#a good stl boy 1

[queenalyx]

Alright, here we go, Archon Alyx's big 10th ed Drukhari review! I will avoid going over things we didn't already know about from the faction focus.

Starting off, of course, with the Archon.

Interesting stuff, now every Drukhari list gets Agents of Vect by default which imo is awesome, esp since it means our choices aren't exactly limited when we will always have access to Vect as an ability no matter what detachment we choose. Streamlined weapon options and a buffed huskblade is nice to see especially since people *only ever ran the Djin Blade anyways*. The leader ability is really good too for reasons I'll go over later. However I'm slightly disappointed by one thing.

Of course court of the archon and kabalites make sense as attachable units, but I'm curious why not Incubi? in 9th archons *specifically* buffed incubi as well as Kabal units and archons and incubi often hang out in battle. I was thinking that Incubi would be a potential unit for an archon to lead (especially with that juicy full reroll to wound while empowered combined with alliance of agony) but this is all fair and good.

Moving on down, we've got kabalites and OH BOY did they buff kabalites.

We already saw their profile and ability from the faction focus (8" move buff and sticky objectives while in transports, very juicy) but there's two huge things to note here. They took away MSU kabalites, but in exchange, you can take *all 4 special/heavy weapons*. With the buffs to dark lances, shredders finally being a flamer, and splinter cannons gaining sustained hits (not even mentioning the buff to poison to a 3+), kabalites are now back to being quite a threat. Combine this with the venom combat squads, and you see where this is going. special and heavy weapons riding around with an archon in a venom, the other 5 fellas to sit on a backfield objective or otherwise screen. Beautiful. Absolutely fantastic. Bringing back venom heavy shooting drukhari could be both a good and a bad thing but I am personally an enjoyer of that playstyle.

Moving along swiftly to my Best Boy, Drazhar

Honestly I don't have much to say, losing the -1 damage ability is fair enough, considering most things have (my least favourite common mechanic from 9th) but most importantly, he's lost his fight twice, in exchange for a very interesting ability. I don't know how good it'll be honestly, but Drazhar has always excelled at character assassination anyways so it could be good. He's the only character that leads Incubi and he buffs them nicely so I will continue taking him myself.

Speaking of incubi, I am deeply saddened.

They got completely gutted. Base 5++ is nice, don't get me wrong, but they lost +1 damage on 6s to wound, they lost fight last in exchange for battle shock (which is fine tbh) and most importantly, *they lost 2+ WS base*. MY BOYS HIT ON 3s!!!!! Their presence in 9th was honestly quite heavy so I expected a nerf but this? this seems like a lot. I'll still run them because they are just tough beatsticks that are great for throwing at anything important (especially with Drazhar in tow and being empowered) or to mince heavy infantry, but they really took a big hit.

On to covens!

First up, Urien.

Minor spoiler, we're in for another covens heavy edition, so get those grotesque STL files ready to print (please give us plastic grots) and uh. I guess none of use put our Talos away since they've been pretty core for the past 2 editions. Urien here is almost certainly a must take imo, as you will all see, haemys lost their healing, so Urien is gonna be our only healing. But boy does he heal. Flat 3 wounds or flat 3 wracks back? Yes please! Alongside his casket which is a 3d6 flamer with devastating wounds for the potential to spike an *unholy* amount of mortal wounds if the rolls hit. He doesn't give buffs to the unit he's attached to but wracks have always been screening and objective sitting units anyways, so the only reason you'd attach him to wracks is to keep him from being shot. Also he's still got his Celestine revive which is fun.

Base haemonculus' now!

Their profiles are nothing fancy (I'm too lazy to go screenshot it) but key thing to note is they can also only be attached to wracks. A bit of a disappointment for sure, I had visions of a haemonculus with a huge blob of grots all getting buffed from alliance of agony, but considering the haemy's leader buff, I think it's fair (4+ FNP for the unit). If these fellas are cheap, with the new way army's are made, I imagine we might see two or three of these guys running around with blobs of wracks to sit on objectives and be nigh impossible to move without some serious focus fire. I did say we were in for a covens heavy edition!

Speaking of wracks.

Would've been cool if they had sticky objectives but I guess kabalites already took that spot. Don't know how useful that ability is going to end up being I'll be honest, wracks aren't exactly the most aggressive unit and with the haemy's buff I expect they'll be doing the same as they always do: screening and holding objectives. Not much else of note.

Here's the big one. Talos engine.

Holy Vect. What an ability. *Permanent empowerment*. The sheer amount of value there is immense. And, as teased in the faction focus, those haywire blasters are looking devious. Interesting to note that ichor injectors are no longer free mortals, so I imagine we'll either see macro scalpel chain flail return, or twin liquifier gauntlet as the weapon combos. Interested to see what people end up taking for the ranged weapon, whether the haywire blaster will be enough of a threat or the more consistent damage and strength of the heat lances will prevail. We'll have to see what top drukhari players take to the first major 10th tournaments to really know but I think I'm in favour of haywire and twin liquifier gauntlet for my Talos. And once again. *permanent empowerment*. Always rerolling to hit, always rerolling to charge. Ridiculous value.

Next up on the coven essentials, grots!

No more split between gauntlets and liquifiers! Now we just get one profile (decent tbh) *and* they can all take liquifier guns. Not much else to say they're mostly the same. Except, what's this? 4+ fight on death? as an *ability*? Not even a single CP spent for it either? So, not only are grotesques hard to kill, decently hard hitting against heavy/elite infantry and huge screens, they now also fight on death. *Yet another covens edition it is*.

I can't add anymore photos on mobile so I'm going to call this part one and do the Cults in a part two as a reblog, not much to say about them though so it'll be short.

[powerblais]

Hockey Player Coat of Arms - Matthew Tkachuk

[secretradiobrooklyn]

Radio Decameron |1.16.21 & 1.23.21

Secret Radio | 1.16.21 & 1.23.21 | Hear it here.

1. Sylvain Sylvain - “I’m So Sorry”

I never feel right saying “RIP” or “rest in peace” about an actual human being who is no longer with us. But I will say: I hope Sylvain Sylvain died content with the music he made and the life he lived. 

2. The Honeydrippers - “Impeach the President”

And ideally, then we would never have to hear from or talk about that accursed criminal ever again. We recorded this section before the inauguration — may we never forget how ALL 50 STATE CAPITOLS plus the US Capitol itself were being guarded against attacks by American citizens on that day — and shit was tense there for many days. As of this writing, things are… unviolent. It feels like a lull to me, honestly, rather than, say, all that stuff being in the rearview. It is not. 

But meanwhile, check that beat out!  

I love how Roy Charles is trying to convince them to stop demanding, but they just keep insisting. This song is brilliant, and the playing is — c’mon now — unimpeachable.

3. Niagara - “Tchiki boum”

We heard this song in the film “Perdrix,” known as “The Bare Necessity” in the version we saw via SLIFF. They’re dancing in a club to this, and it’s just a really distractingly good song for the scene.

- C.K. Mann - “Mber Papa”

We just recently learned about Essiebons by learning that he passed just this August. He was a producer of legendary status to a lot of people. Listening around his music we came upon C.K. Mann and this righteous track, which Essiebons produced. I think this is a pretty ultra track, really. Every instrument really kicks it out. I hope Essiebons died happy.

4. Rocky Horror Picture Show - “Hot Patootie / Bless My Soul”

New president, feeling kinda upbeat and hopeful. Really just starting to feel the tips of my soul from where it’s been getting singed. It’s going to take a long time to scab over what happened to us all over the last four years. I’m so fucking glad he’s gone that it makes me really love that rock n roll!

5. Moon Unit & Frank Zappa - “Valley Girl”

Tell you what: we watched the movie “Zappa” recently as part of a film festival, and I highly recommend watching it at your earliest opportunity. It is absolutely for people who do, and for people who do not, love his music. He shows up as a really interesting character throughout his whole life. The film skips through his songs with amazing speed, which actually works really well in his case. This song is with his daughter Moon Unit, who actually slid a handwritten note under his door introducing herself by name and saying that she wanted to collaborate on a project. They did this, and while Zappa was in Europe, Moon Unit brought the acetates to KROC and the song became an instant hit for them. Meanwhile he was writing for multiple orchestras.

6. Jacques Dutronc - “Sur Une Nappe de Restaurant” 

This is totally not how I tune my drums, but I love how Dutronc’s drums sound in every song. I mean, the whole band of course, but there is a physical space both in the drum part as written and in the recorded texture of the whole that is just deep and wide.

7. Nyame Bekyere - “Medley: Broken Heart / Aunty Yaa / Omo Yaba (Nzema)”

This is another discovery via Essebiens, who released it on Essiebons Enterprises. It’s such an intense track! The cover artwork is by K. Frimpong, who plays a crazy Cuban guitar style on his own albums. 

8. Ros Serey Sothea - “Tngai Neas Kyom Yam Sra (Today I Drink Wine)”

This is a voice, and a cast of characters, I can’t stop thinking about. This is from “Cambodian Rocks Vol 1,” which is full of great recordings. Her voice could shatter glass, and it’s so skillfully wielded — I’d love to hear her in a face-off with Frankie Valli.

- There’s a moment from Paige’s phone archives of a little George and Isabelle aching to ride rides at the Millstadt homecoming.

9. Les Poppys - “Isabelle je t’aime” 

These young boys singing collectively about their — collective? 17 individual? — love(s) for Isabelle is even more innocent in video format:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o618mlIaR7E

- more C.K. Mann - “Mber Papa”

10. The Jam - “In the City”

This song makes me miss the city so much! It sounds like everything we really can’t get up to right now. I feel like this song helps me feel like I’m walking fast under streetlights.

