#but I need an indoor bike etc

[yeeiguess]

Sometimes the thing that helps is actually physical exercise and that fucking sucks. How is my body able to make my lungs breath and my heart beats all right but I don't naturally have enough core strength to stay upright for ten minutes ?

[i-have-a-goal]

I had said a few days ago I would be posting my tips on how I lose weight the fastest & how i got it done being in sports that enabled this ♡ so here I go:

Btw- just need to say this quickly- I don't condone this and get help if you are able to ♡ much luv

Okay with that here it is teehee:

☆ Okay so When I was in wrestling, we had to make sure we made weight- no if . If you were 6 lbs over then you had to find a way to lose 6lbs by Saturday. When I was put in this situation, some of the girls would 🤮 of course, but I wasn't a fan of the taste so I def took alternative routes such as

1. Calorie Deficit= DUH. Obv. Duh. For safety reasons I'm going to say 1,400 max (which isn't much In real life lol) but I would eat around 800-1,200 max for this. I wouldn't really say I watch what I eat, but I'm also not just downing pure doritos and mountain due. I'll have chips but I'll also eat fruits.

2. Working out/ cardio= I know.. it's a bummer isn't it? But I'm being 1000% honest with you, calorie deficit combined with hot cardio is the key to losing weight quickly. This is what we all did to make sure we were at the correct weight within 7 days. And it's not walk around the block or sit on the floor and do donkey kicks either... it doesn't have to be extremely intense, but you do want to make sure you're sweating the whole time. ☆ bonus points for putting on 2-3 jackets and pajama pants or hot sweats when u workout!! It does a lot of the job for you. For me, my go to would be using the treadmill (I don't even run girl I have it on level 3 and do this for 30 mins while listening to music and day dreaming about my cute skinny future self- and I still sweat like crazy) I also do the same thing on a indoor bike. Like I said, it doesn't have to be sprints or anything crazy , just something that keeps you moving enough to be hot = sweat. Think of jumping Jacks, planks, butterfly kicks, ladder climbs, etc. Also if you have a jacket with a Hoodie, def tie the hoodie secured so u can sweat more! It works I promise.

3. if you have the time, try to workout whatever you just ate sooner than later. For example, ate an apple? That's 95 cals, nothing a 25 minute walk can't burn off 👍🏻

4. DRINK YOUR WATER. I know everyone says it BUT there's a reason they do okay. Water keeps your lips hydrated and soft. Water will keep your body hydrated, water will help keep you full (to an extent if im going to be honest) if you feel hungry after drinking water, try sucking or chewing on ice- water's cousin ♡ they go hand in hand. Also- I add chia seeds to my water for the fiber and mint leaves with lemon and Cucumber in another ( I have different cups) the mint drink helps with bad breath (from not eating) AND speeds your metabolism = lose weight faster. I also drink green tea for the same benefits + 0 calories so yay ♡

5. FOOD EXAMPLES. Chances are, If you're too focused on how hungry you are and how much it sucks that you can't have fatty foods- you'll break. You won't succeed. So let's make it as beautiful as we can. By that I mean the dishes you make. Some popular dishes we would do within the sport was 6-8 leafs of big crunchy Romaine lettuce with lemon and salt over them. That's around 10-15 calories. Another one was thin slices of tomatoes with salt. Get creative and add seasoning if needed ✨️ if you like spicy food then you're in luck cause adding spice to anything fills u up quicker:-) a good spicy choice I do is steamed garbanzo beans with tapatio. Another good (non spicy) option is steamed artichoke with light Mayo! Get fancy here guys yall can steam so many vegetables and have so many nice looking meals 😊

6. STAY CONSISTENT = I know it's easier said than done, but when you're about to grab that pizza, understand that you're conscious enough to make the decision to not eat it. If your body is fighting with your brain, then you have to trick one of them. Yes, be delulu. Tell yourself it isn't good. Tell yourself the pizza is just another thick slab of grease with artificial cheese over it. Think of how you'll feel once you eat it. Think of the grease lard and calories you're shoving down your throat. Convince yourself it's disgusting. Eventually, you will find it disgusting. And this can work the opposite way as well ✨️ glorify thin slices of fruit. The satisfying way it feels to eat low calorie naturally sweetened fruits from earth. Same with veggies and water and anything 0 calories.

If I have any other advice ( which I'm sure I do I can't just think at the moment!! Smh) then I'll be posting them on this account so follow me for more content but if there's 1 thing to take from all this, it's this:

Self-discipline & self-control

So many of us don't get to our goal weights because of these 2 right here. Find the self control to not eat the food your family brought home. Find the self discipline to carry on your good habits of eating minimal & healthy and gradually make your way to the end goal ✨️

I believe in you all! We got this, one day at a time 💕

[nursedflowers]

Hi child!!,

or- whatever you would liked to be called!

I have come here bc i'm lonely- very very lonely-.

Anyway i just wanna talk or have a conversation bc i'm bored. If you have time ofc. i don't want to disturb you at all my child. but i would like to know what you like, like shows or hobbies you have! and i have come to encourage you to have a good day/night/morning/evening anytime of day you read this! and to remind you i'm here for anything you need, a shoulder to cry on!, or someone you can talk to!

Sincerely,

Your-.....

anything you wanna call me!

AWWW UR SO KIND <33

here ya go!! :]

shows: demon slayer, haikyuu, cells at work, & case closed! (from the top of my head lol)

hobbies: exercising (running, indoor/outdoor biking, gonna start weight lifting!, etc.), drawing, writing, & needle felting!

YOUR TURN!! :DD ALSO, DO YOU HAVE ANY NICKNAMES????

