#coach zucchini

[yourlocaltoad]

Been doodling on Magma recently with @phoandori and @clowny-bitch-lamb Here's my half of the doodles with some gay propaganda sprinkled in

[your-fav-is-divorced]

Flippy doggenbottom and coach zucchini from Toontown. Again.

toontown streak: 3

Flippy and Coach Zucchini from ToonTown are Divorced!

[aliciameade]

Darkness at Dawn - Ch. 1

Title: Darkness at Dawn Author: aliciameade Rating: M/E Pairing: Stephanie Smothers/Emily Nelson Summary: Even Bonnie & Clyde met their fate eventually.

Set five years after "Baby."

Also on AO3

“Smooch, honey, can you get the door?”

“Bro, stop calling me that!”

“Letting him answer the door unsupervised? What if it’s a stranger here to abduct him?” Emily whispers in her ear conspiratorially. She pitches her voice toward the living room where their messy-haired pre-teen sons have been playing Fortnite for the past hour. “Connor, she’ll stop calling you ‘Smooch’ if you stop calling us ‘bro’!”

They’re making dinner—well, Stephanie is making dinner; Emily is observing over a shared martini. “He’s twelve and we know everyone in this village. It’s probably just Helen dropping off tomatoes from her garden. She mentioned she’d be stopping by soon.”

Her response surprises even herself. She’s spent the better part of the past six years working on her anxiety and propensity to helicopter-parent her children. Life is slow in Santorini. Stephanie—Alyson Reid, as the town knows her—is the proud owner of the bakery she began working part-time after she got a new identity and flew halfway around the world from Connecticut to start a new life in Greece.

After she killed her wife’s troubled, secret twin sister and set up Emily’s then-husband Sean for the murder of his wife. It had been surprisingly easy—the framing, not the killing. She’d sown a few seeds of suspicion with the detective working the case. Emily confided that he had been cheating. Emily asked for a divorce. Sean had a dark side, and Emily was afraid of him. So afraid that Emily had signed over her assets to her best friend Stephanie Smothers to ensure her son Nicky would be taken care of should anything ever happen to her. A pillar of Warfield, Stephanie’s testimony at Sean’s trial was the final nail in their old lives’ coffins.

She and Emily just celebrated their third wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. They’d gotten married on the coast of the island of Lesbos, an idea Emily had come up with over a second bottle of wine that had made herself laugh so much that Stephanie had no choice but to agree. They’d sailed there as a family, something they were both proud of being able to do on their own. They took their vows at sunset, the only guests were their sons and two people Emily had bribed with a hundred Euros each to be their witnesses, and they’d found the officiant by asking around.

After their honeymoon in Portugal, Stephanie changed the name on her passport for the third time in her life: first from her maiden name to Stephanie Smothers, to Alyson Barrett, and finally to Alyson Reid, Dillon Reid’s new wife. Dillon Reid, formerly known as Emily Nelson, formerly known as Claudia, formerly known as Hope McLanden. Brothers Connor and Devon Reid, formerly known as Miles Smothers and Nicky Townsend.

They’ve lived a dozen lives.

The boys don’t remember much about their past, and they’ve forgotten their old names. Stephanie still calls her son ‘Smooch’ because that’s never had to change. She didn’t have to abandon Smooch.

She and Emily tend to stick to pet names most of the time as well; it’s easier that way. More natural, at least when they’re around other people.

Behind closed doors, in the privacy of their home, away from even their children, an old name might slip out now and then, especially during a thoughtless moment brought on by passion.

Though Emily’s rarely called her anything more than ‘Baby’ since the day they met.

“Proud of you for taking off the training wheels.” She feels Emily’s hand catch her chin and turn her face to kiss her soundly despite Stephanie actively chopping a zucchini.

She smiles into the kiss and it makes the part of her still a bit tender from their morning start to ache. “What time’s your game tomorrow?” she asks when they part.

Dillon Reid is the head coach of the secondary school’s boys’ soccer—football—team. She’s always been good at getting men of all ages to do what she says. 

“9:30, so I’ll probably be gone before you’re awake. Warm-up’s at 8:00.”

Tomorrow is Saturday and Stephanie’s only day off from the bakery. Thankfully, as the boss, she doesn’t have to be there before dawn like her employees need to be to bake off the day’s inventory, but she makes a point to be on-site almost every day. She loves her team and she loves her customers, and she’s gotten pretty darn good at speaking Greek with the immersion in the culture.

“Okay, we’ll meet you there. Wanna go to Apollo’s afterward for lunch?”

Emily groans. “That place is such a tourist trap. I don’t know why you love it so much.”

“Because it’s the only place on this island that knows how to make an American cheeseburger. Pleeeeease?” she pouts, knowing she’ll get her way.

“Fine,” Emily says with an eye roll. “I’m getting onion rings.”

“Uh, Mom?” Connor’s voice is strained as it floats through the living room to the kitchen and Stephanie drops the knife onto the cutting board. “Mom!”

“What? What is it?” she says, rushing into the other room. She hears Emily follow and before she’s finished processing the two men wearing dark suits standing in their doorway, her son looking back at her, eyes wide, Emily’s stepped in front of her.

“Emily Nelson?” the man asks.

Emily doesn’t respond. The arm she’s wrapped around Stephanie in a reverse embrace tightens.

“Stephanie Smothers?”

“Bro, what?” Devon says from the floor where he is still playing their video game. “You got the wrong house.”

“Devon,” Emily admonishes.

Stephanie’s heart is in her throat. She feels she might pass out and leans into Emily’s strong frame, wrapping her arms around her waist. She breathes in her perfume. She thinks about the game they’re going to miss tomorrow. About Emily and their sons proposing to her in the very spot they’re standing now asking her to be a family. How they thought they had been so careful.

