#how much is tyre repair

[alphatyresandwheels]

Kilsyth Tyre Experts: Repairs, Sales & More

Being a car owner comes with a certain level of responsibility. You need to make sure your vehicle is in good condition to keep yourself and others safe on the road. One of the most important parts of your car are the tyres. They are the only point of contact between your car and the road, and they play a vital role in handling, braking, and overall safety. In this blog post, we’ll cover: The…

[the-offside-rule]

Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) - Tyre Change

Requested: yup

Prompt: Teammate Max (a request I'm getting a lot)

Warnings: slight teammate bickering

"Oh what the fuck?" Y/n asked as she stepped out of her car, staring at the front wheel, the steam practically pouring off it from the sheer heat of it. "What the fuck am I meant to do?" She whispered to herself. She was in Monaco so she couldn't call her dad or brother to come help like usual.

On a moonlit night in Monaco, up in the mountains borderline middle of nowhere, Y/n found herself stranded with a flat tire. Frustration etched across her face, she heard footsteps approaching. To her surprise, Max had emerged from the shadows. His car had stopped right next to hers, with the window rolled down to talk to her. "Hi." She replied with a fake smile. As Max approached, he couldn't resist a playful remark. "Looks like your car can't handle the pressure. Nice to see not much changes during the off season." Y/n rolled her eyes, retorting. "Don't act like you've never had a flat, Max. And I handle pressure just fine, thank you." Max smirked. "We'll see about that. So have you called a breakdown service?" He asked. Y/n shook her head. "Why?" Max asked. "It'd cost me an arm and a leg out here! I was actually hoping a fan would just pop up and offer their services for free and it seems like my biggest fan is here." Max chuckled as Y/n smiled at him. "Let me show you how it's done." Max said, grabbing the tyre change tools from the boot of his car. "

"I- I can't change the tyre." She said. "That's okay. I didn't know how to until I was like 18? My dad nearly-" Y/n stopped him right there. "No, I know how to, I just don't have a spare wheel." Max looked at her, almost shocked. "Why?" Y/n shrugged her shoulders. "Well I have a tyre repair kit instead." Max stood up again from inspecting the tyre and practically towered over his teammate. "Why?" Max asked again. "Because when we were given the cars, I ticked the tyre repair kit instead." Y/n explained. "Why didn't you tick both?" Y/n's eyes widened. "You could tick both?" Max laughed and nodded. "Yes?" His teammate groaned and kicked a pebble on the ground. "Oh for fucks sake."

Max, not one to pass up a challenge, offered his assistance with a smirk. "Well, since we have the same car, I'll give you my spare tyre and I'll go get a new one in the factory. How's that sound?" Max asked. Y/n, reluctant yet intrigued, accepted his help. "Right, let's get to work."

As they worked under the dim glow of a streetlamp, banter flowed effortlessly between them. Max's playful jabs and Y/n's sharp retorts created a dance of words in the night air. "Grab the spare tyre." Max said as he used the jack to lift the car up. Y/n nodded and ran over to his car, trying to lift it but finding it difficult due to it basically being in a casing. "Oh don't tell me you can deal eith G-Force but can't lift a tyre!" Max joked as he heard Y/n struggling. Y/n scoffed, attempting to lift the spare. "I'd like to see you do this!" Challenge accepted, Max agreed to swap places with her. "Alright." Max stood up and walked over to the boot, lifting it. It seemed so easy when he did it. He smirked and began rolling the tyre over to her car.

Between lug nuts and tyre irons, they discovered shared interests and common ground. The tension of rivals shifted to the camaraderie of allies. As the tyre spun off, Max teased. "Maybe you should consider keeping a pit crew in your boot." Max joked. Laughter echoed across the quiet road as they exchanged stories, the rivalry softening into a genuine connection.

Underneath the star-studded sky, Max and Y/n shared a moment of understanding. She reminded him him much of himself when he was younger; stubborn and determined. The tire replaced, Max couldn't resist a teasing grin. With the tire securely in place, Y/n turned to her teammate. "I never thought I'd say this, but thanks, Max. I guess you're not as unbearable as you seem." Y/n smiled. "Guess I'm not your worst teammate after all." He remarked. Y/n, rolled her eyes. "Don't let it get to your head, Verstappen." She mumbled. Max winked, playfully nudging her. "See, I knew you'd warm up to me eventually. Now, if you ever need a pit stop, you know where to find me."

Their exchange shifted from rivalry to camaraderie, laughter mingling with the night air. Max's hands-on lesson transformed into a Canon event, turning enemies into reluctant allies. "Well, I'll make it up to you somehow. I promise." Y/n said. "Eh, a coffee will do but I'm not very picky about being paid back. I think it's payback enough that you're always behind me in race weekends." Max joked, making Y/n laugh gently. "Touché." The pair walked back back their respective cars, before they drove off into the night, the shared adventure left an unexpected bond between them – a connection forged on a roadside under the stars.

[eleetalks]

MEXICAN GP RACE RECAP

Interesting FP1 with the tests for Pirelli and 5 reserve drivers on the grid.

The 5 drivers were :

Theo Pourchair -> Alfa Romeo

Oliver Bearman -> Haas

Isack Hadjar -> AlphaTauri

Jack Doohan -> Alpine

Frederik Vesti -> Mercedes

Out of these 5 I think Bearman showed geat potential.

Both Ferraris had car issues that oddly enough were repaired before the end of the session.

Didn't get to watch FP2 ( I was way too tired bc of work) and im kinda bummed about it. I saw it rained at some point and after that Leclerc didn't manage good laps, wasn't as fast ?

FP3 was a bit all over the place imo, they tried testong for qualy and race pace... all of it in 60 min.

Albon was really good all through the 3 practices !

Stroll impeding on Sainz was a bit too much, not for the impeding itself but more bc of how dangerous it was.

QUALIFY

I think the main surprise here was Ricciardo, I mean, we all know he is a very good driver but did we expect him to end up P4 ?

Q1

As soon as qualify started, it was clear there was a difference with track temperature. Albon was great during practice but as soon as temp was a bit lower felt a huge difference with the car (could it be he had actual damage?).

Leclerc impressed everyone setting a very good time on Mediums, honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

Norris surprised everyone (me included) by not making it to Q2. It looked like he really struggled to put together a decent lap… and the yellow flag certainly didn’t help.

The yellow flag also made another victim, Sargeant received a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking during a yellow flag.

Q2

As opposed to Q1, Q2 was very uneventful.

Alonso was left out of Q3, this last part of the season is really not being kind to him.

Albon was left out of Q3 for track limits, he really struggled with the car.

Q3

Ferrari got a first row lockout (😍), what could possibly go wrong ?

As said before, Ricciardo got P4… in an AlphaTauri ! Let that sink in ! He really did a miracle !

Perez got outqualified by Ricciardo.

Perez in a RedBull got “beaten” by Ricciardo in an AlphaTauri.

Verstappen got P3, and this is possibly the only track where starting on poleis not the best thing so I think he will be P1 out of Turn 1.

