#I need to invest in one of those phone stand things that people use to film themselves

[thyandrawrites]

I finally worked out a way to make smooth color transitions that work with half color changes without that annoying "step" that always bothered me. It's a fairly annoying thing to do every time tho so I think I'll only use it for this shouto amigurumi here and dabi's

[scuderiasundays]

better together

summary: airline lounges, box box widgets, and a cheesy greeting card 💌

words: 1,045

a/n: the romcom girlie in me has always wanted to write a meet-cute and i've been listening to too much lizzy mcalpine! tagging @vamossainz55, @sainzcaleruega, @monzabee, @ssainzz, @diorleclerc, and @userlando just because. let me know if you'd want a part two! hugs and kisses 🫶🏼

Love comes when you least expect it. Those same old words had fallen from the lips of every person you knew, so much so that they now felt weightless. On this particular evening, you found yourself at your best friend’s wedding reception, zoning out at the open bar. You nodded along as some man who’d had one too many G&T’s rambled on about his meet-cute on the Paris metro. Seeing two people you adored make a lifelong commitment only reaffirmed the fact that you craved the same.

It was no secret you weren’t exactly the MVP of the single scene. On any given night out, you’d leave the club before midnight to get a full eight-hour snooze. Dating apps were a no-no, as reruns of Catfish had made you skeptical about “finding the one” online. At work, you kept a low profile, socializing just enough to have a tight circle of work friends. It was as if you were coasting on autopilot, wanting love but hesitant to steer towards it.

Not to say that being single was all bad. Every hard-earned dollar was invested right back into the things you loved: trips, clothes, and your dog Cannoli. You silently weighed the pros and cons of your lifestyle as you stepped into the airline lounge.

Setting down your latest read to save your seat, you made your way to the breakfast buffet and grabbed a plate of avocado toast, poached eggs, and a glass of orange juice. On your way back, you spotted someone in a hoodie and cap making themselves at home in the armchair opposite yours.

The whole lounge was virtually empty, and this just had to be his seat of choice? You slowly approached from behind and let out a quiet gasp as you noticed them flipping through your book. “Love languages, huh?” The man pointed at the cover and smiled.

Your pupils dilated twice their size as you registered just who it was. The fan-made bracelets, the Leica, and, most of all, the signature McLaren cap—it all fell into place. “My manager and I just got into a huge argument, and honestly, I’d rather be anywhere but with him right now. Do you mind if I-" He gestured towards the seat beside you, his eyes radiating a silent plea.

“No problem. Let me give you your space,” you responded, hastily gathering your things. Just as you were about to step away, his hand gently clasped your wrist. “I could use the company. I’m Bob, by the way,” he mumbled, oblivious to the fact that his cover was blown.

As in, you knew he was currently seventh place in the driver’s championship and slowly but surely climbing up the standings. The last thing he needed was for you to bring any of that up, so you did as he said, trying to give him a sense of normalcy he so deserved.

He headed to the breakfast buffet and returned with the very items you had selected. "Copying me?" you teased. “First step in getting to know you,” he grinned. Curious about your life, he asked about your job in the emergency room. You told him the hours were grueling but watching extremely sick patients leave healthy made it all worthwhile. "Hope I never end up being your patient," he joked.

His interest didn't stop there; he inquired about siblings (only child), your dream vacation destination (Antibes), and whether you were a dog or cat person (not even a question). You, being a proud dog mom, wanted to show your furry guy off and handed Lando your phone.

As he squinted at your phone, you heard him say, "7 days to go. United States Grand Prix." A wave of panic washed over you as you remembered the Box Box widget that also occupied your screen. The silence was deafening as you wished the ground would swallow you up. 

“Let me see the app,” He said. You normally wouldn’t have acquiesced so quickly, but you crumbled and unlocked your phone. He appeared to scroll and click a few things before he handed it back. “Widget Preferences. Constructor: McLaren? Driver: Lando Norris?” You asked as you noticed he’d made some selections.

“You hadn’t bothered with the preferences, so I took the liberty of choosing.” He blushed as the awkwardness of it all hung in the air. “That doesn’t feel fair. I’ve had all this time to get to know you, and I can’t say the same for the other drivers.” You teasingly retorted.

“I'll let the guys know they're in a tight race for your heart." He snickered. The man was on the verge of tears when his manager came by to remind him of his impending flight. “Flight’s in an hour, Lando,” snapped him right back to reality.

He entrusted you with his bags as he ran out to run a quick pre-flight errand. You couldn’t help but squeal the second Lando had vanished from view. What kind of magic was in the air at this airport and could it be bottled?

You tapped through your best friend’s Instagram stories as you awaited his return. The nearly empty lounge echoed as Lando asked a nearby gentleman for a pen and jotted something down. Breathless, he handed you a card, urging you to read it later.

"Your shoelace is untied," he mentioned, and as he bent down to tie it, his blue-green eyes met yours. 

The British racing driver left your life in the abrupt way he had entered it. You took in the card, decked out with drawings of mac and cheese, milk and cereal, and avocado and toast, captioned "Better Together" at the bottom.

It was the only card in the store, but it felt just right. You highlighted “words of affirmation” as your love language, so I thought I’d give this a go. Thanks for keeping me company. Talk soon? - LN 

His number was scribbled at the end. You quickly changed your lock screen widget to showcase his stats and took a screenshot to send his way.

New look. I might be biased, but I think you just became my favorite driver. Let's see if you can keep it up.

He replied right away.

I like the sound of that. When can I see you again?

[aidaronan]

Alt season one El meeting punk!Steve. She slowly goes to touch one of the spikes on his jacket the same way someone might reach for a feral cat. Like she's not sure if they're teeth or not, if they'll hurt her. Steve's patient. The kids had to tell him some things after he tried to call someone for help and they tore the phone from his hand. So he knows to be still, to let her be curious. "You look different." "Oh," he says. "I'm punk." She crinkles her forehead. "What is 'punk?'" Steve pauses to think. A lot of people have asked him why he dresses the way he does, why he shaves parts of his hair and spikes the rest with Elmer's glue, why he has safety pins in his leather jacket and metal through his face. He's even been asked if he's "goth" about 50 times. But a genuine question about what it means for him to have adopted this persona? This lifestyle? Specifically what it means for him, Steve Harrington, would-be heir of Harrington Investments, to be punk? No one has asked that. He thinks of the stories the kids have told, of the power company that isn't and a scared little girl. "Punk is when someone realizes the people who run our lives don't know what we want or need or even care. Punk is telling those people to go to hell." El goes quiet, very thoughtful. She nods. "Understand." The next day Steve is there, bleeding on the floor of the Wheeler's basement while an older man holds his hand out toward El. "It's time to come home and put an end to this." The man speaks softly, evenly. The kind of man who's used to not hearing 'no.' The kind of man Steve hates. Steve wants to tell this man to leave her alone, that it's sick to keep children locked up like lab rats. But there's a shoe digging into the bones between Steve's shoulders and he can barely breathe. "I always cared for you, didn't I, Eleven?" A pair of young eyes dart toward Steve, gasping on the ground. They flit toward the kids all gripped tightly in unkind arms. They find the old man again and narrow into slits. And here's the thing... When El glares daggers, she backs them up. "Eleven..." "Go to hell." After it's done, it's Steve who wipes the blood from her nose and wraps her in a studded leather jacket, carrying her somewhere safe. Weeks later, it's also Steve who stands with her at a store where she turns a waffle patch over and over in her hands. "Is this punk?" she asks, her eyes big and hopeful. He adjusts her little leather jacket, the one he spent hours studding just for her. "You're goddamn right it is."

[mountingpulisic]

INTERLUDE

series masterlist

there's a thin line between love and hate

and it was love, but it wasn't fate

now my mama's asking if I'm okay

and the internet says I'm losing weight

this wasn't how it was supposed to play out

so, which side are you gonna take now?

you knew that you should’ve stayed off the internet after news broke of the divorce. however, it was an itch you needed to scratch and now you were invested in the comments that were left under every article post. 

half of the commenters expressed their sadness regarding your separation, wondering if the two of you could salvage what was broken. 

they called it love but you deliberated if they knew that sometimes love and fate didn’t go hand in hand. 

your phone line remained busy due to your mother calling you nonstop asking if you were okay, having read the comments on how you looked as if you were losing weight on your most recent post. 

the other half of the commenters expressed their hatred for you. fangirls calling you all sorts of names because you had broken their celebrity crush's heart and lunatic football fans blaming you for christian’s decline in performance.

if they knew how their favorite number ten player acted behind doors, would they still be taking sides? 

'cause people that I loved are just people that I knew once

the rumors going 'round, but the truth is kinda nuanced

i wanna set it straight, but my lawyer says I shouldn't

what bothered you the most was how christian never addressed the rumors, if anything he added fuel to the fire when he would go like an antagonizing comment about you.  

he wanted to paint you out to be the villain in an ending he helped co write.

it broke your heart how now he was just someone you knew once.

he wasn’t kind. 

he wasn’t protective. 

he wasn’t empathetic. 

he just simply wasn’t christian anymore. 

there was nothing more you wanted to do than to make a statement, to defend yourself against the critics about how the downfall of your marriage was all your fault. 

but you couldn't. 

your lawyer had advised you to keep your mouth closed when it came to those types of situations, only the guilty felt the need to defend themselves. 

you had felt as if you already been acquitted of all charges. 

and ain't it like this town to only criticize a woman

i'm blowing up my life, but I'm standing by the crater

one thing you found funny was how you were being the only person criticized? 

by no means were you innocent, but you didn’t cause the wreckage by yourself. 

you figured it was because of how christian was portrayed in the media by his fans, he could do wrongs in their eyes. 

in their eyes you were the culprit, you were the one in the wrong for even thinking about filing for divorce. 

you were the one blowing up your life, not him.  

i walk out on the stage, and go cry about it later

good thing I'm good alone

'cause that's how I'll sign the papers

in those moments reading the comments, you never felt more alone. 

in the past christian would be the one to soothe your insecurities and tell you not to let those people get inside your head, tell you that what they say about you isn’t true. if christian was here at this exact moment he’d say

you aren’t a horrible person.

you aren’t someone incapable to love.

you aren’t a gold digging bitch who only married him for money. 

however, christian is gone now. 

and you needed to get used to being alone because that’s how you’ll sign the papers. 

a/n: another part to the series done, it's a shorty due to the song only being less than a minute long! i hope you guys enjoy it, next part miiiggghhhttt make you hate pulisic a little bit, you what they say divorce changes people ;)

taglist :

@maih23 @alwaysclassyeagle @enjoymyloves

[alwaysdaydreaming1]

Summary : Y/n works on set with jackass and Bam has a thing for her. One question leads to 100 feelings.

This was supposed to just be a smut but I got way too invested in the story since there will be a part 2 !

Long story , angst, drinking, swearing, implying smut (smut in chapter two) , fighting , use of y/n,

Chapter one : feelings on fire 🔥

Arter leaving med school you didn’t have much of a plan. You had recently graduated and your parents were so proud of you. You loved seeing them happy and proud but the whole time that you’d had been studying you knew in the back of you’re head that you were only doing it for them and you really couldn’t wait until you could move on.

after graduating there was a period of time where you had no idea what you wanted to do or where you wanted to be.

