#Stellar parenting 101

[zenaidamacrouras1]

Yesterday my kids went to Paleo camp (? It was an option and I needed childcare) and learned about the impacts of the asteroid hitting and I was talking about how the subsequent ocean acidification caused the base level of life in the ocean (foraminifera) to all die and that created a chain reaction of mass ocean death.

And my son said "But an asteroid isn't going to hit our planet again right?" (Great fear)

And daughter said "no because scientists watch for asteroids and are learning how to push them away with rockets"

And I said, "yeah an asteroid isn't a problem but we still might have that chain reaction of near complete ocean death because of ocean acidification due to global warming because the lower critters on the ocean food chain have carbon shells which dissolve in acid like if you put an egg in vinegar. That's probably going to happen in your lifetime. I don't know why scientists are worried about asteroids."

And then they blinked at me in horror, and then my son asked where tar pits come from and if he needs to worry about getting stuck in one.

[tanthamoretober]

Never-Not-Commenting November

Tanthamoretober is COMPLETE. The archive collection is closed, and we had a truly incredible 101 works submitted through the month. We don't have anything up our sleeves writing-challenge-wise for November, but stay tuned for ~winterfest~ coming to a December and January near you.

Our challenge to all of you this month is to spend some time showing some love to the amazing works posted this month!!!

Introducing Never-Not-Commenting November, a silly name for a really important challenge: leave as many kudos and comments for works posted in October as you possibly can.

How does this work?

Browse through the works in the Tanthamoretober AO3 collection, and read them! Once you've read them, leave a comment telling the author what you liked about their story! Did you already read a fic and forget to leave a comment? Leave one now! Did you read it when it first came out and enjoy it again on reread? Comment again! However you feel it's most authentic to show love, we want you to show up and do that.

Will there be prizes? Will I get in trouble for not doing it? The best prize of all is the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from knowing that you made a Willow fic author feel happier. We are not going to be tracking commenting because it's too big a data management job; this is going to be on the honor system. We're not your parents, nor do we wish to be, but you will know if you cheat.

We will however be putting together some posts with optional commenting achievements. We trust you to track whether you hit these milestones on your own, and if you do, feel free to reblog the post - like giving yourself a badge.

Okay fine I like badges. Where are the badges? Links to come as the amazing stellar @myrebelliousphase works her art magic, but the milestones are:

Never Not Commenting November Novice: I left AO3 comments on 5 fics!

Never Not Commenting November Apprentice: I left AO3 comments on 10 fics!

Never Not Commenting November Master: I left AO3 comments on 20 fics!

Never Not Commenting November Knight: I left AO3 comments on 40 fics!

Never Not Commenting November Nice, Dude: I left AO3 comments on 69 fics!

Never Not Commenting November Semprum Sorceror: I left AO3 comments on EVERY fic in the tanthamoretober collection

I left some comments on fic in October, as people were posting. Can I claim a badge? Yes, of course! We still would like it if you try to leave a few extra comments through November, but obviously if you're trying to aim for one of the higher-count badges and you've been reading through the month, we don't want to make it impossible. What if I comment on other Willow fics that aren't in the Tanthamoretober collection?

We love that for you. Go nuts. Claim a badge. However, we'd ask that if you're commenting on non-Tanthamoretober stories, you only "count" comments you leave between November 7 and November 30.

I'm shy about leaving AO3 comments, do you have any advice?

If you're nervous about leaving a big comment, or if that's not your style, try practicing with saying a few words! If you already left kudos but want to let the writer know you reread it, even a simple comment saying "Leaving kudos, again, I liked this!" is a great way to share your love. Here are some prompts that might help you feel inspired to leave a comment:

was there a particular line or phrase that you liked? Why did you like it?

was there something else you liked about the fic?

Do you have a favourite small detail about the fic? Why? how did the fic make you feel? Do you feel comfortable sharing that feeling with the writer?

Did the fic each you anything? if so, what?

Is there anything else I can do to contribute?

Yes! If you're a reader feel free to make posts of fic recs. These are posts where you share a link to a story or stories that you enjoyed, and explain why you liked it to help other people find stories they might enjoy. If you are a writer who contributed a story to Tanthamoretober feel free to put together a roundup post of the stories you added to the collection during this time. If you tag us (@tanthamoretober) in your rec posts or roundup posts, we'll reblog them during the month of November!

Anything else?

This should go without saying, but we are trusting you all to be kind, respectful, and appropriate when leaving comments. No one likes unsolicited criticism, even if the intent is to be "constructive." The goal of this is to spread love and appreciation, and we expect you to treat authors with the care and gentleness that you would like to be treated with. If a story truly is not to your taste, you are not obligated to leave feedback.

[caswellseyes]

Hello hello Michelle!! How about 22 and 64 for the Spotify wrapped fic thing? 👀

Hope you're doing well!

- @michelangelinden

hi linden!! i'm doing pretty well, hope you are too!

22. carousel - 5 seconds of summer

ohh okay this makes me think of bobby. like, right after the boys die and he becomes trevor wilson and uses luke's songs to keep their memory alive (because i like bobby too much to make him be the villain for stealing those lol). just, the idea of him recording an album filled with sunset curve songs, in this endless cycle of looking back at the good old days and not wanting that to end (just a carousel spinnin' around / i'd pay again just to keep from stoppin' it now) while at the same time wondering if he's malking the right choice or not (always lookin' back and I don't know why / something always there in the back of my mind) and just. angst, yes?

64. listen!!! - aly & aj

okay so i think this song is about a toxic relationship, which immediately makes me think of caleb and willie. for a fic, maybe a 5+1 about times willie tried to tell caleb something/ask for help and was brushed off, with the +1 being alex and the others clearly caring about them and taking them seriously? alternatively, sunset curve and their less-than-stellar parents could work here as well.

send me a number 1-101 and i'll tell you about the fic based on the corresponding song on my spotify wrapped!

[silver-moon1]

FINAL BLOG

This semester has taught me a lot about all the different avenues that the Hospitality and Tourism Management students can take. While I am not a HTM major, I do some of what we have learned was very interesting and appealing. The units that sparked most of my interest included:

Adventure Travel (aka spiritual pilgrimages)

The Cruising Industry

The Hotel Industry

Meeting and Events

Food and Beverage

I learned how spiritual pilgrimages can be incredibly eye opening for many people and how they view the world. During the discussion for this unit I discussed how my mother made a point to take me abroad to Italy after my high school graduation and how I always appreciated the experiences that trip gave me. Italy has such rich culture and food, especially in Rome. I was so amazed by all the monuments and history there is just so much to see. Any time we would walk down an alley we would happen upon something so unique and interesting. I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. I never knew that adventure travel was such a big thing in HTM, but now that I know it is definitely something to consider. I think everyone needs to take one journey abroad in their lifetime. Going someplace you have never been and experiencing a different culture can give so you so many different views on life and can improve a persons mental state and wellbeing.

The cruising industry was an intense unit to learn about. I have been on many different cruise lines in my lifetime with my family and we have always had such an amazing time, but I never really took a step back to think about how much work and time goes into each cruise. There are so many workers, working day in and day out, even once a ship offloads its patrons a whole new set comes right on and they are out of the dock within a couple hours. This industry is incredibly fast paced. I think it would be stressful at times, but highly rewarding to be able to reap the benefits of traveling and seeing the world.

As for the hotel industry, they are quiet similar to the cruising industry in the fast paced and long hours criteria. I think what appeals to me most about the industry is the aspect of constantly meeting new people and tending to their needs. Hotels bring in all different kinds of people from different backgrounds, cultures, ages, ethnicities, etc. I can't say that I would ever own or run a hotel on my own- as that sounds incredibly stressful to me. But, after watching the Marigold Hotel movies I definitely think that hotel management is a very respectable field and can allow many to attain a great livelihood. I learned that it requires soft skills and hard skills — art and science. In order to become great in this craft, you would need years of experience, the right tools, stellar organization systems, and an even better team under your belt to adjust to ongoing consumer wants and needs.

The meetings and events unit sparked my interest the MOST out of everything I have learned in HTM 101. I even discussed the possibility of going into this field with my mom the other day. She agrees that I am very organized and love to plan. My own friends tell me that they want me to decorate or organize their weddings because they love my style and taste. I think if I ever went into event planning I would have be a wedding planner. Weddings would be so much fun for me to plan because creating special moments for others seems very rewarding. Not to mention a lot of people don't want to do it themselves nor have the time to do so. There is so much work that goes into wedding planning, but overall I think I would be able to handle it and make something great!

Lastly I wanted to go over the food and beverage unit because I learned a lot about it. My own parents created their own coffee shops back in the day and looking back so much has changed in terms of what people expect from the food and beverage industry. (Especially once COVID hit).

Some suggestions I would offer to those entering the F&B industry include:

Increase health conscious options

Decrease unhealthy fast food services

Stock more organic food products

Stock more plant based food products

Create products with simple ingredients (NO LONG LISTS)... we want to understand what is going into our bodies

Source food that is locally grown and produced

Buy food at farmers markets

I think that my major being marketing can go hand in hand with a lot of these HTM careers. After all the experience that I gained from my degree would apply and be very useful for future employers even if I didn't go into a marketing specific field. I would definitely consider some of these HTM options in the future and if you have any suggestions on which avenue to take definitely let me know!

I have enjoyed these past 15 weeks so much. This class was a different learning experience than any other class I have taken at GVSU and I can truthfully say I wish more were like this. School isn't meant to be stressful. We are meant to learn and enjoy not stress and regurgitate information. I will take what I have learned and look into all the options that are out there for me. I will continue to grow and learn and hopefully TRAVEL.