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK BTW LOVELY <3333 💞💕

[crippleprophet]

I literally have had a malar rash for over a week and my doctor blew me off bc I tested negative for my ana last year. Is there anything I can do to help with the burning sensation?

oh my god i’m so sorry, i know that pain is so fucking distressing + impairing and it’s absolutely neglectful of your doctor not to both run your rheum panel again & prescribe you a topical steroid for management in the meantime. jesus christ that’s so fucked, you don’t deserve this.

feel free to just skip this paragraph if this isn’t an option for you but if you’re able to access a different doctor i think it could be worth trying just for symptom management — when i was struggling to get in with a rheum i visited a dermatologist & while she unfortunately just recommended my future rheum put me on hydroxychloroquine without doing it herself, she at least gave me the steroid cream which helps so much with the pain. & that’s something a PCP who was actually interested in treating patients rather than gatekeeping care could prescribe even if they thought you have rosacea not lupus.

gonna divide this into type of strategy just so all my advice is clustered in the same post but some of this might not be relevant to you, feasible, affordable/accessible, etc. as always other folks feel free to add advice if you have any!

basically your goal is to minimize sun (especially UV rays) as much as possible, to your face especially but your whole body as needed.

immediate term:

stay indoors as much as possible + close the blinds/curtains

outdoors: sunscreen + hat + long sleeves/pants (loose/thin material in the heat)

if you drive, bike, or do another activity where your hands are exposed to sunlight, wearing gloves; UV blocking fabric is most effective but anything is better than nothing

for pain relief: i haven’t found anything that helped more than temporarily (other than the steroid cream obv) but an unscented lotion, aloe vera, or cream can help for a little bit. similarly damp soft cloths, baby wipes, or gel bead ice packs just kinda draped gently over your face.

longer term ways to limit sun exposure:

full curtains (possibly blackout curtains)

tinted car windows

UV-blocking fabric

this is really only feasible in my situation because i’m in a car with someone supportive but should i become able to leave the house again my plan is literally just to have a blanket over my head lmao

i hope some of this is helpful & that you’re able to get some relief as soon as possible 💓💓 you deserve comprehensive testing & care + access to the treatment options you want

[3gremlins]

ngl it bums me out how fast everyone hopped off masks not just for covid/communicable diseases but just the concept of revisiting personal safety equipment in general.

long post i guess

I've been taking a 5 week pottery workshop on wheel throwing (it's neat!) and we got up to glazing last week. When you glaze pots, the glaze starts as a a thick liquid and then dries really quick into a powdery form (on your clay piece). I was asking my instructor about clean up and she was like "oh you can just rub off the excess carefully, but try not to get dust in the air as it's a little toxic. obviously you're wearing a mask but the rest of us aren't"

(my partner and i wear masks b/c it's inside and that's just what we still do. it sucks but it's better than covid and also now inhaling dust/fumes)

I kinda wanted to respond "maybe we should all be wearing masks??" like if not for covid concerns, at least for the semi-toxic powder we're all just handling/some folks are breathing in O.O

(i didn't b/c tbh i'm still a little on edge with the going out/doing stuff in public thing/esp indoors and people misgender me/mispronounce my name constantly and honestly sometimes you just want to do ceramics and not fight with people. it also just didn't feel winnable)

I feel like there's so many things like that that people just disregard as a risk that don't need to be, but as a society (US at least), we just never wanted to have that conversation (it was at best, begrudging, at the height of government awareness of covid and now it's completely gone by the wayside). At this point people either respond negatively or aggressively to any suggestion of it.

But like we've all had that one art teacher/professor who was a little bit off b/c they'd just been inhaling toxic paint fumes their whole career and it was always written off as just a quirk/part of the job (maybe things are better now? new art students feel free to chime in) and not something that could have been mitigated.

idk, it just makes me sad that we never got to even have the conversation about how so many jobs/hobbies should use more personal safety equipment than they do (either b/c people feel inconvenienced by it or don't know).

(tangent but i remain appalled at how many people i see riding bikes/etc around here that don't wear helmets! it's fucking wild to me, like we had the "wear a helmet or your head will be shattered like an egg" demonstrations as early as elementary school in massachusetts. Like it's just silly not to, and yet so many people in cali are like "a helmet? i don't know her". Also adults will agree that children should, but they shouldnt?!? wear a helmet for biking/skating/etc is the hill i will die on, esp on pavement)

[f1yogurt]

Travel guide for the US GP in Austin, TX

Going to the race in ATX and have some downtime during the weekend? Here are some tips from a local about how to enjoy the city on a budget.

So I thought it would be fun to spend a bit of time putting together a brief guide about low cost options of what to do in Austin if you have extra time over the weekend to spend in the city. Even if you're not going to the race, this is just a general guide to Austin so feel free to save this if you plan to travel here in the future.

My goal is to not recommend most of the generic things from travel sites and instead explain my favorite hotspots. I tried to include low cost things that don’t really require any preparation or reservations.

Please ask me you have more questions about places in ATX, I love answering.

General tips

Avoid driving as much as you possibly can. Traffic here is insane. Public transportation in the city is lacking, so plan to spend extra time traveling. I recommend taking the busses. Yes there are also Lime scooters and bikes that you can ride.

Most restaurants offer live music in the evenings and I would recommend staying if you want to enjoy a bit of the city’s classic charm.

Rainey Street (an area with bars and food trucks) is amazing but if you choose to go, I do warn you that it might be really busy. Same with South Congress.

Parking is a nightmare so prepare for that. Again I recommend taking the bus (or Uber if it fits your budget). Download the CapMetro app on your phone.

