#desert bus 2019 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hurt-care · 5 months

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It's allergy season and I was looking back through my old writings and found this short allergy-centric fic I wrote several years ago in response to a request. I don't know that I ever posted it here on Tumblr, but even if I did, there's a lot more people here than back in 2019 when I wrote it.

It's OCs, modern day setting, takes place in Egypt. Thom is a grad student in Archeology doing a practicum placement in Egypt. Turns out, there's still pollen and allergens in the desert... enjoy :)

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The jingle of a cell phone ring broke through the cloud of white noise coming from the air purifier and the AC unit. Thom rolled over and reached for the phone, almost knocking it off the bedside table as he fumbled sleepily.

He squinted at the display and toggled the slider to answer.

“Mhm? Hello?”

“I'm out front. It's ten past.”

Thom sat up with a start and blinked at the clock across the room.

“Oh fuck. I'm sorry Asha, I overslept. Give me a few and I'll be right down.”

He kicked off the sheets and tore through his closet in the small flat for a fresh pair of khakis and a thin linen shirt. He splashed some water on his face and ate a banana quickly while he refilled his water bottle and searched for his baseball cap. Thankfully, his backpack was still stocked from the previous day of work, so he slung it over his shoulder, grabbed his keys, and raced down the two flights of stairs out into the busy Luxor street.

Though it was barely seven, the sun was already blazingly hot. Asha sat, idling her motorcycle and chatting with a street vendor.

“Sorry, sorry,” Thom said as he approached.

“Doctor Rutledge is gonna kill us,” she said, pushing her helmet back down and handing the spare one to Thom. “Let's go.”

Thom sided onto the bike, put on the heavy face-shielded helmet, and took hold of Asha's waist. The bike roared to life and they sped off towards the dig site.

He'd first met Asha two months ago when he'd come to Egypt for his practical experience under the tutelage of renowned Egyptologist, Doctor Emila Rutledge. Asha was a daughter of Luxor, born and raised in the city and her knowledge of its winding streets and the surrounding archeological sights had proved very useful. She was a local assistant on the dig, helping with some of the more tedious sorting and packing of artifacts. And her motorbike was a much faster way to reach the desert than taking a bus and then walking.

They turned down a street leading out of the city and towards the Theban Necropolis dig site. The bike slowed as they turned down the side road and came to a halt where the road turned to sand.

They tugged off their helmets, the sweat dripping down their faces drying instantly in the arid climate. With Asha pushing the bike, they walked the last bit down the sandy path to the tents that marked the research areas.

Thom blinked in the dry air and rubbed at his left eye, turning it a little pink. As they ducked under the canopy of the first tent, he cleared his throat and took a deep swig of his water bottle.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, capping the bottle and putting it back in his pack. “It's my fault. I didn't set a proper alarm.”

Doctor Rutledge looked up from her table of equipment and glared at him.

“There's limited time out here during the storm season,” she warned him. “Don't waste it being late.”

March and April in the desert meant sandstorms and sometimes they struck unexpectedly, plunging the camp into a fog of dust and undoing weeks of excavation work. Thankfully, none had hit the site thus far in the season.

Thom set down his things and turned to his work, Asha at his side, cataloguing a tray of rocks that had eroded off a nearby statue.

“You alright?” she asked, looking at him critically. “Your eyes are kinda pink.”

He blinked and rubbed at his left one again. They did feel a bit gritty.

“Still half asleep,” he said. “Didn't have time for coffee.”

She laughed.

“You'll have to suffer until break then.”

Thom nodded and made a mark in his notebook about one of the artifacts. He rubbed the back of his hand to his nose distractedly, pawing away an itch.

In the distance, the air was growing murky and dim as a far-off storm kicked up sand into the air, turning the sky an unworldly red.

His throat felt drier than usual out in the heat of the open desert. Putting his notebook down, he reached again for his water bottle.

“You sure you're fine?” Asha asked suspiciously. “Your eyes look awful.”

Thom pushed his water bottle cap shut and opened his mouth to answer her, but he was distracted by a sudden, very urgent itch. He wrinkled his nose and turned away, cupping his hands to his face.

Hurh-TSGHT!

“Blessings to you,” she offered.

Thom sniffled and wiped at his nose. He could feel the familiar burning of an allergic reaction growing in his respiratory system and suddenly his stomach sank. In the haste of his departure that morning, he'd neglected to take his allergy medication.

He'd always been someone who struggled with allergies, to everything from cats to pollen to mold and dust. His youth had been full of inhalers on the sidelines of the soccer pitch, extra allergy pills packed for sleepovers, and his own air purifier for his college dorm room. Adulthood had not improved things as much as he'd hoped. He'd expected that the dry air of Egypt would be a relief to his hayfever, but he'd been warned about dust-storm season and the large amounts of pollen and mold and dust kicked up by the strong winds. The local pharmacy had put out a display of face masks only a week prior.

“Oh shit,” he groaned, digging through his backpack. Maybe he had some spare pills stowed away.

“What?” Asha asked.

“Ugh, my allergies,” he said, sniffling again. “I forgot my medicine this morning.”

“Wow, you really did fuck up the start of your day,” she teased. “You have allergies? Bad ones?”

“Yes, bad ones,” he said, reaching to the bottom of an outside pocket and feeling his rescue inhaler. At least that was some relief. “Bad enough to need a prescription daily.”

“And it's storm season,” she said. “The worst for that.”

“I've been told,” he said miserably. He could feel his eyes beginning to water and he ran his tongue along the top of his mouth and back towards his throat, trying to settle an itch.

Hhrr-TSGHHT!

He sneezed roughly into his shoulder.

“Well,” he said, pulling a bandanna out of his pack. “This might help a little.”

He tied the triangle of cloth over his nose and mouth, tucking the excess into the top of his shirt.

“Very mysterious,” Asha teased. “My work partner, Zorro.”

Thom went back to his notes, but concentrating was extremely difficult. He wrinkled his nose under the bandanna and tried to focus on his work, but the itching was too strong.

Hehh-ehh-GSHTT!

A damp spot blossomed on the bandanna under his nose.

He clamped a hand over the fabric and pinched his nose, turning away from Asha.

NghT! Hehh...eh-TSGHT! Tsh'GXHT!

Three rapid stifles tumbled forward, held in by his fingers.

Tsgh! Ehh-TSGH!

“Wow,” Asha said, watching. “You were not kidding.”

“No,” he said miserably, letting go of his nose. “This is pretty mild, actually. Usually I...I..hehhh...heh-TSGHT!”

He sneezed once again into the bandanna and tugged it free from his face, using it as a proper handkerchief.

“I'll ask around to see if anyone else has some medicine,” Asha offered. “Sit down a minute.”

He sunk into a camp chair with the bandanna over his nose.

Hehh-ehhhh-GSHTT!

By the time she returned, his breath was growing wheezy and his eyes were swollen. He coughed hoarsely into his fist and swallowed hard.

“No luck,” she said.

“What going on over here?”

Doctor Rutledge was standing behind them, looking expectantly at them both.

“Thom is having an allergic reaction, Doctor,” Asha explained. “I was looking around to see if anyone had any medication.”

“And?”

“No one does,” she said. “I'm sorry, Thom.”

“That's okay,” he croaked. “I just need a minute. I—heh-SGHHT!”

He sneezed thickly into the bandana and pinched his nose before giving it a sharp blow.

“It's storm season, Thom,” Doctor Rutledge said. “The longer you're out here, the worse it'll get.”

Ehhh-GSXHTT!

He was starting to feel the strain in his lungs and he fished in his bag, curling his fingers around his rescue inhaler just in case.