[inter-stellar-jyp]

⧽ ⠀ ̲̅:☆ ⠀ introducing 𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐢 !! ⠀ ‧ *

——— ♡ ⠀ BASICS !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

STAGE NAME yoonji ˒ 윤지

BIRTH NAME yoon jimin ˒ 윤 지민

BIRTHDAY 11 jan 2001

ZODIAC capricorn ˒ ♑︎

PLACE OF BIRTH jeju island ˒ south korea

HOMETOWN jeju city ˒ jeju island

ETHNICITY korean

NATIONALITY korean

LANGUAGES korean ˒ english ❪    basic    ❫

——— ♡ ⠀ PHYSIQUE !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

FACE CLAIM baek jiheon

HEIGHT 165cm ˒ 5'4

BLOOD TYPE O+

——— ♡ ⠀ CAREER !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

OCCUPATION idol ˒ inkingayo mc ❪ 2019-2021 ❫

LABEL jyp

GROUP inter-stellar ˒ ioi ❪ 2016 - 2017 ❫

POSITION lead vocalist ˒ sub rapper ˒ visual

TRAINING 2 years @ jyp

DEBUT 10 oct 2017 ˒ 04 may 2016 ❪ ioi ❫

SURVIVAL SHOW produce 101 ❪    8th    ❫

——— ♡ ⠀ FAMILY !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

MOTHER kim miso

FATHER yoon chanhee

BROTHER yoon jiwon ❪ ’96 ❫

——— ♡ ⠀ PERSONALITY !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

MBTI entj

POSITIVE charming ˒ sweet ˒ optimistic ˒ compassionate

NEGATIVE immature ˒ delusional ˒ conceited ˒ impatient

——— ♡ ⠀ TRIVIA !! ⠀ * . ࿐ྂ

jimin was the 3rd member to be announced through the predebut project with birthday on the 10th of february 2017.

nova and jimin are very close, nova calls her her destined baby sister because they were put in the same team a lot on produce , ended up debuting in ioi together and finally they’re together in inter-stellar as well.

people often mistake her or mimi to be the maknae instead of taeji.

she is very close with her brother jiwon. she has a very innocent and sweet soul so jiwon is super protective of her but he really loves her.

jimin is the biggest ONCE that you will ever meet. she is especially a huge jihyo stan and always jokes with taeji that jihyo is her fav park sister.

her parents were not supportive of her career at first because she is very smart and they thought she could get a better job.

jimin is ver passionate about school and was top of her class at her entire life and is currently studying her degree online.

since her time on produce jimin has been known for her visuals and was labeled ‘ koreas snow white ‘ because of them and her pale skin.

the stage name ‘yoonji’ came from the first 2 syllables of her name yoon jimin because her name jimin is too common and growing up there was always another jimin in her class.

she was an inkingayo mc and a fan favourite because of her cute and goofy personality.

jimin is a very loving and friendly person. she is still very close with all of the ioi girls especially somi since they auditioned together. even in inter-stellar she is close with all of the girls and very affectionate with them. even when mila and eden joined she instantly clicked with them and she is shipped with literally every single member.

[tabloidtoc]

Entertainment Weekly, June

Cover: The Pride Issue cover 3 of 4 -- Lena Waithe

Page 3: Contents, other covers featuring Lil Nas X, Mj Rodriguez, Bowen Yang

Page 4: Sound Bites

Page 7: The Cold Open

Page 14: The Must List -- In the Heights

Page 15: Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon, Iceage -- Seek Shelter, Ziwe

Page 18: Trying Q&A with Esther Smith and Rafe Spall, Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill

Page 20: Milestone Returns #0: Infinite Edition, In Treatment

Page 21: Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy, The Empty Man

Page 22: My Must List Pride Edition -- Niecy Nash

Page 25: Pride 2021

Page 26: Lil Nas X -- the 22-year-old rapper is still breaking barriers one song and several clapbacks at a time

Page 29: St. Vincent -- the chameleonic singer-songwriter returns with Daddy's Home, an adventurous new album inspired by her father's prison time

Page 30: Olly Alexander -- after a lauded lead turn in It's a Sin, the artist returned with the single Starstruck, from his newly solo musical act Years & Years

* Rostam -- the new solo album from the multi-instrumentalist is rooted in society's fear of change

Page 32: Lena Waithe -- the producer and actor, and the new star of Master of None season 3, wants to create provocative art while elevating voices

Page 35: Josh Thomas -- the Australian creator-star of Everything's Gonna Be Okay is telling his story through his art

Page 36: Meet Your Maker -- Natalie Morales -- the queer star directs her first film(s), the sharp indies Plan B and Language Lessons. Here's what got her behind the camera

Page 37: Joshua Safran -- the man behind Alex Parrish's attitude and Blair Waldorf's one-liners shares how his sexuality helps him empathize with his characters

* Brandon Taylor -- coming off his explosive, best-selling debut novel Real Life, the lauded author is looking toward his second act and beyond

Page 38: Mj Rodriguez -- with the final season of the history-making FX drama Pose, it's leading lady is ready to claim what's hers

Page 41: Colman Domingo -- after decades of stellar work, the scene-stealer is front and center on Euphoria, Fear the Walking Dead, and more

Page 42: Auli'i Cravalho -- the star of Disney's Moana proved how far she'll go to be her authentic self, and is now focused on joy and inclusion

Page 43: Queen Supremes -- the international RuPaul's Drag Race winning class speaks power to the franchise's worldwide domination and looks ahead to a fab future

Page 44: Bowen Yang -- the Saturday Night Live breakout is defining funny for a whole new generation and pushing boundaries in the process

Page 47: Margaret Cho -- the stand-up comedian plays the lesbian pal we all wish we had in the comedy Good on Paper

Page 48: Molly Bernard -- after playing Younger's pansexual publicist, she's ready to explore the full spectrum of queerness

* Josie Totah -- from Disney's Jessie to the Saved by the Bell revival and Amy Poehler's Moxie, the actress has made a name for herself twice and Hollywood's paying attention

Page 49: Calendar -- 10 upcoming LGBTQ projects to get excited for --from eye-opening documentaries to sweeping romances, there is plenty to add to your Pride watch queue

* Pride season's 6 essential reads

Page 51: Summer TV Preview

Page 52: Loki with Tom Hiddleston

Page 53: Panic, The Celebrity Dating Game, Gossip Girl

Page 54: September Mornings, Schmigadoon!, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Ted Lasso

Page 55: Heels, The Good Fight

Page 56: Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Page 57: Sweet Tooth, Blindspotting, Kevin Can F**k Himself, Mr. Corman

Page 58: We Are Lady Parts, Love Victor, Sex/Life, Turner & Hooch

Page 59: Physical, Hit & Run, American Rust

Page 60: Bosch, Marvel Studios' What If...?, Lisey's Story -- Q&A with Julianne Moore

Page 61: Calendar

Page 62: The Fast and the Furious oral history -- how did a little movie about underground racing speed off to become one of the most profitable franchises in history? The cast and crew reminisce about 20 years of Fast, one quarter-mile at a time

Page 68: News + Reviews -- Nominate Them, You Cowards -- on July 13, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will announce the 2021 Emmy nominees. Here are some standout shows and performances we insist not be overlooked

Page 72: Movies -- Summer Star -- taking the lead in blockbusters A Quiet Place II and Jungle Cruise, Emily Blunt is the face of Hollywood's comeback summer

Page 74: Making the Scene -- Army of the Dead -- Zack Snyder explains how he bet big on destroying Las Vegas in his bloody zombie heist movie

Page 75: Oxygen, The Woman in the Window -- the journey from smash best-seller to star-studded streaming thriller was long and fittingly bizarre

Page 76: Meet the Fab G -- director Kay Cannon on how Billy Porter found a fresh, inclusive take on the fairy godmother in the new Cinderella

Page 79: My Favorite Shot Pride Edition -- Sebastian Lelio, A Fantastic Woman -- the Chilean director revisits a gravity-defying sequence in his groundbreaking Oscar-winning drama

Page 80: TV -- The Underground Railroad

Page 81: The Upshaws

Page 82: Oral History -- in 2011, Teen Wolf premiered on MTV. Ten years later, we look back at the pilot episode that introduced us to Scott, Stiles and the werewolves of Beacon Hills -- Jeff Davis, Tyler Posey, Russell Mulgahy, Dylan O'Brien, Crystal Reed

Page 84: What to Watch

Page 86: Music -- Miranda Lambert Q&A -- for The Marfa Tapes, Lambert decamped to the quiet artsy town in West Texas and recorded songs around a campfire. She talks to EW about the album and being an introverted superstar

Page 88: Ear Kandi -- Xscape member and current Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss reflects on the hits she's made for Destiny's Child, *NSYNC, TLC and more

Page 89: The Black Keys

Page 90: Books -- summer books special -- a comedy of eras -- in a sharp new essay collection, The Wreckage of My Presence, actor Casey Wilson weaves big feelings into even bigger laughs

Page 92: Poetic Justice -- prolific romance writer and political powerhouse Stacey Abrams bookend an incredible year with more thrills, this time in her first novel not written under her pen name Selena Montgomery

Page 93: Author Spotlight -- Silvia Moreno-Garcia -- Velvet Was the Night

Page 94: Fatal Attraction -- inside the intoxicating depravity of Animal, Lisa Taddeo's meaty follow-up to Three Women

Page 95: Critic's Pick -- The Great Mistake by Jonathan Lee

Page 96: Critic's Pick -- In the Country of Others by Leila Slimani

Page 97: The Conversation -- Taylor Jenkins Reid and Paula Hawkins -- the names behind Daisy Jones & the Six and The Girl on the Train are coming for your beach tote

Page 98: Q&A with Zakiya Dalila Harris -- The Other Black Girl, former book editor Zakiya Dalila Harris' genre-bending evisceration of workplace privilege, is set to become the debut of the summer

Page 99: Critic's Pick -- Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

Page 101: Q&A with Billie Eilish -- in between winning Grammys and releasing her sophomore album, the pop star is publishing her first (self-titled) book, a collection of never-before-seen pics of her early life on the road

Page 103: Parental Guidance -- your crib sheet on the best entertainment for kids from toddlers to tweens

* Q&A with Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade -- the actress and her NBA legend husband, bring it on with their new children's book Shady Baby

Page 112: The Bullseye

[xxskycrystalxx]

Mystic Pop Up Bar Thoughts - Ep. 12 [FINAL]

SPOILERS AHEAD

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Ahh, the last episode of MPUB has aired, and I’ve finished it with a heavy heart, filled with emotions. The last episode has basically answered all the questions, theories, and hopes that we had, and ended the drama off as a masterpiece. I was going to right a full on review of MPUB, but I think my thoughts are enough review, so I’ll end off my last thoughts of MPUB with a small review.

In the beginning of ep.12 it gave us more insight on the sacred tree, and further solidified the fact that Kang Bae IS Weol-Joo & Chief Gwi’s child. I wanted to see a bit more of the sacred tree, but we get what we get. Anyways, the sacred tree is rlly powerful and gave Won-hyung a run for his money in like .0001 seconds, the sacred tree clapped back! After the confrontation with Won-hyung, Chief Gwi & Weol-Joo bring Kang Bae back to his house, and Weol-Joo drops the baby bomb on Chief Gwi. His reaction is definitely not surprising, and his emotions are called for. I mean imagine finding out that you did have a child with the person you loved, but stuff went sideways and basically realizing that they’ve been there the whole time. After realizing that they’re both the parents of Kang Bae, their parenting radar went up, becoming protective parents, parenting 101. Then, of course, Won-hyung comes to mess everything up and kidnaps Kang Bae, while the whole squad puffs up and is ready to rescue him. Yeo-Rin stepped up big time and was being a g, while Chief Gwi, cool as always, brought out his glave and wreaked havoc with it. Can I just say tho, Chief Gwi is serving them looks. Give Choi Won-Young an Oscar, cuz he did an absolute stellar job as Chief Gwi. Once again tho, the drama showed off some amazing CGI effects and choreography! The fight between Chief Gwi & all the possessed people, was cool to watch + the fight with Won-hyung, and of course, cue the catchy action themed music to make it all the more epic! He was just completely bad*** in this episode!