“Boys, I need you to go upstairs, please,” she says urgently, hoping the fear she’s feeling isn’t as evident in her voice as it sounds to herself. She hears Devon pause the video game and the shuffling of the boys grabbing their phones and chargers and has an even worse realization than she’d already had.

She steps out from behind Emily just in time for Connor—forever her little curly-haired Miles—to pass and she wraps him in a hug that makes him groan and protest until he seems to understand something serious is going on and he hugs her back. He’s as tall as she is now. “Listen to me, sweetheart,” she whispers in his ear. “You know the safe in my closet?” She feels him nod. “The combination is your birthday. There’s a red envelope inside. Call Helen. Ask her to come over. Give her the envelope. Do you understand?”

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain when I can. Everything I did, I did so we could be happy. Remember that I love you.” She kisses his forehead and chokes back a sob before he can notice the tears in her eyes. “Upstairs.”

She can hear Emily whispering to Devon as well and then the boys stop and switch to hug their other mother, and they disappear upstairs.

She and Emily are now alone in their living room, two men at the open door, each holding a thick packet of folded paperwork.

“I’m Detective Inspector William Gareau. This is Sergeant Mark Gibson. We are agents of INTERPOL. Do you know why we’re here?”

Emily’s hand intertwines with Stephanie’s. Neither responds.

The men step forward, crossing the threshold into their home, their sanctuary, and that’s when Stephanie realizes it’s not just two men—half a dozen black-uniformed officers follow, flooding into the house and flanking them, surrounding them. Nowhere to go.

The Detective Inspector unfolds the papers in his hand. The officers in the room move. She’s pulled away from Emily, fingers slipping out of her grip as her hands are pulled behind her back. As cold steel clicks around her wrists.

“Stephanie Ann Smothers and Emily Claudia Nelson: I'm arresting you for the murder of Faith Margaret McLanden, having taken place in the State of Connecticut, the country of the United States of America, insurance fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, conspiracy, perjury, and false identification. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”

She’s not sure she’s able to speak. She’s dizzy. The room is spinning.

“It’s going to be okay, baby,” is the last thing she hears before her ears start ringing and her world goes dark.

[vamp1r1cjuggalo]

Update about the downfall AU?? I love it already, so I must ask.😭

Hi hi! Yes yes! I’m really glad you like it!

So we do actually a lot of updates! I’ll start off with our status list and then dive into characters!

Status list

Toons:

Flippy: dead rip L

Lord Lowden Clear: Alive, the new mayor

Mata Hairy: Alive, doing well

Good Ol’ Gil Giggles: Alive

Bumpy Bumblebehr: Alive

Rain: Alive and well, chilling with William

Reid Stock: Alive

River: Alive

Barnacle Bessie: Alive

The elders: Alive, old as shit

Timmy: Alive

Rocky: Might be dead, possibly due to an encounter with an odd red cat lawbot

Vinny: Alive but injured, not critically however

Rhapsody: Alive

Moe Zart: Alive, heavily disgruntled

Rose: Alive

Reed: Alive

Coach Zucchini: Dead

Lil Oldman: Alive

Ridge: Alive

Mac Opsys: Alive

Winn Dos: Alive

Elvis Purrsly: Questionable

Ok yeah most of the toons R alive

Cogs:

William: Alive, but fired, bad condition

Buck R.: Alive-ish, stuck in a permafusion w/Dave

Brian: Alive, fired, with Mac and Winn

Alton: Alive

Mary: Alive, on the search for misty, left the company

Misty: Alive but missing

Winston: Alive, very bad condition but alive

Holly: Alive, trying to help finding misty

Prester: questionable

Ben: Alive, forced to stay in the company

Cathal: Alive, the current VP

Allan: Dead, they killed my wife

Belle: Alive

Dave: Alive-ish, stuck in a permafusion w/ Buck

Chris: Alive

Flint: Alive, in the mafia

Cosmo and the inventors: Alive, buisness is kinda going to shit, hence them trying to get more people into the family

The Litigation team: Chimeraed

CLO; Critical condition but alive

Spruce: Alive

Chip: Alive, stuck in override

Craig: Alive

Desmond: A lot better than William that’s for true, Alive

Buck Wilde: Alive

Dana: A bit fucked up mentally but she’s doing ok, propaganda machine

Tawney: Alive

Graham: Alive but kinda starting to not be great mentally and physically L

Thomas: Alive but doin shit mentally

Robert: Alive, doin shit mentally, desperately trying to stand ground

Now for character updates:

Rain and William

William and Rain end up partnering up, the two coming together to survive after William left the company, having to leave for his safety as his age and outdated shell and software led to him beginning to fall apart, not able to withstand battle.

Rain has taken on engineering, to keep him together as best as she can.

Flint Bonpyre

They join Pluto’s crew officially, mostly out of desperation for a bit more money since repairs and stuff have been more expensive as of late due to the rise in them as well as lack of resources

Elvis Purrsly

Looking a little more robotic then usual, but it was found out he is alive. Sort of.

Misty Monsoon

While alive she may be, no one can find them, they’ve gone missing. Though reports have shown heavy and rapid weather changes in certain areas around toontown.

Mary Anna

Mary quit COGS inc, due to both her heavy concerns for the pollution, how awful everything has been, and to make more time to search for Misty. She has been leading the search for a few months now, but no one has been able to find Misty.

And that’s all for now folks!

We do have high roller lore but I still need to draw her ack

But yeah! Here are some updates! Thank you for reading!

[mad-doodle-disease]

STATUS OF TOONTOWN (MONTH 0, DAY 10)

Toontown Central

Incredibly dangerous, avoid at all cost.

Overrun with infecteds, but a few survivors remain. They are in hiding and seem to be dwindling in numbers though.

The gates couldn't hold the infected, they lasted a lot shorter than Mayor Flippy was expecting.