“I think you should go back home, Thom,” Doctor Rutledge said. “It looks like the winds are headed this way.”

He could barely see her through his watering eyes.

“Are you sure, doctor? I could go work in one of those more covered tents across the way.”

“No, that isn't necessary. Asha, will you get him home?”

“Yes, I'll do that.”

Doctor Rutledge turned to head back to her work as Thom launched into another fit.

Ehh-tsxSHTT! Ngh'GSHT!

Thom curled in on himself, sneezing rapidly.

Tsgh-GSHT Tsh'GHT! TXGHT!

He blew his nose hard into bandana and surfaced from the fit with a wheezy gasp.

“Hold on,” he croaked, raising the inhaler. “I need this first.”

He took a puff and breathed in the medication, holding it in as long as he could before he started to cough and exhaled nosily.

Asha sighed sympathetically and held out her water bottle. He took a deep swig from it and thanked her.

“Let's go before you get worse,” she said.

They returned to the motorcycle, going slowly along the path because of Thom's swollen eyes. He shoved the helmet over his leaky face and climbed on the bike behind Asha.

The ride back into Luxor was a blur of exhausted sniffling and two very unpleasant sneezes inside the helmet before they pulled up in front of Thom's apartment.

“C'mon,” Asha said gently, taking his arm and leading him inside. He started to climb the two flights of stairs but on the first landing he was forced to pause as another fit took over, wrenching him forward with several forceful sneezes that tore out of him rapid-fire.

Hurhhh-TSGHHH! Ngh-TSGHHT! Hehh....ehh-TSCHHH!

They staggered up the next flight and into Thom's flat. He swallowed two of his prescription pills from the medicine cabinet before slouching down into his sofa and taking another puff of his inhaler.

“I thought leaving England would be the end of all this mess,” he said miserably.

“Oh no, we've got all our own special allergens here too. Storm season is infamous. I'm sure you've been told.”

“I have,” he said. “I probably would still be a bit of mess with my prescription, but I can't believe I managed to forgot taking it at all!”

“I guess we'll see,” Asha said. “There's two months of this dust. Maybe invest in a mask. Lots of people wear them this time of year.”

Eh-TSCHH!

Asha shoved a box of tissues across the coffee table towards Thom.

“And maybe invest in a few more of those too. Sounds like you might need them.”

#dustyfic

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aziraphales-library · 1 year

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Hello 🙂

I've got a very specific request please. Do you know of any AUs where Crowley and/or Aziraphale (or one of the other characters, if it's a different ship) are what could be described as "rednecks" (apologies for the term) and/or the fic is set it rural America? I know of "Long Haul", but are there any others?

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I'm not familiar with the USA, so not exactly sure what counts as 'rural America'. Here are some fics set in the US and are very strongly rooted in their location...

Adorable (isn't so bad, when you get used to it) by JoyAndOtherStories (G)

A slice-of-life human AU set in the US Midwest. Aziraphale and Crowley are heading to the farm owned by their long-time friends Anathema and Newt to help them celebrate their newest addition (a new cow paddock). There are a few surprises in store, but all good ones, even for professionally-grumpy Crowley.

H.O.L.Y. (High On Loving You) by Most_Loved_Tragedy (E)

Aziraphale Fell is escaping his abusive partner Gabriel Strong. He has no friends and no family to turn to as his parents died 11 years ago, which led to his moving to the US from London. His last ten years have been ruled by Gabriel who kept him cut off from the rest of the world.

While on the run, he misses his bus and ends up in the middle of nowhere USA. A kind person talks their cousin Crowley into offering Aziraphale shelter in a spare home he has for rent.

Aziraphale learns that even if you've lost one family, you can always find another.

Town Meets Country by Angel_of_the_Dawn (M)

Former preacher Azira Fell moves to a small rural town to work as a librarian and meets Anthony Crowley, former drifter turned farmer. Crowley helps Azira come to terms with his past and face the future.

Under Construction by summerofspock (E)

Crowley has one goal: sell the run-down lodge in the Cascades that his uncle left him in his will.

He doesn't expect to meet someone like Aziraphale, the kind handyman working on his uncle's property who turns out to be more of an enigma than Crowley first thought.

The False and the Fair by Princip1914 (E)

Growing up in the shadow of West Virginia’s Eden Mountain, Aziraphale Wright always expected to work for the family coal mining company. Anthony Crowley, the son of a down-and-out miner, was going to become a pilot and leave town forever. Now, thirty years later, neither of their lives have gone as planned, and an unexpected inheritance brings them back into one another’s orbit. Aziraphale hopes that they can move beyond their shared past, and a high school arrangement that ended in disaster, but he has secrets of his own that threaten their fragile reconnection…

Old Vines by sevdrag (E)

A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity.

Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in.

Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

And the one you mentioned...

Long Haul by snae_b (E)

First time he sees him he’s barreling down 40 like a bat out of hell. Thirty miles outside of Flagstaff and six hours behind schedule. The desert looming large on all sides. Red sand and sage stretching out for miles and miles in front of him. Juniper and pine and gray crag behind him. The flora might be changing but that's about it. Same bone-dry air that gives him nosebleeds. Same cute little cottontails and scrawny jackrabbits darting under his tires. Same two lanes separated by white lines... He checks his speedometer. He hasn't downshifted since the city limits. Sheer luck, that. He's coming up fast on another rig. Flatbed with Vermont plates. Bright white cab with gold wings painted on the side.

Anthony Crowley might have gotten out of Missouri, but he hasn't escaped his past. He wears it like a cloak. When he crosses paths with a guardian angel, he starts to learn how to shed it.

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #travel #human au #adult omens #mod d

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kizzykiszka · 1 year

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|| GOD FORSAKE THE QUEEN ||

Warnings: violence, cursing, descriptions of war, and bloodshed. this is an adventure story in the middle of a war. this story will get violent and there will be injury. it's a little bit of an AU, so some personality traits may be exaggerated. sam is kind of a dick in this. sorry sammy girls. there will be some romance but its not the forefront of this. if you don't want to read about the guys getting injured -- please do not read this.

((if you like this, please let me know if you want to be tagged for future updates.))

summary:

"Up-and-coming rock band Greta van Fleet heads home, drained from their 2019 tour, yearning for a much-needed break. However, their world takes a dramatic turn when a celestial being, Mother, transports them to the war-torn realm of Eldoria. Here, a prophecy awaits them—to rescue the land from the clutches of the ruthless dictator, Seraphina, who usurped the throne with dark magic, stripping the land of its mystical essence and enslaving all who oppose her. In this perilous journey, the band members—Josh, Jake, Sam, and Danny—discover a realm in chaos. The true king and his daughter have fallen victim to the dictator's cruelty, while the queen narrowly escaped, leading a small but resilient rebellion of survivors. Their valiant attempts to reclaim the kingdom have been met with dwindling numbers. Guided by the power of Mother and equipped with newfound abilities, the boys must plunge themselves into the heart of battle, their singular goal: to vanquish the tyrannical queen and at any cost, restore order and magic to Eldoria.

Chapter 1

____________________________________________

Summer.

Out in the middle of the California desert, there was a large sleeper bus traveling down the road in the bright afternoon light that blanketed the surrounding scenery. Traffic was average, given the time of day it was but the sleeper bus really stuck out like a sore thumb among the regular cars. It wasn’t atypical to see these types of buses on the road. Generally celebrities were inside, as it was the most common way for them to travel in private. Inside this particular bus was a group of celebrities, however they didn’t really see themselves as “famous”. They were Greta van Fleet. And they were heading home to Michigan from their last concert of the year.