Then here comes the angst, like HEAVY angst. When Kang Bae was confronting Won-hyung we learn that he already knows that he is Weol-Joo & Chief Gwi’s child. I was a bit surprised at first that Kang Bae knew, but then he said he knew after he fainted and I realized that, that was the same for Chief Gwi’s mother. So it made sense. Then Won-hyung put him in the dream world so he would be able to exterminate him, while Chief Gwi & Weol-Joo are trying to protect Kang Bae from the outside, with Chief Gwi dying in the process. He’s done so much already, and here he goes getting impaled by his very own glave, protecting the ones he loves. Ouch. Uh like excuse me, I didn’t ask to be hurt like this. Out comes the waterworks. Then there’s that “I love you” confession before Chief Gwi died, and that hit HARD. Like I cried more on this scene than the other scenes I cried on. But srsly, you writers should’ve given them more happy moments together before they got ripped apart from each other and making us all sad over it 😞 He didn’t even say I love you back tho, what blasphemy!!!

Going into Kang Bae’s dreamworld, Won-hyung is pushing Kang Bae over the edge when mama Weol-Joo comes in, real pissed. I mean the man she loves just died in front of her, and her child’s life is being threatened, who wouldn’t? She tried to push Won-hyung down, but he got a grip on her and dragged her with him, not before Kang Bae managed to grab onto Weol-Joo’s hand. The way Kang Bae was just crying and finally said “mom,” well thanks for that arrow. Weol-Joo letting go and falling into the darkness was just messed up, and my heart broke for this separated family. 🥺😭

Then some time passed, Kang Bae still not over the fact that Chief Gwi & Weol-Joo is gone, but I’m glad Yeo-Rin was there to help him through it and provide comfort and love. I was really hoping for a happy ending for the three of them, and my wish was answered. Weol-Joo was back, and plot twist! It was her grudge that was solved, and was able to fulfill the 100,000 grudges quota, and honestly that was a good move, so good job writers! Yeomradaewang came through, and wanted to reward Weol-Joo with someone that a) took her punishment unconditionally & b) rescued her from the void/darkness. Can you guys guess who it is? MY BOI CHIEF GWI 🙌🏻 He comes in with a smile on his face and his arms open wide. The hug was the best reunion I could ask for, we don’t always need a kiss to make a couple/ship work or show how strong they are. The way they connect, work with one another, actions, and sacrifices is what proves their love for one another. Get a love story like this. Precious bby’s 💕 Also, this is just my way of interpreting how Chief Gwi was able to come back, but in the end, it talks about how the heavens can be moved by even little things, and honestly, I’m pretty sure all the self-sacrificing Chief Gwi did, was what changed their minds, and they were moved by his love and determination to keep his loved ones safe and being good to his promises.

Their reunion was so heartwarming to see, the way Chief Gwi & Weol-Joo look at Kang Bae, like the adorable and loving parents they are, and Kang Bae is like “I’m home.” Ugh, my heart 😣❤️ I cried a bit here too, but who wouldn’t am I right? 😂 It was a good and happy ending, that I’ll take, and I’m glad the writers were able to do these characters justice and bring about MPUB to what it was.

Btw, is it just me or did I not see this scene like anywhere in the last episode? I wonder if it’s a deleted scene or if I really just missed it in a blink of an eye, but Chief Gwi with those sunglasses... 😳 Just hits differently you know?

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Anyways, wrapping up, MPUB was an overall amazing drama from start to finish. It had me engrossed from the first episode to the last episode, and the attachment I have with the three characters is saying a lot for me, since I don’t get attached as much. The only times I get attached to a drama and their characters is because I rlly rlly like it, and because I like it, it grows on me. The OST’s, cinematography, CGI effects, characters, story, and basically everything else was well done and crafted! The writers did an amazing job on the story, and being able to deliver plot twists and revelations that actually make sense, and for the actors and actresses that were able to make the drama for what it is. I mean, just spectacular performance to the main actors/actresses, especially Choi Won-Young! I’m really going to miss MPUB. It made me sad, happy, relieved, thoughtful, and surprised all at the same time. Chief Gwi & Weol-Joo is my fav couple at the moment, and them with Kang Bae is the most adorable and loving family ever, our found family/chaotic family trio. The only thing I’ll complain about is the fact that there was only 12 episodes. In all honesty, I rlly wouldn’t mind if there was a second season. I also wish they explored the sacred tree a bit more, and gave us a scene or two of Weol-Joo & Kang Bae finding out that Chief Gwi took her punishment instead, but that’s just me nitpicking out of an amazing drama. It was a wonderful journey to go through while watching MPUB, and I’m also thankful for the MPUB fandom. So very wholesome and filled with lovely people! Thanks to all who have read my thoughts and enjoyed my content! 💕

[kuriquinn]

Why do all your pets names start with z? I love the names so much btw!

The Tale of the Z Family

Lol! That was the brainchild of high school me. I decided there weren’t enough people/pets with Z names out there and decided any future pets of mine would have names starting with Z. And I’d already decided Zeke would be the first name I used.

So one night my brother and I were watching Nanny 911 or something like that and switching back and forth between that and Zoey 101 because there was LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE ON TV, we hear the car pull into the driveway and my mom and dad are coming back from date night. So the doorbell rings and I go to open it and when I do...mom leading two 12 week old golden retriever puppies into the house.

Suffice to say my bro and I almost shit our pants we were in shock because I had been asking for a dog for like a year or two and I kept being told no. And now suddenly, bam, two fur babies.

So I immediately name the boy Zeke and my brother names the girl Zoey (for obvious reasons) and this begins our little Z family.

(I unfortunately don’t have any photos of them when they are puppies because those are all on my old Motorola phone and I can’t figure out how to get them off 😢)

Now I also happened to want a cat. And for another three years I begged my parents. They always said no or I’d have to wait until I moved out. I kept trying of course

One night my brother shows up from spending the day out with his friends and he’s carrying this huge cardboard box, and he goes, “hey ma look what I found can I keep it?”. And we look in the box and there’s this tiny kitten that’s maybe just opened it’s eyes a week or two before, and is mangy and skin and bones and flea ridden and just this utterly pathetic creature that I immediately fell in love with.

😍

Kitty’s mama got hit by a car and left three babies under a house. My brother and two of his friends each took one home with them because they were so little if they stayed out much longer they would die.

So we’re begging Mom to keep her (we thought it was a girl at first) and mum’s saying no, no, no...and then she’s saying, well, she can stay the night and we’ll take her to the vet tomorrow and they’ll find her a home.

😏

I decide that night we’re gonna call the kitten Zeta (because I know mom’s gonna cave and kitty needs a Z name so she can fit in with her doggo brother and sister)

Next morning I wake up and mom’s been and gone to the vet, and by the way, we have a new cat and HIS name is Zeus (which she came up with in the spot only because at the back of her head we had to keep going with the Z names lol)

He’s totally king of the house so I start calling him Zeus-el-Ra for whatever reason and it ends up sticking when we’re not calling him “you fucker!” when he’s being a little shit.

This is him after a week or so of good food and de-worming and stuff:

So about a year passes and we’re pretty happy with our family. I’d love to have more pets (I have an aunt that lives in New Zealand and has like 16 cats and I have absolutely no issue emulating that lol) but I’ve accepted we’ve got a good thing going and so I don’t bug my mom about it anymore.

Now she started a new job in Ottawa and she loved working there but couldn’t stand the people. Scum of the universe worked there, apparently their behaviour made the drana of Grey’s Anatomy look tame. And there was this woman working there that was a micromanaging biotch functional moron who basically only had a job because she wad screwing the boss.

Anyway this woman mentions to my mom that her 1 year old cat got out of the house and came back pregnant. She doesn’t want the kittens so she’s planning to drown them after the cat gives birth and then neuter the cat.

🤬

Yeah, I know. Stellar example of a human being, right?

So my mom says fuck that noise, I’ll take them. And the woman is like but you don’t even know how many there will be and my mom says I don’t care I want them.

By some miracle the woman made a decent decision and agreed.

So time passes, cat gives birth to three kittens but only two of them survive, and almost the minute that the vet says they can be away from their mama, the woman brings them to my mum and she brings them home to us.

Obviously these cats must have a Z name. Mom wanted to call the runt if the litter L’il Zee, but that got too confusing with Zeke so we decided to call him Zed. And because the other cat looked like he was dressed up in black, we called him Zorro.

And here’s a better idea of how small they were:

And that is the story of the acquisition of the Z Family :)

[abbeyfangirl]

dragon age: all characters (companions)

I’ve been in this fandom for a hot minute now and I want to update my opinions on characters :)

Origins

Alistair: super sweet dude who literally is not the stereotypicalchantryguyfightme. He’s a great example of healthy masculinity and I totally wish he was bi because I have an entire essay on that— also: he’s a poc! His mum was brown. In game he’s got dark features. if you really want a blond/blue-eyes/white guy, make your warden that. or accept that brown people can be noble and moral. or just draw cailan, idk. just because BioWare whitewashes doesn’t mean you should.

Leliana: someone hug my singing girlfriend before I crush her under with my own hugs. Also: nugs. Yes! Shoes. Yes! She likes how I style my hair? YES!! I honestly think she’s super duper and it pisses me off whenever someone’s like: yeah she enjoys killing people and the Game. ok. and michel de chevin willingly participated in genocidal marches through the alienage he grew up in with his elvhen mum. 

Morrigan: dirty swamp witch that i stan and also have a v big crush on. tiddies. Have a son with a GW so we can raise him with our tiddies out in the forest. she’s also white-passing, as her father was chasind and all people we’ve seen that are chasind are black. therefore, she is biracial. therefore, poc can be goths and don’t shy away from giving morrigan a darker skintone. if the devs had of been thinking, she’d have a darker skintone.

Zevran: Actually is the best romance, I think. Loves consent, therefore I will stan him so hard my skull cracks a little. Also: he is a very brown boy and if he’s white in da4 I’m seriously going to throw all canon out the fucking window. genuinely a good person who needs to be told so. 

Wynne: grandma who only likes my friends who go to church. but also super sweet and I’d rest my head on her bosom (in a platonic way omg ZEVRAN)

Sten: angry quiet boi. the bestest boi. I totally would give him a kitten for a gift and bake him cookies. Thicc softie. I think if I had DA:O and i knew how to use mods i would mod the fuck outta him. sorry.

Sha(y)le: who’s gender? idk her. See also: fuck birds and authority. pound ur ass into the ground you feathery meatbag little shits. fuck songbirds.

Dog: such a good boi. thicc. thinks Alistair is a whiny fuck and is Morrigan’s only friend. love him. he’s the cutest companion. bet.

Ohgren: honestly forgot about him bcc he’s such a shitbag. also: he could’ve been a really cool addiction recovery type but NOPE. probably would have a trump shirt in a modern au and would catcall wlw and hit mlm. no thanks.

