#coming up on the month where my payment will be way way lower

[clementiens]

the big makers market that i was really banking on this weekend was canceled because i live in southern maine + the shooter from wednesday still hasn't been found and i still have medical expenses while social security continues to screw up my SSI payments so i'll be taking better pictures of the clothing pieces i've been working on because i will b shipping them

[fratboykate]

I'm totally in support of the writers in theory but I'm trying to understand more of what you're fighting for because I've seen some people on twitter claim writers make more money a week than most of us make in a month so I'm trying to understand what the issue is. Also if that info is accurate. This is a genuine question. Not trying to have a "gotcha moment". I really want to hear from a writer.

people have always had wild misconceptions about how much a writer earns because of their lack of understanding of how the industry actually works. there's so many posts about how "you guys make 5k a week. what more do you want?!" yeah...let's do some math on that.

5k a week for 14 weeks (and that's a long room. a lot of rooms these days are 8-10 weeks. those are the dreaded mini-rooms we're trying to kill) is $70,000. for roughly three months of work. you'd think we're cooking with gas...BUT HOLD UP. that's gross! let's see everything that has to come out of that check:

10% to our agent

10% to our manager

5% to our entertainment attorney

5% to our business manager (not everyone has one but a lot of us do. i do, so that's literally 30% immediately off the top of every check)

most of these breakdowns ive seen downplay taxes severely. someone made one that says writers pay 5% in taxes and i would like to ask them "in what universe?". that doesn't even cover state taxes. the way taxes work in the industry is really complicated, but the short of it is most of us have companies for tax reasons so we aren't taxed like people on w2s/1099. if we did we'd be even more fucked. basically every production hires a writer's company instead of the writer as an individual. so they engage our companies for our services and then at the end of the year we (the company) pay taxes as corporations or llcs (depending on what the writer chose to go with). my company is registered as a "corporation" so let's go with those rates. california's corporate rate is 9% and the federal corporate tax rate is 21%. there's other expenses with running a business like fees and other shit so my business managers/accountants/bookkeepers have recommended i save between 35-40% of everything i make for when tax season comes.

you see where the math is at already??? 25-30% in commissions and then 35-40% in taxes. on the lower end you're at THE VERY LEAST looking at 60% of that check gone. 70% worst case scenario. suddenly those $70,000 people claim we make are actually down to $28,000 as the take home pay. and that's if you're only losing 60%. it goes down to $21,000 if it's 70%.

lets pretend you worked a long 14 week room (that's the longest room ive ever worked btw) and let's also be generous and say you only have 60% in expenses so the take home is $28,000. average rent in los angeles is around $2,800-$3,000. if you're paying $2,800 in rent that means you need AT LEAST $4,000 a month to have a semi decent life since you need to also cover groceries, gas, medical expenses, toiletries, phone, internet, utilities, rental and car insurances, car payments, student loan payments, etc etc etc. and again, this is los angeles. everything is more expensive so you're living BARE BONES on 4k. and these are numbers as a single person. im not even taking having children into account. so those $28,000 you take home might cover your life for 6-7 months. 3 of which you're in the room working. the reality is that once that room ends, you might not work in a room again for 6-9-12 months (i have friends whose last jobs were over 18 months ago) and you now only have about 3 months left of savings to hold you over. we have to make that money stretch while we do all the endless free development we do for studios and until we get our next paying job. so...3 months left of enough money to cover your expenses -> possible 9 months of not having a job. this is how writers end up on food stamps or applying to work at target.

this is why we're fighting for better rates and better residuals. residuals were a thing writers used to rely on to get them through the unemployment periods. residual checks have gone down from 20k to $0.03 cents. im not joking.

they've decimated our regular pay and then destroyed residuals. we have nothing left. so don't believe it when they tell you writers are being greedy. writers are simply fighting to be able to make a middle class living. we're not asking them to become poor for our sake. we're asking for raises that amount to 2% of their profit. TWO PERCENT. this is a fight for writing even being a career in five years instead of something you do on the side while you work retail to pay your bills. if you think shows are bad now imagine when your writer has to do it as a hobby because they need a real job to pay their bills and support a family. (which none of us can currently afford to have btw)

support writers. stop being bootlickers for billion dollar corporations. stop caring about fictional people more than you care about the real people that write them. if we don't win this fight it truly is game over. the industry as you know it is gone.

[ageingfangirl2]

We Belong Together Sanji (OPLA)

Sanji takes an interest in you after finding out your dream. Sanji x Female Reader.

Y/N

Every month for the past year you'd come to The Baratie to deliver fresh fish since your home was only an island away and you'd taken over from your older brother who was looking after his family. Fishing ran in your blood, you could spend hours on a dock watching the waves. Zeff the owner had been looking for a new fish supplier and your family came highly recommended.

It was hard at first to be taken seriously as the youngest child and only daughter, but you could stand your ground and not take crap from anyone who tried to barter a lower price.

Your boat docks and you stare at the odd restaurant in the middle of the sea, knowing full well what waited for you on the inside. A particular blonde in a suit who'd taken an interest in trying to charm you for the past year. At first,' you thought he was trying to flirt his way to a lower price and shut him down, but after a couple more months you realised he was just a flirter.

You didn't really have time to date guys due to your family business, but you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't like the attention Sanji gave you even if he did it to every girl who walked through the door.

'Okay boys, unload and take the stock around back!' you call out tp your small crew, as you head off the ship to settle up with Zeff.

At this time of day the place was quiet, minus the staff getting ready for dinner service. Zeff comes out of the kitchen grinning, 'did you bring us the big ones y/n?'

You nod, 'only the best for you Zeff.'

He laughs before heading back into the kitchen and you follow him. As soon as you step foot in the kitchen, the main hub of activity you spot Sanji at a station and wave at him. You walk into Zeff's office where he already had your payment waiting, and some paperwork for you to sign.

'I don't know what that boy is up to y/n, but he's been preparing for your arrival,' Zeff speaks up.

You smile and put the berries and paperwork in your satchel, 'thanks for the heads up. Same time next month.'

Zeff waves you off and you head into the kitchen, seeing your guys unloading crates of fish. Sanji appears in front of you naming you jump a little.

'So, I asked around and everyone thinks I'm a great catch and would be perfect for you y/n,' he says proudly, and his accent was more than enough to sway you.

You hum, 'who exactly did you ask?'

Sanji blinked a couple of times before running his fingers through his hair, it was safe to say you made him a little nervous not falling for his charms, 'err like everyone. You and I are meant to be together y/n, I just know it.'

Sanji showing vulnerability surprised you, this was a new side you kind of liked and admired. You motion towards the main door indicating the two of you should head outside if you wanted some privacy.

Once outside you tilt your head towards the blonde, 'tell me why then.'

Sanji bites his lip, 'because I found out we share the same dream.'

'The All Blue,' you whisper.

Sanji nods and closes the space between you, taking your hands in his, 'One day I'll leave this place and I want you by my side y/n.'