RACE

We knew it was gonna be an interesting race from the start. The Ferraris didn’t have a good start and Verstappen took advantage of that. Perez was eager to do good in his Home race but ended up half on top of Leclerc’s car and being OUT of race.

In the contact with Perez, Leclerc suffered a minor front wing damage that has been investigated for Unsafe Driving Conditions but found in compliance so no further action was taken.

Magnussen had a pretty bad accident, probably a problem with his car, and went into the barriers (hopefully he is okay). This caused a RED FLAG that played in favor for Red Bull and a little against Ferrari (strategy wise); in the restart Leclerc mantiened P2 on Hamilton but then got overtaken by Lewis, also because Hamilton was on Mediums and Leclerc was on Hards.

Norris proved to be a great driver and McLaren proved to have made important upgrades to the car in the second half of the season… from P17 to P5, wow 😮!

Also happy Ricciardo got his first points in this season and too bad for Tsunoda, he was having a good race until that contact with Piastri.

Ferrari didn’t do bad but they proved they have many issues still, especially with hard tyres.

🏎️❤️

[charles-leclerc-official]

hello! thoughts on china and ferrari’s chances? how do you think the tyres will behave?

So for Ferrari overall there is no reason not to think we won't be top 4 again. Given the issues other teams are having I am pretty sure the top 4 will be some combo of the RB and Ferraris, now the order is up for speculation, but as it stands Ferrari has the second strongest car by a pretty good margin so we should be good.

Tyres: Charles spent a lot of time in the sim at Maranello this last week specifically working out how to get the tyres warmed up for quali conditions, and rumor has it he made a lot of progress.

Now overall the track condition itself is still a bit of a question mark. Some re-surfacing and track repair has been done, and since no one has raced on the track since 2019 that means there isn't any new rubber laid down. This is likely going to mean we see everyone have grip issues.

The good thing is that since there is so much happening we will probably have better grip on the track by race day.

China as a whole has been a question mark for a lot of reasons since we haven't been there in so long.

But I think Ferrari will be in the top, and there is a good chance that Charles has worked out the quali issue. As far as overall track condition, who knows? If it rains this weekend is going to get messy.

[lovelytsunoda]

kiss you: the fic told through instagram

companion to kiss you - lando norris

pairing: lando norris x female reader

landonorris three months in and she’s done enough repairs that my mclaren is a whole new car…love you darling :)

comments

danielricciardo still don’t understand why you can’t change your own tyres…

y/n_y/l/n believe me I’ve tried to teach him but he doesn’t learn

maxfewtrell help somebody I’ve been replaced by y/n

y/n_y/l/n its not much but its honest work. love you too, baby <3

carlossainzjr i hope she can cook better than u ... youve probably never eaten as well in your life

landonorris yes, in multiple contexts y/n_y/l/n lando sweetie, go touch some grass

y/n_y/l/n you know where you are? you’re in the jungle baby !!

comments

landonorris ❤️

user4 omg I love her

mclaren it was a pleasure having you in the garage with us! we hope you decide to come back in the future : )

yourbestfriend maimi babyyyyy

danielricciardo hey lando how does it feel to know that your grilfriend has better music taste than u

[thetwelfthcrow]

#stop!! underestimating !! lando !! norris!! it's just bc his slip ups get so so big like come on!!!!!!!!!

No, but as a fan of multiple drivers, I've noticed this with Lando so much.

Like this narrative that "he doesn't have that dog in him" when he doesn't kill his tyres fighting Max, yet when Charles essentially said he didn't fight Max because he knew his real fight was with George/Mercedes after Abu Dhabi, he was praised for playing it smart.

Same thing with the quali errors while pushing for pole. Charles admitted last year when he was putting it into the barriers every other quali because he wanted pole, not P2. He was routinely praised for legitimately wrecking his car and creating damage for the mechanics to repair before the race. Lando just suffers from spins/lock ups and he's washed, his career is over, he's feeling too much pressure from his teammate, etc. etc. Same thing with Lewis even admitting his quali wasn't strong this year. He admits that and says he wants to improve on it, he's praised for it. Lando criticizes his Saturday performances and admits he needs to work on them, he's mentally weak, he'll never win a race, he always chokes under pressure, etc.

And I do think a lot of the narrative around him has to do with his struggles with mental health and him being so open about them. Hell, we've seen Checo seemingly lose it all after convincing himself he could challenge Max for a championship, we've heard him have moments on the radio, yet I don't see article after article about his mental health and questioning if he will be able to cope with the pressures of F1. I think it's ridiculous how he advocates for mental health and somehow people assume that makes him weak or not able to cope with the pressure necessary to win races. (I also think it's ridiculous that we allow this toxicity to exist to the point that he's even now being WARNED by retired drivers like Nico and Jenson to not give so much insight into his mental health unless he wants the media and his competitors to use that against him. Like it is just wild to me that even the good things he tries to do are somehow spun into negatives).

Idk sorry for the rant, Lando just gets SO much unnecessary hate (and I'm not saying that Charles, Lewis, or any other driver I've mentioned in this ask doesn't, but it's just weird to me this seemingly impossible standard that people try to hold Lando to. George can outperform Lewis on the rare weekend and I don't see quite literally everyone saying Lewis is washed with nobody defending him. Carlos can get Ferrari's only win in a year and I don't see people claiming Charles is a washed waste of a seat with nobody defending him. Like idk it's just wild to me. And idk it's sad to know that he's basically chronically online and has already confirmed that he reads the shit people say about him and call him).

charles: i am stupid the world: oh baby no you're not! you were just trying your best <3 better luck next time!

lando: (gets anywhere slightly what's expected of him, not taking into account what's realistic with the car/tyres/strategy/track he's got) the world: boo, lando nowins, washed, can't drive, why's he still here, paid driver, etc etc etc blah blah blaaahhhh

and god !! the mental health topic !! you're so right about that too. it's unbelievable how his openness is seen as a vulnerability when it could be the strongest power he's ever had. this gruesome sport needs them so so badly but these disgusting and dumb toxic-masculinity mindset pathetic excuse of men are ruining the one man with enough balls to speak up about it.

never apologise for ranting, love! i agree w every word you say.

lando gets so much unnecessary hate targeted specifically at his supposed lack of ability when he continues to prove time and time again just how fucking talented and able he is. i so, so hope that lando sees us praising him besides all the hate. but, knowing what we see from him, i doubt he'd believe the good stuff easier than the bad stuff.

[panicinthestudio]

In the first moments after the huge quake hit, Lanni Hsu grabbed her dog and her family, and fled. Running down five flights of stairs, she headed outdoors to seek safety from falling objects.

Hsu lives in Hualien, a busy tourist city on Taiwan’s east coast, where the 7.2-magnitude quake struck on Wednesday morning. The death toll then stood at seven, but has since risen to nine, with 800 injured and hundreds trapped under rubble.

Three people among a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said. Separately, a truck driver died when his vehicle was hit by a landslide as it approached a tunnel in the area.

Hualien’s people are no stranger to deadly earthquakes. Even so, this was the most frightened Hsu had felt, she said.

While her panic-stricken neighbours wondered what to do next, they learned that the basement of their building was starting to flood. Fearing the building could collapse, they decided to leave.