Awakening

Anders: he acts like rlly straight but he’s so gay I can smell it. also he’s rlly cute and fun and I love him so much.

Justice: MAYBE i’M selF CONSCious OF THE twitchING. is the friend that genuinely doesn’t get dick jokes but is ur 110% ride or die.

Nathaniel Howe: honestly is sort of a white knight/neck beard a little, but it’s kind of charming with his whole velanna m’lady?? grump boi. annoying soul patch that I’d mod out SO FAST—

Sigrun: would have ROMANCED the FUCK out of her. why she even entertains the idea of fucking with ohgren makes me realize most of the writers are dumbfucks.png. peppy little emo. 12/10 would die if she kissed my cheek teasingly.

Ohgren: why. why. why. I’d have brought Shayle over. Maybe Zev? Definitely Dog.

Velanna: she was written to be an annoying feminist and you can tell but I deadass am a kindred spirit with her bcc I too am deadpan annoyed with Thedas’ general population too. love her. Would’ve loved to romance her. She’d totally be one of those who’d get all tsundere and be like “n-no i hate you” *kisses the fuckin soul out of you then blushes so hard she’s now a tomato*

Dragon Age II

Anders: fuck the cops. i don’t care. fuck the cops. (vine reference). also: do i hate him for blowing up the chantry that would eventually annul a huge collection of his people? no. read dalishious’s meta on Anders. v intriguing. didn’t they retcon the fuck out of the reported deaths too? like there was like eight Templars and Elthinia in there. Templars killed more “abominations” in a day than Anders in the game canon—

Aveline: initially thought she was fine and then realized she’s shit to my lil brother and I will fucking clap her ginger ass. See also: whorephobia isn’t a joke so fuck off with treating Isabela badly, you tit.

Bethany: sunshine. Literal sunshine. I feel my freckles grow in her presence and i love it. she’s my little baby sister and I’d slam that ogre so fuckin hard before it touched either twin.

Carver: there has to be a mod where both twins survive. I love them both to bits. My babies. carver is my bitter, angry little brother and I can relate because I too am very angry and would totally clap my own ass. hes so genuine and I don’t get the competition between Beth and Carver. Like, both are fuckin stellar in different ways. In this essay I will—

Fenris: honestly, I don’t get the general hate between him and Anders. Fenris’ main arc should’ve been a recovery arc, not drunken moping and revenge. he deserves better. give him a soft sweater instead of his spikes and let him love himself as much as I love him for MAKERS SAKE. like when you really think about their relationship, it could’ve been an eye-opener for fenris and finally some legit sympathy for anders. but we all know that if they had of teamed up that Meredith would’ve been dead before the end of Act 1 so.

Isabela: whorephobia is not a joke. oversexualizing your only appearing brown woman is so poorly written. how about we appreciate her and her lovely bosoms but also let people tease her about her heart of gold? her innate understanding of freedom? instead of just a wave of dick? please?? can we give her some pants for when she fights? can we accept that i fall for rogues who hate themselves?? fuck. also whomever draws her x femHawke x Merrill literally is after my own heart.

Merrill: my fucking babygirl MARRY ME. Fenris could’ve been her older brother type, but NO. she and Isabela should’ve been canonical gfs instead of Isabela/Fenris (no shaming the pairing tho!!). I love how she’s written as neurodivergent. V nice. Sometimes I just look her up and cry because she’s fucking everything. Also: she’s in the Dalish origin and she’s far from being white. Why did they make the most innocent/naïve character really white? hmmmm.

Sebastian: whew that boy. Would totally be that annoying Mormon at your door but you still let him in bcc he’s super sweet. Also: huge ass bible thumper and should get his head slap because you said the maker loved all his children why do you defend a complicit old hag you annoying attractive fuck—

Varric: totally is a bard and the devs couldn’t handle the idea of him being one bcc it might make him look less straight. is the only grey morality person I don’t want to fucking bash in with a fry pan. he sees people and I like that, but you totally know he’s siding with mages every time bcc him and Anders are like besties. I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules. “Professional Younger Brother”.

Tallis: I know nothing about her but she seems okay. I think she was an escaped slave and honestly? Fucking props. Spy on a shitting organization, idk what you’re doing, but your VA was that cool lesbian from SPN so I think ur okay?

Inquisition

Blackwall: Redemption Arc 101. Love him to bits. Sad dad bunwall. good man. actually atoned for his sins by actively becoming a good person. his initial design is 80% hotter im so sorry but so not.

Cassandra: was way browner in the last game. would romance the fuck outta her. I love me a butch lady who melts at my dorky recitation of poetry. BioWare is a coward. also is the worst choice for divine. but not a bad person. could use some more guidance or get her ass whipped by a dalish elf about religion or a circle mage kid whos like “yeah bud i didn’t ask for the templars to whip my ass everyday for existing.”

The Iron Bull: I think the Qunari/Vashoth were a little based off black people (the whole anti blackness thing where ppl are scared of them bcc of whatever reason) and it pisses me off that he had a weird ass dubcon thing with Dorian in banter. It doesn’t make sense— he’s an A+++ dom and would not jump straight in role play without at least checking in at first like wtf BioWare.

Cole: his mother was chasind so he’s like not supposed to be that white? or like biracial? albino? idk. love him to bits tho. He’s neurodivergent and I deadass love him. romancing him? idk. I see why ppl think it’s fuckin nasty but also like as a writer I’d age him the fuck up so fast before my inquisitor even THOUGHT about that. like idk. I’m down with him being a sweet little bro character tho. he’s a babe. love him.

Sera: had the worst fucking writer I’ve ever seen and I willingly read the twilight saga twice by a shit ass racist white lady who okay’d pedophilia. like. Fuck you Kristjanson suck your own dick you fuck. had the worst options in regards to speak to her. has a thicc case of internalized racism that literally most of the fandom just loves to use against her. my lesbian neurodivergent queen. Would write a thousand fix it fics for her. Love her to bits. im gay.

Varric: I haven’t played DA2 so i don’t get why everyone wants to romance him but like. a dwarf romance? yes please. Idk he reminds me of my uncle so I only see him as fun uncle material. Deadass should adopt Cole and Merrill and co parent with Blackwall for Sera. dads? fuck yeah. love me some wholesome, present fathers.

Dorian: is a gay stereotype that I love/hate so much. and he’s also just as bad about being a creep bcc he sexualizes qunari men (in banter). I attribute that to shit writing tho. I want to protect him from all the “omg gay best friend!” people. he’d clearly be that tired gay that wouldn’t give a diddly damn about ur het romance. wanna talk about politics? he’s ur guy/gay.

Solas: “me, an intellectual:”. I don’t hate him, but I’m not about him. He comes off as mysterious and suave (which he totally is) but I deadass would not save him from himself because he’s a racist, exclusionist eggshell. idk. not my cup of tea, but I can totally see the appeal. And he’s interesting, I’ll totally say that. “I think the Dalish are garbage but they made you” is not a compliment. it’s so offensive. and such bait for “quirky girls” which I’m no fan of. Would be Achilles and let Patroclus (Lavellan in his case) die before he realized how his pride is literally a waste of time. If he gets a redemption arc I hope Lavellan gets to slap him before getting him to teach all about ancient Arlathan and show that the Evanuris weren’t all total dicknozzles. (Aka I really have a hard time believing that they’d be slavery cult things. especially since they’ve compared elves to indigenous ppl, Jews and the Romani.)

Vivienne: it’s so racist that they’d make a black woman be pro-slavery. That’s such internalized racism. She could’ve been the cool ass “educate yourself first before you speak, fool” ice lady, but NO. the devs could’ve kept the “Templars are a tool that I proudly can mandate” and the “circles are very good education” and we. Could. Have. Romanced. Her. Like. Fuck. Sake. I just wanna give her a hug and say “love yourself omg!!” and not even in a romantic way. Also: she and morrigan should not have been so antagonistic towards each other. I’d expect them to have great respect for each other, as they both moved up in the world through hardwork and very little help. They could learn different magic from each other too and still maintain that rival respect “oh you” mood. Sidenote: probably the cooler option for Divine. if her approval is high enough she’ll love and be loyal to you forever and i can’t see her agenda being bad. she improves the circles exponentially and tells all the antis to suck her pretty painted toes.

Josephine: an actual disney princess. romanced her my first playthrough. I love her so much. she just makes me so happy. And she’s like: “Integrity, Loyalty, peace. That is what it means to be a GREY WARDEN good fucking person.” she’s the person who would let you hold her hand if you got anxious and she’d be that person who shouldered the whole group project with finesse and poise and would probably lie for everyone as to not be mean. i love josie. her and leliana’s relationship is so cute, too. whether it’s romantic or not: women supporting women.

Leliana: if you leave her hardened you must hate her. why. she becomes so against herself. i like how shes feminine and lighthearted because that’s so powerful-- to remain hopeful when the world is hopeless. (its hard to know when to soften her/harden her so i get it but. google it. she deserves to be happy and sweet again.)

Cullen: uwu war criminal with shit ass “redemption arc” that was actually a half-assed (at BEST) recovery arc. Recovery isn’t linear, it isn’t pretty, and even the broken need to be told they are wrong in order to heal right. Like I’m offended by that bullshit. I’ve had to do some mental health recovery in the past and unlearning lots of toxic ideologies— which I’m still unlearning— and it bothers me that he gets an easy pass because he’s hot. It’s one thing if you like Cullen, it’s another thing if you hold him accountable.

[ongnable]

upperclass(men)

“Does it still bother you? The fact that they didn’t even wait to accuse us?”

“Hm…? No, I was just distracted by the balloons.” Clear reds and cyan blues were made sunset orange and leafy green by the transparent yellow ones in front. Very pretty. Hopefully distracting enough to clear your mind.

“You know you can’t lie to me. You can try, but even if I didn’t have my abilities, I’d still see right through you.”

’Why?’ you’d wanted to ask. Instead, it’s “how?” that comes out.

“Because I care about you.” 

Because I like you, I’d obviously pay attention to you

{ supernatural au } kdn | bjy | pwj | osw | hmh | hsw

a/n: haetae sungwoon~! think something along the lines of haetae in god of high school and hoozuki. sungwoon x reader bicker like an old married couple.

“You two students at the institute?” The vendor gestured at your sharply cut uniforms, attempting to make small talk as he took your orders, the monochrome fabrics standing out amongst the swathes of playground coloured clothe whilst Sungwoon and you shared a knowing look.

There were children that stood up to your waist openly staring at every movement – fascinated. Their parents wary of every step.

Though magical creatures didn’t look different in their humanoid form, something about the two of you would’ve still felt different to them. Your aura, your scent, your touch, or something else. 

There was no point hiding it – to change out of your uniforms – when the Peace Treaty required you to wear your identities around human settlements anyway. At least this way, they’d know you were part of a neutral facility.