Don’t go to Zilker Park unless you’re going for Austin City Limits. The festival is happening all weekend at the park and you need tickets.

Try out as many food trucks as possible. Almost all of them are delicious. They offer BBQ, tacos, Tex-Mex, a huge variety of international dishes, desserts, ice cream, etc.

Touristy things that are worth it (in my opinion)

Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail - perfect for the outdoors. Fun fact: Bottas went on a bike ride on some trails here during last year’s race, I bet he’ll do it again.

Barton Springs Pool - may be a bit chilly depending on the weather but worth it

SoCo (South Congress) - essentially a strip of shops, restaurants, etc. that are the heart of Austin

Swap the Mount Bonnell hike for the 360 Pennybacker Bridge outlook. Better views.

– Must Do’s –

6th Street - If you love nightlife or want to go clubbing or bar hopping, this is the place to be. I don’t have any specific recommendations because I guarantee you’ll end up having a great time. 

Reminder: Drinking age is 21 here and every bar does check your ID so don’t think you can slip past if you’re not 21+.

Coffee shops and cafes - Similar to the 6th Street advice, you can’t go wrong with any coffee shop here, I promise. But a few of my favorites are:

Hank’s - boho aesthetic, lots of space indoors, also has good food

Easy Tiger - this place is a cafe, bakery, bar, and beer garden all in one

Mozart’s Coffee Roasters - Service isn’t always the best, but you make up for that with the incredible lake view. Worth it. They also offer live music in the evenings.

Cafe Medici - vibes and good drinks, you’ll also probably find lots of students here studying and enjoying a break from classes

Lucky Lab Cafe - There’s a location that’s by the university with an outdoor patio. If the day isn’t too hot, it’s nice to sit outside.

Austin City Limits - If you can find last minute tickets for a day, then I highly recommend it! The festival goes on the entire weekend so you can pick the day(s) you go.

Outdoor favorites. Be active. Take pictures. Enjoy life.

360 Bridge outlook - perfect photo spot, gorgeous view of the lake, preferably at sunrise or sunset

The Oasis - restaurant with the best views, about a 40 minute drive from downtown Austin

Nature Trails - Barton Creek greenbelt, Mount Bonnell (short hike with a view of Lake Austin), Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail (view of downtown Austin skyline)

Rowing Dock - offers paddleboard rentals if you want to glide down Lady Bird Lake see the downtown city skyline from the water

Lake Austin, Lake Travis, Lady Bird Lake

Eat food in beautiful places. Food here consists of mainly tacos, BBQ, and Tex-Mex. Enjoy it.

The County Line - great BBQ with a bonus of being by the lake

But stay away from BBQ places downtown like La Barbecue and Franklin’s which have long wait times.

The Oasis - Expensive/mediocre food, but gorgeous view of the lake at sunset

The Hula Hut - Tex-Mex and a bit of everything on the menu, by the lake. It’s super crowded but they have a bar area outside where you can seat yourself without waiting.

Chuy’s - the best Tex-Mex you’ll ever eat

Torchy’s Tacos - some of the best tacos in Austin

Jet ski or rent a boat on Lake Travis - if you love the water, head down to 360 bridge boat ramp and ask about rentals. This is the one thing that might require prior preparation, but I highly recommend it if you're able.

Mansfield Dam Park - great lake views, areas to hike and swim even if you don't have a boat. 45 minutes from downtown. $5 cash entrance fee per person.

There are so many more as well. Austin is a great city and you can't go wrong with any activity that you do.

[evolvingstatesofmind]

hey! regarding your ask, anything really! Dallas is still a few chapters away so im not 100% sure what im gonna focus on yet, but im mostly looking for general vibes, scenery, how are the citizens there (polite? rude? indifferent?) food, things to do, and tourist traps lol. also, is the city walkable? hows traffic?

thanks!

For vibe I mean Dallas is in the culturally South part of the state, so Southern hospitality is a major thing here. Most people are nice and helpful if you are back. Dallas is more liberal than most places, but less so than Austin or San Antonio.

You’ll probably be interested in Deep Ellum, our major cultural neighborhood. https://www.deepellumtexas.com/explore/

It’s walkable, unlike the rest of the city. Smaller concert venues like the Factory (formerly the Bomb Factory) than our major AT&T Stadium in the arts district proper. Deep Ellum has a lot of Brew pubs, quirky shops, and awesome murals. There’s plenty of pics on instagram of greet spots for pics. Safe to walk around in daylight, less so at night but what city isn’t. Twisted Root is always a major favorite restaurant that celebs stop at. It’s a burger joint know for burgers with different meats (like kangaroo) and assigning customers celebrity names for their food orders. Louie Louie is a popular piano bar with dueling pianos that is always packed.

In regards to transport outside of Deep Ellum, I recommend driving. Lots of people use Uber/Lyft, if not their own cars, but there is also the DART (train) and bikes/scooters for rent. Scooter tours of the city are popular.

You do NOT want to spend extended time outside in August in direct sun, as temps can regularly reach upper 90s and Texas sun is no joke. Near Deep Ellum is the Dallas Farmers Market. It’s a complex of smaller shops, an indoor dinning building with small stall restaurants in the shape of a large tin sided barn. Out front of that is the Shed, a very large covered pavilion that houses the vendor stalls. There’s anything from the traditional farm spread, to various small business selling lotion, vintage tees, art, etc.

People might want you to mention JFK. The Sixth Floor museum is boring as hell. There is an X in the middle of the road where Kennedy was shot. I always see Tourists try and take pics of it or try to stand on it. Which is the Stupidest Thing, since the street is still a major roadway is a congested city.