Note of interest: Mayor Flippy presumed deceased or infected. How will Toontown make it without it's mayor? Morale decreased.

Barnacle Boatyard

Mad Doodle Disease quickly spreading here due to close proximity to the source.

Most civilians were prepared, and are able to fend them off.

Two safehouses have opened up, one on Lighthouse Lane and the other on Anchor Avenue. Anchor Avenue safehouse only accepts Cogs, but that's quickly changing as more and more Toons beg to be let it. Lighthouse Lane safehouse only accepts Toons, and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

Note of interest: Exports have stopped being sent and imports have stopped arriving due to worries of the disease spreading to areas outside Toontown.

Ye Olde Toontowne

Mad Doodle Disease quickly spreading here due to close proximity to the source.

Heavily unprepared and suffering greatly due to it.

A hub for mutations due to most infected Toons already being a little ill. Also due to the magic coursing through their veins.

Prisoners of the dungeon going to be left to die if evacuation is necessary.

Safehouse was attempted to be set up in the dungeon, however the constant glitchy chattering of one of the prisoners drove the refugees mad. Safehouse moved to a secluded alleyway on Wizard Way instead, guarded off with chainlink fence, barbed wire, and just a touch of magic.

Note of interest: Elders are attempting to push the disease back with magic.

Daffodil Gardens

Mad Doodle Disease quickly spreading here due to close proximity to the source.

Interestingly enough, the Toons here appear to have strong immune systems, possibly due to having to get used to all the pollen floating in the air.

Safehouse set up in the long abandoned Spill the Beans shop. Detective Lima still missing, after all this time.

Note of interest: Couch Zucchini safely traveled to Barnacle Boatyard to help run the Lighthouse Lane safehouse. We wish him the best of luck in coaching the refugees there on how to defend themselves.

Sellbot HQ

Disease not spread here en mass, however a few infecteds seem to wander here. Quickly discarded of, however.

A safehouse has been set up by the Senior Vice President. It only accepts Sellbots, however.

Mezzo Melodyland

Mad Doodle Disease quickly spreading here due to close proximity to the source.

Seems to be surviving well. Infecteds are dispatched quickly, and survivors are kept happy by playing music.

Safehouse set up in the theater on Tenor Terrace. Accepts both Cogs and Toons, and is attempting to create a perfect harmony between the two.

Instruments are often used as makeshift weapons against the infected.

Note of interest: High Roller mysteriously vanished after posting one last post on his blog, announcing the sudden cancelation of his gameshow, his whereabouts are currently unknown. Dave BruBot also seems unusually upset about something, and doesn't seem to preform as much as he used to, unlike the other performers.

Cashbot HQ

Disease not spread here en mass, however a few infecteds seem to wander here. Quickly discarded of, however.

Safehouses have been setup in the mints by the Chief Financial Officer. It only accepts Cashbots, though.

Note of interest: Trains have stopped arriving, most likely to contain the spread of the disease to only Toontown.

The Brrrgh

Disease finding it hard to spread here, due to Barnacle Boatyard and Mezzo Melodyland being tough as nails and killing lots of infecteds.

Still taking the disease quite seriously however, and are on high alert.

Lil Oldman came out of hiding, and set up a safehouse in his hideout. Requires a bit of work to be allowed in, however.

Note of interest: Resistance Ranger Rocky desperately desires a raise.

Lawbot HQ

Disease has not spread here yet.

Regardless, safehouses still have been setup in the lawfices by the Chief Legal Officer. They only accept Lawbots, however.

Lawbots are HIGHLY suspicious of each other.

Acorn Acres

Disease finding it hard to spread here, but some infecteds have still been found.

A safehouse has been setup behind the waterfall in the playground.

Chip Revvington and Spruce Campbell reportedly hiding out in Cut to the Chase! Logging Co.

Note of interest: Plans to evacuate into the forest if things get bad.

Bossbot HQ

Disease has not spread here yet.

Regardless, a safehouse has been setup in the clubhouse by the Chief Executive Officer. They only accept Bossbots, however.

Still regularly holding banquets and enjoying golf to raise morale amongst the hideouts.

Drowsy Dreamland

Disease has not spread here yet.

Toons are unaware, Cogs are aware.

They actually slept through literally every warning that was given to them. They think everything is still okay.

Note of interest: The only reason they haven't crumbled yet is because The Brrrgh and Mezzo Melodyland are making sure no infecteds can get to them.

Boardbot HQ

Unknown.

Note of interest: Status on Robert Cyger and his family are unknown.

NEXT

[spamtons]

you can't be saying that, coach zucchini.

[croholz]

In a panel with THE coach zucchini, going fucking bonkers

[spacefinch]

Incorrect MSB quotes, part I have lost count

Carlos: One time I was late to soccer practice and the coach made me run laps. My dad was the coach. And he drove me to practice.

Carlos: Why was Robin even the leader of the Teen Titans? What were his powers? Short and mad?

Ralphie: That's all you need.

Wanda: Piss off a short person and you'll see.

Wanda: Yeeted!

Carlos: Yote!

Wanda: YEETED!

Carlos: YOTE!

Dorothy Ann: I believe the correct word is "defenestrated."

Keesha: I just want to know who threw my cooking utensils out the airlock.

Carlos: Eating chips with chopsticks is unironically galaxy brain. Your fingers don’t get greasy and it lasts for longer.

Tim: Fork

Carlos: Oh, yeah, I’m going to stab my crunchy foods and make them fall apart like an absolute absentminded dunce, fool, clown, juster, like a monstrous moron, an idiot of Shakespearean proportions, a cretin.

Phoebe: Um, you seem to forget that ‘chips’ can also mean fries. And that’s probably what he was talking about, haha

Carlos: I did not forget anything. I purposely ignore the idea of using British vocabulary to do my part in helping it die out.

Wanda: How long does someone have to be dead before it's considered archaeology instead of grave robbing?

