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chriscoleman · 10 months

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BCS Mexico Trip Report

Baja California Sur, Mexico

Vacation Trip Report

November 2023

Julia and I traveled to Mexico for a bucket list adventure. Swimming with whale sharks!

Thursday November 23rd (Thanksgiving) we flew into Cabo San Lucas - on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The 1247 kilometer peninsula is separated from mainland Mexico by the Sea of Cortez.

Our Uber driver gave us a tour of his friends/family homes along New Holly on the way to the airport - it was a cute start to a Thanksgiving holiday travel day. The flight was 4 hours direct from Seattle. Upon arrival - Hertz failed to deliver our reserved vehicle - but the Avis salesman called us over and saved the day. Quickly on the road to Cabo by 4pm. After circling the block 3 times we finally found our Airbnb in the Pedregal neighborhood of Cabo hills.

Only 1 quick night in Cabo. We ate a classic Mexican dinner at Mi Casa restaurant, a short walk from our condo. Mariachi band and fortune telling birds were special attractions of the meal. Best lobster enchiladas ever! Next morning we had chilaquiles at Solomon's Landing in the Cabo Marina - watching the captains wash and prep for the daily excursions.

Snorkel at Playa Santa Maria was an impromptu adventure. Google provided positive notes and we adjusted the schedule to make it happen. Massive construction project on the hills above the beach was incredible to watch as we walked in. Pebble beach greeted my soft tender feet, but once we were in the water it was silky smooth sand. Black puffer fish with white spots were my highlight of the snorkel. A quick hour look and back to the car for our main mission - drive to La Paz.

Todos Santos is halfway between Cabo and La Paz. A cute surf town in the middle of the desert. We stopped quickly for frozen drinks, fish tacos, and a stretch of legs. I got tricked into spending $25 on a magnet - which I blame on my misunderstanding of the currency exchange rate, that I slowly got better at over the next 6 days.

1 hour later we hit La Paz. La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, with a population of 250,000. It sits on the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula, not the Pacific Ocean. It’s a friendly beach community with many tourist activities available.

Our condo was basically an expat retirement community. Gated with a pool and common lounge area. Super safe and well maintained property. Our unit had 3 air conditioning units that kept the place below Julia’s comfort level - too cold for a beach vacation she complained!

Dinner on Friday was a massive mistake at Estrella del Mar. The funny kind of mistake. We ordered 6 ceviche's. 6. 6 orders. Six. Another currency misunderstanding. I saw 65 peso’s for 1 order and automatically thought it would be a very small bit of food. Like sushi style - 2 bites and done. I wanted lots of ceviche - so we got 3 each. It took a while to prepare - so we each got an order of shrimp (Julia got diablo and I got coconut) as we were impatient. Then they carted out SIX plates FULL of ceviche. The chef must have been cutting fish/shrimp/octopus forever to make this much food. It was ridiculous what they sold for 65 pesos ($3 USD). 1 order was enough for 2 people. We got S I X orders! No clue why our waiter allowed this to happen - but I’m sure the language barrier didn’t help. HAHAHAHAHA. Still laughing about this one!

Saturday the 25th started with, you guessed it… ceviche for breakfast. Then onto the most famous beach of La Paz - Balandra. Balandra is a protected area - with regulated control of entry times/numbers. They offer 2 windows of access 8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm for 400 people max per session. We chose the early window - which forced us out of bed at 6:30am to get in line by 7:30am. Totally worth it! The crescent beach is very shallow - at high tide it was only waist deep. By the time we left (low tide) the water had receded drastically and you could walk far out and only get knee deep.

Julia learned how to ‘farm puffer fish’ in the shallow water. If you shuffle your feet - which is recommended to avoid stepping on a stingray - the puffer fish come and check you out. They like to swim through the clouds of sand (to eat we think). She had 4 puffers circling her feet at one point!

Tecolote beach is next door to Balandra. A whole different experience from the tranquil no-commercial-activity allowed nature preserve. On Tecolote we hired an umbrella with beach chairs next to Palapa Azul beach bar. Baja style fish/shrimp tacos were delicious. Then swimming into the late afternoon. A day full of watching long Instagram photo shoots and seagulls begging for chips. Local super burrito shop for dinner with a black cat for company.