Normally, the inside of the bus was filled with chatter while the boys drank and discussed their next venue they’d been performing at. Instead, the cabin was silent. Josh, lead singer, was laid down in the back of the bus in one of the beds -- passed out cold under a pile of blankets. His twin, Jake the guitarist, was perched up in the bed below him looking out the window at the passing cars while simultaneously bandaging up his calloused fingers. Sam, youngest brother and bassist, was in the common area at the table with a drink while he leafed through a book while their drummer Danny was sifting through his social media in a slumped over position in the couch opposite to the table that Sam was sitting at. They were all completely exhausted. Ever since the start of their tour, they hadn’t had a moment of time to just sit and relax. Now that they were heading home, where each of them knew they were definitely going to be exploiting this down time to the fullest extent.

Jake played hard this last show and his fingers were really sore now. It wasn’t uncommon for people who played string instruments to get callouses on their fingertips. Sam got them more often since he played bass with very thick strings that absolutely destroyed his fingers. Jake had unfortunately gone a little too crazy on this last show and this had broken open several of the already hardened blisters on the tips of his fingers. Reaching down to grab another BandAid, Jake frowns as he finds the box is totally empty. “Damn,” he thinks to himself, “I still have a whole other hand to do. There’s gotta be another box here...” Jake tucks his phone back into his pocket and turns around to pull back the privacy curtain that was around the bed and he steps out into the cramped hallway that led to the common area of the bus. From there, he heads over to the bathroom where he starts rummaging through the cabinet above the sink. No bandaids. Odd, but not uncommon. They did seem to go through a lot of those lately. He exits the bathroom and heads back down the hall towards the common area where his bandmates were seated.

“Any of you have any bandaids?” Jakes asked, “There’s none in the bathroom.” Sam lowers his book a bit to look at his older brother with a frown. “What did you do this time?” he asked, the words that left his mouth almost cold. “Nothing particularly bad.” Jake replied, ignoring his little brother’s rather obviously annoyed tone of voice as he held out his busted fingers, “... I think I might have overdone it at the last show. They’re bleeding this time.” Sam puts his book down with a groan and he slides out of the booth, “I think I have some in my bag. If not…” Sam glances out the window, “We might still have time to stop.” Outside, they were now much closer to the desert and the cacti seemed to whiz by in green blurs. Highway 40 was quite a ways away now and there wouldn’t be any way for them to get back. Sam pulls open the privacy blinds now and shakes his head at the passing scenery, “On second thought, I think we’re in the middle of nowhere now. Unless you feel like stopping at a tiny town on this road.”

“I wouldn’t mind stopping.” A voice piped up from behind the brothers, and they turned around to look at Danny who was now mid-stretch across the couch, “I think we’ve been in here for at least 6 hours now. Personally, I’d like to get out and stretch my legs. I’m gonna go bug the driver, see if we can pull off somewhere.”

Before Danny could push past his bandmates, a loud singular tak noise sounded above their heads. They all paused to look up. Another. Tak… tak…. Tic… Rain? “Aren’t we in the middle of the desert?” Jake questioned. It rarely rained out in the desert and outside the window, the sky seemed bright and clear. “Yeah,” Sam responded, “I’m gonna go see what’s going on. We should still be on the highway now that I think about it.” Sam walks past his bandmates and up towards the front of the vehicle where their driver was. He carefully knocks on the outer wall before pulling back the curtain to see the bus driver perched contently in the driver’s seat. Robert was his name. “Hey!” Robert greets the stoic bassist with a grin, “You guys doing okay back there?”

“For the most part yeah,” Sam replied, “Is there any reason why we left the highway?”

“Oh yeah! I’m real sorry about that kiddo. I probably should have mentioned this to ya’ll but I didn’t want to frighten you none. I had a check engine light come on so I’m headed towards Vegas now. Should be somewhere for us to stop and get the bus serviced.” Robert explained. “Check engine?” Sam asked, “Didn’t we just have this thing serviced before we left?”

“I got her gassed up, but no, not any servicing. It’s rare they give us any issues. Engines in these things are tanks,” Robert says, “Shouldn’t be a big issue. We should make it to Vegas here soon.”

“Alright. I’ll go let them know. Just… can you tell us next time before you just veer off the highway?” Sam said before disappearing back behind the curtain. He heads back into the common area where Danny was inspecting Jake’s fingers carefully with a roll of black electrical tape in hand. “Are we stopping?” Danny asked. Sam plops back down in the seat adjacent to the boys and grabs for the book he’d abandoned just moments ago, “Yeah. Apparently we’re making a pit stop in Vegas. Something’s up with the bus.” A look of alarm washes over the pair’s face, “A problem?” Jake asks, “Not serious is it?”

The rain was starting to pick up now. Heavy droplets were beating the roof of the bus relentlessly and the once bright afternoon light was now replaced with gloomy dark clouds overhead. Sam shrugs, “Hell if I know. I’m just ready to get home and not do anything for a few months so we better not be stopped for too long.” Jake rolls his eyes as Danny finishes up taping his fingers with a spare roll of electrical tape. It wasn’t much but it worked. “I’m just ready for some good family food,” Jake said, fanning his fingers, “And a break from being in the spotlight. It’s great but, I dunno… you ever find yourself missing the days when we were just a garage band?”

“Occasionally,” Danny replied, “It’s nice to be recognized though. And hey, we’re stopping in Las Vegas. They’re bound to have some good food we can grab before we leave.” Sam leaned back in his chair wordlessly and cracked open the novel he was reading once again. He was definitely in one of his moods again. Jake ignored his little brother once more and pulled out his phone to open up the maps application to browse their food options. They weren’t going to be able to go too many places. The bus was a behemoth and barely fit in any parking lots so wherever they went, it had to be somewhere within walking distance of the bus stop.

“I’d love to go to one of these casinos one day,” Jake murmured under his breath, “I think I might get stuck there.”

“Nah,” Danny snorts, “You’d find your sorry ass in a strip club one way or another.” Jake rolled his eyes with a playful huff, “Yeah, sure.”

The two continued looking over their options, trying to decide on a place that everyone could agree on when suddenly a low groaning noise echoed through the cabin ominously. The three all got very quiet and looked around in confusion. “That sounded like…” Danny started to speak but was interrupted by the sound of a small explosion in the back of the bus that was immediately followed by a loud hissing. They all looked to each other, as if looking for answers. Overhead, the bus lights flickered and the huge sleeper started to rumble deeply as it slowed to a stop on the side of the road. Sam tosses the book down on the table, “Damn him!” he exclaims, stomping up towards the front of the bus. He met Robert in the hallway, who had just come out from behind the partition. He looked very sweaty and anxious, “You said it was going to be fine!” Sam yells, “What the hell is going on?”

“Sam!” Danny barks, rushing up to the boy whom he pulls away from the driver, “Dude, chill. It’s nothing, okay? We’ll be just fine. Don’t get all up in his face like that.”

“He literally said 2 minutes ago that we’d be just fine!” Sam exclaims again, “So were we not okay?”

Robert holds his hands up defensively, “Look, I just got a check engine light 30 minutes ago.. I think the radiator’s done blown but I gotta go out and check. Excuse me, please.” The graying chubby man pushes past the two and out into the rain. Sam shakes his head in disbelief and goes to sit back down, folding his arms tightly over his chest. By now, the commotion had woken up the last brother who had tumbled out of the bunk bed he’d been hibernating in since the departure. Josh entered the common area, rubbing his eye with a yawn, “What’s everyone yelling for?” he asked, looking around the cabin with a frown, “Are we stopped?”