Dr. Skeledon: As an archaeologist, I find this a veRY AWKWARD QUESTION

Wanda: Answer the question grave robber

Carlos: My friend really changed once she became a vegetarian. It's like I've never seen herbivore.

Ralphie: I sighed so loud my mom asked me if I was okay and she's two rooms away

Janet: shut up @ people who still say "science side of tumblr"

Carlos: science side of tumblr why is this person so salty

Dorothy Ann: osmosis

Ralphie: What are you guys gonna be for Halloween?

Phoebe: Sad

Tim: Gay

Wanda: Sexy

Carlos: Goblin

Arnold: "Once you've hit rock bottom the only place to go is up!" You underestimate me. I've brought my pickaxe and I'm ready to dig.

Carlos: Let me get this straight Let me run something bi you

Dorothy Ann: Let's pan this out

Phoebe: Let's ace-ess the situation

Tim: I'm gay

Phoebe: Misogyny check: Let your phone complete the sentence: Women are...

Ralphie: Women are ready to eat pizza when they eat pizza when you eat pizza when they eat pizza when you hungry hungry lol lol pizza pizza ready pizza for pizza pizza ready for pizza pizza for pizza ready for pizza pizza ready for coffee tomorrow morning and eat pizza pizza ready

Phoebe: My talent is identifying birds

Carlos: Okay, what's this one?

Phoebe: Yep, it's definitely a bird.

Dorothy Ann: Wow, humanity has been through some fascinating times! I wonder if I'll ever live through major historical events!

Dorothy Ann: NO NO NO NO NO I WANT TO GET OFF THIS RIDE

Carlos: it was supposed to be space travel. it was supposed to be spece travel. it was supposed to be space travel. it was supposed to be space travel. it was supposed to be space tr

Phoebe: how to pick up CHICKS!!

Phoebe: cup your hands around them protectively

Phoebe: lift them from the ground

Phoebe: gently kiss their fuzzy heads

Phoebe: say "peep peep" calmingly so as not to be pecked

Phoebe: peep peep

Keesha: Found a paper I wrote in 5th grade that I got an 'f' on. My prompt was "Imagine you are sitting on a cloud, what would you do or see?" I wrote, "I would see the ground as I fell because I would fall through it because in sceince you told us that clouds were just water mists."

Carlos: Gentle reminder not to eat too much candy before bed.

Wanda: No

Carlos: This was a gentle reminder, yet your words of defiance bring me ungodly amounts of rage.

Wanda: word*

Carlos: I want nothing mmore than to uppercut you directly to heaven's front door.

Phoebe: I just found out that my gecko's tail works on my phone's touch screen, so I'm gonna let her make a text post and let autocorrect interpret the words.

Phoebe's gecko: Funks go e y y man kill zucchini angst

Mikey: The gecko has spoken

Wanda: Your skin looks great!

Mikey: Thank you! I made it myself!

Ralphie: Momentarily forgot Minecraft skins were a thing. Was very concerned.

Carlos: Can't get authentic Italian cuisine like this anymore

Carlos: *posts picture of gummy worms in a bowl*

Ralphie: I don't even know where to start with this post.

Carlos: One time my little brother Mikey programmed a thing called "coke.exe" and all it did was bring up a little pop-up that asked you if you were thirsty for cola and if you clicked "yes" it opened your CD tray and said "here is a cup holder"

[long-fic-tournament]

I have to cut 10 fics, so I’m doing two polls of 10 for the 20 lowest word count fics, and progressing the 5 most voted for fics of each poll onto the tournament. All word counts are accurate as of submission to the tournament.

Link to the other poll

Propaganda and links below the cut

1) Coppernaughts (series) - The LEGO Movie

it's sooo good just read it <3

2) Knight-Errant - Star Wars

He figured out a while ago happiness isn't a watermark or a beat; happiness happens in the middle of other things, a moment of perfect clarity in all the other shit. There's something romantic about the idea of being so lost or so damaged happiness is totally out of reach, but Arthur's never had the capacity for that level of melodrama.

No propaganda

3) This, You Protect - Captain America and the Winter Soldier

No propaganda

4) Minimum Height Requirement - Batman

The best Good Dad!Batman I've found. It loops all his kids into one cohesive narrative that incorporates their arcs and major story beats without Bruce being the uncaring jerk people tend to write him as in the comics nowadays.

5) Presque Vu - Inception

He figured out a while ago happiness isn't a watermark or a beat; happiness happens in the middle of other things, a moment of perfect clarity in all the other shit. There's something romantic about the idea of being so lost or so damaged happiness is totally out of reach, but Arthur's never had the capacity for that level of melodrama.

6) TALE OF A MARTYR IN XII PARTS - All For The Game

No propaganda

7) Mad Rat Twist - Mad Rat Dead and The World Ends With You

honestly i'm mostly submitting this one because it's one of the few things in my bookmarks on AO3 and a close friend wrote it. also it involves two relatively small fandoms and there have been people who only know about one reading it and wanting to check out the other one from both sides and i'm so proud of my friend!

but ugh! Mad Rat and Heart! i love them! they're zucchinis your honor! i need to read this one again it's been a while

8) ffucc - Final Fantasy XV

No propaganda

9) Our Freedom In My Sight - Shameless

This fic does a really good job of digging into canon trauma that canon just didn't bother to really address. The main characters did end up getting their happy ending in canon but when this was written, it looked very, very much like they weren't going to so this fic became canon for me (I say like I actually watched the show). It created justice and closure for characters that very much looked like they weren't going to get any. (As always, mind the tags. It deals with some very dark topics. There are definitely some triggers in this one. Actual triggers, not just squicks. Anyone that knows Shameless knows how bad Mickey and Mandy's childhood was. That's what we're dealing with.).