Sunday the 26th we began our first boat tour. It was complicated by a slow start to the whale shark season. The animals are highly protected in Mexico. The wildlife biologists that track the whales counted only 10 whales in the area. Normally there would be 25+ by November. The regulators said only 8 boats were allowed to tour - and a lottery system was implemented to decide who got access. Luckily our guide secured a 1p-3pm window. We chilled along the ‘Malecon’ (beach boardwalk through La Paz town) and found the remaining Sears company - which is 100% Mexican now - until tour time.

The whale shark tour started at the marina across from our condo. We walked over with our snorkel gear and wetsuit tops. The water is chilly this time of year - plus the regulators require some form of flotation so that swimmers don’t dive down into the whale shark zone. On the boat with 2 other couples (a mother and daughter from Colorado and a couple from New York) we met our captain (Eddy) and guide (Katrin). Eddy zoomed us to the ‘check in’ spot about 10 minutes from the marina. He completed the required radio check with the wildlife authority - to verify we were allowed into the whale shark area with the expected number of customers. 10 minutes later we found the whale zone (other boats were leaving as we arrived, as their window was over).

The whale sharks were feeding on plankton. They don’t eat anything else - so we were in no danger ourselves. The first one we found was vertical in the water. Scooping up plankton with giant gulps while spinning 360 degrees. We quickly got our fins and masks on and jumped in with Katrin. Julia and I were face to face with this 20 foot beast. We simply swam around it while it put on a show. So easy and exciting!

5 minutes in the water, then Eddy swung around and dropped the very sturdy ladder. The next group did their swim as we watched from the boat. Multiple whale sharks in the area, plus dolphins and pelicans. 10 minutes later we were back in for jump 2. Repeated for a total of 5 jumps with 6 different whale sharks. Sometimes we would swim slowly alongside as the whale trolled for food. Other times it would be stand-still, just tread water and look. One point we were sandwiched between 2 whale sharks (they are not social animals, so this was special). Eddy would yell ‘Katrin!!!’ as dolphins or a second whale shark came close - he was the spotter from the boat and Katrin in the water - a solid team. Insane how accessible and rare the snorkeling experience was. Totally life list material right here!

Chocolate clams (unique to the eastern Pacific Ocean) for dinner at a rooftop restaurant. Then home to watch the Seattle Sounders play LAFC in the playoffs semi-finals. A loss at home was disappointing - but we were on a beach vacation - so it stung a tiny bit less.

Monday the 27th was another boat tour. Up at 6am for a 7am sendoff. This ‘Combo’ trip with VIP Tours included 3 hours with the whales, a swim session with sea lions, and secluded island lunch. Ángel was our guide and Fernando our captain. We suited up and left the marina on time with a group of 7 (old couple who just finished a week long dive trip aboard a sailboat, young unprepared couple, and a solo woman who did the sea lion trip the day before). Same check-in with the authority, then into ‘the area’ for whale sharks right at 8am opening. This time was different - being the first tour of the day - we had to find the whale sharks ourselves. ‘The area’ (aka El Mogote) is ~30K long and ~5K wide. The whales can be anywhere. We trolled along at the max speed of 8 knots - silence on the boat as everyone looked for signs of whale activity. A dark shadow or an occasional dorsal fin is all we had to look for. Waves and intermittent clouds made it HARD. Luckily Fernando is awesome & experienced at his job and found us a big whale shark after 30ish minutes.

This experience was much different than Sunday. The whale was on the move! Swimming at what I can only assume was a slow pace for it - and a sprint pace for humans. They don’t call it swimming with whale sharks because you get to watch them from the boat!! Into the water and sprint snorkeling we go!!!

The first jump we kept up for about 45 seconds. Jump in, Angel yells “heads down”, Fernando yells “swim”, and you snorkel like your life depends on it. You try to keep up for as long as your legs/lungs allow - and then retreat to the boat. Next group goes while you catch your breath in the boat. Repeat.

Jumps 2 and 3 we kept up a bit better. The whale slowed down a bit as we entered shallow water. Angel stayed on the whale the entire time - probably swimming 5k over our time with the whale. Fernando would also keep track of the whale - dropping us just in front of its path each time (then yelling SWIM - because everyone always hesitated too long for his liking).

