#and $100 for a food dehydrator. do what you want with your money and all that but at least I was investing in my cat's health and my own

[lawfulspawnofthedevil]

thinking about how gaming is yet another hobby stained by class division and by extension fomo, anyway how you doing

[hyldgaardaldridge14]

Consumers commonly blame marketing and the food industry for their poor diets as well as "good food" that is not affordable. However, your nutrition is your choice and your choice alone. This article provides many suggestions for tailoring your diet so you are able to eat healthy at an affordable price.

When you are craving a glass of fruit juice, you should consider having a small piece of fresh fruit instead. This will curb your craving and it will also keep you full for much longer. If you must drink fruit juice, try to drink a diet or 100 percent natural version. To ensure the right red blood cell production in your body, make sure you get your B-12. People who are vegetarians or getting older in age may not get enough just from their diet. Those with anemia are at risk, too. There are supplements, but lots of breakfast cereals can provide enough vitamin B-12, too. You want to set a good example for your child. If you try and tell your kid to eat healthy and not to eat junk food while you're sitting there eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda, they're not likely to listen. But if you eat healthy, your child will want to mimic you and eat healthy as well. When concerned with what liquids to drink, you will find that water is perfectly satisfying for your nutrition needs. You should definitely avoid sugary soda drinks. You can find fortified water that contains vitamins to be a great alternative. Because of water and these vitamin drinks, you will not be spiking your system with sugar and excessive calories. This will help you become healthier. One of the main reasons for resorting to junk food is feeling tired, which can cause you to have cravings. To combat this, take a multivitamin at the start of every day. A multivitamin will provide you with all of the minerals and nutrients that you need to feel alert and stay active during the day. If you are on a diet that highlights fruits and vegetables, do not forget to eat the skins on these foods. The skins are packed with nutrients and minerals that your body requires, and can go a long way in helping to curb your appetite so you do not eat poor quality foods later. Pay attention to the color of your urine. A very bright yellow color to your urine can indicate that you're consuming too many of any given vitamin. A dark color can indicate dehydration. If you pay attention to what you put into the toilet bowl, it can help you to keep your nutrients at their ideal levels. You really don't need to give up fast food just because you are pregnant and trying to keep your nutrition high. Just make a little adjustment to your idea of fast food. Raisins are high in fiber, iron, and potassium and come is those cute little easy to carry boxes. Grab a pre-packaged fruit cup, packed in fruit juice, for one of your daily servings of fruit. You should try to eat less salty foods to balance out your nutrition and lower sodium levels in your body. By avoiding or eating smaller amounts of foods with high-salt content such as chips, pretzels, pre-packaged noodles, or other foods with large amounts of preservatives, you could receive positive nutritional benefits. Eat your day's worth of fruit and vegetables. There have been numerous studies done that explain the fact that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables helps your skin stay healthy by giving it extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All of these will keep your skin protected all while keeping your body healthy as well. Try to change your entire household at the same time. If mom and daughter are eating healthy but dad and son are not, it will be difficult to stay motivated. Talk to your family about how this is important to you and they should be willing to at least try to help you within the house. Now that you have gained some insight into eating healthy and saving money, go ahead and thank a farmer! Farmers work hard every day to produce the food on your table and keep it affordable as well. Remember, 5대영양소 make in the grocery store make a difference in your daily nutrition and the nutrition of your family, so choose wisely!

[websterwebster3]

Consumers commonly blame marketing and the food industry for their poor diets as well as "good food" that is not affordable. However, your nutrition is your choice and your choice alone. This article provides many suggestions for tailoring your diet so you are able to eat healthy at an affordable price.

When you are craving a glass of fruit juice, you should consider having a small piece of fresh fruit instead. This will curb your craving and it will also keep you full for much longer. If you must drink fruit juice, try to drink a diet or 100 percent natural version. To ensure the right red blood cell production in your body, make sure you get your B-12. People who are vegetarians or getting older in age may not get enough just from their diet. Those with anemia are at risk, too. There are supplements, but lots of breakfast cereals can provide enough vitamin B-12, too. You want to set a good example for your child. If you try and tell your kid to eat healthy and not to eat junk food while you're sitting there eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda, they're not likely to listen. But if you eat healthy, your child will want to mimic you and eat healthy as well. When concerned with what liquids to drink, you will find that water is perfectly satisfying for your nutrition needs. You should definitely avoid sugary soda drinks. You can find fortified water that contains vitamins to be a great alternative. Because of water and these vitamin drinks, you will not be spiking your system with sugar and excessive calories. Chef murph will help you become healthier. One of the main reasons for resorting to junk food is feeling tired, which can cause you to have cravings. To combat this, take a multivitamin at the start of every day. A multivitamin will provide you with all of the minerals and nutrients that you need to feel alert and stay active during the day. If you are on a diet that highlights fruits and vegetables, do not forget to eat the skins on these foods. The skins are packed with nutrients and minerals that your body requires, and can go a long way in helping to curb your appetite so you do not eat poor quality foods later. Pay attention to the color of your urine. A very bright yellow color to your urine can indicate that you're consuming too many of any given vitamin. A dark color can indicate dehydration. If you pay attention to what you put into the toilet bowl, it can help you to keep your nutrients at their ideal levels. You really don't need to give up fast food just because you are pregnant and trying to keep your nutrition high. Just make a little adjustment to your idea of fast food. Raisins are high in fiber, iron, and potassium and come is those cute little easy to carry boxes. Grab a pre-packaged fruit cup, packed in fruit juice, for one of your daily servings of fruit. You should try to eat less salty foods to balance out your nutrition and lower sodium levels in your body. By avoiding or eating smaller amounts of foods with high-salt content such as chips, pretzels, pre-packaged noodles, or other foods with large amounts of preservatives, you could receive positive nutritional benefits. Eat your day's worth of fruit and vegetables. There have been numerous studies done that explain the fact that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables helps your skin stay healthy by giving it extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All of these will keep your skin protected all while keeping your body healthy as well. Try to change your entire household at the same time. If mom and daughter are eating healthy but dad and son are not, it will be difficult to stay motivated. Talk to your family about how this is important to you and they should be willing to at least try to help you within the house. Now that you have gained some insight into eating healthy and saving money, go ahead and thank a farmer! Farmers work hard every day to produce the food on your table and keep it affordable as well. Remember, the choices you make in the grocery store make a difference in your daily nutrition and the nutrition of your family, so choose wisely!

[filmnoirsbian]

Hi, I am very interested in being a flight attendent and I've seen your post about the positives, but do you have any negitives?

Oh, loads. You will never sleep. I mean never. My first year i think i averaged 4 hours a night and that was a good night. You will get sick a lot. You're coming into contact with tons of new germs everyday, you're in 3 different climates a day, the plane's dehydrated air will mess with you, plus as previously stated you're not getting enough sleep. You'll be spending so much money on food. More than you expect. And mostly on airport or hotel restaurant food, which is already more expensive. And if you're commuting like i did, expect to also spend a lot of money on hotels. Actually if you're planning to commute (which is 100% doable, i did it for my first 1.5 years, and i know people who do it their whole lives) then expect to blow at least $200 a month on commuting costs (hotels, rental cars, more food etc)--probably more if you have a crashpad. The airlines will tell you not to expect to make a lot of money, and if you're coming from minimum wage, toeing the poverty line like i was, then you'll probably laugh them off. This is the highest paying job I've ever had. But it also costs a lot of money, especially that first year before you get the hang of things. The clothes you wear for your interview, the clothes you wear to groundschool, transportation to and from your airport, food that lasts you through your reserve period (which can mean up to 6 days away from home if you're commuting, and 6 days of airport food adds up fast), all of that costs money. It took me about 6 months to really level out so i wasn't hemorrhaging my paycheck just trying to feed myself and get to/from work. And that's another thing: this job will take over your life. That first year at least there will be no such thing as work/life balance. You will eat, sleep and breathe airports and hotels. What little time you are home will be spent in a cloud of exhaustion and doing laundry, and then you'll hit the skies again. You will miss out on things. You will miss birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. My friend missed the christening of her goddaughter. I know several who have missed seeing their kids walk, say their first words, grow up. Again, after a while, you start to get the hang of things. You learn how to work the system and get the days you want off. You gain more control over your schedule. But this job has a high turn around rate for a reason. A lot of people realize within the first 2 years that it's not for them. The airlines, of course, are the biggest problem. They ask too much and give too little. I love flight crew culture, which really did give me support and help when i needed it. I can't tell you how many flight attendants have upgraded me without a word, or how many gate agents got me on the last flight home so i wouldn't have to sleep in the airport, or how many pilots gave up their passenger seat and took the jumpseat so i could get on the flight. But the airlines themselves care about one thing only--making money--and they will try to convince you otherwise, but that's the truth. You'll be a cog in a machine that cares very little for people, and that will be the worst part. Make sure you study up on them, because not every airline is equal and you really don't want to get trapped in a company that will treat you like dirt.

