#i invited people to play tennis at the park near me and it has LOTS of courts

[pinolitas]

i love talking to older people bc theyve lived here long enough to FINALLY understand where it is that i live and dont live in a bubble of their yuppie neighborhoods

[bukojuiice]

— genshin boys as your college roommates who are head over heels in love with you

ೃ ft. childe, diluc, kaeya, zhongli, and xiao x gn! reader

ೃ 400-600 words per character!  ♡

ೃ warnings: mention of alcohol drinking ( but aside from that, just lots and lots of fluff!)

ೃ this is my very first writing contribution to the genshin fandom, so i hope everyone likes it!  after 5 months of playing genshin, i think it’s safe to say my brainrot for it has finally consumed me and i’m confident enough to brew something up! <3

ೃ genshin impact masterlist 

ೃ if you want to be a part of my taglist, answer this form! ♡

CHILDE:

– You and Childe are the perfect embodiment of the best friends to roommates trope. Whenever you wanna sleep in for 5 minutes more and you’re about to run late for your first class, Childe never fails to slowly drag you out of your bed, laughing as he does so. “Wake up sunshine!” is the first thing you always hear in the morning and you don’t complain if you get to hear his smexy voice anyway. He is a confident flirt and is not afraid to show you how much he cares or how much he pines over you. 

–  He’s always always there to save the day. There was a time when your classmates stood you up on the group project you were making, and guess who comes up to you with glitter, glue, and colored paper? Childe, of course! He stayed up until the wee hours of the night with you just so he can help you finish it. He even promises to set things in a “very civil way” with your absolute jerk groupmates the very next day. You practically hang out with him 24/7 as most of the time he just barges in your shared apartment with some amusement park tickets on hand or to some expensive yoga or judo class. There’s never a dull moment with him and with each passing day, the more you fall harder for him.

–  After a morning jog with him and seeing cute little dogs frolicking around with their married owners, Childe suddenly had the urge to adopt a dog with you.  But, due to a no pets rules established by the landlord, the two of you opt to owning hamsters instead! Childe named his hamster, narwhal (after his favorite animal of course!) whereas you named yours bunny, to match his irrelevant pet name picking. your hamsters both share the same house/cage and even they are pining over each other.

  –  His siblings visit a lot, especially Teucer. At this point, there was never a day the little boy didn’t ask when are you and Childe going to finally become “playground playmates” (a term for lovers that they use in second grade apparently) since the two of you are living with each other and seem so close. Childe is always able to successfully change the topic and shift away from talking about the shared feelings that the both of you have for each other. But, alas, the day had finally came to be and during your monthly trip to the amusement park, Childe confidently confesses to you on top of the ferris wheel.

“So... everyone in my life knows that you’re my best friend. Yea, that’s pretty cool and all but... Can we be more than just that (Y/N)? Is there hope if I think there could be something between us?”

DILUC:

– Diluc is your posh and rich roommate who sounds and looks too good to be true. The fact that you’re roomies with the literal heir to the country’s biggest wine and beverage company sounds like something straight out of a fanfic. But, it was of his volition to decide to live in a penthouse near Teyvat University. It was the doings of his step-brother Kaeya who tricked him into getting a roommate so that he won’t be alone for the rest of his college years... aaand that’s where you come in. practically barged into his life, but, you were a blessing. an angel sent from the skies.

–  He’s quite cold and unapproachable at first, only greeting you whenever he sees you but never bothered to engage in small talk with you. Even if the both of you go to the same university. It wasn’t until your second month as roommates, when you accidentally had too much to drink after a friends’ night out. You come home to see him in the living room, drinking grape juice from a wine glass, and watching a rerun of Hannah Montana. You practically collapse at the front door, he rushes to you and helps you up as you drunkenly confess to him in tears how you wanted to become much closer to him especially since the  two of you are going to spend the rest of your college years together. That was when Diluc realized how distant and aloof he’s been and vows to make it up to you.

– Diluc is very talented. Albeit in very discreet way, he makes sure to make use of his talents especially if it’s an opportunity to make memories with you. He is an amazing cook as much as he tries to deny it, He’s a secret virtuoso caught in 4k when you impulsively bought a guitar one time and you asked if he knows how to play, and he does so well. He practically serenades you in the most non-obvious way possible. Lastly, He’s very athletic. You invited him to play tennis one time, betting that if he won, you would do his bidding for the rest of the week. Before you could even blink, he wins. His “punishment” for you was that you accompany him in binge-watching TV Dramas. Grey’s Anatomy and Downtown Abby are just some of the shows the two of you would watch. It is absolutely adorable seeing him so invested in these dramas. and since the next on Diluc’s list were sit-coms, you were preparing yourself to answer his questions on the context of jokes that he didn’t get. In a poor attempt to flirt with you, he calls out your name and recites in the most Joey Tribbiani voice he could muster, “How you doin?” You were laughing so so hard that night because his pick up line actually worked on you and suddenly your realizations came full circle: you were very much in love with him too.

–  His naturally cool yet shy nature had always gotten the best of him.  He’s always wanted to ask if you wanted to carpool with him to school. Riding with him in his Tesla sportscar that goes 150 Mph? Heck yeah. However, it took quite a while before he could muster up the courage to ask you (4 months of being roommates until he finally popped the question) Since then, the two of you go home to and from University whenever you had similar schedules. Ever since then, Diluc had began to soften. His cold and hard facade slowly melted. Asking if you could help tie his floofy red hair then he’d let you play with it and let you style it in different ways. He takes you out on café dates during lunch breaks and take you out to watch a movie after both of your late night lectures. Everyone in campus thinks the two of you are practically together at this point. All that was left was to bare your feelings with one another through a fumbling and awkward confession.

“Words cannot not suffice these feelings I’ve been harboring for you since the very beginning. I L-like you a lot. Do you feel the same way too?”

KAEYA:

- Everyone loves Kaeya. Your friends and family, The School Faculty, The owner of the Convenience Store from down the street, The old lady who lives next door, The little kids from down the hall, and even the angry brown poodles from the farthest apartment to your right absolutely loved him. it was hard to keep up with having a roommate that not only were you crushing so hard on, but also had such a vibrant social life. Kaeya interacts and socializes with a lot of people and he admits that it does tend to get tiring at times. But, if these sacrifices lead to coming home to his cute roommate who has captivated his heart since Day 1, then it’s all worth it.

— Despite how warm and friendly he may seem, Kaeya is a very private person. He’s brought two or three friends like Jean, Lisa, Albedo, or Rosaria. But, only to discuss school affairs. He wasn’t the kind of person who trusts others easily, even if he was giving off the impression that he was a trustworthy and reliable person himself. He’d much rather spend time with you on days off from school. He may be a party guy on the outside (he insists he does it for future connections when he graduates) but he’s quite a homebody. Kaeya is the type to watch korean dramas and anime with you, go on late night convenience store cravings, and these always resulted in a perfect evening spent with him. When the both of you are fully immersed into the anime and things get a bit cozy, you rest your head on his shoulder, huddling for warmth.

— Kaeya would always come home with a little something for you. May it be take-out food, A trinket, a board game, an accessory, and even skincare products. The indigo-haired man is very particular about self-care and you bet that he’s bought different kinds of face masks, ointments, and even matching cute headbands just for the two of you! He’s very flamboyant and flirts with you a lot. Trying to impress you with pick up lines and suggestive jokes, but you always thought that he was just joking around because that was always a part of his personality. It was always a part of him. For Kaeya on the other hand, it seems to him that you don’t take him seriously and it's possible that you don’t return his feelings at all. He had to set things straight and it didn’t take long until Kaeya found the perfect opportunity to do so.

— With the help of practically everyone in the apartment, Kaeya is about to surprise you with a candle-lit dinner up on the apartment rooftop. His sly smooth-talking quickly convinced you that the both of you were just going to go out on your nightly convenience store trips. Your curiosity grows when he takes you by the hand, covering you with a blindfold, and whispering to your ear, “Do you trust me?” Gripping onto his hand tightly, the both of you go up some stairs and you reply, “Yes Kaeya, I do.” He slowly uncovers the shield from your eyes and your eyes sparkle at the sight of the candle-lit dinner, complete with jazz music, and a romantic view of the city.

“(Y/N)... You are the most precious person to me. I hope you can take me seriously, especially my feelings. I am saying this with my heart in my hand and with nothing but genuine love in my soul.”

ZHONGLI:

— Zhongli is truly husband material. You’re saying this as his friend, as his roommate, and as someone who’s absolutely smitten over him. He’s a third year environmental archaeology student at Teyvat University. Gentle, kind, and has nothing but wise and intelligent things to say. your lovestruck self can’t help but just admire him from afar, not knowing that he too has been entranced by you ever since you moved in.

—He's always the first to wake up in the morning. The first thing he does is make you a cup of coffee. He's got your favorite memorized, (Coffee with cream. Not to sweet and not too bitter.) The both of you own matching mugs, (written in colored scribbled letters, “The Wise Roommate” for Zhongli and “The Cute Roommate” for you.) He always wants to spend his free mornings with you. Both of you have different schedules so you never see each other at Campus and this was the only blissful time of the day you can spend with one another. Once you get home for dinner, (Zhongli is always the first to get home if he doesn’t stay too long at the library or strolling around the city) If it’s your turn to cook or if it’s his, he never forgets to brew you oolong tea after dinner. A perfect chance for the two of you to just talk the night away and engage in deep and meaningful conversations.

—Zhongli fell in love with you because you just quietly listen to him. Sometimes, you would share your thoughts and insights, even sharing your own personal knowledge that Zhongli had not known prior. You were one of the very few people in his life whom he could talk about absolutely anything with. Well, who wouldn’t listen to a handsome man who has a voice as smooth as butter? He is very passionate about his studies. Taking a lot of extra courses and spending a lot of money on his research. and so, most of the time, he spends all of his Mora on his extra studies (excluding the money he needs to pay for rent) and other interesting antiques. You understood why though. So, instead, you ask him to accompany you to do mundane chores. Going grocery shopping, doing the laundry and cleaning the apartment. He always helps in any way he can. The prying eyes of people around you and the old lady fr next door boldly coming up to you to ask if you and Zhongli were a married couple. You blush profusely whereas Zhongli coolly denies the woman's claims. It hurt quite a little but who were you to complain?

— It was during one of your night strolls with Zhongli. He had invited you out after dinner under the guise of wanting to have some fresh air and find a clear spot for the fireworks from a nearby festival. Your heart was thumping loudly to a non-existent rhythm, blissfully unaware that Zhongli was feeling a burst in his chest too. He clears his throat and his shoulders straighten. Zhongli puts his hand on your shoulder and breathes deeply. His cool and gentlemanly aura still radiating off of him as always. A wonderful array of colors fill the sky as his lips began to form the words he's always wanted to say:

"Tonight is beautiful isn't it? I thought that this would be the perfect time to open my heart up to you... You are a diamond in the rough that few see the beauty of. My beloved– Will you accept my feelings?

XIAO:

—  Having a popular twitch streamer as your roommate was a one in a million chance. Especially if you’re not even an influencer or internet figure yourself. But, how did this come to be? Why have you developed a crush on Xiao aka VigilantYaksha without knowing who he was? A gamer with over 6 million followers on different social media platforms? Simple, a high-end apartment near Teyvat University had a special discount if you were willing to be roommates with someone. It’s an amazing deal, near your school, cost-efficient, and you believed the 10% chance of scoring a hot roommate as seen on reality TV and romantic comedies. It was like rolling through a Gacha Game and getting a 5 star character. As that “character” is soon to be revealed as Xiao.

— Things started off rocky at first. On your first day, he flatly welcomed you by the door, introduced himself, then quickly retreated back to his room. As soon as you locked eyes with him, he gave off a certain cold and unfriendly aura. You wanted to get to know him better. Maybe with a little love and care, he could open up to you and you could become friends! That same day, you had mistakenly thought of your room as his and you walked in on him streaming a horror game. He wasn’t spooked by the jumpscares. But instead, he was looking at you in horror because you’ve just exposed yourself to thousands of people. You wave at the camera, apologize, and left. Since then, his fans, (called the Anemo Tofus) have been shipping the two of you together. Creating fanfiction and fanart of Xiao and the mysterious roommate that accidentally walked in on him. They practically begged Xiao to at least talk a little bit about you, to which, he declined. When you surprised him with dinner (as a little treat since this was your first week with him) He sits across the table from you, his eyes gazing deep into yours, as he pops the question, in a very tsundere tone: “Would you like to appear in my streams? T-the Anemo Tofus wanna learn more about you. B-but, if you don’t want to, it’s alright! You don’t have to-” You cut him off before he could continue his doubts, “Xiao! What are you saying? I’d love to!”

  —  There was something blossoming between the two of you after that particular dinner with him. Starting with your first “roommate video” that you had thought of when you were brainstorming for video ideas. It was an Almond and Mapo Tofu mukbang whilst the two of you answered questions from fans! The viewers noticed how visibly comfortable he was around you despite his usual reserved attitude. He was cracking up a lot more sarcastic and self-deprecating jokes whilst Tofu filled both of your mouths. Outside of the confines of social media and inside the comfortable space that was your apartment, you and Xiao grew closer. Wearing matching hoodies, going on midnight snack runs, playing in arcades, and stargazing with him up on the rooftop as you contemplate about life and talk about the mysteries of the universe. There were times when you would stay up late doing school works and would accidentally fall asleep on the sofa. Xiao would come out of room because he periodically had cases of insomnia. When he sees you on the sofa, he can’t help but smile at your sleeping figure and admire your beauty. First. he brings all your clutter back to your room then slowly picks you up from the couch, into his arms, and brings you back to your room. He places a blanket on top of you and your stuffed plushies next to you so you can hug them any time. 

— On a particular night, you fell asleep on the sofa once again and begun to  have recurring nightmares. Xiao was there to witness you whimpering, muttering to yourself, and shivering to a mental image that he could not see. (He wishes he could erase all the pain that these nightmares were giving you) You subconsciously grab onto his hand, murmuring to yourself: “Xiao, please don’t go.” He whispers back, “I won’t.” Your nerves slowly relax when you feel the Yaksha squeezing himself to lie next to you on the couch. Holding onto your arm, he continues to reassure you that it was going to be okay. You grab onto him, hugging him from behind. He feels your heartbeat revert back to it’s normal pace and you return back to your peaceful slumber. “I’ll always be here for you, (Y/N). I’ll be here to protect you. Forever and always.”  Turning to you to plant a kiss on your forehead, you nestle your head on Xiao’s chest. He watches as you cling to him for love and warmth until he is slowly whisked away by his weariness, rewarded with a peaceful sleep he hasn’t felt in a while.

“And they were roommates.”

[lezliefaithwade]

A Breath of Fresh Air

The summer after my first year of theatre school, I was sleeping on the living room floor of my cousin's apartment in Toronto, trying to figure out what to do with my life. My cousin had been an actor before he became a quadriplegic in a car accident, and as I unadvisedly bemoaned my unemployment status, he said something like, "Seriously? You're complaining about your life? Don't make me burst a colostomy bag." He was right, of course. I wasn't in a wheelchair, though I did have a stepmother who had rendered me homeless because of her dislike for me. She was always saying things like, "Your hair can't be as ugly as that hat you're wearing." Or simply refusing to invite me to things like Christmas dinner. I always admired people with families. My boyfriend at the time was one of five kids who were always doing things together. Their house was always full of noise and activities. Even as a shiksa, I felt more at home there than with my stepbrothers and sisters, who never lost an opportunity to point out that I was weird. I wanted to stand up to them, but not wanting to cause my father any grief, I held my tongue and sought refuge elsewhere. It occurred to me that perhaps I was using the theatre as an opportunity to say things through characters that I couldn't find the courage to express myself.

The Toronto Star was still open on the kitchen table, and I rummage through the Want Ads, that dirty part of the newspaper near the back where complete strangers will soon become complete assholes in your life by forcing you to work menial jobs in humiliating uniforms for minimum wage.

"Find anything?" my cousin called from the bedroom, where two attendants helped wash and dress him.

"Social services are advertising for camp councilors to work with emotionally challenged kids."

"Oh yeah," He said. "That might suit you."

I'm not sure I knew what he meant but, I was beginning to think I'd outgrown my welcome. My cousin probably would have encouraged me to join the circus if the option had been available. Knowing my living room days were numbered, I thought it best to make an effort and apply.

I had no experience teaching drama—no experience working with kids and no experience going to or working at a camp. Despite all that, I was hired. It's worth noting that it's probably not a good sign if you get a job with no qualifications whatsoever.

My official position was Drama Councillor, and I prided myself that with only a year and half of theatre training behind me, I was well equipped to help others benefit from the wealth of my experience. I imagined myself, Maria Von Trapp, teaching children how to sing while they looked at me adoringly. Somehow, I conveniently blocked out the rebellious early stages she experienced and skipped straight to the good parts. Also, I might add, forgetting about the Nazis and having to climb over a mountain. Still, visions of me biking around camp with a group of happy campers behind me filled me with a sense of self-satisfaction.

As I packed my knapsack with deet and a secret stash of Twinkies, I thought of how only three weeks earlier I'd been in New York walking through Central Park and savoring Cappuccinos at outdoor cafés on Columbus. Now, here I was, ready for something different. The wilderness, I imagined, would be a welcome change—fresh air and loons instead of smog and sirens. I thought smugly about my classmates sweating behind visors at take-out windows shoveling fries into cardboard cups or wrapping sandwiches in tinfoil. Thumbs up to adventure, I told myself. The fact that I'd never once in my life enjoyed the great outdoors didn't factor into my mind. All of this changed with each accumulated minute of the 391 Kilometer drive north.