10) Standard Deviations - Yuri!!! on Ice

it's the BEST time travel fic i've read! it starts with just viktor and yurio, but throughout the story yuuri, mila, and more all come back and cause enough shenanigans to give yakov a heart attack lmao

it's v lighthearted and makes me laugh more than almost anything else has tbh

(tldr if u don't go here: love interest & angry son go back in time and are eventually joined by the rest of their figure skating pals. they cause enough chaos that their coach faints countless times)

[yourlocaltoad]

got to draw with the amazing @filzy-hans today

[littleharpethcrossfit]

Thursday, 26 September, 2024.

The autumnal equinox has just passed and our season is officially FALL. The Weather-Lady predicts 75 degrees with a 30% chance of rain for our workout today. It stayed dry.

Warmup

4 Rounds

15 Second Squat Hold

15 Back Raises

Strength

Back Squats.........8 / 8 / 8 / 8

65 to 75% 1 Rep Max

Ed=225 Tim=205 (really?) Herb=195 Tom=155 Dyer=145 Sue=95 Linda=85 Shannon=75 Sabrina/Britt/Joe=65 Average Dave=" TONS" Brendan/Elisa=came late Argen=walked

WOD

Equipment.....One Barbell..........( 95 / 75 / 55 )

15..........12..........9

Power Snatch

Run 200 / Row-Ski 250 / Bike 500m

Thrusters

Run 200 / Row-Ski 250 / Bike 500m

Brendan**=10:31 Average Dave**=11:40 Ed*=13:13 Sue=13:23 Sabrina=14:01 Tim*=15:05 Herb*=15:25 Shannon=17:15 Britt=20:00 Tom=20:31 Dyer*=22:08 Elisa/Joe/Linda/Warren A=no idea Argen=walked

Anyhow Dips 5 / 5 / 5 / 5

Notes:

Linda was able to get the girls to agreeably coordinate and begin the WOD simultaneously with no difficulty. This is impossible with the boys because Brendan and Average Dave were nancing around with enormous attention given to the number of inches between exercises, and Tim & Ed are still complaining about how recently they did Thrusters and Snatches at their other Free Gym. Herb, Dyer, Tom, Warren A and Joe had already started without the common clock.

The post WOD snack and wine party was a disappointment. Alicia was absent and Miss Linda needed further husbandly direction, so all that appeared was a Caesar salad, some "Russian Dumplings", and a small amount of cheeses, olives, nuts, and random things. Usually Herb, Joe, Tom, Tim, Ed, and Coach don't have to concern ourselves with dinner in the house on Thursdays because the snacks are substantial. I, for one, was forced to come in the house afterward, awaken Miss Linda, and get her to rustle up some left-over zucchini casserole and a crab cake from last night. Miss Linda was not happy.

On the other hand, the wines were abundant, with 5 reds and 3 whites at least. A small amount of Rose' was not finished and had to be carried home.

Shannon brought her Mom. I her name is Argen. As in Argentina. I think I heard her say that some people call her Tina. Argen (Tina) is from central Georgia (I Think). Argen had planned to walk in the Arboretum during our workout, which she did. Argen brought her very own private bottle of chilled beer which she carried in a thermos bag. Argen seemed to a very independent person, and was perhaps forewarned by Shannon to avoid me, since she sat at a maximal distance from me at the picnic table. Argen appeared to be too young to be Shannon's real birth-Mother. ( An opinion by definition is not necessarily factual). Needless to say, I didn't get near enough to fit Argen for a T-shirt.

Just this once, the Saturday workout will revert to 2 classes:

0730 and 0930.

If Hurricane Helene is blowing horizontal rain at these hours, we may stay at home.

[bethestaryouareradio]

Healthy Grilling, Growing Groceries, Corticosteroid Injections 

Tune in LIVE weekly to the upbeat, positive lifestyle broadcast where producer and host Cynthia Brian showcases strategies for success on StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!®. Available wherever you listen to your favorite programs!

Do you love to barbecue? Summer is the time to fire up the grill and cook outdoors. Barbecued ribs and steak are delicious, but is grilling healthy? Find out the safest way to grill with safer alternatives of fish, chicken, and vegetables.

With the hot weather and lengthened daylight, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, corn, and a multitude of other crops are ripe and ready for consumption. Want to grow your groceries? Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian offers suggestions.

If your knees, feet, or hands have been causing you major pain, perhaps a corticosteroid injection for arthritis or tendinitis will offer relief. Getting the right diagnosis and the correct injection are key.

Follow StarStyle®:

https://www.instagram.com/starstyleproductions/

Sign up for FREE Newsletter: https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/

Listen at Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/151042/healthy-grilling-growing-groceries-corticosteroid-injections

Read our Newsletter: BACK-TO-SCHOOL KINDNESS: https://open.substack.com/pub/cynthiabrian/p/back-to-school-kindness?

RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK: Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!  Available at www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store .

Read article about Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures: : https://lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1807/Lamorinda-Weeklys-Goddess-Gardener-uses-her-farm-experience-to-write-Stella-Bellas-Barnyard-Adventures-for-kids.html

LIVE SHOW 4-5pm PT: https://bit.ly/3cDti0Z

Places to Listen to StarStyle Radio:

Apple Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starstyle-be-the-star-you-are/id669630180?mt=2

Tunein: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Motivational/StarStyle---Be-the-Star-You-Are-p46014/

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/voice-america/be-the-star-you-are

IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-starstyle-be-the-star-you-31083110/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4zDdwzlsHH44caWiMQdD25

SubStack: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/228120.rss

Pocketcasts: https://pca.st/mjw2ng5n

Be the Star You Are! 501 c3 charity offers help, hope, and healing for women, families and youth in need.