Everyday you’re parents would call and ask if you had applied for any new jobs or if you were thinking about studying even more which you totally knew you weren’t gonna do again.

You were living in a small apartment in San Francisco and just down the street was convenience store where you would either stop by on you’re way home from a night out to grab some hangover essentials or where you would end up on those nights were chips and a large coke called you’re name.

Tho today was different. After a long conversation over the phone with your dad about the different hospitals he had found that we’re looking for new people you needed air.

You felt as if the pressure from your parents had transformed into two real dumbbells sitting on your shoulders.

As you walked in to the convenience store you saw a man standing opposite the counter talking to Gary. The manager of the shop.

Gary looked away from the guy he was talking to and gave you a wink .

You just gave him a smile back and walked toward the candy isle.

As you were looking at what chocolate bar to buy you took out one of your headphones from your ear closets to the counter.

“Yeah we’ve been filming all day, the guys are at the hotel getting some rest. We leave tomorrow for LA and if I know the guys right there will be some great footage from there so keep your eyes open for the next movie. Hey thanks for letting me put of the posters on you’re fly board , have a good one”

The guy left and you felt you’re legs walk towards the counter quicker than you where prepared for. You handed Gary the candy bar and looked over at the fly board .

“Who was that ?” Just above a missing person poster you saw.

“JACKASS MOVIE CAST LOOKING FOR ON SET MEDIC. MUST HAVE MEDICAL TRAINING AND BE ABLE TO COME ALONG IN TOUR “

“I don’t know, some guy named Jeff wanting to put up some posters and talked about a new movie coming out “ Gary said whilst scanning you’re item.

You looked out the glass door and before you could even think about what to say you opened the door and ran out and after the guy that had just left.

“Hey! Hey you! Wait! “ you ran up to him and he turned around to meet you’re face.

“Hey I saw the poster you put up in there”

He looked at you up and down.

“Hey! I don’t need any fan girls trying to get close to my guys, you can meet them at our next meet and greet “ He turned around and opened the car door.

“Fan girl? I don’t know what you’re filming and I haven’t heard about jackass but I am a trained medic, I recently graduated med school and I’ve been looking for somewhere to work “ you sounded a bit desperate but maybe that’s because you were.

He turned around again and smiled.

And that is how you ended up in the situation you are in right now.

Working as a medic on the set of Jackass and going from place to place with the guys.

Patching up cuts and putting cream in bruises and forcing everyone to wear a helmet when a ramp was involved.

A few months had gone buy since you had first met Jeff and you’ve gotten to know the guys very well by know. Even tho they are pranksters by heart they never wanted to do anything that would hurt their “on set angel” as they said. But now and then someone would jump out behind a corner and scare you or leave a fake cockroach in the medic trailer.

It was a hot and sunny day and Ryan had just helped you put up canopy outside your trailer so that you could help the guys outside but not be in the sun directly.

“Thanks Ry” you said and smiled towards Ryan. Since becoming part of the team Ryan and you had become close and he felt as an older brother to you and he felt he wanted to make everything as easy as possible for you.

“No worries y/n, hey you coming out with us later tonight ? We are going to the local bar to get some drinks and talk shit , probably throw some darts so I think I you might be needed there “ he smiled a cheeky smile at you.

“What you guys do on you’re free time is not my problem, but maybe, they just released the latest episodes of Hollywood wives so I might stay in “

“Aaaw come on you know you’ll have a good time with us, dance all night , drink all night and make questionable decisions “ Dunn said coming closer moving his hips as his hands were on his head and showing you the good time he is promising.

“I bet you get some real hotties with those moves “ you laughed at him.

Just as he was about to show you something you probably didn’t wanna see Bam came lumping in on one leg, holding his hand over his thigh and whining.

“What the fuck are you doing Dunn , never mind move over Knoxville just shot me with that stupid paintball gun and I feel like I’m dying” He hopped up on the foldable hospital bed that was a necessity to bring with us whilst filming. Dunn started to mimic Bam as he left and called him a loser.

You stood by Bam with rubbing alcohol in one had and ointment cream in the other. “Well let’s see the damage” Bam started taking of his black jeans hissing at the pain of the fabric rubbing against the area where he got shot. He hopped back onto the bed and you assed the damage. “Ouch I think this one might hurt a few weeks Bam, really all I can do is clean it and put some cream but it might bruise bad “

“Isn’t your whole job here to make us feel better “ Bam said with a hiss as you started cleaning the paint off his leg.

“I’m an on set medic Bam, not an on set whore “ you said with a stern look up at him.

He chuckled, his hand was holding over his dark purple boxers, and you couldn’t help but notice it.

“Are you an at home whore tho” Bam said with a big smile and as he watches you massaging in the white cream on his leg. “This scene reminds me of something “

You stood right up with your back again and gave him a look that said more than words.

You turned your back to take off your plastic gloves and throw them in the trash.

You could feel Bams eyes eyeing you up and down from behind.

Ever since joining the guys on set everyone has been very respectful and nice, even tho they sometimes flirt, but it was more of a friendly flirt. The way the only girl on set would be flirted with. But with Bam it was different. When he said something it felt real. As if he meant it. As if if you said yes to one of the many crazy things he suggest daily he would not think one second about doing it.

You didn’t have much experience. You were never really interested in hanging out with guys in high school and you never had the time when you studied. But you weren’t totally clueless. It was mostly random hookups from nights out with some work friends, never anything serious.

You kept your feelings pretty much to your self.

Sometimes Bams jokes could get a little much when he said stuff like that and you didn’t really know what to say or how to react. You tried to stay as professional on set but with the guys it was pretty much impossible.

“Are you a virgin y/n” Bam broke the silence and awoke you from your thoughts. It was a very straightforward question even from Bam.

You turned around and looked at him. “What ? Why would you ask me that”

He had that cheeky smirk he always had when he was up to something.

He stood up and pulled his pants up, zipping up his zipper but still keeping eye contact with you.

“What? I can’t try to get to know you ? “

“You don’t get to know someone by asking that” you told him.

“So you are a virgin”

You were happy none of the guys was near. You felt your cheeks become hot.

“No Bam I’m not. Anything else you want to know before I kick you out of here or shoot you myself with knoxvilles gun “ you said annoyed.

Bam took a few steps towards you.

“You know he doesn’t let anyone touch his gun, it’s like his child”

“Maybe not you guys , but I’m cute and all it takes is batting my eyelashes at him and I’ll have it here in a second “ you stepped away and walked past Bam. You sprayed the bed down with sanitizer and wiped it clean.

“Ouf, harsh” Bam turned around and looked at the way you were bent over the bed to reach all the corners.

You could feel the tension in the air and it was hard to tell your own feelings.

“Yes, harsh” you said “ so get outta here before I make it happen “

“You said I could have one more question”

You sighed and looked at him. “Will it make you leave me alone for the rest of the day “

“Maybe “ his smiled had changed. He had a crooked grin and his puppy dog eyes didn’t leave yours.

“ why don’t you ever talk about you’re family or you’re personal life with us, or with me” the tension grew stronger but it felt more sharp this time.

You didn’t know what to say. It was common for the guys to talk about their family’s or friends or personal life on breaks or when you guys went out.

Since you had joined the jackass team your parents couldn’t be more disappointed and angry with you. They told you that you had let them down and that you wasted your training. After you left San Francisco you hadn’t spoken to them. Not really by choice tho. You tried to call home now and then but no one would pick up.

When you got stressed or uncomfortable you would fidget. And Bam noticed that.

You listened to his question whilst you cleaned some of the medical stuff in your kit that didn’t need cleaning.

Bam broke the silence again. “You can tell me stuff y/n”

Just as you’re eyes met him and you’re mouth opened , a very cut up Steve-O came running in.

“Omg I think I’m dying, someone needs to take that paintball gun from him right now “

He laid down on the bed and you looked at him and laughed awkwardly. Getting your tools ready again.

Bam walked over to the others but he left the tension in the tent and as you were cleaning SteveO off you thought about what Bam had asked you.

You had just gotten out of the shower and sat by the hotel mirror doing your make up.

The guys didn’t let you leave the set until you had promised that you would come out with them tonight.

You didn’t really feel up to partying but you also knew you needed a few drinks after today.

As you carefully let the dark brownish/ redish lipstick glide over you’re lips a loud and passionate knock came from you’re door making you slip and getting a little lipstick on you’re cheek.

“Fuck “ you sighed and went to open the door.

Outside the door stood Dunn and SteveO.

“Can’t you knock like a normal fucking person, look what you did “

They both laughed as they came into your room.

“That’s how you’re gonna look when I’m done with you tonight” Dunn said and poked you in the ribs.

“Euw freak” you said back. SteveO laughing in the background.

“So are you done, we are leaving in ten minutes”

You went into the bathroom and got dressed.

A tight dark gray tank top with the Rolling Stones logo on and a pair of dark blue flared jeans and some black heels.

You came out of the bathroom and did a little spin.

SteveO whistled loudly and Dunn clapped his hands

“ how will I ever compete with the guys you have drooling over you everywhere you go “

The others had already left so when you came into the loud bar you saw a few hands from over at the furthest booth away from the door was waving at you.

You went up to the bar.

Dunn caught the barmaids attention . “ two beers and what do you want y/n” he said looking at you. “I’ll have a shot of tequila and vodka soda “

Dunn gave you a weird look as the barmaid poured the drinks. “What are you trying to forget tonight “ you laughed and the barmaid handed you the shot.

You kept you’re eye contact with Dunn as you tilted you’re head back and let the liquid burn down you’re throat . “Don’t even ask me “ you took your drink and went to sit with the other guys.

“Woah y/a you look freaking hot “ Knoxville said. “Just for you baby “ you blew him a kiss and sat down.

As you sat down you realised Bam was the one sitting next to you. “Calling you’re boss baby isn’t so professional is it y/n, but he’s right you look fucking hot “

“ oh shut up Bam “

After a few drinks and conversations bout various things around the table everyone had started talking among themselves.

Knoxville and Jeff were sitting across the table and talking about something they wanted to film tomorrow. SteveO and Ehren were chatting up some fan girls at the bar and Bam had gone to order.

“You know he likes you right “ Dunn whispered drunkly in your ear .

“Shut up Ry” you pushed his face away “it’s true ! I’m not lying I’ve known him for a long time and I know when he likes someone and he adores you “

You watched Bam standing at the bar paying.

“It doesn’t feel much as adoration, it feels more as if he wants to have sex with me “

You’re head had turned from the bar and when Dunns eyes left yours to someone behind you, you quickly turned you head. Shit.

“ Damn y/n I didn’t know you were some kind of psychic “ Bam smiled as he gave you you’re drink.

You felt your cheeks getting hot again. You didn’t want him to see you ashamed so you gave him a cocky comeback .” Well I really don’t have to be a psychic, you ask me all the time if I wanna have sex with you or if I’m a virgin or telling me about what you’ve done with other girls or asking me how many guys I’ve been with, it’s pretty clear to see what you’re intentions are “ you took a big sip of you’re drink and Bam looked at you with his serious eyes.

“Well you still haven’t answers my two questions “

“Omg Bam why are you so interested” you stood up “ excuse me I need the bathroom” you held your drink and pushed past him . Luckily none of the other guys seemed to notice you’re little upset. Expect Dunn and Bam. They watched as you walked past the bathrooms and towards to back door.