'It's not that easy Sanji, what about my family business? You ask and squeeze his hands.

'You've said to yourself your brother and his family can take over. I'm a cook but I need someone to fish for me,' Sanji replies, adding a little humour at the end.

You smirk and meet his eyes, stand on your tiptoes and peck his cheek, 'took you a year but I'm down. When you decide to leave come and pick me up.'

A blush appears on Sanji's cheeks after your brief kiss, 'I guess I'll be seeing you then y/n.'

You nod, 'No sweeping any other ladies off their feet until then, you promise? I'll be back in a month with the next delivery.'

He bends down and kisses your forehead, 'I'm a man of my word y/n.'

Little did you know he'd come calling before the next delivery, and the two of you set sail to The Grand Line to find The All Blue together.

[bimbobaggins69]

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬.

𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: a new life in a seemingly nice town sounds appealing, doesn’t it? But what happens when that nice town has a dark past; and some things you think are real, are just a figment of your imagination…or are they?

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: modern setting, small mention of dying, angst, cliffhanger.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: this whole idea came about from the books ‘scary stories to tell in the dark’ (which were my fav as a kid), it’s so different from my usual stuff so i hope you enjoy the little switch up (: thank you to my lovely betas @xxhellfirebunnyxx & @stveharringtn <3 totally set this up for a part two with possible smut, maybe? in the wise words of Dolly: ‘give us your ghost cock, Edward!’

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.5k

The red and green leaves crunch under the soles of your mary janes as you walk through forest hills trailer park, your new place of residence. You send a quick message to the group chat that you have with your cousins, who you're on your way to meet at a new bar in town. A slight chill runs through your body when you make it to the rickety bench bus stop that sits desolated in front of the trailer park entrance. 

You had moved to Hawkins a couple months ago on a whim, to be near your cousins who you’ve had a close relationship with since you were a toddler, despite only seeing them once a year or on the occasional social media posts. You had moved with only a year of savings and nothing else to your name. Luckily your aunt had a realtor friend who helped you buy a trailer, which was about the only thing with a cheap enough down payment for you to afford. You found a job at Hawkins middle school as a teacher's aide to Hailey Sinclare who you've become good friends with in the short time span.

The breeze picks up, kicking you out of your reverie and making you wiggle uncomfortably as the old wood digs into your black nylon tights, you lift each thigh to look for any snags in the fabric but before you can fully asses them, you hear footsteps and the loud crunch of leaves moving closer towards you– a gasp leaves your lips as you whip your head around looking for other signs of life. The sun is setting on the horizon and the only thing that surrounds you are the leafless scads of trees from the eerie woods.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya.” The voice of a young man utters from behind you, seemingly coming out of nowhere. 

“Oh, um its- its fine.” You murmur as he comes into view, you haven't seen him around but that's not saying much considering you've only moved here two months ago.

His long shoulder length waves sway with the breeze, and his big brown eyes seem to bore into your soul, making you swallow harshly before your head lowers. You begin staring at your black shoes, checking them over for scuffs, as if that was something you actually cared about.

“So where are you headed, lookin’ so pretty?” He asks with a half smirk, all the while placing his jean jacket that is embellished with an array of patches and buttons over the bench. Most of the bands were ones your dad listened to so in turn you grew to love. You were surprised to not find one single patch or button of a more modern band, but figured he must love the old stuff, that’s respectable. 

“I’m meeting my cousins at some bar in town.” You say with a gesture of your hand in the wrong direction, not yet accustomed to where town is or where the leaving hawkins sign sits, which happens to be in opposite directions. 

He smirks as if he realizes you don't belong here, and a feeling of embarrassment heats your soft cheeks. 

“Sounds fun.” Is all he says as he kicks at some rocks and leaves with his dirty reeboks. 

“Where are you headed?” You ask, feeling a pull to keep the conversations going with this stranger. 

“Oh ya know? Wherever.” Is all he divulges with a shrug of his shoulders, you nod in faux understanding, even if a million questions begin to rack your brain. Maybe he wants to appear mysterious, he wouldn't be the first guy to try that out on you.

He pulls a cigarette from behind his ear and fishes a lighter out of his pocket, lighting the tobacco stick before offering it to you. You decline, a part of you is surprised he doesn't vape like the majority of today’s youth. The smell brings a sense of nostalgia to you, remembering the times you’d climb into your grandpa's lap when you were a kid while he smoked his cigarettes and drank his coffee. 

“What's your name?” He asks as his eyes continue to graze over you. 

You tell him, but find yourself unable to meet his eyes. Something about his big chocolate orbs make goosebumps travel along your already chilled skin.

“And yours?” You question with a tremulous edge. 

“Eddie.” He answers before flicking the half smoked cigarette into the overgrown grass, beneath your feet.

“You live here, Eddie?” You ask curiously. 

“Sure do, lot 15, been here almost all my life.” He hums, before a vibration in your back pocket startles you out of your stupor.

You quickly pull it out, smiling at the text message your cousin Bella sent you. 

“Whoa…what is that?” The boy you now know as Eddie, says with an astonished lilt. 

“What’s what?” You shriek as if he was gonna point out some type of bug species that had somehow found its way into your hair or on your body.

“That thing in your hands.” He says pointedly.

“Oh, uh this is my phone?” You can't help the questioning tone that slips past your lips. 

“Phone? Like you can call people on that?” He still sounds astonished as if he's never seen an iphone before, which living in this century is close to impossible; unless he was amish but from the look of him, you found that highly unlikely. 

Before you could answer his unusual question, the loud brakes of a bus pulls up alongside the bench. Eddie quickly stands, throwing you one more questioning look before he begins walking towards the open doors. 

“Well, see ya around sweetheart.” He announces, before throwing you a wink and stepping up onto the platform of the bus that was headed in the opposite direction in which you needed to go. 

“See ya.” You murmur back with a smile. 

The wind picks up as the bus begins to drive off, leaving you to cross your arms over your exposed chest. Something out of your peripheral captures your attention, and you quickly realize Eddie had left his vest thrown over the bench. You yank it off and stand up, ready to run towards the bus to retrieve it. But the bus’s tail lights can now barely be made out in the fog, too far for you to catch up with on foot. You huff and throw the vest over your frame, the added layer brings a desired warmth to your body. You sit back down, the bench squeaks underneath you as the sun begins settling deeper over Hawkins, bringing with it an unsettling feeling to your gut.

The bus pulled up ten minutes after Eddie had left. You made it to the bar to meet your cousins an hour late but had a great time with them nonetheless. Drinks and shots were passed around, you had danced your ass off having the time of your life, something that hasn't happened in what feels like forever. 

Being closer to the city, you were able to take an uber back home all the while Eddie’s vest continued to adorn your figure. His brown eyes, ringed fingers and boyish smile stayed in the back of your mind the entire night, and a part of you couldn’t wait to return it to him. 

You wake up the next morning on a mission, drinking your cup of joe and eating your avocado toast, before you shower and slip on a pretty flowy dress with your platform doc martens, hair styled and light makeup applied. 