“Something’s wrong with the bus,” Jake replied, “It’s not a big deal though. I’m sure Robert will have it up and running here in a sec and we can limp it to Vegas like he said he would.” The lights flickered again above their heads. Josh takes a seat at the table across from Sam, who was fuming now and showing his displeasure by tapping his foot rapidly. Josh yawns again and nods, “Mmm, okay. Vegas sounds nice. I don’t think we’ve been there yet. Could we go to one of those uh…” he snaps his fingers, “... casino places? Always thought it would be fun to use one of those machines.” Josh was clearly still waking up. Once more, the lights flickered and then completely shut off, leaving the band in complete darkness. The sound of rain continued now, much louder now that the air conditioning was off. “That uh… that can’t be good.” Jake whispered.

“Alright fine,” Sam says suddenly as he shot up from his seat, “I will go check on the driver.” Sam disappears down the hall towards the front of the bus and down the stairs to the outside world. Josh rests his head on the table in front of him with a sigh, “Well, at least this’ll make for a fun story for when we get home,” he says, “Anyone able to text mom?”

Jake snorts, “I think every group has had their bus break down in a sketchy area before. Besides, Rob’s certified. Aaron made sure he was before he hired him. We’ll be running in a second.”

The bus door swings open and a very wet Sammy comes stomping up the stairs, soaking wet and with a frantic look on his face, “He’s gone.” he utters, sending a wave of panic through the boys. “Gone? What do you mean gone?!” Jake exclaims, turning around to look out the window. “It’s exactly what I said, Jake! He’s just gone.” Sam responds, reaching to grab his phone.

“Like, gone gone?”

“The back of the bus is open like he started working on it, but he’s not there. He’s not on the other side and he’s not in the desert. He’s just gone.”

Josh stands up now and folds his hands together, “So, do we… call the police?” Danny asked, “Should we go check and see if he’s gone?”

“I don’t know!” Sam replies frantically, “What if there’s someone or something out there?”

Danny holds up his hands, “Hang on, Sam. Let’s just take a deep breath. I’m sure our manager can’t be far from here. We can just call him and he’ll pick us up.”

“I’m not getting any signal,” Jake says as he drops his phone down, “I don’t understand. We had it just fine a second ago.” One by one, the boys take out their phones and try to dial out -- only to have the calls mysteriously drop. This only sends more panic through them. Sam runs his hands through his long hair and looks back at the door, “Someone’s gotta fix the bus. We’re just sitting ducks if there’s something out there. Danny, you know something about cars, don’t you?”

“You’re gonna feed me to the wolves?” Danny asked, “No, no absolutely not. If we’re going out there, I need a buddy. Rob just up and fucking disappeared, what if I do too??”

“Let’s all go together.”

All eyes now turn to Josh who was sitting with his hands clasped in front of his face. “We’re safer in numbers,” Josh continues, “If there is a threat.” The remaining three look around and nod, “Alright. I’ll go and see what I can do. Sam, if I can get this running again, you’re driving.” Josh gets up from his seat and the boys all file out into the rainy desert landscape. The first thing they noticed was the fact there was at least an inch or two of standing water at their feet where the sand normally was. It didn’t rain much in this part of the world, so it wasn’t uncommon for flooding to occur. The group carefully tip toes out in the rain to the other side of the bus where they see the metal grate covering the engine flipped up, smoke pouring out of the engine bay.

Rob was nowhere in sight.

A chill ran down Josh’s spine. He didn’t like this. Danny approaches the engine and Sam follows from the side with the flashlight from his phone while Jake and Josh stand watch. “It’s the radiator!” Danny called through the rain, “We need some water or something! A big jug!”

“We don’t have a big jug of water.” Sam replied, “We have water bottles! And water on the ground!”

They were genuinely afraid now. Someone had to go back to the bus to get the water bottles from the bus and leave the other two outside. Nobody wanted to move. “Jake, go with Sam to the bus. Get as many water bottles as you can!” Danny calls, “We gotta get this bus going again!”

“What about Rob?!” Jake called back, “We’re just gonna leave him?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there! We can’t be in this storm!” Danny called once more. The wind was picking up now. Josh’s eyes were focused out to the middle of the desert, trying to see if he could make out human shaped silhouettes out in the distance. There was nothing though. Just blackness. This storm didn’t feel right. It was violent and sudden, almost like it was planned to make them stranded. The desert didn’t have rain like this, did it? Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small sliver of light flashed out in the distance. It looked almost like lightning, but it held its shape in one spot. It started to grow in length, and then it split open with a loud crack that sounded loudly across the arid land.

“Are you guys seeing this shit?!” Josh hollered as a bright white light blanketed the surrounding cacti and road. Stunned, the boys watched in awe as a woman slowly slipped out of this crack in the sky. She was enormous and almost opaque in color. Her body was twice the size of any high rise building and she emitted this ethereal white light that was blindingly beautiful. Upon her body was a simple robe that was draped across her loosely, and atop her head was an ornate crown of golden leaves while her hair was neatly braided. Her eyes were without pupils, but just blinding white light.

The rain stopped. The droplets were suspended in the air now while it continued to pour outside of the orb they were trapped in.

“Welcome, saviors.” The woman boomed, “We have been waiting for you.”

Again, they exchanged looks. “Waiting for us?” Josh questioned, “Who are you?” The ethereal woman smiles warmly, “I am Mother. I have been watching you four since the day of your birth. You are destined to save the world. Our world.” She outstretches a hand from underneath the robes and points forward with two fingers. A glowing light emits from her fingertips. She draws a circle out of the glowing light while her other hand reaches down toward the boys. A soft warm yellow glow envelopes each boy in an aura and one by one, they begin to levitate upwards. “Save the world?!” Sam hollers now, “We’re just a band! Just normal people!! What are you doing?? Put us down!” But Mother ignored his pleas. Jake was far too stunned to say anything and Danny was pale with fear and shock.

Josh runs his hands through his hair furiously, “This has got to be some kind of crazy fever dream. I only see this in my dreams! What are you going to do with us? What do you mean saviors?”

The woman had drawn a circle in the air, and filled it with symbols that Josh didn’t understand. “I’m afraid I can’t answer any questions, puer meus.” Mother says, “All will be answered with time. But we must hurry. There isn’t much time now.” Mother opens her palm, pushing the circle and it’s odd symbols forward. It turns yellow and begins to glow rather brightly. “Duc nos domum.” Mother uttered these words, and a bright blinding light filled the sky in response.

Then, there was nothing.

#greta van fleet #gvf #josh gvf #josh kiszka #gretavanfleet #danny gvf #danny wagner #jake gvf #jake kiszka #gvf fanfiction #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet fan fiction #sam kiskza #sam gvf

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autisticwriterblog · 6 months

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Fandom 50 Post 8

My seventh piece of Alan Wake 2 meta. This one is about Return 3.

Return 3: Local Girl

What happened in this chapter?

Saga and Casey continue their interrogation of Alan, who seems to remember a bit more now. He tells them about the Dark Place and Scratch, and how Scratch has escaped and can take on Alan’s form. Casey seems bemused by the whole thing. Alan also tells them about the Clicker and how bad things will happen if Scratch gets his hands on it.

Suspecting that Alan isn’t telling them the whole truth, Saga profiles him, and learns that Alan is hiding a page from the agents. When she demands for him to hand it over, Saga reads the page, which places her in a trailer in Watery.

So, Saga leaves Alan in Casey’s care and drives to Watery, hoping she will find the Clicker there. Arriving in Watery, Saga begins her search for the trailer park. Outside Suomi Hall, she finds Vladimir Blum, who works at the Valhalla Nursing Home, and Saga is confused when Blum recognises her. She asks him where to find the trailer park, and he tells Saga to locate the owner, Ilmo Koskela.