You sat down at one of the empty tables the bar had outside. People sat around different tables smoking and drinking.

You took a big breath and then a sip of you’re drink.

You had quit smoking some time back but before leaving the hotel earlier that night you had noticed an old pack of cigs in you’re jacket pocket and as if you already then knew how the night would be you let them stay in the pocket.

You took one between your lips and then toon the lighter from the table , probably one that someone had forgotten.

But after a few tries you realised someone had probably left it there on purpose .

“Come on” you said to the lighter.

“Here I have one” you didn’t have to look up you knew that voice.

“Ry I don’t want to hear anything “ you sighed

“I know but the thought of you sitting out here by yourself makes my heart ache “

You gave him a little laugh and he sat down.

“You know” you started before you took another puff, Dunn looked at you

“I’ve never really told anyone anything. And no one has ever really questioned, I went trough all years of med school just because my parents wanted me to really and they never questioned why I chose it because they already know. They know I did it for them so they never asked much about it” You took another puff “ and even when I had graduated it wasn’t enough “ Dunn looked at you and listened to you talking. You had never been so open with him like you were right now. “ I haven’t spoken to them since moving”

“That’s quite understandable “ Ryan said quietly.

“No not really , I always call them but they never pick up because they would rather me not tell them how I feel and what I’m thinking than actually dealing with me, it’s always been like that, ever since I was a child , that’s why I have learned to keep everything in because I’d rather be quite than disappoint”

You threw your cig down and stepped on it. Taking a big swig at your drink you now looked at Ryan for the first time since he sat down .

“ I’m not a virgin”

“No one cares if you are or if you’re not “ Dunn said

“I’ve never had anything serious tho. Only random hookups. Which I never told my parents I mean can you imagine they would freak out that I wasn’t dating someone properly”

“Bam didn’t mean to stir this all up in you “

“ I know, but when you’ve kept your secrets and your ugly feelings and thoughts to yourself for so long, it feels like an interrogation when someone actually asks you something…. real”

There was a long silence between the two of you until Dunn finally spoke again .

“I’m sorry y/n for not asking you about you more…”

You felt the regret of opening up and the anxiety in making Dunn feel bad grew in your stomach.

“no no Ry stop it’s not like that “ you stood up and took Dunns hand motioning him to also stand up

“ just forget what I said. I didn’t mean for this to become some sad night, let’s go inside and drink until we can’t see each other anymore “

You pulled his arm and started walking towards the door again.

You knew he meant well and that he cared about you. But you also knew he had some shit going and you didn’t want him to need to think about you as well.

You and Dunn ware never a good idea when you guys went out. You guys were the type of friends to not stop each other.

When you came back inside the place had gotten more crowded and people were dancing and singing. You went back to the table. You noticed Bam and Ehren were gone.

“Where did Bam and Ehren go “ Dunn asked Jeff and Knoxville.

“He said he didn’t feel well so he went back to the hotel and Ehren went with some girl “ Jeff said . Dunn looked back at you.

“Let’s go get something else to drink “ he said and dragged you towards the bar .

A few hours had passed and more than a few shots had been consumed.

You and Ryan were dancing and laughing. You could feel the shots. Your head was spinning and you couldn’t feel your feet.

As you went back to the table to drink some more. You could see that the guys were leaving.

“noo where are you guys going “

“We are going back to the hotel darling “

Knoxville said drunkenly. He reached for you’re drink that you had in you’re hand

“Maybe you should too” he said.

“Nooo don’t be boring Knoxville “ you stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes. Batting your eyelashes at him. You hadn’t been this drunk in a while and you knew you’d regret some of the things you’ve done tonight.

“Darling if I wasn’t so old and you weren’t so young I would’ve stayed out until morning with you” he cheekily smiled at you as he put your drink on the table .

“Get Dunn to get you back to the hotel safely “ he leaned down and gave you a kiss on your forehead and you waved goodbye to him. Jeff gave you a hug and left with Knoxville

As they pushed trough the crowd you saw them telling Dunn something and he nodded and hugged them goodbye.

Dunn was as drunk could be and you had no plan on sobering him up. You needed a drinking partner tonight.

After some time it was only you and Dunn left at the bar from the crew.

You had gone to the bar to order another drink and when you looked back you could see Dunn dancing with a girl.

Your drunk brain couldn’t stop thinking about Bam. And what Bam had asked you . And the way Bams shirt rose up when he held his skateboard over his head. Or the way he would moan quietly in pain when you cleaned his wounds or the way he held his hand over his dick this morning.

Your head was spinning and you really hoped that drunk words aren’t sober thoughts.

You were to many shots in and there was nothing stopping you when you had decided how to end this night.

You swallowed the shot and it didn’t even burn anymore. You walked up Dunn .

“Hey I’m heading back I’ll see you tomorrow don’t do anything stupid “

Dunn was to caught up with the girl he was dancing with.

Somehow you got a hold of a taxi and told him what hotel you were staying at.

After leaving the bar and getting in the car you could feel how drunk you actually were and you knew there was no going back now.

You tried to act normal when walking into the hotel lobby even tho you were holding you’re heels in you’re hand because there was no way you’d be able to walk in them now.

You went into the elevator. Everything was blurry. You looked into elevator mirror and realised you couldn’t even see you��re own face.

Ding!

The doors opened and you walked out of the elevator onto Bams floor. You tried to remember his door number and looked in your pockets for the piece of paper where you had written all of the guys room numbers.

“Two one nine , two one nine , two one nine “

You kept saying to yourself as you stumbled trough the corridor. Trying to keep your eyes open.

Suddenly 219 was in front of you.

Before you could even try to think rationally you’re hand knocked aggressively on the door.

And as you heard you’re own knock realisation came to you. Bam and Ehren shared a room, what were you doing here, you’re drunk and holding your own shoes.

“Y/n?”

You hadn’t even realised that Bam had opened the door

You looked right at him.

He was only wearing his grey pyjama pants and his hair was messy from sleeping. oh he looked so hot you thought.

“You’re a fucking dick and you know it” you’re words came out weird and he could tell how drunk you were.

“Prying into my personal life thinking you have some right to know about my parents or about the guys I’ve been with “

You pushed passed him and went into the room dropping your shoes and bag somewhere on the floor.

“Y/n you’re very drunk “ Bam said trying to calm you down.

Your voice only got louder.

“Well here I am Bam take your chance because there won’t ever be another one, make passionate love to me the way no other guy has, do all the things that you always talk about doing to me, the things you do with all the other girls ,take you’re chance Bam do it ! “

You stepped closer to him

“Calm down I never meant to hurt you y/n, I only ever wanted to get to know you more but I’m not good at being serious”

Bams voice was different, so sincere.

“Well I’m very good at being serious and when I tell you this is your chance I mean it “

before you could stop yourself you pushed him. Bam was a bit taller than you and he was also a lot stronger so even tho you had used all your power he hadn’t moved from where he stood .

“Y/n , y/n stop it. I’m sorry I never meant to cause this “

You kept on trying to push him even tho he had a tight grip around your wrists.

“Why don’t you just call my parents as well ask them all you want about me I bet they’ll tell you some things ! Maybe they’ll pick up your call because they haven’t picked up mine in months ! Ask them if I’m a virgin or ask them why they hate me or ask them how proud they are of me! “

Bam looked at you with sadness in his eyes.

He never meant to cause you this much pain. He never meant to hurt you in any way.

He had never seen you this vulnerable and it made him almost scared but he knew he had to be there for you.

“You’re quite now ! Come on I’m in you’re hotel room take you’re chance ! “

“Stop it y/n calm down I would never use you that way. Calm down come here”

It wasn’t what you were prepared for.

His strong arms pulled you against his bare chest. He was so warm and soft. Your hands held his chest.

“Come on y/n breath”

You did as he said . You could feel a tear fall from your eye. You haven’t let out that much emotion in months and you hadn’t spoken about your pain out loud.

You two stood there in silence and you tried to match your breathing with his.

“You’re an asshole “ you whispered

“I know “ he whispered back

“And you made me realise that I’ve never really had a connection with any guy “ you kept on whispering

Bam didn’t whisper back.

His hand rubbed up and down you’re back slowly

“And you forced me to think about my problems “ your voice still so low.

“I’m sorry y/n”

“And you’re so so hot “ as soon as the words left you’re lips you knew you were still super fucking drunk .

Bam chuckled.

Slowly he move you over the bed and sat you down on it. As you sat down he turned to the hotel desk and tuned the kettle on.

And when he turned back he saw that you had threw yourself back onto the bed. The silence was loud but not uncomfortable.

He went in to the bathroom and wet a facecloth with warm water and soap and brought it out to you.

You had rolled over and we’re laying with you’re back against him with you’re knees close to you’re chest.

“Hey hey wake up y/n let’s wash you’re face a little”

The liquor you had consumed all night was really catching up to you.

“Nooo I wanna sleep “ you tried to push the cloth away.

“Here just let me do it “ Bam said softly.

The bright light from the hotel window woke you up. You’re bare legs felt nice against the warm blanket and you rubbed your eyes.

“Oh shit my mascara “ you thought you have forgetter to take you’re make up off and you didn’t want to look like a raccoon the first thing in the morning.

But when you looked at your knuckles, they were….clean.

“I didn’t have any of that stuff girls use to take their makeup off so I just used some hot water and soap and it seemed to work”

You sat up quickly and saw Bam. He had just gotten out of the shower. His hair was wet and curly and he had a white towel wrapped around his waist. Very very low…

He picked up the deodorant from the desk and sprayed into his armpits.

“How do you feel ?” Bam looked at you concerned.

You sat there quietly. All of yesterday coming back to you all at once. Everything except how you had ended up in the bed next to Bams in one of Bams T-shirts and without makeup.

You remember the fight you had in this room. Well you’re fight towards Bam.

“You want some aspirin ? A glass of water maybe ? “

You looked back at him. “yeah, yeah could I have some water “

Bam went into the bathroom and you heard the tap turn on.

You looked around the room. It was quite messy and you could really see that two boys were staying in there.

Bam came out and gave you the glass of water and some aspirin.

“Where did Ehren sleep? “ you said concerned.

“I haven’t seen him since the bar, he went back with some chick, who knows what he is up to right now” he laughed.

You gave him a small smile and then swallowed the aspirin.

Bam sat down on the bed, still in his towel but he had put a black T-shirt on whilst in the bathroom.

Bams eyes met yours and you didn’t have to say anything. He knew you were sorry and you knew he was sorry.

“Y/n I just wanted you to know…….”

Knock! Knock! Knock! Loud and aggressive knocks came from the door and before Bam even had time to stand up Dunn swung the door open “Bam! Bam! I can’t find y/n, the last time I saw here was at the bar!”

He came stomping in and as he looked up from his furrowed brows his jaw unclenched.

“Oh”

Bam stood up quickly from the bed. You could see how this looked. You were in bed with only underwear and Bams T-shirt on, and Bam with his towel around his hips.

“I only slept here Ry”

Dunn sighed and sat down in the desk chair rubbing his eyes

“ Jesus y/n I thought you’d been kidnapped or something, I ran right out of Jess room to find you, I’m just glad you’re fine”

“Whose Jess” you giggled

You heard Bam chuckle as well

“Oh just some girl I went back with “ Dunn said still rubbing his eyes and forehead

“Was it… good” Bam asked with a big smile

“Bro I was so drunk I just fell asleep on her floor “ the three of you just started laughing.