As Hsu and her family drove in search of an open space for refuge, the city’s streets became clogged with traffic and emergency vehicles. She could hear the earth rumble as the aftershocks hit.

Wednesday’s earthquake, which hit south-east of Hualien, is the strongest in Taiwan in almost 25 years, and for intensity almost matches the “921” earthquake, named after the date it took place on 21 September 1999, which left more than 2,400 people dead.

Hualien’s people have faced many serious earthquakes in recent years. In September 2022, a 6.9-magnitude quake with its epicentre near the city toppled buildings and derailed a train, killing one person and cutting off power for thousands of residents.

Yashwanth Kuthati said he had just dropped his children at school and was driving away on his moped through Hualien’s Wednesday morning rush-hour traffic when the quake hit. First, he felt as if the air had been let out of his moped’s tyres. Then, within seconds, there was chaos as drivers around him slammed the brakes, or fell off their bikes amid the tremors. Even after reaching safety, he still felt distressed.

“We can see people screaming and the tremors have kept coming every few minutes, for many hours,” he said, adding it was the biggest earthquake he had witnessed in 12 years living in Taiwan. “I don’t think I can sleep inside the house tonight,” he added. “I feel very scared.”

Lai Hung-shu, a hostel owner in Hualien county, said she was used to earthquakes, but this one was different.

“When the earthquake first started, we weren’t really exceptionally nervous, we get earthquakes all the time, but the thing that was different about this earthquake was the shaking felt much more violent and went on far longer than they typically do.”

Her hostel is in the mountains, and when the quake began she could hear the sound of rockfall coming down the mountain. Aftershocks continued all day, she said. She worried about the long-term effect on the tourist industry.

“The primary reason that we have visitors to our hostel is to see the beauty of Taroko national park, we won’t know how long it will take for repairs to be made or for guests to think about returning here.

“The road connecting Hualien with the north has been completely destroyed … this is the most serious damage to infrastructure we have ever seen.”

In central Taipei, light damage was visible on some buildings on Wednesday morning, including at Liberty Square, one of the city’s most prominent tourist landmarks.

Outside the Howard Plaza hotel, passersby gazed up at the damage to the hotel’s exterior, where the earthquake had cracked its brickwork and dislodged some lettering on the hotel’s sign.

“I’ve never felt this kind of earthquake in LA, even though we have earthquakes pretty often,” said Mike Hung Hsu, a hotel guest visiting from the US who was woken by the temblor. “I used to live in Taiwan; in my memory we never had an earthquake like this one.”

He said his family had cancelled a planned sightseeing trip to Yilan county, near Hualien on the island’s east coast, as there was no way to travel by public transport.

Aftershocks from the Hualien quake continued for hours after the initial temblor, and tremors were reportedly felt as far away as Hong Kong, Fujian and Shanghai.

Kuthati, who rents scooters to tourists in Hualien and operates a guest hostel with his wife, expects a big impact on his income from lost tourist business, with many of the main roads into the city blocked and rail lines out of service. Taiwan is about to observe a four-day weekend for the Tomb Sweeping festival, when families traditionally pay their respects to their ancestors or travel to the island’s many nature spots.

Hualien usually draws large numbers of backpackers, hikers and cyclists seeking the stunning natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, including the nearby Taroko national park. But with landslides in the vicinity, many will probably stay home for the next few days.

The Guardian

[paddockpatrol]

Best Boy

Warnings: angst (with a happy end), injury, feelings of self-loathing

Word Count: 556

Author’s Note: For @kimiraikkonen whose sentient car idea has prompted me to write something for the first time in years (who would have thought that Max Verstappen and RB16b feels would shake me out of a what-I-thought-was-a-permanent writer’s block). Thank you for allowing me to use it! I hope you like it.

----

The roar of the crowd has long drifted away on wafts of petrol fuel when softly, tentatively the sheet that has been draped over him like a body bag is gently pulled away. While the strong, capable hands of Genty and the rest of the pit crew have already eased away most the immediate pain out of his body work, it's that other, deeper ache of loss that has not subsided. 

The unshakable bond forged in the scorching heat of Bahrain has been shaken loose beyond repair. As much as his tyres had clawed at the tarmac of Copse, his speeding belly had pressed into the gravel trap, and as much as he had willed all his strength into the survival cell, his driver got hurt. The world may have heard the pain in that radio call, but they didn't feel it. They didn't feel it snarl out of the tech pro barrier, rip into the side pods, and bite down viciously into man and machine alike, severing the link that had made them a ruthless pairing in windy deserts, too-wealthy cities, and fresh alpine valleys. 

In actual time, Max may have been unconscious for only a fraction of a second, but it was long enough for him to realise that he would have to revert back to being RB16b, and nothing more than that. How could he have ever pretended to be anything more than a machine to be utilised; he wasn't even worthy of his own full number, let alone the pet name his human had given him. That reeked of affection, where none should be found. Best to revert back to what he was made to do. Win races. Full stop. Aspiring to any further bond had been hubris fuelled by a most capable pair of hands and deft pair of feet knowing how to manipulate him. Doing their job. Dangerous to think anything else.

The tarp is pulled down further, unforgivingly exposing his mangled frame, the visible manifestation of his failure. 

"Are you still here?"

If in his disorientated state he has missed who it is that is so inexorably revealing his shame to the evening's gaze, the raspy voice is unmistakable. He cowers further into himself, avoiding the soft tendrils of that magical bit of energy reaching out. He isn't worthy of the solace that lies in its acceptance. 

A soft hitch of breath pierces the silence of the garage more jarringly than a wheel gun as broad hands grab hold of the halo. His driver hoists himself back into the cockpit he had groggily exited only hours before. A rustling of clothes, some twisting of limbs, and it's almost like nothing has happened at all. Lights not out yet, away they still have to go.

They sit like that forever. 

Man. 

Machine. 

Separated. 

"I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry I couldn't stop you before we hit the wall."

He almost doesn't understand the sentence. Cannot comprehend it. Surely…

"I failed you."

The next time Max cries his head is pressed warmly against the front right tyre on the Abu Dhabi starting straight. The world may see that happiness, but they don't feel it. They don't feel the pride that sings over that strongest of bonds, soars high into the sky with the exuberance of fireworks, and is strengthened every time affection is given voice in the undercurrent of every thought Max sends his way:

Best Boy

[deadhumourist]

Mistletoe and Beskar - Part 4

Pairing: Modern!Din Djarin X F!Reader. Mechanic AU

Rating: Teen (but Mature for the series)

Warnings: Blank slate reader / no physical description, mentions of food, descriptions of male body.

A/N: This is a completely self-indulgent chapter that celebrates my unhealthy love for Din's broadness :D Thank you to @just-here-for-the-moment for some key fixes and great advice. Also a special shoutout to @nothoughtsjustmeds for falling into my DMs with inspo, which was so lovely <3 <3

Summary: This is another short chapter, but deals with the morning after the Christmas ball. She wakes up in an interesting place, and Din is acting stranger than usual. What's going on?