Regulations restrict how long 1 group can follow / harass the whale. We let it go after 3 jumps each. Lucky we got that much action - as 2 other boats never found a whale at all. Wild how different day 1 and 2 were for our whale adventure.

Out of the protected whale area - at full speed ahead - it took 2.5 hours to reach the northern tip of Isla Espiritu Santo. A cold and bumpy ride. This small island is home to 500+ sea lions and their pups. It’s a protected nursery area, a very popular snorkel spot from La Paz. It’s not restricted exactly like the whales - but only 3 other boats were there when we arrived (1 of which was a dive group). Life vests were required - to protect the animals.

They were so playful! Swimming circles around us like water dogs. One nibbled on my hand and pulled at my jacket sleeve. They zoomed around each other too. A pair were super curious about a gopro selfie stick. A tennis ball on the end of a shiny stick would have been heaven for these sea lions (next time I’m making a toy). Another unique experience I never knew existed. Fun!

Late lunch on a sandy beach was well deserved. Ceviche (a normal amount), burritos, fruit, and sodas were perfect. We soaked up the sun in camp chairs Angel/Fernando carried over. Then a short boat ride back to the marina, stopping at ‘the mask’ rock formation and a frigatebirds colony, finally finishing at sunset.

El Paisa taqueria for dinner was close, quick, delicious, cheap, and filling. Impossible combination to beat. The fresh tortillas were perfect and the salsa bar was stacked with toppings. Still ordered too much food - but slowly getting better at ordering the proper amount of food for 1 human.

Tuesday the 28th was our final and most relaxed day. No boat tours or long drives. Baja Beans coffee shop was quickly becoming our go-to spot. We even had time for laundry. Then a walk on the Malecon boardwalk. The farmers market was smaller than expected, but had some unique jewelry and artwork. The Dock Cafe served up a fancy brunch alongside the marina. Then more Baja Beans drinks.

La Paz area doesn’t have a wide variety of beaches. A few really good ones, then some farther out. We chose Tecolote again for its convenience. Beach loungers at the big red barn from ‘big red nose’ guy. So chill. Sit in the shade and have drinks brought out constantly. Life is good! We swam, talked, watched Instagrammer’s, laughed at jet skiers, and relaxed until 4:30pm. Julia didn’t want to leave. The dogs did want us to leave so they could pillage our leftover snacks - a dog snatched our bag of tortillas the second we left. Score!

Wednesday the 29th we left La Paz. Cerritos beach was halfway to the airport - so we made a pit stop. It’s a surfer's beach. Waves of all sizes with a convenient shore break. No surfers when we stopped - but brunch food was delicious (Mexican pancakes!) at Sunset restaurant. Hour later we arrived at the airport. Fueled up the rental car, dropped it off, and traversed the newly renovated Cabo airport.

Home in Seattle by 8pm. 40F and wet. Ready for ski season to start!

Overall a fantastic trip that required very little planning for a not-crazy-expensive beach vacation. Not as super cheap as we expected, but safer and easier to navigate than I worried about. The language barrier was not a problem and we had zero run-ins with the police/bribes. I’d visit BCS again any time and look forward to exploring more areas of Baja in the future. Gracias!

