the window of his rail replacement bus service at Kettering High Street where the bus is stuck at a set of 4 way control traffic lights. Guess who has come to sit next to him.

Arriving at THE GATE, which turned out to be a large vertical circle of stone with attached bar and gift shop. Looking through the currently inactive GATE shows a view over fields, but after Mr Menzies lights the blue touch paper it is filled with a tornado of rocks. The baron announces the rules. “Each Witch Hunter, in the tradition of the brotherhood, must deliver the best performance of Wonderwall followed by Angels using a performance style of their choosing. The worst performer will be cast into THE GATE and the winner will be known henceforth as the greatest witch hunter.”

Simon starts a painful rendition on an acoustic guitar that he clearly has limited familiarity with, whilst Eustace slides a Rectangle of Great Storage to the sound artificer who inserts it into his own larger glowing silver rectangle, which displays on the back a banana with a little bite taken out of the wrong side of the curve. An array of animal distraction ensure with Sod-Sock giving the engineer puppy dog eyes, Cleo going full cat on the laptop keyboard and MCoI promising promotions for all upon completion of a successful project. As Mr Menzies finishes his set the sound artificer attempts to start up Eustace’s backing tracks only to find his laptop furiously installing updates. So eutace tries it a capella and is cast through THE GATE.

MEANWHILE: A hare stands in an industrial estate in Hemel Hempstead whilst a now black eyed racist grandmother glowers at him from the window of the bus as it slowly pulls away. Michael hears a pop and a scream as a leather clad witch hunter drops from the sky into a skip in front of a van wholesalers.

With Eustace out of the way Simon is now entirely at their mercy. As he requests conveyance away from this place using his magical communications oblong Cleo tries to pounce upon him to no avail. As our heroes (?) pursue him towards the parish council car park MCoI uses his magical ability to speak human to distract the witch hunter, who foolishly and in reckless abandonment of the green cross code, stops in the middle of the highway and is immediately hit by an articulated lorry. Whilst ambulances are summoned Cleo and Sock-Sod make off with his eyes at high speed, motivated by the executive seminar stylings of MCoI.

Arriving home the witch is resurrected, a bedraggled hare arrives home not wanting to have to spend the next 8 hours cleaning up blood, and, finally a spidery specialist consultant in shifting paradigms and over promising motivational promotions is devoured by a cat.

A golden retriever jerks awake. He knows there was a dream, for some reason he was very, very small and used a lot of new and big words. It was very real to him indeed. But, as with all dreams it is already fading, and as Oddsock takes the comfy bit of the blanket away from Julius and settles back down it is already forgotten.

[bouncingtigger10]

New Post has been published on The Bouncing Tigger Reads

New Post has been published on https://www.tiggerreviews.com/how-many-children-book-reviews/

How many children? Book Reviews

Alina Jacobs’ books

So Alina has written quite a number of books in a very short time.  She writes at night as she is an architect by day – but when does she bake? Or look at Instagram for baking ideas? I say this because baking of cakes, muffins, biscuits and the like, appear in nearly all the books as being main characters. And the contents are inspiring for the amateur baker – inspiring them never to try anything quite so complex! [PS, I asked her directly, and she admitted she didn't bake, but got inspiration from others on the Net.]

She has a number of series running - all about (at the moment) hot brothers who have turned themselves, after a bad childhood for different reasons , into billionaires. Oh, and they all seem to look alike. The Svenssons all look like blond Vikings and the Frosts all have whitish hair and like the cold weather, and the Holbrooks have brown hair. They are all 6 foot 5 or more. The Frosts have a sister who is mentioned, Belle, The Holbrooks have a sister, Dana, who is mentioned, and the Svenssons don’t quite know how many sisters they have – their father is on his, at least, 11th sister-wife, as he runs a polygamist cult in the desert. He keeps the girls well secreted away as they are valuable resources in such cults; the boys are sent off to Harrogate and the eldest boys – Remy, and Hunter, and any others who happen to be in residence. They estimate that there are around 100ish boys that their father has had through his wives. So plenty for Alina to write about, although some are quite young when this series starts. And we don’t have the names of all of them yet, nor which wife is their mother, although nearly all wives have multiple children.

The boys that marry in this series seem to fall for curvy girls/women – which makes sense that they would like similarly built women, as the Svensson genes are very predominant and the father marries blond girls to enhance the ‘look’.

And the wives in these stories usually manage to cook something for the majorly hungry boys – imagine having over 30 people for EVERY meal! Help always needed to feed hungry young stomachs.

 In the series about the Frost brothers, they relate what happens at a reality TV show about Baking at Xmas and the bakers that the brothers fall for.