Words: 2100+

Author Masterlist | Read the rest of the series here | Previous part | Taglist

--------------

You woke up slowly the next morning, letting consciousness flow back into you and wake up your limbs one by one. Nearby, the soft sound of breathing washed over you like a warm current, noticeable only because you had lived alone for so long and were unused to waking up with someone. Gradually you became aware of something firm and smooth under your cheek.

You were barely awake but your sense of touch and smell seemed to reach out for this new sensory information, to store it away for later inspection. It noted the smoothness, the minute movement of corded muscle underneath velvet skin. The skin-scent, masculine and comforting and so distinct; breathing it in until it filled your lungs with him. The warmth that you could lose yourself in, and the evidence that you in fact, had, during the night. You had promptly rolled into Din's arms after falling asleep, snoring obnoxiously loud. 

You stole a few moments more where it was just you and your thoughts about the Mandalorian, before you cracked an eye open and pretended to wake up for the first time.  

Hooded, brown eyes looked down at you, a soft smile curling appealingly on his sleep-plush lips. Soft curls stuck up unevenly and begged for a hand to softly caress them back in line. 

"Morning" he whispered groggily, closing his eyes again. 

How long had he been watching you?

"Mmhmm" you managed to croak out, eyeing him from your spot on his arm. A ghost sensation of his lips on yours disappeared as soon as it came and the thought was jarring enough to make you shift back onto the cool cotton of the pillow.

You studied his face, eyes gliding over the relaxed lines on his face. He looked so much less intimidating when he was languishing in that space between sleep and wakefulness. The relaxed brows, the soft, slightly chapped lips that hinted at a smile but didn’t quite get there. 

His pulse jumped every time you happily bounded over to the car, knowing it had nothing to do with him and everything with your genuine interest in the car and your craft. He secretly delighted in the annoyed way you would argue…no….correct him about some of the repairs needed on the Crest. Confidently and matter-of-factly you once told him to shove off if he didn’t agree with your assessment. He relented. He knew it wouldn’t be the last time. 

Din’s eyes were closed, his broad, bare chest rising and falling rhythmically. Beneath the surface his mind was parsing out the moments the two of you shared before this one.

He always felt a small surge of excitement when the tyres of the Crest rolled to a stop inside the workshop. After the first few times, he couldn’t help his eyes shifting about the place looking for your familiar form. Over time he had come to recognise your posture, your poses, even some of your clothing.

You swung your legs off the bed and padded to the bathroom barefoot, stealing one last look at him before closing the bathroom door. Glancing in the mirror revealed a face that sported an unattractive sleep crease from where your face had been squished into Din. Wetting a washcloth with warm water, you held the compress to your face to soften it. You wondered if getting close to this man would always leave a mark on you somehow. It took a few more minutes and another refresh of the washcloth before the mark was almost completely gone.

Leaving the bathroom, you saw Din was awake now, regarding you quietly where he had propped himself up with some pillows. The large continental pillows formed a plush backrest that framed his strong shoulders and torso perfectly. His curls were tellingly neater than when you had left him. 

You sat down at the foot of the bed, mind screaming for a neutral conversation topic that didn’t include “so I kissed you last night and then slept in your arms, how about that?”

He dominated the large space even when he was stretched out on his back. A sturdy male form wrapped in expensive, snow-white linen, his eyes following you appreciatively as you padded back into the room.

He was surrounded by luxury and largesse and he opted to watch you instead. 

Voice still rough from sleep, you decided on “Can I make you some coffee?”

Din smiled, his dimples from the previous night reappearing, like you had said something very funny. 

“You don’t need to do that. We’ll go down for breakfast shortly.” 

The smile was meant to hide his heart clenching almost painfully. It was such a small, simple gesture, and you couldn’t possibly understand how or why it affected him.

He was so used to people taking from him. Sometimes people wanted something from him; his name and influence meant that very few doors were closed to him or those he helped. Other times taking took the form of taking responsibility or work away from him. Serving him in a way befitting someone he never felt he was. He rarely experienced someone offering something simple and personal. Of no real value, but offered in kindness that didn’t ask for something back. 

—---

An hour later you were sheepishly standing in the entrance to the spacious, airy dining hall. Now you thought you understood why he had found your offer so amusing. The large space was decked out with the most varied breakfast spread you’d ever seen. Chefs behind elegant stations were serving everything from freshly baked pastries to every imaginable hot breakfast item like bacon, eggs and hashbrowns and more exotic breakfast offerings like smoked salmon and oysters. Din’s hand skimmed over your shoulder blade, gently guiding you inside the room. 

Greef, who seemed to have a talent for appearing out of nowhere, raised a coffee cup to you both as he greeted you. 

“Did you sleep well? If you’re feeling a bit groggy, this Ethiopian blend was roasted about an hour ago, do try it.” 

Din nodded.

“Yeah thanks, the room is comfortable, slept well.” 

Greef’s eyes crinkled mischievously. 

“And you, my dear? I hope this brute wasn’t keeping you awake. Mando has quite the reputation.” 

You were puzzled, what on earth did that mean?

“What, like he’s a world class snorer? He farts like a racehorse in his sleep?”

Greef’s shoulders shook as he laughed. The sound boomed around the space and drew attention from a few diners.  He clapped Din on the shoulder conspiratorially, shoving the imposing man forward by a few inches. 

“This one’s a keeper my friend. She has no tiresome airs or graces like the others.” 

You looked at Din questioningly but received no reply or recognition. 

Greef continued. "I do hope you're both joining us on the slopes today? Some fresh air will clear out all the cobwebs from the city and get those muscles warmed up."

He seemed to subtly drop the host persona for a moment, without losing his smile. The mask slipped slightly to reveal something altogether more personal. 

"I'm disappointed you didn't take your companion for a dance last night, Mando. Treasure the company you keep."

Something unspoken passed between the two men. Din's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a warning laying low in his dark eyes. The moment passed as quickly as it came, a split-second rift in the smooth flow of the day. Greef nodded to you both before busying himself with more guests, his voice back to its recognisable genial tone. 

Din bristled. Greef had been his friend for a long time but tested the boundaries of Din's patience often, and persistently. After Kraelia's scene last night he had to be a lot more careful about what you learned about him and how. He wasn't proud of the things he had done as a younger man. That man now felt like a distant memory. A memory that Greef was scratching at and needed to leave alone. 

Din ushered you to a space in the corner, where you had a view of the icy landscape. The snow had let up during the night and the bright sunshine illuminated the world so it looked like a photo out of a book. Melting snow caught sunlight and twinkled like fairy lights over the landscape, a thick white layer blanketing the swells beneath.

A brave bird twittered in a nearby tree, its song cascading against the resort’s walls and calling back to itself. 

You fidgeted with the silverware, looking around. This was nicer than you’ve ever experienced before, breakfast was usually cereal or yoghurt or a quick cup of coffee while you were getting dressed, and that’s only if you ever skipped the luxury of spending a few more minutes in bed. 

Hot breakfast was just never a priority and people here were enjoying it like it was the most normal, expected thing in the world. A waitress waltzed up and asked in a sing-song customer service voice “Some coffee for the couple?” 