Saga continues her walk through Watery, eventually locating Ilmo and his twin Jaakko beside a broken bridge. Just like Blum, the Koskela brothers recognise Saga, seeming convinced that she used to live at the trailer park. She profiles them, learning that they genuinely have memories of Saga’s life in Watery. Saga asks Ilmo for the key to ‘her’ trailer, but Ilmo doesn’t have it—the key is in the gift shop at Coffee World. The brothers phone ahead, asking someone to get the key out for Saga.

Thanks to the ruined bridge, Saga is forced to take a long, winding route to Coffee World, encountering several more Taken on the way. Eventually, she reaches the amusement park, finding the place deserted. Nobody unlocked the gift shop like they were instructed to, forcing Saga to find a screwdriver and bust the lock open. Of course, she must explore Coffee World to find the screwdriver, running into yet more Taken in the process. When she finally gets into the gift shop, Saga finds the safe locked. She must solve a puzzle to get the code, before finally getting her hands on the key.

After that, Saga leaves Coffee World and approaches the trailer park. Inside, she finds two elderly men drinking moonshine. Like the others, they recognise her, but Saga deduces that these men don’t seem affected by the fluctuating reality. The men introduce themselves as her grandfather (Tor) and great uncle (Odin), and Saga begins to wonder if they really are her relatives.

Entering her trailer, Saga finds Logan’s bedroom. She discovers a photo of the Anderson brothers with the cultists (and the Clicker), and Saga notices that the cultist seems to be part of the Kalevala Knights motorcycle club. She also finds a newspaper clipping about Logan allegedly drowning in 2019. Saga knows it isn’t true but she still panics, especially when she calls Logan but nobody picks up.

When she leaves the trailer, Saga spots Mulligan wearing a cultist mask and looking like one of the Taken. He leads her to the Kalevala Knights workshop, where Saga goes down into the basement. She finds the Clicker, but it vanishes before she can take it. Also in the basement, Saga discovers another page, which tells her about an Overlap and how she can find Mulligan and Thornton there, but first she needs to place some items on the parade float to open said Overlap.

After a trip through Coffee World collecting the items she needs, Saga places them all on the float and the Overlap opens in Huotari Well. Saga climbs down the well and once again finds herself in a looping environment. Also like before, she hears Logan crying for her, and sees visions of Alan. When Saga finds Mulligan and Thornton, they attack her, so she is forced to defeat them.

After the Taken deputies are dead, Saga finds herself communicating with Alan just like in the last Overlap. She wants to know if Alan wrote her family into the story, but Alan vanishes before she learns the answer. Saga then finds herself outside the well once more, the Clicker in her hand.

My Thoughts

Return 3 is an important chapter for me—on my first playthrough, I struggled to get into the game during the earlier Initiation chapters, but Return 3 is when I first fell in love with Alan Wake 2. So, replaying this chapter always makes me especially happy for that reason.

This chapter gives us another Koskela Brothers commercial, this time for Coffee World. It’s just as hilarious as their first commercial, featuring Jaakko’s wooden acting, their incredibly low budget props, and the pointed reminder not to feed their goats coffee, which suggests they’ve had major issues with it in the past. Related to this, I love the moment in this chapter when Ilmo sarcastically mentions how Jaakko comes alive in front of the camera, and Jaakko fondly tells him to fuck off and that he only does the commercials for the free beer.

Also, the commercial mentions the Huotari Well as being the sight of a murder, which is incredibly interesting with the later knowledge that Mulligan and Thornton dumped a body down the well decades after the Huotari incident.

I love the whole game, but Saga’s side has always been my favourite, because I love exploring the real world and meeting the fleshed-out characters and detailed environments. And Watery is one of my favourite places to explore. The game so perfectly depicts a run down, dying town whose economy was irreparably damaged by the lumber mill shutting down years earlier.

I also love interacting with the residents and staff of the Valhalla Nursing Home, who are in Watery for a day trip. Inside Suomi Hall, Ahti is on stage, performing a song called Nightless Night on the karaoke machine. In the AWE DLC of Control, Ahti sends Jesse a postcard from Watery, Washington, so it makes perfect sense that Ahti can be found there in Alan Wake 2. If Saga tries to talk to Mandy-May or Rose, she gets shushed because Ahti is singing. Saga can also find Norman outside the sauna, and I love chatting with him. He’s a very funny guy, and not just because he’s always half naked.

Coffee World is both fun and terrifying to explore, because it pulls off the creepy abandoned amusement park vibe perfectly. That Mr. Drippy cutout that laughs in the most ominous way possible (it must have been Ilmo who recorded the dialogue for that cutout, and I want to know why he made it sound like a murderer) still makes me jump no matter how many times I play this chapter.

Inside Saga’s trailer, a place she lived after Logan died in the alternate timeline, you can find a book of puns gifted to Saga by Ilmo Koskela because he knows she likes puns. This must have been an attempt to cheer Saga up, suggesting the Koskelas looked after her when she was grieving. Which is really sweet.

In general, this book timeline is so interesting to think about. What was Saga’s life in Watery like? There are so many things to think about, and I love that.

#alan wake 2 #alan wake 2 spoilers #meta #fandom 50

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wordpressvip · 1 year

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Meet our VIP: Enfys Book!

It's time for another round of Meet Our VIPs, where we introduce the amazing people who make up WordPress VIP!

Meet Enfys Book (they/them), Onboarding Technical Account Manager from Maryland, USA! They've been with Automattic and WordPress VIP since May 2019 (over 4 years!) Q: What is your role at WPVIP? I help our customers onboard to the platform and ensure their launches go smoothly. Q: What's your favorite thing about working for Automattic? Automattic is an amazing place to work because they truly value their employees. Our benefits are fantastic, and our approach to almost everything seems to be "trust people," "help each other," and "we're all on the same team." The people I work with are all committed to giving our customers a great experience and making our solution the best it can be. (Shameless plug: come work with us!)

Q: What's your favorite non-WPVIP brand at Automattic? I mean...Tumblr, obvs. Is this a trick question? Q: At Automattic, we have a LOT of "fun" Slack channels. What's your favorite? I run the VIP Music League, which is a themed playlist-building club with some light competition involved. Our Slack channel for the league is great for sharing new music and congratulating the winners of each round, and I love sharing music with folks I may not work with every day. It's a great way to get to know your colleagues. (You can start your own music league at musicleague.com) Q: What's your favorite word and why? "Oubliette" has such great mouthfeel, and it gets bonus points because I learned it from the movie "Labyrinth," which is one of my all-time favorite films.

Q: What's your favorite fandom? LoadingReadyRun. They're Canadian comedy streamers with an amazing online community. My favorite LRR things are these super-short sketches called Crapshots (CW for gun sound and imagery as part of the branding at the beginning and end of each sketch.) They've made hundreds of them, and once they had 512 of them a fan created a single-elimination tournament to find the best Crapshot (@thecrapshotbracket) I was extremely devoted to voting in every single round. They've also raised millions of dollars for Child's Play Charity through their annual multi-day streaming telethon called Desert Bus for Hope.

Q: What's your biggest claim to fame? I'm briefly visible in Britney Spears' "Behind the Music" episode, because I was helping with her autograph signing at the Mall of America in 1998.

Q: Who would win in a fight: giant pizza, aliens, or crabs? Why? Crabs, 100%. Carcinization comes for us all. Q: What are your hobbies outside of work? I'm in a weird band called the Misbehavin' Maidens (@misbehavinmaidens) that sings funny, filthy, feminist, fandom folk music. I'm also a published author in the "metaphysical nonfiction" space. I'm currently working on three more books to be published in the next couple of years.