Also we have this in the arts district. Terrifying at night all lit up. Perot museum nearby has a T-Rex in the window visible from highway.

Klyde Warren Park is a park over a highway in the arts district. Good food trucks.

Reunion Tower, the building with the ball on top that you see in Dallas skyline, has a restaurant on top that rotates 360 degrees. Might be a good dinner date setting.

Fort Worth is also part of the metroplex with the Stockyards for shopping. Most tourists get a Stetson or some boots as their Texas souvenir.

Let me know if you need more.

[lord-jen-grey]

I would love to read your take on ‘Jamie through the stones’. What if Jamie travelled with Clare just before Culloden? What do you see happening?

Jamie would have some technology to deal with but not as much as people might think. One in 4 people still had an outdoor/shared toilet in the 1970s. We had an indoor toilet but we didn’t have a bath! When we were small we were bathed in the kitchen sink. Many houses/properties in Scotland needed to be renovated and that was a gradual and expensive process for homeowners.

We also didn’t have a washing machine (twin tub) until the late 70s. My mum, granny and Aunties used the Wash House (called the Wash Hoose where I lived). It was a social event. They went once a week. Did their washing and had a blether (a gossip).

We did have a black and white television in the 60s but we didn’t get a coloured telly until the mid 70s. Radio was still king! We did have a gramophone, then a record player.

People in offices and shops etc. still used handwritten records/accounts. Bigger companies had typewriters and a mainframe computer that took up a whole room but many small and medium businesses still did things the old fashioned way.

Trams, buses and train journeys were commonplace. We walked for the most part. A lot of people didn’t have a car. As prices of items came down they became more affordable and more widespread but often the wealthy were the first ones to have expensive items and the filtering down through the social classes took decades.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22214728

Oh gosh! I love this insight. Thank you for sharing!

As far as my take on Jamie through the stones: I think Jamie is a lot like Claire in that he is incredibly adaptable. Whether he was going through the stones to the 60's, 70's, or in the 2000's, I see him as practical, smart, and capable of figuring crap out quickly.

I've thought of writing a Jamie through the stones in the 1940s fic. I imagine him riding a motorcycle in a bomber jacket, getting into a few bar fights, defending some random broad's honor, and finding peace and solace in the countryside whenever he can.

I can see him being enthralled with technology, particularly transportation and communication. He could easily be in finance, architecture, academia, agriculture, publishing. Literally anything.

My fave Jamie through the stones fic to read is The Last All Clear. I love him protecting Claire and loving her before she even knew who he was.

If I were to write something, it would be from Claire's perspective, meeting this timeless man and falling head over heels for him. I don't think Frank would be a part of the story at all. Maybe Jamie being stuck in Scotland and Claire touring the countryside, meeting him, and falling in love. You all know my favorite thing in the world is Jamie and Claire together in the Highlands, making love and sleeping outdoors. Instead of a horse, they ride around on his bike. Perhaps she discovers the truth before he tells her. IDK.

That's the thing about Jamie and Claire for me...their surroundings hardly matter. They're people who can cope and deal with whatever life throws at them as long as they're together. The story for me is about what is between them more so than what is around them.

Ok, I need to stop thinking about this before I actually start writing it. I don't want to neglect my other stories! I need to finish a couple first!

Thanks for the food for thought and your insights into the time!

[pokemoneverlastingorchard]

Download 3/30/24

Link to the blog page that has the download

Looking through the "progress report" I do realize that I might have missed some very small things. (I just have to check.) I might just add those things to my list of things I have to test out later. (I'm very tired right now.)

Gyms:

+Tested the remaining three gyms and their leaders and fixed anything that needed to be fixed.

+Tested most of everything that either requires a certain badge (that isn't available yet) or that requires eight badges. For one of the major things I'd need to pop the new candidate's dialogue in for, and I'm not going to do that until I'm absolutely sure that I've done everything else.

-Made the Larenta Gym a maze, (like it was before,) but the puzzle is still the same otherwise.

-I oversimplified the fucking gym challenge in the Tellus gym. Fuck RPG Maker XP's inability to let me do anything creative that doesn't require 100 switches. This is why all of the gyms are so fucking bland.

Pokemon:

-Made Cubone a common Pokemon in Route 2 (the part directly under Tellus) that can have rare chance at getting a Rare Bone. For reasons. I also switched the "Lightning Rod" ability to "Hyper Cutter" since Lightning Rod would mostly be useful for double battles, and there's not a whole lot of those in this game. (I did the same for Marowak.)

Possible glitches and oversight fixes:

-I don't know if this was a problem for everybody since nobody reported this as being a problem, but I couldn't enter Communa Village with those cuttable trees there so I had to remove them. I can enter it now at least. (Those trees weren't really needed anyway.)

Misc:

-For some reason Pokemon Essentials tend to randomize what properties each map gets (outdoor/indoor, bike rideable, etc.) instead of having a default. So I went down the list of each and every map and changing them to be indoor/outdoor and bike ridable.

-I got annoyed at my past self for not having the hours of every public building in Pomona listed, so I added those to the signs.

-Changed the look of some maps for one reason or another. They are minor and will almost definitely not effect your game, but just in case you should make sure that you're not saved in

Route 3 (Either part.)

The south part of Fulgora city.

Larenta's Gym

Before downloading this version.

[activefitnessstoreblog]

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[sunmarketing]

Best of Vermont

Welcome to Dr. Mary Travelbest:

In this episode: FAQ is how to deal with trouble in the streets when you are on the road:   Destination is Vermont, and who doesn’t like fall colors? The mistake and lessons learned is about poison ivy and the travel tip is about blood clots while traveling, especially on long plane trips.