[modestbirdwizard]

Fix your shit, or make it better anyway!

Everyone has had that little something in their life that was just perfect in everyone, suited to it's task, purpose, and the user's personal preference… and everyone has also had that thing break on them, followed by years of white whaling for a better replacement. Learning to fix your shit is essential in an era that lives and breathes e-waste and demands us to be connected, and while the vast majority of cellphones are hard to fix and difficult to even open, there ARE plenty of other devices in our lives simple enough to engage with that the layman stands a chance.

Tools, example projects and places to look for guides under the jump:

Fixing old ipods, restoring butchered record players, game controller customization (or fixing joystick drift), turning your favorite headphones into a cable-swappable gaming headset , or making the perfect version of a computer keyboard are all possible with a relatively small set of tools and a small investment of your time. For almost any given tech project, you only need a few tools to get into, out of, and through the guts of any electronic device.

Tools of the trade:

A soldering iron (A pinecil or a TS100 are great choices for those who need something small. You will see even cheaper irons that look like they plug directly into the wall, but these are NOT soldering irons, they are the end component of a soldering station, a much larger kind of iron for more serious users. They do not have heat control and are DANGEROUS if not used with a soldering station.)

A set of spudgers, picks, and pry tools (Not the cheap plastic ones that come with every single tech repair component, though you'll need those too, they are basically free in the quanitity that you'll need them.)

Most important of all, a solid multi-bit screwdriver set for this purpose. (The ifixit mako kit is the golden god here, but don't be fooled: this array of bits in these sizes can be had for as little as 12 bucks. That said, investing in your tools is an investment in yourself.)

A set of precision tweezers

A bottle of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol And for the more complex jobs:

A basic multimeter (This is mostly used for diagnosis, looking for broken circuits and finding the voltages of various components.)

A Heatgun/hair dryer (More useful for specific tasks, such as removing Surface Mount components which tend to be very, very small.

With these tools, the world is yours. A word about soldering: People act like this is an insane skill to possess, something best left only to the most dedicated techno-wizard and warlocks, but that's simply not the case. It's actually as simple as using hot glue safely. I'll defer to Big Clive for better instructions than I could write. It's pronounced saw-dur, by the way.

I'd also recommend his account for the great resource that it is generally. While he doesn't get into the specifics of repairing any device, Clive does tear downs that show the general techniques you'll use to get inside of different gadgets. Extremely good second screen background noise.

For specific instructions for your device, you should check out ifixit. They have the largest database of tech repair guides online, though something tells me that an open, wiki-style option would be a fantastic idea. They also sell parts and specific tools you may need for a given task.

Sometimes, repairing your tech is as simple as cracking the case and swapping a hidden microSD card for a much larger one, or actually just unplugging one battery and installing a new one (kind of makes you wonder why they say they can't be repaired and glue them down). While I'd argue that most tech can be fixed, there are sadly some things that are just beyond the dedicated hobbyist. Chief among those are airpods and other small devices of that type. While they can certainly be opened and repaired, it's just incredibly fine work and I wouldn't recommend it. If a task seems too daunting for you, try checking with local phone shops to see if they offer repair. The cost of a replacement is usually much greater than the cost of a fix.

If your tech is unusable and in to be replaced, trying to fix it cannot possibly break it more. Give it a go!

[puffpasstea]

hiii I love all your writing! it really makes me feel some type of way 💖🥲 I was wondering if you would be willing to write something about y/n feeling like her friends are using her (to get to harry, $$$, or for clout) and Harry is comforting y/n. Or something like y/n feels left out at a Hollywood party with all of Harry’s friends?

im going thru a rough time with my friendships and kind of feeling lonely. no pressure though 💖 thank you for being a source of joy during this time 🥺🫶🏻

Hi babes! Thanks so much for your lovely message 🥰🥰 and I’m so sorry that you’re going through this. I’ve been where you are. It hurts no matter how you try to rationalize it. Please know that my inbox is always open if you need a friend, or just to vent. I hope this little one shot helps somehow. Let me know what you think! 💗

—

She plumped down on the barstool, tucked away in the shadowy corner of the room, letting her feet dangle and hover over the floor. Those heels were killing her. She glanced across the room, scanning the crowd of faces for Harry’s comforting eyes. He was standing in between Jeff and some really old guy in a suit, the grin on his face slowly growing until his dimples appeared. At this distance, she had no idea what he was actually saying, but she liked to imagine that he was telling a joke, judging by his face, that’s usually what he looks like when he’s laughing at his own joke before he’s even reached the punchline. She was glad to see that he was at least having fun. Because she’d be lying if she said that these kinds of events felt fun for her.

Tagging along to these parties increased her sad and admiration for Harry. It always made her proud to see him in “work mode.” This wasn’t even what he normally does for a living. Giant parties like these were usually hosted by the record label, designed to make really rich, really old people feels important enough and respected enough to convince them to invest their buckets of money into musicians’ tours. Someone needed to pay the insurance companies, purchase the bands’ equipment, pay the crew, and fund the millions of things -big and small- that went into carrying out an entire tour. Learning this gave her a better understanding of why, to make it in an industry like this, you need more than just a pretty voice and a little bit of hard work. But as proud as she was of Harry, she couldn’t help but feel like an outsider in moments like this.

Harry always wanted her to feel included, so he would keep his arm hooked into hers, introduce her to his team and investors, and whisper any background information into her ear to catch her up to speed. She loved witnessing first-hand how he was good at remembering a CEO’s 4-year-old daughter’s favorite cartoon, or how he complimented an ancient rich lady on her brooch. She found his ability to make everyone feel important to him weirdly attractive. But, when Harry and his friends would so quickly fall in and out of industry talk, making inside jokes or using technically lingo, she often found herself feeling weird. Like she was an anchor weighing him down. His constant need to keep an arm around her waist, or to explain a joke to her, or rephrase something in a way that she would understand, it made her wonder if he wouldn’t be more present in the moment if she wasn’t trailing behind him, so she found a quiet place to sit and admire him from a distance, hoping he’d be too engrossed in his friends’ conversations to notice her absence.

She pulled out her phone to check the time. It was almost midnight. She could pass the time by scrolling through her phone, but it would honestly just make her more miserable. Scrolling through Instagram posts of people that felt so far away would just hurt.

Perhaps this whole thing wouldn’t be on her mind if things in her own friendship were different. The truth was that some of her most important relationships have felt nonexistent lately. Which made her more conscious of how she related to people. Often even wondering if she had some invisible flaw that she’s failing to see, or if she was too stubborn to realize that she was unintentionally pushing people away. It felt like her relationship with Harry had altered the way that people saw her. Friends that she had had for quite sometime, and honestly thought would hold on to forever, were now gone without a real explanation. It was like they’d decided on her behalf that she no longer needed them. They began acting different around her, gradually growing colder and more indifferent. It was difficult to come to the realization that, if they would treat her this way, maybe they weren’t really friends in the first place. Maybe they only liked having her around to make them feel better about themselves and seeing her happy, successful, and in a relationship with someone like Harry was doing the exact opposite of making them feel good. So, they no longer had any use for her.

She felt a lump form in her throat. At least ending friendships in this way was better than the opposite. The people who’d never actually liked her, never treated her with any respect at all, and never bothered to hide their feelings about her suddenly “reconnecting” with her because they found out who her boyfriend is. How did things get so fucked up and why hadn’t she noticed until it was too late?

“There you are!” The feeling of Harry’s soft lips kissing her cheek yanked her out of her spiral. “How’re you, darlin’?” He smiled, grabbing the stool next to her and ordering a drink. He still had a smile on his face and seemed to be giggling to himself.

The look he was giving her forced her to smile back. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it’s- it’s nothing Mitch was just telling a funny story over there.” Harry chuckled at the memory of the encounter. “Anyway, where’d you run off to? I looked behind me and you’d vanished.”

She waited for a moment, considering just telling him the truth but she didn’t want to burden him. He was clearly having a good time. And he’d earned it. He’d been working so hard lately; a night out with his favorite people is what he needs. Besides, she liked that Harry felt comfortable enough to introduce her to his friends and bring her to industry events. She didn’t want to make him feel bad about it.

“N-nowhere, I- my heels are just too much. Probably should’ve worn a different shoe tonight.”

Harry’s brows furrowed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, baby. Wanna go home?”

“Oh- no, no. Don’t worry about me. I’m good just staying right here. You go, have fun.”

Harry wasn’t having it. She should’ve expected it. He wasn’t the kind of person to just abandon her after she’d admitted to being in pain. Instead of going back out there, he brought the party over to her. Within minutes, Mitch, Sarah, Pauli, some assistants from the wardrobe department and a few drum techs were gathered around her previously private corner. They’d ordered some appetizers and sat around telling stories from past tours, making plans to visit the landmarks and hidden gems of certain cities they were touring, and recalling the time someone had intentionally re-tuned Mitch’s guitar and fucked up his string-matching.

For the whole night, Harry’s hands were on her thigh, glancing at her in between conversations and casually kissing the top of her head. She felt selfish for not having fun. After all he does for her, and after he’s forced everyone to hang out at the bar so she can be included. She still felt like an outsider looking in. What the hell was wrong with her?

The ride home was quiet. Harry asked her if she wanted to take her shoes off and stretch her legs but she’d just hummed a quiet “no,” looking out the window of the passengers seat to avoid his eyes.

She stood in the bathroom, getting ready for bed and trying to shake the feeling of intense isolation that had clung to her. She wished she could wipe it off the way she’d just wiped off her makeup. Maybe if she just went to bed and started fresh tomorrow?

Harry called her name “come over here and give me a cuddle alreadyyyy.”

She made her way to the bed where he’d been plopped, reading a book as he waited for her. The goofy smile on his face disappeared as soon as he saw her. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“N-nothing.” Her voice betrayed her, already breaking. It’s just that the softness of Harry’s voice and the concern in his eyes threw her off. The tears that she’d been pushing away all night were now stinging the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.

“Not nothing.” Harry asserted, reaching for the side of her hip and gesturing for her to come closer.

“It’s dumb. Please just forget it, Harry.” She pressed her palms to her eyes, wiping the tears away.

“It’s not dumb if it’s got you this upset, honey.”

“I- I just wish-“

Harry said nothing, his eyebrows shoot upward.

“I wish I wasn’t so lonely all the time.”

Harry felt his heart split in half at her words and the simplicity with which she’d said them. He wondered how long she’d felt this way. If the feeling just rolled off her tongue like that, it had to have been sitting in the pit of her stomach for a while.

“Lonely?” Was all he could say.

She just nodded, tears now unashamedly rolling down her face.

Harry was now replaying all the conversations that he’d had in the past few weeks where she seemed to jokingly suggest that she was fundamentally in likable, or that she was too rough around the edges for friends to want her around, or that she hated people so much that she hardly left the apartment anymore. How could he have been so blind? He knew her well enough to know that when she made self-deprecating jokes like this, it was usually because she believed them to be, at least partly, true.

“W-why?” He cleared his throat, hoping to sound more like an adult. “What’s made you feel so alone?”

She shrugged, finally pulling her hands away from her face and shifting nervously on top of the duvet. “Just don’t have any friends anymore, Harry.”

“What do you mean? You’ve got plenty of friends!”

“Name one.”