[animeheadspace]

hello! congrats on your 100 followers!! ahaha i remember the first time i stumbled upon your masterlist, i spammed you so bad from both of my blogs, liking and reblogging everything 😭🔫 if you feel okay, could i please request a match-up? i'm an istp, the achiever type in the enneagram and a scorpio. my favourite subjects are probably organic chemistry and psychology, and i hate physics and biology. i also like reading manhwa, specifically the 'game player' genre, and i like listening to music, singing and reading short fanfics. i dislike riddles, and i'm not a particular fan of people raising their voices, especially if it's directed towards me. my fav romance trope is friends to lovers, and my fav food is either barbecue burgers or pasta with shrimps and white sauce, also shrimp soup. i generally like anything with shrimps haha. my fav past time is probably to read fics and listen to music, or study a topic that interests me, which i wouldn't necessarily take at school/college. my fav colors are purples, sometimes pink, also that dead gold tone. my love language is physical touch, biting and cuddling especially, mixed in with sprinkles of words of affirmation. my hottest take is probably that spending money on famous games whose companies own lots of money shouldn't be this popular bec you're spending money on a game which barely benefits from it while other people are starving and dying from dehydration and getting little to zero support. i have brown eyes, dark brown curly and short hair, slightly tanned skin, long eyelashes, some beauty marks here and there. i'm around 50 kg and 5'4". i also wear glasses, but i also go for contact lens sometimes. i love wearing floor length casual skirts as well. i go by she/her. i hope thie suffices and that it's not too long! <3 i would love it if you can pair me with a character from tokrev. thank you so much!! ♡

HI OMG WAIT i literally feel so touched you have no idea, thank you so much for supporting me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please bestie, i feel loved you’re the best.... ill make this extra long, just for you <3

okay so, DRAKEN. absolutely. without a doubt. yall definitely met at a random mall - draken was forced to be there because mikey wanted to eat some special dorayaki that for some reason could only be found there, and then he saw you, looking at your barbeque burger with a side of shrimp pasta so passionately that your dark eyes glistened. he must not have noticed that mikey had come back and noticed that he was looking at someone else. frustrated, mikey marched up to you and sat in the seat front of you, huffing his breath and scolding you for stealing his best friends attention for so long (you’re over here like “what the fuck????”). Anyway, draken was practically forced to sit next to you, to which you both then exchanged your numbers, and your relationship kicked off. it started off as you both being amazing friends, always being supportive for toman and aiding the boys whenever you could, just because you could tell that they were both just good guys. eventually, however, draken mustered up enough courage to ask you out, blushing like the little tsundere he is. you, of course, agreed. 

you guys would just be so COMPATIBLE. draken absolutely loves your morals and definitely enjoys you ranting to him about how big companies are assholes in disguises (he sometimes secretly records them because he does find it amusing). the coolest thing about draken is that he is so emotionally mature - it’s such a fresh break from the boys you usually meet. Because of his maturity, he could never even imagine raising his voice at you consciously or unconsciously and drinks respectful women juice all day, every day. he’s also obsessed with carrying you bridal style because he knows how much you love your floor length skirts. i think that his favorite activity to do with you is to learn something new with you. you would be situated on his lap, reading through a non-fiction book, reciting to him new things you learned in psychology with so much interest that it was contagious, so much to the point where he made it a tradition that you would read to him, cuddling close. 

okay so here’s the thing: i don’t actually think that draken’s love language is physical touch. he absolutely loves it with you, obsesses over your touch that he has become so accustomed to, but he hardly ever initiates (unless you’re having a really bad day). draken expresses his love to you by occasionally buying you purple tulips with the limited money he has, helping you choose your outfit and do your makeup, and definitely learns how to make shrimp-based food just for you. he accepts and actually listens to the thousands of playlists you make for him on the regular, always ready to tell you which ones were his favorite songs. all in all, this relationship is so sweet, and caring, and both of you guys have big dreams for the world - who better to spend your lives with other than each other?

hope you enjoyed it :))

[datingintampafails]

Epilogue: Jake*

Despite how things started to get at the end, the beginning and everything in our relationship was beautiful, and just how I want a relationship to be. I wish it could have continued that way, and maybe I started to get a little greedy towards the end. I mourn what could have been. At the time of me posting this, I miss him dearly and he seems like he’s doing great (he is posting on social media a lot more than he ever did when we were together). I liked how he challenged me in a positive light, expanding my world views. By the time I post this, over a month after we stopped seeing each other, I have heard from him once. He says he is doing well and still working on “everything,” though that is not clear. The conspiracy theory of my friend is that his mom doesn’t like me for some reason, and that she pressured him into ending things with me, though it is unclear why. This is because of their close relationship and one time I had him tell her hi for me and either he didn’t, or he did and she said nothing back; he also would avoid having me over when she was with him. Tell me if you have any theories too! I am curious. 

Other stories and memories we had together that I couldn’t quite place chronologically.

The week before our first sleepover, we went on a shopping trip together to Target. He wanted to get some shirts, and I was just along for the ride. We also went to Total Wine & More so he can buy a gift for his family friend’s birthday. I was highly entertained walking around with him and being goofy in the store. While we were there, he had to take a call with a client for work and I got to hear his “customer service” voice. I tell him that I want him to talk to me in it all the time. 

It is worth note that the second time he was ever over, he logged onto his HBO Max account for me and said it was mine to use.  He was supposed to make me a profile on there, but he never did. The week of us breaking up, suddenly I was logged out of it which prompted me to also kick him out of my Hulu account.

One time when Jake* was drunk, he asked me to watch him pee from the door. I don’t know why. He wanted to keep having the conversation we were having and wanted me intimately close I guess?

He loves drinking Motts for Tots. It has less sugar and he thought they tasted better, so I got Motts for Tots. It was alright.

When Jake* found out that Ethan* and I had had sex, that is, I was always upfront we had been dating for a bit of time, but was admittedly sketchy about the sex part, he wasn’t mean, but was not happy with me. He said that I had lied to him, which I hadn’t, I just was quick to change the subject when Jake* made a joke about Ethan*’s dick once. In the end though, Jake* said, “Look, all that matters is now. You’re here with me now. If you didn’t want to be with me then you wouldn’t be so it’s cool.” This conversation flipped jealousy on its head and is something that I will always remember as the right way to respond to these situations. A mature man he could be. 

He watches porn with his VR helmet. No story there, just a factoid.

Moderately early on, after I got my car, I was over at his place. Jokingly I looked out the window and said “who’s car is that?” He says “my girlfriend’s.” I tease him immensely, “your who??? What???? You called me your girlfriend OooOoOOoOoo.” He tries to cover his slip up but the damage is done. The next time we were together I asked him more or less if that was where we were at and he said he wanted to be together with each other a little longer before being official. I am totally fine with that, as I just enjoy spending time with him.

Early in the relationship, we were once having sex and then took a break and he was fingering me. My arms were feeling weird, tingly. As we continued, my hands started cramping to the point I could no longer move them. They started to hurt and we had to stop. The experience was freaking me out so I started crying. Both completely naked still, Jake* took me into his arms and held me, telling me it was going to be okay and I was probably dehydrated. He helped me get dressed and kissed my forehead. He helped me get back to the couch and gave me water to drink. This was a very touching moment for me. After 10 minutes my hands started to relax and I felt okay again. 

When it was Prime Day(s) I took it upon myself to order him a Firestick since he said he wanted one, it was on sale, and he said he wasn’t making any purchases because he just got a really high bill. I bought it for him and was gonna have it be a surprise, so I didn’t tell him. He was telling me one day his mom was buying him one, and then I admitted I had bought him one too. I tried to cancel it but was unable to. I told him just to keep it and return one, but that if he was keeping the one his mom gave him, that I would return it for him.

I got a care package from one of my workplaces since I had coronavirus, they sent me a gift card to GrubHub, and unknowingly, I let Jake* put it on his account one night when we were ordering food. Come to find out, that there was $100 on that card, and we were unable to take it off his account once we added it. So he got to have all that money basically.

Either the last or second to last time I saw him, he was asking me if he could have my positive rapid test results, for him to edit digitally and put into his work. I told him I didn't know where it was, which was true, but more I didn’t feel comfortable doing that. When we were breaking up, I was going to give him it as a peace offering. Since he didn’t want his stuff back though, I didn't give him it.

We never added each other on Facebook.

He told me pretty early on about his childhood and adolescence, which included him somehow getting a tattoo gun at 14 and giving himself and his best friend tattoos. Therefore, he has a lot of dumb tattoos, including one on the inside of his lip.

There was a day I was at his place. After sex, my underwear was more or less not wearable so I asked to wear some of his clothes. He gave me a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt of his to wear. The briefs were the comfiest thing I’ve ever worn and I was having a good time wearing them. He told me I could have them since they don’t really fit him anymore. He also said that he wanted me to have a t-shirt of his so I could wear it at home. Very sweet gesture. However, he never actually gave me them to keep. A good and bad thing considering the end. 

My coworker brought in some yearbooks of when she went to school with Jake*. I took many photos and thought he definitely looked like a cute goofy kid. I told him I saw them and then would joke with my coworker that he broke up with me because she showed me his middle school photos. 

[striving-toward-170]

Best skin and beauty tips for busy ladies – Short on time? No problem

Being a busy lady doesn’t mean you have to let yourself go: Here’s real skin and beauty tips that you can do on the run.  One of the best skin beauty tips is to clean out your skin care closet. Having far too many skin products is not always the best skin care routine. When opening your beauty closet, you may feel overwhelmed. Instead of feeling this way, streamline your routine. You do not need a twelve step program to maintain a healthy skin. You only need a few key products for healthy skin. Firstly check the expiry dates on your products and chuck out all that have expired. Check all creams and moisturizers, where the water has separated from the product. These are spoiled and belong in the trash. Get rid of any products that are not used on a daily basis or have not been used in a month.

 Invest in multi-tasking skin care products that will save you time and money. One of the best skin beauty tips is to keep your skin healthy if you don’t want to be fussing over it. By eating a healthy diet and making sure you are well hydrated is the best skin care routine, without using external products. Food that contains antioxidants and drinking lots of water is best. Your skin will reflect what is going on inside your body. Because salt increases dehydration, reducing your salt intake is essential for a healthy skin. Your protein intake should be at least forty percent of you diet as this indirectly influences the stimulation of collagen and elastin production. Maintain a good balance in your diet.

  What do you do with the excess skin?  You finally did it! You took charge of your life and your appearance and you lost over 100 pounds! You look great, feel great and now want to “tighten up” the folds and flaps of excess skin that result when you lose weight and you are older than 21. Everybody said that you “had such a pretty face” and you showed them the rest of you is pretty too! However, what they didn’t say on “Biggest Loser” or those other weight loss shows is that the result of a long term weight loss is extra bags and lumps that just don’t go away. You need cosmetic skin surgery to tighten up your new look.

