#considering Beach Bunny in November

[shevr]

i got a hit 10K likes tweet and yet im still gonna be going to concerts dateless and alone like a dog. whats the point. what is any of this for.

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E3

Zaterdag 08:10

Perfect parallel: An upset Robbe being little spoon to Noor this episode, him being a relaxed little spoon to Sander in the last one.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo has half eaten wafers cookies on his bed. Between the cellphone time and timestamp, it took Robbe five minutes to get dressed and to the beach. The beautiful angel pendant makes its first appearance.

Bonus: This cinematography trick of using a wide shot with nobody else in the sight, makes us actually feel how lonely Robbe actually is. 

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Zaterdag 08:23

C is for culture: “Vamanos” - As you may have noticed, Flemish has a lot of words that aren’t typically Dutch. These are called ‘leenwoorden’ (= ‘borrowing words’). In some cases, the language has made the word its own, with their conjugation or sound (like barbecue - barbecuet - or e-mail - ge-e-maild), other times the expression is copied completely (like smartphone or laptop). There are various reasons as to why people don’t want to change it: globalization, wanting to be more vague/cool, general laziness, ...

Perfect parallel: 

Sander’s playful “Are you the manager?” and “That’ll be zero stars on Booking.com” to Robbe when they meet in this episode, Sander’s sheepish “Zero stars on Booking.com” and Robbe’s pointed “Where is that manager when you need him?”, when they have their fall-out in a later episode. 

Sander saying “When I booked this room, I explicitly asked for room-service” here and him actually booking a room with room-service for the both of them later on.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens’ keyboard is lying on top of the closet. Sander grabbing his keys (to his car?).

°

Zaterdag 08:44

C is for culture: The option to use self-scanning is pretty common in Belgian supermarkets, especially in shop-and-go city stores. You pick up the scanner, scan the stuff you buy, go to a counter, pay and walk out with your groceries. A sales assistant is still present to help out with problems or do random routine checks. It’s fast, easy and cost-efficient. The downside? Shoplifting becomes a bit easier this way.

That’s character: Sander is putting up a ‘cool guy, devil may care’ facade. He jokes about not scanning everything, dismisses Amber’s list, whirls the shopping cart around and sings David Bowie to this boy. He wants to make a lasting impression on Robbe. If he’s the most charming, chaotic and adventurous version of himself, then he doesn’t have to think about other stuff like his own crumbling relationship. (Also the reason why he doesn’t answer the question about Amber: they simply met through Britt). As the boxes fall down, so does Sander’s tough exterior, as he never intended to hurt Robbe by playing around in the supermarket.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +3, he almost topples off the cart twice and drops the chocolate bars on the floor. (The crash with Sander isn’t his fault though)

Oopsie: 

Sander is wearing a leather jacket, but we don’t see it in the previous clip. Either he left it in his car or it’s an ‘oopsie’.

When Sander accidentally tosses Robbe into the boxes, we hear glass breaking. However, in the next shot, the boxes seem to empty (and they were supposed to be filled with chips, which don’t make that sound).

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander is wearing black Converse. They bought Jupiler beer. Robbe pulls out ‘Delhaize’ Biscuit chocolate bars and Florentin cookies.

°

Zaterdag 13:13

C is for culture: "Croques” - The word ‘croque’ is an abbreviation for ‘croque monsieur’ (= ‘crunch mister’). These are grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, a typical greasy snack at taverns, markets, carnivals, your home, ... Other versions include the ‘croque madame’ topped with a fried egg, ‘croque bolognese’ with bolognese sauce, ‘croque hawai’ with a pineapple slice.

That’s character: It’s clear that Robbe has no idea how to eat properly. All throughout the season he eats unhealthy breakfasts (choco spread with cookies), snacks (chips, cookies) and dinners (Aïki noodles, frozen lasagna). But here we see the reason: he doesn’t seem to know how to cook or work a stove. Exactly why he buys prepackaged or instant food options. So, it’s probably for the best that Zoë helps out his eating habits.

Perfect parallel:

Robbe making an unhealthy breakfast in the previous episode, Sander providing him with an unhealthy snack in this one. (The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach)

Britt’s condescending “Listening to David Bowie again?” in this episode, her calling Robbe his next obsession similar to David Bowie later on. 

Sander’s “Do you know where I can find the coffee?” to Robbe in an earlier scene and his “Was coffee on the list?” to Amber here.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, he stumbles backwards after Sander touches his shoulder and burns himself after turning the ‘croque’.

Nod to the OG: This kitchen scene is the equivalent of the ‘5 fine frøkner’ scene, as Sander sings his favorite song to Robbe and makes breakfast, whilst both flirt with each other (subtly).

Oopsie: They supposedly went to ‘Delhaize’ for all their groceries, but the ketchup bottle comes from ‘Carrefour’ and the butter from ‘Colruyt’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander messes up the first words to ‘Under Pressure’ - it’s ‘pressure’ not ‘under pressure’. He mixes the weed with tobacco for his joint. The conflict on Sander’s face at the end.

°

Zondag 16:34

C is for culture: "What kind of shit question is this?” - They’re playing ‘De Slimste Mens ter wereld’ (= ‘The smartest human on earth’), a board game by the popular Flemish television show with the same name. The quiz is very challenging. People have to solve associative, general knowledge and out-of-the-box questions with multiple answers in different rounds. Points are awarded in the form of seconds, which are used during the game. The candidate with time left at the end, wins.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The group is drinking white wine out of plastic cups. Sander studied at ‘de!Kunsthumaniora’, the same school as Noor. Sander’s wearing his combat boots again.

°

Maandag 15:12

C is for culture: Aaron is wearing a bunny costume for the paintball game ‘Hunt the bunny’. This is usually played by people on a bachelor party or a corporate team building (with the groom/boss as the bunny). The goal is simple: the bunny has to cross the field from one corner to another, whilst the hunters shoot as much paintballs as possible to ‘kill’ it. Which is... rather painful, especially at close range. 

Oopsie: What they’re doing is actually illegal or even impossible. People aren’t allowed to play paintball in protected environments, like dunes. Unless they’re doing it with a specialized organization who’s trained for these games (and are present at the time of playing) or have the written permission from the ‘Agency of Nature and Forest’, the police, the city, ... There is a whole heap of permissions, administrative papers and laws to deal with. 

Lost in translation: Britt saying “Doe normaal” (= “Act normal”) has nothing to do with her dismissing Sander’s mental health. This Flemish phrase is often used to calm people down, telling them that they’re acting rather irrationally or childish. It’s an angry way of saying “Can’t you behave yourself? Calm down. What are you doing? Be rational!”. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The blue and red flags tells us that they’re going to play ‘capture the flag’. Some of the ‘pfff’ gun sounds you hear, indicate that the air pressure needs to be checked. Moyo took off his protection mask, which is dangerous and sometimes considered a foul during the game.

°

Dinsdag 20:02

C is for culture: "Do you know how to make s’mores?” - Toasting marshmallows above a campfire, isn’t really a tradition in Belgium. So that’s why the girls don’t know how to make s’mores. 