11. Bruno Leys - “Maintenant je suis un voyou”

This 7” from Born Bad is so incredible! Bruno Leys worked on just a few songs with a band that included a guy named Emmanuel Pairault who plays parts on an instrument called the ondes Martenot, a super early, very eclectic and ungainly electronic instrument. The fact that he could actually compose music of any kind on it was considered remarkable. The fact that he was able to write such incredibly expressive parts to thoroughly filigree the choruses is what amazes me. 

This band recorded four songs, then Bruno Leys left for his military service, and when he came back it was all completely over — the catalog was sold, everyone was scattered. Four songs. 

12. Sleepy Kitty - “Nothing = You”

I’m pretty sure this song was essentially our response to our own growing fascination with French pop. To me it sounds more French than American in texture. We played this song with the Incurables once at The Pageant in STL and it was especially glorious. I think of that moment — Kevin Bachmann harmonizing flawlessly with Paige, four different guitars ringing through the chords — every time I hear this track.

13. Plastic Bertrand - “Pogo Pogo”

I don’t know why or when “Ça Plane Pour Moi” became the one French pop song that Americans are likely to know, but it’s a total banger so I have no complaints. It turns out that pretty much all of his songs sound very similar — one-note melodies in the verse, cool vocalese hooks in the chorus, and super-driving guitar parts throughout. Turns out that’s a formula we totally dig!

14. Os K-rrascos & Vanessinha Do Picatchu - “Bochecha Ardendo”

For whatever reason, a variety of Brazilian music seemed to be the very hottest stuff to be found in Chicago’s art-school party nights, and I remember losing my mind to some heavy Brazilian rhythms that just kept folding over and over on themselves while staying so impossibly funky that the whole night just turned into a deep-green-and-dark orange smear of a late-night winter warehouse dancing and sweating and then way, way later, walking home steaming along a cold sidewalk on a tree-lined street.

- Eric Dolphy - “Hat and Beard”

15. Von Südenfed - “The Rhinohead” 

I feel like no one in my zone talks enough about how awesome Von Südenfed is. I mean, we only know this one album, but it’s so fascinating — a band where Mark E. Smith is contributing but not in control, and on purpose. He shows off his pop chops and gets to be a whole different character in this one place, while the Mouse on Mars guys get to play new characters themselves. It feels like it’s related to “Extricate” in how it’s constructed, but the music doesn’t sound like something any version of the Fall has made. 

16. Fischer-Spooner - “The 15th”

A friend of Wire is a friend of ours.

p.s. Paige here, they went to SAIC (before I arrived) but they were super famous to all of us in the dorms. 

17. T.P. Orchestre - “Pourquoi Pas?”

The depths of this band just continue to amaze us. We’re waiting on some T.P.O.C. vinyl right now, featuring mostly songs we’ve never heard, and the everlovin’ post office is misdelivering it BACK to France even as I write this. It’s driving us totally nuts.

18. Nina Simone - “Mississippi Goddam”

The hardness of her voice, the hardness of her experience, the hardness of her words.

19. Fanny - “Blind Alley”

I don’t know who first put this in front of my eyes, but it was a few years ago. The video is so basic — they’re performing in front of a video-psych effect — but the performers themselves are just so absorbing. And the production is so heavy, it feels legendary. 

20. Manmadha Leela soundtrack - “Kushalamena”

I think we first saw a colorful glimpse of this song before we heard it. Paige automatically starts dancing a little dance as soon as “Kushalamena” comes on. 

This I think came from the “Now Playing” group I’m in on FB: a guy was holding out a picture of the cover of this album and said he’d bought 40 more like it and he LOVED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. He just wanted to see if anyone knew anything more about them. I did my best to hear the album he was showing. I think this is it. I think he’s right to be super jazzed about it, we just want to hang out with him and listen to all those records.

21. Francis Bebey - “Je vous aime zaime zaime”

Paige was working on her pronunciation and when to use the ellision — the z sound for the s letter, depending on what comes next — and he said something about, “Unless you’re Francis Bebey and you’re singing ‘Je vous aime zaime zaime.” And she said, “Francis Bebey? I know Francis Bebey!” and he said, “No, you’re thinking of another Francis.” But we all know the truth. This was our introduction to the song though.

- Jack Teagarden - “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan”

Paige was looking for the Fred Astaire & Jack Buchanan version from “The Bandwagon,” but found this great instrumental trombone-forward version instead.

22. Pono AM - "Good Vibes"

This is one of those things you see every once in a great while when you’re playing clubs in a music scene — a band hits a natural home run. They just have an undeniably appealing crowdpleaser of a song that they wrote, and everyone flips out when they hear it. We salute Pono AM for writing this perfect song. They enrich the STL music world. My only advice to them was to never get tired of it or take it for granted. 

Paige: We took their band photos at our space on Cherokee Street, for an RFT article. I was impressed because they arrived with matching shirts that still had the tags on them, and it was really exciting to see a new band on the scene who was really good and also putting in the effort to be graphically interesting. We believe that stuff counts. All of their shows, if you got there early, you’d see all of the band members blowing up as many balloons as they could, so there would be balloons bouncing around their set for the whole show, and it made it even better.

23. Sir Victor Uwaifo And His Titibitis - "Iranm Iran"

Analog Africa has a new album! It’s called “Edo International,” and it shows off a whole other side of Beninese music that isn’t T.P. Orchestre. I think of T.P. Orchestre as just a giant force in Beninese music, but then this comp comes out showing so many other roots of Benin City’s highlife-funk scene. Victor Uwaifo was a Nigerian guitarist who returned to his hometown in Benin City and built Joromi Studio. The sound he put together at that place, via his own bands and others’, came to be called Edo Funk.

24. Laughing Man - "Brilliant Colors"

This is a tape of one of the artists of one of the group houses that we always would stay at in DC. Benjamin Schurr runs a tape label and it was always such a treat getting the new batch of Blight. releases for the van soundsystem when we’d roll through town, or one of his bands would tour through St. Louis. They were always interesting stuff and a wide range of sounds and styles. 

We first met Brandon Moses when he was on tour with Paperhaus in St. Louis. I think it was his birthday, too. He didn’t tour a ton with them. Laughing Man was our first time hearing him front songs. We always enjoyed staying with Erik and Benjamin and Brandon and enjoyed sharing that green power juice that Brandon gave us — really powered us up for the next drive. 

- Bembeya Jazz - “Petit Sokou”

I have felt love for this song for awhile, but Josh Weinstein recently sent a video of the band actually performing this song and WOW, it is hypnotizing. The outfits, the instruments, and the expressiveness of the guitar playing are all so vivid in black and white: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpZVF_kKUJ4

25. Maxime le Forestier - “San Francisco”

Our thanks to Paige’s French instructor for showing us this song. Paige’s version is well worth hearing too, I must say: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKhJfqDDe2q/

p.s. Paige again, if you want to see the dragon birthday card that Evan made, here it is!

[goldeneyedgirl]

2019 Fic Meme

My end of year fic meme, compiled from some old Livejournal fic memes that I do when I write stuff. I do this for fun, because I like looking back at what I have and haven’t written, and what keeps popping up again.

It’s meant to be silly fun, and if anyone else wants to do it, PLEASE DO. I don’t want to tag anyone and put pressure on you in case you don’t want to/don’t think you have enough fic/hate memes. 

Twilight

12 Days of Fic-Mas (Twilight, WIP) Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, bonus.  Twelve days of fic extracts, previews, and drabbles focusing on Alice Cullen. Encompasses Folie A Deux, The Only Girl in the World, JessaminexAlice, Omens, Asylum, The Long Way Around, The Dark and the Unknown, Hybrid, Runaway, All These Broken Things, & The Unexpected Second Life of Mary Alice Brandon 

Shadow to Light  (WIP) (Alice/Jasper, AU Angst, PG) In 1918, Jasper lures the newborn known as Mary-Alice back to Monterrey. He is lost to her before it even begins.

Total number of completed stories: Lol.

Total word count: 33,304 words were posted. 

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?  Look, I just... 2019 was a wash in so many ways. I played a lot of Fortnite really badly. I would have loved to be able to say Shadow to Light was finished, or that I was posting Hybrid regularly or something, but I can’t. I wish, wish, wish I had posted more but alas. 

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? Outside of Twilight, I dabbled with some reader/Ben in the Umbrella Academy, and I was messing around with some Janet/Wanda in my personal MCU canon. As for Twilight, I think my stuff got a lot darker? Like, we’re down the rabbit hole here, and somehow Alice ended up being the most feared vampire in the Americas? Yeah. 

And there’s the Avengers/Twilight fic that is simultaneously three fics and one fic because I cannot make Executive Decisions and I can’t decide if I like 1. Alice knowing Bucky from Before Jasper; 2. Alice knowing Hawkeye from when he was a kid in the circus and being how Natasha and Clint got out of Budapest, or 3. the Volturi hooking up with Hydra and ... yeah, I think this one is legit the most second-most one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever written. (I’ve been filing today, and boy howdy have I written some actual shit.)

What’s your own favourite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest? That’s like making me pick a favourite child. I’m always so, so proud of Shadow to Light, and I love The Dark and the Unknown ‘verse, and Hybrid is just hanging out there, chilling and ugh. My babies <3 

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?  TwilightFicMas was a huge risk! I wasn’t sure anyone cared unless I was posting more Shadow to Light, and people were SO nice and enthusiastic. So I guess the lesson is shut up and share more fic? Get out of your own head and spend time in the community because fandom isn’t meant to be lonely?

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the New Year?  I’m starting a graphic design business AND my masters in design in 2020, so I figure fic is going to be my downtime next year. Ideally, I would love to get STL finished, Memento Vivere’s sequel going, and have a few of my shorter pieces posted. I would really love to get some of my original stuff ready for publication, but I’d be happy studying, running my business, and doing the fic thing for 2020.  

My best story of this year: That’s up to the readers, I guess. Everyone seemed obscenely enthusiastic about The Unexpected Second Life of Mary Alice Brandon, though, and I was not expecting that at all - I was actually upset that I left the ‘dud’ fic for the last day of FicMas. 