Harry wracked his brain. “Well there’s Je- okay, fine? What about Sa-“ he was stumped. Every name that came to his mind was a friend of his that had, by extension, gotten to know her through their relationship.

She could see the wheels turning in his head. “Exactly.” She huffed.

“Well, what about people at work? That nice lady, Melanie? You seem to get on really well. And, besides, you can share my friends!”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I don’t know people. But those superficial relationships only make me feel worse. They just remind me of the connections that I’ve lost. I don’t- Harry, I don’t wanna have perfectly mundane conversations about the weather, or what I did over the weekend. That’s not what I mean. I just- I miss the kind of connection where you could text someone your random and extremely niche take on a specific topic that only you care about. Or call someone cuz you’re bored and want company. Or make spur of the moment plans. Or vent to without worrying if they’re secretly judging you for talking too much. You know? The kinds of things that you can just build overnight.”

“Intimacy.” He said simply.

“Yeah…”

Harry said nothing. He pulled her into his side, letting her lay her head on his shoulder and blink her tears away as he squeezed her shoulder.

“I’ll be your friend!” He said suddenly breaking the heavy silence.

She laughed, the chuckled disrupting her sobs. “Thanks, but, I think I like what we are.”

“No, I mean, like, sometimes you date someone but you can’t really talk to them about stuff. You know? I’m saying you can talk to me.”

“I just- I don’t know why it’s so hard for me.”

“Baby, it’s not your fau-“

“Don’t! Don’t say it, okay?”

“But you know it’s true.”

“It makes me feel like a bad person to just say that they’re dumb for not wanting to stay friends. Somehow I’m the perfect Angel and everyone else is wrong for leaving me.”

Harry said nothing for a moment. He could tell she firmly believed that and convincing her wasn’t going to be simple. Plus, he didn’t want to interrupt her as she finally let things off her chest. After he was sure she was done speaking, he started again.

“I’m not saying you’re perfect. Nobody is. We all have our flaws. But people who really care about you wouldn’t give up on you when things get difficult. Friendships only work if both people are invested.”

“What if- What if I’m just not good at this? What if people leave me because I’m not a good friend?”

“Bullshit.”

“Harry! I’m serious.”

“So am I! You care, and you’re so kind. And you’re fun and gracious and-“

“Then why am I so alone??”

Harry kissed the side of her head gently.

“I get what you mean.”

“No you don’t. You’re surrounded by people who love you all day everyday.”

“Yeah, but that hasn’t always been the case. I felt really lost and alone for years before all this happened. You know? After the band and all?”

“Hmm”

“It was hard.”

She just nodded silently listening to, taking his words in, letting the sound of his voice comfort her.

“Just can’t change who you are to make people want to stick around. You’ll lose sight of what matters to you. Even though it hurts to let people go.”

“It does.”

“I know baby.” He nuzzled his nose into her neck. “But you’ll meet the right friends eventually. Ones who won’t take advantage, won’t be threatened by your light and love.”

“I hope I do. This is exhausting.”

“Let me help. Hmm?”

She finally turned to face him, locking her lips into his, causing him to hum into her mouth.

“You always do, Harry. Everyday.”

[toxicshipsincorporated]

I went thrifting this saturday. I rarely get to thrifting these days because I work two jobs during the week (im usually hustling from 7a - 10p) so on the weekends I take the time to check out the places that I never get to check out. so I go to this one place that I rarely frequent just because they run pretty expensive by thrift standards (im talking $20 bucks for a dress and $13 for a shirt). I've paid those prices before though and thats because the owners told me 100% of their proceeds goes back into the community (buying families used cars, paying peoples' rent etc.). They are also church affliated which did give me pause but they seemed like good local people, invested in their comminity.

So I went there this past Saturday. I saw a couple things I wanted to get, two pieces of clothing and an old typewriter (I have one at home and I've been wanting to get another as a gift for a friend who admired mine last time we visited). When ringing me up, I asked about the price of the typewriter. The owner (the wife) immediately whipped out her phone and looked up the going price and told me she would give it to me for $100 which was a steal (look...im not a professional but I know that in pristine condition, no way this typewriter would go for that much, and this one needed a lot of work). I knew she was taking me for a run so I said I would just take the clothing and she dropped the price to $50 for the typewriter and the clothes. I told her I would take the typewriter $50 and I would pay for the clothing as well, so $75 in total. She thanked me for being generous ( I just didnt feel comfortable with bargaining when the money would be going towards my community).

She then tells me, "we are planning to go on vacation for christmas so every bit helps."

This is a weird thing to say because the last time I was here, I was told that the two "owners" (husband and wife) wete retired and volunteered at the store. All the money went into keeping the store running and to a community fund. Weird.

Anyway, before she can finish ringing me up a little haole girl asked her about the price of an item. She asked if she could help them first and I was in no rush so I just began to browse. And then this is where it get extremely fucked.

This woman proceeds to go on this rant to this haole couple, their young daugher standing between them, about how all the Palestinians deserve to die. And how its very telling that the "gays and bis" are backing Palestine because we are also "children of the dark." She then went on to say, "send all the gays to Palestine so they can get tortured and raped by the muslims that they love so much." And if that wasnt enough, she told this couple, "they want me to be sad because they are killing the babies? You have to! If the exterminator didn't burn up the neat and eggs, you'll just get roaches again."

Like....wtf. I immediately noped the fuck out of there. Just literally turned and walked out. Got in my car and drove off. But not before hearing the haole couple enthusiasically agreed and praise god in the same breath.

I also found out that despite this woman and her husband positioning and posturing as being locals, they are from the US continent and have no connection to our community and that they frequently use the funds from the store for their own trips, to pay for their children's college and trips, etc.

Fucking wild dude.

[chilihere]

Since I was a child I always loved the idea of living in a little cabin in the woods. Birds greet you in the morning, you boil water over the fire, smell the moss, maybe you catch a glimpse of what you think could have maybe been a faerie?! But as I grew older I was taught that magic isn’t real, that cabin in the woods isn’t reality and that there isn’t that much green in my world.

I started working the jobs I was given and grinding, trying to climb those ladders. I’ve gone from the “garbage girl” to “manager” and something was always lacking. That’s when I decided to take a journey into the past. I decided to start my own homesteading expedition, in the city. I may not get my cabin in the woods but I am going to ensure I have my little patch of green. Here is what I have found helpful to start out with so far:

It seems overwhelming at first but don’t fret! No investment type purchases necessary yet. Figure out what you want to cut down on financially, transitioning to homesteading is smoothest when you don’t have huge bills to cover. I suggest starting with streaming services, cable, phone bills, internet usage and any other monthly plans.

 While you’re doing your planning, you’ll still need to shop and feed yourself. Start looking for reusable items to replace things you consistently go to the store for. Parchment paper, baking sheets, paper plates etc. Finish using and replace as many single use items as possible. Bonus if they don’t use electricity (ex: hand grinder for coffee, non electric kettle etc). If you have a local market or farm stands nearby, get to know them and their prices. You may be shocked to discover a ton of savings and good info about the growing climate.

This one sounds odd but I feel like it is a big step in moving from a very hands off technology based lifestyle to one that is more self sufficient – take time to reflect “spiritually” (whatever that is for you) and address any addictions or negative traits that revolve around your industrial upbringing. For me the biggest are: overworking myself, mindlessly scrolling the phone, caffeine and refined sugar. This is the hardest part of the entire journey because it involves creating a habit that goes against societal norms/what is exceptionally easy to access and relies on setting boundaries for myself. Addiction isn’t easy that is for sure!

Gather information about the things you are most interested in. For me, that is growing my own veggies and alternative herbal remedies. The city I live in does not allow livestock or chickens, but there are tons of cities in Canada that do! Shelter building, water purification, fire starting and tying knots are always interesting research topics. Pinterest is also fairly handy for this stuff, funny enough! Search “survival tips” and you’ll find quite a bit on there, as well as the “homesteading” tag. The library is a great resource for herbal remedies, medicinal, all sorts of books about psychology etc. Spend some time researching things you believe will help, and stuff that gets you excited, too!

Set some realistic goals and work towards those projects. For example, I had very low funds so I started growing herbs in the window. Chives, green onion, parsley and mint all grow fairly quickly and can be kept through winter if properly maintained. Pick something you use a lot or do a lot – let’s say cleaning; and slowly swap all of your products to home made solutions.

Lastly, because these are just starter tips, find some people with similar interests. If you aren’t able to connect locally (check your cities Reddit board for keywords like garden or the cities website for local greenhouses) there are a number of groups online that promote this kind of lifestyle. I’m sure if you’ve found this post though, you are well aware. But if not there are tons of blogs under “homesteading” or “natural solutions”.

Although I am nowhere close to the “end goal” I imagined and haven’t become completely self sustainable; I can definitely say I am a lot happier, feeling more positive about the future and have no fear as compared to where I started. I think if this journey is all for “nothing”, at least I have some peace.

Do you have any tips? Tricks? Disagree entirely? I’d love to hear from you!

✨Thanks for existing👋✨

Chili Here

[manicdepressivebipolar]

Its been a while...

Good day,

I think this will be the first time using this application connected to my phone. I guess this looks decent?

Okay let's start.

Today is April 9, 2023 in Philippine time.

2023 has been a year of growing my success building my financial strength and reflecting on my personality. But before all of that why I wanted to share this story of my rise above my broke era is that I want to humble myself and be really thankful for God or any higher being that was guiding me along the way.

Year 2022 a summary.

2021 I was at job that pays as little as 8-12k a month and I was trying to make ends meet from my schooling, my rent and my daily needs. I opted to find a job that sounds futuristic - I switched to an online job. This was one of the best decision I had in my life looking back. 2022 I was having double job, I invested on tech to keep my two jobs and it was working. Since one of my job was paying high enough to cover both of my jobs I continued on even though I know it was ruining my physical and mental health. I was an HR Director and a web designer on the side. I decided to leave my job immediately  when I found myself crying and dragging myself to work on a daily basis. It was literally killing me.

I did not have any back-up job or whatsoever. All along I was relying on my savings. The wrong turn was I was using it for my leisure and not looking for a new job. Anyway, I got broke and went into different loan sharks to make ends meet. This was another and one of my biggest downfall ever.

I landed a job after 6 months from a finance company in the US. It did not pay me well at first but I did not have much choice. Slowly, I was able to pay my depths and gaining back my social activities but everything seems to be a blurr moving forward 2022 from there then - I kept going out, partying, being with strangers to have fun and did illegal things on the side up until the last day of December.

It did not really affect my financial but I know I was still in depth.

from June of 2022 till November 30 - I was juggling three jobs. Just to pay everything already. I eas making my life work, I was paying what I owed people and banks.

Until I decided to let go of one job that really helped me rise up. I could not keep it due to the stress it was giving me on a daily basis. I kept my fiance job due to its flexibility in working terms as a digital nomad and one job that I got as a blessing from my friend which was a direct hire in Texas, USA.

Since December I was earning alot more than I was expecting. Slowly, I was rising from my era of being broke.

2023.

My salary increased by 10,000 pesos in finance and the other job paid as it is but I had alot of extra hours worked so, I was living comfortably by January. I was able to buy the phone that I wanted, I got a free PC from my company, I was paying my own place and bills without anyone helping and I get go help my boyfriend while he kept going in fulfilling his dreams in being a doctor here in the Philippines.