It was late afternoon when I arrived at the compound. Overcast, sullen, it was a place so secluded you'd need flares to find it. It had that distinct aura of someplace time forgot. A place left behind and neglected. In the brochure, the sun was shining, flowers filled the meadow, and you could practically hear laughter floating off the page. What I was looking at bore more of a resemblance to a situation in a Stephen King novel where camp councilors discover a pack of hungry teenage zombies have lured them to a seemingly idyllic retreat. Situated right in the heart of black fly country, I spent most of my days swatting insects so big they seem Jurassic.

During our orientation, child care workers warned us that children with mental health needs tend to run away - a lot and to keep strict attendance records and all eyes on them at all times. "These kids are resourceful and clever," they cautioned. I couldn't imagine being so determined you'd risk your life by escaping through the woods that surrounded us, but then again, I'd never been around children who weren't allowed cutlery before either

I shared my cabin with three other women with who I had absolutely nothing in common. Delia, a humorless 27-year-old cooking instructor who answered every question with a monosyllabic grunt, Jennifer, a 26-year old tennis instructor with massive blond ringlets who talked so quickly she sounded like a record on high speed, and an older aboriginal woman named Sunny who made us all dream catchers and offered advice about how to heal ourselves on days when we'd feel spent. "Remember, these kids need us," she said while purifying our cabin with sage. As I glanced around my assigned bunk, taking in the spider webs and loose floorboards, I had that sinking feeling that comes when you know you've made a terrible mistake. Before long, I was eating copious amounts of peanut butter on stale bagels amid a never-ending supply of starch. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to feed children with challenges like anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and eating disorders copious amounts of sugar and carbs. It certainly did nothing to help them or me.

On the first day of class, I sat everyone in a circle. "Welcome to drama class," I said with a smile. "Let's begin by sharing with everyone a little bit about ourselves. Anything at all you'd like us to know?" A hand went up.

"I'm Tracy, and I hate my stupid ass brother. He can go straight to hell."

"Okay," I said, "That's a start. Who's next?"

Another hand. "I'm Jonathan, and this place sucks so much I wish it would burn to the ground!"

"Fair enough. Anyone else?"

"I'm Jo. I'm schizophrenic. So sometimes I'm Rachel and Julia. You'll know the difference because Rachel has a British dialect, and Julia talks slang."

"O-kay." I glanced at the social workers who sat on the edge of the room and looked at me with an expression that basically said, "We can't wait to see what you do next."

"Let's write a play," I suggested. "Write anything you want. Once you're happy with the work, I'll shape it into a cohesive piece that we'll rehearse and then present at the end of the season talent showcase."

The kids liked this idea. The showcase was a big deal. It was an opportunity for them to blow off some steam and express themselves to friends and family in a creative way. My only stipulation was not to use profanity. As the weeks passed, I was impressed with how well they all threw themselves into this project—all except Eric, the oldest boy in my 12 to 15-year-olds. Eric often wandered around the rehearsal space, unfocused and sullen.

"Any ideas for your piece?" I ask, checking in to see if I could help.

"I'm thinking," he'd say and then pace.

With three weeks left in the summer, I took my well-deserved week off to decompress. My boyfriend came up from Toronto and drove me to his parent's house at Post and Bayview, where caterers were preparing the tennis courts for an outdoor party. I walked into his mother's living room, and she gasped. "What happened to you?"

I didn't blame her. I hadn't spent much time looking at a mirror the past four weeks, but one glance at the large one in their bathroom told the full story. My hair was ratty; I had scabs on my knees, bruises on my arms and legs, and I was sunburnt. I was wearing a vintage skirt and blouse that was probably more Value Village than vintage and a pair of worn, scuffed purple moccasins; in essence, I was wearing slippers on my feet.

"Please take her to the mall and at least buy her a pair of shoes," his mother said, handing me her credit card and then rushing off to make sure the stuffed alligator would float in the pool. That week I ate my way through rugelach, hamantaschen, brisket, and bagels while his family watched me with awe and disgust.

Back at camp, the smell of burning insect repellent greeted me along with the news that the sailing and tennis instructors were sacked for disorderly conduct. Never mind, I had renewed energy and a sense of purpose. There were costumes and props to make. Sound and lighting effects to create. And we needed to rehearse. It was only a tiny stage somewhere on a remote camp in Northern Ontario, but the excitement was palpable. I was excited. This would be the best talent show ever, and my kids were going to blow the socks off everyone there!!!

"Eric," I said, "How's your piece coming along?"

"I finished it," he mentioned casually

"That's great. Can I see it?"

"I want to surprise you. You're going to love it, though. I promise."

I patted myself on the back. Eric had a breakthrough. All my encouragement and patience had paid off. Perhaps I'd helped him have a developmental breakthrough.

"Can you tell me what it's about?" I asked.

"The Beatles."

"Great. Okay," and left it at that.

Talent Night arrived along with parents and family friends. The lights dimmed, the kids performed, and the audience enthusiastically applauded as each "Mighty Mite" or "Spirit of Paradise" breezed across the stage, acting out skits about fairies and monsters and assorted escapades. Finally, it was Eric's turn. Out he came, looking serious and theatrical. He cleared his throat and addressed the audience.

"This is called, The Beatles Last Recording Session. By, Me."

Three of his closest camp friends filed out and took a space on the stage. The audience was silent.

There was a dramatic pause, then the piece began.

"Fuck you, Ringo,"

"Fuck you, Paul."

"Fuck you, George."

"Well fuck you, John."

Then they bowed and left the stage.

Personally, I thought it was kind of brilliant. Needless to say, I wasn't showered with accolades about my teaching methods or the effect I had on kids. I left there having no catharsis about mental health except that giving people the opportunity to express themselves without censor is probably a lot healthier than insisting they stay quiet. I admired the honesty displayed in the kid's work. If only, I thought to myself, I could be half as brave. Wasn't that what I was spending time and money learning how to do?

A week after being home, I found myself packing, once more, for school in New York. Our term letters had arrived with instructions on where to buy character shoes, leotards, copies of The Children's Hour, and Death of a Salesman. The camp already felt like it was 391 kilometers away - soon to be 659. My father drove me to the train station with my stepmother beside him; she was there, no doubt, to ensure I boarded.

"You going to be okay?" my father asked, giving me a hug and slipping a $50 bill into my pocket.

"She'll be fine." Elsie chimed in. "You don't have to worry about her. Let's go."

But I wanted my father to worry about me. Not all the time and to the exclusion of all else, but certainly the appropriate fatherly amount.

As I settled myself on the train, I watched my stepmother pull from father from the platform to the car and thought of Eric's brilliant play. Under my breath, I whispered the immortal words of the Beatles, "Fuck you."

#stepmother #mental health #children #young people #summer camp

[shenandoahandback2021]

We got to Missouri and ended up new near Laura Ingall's Wilder house and decided to stop and see it.   It was very interesting and she had a very interesting life before she starting writing the books about that life. As luck would have it, there was a campground right across the road from the house. We spent a nice relaxing evening there is there and then headed East on route state 160 which was like a rollercoaster but nice driving and good pavement.   Sep 2    We found a campground that was only available for one night  on Thursday. It's a campground specifically designed for 4 wheelers to come and ride around in the wilderness. It's near the river and quiet hours don't start until midnight! The owners of the campground ask us to come over after we ate and visit with her friends and family.  It was an interesting visit. Her husband and a couple of the other guys are Civil War  Re-enactors. They have some interesting stories about incidences happen during some of their maneuvers.  In the morning we went over and spent a couple of hours chatting with some other people and had a great time but finally had to leave   Sep 3    We were close to Loretta Lynn's home place in Butcher Holler so we decided to go there. Getting there was a hoot and the road turn into a single lane road and there was no place to park for an RV. We drove past the house and turned around on a on a very narrow turnaround place. Wed were able to park parallel to the road. The house was very interesting and had most of the original furniture. Her 2 nieces gave the tours and they knew much more about a her than any person who had been schooled in it.  Since it was Friday night of the Labor Day weekend, we could not find a campground so we had to sleep in the Hardee’s parking lot.   Sep 4    We drove to the New River gorge National Park. There were no rooms at the end at the 1st two RV parks but we found a nice park across from a National Guard armory and decided to spend 2 nights. In the morning, we went to the New River Gorge National Park.  You can walk under the bridge, but there were no openings at the private company that ran the bridge walk.  The bridge is the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rd longest in the world.  It was the longest in the world for 26 years when first completed. We drove down to the bottom of the gorge and stopped on the way to look at the bridge construction. We drove over the river to the other side of the bridge and parked to come back and look at it from a different perspective.  The signs said the road was not recommended for RVs or trailers, but when we parked on the other side of the river there were school busses and trailers carrying raft equipment for people who raft down the river down the river. We met a group from Raleigh and New Jersey who commented that they were looking at a Leisure Travel Van to purchase so we showed them ours.  At 1st we didn't know they were from Raleigh but when we found out I told them I had graduated from NC State. One gentleman, Clive, had graduated from state and the other man was from New Jersey. They had a Chinese grandmother with them along with the Chinese wives from New York City and we had a great conversation. I showed them my lifetime membership to the NC STATE student union.  The grandmother said when you come to Raleigh again you must come visit and I said be careful what you ask for. You only have to give me your address. I gave them my card but we haven't heard from them.   Next day.    We had two things on our minds for the next day and decided to drive down to an old abandoned coal mine. Again it said the road was not suitable for RVs, but I stopped at the last leg of the trip and asked the man living there if our RV could make the trip. He looked it over said, ”Yup” because he drives his oversized pickup truck down there often to the river. It was an interesting drive and we had to blow our horn around a couple of the curves to make sure no one ran into us. Sure enough one curve had someone coming around and she heard our horn and stopped before we smacked into each other. Her little Chevy would have been a hood ornament on the Mercedes. It was a pretty interesting drive all the way and when we were 100' from the parking lot there was a pothole on the left side. I decided to go a little bit right to miss that instead of slowing down too much and there was a rock hidden in the grass and it tore out our steps from the side door. We were able to tie the mangled steps up to the frame to drive back out of the area. I stopped and told the man who said that RV would go there that we lost the steps. He was apologetic but I told him it was not his fault.  I asked if he knew someone who had a torch that I could get to cut the mangled steps off so we could continue our trip. He said to pull over front of my white truck there. As I drove over to it, I noticed that he had cutting torches on the back of his truck and he was a welder. How lucky can you be when you are so unlucky to start with. He cut the mangled steps off and we discovered that he had trained to be a tanker at Ft Knox after I had been there. We had a nice talk and he wouldn’t take any pay for the work. We went back to the campground and worked on the minor metal damage under the door. The motor was still working but it had nothing to move. I think I'll leave the body damage alone to remind me of my situation. There was plenty of room to make the drive I just had a 50-50 decision and went right instead of left. At least I can buy a new set of steps on Amazon and put them on when I get home. There are only 4 bolts holding the step mechanism is up to the frame.   Next day    We drove down to the end of the gorge and turned back up to the Sandstone Falls that are part of the National Park. There is a boardwalk that you can walk out to see them and it's a very interesting area. We met a nice couple from Virginia Beach, Ted and Julinne on the way out there. They have been thinking about buying an RV like ours to start traveling with in a couple of years. They were very interesting couple and had traveled a bit already. We invited them to have a cup of coffee with us because it was coffee time and we ended up spending 2 and a 1/2 hours discussing the RV, traveling what’s to see in Virginia et cetera. We hope we hear from them again and they said they would to ask us more information about the RV. On the way in we had seen an RV park on the river so we went back to that and stopped because it was getting late. We got a spot there for the night and it was very peaceful on the river.   Next day    We had morning fog below the ridge line call my but it was very nice and we had a relaxing start to the morning. We headed toward the north end of the Shenandoah Valley National Park. We got within 2 hours of my cousins house and her 3 daughters before we stopped for the night. I contacted them by phone and I thought by text but the text didn't work. We spent the night in a Walmart parking lot because there were no openings at the nearby RV parks.   Next day    We had given up seeing my cousins because I had not heard back from them, but in the morning, they called me and said please come by. We went to Ashburn, Virginia to see them and were able to park in the driveway. We had a good 3 hour or so visit is and they decided to go for a late lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. It was an old barn converted to a restaurant and it added on to it with different venue spaces and had several bars. In one bar they had carriages hanging from the ceiling from different eras. When we got back to the house about 5, I said guess we'll be going now try to get somewhere before it got too late. They said the traffic will be pretty bad and said why don't you spend the night. We said, well if you don't mind we'd love to. They have a 5-bedroom, 5,500 ft² house on 3 levels to the head plenty of room. We stayed up watching the news and then the US Open tennis matches and talking until midnight when I suspect they usually go to bed pretty early. I had not visited with my cousin or her family except for a funeral for her brother and we didn't get to visit very much then.  The three sisters have been living together for several years, at least 20, I think.  When their dad died a few years ago, my cousin, their mother came to live with them. Everyone has their own bedroom and bath and private space.  There is a suite downstairs with a gigantic screen TV with a Projector. We had that suite last night. After a late breakfast and lots more stories, we headed down to the Skyline Drive for the Shenandoah National Park. It was a beautiful drive part way down the Park until we decided to stop at KOA for the night.   Next day  We arrived at the Luray Caverns and spent most of the day there. We had a very nice visit at Luray caverns, very relaxing. It is an interesting cave, unlike any we have seen. The formations are striking and many stalagmites have come together with the stalactites. It is a very easy walk through the caverns on a paved walkway that is non slippery. They have an antique vehicle museum with all types of vehicles calls from buggies to Rolls Royce’s. They also have a Pioneer replica village set up that has many buildings from the surrounding area that were taken down and completely restored in this village. When we got back to the RV, there was a nice young couple next to us that we struck up a conversation with and ended up talking to them for about an hour. The husband is a pastor at the local Hispanic church and he is also a computer Tech for the IRS for his regular job. His daughter plays the flute and his wife sings and leads the church choir. They are from Puerto Rico and most of the family have come here to be with them. They came here 21 years to go to live 5 years or so and go to school. He was a police officer in Puerto Rico. When we got back to the KOA for the night, a couple we had met our first day stopped to speak to us and we had a drink and talked for an hour or so. They said they were sorry they didn't get to say goodbye to us this morning not knowing we would be back tonight. We didn't know we were going to be back tonight until we got to the caverns and decided we should stay another night to relax. It's lucky that we called as soon as we decided, because the campground is full tonight. We just enjoyed some homemade fudge from a small shop in the Luray Caverns Village.    

[imperfekti]

Tenipuri Party: Fuji Shuusuke profile translation

TN:

In the absence of an official English version, this translation is intended to help those who can’t read the material in the original language. Please support Tenipuri by getting your own copy of this book - it is worth it! There are various ways of purchasing it even for those not living in or visiting Japan.

The pictures I have included in this post do not show full pages.

On the translation: I’m aiming for a more direct, “Japanese-sounding” translation to share the mood of the content more as it is. This will probably cause some sentences to appear weird in English.

On Fuji’s style of speech: he uses a lot of little additions that soften the tone, and most of them are pretty hard to include in English. In general his style of speech is a balance of casual but polite.

I’m still working on Japanese, so there might be mistakes. Please let me know if you spot any translation errors so I can fix them here!

Fuji Shuusuke

U-17 Japan representative player, middle schooler Seishun Gakuen Middle-school player

Towards the distant sky, reflected in the mind’s eye --  A noble youth, soaring like a refreshing breeze

Message

“This kind of wonderful placement… it’s rare to get to taste it. Everyone, thank you so much. I’ll have to meet those expectations. (*1) Following the guidepost that I have made myself… I swear I’ll advance to greater heights. I’ll definitely show a new scenery to you too.”

Extra prize: a surprise box decorated with memorable photos “There are even balloons attached to it. An exciting, heart-warming gift. The music box’s tune was to my liking, too.”

Profile

[DATA] Middle-school 3rd year / February 29 (Pisces) / Blood type B / 167 cm / 53 kg / Right-handed

Special techniques: Tsubame gaeshi, Higuma otoshi, Hakugei, Kagerou tsutsumi, Houou gaeshi, Kirin otoshi, Hakuryuu, Hecatoncheires no monban, Hoshi hanabi, Closed eye (*2),  Aoi fubuki, Hikari kaze 

Play style: Counter puncher

Family: Father, mother, older sister, younger brother

Father’s occupation: company employee (foreign company)

Hobbies: Collecting cacti, photography

Favourite saying: What is important is invisible to the eye 

Favourite color: Beige

Favourite foods: All spicy foods, 100% apple juice

Favourite book: Travel journals, travel photo books

Favourite music: Celtic music

Preferred type of person: A person who smells like flowers

Preferred date spot: An observatory where you can see stars clearly

Most wanted thing right now: Stimulus (*3)

Weakness: Sour things

Elementary school: Seishun Dai Daisan Elementary School

Committee: Graduation album committee

Strong subjects: Classics

Weak subjects: Science

Often-visited place in school: Photography room

Uses allowance on: Taking care of cacti

Skills beyond tennis: Winter sports, recognising constellations

His routines during tournaments: Drinking coffee from all over the world, contacting his brother

Favourite anniversary: Birthday of the person he likes

Preferred travel destination: Salar de Uyuni on a night with shooting stars

Present for a special person: A ring made of flowers

Scenes

For Fuji-senshu, who had specialised in counter tennis, a certain incident at the U-17 camp became an impetus for an awakening. (*4) Making the Critical wind ‘Aoi fubuki’ his new weapon, he changed his style greatly into offensive tennis.