Smoothly Din nodded and the hot brew splashed into two cups, one after the other. Your nerves dissipated slightly at the familiar smell reaching you - it was an exquisite blend and you reached out to bring it to your lips. 

As you took a sip, you let your eyes wander the dining room. You didn’t see Kraelia anywhere, and thanked whatever deity was listening for small mercies.

Din awkwardly stood around until he turned to you, seemingly nervous. 

After a hearty breakfast, you both returned to the room which had been reset and tidied by housekeeping.

Seeing the made-up bed in the room shot up a strange melancholy that your time together had been erased and reset, whited out and neatly folded into a smooth canvas with no memory. 

“If you don’t want to ski, we can stay here.”

“You’re joking right? I’ve never been skiing, I’d love to try. I might fall down a lot but I’ll be fine.” You smiled benignly at him. It was sweet that he was offering an out, but you were going to enjoy everything about this weekend. Wear many outfits like a paper doll before it’s folded up and put back into the dark drawer. Twirl in a ball gown, eat breakfast in your best sweater, be a fancy AF skiing lady of leisure….

Oh.

“Uhm…I don’t have a ski suit.” 

Din revealed one of his rare smiles again and silently moved to the opposite cupboard to yours, opening it up. 

When he turned around, he was holding a suit that was definitely too small to fit him. 

“I had to guess the size. I hope you like it.” The words were curt but the intention made them feather soft, floating down to your ears and making tears sting your eyes. 

This unexpected kindness and personal nature of the gesture caught you off-guard. He would have bought this before you got here, before the kiss, before anything. 

You swallowed hard, willing the lump in your throat to go down. Without making eye contact, you took the hanger from him, nodding your assent. Once the bathroom door closed, you brought the back of your hand up to press at your eyes, the corners of your mouth pulling down almost painfully in a soundless sob. You slumped against the door, eyes squeezed shut to stop the tears. 

It was just an outfit but it was also an invitation. 

To be part of this world that you never had access to. In your hand you were holding a pure frivolity; an outfit that you would only ever wear once, from a man you didn't know, for an activity you've never done before. 

The absurdity of the situation would have made you laugh if it didn't make your heart ache with how casually Din had pulled you into his world. He could ask, demand or buy his way into whatever he wanted and part of you was amazed at that, but the other part kicked against it violently. Must be nice, you thought bitterly. 

Your straight-backed pride from the first night, when you felt confident and beautiful in your only formal dress was melting away like droplets of snow in the overwhelming face of the evidence that you were out of place. 

So out of place. 

You thought about how silly you must look to him. A humble mechanic trying her best and coming up short against the luxury he was so used to. 

You took a deep breath and slowly breathed out again, the air shuddering out of you like your lungs wanted to hold onto it just a moment longer. 

Carefully placing the suit over the claw-footed bathtub's edge, you started undressing. A few minutes later, feeling a bit ridiculous, you stood in front of Din, whose eyes had lit up at how well the suit fit you. 

Despite the look on his face, he didn't say anything, and just nodded in his curt manner.

You nervously slapped your thighs with both hands. 

"Right, better get going then."

------------

Reblogs and comments are appreciated, and let me know if you would like to be tagged for the series <3

[potionpeddlerpatchy]

Oh dear Patchy, I seem to be having a villain problem, one Shigaraki Tomura, to be exact. If it's not too much trouble, could you brew me up a little something to help?

(I adore your games and am practically vibrating to see everyone's potions!)

Hello dear traveler, I am so very excited to meet with you; I always love seeing new faces around here and providing them with all the potions their heart needs.

And I do very much thank you for your kind words, I do try hard to curate the best possible outcome for those that ask for my services, and I hope I am able to provide the same for you.

You knew you weren’t suppose to like him. Knew that, as a person of your status there were certain rules that pertained to you and how you could be associated with; and especially certain rules on who you may court and unltimately marry.

And a cobbler was certainly not one of them.

Especially one that worked within darkness and shadow, and though he was incredibly skilled, he was always covered in filth from the dyes and waxes he used. And yet Shigaraki Tomura was the one your heart gravitated to.

You didn’t see him as lowly or filthy, you just saw him as a man who was passionate about his work; and how that passion overtook the need for appearances. You would admit, however, that light, being within the warmth of the sun, would do him many favours; but you understood why he lived the way he lived. And you couldn’t help but constantly partake in his services.

Over and over again you would visit his little cart, buying shoes you had no need for just for the chance of a brief interaction with him, only for said shoes to be neatly tucked away within your wardrobe - to never be worn or see the light of day - for they were too pretty, and you wished not to wreak his craftsmenship.

That being said, you had no issue tearing, bending, snapping, and overall breaking those shoes you did own - ones made by other hands - just so you could have yet another excuse to ask for his assistance in repairing them; they always did end up looking better than before when crafted by his hands.

Though you cared little about status, or money, you knew that if you truly wished to follow your heart, you had to actually act on it; you could not just rely on spending your coin on his services and prendting it meant anything more any longer.

But the problem was, he never spoke to you. Only curt nods and hums in response to your greetings, questions, and gratitude. How were you suppose to follow your heart if you did not know if where you heart led to was one of promise?

You supposed that was the structure of what love was; that oft times you would have to go through heartache and rejection in order to find where it was meant to go. But rejection you could handle, it was the unknown due to his lack of proper interaction with you that left you stumped on what to do.

And, as a last resort, you went went to a peddler.

For desperate times called for despereate measure; and though you didn’t believe potions were anything more than coloured and oddly tasting liquid that truly didn’t do much, you were willing to believe and take a chance this once if it meant it could help you with your current struggle.

She bestowed to you a bright golden liquid, a flare of sun, with the promise that one touch would allow a person to see the brightness of the world around them; and what better way to make him speak the truths in his heart over that?

You had your doubts, of course you did. Words tied together in riddles always left your skeptical over if it was truly authenticious; but there was no harm in tyring. No harm in placing a few drops on yet another slipper whose heel you had purposefully broken for him to touch and fix.

Which you did, not waitied on baited breathe when you handed over the limp and lifeless shoe his way; eyes looking fondly, as they always had, when turned the slipper over and over and inspected it.

“I like when you visit” he mumbled, hands already beginning his work as he began delicately hammer small nails in place.

“Pardon?” You retorted, head shaking to break you out of any posible stupor you might have found yourself in - clearly not believing he was speaking to you.

“I like when you visit” He mumbled again, though more clearly “I like it when you’re around, I think your company is lovely.”

He finally looked up at you, briefly, but you still managed to catch his eye; and how bright they were. His ruby eyes, normally so dull and lifeless as they regarded you, were full of life and brighter than ever before - like a shimmer jewel. You coudln’t help but admit that perhaps the peddler was right, especially at his next words.

“I would love more of it, if possible.”

I do hope you kept some of that potion, it is always useful to garner truth out of people - should you want it. Though I will advise, and allow you to advise your new partner, avoid looking at bright lights for the next day or so - you might end up temporarily blind.

[lulamadison]

prompt #118

Thanks to everyone who sent one so far! It is now the weekend, so if anyone wants to send me a prompt to fill with a little Lawrusso ficlet please do 😃

Here is the prompt list (Completed: 16, 20, 65, 110, 118)

Prompt 118 is “this isn’t adrenaline, i want to spend my life with you.”