My most popular story: Shadow to Light. Everyone is so nice and enthusiastic and polite about that one. I’m not used to it! Fandom for me is usually me sitting in a corner, doin’ my obscure thing, and maybe one or two people will read what I’m working on.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:  I think everyone was super enthusiastic and nice about everything I posted this year. Maybe Folie A Deux? But like, that reflects more on me and the excerpts that I chose to post rather than the fic or the audience itself. 

Most fun story to write:  The Unexpected Second Life of Mary Alice Brandon because that Alice is so happy; I have this playlist for it that is super upbeat and funky. 

Hybrid is fun because that Alice likes to torment Jasper. He understands Edward on a molecular level once Alice arrives. 

Most Sexy Story: The Dark and the Unknown is the front-runner for that, because most of the sexy goings-on in Shadow to Light is very much focused on the psychological and emotional aspects rather than the physical.

Story with the single sexiest moment:  The Dark and the Unknown. I am still deeply uncomfortable writing sex scenes, so this may be the only one I ever do. The implication of a blow job in Shadow to Light nearly kill me tbh.

The forest behind the school is silent; just her breathing, and the slight wind. No birds or wildlife, none of the hum of the traffic or of the school.

They don’t undress more than necessary, her skirt slid to her hips, and he takes her roughly against a tree, flakes of bark falling into the dirt. She is hot and slick, and silent as he fucks her, his fingers digging into her hips, a growl rising in his chest. She is every bit his fantasy; the smell of damp flowers, the sweetness of her flesh, her willing supplication. His fingers tear through the lace of her tights as he grips her thighs, and the heels of her shoes must be bending, she’s digging them into the backs of his legs so hard.

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story:  The Long Way Around makes Jasper and Alice’s relationship pretty fucked up, and tbh I look back at it and really struggle with how dark it is and how dark Jasper’s character becomes. There’s a reason that Shadow to Light is the ‘official’ version - it’s a better balance, and I actually think Maria is a lot more interesting in Shadow to Light as a villain with complex relationships with both Jasper and Alice to the point where none of them really want to have to kill each other, but there is a lot of hate on both sides. 

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:  That’s a hard question. Shadow to Light definitely did that because I had to consider what happened when you took Alice out of the picture, and how that changed what happened, and considered the inter-family relationships. So much of canon relies on Alice’s visions that things can’t just happen the same way. 

Hardest story to write: Shadow to Light isn’t easy because I have such a specific idea of how it plays out, how it ‘looks’ in my head, and because Alice is so fundamentally different to canon. More innocent when it comes to normal interactions, and so controlled because it meant life or death - but she’s still got to be Alice in a way that people can recognize. It also has to sound right? If I can’t get the right turn of phrase for one scene, it has to be put aside until I can work it out. 

 All These Broken Things is hard because I started it back in, like, 2014ish and my writing and understanding of the characters and canon has changed so much - plus there are a few sections that came to me quite early in the writing, and now sound really out of place, but are such a strong linchpin for the story that I have to rework them in. It’s a good kind of hard, though, because I’ve improved so much, my ideas and goals are more refined. 

Most disappointing:  Omens is a little bitch, honestly. I started it for a fic contest and kept going to explore Alice’s human life, and it doesn’t quite feel like my writing? It needs reworking, and be a little less obvious because I think the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’ is a good theme for a Human!Alice fic. 

Easiest story to write: Depends on my mood; Hybrid is great when I’m in kind of a ‘girls kicking ass’ mood and boot up my action girls playlist.

Biggest surprise:  Hybrid started as a love story that was basically ‘yeah, let’s make this shit super dramatic and overwrought’, and turned into this actual story with a huge focus on family and relationships. I can’t remember why I decided Alice’s father had a husband except that I was thinking about small town ‘otherness’, and LGBT+ people can and are still considered ‘other’ in these spaces. 

Then you add in Alice and Cynthia who are basically in the same boat but have been separated for their entire lives. Alice has knowledge in her corner, whilst having to fight through foster care, abuse, and hospital; whilst Cynthia has lived a very normal but privileged life as the daughter of a mixed-race same-sex couple in a very small town. I went full-hog with this, and added in an extended family, because I really hated how canon went balls-to-the-wall to isolate Bella from everyone, including Charlie. 

Like, this thing is a monster, and whilst I plan to sit down and rewrite the outline (which dates back to 2016, and I hate the ending of), I stopped outlining at 65 freaking chapters. 

Most unintentionally telling story:  I think this question that still confuses me finally gets a decent answer in The Dark and the Unknown - Jasper is seeing most of it from his perspective, and there isn’t a ton of dialogue. I’ve tried to avoid an info-dump, but it’s meant to be quite supernatural in tone, and focusing on vampire senses and gifts enhances that. 

Story I’d like to revise:  All These Broken Things wins that one. Due to the age of the piece, there are some pacing and tone issues in later chapters that are the reason I haven’t formally posted it. 

Story I didn’t write but will at some point, I swear: Oh man, I really want to finish A Thousand Years of Solitude, which is a Tanya fic. I’m really happy with what I’ve got so far, but it sounds smarter and more layered than it really is, so I’m kind of stuck. 

Mad World because Romani!Alice is super sassy and taking 0% of Swan or Cullen bullshit - I think 90% of my fic is just me going, “yeah, that’s not how normal people react.” And I’m a sucker for gothic horror. 

What else? Aww, Against A Wall which is AU Human Jasper coming from the shittiest home, and Alice finding him. It’s meant to be short, and another one I have a really clear idea of how it needs to work. 

And the one where Alice’s gift is a sentient power that pushes her to follow it; that Bad Things happen if she doesn’t; that Renesmee was always Endgame for Something, and Alice was a key piece to get that result. Or the one where Aro takes Alice as a ‘guest’ for a period because of Edward and Bella, and Alice’s gift is basically broken. 

Good times. I have like 5 years of fic on this computer, we could be here for awhile. 

[dearbabyeckard]

My Dear Babies,

It strikes me that Tucker, in particular, would be upset that I refer to you both as my babies… he’s a big boy now! But regardless, you’ll both always be my babies.

But baby talk aside, Daddy and I shared some big news with you recently - we’re moving to Austin! Daddy is taking a new position with Emerson at their business in Austin where he’ll be leading their M&A and ventures, a very neat opportunity. I’m so proud of your Daddy for, frankly, fighting for a new role that was worthy of him and that he will enjoy. He also turned down some good opportunities because they weren’t in great locations for you and for our family (think New Jersey, Ohio…).

Emmy (will be 6 in July), I can tell you have mixed emotions. You’re sad to leave your school, friends, and family in STL. You’re a bit timid of the unknown and not fully sure of what “moving” really means. The idea of leaving everything you know and the place you call home is definitely scary. You’re excited to help decorate your new bedroom and find some new playgrounds in Austin.

Tucker (will be 4 in August), I definitely don’t think you fully understand what “moving to Austin” means. However, you stormed out of the room outraged when we told you both we were moving. You later learned that we would be taking your toys, bed, stuffies, etc. etc. which made you pleased. You’re excited to get a “big boy bed” in Austin and have asked for a super hero bedroom. You’ve also asked if your teacher, Ms. Alexis, could come and live with us 🥰

Our house, 484 Whitree Ln, is on the market now. And we’re actively house hunting in Austin, with a trip planned to go visit as a family next week. I’m hoping we find a home so we can narrow down and select a great school for you both!

I think that ultimately this will be a good move for our family. You’re both at the right age where moving won’t be devastating to you. And it will be a fun town to explore. Not to mention, Ascension, where I work, has a huge health system there as well as our Clinical Studio HQ. Austin is the #1 city in the US that people are moving to currently, so we’ll likely have some competition with the housing market, potentially schools and other factors, which will be tough. But hopefully that growth will end up being a good thing in the end.

What’s important is that we’re together, we’re finding our new home as a family, exploring and enjoying an exciting new city together.

All my love,

Mommy

[manofculture]

2K17 Midwest Road Trip

The weekend of August 11, 2017, I took a road trip with one of my day-1 homies. We go back to 3rd grade Mr. Mule’s class at Washington Elementary School! His family moved to Tennessee when we went to middle school he lives in Memphis, TN now, so we don’t get to connect much. Since we both turned that “30 ball” this year, we decided that it was the perfect time link up for a road trip! I took plenty of pictures and videos during our jaunt - most of which is staying in the vault... BUT, we learned a lot and it would be a crime if I didn’t share some of it. 

The route was Memphis, TN - Kansas City (MO & KS) and Omaha, NE. My focus on these road trips is to “do my history” which is Black American history. It seems random, but I chose Omaha because:

It’s the birthplace of Malcolm X, and 

there is NO CITY IN AMERICA that black people have not left a lasting impression. Our history is alive all over this country.  

 The trip was amazing, and I hope you enjoy!

Memphis 8.10.17

I took a 1-way flight to Memphis Thursday night. Made it into town just in time to hit an after work happy hour. This one happened to be on the roof of the Peabody Hotel - a historic hotel downtown. There was a band playing rock music, and I was pleased to hear them do a couple Chuck Berry classics (Berry is a brother from STL that invented Rock N’Roll). 

The most amazing part of the night was striking up a conversation with this group of sisters - there were six of them. It started with small talk, and eventually we learned that it was a group of SIX BLACK FEMALE LAWYERS studying at the Univ. of Memphis! They were out celebrating their homegirl’s 30th birthday...real life #BlackGirlMagic. I thought that was dope!

We ended up walking Beale St. for a bit before heading back home to get some rest before the trip.

Kansas City (KS & MO) 8.11.17  

We hit the road for KC at about 8:30a (two hours later than planned). After a good 7 hours of driving, we made it to KC. Interesting thing about KC is there are two sides - KC Missouri (which was a slave state) and KC Kansas (a free state). Our first stop was on the Kansas side. We drove straight to a neighborhood just west of the Missouri river called Quindaro. 