(Quotes on pictures:) “Tensai Fuji Shuusuke.” “Now, shall we go one more time…” “Was there this kind of an tensai sleeping in Seigaku?” “This team reaching the nationals championship, that’s my wish!” “Game and set… won by Fuji Shuusuke…” “Critical wind ‘Aoi fubuki’” “One of the Critical winds, ‘Hikari kaze’” “I’ve already stopped playing just defensive tennis.”

Sparked by a certain oath, I began to aim for my own guidepost

Currently, both among fans and people involved, Fuji-senshu’s change to offensive tennis has become a topic of discussion. Was there some impetus for this?

An impetus? Well… I exchanged private oaths with a certain person - is all I think I’ll say here. Fufu.

An oath...? Please give us at least a hint!

Well, just a little, then… Before, I used to draw out the opponent’s strongest skills, felt the thrill of defeating them with a counter, and enjoyed myself like that. But in the end, that depended on the opponent. The guideposts you need to traverse on mountains, you have to find by yourself - that is what I understood.

About Fuji-senshu’s new technique, “Hikari kaze”. How are you able to react like that?

By ascertaining the opponent’s muscle movements and breathing, the moment that information is intracerebrally linked as an image, it’s as if time stops and all noises and the scenery of your surroundings disappear - only the trajectory of the shot the opponent has hit emerges as an signpost of light. So, from now on too, I will follow the guidepost I’ve found by myself, and am aiming to go beyond my limits.

Then, to finish, your objective from here on out is… eh, you already talked about that just now, didn't you?

Yes. I determined the next question before it was asked, and responded to it.

As expected of the prodigy Fuji. You got me there.

Message for Fuji Shuusuke

I thought you seem like you’d be popular with the girls. Alles gute! (Bismarck)

Congratulatiooons! By the way, show me your homework for the report next week ☆ (Kikumaru)

I made a lot of wasabi sushi as congratulations, so please eat them. (Kawamura)

I need to update my data. Congratulations. (Inui)

As expected, Fuji. Next time, let’s play until we are satisfied. (Tezuka)

It’s not something anyone can do. My respects. (Kaidou)

Congratulations Fuji-senpai! I won’t lose next time! (Momoshiro)

Not bad. But, please be prepared that I’ll snatch that from you one of these days. (Echizen)

Hooray! Should we take a memorial photo with everyone! (Ooishi)

I’m amazed. I feel like I’ve caught a glimpse of your hidden inner strength. (Duke)

Congratulations, you are the pride of Japan. (Noa)

Party talk

Q: What was your family’s reaction to the placement this time? A: I think my sister said ‘as expected of my little brother’. Yuuta… He was here, so I’ll ask right now. Hey, Yuuta --!

Q: Th-that bright red food…? A: I wanted to taste even more wonderful, stimulating foods. What about you?

Q: The singing performance just now was lovely! A: Being the first to go on the stage… it was thrilling and fun. (*5)

Q: Who have you talked with, and what was the topic? A: Member of staff, Oliver-san taught me about places near the tournament venue where you can see the starry sky well.

Q: During the sideshow, you took a picture of the audience, didn’t you. A: Because it’s rare to see Tezuka making that kind of an expression.

Q: Is there anything that has piqued your interest in the venue? A: That flower stand with cacti, I wonder which country it’s from… Tube?

History

Age 0 February 29 Birth

Age 4 After napping with Yuuta, is frightened by Yuuta who saw a bad dream and tears up

Age 8 Goes out sea bathing with Yuuta and Saeki

Age 9 Gets a camera from grandfather, starts taking pictures Is deeply impressed by the form of a swallow (tsubame) found in an aquarium

Age 12 March Graduates from Seishun Dai Daisan Elementary School

April Enters Seishun Gakuen Middle School Division Plays against Tezuka, is not satisfied

August Goes to Kawamura's house for the first time, wasabi sushi is made for him

December After Yuuta ran away from home, searches for him all through the night in the snow

Age 13 March The extremely spicy food he makes at gratitude-party is unpopular

April Proceeds to second year in middle school

June During the athletic festival cavalry battle, has a showdown against Tezuka (unsettled)

July Is scouted at his older sister's commemorative publication autograph signing party

February Succeeds(?) in a triple spin jump at the neighbourhood skating rink

Age 14 April Proceeds to third year in middle school Kikumaru, now in the same class, comes over to play for one consecutive week

May Start of the Tokyo Prefectural District Preliminaries Plays against Gyokurin in the quarterfinals, wins against Nakano in S1 Advances to the Semi-Finals November Plays against Mizunofuchi in the semifinals, wins against Egawa, Yamanishi pair in D2 Plays against Fudomine in the finals, defeated by Ishida-Sakurai pair in D2 by forfeit Wins the Tokyo Prefectural District Preliminaries championship, has a celebration at "Kawamura Sushi"

June Start of the Tokyo Prefectural Tournament Plays against Kamata in the Third Round, wins against Ishizaki in S3 Plays against Akiyama Third in the Fourth Round, wins against Morishima-Nishikawa pair in D2 Plays against St. Rudolph in the quarterfinals, wins against Mizuki in S2 Plays games with Yuuta who came to stay at home, loses Plays against Yamabuki in the Finals, defeated by Nitobe-Kita pair in D2 Wins the Tokyo Prefectural Tournament championship

July Start of the Kantou Tournament Plays against Hyoutei in the first round, wins against Akutagawa in S2 Bowling tournament with the Regulars Plays against Rokkaku in the semifinals, wins against Saeki-Itsuki pair in D1

July 27 Plays against Rikkai in the finals, wins against Kirihara in S2 Wins the Kantou Tournament championship Beach volleyball tournament during the joint training camp with Rokkaku

August 11 During a practice match with Tachibana, his Triple Counters are broken

August 17 Start of the National Tournament Plays against Higa in the second round, wins against Hirakoba-Chinen pair in D2

August 19 Plays against Shitenhouji in the semifinals, defeated by Shiraishi in S3 Participates in the yakiniku battle, drinks Aozu and drops out

August 23 Plays against Rikkai in the finals, wins against Niou in S2 Wins the National Tournament championship Is inspired when visiting a hollyhock gallery with Kawamura

October Is invited to an amusement park by a student whom he saved from groping, but declines

November Participates in the U-17 training camp Wins against Yuuta in the “friendly fire” matches The restaurant’s tabasco runs out, a restriction for use is put in place Plays against Tezuka who is leaving Japan, swears three things

December On the overseas training camp right before the U-17 world cup, faints from eating Akuto meshi at the pick-up tournament In Australia, enjoys coffees from all countries with Jackal U-17 pre-world cup begins Plays against Germany in the first match, wins against Bismarck-Siegfried pair U-17 world cup begins Plays against Australia on the second round of the qualifying league, wins against Mac-Milky pair in D1 Japan is qualified to play in the championship tournament

What I most want to photograph now is Australia’s starry night sky

During the camp and on off days, what do you do for a change of pace?

I guess the main one would be taking pictures. Especially on an overseas trip like this, taking a lot of pictures of sights I don’t usually see arouses my creativity.

Since coming to Australia, what kind of pictures have you taken?

When you go a bit outwards, there’s a desert, so I’ve taken a lot of pictures of cacti. But though you may say “cacti” in one word, there are tall ones, types that have a form that is round like a tennis ball, and so on - there are many different kinds. Besides that, I took pictures of koalas. Tanegashima-san recommended a good place to me… I could even hold them in my arms, so I had fun. What I’m thinking I most want to photograph next is the starry sky. Since it’s the Southern hemisphere, the scenery of the night sky totally differs from the sky in Japan. The Southern Cross, or capturing the Milky Way - I’d really like to take such pictures.

Do you show the pictures you take to someone?

I often send them to family and friends. I sent a lot of pictures of the koalas to my brother Yuuta, fufufu. It seems my sister likes cacti of weird shapes.

I think the fans also really want to see Fuji-san’s pictures.

I brought many with me today, so sure. I’d be happy if people would like them.

Photo

In Australia When I find the time within the U-17 tournament, I take pictures little by little. Don’t you think this koala looks like Yuuta?

Cacti We often go for walks together. Even if it’s a familiar scenery, it becomes fun when cacti are around. 

Family trip A camera is a magical tool that can cut out a scene that will not happen again. I can’t miss doing that when I’m traveling.

Fashion

Fuji really likes knits! Are you wearing the hat with ears that I gave you? (Kikumaru)

I’m not that interested, but protection against cold is important. It’s good to warm your body properly with a stole. (Ochi)

“I guess I wear a lot of clothes in white or beige. Especially in winter, I choose clothes that don’t clash with the snowy scenery.”

“After all, the feel when wearing something is important. Clothes with natural, smooth feeling materials are to my liking.”

Before, he used to wear things like shorts a lot, but it seems that’s not the case anymore. (Saeki)

Room

I’m aiming for a room with a Nordic taste Since around autumn, when I’ve had the time I’ve been changing the design little by little. I found an antique lamp, and I think I want to establish unity by using Nordic furniture. Next to my cacti, plants I got from Yukimura and Shiraishi have joined the group.

TN:

*1 Or “respond to those feelings.”

*2 Furigana says “closed eye”, but the kanji is actually for “kokoro no hitomi”, mind’s eye.

*3 "Shigeki": stimulus, impetus, incentive, encouragement, motivation, provocation, excitement, thrill.

*4 Literally enlightenment, spiritual awakening, opening one’s eyes to the truth.

*5 It’s not clear whether he is talking about himself, and I haven’t read the overall story yet, so this is my assumption.

[yestodaymvv]

Words I Couldn’t Say || Park Jisung

Pt. 1  Pt. 2

a/n: hello! oof i’m sorry it took me so long to write part 2 of jisungs au. school has been too much work oof junior year is tough. i also got carried away with writing the second part lol. part 2 is around 2.6k words oof.  anyway, i hope you guys like part 2! send requests or just message me!oof i’d love to make friends and mutuals. have a great day! thank you for reading <3

make sure to read part 1!

Jisung kept his promise and met you outside your house the next day. The both of you walked to school, Jisung explaining the different teachers and how each of them act. It’s more, Jisung complaining about his teachers and giving you negativity about them.

“I’m not kidding Y/N, Mr. Lee is such a weird teacher. He freaks out over the weirdest things and he seems to hate it when students bring water into class. I’m betting, he’s an alien from space and is spying on us before the rest of his pod comes and takes over the world.”

“No Jisung, you’ve got it all wrong. He’s obviously a merman, who would transform when he comes into contact with water. And he obviously fell in love with a land person and because of that, he was shunned from his merpeople pod since falling in love with humans are not acceptable. He decided to live his life with them and he’s just trying to keep his secret so his merpeople world would be safe. Also, you’re not doing a very good job at making me excited for my first day of school.”

“Okay first, it wasn’t my intention to get you excited. I was just going to show you around and educate you about our school. And second, you sure do love love stories huh? A poetry lover and a hopeless romantic. You’re quite the person Y/N.”

Once you both got to school, Jisung was greeted with a group of boys, all with different vibrant colors. There were a total of five boys who came up to Jisung.

“Hey Jisung! Who’s this? Hello I’m Chenle!” the boy with green hair and a wide smile greeted you.

“Hello Chenle. My name is Y/N and I’m new here. I’m in Jisung’s grade and he wanted to help and show me around school today.”

“Ah no, Jisung will do more than show you around, he’ll introduce you to your new friends! Right Jisungie?” responded the boy with blond hair and highlights of blue, red, green, and pink.

“Ahh right, so this is Hyuck, Jaemin, Renjun, Jeno, and Chenle already introduced himself. They’re all seniors and they’re also part of my dance team. That’s how we met one another.”

“You know,” the boy you were just introduced to as Jaemin puts his arm around your shoulder. “I believe you can fit with the six of us perfectly. And hey! At least Jisung has someone to hang out with once we graduate high school this year. He won’t be a little lonely blueberry.”

And Jaemin wasn’t wrong. Just like that the six boys became your best friends for your entirety of junior year. You easily fell into their group, getting close to each one of them in a different and unique way. You found that you had something in common with each of them. Hyuck loved cooking while you loved to bake, so it was common for the both of you to make meals for the five other boys. Chenle had a passion for mathematics and was on the mathlete team and instead of teasing him like the other boys, you encouraged him and assisted him as he would be practicing on different equations and problems. Jaemin and you would be often found doing outdoor activities as it was fun to get outside every once and awhile. On days when the both of you wouldn’t be studying, you and Jeno would get into intense games of table tennis. Renjun was the student body president, with you being the vice president so the both of you would spend a lot of time together, mostly complaining at how dumb the student body is. You even managed to befriend Mark, a college freshman who is part of their dance team unit and also got to meet the other sixteen dancers part of the dance team as a whole.

With Jisung, it was different. It seemed as if you and Jisung were always significantly closer. You had a majority of classes with Jisung and so you were always together. Since you and Jisung were constantly at school together, the both of you would create inside jokes that the others would never get. And living close to one another, the both of you would randomly leave the house and go on night adventures when school was too much to handle. Jisung would constantly come over your house, a plate with your favorite, and shyly ask for help on math. You and Jisung have even become close with one another’s family. You spoke daily to Jisung’s parents and Jisung to yours. There were nights when Jisung would stay over your house for dinner and would hear all the embarrassing stories of you when you were younger. Other nights, You would be at Jisung’s house, having a Star Wars movie marathon along with his parents who would constantly show you Jisung’s old baby pictures.

Chenle would always joke around with you, talking about how you stole his best friend to which you would simply respond with, “He loves me more Chenle. And it’s your fault you’re a year older. We juniors got to stick with each other.” It became a routine, for you and Jisung, to meet with one another on Sundays at the SM Diner and then go to “Books on Books.” It was something that neither ever bothered to invite the others too. The both of you just figured the boys wouldn’t want to stay in a bookstore and read for hours. They would rather be playing video games or go outside playing basketball. On Sundays, you can Jisung would trade books, read them throughout the week, and then come back next Sunday and express your thoughts on the book. You would read his favorite Sci-Fi book and Jisung would have to endure through reading a romance or poetry book that was your favorite.

“Ah Y/N. Romance! Again? Don’t you get tired of reading the same love story over again but just with different names and titles?”

But no matter how many times Jisung would complain about the same cheesy love gesture of giving flowers or the confessing of undying love, Jisung would still come back next Sunday, the book finished and completed, as he hands it to you and murmurs a small, “Okay I’ll give it to you, the book was sort of cute.” It was a tradition. Something that you truly cherished in your heart.

☆

It was another Sunday, and you and Jisung were sitting in the chairs near the romance book section. Both you and Jisung sat there in silence as you were both reading one another’s book choice. You’ve decided to make Jisung read To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was one of your favorite books and you just loved the relationship between Peter and Lara Jean. It makes you want to have your own fake boyfriend and fall in love with them. The idea of falling in love in general, was something you wanted.

“Hey Y/N?”

“Mhm”

“Why do you always love reading romance books?”

You looked up from The Son of Neptune, the book Jisung wanted to share with you this week.

“I mean, I get why you love poetry. The way the structure is formed and how it sounds like music if you read it just right. And how poetry is usually written short but has a lot of meaning to it. But I don’t understand why you love romance books.”

You looked at Jisung and stayed silent. You were thinking as to why you loved romance when you looked back at him and spoke.

“I don’t know really. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve never been in love. And I feel as if I won’t ever get to be in love really. The fact that to me, someone falling in love with me would just be, nonexistent. I’m aware I have a lot of flaws and so it just seems like it won’t be easy for someone to fall in love with me. I mean yes, there are people who love me like my parents and family and friends. But, falling in love is a different story. It’s different to love and to be in love. I guess, from reading romance books, I can feel as if I’m someone’s whole world. I can feel as if I am the main character who is being asked to prom or being given flowers to or to be confessed to. No matter how cheesy. To feel as if  someone would do anything for me, to make me feel loved. To choose me, always. To be, I don’t know, their number one best?”

Jisung looked at you with a sparkle you couldn’t recognized. He looked at you, with a soft expression and replied with, “I believe you can fall in love with anyone Y/N. Your haven’t met anyone you couldn’t love. Loving people is a characteristic of you. You always find things to love people about. Falling in love isn’t your problem. You’ve got enough love to give everyone in the world. Falling in love requires the right person and for them to love you back. I couldn’t imagine someone not falling in love with you, Y/N”

☆

It was a few weeks after you spoke to Jisung about falling love when you noticed; he was right. Falling in love required the right person and you couldn’t believe you found him. It was late 6 pm at night, and you and Renjun were still at school, working on Prom. Prom was a few weeks away and you and Renjun needed to finish organizing the dance. The both of you were also in a study group for AP Statistics that worked for 2 hours and so that’s why the both of you were still at school. You sighed heavily as your phone rang. You checked and saw that Jisung has texted you.

Blueberry Boy: Y/NNNNNN where are u? ur not home i need help with math? care to help your ever so loving friend?

You: oof sorry jisung, not tonight. i’m still at school with renjun, working on prom stuff. we’re almost done but i’m really tired and i haven’t eaten dinner yet. i can help you out tomorrow if that’s okay? after your dance practice?

“You texting Jisung?” Renjun said, just as you hit send.

“Mhm. He was asking me where I was.”

Renjun looked at you with a serious expression.

“You know, I’ve never gotten a ‘where are you’ text from him before.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean Y/N is that Jisung is different with you. I’ve never seen him so caring for someone else. Me and the boys, we’ve all been friends with Jisung for 6 years, basically grew up with him, and not once has he ever cared for us the same way he cares about you. And never, in all those years, has he talked about a girl the same way he was talked about you. You make him happy Y/N. Really happy. I hope the both of you will keep your relationship, it’s pure.”

“Renjun, we’re just friends.”