This one ran much longer than my other fills 😉

*

The car came to a rest, rocking on its three remaining wheels, as steam hissed into the cold night air from the smashed radiator.

“Holy shit,” Daniel gasped, his hands still wrapped around the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. “Are you OK?”

“Forget about me, man. Are you OK?” Johnny asked. “It's your side of the car that's smashed up.”

Daniel took stock of himself, noting that the only pain he felt was a slight twinge in his knee. He'd twisted it as the car spun through the air after blowing out a tyre on the drive back from picking up Johnny at the bar where he'd had drinks with Bobby.

“Yeah,” Daniel said. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

“OK, so you wanna let go before you break your own fingers?” Johnny asked as he leaned over and placed a hand on top Daniel's.

“Huh,” Daniel said, suddenly realising the death grip he had on the steering wheel. He peeled his stiff hands away from it, then watched as Johnny gently kneaded his fingers in his own hand.

“I think we need to get out of here in case it goes up in flames,” Johnny said, still keeping hold of Daniel's hand.

“Yeah,” Daniel replied. “I need to call a tow truck and get the car taken back to the dealership.”

“What's left of the car, you mean,” Johnny said, as he popped his door open. “Does your side work?”

Daniel pulled the handle, but the door creaked and stayed closed. “No, its jammed.”

“OK, follow me,” Johnny said, as he climbed out, then reached back inside and offered Daniel a hand.

Daniel grabbed hold of Johnny, then climbed out over the centre console and out into the street.

“Oh my god, Johnny,” Daniel gasped as he saw the car. “Look at this! We should be dead or at the very least injured.”

“Yeah, but we aren't,” Johnny said, grabbing his hands.

“I can't believe we didn't die,” Daniel said, feeling his breath coming in sharp gasps as he looked at the crumpled front end of the car that was smashed beyond repair.

“Daniel,” Johnny said, crowding into his space.

“What?” he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the wrecked Audi.

“Breathe,” Johnny said softly.

Daniel looked at him, suddenly feeling the panic that had overtaken his body and he noticed how his hands were shaking, even though Johnny was holding them tightly.

“You need to do that Miyagi-Do breathing shit and calm down,” Johnny said, as he pulled Daniel's hands towards his own chest. “We're both still here, not a scratch on us.”

“Sorry,” Daniel sighed.

“It was a hell of a crash. I'm pretty sure we were flying at one point,” Johnny replied. “You're just in shock is all.”

“And you aren't?” Daniel asked.

“I've got so much Banquet inside me I doubt I'd be shocked if I stuck my finger in a socket,” Johnny said with a grin.

Daniel let out a laugh, but underneath it all his mind was running a mile a minute.

He and Johnny had only been together a few months, but they'd almost lost each other because of one stupid tyre blow out. One accident, that's all it would take, and this new thing they had going on that Daniel had been craving for so long could be wiped out in an instant.

“Will you marry me?” Daniel asked.

“Whattttt?” Johnny asked, his voice high pitched.

“I'm serious,” Daniel said. “I want to marry you. We took all this time to get to this point and I don't want to waste another second of it. I love you, Johnny, and I never want to be without you ever again.”

“Hey, c'mon, you know this is just the adrenaline talking,” Johnny said. “We've just been through something traumatic, so you're not thinking straight.”

Daniel let out a huff of laughter. “When haven't we just been something traumatic in the last couple of years?” He raised an eyebrow and asked, “How many times have people tried to kill you recently?”

“Twice,” Johnny admitted, still holding Daniel's hands against his chest.

“This isn’t adrenaline,” Daniel said, as he disentangled one of his hands and pressed his palm to Johnny's cheek “I want to spend my life with you.”

“You know I want that too,” Johnny said softly.

“I'll show you I'm serious,” Daniel said, as he took a step away, then lowered one knee to the floor

“Oh god, no, LaRusso, don't do this!” Johnny said. “You'll never get back up without help.”

“Johnny, will you marry me?” Daniel asked, as he knelt on the damp road.

“Daniel!” Johnny said sharply, as the sound of sirens echoed through the night air.

“Sounds like someone called 911,” Daniel said, as he took Johnny's hand. “Do you want the LAFD and the cops seeing me propose to you like this?”

“Will you get up!” Johnny said.

“You better say yes now. They'll be here any second,” Daniel said with a grin. “Do you want me to ask the LAFD to be witnesses at our wedding?”

“LaRusso!” Johnny shrieked.

“All it takes is one word and this will all be over,” Daniel said.

“Yes!” Johnny shouted, as he got down on his knees and pulled Daniel into a kiss. “I'll marry you, OK?”

“You will?” he asked, hardly believing his ears.

“Daniel, there's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you,” Johnny said quickly. “I just thought maybe it'd be me who did the proposing or ya know, that I wouldn't have glass in my hair and desperately need a piss while it was happening.”

Daniel let out a laugh. “You had a lot of beer.”

“Yeah, I did,” Johnny replied. “And all the times I imagined one of us proposing, it never included me having a wet patch on my jeans, man.”

“Go find a bush,” Daniel said, letting out a laugh.

As Johnny jumped to his feet, Daniel held out a hand and asked, “Will you help me up?”

Johnny stood for a second, then said, “Actually, you know what this kinda looks like?”

“I don't know, will you help me up before the cops get here?”

“I dunno, man,” Johnny said with a grin. “If I leave you on your knees till the cops get here it'll look like they caught you giving me a blow job.”

“Don't be an asshole, Johnny,” Daniel hissed. “Help me up!”

“Maybe I like the idea of the entire Fire Department thinking you were doing that,” Johnny grinned.

“Johnny!” Daniel shouted, as he waddled across the road on his knees. “Help me up!”

“Gotta go find a bush, Daniel,” Johnny said with a laugh. “I'll be right back.”

“Johnny!” Daniel shouted. “Johnny! JOHNNY! Ugh... What a dick!”

*

[blamebrampton]

A thing I wish I had started much younger was learning how to fix more things. I started with a decent base – clothes, tack, basic household stuff – and added bicycles fairly early on (and yes, I can change a car tyre and do some basic mechanics on old cars and tractors, even though I don’t drive, because those are basic farm skills), but a lot of my repair skills were only learned after I was 30, or even 40 and I still often find things I don’t have the skills to fix. Some I never will (my phone), but others I want to (the peeling veneer on my front door).

Sometimes mending is meditative, like the darning on this scarf where a neighbourhood dog accidentally tore it (excuse the cat hairs). Sometimes it is a gift, like being able to get my neighbour’s bike back on the road. Almost always, it is a better use of time and resources than getting rid of the broken thing and getting a new one.

When something breaks now, I will often try to fix it. Sometimes I already have the skills. Sometimes I can jury rig a fix with textile or leather skills. Others I’m still learning. I sat down and worked my way through a knot book a few years back, which was no end of help as I’d forgotten how much you can get done with string, plus I ended up learning how to make nets properly. The month after next I am doing a carpentry class, because it is embarrassing how few woodworking skills I have.