Quindaro was a boom town started in the 1850s. Since it was right on the river in the free state of Kansas, it eventually became an underground railroad stop for Black people escaping slavery.  We visited an overlook structure built at the top of a hill where you could see the Missouri River valley and the trail that people took as they left the river en route to Nebraska - which was the next stop on our trip! An inscription in the overlook described the fight that ensued to preserve Quindaro and keep it from becoming a landfill! It was powerful just being there!

Quindaro was also home to the Quindaro Freedman’s School, which opened during reconstruction after the Civil War. The Freedman’s School eventually grew to become Western University, an HBCU run by the AME church. 

In 1911, the AME Bishop granted Western University funds to erect a statue of freedom fighter John Brown on the campus. When we walked down to view the statue, the wildest thing happend. A man named Leo was out walking his five dogs (none of which were on leashes). Leo turned out to be a retired teacher, and he told us all about the statue - as well as Quindaro! 

We were crashing with my homie’s family that night. After we left the Quindaro site, we got cleaned up at his people’s crib, and hit the KC Chiefs v. SF 49ers preseason game. The tickets we bought were cheap, which means we got bad seats. We didn’t get to Arrowhead Stadium until the 4th quarter, and by that time, the ushers weren’t really trippin about people moving to different seats. Instead of going up to the nosebleeds, we went down to the field! The down side is, they weren’t selling beer anymore either (they stop selling at the end of the 3rd qtr)...

As far as the game, the Chiefs were pretty much imploding when we got there. We walked in on the 49ers scoring a 2pt conversion to tie the game 17-17. The 9ers went on the score a couple more times and it was a wrap. The stadium atmosphere was amazing though! It was my first time seeing an NFL game!

After the game we went downtown KCMO to check out “KC Power & Lights.” It was cool down there, great to see how they redeveloped an old power utility into a performance venue with bars and restaurants. 

The next day, we got up and knocked out the 3 hour drive to Omaha, NE.

Omaha, NE 8.12.17

After checking into the hotel, we hit the streets of Omaha. I researched this place called the Great Plains Black History Museum and that was the 1st place we visited. Their original building is in disrepair, and they moved to a retail space at the Crossroads Mall as a temporary show room for some of their artifacts. There was a volunteer on hand named Frank Hayes. He showed us around the space and we ended up having an AMAZING conversation with the brother. Turns out, he’s the founder and principal of Nebraska’s 1st Black owned accounting firm! 

http://www.hayes-cpa.com/go/home/

Him and my homie kinda got into a debate because they fall on two seperate ends of the political spectrum, which was hilarious to watch! No pics here, unfortunately.

We left the museum and stopped at the site of Malcolm X’s birth home. The house in no longer standing, but there is a foundation named after brother Malcolm that’s developing an 11 acre plot of land into a museum, garden and outdoor amphitheater. 

While we were there, another wild thing happened. We ran into a guy named Jed. Jed was from Omaha, but had never visited the Malcolm X site. He said he was a single father that found some free time and decided to stop by. We talked a little about the Autobiography of Malcolm X, and how when Jed read it in college it changed him as an individual. He said that “with everything that happened in Charlottesville today, this is the day I needed to come here.”

Our next stop was to hit N. 24th St - I wanted to see the Omaha Star building. The Omaha Star is the last black owned newspaper in Nebraska, and one of the only ones left in America! The paper was founded in 1938 by a sister named Mildred Brown! Thought it was significant in the age of FAKE NEWS, that this sister created a media platform for us by us!

Across the street from the Omaha Star was a small blue building with a long awning. There was no real signage, but the front door was open and music was coming out. There was a little sign hanging next to the door stating that NO ONE UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE IS PERMITTED TO ENTER. Us being two new members of the 30 club, we had to investigate. It turned out to be a sort of juke joint called Jesse’s Place. The brother at the bar carded us immediately. He didn’t quite get the math right on our ages, saying that we were “close enough,” before happily serving us both.

We sat and talked with a couple of older ladies for a bit. I struck up a conversation with a sister named Marilynn Devereaux (last name is pronounced this way, not sure of the exact spelling. She made it clear that her name didn’t have an “A” in it like the white folks lol). Marilynn was happy to learn that we were traveling to connect with Omaha’s Black history. She told us that her family is one of the first three Black families that came to Omaha in 1905. She introduced us to a number of people including Mr. Union, who was in his 80s and a member of another one of the oldest Black families in Omaha. According to Marilynn, he was also thee Gabrielle Union’s great uncle! 

Definitely had a great time talking with the OGs at Jesse’s! Here’s a picture of Marilynn below. The sister that took it for us was kinda tipsy:

It was already a long day, and I was feeling every bit of my 30 years but we were on a roll! We stopped for food at Time Out Foods for some wings, and headed downtown to Old Market. I learned that this part of downtown Omaha was a former meat packing district that was redeveloped into an entertainment district. There were lots of bars and restaurants to choose from. We found a spot that had a pretty good DJ and kicked it!

Omaha, NE 8.13.17

We got up Sunday and visited St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first black church organized in Omaha! When asked, we stood and introduced ourselves, and were very well received by the congregation. I was impressed and pleased by the minister delivering a message that addressed the Charlottesville terror attack that had taken place the day before!  

After service, they served burgers and peach cobbler down in the basement of the church (it was left over from a function they hosted the previous week). I got to talk with some of the elders about the church’s history. One sister gave us a tour of the church’s “history room!” 

After church, we hit the highway to end our road trip, headed back to our hometown Rockford, IL.

Rockford, IL 8.14.17

I took the day off Monday, but still had A LOT of stuff to take care of back home. One of the biggest things was to do some work for my “W-2 job” (I have about 6 other jobs too lol). I organized a job fair in the Ellis Heights neighborhood (west side Rockford), and needed to do some last minute canvassing ahead of our event. My boy got up and helped me hit the pavement to get the word out about my event! (The pic is him and my sister’s bf)

The weekend was a whirlwind! As dead tired as I was, I enjoyed every minute. It was great learning that rich history - I’m always so motivated by our people and our story! But it was even better getting to reconnect with one of my childhood friends. The midwest road trip is one we’ll never forget!

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 72 - STL - Alex’s Pot(s) of Gold

I got held up in South Buffalo as one does on St. Patrick’s Day, so I came into the last home game I had tickets to this season after a period had already been played. At first I wasn’t too worried about that, after all there aren’t any fully-realized reasons to really feel the need to rush out to see the Sabres right now if you know what I mean. But as I heard the first period unfold on the radio I got that refreshing sense of missing something when it comes to the Sabres for the first time in what felt like forever. There were moments of that against the Canes but not since February, maybe earlier. I felt the need to see the outcome of this game. In spite of holding a 3-1 lead at one point in this game it was one where you just feel the worst about their chances to actually win. It’s a holiday though and a buzzed crowd at any sporting event tends to be more fun than the relative morgue the Key Bank Center has been in recent seasons. Turns out this was not a game you’d rather be drunk for. This game ended the 7-game slide and perhaps setup the Sabres for an interesting final ten games for a couple reasons, but we’ll get to that in a bit. For a moment let’s just appreciate beating Ryan O’Reilly and the Blues on his return to Buffalo. Visualize that miss in the shootout to seal the Sabres victory. Breathe in… Ahh... breathe out. Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system maybe we should ask why. I ask this having fully joined in on the booing when it happened: Why are we booing Ryan O’Reilly? He said he was surprised by the trade, he didn’t want to be traded. If there was a video tribute I missed it. Perhaps he wasn’t as good as we needed him to be here. He was awful in the defensive zone as a Sabre (evidently he still is) but if you think that’s bad this year you should think back to how bad last year’s team played in their own zone. I’ll just assume we aren’t booing him because of “losing his love for the game” but I suspect that may have been the final straw for some folks. Other people miss him and criticize the trade every week. I don’t know, it’s a holiday and I’m just going to let the past be past right now. That is made a lot easier by getting a win to talk about.

The first period was another fast one. That speed had boded well for the Sabres as of late. The Sabres outshot the Blues in the first 10-9 and it was one of those periods you wonder where the opposition’s shot total came from because you can’t remember them even having many chances. I guess that also might just be the St. Patrick’s Day effect. Right after I said guys like him were expendable this offseason, Johan Larsson gets one of his traditional hard-working goals. Zach Bogosian got him the puck from the other side of the ice, and he fired short side beating Jake Allen and at least one Blues defender. Rick Jenneret’s call “top shelf where momma hides the cookies” on this goal gave me life. Pat Maroon scored the Blues first goal about three minutes later after going around behind the net. If there is just one thing to criticize about this Buffalo defense it is the seeming inability to guard guys going behind the net. The other guys will do that, and Buffalo looks like a child who just saw a magic trick. The Sabres had the luck of the Irish though and this game was not done being fun. In fact, for pure fun’s sake the Evan Rodrigues goal is worth its weight in gold. E-Rod gets the puck from Alex Nylander (more on him later) and does something you see in basketball games to Colton Parayko. To call it a deke is a little cheap, E-Rod leaned the opposite way of Parayko defending him and looked like he was on one knee when he actually took the shot. Even more than Tage Thompson, Evan Rodrigues is the guy who made this team out of camp that was worth it the whole season trough. Carrying a 2-1 lead into the second, this game was far from over.