“I know Y/N, all I’m saying is to be careful. If you don’t have the same feelings as Jisung has, don’t run away from him. He cares about you Y/N. He loves you.”

As Renjun finished his last sentence, Jisung came into the room, holding a box of your favorite burger and fries from SM Diner in one hand and a vanilla milkshake in the other.

“Hey Y/N! Renjun. I brought you food Y/N and sorry Renjun, I just figured you already had dinner.”

“It’s okay Jisungie, I’ll just starve as you clearly love Y/N more than me”

“Jisung, what are you doing here?” you ask while giving him a confused look.

“Well I figured, since you haven’t eaten dinner yet, I would bring some food to you. It’s your favorite. Cheeseburger with extra lettuce and grilled onions and extra sauce. I also brought you a milkshake with a spoon because I know how much you love eating your shakes with spoons.”

You stared at Jisung, but this time with admiration and genuine.

“Oh also! You’re parents left to go watch a movie so I figured I should walk with you home. I’m not letting you walk home alone and Renjun lives the other way. I figured I can help both you and Renjun’s mom if she offers a ride. I won’t let you walk home alone in the dark, I can keep you company.” Jisung finishes speaking and gives you the brightest smile you’ve ever seen.

☆

It was that moment. At that moment, you knew. You do love, and you are now in love. In love with the boy with blue hair. In love with the boy who remembers your favorite foods. In love with the boy who remembered the smallest details about you. So small that even you couldn’t remember. You were in love with the boy who can listen to you go on and on about how much you loved a poem. In love with the boy who makes it a habit to always walk with you to school and wait for you after school just so you can walk back home together. You were in love with the boy who would come over your house and hug you and listen to you as you cried about how stressful junior year was and how you just wanted the world to stop. You were in love with the boy, who welcomed you into this new town with open arms and made you feel so loved that it hurt whenever he wasn’t around. You were in love with the boy who became your best friend. In love, with the boy standing right in front of you.

It was just Jisung and you in “Books On Books” like usual only this particular Sunday was different. You looked up at Jisung, who looked back at you nervously, holding a bouquet of carnations with specks of baby’s breath. In your hand, was the book he decided that you should read this week, opened at the pages where everything was blacked out except a few words exaggerating them.

You came into my life very unexpectedly. It was exciting and frightening, the feelings I would get whenever you were around. It was exciting, for how you always manage to make me the happiest person alive, and frightening for how much power I decided to give you over my heart. I can’t ignore the feeling of love and happiness I feel whenever I’m around you. I love you. I’m in love with you. And so I have to ask you, are you in love with me?

Jisung looks at you with a scared impression. He’s afraid of what you’re going to say. Afraid of if he will leave the bookstore broken hearted or bursting with love.

“I couldn’t tell you. It’s hard to confess to someone face to face, actually speaking words. I have to give credit to all those characters in those romance books who confessed face to face. It’s the words I couldn’t say and have tried to multiple times. I finally had the guts to do it but through a book. A bit pathetic, I know, but Y/N. Do you?”

You looked at Jisung, with love. Your eyes sparkle at the sight of him and your heart flutters as as you see him extend his arms, giving you the bouquet. Of course you loved him. Without a doubt.

“Yes. Yes Jisung. I do love you. I’m in love with you.”

[justlookfrightened]

Fun and games

Based on this prompt from @wyntera:

one of them has a little cousin that's having a birthday party at one of those family fun parks where they have mini golf and go karts and arcade games, cute competition ensues

Jack looked warily at the garish, grinning face on the painted sign. Clowns were creepy, he thought. It wasn’t  just him.

“This is it,” Bitty said. “Uncle Beau’s House of Fun. Although it’s not really a house -- you’ll notice the lack of actual walls. Can you grab that bag there? I’ve got the cupcakes.”

“Why would your cousin host a first birthday here?” Jack asked, as they crunched their way across the gravel parking lot. “I mean, there’s really nothing for a one-year-old to do here.”

“It’s not really about the baby,” Bitty said. “It’s about the parents.”

“Like they want to show off what a good party they can throw for their friends?” Jack said.

“Not exactly,” Bitty said. “More like they grew up at the arcade and go-karting, and they haven’t been able to get out so much since Ellie was born, and this is a chance to get out with a few dozen people who will be happy to take a turn entertaining the baby. I mean, Amanda’s younger than me.”

“Wait -- a few dozen?”

“Jack, did you see how many cupcakes Mama and I made?”

“I thought you made a lot of extra ones.”

“Oh, honey.”

Jack followed Bitty across the threshold, stepping onto the cement slab and feeling a little relief from the shade of the roof. Pop music blared from speakers near the ceiling, fighting a losing battle with the whine of go-kart engines coming from the track out back and the dings and buzzes of at least two dozen arcade games.

Bitty led the way to a picnic table at the back, already piled high with presents for Ellie.

“Jack, this my cousin Amanda and her husband, Scott,” Bitty said, setting his tray of cupcakes down next to the one his parents drove over. “Amanda, this my boyfriend, Jack.”

“Uh, we know, Dicky,” Amanda said. “I think y’all made that pretty clear on TV, don’t you?”

Jack wasn’t sure how to read her tone, but Bitty just ducked his head and grinned. “I guess so,” he said. “That was kind of the point, y’know?”

“You always were kinda dramatic,” Amanda said. “But you done good, little Dicky.”

Jack found himself face-to-face with Scott, who was big and beefy, like so many football players who offering his hand to shake. “Welcome,” Scott said. “I never really watched hockey before, but Mandy’s Uncle Richard wouldn’t stop about it, so we watched that last series. I don’t know how you guys do that -- all on skates and all.”

“You know, Bi-- Eric plays hockey, right?” Jack said.

“Well, yeah, but not like that, right?” Scott said.

“Yeah, pretty much just like that,” Jack said. “He’s going to be captain of the team I was captain of the year before I joined the Falcs, so. And he can skate faster than me or any guy on my team.”

“You singing my praises over there again?”

Bitty was apparently done talking to his cousin.

“Sorry,” Jack said.

“No need to apologize, sweetpea. Let’s get a couple of those cups of tokens and play some games, all right? We’ve got about an hour before they bring out the food. And Amanda said we should get our names on the list if we want to go-kart.”

“You want to?” Jack said.

“Sure, I’ll beat you in another kind of race,” Bitty said, smirking. “What do you want to do until then? Video games? Pinball? Skee-ball?”

Jack considered. He knew he wasn’t much good at the kind of video games the guys played on consoles through their TVs, and he didn’t think he’d be much better with the machines that lined the center of the pavilion. Old-fashioned pinball would be better -- the only controls to master would be the flippers. But Bitty would chirp him for being old-fashioned. He was sure of it.

“You spend much time at places like this as a kid?” he asked, hoping to stall for time.

“Well, sure,” Bitty said. “In elementary school, the rule was that you had to invite everybody to a birthday party, or, as we got a little older, all the boys or all the girls. For a few years there, it seemed like every party was at an arcade. And since no one really liked me, I just hung out and played.”

He shrugged. “Turns out I wasn’t bad.”

Jack could see that, given Eric’s hand-eye coordination. But he was a professional athlete. He should be able to do this, too. Maybe it was that all he did growing up was play hockey.

“Skee-ball’s the one like bowling, right?”

“Sort of,” Bitty said. “In that there’s a ball and you roll it.”

“Let’s do that,” Jack said.

It was fun, he decided. He figured out pretty quickly that the best move was to aim high instead of for the middle. They payoff was better -- especially if you hit one of the corner holes for 100 points -- and even if you missed, you had a chance to do better than the 10 points you got for missing all the targets.

It was fun, and Jack was definitely better than the six-year-old next to him, but he was nowhere near as good as Bitty. Jack’s best game came in at 280 points, and it made the machine spit out a long strip of tickets. Bitty’s best game that Jack saw hit 400, with Bitty putting six straight balls in the 50-point target. That was  the kind of consistency that only came with long practice.

Bitty’s ticket strip was folding onto itself on the floor.

“I think I saw Space Invaders over there,” Jack said. “Want to do that?”

“Go ahead,” Bitty said “There’s that hunting game next to it. I’ll do that.”

“They let kids play shooting games?”

“Jack, honey, they let kids shoot real guns,” Bitty said.

After another 15 minutes, both their ticket rolls had grown, but Bitty’s was at least twice the size of Jack’s.

“Had enough of blasting aliens?” Bitty said. “If we pool our tickets I think we have enough to get that stuffed unicorn behind the counter. We can give it to Ellie.”

Jack thought the box of play food and children’s books they had wrapped probably outshone a arcade plushie, but maybe not.

“It could turn into her Señor Bun,” Bitty was saying.

The unicorn claimed and delivered to Ellie -- who wasted no time biting down on the horn -- Bitty looked aroind again. “The air hockey table is free.”

“I don’t know why they call this hockey.” Jack said, watching the board tally another point for Bitty, who was up 6-5. “It’s more like paddle ball or something.”

“LIke flat table tennis?” Bitty said. “I can see that.”

Jack tied it a moment later, and finally pulled out a win. “Good game,” Bitty said graciously.

A little too graciously. Jack suspected Bitty had gone easy on him, but he wasn’t about to ask.

“Let’s check in at the go-kart station,” Bitty said.

“FIne,” Jack said. “But I want you to go for it, okay? Don’t let me win.”

Bitty didn’t pretend to be shocked, which pretty much confirmed Jack’s suspicion.

“If you say so,” Bitty said. “But I know it’s no fun if you feel like you can’t compete. I grew up playing these games, so it’s not really fair. And weight’s a big disadvantage in go-karting.”

“And it’s a big advantage in hockey, which we played together for two years,” Jack said. “It’s fine. I’ll do my best, and you do your best.”

“And we’ll both probably get beaten by my cousin Shelly,” Bitty said. “She’s 10, and she’s a maniac.”

Jack told himself he could do this. He could surprise Bitty, cruise to the finish ahead of him. And when the karts took off, he managed to at least stay with Bitty for a bit. But every corner, he seemed to drift just a touch wider and lose just a couple of feet. 

By the time the race was over -- Shelly in first, Bitty in second -- Jack was 50 feet and another two karts back. But it was good, watching Bitty climb out of the cart, laughing and congratulating Shelly. His smile was open in a way it hadn’t been the last time Jack was in Georgia with him, and he’d introduced Jack as his boyfriend to people who clearly knew exactly who he was, and who he was to Bitty. And all of them, to a person, smiled and offered their congratulations.

It felt like winning to Jack.

[topazshadowwolf]

Just a Walk in The Park

Day 4 of Soriel Week... only three more days... Dang this is going by fast (even faster since I’m scheduling them in one day). Anyway! The prompt is “protection” and this is technically my first collaboration. I had started this before even agreeing to do this fun piece with Poisond. @smashedkittkate and I were talking about this prompt and agreed I’d write a story if she draws a picture. Make sure to check out her half!

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Relationships: Soriel Rating: Everyone Heads up: There is one pun of a curse word that doesn’t actually use the word. 

Just a Walk in The Park

 When it came to planning dates, Sans kept it simple. The less work involved, the better. Go out for a movie in a theater that will also serve you food. As the saying goes, two birds with one stone.

After that, well, Tori likes taking walks. He never understood the appeal of it, but if she enjoys it, he’ll join her. On the way back from the theater, there is a park they have never been to, which should be interesting for her.

He didn't bother looking up the park, after all, it's a park. It has grass, trees, a sky, fresh air, and possibly a pond or stream. What else would one need to know about it?

Both thought nothing of it as they pulled up. Sans did notice that a lot of the cars had those “I love my (whatever breed of dog)” stickers but this was a park. Parks attract outdoorsy people, and they generally have a dog or two. So what? Most parks he has seen have leash rules.

Back when they lived underground, Sans never had any problems with dogs. Yes, sometimes the non-monster dogs would chase after bone attacks, or lightly chew on finger bones when being petted. But never was it anything that would cause any actual harm, or concern, just minor annoyances.

Then again, those dogs had become used to the idea of bones not being chew things. Monsters turn to dust when dead, leaving nothing for dogs to gnaw on. That, and monsters made of bone tend to fight back if used as a chew toy. Leading Sans, and even his brother Papyrus, to not understand the full threat dogs are, until a few ill encounters on the surface.

There were near bites when petting them, and one dog did bite Papyrus, leading the dog's owner to apologize profusely. But the worst case was when they had been invited with Frisk, Toriel, Asgore, Undyne, and Alphys to an informal dinner at a senator’s house. Papyrus, as the monster mascot and friend of the young ambassador, was also invited with Sans as his plus one.

The dog there was very well behaved, and clearly loved, almost to spoiling. Sans listened to all the important talk while petting the dog, both over all enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t until dinner did the skeletons learned what it would feel like to have your skin crawl.

A few days ago, the dog’s owner had given it a cow bone, which it opted to gnaw on while everyone was eating. The brothers quickly lost their appetites at the sound of crunching, splitting, and cracking bone. Once the senator realized what was wrong, he took the bone away from the dog and apologized. Both skeletons said it was alright, and not to worry. Inwardly, they fully understood, that if a large cow femur could be cracked so easily, perhaps fraternizing with dogs is something they should avoid.

It was after that, Sans did notice a change in Toriel when it came to dogs and him. If they are out walking, and see a dog, she grabs his hand, and even pull him closer. One time, when a lady was walking towards them with a pack of dogs, Toriel not only held him close, but she shifted herself between him and the dogs.

He didn't complain. It was nice being temporarily pressed against her. Soft, warm, and safe.

If there are any dogs being walked, it shouldn't be that bad. If the leash rule is kept, it may just lead to more enjoyable moments of impromptu cuddles.

A short way into the park, the next thing they noticed was a bowl of water by the fountain. “An odd thing to do,” Toriel commented. But then they reasoned it must be for someone's dog or another pet.

There didn't seem to be a play set, but there were toys scattered about. Tennis balls, without a tennis quart. An abandoned stuffed toy of a rabbit. And a… plastic fire hydrant?

Eye socket lights deadened, realization of what kind of park this was sunk in. There won't be any leash rules here, as dogs in these kinds of parks are allowed to run free.

To add insult to injury, just then something hit him on the head. It didn't hit hard, but it was noticeable, and left a small sore spot. It bounced off his skull and landed just a few inches away.

“ouch,” Sans mumbled.

“Oh, Sans, are you alright?” Toriel asked, while lightly petting his skull. She must have used some healing magic, as what little pain he felt was eased away.

“yeah, thanks tori,” he replied while looking down at the offending object. It was a ball, a tennis ball. Much like the one Undyne and Papyrus took turns throwing for the senator’s dog that one night.

When Sans looked up from the ball and saw dogs; not just one, but a pack, barreling towards him, and he froze. His magic didn’t know what to do. Should it flare up in defense or attack? Should it prepare for a short cut to escape? He had to decide as they were closing in fast. Granted, the little dogs were in the lead, but small dogs still have strong jaws.

Just as he started to take a step back he felt the ground disappear from under his feet. Toriel had quickly lifted him, and now held him up high over her head. He hoped he wasn’t hurting her, as he grabbed her arms for dear life. Even if he was, at this moment, he was not about to let go. One slipper slipped off along the way, and was now the prisoner of a rambunctious miniature pinscher who proudly ran around with it.

Toriel used her feet to try to usher the dogs away, but that only seemed encourage them to keep trying. “Go on, away with you!” She said. The dogs didn't seem to care.

Some thought she was playing some game. A few, including a lab and a collie, ran around happily, unsure what the excitement was about, but, dang it, they wanted to be a part of it! Then there was a golden retriever and a few small dogs looking up at him as if they just won a lifetime supply of chew toys.

The sound of tearing fabric caught his attention, and he glanced over to see the min pin was playing tug-of-war with his slipper against a beagle mix. He’s had those slippers since he was a lot younger while living in the underground. And now some dogs were tearing holes in the well-worn, yet still fluffy, cloth.

“Your slipper,” Toriel’s voice held the same sorrow he felt for the ruined footwear. It had surpassed clothing, and was more than just something comfortable to wear. Those old slippers were a part of who he was. If any of his friends were to describe his style, his hoodie and slippers would always be mentioned.

“it’s okay, tori, let's just get out of here,” it pained Sans to say that. But it was impractical to ask her to rescue it while keeping him safe. “it may be gone, but it won't be furgotten.”

Toriel struggled not to laugh, “Be careful making me laugh, my dear, we wouldn't want this to get any hairier.”

Although her teasing was not to be taken seriously, it still made Sans a little nervous. Relief came in the form of owners coming and collecting their dogs. One owner commented on how silly it is for a skeleton to come to a dog park. The other owners told that one off.

Over all, he managed to avoid any contact with most of the dogs, save for an interested sniff from an Irish wolfhound and a friendly lick, on his bare bone foot, from a bullmastiff when Toriel wasn't looking. He knew they were only being friendly, but considering their size he couldn't help but feel a shiver go up his spine.

To avoid any incidents on their way to the car, Toriel carried him. As they neared it, she hummed, “Well, I do believe that is enough adventure for me. And I’m sure it be rather ruff on you.”

Tension, Sans didn't even know he had, dissolved as he laughed, “oh, tori, that was bad, and over used.”

“I like to think of it as a classic,” Tori smiled.

“i guess it's as the saying goes,” Sans replied as if in deep thought.

“What saying is that?”

“you can't teach an old dog new tricks.”

Toriel was about to unlock the car, but that made her pause. Her snout wrinkle in that way it does when she doesn't want to laugh but it is brewing within her. “Is that so,” she finally said once she had calmed herself, “Well, perhaps I should, as the saying goes, throw you to the dogs. Though in the less figurative and more literal sense.”