Learn more about Enfys

Follow them on Tumblr: @fuckyeahhistoricalloveletters Connect on LinkedIn

#crabs #i like your shoelaces #tumblr #automattic #wordpress #work with us

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pcttrailsidereader · 1 year

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I Thought It Would Never Happen

The spring of 2017 was the beginning of the end in terms of my quest to complete the PCT. I had recently left my teaching job, retiring after forty years in the classroom. My career had afforded me a fair amount of flexibility with summers pretty open to go after sections of the PCT with my long time hiking partners Jim ('Pierre') and Rees ('Boris'). The desert sections had alluded me since they were best attempted in the spring. Not an easy time to leave the classroom! With 're-wiring' the next phase of my life beginning to finish the PCT was at the top of my 'to do' list.

Of course I was nervous about my grand undertaking. This was THE DESERT! So many questions...could I do it? How hard was it going to be? How hot was it going to be? And the list went on and on in my head... mostly. Sometimes I would share my fears/anxieties with my family and friends. They were very reassuring. It really helped my psyche when Rees agreed to accompany me for part of my hike and another friend agreed to join me for a another stretch. I would, however, finish the hike between I-10 to Cajon Pass on my own.

I said goodbye to my wife as I caught a bus to Seattle so I could fly to San Diego where I was met by a couple I had known from college days. The next day Rees arrived and the day after that we headed out to Campo. I really couldn't believe I was finally doing this. Giddy is the word that comes to mind.

Rees had previously walked from Campo so he gave me an insider's edge. His prior experience shaped how we approached this new undertaking. Honestly that prior knowledge was extremely reassuring for me. As we prepared to launch ourselves from the southern terminus marker the imposing border wall stretched out behind us. It felt surreal to say the least. And with a hearty farewell to our friend Jack who got us there we were off. Wow!

The next few weeks left me with many profound memories and experiences I will always hold close. First of all the cherished time walking with Rees and my friend Billie were precious. The time by my self was scary at first and soon became inspiring not to mention very empowering. The trail was hard in places. The trail was hot in places too. My pack was heavy at times. The trail was my home away from home. I embraced it more and more the longer I was hiking.

Apple pie in Julian

My days started early and sleep times began before the darkness had fully enveloped my surroundings. I had some big mileage days, for me, walking in the high teens to even the low twenties a few times. When I arrived at Cajon my feelings were all over the place. I was elated, enthused for the future, and a little sad too. I knew I would be back next spring and that would leave a couple of pieces left to put in the puzzle that was my PCT experience. I put those last parts of the puzzle in place in 2019.

There were many times when I thought this would never happen. Going to the desert to hike the PCT...no way! Hiking those last 900 miles or so...I wasn't so sure. There were just too many 'what ifs'. In thinking about starting out in 2017 and revisiting those experiences reminds me of the staying power walking all or part of the Pacific Crest Trail can have on a person. Thinking something will happen is the first obstacle to get past. Believe it can happen and any obstacle will shrink in your shadow.

#Campo #Goals #Confidence #Cajon Pass

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goodmorningbatterycity · 5 months

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Bomb Baby *broadcasting live to every TV in Battery City*: What's up y'all, it's Bomb Baby, here to remind you that a better-NO PUN INTENDED!!!-life is possible in the Zones ╰(*°▽°*)╯ Our cars are better, our fashion is better, our jobs are better, and oh yeah, our music is better too! We didn't want to blast your eardrums with punk and heavy metal (not yet anyway!!) so we thought we'd treat you to a little ACOUSTIC SESSION featuring songs we wrote RIGHT HERE IN THE ZONES (o゜▽゜)o☆

Tickled Pink: OMG whaaa, I didn't know about this, I'm so excited for real (*/ω＼*)

Bomb Baby: Me tooo! So here's a little track I wrote just for all you babes in Bat City, i hope it opens your eyes to a better world, a better tomorrow, a better.....LIFE UNCHAINED

LIFE UNCHAINED (C) BOMB BABY 2019

*Camera pans out to reveal Bomb baby on a stage sitting on a stool with a spotlight shining above her, the rest of the stage is dark, she has one guitar and she starts strumming it*

Bomb Baby *singing beautifully*:

Welcome to the Zones It's the world that we call home Most of us aren't straight I think that's pretty great

If Korse lived here with us He could get on the bus No more pretending he's that way We all know that he's gay

Toxic Sunshine *whispering backup vocals*: We all know that he's gay...

We give ourselves a name No more sad and shame Poison and Ghoul and the rest of the crew Bomb Baby, Tickled Pink, and oh yeah Violent Rays too

*another spotlight appears, revealing Violent Rays on a stool next to Bomb baby strumming an identical guitar, they start to harmonize*

Violent Rays *singing ethereally*:

The Zones are where it's at Pick up your baseball bat Get ready to smash some Dracs We're all here to do that

The sunlight casts a shade Reminding us to pray To the Phoenix Witch, who watches As we throw Drac skulls in boxes

*they harmonize and play guitar together with no lyrics for one minute, then they both lean forward and sing into the same mic*

Bomb Baby and Violent Rays *singing*:

We ride the desert sands Everyone has a plan Bat City is cold and gray But Killjoys are here to stay

All that lives must die Eat a doodoo pie Bat Shitty, your time's up It's time y'all backed up

*they harmonize and play guitar for five more minutes until the song ends, the entire crowd is silent until one man stands up and starts slow clapping and the rest of the crowd stands up and showers violent rays, bomb Baby and Toxic Sunshine with thunderous applause, Toxic Sunshine and Bomb Baby bow, Violent Rays gazes at the roof with the wisdom of a thousand Killjoys, Korse turns and walks off into the sunset*

wtf did I just read

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gamerbulten · 8 months

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DokeV, K-pop ve paten ile yeni bir açık dünya yaratık koleksiyoncusu şikayet etmiyoruz DokeV, Black Desert ...

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lostmisunderstooddreamer · 8 months

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Part 2.

Hurt little tree

~LostMisunderstoodDreamer

#life #lost #misunderstood #dreamer #thoughts #me #life quotes #depressing quotes #live #like #hurt

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oreiviuklubasaudenis · 1 year

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Airmen's Club Adventures in Saudi Arabia

The Airmen's Club Audenis welcomed the year 2020 in the Middle East - in the Al Ula Valley in Saudi Arabia.

You can find photos in our gallery , and here are the adventures in detail:

December 30 we're trying to jump on the outgoing 2019 hot air balloon event bandwagon. This time the destination is very exotic, we are going to a hundred balloon event in Saudi Arabia. This is our second visit to this little-known country, and our experience allows us to foresee certain surprises that sooner or later we will still have to face in the Arab world. However, at the very beginning, as soon as the plane from Istanbul to Medina lands, we find out that we have no place to live in Al-Ula, where we fly.

So, will we welcome the New Year in Medina and many other questions to which no one gives answers. Due to the inexplicably long check-in at the reception, we can only get the hotel beds at around 5 o'clock in the morning.

The next day we sleep until noon. Later we find out that we will spend one more night in Medina. We decide not to waste time and see the city. The Uber driver asks if we are Muslim. After receiving a negative answer, he calls someone who immediately informs us that we are forbidden to visit the central part of the city and offers to take us somewhere on the outskirts of the city. We agree on an intermediate option. We get off about a couple of kilometers from the center and continue on foot. Near the mosque, not wanting to risk it, we ask the policeman. He replies that we can look around. One of the largest mosques in the world is truly impressive. First of all, its size is enchanting. The red glow of the evening sky deepens the impression. Thousands of worshipers flocking inside heighten the sense of mystique.