  Related:  The best 7 beauty tips you should know, but maybe don’t know about 

  How do you get rid of the excess skin when you’ve lost 50, a hundred, or even more pounds? What do you do to get rid of the “crepey neck,” “batwing arms,” and overlapping belly that falls to your knees? This is when a good plastic surgeon in cosmetic skin surgery comes in handy. No amount of gym work or aerobic exercise will remove those flaps and folds that come with rapid weight loss. The elasticity has gone from our skin and we require cosmetic and plastic surgery to get the tucks back where they belong.

 Body contouring is the correct expression for the cosmetic skin surgery for removing excess skin due to extreme weight loss. The procedures are offered by plastic surgeons and can be as simple as a small laser incision and as complicated as miles of skin removal. Each cosmetic and plastic surgery procedure has both its advantages and risks and come with specific instructions for each situation. Before signing a contract with a plastic surgeon, be sure and check for references, talk to patients that have had the procedures, attend any workshops or seminars that are offered, and especially, discuss with former patients their personal experience with this doctor, staff and facility.

 Want to get beautiful toned abs in just 10 short minutes daily?  Click here to learn more 

       The post  Best skin and beauty tips for busy ladies – Short on time? No problem  appeared first on  Technology Watchpost .

https://bit.ly/2E8g7ax

[pastel-catboy]

Best skin and beauty tips for busy ladies – Short on time? No problem

Being a busy lady doesn’t mean you have to let yourself go: Here’s real skin and beauty tips that you can do on the run.  One of the best skin beauty tips is to clean out your skin care closet. Having far too many skin products is not always the best skin care routine. When opening your beauty closet, you may feel overwhelmed. Instead of feeling this way, streamline your routine. You do not need a twelve step program to maintain a healthy skin. You only need a few key products for healthy skin. Firstly check the expiry dates on your products and chuck out all that have expired. Check all creams and moisturizers, where the water has separated from the product. These are spoiled and belong in the trash. Get rid of any products that are not used on a daily basis or have not been used in a month.

 Invest in multi-tasking skin care products that will save you time and money. One of the best skin beauty tips is to keep your skin healthy if you don’t want to be fussing over it. By eating a healthy diet and making sure you are well hydrated is the best skin care routine, without using external products. Food that contains antioxidants and drinking lots of water is best. Your skin will reflect what is going on inside your body. Because salt increases dehydration, reducing your salt intake is essential for a healthy skin. Your protein intake should be at least forty percent of you diet as this indirectly influences the stimulation of collagen and elastin production. Maintain a good balance in your diet.

  What do you do with the excess skin?  You finally did it! You took charge of your life and your appearance and you lost over 100 pounds! You look great, feel great and now want to “tighten up” the folds and flaps of excess skin that result when you lose weight and you are older than 21. Everybody said that you “had such a pretty face” and you showed them the rest of you is pretty too! However, what they didn’t say on “Biggest Loser” or those other weight loss shows is that the result of a long term weight loss is extra bags and lumps that just don’t go away. You need cosmetic skin surgery to tighten up your new look.

  Related:  The best 7 beauty tips you should know, but maybe don’t know about 

  How do you get rid of the excess skin when you’ve lost 50, a hundred, or even more pounds? What do you do to get rid of the “crepey neck,” “batwing arms,” and overlapping belly that falls to your knees? This is when a good plastic surgeon in cosmetic skin surgery comes in handy. No amount of gym work or aerobic exercise will remove those flaps and folds that come with rapid weight loss. The elasticity has gone from our skin and we require cosmetic and plastic surgery to get the tucks back where they belong.

 Body contouring is the correct expression for the cosmetic skin surgery for removing excess skin due to extreme weight loss. The procedures are offered by plastic surgeons and can be as simple as a small laser incision and as complicated as miles of skin removal. Each cosmetic and plastic surgery procedure has both its advantages and risks and come with specific instructions for each situation. Before signing a contract with a plastic surgeon, be sure and check for references, talk to patients that have had the procedures, attend any workshops or seminars that are offered, and especially, discuss with former patients their personal experience with this doctor, staff and facility.

 Want to get beautiful toned abs in just 10 short minutes daily?  Click here to learn more 

       The post  Best skin and beauty tips for busy ladies – Short on time? No problem  appeared first on  Technology Watchpost .

https://technologywatchpost.com/best-skin-beauty-tips-for-busy-ladies/

[dyinglaugh]

The place I work at is an international company that looks super great on paper and shows the best face to customers and the outside world. In fact, they suck ass. Like a lot. They want to have robots do thier work and such for them but instead have humans that they work like slaves. No, really. I am not exaggerating. If you are unable to complete a shift, you get points/time taken and when you're in the negative you're fired. Sounds reasonable but when you have medical problems or family emergencies you're still penalized and not excused (you have to use time you have to cover any missed shift time). I have medical issues that can be accommodated but the process is such with this company that it makes you just throw your hands up and quit, so I havent tried (the process is convoluted and arduous on purpose to make workers not want to do this). I have stories from friends who also work here that will make youre blood boil.

1: My coworker has a daughter that is now 7-8years old. When she was 4, she had gotten very sick and needed to go to the hospital and stay for a while to get better. My coworker, upon getting that call at work went to management and requested to leave early as this was at the time an emergency. He didn't have time left (idk why) but wanted to be with his 4 year old child to make sure she was OK. When management noticed he had no time available all they said was "you can go but you may be fired for leaving early with not enough time" (paraphrased). He couldn't leave his job there as getting fired meant no money to buy food, pay the hospital, pay bills, etc. So he was then forced to continue working while his child was sick. (She's ok now though.)

2: Another coworker had gotten a frantic call from her daughter that the family dog (that was in my coworkers life before her daughter was even born) had been hit by a car, dragged by the car, and is now fighting for its life to see its owner before it died, needed her home to say goodbye. My coworker, crying/sobbing that her best friend for many years was going to suffer in wait, went to a manager and explained the situation. Upon seeing that my coworker had no time left to leave early, the manager then made her follow him around to talk to other managers to "see what they can do". The dog died in the street, without her human (my coworker) because the managers decided to dawdle and make her walk with them knowing full well what they were doing. At some point my coworker called her daughter to find out that the dog died while she being dragged around the warehouse with a manager who was "looking for a way to help" when in reality all that was accomplished was a waste of time and a life lost.

3: In order to enter the warehouse, you have to go through security and the turnstiles and then get your temp checked by a thermal camera. The second you open the doors to get to the turnstiles, there are 6-7feet tall industrial style fans to cool your skin temp before being checked. So if you have a fever and enter the building, your temp is reduced by these fans enough so that you can continue to work and make the company profit. They said that its to cool the building down but there are literally hundreds of fans everywhere to do that. So why do these ones need to be placed specifically by the doors?

4: We are encouraged to tattle on coworkers when we see a "violation". Such things include sitting anywhere besides the breakdown or lunchroom. We stand for 10.5 hours. The entire fucking shift. And get in trouble for being in pain caused by this. Also, if we need a bathroom break, we have 6 minutes to do that. This includes getting to a bathroom (2mins), doing your business, and then getting back to where you were. Many people have been written up, including myself (lactose intolerant=bad night) for being "off task " for more than 30mins that shift simply by going to the bathroom a few times. Drink less? The warehouse is typically between 75-90 degreesF (winter versus summer) and quite a few people EVERY WEEK pass out due to heat stress or dehydration, so less water isn't an option.

I dont have those types of problems at the moment where a life will be lost or is in trouble and i hope it never happens. I had heard these stories from my coworkers and I suspect that managers get reprimanded for trying to be lax about the more ridiculous rules. I myself am going through the problem of not being able to apply for medical leave. I'm in the negatives with time as I type this because every single person I've been emailing to fix my system issues in the portal to open a case, has blown me off. I dont know why this company treats the workers so shitty, except they are worldwide and literally every single person uses thier services. I won't say the name since id like to not be fired but I will give the hint that its an online store with the same name as a big tropical jungle. I've talked to managers there that i can tell hate the policies that work against the workers (alot of the policies do) and the good managers are frustrated too.

The system designed by the company is basically like this: low-level worker is promoted slightly and given 50%-100% more work than before with promise of a better pay and such and all they have to do is enforce the policies and step on people to do exactly that. They themselves are still being trampled by the higher ups while being promised that they will get bigger boots to stomp on low-level workers the better they work.

I despise this company so much that I tell every single person the horrors the company will do and will cover up in order to deter them from using thier services. I understand that prices found through this company are better than almost every other company so its just cost effective with people. I dont condemn people for using that company at all actually. Just those who, despite knowing the hardships and harsh treatments of the workers, laugh and still use it saying, " if its so bad why not leave?"

I'll tell you why. Because the company pays ok enough and offers ok enough benefits that we the workers feel trapped. If we leave, who will hire people that have very few skills since they spent years in a warehouse? If we leave, how will we find a better or equal paying job ($15-16/hr starting)? I have hunted and searched for such a job because of my frustration and found absolutely nothing. This company traps workers in a way that makes it so impossible to leave that many fall victim to depression or other mental/physical illness.

Speaking of, I have heard in the half year of working there of at least 3 people almost killing themselves- thats right SUICIDE- due to the stress. In response, the company sends out information and messages and notifications about Suicide Awareness and Prevention. AS IF THEY DONT KNOW THAT THEYRE THE CAUSE. I personally have thought, " if I kill myself, the company can leave me alone. I wont have to work here anymore and suffer almost every night through inconceivable pain without hope of going home". See, I have chronic migraines that put me out of commission for 20 out of 30days a month. Not only have I worked while sobbing and not being able to see or breathe (one of many symptoms I have) I've been forced to continue working until my illness has progressed until I can no longer function. I can't move or see or breathe or hear or anything at that point. I can only focus on one thing and its typically forcing myself to CONTINUE WORKING because the company doesn't care enough to let me leave early. I end up having panic attacks in the bathroom and vomiting due to the pain. This company, as far as I've heard through people I've talked to everywhere, hasn't officially killed people. Unofficially, i had talked to someone that had almost overdosed in order to be free of the company.