Lost in translation: ’Smoor’ is a Flemish dialect word for smoke or the act of smoking. It does sound a lot like ‘s’mores’. This is why Luca thinks Aaron wants to hold the marshmallow into the fire. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Of course Robbe had nothing to lose with Noor, he wasn’t actually interested in her. With Sander, however, Robbe doesn’t dare to do anything.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Aaron is drinking ‘Bock’ beer. Amber looks at Aaron like she really likes him, when he’s preparing the s’mores.

°

Woensdag 20:42

C is for culture: 

“An old german bunker” - The province of West-Flanders as well as its coast still has a lot of remnants left from WWI. From German bunkers to trench-networks, burial sites and museums, the 'Great war’ left its traces. Unsurprisingly, every year, people still find around 300 tons of (active) bombs underneath the fields.

“Around ‘All Souls’ Day’ they come back to life” - ‘All Souls’ Day’ is a christian holiday on the 2nd of November, on which the dead are commemorated. However, since that day isn’t an official holiday in Belgium, people visit the graves and honor of their loved ones on the 1st of November, ‘All Saint’s Day’. 

The group drinking ‘jenever’ shots - ‘Jenever’ (known in English as ‘Dutch gin’ or ‘genever’) is a traditional liquor in Belgium and the Netherlands. Young people usually drink these colored, high percentage spirits at Christmas markets, pre-drinks or parties when it’s cold outside. Different flavors include vanilla, chocolate, berries, lemon, apple, ...

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The wooden panel behind Jens says ‘Volg de pijlen’ (= ‘Follow the arrows’). Aaron and Amber are holding hands after their fall. Robbe downs a chocolate-cream ‘jenever’ shot at the end. 

°

Woensdag 21:53

Perfect parallel: Robbe lashing out at his friends in this episode - he feels left out and confused about his sexuality - and blames the pranks. Him doing the same in the next - he thinks his friends are hypocrites by saying homophobic comments to him yet defending the gay teacher - and blames the vlogs. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The second living room has a spinning disco light.

°

Donderdag 21:12

C is for culture:

“In dat jeugdhuis” - A ‘jeugdhuis’ (= ‘youth house’) is a meeting place, run by young volunteers. All teens and young adults are welcome to hang out, throw parties, drink at their bar, organize concerts, attend workshops - just making the space their own. 

“He sounded like a begging Romanian” - Luca is referring to Romanian Romani families, who roam around in the streets of Brussels begging for some money. These ethnic groups have a mostly negative image amongst the Europeans. Which is why she states this harsh and hurtful comparison.

Perfect parallel: Noor asking Robbe for a playlist so she can listen to his favorite songs here, Sander actually making a Bowie playlist for Robbe in the next episode.

Lost in translation: Luca is mocking the West-Flemish dialect by copying what the boy said, namely “Moe’en julder ok ‘n flyer ‘ennen?”. This dialect is known for blowing their ‘g’ and ‘h’ so that they sound similar, conjugating their 'yes’ or ‘no’, having double subjects, seemingly swallowing some letters, among other things. It’s one of the most confusing and difficult dialects for the Flemish to understand themselves.

Oopsie: When Aaron asks Amber if she needs a drink, Britt and Sander are dancing right behind him. When she answers and walks away, they’re suddenly gone, only to be seen again when Moyo walks over.

Nod to the OG/Wink to other remakes: The ‘call your girlfriend’ kiss, duh! 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana is wearing one white contact lens.

°

Vrijdag 08:43

Perfect parallel: 

Sander searching for coffee first thing in the morning earlier this episode and him pouring a cup before any task in this clip.

Sander’s “Maybe I’m scared that I will never find someone” here and Robbe’s multi-layered “I’m so happy that I found you” in the last episode.

Oopsie: When the boys walk to the recycling spot, the lighting changes from sunny to clouded to dark in a matter of seconds.

Funny coincidence: Sander referring to his relationship as ‘ups and downs’, probably similar to his experience with bipolarity.

Wink to other remakes: An almost kiss near trash, remind you of certain Italian boys?

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Amber delegating tasks, but doing nothing herself. Robbe smiles for a few milliseconds, because Sander touched him. The flash of panic in Robbe’s eyes afterwards.

[dwindledglow]

001. MEET GREYSON

FULL NAME: greyson dominic northwood. PREFERRED NAME: greyson. NICKNAME/S: grey, g and north. DATE OF BIRTH: august 29th, 1992. GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis male & he/his. ORIENTATION: hetero. RELIGION: agnostic. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: married to leticia northwood. OCCUPATION: recording artist, music producer, model and entrepreneur. RESIDENCE: in between soho, new york city and quogue, suffolk county.

002. CHECK GREYSON’S BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: harlem, new york city, united states of america. NATIONALITY: american. ETHNIC BACKGROUND: afro-barbadian. LINGUISTICS: english which is his native language and spanish and french in a fluent level. EDUCATION: he has graduated from high-school. CRIMINAL RECORD: clean. BIRTH ORDER: second. FATHER: vince josiah northwood, born on march 3rd, 1966 in atlanta, georgia, currently residing in tribeca, new york city. he owns a couple bars in the different boroughs and neighborhoods and, still, works as a bartender on his first-bought bar in harlem. MOTHER: narissa gabrielle knowles, born on november 22nd, 1967 in houston, texas, currently residing in tribeca, new york city. she’s the owner of a cosmetology and skincare clinic, and does occasional work as a beautician. SISTER/S: naomi lenora nortwhood, born on october 6th, 1989 in harlem, new york, currently residing in los angeles, california and working as a neurosurgeon at UCLA medical center. gianna makayla northwood, born on june 18th, 1994 in harlem, new york, currently residing in rome, italy and working as a marketing and communications specialist for fendi. neah gabrielle northwood, born on february 26th, 1998 in harlem, new york, currently residing in los angeles, california where she attends UCLA school of theatre, film and television and studies to become an actress. BROTHER/S: jason malik northwood, born on may 22nd, 2004 in tribeca, new york where he still resides and studies. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: leticia northwood, née evans. CHILDREN: koda brooklyn northwood, born on january 1st, 2019 in southampton, new york and romi noor northwood, born on january 1st, 2019 in southampton, new york. OTHER RELEVANT FAMILY: trai smith, naomi’s husband thus brother-in-law. anikah lenora smith, naomi and trai’s daughter, niece. aaliyah ranee smith, naomi and trai’s daughter, niece. EX/ES: rita sisay and olivia laurent. PETS: coco maki, a chow chow, snoop and peaches, two bunnies.

003. GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

HEIGHT: 6′3″ or 193 cm. WEIGHT: between 178 lbs or 81 kg and 188 lbs or 85 kg. BODY BUILD: he’s slender, with an average weight for his height. despite not being too strict when it comes to diets or workout routines, greyson doesn’t have many issues keeping his average weight. he’s not lanky or overly slim, but he’s not out of shape either – he has a toned stomach and legs, and he has muscular arms. EYE COLOR: dark brown, depending on the lighting and weather their shade seems to vary from an earthy, coppery brown to black. EYESIGHT: his eyesight is impeccable, he has no vision-related issues so far HAIR COLOR & STYLE: if greyson was to leave his hair be and didn’t style it, he’d have a huge curly mess to deal with. on a daily basis, he keeps his hair braided into sections, tying the majority of the braids into a ponytail while leaving some of them loose. if he’s in the mood to change it up, he goes for two cornrows and if he really can’t be bothered with his hair, he’ll just braid it and leave it at that. that is, when his hair is as lengthy as it is now. when he cuts his hair and has it a little bit shorter than he has now, he either goes for center-parted cornrows or he just gets someone to braid his hair and ties it in a small ponytail. DOMINANT HAND: right. NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: his million-dollar smile has swiftly become his trademark, as well as his braided hair, and often those are the two thing people immediately notice. in an alike manner, some seem to notice his pristine skin, others tend to be distracted by his towering frame. amongst many other, those are perhaps his most notable traits. SCARS AND MARKS: here's a noticeable scar on his left cheek and a couple more scattered throughout his body as a result of every day's life. other than those, there's a birthmark on the inside of his left wrist and the occasional mole here and there. TATTOOS: he does have some ; he has ALT tattooed behind his ear which is the name of his first EP, the one that catapulted his career, and he has the word YLOHNU ( unholy backwards ) tattooed on the outer side of his left wrist. on the inside of his left arm, positioned where it’d be considered the inside of the elbow, he has LONDON and NEW YORK in uppercase, forming an upper arch, and forming a lower arch, he has TOKYO and LOS ANGELES also in uppercase - the four main cities that helped with him get where he is today. along his right hipbone, he has off the maps no hidden grids, i’m fleeing which was taken out of one of his songs from his latest album and is one of his favorite lyrics he ever wrote/sung. he has a blacklight tattoo saying i solemnly swear that i’m up to no good along with some footsteps on the inside of his right wrist. in white ink, and below his left pectoral, he has neah’s heartbeat and on his left ankle he has a small compass tattoo pointing north. on the side of his index finger from his right hand, he has a small rose ( his mother’s favorite flower ) and on the inside of his left wrist, he has VENI. VIDI. VICI. tattooed in uppercase. on his ring finger, he has the coordinates to where he and leticia got married tattooed in bold font. on very small scale/font, he has the quote i can be changed by what happens to me but i refuse to be reduced by it split in three parts on the right side of his ribcage. more recently, he has gotten XIII VIII MCMXVC - leticia’s birth date - tattooed alongside his left collarbone. besides that, there’s a KBN and a RNN - koda’s and romi’s initials respectively - micro-tattooed on his pressure point, just below his ear. PIERCINGS: he has a piercing on his left regular lobe. VOICECLAIM: asap rocky. ACCENT & INTENSITY: despite all the traveling around the world and residing in various locations over the past few years, greyson was born and raised in new york and his accent has remained intact all throughout. that being said, he has a really intense new york accent. ALLERGIES: apples, dust mite and he’s lactose intolerant. PHOBIAS & FEARS: losing himself. MENTAL & PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: none so far. ALCOHOL USE: socially, usually not to a point where he’s hammered. SMOKING: yes, mainly in situations of extreme stress. NARCOTICS USE: in the beginning of his career, greyson used to do lsd and lean but he has quit it a good while ago. these days, and mainly when he’s going through the creative process or looking to unwind, he does smoke weed. INDULGENT FOOD: on the rare. SPLURGE SPENDING: yes, occasionally. GAMBLING: no, never.

004. DIG DEEPER

CAN THEY DRIVE? yes, he can drive. CAN THEY COOK & BAKE? yes and not much. he can bake simple things but he can’t do any intricate dessert or cake or anything. CAN THEY CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? yes. CAN THEY TIE A TIE? yes. CAN THEY SWIM? yes. CAN THEY RIDE A BICYCLE? yes. CAN THEY JUMP START A CAR? yes. CAN THEY BRAID HAIR? no. CAN THEY PICK A LOCK? yes. EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED? extroverted. DISORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED? organized. CLOSE OR OPEN MINDED? open minded. CALM OR ANXIOUS? calm. PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? in between. OUTSPOKEN OR RESERVED? outspoken. LEADER OR FOLLOWER? leader. OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC? optimistic. TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? modern. HARD-WORKING OR LAZY? hard-working. CULTURED OR UNCULTURED? cultured. LOYAL OR DISLOYAL? loyal. FAITHFUL OR UNFAITHFUL? faithful. NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? night owl. HEAVY OR LIGHT SLEEPER? light sleeper. COFFEE OR TEA? coffee. DAY OR NIGHT? night. TAKING BATHS OR SHOWERS? showers. COCA COLA OR PEPSI? coca-cola. CATS OR DOGS? dogs. NETFLIX OR CINEMA? cinema. SHOWS OR MOVIES? movies. LAPTOP OR GAMING CONSOLE? both. HEALTHY OR JUNK FOOD? healthy food. ICE CREAM OR FROZEN YOGURT? ice cream. PIZZA OR HAMBURGER? pizza. LOLLIPOPS OR GUMMY WORMS? gummy worms. BEACH OR POOL? beach. SNOWBALLS FIGHTING OR ICESKATING? snowballs fighting. LITERATURE OR SCIENCE? literature. HISTORY OR ART? art. CHOCOLATE BARS OR COTTON CANDY? cotton candy. XBOX OR PLAYSTATION? playstation. FACE-TO-FACE OR PHONE INTERACTIONS? face-to-face interactions. DRAMA OR SCI-FI? sci-fi. HORROR OR COMEDY? both.

005. GREYSON’S FAVORITES

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: song-writing, singing, recording... the whole process about making a song. FAVORITE ANIMAL: jaguar. FAVORITE BOOK: so far, greyson has no favorite book FAVORITE COLOR/S: grey. FAVORITE CUISINE: chinese, japanese, indian and thai. FAVORITE DISH/ES: chow mein, thai fried rice, phat khing, sashimi, panipura and kung pao chicken. FAVORITE DRINK/S: mint and ginger lemonade and vodka tonic. FAVORITE FLOWER/S: magnolia and cherry blossom FAVORITE GEM: aquamarine. FAVORITE MOVIE: hidden figures by theodore melfi. FAVORITE SONG: DNA. by kendrick lamar. FAVORITE SCENT/S: the scent of the rain, coconut, popcorn and melted chocolate. FAVORITE SHOW/S: he doesn’t have much time to keep up with television shows so he doesn’t have a favorite one. FAVORITE SPORT/S & TEAM THEY SUPPORT: basketball, he supports houston rockets and brooklyn nets, baseball, he supports new york yankees, and american football, he supports new york giants. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR: spring. VACATION DESTINATION: bagan, myanmar, hokkaido, japan and panjin, china.

[handeaux]

Trouble In River City And It Starts With T And That Stands For Tango!

Cincinnati sometimes gets a bad rap as a priggish and censorious community of small-minded prudes, but we often go out of our way to earn exactly that reputation.

For instance, when the Tango invaded the Queen City in 1913, local authorities mounted a vigorous defense, hoping to prevent the moral pollution of our young people. To be fair, although the Tango endured the fiercest opprobrium, Cincinnati got plenty het up about an entire array of dances that year, including the notorious Bunny Hop, the Castle Walk, the Fish, the Bear Cat, the Turkey Trot, the Barbary Coast Walk Back, and the Texas Tommy. Heavens! Where were Cannibal & the Headhunters? It was truly a “Land of 1,000 Dances”!