You realize as you walk the trailer park with his vest in hand, that he lives on the other side of you. Lot 15 comes into view and you see an old red truck that looks like it hasn’t been driven in years, parked next to a new silver prius. The steps are falling apart and the couch sitting on the porch sags, with stains and cigarette burns. 

You knock on the dingy front door, before you bring your slumped shoulders up while pushing your chest out in an attempt to look more confident, even as your heart thumps behind your rib cage.

A middle aged woman answers the door with a small smile—

“Hello, can I help you with something?” She asks sweetly. 

The beep of a machine captures your attention and you find yourself looking past the ladies shoulder into the living room, where an older man is lying in a hospital bed, sitting in front of an old television set that's playing cowboy westerns.

“Yeah, um Is Eddie here?” You ask timidly.

“I’m sorry, who?” The woman's eyes are wide as she looks you over, eyes almost as big as saucers when she notices the vest in your arms.

“Eddie; long hair, brown eyes, rings on his fingers, owns this vest.” You say as you lift the gramnet closer towards her, revealing the big dio patch that’s sewn on in the back, 

“I’m sorry, is this some kind of joke?” She says with a bewildered expression.

“A joke? Why would this be a joke? Is Eddie here or not?” You slightly snap as your patience begins to wear thin.

“Sweetheart, Eddie Munson died in an earthquake thirty seven years ago.”

[awisespirit]

THE DEVIL WITHIN?!

(SIYEON VER.)

GP SIYEON X FEM READER

Warnings: ⚠️ maybe be triggering for some⚠️ ⚠️ landlady Siyeon⚠️ ⚠️GP Siyeon ⚠️ ⚠️ Reader being touched against her will?⚠️ ⚠️ Mentions of sexual trauma⚠️ ⚠️ Mentions of Chocol, Dami and Jiu⚠️

A/N: Hey guys! To the anon who requested for a Siyeon ver... I tried my best. Kinda feel like it's sloppy tho and I'm sorry for it. Will definitely write a part 2 for it. This part might be a little confusing as it was originally supposed to be posted after Jiu's version but yeah... You guys will see soon. Hope you loves enjoy it. 💕😶‍🌫️.

(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾)~(~‾▿‾

"look y/n I don't fucking care the hell your going through right now. I need the damn payment. It has been 2 months. Either pay up or I'm kicking you out."

"No please Siyeon-nim just give me one more day I'll find some money. I'll pay you b-back please don't kick me out. T-their s-still after me."

"Do I look like I care slut? Maybe I should call Chocol let her know where you are!?"

The rent was due, yet again and it's 2 months payment this time. You had no job, a runaway, no money the only shelter you find was under the Lee apartment. The place was decent with a shared kitchen and bathroom. Lee Siyeon was your landlady and housemate. She's a really close acquaintance of Jo Gayoung also known as Chocol.

Yes Chocol the woman was after you, she was waiting on having you as a payback for your father's debt that he left before disappearing.

Why was your life so fucked up? First Dami then Chocol then Jiu.... Who's next next in line to use you for their pleasure?

Siyeon reached out for her phone on the table.

"n-no please Siyeon-nim I'm begging you d-don't do it. Is there any other way I could pay you back?"

You become desperate, you didn't even realize what you were sounding like.

Siyeon lowered her gaze to you, something on her mind.

"anything?"

"y-yes! Anything!"

Siyeon's eyes filled with an emotion that brought back bitter memories for you.

"S-Siyeon- ah"

You were lifted up on her arms. she brought you in her room and dropped you on to her bed.

"take everything off." Her voice was calm but it did hold that sinister aura.

She took out some chains from her drawer.

"you said anything, therefore I'm gonna make you be my fucking little cum slut."

It's her. The woman you thought who would at last be your saviour from the horrible world outside, is now the devil you never knew about.

Your arms and legs being tied to the bed frame.

"n-no please. Don't do this to me!-"

She shut you up with her lips. You tried your best to get yourself free by wriggling you arms and shouting. But where did that get you?

Nowhere, absolutely nowhere with a harsh slap to your cheek.

Her left had a firm grip on your neck slowly restrainting the air from you.

"look, I'm a person who doesn't change my mind often. If I've made up my mind, then it is what it is slut."

Another hard slap to your face. Tears already streaming your cheeks. Her smirk made you sick.

She removed her shirt and pants. She craked open a fresh can of beer it seems and drowned it right away. This gave you more memories about the one who was after you.

"your a monster." You whispered enough for her to hear.

"Yeah I am. I'm a fucking monster who's gonna treat you as my fuck toy."

Then she removed her shorts as you come face to face with her member.

She pushes herself into your mouth with no time.

"ahh yes, suck it like stupid whore you are."

Her cock was deep in your mouth it made you gag everytime she the very back of it.

"your mouth itself is so good, then how great would that pussy of yours feel? Fuck it I'm gonna fuck it. Fuck your thight pussy over and over, again and again."

"And I'll fucking cum in you, fill you up with my cum and make you carry my children! Got that my cum slut?"

-THE END-

(ノ^_^)ノ(ノ^_^)ノ(ノ^_^)ノ(ノ^_^)ノ(ノ^_^)ノ(ノ

[frtools]

December update

Happy holidays everyone!

I'm going to change up this monthly update a little, since cost is very much not an issue anymore. I'll still give a quick overview, but it's mostly going to be just a status update of how the re-work is progressing.

You have likely already seen the Tumblr becoming more active again this month, with flash sales being posted as well as dominance results. Work is slowly progressing on getting stuff back up and running.

Below the cut is a bunch of information, but give it a quick read!

The total cost in December was €8.22 post VAT. Essentially, the singular €10 patreon I have covers this entire cost and then some. The cost will likely go up again, a little bit, once the database and storage gets used more as I add stuff. But the major money sink of the website itself is gone now, so there's that!

On that note, I had said that I would stop accepting patreon payments 1st of january, but now that the toolset has made a re-start I'll let the decision fall down to the person that is currently part of it if they wish to continue supporting me.

The new way of hosting the tools using Azure Functions is proving to be very valuable, even though nothing I had made was inherently compatible. So I've been slowly working on completely rewriting the entire toolset, which has come with many challenges and many learning opportunities to say the least.

Tumblr

On the Tumblr side of announcements everything is up and running, it's basically back to how it was. It's also the place where I've had the most interaction with users so it was a semi-priority to get this back up first.

Site/Skin Tester

This entire toolset started its life as a simple skin previewer for my girlfriend so she could sell her skins easier without spending hours providing manual previews to interested folks. Strangely enough, this has now become a much lower priority. The nature of the idea behind a previewer however is something I can definitely build into the ecosystem of Azure Functions.

What I will likely end up doing first though is add a barebones 'site' that will allow things such as the code snippets to be used (the little scripts that allowed things such as coverage checker, color wheel, etc).

Discord

The Discord side however is my next target, some of you might have already noticed either because I have been sharing stuff or you just keep an eye on the source code behind FRTools on GitHub.