The middle frame was the best of times and it was the worst of times. The Blues actually did a good job of keeping the puck in the zone when they had their chances but not only was Carter Hutton on his game, but the passing was crisp for the forward corps. The play of the game started when Rasmus Dahlin got the puck in the defensive zone and wired it up to Alexander Nylander who, according to teammates, has increased his confidence each game. Nylander drove the puck into the zone and fed a great pass to Conor Sheary who tapped in one of the prettier goals we’ll see this season. 3-1 Sabres with 12:14 left in the second. If that was art than the play that led to the next Blues goal was… a different kind of art. It was the worst of times as Rasmus Ristolainen breaks his stick on the powerplay, turns over the puck, and allows the Blues’ David Perron to score a goal on one of those ugly, ugly kinds of breakaways. It was like slow motion live and in person as he saw he was on the wrong side of the ice not easily able to get a replacement stick. Is it a month of Sabres hockey if Ristolainen doesn’t break his stick and give up a goal? It was so bizarre, we got to see the best of the Sabres and the worst of the Sabres within five minutes. Brayden Schenn got the Blues goal to even it up in the third and before we go into the OT and shootout that decided the game I just want to add my voice to the Alexander Nylander choir. He got assists on that art of a goal for Sheary as well as E-Rod’s first period tally, but he also got at least two really good scoring chances of his own that reminded me of his best games in Rochester. In reality he probably goes back down to Rochester at the end of the season because they’ve got a Calder Cup to win but if Nylander isn’t on this team from square one next season than somebody is doing something wrong. Well we all say we quit on Nylander to early I’ll point out I forgave him on this very blog at the end of Training Camp so thank you very much! No, I get it he wasn’t great in Rochester or his past Buffalo call ups until recently. His appearances now have been gradually better each game and I look forward to him being a top six/middle six staple for the Sabres next season. Confidence found.

Before diving right into the end of this game its worth noting Sheary had a great night. On top of that goal he just knocked on the door non-stop. Also, a little St. Patrick’s Day dilly dilly to Phil Housley for scratching Vladimir Sobotka this game and using his coaches’ challenge on the Perron equalizer. It didn’t turn over the goal, but it did set up a rousing final few minutes of regulation that saw hit after hit after hit. The game got chippy in a good way and the crowd responded with cheering and a standing ovation twice right into the final horn sounding. I’m not normally the guy to root for hitting but it got the St. Patty’s day crowd really into this. It was like they were avenging the no call and a half dozen other no calls throughout the game. Overtime was madness. Both teams almost scored goals where they were already past the goalie, but none went through. Bogo got a great shot in OT and Sam Reinhart very nearly put it in within the last two seconds of the five-minute period. This was the first shootout I’ve seen live and I’m not going to lie, even in person it feels like a shit way to end a hockey game. I digress, there was a lot more swearing I could have done at this game but a small child no older than 6 sat next to me, and sandwiched between her and my mild-manored wife I decided to censor myself quite a bit at this game.  Two rounds of the shootout: goal, goal, miss, save. The final round of the shootout saw Sam Reinhart score a bouncer and the home crowd got uproarious for just before old pal Ryan O’Reilly got on the ice to try and keep the Blues in it. He missed the net after the hailstorm of boos and looked heavenward in frustration. It was almost a poetic finish as the former Sabre missed the decisive goal against the former Blue in net. With that the Sabres won their first game in eight and we prepare for Wednesday with a fresh slate.

This was easily the most fun game to watch this month and perhaps last month as well, it was nice to do that full recap again. It’s an encouraging win to clean that slate for a final ten games that hopefully can be a fun send off to a season that was fun, even dreamy at one point. Our boys in Blue and Gold are officially mathematically eliminated from playoff contention but on Wednesday they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs into Key Bank Center who are very not mathematically eliminated. The Leafs are more likely to make the playoffs than we ever were right now so this isn’t a game you can actually play spoilers in, but they have not looked great in the past 5-10 games and they’re getting down on themselves for what will almost certainly be another first-round matchup with Boston. They just lost in ugly fashion to last place Ottawa after throngs of Leafs fans all hiked out to the Canadian Capital for that game so how fun would it be to make their gasoline investment worthless again midweek? If you were one of us frustrated at seeing a ton of passion from the Sabres in this game after letting the season slip away over the last five weeks than what will make you feel better more than a win over the Leafs? Like, comment and share this blog around. I think that corner I was talking about turning last game I may have finally turned. I think I’ll be able to enjoy these last games and I hope you can find it in your heart to as well. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. My wife kept hearing “Ball Sack” in the radio highlights wondering why they’d say that. Turns out she was hearing Tyler Bozak.

[electronictragedy]

Top six restaurants?

1. Momo’s Greek restaurant near me. I always get dessert here. Sick ass fucking beef kebob and mac + cheese.

2. Blueberry Hill in STL, MO. Great burgers and fries, and lots of music and nostalgia memorabilia that lines the walls. They have a mean french onion soup too. Like gawd.

3. The Soda Parlor in Nashville, TN. IDK if it’s a restaurant but DAMN BOY. Sick-ass yummy ice cream + waffles.

AND NOW FOR THE CHAINS

4. Culver’s. It’s more of a midwest thing but their burgers ARE TOP NOTCH. They also have frozen custard which is great too. 

5. Wendy’s. Their burgers are pretty great too. Get all the crap on it for maximum experience.

6. McDonald’s. A classic. I only get the breakfast sandwiches anymore but their fries are the bombdiggity. Also good for snacks.

[powerblais]

🤨

[justjoeyyy-blog-blog]

7/13-7/24

7-13-17 I got off work today at 10pm. I made rain go take pictures with me and see a comedy show. The comedian is from Chicago. Nice guy. The transformers and my little ponys were supposed to premier today but there was an issue on space and where they could change into their costumes. I can't wait to see what they look like. One of the guys who does one of the ponys is new. He's Israeli but lives in Canada. There's actually a handful of workers here that I've met who are Jewish. Lots of Israeli family's too. I looked on our tablet and the oldest person on this cruise is 104 year old. So crazy. No one from Missouri either. This boat has a shit ton of repeat cruisers because they all live so close to the port. I don't start until 2 tomorrow so I'm just gonna sleep in. I can't even tell you the last time I did that. I leave 2 weeks from today. So crazy. It's going by so slow thoughhhhhh. It's gonna be so weird being here for my last week without rain. And having a random roommate for a week too. 7-14-17 I have officially been here for 2 months. So crazy that I've only been here that short amount of time and I feel like I've been here forever. I met a family from stl. They didn't seem to care when I told them I was from there too lol. Their kids are in the hazelwood school district. Tonight I work the kids party which I've never done before. It's such a small space for the amount of kids that come to it it's insane. The kids love it though. I got to sleep in today which was so nice. Showed up late to lunch so I had to eat in the crew mess which was packed and didn't have a single table open. So I sat at the end of one of the long tables and tried to scoot away from the men sitting there. I've gotten really good at not making any eye contact with them. I'm seriously a pro now. I'm super excited because tomorrow I get off early enough to go see the epic rock show. I've seen the new cast do it once so I'm looking forward to it. Tonight I did the kids party for the first time. We had almost 50 kids in our tiny little room. There's not enough room at all. And it doesn't help that the room is long and narrow rather than having a big open space. Tomorrow is a sea day :/ hopefully the weather will be good so the parents take their kids to the pool. 7-16-17 I got to watch epic rock last night. Absolutely amazing as always. This cast has improved so much. They're so much fun to watch. I was supposed to get off today in Long Beach but my plans fell through with my friend so I ended up sleeping all day (I needed it, especially with going out the night before). Rain leaves in 4 days it's so crazy. During the sail away party today we had a camera crew come and record the ponys and transformers. It was the first time I had seen them and they were so freaking cool. This hasbro thing that we signed on to is a huge deal. Even the candy shop is completely filled with my little pony and transformer things. Seuss is not happy that we have another company on the boat. There's a lot of competition between them. 7-20-17 It's currently 6:30 in the morning and rain has officially left the boat. That was not an easy goodbye at all. I cried yesterday but this morning we were fine. I just got back to the cabin and it already feels so lonely. She's literally another version of me but from Texas and has a lot more hair than me lol. I know I'll see her again but it's just weird. I've been with her since day 1. We stayed up until 430 last night just talking. We have a new girl coming today. On the schedule it says she's moving into my room but I was never directly told of it so not sure if it's actually happening or not. It's her first contract. Hopefully I'll be able to help her out. It's been craziness around here. I leave a week from today. One more cruise in circle c and then 1 cruise in camp. I'm gonna be an emotional wreck. Lack of sleep doesn't help either. I've gotten so close to some of these people it's hard. I finally went parasailing with nick (gaston). Such a cool experience. I'll definitely be doing that again. I'm really sad to leave him. He's so talented it's insane. Watching him in the shows is so much fun. This past cruise was an interesting one. There was a girl from Australia that looked so much like my sister it was creepy. There were so many times I almost called her Jeri. We also had a boy who had a stroke when he was 9 and wasn't supposed to be able to walk or talk again. His hand and leg don't work that well but he still would help out with everything it was the sweetest thing. Our imagination Prom was really successful. We made it an under the sea theme and the girls made the funniest posters with tons of puns about the ocean and voting for them. I put up different colored blue streamers and blue balloons all around. This was my first group that actually danced to the music instead of just sitting there. 2 nights ago we had a stoplight theme party at the crew bar. You wear what color coordinates to your relationship status. So I wore green because I'm single. The shirt I wore was brand new and broke so that was nice. The DJ was set up outside which was really cool. It's where the smoking area is though :/ they had tons of stop light decorations it was so cool. I finally got to see the ponys and transformers in person. They're insane. It's impossible for me to get a picture because everyone is always wanting a picture and obviously the guests come first. The event they had was chaos. There's not enough room for the amount of people that actually show up to it and how things are set up is tricky too. This might be my last time off in Long Beach. I think me and Kody might get off around lunch and go eat somewhere. I kinda wanted to stop by the aquarium too. 7-20-17 I can't believe rain left today. I feel lost without her here. It's so weird. Me and kody woke up this morning to say bye to her when she left the ship. I know I'll see her again it just makes me sad that I don't know when. I went to lunch with kody and our new director. Then I went to Starbucks to check my laptop in which I discovered someone in Washington state used my debit card to by an XBOX game for $89.99...great way to start my morning. Xbox is refunding me but now I have to get a new card which is a huge hassle considering I'm leaving a week from today then going right to Chicago for the wedding. I also stopped by the aquarium to look at the gift shop. It's such a neat place. I don't think I'll be able to actually go though since this Sunday we have a meeting and I'm not sure what times I'll be working because I'll be in camp for that cruise. My kids this cruise are already super awesome and laid back. It felt really natural sitting there with them all night playing games and talking. I'm not sure what my last cruise schedule is so tomorrow could possibly be my last time in Ensenada. I'm starting to get nervous about packing. I don't even know where to start. It definitely helps that rains stuff is out and there's more space but it's still not gonna be fun. 7-22-17 Just finished my last cruise in circle c. Very bitter sweet. I'm ready to go home but at the same time it's gonna be so hard to adjust when I get back. We have people from corporate coming tomorrow so I had to stay even longer than 1 to clean extra well. There hasn't been air conditioning in circle c this entire time I've been here and recently it's been so bad. I've told numerous people about it and it still is not getting fixed. I get hot even when it's snowing so imagine how I am in there. A disgusting sweaty mess the entire time. 7-24-17 I can't believe I leave in 3 days. I don't think it's hit me yet. I packed and thankfully had enough room. I'm starting to get nervous thinking about saying bye to everyone. It's just weird thinking that I'll most likely never see them again. Possibly on other ships but you never know.