But it was mostly the Argentinian Tango that got the parents and other civic guardians all exercised. The Tango was banned at Chester Park, Coney Island, Music Hall and the University of Cincinnati. What was the big deal? The Cincinnati Post [23 December 1912] explained:

“With the unusually tight skirts that are worn today, the Argentinian Tango is most suggestive. Never before has the young society woman consented to combine the revelations of the bathing beach with those of the formal ball gown. Hitherto, when she disclosed her nether extremities, she covered up her neck and shoulders and vice versa.”

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer [21 November 1913], even the Pope got involved:

“Several bishops have addressed to the Vatican questions as to whether confessors should give absolution to Catholics who dance the tango. The reply of the Vatican is as follows: ‘The tango must be considered an immoral dance and consequently it is prohibitive to Catholics.’”

Although Cincinnati’s archbishop remained aloof from the terpsichorean fray, the Municipal Court got dragged into the Tango controversy when an insurance agent named Justin McCarthy, who claimed expertise in several verboten dance steps, including the Bunny Hop, the Turkey Trot, the Bear, and the Tango, was called into court as a witness. The defendant was Jacob Tahl, salesman for the Queen City Rag & Paper Company, who objected to being ejected from Coney Island for immoral dancing by attacking the park’s security staff. McCarthy never got to testify because Tahl’s attorney instead asked Coney Island security officer Eddie Barr to demonstrate the prohibited dances, but the Judge objected.

As usual, Cincinnati was somewhat ambivalent about the tango ban. That is often the case here when there is an opportunity to rake in a few dollars while skirting ever-so-nimbly around the censors. At Chester Park, for example, a May 1913 news story announced that the latest dance sensation, the “Spanish Boston” would be demonstrated as an alternative to the banned Turkey Trot and the Tango. Just one month later, according to the Cincinnati Post [7 June 1913], the story was totally different:

“The Hartmans will show the patrons of Chester how the ‘Tango’ is danced in Berlin and Paris music halls.”

The Tango was also good business for a young real estate clerk named Harry Bernard Leussing. By night, Leussing took the dance floor at the Orpheum on West Fifth Street, as a Tango partner. The Cincinnati Post [3 March 1914] explained:

“A tango partner, Bernice? Child, where are your wits? It is the newest profession, and it pays – well, rather, it pays! So many women who do not tango would tango if the tangoing were good. That is to say, they know how to tango but their husbands do not. As is perfectly well known, after a long day at the office the ordinary businessman feels about as much like tangoing or one-stepping or hesitating as standing on his hands. Hence, reason the tango promoters, a fine young chap whom any husband wouldn’t mind his wife dancing with is needed to stimulate the game.”

For his part, Mr. Leussing describes himself as merely the “humble means” by which women can enjoy the newest steps. Leussing and Inez Fennell also performed as a duo to demonstrate new dances.

The Tango proved very rewarding, as well, for George Coverdale. Just one year before he headlined at Cincinnati’s Grand Opera House, Coverdale was selling newspapers on a street corner. Now, as part of a dancing duo with partner Minerva White, he performed the Tango Trip in the “Red Widow” review. The Cincinnati Post [7 December 1912] describes the dance:

“The Tango Trip is the ex-newsboy’s creation. It is danced to a pensive introduction with a sandwich finale. It begins with the man holding the girl at arm’s length, his fingers grazing hers. Suddenly, a close embrace, a la ‘bunny hug.’ And, waltzing to a presto movement, they do the ‘dip,’ almost touching their knees to the floor with each revolution. Next they glide, faster and faster, until they burst into a wild rag and finish with an oscillating, whirling lock-step.”

Outside of those oscillating, whirling lock-steps, one finds little objectionable. If the Tango was bad, what was an acceptable dance in Cincinnati back then? Let us leave that judgement to Miss Emilie W. McVea, UC’s dean of women, as reported in the Cincinnati Enquirer [7 January 1914]:

“’The hesitation waltz, if properly danced, is really a beautiful step, and is not objectionable,’ she said, ‘and even the modified tango may be permitted, but we shall not allow any dancing which is evidently vulgar.’”

[slipteesdam]

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He cut the Xmas lights after taking them down one year before I discarded him. He then repacked them in the box. When we opened the box this year my son and I realized they were all destroyed. Petty and funny. Lol real hard. The one time he bought grocery and Official Kallmekris Katrina 2021 Shirt hoodie, sweater Shirt got mad for some reason. Took them out of the frig, put them in a garbage bag, started walking down the street with my dog and other neighbors hood dog following him down the streets. Funny as hell. Tried to bring them back but I would not let him. Someone gave him a TV but it would not fit in my car. Again his temper got the best of him so he tried to break up the TV. Took a long time to do it, but after I heard a long sissing sound. I turned to him and said. I guess that did it. Guess who didn’t have a TV to take to sister’s house (where he was living ). Madness. I do remember some more. But can’t stop laughing. Maybe some other time. Be blessed.

()

We had to put down the service dog right around the time the pitty left. She had cancer. The days leading up to her dying I knew she was very sick. She stopped eating, stopped going potty outside…I kept telling him something wasn’t right. He finally agreed to take her in and that’s when we found out she had a huge tumor blocking just about everything internal. When the vets put her to sleep, he sat next to her, while I petted her and held her head. I can still remember the moment her head got heavy and I had to set it down. I broke down crying snotting everywhere because it’s fucking sad to put your dog to sleep!! He didn’t shed a Official Kallmekris Katrina 2021 Shirt hoodie, sweater Shirt. We now have a yellow lab. Again, he love bombed her and discarded her. I’m pretty sure he only wanted the dog for what she apparently represents and because she helps hold up his image of being “white middle class suburban”. (He’s gone on and on about how happy he is to be considered this…I’m not sure who’s considering him this but yeeeaaahh).

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She spent the summer basking in sunbeams, enjoying the special treats I fed her, spent time in my lap and in my arms, spent time doing cat things and showing no signs of the thing that was eating her insides up, except that she continued to lose weight. At the end of November, we saw a change. She had been getting visibly weaker. She had needed help to get up on her favorite perches, and we had to get a set of “kitty stairs” so she could get onto the bed to say good morning to me. But she had not evinced discomfort; her eyes were still bright, she still kept purring and though she spent more time just being quiet, it wasn’t lassitude of Official Kallmekris Katrina 2021 Shirt hoodie, sweater Shirt. More like she was resting, gathering what strength she had left. By the first week in December, I knew we weren’t going to get another Christmas together. During the year, Bunny had passed her 14th birthday. Precious years, now the end was coming.

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I had a really sweet deal. I was living on the beach in Redondo and took a job in Palos Verdes as waiter/wine buyer the coup of this job was the commute, 15 minutes, which, in LA is s dream situation. It was a neighborhood restaurant in an upscale neighborhood (Palos Verdes), the clientele were great and steady. I got Lakers tickets for Xmas (yes, to the 81 point game, no shit) had a standing glass of wine on a Official Kallmekris Katrina 2021 Shirt hoodie, sweater Shirt tables most nights and I was home by midnight everynight. As it happened my coke dealer lived in the same building. I had a standing order 1.25 to 1.5 gr for 60 bucks. I had my dog, Single malt scotch in the cool weather, a bottle of belvedere in the freezer for warm weather. Anyway, this guy (my dealer) had a crew at his place all the time who did his errands, cleaning, etc.. and as a part of their “compensation’ they were mostly, when I was there, shooting the shit and passing the pipe. I smoked the cocaine. Bought powder from dude, rocked it up and did my thing.