#whalesharks #bcs #lapaz #mexico

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gobbluthbutagirl · 2 years

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didn’t want to say this in the tags of that post but i remember googling “is 23 old” like a week or two after that birthday and finding some article that was clearly meant to be encouraging but to a genre of person that i absolutely am not. like i remember it contained the line “by 23 you’re (hopefully) done with college” and i as a 23-year-old high school dropout who grew up as an isolated shut-in in a college town where pretty much the only thing to do was go to college and therefore felt like a complete failure for never going to college was just like Oh god. Oh fuck. and i tried to *** and wound up involuntary hospitalized not long after that. and when i got out i decided i was too embarrassing of a person to even make posts online so i didn’t use this website for like 4 months. and it was 2020 so it felt like the world had already ended without me ever having a chance to really live. and i had a horrible job in a grocery store bakery waking up at 3am every day to come in and bake bread at 5am every day while listening to my insane ex-coworker justine talk about qanon nonstop for hours. and that july one coworker had to be out for surgery and right after she left another one caught covid(and neither one of the aforementioned coworkers was justine!) so the rest of us had to work 6 days a week. and on my 23rd birthday i had worked 14 of the prior 15 days. and that was my first Real Job(as in not online transcription done from my room in the dead of night) so i had no way of knowing for sure that that level of workplace misery was in fact Not Normal. and my sleep schedule never adjusted despite my best efforts so i was lucky to get 5 hours of sleep per night. and they screwed up and had me listed in the system as a part-time employee even when i was working 48 hours per week so i missed out on multiple holidays i should’ve accumulated as well as a dollar-per-hour raise i should’ve gotten. and i remember when they had me handcuffed in the ambulance i kept screaming, “you can’t do this to me! i have work in the morning! i’m gonna lose my job!” and the emt got fed up with me and yelled back, “maybe so!” and then when my dad had a stroke 3 months later that SAME emt showed up and we recognized each other. and then that next february my dad almost died AGAIN after his colonoscopy went wrong and he nearly bled out internally from where they nicked a vein removing a polyp. and my great-grandma died that same month and the day of her funeral when i woke up at 3am i heard the neighbor’s cat get eaten by a coyote right outside my window. and then the day i finally got my license was the same day jessica walter died and a month and a half later i drove cross-country to los angeles by myself, scored a job interview 3 days later that turned out to be a complete waste of time, got into a crash on the way back that totaled my car, was pressured into getting a rental car that i drove for maybe 10 minutes before some guy merged on top of me, swore off driving forever, and was then stuck for the next 27 days in the airbnb i’d chosen specifically because i was expecting to have a car. also i did not eat carbs even once that entire year. it was beyond horrible

#24 was a way better year. and 25 has been better so far

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 3 years

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Timeline

Family's final actions

The lease on the house had been terminated.

All bank accounts had been closed.

The children's school received a final payment settlement.

Agnès's employer was informed that she was suffering from gastroenteritis and then that she was moving to Australia.

A message was placed on their letter box: "Please return all correspondence to sender. Thank you."

The house had been completely emptied.

March 2011

Rifle bullets were purchased on 12 March.

Xavier registered at the Charles Des Jamonières shooting range to the north of Nantes, where he visited four times between 26 March and 1 April. He obtained his firearms licence on 2 February 2011. Thomas and Benoît had also started to learn how to shoot, while Arthur was scheduled to start.

A sales receipt from a DIY store was found at the family home. The store is located in Saint-Maur in the central French department of Indre, approximately 320 kilometres (200 miles) from Nantes, a 3.5-hour drive away. The receipt was dated to a Wednesday in late March – either the 23rd or the 30th – and listed several purchases, including a roll of large bin liners and a box of adhesive plastic paving slabs.

April 2011

Friday 1 April

Arthur, the oldest child, leaves the college where he was studying and does not turn up at the pizzeria where he worked and was due to go to pick up his monthly wages. His boss is surprised by this, stating that Arthur always came to collect his wages on the first day of the month.

Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès buys cement, a shovel and a hoe.

Saturday 2 April

Xavier buys four bags of lime, 10 kg each, from different shops in the Nantes area.

Sunday 3 April

A neighbour, Fabrice, sees Agnès for the last time. Shortly afterwards, he sees Xavier "putting large bags into his car", a Citroën C5.

The couple and three of the children dine in a restaurant in Nantes, then go to the cinema.

At 10.37 pm, Xavier leaves a message on his sister Christine's answerphone: "We spent our Sunday evening in the cinema together, then in a restaurant, and we've just got back – I'm just calling to ask if it's too late to speak to you on the phone and now I see it's gone to voicemail. But ... I was surprised, you spoke to me about Bertram, who's getting ready for his flight?! Huh?! But ... I thought he'd only just arrived! ... So I was a bit surprised. Anyway, sending you my love ... If it's not too late, call me back or send me a text and I'll call you. OK, I'm going to put the kids to bed, say hi to everyone. See you soon! ... Maybe ...".[30] The recording of the actual message was released publicly in September 2019.

Monday 4 April

Anne and Benoît do not turn up at their school, La Perverie-Sacré-Cœur, "due to illness". Anne's and Benoît's friends become concerned when they are unable to reach them.They remember a rumour about the family leaving for Australia where their father had been given a job transfer, and they find it suspicious that their friends hadn't told them about this "departure". They attempt to contact Benoît and Anne online and by text.