Luckily, the ice cream seller didn’t seem to ask it mockingly, just curious. Perhaps not having seen many of you during the busier weekend periods. 

Alas, final year students couldn’t afford wasting school days out and the younger ones had to stay on campus – no roaming around unless chaperoned. The round trip there and back took up a good portion of the day, after all.

“Yes.” Sungwoon answered politely, shielding you by his side as the high schoolers behind popped up to ask for two ice creams over your shoulders. The vendor busying himself with preparing the four cones.

He’d handed you the ice cream and ushered you away from the store before the two of you were abruptly stopped by a shout- 

“Yah, you thieving freaks, you didn’t pay!!”

Snickering whispers surrounded the two of you in seconds, and you felt Sungwoon stiffen a growl. Constricting the guttural sound inside him before he turns around and lifts a neatly groomed brow (damn him and his perfect skincare routines for making you self-conscious at a moment like this). 

Scanning the crowd, you could see the fine golden mist surrounding him even if it was invisible to the non-supernatural around you. His hair taking on a richer vermillion tone as his gaze settled on a woman cradling a baby. 

You recognized her as the person paying the next counter down.

“Ma’am?”

“I… yes?” Hypnotized, she followed Sungwoon’s line of sight, back at the vendors.

Silence filled the normally boisterous area as parents told their children to be quiet and teenagers adopted hushed voices. People around were now even more cautious to approach the two of you, a circle in the crowd forming as if you had taken the woman and her toddler hostage. You wanted to throw up.

This had happened before too. 

Blaming the supernatural for crimes they didn’t commit, for natural disasters caused by human negligence, for the evil desires that arouse naturally that they didn’t want to acknowledge. But you, yourself, had never been so publicly condemned.

“Won’t you help us out?” It had sounded like a request, but you knew better than to doubt a haetae’s abilities, strengthened even more in his human form. 

As a mythical beast, Sungwoon’s true form took up too much spiritual energy to maintain – usually at the cost of his other abilities; but in this state, it was pressurized in a stabilized core – as if all the power in his true form were to be laser thin and pin pointed.

Walking over, the young mother tilted her head at the high schoolers from before, shaking her head in their direction and dropping her eyes in disappointment. But disappointment in what – you didn’t know.

“Those two walked off before paying,” she voiced what she’d seen without any of her earlier meekness, courage withstanding even when one of the boys stepped forward, fists balled and her baby began crying; only to be stopped when Sungwoon placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Let her finish.”

“They told the part-timer who changed shifts with you that they were with those two, they said that the institute students should pay for them since human taxes were used to help fund the school.” 

It was your anger this time that made everything look hazy. 

“Said that the supernatural should stay with the supernatural instead of mingling amongst humans.”

Sighing, the fire in your breath didn’t cool until you reached Sungwoon’s side, his body warm, calming, next to you. And he’s smiling and cordial as he apologizes to the vendors for the misunderstanding. As if he did something wrong.

“Let’s go. They’ll sort it out. It wasn’t anything serious.” He pulls you with him towards the ferris wheel. Somewhere you could be alone. Away. Above the from the crowds.

“Does it still bother you? The fact that they didn’t even wait to accuse us?”

“Hm…? No, I was just distracted by the balloons.” Clear reds and cyan blues, made sunset orange and leafy green by the transparent yellow ones in front. Very pretty. Hopefully distracting enough to clear your mind.

“You know you can’t lie to me. You can try, but even if I didn’t have my abilities, I’d still see right through you.”

’Why?’ you’d wanted to ask. Instead, it’s “how?” that comes out.

“Because I care about you.” 

Because I like you, I’d obviously pay attention to you

“It’s just… hard to not be bothered.” One or two accusations you could deal with… but with crowds, it was always difficult. You also hated how fast he was to apologize. To admit to a wrong he didn’t commit. But you didn’t have to tell him that.

“Look at it this way… we’re lucky that we have humanoid forms. Imagine how they would have treated us if we had to wear modified uniforms.” 

Modified to fit tails, or four legs, or wings and scales. Creatures such as centaurs rarely left the institute for such reasons. They didn’t return with good stories to tell. 

“They say that we’re monsters, as if being human is the ultimate compliment. Calling other races monstrous, as if they’re not monsters themselves. They really think being human makes them humane.”

You knew it was one of the reasons Sungwoon preferred to remain in his human form even though it was more tiring. You gripped his hand tighter.

“What an eventful first date.”

“Eventful… that’s a good word. Very neutral. You’re doing great with this ‘politically correct’ thing.”

“Well, at least one race should try. And the non-magical mob just now clearly wasn’t very accommodating.”

“Did you know? Apparently first dates should always be at the amusement park.” 

That’s one you haven’t heard before. The redhead says it with a determined look on his face, and you can tell he’s trying hard to change the sullen mood as he leads you towards the ride, the two of you settle in line steadily and without trouble. 

No one seeming to mind approaching the uniforms when faced with the threat of getting their place cut in the queue.

“Why?”

“That’s what Daehwi said-” Sungwoon hurried to explain when he saw your unbelieving face. “You never run out of things to do at the amusement park and you’re forced to talk while you’re in line! That’s what he said!”

Stifling a laugh, you could definitely imagine it. 

The 101 dorm boys lazing in their ridiculously luxurious building (a donation courtesy of the magical community’s royalty), eating whatever unhealthy snack they could get their hands on (or was it paws on?) while complaining about their respective love lives like girls in the changing room.

“Is that what you talk about with the underclassmen? Where to go for first dates?”

“He’s not just any underclassmen! He’s Lee Daehwi! You adore Daehwi!”

“I adore him because he’s Daehwi,” you explain with a flick of your wrist, as if the action was synonymous with the sassy young wizard. “You’re very brave to follow his dating advice.”

Provided that while the spell caster was indeed popular, it didn’t exactly translate well into his love life.

“It’s not like I had anyone better to go to. All the guys back in the dorm collectively share one brain cell.”

“You included?”

“Me, excluded. You didn’t let me finish.” 

Tutting, he leans back, the rails of the queue you’re standing in shifting back slightly at the weight before getting stuck into a new crook in the concrete. 

“Used to think that it belonged to Jinyoung – but he’s consistently proving me wrong these days. And don’t even get me started on Minhyun! All the smart ones are the ones that apparently crack the hardest. I really worry for the future of our world.” Sungwoon sighs, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d be tricked into thinking that he was legitimately concerned.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Wha- how am I the ridiculous one?! I had a girl I liked and I pursued her like a normal person!” You had to give it to him. Compared to unconventional courting methods of the dorm 101 occupants, Sungwoon was doing an exemplary job. 

Stellar even.

“You’re still pursuing.” You corrected. 

Smug at the appalled look on the mythical beast’s face before he began to form a pout. How he looked so cuddly and cute in his human form, but fierce and intimidating in his other confused and fascinated you to no end. 

“So you don’t get to make fun of the younger ones.” 

“I didn’t expect the haetae to look... Well. Like you.”

“What? To look normal?” His mouth is pursed to one side of his face, but his expression amused.

He’s rounded corners, lilted laughter, petit statute and fluffy cloud-like hair. All the makings of a pretty fairy. He didn’t need to know that though.

“No.” It was your turn to find laughter. “To look handsome.”

The unexpected flush that merged his face with his reddened hairline did nothing to mask the mythical beast’s cuteness, and the roundness of his cheeks looked even more prominent as he presses his lips together.

“Gods. You’re so-“ 

Tilting your head to the side, you wait for what he has to say since words seem to have failed him as he just continues to stare. 

“You’re so embarrassing!” Sungwoon muttered, looking away.

“Embarrassing for me? Or embarrassing for you? I’m not the one that can’t take a compliment.”

Miffed, or flustered. Maybe a bit of both, Sungwoon glanced at you with his face is still turned.

“Well, I’m sorry not all of us are so forward.” Blunt. Or just shameless. You didn’t mind either.

“And I’m sorry not all of us are subtle.”

Oh, how the tables had turned. Now he was the one that consistently made you blush. You still can’t put a finger on when exactly it had started, what day of the week had it been and of which month did he start becoming the one to make you the shy one?

You’re just glad he doesn’t seem to realize it himself either.

“You could always rectify that. Change our status so that I do get to tease the younger ones. Maybe we should even do that selfie announcement thing where we time our Facebook status change a minute within one another and have matching display pics.”

You hoped he wasn’t for saying that you should really do that. 

“We’ll be the ones get teased for doing ‘old people stuff’ by the kids then!” 

Who even used Facebook anymore!

“I hate how you didn’t even bother to hedge around the fact that we’re getting old – gotta give them something to tease us back for though,” he shrugged. “They’ll call foul if we don’t.”

“Gods above and below, you’re such a hyung. One minute you complain about them and the next you plan to give them something to make fun of you for just so its reciprocated. I don’t know whether to be impressed or worried!”

“You can be both. Both are fine. Just give me twice the amount of attention.”

“You’re incorrigible. I’m glad your kids know that you’re that way.”

“Their your kids too!” 

Reminding you of the fact that you practically adopted the savage JinHwi duo the day you were assigned as their mentor when they transferred halfway through the term. He nudged you by the shoulders. 

“And I’m lucky you have a habit of being that way too.”

“Oi!” You nudged back.

“It’s fine. No worries. I like you even though you’re like that. I don’t trust anybody else to handle you.” 

Sungwoon let go of your hand as the two of you stepped into the ferris wheel capsule.

“Not to mention; I’m good-looking, kind, and very good at catching liars and thieves. By extension, I also hate liars, so I’m a great judge of character. What’s more, I’m also taller than Guanli-“

“I thought you hated liars!”

“Taller than Guanlin once I transform. You never let me finish!

“Guanlin’s still a growing boy!” The haetae were one of the largest creatures throughout any of the realms, so that was a given. But transformations for mythical beasts were unpredictable, and given Guanlin’s race…

“Well, for the time being, his mythical form is still smaller! And what did I say? They’re as much your kids as they are mine. Even while we’re on our date – they’re still interrupting!” 

You want to say that he’s the one that’s consistently bringing them up. But decide that it’s probably better to not let him know just how much he cares, lest he actively avoids the subject.

By now, a smile had stuck on, but you purposefully let it drop a bit, almost guilty when you saw the way Sungwoon’s expression flickered to confusion. “Thanks, you know,”

“You’re welcome,” comes out quick, like an automatic reaction,

“But I still think eventful isn’t the right word. Being politically correct isn’t really my thing.” That was Jisung’s thing. 

The two of you may be final year students at the institute – but you were still young. What was the point to dwell on such things? 

Leaning forward, you whispered lowly; as if planning a much more elaborate prank on the others than what you actually propose.

“Also - let’s tell the others that we had an awful first date.”

“Why the hell would we do that?” 

He stood, and the capsule swung back and forth. The sky coming into view one moment, and the ground the next. People smaller than ants from where you sat.