  FAQ If I run into “trouble” like a strike, police in the streets, angry shouting mobs, what should I do?

My advice is to steer clear of this type of trouble. You are not geared for this as a traveler, so stay out of it. There is going to be unrest somewhere you go, sometime, but if you expect any trouble, get as far away as you can, quickly. 

As an outsider, you’re not prepared to deal with the cause or the results. Stay away and be safe. This summer, while traveling in Minnesota, I purposefully went away from the areas where there was civil unrest in the area around Minneapolis. I would recommend the same for you. You want to stay aware of this by listening to local radio and reading about the news in the area. Overall, be prepared for unexpected delays and have a plan so you can be safe.

  Today’s Destination- Vermont

  https://www.vermontvacation.com/

Air travel is more expensive and less convenient, with smaller airports and fewer direct flights. No McDonalds or Burger Kings here. The Green Mountain National Forest in the southern part of the state has some wonderful hiking.

It’s a state that is between New York and New Hampshire, and to the North is Canada. To the south is Massachusetts. During Corona Virus, there may be some restrictions on your travel in the region, so our show notes will have websites where you can check the latest on this. 

https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel

They do have the University of Vermont, in Burlington is rated one of the best college towns in the country. No public transportation, you need a car.

Life is mellow. In winter, shorter days and home cooking indoors. In summer longer nights and fireflies. Hobbies. People are older.

Work remotely from NYC.

251 cities and towns in 11 different regions. Skiing in winter, fall colors, bike in summer, hike in spring. 

https://www.foliage-vermont.com/

Killington, Manchester, Stratton Mountain Resort, Lake Champlain Valley, Stowe, Bed and Breakfasts, Vermont Inns, short distance to Boston, Montreal, etc. The fall colors is a great time of year to visit.

  Today’s Mistake- Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is a mistake and I’ve finally learned my lesson. I got it bad. I was hiking in a National Forest in the middle of a sunny day in the summer. Little did I know that I had the oils on my hands and was spreading that all over my body. 

  Poison ivy rash is a type of allergic contact dermatitis caused by an oily resin called urushiol. It's found in the leaves, stems and roots of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. This resin is very sticky, so it easily attaches to your skin, clothing, tools, equipment and pet's fur.

  48 hours later, my neck was full of red clusters, and I thought it was a heat rash. By the next morning, I had some terrible rashes all over my chest and back. So that was a big mistake. Further, I think that I had an allergic reaction that was not something good for me.

The next time I went hiking, I wore long sleeves, long pants, tucked in my pants and made certain not to touch anything that looked like poison ivy or other plant on the BAD list. 

Today’s Travel Advice-Avoid Blood Clots

  If you have or think you may have blood clots, you should see your doctor for advice. Here are some other things that are good, even if you don’t have blood clots. Get up and walk around often when you travel. On a plane, you can be sure to stretch your muscles, get up and walk around every few hours, and hydrate. Some people say you can wear special socks. 

https://www.hematology.org/education/patients/blood-clots/travel

https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2019/02/27/how-avoid-blood-clots-when-flying-advice-vascular-surgeon

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[boondockerblog]

Day 49 Cabeza Prieta

Morning

Same spot, not the same Internet signal. Knowing there was no way there'd be enough here for a client facilitation I called the library in town to be sure there was a place for me. No answer multiple times. The town is very small, but still. I called the school. No answer. I called the coffee shop. No answer. Weird. I had no choice but to drive (this is the closest to a town we've ever made camp in a desert so at least it wasn't far.

There's the typical small town square and lots of people were walking. The tables at the coffee shop were all full and then I pulled up to the storefront library. No lights. Not open. I went to the coffee shop (on the way noticed no lights at the realtor or the art gallery, weird) and there a sign on the door - Closed Until the Power Goes Back On. Small town so no power, no internet, no water. Everyone was out because nothing indoors worked. Sad that it takes this to drag people away from their phones, tvs and computers.

Last ditch attempt I hoped the small hotel had a generator and satellite internet. Nope. They answered the phone, but no power. The internet on my phone was slightly better here than in the Preserve so I hoped. After 30 minutes trying to get the site to open on my computer using my phone as a hotspot I had to give up. With 2 minutes until start time I emailed the group to tell them the super unlikely turn if events and that I would try to get in in the platform app. Viola - I was in. But a frustrating experience of freezing, not hearing people, etc. This is the first time, with the best of planning, that even muscling through it came up with poor results.

Afternoon

An afternoon hike nettled us this view, which we love to see each time we come back.

6pm

We were just starting to cook and the woman from Day 47 (the one Bill doesn't like 😁) was calling out. We went out and she said she had been riding her bicycle all over looking for their dog. They'd been biking the paths and their dog was trotting along until she bolted off the path into the brush, cactus, etc.🐈‍⬛She's older and deaf so they can't just call her. She's a boondocking dog so she'd always come back if she'd wandered, but now that she's deaf, and it's getting dark soon they were concerned. After she left Bill said we need to take the car and go look for her. So off we went stopping (in a 2 - 3 mi radius of where she took off) at 6 or 7 places people had made camp to tell them to be in the lookout. A couple had already heard and jne had been out looking. After it was pitch black we finally came home, made dinner and ate in mostly silence. The silence was punctuated every so often with how bad we felt, how scared the dog must be, how Maddie would feel (and not talking about coyotes and cold in the desert).