[lewiselder]

Seaworld

hey. long time no arm story. sorry for being such a flaky writer. but don’t fret, the universe has given me plenty of gems in the past couple months. i also haven’t even gotten to older (arguably crazier) stories from high school and college and such. 

but today. today we’re gonna talk about how i almost got in a fight with a group of older Asian men at Seaworld, San Diego. 

THE CONTEXT: 

a couple years back, circa 2014, I was contacted by a mom and her son, William. William was (is) a young boy with a disabled right arm. Off the top of my head, i can’t remember the technical diagnosis. Basically his arm is shorter and his hand is very small, without any bones in it. Through the magic of the internet, and perhaps some sprinkling of fate, William had found my songs/videos. There is no fucking way I’ll be able to articulate here how much this meant to me (and still does), so I’m not even going to try. But, it will always be one of the biggest and most beautiful things in my life. Anyway. His awesome and super badass mom, Carrie, reached out to me. I sent William a pic of me performing from a show in STL (shout out Cory) and wrote some stuff on the back. 

For the next couple of years, I followed William’s life via his mom’s Facebook. He kept listening to my songs, and occasionally I would get a picture from his mom of him watching one of my videos. Dope. 

THE SET UP: 

Flash forward to the near present. In an attempt to quell the ever pressing anxiety attack of OHMYGODYOUHAVEDONENOTHINGWITHYOURLIFEYOUHAVENTSEENSHITORDONESHITORBEENSHITYOUAREAFAILURE i decided to use my newfound income and take a trip. an old partner of mine used to talk about how much she loved San Diego and spoke of it as some quasi-paradise. “Ok Lewis,” i thought, “go see san diego.”

So I take days off work, book tickets and an airbnb, and go to San Diego. I actually went to Denver first for a few days to kick it with Eli and his ego (shout out Eli). That was super dope, but unfortunately, we were around too many dope and good people (shout out Assetou) and so no good arm stories :(

I say goodbye to Eli. I really do love that dude, and I continue on to SD. 

Turns out, William and his family stay only about an hour away from SD. His mom and I make plans to have a day where we can all hang out. Awesome! 

THE DAY OF: 

On my, idk, 3rd day there, I link up with William and his mom. This day starts off with a crazy hipster dude legit YELLING at me while I’m with William and his mom. The dude is going, “HEY MAN, I’VE SEEN YOU SOMEWHERE, WHERE HAVE I SEEN YOU????” - over and over with an increasing amount of aggression. “I don’t know where you’ve seen me breh but I definitely don’t recognize you.” This angers him, but we drive off. I wonder if he actually had seen me somewhere before. That’s the gift and the curse of being deformed/disabled. MFs really do remember me from Tuesday, October 17th, 3:47PM, at the Dunkin Donuts on Canal in Chicago where I ordered a medium black coffee and 2 sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches and paid with a blue debit card and coughed twice but only covered my mouth once and.........you get the idea.

Any who, we let William pick: Legoland or Seaworld. William says Seaworld. Seaworld it is, and off we go. We get there, cop tickets, I buy a cookie the size of my head, William pets some like eels or something, talks me into petting them, I pet the like eels or something, realize I probably just contaminated my cookie with deadly eel-itous, weigh the pros and cons of becoming radioactive eel man, eat cookie anyway. 

The day is dope. The weather is perfect, the sun is out, my skin burns clean off, William is awesome, my Bred 1s become mostly fish based, his mom and I chat a lot about growing up with a disabled arm, we see lots of stuff. 

Dope. 

But then, lol.

THE PART YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT:

So, the last activity we do is this sightseeing ride (the Skytower, i just googled it) where you board this big, encased ride that lifts you way into the air, from which you can see the whole city and everything. You get it. 

So we’re in line for the ride. William’s mom and I are chatting, William is being a kid and just kinda looking around, lost in his own thoughts. In front of us is this group of middle aged Asian men. They’re all kind of talking and minding their own business. But there’s this one dude. This one dude at the back of the pack, near us. 

I notice he’s looking at William. He’s looking at William with a big, goofy smile painted across his face. William is holding a stuffed seal I had bought him earlier and kind of switching it from arm to arm. The old dude starts kind of giggling while looking and smiling at William. He turns and makes a comment to another one of the dudes near him. They weren’t speaking english so I don’t know what he said, but based on his body language, I could guess. 

At this point, I’m side eyeing this dude fucking hard. Obviously he’s already on some super bogus fuck shit to laugh at a little kid with a disability. I can feel myself boiling. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd then,

Then the dude takes a step or so towards William. With that same fuck ass smile on his fuck ass head, he reaches a hand out and tries to lift William’s right sleeve up to get a better look at his arm. 

Nah.

That’s when I lose it. I grab the dudes arm and push it away. I step close to this fucking dude. Like every story so far, I don’t remember exactly what I said here, but it was something along the lines of, 

“YOU BETTER GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HIM AND TURN THE FUCK AROUND.” 

I raise my arm and snap in his face and point the other direction and tell him to look the fuck over there. I don’t know if he spoke english or anything but based on my body language, he could guess. William’s mom kinda jumped forward to be like, “Woah woah Lewis it’s okay, it’s okay.” William is too deep in his own world to even really notice what’s happening. 

The dude doesn’t really say much, he still has kind of a goofy smile on his face, but he turns around and looks the way I told him to. He definitely hit the, oh tee hee oops lemme just play this off real smooth. 

I apologize to William’s mom. She’s super cool about it. She jokes about William getting to see his hero go to jail. lol. When it’s our turn to board, we realize we’re supposed to go sit right next to these dudes. Thankfully, William’s mom intervenes and asks if we can sit elsewhere. Thank god for moms man.

-----

We board the Skytower. We shoot up 320 feet into the air. I sit next to a kid with a disfigured arm, who looks up to me, who I was ready to fight for. The ride rotates slowly. It’s a clear day. I look out onto a city I never thought I’d see, next to a person I never thought I’d meet. It’s about 5pm. William holds onto the stuffed seal I bought for him.  The sun poses for us over the San Diego skyline.

i’ll buy you 1 shot of espresso if you read this far

[nctdreamsquad]

Produce 101 S2 Top 15

Hello! As so many others are making their lists of the trainees they will be supporting I thought it would be fun to make my own too. Since the competition hasn’t fully started yet, I’m allowing myself a top 15 and will narrow it down throughout the show. However, let’s wish all the boys good luck! 

1. Park Sungwoo

Company: HIM Entertainment

Age: 30 years old

Trainee Period: 3 years 3 months

Rumored Rank: Unknown

Why I Like Him: Park Sungwoo. Dear Park Sungwoo. It was before I knew any of the boys and had watched their intro videos. The minute I saw the 10 sec fan cam of Sungwoo trying to be taller for the group picture by going on his tippy toes and then getting caught and smiling bashfully, I knew. This was going to be the trainee that I will sell my soul for to have him debut. This thought was only confirmed when I watched his introduction video and saw him cutely pose like other celebrities knowing he looks dumb while doing it. I will go to the ends of the earth to have this cutie in his yellow hoodie debut.

2. Woo Jinyoung

Company: HF Music Company Entertainment

Age: 21 years old

Trainee Period: 11 months

Rumored Rank: A-Class

Why I Like Him:  I cannot explain how much I love Woo Jinyoung. Going purely off of visuals, his dusty rose hair and chunky braces make him so adorable. Also, his colorful outfit and red beret in his intro video (Go Watch It!) was to die for. The even better part is that underneath all this cuteness is a skilled rapper. The way he cooly starts with a nasally “No, No” made him a sure bet for my Top 11.He hasn’t been ranking very high in the support systems, so please go out and support our cute little rapping fairy!  

3. Choi Junyoung

Company: STL Entertainment

Age: 22 years old

Trainee Period: 3 years 7 months

Rumored Rank: C-Class

Why I Like Him: The minute I saw him I knew I was going to like him. His quirkiness with doing BAP’s One Shot iconic dance move and following it with the mosquito dance. The way he knows he’s being extra as hell but has to be for us to remember him. Also, I’m just so captivated by his face because he looks like a who from Dr.Seuss, with the sleepy eyes and snubbed nose. He didn’t show much of his rapping, but I liked the swagger he had while doing it and would definitely support him so I can see more. And you should too! So go out and vote for Choi Junyoung!  