Xavier speaks with his sister, Christine de Ligonnès, on the telephone for 20 to 30 minutes. She said that everything seemed normal.

Xavier dines alone with his son Thomas at La Croix Cadeau, a high-end restaurant in Avrillé, near Angers. The pair arrived at about 9 pm. Xavier ordered a €35 tasting menu with half a bottle of Anjou-villages-brissac red wine; Thomas had a sea bass dish and a tomato juice. The total bill for the meal came to €72.55.The two waiters remember Thomas feeling unwell near the end of the meal, and that Xavier and Thomas barely spoke to each other during the meal.

Investigators believe that Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès murdered his wife and three of his children on the night of 3 to 4 April, then murdered his son Thomas on the evening of 5 April.

Tuesday 5 April

A bailiff comes to the family home to recover a debt of €20,000, but no one answers the door.

The family's neighbours dispute Agnès's stated date of death. They have claimed that she was seen in front of her house on 5 April around 12.15 or 12.30 pm, and again on 7 April.The prosecutor in Nantes acknowledged that forensic experts were unable to narrow the exact date of death down to a specific day. In addition, an employee of a hairdressing salon near the house claimed on RTL to have seen Agnès on Tuesday 5 April. The employee stated, "I came to pick up my wages. It was a Tuesday, it was 5 April. I needed my wages. I saw her on the pavement on her phone around 12.15 or 12.30."

A friend of Thomas who studied music with him confirmed that Thomas spent Tuesday afternoon with him at the friend's home in Angers, where they played music and watched television. Thomas had planned to spend the night at his friend's house, but Xavier phoned his son, asking him to return to Nantes, as his mother had been involved in a "cycling accident". Thomas ate quickly with his friend, then took a train home at around 10 pm. The following day, the friend tried to reach Thomas, but only received brief text messages in reply, such as "I'm not coming to yours. I'm ill" and "Really ill, I'm not coming to class". Two days after Thomas's departure, his friend received a text: "I'm out of battery, my dad's looking for a new charger for me." This is the last that Thomas's friend heard from him or anyone else in the family.

During this week, neighbours heard the family dogs howling for two consecutive nights and then never heard them again.

Wednesday 6 April

Arthur's girlfriend, who is concerned after not having heard from him, knocks on the door of the family home, where "a light was on on the first floor", but the family's two Labradors do not bark when she knocks.

Thursday 7 April

several witnesses claim to have seen Agnès alive

Xavier is seen making several return trips from the house to his car, loading the car with large bags. A neighbour also claims to have spoken to Agnès on this day: "On 7 April, I saw Agnès walking her dog. We spoke briefly, then I cut our chat short because I had an important appointment."

This same neighbour spoke to RTL on condition of anonymity, saying "the newspapers say the autopsies put her death on the 4th [April], but I'm almost convinced I saw her on the evening of Thursday the 7th because I know I didn't have much time to speak to her as I pick up my son from the childminder every Thursday evening."

Friday 8 April

Xavier writes on the Catholic online forum cite-catholique.org. According to the state prosecutor, he "went online for the last time on 8 April from the IP address of the family home in Nantes."

He sends an email to his brother-in-law (Christine's husband), saying "everything's fine, Bertram, you'll hear more detailed news soon through Christine. Bye for now. All the best, Xavier."

A message to Xavier's mother and sister is sent from the family home's IP address. After this was revealed by RTL and Le Figaro on 7 May, the family's lawyer, Stéphane Goldenstein, said "it was sent from their IP address, but what if it was written under duress? Either Xavier killed himself or he was murdered..."

Disappearance and letters

Monday 11 April

Anne and Benoît's school receives a letter signed by Xavier, stating that Anne and Benoît will be leaving the school and the family will be moving to Australia due to "urgent professional changes". The Catholic school where Agnès works receives a resignation letter signed by Agnès, stating the same reason for leaving. The headmaster is unable to reach her by telephone.

A typed, unsigned letter dated 11 April (the date may have been added afterwards) is sent to Xavier's immediate family. This was revealed by the press on 5 May. In this letter, Xavier explains that after having worked covertly for the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the entire family has had to relocate to the United States as part of a Federal Witness Protection Program, and that no one will be able to contact them for a few years. He advises his relatives to circulate reports on social media that the family has in fact moved to Australia. There is no proof that this letter was written by Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès. To this day, results of DNA analysis (if any) are unknown.