Some fixes are embarrassingly simple, but I only realise I can do them when I google ‘how to fix…’ Very often the ones in this set are done with glues: special glues for fixing the split seam on my Wellingtons, two-part epoxies for the table I had to take apart to move, which will fill the gaps rather than me needing to chisel and sand them smooth. Glue chemistry is amazing. Did you know you can use a bike tyre patch to fix a small hole in your wellies? I learned that on YouTube last Tuesday.

I don’t know that I’ve saved a lot of money — I tend to buy a few tools every time I learn a skill; really should have started with metalwork and carpentry and then I could have made a lot of them — but I’ve saved a lot of treasured things, and while on some the repairs are invisible, on others, I can see that I was there, that I added to the life and story of that object.

So if you have the confidence in your hands, the next time something breaks, see if you can fix it. Google, YouTube and online libraries make it easier than ever. And if you don’t have confidence in your hands, see if you have a local Repair Cafe, where there might be someone who can fix it for you and perhaps help you learn enough to do it yourself next time. Because if you start learning how to do this stuff when you’re young, you’re going to be unstoppable by the time you’re my age.

(One caveat: unless you love darning, only ever darn your favourite socks. It takes for flipping ever and most socks are cheap. Those hours weaving in toes or heels could be spent making something cool, shagging or reading.)

[bearballing]

ugh it's not like, dire or anything, but because of hurricane ian my work has shorted me for like $400 but yknow bills still have to be paid so like if anyone would like to help us KEEP the power we only just got back and just like... keep ourselves on top of shit... boxy might need some more insulin too and we all know how much that shit costs.

we're also down a few hundred dollars because we had to get 2 flat tyres repaired and that turned into replacing two whole tyres on one car. F

p4ypal: grapplergouf2

c4ash4pp: $qwerty207

kofi: grapplergouf

thanks 😢

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

yknow, I really HATE the snide comments on posts about older learner or P plate drivers, here in aus, when they get into accident by simple error. like the other day, I saw a news story about a P plater who accidentally flipped their car onto its roof, while trying to practice parking at a busy beach (bc it was during a hot day).

however, no one had any like empathy or sympathy for the person, who was 30, apparently. "oh. they're a 30 YEAR OLD P PLATER????? that says it ALL doesn't it??? maybe don't be a deadbeat and get your licence earlier???" and "who can't park at a busy beach during a hot day???? did they NOT learn how to park at all during driving lessons??? take their licence away, they don't deserve to drive ever again!!!!" or "who the hell is a P plater AT 30??? get with the times and get your licence as a teen like a normal person!!!! so you're NOT a burden to everyone else!!!"

like im still to read the article. but I feel so much for this person. I only got my Ps in 2019.... at 23/24. I only got off my Ps last november (2022), at 27. I've talked on many posts about my struggles around getting my licence (ie too much anxiety and depression in 2011 and late high school- the perceived "only right time"- to go for my Ls and Ps) and troubles with driving teachers and uni and me having to pay for ALL of my lessons out of own pocket.... and also my parent never wanting to teach me.... bc I was too anxious for them as well, so you might as well just push all off on a driving school anyway.

so yeah me getting my licence was a fucking mess. I HATED myself for getting it so late etc etc. but even on my full licence, earlier this year, i made a stupid asf error right before I left my old job.

basically, a week before I left that job, I had a MASSIVE crash in my works private parking lot. I went up the ramp to the upper level for shade, bc it was a hot day and my car would be cooler at the end of the day (not by much, obvs, but a bit) than me parking on the bottom floor, away from everyone in the sun).... I accidentally scraped on side of my car on one of the concrete pillars. I panicked, stupidly really. what's a little dent on my car??? lmao. anyway. I reversed out of those pillars, trying to fix the position of my car. however, in doing that, I accidentally pressed the accelerator and went zooming (low speed but downhill, terrible combination) down the ramp, and smashed my entire back window, boot (trunk, for americans) and a bit of the right side panel of my car (which the repairs were kind enough to replace the entirety of actually).... also they had to bc thag entire back tyre was ripped off. my exhaust was leaking too.

obvs my old work sent me home that day (thank FUCK) , and I had a hire car through my insurance for nearly 3 months. I got landed with an extra $400 excess for being an "inexperienced driver" bc I'd only had my full licence for 5 months at that point, instead of 2 years. but it's just that easy to make a dumb fuckup mistake.

and no, when it came to learning how to park with both my parent and the driving school.... I didn't get much time learn. I did like 10 mins in one lesson with the driving school on actual parking in a parking lot.... bc that shit didn't matter in the P plate test... only the stupid asf kerb side reverse park (or whatever the fuck it's called) got assessed in the test.... and I fucking resented that SO MUCH.... bc it's the part I ALWAYS forgot the steps to and always did in like 20 steps, instead of the required 3 to 5. the end of test parking in the spot at service nsw (ie the dmv in my state of aus) doesn't get marked.

my parent just straight up refused to teach me parking (and pretty esp the curb side tbh). instead, they tried to tell me that middle-aged american and canadian men (most usually... and none of them were driving instructors- just randos) with go pros were a better resource to learn parking from.... when like THEY DRIVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FUCKING ROAD TO AUSTRALIA????? "all you have to do is watch that video before we go put to practice and swap it around in your head??? it's that easy!" no it's not???? how the fuck am I meant to reverse the direction in my head???? it literally makes fuck all sense.

moreover, I feel like it's just australia's laziness on having resources for learner drivers. like not one aussie driving school, while I was trying to get my licence, had instructional videos on how to do a reverse park, how to park normally, and how to do parallels parking. there was ONE British guy. ONE. and not even from australia. everything else was flooded by americans and canadians. like guys, I like you. but trying to learn how to park from Brad in a Walmart parking lot in Texas or mark in Omaha in a walgreens parking lot.... or Tommy from Saskatchewan or Ben from Ontario, both videos from a Tim Horton's parking lot (sorry, it's the only canadian brand that I know lol).... who are all driving and parking from the right side of the road.... DOES NOT help a very confused and anxious learner driver in AUSTRALIA who DRIVES ON THE LEFT, with learning how to park safely or well. under stress, or just even normally for me, it was IMPOSSIBLE to swap the direction around mentally, as I was actively trying to learn to park.

but my point is, the age of the P plate driver has NOTHING to do with the fact that they accidentally flipped their car while trying to park in a stressful situation. they weren't lazy or a burden for getting their licence late. the situation i crashed my car in wasn't even stressful... I was just an anxious, almost sleepless mess at that old job. I accidentally freaked myself out by slightly scratching my car bc I have shit parking and direction skills in that particular parking lot.

my age, 27, and the person in the news story's age, 30 HAS NOTHING TO DO with driving ability and apparently "needing their licence taken off them." I was practically forced to get my licence and buy my car (eventually) to be better considered for jobs.... since NO ONE wants to hire someone without a car and licence these days. like I was so lucky my old job was right across from a bus stop and that they hired me using the bus.