My goal with Discord is to make everything work the way it was, to some extend. There are things I cannot do with my new planned setup. The 'Bot' is no longer a 'Bot' that is ever present, instead I am leveraging Discord's /slash command system. This allows me to build a bot that functions as a bot but is not online 24/7. It just gets spun up to handle a command and goes afk again.

Just now I've finally finished the first command to be fully functional, it allows looking up the information of a dragon either by URL (pictured below) or simply by ID.

So there you have it!

[frostcorpsclub]

I ordered this cute commission of Jack and Suzy's ponified forms from https://www.deviantart.com/teonnakatztkgs Please look under the cut for some important information

From the description

"I'm sharing this across as many platforms as I can as I'm faced with a horrible situation and desperately need help. In short I'm losing my home and need a down-payment for a new place. The renters market right now is insane. (Like 5000 sometimes 7000 dollars a month for RENT) I've managed to find a place but he refuses to go lower than 3000 down but the rent is doable with my income. But I have been on medical leave since early February due to seizure like activity while I was working. I still have my job and should be returning in April from medical leave. But the foreclosure starts in 2 weeks and ive been using my savings to get by and dont have anywhere near enough for a down-payment. I have begged the mortgage company to let me make payments to them and they have been shady and refusing for months and out of nowhere want to foreclose. It's not even my house I just live in it. They have been building up in my area for a while now and recently started a plaza very close to where I am. I don't know if it has anything to do with it but I need to move. My family will NOT help me with anything.

OK that out of the way.

I'm trying to save 3000$. It's a lot but I have to be able to get a down-payment. It's not just for my sake.

I will literally draw whatever you want however you want it.

Sketch doodle traditional: 1$ Sketch page traditional: 3$ Sketch page digital: 5-7$(comes flat colored more complex characters will be higher) Black lineart fullbody: 10$ Colored lineart fullbody: 15$ Colored and shaded fullbody: 20$ (5$ more for each additional character) Background: 10$

Customs: Black lineart: 5$ Colored lineart: 10$

Adopts and OCs: I'm selling EVERYONE except TK, Kalmin, Silver, and Silverstorm. I have cats, dogs, lions, ponys, etc. Just ask what your looking for I'm still trying to figure out how to use toyhouse to share them there. Depending on how much art they have they will be higher.

Please share if you can't buy"

[ailelie]

YNAB Convert

So I've been using YNAB for about a week or two now and it is the best.

I thought checking my budget before making purchases would make my financial anxiety worse, but it is the actually the opposite.

I actually feel in control of my finances for the first time in...a while. When I check my budget, I can see whether or not I have money for the thing in front of me. If that category is empty, I can see how the rest of my dollars are assigned and decide if the thing in front of me is more important than some of my other priorities.

Instead of trying to calculate my upcoming bills vs my bank balance, I can just look at my budget and see 'yes' or 'no.' And if it is a 'yes,' I can spend that money without fear or guilt.

Instead of always looking backward and wondering where my money went, I can look ahead and see how my future bills are taken care of. It is a very good feeling.

The system does require though that you use.

Before you buy something, glance at your budget. If the relevant category (e.g., dining out, fun money, books, rideshares, etc) doesn't have funds, decide then where you'll pull the extra money from.

Each time you make a purchase, log the transaction. When YNAB imports the transaction from your bank, the app will match the two so you're not stuck with doubles. This is important because it ensures that your numbers are always accurate and you don't accidentally spend the same $10 twice.

The other task is reconciling. You should do this at least once a week, but, honestly, I do it every time I wake up in the morning and it is a good feeling. Basically you just log into your bank and compare your bank account ledger to your YNAB account ledger and make sure they match. Then you compare cleared balance (the balance NOT including transactions that are still processing) to the cleared balance in YNAB. If they match, you're golden. This is annoying the first time you do it, but after that? It takes me 3-5 minutes in the morning max.

Oh, and you have to set your budget up in the first place. That will take some work. I printed out a month of transactions from my bank and figured out how I had been spending money. I also identified all of my monthly charges and when they hit my bank account. Then I used that information to set up my budget.

...and promptly realized that my category spending limits and goals were too generous and so started thinking about how I could adjust my spending habits, without going cold turkey on anything.

One thing I did was separate my Lyft spending into two categories: transport to/from church and random rides. I cannot lower the costs of the first Lyft category, but I can commit to taking public transport more than I had been--especially with summer coming. I'll have to reassess when the weather turns again.

But I also love it because I am certain I am setting aside enough money for the things I care about. And, since that money is tucked away into its own category, I don't accidentally spend it. Way too often I'd just look at my account balance and utterly forget I needed, say, $50 for a Mother's Day gift. Then Mother's Day is a week away and I have no money to buy a gift. Not this year!

Meanwhile, I am already saving money to get a new laptop next year--something I've been planning on buying. Of course, I'd planned on just doing a payment plan. It is going to feel so good to be able to buy my preferred laptop out of pocket.

Christmas always puts me in a tailspin, but now I am already saving money. And it is there in my budget and the only way I use those dollars is if something else comes up that is more important to me than being able to buy presents.

And that's something else I love. I'm not comparing the purchase in front of me with some nebulous 'other' I could spend the money on. I'm comparing ordering in because I don't feel like cooking with the weaving class I'm super excited about.

When weaving is on the line, I realize I have enough energy to drop some frozen fake chicken nuggets and tater tots on a tray to bake.

Anyway. This app is so far fantastic and also? I'm making a plan for getting out of debt because that feels possible now.

They'll give you a 34-day free trial, no credit card needed. If you're a college student, I think you can get a full year free.

[thegeminisage]

bro i was SO excited to get into coral island. have been waiting on it to come out of beta for literal years - i didn't want to play the early access version because i wanted to be able to enjoy the entire game at once. when it released i read something about like the merpeople romances not being ready until 2024 and i was like ehhhh should i wait but my brother was like no that'll give you something to bring you back to it later you have been talking and talking about this game it's finally out so you would be nuts not to buy it. so i bought it. $29.99 american dollars. that's about 3 hours of cleaning houses. i had some steam money though so i actually got it for $23

there is an "i'm stuck" button in the menu which acts as if you had passed out - you lose cash and stamina. once my game glitched and i ACTUALLY got stuck because the controls would not allow me to open the door. there've been a few other minor glitches here and there - some weird dialogue, or fenceposts vanishing if you put them in the wrong spot. and steam shows me the xbox controller button prompts instead of the ps4 ones. that was all fine. it's an indie game and it's just been out a couple of weeks. i didn't think a thing about it. for the past 3.5 days the only thing i've wanted to do is play more coral island. you might not be able to marry a merperson yet but i have been cleaning the ocean so i can go talk to them, you know?