About 9pm the phone rang and it was a man we'd asked to keep an eye out about 2 mi away. He had gone to town to take a shower and in his way back had seen a dog standing in the road - deer in the headights style - was sure it must be her and she got in his truck. Bill had given the people we talked to his number and the man had called. We were so excited! Ran to the car and drove down the hill to where the dog's owners were camped. Jumped out of the car and the people, seeing people, had run to the path. We said that the dog was found and the woman (again, remember, she's the one Bill didn't like) threw herself at me hugging me. We all jumped in the cars and drove to meet the man with the dog. I am holding back tears as I type this. The dog was so scared her owner had to pull her out of the man's truck. We all talked excitedly about the events of the evening, how we'd all been feeling, etc. Again the woman hugged me, and, Bill, and the man who found her. What a night!

Moral of the story - even cranky people (crabby, impatient, opinionated) love their dogs and get scared.

Lesson - if Maddie ever loses her hearing we're keeping her on a leash!

Reinforcement - yet another reason we love boondocking. People are not within sight if each other, for the most part, and are always willing to help. It's a community. People come and go but they share a passion - love of outdoors, challenges, physical work.

[awesomeblog-92]

Air Quality Sensor Automatic environment-based

Winix 5300 vs 5500 Really, it depends on how you describe a "fart odor." For instance, my son thinks that someone is grilling chicken even though I swear the gas smells like rotten bananas when he sometimes pulls off his thruster. the ambiguous! I do wish that my car had an inverter so that I could take the 5300 with me when I bike. I swear I'll seriously consider an inverter the next time his thruster goes off and the car starts to smell like fried chicken instead of decaying bananas. The majority of people are unaware that negative ions considerably increase Ozone generation beyond even that of outdoor showers. Ozone, or the negative ions produced by air purifiers, is particularly harmful to people who have respiratory issues, starting with asthma and all other serious ailments, according to key research conducted by the NIH. Utilized in a confined, indoor setting, levels may significantly increase and exacerbate respiratory problems! The Winix 5300 and 5500 Even the sale of ozone-generating purifiers is forbidden in California! Avoid being misled by trendy terms like "plasmawave," etc. Be cautious that ozone won't be mentioned in many air purifiers. You will always notice the production of "negative ions," which produce ozone. Since I discovered that many air purifiers allow the negative ion, plasmawave, feature to be disabled or bypassed, I never use it on my Winix 5300. Some air purifiers feature a negative ion component that you can set to turn off and leave on for two to three hours so you can simply ventilate the area to remove the ozone before returning to a closed environment. However, not many purifiers allow you to accomplish this! In general, the Winix functions well, but respiratory patients beware! A true-HEPA filter, which captures 99.97% of all airborne pollutants, captures dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens as small as 0.3 microns. In a three-stage cleaning procedure, allergens such as dust, cigarette smoke, pollen, odors, pet dander, mold spores, and organic compounds are eliminated. 35.31, 70.63, 91.82, 123.60, and 240.14 CFM for sleep, low, medium, high, and turbo, respectively. PlasmaWave acts as a permanent filter to safely eliminate odors, allergens, chemical vapors, and other impurities without the use of hazardous ozone. a 236 CFM airflow at a 27.8 decibel volume. The Smart Sensor monitors the air, and our Auto Mode adjusts the fan to filter it as necessary. The fan has a sleep mode for quiet operation at night. By fighting contaminants at the molecular level, PlasmaWave Technology can neutralize viruses, bacteria, chemical vapours, odors, and gases in the air. Air Quality Sensor Automatic environment-based modifications to your air cleaner's settings offer Set-and-forget convenience. The CADR room size rating of 360 square feet is suitable for living rooms and bedrooms. Citations: ABS 17. 5 pounds in weight. Size: 14.9′′L x 7.8′′W x 23.6′′H Granulated activated carbon is used in the washable AOC Carbon Filter, which has a volume of 27.8 dB. There are no other filters on the item. CADR rating for a room of 360 square feet. Ideal for medium to big areas, including kid's bedrooms, family rooms, and kitchens. Air quality is monitored by Smart Sensors, and Auto Mode adjusts the fan to filter the air as needed. Silent functioning is possible at night thanks to sleep mode.

[rockethorse]

When artistic visionary Ann Ghelld passed away, she bequeathed her beloved townhouse to the city as affordable housing for fellow creative types... on one stipulation; that nobody touched its eccentric and wildly impractical layout. While this final request has caused its share of architectural headaches, nonetheless, the Ann Ghelld Building survives in the heart of Sim City’s basket weaving district. Upon crossing its unusual threshold you might grab a coffee from Cafe Urele, pick up a bouquet or snacks from LlaMart Convenience, or simply catch the elevator up to any of its three apartments.

I love watching LilSimsie’s videos, even though we play different editions, and I particularly enjoy her shell challenges - where she uploads empty exterior walls and others have to make a lot out of it. I especially liked this one, referred to lovingly by LilSimsie & her followers as the “Big Mistake Shell Challenge” - because all the exterior walls are 100% diagonal.

This is just as difficult to work around in TS4 as it is in TS2, so I wanted to join in the torture! The (wonky) red lines mark the untouchable shell. I ended up really happy with the results, so I’m sharing this fully-furnished, cleaned, play-tested, CC-free apartment building in the hopes you’ll enjoy it too.

Important info, more pics & download link below!

🚨 PLEASE LOAD THIS LOT BEFORE MOVING SIMS IN 🚨

When you move Sims into an apartment, it’s difficult to safely alter anything outside, so please make sure to check that everything is as it should be before you move Sims in.