every other place I tried basically automatically tossed me out in the application stage, when I dared to answer "I use public transport" or "I don't have access to my own vehicle." even though HR at my old work kept telling me that employers can't assess or discriminate against that. but they do, ashley, they do. and I KNOW... esp since I've always been interested in doing events. and doing events work is IMPOSSIBLE without a car due to wack ass hours. also, I actively got denied a marketing internship in business college in 2014. all bc the bus took an hour and a half, instead of 25 to 30 mins by car. so don't you dare tell me that workplaces don't discriminate towards lack of transportation (even if they can't say it directly to the applicant) bc some places definitely do.

so I imagine that the above, and the other obstacles I've mentioned in this post, are what probably led to this 30 year P plater getting their licence so late (unless of course they got downgraded bc they had road offences.... but idk bc I still haven't actually read the article lol). but assuming the best of the person in the story, it was an honest, anxious mistake to flip their car while trying to park that day at that beach... like, okay. it's obvs not a small mistake; bc they did flip their goddamned car upside down....

but in stress, you can make stupid ass mistakes, just like I did in march..... and imo that doesn't call for someone to LOSE THEIR LICENCE and be thoroughly condescended to.... all bc some fucking asshole on the internet is all fucking rude about "OH A 30 YO P PLATER???? THAT SAYS IT ALL!!!! they were too lazy to do this important thing YEARS AGO as a teenager, and now they're making our roads unsafe with this!!!! rescind their licence now!!! they're entirely unfit to drive! or at least go back to driving school, darling. so maybe you'll remember your mistakes of safety!!!"

like, brenda or quincey. I highly doubt you've NEVER made a mistake while driving??? or accidentally hit someone???? or maybe you'd be like the middle aged lady I accidentally hit back in july, who tried to force me to stand in a busy local highway intersection FOR AN HOUR ON THE PHONE witb my insurance to report.... so she had PHYSICAL PROOF that I'd done it... bc she was thoroughly convinced that I was lying that I had insurance bc (A.) I dont have an insurance card like she dod.... bc im sure that's a legacy thing, and I've only had my car for a year, so that meant to her that I was a LIAR.... and (B.) I'm young, so then that automatically means that I'm a liar and will never report to insurance that I'd fucked up.... then this woman had the gall to report the incident 3 DAYS LATER (I'm assuming).... after INSISTING I had to do it instantly in front of HER EYES only for truthful reporting all while saying "you BETTER get this FIXED for ME bc my husband has just died".

like thanks, geraldine. but at this point, I don't fucking care about your dead husband. just let me report this accident in peace AT HOME AWAY from you, breathing down my neck saying every 2 seconds that "young people ALWAYS lie to me... so YOU'RE A LIAR and will dupe me out of my deserved repairs. repair it FOR ME NOW! YOU BETTER DO IT WHILE I WATCH, OR YOU WILL RUN OFF ON ME!! I KNOW THIS!!!!" but anyway. I digress. my point is that the people commenting on age sound exactly this rude ass woman, insisting that the older age of the P plater in this story has everything to do with the accident, and NOTHING to do with stress and anxiety around driving.

like ok. I'll admit picking a busy time to practice parking, probs isn't the best decision. but also. if you don't practice parking at busy times EVER, you're just never going to go anywhere during peak busy periods of the day.... much like I do. I never go to the beach in summer bc I hate jockeying for spots. I wait til like 4 to 6 pm to go do some shopping bc then I have less chance of accidentally hitting someone (a car obvs) while backing out.... and am more likely to have an empty spot to drive straight into.

I purposely pick the emptier outside parking lot at one particular local shopping centre, all bc I know if I park like shit (ie accidentally park over half into another spot) I can just leave it like that, bc I have fuck all idea of how to correct it tbh. as long as no one parks RIGHT NEXT TO ME, I'm fine lmao. and that's a problem in summer, when it's like 45⁰C (like 100+⁰F).... so I should really try to park in the overly busy undercover parking, for respite, when i get back to my car. I actively avoid ever driving to sydney bc of this as well. I'll never be able to handle sydney suburbia driving.... let alone the whole ass different beast that is CBD sydney driving is (lol im driving straight into the harbour to avoid any type of city parking and parking fees etc).

anyway yeah. I just wish people had more empathy and sympathy these days when people have a kinda dumb accident like this..... instead of instantly calling for the person to lose their licence.... and also insisting that its all to do with someone getting their licence much later than the perceived "correct and proper" time of 16 to 19.

[lilgraceandi]

An important milestone

We had always wanted Grace to be able to cycle but never got round to training her. A few weeks ago, I decided we had to repair the old bike Pauline gave us. It was a bit rusty, but other than the punctured rear tyre, it was still usable.

It only cost rm9 to fix it. After that, Leslie took Grace out to learn cycling. It was really hard. I think that was two weeks ago. I joined them and said we shouldn’t hold her. She struggled a lot. What with my comments and ‘encouragement’(I should not have talked), she started crying. I was frustrated; she was frustrated. With sweat and tears down her face, we all gave up.

Then when Leslie was in Singapore last week, I took her out again. This time she could pedal once a few times before losing balance. She was encouraged but we had to stop due to a drizzle.

We went out again last evening but she hadn’t made much progress.

Today after cooking dinner, we went out again. This time Xuan Xuan wanted to join us. So I was the traffic policewoman making sure there weren’t any cars while they were cycling. Somehow, Grace started pedalling longer and further, and suddenly, she could cycle!

She still can’t control her brakes well and stops with her feet, which is a bit dangerous. And she doesn’t know how to turn yet. But we were both delighted that she could finally cycle. She enjoyed Xuan Xuan’s company. I think her presence helped Grace to cycle. She was very excited that she could finally balance herself and pedal and didn’t want to go home.

Maybe tomorrow we’ll go out again and hopefully she’ll be able to brake and turn properly.

[myimaginarywonderland]

Going thorugh the regulations and some questions are coming up:

For the second day of track running there were media restrictions concerning Sprints in the case of two free practices.

As far as I am aware we only have one this weekend.

How will that change things.

There is also the meeting question. Usually there is a meeting 1 hour after FP1 but considering that's less than 2 hours before Qualy, will there be expectations made?

Not a question but the tyres are the following for sprints: 4 sets of intermediates, 3 sets of wet weather tyres, 2 sets of hard (which is funny considering you are probably burning through that thing in sprint qualy), 4 sets of mediums (again one being gone by sprint) and 6 sets of soft. Considering drivers will only really habe 1 hard tyre, there's the question of how much variety of strategy is actually possible. There's the exception of a wet season (Qualy/practice) where an intermediate tyre is used where they will get one additional one (only if it has been declared wet.)

There's also the big risk of a driver not being able to take part in P1 which would subsequently mean he can't start the race weekend as partaking in free practice is mandatory for being able to do the weekend.

It clearly states in the rules that a second free practice season is supposed to run the day before the race. I guess they just overlooked that?

It seems that while the car is still under parc ferme conditions they can do certain repairs. What they can't do is anything with suspension which immediately guarantees a pit lane start.

We are apparently also ignoring the rule that states sprint determines the race grid.

What is also interesting is if the sprint races will have the same rules apply as normal races.

A car in a sprint race doesn't classify it it completed under 90%