“shih tzu wouldn’t actually do that, would you?”

The goat monster giggled, “I don't know, that comment was rather shar pei. Besides, you are rather husky, and my arms are getting tired.”

“mercy, please t, if not for me, then for my dear brother papillon,” Sans accented the idea of pleading by putting his hand together while opening his sockets wide.

Toriel laughed then nose nuzzled his nasal bone, “Enough with the puppy eyes my dear, I love you too much to do that.”

In the distance one of the dog owners whistled at them while another cheered. Sans felt a little flustered by that, and judging by the blush peeking through her fur, so was Toriel.

When it comes to planning dates, Sans likes to keep it simple; but that doesn't always mean it will be. Lesson learned, he now puts more effort in so things, hopefully, go smoothly.

[skanecanyon]

That One Time I Brought Down Richard Nixon

          This dream is actually from a couple of nights ago so the memory of it is fading fast, but I shall do my best to document it as accurately as I can. The first thing that I can recall, I'm down by the pavilion on Lake Como, which is an actual lake very near where I live. In real life, there is a large pavilion right on the lake where they host concerts and plays and stuff during the Summer time. Directly across from it is a big hill that is occupied by a bunch of oak trees and a picnic area on top. Carved into the side of that hill is the Hamms waterfall. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. In my dream, however, the waterfall and picnic areas are missing and instead, the whole hill is densely covered in forest. Nestled deep in the heart of this forest is a small shack. I find myself breaking into this shack in the wee hours before dawn because I'm trying to find incriminating evidence about something Richard Nixon did. The inside of the shack is dimly lit with a couple of incandescent work lights hanging from the ceiling. It's kind of dirty and unorganized inside. There are some old paintings that are covered in dust propped up against one of the walls. An old cash register sits on a podium in the corner. The rest of the stuff in there is just stuff you would expect to find in a gardening shed, lawn mowers, garden tools, bags of fertilizer, etc. The shed belongs to the Parks Department (Como Park), but for some reason, it is also being used by Richard Nixon. I don't know exactly what it is I'm looking for, but I know I have to find it fast before the Parks and Rec. workers show up. Time is running out, and before I get a chance to get out of there, in walks Richard Nixon. At first we are startled to see each other. I'm thinking, oh shit, I've been caught red handed, but then Nixon says to me, "where's my breakfast?" in a somewhat demanding tone. It was then I realized that he thinks I work for him. I look over to my right and there is now an offshoot kitchen in the shed that is fully furnished in 1970s style furniture and appliances. Nixon sits down at the kitchen table and opens his newspaper, while I go to work making him something to eat. He sits silently reading his paper. I'm the only one doing any talking, but I'm mocking him by imitating his voice and hand gestures. I'm saying shit like, "I am not a crook," and giving him the double V for victory hand gesture that he is famous for. He occasionally looks up from his paper with a look of confusion and concern on his face. He doesn't know what's going on, and starts to seem suspicious of me. Then a couple of dudes in black suits and sunglasses show up and say, "C'mon, it's time to go." I suspect that they are secret service. Side note: I'm probably dreaming about Nixon because I recently watched a special on television that was comparing the Trump presidency to the Nixon presidency. So the vision of Nixon was fresh in my mind.

          Outside, a black car is waiting. I go to get in the back seat, but it's filled with pumpkins. I have to move them all out of the way so that there is room for my mom. I don't know where we're going, but I know that we're picking up my mom along the way. So I toss all of the pumpkins behind the back seat into a trunk area and climb in. This is actually the last I see of Nixon. I don't think he ever got in the car. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in the back seat with my mom and the two secret service dudes are in the front seat. We end up driving to a house on Summit Avenue. In real life, Summit Avenue is an area of Saint Paul where fantastically wealthy people live. Large plots of land with large mansions on them. Normally, the East and West bound lanes are separated by a large, grassy boulevard, dotted with large, old trees, gardens and a bike path. In my dream however, the boulevard is also occupied by large houses. We pull up to one of these houses and get out of the car. It is a Southwestern style adobe, but it has been painted powder blue instead of the traditional clay color that you would normally see. In real life, we don't have any houses like this around here.

          It turns out that these secret service dudes are also double agents who are looking for incriminating evidence against Nixon as well, and they think the guy who lives in this house is just the one to get it for them. He is like a black market dealer who has connections. I don't recall my mom being present anymore for the rest of the dream, but me and the two secret service guys enter the house. As we are approaching on foot, the one SS guy says to me, "You just keep quiet and let us do all the talking." On the inside, the house is like a museum of avant-garde art. Weird porcelain statues of body parts. Strange paintings hanging on the walls. The main room that we enter is mostly white and contains many small stair cases that lead to different levels of marble floors, each one displaying different statues and paintings. It’s almost like an M.C. Escher painting. There is a sunken living area in the center with some furnishings. The guy who lives there is the guy who played Nick Tortelli (Carla's sleazy ex-husband from the television show Cheers). He's probably in my dream because I recently saw that guy on an episode of The Last O.G. His wife is sitting on a couch in the living area. She is being played by Maureen Collins who used to be one of the cast members of Mad TV back in the day and also has a reoccurring role on Parks and Recreation as a news media person. I saw her on a recent episode of P and R and so that's probably why she is in my dream as well. The guy (who I will refer to as Nick from this point on) is standing at a counter with his back turned to us as we enter the house. He is putting something into what appears to be a secret safe located under a porcelain sink basin. This is hard to explain. The sink basin rises up out of the counter top on hydraulics or something, revealing a safe underneath (not unlike a safe that is located behind a painting). He then hits a secret button and the sink recesses back into the counter top, completely hiding the safe that is underneath. Now it just looks like any other normal wash basin and functions as one too. He turns to greet us as we enter. "Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable," he says. He is very hospitable. I make my way to the sunken living room where his wife (who I will call Maureen from this point on) is sitting, while the two SS guys walk off with Nick to negotiate a deal to get information about Nixon.

          As I sit there with Maureen, I can't help but notice that she looks very familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. I ask her if we have met before and she tells me, "Yes, you guys were here not too long ago for the buyers convention." By "you guys," she is talking, not about me and the SS dudes, but rather me and the other managers that I used to work with when I was running a game store in real life (Games By James). I worked there for over ten years and we used to have to go to these annual buyers conventions where vendors got a chance to show off their latest products. These were always held in convention centers and never in private houses, but for some reason in my dream, it had been held in a house. As soon as she said that, I remembered who she was, and I said something to the effect of, "Oh yeah, I remember. You had some games set up right over there," as I pointed to a long hallway that was behind me. She was nodding her head and said, "Yes, that's right." She seems kind of perturbed that I didn't recognize her though and her responses had a snarky tone to them.

          After a few minutes, the three men return. The two SS guys seem disappointed. They were unable to negotiate a deal to get the information they were looking for. "C'mon, let's go. We're done here," the one SS guy says to me and motions towards the door. I get up to leave and as we are walking toward the door, I get an idea. Maybe flattery would work. As we passed a statue of a giant pair of lips hanging on the wall, I point to it and say to Nick, "I like that. You know, I always thought it would be cool to have a bathtub faucet that was a giant mouth that water came spilling out of" (that actually would be pretty cool in my opinion). His eyes lit up. He thought that was a fantastic idea. He was so glad that someone else could appreciate fine art. My compliment worked and, after some consideration, he decided to give us the information we were looking for. Then he invited us to attend a party that was going on in another part of the house.

          He led us through the house to a large screen porch (for lack of a better description). Maybe about 10,000 square feet. There were several dinner tables set up in there. People were sitting around talking, laughing, drinking, eating and having a good time. There was a large open area that was being used as a dance floor. A band was playing in one corner of the room, featuring a rather flamboyant male lead singer. I don't recall the song. There was a piano in the background that people were sitting on, but it was not being used by the band. Lots of people had gathered and were listening to the performance. I parked myself in a chair directly opposite from the band, about maybe 50 or 60 feet away. The lead singer was carrying a hockey stick for some reason, and he was mingling with the audience while he was singing. At one point, he came up to me and stood right in front of me. He brought the hockey stick up above his head and brought it down fast and hard like a club. He was trying to hit me over the head with it, but I put my arms up in a defensive posture and blocked his blow. The hockey stick broke in two as he smashed it against my arms. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt or do any damage to me. Next thing I know, I'm wearing roller blades and have a hockey stick of my own. There's a loose tennis ball on the dance floor. I take to the dance floor and I start manipulating this tennis ball like a goddamn pro. The singer is trying to block my shots, but I'm out maneuvering him like crazy. He doesn't stand a chance. I shoot the ball into the area where the rest of the band is set up. He's trying to stop me, but he can't. I'm hitting the drum set and some of the other musicians, but they never stop playing. They just try to duck my shots. The lead singer has stopped singing though and he has a concerned look on his face as he is unable to stop me. I get the ball on the rebound several times and I'm doing all kinds of trick shots. At one point, I scoop the ball up into the air with my stick and hit it like a baseball. I never played league hockey as a kid, but I do have a stick and skates in real life, and I've played plenty of neighborhood games. I can hold my own, but in my dream, I'm much better than I am in real life.

          This is about all I remember. I must have woke up at this point. I don't know exactly what the evidence was that I obtained, but it must have been pretty valuable because Nixon was in fact brought down. Dick was tricky, but not as tricky as me.      

[haydennation]

A Star Reborn: Elle Magazine Interview (February 2008)

No matter how romantic, dissolute, or beatnik he played it, Hayden Christensen just couldn’t lose the long arm of Star Wars. Until, that is, he starred in this month’s hotly anticipated, Jumper and ditched Darth Vader for good. Interview by Sarah Bernard When George Lucas plucked Hayden Christensen from teen-TV obscurity to play Darth before he was dark in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, it was a career making break. It was also the kind of opportunity that could set up a young actor to fail spectacularly. Christensen wouldn’t have been the first 19 year old to let fame turn him into an intolerable party boy, or the first to flame out, Mark Hamill-style. But Christensen’s post-Vader life hasn’t followed either of those scripts. Since hanging up his lightsaber, he has made a handful of small films, the best of which was Shattered Glass, which he also produced. His portrayal of journalist-turned-plagiarist Stephen Glass, complete with dorky glasses and khakis, was a perfectly creepy rendering of ambition and desperate defiance. In Factory Girl, the Andy Warhol biopic, he played a Dylan-esque musician. The movie was so god-awful that Christensen has never seen it. “And I don’t think I ever will,” he says. He had originally signed up to play Bob Dylan, but Dylan didn’t like the way the film portrayed his relationship with Edie Sedgwick and threatened to sue. “The producers called a week later saying, ‘We can’t call him Bob Dylan.’ I said, ‘Okay, I can play Bob in my head,” says Christensen, who more or less worships the singer. But Dylan saw the final cut and still wasn’t pleased. Most of Christensen’s scenes had to be scrapped, and those that did survive had to be completely redubbed so that he sounded less Dylan-like. “It was really depressing,” the actor says. In 2007’s Awake, he played a wealthy businessman (his wife is played by Jessica Alba) who finds himself conscious during heart surgery. The film came and went in a weekend. When Christensen tried to bolt from the premiere’s screening, he says Harvey Weinstein, the film’s producer, told him, “I’ll sit next you with handcuffs if I have to.” In this odd collection of projects, there is a through line: characters who are not quite what they seem at first, possessing a mix of innocence and malevolence. Those are the parts that Christensen loves to play and what attracted to the starring role in this month’s Jumper, a sci-fi thriller about a bank robber with a talent for teleportation. It’s directed by Doug Liman, who turned Matt Damon into an assassin with a soul in Bourne Identity and matched Brad and Angelina in Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  “I think people who see this film will view Hayden as having emerged they viewed Matt as having emerged…[But the reality is, both Matt and Hayden had done phenomenal work before,” says Liman. “You just had to look at Good Will Hunting and Shattered Glass to see there was a star there.” Christensen is not one of those celebrities who always craves an audience, as he sits in a Tribeca bar in New York City answering questions, he’s wearing a Bathing Ape baseball cap pulled low over his brow. His features are so delicate, they’re almost pretty. In fact, he was the face of Louis Vuitton Menswear in fall-winter 2004-2005. (“He reminds of a young Paul Newman,” says Simon Kinsberg, who co-wrote Jumper as well as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the third installment in the X-Men franchise.) The actor’s idea of fun is manning the excavator on the farm he recently bought an hour north of Toronto, the city where he grew up and where his family still lives. Like any good Canadian kid, he was hockey-obsessed and dreamed of playing for the Maple Leafs. He also played competitive tennis, and when he was a ball boy at the Canadian Open, he was nearly clocked with a racquet hurled by a tantrumming John McEnroe. (A clip of the near miss made the nightly news.) Christensen’s mother, Ali, and father, David, ran a communications consulting business together. He has an older brother, Tove (who now heads, with Hayden, a production company, Forest Park Pictures), and two sisters: Hejsa, a former junior world trampoline champion, and Kaylen. The whole clan spent time in Australia during the filming of Star Wars, where Christensen’s sisters even became tight with George Lucas’ daughters. When Lucas invited the girls along on a yacht vacation, Hejsa really hit it off with the boat’s captain. They married a year and a half ago in Antigua, with Lucas in attendance. “She’s sort of responsible for me having the career that I have,” says Christensen, “and I’m indirectly responsible for her family.” Listen to him talk, and it’s hard to believe he isn’t just a farm boy himself. For one thing, he mumbles. He also slurps his Coke like a little kid. Then orders another.

“I thought I had a sense of what it meant to be a down to earth, regular actor,” says Liman. “Then I met Hayden, and suddenly everyone else seems like a primadonna.” During one of many reshoots, Liman realized his star’s hair has gotten longer and lighter from the sun. “Hayden’s like, ‘no problem,’” says Liman. “He gets the scissors and the trimmer out and cuts his own hair in my bathroom! I’m terrified because we have some shooting coming up and if I mess up his hair, someone’s going to kill me. I go, ‘Are you sure you should be putting those scissors to your hair?’ He goes, ‘I was cutting my hair through the whole movie.’” “He is so sweet and so humble and approachable, and loving,” adds Jessica Alba. “He literally hugs everybody on the crew and knows all their first names, every day. He’ll say good morning, give everyone a hug. He’s so present and happy and sweet. It’s crazy. And then you’re like ‘Oh, he’s Canadian.’” ‘Menschy’ is how Kinberg describes him. “So much that wondered when I’d get to see the other side.” It’s an earnestness with an edge, like a scrim that’s hiding something uglier, messier, darker. “He’s incredibly good at lying,” says Jamie Bell, his Jumper costar. “That element of ‘I’m totally pulling the wool over your eyes.’ He’s good at that.” Darth Vader is a cartoon version of this of course. There were lots of intense stares and heavy brows in that performance. But to be fair, Star Wars has never been known for its thespianism, and delivering stilted dialogue with imaginary droids against a green screen doesn’t leave an actor much room for subtlety. Maybe Christensen was reacting to that when he played Sam Monroe, the pill-popping part time prostitute teenage son of Kevin Kline in 2001’s Life as a House. In the opening scene, Sam wakes up, sniffs a rag doused with paint thinner, sticks his head through a noose in his closet, and jacks off, until the clothes rack collapses on top of him and his mom opens the door. And that’s before the title sequence is finished. Christensen threw himself into Sam both emotionally and physically. He says ‘It was my means of rebelling,” from Star Wars one assumes. He shed 25 pounds on a diet of salad and water, dyed his blond hair black and cobalt blue, and shaved his legs to look as young and sickly as possible. The result was a performance with vulnerability and angst and full-fledged rage, all twined together like a heap if twisted steel. And because Life as a House came out before Attack of the Clones, it was actually Sam in all his Goth glory (piercings, eye shadow), not the falling Jedi Knight, who introduced the actor to the movie going public. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his work in House, as well as a fair amount of tortured teen credibility. At that point, tortured teens were something of a Christensen specialty. In 2000, the year he got Star Wars, he was living in Vancouver and playing Scott Barringer, a drug addicted, sexually molested teenager on Fox Family’s Higher Ground. When he was summoned to Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch in Northern California for a face-to-face reading with Natalie Portman, he threw up on the ride there. It was his and Portman’s chemistry that the unknown Canadian was the one. “Hayden is immediately appealing, both in person and on screen, because he knows how to balance his strength with his sensitivity,” Lucas emails. “I think he has a great acting career ahead of him.” The filming of Attack of The Clones and then Revenge of the Sith consumed a good five years of Christensen’s life-an eternity in the career of a hot young actor. He tried moving on, focusing on indie films, sharing the stage in London in 2002 with Jake Gyllenhaal in Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, a play about three rich-kid slackers in 1980s New York. Still he could not get away from Star Wars. Boxes of paraphernalia continued to arrive. “They have to send me one of everything produced,” he says. “It’s nuts. The first I opened: ‘Oh that’s cool. A little figurine of me,’ All sorts of lunch boxes, potato chips. I don’t even open them anymore. I had to get storage space because my parents’ basement overcrowded. My mom was like, ‘Enough!’” So when his agent told him about Jumper, he didn’t jump at it. “They said it was sort of science fiction, there was a franchise possibility,” he says. “And I was like, ‘does this really sound like something I’d be keen to do? I was franchise scared.” Then he found out it was being directed by Doug Liman, who has a way of infusing an emotional quotient into the star roles of his big budget action pictures. The first meeting between them was, according to both, like a great first date. Christensen has a farm. Liman has a farm. Christensen was off to a flying lesson that day. Liman is a pilot. The director invited Christensen to his apartment in New York, where they met with Kinberg and with Bell, who’d already been cast. (Liman had begun filming Jumper with Tom Sturridge as the lead, then halted production because Sturridge looked too young for the part, Kinberg says.) Christensen plays Davey, a callow young guy with a sweet, sexy girlfriend (Rachel Bilson) and the secret superpower to ‘jump’ teleport himself anywhere in the world by picturing the place. Thinking he’s the only one with such skils, Davey is blithely breaking into banks and living the high life in Manhattan when one day, a white-afroed Samuel L Jackson (Christensen’s Star Wars costar) shows up and tries to get medieval on his ass. Jackson, part of a jumper secret police, doesn’t want rogue teleporters jumping about. Disrupts the universe, you see. Liman and the crew discussed the script and debated what a jump would look like. “We started improvising, throwing out ideas,” says Christensen. A week later, Liman called and asked him back to do it all again. When Christensen was finally offered the part, the group continued to meet as a collective several times a week. “My character’s way of dealing with things is he doesn’t confront his problems. He’s always avoiding them. One day I was saying to Jamie, ‘My superpower is I can run away from anything.’ And Doug was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait! That’s your character! The fundamental undercurrent.”   It is the perfect superpower for a guy: the ability to literally bail when things get tough. “A very guy thing, yeah.” Christensen says with a laugh. Jumper was the opposite of the closed door ways of Star Wars, where they’re George’s characters,” the actor says. “I was stepping into something preexisting.” Now he was getting to be part of that defining process and he was thrilled. Not that Liman’s defining process is any cake walk. For him, scripts are never finished and actors are ever in discovery mode. Often they’d shoot a scene one way, discuss it, come up with a better idea, and shoot again. This happened whether they were on a soundstage in Toronto or on location in Tokyo, Paris, Prague, London, or Rome, where they got permission to film inside the Colosseum, the first film to do so in decades. Liman is also spontaneous, to the extreme. Driving through Times Square with Bell and Christensen, he decided that it would be good to get them fighting in traffic. So he stopped the van, ordered them out, and manned the camera himself as his starts rolled around on the pavement mid the cars and pedestrians. A good portion of the film has Christensen pummeling himself onto the floor, up against walls. Says Bell, “Hayden was tortured on this movie.” Well, not entirely tortured. Reports are that Christensen and Bilson are dating-there are pictures of her feeding him, of her puppy getting into his Ferarri, of her and Christensen running errands Best Buy-but he refuses to discuss it. What he will say is, “She’s awesome. She’s a very, very beautiful girl. She’s special. She’s one the sweetest, most gentle, kindhearted people I’ve ever met.” Christensen’s Jumper performance may be the one that finally overrides everything else on his resume. “Doug is really good at making guys look cool,” says Kinberg. Liman couldn’t agree more: “I have the reputation for getting just the right actor at the right point in their career. I think people will say I just did it again.” But even a director as self-confident as Liman is no match for the Force. Christensen tells how, on a recent head clearing trip to the Bahamas, he stopped in at a ‘really local, really basic market’. And there on the shelf was an ancient box of cereal with his mug as Anakin in that signature shag. Says Christensen; “I wanted to go up and ask the guy, ‘Are you sure that should still be on the shelf?’”