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[good-girlfaith]

https://good-girlfaith.tumblr.com/post/167486460602/reputation-tour-opening-act-just-a-theoryidea

Okay so I made this earlier and had some photos and stuff too but apparently Tumblr glitched for me because I’m on school wifi and it’s the literal worst.

But anyways. R5. This is them.

They usually look happier than that but those are the faces they make on red carpets and in photoshoots. Also it’s actually pretty hard to find a photo where all five of them have the same look, hence the fact that one of them is grinning like the Cheshire cat.

It’s a pop rock band comprised of three brothers, their sister, and their family friend.

Left to right it’s Riker Lynch (26, bass guitar) then Rocky Lynch ( 23, lead guitar) then Ross Lynch (21, lead singer and rhythm guitar) my girl Rydel Lynch (24, keyboard) and Ellington Ratliff (24, drums) aka Ratliff so the band is all Rs and therefore R5.

Sidenote: Rydellington (Rydel and Ellington) are the cutest little things, look at them, awww

But ANYWAYS all otps aside, R5 would make a really good opening act for Taylor, in my opinion.

First of all, they both have kinda similar sounds. But also not at all because reputation is unlike anything else that has ever blessed my ears. However, their latest EP New Addictions is described as “darker” as their previous music, which is the same way many people described rep before it came out.

Second of all, I think they would honestly just mesh so well with Taylor?? Like I think they’re all personality compatible and tbh I would ship all the boys with her if they were single (and only Rocky is single but that’s complicated, like he still has feelings for someone) and if Tay weren’t so happy with Joe because they’re also my otp. Also, R5 writes and produces all their own music so they would have that in common. I even think the Lynches’ mom (Stormie) would get along really well with Andrea, like they’d talk about having kids in the music industry and being dog owners and trade recipes and I’m here! For! It!

And third of all, I just really want my babies to get the recognition and fame they deserve. They really aren’t that big outside of our fandom, although it has grown considerably since Riker was on dancing with the stars and Ross just starred in My Friend Dahmer which is probably going to cause him and the band to blow up. But I digress. The band says they’re really a band you have to see live in order to understand them, and I feel like opening for Taylor would be a really good way to get themselves out to more people. They also aren’t really played on the radio outside of Radio Disney (Ross starred in Austin and Ally and both Teen Beach Movies so they have connections there) and honestly they deserve it so much because they’ve been hustling for years and deserve all the success in the world.

Also, they’re all Swifties to some extent, with Rydel being the biggest one out of all of them.

(also follow me on twitter I’m smileitoff)

And here’s Rocky’s reaction to the ready for it music video which was all of us, tbh.

I mean, relatable.

Now we’re getting onto the Receipts and Reasons™ part of this post where I’m going to show why I think they are (not just would be a good one) the opening act for the reputation tour.

Like Taylor, Ross is a Fitzgerald stan, and he posted this tweet on November 9th, right before reputation came out.

Honestly, he’s tweeted about Fitzgerald before so this may not be pointing towards Taylor but… it’s literally describing a wild Gatsby party like in tiwwchnt. And on rep eve…hmmmm….

He also recently talked about a great way to kick off your news years, right after rep dropped, and I mean it was talking about R5 tour dates in Japan but he literally referenced New year’s day.

And there’s another thing that there’s hardly any way it can be a coincidence, like okay he likes Fitzgerald and okay he talked about new years. Fairly common things right?

You know what not common?

Dressing as gender bent Hugh Hefner and Playboy bunnies, LIKE R5 DID ON HALLOWEEN!!!!

Like call it what you want to, but I call that evidence. (Also second from the left is baby brother Ryland, who’s not in the band but opens for them on their tours)

“I never trust a Playboy but they love me

So I fly ‘em all around the world

And I let them think they saved me”

OKAY THEY’RE LITERALLY PLAYBOYS!!! THEY’RE ALL SWIFTIES TO SOME EXTENT, THEY LOVE HER!!! IF THEY WENT ON TOUR WITH HER, SHE’D LITERALLY FLY THEM ROUND THE WORLD!!!! I MEAN THEY WOULDN’T THINK THEY SAVED HER BUT??

But to completely debunk my theory, see the below tweet

The context of this is that Ross said they had big news and everyone assumed someone was pregnant. But also, he said this in October and she could have asked after then? And also he could have just said that to throw people off. And, I mean, there’s no way Taylor would be scared of them opening for her, the only things she’s scared of are sea urchins. And snakes. And love ending. And a lot of other things. Also Ross was kidding in that, he’s actually a really sweet person.

But here’s one last piece of hope for anyone else invested in this post…

@taylorswift @taylornation

And just in case you haven’t chosen them as your opening act yet, would you please consider them? It would mean the world to me. 💕

[chroma-asks]

The Sensory

Name: Chara (kah-rah)

Pronouns: they/them

Age: 10 years

Birthday: (Scorpio)

Species: human

Source(if any): Undertale

Family: Asgore,Toriel, and Asriel Dreemurr(adopted family)[not in system], Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: cinnamon, hot cocoa, knives, adrenaline, fighting

Dislikes: losing, feeling weak, being underestimated, other humans, milk

Name: Damon (day-mun)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: August 15th (Leo)

Species: deep-sea siren

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Draco(son...? Technically...?)

Likes: water, singing, fun, swimming, love, goofing off, jokes, cooking, baking, playing with the kids, music

Dislikes: leaving people behind, silence, being bored, negativity

Name: Draco (dray-co)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: March 23rd (Aries)

Species: Dragon

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Emerie(wife), Leviathan(son), Damon(technical father), Salem(technical mother), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: storms, flying, his family, jewels, gold, meat, caves, solitude, Zero, sleeping

Dislikes: fruit, annoyances, invasion of privacy, socks(FOR WHATEVER REASON), being woken up

Name: Emerie (eh-mer-ree)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: December 20th (Sagittarius) 

Species: Hydra

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Draco(husband), Leviathan(son)

Likes: fashion, sewing, love, her family, water, flowers, gardening

Dislikes: bigotry, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, really any kind of discrimination that harms and degrades others

Name: Glitch

Pronouns: they/them

Age: 6

Birthday: (Aries)

Species: Unknown

Source: n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother), Aurora(actual mother)[Standby]

Likes: playing, learning new things, friends

Dislikes: feeling hated, hurting others

Name: Gwenevere (gweh-neh-veer)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Virgo)

Species: arachne

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Freya(technical mother)

Likes: Octopi, knitting, sewing, fighting, hunting, teasing people she thinks are cute, helping out with cooking by cutting things

Dislikes: molting, when her fuzz is dirty, loose threads

Name: Jelose (jel-ohss)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Leo)

Species: shoggoth

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Gnideria(older sister)[Standby], Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: hugs, candy, slime, water, dark places, mud, playing, friends, kids

Dislikes: negative emotions, being alone, being feared, being poked in the eyes

Name: Kai (rhymes with pie)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: September 2nd (Virgo)

Species: Cerberus

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: sweets, screamo music, the shadows