BTSYA Operation Disaster Relief. Please donate. http://ow.ly/ks8A30lekGe

Read how BTSYA is Making a Difference: https://www.ibpa-online.org/news/460747/IBPA-Member-Spotlight-Cynthia-Brian.htm 

Read our Newsletter: BACK-TO-SCHOOL KINDNESS: https://open.substack.com/pub/cynthiabrian/p/back-to-school-kindness?

[tothelasthoursofmylife]

Sneaky fixes and little stuff I searched while writing

I made many, many messes writing WotQ. Some I corrected retroactively, e.g., Oscar was originally called "Chief Detective Superintendent Livingstone" in Captured although the title didn't exist yet when he was working at Scotland Yard.

In Chapter 1, I changed a sentence from "Cloudia put out her fan, which she had got by her cousin Constantia as a gift after she had visited Japan" to "Cloudia put out her fan, which she had got from her cousin Cathleen as a gift after she had received the opportunity to visit a small island in Japan". I sneakily fixed the grammar issue, the cousin (I honestly didn't even remember that I accidentally wrote Constantia instead until I looked up that sentence again... it was always supposed to be Cathleen), and included an explanation of how Cathleen could go to Japan during Sakoku (the small island is Dejima, the only place foreigners could visit; I mentioned that in the Freebird notes).

Most recently, I fixed this sentence from Captured while writing Destruction: "Say, Oscar, when was the last time we all have been here?" which, of course, does not make any sense because Cecelia is talking about the AoE gathering for the Hanged Men Case which was in London. They obviously wouldn't have come together at the manor then! (It's now "Say, Oscar, when was the last time we all have been together?")

Sometimes, I announce fixes if they're larger, but sometimes I just do it without a word... I updated the Ao3 version multiple times to fix small issues here and there. (I never fix up the chapters on tumblr, unless I catch an error right after posting. Like the stupid (but minor) Zucchini 2 mistake orz) For last year's anniversary, I rid myself of a set of sentences that have been bothering me for years in Frightening. Their removal did nothing but ease my mind. I also changed the wagon number in Ecstasy from Yvette and Jacques being four wagons ahead to five while puzzling out Locomotive Run.

I never do retroactive fixes that change up anything of consequence though, i.a. because that would be mean (how would anyone be able to figure anything out if everything kept changing retroactively? this isn't the One-Punch Man manga).

Other times, I cannot change a mistake retroactively because doing so would mean severe rewrites, e.g., the zucchini issue. Or, to add to the endless talk about trains, the corridor coach issue that began with Laughing Together, as I mentioned in the Ecstasy notes.

(As a background: I received The Wolves of Willoughby Chase when I was ten years old and reread it a lot in the following few years, but haven't done so in very long. It's a lovely book (Simon is an artist because of the Simon in that book! Though he wasn't named after him but after another fictional Simon.), and I was convinced the "only" changed historical aspect was the addition of wolves. Early on, a character takes a train with corridor coaches and gets told to "use the handbrake" if a stranger talks to her. If only I had bothered to open the book and check the author's note before writing Laughing Together all these years ago... You know, the author's note that starts with: "This book is set in a time of English history that has never existed - shortly after the coronation of Jacob III the Good in 1832." Well, at least that idiocy brought me Locomotive Run. (I've also since found out there's a whole trope about wrong train depictions. It's very common to get them wrong, apparently.))

It's ultimately all little stuff no one cares about but me. Apart from the one time, someone on FF.net told me that the Catholic Marcel could not possibly have children, no one has ever pointed anything out to me. He's a Protestant now, and I really wish I had just said Nicolette was his orphaned niece and not his daughter orz (Oh, and others pointed out the "verdadero" bit in Meeting the Queen, saying it was wrong - but that's their mistake, not mine.)

Anyway, all that has made me question myself a lot and I now google and check stuff more while writing. (That, of course, only reduces the amount of mess ups instead of completely eliminating them...)

Some stuff I can remember from the top of my head (and that I haven't mentioned in chapter notes yet; I did rather thorough ones lately, so there's not much else, I think):

"Now, at least, they weren’t packed like sardines in a can." (Locomotive Run) -> Were sardines canned in 1848? Yes, canned fish has been a thing since the late 18th century.

Parts of a train. (Locomotive Run) -> Looked up train vocabulary, particularly for the front bit where the driver is (the cab) and the most front "wagon" (that's the locomotive).

Parts of a church. (Malady 3) -> To be able to better describe their movement within the church. Nave, ambulatory, etc.

"down the rabbit hole" -> I remember that I wanted to use that idiom in Cloudia's POV while she was in the Witch's Castle, though cannot recall when/where exactly. I removed it because Alice in Wonderland came out in 1865, and that idiom didn't exist beforehand. (Cedric's POV includes "I fell into the rabbit hole to the Land of Sleep" in Travelling. He has Grim Reaper privileges, so it works here! I like having fun with his POV and including modern stuff, e.g. Merci Chocolate (existed since 1965) in Locomotive Run and Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion in Ecstasy.)

utility belt (Ecstasy, Locomotive Run) -> Milton has one of them. They came to be in the late 19th century (before, people did put stuff in their normal belts, but not in the Batman way, of course...) A very deliberate little anachronism on my side :) Just like...

radar technology (Destruction) -> No Overseas Watchdog Mission without some radar technology! This time dubiously provided by Milton. The history of radar didn't start until 1886 with Heinrich Hertz's experiments. (I actually looked up Ch97 of the manga again as a reference.) I just wrote whatever in the draft before looking up (more) accurate terminology. (You might have noticed that Cedric always calls the machine a "receiver" in his POV when Cloudia does not because of his GR privileges! Cloudia, however, does use display/screen because I couldn't think of a better word for her. Though I did reduce those instances a bit from draft to finished chapter.)

I once thought about doing a joke with Oscar putting on Tchaikovsky's July: Song of the Reaper when Cedric was around to mess with him. Unfortunately, it came out in 1876, so I can't do it. (Though Cedric could listen to it at some point!)