“Passengers, please stay seated during the duration of the ride. Thank you for your cooperation and we hope you enjoy your time with us tonight.” The loud speaker announced as the ferris wheel came to a temporary halt.

“Cooperation my ass.” Rolling his eyes, the haetae sat back down. Visibly annoyed.

“Didn’t Daehwi tell you?” 

You really wanted to reach out and pinch his cheeks when he sulked. Evidently, Daehwi didn’t tell him. 

“Awful first dates don’t count. You owe me another first date, Sungwoon-sshi.”

masterlist

[sparkraptor]

Salvage (sidebar)

As much as Mason enjoyed the sex (and he did, oh how he did), there was something about the aftermath that was even better.

His back was against the bed, Archer resting against him, as they watched the stars beyond the ship’s heavy windows. The pale light made the monk a creature of silver and shadow in his embrace, but the warmth of Archer’s body against him felt more real than anything.

“That was really fortuitous earlier.” Mason hummed, nosing Archer’s hair aside to kiss his shoulder. “Your pendant falling in the hydroponics tanks just as Luca was having one of his strops.”

He felt the answering chuckle more than he heard it, and Archer tipped his head back, offering a mouth to kiss instead of a shoulder. “Well, it’s parenting 101. If your kid is flipping out, just add water. It was also hilarious to watch him come out like a happy, waterlogged stuffed animal.”

Mason kissed him, then pulled back. In the dim room, Archer’s eyes were dark, no sign of the green and gold flecks that danced in the light. “I’m guessing… you mentioned that to see if I’d ask how you know parenting 101?” He asked. It came out a little more accusatory than he’d meant. The monk was not forthcoming about his own past, but he had answered everything Mason had directly asked him.

It wasn’t Archer’s fault that Mason had been avoiding asking him questions like this. “I didn’t mean it like…”

“You may have noticed I’m pretty adept at getting people to open up to me.” Archer placed a finger across Mason’s lips. “You may have also noticed I’m not so great at the opposite.”

Mason threaded his fingers through Archer’s hair. “I reckoned you’d say something when you were ready.” Slowly he ran the thumb of his artificial hand down the monk’s long throat. “I guess this is your way of doing that?”

“You’re on to me, mon capitaine.” Carefully Archer turned in his embrace, resettling so he was straddling Mason’s thighs. With the starlight behind him, his face was only the suggestion of features in the dark. “Her name is Gala. She’s going to be starting Uni soon on Telgar V – she’s planning on becoming a stellar-scale architectural engineer. I haven’t seen her in person since she was three. She thinks I’m dead.” Archer ticked them off matter-of-factly, but Mason could hear the wistful note in his voice.

“What happened?”

“That’s a long story.” Archer rocked slowly, hair shifting like silk across his shoulders. “But Gala grew up loved and cherished and protected. That’s why I took on hunting traffickers and slavers as my specialty on the Path. To ensure other kids got that chance too.”

Mason pulled him closer. “I bet she looks like you.”

“She does, a bit. But she’s got my ex’s nose.” Archer laughed softly. “Andi. The short form is I was working as a line cook at a diner on Rybok.”

“Nothing on Rybok but a spaceport and played out mines.”

“Which is why I was there. That’s where I met Andi- they worked at one of the repair places in the port. And Gala… sort of happened. The best sort of happened. Andi was a little torn about the fact that I was Dolani. You know, sort of how you thought I wanted to steal your ship?”

Mason made a face. “Yeah.”

Archer stroked his scruffy jaw. “We had a lot of that. But we were young and dumb and we both loved our daughter more than we loved each other. I used to work late, and the owner would let me keep Gala with me. Staying in the kitchen of a diner was actually safer than letting her run around surrounded by giant machinery. And Andi would pick us both up at the end of their shift. Long story short, one night while Andi was coming to get us, the diner got rolled by some mob thugs.”

Mason couldn’t see his face clearly, but the resigned tone was clear.

“I told them they didn’t have to do this, they retaliated by trying to assault me and the waitress working with me. Andi got there as i got done killing the last one with a coffee mug.” Archer shook his head. “Gala was in the storeroom asleep. She’d slept through the whole thing.”

“We couldn’t come back from that. At the end of it all, I agreed to leave. I agreed to be dead so Gala wouldn’t go looking for me. I gave Andi my grandparent’s dominet address, and just asked them to send them updates. Andi got married again, they had two more kids, and Gala grew up without ever having to worry. And I went back to Phairos… my ancestor settled on Phairos after the Dominion removed everyone from Dhola Xin before you ask… and I rededicated myself to the Path.”

“Arch.” Mason pulled him so their foreheads were touching. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, my knight.” Archer’s breath was warm, smelling faintly of whiskey and tobacco. “She grew up loved and she’s great. And I could’ve taken her if I thought it was the right thing to do. I could have just… taken her from Andi and brought her back to Phairos. My family would have loved her just as much. But if I had, I wouldn’t be on the Path now. And I think this is where I need to be.

[transadvice]

Hi! How do I come out to my parents when I mostly want them to feel at ease? I'm not concerned for myself, I'm now secure enough in my identity. I just want to make it as easy as possible for them. I guess the sledge-hammer "mom, dad, I'm trans" is not on. I could tell them the thoughts and feelings behind my own realisation, but maybe that too could overwhelm them? Do you have experience or advice re: coming out to people who don't know much about any not-cis gender?

It’s interesting to me that your primary concern is making this easy and comfortable for your parents - not for yourself, the person who is actually most affected. Trans people often feel internalized social pressure to make things easy on cis people; to apologize for our own existence; to bow and scrape and hope that cis people throw us a scrap of respect and dignity. Centering cis relatives’ feelings can be pragmatic, of course, especially if you live with or are financially dependent on them, but it’s also worth thinking about whether you value your own ease and comfort as much as other people’s. 

I urge you to spend some time thinking about how you’re going to make this conversation easier FOR YOU - for example, drawing a boundary on certain topics you don’t want to talk about, and planning some self-care for before and after the conversation. 

Here are my tips for the conversation itself. 

Choose Your Method

One option is to come out by letter, which will allow your parents to react privately and gather their thoughts before responding to you. This is a good option if your parents tend to prefer written communication, if you express yourself better in writing, or if you want to get across complex background information without interruption. For this approach, I recommend listening to the Nancy episode “Five Simple Steps” which describes a five-part coming out letter. In another post, I talked about coming out letters using the Nancy method. Since your family doesn’t know much about non-cis identities, it sounds like it would really helpful to include some trans 101 links in your letter, to get them started educating themselves.

Another option is to come out in person (or on the phone if you don’t live nearby). Coming out in person can be nerve-wracking, and it may not go how you want it to go (your parents could disappoint you with a less-than-stellar in-the-moment reaction), but one advantage is that you can respond to their individual questions and concerns in real-time. It can be a real back-and-forth conversation. You’ll be able to tell which aspects they want more information on, and notice when they seem overwhelmed. You can table the discussion if it seems unproductive, and pick it up again later.

Plan Your Opener

Getting the conversation started is the hardest part. For an in-person conversation, it might first help to set the expectation that you want their undivided attention for something a little more serious and momentous than the usual chit-chat, e.g. “Is now is a good time to talk? I have something I want to tell you.” If you’re writing a letter, that fact alone signals that you’re saying something important, but you could open with a sentence acknowledging that: “I’m writing this letter because I have something important to tell you.” 

Once you have their attention, I kind of feel like “I’m trans” is the way to go? Personally, I don’t think it is a sledgehammer. I think it’s a direct, unambiguous statement. I think that directness can be helpful, especially when your audience doesn’t know much about your topic. If I were to receive unexpected or startling news out of the blue, I’d rather have someone tell me straight than dance around it and make me piece together what they mean. If they don’t know what “trans” means, they can ask (or you can immediately define it for them). 

If you want a slightly softer announcement, you could say something like, “Lately, I’ve been questioning my gender.” But I recommend that you do get around to saying, “...and I have come to the conclusion that I am trans,” if that is indeed true. It’s tempting to try to ease your parents in with a preliminary “I may soon come out as trans” conversation, and kick the “I’m trans” can down the road, but I worry that presenting it as not-a-done-deal may invite too much argument (as if your being trans or not is up for debate), and may come off as disingenuous if they find out you’ve come out more unambiguously to other people. 

Anticipate Parental Concerns

This TS Roadmap post lays out of some of the concerns that parents have about their kids coming out; these might be helpful things to think about when you decide how you want to focus your letter or conversation. Your parents might have some of these concerns or different ones, and you’ll know best. I think it is helpful to anticipate some of the specific concerns that they may have as parents, which will be different from concerns that your friends, co-workers, or random other people will have. Then you can think about how you might address those concerns if/when they come up. Writing out your answers might be a helpful pre-exercise even if you plan to have the conversation in person. 

Plan a Follow-up Conversation

You don’t have to tell your parents everything in one conversation (or letter), especially if these concepts are new to them and you’re worried they’ll be overwhelmed. Give them a chance to absorb what you’ve told them and check out any resources your share. Let them know that you are open to continue the conversation later, and maybe even plan a specific opportunity to do so. 

Then go do your self care!

Don’t skip it! Go out with a friend, have a special treat, or just chill out and listen to calming music. You earned it! 

[helloandwelcometomariasblog]

Review #96: The School of Rock

Thanks to a friend, I got to watch a movie I probably would have never picked out myself. It's an interesting experience, getting movie recommendations, or exploring the movie tastes of another person. You really open yourself up to many different movies you would have never sought out otherwise. It doesn't work all the time, but there are gems scattered throughout. Now let's get into what I felt with this film.

First of all, all emotions aside, I think it was very tightly written. It had all the acts, it had all the highs and lows, and the climax was pretty much perfectly done - as in, it followed all the right rules and guidelines of screenwriting 101. The entire film kind of followed it, really. I especially loved the 'hero loses it all' part, where (I keep wanting to call him Jack Black) Dewey literally loses it all. The writing was on point for that part. I honestly knew it was coming up, right? But I didn't think it would happen like that. I guess I thought the kids and Dewey would be stopped in some way as a group as they made their way to the concert hall - but they movie really did it in a different way. I loved it. So, story-wise, there was pretty much nothing to point out in a negative sense. It was like a very tightly written Hollywood style film.

Now, the teaching side of it. I gotta be honest, I didn't really like Dewey in the beginning. He wasn't exactly a likeable character. Most films try to make the hero a likeable guy from the get-go, but this film was a little different in that sense. Dewey was presented as a lazy, unattractive, attention-seeking, jobless person who wasn't even loyal or mature enough to pay back rent. He wasn't really a good friend. But he really redeemed himself as the film went on and in the end I did grow to like him. You could see that he genuinely cared about the kids. And yeah, he didn't really have teaching skills in the beginning and wasn't fit for being a teacher (it irked me, to be honest) but he did become an amazing teacher when he started teaching them what he was truly passionate about. That's when I thought, teachers really should teach what they're passionate about. They should really teach what they're great at, passionate about, and have deep knowledge about. That is what makes a great teacher.