Dislikes: bitter food, bright lights

Name: Karma 

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: December 3rd (Sagittarius)

Species: Ghoul

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: puns, cooking, baking

Dislikes: things getting stuck between his bones

Name: Koishi (koh-ee-shee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Sagittarius)

Species: satori

Source(if any): Touhou

Family: Satori(older sister), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: friends, playing, exploring, making friends in general, roses, animals, tea, coffee, gifts, being remembered, her sister

Dislikes: being shunned, staying in one place for too long, numbness

Name: Lavender Pearl

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Cancer)

Species: gem

Source(if any): Steven Universe(non-canon)

Family: n/a

Likes: dancing, cleaning, water fountains, music

Dislikes: being yelled at, feeling worthless

Name: Leviathan (leh-vai-ah-than)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 5 in dragon years

Birthday: February 16th (Aquarius)

Species: water dragon

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Emerie(mother), Draco(father)

Likes: water, bugs, fish, watching science videos about nature, playing with the other littles, the beach, Zero, exploring

Dislikes: wearing shoes

Name: Lexa Fae (lex-ah-fay)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Aquarius)

Species: faerie

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: flowers, forests, mushrooms, butterflies, moths, being pampered, milk, pastries, alcohol, baths, scented lotions

Dislikes: disrespect, being insulted, unkempt hair, dry skin

Name: Mina (mee-nah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: Unknown

Birthday: 

Species: Monster of some kind

Source: n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: shopping, cute things, fashion

Dislikes: eating

Name: Morgana (mor-gah-nah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Virgo)

Species: dullahan

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: witchcraft, moonlight, night flying, researching physics and magic, candles

Dislikes: impatience, not having the freedom to practice her craft

Name: Naraku (nah-rah-koo)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: somewhere around 70 if you include his human years

Birthday: Literally No One Knows

Species: half-demon

Source(if any): Inuyasha

Family: Aurora(in-system incarnation)[Standby]

Likes: literally any kind of drama, strategy games, Weiss

Dislikes: his human side, losing

Name: Paka (pah-kah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 10,000

Birthday: (Gemini)

Species: phoenix hybrid

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: food, cats, beanies, big jackets

Dislikes: dying

Name: Polaris

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 6

Birthday:

Species: Princess-class Battleship

Source(if any): Kantai Collection

Family: 25 older sisters(all of which are in the Secondary Branch), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: french fries, the beach, playing, wearing big shirts like dresses, playing with people’s hair, carnivals, piggyback rides from literally anyone who can carry her without dying(she is MUCH heavier than she looks), boats, skating, lighthouses

Dislikes: sinking in water, being alone

Name: Salem (say-lehm)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 5000

Birthday: November 13th (Scorpio)

Species: oni 

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(younger sister), Draco(technical son)

Likes: dolls, gothic lolita fashion, solitude, dark places

Dislikes: humans, romance, being caged, being told what to do, Chroma’s family

Name:Sasha

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 6

Birthday: 

Species: chimera, probably??

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: crackers(the sweet kind)

Dislikes:

Name: Shrii (shree)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: permanently 7

Birthday: (Leo)

Species: ghost

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: small fluffy animals, stuffed animals, pjs, blue raspberry icees, juice, her friends, Blueberry(her stuffed bunny), disney movies, studio ghibli, naps

Dislikes: clowns(terrified, yet she seems to handle LJ somehow), the dark, loud noises, scary movies, darkness

Name: Terezi (teh-reh-zee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 16

Birthday: (Libra)

Species: troll

Source(if any): Homestuck

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: drawing, coloring, watching FNAF playthroughs while eating Mac n Cheese, candy(cherry-flavored ones are her favorite), justice, her friends

Dislikes: memories of abuse, clowns(laughing jack is an exception)

Name: Torture

Pronouns: he/him

Age: somewhere around 670-680

Birthday: June 30th (Cancer)

Species: undead

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: hospitals, experimenting with chemicals and cells, mint, ice cream, cold, tormenting Weiss

Dislikes: his past(has PTSD), slavery, his inability to grow, not being able to sleep(though he’s used to it now)

Name: Umbra

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 4

Birthday: 

Species: werebat

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: Veirus, fruit, playing games

Dislikes: being the seeker in hide-and-seek(he finds everyone too easily with sonar), flashlights

Name: Vague

Pronouns: he/him or xe/xir

Age: ???

Birthday: (Scorpio)

Species: void angel(but actually he’s basically a god)

Source(if any): The World Ends With You (surprise, he’s Joshua in disguise, the Bastard)

Family: n/a

Likes: space, city nightlife, his room, fixing things, Chroma

Dislikes: losing

Name: Weiss (rhymes with ice)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: uhhh if I go by outer world years I’m like almost 12 bruh (good thing I don’t). I’m basically ageless in here

Birthday: June 29th (Cancer)

Species: glacie

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Kai, Sato, Same, Torture, Tyfia, Paka, Zetsumei, Tripp(technical children), Freya(technical mother)

Likes: snow(obviously), drawing, singing, video games, fictional things, socks(ironically), food, space, tiny replicas of things that aren’t usually tiny

Dislikes: bugs(more of a fear, but I’m working on soothing that), abusive people, loud noises/yelling(trigger), hot temperatures, humidity, needles, surgery, eye gore, pain, mint, coconuts

Name: Yulie (yoo-lee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: “somewhere over 100, I lost count”

Birthday: February 22nd (Pisces)

Species: werewolf/succubus hybrid

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Casimir(father), Marie(mother)[deceased], Freya(grandmother), Killer(great-grandfather)[not in the system]

Likes: romance movies, fanfiction, matchmaking, wolves, the moon, night flights, valentines day candies, cakes, science, philosophy, writing

Dislikes: really anything morally wrong relationship-wise, ageplay, hate, swearing(doesn’t mind if others do, though)

Name: Zero

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 5000

Birthday: January 3rd (Capricorn)

Species: oni

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Salem(older sister), surrogate mom to basically everyone in the system

Likes: kids, fighting, alcohol, sunlight, human history

Dislikes: child predators(more like a seething hatred), people bad-mouthing literally anyone she’s adopted

Name: Zetsumei (zeh-tsoo-may)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: February 15th (Aquarius) 

Species: death scythe/shapeshifter

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: Halloween, bugs, weaponry, horror movies/games, haunted houses, really anything considered weird or spooky, sour candy

Dislikes: ?????

[savvystories]

  I have a goal.

Wanna know what it is?

Before December 31, 2020, I want to write Primary Target (the sequel to my popular murder mystery Double Blind) and The Keepers (the 4th book in popular The Gamma Sequence series).

I need to have The Keepers out by mid-December. Primary Target doesn’t have a release date, but… it needs to be this year.

Why?

Because.

Last year I essentially wrote 3 full length novels. I mean, I wrote 2 and wrote a bunch of short stories, and published a horror anthology… and edited a how-to series…

as well as editing a friend’s book, editing and publishing 45 or so Young Authors Club books – I do all that myself, there’s no staff.

THIS year I’ve…

I’ve written…

I… uh…

Hmm.

Well, in 2020 I will publish 4 short story horror anthologies AND 4 short “how to write” books. I mean, that’s something. The coronavirus kinda knocked out a lot of the Young Authors Club books, but not all of them. And of course, I’ve been overseeing the “distance learning” of my 4th grade daughter since mid-March.