When my boyfriend passed the board exams. We promised that 2023 was a year of us fulfilling our dreams, meeting our goals and establishing our professional career while we were fixing our relationship and making our bond more stronger including our family.

2023.

Looking back at my 2022 and comparing my situation now, I am really blessed. God or any higher being that helped me out of that dark hole, humbles me every single time. I also want to take credit for never giving up on the situations I was in. I kept going. I kept myself from being humble without losing my stand on my personality at work.

I had so much day and reason to give up already in life but there is always that voice "matatapos din to", " I will have the life that I want" and " kaya ko to". Those simple motivation in my head really kept me going.

My boyfriend landed a job, I kept going and earning. Both of us is building our financial stability and strength, earning together, saving, treating ourselves on the side and finally hindi na kami magugutom.

I remember, before halos wala talaga kami makaen. We needed to tipid the things we have. We relied on the little money we have to eat on a daily basis. But now, we have abundance of money, food, other supplies and we can treat ourselves and or family. We are so lucky!

I know we are still starting but as early as now I just want to be thankful with all the blessings I am receiving, my boyfriend is receiving and I hope this continues and everything we manifested will be soon be true.

From negative balances to an abundance as of today. I can't help shed a tear or cry a river of tears on this journey. It truly is a miracle and just really leaves me in an awe on how I did everything.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Long ramblings about what I did with my weekend behind the “keep reading” link. Going on about comedy things that happened 10+ years ago shall resume shortly.

Well, I just got home from a five-day trip to coach some national championships, by far the biggest thing I’ve done since March 2020. It’s not the longest I’ve been away, as I’ve made a few trips out to my grandparents’ place since COVID started, but those were nice quiet relaxing times by the ocean and away from people. This was the opposite of that.

I knew I’d struggle with the constant activity and lack of alone time, but I managed that okay in all the ways I used to do. Since I started this stuff in 2004, any time I’ve gone to any event like this, as a coach, or, before that, when I was a competitive athlete, the first thing I do is scout the venue for empty areas. After many years of this, I no longer had to do that most times, because I was familiar with most venues, at least within my own province and other nearby places where I travel frequently. No matter how small the building is, I can always find some corner with low or no foot traffic. Stairwells are fantastic for this; I have spent a weird amount of my life hiding under stairs, with headphones in, until I have to return to activity. But national championships always take place in a nice big venue, with things like entire hallways that don’t get used. There’s nothing better than finding a whole hallway that none of the other hundreds of people at an event seem to have found (to be fair, they’re not looking as hard as I am), where I can disappear any time I have a break throughout the day.

I usually play music during these breaks, I have a whole system for what type of music is best depending on mood/anxiety levels/how long a break I have. That’s the system I used for many years before the pandemic, but I thought that this time I might modify it a bit. I made a folder on my phone with a bunch of my favourite audio Britcom, some stand-up and some radio shows and some podcasts.

That helped me out last year, when I was doing an in-person work placement and had a hard time being around people for eight hours a day. In both buildings where I worked, I found a small room where the light was never on and the people were never in it, and I took my breaks there, in defiance of advice about eating in the break room for networking purposes. I know that’s good advice, and objectively the best thing to do, but the important thing was showing I could do the job well, which I would not be able to do without taking a break from being around people when I could.

Anyway, I listened to The Bugle on all my breaks, and my commutes to and from work, and that helped a lot. So much that I think I was notably better at my job because of it; I could handle the crowded rooms when they were interspersed with this other thing that could draw me in so much, and therefore draw me out of where I was. I thought something similar might work at the tournament, with Bugle episodes or stand-up or anything else.

It didn’t quite work the way I expected. The difference, I’m quite sure, is that this sport is something I love and am really really deeply interested in, and I found I couldn’t just combine that with something else where I’m the same way. There wasn’t enough space in my brain for two things I feel that strongly about at the same time. I sit down and try to listen to a Nish Kumar routine as a break from the tournament, but I’m too deeply immersed in one thing I’m obsessed with to get invested in this other thing. I was never supposed to have both those things in my life at the same time; the Britcom obsession started when the world ended and sports got canceled and I needed something else to replace it as the thing I think about every moment of every day. Because… I don’t know, because autism, I guess. Because it’s my understanding that there are some people who can go through life without something they think about every moment of every day.

The tournament was good, by the way. All the little things I romanticized during the pandemic, the annoying things that I hardly noticed until they were gone and I missed them. Long road trips where we arrive at the hotel at 2 AM. Trying to sleep with my jacket against the truck window as a pillow. Complaining about stupid things in cities that really aren’t that different from mine. Complimentary hotel breakfasts with powdered eggs. Trying not to make eye contact with the people from other teams over our powdered eggs at the hotel breakfast. Shitty service station food. Trying not to make eye contact with people from other teams at the service station where we all end up stopping because we all left the venue at the same time so we all end up at this spot on the highway at the same time and that’s the obvious place to stop. Deciding whether to go with totally pretending not to see each other, an awkward nod and moving on, or even more awkward small talk. A lot of the experience revolves around shitty food and trying to avoid awkward small talk. Those were all things that I missed when they were gone, found annoying again while actually doing them again, but now that I’m not actively doing any of those things, I’m right back to seeing them in a bit of a romanticized way.

I do genuinely like hotels, though. A little room with everything you need that’s magically clean again every time I return to it (I know it isn’t magic, thank you to all the people who do that not very fun job, I try not to make too much work for them). Also I actually like hotel breakfasts, powdered eggs and all. No nostalgia or romanticization is needed to make hotels fun (as long as I remember to bring my weighted blanket, because now that I’m used to that, no other sleeping arrangements seem acceptable).

And, you know, the tournament itself was good. I won’t go into too much detail, partly for privacy reasons (I realize I put lots of my personal life on this blog so talking about privacy seems a bit silly, but I do hold some things back), and partly because the technical aspects of a sporting event are probably even less interesting to anyone outside of it than the stuff I’ve already written in this post. But I will say… a bronze medal plus two national champions, one in a teenage division but one in the adult division, and that one could be a step on a road to the Olympics. Just trust me, those are very good results and it’s really fucking exciting.

Oh, just to pick up on one other thing that really needs picking up on, not even from the tournament itself but from the coaches’ meeting at the end of the tournament – for all coaches who have an athlete on the national team, which my team does, we’re pretty cool. If you read the new safe sport manual – a list of regulations designed to prevent all kinds of stuff from physical to psychological to sexual abuse – and you feel personally targeted, maybe that’s not something you need to complain about in a meeting. Maybe, if you read a document that’s meant to outlaw being a terrible person and you feel that it unfairly outlaws shit you do all the time, you shouldn’t even want to admit that in a room full of people. Maybe you should keep your fucking mouth shut and re-evaluate your life. Maybe.

Anyway. Back on the subject of how I tried to mix Britcom with this experience and found it didn’t really work, since I couldn’t really focus on one thing I’m really invested in at the same time as I was doing another thing I’m really invested in, when those two things are very different from each other. I don’t know how to say this without it sounding like a vicious insult to two men whose work I absolutely love, but the only Britcom-like things I could really get into, while sitting in that empty hallway and unable to listen to anything that would be too immersive, were David O’Doherty and Gavin Osborn. I say “Britcom-like” because David O’Doherty isn’t British and Gavin Osborn isn’t a comedian, but close enough (my apologies to the sovereign state of Ireland for that comment, I realize people have fought wars to not be considered “close enough” to British).

This is, of course, not because their stuff isn’t wonderful. I think it’s because they both break it down into smaller pieces, so I can hear one part of it without getting drawn into the whole thing. Gavin Osborn definitely makes sense this way, as I’ve always listened to music at tournaments and that’s never been a problem. DO’D has some songs but also some spoken bits, and I found I could listen to both easily, because even his non-musical stand-up is still structured a bit like a music album. It’s a track off an album, not an hour-long comedy set.

And that brings me to the other thing I wanted to write about. So, I’ve been struggling a bit with the number of things that get accepted when I don’t think they should be. I won’t go into great detail, but see my paragraph about the complaints people made in a coaches’ meeting for a general idea. My friends and I used to things of ourselves, quite grandiosely, as fighting some sort of noble battle against corruption. We used say – jokingly, ironically, but not completely ironically – that we were the revolution, coming in as younger people to change the culture. We had this running joke about a particular brand of whiskey being “the whiskey of the revolution” (Jim Beam Black, in case anyone wants to know), because we first drank it after this big provincial AGM in 2017 where we’d passionately yelled at some people and lobbied for votes for new board members who might change things. This year, my friend picked up a bottle of that on the way to the tournament and said we could celebrate the weekend with the whiskey of the revolution, and I told him the revolution is long dead. It was dying before COVID and it’s definitely dead now.

Things are getting forgotten, my friends are making friends with people who used to be the enemy, saying our sport was gutted so badly by COVID that we can’t afford to be at each other’s throats anymore. Even though, I’d argue, we had good reason to be at each other’s throats before. You know that proverbial wisdom that says holding hate in your heart is bad for your mental health? That may be true in some circumstances, not all. I can hate people who’ve done shitty things, and maybe that doesn’t feel good, but at least I think I’m right. When I have to shake hands and make polite small talk with them, forgive and forget and get over the hatred – then I just end up feeling like I have no principles and hating myself. Which is, you know, maybe not great. But it’s how it is.

I tell that story because, near the end of the first of the three actual competition days, I came across this one Gavin Osborn song and then I decided I wasn’t going to listen to anything else for the rest of the weekend. It was perfect, for the moment. Yesterday there was no actual competition, but my friend had to do a few things at the venue before we drove home, so I took his truck and drove around the city until he was ready to go. I played this song on repeat – literally just this song, over and over, for two hours. I sang along to it alone in the car, and it was awesome. Great way to end a weekend.

This song was such a good antidote to everything else going on. Lately, I’ve been learning to grudgingly accept the general principle that thing change and evolve, and you can’t hold people to everything they said in 2006. But this is a recording of Gavin Osborn, in 2006 (the album came out in 2007, but Kitson was playing this song on his radio show in 2006, I don’t know exactly when it was first written), promising us that he won’t forget the fundamental things he believes, no matter what else changes. And I think it’s true. Which is more than I can say for some Chocolate Milk Gang members – looking at Alun Cochrane here. But Gavin Osborn could not be more different from Alun Cochrane. His 2017 album was a giant ode to Tory-bashing, and his 2022 album still had enough of that to let you know where he stands, in between all the whimsy and the equally heartwarming/heartbreaking stuff about his kids and his father and his friend’s kitchen and it’s a really good album.

Anyway. Here’s the song I played over and over this weekend.

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Okay, so. One more thing for this post, which I really hesitate to put in here, and have sort of intentionally buried. I’m behind a cut and a few pages in, hardly anyone is going to read this. Which is why I feel like I can say, I wrote a poem this weekend. For the first time in ages.

I used to write poetry pretty often, and every couple of months I’d send a few poems into this local thing that publishes poetry and pays a small amount of money per poem. I never made any noteworthy amount of money off it or anything, but for a while I was getting a bit, sort of regularly. And then a few years ago I stopped. I think I just got busy, and when COVID hit I stopped being busy but I wasn’t exactly feeling inspired enough to start writing again.