Another thing about teaching methods - bear with me, I'm a teacher here - I loved how he was basically doing everything a good teacher should do, and he wasn't even realizing it. He was including every student in the class and making them feel like they were meaningful individuals by giving each of them important roles. I mean, I loved how he was bullshitting people most of the time but in the end he really did care. He was figuring out each student's talent and interest, and giving them roles related to those. That's what a good teacher does. Then he was encouraging them to grow in that area. When you give students an important role and a responsibility in that class, you know they'll be motivated and working. They need to feel important. And Dewey was doing all that without even realizing it. Also, TBLT (sorry, bear with me). Task-based teaching. The students had a project they were working on, there was a specific time frame, it was very hands-on, they were working as a team, but every student had an important role that contributed to the class, and winning or grades weren't even the ultimate goal. It was just to create meaning, have fun, and put on a good show. If that's not good teaching, I don't know what is. And on top of that, a genuine interest and care for the students. Damn, Dewey. You're a natural.

I absolutely loved the kids. I was like Dewey. At the beginning, I was meeting them for the first time, so I was wary and I wasn't sure how to feel about them. Especially Summer. But as the movie went on, I grew to care about each of them, and I absolutely adored Summer by the end. What a stellar manager. I think that also goes to show that everyone has a different talent, and we're all different, and that's good. Even students who may seem out of line or those who seem to have behavioral issues - they have a part to play too, and it's good to try and discover their hidden talents before concluding that they're up to no good (for example, Freddy). I think I really got most attached to Zack though. Maybe because his story was the most heartbreaking for me? The way he was treated by his father. It's hard growing up in a home where the rules are so strict. I didn't grow up in that much of a strict household, but yes there were some strict rules at times because our family can be quite conservative. It was nice seeing Zack break away from that while being in the band.

Now, it leads me to talking a little bit about the ending. It was idealistic and too good to be true. Let's be real here. Parents finding out their children are missing, buying tickets to the rock concert, and then seeing their kids rock it on stage and being like, 'oh wow, my kid's amazing, I should let them do everything they want now!' is unrealistic. A more realistic storyline would be the one in Dead Poets Society. But then again, this movie isn't supposed to be that dark. It's a totally different genre, so I can't call it out so much on this ending. It adheres to its genre and it's a feel-good film. And it fulfills that well. I'm just mentioning it because it was a thought that came to my mind at the end of the film.

I've always loved seeing kids on stage, whether it was students playing music or dancing, so this was very heartwarming to watch. There's just something about kids doing arts. It makes my heart soar. It reminded me of Billy Elliot and how much I loved watching the musical. (Not a secret that I watched it more than three times back in Korea lol) But the true experience was when I watched it for the first time back in London. I guess there's just something heart tugging about kids breaking free from stereotypes and social norms and letting themselves go through music and dance. Truly a tremendous sight.

Oh one more thing before I go - I really loved how Mr. Schneebly changed as the movie went on. He had a great arc, and it was actually quite subtle and so gradual that I just thought about it as I was having a shower. Near the beginning, Dewey makes the kids swear that all creative control will go to him. But near the end, he chooses to play Zack's song on stage. That was an immense change. I didn't even realize it until my shower. Oh and also, I love love loved Dewey's doormat friend. I'm sure many people could relate to him and the hardships of being the person who is always "too nice". At first I felt like his girlfriend was making sense and that she was right, but by the end she was annoying the heck out of me and I couldn't want for Dewey's friend to dump her. And I laughed so hard when he slammed the door in her face just as she was in the middle of telling him to stand up for himself. lmao. I was just so incredibly happy for him when, in the ending, he's teaching music to kids. That's like SUCH a great middle ground to what he'd been struggling with - having to give up his passion for music and wanting to have a stable job. What a perfect thing for him to do. He was a special character to me for sure. Don't think I've ever felt that happy for a fictional character in a while.

[townienews]

The Townie Crier - Tuesday May 1, 2018

**notice no "It's Gonna Be May" cutesy Timberlake meme here** (mostly because It's Already May! And that meme doesn't exist)

pic.twitter.com/8FPEJMTqmf

— Boston Bobby (@TheBostonBobby) May 1, 2018

Welcome to The Crier for May 1, 2018. Yeah, we settled on a name for this daily ding dong post. @daelderstatesmn suggested that title and gets himself a shirt, and you get this highly digestable dose of daily Boston sports goodness. Links, tweets and videos aplenty. So let's briefly remember a Monday night that exhausted our thumbs and eyes equally...for more better than more worse. Or however that goes.

Let’s goooooooo

A post shared by Celtics GreenRunsDeep (@greenrunsdeep) on Apr 28, 2018 at 7:38pm PDT

And buoyed by that vintage double troll job playoff shirt that all in attendanc eat The Gahden 2.0 received, the hot shooting Celtics dispatched the Sixers (on a 20-1 streak rolling into Monday) in Game 1 of the ECSF, 117-101. Well, the shirt helped. So did great shooting from 3, team heart and hustle (the signature of this undermanned but never to be underestimated Celtics team), and some kickass individual efforts. Like The Buffet (my new name for Horford). Fahk that Average Al or Ordinary Al nonsense. That's old fake news, which is the worst kind. Al's getting it doen all over, from every inch of the court. He's The Buffet because he provides everything you need, and when you need it you can always go back for more. He's one of many making Ainge look like a friggin genius of late. And he'll tell you what you can do with your "Al is average and I can't draft" takes...

Danny Ainge status: still a competitor. pic.twitter.com/TcOWQL0OqQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 1, 2018

No, but seriously, Horford has been great. It's like one of those high school rom-coms where there's no attraction until the kids get in detention of are stranded in some absurd situation together, and then suddenly love blooms. COnvenient how that works.

Al Horford has been a monster in these playoffs. An absolute force on both ends. Hopefully we've heard the last of the "overpaid Al" stuff. #Celtics

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) May 1, 2018

Oh...and if you're feeling THE BUFFET as much as we are, might I suggest a new Horford jersey or such? (**shameless merch plug**)

Umm...back to Ainge being a boss at his job? I think again, if not especially with Fultz on display miserably in the Garden, he came out smelling like fresh beer and roses when Tatum went off. Again. This kid's all-around everything is absurd. AND HE CAN'T LEGALLY DRINK.

"He's a rookie!" #CUsRise 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/t8bwFeHQMn

— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) May 1, 2018

Granted, the likes of Tatum and Horford were enabled offensively by Philadelphia's famous "Phantom Zone" defense.

Nice defense pic.twitter.com/rhxmDFMVpc

— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@RedsArmy_John) May 1, 2018

But nothing - not fatigue, Philly's hot streak, an invisible defense - nothing was holding Terry Rozier back. This friggin guy...

The Boston sports fan heart is pretty full these days. But Terry Rozier is fighting hard to find himself a place in there.

— Fitzy (@FitzyGFY) May 1, 2018

Calling him SAVAGE for his pregame and in-game antics would be correct, but also an understatement. He's a savage, alright. And a beast. And the easiest guy to like and rally around. A savage rally beast. Filling in for Kyrie and dropping 29 in Game One against the Sixers? Draining threes left and right. And setting the emotional tone for the team and the night upon arrival...

Drew Bledsoe knows who Terry Rozier is! (Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/NoNI2pT76b

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 1, 2018

And now we've got this unexpected random magical bromance between Rozier and Drew Bledsoe? Couldn't ever have seen that coming, but that's the magic of playoffs in Boston. Can never be enough love for Drew by me. That he's become the symbol or icon, rally monkey of the Celtics playoff run thanks to an accidental troll job? (Guinness vice) BRILLIANT! Everyone needs to wear their Bledsoe jersey to work this week. So they can reach their peak Rozier level. Game 2 Thursday night, already can't friggin wait! And that genius Brad Stevens has deployed a stellar lineup to counter what should be quite acharge from the Sixers...

The Celtics have announced their Game 2 lineup: -PG: T. Rozier -SG: T. Rozier -SF: T. Rozier -PF: J. Tatum -C: A. Horford Bench -Terry Rozier -T. Rozier -Rozier -PG #12 -The guy in the Drew Bledsoe jersey -The guy Ainge wouldn’t trade for 100 first round picks

— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) May 1, 2018

Oh - and Sports Radio and Hot Take Nation who will give the Celtics no credit and say that Philly played no D ("Philly used the New England D plan from SB 52" - you'll hear that shit)...you guys can tuck it and suck it!

via GIPHY

Meanwhile, in other Boston professional sports persons team playoff action...the Bruins lost to the Lightning 4-2. Gonna be honest (Monday was National Honesty Day)...I didn't really watch much. Beex were up 1-0. Woprst case (which played out) they go home split. So nice work, head help high, fellas. I thought the C's need my attention Monday (I don't parent mutliple children well). I read something about a bad call, Marchand getting hosed, Cassidy, who's a feisty sonofabitch in a Men's Wearhouse suit, wasn't happy. Good! A happy hockey cocach is an ineffective one (or so I heard...or not...I don't know hockey). They'll come back, chip on shoulder, tied in best of 5 with home ice in their pocket. Wednesday night, maybe the Bruins should all come to work wearing Drew Bledsoe jerseys??? Because this QB rally showing for a different hockey team didn't make me feel any better...

I really didn’t need to follow a Bruins loss by immediately seeing Jimmy G pump up the Sharks. God damn, plunge the dagger

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 1, 2018

And on the same night he was named to the NFL Network Top 100!

He has yet to lose a game as a starter 👀@49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo (@JimmyG_10) is #90 on the countdown!#NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/SPwl3KIbtL

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 1, 2018

When Tom Brady did an appearance with Jim Gray and said he didn't feel apreciated by the Pats (**cough** Belichick)

Tom Brady was asked today at the Milken Institute Global Conference if he feels appreciated by the Patriots. His response: "I plead the 5th..." pic.twitter.com/8Tl6k5emj9

— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) May 1, 2018

Come on, Sports! Can't I just enjoy this Celtics win and the Pats draft, and the night, and maybe a whole week without any Pats related off-field disharmony or disturbance or disfunction or other dis- words? Not now...nope. Not. I can't...spent too much time wondering WTF with TFB and the NEP this offseason after the February 4th flying nutpunch. All set, check please! I'll pass. Too busy feeling good about what's coming this week, this fall...we'll just leave at it Tom being a sass, keeping the Pats atop page views for a while, taking attention away from the other teams who don't need the scrutiny? AWW MAN! Tom, you magnanimous SOB! Or maybe it was to get you in the news to elevate Best Buddies ride awareness? No press is bad press, right? Just ask Michelle Wolf! **NEXT MORNING UPDATE-AGE** There are plenty of sound bites of Brady paying due respect to Belichick and saying he knows BB is best for him, tough to play for, and that they make each other their best. Which is what we've all always known. Again, they don't need to quilt together or share recipes or watch "This Is Us"., Just win football! Enough Fake Foxboro News! Alright, enough of that for now. We'll let it slide until someone tells me I should give aflying summer sausage. OH...and the Sox won, beat the bumbling Royals, 10-6. E-Rod sucked himself off early, but fear not - healty Xandah to the rescue.