Now, I dont include names simply because I'm not a rat or snitch or whistle blower or etc. and because I dont want them to get in trouble for speaking out. I am posting this here because hopefully, its anonymous enough that I dont get in trouble either. I just hope that before anyone chooses to use this company (that has the same name as a jungle), they remember this post. I hope that this is spread everywhere so that everyone knows the horrors the workers have to deal with. I hope so much that someone reads this and chooses to spend that extra dollar on a different website to not add to this billionaires' pockets. Please, repost. Spread this around and add stories of your own because you're not alone. I promise.

[over30hormonesolutions]

Over 30 Hormone Support

Over 30 Hormone Solution Reviews – Does Over 30 Hormone Support Really Work Or Scam?

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When you are overweight, you find it hard to engage in simple daily activities due to low energy levels. The Over 30 hormone support pills helps to address this by boosting your energy levels and sex drive. Other benefits of using this product include: Treatment of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity-related problems.The product also works for women of 30 years and above. Above all, over 30 solution helps you to stay healthy, fit, and happy.

Over 30 Hormone Solution Side Effects

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Black Cohosh

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Mexican Wild Yam extract is often recommended by many experts. It is very effective in boosting estrogen levels, alleviating estrogen imbalances, and treating symptoms of menopause.

Licorice

Licorice is generally recognized for its earthly fragrance and sweet flavor. It helps tominimize the occurrence of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Licorice helps in the relief of indigestion and treating coughs and gastrointestinal problems.

Chaste Berry Extract

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Blessed Thistle Herb Powder

This herb is usually founding herbal teas. It helps in curing loss of appetite and indigestion and as well help with bloating problems.

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Soy Isoflavones

This ingredient help women feel better and address hormonal imbalances. It is a natural compound present in plant-derived foods.

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Over 30 hormone solutions is a supplement that works well when combined with a healthy diet and workout routine. It is specifically designed for women over the age of 30 who want to feel younger, fitter, and healthier. The ingredients are 100% natural and safe for consumption. However, you should seek professional advice before the consumption of this product to prevent untreatable side effects. The supplements come with many benefits aside from losing weight. All you need do is to include this supplement in your diet, have a healthy meal plan and workout routine and you will get the desired results in no time.

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[jeanvaljean24601]

Tyler Perry on How He’s Managed to Safely Make TV During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Tyler Perry wants you to wear your mask. After successfully completing production on his BET series “Sistas” without a single case of COVID-19 during the two-week shoot, shooting on “The Oval” is up next, with cast and select crew beginning to arrive at Tyler Perry Studios for their stint in “Camp Quarantine” on Thursday. And Perry says there’s not much he plans to do differently this time around, especially when it comes to having everyone wear masks both on-set and around the 330-acre campus.

“I made sure that the cast and crew and everybody wore their masks when they weren’t on set because I do know for a fact that masks help stop the spread — scientifically, I know that,” Perry tells Variety. “And everybody adhered to that, even though we were all testing negative. I just didn’t want someone to be incubating with [COVID-19] for three to 12 days, and we not know it.”

Perry and the “Sistas” crew wore their masks between 12 and 14 hours while shooting the 22-episode season, with an hour and a half lunch break as a chance to catch their breath.

“Listen, I was the mask police. Every time I saw something I was screaming about it,” Perry says. “It’s summer in Georgia so credit to the crew — it’s burning up here and they were still doing the right thing. So, I gave a lot more breaks for people to have water because we had a couple people that got dehydrated from all the heat, and the water breaks were actually the ‘breath break’ where you can pull your mask down, drink some water and get some fresh air.”

Of wearing his mask while directing the show, Perry admitted that he did feel “mask-drunk” from time to time due to lack of oxygen, but the team got through it. “For me, once I got the actors comfortable seeing me looking like a man from outer space, it was fine. But you’ve got to remember that I direct in a wig and a dress sometimes so that wasn’t as odd for me,” he quipped.”

To perfect their method of working in the quarantine bubble, Perry’s team worked with Emory University’s Dr. Carlos Del Rio, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Colleen Kraft to execute a rigorous testing schedule with a nasal swab test administered upon arrival at Tyler Perry Studios and follow up tonsil tests every four days on site.

“Every fourth day was so important and that’s when my anxiety was raised most was in those first two tests because I was so concerned,” he recalls.

After the first 160 cast and crew moved into Tyler Perry Studios, two people tested positive during initial the sequestering period. When the next 200 people arrived a few days later, two more people tested positive during their initial test. Those four people never worked on set and were sent to get medical attention.

“I felt this wave of relief after the last test results, where everybody was negative, I was like, ‘Okay, we pulled it off,’ so I’m so proud of my crew,” Perry says, celebrating his group of “underdogs” for the achievement. “I don’t know how any other production, if you’re not in quarantine, I don’t know how you do it, but testing is key.”

Though Perry took extra care to address COVID behind the scenes, he says that his shows will not reference the pandemic in any upcoming storylines.

“All these scripts were finished right at the time that COVID started to show up,” Perry explains. “And also, what I know about COVID is people are tired of hearing of it, and entertainment is escape, so I don’t think my audience want to brought into more of what is happening in their reality. All of my work has been about escapism, so I’m just going to hold to escapism.”

One challenge to production, though, is operating with a reduced crew size; Perry says his crews were reduced by about 80-100 members, with a total of 360 people on site for production on “Sistas.” When asked whether he thinks shows will continue to go on with reduced crew sizes after the pandemic is over, he concedes that there is some financial reasoning to do so.

“I think that the producers and the people who are controlling the purse strings would definitely want to hold it to this [size],” Perry says. “But I can tell you that it was stressful on some of my crew, because they were they were down people. So, I would make sure that they had what they needed to continue this way.”

Citing one specific example, he adds, “The extras are a problem, especially when you’re doing big scenes and you only have 10 extras. You’re changing their clothes, moving them around the room and hoping that people don’t recognize them, trying to shoot the back of their heads or having the crew jump in and be extras. That was a challenge. Some things I think we will be good for this [to continue], but others won’t work.”

Another challenge to producing content during the pandemic is the sheer cost — which in Perry’s case, included housing all cast and crew at Tyler Perry Studios and flying out-of-town players into Atlanta via private planes. Perry previously told Variety that he expected costs to be high, now estimating that after producing “Sistas,” “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” and “Bruh” (which will all shoot in succession), the total could be somewhere around $18 million.

Michelle Sneed, the president of production and development for Tyler Perry Studios, further detailed the logistics of filming, explaining that the ultimate cost of COVID precautions was somewhat higher than initially budgeted for, though most of the extra spending was unavoidable.

“The most important thing is to trust people to do their job and to be able to acclimate to whatever these COVID standards are,” Sneed says. “What COVID does for production is slow it down — it costs money and it slows it down. So, our thing was, is it going to be ridiculous for cast to wear masks? Can a cast member really take off their mask as soon as they open their mouth to do a scene? Absolutely — they can and they did. Can our camera people really wear a face shield with a mask even if he wears eyeglasses. Absolutely, yes he did. So I think it’s trusting these professionals and crew to do what they have to do.”

Prior to filming, Perry’s team added 315 one-bedroom housing units with private bathrooms (which Perry likes to call “luxury mobile hotel rooms” or pods, which house 14 people each) in addition to the 60 housing units for cast and crew. They also added more than 70 golf carts (according to Sneed, most productions would have 20-25 golf carts) for transporting cast and crew around the campus and allowing for more social distancing than average production vehicles. In addition to two COVID compliance officers, Perry’s team also employed a safe service officers to oversee food. Sneed says they also ended up doubling the housekeeping staff on site.

The most significant cost, though, came with the different kinds of PPE gear each department would need to perform their specialty, which required “trial and error” to figure out. “We’d discover we have to get the $15 per face shield, versus the $3 one that we had budgeted for, for departments that rely heavily on face shields, or get these version of the goggles for this department, so that really adds up,” she explains.

Perry and his team also paid for the cast to have some socially distanced fun too. “When you’ve got 360 adults were working these kinds of hours, of course, I had to have a bar, food trucks, and movie night on the lawn and church on Sunday, so that people could feel like they were at least not in prison,” Perry says.

And in addition to working during the pandemic, Perry is also filming during industry’s internal reckoning about how the Black Lives Matter movement relates to changes needed in Hollywood.

“George Floyd’s death, as horrific and tragic as it was, it was the thing that was the catalyst to open people’s eyes,” Perry says. “When people saw that played out — eight minutes and 46 seconds, real time video of what really happened — I think it just struck a chord of the conscience of America. So, to see so many races galvanizing together to come and fight this level of injustice has been so moving to me. I just want to be sure that that message doesn’t get lost about what we’re fighting for. More than anything I’m grateful that all industries are waking up and going. ‘Wait a minute, there is something that we can do here there is something wrong.’ That makes me very proud of just the human spirit of our country.”

Speaking of the record-number of Black actors nominated for Emmy Awards this year, Perry says: “It says a lot about the Emmys, the governors and the voters and all that they’re doing to try to at least hear — that’s what it’s so important — that we hear each other. I was very happy to see that because I feel like Hollywood Is a place that dreams come true for everybody, and to have the Emmys recognize so many people of color, it was really, really moving for me.” x96 tv box

When it comes to what else he wants to see from Hollywood, Perry defers to the mentality that has gotten him so far professionally.