A few months ago, fall 2022, I started really trying to pick it up again. Messing around and trying to write stuff, but I didn’t really get anywhere. I could remember how it used to feel, when ideas would just come to me, but I couldn’t make it happen again. I tried to force it and I wrote a few things, but nothing that I’d be willing to show anyone.

Sharing poetry is hard. I feel like comedy and poetry are two of the hardest art forms to try, because if you do it badly, it’s so bad. There’s nothing more embarrassing than trying to be funny - really clearly admitting you’ve tried to be funny - and failing. Well, nothing except maybe trying to write good poetry and realizing it’s come out like the contents of a fourteen-year-old’s journal. No offense to fourteen-year-olds, by the way. I was once a fourteen-year-old with a journal full of terrible poetry. Also, there are some fourteen-year-olds who can actually write good poetry. “Fourteen-year-old’s journal” isn’t a literal description - it’s more a genre of poetry. A genre that anyone can accidentally fall into just by writing a bad enough poem.

The more earnestly you present something, the worse it is if you do it badly. And you really can’t write poetry ironically. I’ve sometimes put irony into my poetry (not sure I’ve done that well or anything, but I’ve tried), and I’ve enjoyed reading plenty of poems that make use of irony, but that irony is still undercut by the fact that, you know, it’s poetry. It’s the most earnest thing in the world. Stand-up comedy’s the same way. There might be irony in the comedy, but comedy itself isn’t ironic. You can’t say you were just joking by calling this comedy, it isn’t really. You’ve labelled your work as comedy, therefore saying you are genuinely trying to be funny, so you’d better get it right. I think those are the two worst things to get wrong, as no one cringes harder at anything than at fourteen-year-old journal poetry, or a person trying and failing to be funny.

Having said all of that, this weekend was the first time in ages that I’ve written something I’d be willing to show someone, and by “someone”, I mean the very small amount of people who might read several pages into a personal post on my Tumblr blog. I think there actually could be a kernel here that could turn into something I’d send in somewhere that publishes things. The more I look at it, the more I think maybe, in its best version, it would be two different poems. I’m seeing ways I could chop it up and move some things around and maybe split it in two, and turn it into something more polished. But that’s what Tumblr’s for, right? Posting the version of something that I really like, even if it’s not the most polished. Not that this is the “raw” version or anything, I’ve edited it plenty. But so far, all my editing has been to turn it into something I like, not into something someone might want to publish.

It's got a line from a Gavin Osborn song in there, which I think is fine because as long as I say that, it counts as a reference and not as plagiarism. Also, if I did try to do anything else with it, the polishing process would definitely include dropping that line. Partly because it wasn’t written by me, and partly because it’s kind of crowbarred in and doesn’t really work within the poem. But I’m leaving it in here because I really like it. I sort of fear that leaving in a line from a song I like crosses this too far into fourteen-year-old journal territory, but fuck it, what is Tumblr if not a fourteen-year-old’s journal? Also, it’s a Gavin Osborn song. It’s not exactly Evanescence (that’s my reference for what inspires fourteen-year-old journal poetry, imagine your own more up to date reference if you like).

Anyway. I don’t have a title for it yet, but it’s about the event I just attended, so I’ll probably try to come up with some mildly clever way to name it after that. But here’s something I wrote and edited over the course of this weekend, and it’s not great, definitely not the best thing I’ve done, but I actually think it might be sort of not bad.

There are flags, freshly ironed,

planted firmly on the floor.

And there are suits,

mismatched but buttoned up.

A ceiling hung with

There is craving so deep that it creeps

long fluorescent lights.

into fingertips, settles under tongues,

tastes sharp as blood and

The clash of egos on egos

echoes off concrete walls;

like sharpening iron,

And the utter fucking absurdity

friction that sparks when it catches right;

of the collar on my shirt

It feels like a roll call,

at a time like this.

every year, round them up:

There is beauty in still here,

“Who’s still here?”

when the hours come up against years.

Her eyes light up

in the same shade of green

Every single outcome is someone’s

that they did in 2005.

arc, but the narrative won’t always

Sometimes the story is slippery,

give you the satisfaction.

the moral high ground

slides like butter ‘cross ice,

like salt through gleaming hourglass.

But with feet planted firmly on this floor

where nothing else is true,

I watch chancers roll sweat into the ashes

I will always know my red side from my blue.

of a dead revolution,

You know, it’s good to see your

and I wish he’d turned on me too.

smile meet your eyes again.

It slipped through some timelines

but foundation’s still here,

and I just want to live in a world

They have piled more weight

where the hours mean less than the years.

on each ankle, each moment,

They have tried to draw answers

than can be reasonably expected to bear.

from aether, from air;

and they ask for more grace

There are tear-stained battered faces that

than has ever been there.

melt harsh hearts into questions:

That ceiling’s too low to contain

“Did you really not know you were going to win?”

the desperation, elation,

all these fears.

And I’m sitting on the sidelines writing poetry,

as the hours catch up to the years.

[beyejun]

yejun in the interview room | for ep 3

he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, still not exactly used to all of the cameras trained on his face, the sole focus of the entire room. even the staff, from the camera operator to the woman reading the prompts from some script, focus only on him. yejun was one of three boys, and the youngest at that. he's never had so much undivided attention in his life.

"why do you want to be an idol?"

yejun has heard that question maybe a thousand times by now. he knows why they're asking him again now; he needs to prove his worth here. he needs to tell them that he's worth the investment, what motivates him to stand on stage despite everything.

"i've always loved music. as strange as it is to say, i think it was my calling. admittedly... i didn't have the talent to be a concert pianist or something my parents could brag about, so... i thought maybe it would be okay to be an idol. that i could pursue music and become successful that way." it's still not their idea of successful, he knows. it wouldn't matter how popular he becomes or how much money he makes, it's still a disappointment to them. he's still the only child who isn't doing them proud. so much so that he can't even call his parents' house home anymore.

"were your parents supportive of your dreams to be a singer?"

ah, they know, he realizes. of course it wasn't a secret; the cameras are on them at almost all times. he wonders if they somehow tapped his phone when he wasn't paying attention, that they know the entire contents of his call with his father earlier this week. well, at least he's giving them good television.

"they're not," he smiles through the pain, through the ache that still lingers in his heart. "i'm sort of the black sheep in my family. my older brothers are a lawyer and in medical school... being a singer isn't very impressive in comparison. they wanted me to go into economics but... here i am." they hate me for this, he leaves the harsher words unsaid. "i've wanted this since i was just a kid, though. i never really stopped thinking about that dream."

"what was the hardest part about preparing for this performance?"

"there's a big mental battle," yejun's grateful for the opportunity to steer the conversation away from his family, though he's sure that they wanted him to talk more about those challenges. he's not ready yet. he still has hope that the bridge isn't completely burned to bits. "knowing that this performance will be the first eliminations, and that it's the first time i have a team that's relying on me to do my best... it's a lot of pressure, you know? i'm trying to stay focused on the important things and to just give my best performance no matter what."

"how did preparing for this performance go?"

he pauses for a moment to think, to consider the best way to respond to the question. there was no drama in his team, just a few people who worked surprisingly well together, despite most of them being strangers. maybe that's all that needs to be said. "i was excited to work with yuwol, since we played in a band together before this. and honestly... everyone just clicked together really well. it was fun to work with such creative, talented people, and chaerin did an amazing job of keeping us all on-track throughout our preparations. we have a lot we're trying to show, and i think we managed to show it all."

the staff seem to be satisfied with his answers for now, and yejun has all but run out of steam to continue to speak with them anyway. all he really wants right now is a hot shower and a long nap... though he's not really sure where he's going to go.

[gatlimanav]

I Used This Trick To Find Movie Theaters Near Me

When it comes to finding things around me like restaurants and government offices, I'll admit that I'm not great about planning ahead. In fact, even when it comes to finding movie theaters near me, I tend to be bad about thinking ahead because I'm usually operating off the cuff. I'll be walking around just having a great day and then, BAM! I'll want to watch a movie, but I'll have no clue where exactly a theater is based on my location.

What's an off-the-cuff movie watcher kind of guy like me to do, right?

Well, I actually have a great new trick to find movie theaters at a moment's notice, and the worst part is that I didn't realize that I had this at my disposal until just recently. Now, it's something I use almost daily. I use my phone's virtual assistant function. MIND BLOWN!

That's right! All I use is the little person that lives in my phone to tell me what movies theaters are actually in my vicinity. Isn't that wild?

Now, I know some of you are probably reading this and thinking that I must be a little dense to have just discovered this feature. so let me clarify a few things. For starters, I use my virtual assistant option but just not for this. Second, I tend to be a mindful phone user and can't stand when people are blaring their conversations for everyone's "listening pleasure" let alone their virtual assistant's voice giving them directions. And third, I'm a little old-school and tend to use my phone as more of a, well, phone than device. This means this stuff doesn't come natural to me at first.

Either way, now that I can use this feature, I'm all about having this little voice in my phone tell me about all of the movie theaters I can check out when the mood hits me. But don't rule out other great ways to find a theater when the movie bug hits:

Old Reliable --- You can never really stray too far by using the internet. Probably the best way to search for a movie theater nearest you is by searching for the movie you want to watch as it may not be showing in all theaters at a given time. You can also search by zip code to really zero in on where you want to find a theater.

Those Closest to You (Literally & Figuratively) --- Sometimes it's best to ask for input from family members & friends who can point you in the right direction. Don't count out co-workers, fellow church goers, and neighbors as resources since they may know the area pretty well.

Tech Awesomeness --- There are some people who have phones filled to the brim with apps of all kinds. Now, you can add apps for movie fanatics that give you info on theater locations, trailers, and how to purchase tickets. You could even just open your map app & using your current location search for theaters around you.

Trying to find movie theaters near me wasn't something I really stressed about, but now that I have at least one great trick to find them, I'm a little more invested. That said, I'm also keen on getting the best bang for my buck, which means I want to find theaters that give me more than just a great place to watch a movie. And I think I've found "The One".

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[hdvas]

Freelance Like a Pro - 12 Ultimate Tips to Work Like an Expert

Making your first dollar as a freelancer is exciting, but it doesn't stop there.

Figuring out how to freelance like a pro can feel overwhelming and even discouraging when starting. To achieve success, one must work hard, be dedicated, and persevere.

Freelancing is a great industry that brings more freedom to people who want to start their home business. Freelancing has taken the world by storm and has opened numerous work-from-home job opportunities throughout the globe. If you're tired of working a 9-5 job, freelancing may be for you.

There are numerous benefits to choosing freelance as a career. First, it allows you to run your own business to compete as hard as you want. In other words, you get to decide the number of hours you will work on a day, week, or month. But freelancing isn't all fun and games. Even though it is enjoyable, some challenges will arise that small businesses don't face.

Tips to Freelance Like a Pro

Many freelancers exist, but only few are making money.

How do those who are succeeding differ from those who are not? Here are tips to help you freelance like a pro:

1.) Setting up for success

There are many ways to freelance, but not all are right for you. To freelance like a pro, you must set up suitable systems that streamline your work.

Here's how:

⋅ Set up a solid business plan

⋅ Set goals and milestones

⋅ Find your niche and stick to it

⋅ Create a brand identity

⋅ Get organized and stay organized

In addition, make sure your office or workspace is comfortable and efficient. Get a standing desk or sit/stand desk if you can afford it, and ensure you have the proper lightning. You'll want to invest in good quality furniture and equipment that will last for years.