You do not need CC or mods to play this lot. However, it was made with a few common mods in mind, and if you don’t want to use them, please tweak the lot before playing:

Rugs have been placed off-grid. Either make sure you have Rugs Off The Grid, or delete/move rugs to avoid graphical glitches as seen in these previews.

If you don’t have Water Inaccessible Flowers and Trim Inaccessible Bushes then you may need to move/delete some landscaping and/or fences.

The ground floor was designed for use with Apartments & Shopping On The Same Lot. If you don’t use this mod, nothing bad will happen, but the bottom floor will not sell anything except via the vending machines & electronics kiosk. You can replace the convenience store with a common area such as an indoor pool, computer room, etc, or even another apartment; I honestly recommend leaving the cafe as-is, because your playable Sims can still work there as a barista.

There is no CC in this lot, but there are some deco "accessory” items not normally accessible by players (e.g. a saucepan). If you delete these you may not be able to replace them. Similarly, some items were placed with Shiftable Everything. If you delete some items you may not be able to replace them in the same positions without this mod.

A corner counter in the top apartment may not corner properly when the lot is placed. This can be fixed with moveobjects. Although it clips, it is considered within the apartment, so you can put objects on it without apartment cheats.

If you don’t use Shiftable Trash Chutes, your chutes may appear glitched (see below). This is harmless and can be fixed simply by replacing the chute. Note: the chute on the second floor was originally placed with the cheat setquartertileplacement on.

If you play with CC, then I also have some suggestions for where it might improve this lot:

The expensive computer in the cafe (I hate that hideous thing) would be much better as a laptop.

The flower plots on the rooftop would also make a great produce garden with Honeywell’s placeable garden plots.

You can replace a corkboard in the lobby with a jobs board.

The signs for Cafe Urele might look nicer with a recolour or swapped out for a cute sandwich board.

The bike racks by the basketball court look a bit bare without some deco bikes.

The bare brick wall at the back of the building is prime real estate for some graffiti.

The busker’s guitar out the front will look a little more appropriate with an invisible amp recolour and maybe a decorative case.

If you find all the lights overpowering, don’t forget to turn some off.

And of course, don’t forget to add fences, hedges, etc. that will make this lot blend in better with the surrounding lots in your hood.

The first apartment has two separate bedrooms; Currently, it’s furnished as though occupied by two unrelated roommates - one sewist and one musician - but it could also work for a parent and a child. It has this kitchenette common area as well as a small balcony.

The second apartment is the most “luxury”. It’s a cozy open-plan studio with a double bed, a small but quality kitchen, and its own balcony. This is ideal for a D.I.N.K couple or perhaps a single Romance Sim.

The top apartment is the smallest and cheapest, barely fitting a kitchenette and single bed, but there’s space to move out on the building’s largest balcony. Perfect for an artsy single Sim working or studying in the big city. (The little reading nook bumpout is my favourite detail.)

All bathrooms are more or less identical, with a toilet, basin, medicine cabinet, trash can, and shower. The second floor studio has a shower/bath combo.

I wanted the lot to have free skilling opportunities, so all residents have access to the rooftop garden and free use of the crafting station & chess set there. There’s also a bookcase in the cafe, a guitar on the street for busking, an outdoor gym, and a basketball hoop.

Sims should be able to access everything (except the flowers/hedges - see above) without routing errors, though of course, with such an “interesting” layout, your Sims might get a bit cramped and fussy. The only issue I ran into is that there’s nowhere on the second floor for the newspaper to be delivered, so it often glitches into the apartment on the left, regardless of which apartment you live in. You can retrieve the paper in buy mode without cheats. This is not an issue on the top floor.

Thank you so much for reading! I don’t remember the last time I shared a lot for download; if you do end up playing it, I’d love to hear how it went.

Download Ann Gheld Building [CC Free]

[naamahdarling]

I need to walk for health because I'm not loving how I feel, but I over-exercised as part of my ED so exercise triggers my ED thoughts (including suicidal ideation) and the risk of relapsing is Real. Searching for a solution that won't push me into relapsing OR turbo-charge my dysphoria OR enrage me has been upsetting in a way I don't know if anyone who has not had an ED can understand. If you know, you know.

So I finally thought about the zoo, and it was such a great idea. It's perfect. So I went and got a zoo membership two days ago so I can just go whenever and I probably should not have spent the money but boyfriend made really good tips this week and offered to cover it, and it occurred to me this one thing does ALL of the following for one (1) entire year:

I can access a very walkable space.

Place to go when I am restless but can't afford to go back home for a while.

Not a gym.

My hearing-impaired ass will be safe from car traffic.

No dogs.

No people on bikes that I can't hear.

Not jostling for space with joggers/bikers/etc. on those overly narrow public park trails and sidewalks, which makes me hate my body even more.

It's very very safe. No harassment, no crime.

Very few other people visibly exercising.

Less people Looking At Me (they are mostly busy Looking At animals).

Lots of bugs.

Many plants.

Things to touch.

People-watching.

Place to draw many things! <- Main appeal.

Non-zookeeper staff there is mostly queer! And when they learn you are queer they tell you which animals are gay.

It's the penguins. They have gay penguins.

Sneps.

Stared at by tigers -- all the intensity of being about to die with none of the fear!

Smells smells smells! Stinky smells, good smells, food smells, flower smells, lots of animal smells.

Lots of personal space. Hand sanitizer everywhere.

No music outdoors.

Train?! Train!

Petting zoo.

Will acclimate me to weather and sun over time.

Free! Ish.

I can go and just take short trips if I want.

Picnic area.

Access to attached huge nature park and educational/rec center.