Another music-related joke that did not make it: When Kamden tells Cloudia that his latest crush's name is Elise in Affection, I wanted her to mention the Beethoven composition, "Für Elise". However, while it was composed in 1810, it was not published until 1867. I did write that bit though before removing it. I put it under the cut.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Only an hour,” he replied as they climbed the stairs. “And there weren’t many people here today. Only a couple and E…” Kamden cut himself off, and Cloudia didn’t have to see his face to know he was blushing.

She grinned. “‘E’ is such a lovely, simplistic name, though I prefer Chalchiuhtlicue.”

He hesitated before he said, “Her name is Elise.”

“That’s a very pretty name too. Sharing a name with a Beethoven composition is wonderful, but it must be awfully annoying to always be reminded of it – even worse if you play an instrument,” said Cloudia. They reached the apartment and walked through the narrow corridor to the living room. “For the rest of your life, everyone will request the same song from you. If this wasn’t such a maddening affair, I guess more people would name their children ‘Appassionata’ or ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ Even the inconspicuous ‘Thérèse’ comes with eternal haunting.”

Cloudia sat down on a sofa, but Kamden remained by the door. “She was indeed named after the bagatelle,” he said sheepishly.

----

And another version where I elaborated on Chalchiuhtlicue instead before deciding to scrap that too:

“She’s left, and I closed the shop for today,” said Kamden, blissfully unaware of Cloudia’s thoughts, and only then did Cloudia notice that the shop had emptied.

“Isn’t it a bit early?” Cloudia asked and took his hand, letting herself be pulled through the row of shelves to the staircase in the back that led to Kamden’s flat above.

“Only an hour,” he replied as they climbed the stairs. “And there weren’t many people here today. Only a couple and E…” Kamden cut himself off, and Cloudia didn’t have to see his face to know he was blushing.

She grinned. “‘E’ is such a lovely, simplistic name, though I prefer Chalchiuhtlicue.”

He hesitated before he said, “Her name is Elise.”

“Still a very beautiful name, but not comparable to the name of an Aztec goddess,” said Cloudia. They reached the apartment and walked through the narrow corridor to the living room where Cloudia promptly sat down on a sofa; Kamden remained by the door.

“Would you ever name a child after an Aztec deity?” Kamden asked.

“Why not? It’s not any different than naming children after Greek or Roman mythological figures,” Cloudia replied. “My own mother is a perfect example. And if someone cannot be bothered to try pronouncing ‘Chalchiuhtlicue’ or ‘Ītzpāpālōtl’ – or, for a boy, ‘Piltzintecuhtli’ – as correctly as they’re able to, I would not want them anywhere near my hypothetical children anyway.”

“You’re right,” Kamden said softly. “And ‘Chalchiuhtlicue’ is a pretty name,” he continued with a proud glint in his eyes.

“Though, I guess, to you, it’s not as pretty as ‘Elise.’” Cloudia teased, and Kamden’s face reddened.

[adamgant]

Friday Faves 4.12

Friday Faves 4.12 https://ift.tt/BqnXdY2 Hi friends! Happy Friday!! How was the week? I hope you had an amazing one. Ours was good; busy as usual, but time for some fun in the mix of school and work stuff. What’s going on this weekend? P has a basketball game and a birthday party, and it’s her First Communion. We’re having brunch to celebrate with the fam. Liv has dance, it’s our nephew’s bday, and the Pilot and I have a date night. We also want to plant all of the spring/summer flowers and veggies! I let everything die last year with the eye saga, so I’m looking forward to starting over. I’d love to hear what you have going on. (Pic from a fun event last weekend with friends) It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below. Friday Faves. 4.12 Read, watch, listen: So excited to be a guest on the IHP Coach Success podcast this week. You can check out the episode here. Devouring this book! Abby Jimenez is one of my fave spring/summer authors because her books are perfectly light and fluffy, with fun storylines and witty banter. The best advice I’ve heard in ages. (Crepe date with my little loves.) Fitness, health, + good eats: LOOOOOVE this chocolate zucchini cake from Baked by Melissa. My friend Betsy posted about it weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It definitely lived up to expectations. I’ve been enjoying the High Performance Health modules and have learned so much already. I’m excited to implement these strategies with my 1:1 clients (and myself!). If you’re interested in this certification, you can check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA for $100 off. Spring mocktail recipes.  Get a copy of my wellness resources master list. Fashion + beauty: I have my eye on this Free People dress but am not sure about the color. I adore the lace and the cut, so I might go for it. Beautycounter Second Skin! I took our fragrance quiz, and it told me to try Hyper Rose (which I already adore) and Second Skin. This one smells so luxe and ages beautifully as it dries. It’s floral with a warmth from the amber, and I can definitely see why it’s a bestseller. The fragrance discovery set is here. This is my favorite way to try all of them, and see which one works the best on your skin. New Amazon set: (they have a ton of colors, too) Happy Friday, friends! Have an amazing weekend and thank you so much for stopping by the blog today. xo Gina The post Friday Faves 4.12 appeared first on The Fitnessista. via The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/yq5H2n9 April 12, 2024 at 06:17AM

[markmonlux]

Weekly Dose of Mark

Friday, July 14, 2023, Tacoma, WA • 07/14/23

Joining me at Freelance Fandango this week were Greg Spencer Wolf, Haley Waddington, James Stowe, and Allen Gladfelter. I needed to take notes about our discussions and stories, as my head swelled with them when I got home. And now I can’t remember a single one. I do recall that Allen was coaching Greg on how to improve drawing fingers. Maybe the AI programs can take a few tips. We also discussed submitting to have a table at Arts at the Armory. I will apply only on Sunday as I already have booked for Jet City Comicon on Saturday, and the table agreed that most of my fanbase will be there that day.