“I come from a people who had to find a way — make your own way, own your own way, build your business, build your studio. That’s my mentality, so rather than asking Hollywood what they can do, I want to see more people like me, just come in and own, and take a sledgehammer to anything that is unjust,” he explains. “Ownership is what really changes things long term, because what happens is, when there’s a movement, people get excited and they’re with it. But when it fades, things tend to go back to where they were. If there are more people in ownership and more people in power and more people rising through the ranks in Hollywood, I think that is that is the change that is really needed to make a long-term difference.”

[flyaway-33]

I’ll Take Care of You pt. 3

The boys hadn’t been too happy when you  had woken them from their deep, post concert after party slumbers, but they stopped bitching when you led them out to the common area to talk to Roger. They went quiet when they noticed just how bad he looked. 

Roger had dark purple circles under his eyes and the rest of his face had lost almost all of the little color he usually had. He was sprawled out on the sofa bed and struggled to sit up as the boys gathered around him, sinking down onto the sofa with him in their usual closeness, and you wondered if any of the band members knew what personal space was. It was sweet really, how they were always piled up on each other. 

Roger’s hair was a mess and formed a sort of cloud around his head that rivaled even Brian’s poof, and the ragged, holey old t-shirt he wore hung loosely from his shoulders, giving him a poor, homeless orphan look. He looked bad, no one could deny that. 

It was unanimously decided that the bus would need to stop soon, so Brian went up to the cab of the bus to speak with the drivers. A half hour later the enormous bus was circling the parking lot of a small local hospital, trying to find a place to park out of the way and out of sight. It stopped under the shade of a few trees that grew beside the lot and Freddie announced suddenly that he would be accompanying you and Roger into the building. He pulled on a hoodie to make himself more inconspicuous, and the three of you headed in, you and Freddie on either side of Roger, shielding him from curious eyes as best you could. After checking in the three of you waited, huddled in a corner of the waiting room for another fifteen minutes before Roger was called, and you and Freddie helped him to his feet and lead him down the hall by a petite nurse’s lead to a curtained row of beds. She gestured to one of the beds and you and Freddie helped ease Roger into it. She took his vitals and history, and frowned as she scribbled the data on his chart. You stayed by his side holding his hand and Freddie settled into a small chair in the corner by the curtain. 

“The doctor will be with you shortly.” She said, looking up from the chart. “Need anything, hon?” 

“No thank you, ma’am.” Roger croaked politely, and the nurse scurried out of the room. Another ten minutes passed before a doctor finally appeared. 

“Good afternoon,” he began with a too-cheery smile. “Son, your chart says you have a pretty high fever, 103? And you’re tachycardic meaning your pulse rate is higher than your resting rate should be. Tell me about your symptoms.”

Roger gave a brief summary of the past two days and as he spoke his exhaustion became even more evident to you through his slow, slightly slurred speech. You exchanged a worried glance with Freddie, knowing you had been right about him overworking himself. 

The doctor nodded along and scribbled on the chart and then looked up with a relaxed smile. “Well it sounds to me like you may have a bad stomach bug. Unfortunately it’s probably viral so nothing will cure it other than letting it run its course, and since you’re on day two you could have symptoms anywhere from no more to another week or so. You probably feel so bad because you are dehydrated and your electrolytes are depleted. We’ll give you some IV fluids and send you on your way.”

“Thank you, sir.” Roger sighed. 

The same nurse from before came in a few moments after the doctor left and began preparing the IV. “Say, do I know either of you?” She asked, looking between Roger and Freddie, wracking her brain. “You look so familiar I swear I’ve seen you before.” She moved to Roger’s side and gently wiped the crook of his arm with an alcohol wipe. 

“Hmm, I don’t know, darling, we’re not from around here, are we, Rog?” Freddie gave Roger a mischievous look with a snicker. 

“No, Fred. Far from home.” Roger agreed with a light grin. They loved getting almost recognized, and they loved to mess with the victim, seeing how long it would take them to realize. 

The nurse was mulling over the new information of their names as she flicked Roger’s arm to find a vein before positioning the needle. She slowly began to guide it into his arm before her head snapped up in realization “Fred... Freddie. Freddie Mercury!” She gasped. “And you’re the— the drummer!” She looked wildly between the two of them, excitement in her eyes. 

“Yes, but could you, uh, not stab me?” Roger squawked, his face screwed up in pain. 

“Oh my goodness,” she looked back down at what she was doing and pulled the needle from his arm as a bit of blood pooled to the surface. “I am so sorry!” She cried, whipping a cotton pad off of her cart and gently pressing it into his arm. 

“Quite alright, darling.” He grunted in response through gritted teeth. 

She put some tape over the cotton pad and moved down to try the IV in Roger’s hand. “Truly sorry, won’t happen again.” She mumbled, her cheeks coloring red as she quickly prepared and executed the IV, this time flawlessly. “It may take a bit,” she said as she checked the bag of saline hanging by the bed. “You’ll feel much better though. Again, I am so sorry!” 

“It’s okay, really.” He responded sweetly, having relaxed. “Just a little poke. I’ve had much worse, believe me.” He gave her as radiant a smile as he could muster in his state, and she looked as though she would melt. She had a starstruck smile on her face as she grabbed the cart and left without another word. 

You felt pride and love swell in your chest as you watched the way he handled the situation. For a man with such a short temper he was amazingly patient and kind when he could see someone else was upset, and you felt like you loved him even more after seeing how kind he was to the nurse even after she’d hurt him. 

“That was fun,” Freddie laughed, breaking you from your reverie. “Yes, Freddie Mercury and The Drummer!” He mocked. “Not to mention it was fun seeing you stabbed as well, darling.”

“Thanks, Fred.” Roger rolled his eyes and relaxed further into the bed. His eyes wandered up to you and a small smile played at his lips. “She said this could be a while. Join me?” He asked with an air of innocence. 

You smiled and nudged him. “Scootch over, you goof.” 

He made room for you and you climbed up onto the bed, curling into his side and laying your head on his warm chest. 

“Oh I want to join!” Freddie whined, coming over to the bed and draping his torso over you and Rog dramatically. 

“Fred!” You protested, laughing while Roger groaned. He didn’t attempt to move or push him off, as he was used to Freddie’s antics and had accepted them a long time ago. 

“Alright, alright, I can see I’m not wanted.” Freddie feigned hurt as he straightened up. “I’ll go update the boys. Send someone to get me if need be, otherwise I’ll see you two when you’re finished.” 

“Bye, Fred.” You smiled, waving childishly at him.

“You will come get me if anything happens.” He stated, suddenly turning serious, his eyes boring into yours. 

“Of course I will!” 

“Fred, I appreciate the sentiment,” Roger began with a sigh, “you’re my best friend and if something more serious were wrong I would want you here, but its just the bloody stomach flu, I’m not dying.” 

“Don’t push your luck, Blondie.” Freddie rolled his eyes and gave a final wave before turning on his heel and leaving through the closed curtain. 

“You two are cute” you giggled, snuggling into Roger’s side. “Never seen two grown men act like grade school best buddies the way you two do.”

“Yeah well, Fred’s always there, ya know? We went through the low times together.”

You winced at his words, remembering when he had told you about the early days of Smile and Queen when Freddie and him hardly had enough money to eat. He had told you how hard it had been for them to put themselves through school while paying rent and trying to build up the band. They often didn’t have any food at all. They both would say how their thrift stall in Kensington Market had been their saving grace. The story had broken your heart.

“Well he’s a lot of fun too.”

“Yeah—“ Roger yawned, his eyes drooping. “I love Deaky and Bri but they’re terrible sports and never want to get in any trouble. Fred’s the man for that.”

You smiled, running a hand over his hair fondly. You deeply admired the strong bond the members of Queen had with one another. They were a family. 

“Go to sleep, Rog. Your friends need you to get better.”

He nodded, his eyes closed, and you felt his breathing steady. He’d never fallen asleep that fast as long as you’d known him. 

***LATER***

Roger had been released about an hour later and had reported feeling much better. His fever had even gone down a little, though it was still present. Luckily the giant tour bus hadn’t attracted any notice and there were no pictures in the papers the following day, much to everyone’s relief. 

Roger still wasn’t 100 percent better but he hadn’t thrown up since before the hospital so you were confident that he was on the mend. The boys were all over the moon that Roger was almost back to himself, and as the bus continued its journey to the next stop on the tour many a Scrabble battle ensued. 

You smiled in contentment as you watched the boys bicker over whether a word was a proper noun. It was calming to you that everything was back to normal— or as normal as life with a rock band could be. 

A/N: Sorry if I've posted this part on here before (also on ao3) but I am a total hot mess right now I have no clue what’s going on and it wasn’t on my master list so here it is :) 

one day at a time... 

Taglist: @benders-diamond-earring

[reassambled-dragoon]

OC Questions: Storm Dancer

@starrypawz posted this, and it’s too damn good for me to pass up. BECAUSE IT’S LOOOOONG, IT’S UNDER ZEE CUT

On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

-She keeps herself clean, but becoming Eorzea’s Next Top Model is about as high on her list of priorities as shooting for Emperor of Garlemald. AIN’T HAPPENING.

What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

-SPICY SPICY FEED HER SPICY SHE FUCKING LOVES IT. She’s a 7′3″ brick wall of Hellsguard who leads a very active lifestyle, trust me, give her All The Food and let her roll. She burns through calories like nobody’s business (especially in the Warrior of Light verse).

What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

-FUCK. ISHGARDIAN. HIGH HOUSE. POLITICS. WITH A RUSTY JACKHAMMER. AND FUCK GRIDANIA TOO WHILE YOU’RE AT IT. (Her family was from the outskirts of Ala Mhigo. She gets a pass, okay? Kann-e Senna lovers DO NOT INTERACT)

What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

-Screw just giving them money, she’d get them some nice warm clothes, blankets, and take them to dinner so she can find out exactly what they need and help them out.

Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

-Not very easily, but when she does, she looks for her own trail again (and if she gets caught in a sandstorm or blizzard or some such, she finds shelter and PARKS IT until the storm passes).

What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

-Someone hurting her family/friends/allies. If the enemy throws the first punch, she’s so beyond done playing nice.

Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at their own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

-Absofuckinglutely.

If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

-”Fuck you, fuck this, fuck everything.” -sets it on fire and walks away-

What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

-Petty? Oh, if anyone shoots their mouths off about war refugees. Pointlessly cruel? I’m not sure she’s capable of that.

On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

-”Oh no you don’t, there’re people back home that need me, so either you come back and lend a hand, or--oh, you need my help? Fine, listen here, you want my help, you help me.”

What song is 100% guaranteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and embarrassingly, either in public or the shower?

-...look listen whoever brought the Baby Shark song to Storm’s attention is directly responsible for this damn mess.

What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies their neighbors?

-SHAMELESSLY VAULTS OFF ANY AND EVERY HIGH SURFACE BECAUSE DRAGOON, BITCH

Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

-dear sweet zombie jesus how much booze did she have this Heavensturn

What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

-Storm has no idea why the hell her dad insists on calling himself Old Man but here we are.

How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

-She’s gotten clonked a few times when the Echo hits, but that was when she was younger.

How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened because of their Impulsivity or inability to be so?

-WoL Storm basically adopted all of the core Scions as well as Arenvald (and yes, that includes the Levilleur twins, no it doesn’t include Papalymo because he’s Storm’s age), so you friggin’ tell me. RP Storm has a tendency to adopt every stray she finds. I SEE NO DIFFERENCE. Honestly the worst thing is like, someone like Thancred arguing that he’s only ten years younger than she is so she’s not allowed to be his mother, to which she calmly says the next time he sasses her he’s grounded.

How does your OC sabotage themselves?

-Storm refuses to admit she needs help until she’s literally on the ground unable to move.

What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?

-a really hideously ugly oh my god why does this exist and who got the knitter that damn drunk Starlight sweater. She still has it because everyone’s reactions to it add years to her life, okay?

How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

-Storm just stares you dead in the eye as she downs a glass of whiskey and chases it with a massive mug of coffee.

What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was their last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

-She usually smells pretty clean unless she’s been fighting or working hard. As soon as she’s able, she takes a shower or a bath. If her gear is dirty, she cleans it inside and out. Probably the grossest items she has are her boots and gloves, though she does her best to keep the insides from getting narsty. Usually Storm smells a bit like good leather and maybe a hint of good whiskey and coffee. (Hey, just because she doesn’t want to be a model, that doesn’t mean she’s going to wallow in offal and gunk.)

[cryptidcommander]

All the numbers for Var? >:3ccc

1. On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

Varellias bathes, that’s it. She hates getting stuff on her skin.

2. What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

She’s really fond of fruits and vegetables- she can eat meat, but she won’t unless forced to. (Cooked meat or just meat in general reminds her too mch of Risen and Forged.) Her favorite foods tend to be those that aren’t too overwhelming in flavour; after all those solo trips out in Orr and Maguuma and often having to go without food for the night in the interest of mantaining supplies, her stomach isn’t built for anything too fatty or rich. Porridge, salads and fruits are okay, soup is fine, but anything else runs the risk of her throwing up.

3. What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

Hmm… I don’t think she has any pet peeves actually, she’s pretty chill. 

4. What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

She would give it, she has way too much money on her hands. The only thing that would make her hesitate is if the one asking is showing obvious signs of using the money for less than acceptable causes, but generally she just gives it.

5. Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

For a ranger, Varellias has horrible navigation skills. At the very least when she’s outside she can usually take to high ground to figure out where she is (she’s a very good climber) but in buildings or airships?? She can be staring at a map and still get lost.

6. What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

The people she cares about. If they were threatened, or hurt, or in danger, or even if they just ask… She’d once almost doomed the world for her best friend. She has unhealthy levels of devotion.

7. Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a smiley face painted on?

Well, yeah! She has a lot of pets, practically raised Taimi, took good care of Aurene. She’s a solid A+ choice for a babysitter, whatever she’s taking care of would be the safest thing in the world.

8. f your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

Probably badly if she only had one night to prep, but I can’t see her caring all too much anyway. 

9. What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

Grudges, and again, if it relates to the people she cares about.

10. On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

“Breaks out and utterly destroys the spaceship she was in”.

11. What song is 100% guaranteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and embarrassingly, either in public or the shower?

She never sings, but she can be persuaded to hum and whistle “Don’t fear the night”.

12. What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies their neighbours?

What do you mean, normal people don’t trap the area around them before going to sleep? It’s just common sense!!

13. Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

A dare. She takes promises very seriously.

14. What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

Why did the Pale Tree never offer more support to Caithe or Trahearne or Canach? Didn’t she notice that they weren’t doing well? Varellias is… not sure if she can forgive her mother for that, and for what happened in Heart of Thorns. It’s strained their previously close relationship heavily.

15. How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

VERY RARELY. She’s incredibly focused, and her mind isn’t likely to wander.

That said… She was basically unresponsive after Heart of Thorns. Her body was going on autopilot while her mind was near cataconic- she did things numbly, couldn’t focus, wandered in a fog. It took her a very while to recover, and in that period of time her friends had to step up to keep her out of trouble.

16. How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so? 

 Varellias actually has pretty decent impulse control for a commander- but she only has it as The Commander. Outside of battle her impulse is basically “ride or die!”. Ask anyone about The Commander and they would say that she’s an amazing coolheaded fighter, and then ask anyone about Varellias, and they’d tell you about how she jumped out of the Pale Tree’s chamber last week and crashed into Canach like a missile. 

17. How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

 Not sure how to answer this question, but she does have the habit of pulling her punches when fighting more mundane threats outside dragons/gods, which has on more than one occasion caused her to take far more severe injuries than she would have otherwise taken. 

 18. What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it? 

 It’s the Starborn Outfit, which she has been wanting to set on fire for a while now. The only reason she’s keeping it is because (1) the rest of the DW keeps stopping her, those traitors and (2) it was a gift. She last tried it on when it was given to her and never again. 

19. How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this? 

 She’s staying hydrated! Gotta water the plant! 

 20. What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent? 

 Thanks to being a Sylvari, Varellias has a pretty distinctive scent. It changes slightly depending on her surroundings, but the majority of the time she generally smells either like crushed rosemary or grass after the rain. Tried perfume once during a social event when Kas offered, but it just clashed with her natural odor too much to be worth using.

[breakdawn-avenue]

VRainsweek, Day 11

Prompt: VRains goes Hollywood Day 1: “A moment of silence” Day 2: “The conflict in the inner mind” Day 3: Ai-chan fly~ Day 4: “Path to the future” Day 5: “What destiny shows” Day 6: “Fighting spirit” Day 7: “Cyverse world” Day 9: Music is the key~ Day 11: “Offline blues” @vrainsweek

Summary: Sharing a body for so long has become a distant, faint, fleeting memory that evades him whenever he tries to remember it. A face, a name, a voice is haunting him since then. But the only thing he can remember clearly is the ethereal glow of a bioluminescent sea in the distant. “Yusaku, do you... do you remember me... ?”