but this morning moseyed my ass on over to the subreddit, sure i would find cool tips and trivia etc. instead it's every console player on earth talking about how the crashes make the game unplayable. even on the pc version, there's apparently only 3 merpeople you can even talk to and the cleaning the ocean quest ends with a literal "wip" on the screen. the pet adoption function is still in its infancy, you can't dig for fossils, kids don't grow up, and chests keep vanishing with items in them. i felt like i had only barely scratched the surface of this game but in actuality. maybe not.

andl ike. not to be a whiny pissbaby. but i am SO FUCKINGGG TIRED of games releasing when they aren't FINISHED. i thought an indie game that was in early access for SUCH a long fucking time would be safe from this phenomenon but apparently fucking not. i was fine to wait as long as they needed but when i am flat broke - when as a household we are food bank 2-3 times a month one house payment behind BROKE - to spend $30 on an INCOMPLETE GAME during the HOLIDAY SEASON when i have to fucking buy presents for people is INSANE. if i was going to play the INCOMPLETE version i could have paid the much lower early access price. and i deliberately on purpose did not do that and got tricked into doing it anyway!!!

like how can you raise your price and claim it's because the game is complete now and RELEASE IT ON CONSOLE when the game isn't actually complete now? did they need the extra money to continue development? did some suit stick his nose where it didn't belong? and my ass is WAY past 4 hours so there's no way i can return it. i'm stuck with this game now, just as it is, with the money i paid for it.

idek if i will keep playing. it's fucking fun as shit and ik when it's finished i'm gonna love the hell out of it, plus i've got a ways to go yet before i start hitting walls. but man what a way to take the wind out of a girl's sails. "wip." i spent the last 4 in-game days doing nothing but cleaning the ocean. good lord.

tbh going on reddit was a mistake. that was my bad. i would have preferred to find all this out the hard way and enjoy myself until then. or: better: i would have preferred not to buy the fucking game yet! wild how that works! i hate i hate i HATE this economy!!!!!!!!!! that's so fucking evil!!! i literally want my money back!

[neckromancy]

Not self ship related.

I've barely told anyone but I've decided to fuck it all and book my dream vacation.

I've been saving up since I was 19 to go to New Zealand. I am 31 now. I've had enough savings for a while and it has actually caused me so much financial distress to have so much money in my bank account; any financial benefit was forfeit despite being low income. I've saved hard with the little that I've always had. Only since a year ago I became more financially stable, although old habits die hard, I am still quite scarce in what I spend on food, living etc... I've always prioritized my dream vacation. The thing to keep going for, the reason to live, etc etc.

I've not booked my holiday because I had fear of going alone. I have autism and I get stressed out easily, and when I get stressed, I basically blank out, nothing makes sense anymore, and I basically go crazy (not in an angry way, but just a very upset way).

However, I've been grinding my gears so hard over this. None of my friends shared this dream and only in recent years it had come to light that some are interested. Issue is that they never saved up for it, and I honestly felt my heart dropp when they told me they would be ready no sooner than 2029.

A lot can happen in those years. They can lose interest, they can fail to bring up their savings, any of us can get cancer and die - YES this is literally where my mind goes. I genuinely often think about getting some terminal disease before I can go. I'll also be closer to 40, I am overweight, will I be as capable of going? It brings a lot of anxiety. Heck, what if my financial situation turns around again and I have to go back the way I lived before? My savings started draining VERY hard because I had to find out I cannot work fulltime and I had to eat away at my New Zealand money, watching my dream falter slowly, because any financial benefit... I was just not eligible for unless my savings would lower drastically.

So I've been thinking for a couple months now, more than half a year actually... about going alone after all. I've had so many talks in therapy, with fellow colleagues, just... people, about the situation, and honestly... I've cut the tie.

I'm going to New Zealand. I'm like ... crying over how much stress it is giving me, yet also joy. I've booked a trip and paid for the deposit. To pay for the rest I am still managing bank administration.

It's just giving me SO much stress though.

I've had to do the one thing I hate: install a banking app on my phone. It is the only way for me to do a payment above the 5k threshold, they literally won't let me do it through the browser (I tried, I called them, and I hate phone calls). I had to order a credit card because it is the only way to get my e-visum, along with accidentally uploading the wrong photo which means that I have to re-do it after they find the mistake in a few days, which I also needed to install an app for... gods!

I never wanted my phone to be involved with any financial things, but I suppose it's worth it for my dream vacation.

But here's the thing.

I did not tell the friends yet. The ones I'd go with. I am still too heartbroken by the 2029 shocker. I don't know how to tell them I'm going by myself, that I said "fuck it, 2024 is my year" and went ahead with it.

It's why I am posting about it on this blog and not my personal one, one of them follows me there.

I don't really know how to deal well with this. I'll first focus on getting my administration sorted, because god damn.

A cancellation insurance costs another 500 euros, and for what? The small chance I end up hospitalized and cannot go anymore? I have 6 more days to pick it up... but for now I am too stressed. It's just so much to do all of this by myself.

Oh, and the only reason I am capable of doing this alone is because I am taking a guided tour. No way I could do without, I have no driver's license or anything. The tour includes the flight, the hotels, the travel... it's nice. I just need to do a separate booking to visit Hobbiton, obviously I am going to Hobbiton. For that I also need to wait for my credit card...

I'll be so relieved when all administration is done.

[cloverbuilds]

1. I can’t send an ask/DM to this blog and I have a question/wcif. This ‘sideblog’ is meant to be a gallery only. You will only find ‘posts’ in the dashboard view, not on the actual blog.

🍀 Pease send all questions to my main blog @catharsim​​ !! 🍀 

2. How do I navigate the gallery? You can use the arrow buttons to help you. There will be indicators in a white bubble that show whether the lot is Early Access or a Commission. The download links will be updated when it becomes released to the public.

3. In the gallery, it has no download link to houses marked as ‘Commission,’ how do I get those houses? I do not and will not ever post my commissioned houses for public download. They are in the gallery as a portfolio. You may feel free to commission a similar house of your own from me, though! 

4. What are the different tiers of your Patreon? Everything is listed here 

5. How long is your Early Access period? I release my lots 3 weeks early for Patrons. 

6. What is your TOU on publicly released builds? - Please do not claim my builds as your own or reupload. - Feel free to edit my builds to your liking but keep them for personal use only. - Do not use my lots as a base for your own shared builds. - If you'd like me to see you using my lots, tag @cloverbuilds or @catharsim on Tumblr!

1. What is the process like? My process for commissions is as follows: 

You send me a direct message on Tumblr and we discuss what you want. This is when you would show me reference images. if you have a blueprint of the house, that’d be outstanding. It makes it a lot easier on me!

I get to work and may ask questions along the way about general opinions on the house, if any problems arise, etc.

I show you a finished product in pictures of the interior and exterior for approval.

Payment transaction via purchase of a Commisioner subscription on my Patreon. You will be charged the day you pledge and then charged the same day each month. You can end your subscription or change to a lower tier before you are charged again. If you’d like to keep your Commissioner access, you are entitled to one build per month! 