Florida schools went out on Spring Break on March 16 and never returned to school. After Spring Break got extended a week while the powers that be tried to figure out what to do, we started distance learning from home – a ten-year-old in front of a computer doing her classwork. So I stepped up and created Mr. Dan’s School For Wayward Children, and from 8am-3pm every day we did math, science, social studies, language arts, PE, nature, art, gardening – the whole deal.

We had a snack at 9:30 and lunch at noon, recess at 11:00, and a lot of Zoom calls with teachers.

We painted, played games on her iPad, swam, jumped on the trampoline, played with the bunnies she got for her birthday

…(which was celebrated mostly via text and Facetime). Oh, and prior to that, there was an Easter egg hunt where she was the only kid looking for eggs – a fun idea at first that quickly got a bit sad because without sharing all that with family, it was almost like just another day.

So from about April 1 until Mr. Dan’s school closes on May 29, my daughter and I enjoyed working hard at school.

I’m glad I was there to help her figure out how to subtract and multiply fractions, as well as learn all about Sally Ride for the virtual wax museum presentation we have coming up on Wednesday. She did well. By my estimations, it will be mostly A’s and maybe 1-2 B’s. Considering this distance learning stuff could have really tanked her school year, I’m pretty satisfied with that.

But I did a lot of that each day and not a lot of writing.

I’m not complaining. I hope I showed my daughter how to respond to a challenge. And I don’t forget that others who came before me had to live through the Great Depression or storm the beaches at Normandy. I had to sit home with my kid and explain fractions. Yeah, a lot of income went away that wasn’t replaced, but ten years from now that’s not what I’ll remember.

One of the teachers asked the kids what they’ll remember from this school year, and said not to say coronavirus. The kids did as asked. My daughter got bunnies, after all.

But they’ll remember this.

How could they not? If my school got out at spring break and I never went back for the rest of the school year, I’d never forget it. They’ll see their friends soon enough and forget the loneliness. They don’t mind not being in a classroom. But they won’t forget what happened. I don’t think most of them were scared – I know a lot of kids were bored – but my daughter and I had fun.

We worked hard, we learned, and we had fun.

Some will say we’ll all have a better appreciation of teachers. Yes and no. I didn’t want to be a teacher. I didn’t apply for that job because I wanted to do a different job, but I got drafted into doing it – with no pay – for many, many hours a week. In a few days, the school year will be over and I get to go back to not being a teacher again, but now I know that if I had to, I could home school my kid.

So I’ll pretty much say distance learning knocked my writing off schedule.

Those firsts week were madness

as none of the websites worked, or they crashed, or we couldn’t get into them in the first place, but that gradually was replaced by us adapting and things not crashing. We went from doing schoolwork until 5pm every day to being finished early most days. From being exhausted to being satisfied. From being overwhelmed and desperate to being confidant and assured. That’s a big deal.

I went from having no time at all, to now seeing, hey, it’s a 3-day weekend and I could probably get a lot of writing done.  

Which brings me back to my goal:

Can I write 2 books between now and the end of the year?

Which really means: can I write 2 books before mid-September, because once Young Authors Club starts up again, my available writing time goes down drastically. Besides, to release a book in mid-December, it has to be ready a month or two beforehand. Beta readers need a look, as do critique partners and others in the process.

Oh, and there will be a dawn of a new series.

The Gamma Sequence and Double Blind will keep going, but there’ll be a 3rd cop or detective series, a murder mystery with a new hero. But maybe that will start next year.

Right now: attempting to write 2 books in… well, from about June 1, until more or less the middle of September. Let’s see, that’s… there are 30 days in June, 31 in July, 31 in August, and about 15 (30 days tops) in September. So, that’s over a hundred days. *Grabs calculator * actually 122 days.

So… 122 days? To write two full-length novels – that each have to be the best book in their respective series.

Is that enough time???

Uh… Yep.

By the way, a few chapters of Primary Target have already been written, and I have about 75% of the outline for The Keepers done. So I’m not starting from scratch.

I wrote most of my best books in 6 weeks once I had a solid idea for the story. (I needed a lot of rest afterward, but I did it.)

The Gamma Sequence was started the morning of February 26, 2019, and I finished writing the book on April 3; that’s 36 days. Rogue Elements (The Gamma Sequence, book 2) was started on approximately August 18, 2019 and finished about 46 days later. Terminal Sequence, the 3rd book in the series, was started November 22, 2019 and finished January 18, 2020, about 57 days.

My recollection is, The Navigators took about 42 days, as did Double Blind.

So mathematically, it’s possible.

And, well, heck – after spending the last few weeks learning math with my daughter, I guess… rising to a challenge and all that…

Yeah, I’m going for it.

I’ll see you in September.

Except for when I come in here to update you on how the writing is going.

Wish me luck!

  Coming Attractions: Writing 2 Books In 100 Days I have a goal. Wanna know what it is? Before December 31, 2020, I want to write…

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 130, November 2018

Last Saturday afternoon, Mum and I visited Narre Gate Medical Center. Over the last few days, the symptoms and side effects of my medication transition has gotten progressively worse and I made the decision to take a couple of days off work as I didn’t feel fit enough to be there. My regular GP wasn’t working and so I had to take a chance and hope that Dr. Rina Dela Cruz Sangalang would take my mental health and medication issues seriously. http://www.narregatemedicalcentre.com.au/

It wasn’t surprising that we had to wait nearly an hour and a half to see her but the receptionist’s attitude towards this fact really wasn’t helping matters. Still I feel like it’s a waste of time and energy to complain. Instead I just caught up on reading my book and occasionally pulled my phone out to scroll through Facebook posts. Having my Mum there for support definitely helped as my brain was still pretty foggy and I have confidence issues when it comes to seeing a doctor that I’ve never met before. Thankfully, Dr. Rina was worth the wait. https://www.healthshare.com.au/profile/professional/178711-dr-rina-dela-cruz-sangalang/

After explaining my situation, she advised that I may have signs of Serotonin Syndrome (though in my opinion, I feel that’s highly unlikely) and recommended that I stop taking the Sertraline (Zoloft) tablets completely and continue taking the Escitalopram (Lexapro) at 5mg for the next few days. She took my blood pressure and the results were normal. She also wrote me up a referral to Casey Hospital should my symptoms get worse as well as a medical certificate for work. Whilst all that may sound pretty extreme, I do believe that she had good intentions behind it. https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/serotonin-syndrome-causes-symptoms-treatments#1

I feel relieved that she at least took my concerns seriously and didn’t palm me off to my psychiatrist or worse not believe me. I’m hoping that this solution will work and eventually the side effects will gradually reduce in severity. Like anything, I just have to be patient and take things one day at a time. Withdrawals from a previous prescription medication are quite common and my body is still in the process of adjusting to the new one. https://www.healthline.com/health/mdd/switching-antidepressants

On Monday morning, I caught up with my mental health support worker Seb at Jamaica Blue Cranbourne. Three sessions in, I feel like it’s getting a lot easier to be comfortable and open with my support worker. I decided to try a different approach, asking Seb about how experiences with mental health issues to essentially form a foundation. He mentioned that he’s had depression and anxiety in the past as well as agoraphobia, which is the fear of leaving your own house. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/agoraphobia