Words: 1.178 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning... I cry, and I have no idea why. I never remember... what I’ve been dreaming about. But... But the feeling of losing something... doesn’t leave me for a long time... after I’ve opened up my eyes. I’ve always been looking for something... or someone. This feeling doesn’t let me got, not after this day... Since the day Stardust Road started to glow. He graduated six months prior but even with his biggest efforts, he hasn’t been able to get a job in his major. Even if he hadn’t quit his job in the library – since he still needs an income of his own – he doesn’t want to stick as a temporary helper. But time drags on and on and he feels like everyone else is moving. Everyone but him. I’ve been looking for something... or someone all this time. I can’t remember anymore when this feeling drowned me. “A big city like Den City has a wide network of good working circuits- ” “But with slack designed security measurements- ” “Network activity as well as cybernetic criminality increase- ” “To prevent a breakdown or even a complete shutdown- ” “The reason I applied to your company was-... I... I wanted to... ” I forgot if I’m looking for a place, a person or just employment. For the umpteenth time, he received the sentence “We will call you back.” He lost count on which one was the last interview he had for this day. The sun sets already when he meets his best friends Ai and Jin at the latter’s older brother’s Hot Dog truck. Both of them are already chewing happily on Café Nagi’s main menu. “How many interviews did you have today?” Ai wants to know. He only shrugs leisurely. The other boys chuckle quietly. “Ai got two letters of acceptance!” “I got eight,” Jin throws in. It sounds like a subordinate clause. Annoyed, he facepalms. But he gets served food by the food truck owner himself. He even pats his shoulder. “Don’t give up!” he encourages him. “They just haven’t recognized your potential yet!” Three years prior, I went on some sort of hiking trip with my best friends, Ai and Jin. But I forgot most of it. The only thing I remember is waking up on a cliff over a long-lost sea with dead, weathered and dehydrated sea plants. Once, it must have been an outstandingly beautiful place. Loved by so many people. Once upon a time, he wanted to write. Once upon a time, he wanted to draw. Once upon a time, he just wanted to be creative. Be his own boss. Be the only one who determines how he spends his working time. Only to stop when he eats, drinks, sleeps or simply wants to hang out with his two best friends. Once upon a time, he wanted to be an artist. But nowadays, a living artist neither gets recognition, nor enough money for fending himself. He spent years in finding a secondary passion. He never found it but he realized that he’s good with technology as well. Then again, his brain has never worked with only one side. Three years prior, a comet got into orbit, split almost directly above a rural village far away from his home town. A miracle happened because all 500 residents got evacuated. Not a single person died in this tragedy. The former mayor of the village performed an unannounced evacuation practice. Strangely during the annual autumn anniversary. But no one questioned his decision. He doesn’t stay long with his friends. Today marks the day of the tragic event. Every anniversary leaves him with a strange melancholy that he doesn’t want to live through with anyone else. He can’t wait to finally get home and spend the rest of his evening with drawing. Or writing. Whatever suits him. But this evening, the memory of that ethereal bioluminescent sea is vivid again in his memory. He had tried to catch its unreal beauty on paper so many times. He had tried to describe what he envisions so many times. Nothing has been good enough. However, his fingertips itch to finally take a pen into his hand and start. He absolutely can’t wait to get home. I can’t remember anymore why I had the unshakeable urge to read every single article from back then. I’m neither from this village, nor do I know someone from that village. What a strange occurrence... As he catches glimpses of snow-white hair – shimmering in the evening sun –, his heart begins to accelerate right before his head follows suit. He presses his hands against the train door’s window. The person he’s staring at turns around in the other train. Both of their eyes – right exactly when pale lavender and emerald green meet – widen at the exact same time. They gape at each other. Both of them couldn’t wait until the trains finally stop their drive. He almost presses the yellow button for his next exit like a maniac. I’ve always been looking for something... or someone. It takes him agonizingly long to find the other again. He leaves the next train station and wanders through its entrance. He leaves it and runs forward to the streets. But wherever he looks, he can’t find the other. His heartbeat increases painfully. But he’s 100 % sure that what he saw wasn’t an imagination. He isn’t running after a suspicious ghost of his past. His heart yearns for him to continue to search. Giving up is not an option. He catches glimpses of snow-white hair again. His heartbeat stops for a dangerous long second when pale lavender and emerald green meet once more. His breath hitches. He waits for recognition. He waits for any sign of remembering. He waits. But even if his heart still beats like crazy, his mind doesn’t follow up. The face – for whatever reason, he can say that it matured – doesn’t strike him as familiar. Much to his dismay, the other one doesn’t look any different. A mirage. His shoulders slump down in utter disappointment. He lowers his head and starts to walk up the stairs. Three heartbeats after that, the other one does the same. While his mind taunts him for his foolishness, his heart doesn’t stop beating. And when he finally passes him, he can feel some sort of connection. A red string. Musubi. He stops. His heartbeat accelerates once more. He turns around with a hastily, urgent and heartfelt apology. “I think I know you!” The other one stops. His broad shoulders stiffen. For whatever odd reason, he believes to see more muscles than before. Then, almost in slow motion, the other one turns back to him. A single tear runs down his sharp cheekbone. “ ...I think, I do, too!” he whispers with his deep baritone voice that sends down a pleasant shiver down his spine. He remembers that voice. He would always remember it. He would recognize it anywhere. “What’s your name?” Let’s create a Stardust Road on our own.

[nashvilletonihon]

An Overseas Love Affair (Or, How I Went From Miss To Mrs.)

This is a long overdue and much needed entry but school really hit me outta nowhere in April and hasn’t stopped. Everyone is just trying to make it to summer holiday at the end of this month which still feels like a million light years away. We haven’t had any vacation days since Golden Week and it’s the longest stretch without a random weekday off we’ve had since I arrived. (I think.)

My one year Japanniversary is coming up in August and I’ll have a totally separate post to sum up all that’s happened in the last year, but there is one major event that needs (and deserves) it’s own entry. 

I’ve thought long and hard about how to approach telling the story of my overseas marriage. (Yep, that’s right. I got married.) I had everything from a very detailed and third person point of view story, right down to a simple Q&A that was about as bare bones as you could get. But nothing seemed quite right...

So I decided on a simple recounting of the events that lead me up to March 22nd, 2019. (My  wedding day.) It may not be spectacular in any way, but to me, it’s the story of how I met my husband. Which is pretty spectacular in and of itself. Enjoy.

The first time I saw Jacob Goodwin Griswold I was sleep deprived, dehydrated, sweaty and exhausted. I was back in my suit sitting in a new hotel conference room in Kyoto City waiting for the next, of what seemed like a never-ending supply of workshops, to begin. I had no idea what I was doing in Japan and was 100% ready to call everything off and fly back home to the States. I missed my family, my cat, my friends and my boyfriend. I was depressed and anxious. As I was sitting there I noticed this guy over in the corner by the table set up for our Prefectural Adviser and Board of Education JET Coordinator. He didn’t particularly stand out in any way. He was tucked up behind the table and the wall, not really talking to anyone, more so observing than doing much else. I didn’t know why, but in that moment I knew I needed to talk to him. Eventually. 

I patiently sat through the mandatory information sessions, waiting for this mystery man in the corner to reveal himself when finally, after eternity, he got up and walked to the center of the room to give his presentation. I have to be honest when I say I don’t remember much about his workshop, which makes it seem unmemorable (which isn’t true!), but be reminded dear reader that I was incredibly jet-lagged and still trying to fully comprehend my new life in a foreign country. You could have had Garth Brooks up there singing and still wouldn’t remember much of it.

What I *do* remember though is the way he talked. Low and soft, with a lisp. That lisp was about the cutest thing I’d ever heard in my entire life and I hung on every word. I remember the way he pushed his glasses up his nose, his hands on his hips as he talked (like a football coach on the sideline). I remember the passion in his voice and the eagerness with which he spoke. He exuded confidence and energy, but it never came off as cocky or self-absorbed. Here was a man who genuinely loved teaching. I sat in rapt attention.

Then, it was over. 30 minutes seemed to fly by in the span of 5. There was another workshop but all I wanted now was the 10 minute break we were going to get afterward. That was going to be my chance...

Ah, I think it’s very important for me to pause just a moment and tell you, my lovely reader, that what I felt for Jacob upon first seeing him wasn’t exactly love. I left for Japan in a very committed and loving relationship, which I was already preparing to return home to in a year’s time. What I felt for Jacob was more of a...pull? As if a string was running out of the center of my chest and straight over to Jacob’s. I wanted to find out what that string meant...

So I did. During that 10 minute break, I went over to the head table to ‘‘casually chat with Leah’‘ and I also just-so-happened to introduce myself to Jacob who also just-so-happened to be nearby. I found out there was a dinner for everyone afterward and so I made a mental note to try and seat myself somewhere in his vicinity. So imagine my surprise (and secret delight) when he sat himself down right across from me later that evening at the restaurant. Dinner was filled with amazing food and drinks, laughter and good conversation. For the first time in 5 days I felt...normal. Jacob kept me in stitches as he ribbed my gullible new roommate and friend while I tried not to seem too eager to ask him questions about himself as I wanted to come off as cool and unassuming. (Which I really don’t think I managed to do but let’s pretend I did for the sake of my ego.) At one point during the meal, Jacob bet he could keep me in Japan more than a year. I scoffed and wished him good luck. I was out of there the moment my contract was finished. He calmly told me he had 8 months to change my mind and I secretly began to wonder if he would... With dinner finished and paid for, talks of heading to a karaoke bar began. A small part of me wanted to go, but the larger part of me was exhausted and knew I had to give my speech to the head of the Board of Education in the morning, so I politely declined amidst protests and peer pressure. I bid everyone goodnight and thought that would be the last time I would ever really see or interact with Jacob having NO idea what the future held.

Looking back I do wish I had ended up going. But maybe if I had things wouldn’t have happened the way they did...

I’ll fast forward a couple of weeks now to (you guessed it) another conference. This one was solely for us new AET’s to receive advice, support and criticism on the self-introductions we would be doing in another week or so once classes started again. Again, it was a lackluster day full of information and meeting like activities which didn’t do much in the way of making my eventual first class any less scary. I saw Jacob throughout the day and we talked during the breaks. We had lunch with another AET at a curry restaurant not far from the conference building and made plans with a handful of other AET’s (both new and seasoned) that night after closing remarks. I was already looking forward to it.

We ended up a hot wing place in the heart of downtown touristy Kyoto. Having had a few pregame drinks at the 7-11 across the street while we waited for our table meant that I was feeling free and uninhibited. So naturally I plunked myself down next to Jacob in a booth only meant for 4 people, 6 maximum, but was now housing almost 10. It was cozy in a way that only being surrounded by good people and being slightly tipsy can be. More drinks were ordered and I reveled in the ‘‘loud foreigner’‘ stereotype as we laughed and talked trash on the conference we had just come from when suddenly I felt a hand on my arm and a mouth close to my ear.

‘‘Do you ever do the small things for people and then wish they would do the same for you?’‘

Everything stopped. I whirled my head to the left and came face to face with searching brown eyes, inquisitive and imploring. No one, ever, in my entire life and asked me that before. It was a secret desire I had never divulged to anyone and yet here was this guy I had only known for a few weeks who had seemingly plucked it out of the ether. I sat there slack-jawed. How does one even reply to a statement like that aside from the one word answer of “Yes.”?

The rest of the night was a blur. After wings we all went to a karaoke bar next door. (It against my better judgement seeing as how it was a Thursday night and I had my first day of work the next morning and it turns out I had every reason to be worried.) Eventually it got to the point where myself and Julianne (the other Tango Prefectural AET) HAD to go. We were cutting it close already catching the last train in a city we didn’t know so Jacob walked us out, hailed a cab and gave us money for the fare to the station. I protested saying we would be fine but he insisted and I felt as if I needed to let him win this one. Julianne and I managed to make it out of the city but got stranded about a 30 minute drive from home at 11:30 PM at a small outdoor station with no attendant. With only one working phone between the both of us, and literally NO idea where we were, Julianne and I were up sh*t creek without a paddle. But guess who was frantically working with another AET on the other end trying to call a taxi company to get us home? Jacob.  It was the first (but not the last) time he would help me. (Clearly we made it back and lived to tell the tale. Humorously now...)