Stickermule is doing a special this week where they offer a discount on a different type of sticker each day. This is great because my sticker inventory was getting low. However, I only had one design created for a round die-cut sticker, and I just picked those up a couple of weeks ago. But I knew I had to get started on my next Weird Elephant poster for a film titled “The Wickerman.” I was distracted by a few other tasks and didn’t start the project until the afternoon. But once I started, I worked on it non-stop. Well, I did stop to have dinner. I had a deadline. I needed to stop at 9:30 because that’s when I prep for bed. I pushed myself and finished. I then went online to submit the art only to discover that Stickermule’s deadline had passed. They were only offering their next daily deal, which was holographic stickers. I was bummed! This design wasn’t going to work for a holographic sticker. I was low on a design that I’d used holographic backing before and resubmitted that artwork. Oh well, at least I got a much-needed jump start to my poster design.

My friend Penny Firehorse has jury duty all this week. I don’t think she was ever called. Which meant she basically sat in a room all week on-call. I got a jury notice last month. I looked at it today to check the website for next week. Whoops! I got the dates confused and was supposed to be serving this week. I sent Penny a message, “Did I miss anything?”

I was picking up some take-out at Panda Express this week when I saw a small family of four waiting for their order. The husband was playing with their youngest, a boy who I guess was six or seven. He was a small bundle of energy in the dirtiest Crocs I’d ever seen. One fell off his foot as the father slowly strolled after him through the empty tables. In economic movements accomplished only by young fathers, he noted the missing croc and picked up his son just as the kid’s foot touched the floor. He then swung the kid into the errant show. All this went smoothly, even after the father was surprised that his child left a perfect brown footprint on the floor. Baby footprints on birth certificates were not as perfect. The father called his young pre-tween daughter over. She was nothing but long limbs and long hair. Impressed by the footprint, she returned to her mother, who was still seated and waiting for their take-out bags. As the daughter reported on the footprint, the look which crossed her face was not one of amusement. Instead, in was a combination of repelant disgust and mild horror. It wasn’t a fleeting expression. It landed on her face and remained there, much like her child’s footprint on the floor was going to be there until someone scrubbed it away. You could tell that this footprint wasn’t going to disappear with a sweep. Somebody was going to have to get a bucket. In the meantime, it drew attention to itself out of its sheer perfection.

Alley News

We have been eating peas with every dinner. Also coming in are cucumbers, which we are dicing up to include in our salads and zucchini. Krista picks it while it is still less than a foot long and very tender. I’ve asked her to repeat a chicken dish she made earlier this week, but this time with mushrooms. I think it will be perfect then. 

Last trimmed blackberry vines outside our front fence. I also removed many that were in the garden in the hedge that boarders our neighbor’s yard and acts as a screen to their chainlink fence. I filled both of our yard waste containers, which got picked up this week.

For the first time in seven years, the nearby Air Force base will be hosting an air show. One of their attractions is going to be the Thunderbirds. Today they practiced in the sky over our house. While this was noisy at times, it was also very entertaining. Judy Martin came out from under her carport to watch them. Our neighbors Pat and Cathy Smith were also looking up into the sky. They repeated their practice a few hours later when I walked to the Quick-E-Mart a few blocks from here. Krista encouraged me to buy some lottery tickets. Mega Millions is at $560 Million, Powerball is at $875, and the local Lotto is at $4.2 Million. “I want to retire next week,” Krista told me, “so be sure you get the winning numbers.” As I walked home, the four jets flew so low I swore I could read their nametags. SSSSWOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!

I had some dreams this week:

July 6

#IDreamt in order to take a college course, I had to return to high school for a quarter. I wasn’t making any friends in art class.

July 7

#IDreamt my brothers Cliff and Stan were renting a multi-room rent-controlled apartment in NYC with some friends. They invited me to live there too. One of the friends was moving out. We were cleaning garbage out of a shared vehicle.

July 8

#IDreamt a mother kept wearing Pokémon themed clothing to annoy her daughter long after the daughter lost interest in the game as an act of long-burn revenge.

July 9

#IDreamt purgatory was a nearly abandoned Mall. Jack Elan saw my confusion and explained, “All these places are connected.” He then showed me around a corner to a bar in Thailand, where we ordered seared sirloin strips.

July 10

#IDreamt my personality split into multiple parts for a group therapy session. One part of me convinced the others that this was unproductive narcissistic feeding bull hockey.

July 11

#IDreamt while waiting for the hotel shuttle, I found several Hawaiian Shirts buried in the sand with a note from a thief, a guest at a hotel stole them from another guest to make a treasure map for their kids.

July 13

#IDreamt I was the first of several people to turn into a 16-foot giant. Large seeds were popping through my skin like acne. Scientists didn’t know what to make of it.

July 14

#IDreamt it was 1934 when an alien and his equivalent to a cow appeared on a secluded farm where a farmer, his wife, son, daughter, and their cow lived. Everything was fine until the farmer had a psychotic break.

I’m in the middle of a couple of movies right now. But here’s one I did finish watching on YouTube.

64. July 8

They Made Me a Fugitive (1947) Rating: 5

I watched this movie because I was curious about Extraction 2, and I like watching my movies in the sequence they were released. This is a highly challenging kill-count movie. It’s even a difficult explosion-count movie. The action scene goes at a breakneck pace through a warren of alleys, apartments, balconies, and slums. It kept me entertained as Fourth of July fireworks went off through the night and didn’t interfere at all with the view of the film.

More next week,

Mark

[what-marsha-eats]

Here is weight-loss coach Maria Emmerich's recipe for "healthified" taco seasoning:

“HEALTHIFIED” TACO SEASONING

2 TBS chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp paprika 3 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp Celtic sea salt 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

OPTIONAL: 2 tsp Swerve confectioners sugar

In a bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Makes 20 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (per serving) 5 calories, 0.9 carbs, 0.4g fiber