He also told me that his mother worked as a psychiatric nurse and many of his friends have engaged in counselling and mental health services. And from that information, I feel much more at ease and reassured knowing that he’s got a firm basis in mental health problems. Discussing my own personal issues from recent medication transition and side effects to anxiety triggers and work-related stress, environmental pressures and sleep problems. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ServicesAndSupport/types-of-mental-health-issues-and-illnesses

In that regard, he is very supportive, understanding and sympathetic. It’s still socially awkward at times but it is getting easier and sitting next to the window inside the cafe provides a nice visual buffer. It’s also nice to talk about casual things like television shows, movies, shopping and the weather outside as well as having a laugh which is always important to do. https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/7-health-benefits-of-laughter

On Monday night, I attended a HIIT Power small group training session with Cinamon Guerin at CinFull Fitness. After spending the last couple of days in recovery mode, I was determined to get back into some physical exercise again as I haven’t been for a few weeks. Whilst the usual barriers were there (profuse sweating, fatigue, racing heartbeat, getting easily breathless), they didn’t stop me though I was also being mindful of my limitations. Of course I made a joke about how much I sweat and will most likely need a beach towel during summer when I’m working out.

It’s frustrating when you have so much potential but physiologically things stop you and force your body to rest. Still overall I did really well tonight. We were doing 5 rounds of one minute duration movements including: skipping, med ball slams, weighted squats, overhead press, plank holds, push ups, sit ups, alternating lunges, step jumps, alternating step lunges, kettle bell swings. Certainly a full range of movement right there and it was tough but I was determined not to give up. The Energizer Bunny is back!

On Tuesday morning, Mum and I attended the Morning Melodies social function at Balla Balla Community Centre in Cranbourne East. There was the usual attendance of regular seniors, aged care residents, people with disabilities and palliative care nurses as well as entertainer and singer Vicki Lee. The songs she chooses to cover never fail to fill me with joy and positivity such as Johnny O’ Keefe’s Sing Sing Sing, Roy Orbison’s Penny Arcade and Meatloaf’s Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad.  

But things took a turn for the worse when Mum took me out to McDonalds Clyde North as my depression seemed to cloud over. It was most likely a result of having poor quality of sleep, feeling fatigued and irritable, adjusting to my new medication and the humid windy weather outside. I’m learning to be kind and gentle toward myself during these rough mental states but it is so far from being easy to deal with.

At the time, I just wanted to cry and have a mental breakdown in front of Mum because it feels like everything is going out of control in my life. So many aspects of my life just feel like unknowns: my job, my friends, my mental health and physical fitness, my goals and my plans for the future. But it was more I was just having a shit day and I just needed to go home and rest up in bed. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/coping-with-depression.htm

On Tuesday night, I went to a Body Combat class with Cinamon Guerin at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. A weird thing seemed to come over me tonight in that I was fully engaged and even confident during tonight’s class. It’s weird because I haven’t been to a Combat class in weeks and yet all the movements and combos just flooded back into my body like a memory. https://www.siphilp.com/les-mills-bodycombat-77-music-track-listing.aspx

It’s one of the reasons why dragging myself to the gym is worth it because most of the time I walk away from the workout feeling lighter, more clear headed, more positive and very very sweaty! Considering how depressed and sleep deprived I’ve been feeling lately, these are the kinds of benefits that I need on a regular basis. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise

Of course there were still a couple of tracks where I found myself being rusty and uncoordinated, particularly the one involving Zumba-like dance movements and a long sequence of squat and lunge pulses which burned like hell. But I pulled through it and my “never say die” attitude remained in tact. https://www.lesmills.com.au/bodycombat

It was also really humbling to see a few past members in the class actually remember me and acknowledge me. I guess it’s one of those anxiety-driven worries that you assume you’ll be forgotten if you haven’t been to a group fitness class in weeks but the opposite is true and it’s always a big esteem booster for me. As always, Cinamon continues to make these Combat classes heaps of fun and not too serious whilst making sure everyone is putting in 110% effort.

On Thursday morning, I decided to do a workout at the YMCA Casey RACE Health Club gym. I was feeling tired, irritable, restless and unmotivated so it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise that getting myself to Casey Race took a tremendous effort. On arrive, my body was desperately craving for a coffee. The cafe at the entrance was moderately packed with people but they didn’t look especially busy. My mistake!

When I walked up to the counter, I had to wait for a few minutes as there was a line of coffee orders to get done. That was perfectly fine by me and yet the wait felt excruciatingly uncomfortable for some reason. Still I tried hard to be my normal patient self. I ordered myself the usual regular latte with one sugar and full cream milk. No issues there. I decided to take a seat and wait to get called up.

The crowd began to thin and so I was about to keep an eye out for when my coffee would be ready. Fifteen minutes later, everyone else’s coffees were done and it clicked that they had forgotten my order. I really didn’t have the energy, assertiveness or desire to go back up to the counter again and so I left the cafe without my coffee. The good news is that at least I decided to still workout for a while, jumping on the upright bike and treadmill.

Whilst this reads like a “poor me” story, this was enough to trigger my depression and put me in a really bad mood. And the worse thing is that it’s so irrational to feel like this. Look back, I’m sure that they didn’t deliberately forget to make my coffee but unfortunately my brain was in such a fog and clouded with thoughts like “I guess it’s just not my day today”. I’m learning to not let one bad experience ruin my entire today but having mental illness, it’s like asking me to “just get over it”. It’s not that simple and never will be.

On Friday afternoon, I attended the The Melbourne Disability Expo held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Being my first at this convention, I really didn’t have any expectations at all and just gave it a casual approach. I brought my Mum along for support which meant that we were both clock-watching as she had to get back before 3pm for work. But that was fine. Honestly I get myself easily restless and drained at these types of events so I can only handle 1.5-2 hours at the most.

We listened to an NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme presentation on the main stage which sadly wasn’t really relevant to my case but it was still very informative. Then I began targeting specific services that I thought would hopefully fit my needs and goals on the NDIS plan. My first stop was Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), which makes sense considering I have a diagnosis of High Functioning Autism. I am considering applying for the Aspect Employment mentoring program which could be a positive thing for me.

Next we looked into Everyday Independence who specialise in Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. I was pretty hesitant approaching the two ladies at the booth but I decided to give them my contact details anyway. JobCo Employment Services & NDIS is an NDIS provider which specialises in mental health issues and can provide counselling services and employment opportunities. Finally, Afford are a disability services support agency which can offer me shared accommodation and independent living.

I think the most difficult part of attending any expo, convention or festival is that high anxiety factor from dealing with other people. I’m very much confronting that salesperson phobia head-on with many reps turning their attention towards me as I’m walking past their booths. It’s extremely nerve-wracking and intimidating for me especially when I don’t have the social confidence to know exactly what to say and what questions to ask these people.

And yet I still went ahead, got out of my comfort zone and did it. I’ve collected a whole bunch of information brochures, flyers, pens and business cards to look back on. Hopefully I’ll be able to use more of my NDIS funding and engage with these services over the next 8 months into 2019 and have a clearer understanding of exactly what I want out of my life. https://www.melbournedisabilityexpo.com.au/