The Svenssons tend to have a variety of girlfriends and wives, all of whom can cook to some extent, but may have other jobs too.

The Holbrooks get involved and involved with, the artisans of the Weddings in the City co-operative.

 I found myself confused with the Svenssons particularly. And with there being so many of these guys at all ages from the triplets at 28 months to Remy at well over 40 it was tricky, so I was delighted when I found the book in which Alina identifies all the Svenssons and which wife they come from. It is worth noting that not all of them visit Harrogate, as at some point there was a major rift and some live in Boston or Seattle. [books on these will follow] But full brothers tend to stick together. The young boys are put on a train by their father and sent from his desert home to Harrogate, a journey of around 72 hours. Alone. Henry being the youngest to whom this ever happened at age 4 or 5, they weren't sure. But Hunter normally knows when they are coming because he has paid his father for them! The brothers have founded several companies together. Some consultancy, some real estate, others computing. They prefer to do this than work for other people. They then employ the younger guys as Interns and Juniors to learn the business. The Holbrooks operate in much the same way, although there are far fewer of them.

So here goes – Svenssons.

1.       Merla Vee

                               i.            Remy : Rural Trust - a veteran who came out with some small mental issues that make him very shy and very fond of animals.

                               ii.            Hunter : Lawyer : very controlling as he keeps order with all the boys that come to him. When they arrive, the young boys tend to be semi-feral, with no social graces, unable to speak properly, and very underfed.

                             iii.            Gunnar : Romance Creative: TV Guru.

                             iv.            Mace :CEO Svensson Pharmatech

                               v.            Archer : CEO Greyson Hotel Group - appears very laid back but has a surprisingly successful business.

                             vi.            Garrett: CFO Pharmatech: lots of medicines and other such items.

                            vii.            Weston : CEO ThinkX: consultancy of various types especially projects.

                          viii.            Blade: COO Thinkx

                              ix.            Parker: CTO Pharmatech

2.       Athlyn

                              i.            Greg : CEO Svensson Investments: tends to be the funder for all the investments and improvements for the family.

                              ii.            Walker: COO Quantum Cyber: the very technical end of the businesses. including Security and Govt contracts.

                             iii.            Mike : COO Greyson

                             iv.            Beck: CFO Greyson

                              v.            Liam: COO Platinum Provisions: amazing cooking implements with great precision.

                             vi.            Carl: Managing Partner Investments

3.       Amyra

                                 i.            Salinger

                               ii.            Unknown how many more

4.       Mary Beth

                               i.            Crawford

                               ii.            Josh : Svensson and Svensson Law

                             iii.            Eric: Svensson and Svensson law

                             iv.            Unknown how many more

5.       Sueanne

                               i.            Unknown how many

6.       Brenna: younger boys

                              i.            Tristan: college

                             ii.            Eli: college

                             iii.            Isaac: high school

                             iv.            Calvin:

                             v.            Ronan

                             vi.            Theo

                            vii.            Payton

                          viii.            Andy

  7.       … not yet named with children

8.       …not yet named with children

9.       Idonna

                               i.            Bruno

                              ii.            Oris

                             iii.            Ellis

                             iv.            Orlando

                              v.            Scout

                             vi.            Oscar

                            vii.            Arlo

  10.   Payslee

                              i.            Adrian

                              ii.            Nate

                             iii.            Billy

                             iv.            Henry

  11.   Kimberly

                                 i.            Davy

  There are also triplet toddler boys, as yet with no name or mother identified.

List of books in series:

Holiday Romance:

Eating her christmas Cookies

Eating her Baked Goods

Tasting her christmas Cookies

Tasting her Chocolate Cake

Frosting her Christmas Cookies.

 Svenssons:

 After his peonies

In her candy jar

His candy crush

On his paintbrush

Paint him

In her pumpkin patch

                  This is one of the stories about the Svenssons and how Garret is trying to rescue all the boys his father had had with his 9, and counting, wives.

See also Japanese Pancakes – which again are a new item of baking to me, but sound delicious.

 In her pumpkin pies

Between her biscuits

Peaches and cream

Peony for your thoughts

After her fake fiancé

After her wedding cake

In her jam jar

In her pumpkin butter

Tulips together

  Weddings in the City

Bridezillas

Short engagement

Wedding bells

Wedding mayhem

 Now I have read all the books and the freebie Epilogues provided by the author, but I won’t review them - but I recommend them all for a lighthearted, humorous look at a type of life most of us will never encounter. The boys all tend to be adventurous, inventive, entrepreneurial right from a young age, and end up with money - lots of it. Their romances don't go well but they end up happy. The main pull of these books for me is the humour and the amazing set up of the family. An author who starts with a potential 100+ characters to follow as they grow up has ambition! Several families and good female friends get involved at various points and then there is a lot of cake involved!