Can bring a friend.

Cheap admission to many other zoos and aquariums.

I have raging ADHD and don't have the dopamine to spare on exercise for exercise's sake. Some of you will know what I mean, will understand that this is. Just. A terrible hurdle.

Downsides:

Sunscreen. Blech! (Lotion is heavy and hurts to apply and remove but spray works.)

Long drive, I live across town. (Can't change that but I can get up earlier.)

Lots of glass and I hate reflective surfaces. (A Challenge, but I can hopefully cope.)

It is hot outside a lot (but that's true of anywhere not indoors, and there's tons of shade and benches and indoor areas).

That's it. Those are the downsides.

Our zoo is good. It used to be really bad when I was little but over the last 20 years it has been revamping everything, the new enclosures are gorgeous and enriching. It isn't depressing to be there. It's nice.

We went today and had a great time. It felt way better not trying to see everything in one go, and I'm not tired or sore. I just feel good.

I just...wanted to talk about this. How hopeful I am today, to have not just solved a problem but maybe snatched a little happiness for myself for a while. To potentially make any further headway on an ED at this point, 15 years or so out, is pretty remarkable. There's pitfalls to watch for but this is so much better than anything else I've considered.

Maybe I will get bored of the zoo. I don't know! But I think that will take a while.

Look at this bad picture of three snep siblings lolling like housecats:

Not gonna get bored of those mighty beans.

[longbobmckenzie]

I generally don’t have a lot of headcanons (at least not unless I’m asked about specific things), but I woke up thinking about Henrik this morning and figured I'd write out my thoughts.

For more, check out my NSFW headcanons!

General

He has older brothers. There are no siblings mentioned in the game (only cousins), but in my fics, I’ve given him 2 older brothers. He grew up chasing after them and developed a love for adventure and the outdoors (and together they were a handful)

I didn’t give him any sisters, but I definitely think a case could be made for him having at least 1 older sister. Either way, he 100% has/had strong female influences in his life – his mother, a grandmother, maybe a childhood friend

He’s a minimalist, but not consciously. He just doesn’t see the need for all that stuff, and his décor style is simple and basic (but not bland – he likes colour and patterns)

That said, he does have a lot of plants! If he has a house, then he definitely has an outdoor garden (with a few indoor plants to brighten up the place), but if he’s living in a flat, there are potted plants (especially herbs!) everywhere

I know a lot of people think he’s vegetarian (and I get it), but it’s canon that one of his favourite foods is scotch eggs. I’m inclined to believe that he mostly eats a plant-based diet (organic where possible), but he will eat meat on occasion (and lots of eggs)

When he does eat meat, he prefers local, grass-fed options if he’s buying it himself. But if he’s a guest somewhere, he’s not going to question the source

To nobody’s surprise, he lives a fairly eco-friendly lifestyle, although most of it is just in his nature rather than conscious decision. He just prefers an active lifestyle so will automatically choose walking/biking over driving. Depending where he lives, there’s a good chance he doesn’t even own a car. He always recycles if he can and doesn’t like buying things with lots of plastic packaging

His hair. He’s a pretty low maintenance guy, except when it comes to his hair. He’s proud of his luscious locks, and he does what he can to take care of it. It’s canon that he uses a hair tonic (which gives him his signature lavender scent), and I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets regular trims (probably from his mom or a friend, maybe even himself – I don’t think he would go to a salon or barber shop for it). He also mentioned washing with natural water, although I don’t know exactly what that means since I don’t know anything about Sweden’s or England’s water systems and don’t know where he’d be getting natural water from. Swimming in lakes/ponds? Absolutely, if they’re accessible, but most likely that’s not something he could rely on for regular washings. As far as other hair care products, I think he wouldn’t just use anything, but would find something natural that works for him (he probably asked someone he trusted for advice on what to use)

Which leads us to…

Relationship/Romance

Still on the hair topic, he loves it when his partner plays with his hair. It’s one of the main reasons he takes such good care of it – so that it’s a pleasant experience for both of them

He especially likes having his scalp lightly scratched with his partner’s fingernails and having his hair braided (the more intricate the better, and he’ll keep it in to show it off)

As others have suggested before me, he’s most likely pansexual. He values emotional connection above all else

He needs his personal space every once in a while and will go on solo hikes/climbs to get away from it all, but he also loves it when his partner wants to come along. He loves sharing his personal interests, and in turn shows interest in what his partner likes doing

When he is around his partner, there are a lot of little touches. Holding hands, his hand on the small of their back even if he’s just walking by, spontaneous hugs/cuddles, etc. It’s an easy way for him to show his feelings, and he appreciates the same attention back

He’s not one to keep track of special dates and anniversaries, so he might forget to get a gift or plan an activity. But he likes picking up little tokens of his affection throughout the year and just doesn’t see a need for giving presents on specific days. If he does remember that something’s coming up, he’d rather just plan a special outing

On a similar note, I think he enjoys doing little things for his partner and appreciates when they do things for him

Those last 4 points represented 4 of the 5 love languages (quality time, physical touch, gift giving, acts of service). I really just think he appreciates any expression of affection, both giving and receiving, and it’s not something he thinks about.

That said, I was struggling to figure out which love language would be his primary one since you could easily make a case for all of them, and once I asked myself which one he’d miss the most if it was withheld from him, what stuck out most was words of affirmation. He’s very straightforward and open with his feelings, and I think he would need that verbal assurance from his partner as well. Part of that is because he also uses those other languages to show his affection to his friends and family, so he likes the distinction that he gets from words, and he trusts that they’re as heartfelt as his own