[kuwaiti-kid]

23 Terrific Ideas for Cheap Summer Fun

It's officially summer!

And we want to get outside and have some fun. The problem is, lots of summer activities can get super expensive (and probably aren't the answer while trying to recover from a pandemic – I'm looking at you theme parks!).

So what can you do for cheap summer fun while maintaining social distancing protocols?

Cheap Summer Activities for Everyone

These ideas for cheap summer fun are for kids of all ages. There are tons of people looking for thrifty fun for their kids, but there are also lots of people without young children looking for low-cost summer activities. This list is all-inclusive.

Anyone can enjoy any of the things listed here, regardless of their age. So whatever your age, whatever your family situation, embrace your inner child and have a great time this summer with these awesome ideas.

1. Host a Backyard BBQ

Summer begins and ends with a barbecue, right? But that doesn't mean we can't have them all summer long! And with social distancing restrictions still in place in most areas (and for an abundance of caution), staying outside while getting together is probably the best idea.

So why not have a few people over for a backyard BBQ? Enjoy great food and hang out with old friends while staying six feet apart. For even more delicious savings, try turning it into a potluck and have everyone bring their favorite summer dish.

2. Go for a Hike

If you want to get outside this summer, why not try hiking? I'm lucky enough to live extremely close to portions of the Appalachian Trail, so it's easy to go for a half-hour hike and then be dead for the rest of the day. But every state has some type of state park or hiking trail that is probably pretty close to your house. Check out this awesome list of the best hiking trails in each state to find something near you, and get some much needed fresh air this summer!

3. Visit Your Local Watering Hole

No, I don't mean dive bar.  Your local watering hole is the beach, lake, or river where you can go for a swim.  In normal years, I'd suggest going to the community pool, but those tend to be packed on the hottest summer days. With COVID-19 still being present, it's best to avoid places that we know will be super crowded. So get back to nature with local swimming spots instead.

4. Make an Epic Scavenger Hunt

Have you ever made your own scavenger hunt? Well, now is a great time to start! Think about places around town where you might be able to hide clues – and remember, they don't have to be physical objects. You can have participants take pictures of something red, or find a particular word on a local sign, or convince a local to say hi on camera. You could also have people collect certain items, like a rock that looks like a triangle, or a white flower, or a pine cone. The possibilities when creating a scavenger hunt are endless!

It's also something fun you can do with your partner. You can each create a scavenger hunt, and then you can complete each other's hunts. The first one finished gets a chore-free night or gets to pick the movie. Winner's choice!

5. Play Beach Volleyball

You don't need a beach to play beach volleyball. Many parks in land-locked states have volleyball courts ready and available for locals to use. All you need is a ball! So pack your beach shorts and pretend that you live near a beach for the day, and get some good exercise while you're at it!

If you're lucky enough to live near the coast, you can probably have an authentic beach volleyball experience – but beware of crowds. Tons of people might be having the exact same idea.

6. Go for a Bike Ride

There is nothing better than breezing down a trail on a bicycle. The wind is in your hair, you're outside enjoying nature, and you don't have to walk to do it. I love riding my bike. When I was little, my family used to go up to the bike trail along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. We rode along the lake, enjoying the sites and sounds of the city, stopping for a picnic on Lake Michigan's beach. It was a great time, and sometimes I wish I still lived in Chicago just so I could do that.

But most states and cities have their own epic bike trails. And you can even ride in your local neighborhood. Just make sure you follow all the appropriate biking laws before you hit the pedals!

7. Pick up a Sport

Summer is a great time to learn a new sport. You can go to batting cages, driving ranges, tennis courts, and soccer fields all summer long and start playing something new. The great thing about it is that there are activities for families of all sizes.

Single? Check out the batting cages or join a softball team. Are you coupled up? Get some tennis rackets and head to the courts! Have a big family? Play kickball or soccer at the park.

There are tons of ideas and options for playing sports all summer long, and in nearly every community. Look at your community resource center to see if there's something that interests you.

8. Have Fun at the Playground

I may be an adult, but that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy the swings and the slides. Yes – I still play at the park! There's nothing wrong with that, as long as you are considerate of the families that are there. Obviously, kids and families get first dibs at all the equipment. So if you have kids, taking them to the playground is a great choice.

It's free, and there are usually a few options in every neighborhood. Just be careful though – playgrounds can be little germ factories, and due to that, some states may have ordered theirs to be closed. If the stadium is closed, stay away – for your own safety.

If it's open, enjoy – but take precautions. Make sure you are washing yours and your children's hands regularly and after contact with any of the equipment. Wear masks if you are interacting with others. Use common sense and have fun while staying safe.

9. Catch your Own Dinner

I used to go deep-sea fishing when I lived in Los Angeles. These expeditions take you out to past the coastal waters so you can try your hand at catching the monster fish of the deep. I caught a ton when I went out, and a huge benefit is being able to bring your bounty home for dinner.

Deep-sea fishing can get a little pricey, but pretty much every state has some type of river or lake that you can fish in. Look up the regulations on fishing licenses in your area, and head out for the day! You get to relax outside, and you can save money by providing dinner. It's a win-win situation.

10. Become a Local Artist

No, I don't mean to stay indoors and paint a masterpiece (that's for winter !). Instead, you can walk around your neighborhood and sketch the cool houses or interesting scenes. Dabble in photography at your local park or in your downtown area.

But use common sense. Stay off of private property, and ask permission before you sit outside of someone's house for hours sketching it. Don't take pictures of people without their consent. There's plenty to sketch and photograph without engaging in shady behavior.

11. Visit an Open-Air Market

We're trying to avoid activities with crowds on this list, for the sake of safety. Open-air markets kind of tow the line in this regard.

Yes, they are outside, but they also happen to attract crowds. However, due to the abundance of fresh air, it's probably the best option available for perusing markets and window shopping.

If you chose to go to an open-air market, try to go at the slowest time of day, and be sure to wear your mask.

12. Have a Water Fight

Squirt guns, water balloons, hoses, sprinklers, bottles – nothing is off-limits when you engage in an epic water fight. Run around the backyard, attacking each other with whatever source of water you can find. You can invite all of your family and friends and create teams, or create a “capture the flag” type battle. The possibilities are endless, and it doesn't cost a ton of money. Remember to have some towels ready at the front door, though.

13. Start a Nerf War

If you want the fun of a water fight without the messiness of the water, have a Nerf war instead. You'll have to buy the Nerf guns (my favorite is the motorized blaster  – those suckers fly!), but it's a one-time cost that provides hours of entertainment for the whole family.

Yes, I said the whole family. Adults can have Nerf wars too! And cats really love to chase the bullets. And I shouldn't have to say this, but please don't shoot them directly at the cats.

14. Camp in the Backyard

It's what all the kids did in the eighties, right? Or did movies steer me wrong? Setting up a camp in the backyard is a great way to “get away” without actually getting away.

You can set up a BBQ to act as a campfire, make smores, and read scary stories by flashlight. Then, you can turn in under the stars in your little back yard tent. The great thing is that your bathroom and all the comforts of home are just steps away.

14. Hide Around the Neighborhood 

The great thing about hide and go seek is that you can scale it based on the ages of the participants. If you have young kids, you'll probably want to keep it contained to the yard. But with older kids and adults, you can have a game that spans blocks!

Set up your rules and boundary lines, and get to hiding! Just be sure to stay off of private poverty and obey all the rules of your community.

16. Enjoy a Nature Walk

Nature walks are similar to hikes, but they generally aren't as strenuous. Usually, they are a small circular path with little stands describing the wildlife that you might encounter. A nature hike is a great option for cheap summer fun for families with small children, people with disabilities, and people who want to enjoy a more relaxed stroll.

17. Find a Geocache

Yes, geocaching is still a thing! It's not as common as it was in the 2000s, but people are still doing it.

If you aren't familiar with geocaching, it's basically a wide-scale game that's similar to a scavenger hunt. People hide tiny items in random places, and you log onto the app to find them. When you find it, you get to take the prize, but you're supposed to replace it with a prize of your own. People leave things like dollars, spare change, and tiny trinkets in their geocaches. It's a fun way to get outside and have a mini treasure hunt, without the work of setting up your own scavenger hunt.

18. Try River tubing

I just learned about river tubing this weekend from my sister. Basically, you just get a giant tube and float down a river. It sounds like a relaxing way to spend the day, doesn't it? Just make sure the river is safe for tubing and swimming – you don't want to try tubing in a river with dangerous currents.

If you want to do something more active, you can try kayaking – but depending on whether you rent or buy, that can get a little pricey. It's not cheap summer fun; it's mid-priced summer fun!

19. Play Golf

Traditional 18-hole golf can get pretty expensive, but two cheaper options are much more fun for the whole family: mini-golf and disc golf.

You can find mini-golf courses pretty much everywhere, but you can get out of the cheap range fairly quickly depending on how many people are in your party. It's a bit harder to find disc golf courses, but they tend to be more open and less crowded. Also, they are usually in large community parks, so free to access. All you need to do is buy the discs!

20. Take Your Pup to the Dog Park

Your dogs want to have fun this summer too! So take them to the local dog park. When I lived in Savannah, I had tons of options for dog parks. One had this little pond in it that the dogs loved to swim in. I didn't like taking them there because I always ended up with a wet dog situation, which isn't really fun for anyone. But the other parks also had tons of room for them to run, and it was a good time for all of us.

Unfortunately, I currently live in an area with no nearby dog parks. Sometimes I regret getting them because I don't always feel like I can give them everything they deserve.  But, the good news is that my local community has been talking about building one for the past year or so. Hopefully, it happens soon, so I can give them the fun they deserve.

21. Exercise with Fun Runs

If you're athletic and into running, getting involved in some type of fun run is an excellent option for cheap summer fun. I've seen color runs, bubble runs, and all sorts of other types of themed runs. Some are as short as 5k, while others can be as long as marathons! Join one that works for your level of experience.

If you want to get super hardcore this summer, you can upgrade from a fun run to something a little more strenuous, like a tough mudder or a triathlon. I won't be doing either of those things this summer, but you're probably in better shape than me!

22. Create Wildlife Bingo

Lots of people engage in bird watching, which is great, but I'd prefer to liven it up and look for all types of wildlife. You can include insects, birds, reptiles, and even mammals on your wildlife bingo cards.

Try to limit it to species that are abundant in your local areas.

For example, if you live in Los Angeles, you probably don't want to include lightning bugs (I never saw one in the ten years that I lived there), but you should include those giant stupid green Japanese beetles that always want to run into you.

Keep it local and learn about some of the creatures that hang out near your house!

23. Check out the Local Garage Sales

The last idea for cheap summer fun is one that might even be able to make you some money! That's garage sailing!

Check out craigslist or your local listings for garage sales near you, and spend a weekend morning scoping them out.

You might be able to find something you needed on the cheap or something that sells well on eBay. I always loved finding treasures at garage sales and flipping them on eBay for a profit! It's so much fun!

What Do You Do for Fun in the Summer?

Have you tried any of the options on this list? Get to it and start having an epic summer before it's too late!

The post 23 Terrific Ideas for Cheap Summer Fun appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[pokefan531]