2.) The toolbox

Another thing you need to do is create your own freelancing toolbox. Your freelancing toolkit will include all the tools and resources you need.

In addition, it will also help you build a foundation for your new business venture and give you the confidence and motivation to continue on your journey as a freelancer.

As a freelancer, you need the right tools to be successful. It is vital to remember that there are thousands of tools out there that can help you become successful in freelancing. However, there is only a handful of them that are truly essential for every freelancer.

To keep your business running smoothly, it's essential to know theses tools to use them effectively when working with clients.

What to do to succeed in freelancing?

Once you have your toolbox together, it's time for you to start working on your project. You will need motivation and determination if you want things to go well for yourself and any clients who hire you. It will take time before things start rolling smoothly.

3.) A Good Working Space

You may have heard that a proper working environment affects employees' productivity. However, did you know that freelancers need it just as much?

This is because you need a proper working space to focus on your work, which will also affect your productivity.

On top of that, creating a good working space for yourself as a freelancer helps you focus on your work quickly and increases your productivity!

4.) A Backup Device

You need a backup device if you work online to access your work from anywhere. This can be a laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. I use my smartphone as an offline backup for my business. It's handy when I'm out and about and need to access my files.

I also use Google Drive to store all my documents and files. So if anything happens to my laptop or phone, I still have access to all my data.

Having a backup device is essential. Why is it so important?

If you're a freelancer, you must always ensure that your work is backed up on different devices. All your work will be lost if your computer dies or gets stolen.

A backup device is essential to protect yourself from losing your work. You can use external drives or cloud storage to back up your data and files. The choice is yours, but I recommend using both methods because they can complement each other.

5.) A Hearty Collection of Skills

You may be a great graphic artist, writer, or programmer, but you need other skills that complement your main skills to make it. Many believe they can get by with one skill and make it work. However, this is not true if you want to freelance like a pro. You need to have multiple skills so that you can cover all bases.

If you're content writer and social media manager, this should be enough for your clients, but what happens if they need someone who can do both? They might choose someone else instead of risking their brand image by hiring someone who doesn't know what they're doing if they had to choose between the two.

This is why it's essential to have a hearty collection of skills to satisfy more customers than before.

As a freelancer, you will need to be able to handle several different types of jobs at once, so you must have a several skill sets in your arsenal.

Suppose you want to become a freelancer or start your own journey as an entrepreneur. In that case, you must know exactly what types of skills will make you stand out from the crowd when applying for freelancing jobs.

6.) A Mentor

Regular communication is essential. You need to be able to pitch ideas, ask questions and receive feedback. You need to know when you're doing a good job and when you're not.

A mentor can help you with all of these things. They can advise you on handling different situations, keep you from making mistakes and even help you find new opportunities.

Here are some of the most common ways a mentor can help:

⋅ A mentor will help guide you through your first steps in freelancing

⋅ They will advise on how to negotiate projects and clients

⋅ They will give feedback on how you can improve your skillset and workflow

⋅ They can help build up your reputation as an expert in your field

A mentor will help you start your freelance career by guiding what tasks are worth doing for money and which are not. They will also advise on how much money each task should make for the time invested. This helps prevent over-selling yourself or working for too low of pay.

Also, a mentor will keep track of your successes and failures to better advise you on how to improve you in the future. If they see a pattern of failure, then they may decide that it would be better if they took over part or all of your workload until things improve again. It is up to them whether or not they want to do this, but it is often helpful for both parties involved. If you need a mentor in your freelancing, please visit this link: https://courses.thesurgemarketplace.com/product/freelancing-virtual-assistance-course/ and choose option C.

7.) An understanding of your Finances

Freelancing is hard work and requires a lot of self-discipline. Knowing where your money goes and the amount you spend on your business is essential. If you don't keep track of your finances, it's easy to run out of money and not know why.

You should also have an emergency fund for unexpected maintenance or medical expenses. Generally, you should set aside three months of living expenses. This is in case something goes wrong with your business, or you lose clients unexpectedly.

Get a separate bank account. Even if you are freelancing full-time and earning enough to cover your bills, getting a different bank account is still a good idea. You will be able to keep track of your income and expenses more quickly this way.

Set up an automatic savings plan. Suppose you have enough money coming in each month. Set up automatic savings, so your savings grow automatically without thinking about it. This is also an excellent way to put aside money for tax time.

8.) Self-Marketing Skills

Professionalism, self-marketing skills, and communication are some of the most important aspects of freelancing.

You may have all the skills required to do a great job, but if you can't market yourself or communicate effectively with clients, then it won't matter. You'll always get clients and your business on the ground.

What do you need to know about self-marketing?

As a freelancer, you are in charge of your success. You don't have a manager or an HR Department to tell you anything. You are on your own!

That's why it's so vital that you learn to market yourself and make yourself stand out.

Why should you learn how to market yourself?

The answer is simple: marketing is essential for any company that wants to be successful. And because marketing is crucial for any freelancer who wants to get jobs and earn money with their talent and skills.

The best way to learn how to market yourself is by doing it! Like in real life, when we want something badly, we have no choice but to practice until we get it right.

9.) A Great Reputation

Building trust with your clients begins with an excellent reputation. When they find out that you are a good freelancer, they will be willing to work with you again and again.

A bad reputation can hurt your chances of getting hired. However, an excellent reputation will help you get more clients and make more money.

It's what will bring you steady work and referrals from clients.

Here are various ways you can do to help build your reputation (freelance like a pro):

・Create a website. A website is a great way to showcase your work, provide information about yourself and your business, and give potential clients an easy way to contact you. If you need more time or money to build a site, consider using WordPress or Squarespace to create a simple but professional-looking site.

・ Display customer testimonials on your website and social media accounts (with permission). The best way to establish credibility with potential clients is through testimonials. They show that others have hired you successfully and enjoyed working with you.

・ A good testimonial also includes specific praise for something you did well. This personalizes it and makes it more convincing than saying, "I loved working with Jane because she was really nice!:"

・ Post frequently on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. These platforms are often used by potential clients looking for freelancers who do similar work types (and might fit into their budget).

10.) Crafting your Online Presence

Your online presence is one of the essential things to consider when starting freelancing. It's about ensuring you have an attractive website and how you present yourself on social media. In this post, we'll look at some things you should do to build your online presence.

Another step to freelance like a pro is to craft your online presence. This means building up your reputation. You want clients to find you and know what you offer. You also want a website or blog showcasing your work and your services' value.

To accomplish this you should establish yourself on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. These are all free ways to get your name out there, so more clients can find you when they're looking for someone like you.

You should also ensure that your website looks professionals and has content that shows what kind of work you do best - writing, designing, or coding.

11.) Create a Web Custom Portfolio

Creating a custom web portfolio is essential to freelance like a pro. It helps you to present your work and services to people who visit your page. It also helps in attracting potential clients who may be interested in hiring you for their projects.

A web custom portfolio is an avenue to showcase your skills, experience, and work. You can also share it with potential employers or clients so they can know what they should expect regarding your services.

Creating a custom web portfolio is not difficult at all. All you need is creativity and know-how on how to do it right. You don't need to spend too much money creating one; instead, you can use free tools online or even create one yourself if you are creative enough.

A web custom portfolio allows you to build trust with potential clients and show them that you can handle their projects.

Creating a custom web portfolio doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, but it does take time and effort. You will spend hours searching for inspiration and learning new skills, but once your portfolio is complete, it will pay off in the long run.

12.) Social Media

Getting in touch with clients and building relationships is easy with social media. It's also an excellent way to promote your business.

Social Media is another powerful tool for freelancers. It can help you get clients, work on your projects, and build your personal brand. Here's how:

・ Create an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. These are the most popular social networks, so having an account is vital. However, remember to set up an account and remember about it. You need to actively use these accounts (at least once a week); otherwise, they won't be effective!

・ Post pictures of your work in progress and finished products/projects on Facebook and Instagram. Your followers will appreciate seeing what you do behind closed

doors!

・ Sharing blog posts related to freelancing can also help build your brand and attract new clients.

Other tips are:

Create an account on all available platforms

Set up your profile

Use hashtags on Instagram and Twitter to attract potential clients

These are the top 12 excellent tips to freelance like a pro. This guide will help you with your freelancing.

Are you a newbie eager to start a work-from-home career but need help knowing where to begin? Surge Marketplace is dedicated to helping you start freelancing from scratch to success. Interested? Visit Surge Marketplace Page and send us a chat on how we can assist you.

Sources:

[creditprosolution]

Credit Restoration: What Is It & How Can It Help Me?

If you’ve been denied credit because of bad credit, there’s a good chance your credit has suffered serious damage. If so, then it’s time to learn about the pros and cons of credit restoration. What Is Credit Restoration? Credit restoration refers to any action or process that helps someone who has low or poor credit ratings or scores improve those ratings and scores.

What Is Credit Restoration?

If you’ve had a hard time finding credit, the best credit repair could help you out. If you’re looking for the best credit repair, it’s important to know that there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting one. For example, your credit score will be thoroughly reviewed before any services are provided and your monthly budget must be considered as well. There are many different types of services to choose from when looking for the best credit repair, including identity theft protection or employment verification. The goal is to have a good standing with creditors so that they’ll offer loans at better rates and banks will approve your loan requests more readily. The best credit restoration is worth investing in if it helps to improve your financial stability and makes life easier.

What Is A Credit Score?

A credit score is a three-digit number that helps creditors and lenders determine the likelihood of you paying back your debt. It’s their way of determining how risky it would be to lend you money. The higher your credit score, the less risk they see in lending to you. Most people don’t know that there are many different types of credit scores out there, and each one is determined by a different type of lender or creditor. For example, if you want to borrow money from a bank then they will use one type of score, but if you want to rent an apartment then a landlord will use another type of score.

How Do Credit Companies Score Your Credit?

Typically, there are three major components of a credit score that are important to know about. They are payment history, credit utilization, and length of credit history. Payment history is the number of times you have been late or missed a payment throughout your credit history. Credit utilization is the amount of your total available line of credit that you have used at any given time. Length of credit history is how long your account has been open and active. All three components play an important role in determining how much your credit score will be affected if you miss a payment or use more than 50% of your available line of credit at any given time.

Do I Need This?

If you have a poor credit score, it can be hard to find loans for a new car or a mortgage. This can make it difficult to move forward with your life in the ways you want. But credit restoration services exist to help people like you turn their credit around. Credit restoration isn’t free, but it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make if your goal is to buy a home or start a business. You’re not alone and there are many things you can do on your own (check out our other blog post), but working with professionals that know what they’re doing and understand how to get results will be worth every penny.

Getting Help With Credit Restoration

One of the first steps in rebuilding your credit is to find a reputable company that offers credit restoration services. Luckily, there are many reputable companies like credit pro solution that offer credit restoration services. Here’s what you need to know about these types of services before you get started with a provider:

Beware of anyone making promises they can’t keep. You should look for someone with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau as well as all relevant licenses and credentials. You should also do research online about each organization or person you’re considering using.

Contact Us :

Address - 1234 Market St #40839 SMB #13036 Philadelphia, PA 19107

Phone - 855-537-8097

Email - info@creditprosolution.com

Website - Credit Pro Solution

Blog - Credit Restoration: What Is It & How Can It Help Me?

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