For the sake of the length of this entry, I’m going to condense the next few months into a paragraph or two. After that ill fated train station debacle, Jacob and I didn’t really talk much in the first couple of months I lived in Japan. I was too busy trying not to quit every single day and also work on a relationship that clearly wasn’t going anywhere. I would message him from time to time or see that he had text to check in on me. It was nice to know he was there, even if it was sporadically at first. August and September came and went. Then October hit me like a sack of bricks and after a series of personal life issues I was worse off mentally and emotionally than when I first arrived in Japan. It was at this point when Jacob and I started talking more frequently. At first it was the typical “getting to know you” type questions. Where’d you grow up? What’s your favorite food? Are a cat or a dog person? The usual. As time went on we began to delve deeper into who we were as people and it turns out we were a lot more alike than we cared to admit. That’s not to say we don’t have our differences though. (He likes pit bulls and mastiffs while I’m more of a teeny, tiny, snuggly cat person...) The similarities kept piling up and October finished in the blink of an eye. Suddenly I was staring down the barrel of November and the upcoming Skills Conference at the end of the month. At this point we were talking every single day and I found myself looking forward to our daily messages. It was about a week before the Skills Conference that it hit me...I was in love with him. 

The anticipation that had been building at the thought of seeing Jacob again was much more than one friend getting excited to see the other. It was something much deeper. And so, on the morning of November 30th, I boarded the train bound for Kyoto City and hoped my feelings weren’t one sided. (I had a sneaking suspicion they weren’t.) Not many people know this but Jacob and I share the same birthday. Yep. We were both born on November 30th exactly 8 years (and some hours) apart. It’s a strange little quirk not many couples can claim which I think is pretty dang cool. We had agreed that neither one of us was going to get the other a gift so of course I had to break the “no gifts” rule straight away. I arrived at the conference hall clutching the bag of cookies I had made the night before and sheepishly looking around the crowded auditorium for a head of curly hair. I noticed one of my other friends first and immediately went over to her. We began chatting and a few minutes into the conversation I noticed him. He was wearing a purple shirt and grey wool coat and he looked so cute. I frantically motioned him over and before I could even present the cookies he says “I got you something for your birthday.” while pulling out a fun sized candy bar from his pocket with the most satisfied and self-assured grin on his face. “I got you something too.” I replied, handing over the bag. “They’re homemade cookies.” The look on his face was priceless. I’ve never seen someone so crestfallen at receiving a birthday present before. 

Rachel: 1 Jacob: 0 

Now, before this particular conference, Jacob and I had made a bet. I bet him that he couldn’t go 24 hours without being mean to me. Up to that point, Jacob was notorious for making fun of anything and everything he could about me. From my overalls to my use of a weighted blanket. He didn’t care who was around or listening. He liked picking on me. So, the bet went like this: If he could be nice to be the entire day and won, he got a prize of his choosing. However, if he *couldn’t* be nice to me all day and I won, I got a prize of my choosing. This is important to the story because it will come into play later on in the narrative. 

Although I didn’t see Jacob much that day during actual conference hours, every time I *did* see him he would compliment some part of my outfit or personality. It was weird because I was so used to him being mean that it felt...unnatural. I was impressed by his determination to win. And he actually did really well. He even ran back across the street to pick up the scarf I had dropped on the way back from our lunch break. I was beginning to become genuinely worried I was going to lose...UNTIL we were taking the train to the city after the conference. I don’t remember what the exact comment was, I just know I was drunkenly talking about my ex when Jacob let loose a rather nasty aside that caused our mutual friend to drop his jaw and utter a rather surprised “Damn...” I could by the look on Jacob’s face he couldn’t believe he’d said it either. The regret and guilt were plainly written right across it. I had won.

Rachel: 2 Jacob: 0

The rest of the evening went by in a haze. There’s so much information I want to share with you, but this post is already bordering on needing a sequel so I’ll skip to the next good bit which is my trip down to Kyoto City in December. After the conference, Jacob and I began to seriously plan a visit for me down to the city. I had already made plans to spend the New Year’s holiday in Nara with my Japanese grandparents but I had days prior to that with nothing to do. So, I decided to cash in on my bet winnings. And what was that, you may be wondering? I told Jacob he had to take me to dinner before we went to see Wreck It Ralph 2. That’s right. I made him take me on a date. Which I happen to think is quite clever if I do say so myself. I’ll never forget how nervous I was to see him for the first time after our birthday. Whenever Jacob and I had been around each other before, there was always someone with us. This was the first time we would hanging out by ourselves and I wasn’t quite sure what to do...

I really needn’t have worried so much because it was the best week and a half of my life. We ended up watching Wreck It Ralph all in Japanese and I (in an impressive moment of bravery) made the first move when I snuggled in close halfway through the movie. My New Year’s Eve plans in Nara ended up being canceled due to an unfortunate death in the family, so Jacob and I made a spontaneous trip to Kobe where were went ice skating, walked down by the port and rang in 2019 by visiting our first shrine of the New Year. It felt as if I was living in a dream and I never wanted it to wake up from it.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The end of the winter holiday was quickly approaching so I suggested Jacob come up to Tango for a few days before we both had to go back to our respective schools. He had never been to that area of Kyoto before so he quickly agreed and a day later we were on a train heading North. The first night we spent in Tango together I got a little too big for my britches and had more whiskey than I should have. After falling asleep while peeing, I apparently made an impassioned speech about wanting to have “little potato people” with him and staunchly decreed that we were going to get married. Jacob gently spoon fed me water and agreed. And that’s when I knew.

For you see, dear reader, in my experience, love tends to sneak in. It hardly ever kicks down the front door, but rather shimmies up the drain pipe and slides open a second story window before slowly lowering itself, soundlessly, into your domicile. I was 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, head over heels in love. But this love, was a different kind of love than any I had experienced before. It was a comforting love. An effortless love. A natural, make you feel good from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, kind of love. And it was all mine. 

Those who are closest to me will vouch for the fact that I NEVER wanted to get married or have children. The mere thought of marriage was an idea that gave me a queasy feeling in my tummy. (Don’t ask me what the thought of children did...) Yes, I had talked of marriage before with various long term and serious boyfriends in the past...but that was only because it seemed like the next logical step in the relationship. It wasn’t necessarily something I wanted so much as an unspoken agreement that it’s what came after you checked off a number of other boxes. That’s just how these things work. So of course when I slowly started to tell my nearest and dearest that I had met the man I was going to marry and we were, in fact, going to get married their responses ranged from genuine delight and happiness to downright disbelief and incredulity. My parents were obviously against it as they had never met Jacob before and had really only heard me seriously talking about him for about 2 months at that point. Their answer to Jacob’s question for approval was a firm and resounding ‘’NO.’’

I love my parents, and while we have our differences, I value their opinions and advice. But that’s exactly what it is. Opinions and advice. Jacob and I talked everything over after his conversation with my parents and decided that getting married was the best thing for US. We didn’t want to wait to make other people feel comfortable because it wasn’t about them. It never was. So, we decided to elope. Getting married in Japan was fairly easy all things considered. There was some paperwork involved which required a trip to the Consulate for some notarial services, a few witnesses who didn’t mind putting their information down on paper and on March 22nd, 2019 we screamed into the Minami-ku City Hall parking lot 10 minutes before they closed. Why the 22nd you ask? Well, in all honesty it was the only day both of us were off from work. The City Hall isn’t open on the weekends or holidays and if we didn’t go on the 22nd we had no idea how long we would have to wait. Neither one of us wanted to take the chance so we agreed the 22nd was best. The entire affair lasted about 25 minutes (thanks to the two kindly Japanese City Hall workers who stayed past closing time to help us fill out a form we forgot (and might have been more excited for us than we were)) and cost us roughly 300 yen for the marriage license.

And suddenly, I was Mrs. Griswold.

Was it the wedding of my dreams? Well, I’m not really sure because I never planned out a wedding for myself before. The furthest I ever got was putting a few photos of dresses I liked in a folder on my desktop marked ‘‘Maybe One Day’‘. Somehow though, the way Jacob and I did it was perfect and now I can’t imagine anything different. (He was in a suit for work and I wore my overalls. Fitting, right?) I was never one for fancy dresses or big events. Heck, we didn’t even have rings picked out but that didn’t matter to me because the most important thing was getting to spend the rest of my life with Jacob as his wife. Everything else was just...extra. 

I am so lucky to married to the most kind, genuine, caring, gentle, sweet, intelligent, passionate, funny and witty man. We have so many things in common but are still our own individuals. I married my best friend and my confidant. Everyday is a new adventure to journey off into with him. He’s my sidekick and I’m his. Four months of marriage have passed in blissful happiness. The hardest thing about our relationship at the moment is the distance between us, but even that is minuscule compared to strength of the love that we have. I could go on and on in great detail about Jacob, but the only way to truly know someone is to meet them. Our biggest goal right now is getting back to the States in order for both of us to meet one another’s respective families and friends. It’s a bit backwards, meeting after the fact, but neither Jacob nor I have ever really done things ‘’by the book’’. We hope to return for Christmas.  In the meantime, I am going to go ahead and wrap this post up. Enjoy some photos of us and feel free to ask questions about anything that seems unclear or that you might want additional information on. I’m an open book!

じゃあまた (See you!)

- レイチェル (Rachel)

The only way we could fit the entire fountain in the picture...

Yakiniku date with the most handsome man in the world. (Who never judges how many grilled meats I eat...)

Jacob was known at his former school as a very strong drinker...

Be still my heart. <3 

Enjoying the gardens of Okayama Castle.

A candid from a Ritsumeikan school trip that I love and is currently my LINE chat background. 

Y’ALL. His mother WILLINGLY gave me this photo and I’ve never been the same since. The shirt. The hair. The tiny patch of chin fuzz!! ‘Lil high school senior behbeh Jacob.

The poor guy’s curly hair fell victim to the humidity in Okayama...but that peach shaved ice certainly helped him forget all about it.