I send the house to you via SimFileShare

2. What is included in the price for a standard commission? The standard pricing of the Commissioner tier is $12. This is for residential homes up to four bedrooms. If you would like to commission a larger build or a community lot, DM me and we can discuss other payment methods like Paypal. 

Do you take commissions for Sims 4? No I don’t sorry. I dont play TS4 enough to be good at building, so I stick with what I know - which is TS3.

Will CC come with the house? I try to use very minimal CC in builds I’ll be sharing with someone else. But the cc I do use will be included in the file because I know how annoying it is to copy and paste links or track it down yourself.

I know there is controversy about this but I don’t have the time to track down every creator’s TOU. Honest to God I’m not trying to make money off other’s creations, I’m just trying to make it easier for people to have access to pretty houses. If someone specifically does not want their stuff included in a folder, feel free to message me and I’ll oblige.

Will your furnish the home for me if I pay extra? All my CC is in .package format and therefore will not transfer with the lot when exported. Tracking down each piece of cc for a fully furnished house is a nightmare even for the most organized person. So sorry, but no.

Are there any rules once I get the build? Yes and no. It’s yours, you paid for it. Feel free to edit it, never use it, burn it down, go nuts. The one thing I ask is please do not reupload it or claim it as your own. I put a lot of time into my builds and I would like credit given where it’s due. Thank you! <3

[weministertomonsters]

Jackalope Creature

  She couldn't remember how she knew he was there or where he had come from. Such a thing shouldn't exist but when she stepped into the darkening woods, he seemed to rise out of the shrubbery, defying her beliefs. His long, soft rabbit ears flicked in greeting.

  "Girl, it's been months since I saw you last," he said, extending a delicate paw. "I missed you."

  She took a deep breath to quell her nerves and stepped into his embrace, shuddering as he rested his chin on her hair, then lowered his muzzle to sniff at her face. She closed her eyes as the velvet of his muzzle and the dampness of his lips kissed over her eyebrows and eyelids.

  He was freakishly tall and had to bend awkwardly to do that but he didn't seem to care. His antlers, curved up to the sky above her.  He nudged her cheek and waited for her to open her eyes.

  She did and saw his staring right back, solid red irises that spoke of something wise, something old, and something uncaring. It was beyond her, the language that his eyes spoke.

  "You want something. What is it?" He said, grinning with fangs in her face.

  "The people I live with. Their farm isn't doing so well. Any longer and they'll have to start laying off the farmhands, including myself. I have nowhere else to go." She said quietly. "Can you help them?"

  "It's never a matter of can, sweet little thing. It is always if. What are you willing to give me?" He said this in a hot, excited whisper, blowing embers from his lungs, and tapping his hooves against the forest floor in impatience.

  For all of his monstrous appearance, his urges were like that of a hot-blooded man. The payment was simple if she pretended it was a transaction for what she wanted. But it was never that easy. Each time she asked for his help, he seemed to take a piece of her heart between his teeth and swallow it.

  Suppressing a sigh, she began to tie her hair back with the hair tie she had brought for that sole purpose. He didn't give her time to do that, seizing her by her elbow and walking back to the base of a tree, sinking onto the leaves there with a content sigh.

  "I like your hair loose," he said, combing claws through her tresses.

  It was even darker under the tree, and on the outskirts of his forest, crickets had begun to chirp.

  Pulled against him like that, her hand rested on his abdomen, strong muscle underneath soft fur. Her face was right next to his sheath and foreplay was forgotten. His cock already emerged, mottled pink and brown and dripping. He was always ready for her and she couldn't tell whether it was because he was a creature of lust or she brought it out of him. She didn't want to know.

  She placed her hand on his cock and squeezed gently. He squirmed, his fur fluffing out like an angry cat. It would look cute if the constant reminders of how dangerous he was weren't staring her right in the face. The way he grimaced and pulled his lips back over those pitchfork teeth that had probably tasted human flesh.

  His claws danced over her skin and sneaked touches of more than she had traded. His hips, pressing closer to her, long legs lying against the floor, tangled with hers.

  The first time she had seen him, she tried to run. He was much faster and she had learned that with his kind, running was the worst thing you could do. She had the scars to prove it.

  She didn't speak, she simply took him in her mouth, eager to get it over with. He talked too damn much, complimenting the lewdest things he could think of, like how pretty her lips looked stretched around his cock, until her ears burned and she lifted herself away to snap,

  "I don't want to hear it."

  Quick as wood soaked in alcohol, he burst into flames. Grabbed her arms and yanked her so that she lay just high enough for him to press his cock against her dress, seeking to slip between her thighs.

  "Do you think I care?" He growled.

  "Stop it, you're hurting me," she quivered.

  "I don't know why I waste my time like this. I should just drag you to my den and keep you to fuck whenever I please," he hissed, hips rolling up to meet hers. "To have and hold. All mine."

  "I would die there," she warned, clutching fistfuls of the fur on his chest until he yelped lightly. "I know you want me for my spirit but that's something you'll never have. If you take me away, I'll wilt like a flower in winter."

  "Don't," he sneered, precum wetting her skirt until parts of it began to stick to her skin. "Don't say that."

  "The truth is always bitter," she shot back, and for a second she forgot who she was and who she was with.

  Her thighs slipped open around his hips and her weight settled down firmly against him. He could feel her pussy even through her dress. He snorted in excitement and thrust harder, grinding against her. Her face was bowed, hair shielding it from his view. For a moment in time, she gave him a memory he would always replay.

  She gave in.

  Her body tightened up and her breath caught. The scent of her arousal, stronger than ever before, washed over him and he came in ropy loops of white over her skirt.

  She sighed in the aftershocks of her climax and possibly, in annoyance that he had yet again ruined her dress. She jumped up and tried to clean the worst of it with her handkerchief. There was a lot to clean.

  "I trust you'll honor our deal," she said crisply and walked away, stumbling over tree roots in the dark, taking her sunshine with him.

  He lay in the dirt, breathing in her scent until the last of it was gone, until all he could smell was flowers that had the scent dried out of them, leaves growing mold underneath, the musky smell of the forest that gave him no comfort.

  The moon hung full and round above, lighting his human's way back home.

[theboardwalkbody]

If I don't get out of this house and get my own place I am going to kill myself.

I went from one bedroom and an office to one 10x8 bedroom that acts as an office and bedroom. All my belongings are in boxes in a basement. My daily necessities are cluttering up my room so bad I can't function. I have no room for my clothes other than one single dresser (I used to have a closet and three dressers).

Now I am being told I can no longer keep my pillowcases and bedsheets, tampons, pads, extra toothpastes, hand soaps, razors, etc., in the bathroom linen closet because they're suddenly "taking up too much room" and "you don't need more than one bedsheet anyway".

The groceries I buy for myself are getting eaten by others. Or thrown out to make more room for their dinners. Sometimes being straight up put in my bedroom because it's "taking up too much space" in the fridge.

I used to have some mugs. They're now in a box in the basement because "you have too many you don't need those" meanwhile they have TWO full cabinets of THEIR mugs.