Heads up we got a piss missile on the Pike expect delays seek alternate route pic.twitter.com/HoKIUe6hOs

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) May 1, 2018

2 wins in a row? HOT STREAK AHOY! use caution when handling these Sawx! KC coming to town might be the perfect remedy to flush last week away like a carton of old chineser food you know will smell the garbage barrle up too much. Alright, so there we go - C'ss and Sawx win! Bruins lose! Brady wants the love. Now let's all carry on and booze. Hapy Tueday, ya humps. More soon - make sure you catch the Draft webcast, and all-new slew of NFL FAN THERAPY coming all week long. GFY!

[centolutions]

#101) Write stellar Christmas letter for 2020

This could have been a bigger challenge, since the year itself wasn’t consistently, well, stellar.  But the inspiration hit.  The letter is written, and now all we need to do is stuff the envelopes and get it in the mail.

Dear Diary, January 1st, 2020

I had the strangest dream this morning.  A microscopic cell grew so large it blotted out the sun like an eclipse, with only the glow from the corona visible.  People fled into their homes and stayed inside. Those that ventured out suffered one of two fates.  They either fell to their knees in a fit of coughing, or they started speaking one of two opposite languages and shouting at those people that didn’t understand them.  I looked at the calendar in my dream, and the date read ‘Friday the 13th’.  I’m not sure what this means, but I’m glad I woke up from that scary nightmare.  I’m really looking forward to 2020 because I think everyone will look back on the year as we near Christmas and, with 20-20 hindsight, be able to say “I can see clearly now!”

Fast forward to December, 2020.

Okay, so admit it. Some parts of this year definitely felt like a dream.  And for some people, there were portions of the year which seem nightmarish and they don’t want to reoccur.  But, life finds a path forward like a river finding its way to the ocean.  Something may come up to temporarily block the flow, but the water finds a new route, past new vistas, creating new opportunities for growth along the way.  I’ll give you three examples.

Case I:   The Newlyweds

I’ll admit, I was skeptical.  “You want to have a wedding in Colorado for two people with families from Ohio?  And you want to do this in January?  And you want to have an Ice Cream Truck for guests to walk up to – OUTSIDE???”  But with that famous 20-20 hindsight, I must say, Beth and Karl’s wedding on January 3rd in Denver was an incredibly wonderful event.  The ceremony (like the bride) was beautiful!  The sacrament was reverent!  The weather was incredible (mid-50s in early January) And the reception celebration was kick-a,, um, was a lot of fun!

Life seemed as delicious for the newlyweds as a scoop of Sweet Cow ice cream from the Moo Mobile.  Then Covid-19 hit Colorado, one trip after another for Karl was pulled from the COR schedule, and Beth and the rest of the Camp Wojtyla staff had to make the decision to cancel summer camp for 2020.  But they both stayed positive, turned an EconoLiner into an EconoLodger in their down time.  And in late Spring, life happened.  Quite literally!  The couple is expecting their baby in February.  Chris and I are looking forward to visiting them in Lander, WY to welcome our first grandchild.  We’re also looking forward to Yaktrax™ and a renewed appreciation for sub-zero degree weather.

Case II:  The Busted Block

As mentioned in previous Christmas missives, we really appreciated Steve’s job at the movie theatre.  He would bring home interesting stories about the guests - - - and free tickets for his parents!  When the reality of the mid-March stay-at-home order in Ohio set in by early-April, Cinemark told all their employees that they were not only laid off, but that they would not be guaranteed a job when the theatres re-opened.  Everyone would need to interview for consideration to be re-hired.

No summer blockbusters!  No steady income!  No free tickets for Chris and I! “No problem!”, Steve said.  He reached out to a few contractors and got himself a new career in home (and other building) repair, renovation, and remodeling.  He now has more hours “building back better” with his construction crew than he got at the theatre, earns more per-hour, and is already building (pun intended) his own clientele list.  Plus our own house has gotten some very nice updates as he’s practiced some masonry, plumbing, painting and shed-repair skills.

Case III:  The Move Up North

Late January was the end of Grace’s two-year commitment to Children’s Protective Services for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  She decided that she was going to move from Lexington to Ann Arbor and attend U of M for her Masters in Social Work.  So on March 13th (yes, Friday the 13th), we moved Grace out of Lexington, on March 14th she moved her furniture and goods to her new apartment in Ann Arbor, and on March 15th, Governor Whitmer closed down the state of Michigan.

Before the move (and the pandemic), Grace was worried about finding a job.  But Kroger was more than happy to have any willing body help with Pick List shopping, and Grace found herself waking up at 4:30 am to grab other people’s groceries.  Unfortunately, Grace’s brand new roommates became ex-roommates after six weeks since their lost jobs meant they had to change their living plans.  Undeterred, she found a new place to live with a lovely, retired U of M Professor, who got Grace connected with two other U of M contacts through which she landed two new jobs.

And with U of M itself using significant online learning, Grace opted to defer the start of graduate school till Fall 2021.  The additional time allowed her to decide that Ann Arbor is the place she wants to stay (at least for a while).  And with that, two other decisions followed.  In June, Grace welcomed Koda B. Nadler into the family.  Koda is an adorable young mother of four, a little over 60 lbs., and loves getting her back scratched and chasing after squeaky toys.  In December, Grace closed on a house in Ypsilanti.  The two big selling points for Grace?  A fenced in back yard for Koda to play in, and a chicken coop (which won’t get any chickens until Koda learns not to eat them).

Now, the purpose of this note is not to say take those lemons thrown at you in 2020 and turn them into lemonade.  In addition to health, economic and social concerns unique to the year, there were moments with a bitter note that can happen any year.  Dorothy Nadler (Mom / Grandma) passed away on June 22nd, after managing Parkinson’s for over a decade.  She moved into a Skilled Nursing Facility last October and was getting along pretty well.  But with Covid-19 spreading across the country, the nursing home went into lockdown.  Starting in March she wasn’t allowed to have visitors.  And while the virus did find its way into the facility in April, and Mom even tested positive the second week, she remained asymptomatic for an entire month.  A Parkinson’s-related infection sent her to the hospital in May. Once she recovered from that, she was released to a hospice center in Defiance, OH in early June.  She was able to have visitors every day, limit of two at a time.  Dad was happy to be one of those two visitors nearly every day.  Mom was focused on celebrating the wedding shower for Kelly Nadler (now Steffan) on June 20th, a goal which she accomplished.  We miss her each and every day, and are so fortunate to have had her with us for so many years.

But, as said earlier, life continues to flow.  In addition to Tessa, who Chris has been watching for over a year now, another energy-filled three-year old can be found at Chez Nadler once or so per week.  And when those two get going, it doesn’t matter what room I’m using as my home office.  My CareSource colleagues will ask “Did you say something, Dave?” on the teleconference.  I’ll say ‘No, it’s the toddlers’, and the others with children haunting their own home offices will give knowing nods.

Here’s hoping you, your families and your friends have a peaceful transition into a healthy and happy 202One.  May God’s love and joy warm your hearts and souls.  And, please, for those of you that wish for a memorable year next year, make sure to wish for happy memories.

With Love,

Chris and Dave

[and Beth(+1) and Karl, Steve, Grace, Zing, Dixie, Koda, and the fish who I’m not sure we ever named] (old habits are hard to break)

[sunnysidewrites]

11 Questions Tag Pt 3

thanks for making me suffer @mansaeboysbe :)))))) feelin the luv

Rules: answer 11 questions from the person who tagged you and then make 11 more for the next people that you tag.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

1. If you could create your own group like produce 101 or the unit, what would it look like? Who would be in it?

we need more coed groups so probably something like that HAHA IDK

2. What are the five weirdest songs you listen to?

i honestly dont even know everything is weird nowadays but back in my dark days in middle school my friend showed me the song “if a nerd and a cupcake had a baby” and its pretty catchy but its so??? yikes

3. What’s your favorite cover a kpop idol or group has done?

i thought of seventeen but they’ve done 92734997 covers how are u gonna just choose 1????? all of them??? i have vocal unit’s because of you cover from 17 project on repeat so often though that was derived from the gods themselves

4. Favorite kpop choreography?

jfc i cANT PICK FAVORITES GUYS I DONT HAVE FAVORITES!! svt’s don’t wanna cry and boom boom are p stellar but also anything by infinite bc yall already know dance kings

5. Anything you wanna say to me?

BEE AND MARI QUEENS OF WRITING!!!!!!! I haven’t talked to mari much or really at all but fellow juho stan yes hello i am here!!!! and also every time i think of her i think about her cute giggles in her audio tag!!! and bEE!!! MY HUSBAND!!! THANK U FOR REACHING OUT TO ME AND REQUESTING THAT STREET MUSICIAN!WOOZI WOW CHANGED MY LIFE BC I GOT TO MEET YOU!!! you are the most adorable i cant believe i was so blessed to be able to get to know you :’(((( words will never describe how dear you are to me and how close i hold you to my heart!!!! you’re so so so sweet and cute i love u so much my heart explodes when i think about u!!!! <33333333

6. What are three things you would put in a time capsule?

i don’t really have much!!! i would probably put a letter to my future myself, a token that holds significance in some time of my life, and a photo of another significant time!

7.What is something you always carry with you?

a smile LOL jk i mean i try to but sometimes Days Are Rough! i always have my phone on me!

8. If your life was a Disney (or Pixar or Dreamworks) movie, which one would it be?

YEEHAW MY TYPE OF QUESTION!!!!! well my life is p boring so i dont think there’s really a movie that has the slightest bit of parallel structure but i’m just gonna go with Brave! i relate feeling restricted by your parents and as a kid, we all wish our parents weren’t always this or that and take them for granted. i feel like what she experienced would happen to me if it were plausible irl. i cried so hard because it really resonated with me -- all family-orientated movies do or those with a familial theme. i also would like to include The Croods since Brave is for the mom and The Croods is for the dad aspect!

9. Ballads or dance songs?

baalllladddsss but it also depends on my mood!! but by far ballads!

10. What’s the weirdest survival tip/life hack you know?

,,,,idk putting bread in a freezer??? it actually saves it from going moldy for a while apparently

11. If you could go back anywhere in time, where would you go and what would you do?

i would go back to my 4 year old self and be the friend I never had bc everything started from there unfortunately

IM SORRY FOR THE SPAM IM PHYSICALLY TIRED FROM DOING THESE LDSFJLDJ SEE U IN PART 4 AAAAAAA