Yuki’s Story Chapter 93 - Yuki’s Resort Break

Chapter 93 During the weekend, Yuki, Minoru, and Ryo are watching a movie in a theater. They came out from the building, with concerned look. Yuki: The movie was...underwhelming. Minoru: Yeah. It didn't seem as likable as it was marketed. Ryo: I don't expect to see our favorite character acting like a loser and squirting liquid. Minoru: That is gross. Yuki: It is, but the movie has a lot of problems. Minoru: Yeah. So, we're heading to a food court? Yuki: Yes. We still have couple of time. We can go to the arcade after eating. They went to the food court, and Yuki and Ryo brought trays of food. Ryo: Lunch is served! Minoru: They look nice. Yuki: Yep. All for us. Later during lunch, Ryo and Yuki are talking to Minoru about a plan. Ryo: Minoru. Me and Yuki are thinking about a big vacation for new years. Minoru: Sounds nice. Yuki: We want to invite you and maybe your sister to our vacation to Hawaii hotel. Minoru: Really?! Hawaii? Yuki: Yep. Me and Ryo got enough money for a four day vacation. Minoru: Well, my family don't have plans, but I don't know if they would let me. Yuki: Just ask them, and tell your sister. That way, you will have your family to be on our vacation to share a room. Minoru: Sounds more safe for my parents to let us go there. Ryo: Good. Let us know by next weekend. Minoru: No problem. I think Ayano will be happy to be on a resort. The next day, Minoru talks with his parents on the table during breakfast. Mom: Hawaii? Hmm... Dad: Have they reserved it yet? Minoru: Not until next weekend. Me and Ayano can have fun with them during new years. What do you think? Dad: They made a smart decision to invite Ayano to share a room. Mom: Yeah, but we are planning to go to Aunt Irina's place. I know you got big problems there, so I'll let you two go there. Ayano, you want to go? Ayano: Yes! We are gonna have a lot of fun together! Minoru: Awesome! Just the four of us! Ayano: I would like to see Yuki do cool tricks and play with us! Minoru: Me to. Thanks for letting us. Dad: Well, you are pretty responsible and Yuki shows deep care to us. Minoru: I'm glad you both see Yuki's care. The next day at school, Minoru talks to Yuki at the front gate. Minoru: They are planning to go to Aunt Irina's house for new years. Yuki: Oh. Well, you are better off coming with us than there, because of last time we went there. Minoru: Yeah...I'm glad my parents approved your vacation plan. Yuki: Me to. We are gonna have a wonderful day. Sure, I will miss Comiket, but going to a special vacation is another big activity. Minoru: It is. Yuki: So, there are gonna be a lot of activities there we can do. The big pool, the beach, the arcades, souvenirs, and attractions. Minoru: Sounds like a big vacation for us. Yuki: Yeah. Many days later, they went to the airplane and flies to Hawaii and arrive to the hotel. Yuki: Wow! This place looks awesome! Minoru: I know! This resort has a lot of activities on our list! They went to the recipient. Ryo: We would like to rent two rooms for four days. Lady: Sure! They got the keys and a wrist ticket. Later, they open up the the hotel room and they went in. Minoru: Wow! Ayano: Cool! It's for both of us! Yuki: Yep. Minoru: Two big beds. Ayano: That's awesome! Ryo: Well, here are the keys. Minoru: Thanks. Yuki and Ryo went to theirs. Yuki: Nice. Just like their room, except mirrored. Ryo: Yeah. Yuki: And now it's time for the pool! Ryo: Yep. Our first thing to do! Later, Minoru and Ayano are already in the pool. They see Yuki and Ryo coming. Yuki: I see them! Ryo: Me to. Yuki jumps to the pool. Yuki: Hey Minoru. Minoru: Wow. Hi. Yuki: Thanks for waiting. Minoru: We just got in. Yuki: Well, we got ready quick. They both swim around and Ayano comes to Minoru. Ayano: Minoru. Wanna go to the jazuzzi? It's near here. Minoru: Okay. They went to the jazuzzi. Ayano: It feels relaxing. Minoru: It does. Yuki: I really like how it's pretty warm here. Minoru: Me to. Ryo: It's pretty sweet. Later, they went to the deep pool, and they all want to jump. Yuki: Minoru, want to jump first? Minoru: Ok. He jumps and swims up. Minoru: It is nice here. Ayano: Cool. She then jumps in the pool and swims up. Ayano: You're right. Both Ryo and Yuki jumps high and goes inside the water with big splash. Ayano: Wow... That was a big splash. Minoru: Yep. Both of them really know how to make a big splash. Yuki and Ryo comes out from the water. Yuki: You both like what you see? Minoru: Yep You both made a big splash at the same time. Ayano: Oh yes! It was amazing! Yuki: Glad you liked it. Now we are gonna play a couple of games together. Both play swim race, Marco polo, and catch. Yuki throws a toy to Ayano. She caught it. Ayano: Catch! She then throws it to Minoru. Minoru catches it too. Minoru: Catch! He throws it to Yuki. She caught it. Yuki: Catch! Later, Yuki and Ryo are talking inside the pool. Yuki: We swim all over the pool and it's a well structured resort. Ryo: Yep. Yuki: So, what other places do you want to take a look at? Ryo: I do want to visit some attractions. They also have golf, tennis park, basketball, football, arcades, and game room. Yuki: We are probably gonna be at most of those places. Ryo: Yep. They see Minoru and Ayano coming with small popcorn. Ayano: They got popcorn. It taste good. Barely any salt or butter, so it's good. Yuki: Cool. Minoru: They got other things inside the snack area. Ryo: Cool. Well, there's a food court and it's a buffet. We can pick on any food we like to eat, and it's serving food in a few hours. Minoru: Awesome! I would like to see what's inside. Yuki: There's also a couple of places we would like to take a look at. They got the arcade and game room. Minoru: Cool. That means we can play games with each other. Ayano: I would like to go there. Yuki: After the food court, we are planning to look around the resort. Minoru: Sounds good. Ayano: I wanna take a look at the beach that's near here. Ryo: We will. It's only good for a walk, because the beach has a lot of rocks on the sand. Minoru: Hmm. I see. Yuki: And the waves aren't that big. It looks nice, but the resort's beach isn't much like most beaches. Minoru: I see. For the rock, we can throw rocks at the ocean to have it jump above the surface. Ryo: You just give us an idea. Yuki: Yep. We will definitely try it out. Minoru: All right. Ayano: The popcorn bag is empty. I'm going back in the water. Minoru: Okay. Ayano went to throw the bag away and came back with a splash. Minoru went inside the pool. Yuki: Wanna play catch with my toy? Minoru: Sure. They continue to play catch on the pool. Later, all four of them went inside the food court with their normal clothes. Yuki: Wow. The place is big, and they have all the foods on the buffet area. Minoru: They look delicious. They begin taking a plate and grab some food. After they got all the food they pick, they sit at the table together. Minoru: It has a lot of great food. The waiter comes. Waiter: Hello guys. I am gonna serve drinks and napkins to your table. What do you guys want? They tell him the drinks they want. Waiter: Okay. It will arrive in a few minutes. He left. Ayano: This place is amazing. Yuki: You bet. Ryo: And they are also serving dessert, like ice cream. Minoru: That's nice. They all eat their foods and desserts. Later, they left the food court and explore around the resort. They went to the beach first. Yuki: This looks fine. Ayano: Yes. The beach is more flat. Minoru: That means the waves here are very light. Yuki: Let's throw some rocks. They all went by the water and pick up the rocks. Yuki toss a rock on the ocean and it bounce seven times. Minoru toss a rock and it bounces four times. Ryo tosses and it bounce six times. Ayano toss a small rock and it bounce five times. Ayano: I got five. Minoru: Cool. Yuki Now I'm gonna do another throw. She tosses another rock and bounces nine times. Minoru: Wow! Ryo: That is awesome! They continue to toss rocks, and later, they went to the pine tree area to see animals around. Ayano: They all look cute! Yuki: They sure do. Minoru: Well, the coconuts up there looks big. Yuki: I want to drink coconut juice here. Ryo: Look at the grass. There's lizards walking. Yuki: Cool! Ayano: Uhh... Minoru: They are walking slowly. Ayano: Yeah, but they kinda look creepy. Yuki: They don't touch people. Not here. They like to walk in grass, and they run fast if they see humans close by. Ayano: Oh. Okay. They went to the game room. Ayano: They have the wii! Let's play! They all play Mario Kart. Yuki: I got the giant mushroom! Ryo: Lucky. Minoru: Well, I got the star! Ayano: I like baby Rosalina. Ryo: Guys! I got three bananas! Ayano: Try and see if you can catch me! Yuki: Now back to normal size! Minoru: We're on final lap. Ryo: Let's see who comes in first place! Yuki: Maybe It would be me. Ayano: I got mushrooms! Minoru: I got red shells! Yuki: Try and catch up! Yuki is close to the finish line, but Minoru speed himself so he comes in first place, followed by Yuki, Ryo, and Ayano. Minoru: I got first place! Yuki: Good job, you guys! Ayano: I may be in fourth place, but we were more together, racing the finish line. Ryo: GG! Later, they went to the stage show at night, watching hula dancing and fire tricks. Minoru: Wow! they really put huge effort in making a show here. Ryo: Yep. Yuki: Oh yeah! Fire tricks are really tricky. I could only do performing tricks in gym class. Minoru: Yeah. Ayano: Not only that, but the music sounds very unique. Minoru: You're right. Later, they went to their hotel room, and Minoru and Ayano are about to sleep. Ayano: This was fun! Minoru: It is. Tomorrow is gonna be exciting. Ayano: On New Year's Eve, it will! At Yuki and Ryo's room, they are laying down on a separate bed. Yuki: Today was fun. Ryo: It was. Yuki: I can't wait to go out with Minoru on our date. It won't be during the New Year celebration though. Ryo: Sounds cool. Yuki: I booked to a special restaurant near here. It's really special. Ryo: Sounds fun. Yuki: It will be a good date. Good night. Ryo: Good night. They all sleep. The next day, they are at the pool, and Yuki and them are playing Marco Polo. Minoru: Marco! Yuki and Ayano: Polo! Minoru turns around and caught Ayano. Minoru: Got you, sister. Ayano: Hahaha. Minoru: Marco! Yuki: Polo! Minoru tries going after Yuki without his eyes open. He hears Yuki swimming away. Minoru: Marco! Yuki: Polo! He turns around and caught Yuki. Minoru: Got you! Yuki: Nice! Minoru: So, the date is gonna be at 18? Yuki: It would be around that time. It would last two or three hours. Ayano: Well, what should I do when you both are gone? Minoru: Ever heard of the water park area? You could spend time playing there. Ayano: Yeah, but it would get dark later on. Yuki: You could visit the buffet if you want to eat food. If you got time to spare, go to the arcades if you want to. Ayano: Okay. Sounds good. Yuki smiles. Yuki: It will be the best time of our vacation, Minoru. Minoru: Yep. Definitely can't want for it. Later, Yuki and Minoru walk by the curb, heading to the restaurant. Yuki: Wow! This looks wonderful than what I saw on their website. Minoru: You're right! Wow! They went inside. Minoru: Everything looks unbelievable! Yuki: Yup! Minoru: The theme here is very interesting. Yuki: I'm glad I found this when we were booking for this vacation. They look around. Minoru: They have a long list of foods! Yuki: Exactly! They ordered their food and are carrying their food. Yuki: I got something special. I booked us a private balcony. Minoru: Wow! That's amazing. They went to the balcony they booked. It's just a balcony reserved privately with just Yuki and Minoru and the door is shut. Yuki: This is really interesting! They put the foods on the table. Minoru: Yep. We see the ocean far away and sunset has begun. Yuki: Oh yes. They start eating their food, and later, they finished it. Yuki: What a nice dinner. Minoru: They are tasty! Yuki: It's a really great restaurant. She lets out a big burp for a few seconds. Minoru: Wow! That was a nice one. Yuki: I got talents for belching, and also the south. Minoru: Interesting. Yuki: This vacation was both me and Ryo's idea. He wanted to take a vacation here again and so was I. We went here few years ago as a family. It was very fun. Minoru: Cool. That explains why you know about this restaurant. Yuki: I came here without a balcony reservation. I know about this private area when I came in. This time, I wanted to get that chance for our date. Minoru: That's sweet. Yuki: Especially on our New Years. Minoru: You're right. So, I want to ask you a question. Yuki: Okay. Minoru: What made you be really noble? I see you wanting to protect others and me. Yuki: Because I like my friends. They make me happy. I don't any of you get in trouble in anyway, so I wanted to help you guys. Minoru: Okay, and what were you like during your childhood in those scenarios? Yuki: When I see them in trouble, I take risk on helping them. I was a troublemaker so I would goof off in class to get the class enjoy school without just long talks. I had gone to a few fights before in grade school to help the other kids. I just wanted to give those people a chance to be treated better. That's what I was feeling with you before we spoke each other for the first time. Minoru: I see you love hanging with other people. I was feeling in love because of your skills and a nice girl. Yuki: I know you are into my tomboyishness too. That's kinda cute. Minoru: I was really into about what you do. I am surprised that you are a nice popular girl during sophomore when I heard about you. Yuki: Doing cool stuff, helping out others, and performing is really what I am. Oh, I got into geek culture since the middle of grade school when I watch more anime and games and stuff. I like to be both a geek and a cool performer. Minoru: Those two things mix together really well. Yuki: Well, thanks. She stands up. Yuki: You are really special too. I really plan this vacation for you so we can experience this vacation together. Minoru: That's really nice. Yuki: It was our chance, and that's why I asked, and also have fun with your sister too. Minoru: You are so great! He stands up. Minoru: You plan things pretty good. How sweet! Yuki: You want to kiss? Minoru: Sure. They both hold each other, and kiss. They kiss for half a minute. Yuki: (kiss) That was wonderful! Minoru: Yup! They both still hug each other. Minoru decides to give a playful smack on Yuki's butt. Yuki blinks, and then grins. Yuki: I'm guessing you're having fun with that. Minoru: Hehe. I'm just playing around. Yuki: How cute. They both start collecting their trays and leave the private balcony. Later, they went to the beach on almost midnight with their pals. Ryo: So many people are here to celebrate. This is wonderful. Yuki: It is. Ayano: We got few minutes left before 2018. Minoru: Yeah. He looks at Yuki. Minoru: So, how was this year for you? Yuki: Pretty good. I had fun with you guys just like last year. Minoru: Me to. It got better since you came to our lives. Yuki: You bet. Ayano: This is gonna be our best vacation of our lives. Ryo: You're right. They see the countdown. Ryo: Hey guys. We got a minute left! Yuki: Nice. Minoru: Yuki. What do you want to do in 2018? Yuki: Well, big things. I want to accomplish more goals, and do something big, even our relationship. Minoru: Me to! All of what you said. Yuki: Hehe. We are really made for each other. Minoru: Yep! Not only that, but we graduate high school at the end of March. Yuki: You're right! We got three months left. It will be a happy moment for us! Minoru: And for all of our friends! Ryo: Here it comes! 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Fireworks is set off and crowds goes wild with noises. Ryo: Happy New Years! Yuki: Happy New Years! Minoru: Happy 2018! Ayano: Wanna hug? They hug each other. Yuki then holds Minoru and they start kissing. Ayano: Ryo, what is your girlfriend doing? Ryo: She's at Tokyo celebrating with her family! Ayano: Okay. Cool They see Yuki and Minoru kissing. Ryo: What do you think about the two? Ayano: They both are doing good with each other. They both make me happy because they like playing games with me. I'm sure their relationship will continue to grow stronger this year. Ryo: I'm thinking the same thing. They continue to celebrate.

Next Chapter: Beauty Pageant Team Phase set up a beauty pageant to help out charity. They set up a school event after school for everyone to see. However, Yuki decides to join in on being the contestant. How will the event go? Tune in next time!

[terribleco]

RBL Spot Interview

DIY skateparks have exploded in popularity over the last 10 years. I'm unsure whether it's a response to the growing number of people using skateparks, as people look for a more secluded spot to skate, or whether it's a natural extension of the creativity and freedom of skateboarding - but DIY parks have become a staple part of modern skateboarding. One spot which is thriving in this area is the RBL Spot, at an undisclosed location in Essex. The spot has been growing organically with an impressive level of professional finish and a great selection of obstacles to skate. I spoke to Will, who heads up the effort for the DIY spot, about how it came about, and how building there got him into the middle of a manhunt straight out of Police Interceptors. 

Can you introduce yourself and tell me how long you've been skating for? My name is Will. I started skateboarding in summer of ‘01, aged about 10-11.

What inspired you to start building the RBL Spot? I've wanted to make a street style spot for a while. I tried 6 months before in an underpass which is lit up all night, but had some trouble with the graffiti writers who captured the space first. When I found this spot, I knew it was perfect. It was a BMX spot before, but as they built it out of wood, it all got burnt down by local chav kids - a constant plague to the spot.

What does RBL stand for? RBL means “rubble”. If you follow the hashtag #rubblespot back, you can see the earlier wooden BMX park and the concrete bits they had on the building before it was burnt and then knocked down. It used to be a good spot for graffiti and urban exploration, so the name was pretty set, I just gave it a slight rework.

What was on the site of the RBL Spot before you moved in to build the DIY park and before the BMX spot? It was a sport and social club, with tennis courts, football and bowls pitches. The red tile areas of the spot are where the shower rooms used to be. It had a large function room you could rent out for parties and events. Some of the skaters remember playing football there when they were really young. The club was subject to arson in 2013, and then I believe the building was demolished in 2015.

Did you set out to build the spot because of a lack of decent skateparks nearby, or because you were after something a skatepark can't offer? We have some OK parks locally, but there's something special about DIY spots: a sort of no rules freedom. There are not many DIY's that are all street. We're 20 miles away from Urbside, who have the transition covered! Scooters are a real issue in my local park: It's very small, and I've grown quite tired of waiting for the council and their 2 million pound lottery grant funded upgrade. I've been trying to work with them and local police on this for the last 18 months.

Which famous spots did you take inspiration from when building obstacles at the spot? As far as the inspiration for the obstacles, layout etc - it's all from my love of plaza skating. Early 00s street was the best! Spots like Love Park, Carlsbad and Pier 7 are all hugely influential which is pretty obvious! Also 4 months before we started building, I visited Barcelona. Seeing the locals at Sants inspired me: their style, consistency and love for their spot.

Are there any other DIY parks out there that you use as an ideal benchmark for what you would like RBL to become? I really like the Bodila Project in Barcelona, the guys are super helpful and friendly too. Clemente DIY in Grand Rapids, Michigan is awesome too: kinda raw East Coast vibes. I love all the spots with a real sense of community, which is a big part of what I'm trying to create here.

You mentioned the chavs being a plague on the spot - Has anything super sketchy happened to you down at the spot whilst building or skating? Funny you should mention the chavs – I caught two of them just after the shed at the spot was kicked in for the 2nd time, and one of them ran away without his bike. I kept it hostage for a few hours until he went and got his Mum and Dad to scout it out for him.

By far the most memorable sketchy incident happened on a Sunday night in January. I'd been down there building on my own all day, and except for this crew of mosher kids who hang about near the spot, I'd seen no-one all day. I'm finishing a zoot, waiting to do the final pass on this triangle patch of concrete, when I hear a screech of a car from the top of the hill, and the loudest, clearest voice shouts out “freeze, put your hands up!”. I grab my phone, thinking 'Oh shit, this could be some good content!'. Next thing I know, there's loads of blue lights, sirens, and loud chatter from the road. More old bill turned up, and the whole thing was looking pretty heavy, so I started packing my shit up. 

One of the cars started driving down real slow past me, lights on. They stopped at the bottom of the hill, and they got out with a fucking huge dog, with lights shining over towards me and across the spot. They slowly walked towards where the moshers throw bricks and shit.

At this point, I thought "Fuck this, I'm out - I'm not getting caught up in this and bringing attention to the spot". Touch wood: we have had no trouble from the police, local residents or businesses yet. So I grabbed my stuff and started waddling down the road between a load of police at the top and the parked, flashing police car at the bottom. When I say stuff, I mean a huge backpack, 2 tote bags, a tripod with a video light still on it, a shovel and a sledgehammer. 

FUCKING HELL. I thought you were gonna say the worst thing you encountered was some kids vandalising the spot but that's much crazier than I expected. How I didn't get stopped I don't know, and I never got to the bottom of what happened! 

The spot seems like a real community effort. How many other people have helped with the build? 4 of us started it, but I’ve had probably 20 other people help mix cement, or donate some money on the GoFund. Myself, Wes, Sam, Mark, Daryl (our buddy who came up from London for the build days, bless him), then also big shout outs to Rob and Matt who also helped on the big builds. It's awesome, as Mark and I skated Rob & Matt's DIY warehouse spot in Brentwood about 10 years ago, and now it's gone full circle.

How has the lockdown from COVID-19 affected the build? Dramatically. For starters, Wickes are not selling sand and cement as they're not essential items, so getting materials has been a mission. Fortunately a small family-run builders merchant got me sorted. With the local skateparks officially taped off and police monitoring them, we've had more skaters visit, in small groups luckily. Downside of this is the ground is getting more worn day by day! We've also had more non-skater visitors than ever, with the residents of the local houses nearby all coming over to take a look, and they've all been very supportive when I've spoken to them. I've got to know one guy who heads down there every morning to work out; it's great to see the space being used by everyone.