[smallcollegebasketball]

Random Thoughts from this Weekend

Just a few random thoughts and observations from the last few days.....

*  I saw a few really good freshman over the past few days.  Derrin Boyd from Georgetown, Tayson Parker from Indiana Wesleyan and Nathan Moore from Alabama-Huntsville are all really good!

*  I know that I write a lot about Kyle Mangas at Indiana Wesleyan.  He’s just a joy to watch, as he plays the game the right way and has the intangibles and instincts to make him really special.  He’s currently averaging 30.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.6 apg & 2 spg while shooting 64% fg & 85% ft for a team that is 13-0 and winning by an average margin of 31.2 points per game.  

*  The Indiana Wesleyan TEAM is really good.  They share the ball so well, and they defend.  Very unselfish team.  7′0″ junior Seth Maxwell has excellent hands and runs the court well for a 7-footer.  He has nice touch, passes well, blocks shots and rebounds.  He’s averaging 14.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 4.1 bpg and 2 apg while shooting 58% fg.  Dylan Alderson is a transfer from the University of Toledo that has really been effective for the Wildcats.  He’s averaging 16.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2 apg, while shooting 57% fg.  Tayson Parker (the freshman mentioned above) is averaging 12.7 ppg in less than 20 minutes per game, and 6′6″ senior Michael Thompson III is averaging over 11 ppg in about 20 mpg.  Starting point guard Noah Smith really defends, dishes and controls the tempo.

*  I’ve really enjoyed watching Colorado School of Mines.  They really move the ball well.  Very balanced, unselfish, well-coached team.  They are now 4-0 and they haven’t had a game within single digits, winning by an average of 22 points per game.  Defensively, they are really good as a TEAM, both on and off the ball.  In their four games, they’ve given up 48, 49, 50 and 54 points.  Their opponents are shooting 31.9%, and turn the ball over at a rate of 16.5 turnovers per game.  This is a good, solid, unselfish team.

*  From a coaches perspective, it was just fun to watch Mercyhurst get after it on the defensive end.  They are just tough.  Really, really tough defensively.  Since the PSAC cancelled their season, Mercyhurst scheduled Ferris State for back-to-back games at home.  Ferris State is good, and well-coached, and is coming off a 27-6 season.  In fairness, they were missing some key players for these two games.  With this said, geez, Mercyhurst won by an average of 33 points in the two games, held the Bulldogs to an average of 49 ppg and held them to 34.8% fg and forced 19.5 turnovers per game.  Ferris State will be fine.  They were missing a few key players, including All Region performer Walt Keiser, and they played a good amount of young players.  They are well coached and they develop players really well.  They will be fine.....yet this weekend belonged to Mercyhurst.

*  Georgetown played well yesterday and went into Pikeville and got a W by a score of 90-79 to move to 5-1 on the season.  The combo of sophomore Kyran Jones and freshman Derrin Boyd was fantastic!  Jones went for 25 pts & 14 rebs, while Boyd hit 5 3′s and finished with 29 points.  Jones is averaging 21.2 ppg and 12.7 rpg while shooting 64% fg.  Boyd is really finding his groove and developing confidence in this, his freshman season.  He’s now averaging 17.7 ppg while shooting 55% fg and leading the team with 14 3-pointers.  Heck of an impressive, young combo.

*  After a 14-day quarantine, and facing a nationally ranked Alabama Huntsville team, Lincoln Memorial looked really good today, as they defeated the Chargers 93-68 to move to 3-0 on the season and win their 35th game in a row.  They are talented, deep and well coached.  Today, Jordan Guest went for 22 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists in just 25 minutes.  He was really good.... Cam Henry is just so gifted.....today, the 6′6″ junior went for 18 points, 8 assists, 5 steals and 5 rebounds.  Devin Whitfield does what he does well - score.  Today he went for 25.  I like junior point guard Julius Brown.  He’s really quick, and he helps to control tempo, he’s unselfish and he defends.  Today, he went for 4 pts, 4 rebs, 5 steals and 5 assists.  It’s just remarkable what Coach Josh Schertz has done in Harrogate, TN.....

*  I just enjoy watching Tommy Schmock at Findlay.  He’s one tough, heady point guard.  Quick.  Controls tempo.  Unselfish.  Defends.  Winner.

*  The University of the Cumberlands is an athletic, tough, well-coached team.  They are now 7-1 on the season, including a win over Georgetown.  Tevin Olison is a really good guard.  He’s quick, athletic and plays hard.  He can get to the basket and finish, get he also has a mid-range game and can hit the 3.  Really talented.