We return to the hotel, where a New Year's festive dinner awaits us. 12 o'clock New Year's greetings are displayed in the hotel's restaurant in various languages of the world. Hour difference with Lithuania. We call and congratulate the housemates.

We leave the hotel at 8:30 in the morning. Five buses have to take us 400 km to a city in the middle of the desert called Al-Ula. This is where the Winter at Tantora event takes place. The journey takes 6 hours. a couple of stops to exercise the legs. The road stretches monotonously through the desert with poor vegetation and herds of camels and goats grazing here and there. The monotony of the trip is diversified by the chains of pink sand rocks and the camels that run into the road, forcing the bus to stop.

We arrive at Al-Ula. The nearby 2,000-year-old ancient Nabataean site, Madein Saleh, where 130 monumental rock tombs have been found, is the first site in Saudi Arabia to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our event center is located right next to this area. We go to the center, where we unpack the balloons, fill the cylinders with gas and move towards the accommodation, a picturesque campsite at the foot of the rocks. The next morning we find out that we live right next door to a very impressive mirrored structure built in the desert in 2018, the Mariah Concert Hall, where Winter at Tantora concert events such as Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras and other exclusive events have been scheduled for the next few days.

We collapse into bed because we have an early morning flight in the desert.

We get up at 4:30, get dressed and head towards the bus that will take us to the airstrip. We are trying to wake up the bus driver. We knock on the door and after waiting for a few minutes, he starts the bus. There is a breeze in the campsite. This is the influence of the gorge between the rocks. Thus, the fears of those participating in the event for the first time due to excessive wind are not confirmed at all. A calm ascent, at lower altitudes we move very slowly to the south, higher up we turn around and move faster and faster to the north. Mountain ranges stretch to the right and left. Piloted by Ignas. A great opportunity to refresh your piloting skills. Let's go in the desert. Our team, the driver is a local Arab who lives in Al-Ula and has a hard time picking up English words. But a wide smile betrays that this morning's performance in heaven was a success. All hundred pilots of the event are divided into four groups: yellow, blue, orange and red. Depending on which group you are in, your flight schedule and evening illuminations will be on certain days. Only on January 3 and 4, all one hundred balloons will rise into the sky.

So on January 3 extraordinary commotion at the center of the airmen's event. The organizers' decision to change the team's drivers and cars every morning has the predicted results. The slight chaos of finding a way to transport your balloon to the airfield eventually ends with a hundred balloons lined up in three rows. Dusk is torn apart not only by the rays of the rising sun, but also by the multitude of lit fans. One by one, multicolored balloons rise into the sky above Madain Saleh. Very calm winds allow pilots to explore the terrain of the UNESCO heritage site. After playing, some do not notice that the gas is running out and, violating the strict rule of the organizers, they go inside the protected area. As we find out later, they will be subject to severe sanctions, disqualification and no further opportunity to participate in this event.

The following day once again pampers the pilots of one hundred balloons with excellent weather conditions, unforgettable views, and the hospitality of the local people.

January 6 we wake up not only with the mood of another future flight, but also with a kind of excitement for the planned World Guinness Record attempt in the evening, the essence of which is the world's longest night illumination of hot air balloons. It is planned to light 3 km at a time. long string of balloons standing in a row. A lot of organizational details, tuning, radio communication, and already almost midnight, dusk is illuminated by an impressively long rainbow of light and colors. The record is registered, we become part of history. The following day is a free day from flights. We receive an offer from the organizers for an exclusive entertainment - a jeep safari in the desert. 12 o'clock 15 luxury jeeps arrive at the meeting point, driven by local Arabs, who kindly agreed to show around the area and help understand the peculiarities of driving in the desert. A line of cars moves out of the campsite. The first destination is the highest point of Al-Ula, which has an observation deck that allows you to rest your eyes on the impressive mountain ranges surrounding the city. The temperature here drops by five degrees. Pleasantly cool. Our driver, an intelligent 45-year-old Arab dressed in luxurious textiles, tells us that this place is a special favorite of theirs. Looking down, he mentions the interesting fact that the city rests on large aquifers, and for the latter reason we see an unusual amount of greenery. that this place is a special favorite of theirs. Looking down, he mentions the interesting fact that the city rests on large aquifers, and for the latter reason we see an unusual amount of greenery. that this place is a special favorite of theirs. Looking down, he mentions the interesting fact that the city rests on large aquifers, and for the latter reason we see an unusual amount of greenery.

We continue our journey. Before entering the desert, car tires are deflated to give cars more clearance. We fly through the desert, suddenly rising or falling unexpectedly from wind-blown sand dunes. Sometimes we stop at spectacular rock formations to hear local stories, sometimes on loose sand slopes to see the skills of the safari drivers. The day passes like an hour. In the evening, we stop at the foot of a huge rock, where a bonfire, a picnic, and Arabic tea await us. All this takes on a mystical tone as dusk approaches. Arab drivers present a surprise. In the reflective light of the campfire, they play an Arabic song. We return to the campsite after dark.

January 8 the day when the participants of the Dakar rally, one of the stages, have to finish in Al-Ula. The day begins with a desperate search for the finishing position of the rally stage. We ask everyone, but we hear a variety of versions: Elephant Rock, Madein Saleh access, on the outskirts of Al-Ula and so on. Finally, the organizers offer everyone to go to the observation deck in the desert, at the foot of which the spectators, after a long wait, see cars whistling by at high speed.

January 9 the flight will be remembered as one of the most impressive flights of the event. The morning, as always, meets with darkness and freezing cold. As soon as the first rays of the sun attempt to cross the horizon, painting the desert and rocks with an ominous red, the first meteo probes rise into the sky. As they spin, they rise up until they finally find a clear direction in the vastness of the sky. After a short briefing, we move to the takeoff field. With calloused fingers, we pull the dome, the bag, the fan. A car driver wrapped in a camel wool blanket does not want to leave the comfort zone. But, he smiles and helps Igna and I prepare the balloon. This morning we are flying two passengers, Arabs from Riyadh. A calm, northwesterly breeze blows in the lower layers. We need at least a 40 degree left wind to reach Madein Saleh. We jump to an altitude of 5000 feet and drift towards the goal with several balloons still trying to reach Madein Saleh. We drift towards the goal. After reaching it, we quickly glide down and find ourselves in the very center of the rock formation. Passengers are impressed. "Wow… all we can say." We go down in the desert.

Friday starts very unexpectedly. Getting on the bus early in the morning, we learn that the bus drivers are on strike. The reason is unpaid wages. We wait for about an hour while the company managers solve the problems by phone. We are finally moving. In the afternoon, the forecasted rain decides to surprise. It starts to rain. Tomorrow is the last day of the event. We start packing the balloons. Snow force, a Dubai company hired to help, promptly organizes various works. The Pakistanis working in the company are really hardworking guys. Before the trip, we have to empty the gas cylinders. We are going to the takeoff field. The flames of the burners begin to lick the red desert landscape. It doesn't even take an hour, the cylinders are empty.

The journey back to Madinah takes less than five hours. At the airport, we say goodbye to our colleagues and aircraft take off at different times and in different directions to different countries of the world.