What have you got planned for the spot in the future? Currently in build is a new 7 stair with a low, long round handrail, and importantly, a BBQ. I've got plans to finish tidying the last bit of the edge and bank down to the lower panel. I'd like to add a long flatbar in the side section. And finally I'd like to extend and join the far end with a bank, making the whole layout a complete L shape, which is a lot of work! We really need to work on a lot of the holes in the floor too, and also dig away at the sides. The more you dig, the more room you have to skate but 95% of the digging has ended being by me! We really need to borrow a digger from the site opposite.

What's the sickest trick to go down at the spot so far? For me, seeing Neil Smith shred it up the other week. He did a nollie heelflip down the gap in a line and nollie heelflip fs crook on the little ledge. Not enough from our lot: we spent more time building than skating last summer, so hopefully this year we’ll enjoy skating it more. This has gotta be the worst one: 

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A post shared by @hallofmeat on Oct 5, 2019 at 11:33am PDT

Other than Neil Smith and Thrasher's Hall Of Meat, have you had many high profile skaters visit the spot, or show interest in it? Nah. Smithy is pretty local. The future of the spot is pretty uncertain so we keep it pretty low key. If you know, you know. But obviously I’d love to see people come shred it up.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to start a DIY spot? Pick the right spot. Never stop researching, stuff like mix designs, tools, techniques – all knowledge is good. Preparation is everything, it's better to take two days doing it really well than rushing it in 1 and having to fix it half a year later. Invite trustworthy people, and be prepared for everyone to slate what you've built. Everyone has ideas but not many will put the time, money, effort, blood, sweat and tears in!

Anyone you want to thank? @mr_radman for teaching me everything, all the support and encouragement to build the rubble spot, and the many hours he spends behind the camera capturing us all. @wjstringer for all the help and support from day 1, likewise @meerington_ for the many hours of help and all the sick sessions we've had skating recently. Shouts to @kit1 and @redbulluk for showing support for me last year and sending over a pallet of materials.

Big up everyone who's donated and helped out, and come along for a session. Let's hope we can have a few more soon! 

[noplacecalledhome]

9 Best Resorts To Stay In Pawleys Island South Carolina – Top Hotel Reviews

Pawleys Island South Carolina is beautiful and has lots of resorts. Ofcourse we are only looking for the best resorts in Pawleys Island South Carolina. It’s important to compare them because there are so many places to stay in Pawleys Island South Carolina. You’re probably wondering where to stay in Pawleys Island South Carolina. To see which resort sounds better than the other, we created a top 9 list. The list will make it a lot easier for you to make a great decision. We know you only want the best resort and preferably something with a reasonable price.

Our list contains 9 resorts of which we think are the best resorts in Pawleys Island South Carolina right now. Still, some of you are more interested in the most popular resorts in Pawleys Island South Carolina with the best reviews, and that’s completely normal! You can check out the link below.

Skip to the most popular resorts in Pawleys Island South Carolina.

9 Best Resorts In Pawleys Island South Carolina:

Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort

Description:

One of our top picks in Pawleys Island.This property is a 9-minute walk from the beach. Located in Pawleys Island, 19 miles from Myrtle Beach, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort features air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant.Certain rooms feature a sitting area where you can relax. A balcony or patio are featured in certain rooms. Every room has a private bathroom equipped with a bathtub or shower. Extras include free toiletries and a hairdryer. A TV with cable channels is available.You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property.The resort also provides bike rental. The nearest airport is Myrtle Beach Airport, 17 miles from Litchfield Beach Resort.

Reviews:

Great place to stay. I would highly recommend to anyone.

The room was clean and neat. The price was affordable for the location. The staff were friendly and courteous.

OMG, what I like? Everything, the place was fabulous, the staff went the extra mile to accommodate us in the exact room we were looking for, very nice people, we are very grateful. Thank you guys, you are awesome!!! See you next time!!!!

Location was great for visiting Brookgreen Gardens.

The price was great. The room was clean and comfortable.

For more info click here.

Pawley’s True Blue

Description:

Featuring free WiFi and a hot tub, Pawley’s True Blue offers accommodations in Pawleys Island, just 23 miles from Myrtle Beach. The resort has an outdoor pool, year-round outdoor pool and barbecue, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant.Every room is equipped with a flat-screen TV. Certain accommodations feature a sitting area for your convenience. The rooms are fitted with a private bathroom equipped with a hot tub and bathtub.You can play tennis at the resort. The nearest airport is Myrtle Beach Airport, 21 miles from the property.

Reviews:

No reviews yet.

For more info click here.

Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club

Description:

Featuring free WiFi and a restaurant, Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club offers accommodations in Pawleys Island, just 24 miles from Myrtle Beach.All rooms come with a TV with cable channels. Extras include free toiletries and a hairdryer.You can play tennis at the resort. The resort also provides free use of bicycles. Myrtle Beach Airport is 22 miles from the property.

Reviews:

No reviews yet.

For more info click here.

True Blue Golf Resort

Description:

One of our top picks in Pawleys Island.Showcasing an outdoor pool, barbecue and playground, True Blue Golf Resort is located in Pawleys Island in the region of South Carolina, just 23 miles from Myrtle Beach. The resort has a terrace and hot tub, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant.Certain units have a sitting area where you can relax. All rooms have a private bathroom equipped with a bathtub or shower.You can play tennis at the resort. Myrtle Beach Airport is 21 miles away.

Reviews:

Location. Stayed there for tournament at True Blue Golf Course

I liked that we only had to stay at this place one night, they gave us a different place the remaining two nights

Well maintained inside, and the grounds were beautiful. It felt like home.

I like everything about the place. It was beautiful and really clean.

A good sized set of rooms with balcony. Well equipped and pretty quiet.

For more info click here.

Ellington at Wachesaw East

Description:

One of our top picks in Myrtle Beach.Showcasing a hot tub and fitness center, Ellington at Wachesaw East is located in the Murrells Inlet neighborhood in Myrtle Beach, just 3 miles from Garden City Pier. The resort has an outdoor pool and barbecue, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar. Free WiFi is provided and free private parking is available on site.Each room at this resort is air conditioned and is equipped with a TV and DVD player. Certain rooms have a sitting area for your convenience. You will find a coffee machine in the room. Every room is fitted with a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer.You will find concierge services at the property.Bike rental is available at this resort and the area is popular for hiking. Myrtle Manor is 12 miles from Ellington, Wachesaw East, and Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is 13 miles from the property. Myrtle Beach Airport is 11 miles away.

Murrells Inlet is a great choice for travelers interested in seafood, sunshine and food.

Reviews:

the bed was comfy, well furnished suite with quality furniture.

When we first checked, we found our room totally unacceptable. Went back to front desk and, without question, we were moved to a much better, upgraded room and loved it. We didn’t have any ice yet so the cafe personnel were kind enough to supply us with a bag of ice.

The room was comfortable with a small kitchen (which we did not use) , a small living room and two televisions which was good as my wife wanted to watch ice dancing…

I loved everything about this facility. The staff was very hospitable and check in was a breeze. The apartments were in immaculate condition with everything we needed for our stay. The screened in porch overlooking the golf course was a nice touch. The location was amazing. We were close to the beach, outlets etc. The added bonus for me would be the discounts on meals. We will definitely be back in the near future.

The property was very quiet and relaxing. The rooms were clean and large. The bed was comfortable enjoyed getting away to this resort. staff was friendly and the hospitality was helpful. I would return again.

For more info click here.

Surfside Beach Oceanfront Hotel

Description:

One of our top picks in Myrtle Beach.Located on the shores of Surfside Beach, this hotel features rooms with private balconies and beautiful views of the ocean. An on-site beachfront bar and free Wi-Fi are available.The colorful rooms of Surfside Beach Resort provide a cable TV and a refrigerator. A coffee maker and telephone are included.An outdoor pool and whirlpool are open to all guests of Surfside. A relaxing day of fishing can be had on the neighboring Surfside Pier.Scotty’s Beach Bar serves daily drink specials and has no cover charge. Karaoke is held at the bar every Thursday night.The Surfside Beach Resort is 4 miles from Myrtle Beach State Park. The Myrtle Beach International Airport is 9 miles away.

Surfside Beach is a great choice for travelers interested in seafood, food and beach walks.

Reviews:

Fixing up the hotel. Rooms were clean. Beds comfortable. Front desk polite

Bed was comfortable, ocean view was ok but not as good as I have had. Room was clean.

The location was great. Right on the water. Within walking distance to great restaurants. Very clean beach. Room was clean. View from room was great. Staff seemed genuinely concerned that we had a good time. Overall Awesome! We will be coming back.

The staff was excellent, they gave us beach towels to use and invited us to use the facility even after we checked out. Location was excellent!! We will be back!

Perfect location, helpful and friendly staff, great ocean views from the room.

For more info click here.

Waters Edge Resort

Description:

One of our top picks in Myrtle Beach.This property is 1 minute walk from the beach. Located in Myrtle Beach, 0.6 miles from Garden City Pier, Waters Edge Resort features air-conditioned rooms and free private parking.Some accommodations feature a sitting area for your convenience. Each room has a private bathroom. A TV with cable channels is provided.There is an ATM at the property.Myrtle Manor is 8 miles from Waters Edge Resort, and Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is 10 miles from the property. Myrtle Beach Airport is 7 miles away.

Reviews:

Everything was fabulous and I would recommend and go back

The space in the room was amazing! It was stocked amazing too!

So close to the beach. Pool is great..both of them. Nice part of Surfside beach. Close to lots of things we love!! Easy check in

Absolutely my favorite resort along the strand. It was better than I imagined—clean, spacious, affordable and kid friendly!

My husband has back problems and usually sleeps in a chair on vacation.He was able to sleep in the bed comfortably.i don’t know what the brand was but was a great surprise. We loved the balcony and being so close to the water!

For more info click here.

Sea Mystique

Description:

One of our top picks in Myrtle Beach.Located 1,250 feet from Garden City Pier in Myrtle Beach, Sea Mystique features free WiFi access and free private parking.Every room at this resort is air conditioned and is fitted with a flat-screen TV. Some units have a sitting area where you can relax. Enjoy a cup of coffee while looking out at the sea or pool.Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is 10 miles from Sea Mystique, and Skywheel Myrtle Beach is 14 miles away. The nearest airport is Myrtle Beach Airport, 8 miles from the property.

Reviews:

No reviews yet.

For more info click here.

405 Waters Edge

Description:

One of our top picks in Myrtle Beach.Showcasing an outdoor pool and hot tub, 405 Waters Edge is located in Myrtle Beach, just 0.7 miles from Garden City Pier. The resort has a fitness center and indoor pool, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar. Free private parking is available on site.Each room at this resort is air conditioned and has a flat-screen TV. Certain rooms feature a sitting area for your convenience. Enjoy a cup of coffee while looking out at the sea or pool.Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is 10 miles from 405 Waters Edge, and Skywheel Myrtle Beach is 13 miles away. The nearest airport is Myrtle Beach Airport, 7 miles from 405 Waters Edge.

Reviews:

No reviews yet.

For more info click here.

Top Resorts In Pawleys Island South Carolina Conclusion:

The above is a top selection of the best resorts to stay in Pawleys Island South Carolina to help you with your search. We know it’s not that easy to find the best resort because there are just so many places to stay in Pawleys Island South Carolina but we hope that the above-mentioned tips have helped you make a good decision.

We also hope that you enjoyed our top ten list of the best resorts in Pawleys Island South Carolina. And we wish you all the best with your future stay!

Related links:

https://www.noplacecalledhome.com/top-10-best-turntable-parts-and-accessories-top-reviews/ https://www.noplacecalledhome.com/top-10-best-speaker-parts-cabinet-top-reviews/

The post 9 Best Resorts To Stay In Pawleys Island South Carolina – Top Hotel Reviews appeared first on The Seversons.

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[271sustainablestream-blog]

Part 2

1. The place that I selected is a park called the Takoma Piney Branch Local Park and it is located in Takoma Park. Adjacent to the park is a thriving neighborhood along with 3 conveniently placed schools. The park features a basketball court, skateboard park, volleyball site, a shelter area with benches and tables, and children's playground structures including swings and a side. The park is in constant great condition thanks to the constant upkeep, and high quality maintenance. It is currently being used as a place to engage in athletic activity, social interaction, and a gathering place for various events ranging from birthday parties to church meetings.

2. I chose this place because it is very close to where I live. I pass through this place often, usually on my way to the University. I do not feel it is underutilized, many people (young adolescents, mostly) use it. I don’t have a personal connection to this place but memories that tie my history back to the park. These memories are of me when I as at the elementary school next to the park. As children, we would often play games within the park area - though, on warm days, I would just sit in the shade of big tree on a hill, mostly. 

3. Of 16, 715 people, in 6,569 households, 49% are White, 35% are Black, and 14.5% are Hispanic or Latino - these are the three most significant races that you’ll see using the park.  Transit options include metro subway (the station is a short walk away), bus, and bikeshare. Both Uber and Lyft service the area as well. One can of course drive around as they please - there is a generously large parking lot next to the park. Types of housing include, apartments, but mostly standard family homes in the surrounding area. The community does not have any important natural features. The top three businesses in the area include, Michael and Sons, Long Roofing, and Long and Foster (Meg Fin). The community is known for it’s artsy expression via sculpture, crafts, gardening, with many comparing its citizens to that of hippies.

3. Takoma Park is known for it’s historic district. This historic district is deemed historic by the architecture of the residential homes/buildings that follow stick-style, and shingle style inspired Queen Anne Architecture. Besides the historic structures just described, there are no historic structures in or near my place.    

    4. This community does not currently face any special issues or problems. There is the Takoma Park Metro Station just a short walk away, and plenty of buses around along with capital bikeshare so transportation shouldn’t be an issue. Aside from recreational options within the park, one could jump in the public pool at the piney branch elementary school next to the park, or even engage in table tennis, video games, art galleries and more at the Takoma Park Municipal Building.

 5. As a matter of fact, within the past several years, from 2010 to 2012, the park went under redevelopment. The goal was to create a more sustainable park, that not only offered more to locals but also appeared more welcoming to visitors, and people who didn’t want to get out of the house - the look and feel of being in the park made social and physical exercise truly enjoyable than before. Currently, plans for redevelopment aren’t made but new development is on the rise as a dog park is being constructed as an addition to the park.

6. The community does not have plan for my public place. I can assess what the community wants to do with this place by looking at the Takoma Voice paper (which includes information about what’s going on in the community), and by joining the Takoma Park emailing list.

7. What first comes to mind about improving my public place is park security. There needs to be park officers or like minded individuals that report illegal activity to the police. The park has once again been occasionally occupied by drug dealers, and users. This kind of negative behavior can scare off people rather than welcome them. Furthermore, eventually the park’s quality will deteriorate - not to mention the graffiti all over the skate park.

Intro to Place Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWvzuSQNugs&feature=youtu.be

Reflection on Designing Places for People & the Ecological Footprint

In regards to designing places for people, it’s important to design a high quality environment similar to that of the Takoma Piney Branch Local Park. People are most likely to enjoy their time in a place that is well kept and tidy. According to the article, Life Between Buildings, “ When outdoor areas are of poor quality, only strictly necessary activities occur...People hurry home” whereas “ When outdoor areas are of high quality, necessary activities take place with approximately the same frequency - though they clearly tend to take a longer time, because the physical conditions are better. In addition, however, a wide range of optional activities will also occur because place and situation now invite people to stop, sit, eat, play, and so on.”. It really may seem like common sense to know these things but a lot of developers still don’t implement their projects with this in mind. Most developers are likely to develop venues just for profit, without any public art for example - leaving people to search elsewhere for a place that meets their materialistic or even emotional needs. Personally, If I see a gloomy looking street shop venue, or park, that looks deserted yet may have some good features such as a shiny water fountain, or great products for sale, I still won’t go into that place because of the look and feel. I will fear for my safety, and If nobody is around even if it’s a sunny day, I don’t want to be around in a ghost town by myself. People find safety in having others around them, that’s why craigslist sellers meet in public places that have plenty of “eyes on the street” (as Jane Jacobs would say) - they know that transactions are less likely to go wrong when everyone is watching. So, It’s really important to have high quality designed public place such as the Takoma Piney Branch Local Park so people can do anything from just sitting down to rest, to making sales using an online service.

When one looks at the ecological footprint in the Takoma Piney Branch Local Park, the goal of conserving natural resources while establishing an outstanding recreational facility for outdoor engagement has been successfully achieved.  Much of the green space, such as the soccer field, has been kept in shape. Trees, and even bamboo trees (a very special rare occurrence) have been kept in the park thus giving the setting a very authentic feel. Preserving natural resources such as these can prove a challenge, however. Not only must the park be regularly maintained (which the park staff is doing a fabulous job of), the users of the park must be kept in check - which goes back to what I said about improving the park with security. The kids love to hide and play within the bamboo trees doing whatever they possible can. One day, I witnessed kids from the schools in the park trying to light bamboo tops on fire - I reckon they may been going jungle crazy as if they came out of  William Goulding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’.  I also remember seeing a man harvesting bamboo sticks and measuring them with his body on the ground. I like the fact that I can still interact with what I like to consider foreign vegetation, and that this preservation of natural resources interest the kids and adults alike. It seems very promising to the support of the natural environment, and sustainability of the park.

Citation:

Unknown Author. “Three Types of Outdoor Activities ” Life Between Buildings. Print.