4. Yoon Yongbin

Company: Banana Culture Entertainment

Age: 23 years old

Trainee Period: 1 year 2 months

Rumored Rank: D-Class

Why I Like Him: The minute I saw him I knew I was going to like him. I don’t even think I can describe how much I love Yoon Yongbin. The first time seeing him I was shocked at his extremely round, deep-set eyes. They instantly drew me in and made me want to know more about him. He only got more interesting as his introduction video went on with him having a cookie in his pocket and then throwing confetti all around himself. I can’t wait for the show to start so I can go crazy on the voting page for him. So let’s be great national producers and vote for Yoon Yongbin!!!

5. Choi Jaewoo

Company: RBW Entertainment

Age: 21 years old

Trainee Period: 1 year 4 months

Rumored Rank: B-Class

Why I Like Him: Personally for me, I think Choi Jaewoo is one of the most attractive trainees that I have seen. I thought it was really interesting that he made his own little dance/song to show to us. It was great how he added in the “Choose Me Please” to make the dance a little more flirty/cute. I also loved his outfit, the whole black outfit with a silver chain made it chic looking. I can’t wait for the show to start so I can start voting for him, but until then we should all vote for him on 101maboy. So go out and vote for Choi Jaewoo!

6. Seong Hyunwoo

Company: The Vibe Label Entertainment

Age: 22 years old

Trainee Period: 4 years 7 months

Rumored Rank: B-Class

Why I Like Him: Hyunwoo packed a lot into his introduction video which probably made him a lot more memorable. He referenced Goblin, showed some of his rap, and my personal favorite. Name dropped himself as many times in so many ways as he could. I immediately started laughing when he jumped in front of the camera to scream his name. And then pulled out a poster that was under his shirt (How long did he have it there?) to show his name again. Hyunwoo showed he can be very charismatic and I can’t wait to see him interacting with the other trainees once the show airs. 

7. Han Minho

Company: It Entertainment

Age: 21 years old

Trainee Period: 1 year 9 months

Rumored Rank: C-Class

Why I Like Him: Honestly, he is me as a trainee. The way he weirdly enters into his introduction video (which you need to watch) is something I would do. The way he motions when his talks and the little clap for himself is just so endearingly cute. It makes me want to support him and see him do well. Now, his rap isn’t the cleanest out of the bunch but I think with some hard work and even harder support he could make it far. 

P.S His red coat and purple hair just make him too cute to not vote for!

8. Im Youngmin

Company: Brand New Music Entertainment

Age: 23 years old

Trainee Period: 1 year 2 months

Rumored Rank: A-Class 

Why I Like Him: I had watched all the introduction videos before they were subbed, so I could only understand bits and pieces.However, the second Youngmin pulled out the llama picture; I knew he was going to be a favorite. His cute, inviting smile really pulled me in and I loved how easy going he seemed to be. I liked how he gave off really chill, cool vibes but you can also see how cute he can be. He showed he can do a variety of things and I think that will help him gain support, so go out and vote for Im Youngmin!  

9. Im Woohyuk

Company: Blessing Entertainment

Age: 24 years old

Trainee Period: 3 years 3 months

Rumored Rank: C-Class

Why I Like Him: Everything about Im Woohyuk in his introduction video made me want to vote for him. His casual, boyfriend look with ripped jeans and a comfy sweatshirt. His silver, dangling earrings that make him look sooooo cute! He had a good rap that showed he had the charisma and flow to rap. My favorite thing about him is throughout his intro video, he just had a cute smile and easy feel about him. He’s definitely going to stay in my top 11 and I will do all that I can to make sure Woohyuk makes it and you should too!!!

10. Kim Samuel

Company: Brave Entertainment

Age: 16 years old

Trainee Period: 5 years 3 months

Rumored Rank: A-Class

Why I Like Him: Usually I’m not the type of person to go for the fan favorites. I much prefer rooting for the underdog, Kim Sohye, was my number one during the first season. However, after watching Samuel’s introduction video I slowly started melting for his cute charms and melodic voice. He incorporated Whatta Man, Very Very Very, and Pick Me dance moves into his speech (extremely well btw). Everything about his speech on why we should vote for him and his stage presence just showed me how much Samuel has to offer so he had to be on my list. And he should be on yours too, so go vote for him when the time comes! 

11. Kim Donghan

Company: OUI Entertainment

Age: 20 years old

Trainee Period: 1 year 6 months

Rumored Rank: B-Class

Why I Like Him: First off, he started his introduction video by rolling in with a tumble and then dancing to Call Me Baby so he definitely caught my eye from the beginning. He proves to be of the more extra trainees with smoothly putting on his sunglasses, then headphones, to end it with some hapkido tricks. Musically he didn’t show anything, but he was charismatic enough that I will watch for him when the show starts. Also, I’m a sucker for boys in small, hoop earrings.   

12. Lee Insoo

Company: Independent Trainee

Age: 22 years old

Trainee Period: 2 years 8 months

Rumored Rank: B-Class

Why I Like Him: I had already known about Lee Insoo before I saw his introduction video. He had been one of my favorites on Boys24, another survival program, unfortunately, he was voted out and had to leave the show. The fact that he is still trying to debut and went on to another survival program is amazing to me. It shows that he really is passionate about his dreams and wanting to debut. On the matter of talent, I already know he can go far with being an amazing rapper (Vasco Approved). Also, he dressed up in a onesie and danced to the Pikachu Theme Song, why wouldn’t you vote for him?

13. Jeong Sihyun

Company: GNI Entertainment

Age: 27 years old

Trainee Period: 2 years 7 months

Rumored Rank: Unknown

Why I Like Him: I don’t know why I always go for the older guys when it comes to my favorites but Sihyun stole my heart. On first glance, anyone can see that he’s handsome and has a charismatic feel to him. Sihyun really drew me in with him speaking Japanese and then singing a bit of Sing For You in Chinese. His introduction video was cute, but a little dull compared to the other trainees. So I hope he can show more of himself and how talented he is during the show. However, to help him along you should definitely vote for Jeong Sihyun!

14. Son Dongmyung

Company: RBW Entertainment

Age: 19 years old

Trainee Period: 2 years 1 month

Rumored Rank: Unknown

Why I Like Him: I don’t even know where to start for this cutie pie. First off, he’s cute as hell with his blond hair and docile features. Next, he’s dressed up as Pikachu and has a mini Pikachu sewn onto his shoulder. His pitch to vote for him was just really cute? Also, his voice and whole personality remind so much of Doyoung from NCT, which made me love him even more. Son Dongmyung is an adorable human being that dressed up as Pikachu to get your vote, so please go vote for him.

15. Kim Yongjin

Company: Wings Entertainment

Age: 21 years old

Trainee Period: 3 years 3 months

Rumored Rank: Unknown

Why I Like Him: Yongjin really caught my eye the moment he started talking in his introduction video. His high pitched voice and cat ears instantly made me remember him throughout the 101 boys. I liked how his personality was a little more cutesy and flowy than most of the trainees. I noticed a lot of the boys have tried to appear manly or sexy but he shows that he’s different than the typical male trainee. Also, the main point is that his rapping was out of this world. The minute he starts, I can tell Yongjin has a great flow, swagger, and is most definitely in the top 5 rappers on Produce 101. He’s not getting many support votes right now (which we should change!) but I think he will get more support once the show starts because of his talent. 

[dumouwin]

Nurseydex and animals (who likes what, or hiding Haus pets, preferred breeds?)

maybe nurseydex/dexnursey w/ pets or just animals in general?

dex grew up always having a dog in the house, so he’s a sucker for dogs

his first dog was a bernese mountain dog named chloe, but when he was little he had trouble saying “bernese mountain dog” so he just called them “chloe dogs” and now whenever he sees one he snaps a pic and sends it to his mom with the caption “saw a chloe dog today!!!!”

nursey never had pets, for no particular reason, but he’s a sucker for all animals

except snakes

he fucking LOVES turtles though. his first pet is a tiny turtle that he keeps in his dorm room. his name is little foot bc nursey fucking loves land before time.

there’s a stray cat that kind of hangs around the frat row and nursey always puts food out for it when he’s at the house

dex LOVES baby goats. nursey takes him to grant’s farm in stl once and dex is just LIVING.

they’re both scared of birds. dex bc the first scary movie he ever saw was The Birds, nursey bc one time a pigeon got in their apt when he was little and it scared the shit out of him.

nursey’s really into bears. one year for their anniversary they take a road trip to yellowstone and nursey FLIPS over all the bears. calls them all “good boys”

they don’t get a dog immediately after they move in together, bc their apt is small and they’re not home often enough to really take care of it, but after they settle into a bigger place with a decent-sized yard and dex starts working from home, they go straight to a rescue shelter and adopt a cute little mutt named jack (99% bc they love him, 1% bc his name is jack and that’s hilarious)

[theintovertedextovert]