Not to mention the molded carpet in the BATHROOM that she is REFUSING to have removed because her "feet get cold" and the green carpet from 1965 that is so old there's holes in it that is also being refused replacement because "it's fine it's just old". Or the mold in the bathroom. Or the termites eating the foundation. Or the superficial tree roots ripping apart the concrete walkways that are full of cracks and missing chunks.

The house is literally falling apart. I am having more and more of my stuff taken away. Being confined to a smaller and smaller amount of room.

And we wonder why my depression has gotten worse.

And we get on my case about that too.

"oh you need to get out of your room more" And go where?

"you need to stop sleeping so much" Why? 90% of the things that made me happy are gone.

"you need to go outside and work out more" glad we're also adding in my weight to this ever increasingly shitty situation. But when I try to buy food for myself that's better and healthier than going out to buy food daily it gets tossed or eaten before I can eat it.

"you need to stop buying things" I know. Because you're just gonna make me get rid of it anyway.

"you need to work more hours" why? So I'm out of the house more? I never leave my room, I'm literally not bothering you at all.

"you need to make more money, find a different job". With a higher pay comes higher stress which I can not handle. I am staying in my lane as far as stress and responsibility goes.

I want to move out but I can't. Not with a Poor rated credit score. No savings. High debt thanks to student loans and past mistakes. And definitely not in this housing market where the average cost of a home in NJ is half a million. And rent is at an average of 3k per month for most pet friendly studio apartments. Which I am automatically disqualified for anyway due to my credit (and also automatically disqualified for home loans as well).

I don't have anyone with good credit to find a place with. Plus my credit score would drag theirs down (both people in the lease means adding both credit scores and dividing by two, with my credit score even someone with an 800, which is pretty much unrealistic and would probably be lower, would be dragged down to the 680s which would determine interest, monthly payments and eligibility).

So basically there's like no point to anything. No assistance. No help. No way of digging out of the hole. No hope.

[tuscanwalker]

Sept 27, 2022: Campagnano di Roma to La Storta - 25.4 km; CUS - 1,800 ft

403.2 km to date

Memories of India

The British tour group tracked in about an hour and a half after us, but still game after a very long, wet day. On our way out to explore and whine/wine about 5 pm we encountered the guides and the last two ladies to come in, including one who had been sidelined with really bad blisters but came back today and made the whole distance. My admiration for them continues. I have been fortunate not to have any blisters this trip, a first on these long treks with Kim (he never seems to get them). Less fortunately, I stepped in a puddle on the street today that turned out to be a couple of missing cobble stones. I badly reinjured my calf and right hip and i am walking with a pronounced limp while trying to avoid walking at all. I was still able to finish today and tomorrow should be a cakewalk to St Peters.

Dinner last night was fabulous. Kim and I both had the bruschetta fantasia (1 artichoke, 1 pomodoro and one capicollo plus a pot of hot beans and crostini. Then Kim had the gnocchi with an arugula pesto and cherry tomatoes while I had the bucatini amatriciana. Both were perfect, as was the house red. Filled with locals, eccentrically decorated and run by three generations of family, I just thought it was something my brother would have loved. Throughout we were entertained by the owners 16ish month old grandson running around the tables chasing and being chased by grandpa. Made me homesick for the grandkids. Normally the food is included in our half board but we pay for wine and mineral water. Nonetheless, the owner refused payment of any kind. So saying, I gave him 10€ and told him in broken Italian to buy something for the little guy. In response, I was gifted with a huge smile and a grazie mille.

Today basically a long, tough, boring trudge. The hi-lite of the day was running into a number of cows on the loose and a older woman in her little Fiat Panda desperately looking for them. We found two at a roadside and one immediately started meandering toward me with a determined look on its face (do cows have looks or just vacant stares?) It reminded me of walking down a road in India (where cows are as ubiquitous as boulevard trees) and encountering several cows, one of which seemed determined to make Luanne her friend and followed her for a considerable distance.

Other than that, the most interesting thing today was a sign explaining that we had just walked over a subterranean aqueduct about 100 sq feet in cross section. It was apparently 78 km long with a consistent 1.2-2% slope. It was built by the Etruscans to bring water from mountains to the city of Veio. Needless to say I have no pictures to share. Instead, I offer pictures of an old mill (below are the millstones) and 60-80 foot waterfall we passed. I regret to say that after about 20 km walking there was no way I was scrambling down a cliff and back up to get a better picture from the bottom.

We arrived about 3:30, had a glass of wine and showered and are still awaiting the arrival of our British friends.

Random Thoughts

Umbrella Pines

As we were walking yesterday, I got to thinking about how, for many people, rows of cypress trees lining a road through a hillside vineyard is symbolic of the Tuscan countryside. Kim, on the other hand, is absolutely enamoured with the Plane Trees, many of which are centuries old. My favourite is the umbrella pines, tall with the characteristic crown and all the dead lower limbs removed, this is Tuscany to me.

Italian Clocks

Time seems unimportant when you are walking through the Italian countryside. This is reinforced by the fact that every little town has a clock tower, sometimes on the city gate, sometime on a church bell tower and sometimes on city hall. Why does this support the idea that time is unimportant? It is because none of them tell the correct time. We even found one where the wrong time is different on different sides of the clock tower, all different, but all wrong.

[vivalasestrellas]

Today was a lot. In a good way I think.

Started out normally enough, working on prepping for the next school year. I got a message from my phone carrier saying that my service would expire today. That's a little odd since I have it on autopay every month. So I go to my carrier's website and everything seems in order (card wasn't declined, password was still the same, next month's payment queued up) so I decided to check my bank account. That's when I had a mini panic attack. You see, my account had [redacted] in it. I'm more accustomed to having [redacted] in the account so the much lower level was a bit of a shock. I know I've done quite a bit of spending recently but I didn't think it was *that* much. So I went back through my statements and, yeah, there are some unnecessary spending I had done but everything else seemed to check out. In fact, taking this month's coming paycheck into account, the money level seemed normal enough. Still, probably gonna have to watch my spending and maybe make up a budget of some kind to keep things in check.

Then I went to make lunch. Now, I've been dealing with ants crawling around outside on my patio and near the gutters for a while now but I didn't expect to see them *in my kitchen*. Yep, as I was getting dishes prepped, I noticed an ant crawling on the counter. Then a second, then a third and a fourth, and that was enough. I put lunch on hold and cleared everything off the counter. Sure enough, missed grains of rice, crumbs from the toaster, small pieces of ramen became visible - as did the cavalcade of bugs. Granted, they weren't lining (I kept looking for one but couldn't find one) so that told me it wasn't a complete infestation. I wiped down the counter, cleaned it with some Clorox and that seemed to take care of the problem. I then thought back to the gutters and put two and two together: the ants are probably nesting in the gutters. So I committed to the afternoon to cleaning out the gutters. I asked a friend over to help (someone needs to hold the ladder) and finished up lunch.