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newsakd · 1 year

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[ad_1] Beirut, Lebanon — An attack by jihadis with the Islamic State group on Syrian government forces in the war-torn country's east has killed 33 soldiers, a monitor said Saturday, revising an earlier toll of 26 deaths. The attack late Thursday on an army bus was the extremist group's deadliest targeting on government forces this year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Despite losing the last territory they controlled in Syria in 2019, IS has maintained hideouts in the vast Syrian desert from which it has carried out ambushes and hit-and-run attacks. "The death toll from the army bus attack rose to 33 soldiers," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based monitoring group which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria. The jihadis surrounded the bus in the desert near Mayadeen, in Deir Ezzor province, and opened fire, the Observatory reported Friday. IS later claimed the attack, saying its fighters had carried out an ambush "on two military buses," targeting them "with heavy weapons and rocket-propelled grenades" and setting one on fire, according to a statement from the jihadis' Amaq news agency. Syrian state news agency SANA issued a statement late Saturday from the foreign ministry accusing "the American occupation forces and their terrorist organizations" of targeting the bus. "This criminal and terrorist aggression" comes "in the context of the support and sponsorship of the United States of America for terrorist organizations, at the forefront of which is Daesh," it said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Abdel Rahman told AFP the jihadis were trying to show that IS "is still active and powerful despite the targeting of its leaders." Last week, IS announced the death of its leader Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, who it said was killed in clashes in northwestern Syria, and named a successor. IS members in recent weeks have increased their attacks in the north and northeast. Earlier this week, 10 Syrian soldiers and pro-government fighters were killed in an IS attack in the former jihadi stronghold of Raqa province, the Observatory said. Syria's war broke out after President Bashar al-Assad's government crushed peaceful protests in 2011. It has since drawn in foreign powers and global jihadis. The conflict has killed more than half a million people and driven half of the country's pre-war population from their homes. [ad_2] Source link

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shahananasrin-blog · 1 year

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[ad_1] Gunmen have ambushed a bus carrying Syrian soldiers in the country’s east, killing at least 20 and wounding others, opposition activists said Friday.The Thursday night attack was believed to be carried out by members of the Islamic State group whose sleeper cells in parts of Syria still carry deadly attacks despite their defeat in 2019.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 23 Syrian soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded in the attack on a desert road near the eastern town of Mayadeen in Deir el-Zour province that borders Iraq.AFGHANISTAN ONCE AGAIN TERRORIST SAFE HAVEN AS US ‘OVER THE HORIZON’ CAPABILITY FACES LIMITATIONS: EXPERTAnother activist collective that covers news in eastern Syria said 20 soldiers were killed and others were wounded.Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the attack occurred Thursday night, "killing and wounding a number of soldiers." It gave no further details, nor a breakdown in the casualty numbers. An IS fighter fires his weapon during clashes with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Baghouz, Syria. Gunmen, believed to be members of the Islamic State group, ambushed a bus carrying Syrian soldiers early Friday, killing at least 20 and wounding others. (Aamaq News Agency via AP, File)IS controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq where they declared a caliphate in June 2014. Over the years they lost of the land and were defeated in Iraq in 2017 and two years later in Syria.In one of their deadliest in a year, IS sleeper cells attacked workers collecting truffles near the central town of Sukhna in February, killing at least 53 people — mostly workers but also some Syrian government security forces.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPExperts who follow Jihadi groups say it is too early to say if the new spate of attacks marks a new resurgence by the extremists that ruled millions of people in Syria and Iraq with terror.Last week, IS announced the death in Syria of its little-known leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi — who headed the extremist organization since November — and named his successor. He was the fourth to be killed since its founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in 2019 by U.S. troops in northwest Syria. [ad_2]

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thebusclub · 2 years

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Blog Post 5

Some effective ways that I think can help alleviate food insecurity in Cincinnati are more community gardens, better public transit infrastructure, better access to food pantries, and greater subsidies towards buying and selling produce.

Community Gardens: This is a grass roots effort to hopefully revitalize some urban green space while also creating effective ways to produce food locally. This idea can also go a long way towards enhancing the overall social well being and sense of community in a neighborhood. Even if this method produces little food, it will still help decrease the urban heat, decrease the particle pollution, and engage the communities.

Better public transit: It is no secret that the vast majority of grocery stores in Cincinnati have an automobile focus and giving those using the parking lot the priority. From a social equity perspective, this practice needs to change and bus routes must be designed to run every 15-30 minutes with frequent stops to and from the grocery stores. An environmental subsidy should also make public transit cost free to incentivize more riders and decrease congestion and particle pollution.

Better access to food pantries: It is an abomination that the wealthiest country in the world has so much of its population living pay check to pay check and needing to make decisions between groceries and rent. Food is a human right and everybody should have access to nutritious food in order to contribute to the labor force and be a valued and respected member of their community. When almost half of the food in this country is wasted, not giving access to food to everyone is an unnecessary evil which cannot be tolerated.

Subsidies to produce: It is no secret that the government plays a big role in food prices and the industrial food supply has less to do with free market capitalism and is much more subject to government subsidies and monopolistic conditions. Subsidies going towards corn and soy to produce animal feed and high fructose corn syrup to help processed food like Twinkies and McDonalds should not e receiving as much support from tax payers as should fresh produce. Americans are severely lacking on fiber intakes and likewise eating fresh produce should not be a luxury enjoyed only by the upper class. Working to subsidies local and organic produce will go a long way towards increasing quality of life and health outcomes.

Possible ways to alleviate the food insecurity issues in the Cincinnati area, including campus, would be to reconfigure the code barriers for urban agriculture within the city as well as conjuring up incentives and support for these agricultural farmers. Only recently did the City of Cincinnati and Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council come together to create a zoning code for the agricultural policies of Cincinnati. In 2019, they created policies that would give more allowance to the expansions of farming, community gardens, composting and animal keeping all within the urban setting. It also raised the question about indoor farming and aquaculture. Cincinnati’s previous codes were very restrictive for property owners, farmers, and gardeners. It is important to also note that while these urban agricultural zoning revisions were beneficial to many, they were not able to modify the requirements made by other municipal, state, and federal laws that also apply to the agricultural activities in Cincinnati.

Another possible way to alleviate food insecurity would be to try and save food waste from large corporation grocery stores and restaurants. Think about how Dunkin Donuts has their employees throw away the remaining, unsold dozens of perfectly fresh donuts at the end of the day. Who doesn’t mind a day-old-donut?

It would be beneficial to create stores within food deserts that worked with both local urban farmers for their fresh produce and with large-corporation restaurants and grocery stores for their food waste. A great example of this kind of store would be Hopey and Company’s “budget friendly grocery store” located in Asheville North Carolina. Hopey and Company is a family-owned business that source their meat, vegetables, fruit and even beer from local farmers and brewers. They have a plethora of locally sourced goods at a low price. While many people might not like the idea of buying food that was going to be pitched by these larger companies, it is important to think about why these products are going to waste. Hopey has a great deal of products that they source from grocery stores within their surrounding area that are considered waste only because the date on the sticker says it expired two days ago. There are some items that people are welcome to steer clear of if they are uncomfortable with the fact that they are a little past their due date. But overall, there are many products that are given a second life to the benefit of the people in need. Stores like this utilize food waste and promote community gardens by giving them incentives to curate and grow produce.

Another amazing example of creating a solution to food insecurity within Cincinnati would be to learn from the amazing work of La Caverne and the idea of cycloponics. Located in an abandoned underground parking garage in Paris, urban farmers are producing organic mushrooms as well as using aquaponics to grow many more kinds of produce. La Caverne is a great example of using infrastructure that is already there as well as remaining very sustainable and accessible. By shortening the distance from farm to plate, La Caverne is focused on supporting the community and addressing the food insecurities within their own city.

Another potential solution for tackling food insecurity in Cincinnati is, in addition to private and community gardens, private or community coops. Chickens could provide eggs. reduce food waste and provide compost for any local gardens. Many cities around the world have already implemented free or low cost chicken programs to anyone interested in raising them with much success, most notably in Belgium. This is also not uncommon in rural areas or small communities. I (Michelle) personally know people that live in Indianapolis, Indiana that have a community coop in there backyard that that helps provide eggs for there living community.

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