Good Bye Black

Hey, how are you? How was your day? Care for some coffee? Tea? Food? No? Okay. Just finished the movie "Weekend with the Family" *sobs* Not too good today...last day of black history month. Shortest month of the year huh? Unfair. Any who, for today, ending "our" month in a bang, I dedicate this to the songs I grew up with...inspiration? I'm a 90s kid damnit! 1.RAHA- REDSAN, LEO NI LEO- ESIR, INDIGENOUS, I NEED SOME CASH MONEY- MR LENNY, HUKU NAIROBI- HISTORIANS Now, in no particular order. Ever since I was a kid, I've always been fascinated with the night life. Not clubbing or anything, just like the scenery. Bright city lights, pathways and pave ways, food joints etc...and of course my baby...matatus. These songs? Remind me of Rongai. No idea why. It's the place this songs take me to. There was this high part of the road, where the cars would go down on it and give me this weird sensation like I'm floating...you know? *crickets* Right...that... 2. TALK TO YOU- PATONEE, I WISH-WYRE, HOI-KALAMASHAKA, TESO Ain't love a bitch? In a good and bad way. This is technically where I learnt about love...well, the thing called love. When FURAHA came out...madem na machali wamejaa, furaha furaha.... Can still see my baby self trying to shake... Life was good back then... You know, the songs did make bad boys look good, and clubbing... Damn, forgotten that PiliPili song that hit... Good bitch? I wish by wyre... Can't seem to find that song anywhere...Saturdays the radio station would bring throw backs from like 12-2 And man, when the DJ would play my fave songs back to back?? * dances* Yeeeeaaahhhh 3. WHY LIE-NAMELESS okay...class 1? I think...there used to be this place we'd go to on boxing day? Swings, bouncing castles and all? (Used to call them bouncing bouncing) they played thus songs for the kids competition and I won... *good times theme song* Good times. Good times. 4. MANZI WA NAIROBI. I still laugh when I hear this song. So o got busted in class listening to this song. Now why would things not work out when you get caught? I put earphones, still loud, put the screen down, still loud. Let's just say, my best friend kept reminding me of it since then, every time in class. *sighs* Throw backs... 5. NYUNDO, AMEJIBEBA-FLEXX, MTOTO MZURI, SHIKA MORE, VUTA PUMZ- LONGOMBAS sex....the topic we all don't want to talk about...elephant in the room. Side note: why is it an elephant in the room, like isn't it too big to fit? So like I was saying, I remember mtoto mzuri coming out and like chamell five only played it like past 11. I used to say I'd wait, passed out by 9. VUTA PUMZ was like the wake up call, together with this other song I forgot, kinda like stay safe... Well people still don't but.... 6.KENYAN BOY-NECESARRY NOIZE, UKIMWONA -PILIPILI, TUENDELEE-KLEPTOMANIAX, KIASI-JUA KALI Namba Tisa...the route that used to "tisha" back in the day...I remember using these matatus and the 23 ones for maringo and Jericho? Was the thing man. We'll we could never deny number Tisa, home of Calif and all the *afro puffs* , that's Da Brat right? This thing we use to call squodi? Yeah, we'd go like as classmates, then come back to town and like part ways? Primary school... *good times theme song* 7. BLESS MY ROOM- NECESSARY NOIZE I remember this song coz club kiboko came to our school and we sang the song...i was bat shit pressed the whole time...peeing has never been appreciated as it did at that point in time. 8. DREAMER- STL I think the video speaks for itself. Being the word kid, who didn't grow up by the book, nice, plays, does homework etc, I'd really say part of the song is me. Its been on play back for like the last hour or so...the Indian chick? Thumbs up. Stl? Thank you. Others like the famous chonga viazi, African timer...well made really good puns on the society and what not...still good hits though... Have I forgotten any? On the last day of black history month, what or who are you celebrating? Happy last day of black history month.

[aestheticvoyage2018]

Day 6: Saturday January 6, 2018 - “3 Kings”

I got a party with a Christmas Tree yet this season at Lucy’s 3 Kings Party.  It was a great honor to go and connect with their friends, eating good food and drinking some Brother T in honor of the orthodox celebration of Christmas.  They have the best of all trees, a 12 foot stunner.  Hard to believe its already been a year since we had such a good time at this festive event a year ago and it was really nice that it at least worked out for my schedule to join in the merry making (AC was in STL).

On the way home, I stopped into a bar Id always thought looked cool, on Parker Rd and was not let down.  The regulars there were merry making too and since I was nice and warmed up, I fit right in and was welcomed back....will do that for sure.  Maybe 2018 I find a home spot here in Mile High - wouldnt that be nice?

Song: Bob Seger - Little Drummer Boy

Quote: 7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.    (Matthew 2:1-12)

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 38 - STL - Bitter Blues

We all remember that distinct fragility that existed on last season’s team. If it was a couple goals down, even one goal sometimes, they sat back like the die was cast and gave us boring hockey. If nothing else changed this season it has been a renewed determination to win and a never let those Sab losing habits come back. Find a way to win. Jack Eichel fanboys such as myself like to say his drive to win came out an infected the whole team since he got the Captaincy, and that’s certainly an element, but there were other changes too that probably have something to do with it. One of those changes is the leading goal scorer on the St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly. Actually, he leads the Blues in every major statistical category except save percentage and goals against because well… the Blues suck ass. There is an abundance of similarities between the two clubs including both having productive off seasons in trades, signings and minor moves but for now let’s focus on how their different. The Blues love beating their hated rival Chicago Blackhawks and this season the Blues came through again challenging the Hawks for positioning in the basement of the league. Most observers puzzle just like we do at how a team that could’ve been viewed as loading up for a deep playoff run before the season turns into a gong show with Steve Ott breaking up fights in practice and what not. I got no good answer with you on that front. Going into this game the Blues are in the midst of a tiny bit of a comeback going .500 over the last dozen or so games so maybe that’s your silver lining although it may be a stretch to see them make the playoffs. The playoff percentages for the Sabres are far better approaching the halfway point in the regular season. That said, Buffalo is not a lock for the postseason and the next five to six games may have a lot to say about what this team is going forward. Jason Pominville out and Carter Hutton in net in St. Louis for the Sabres first game after the Christmas break to start a vital stretch bridging into the New Year.

The game started with the Sabres doing everything right: the better possession, shots, chances transitions, everything really. Hell, Rob Ray was even making jokes back and forth with Ryan O’Reilly from that little box between the benches like they were old chums. Kyle Okposo in particular seemed hungry as his third line with Casey Mittelstadt and Remi Elie got a favorable matchup against the Blue first line and manufactured chances like all American St. Louis Beer. Should I go with that bit? Beer production? That feels weak but I don’t know what else St. Louis produces other than racial controversies. Tage Thompson also made his fair share of plays turning on an axis around that big hind end. On the Sabres one powerplay in first frame Lawrence Pilut ate up the Blues clearing attempts and quarterbacked a powerplay that looked perfect short of actually scoring a goal. The goaltenders took over play as the first period winded down and ended 10-6 in favor of the visitors in shots. The second period was a bit less favorable. Rob “not the Rob Thomas your mom likes for no good reason” Thomas got credit for a goal at 2:03 in what was really a case of Carter Hutton failing to lock down a puck right in his grill and thrashing around in his crease like a suffocating fish. I’ll leave it at that because it’s not even the worst goal against in this middle period. The Sabres did kill a Blues powerplay before things got worse but the stupid floodgates had opened and Jay Bouwmeester scored a wristshot straight down the center over Hutton halfway through. That I can excuse, even as the Sabres seem to be in full retreat at this point, but then Patrick Maroon tapped in a goal that was simply Carter Hutton not doing his job. 3-0 Blues hurt and I got grouchy as the Sabres got a powerplay after Joel Edmundson got called for tripping Captain Jack on a breakaway. Jack Eichel shot from the high circle on the ensuing man advantage and it was 3-1 after 40 minutes and I was noticeably less grouchy just because Buffalo now looked like they were playing their game again, transitioning, passing and shooting like normal again almost getting another before the horn blew.

I don’t know how these Blues got these Sabres off their game other than just saying they were better 5 on 5. That looks weird on the screen in front of me considering this club’s special teams so far this season but that’s what this game was: weird. The third period was a bit of resurgence at first. Buffalo got some wicked chances up the sides even seeing a few good shots from lines not a part of the Jack Sandwich line. All the while the Blues get the loose pucks. That was really the key in this game particularly in the third: you give his angry St. Louis team any daylight and they’ll get back down ice. That was exactly what happened when at 6:13 left in the third Ryan O’Reilly got a breakaway along the boards and roofed one over Hutton. That one hurt, particularly because it emblemized a final ten minutes of this game when the Blues really took over. I am not going to call it a Sabs performance but gee, 4-1 loss to St. Louis right now feels like a missed opportunity wrapped in moldy old bitterness. This game felt like a good old fashion case of chasing and losing. Buffalo didn’t have the puck for most of this game and it felt like it. For how much crap we’ve all talked about St. Louis so far this season they just took it to us 4-1 in regulation. The Blues have now lost 7 straight in that building going back to 2009 and the only thing stopping my overwhelming desire to say whatever at that is the anxious press of a 4-6-3 record since the win streak ended. That’s not good to say the least.

Now Buffalo gets three straight at home to figure it out against Boston, the Islanders and Panthers? Well shit. I feel like if I tried to prognosticate why it would turn into fifty shades of no secondary scoring. Sustained zone time? Should I make the case for better possession and zone time? That’s a little above my pay grade and frankly I don’t want to join the merry band of nitwits bitching about a single time zone change and same day flight to St. Louis. Good teams win games where there are a few variables against them; good teams have their dynamic top line set fire to the rest of the lineup. This ain’t it, Chief. I’ll apologize for all the shit talk to Blues fans but let’s just say if y’all are in a playoff race when you come to Buffalo on St. Patrick’s Day it will be a special season for both of us. Hell, if you win that game I’ll buy one of these twelve million heavily discounted O’Reilly jerseys in every Western New York sports store.

Boston got Patrice Bergeron back too, Saturday will be interesting. Sorry, I’m just a little bitter O’Reilly had to tack on that beaut goal late in this one. At least Jack Eichel knows what went wrong: this was one of those nights it’s really comforting in postgame hearing him break it down like he was watching from our angle knowing he has a C on his chest. Perhaps his point about them not making the adjustments necessary in game to win is really poignant: that’s a trait of good teams that will come in time. I suppose a game like this is growing pains. I hope it’s not a pain reading this blog. Like it, comment on it and share it around to help my bitterness. Boston and the Islanders are the teams that together pose the biggest threat to the Sabres playoff chances on the back half of this season and these two games to close out the calendar year of 2018 will likely prove instructive in that regard. Make them winning lessons, boys.  

Thanks for reading.

P.S. There is a fantastic Sports Illustrated article on Jack Eichel I recently retweeted. It might be exactly what the doctor ordered for you if you’re as bitter as I am about this loss.