While I was waiting for my friend, I went outside to scout out the gutters and get an idea of what tools would be needed. I saw that the ants weren't just crawling around the gutters and patio, they were forming a pure line right to the kitchen window from two different directions. I got some spray and followed the lines as far as I could see. I then checked the gutters and while there was some debris, it wasn't disgusting. This might be easier than I thought!

Friend arrives. We hit up Walmart because I need to get some gloves, a snake for the gutters, some more bug spray, and a bucket. Walmart was out of buckets. We got everything else and headed back home where we set up to clean out the gutters. Slight snag; the snake I bought needs to be attached to a drill and of my two drills one needed to be recharged and the other wasn't compatible with the snake bit. Great. Well no matter, we'll make do with what we can. I do feel a bit bad because the first gutter we went to, the debris was dry and loose and I was pulling it out with my hands - and it got all over my friend which is not cool of me. I cleaned out the gutters and the drop spouts seemed free of debris so we did a water test. The water came out just fine so we called it a wrap on that part of the house. The next part, near the front porch, was pretty good too. in fact, there wasn't any debris at all. Sweet! As long as the last section of the house is just as good, then the chore is as good as done. I go to check the last portion of the house, the east wall, and... swamp. The gutter was filled with water, mud, leaves, and debris, culminating in a stagnate, swampy sludge. Alright. We'll definitely need the snake to drain this. But the drill is charging so we'll have to wait a bit.

Back inside, I take a shower while friend declines due to not being that dirty to begin with. Of course, after I get out of the shower, the drill is charged. If only I had waited. We decide we'll take a break and finish the gutters after dinner, closer to sunset. We hang out, chat, make dinner, and then decide to get back to work. We swing by Walmart again to get some spades - I don't want to touch the sludge if I can help it.

I start by using the snake to clear any clogs in the drop spout. It wasn't super effective, but you could definitely hear water beginning to drain. So I get a spade and begin to shovel out the wet debris. Problem: where am I gonna put the sludge once it's out of the gutter? I have my friend go back inside to get the trashcan and I start to shovel out sludge and dump it into the trashcan. Work is pretty steady: I shovel out some sludge and push what I can't shovel further along until the end of the wall where I use the edge to help get the rest of the sludge out. Thankfully, we were smarter this time around and friend was not splashed or hit with any of the gutter fillings this time. Friend then points out that there's actually one last section of gutter - it's part of the east side but not connected like I thought. Fortunately this gutter, though full of debris, was dry and compact. Once the gutter itself was clear, we did a water test and the water came out just fine. We go back to the east-wall gutter and I realize that, while slow, the water had drained and the drop spout looked open. We did a final water test and it wasn't perfect. Friend knocked the drop spout in a few places and that seemed to loosen it up well enough.

Clean up still had a few surprises. The trash bag broke so the bottom of the trashcan had some swamp water get in. The side of the can was also splashed. We get some Clorox and wipe it down, get some water and rinsed out the inside. We packed up everything else and we were done.

I profusely thanked my friend for the help and they went home. I figured that this was a full enough of a day that writing it warranted writing down.

And now I'm gonna go to bed because I am exhausted.

[saracarlsson]

Unlocking the Freedom of Long-Term Car Hire in Sydney

Sydney, the bustling capital of New South Wales, is a city of endless opportunities, where every street corner holds a new adventure. Whether you're a local or a traveler seeking exploration, having the convenience of your own wheels can transform your experience. And what better way to embrace this freedom than through long-term car hire? Let's dive into the world of long-term car rentals in Sydney and discover how it can enhance your journey.

What is Long-Term Car Hire?

Long-term car hire, also known as long-term car rental, is a service that allows individuals to rent a vehicle for an extended period, typically ranging from weeks to months. Unlike traditional car rental services, long-term hire offers more flexibility and often comes with additional perks.

Benefits of Long-Term Car Hire

Long-term car hire comes with a plethora of benefits. Firstly, it provides freedom and flexibility, allowing you to explore Sydney and its surrounding areas at your own pace. Additionally, long-term rentals often come with lower daily rates compared to short-term rentals, making it a cost-effective option for extended stays.

Finding the Right Car Rental Company

When searching for a long-term car rental company in Sydney, it's essential to do your research. Look for companies with a good reputation, transparent pricing, and a wide range of vehicle options to suit your needs.

Understanding the Terms

Before finalizing your long-term car hire agreement, make sure you understand the terms and conditions thoroughly. Pay attention to details such as mileage limits, insurance coverage, and any additional fees that may apply.

Exploring Sydney's Hidden Gems

With a long-term rental at your disposal, you have the freedom to explore Sydney's hidden gems beyond the tourist hotspots. From secluded beaches to charming coastal towns, there's always something new to discover.

Cost-Effective Transportation

Long-term car hire offers a cost-effective transportation solution, especially for travelers planning an extended stay in Sydney. With no need to rely on public transportation or expensive taxi services, you can save money while enjoying the convenience of having your own vehicle.

Flexibility and Convenience

One of the primary advantages of long-term car hire is the flexibility it provides. Whether you're embarking on a road trip along the coast or simply running errands around the city, having your own vehicle offers unparalleled convenience.

Maintenance and Support

Most reputable car rental companies in Sydney provide comprehensive maintenance and support services for long-term renters. From routine servicing to roadside assistance, you can rest assured that your vehicle will be well taken care of throughout your rental period.

Safety Measures

When renting a car for an extended period, safety should always be a top priority. Ensure that the vehicle meets all safety standards and undergoes regular inspections to minimize the risk of accidents or breakdowns.

Eco-Friendly Options

For environmentally conscious travelers, some car rental companies in Sydney offer eco-friendly vehicle options, such as hybrid or electric cars. Choosing a sustainable transportation option can help reduce your carbon footprint while exploring the beauty of Sydney and its surrounds.

Conclusion

Long-term car hire in Sydney opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to experience the city and its surroundings on your own terms. With flexibility, affordability, and convenience at your fingertips, there's no limit to where your adventures may take you.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What documents do I need to rent a car in Sydney?

To rent a car in Sydney, you typically need a valid driver's license, a credit card for payment, and some form of identification, such as a passport or government-issued ID.

2. Can I extend my long-term car rental if needed?

Yes, most car rental companies in Sydney offer the option to extend your rental period if needed. However, it's essential to contact the rental company in advance to make arrangements and avoid any additional fees.

3. Are there any age restrictions for long-term car hire?

Age restrictions may vary depending on the rental company and the type of vehicle. In general, drivers must be at least 21 years old to rent a car in Sydney, and additional fees may apply for drivers under 25.

4. Do I need to purchase insurance for my long-term rental?

While insurance coverage is typically included in long-term rental agreements, it's essential to review the terms and conditions carefully. Consider purchasing additional insurance coverage for added peace of mind, especially if you plan to travel extensively.

5. Can I return my rental car to a different location?

Some car rental companies in Sydney may allow you to return your rental car to a different location for an additional fee. However, availability may be limited, so it's best to check with the rental company in advance.