Xavier spends the night of 11 to 12 April at the Hôtel Première Classe in Blagnac, near Toulouse, in southern France, and pays for his stay by credit card. He then leaves in his Citroën C5.

Tuesday 12 April

Xavier spends the night of 12 to 13 April at the Auberge de Cassagne in Le Pontet in Vaucluse, in south-eastern France, under the false name of Mr Laurent Xavier. He pays €214.59 by credit card.

Wednesday 13 April

Neighbours in Nantes become concerned and contact the police. The house's shutters have been closed for more than a week and Agnès's car has been parked outside on the street the entire time.

Xavier spends the night of 13 to 14 April at a hotel in La Seyne-sur-Mer in Var, south-eastern France. He had lived in the town in the 1980s. A former girlfriend from that time informed the police that Xavier had contacted her that evening, although they did not meet.

Thursday 14 April

Xavier withdraws €30 from an ATM in Roquebrune-sur-Argens in Var.

That evening, Xavier sleeps at the Hotel Formule 1 in the town, where he is captured on film by a surveillance camera – the last known sighting of him.

Friday 15 April

Xavier checks out of the hotel, abandoning his car there.

Investigation and discovery of bodies

]Tuesday 19 April

An investigation was opened and revealed Xavier's purchase of the DIY materials.

Thursday 21 April

A "wanted" notice is issued for the whole family. During the day, investigators discover the remains of Agnès and the four children under the patio in the back garden of the house. The family's two Labrador dogs had also been killed and buried.

During the night of 21 to 22 April, the metallic-blue Citroën C5 with registration 235 CJG 44 is found in the car park of the Formula 1 Hotel in Roquebrune-sur-Argens by police equipped with an automatic number plate recognition system.The whereabouts of a Pontiac, which was also being sought, remain unknown to this day.

Investigators turn towards a line of inquiry involving a monastery. It is speculated that Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès could have withdrawn to a monastery, where he would be afforded discretion.

Autopsies, funeral and cremation

22 April: autopsies

According to the autopsies, the victims were drugged and then shot dead with a .22 Long Rifle as they slept. Xavier has a weapon of this calibre, which he inherited from his father three weeks before the murders.

The prosecutor in Nantes states that he will allow the victims to be buried in the next few days. The surprising speed of this procedure, combined with the fact that relatives were advised not to view the bodies, leads Xavier's relatives to believe that the bodies recovered are not those of Agnès and her children.

An international arrest warrant is issued to locate Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, in order to obtain witness testimony from him with regard to the murders.

28 April: funeral

The family's funeral was held at 2.30 pm at Saint-Félix Church in Nantes.

Hunt for Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès

On 29 April, a search was carried out in the Var department. On 10 May, an international arrest warrant was issued for Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès. He remains not found.

#Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès #true crime #cold cases #unsolved #UNSOLVED MYSTERIES #post

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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

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ROUGH ROAD TO TOP

August 16, 1953

(1)

One of the more famous CBS-TV shows is “I Love Lucy.”

Its two chief characters - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz - have had a rocky road to their present status as one of the top comedy teams in the country.

At the end of Lucille's first year in dramatic school she was told by her teachers that she was wasting her time and money, that she would never become an actress. She was fired from all four of her first jobs as a chorus girl. Later, as a model, she almost lost her life in an automobile accident and was told she would never walk again.

Revolution Factor

It was a revolution in Cuba and a mishap in World War II which were fateful turns in Arnaz’ trip to stardom. The Cuban revolution destroyed his family’s wealth, drove them to the United States. World War II got him a broken kneecap in basic training, and since he had been a professional entertainer, he was placed in limited service and assigned to entertain hospitalized G.I.s'.

Columbia Pictures gave Lucille a contract as a stock player, and, convinced that her luck finally had turned, she sent for mother, grandfather, and sister to join her in California. But, the morning after she wired her family, the studio decided to dissolve its stock company. When the family arrived, Lucille was working as an extra at Paramount.

Bit parts and extra roles in a number of pictures kept Lucille busy, but not prosperous, until she was cast in ’"Roberta.” RKO officials, impressed by her work, gave her a contract. When not busy before the cameras, she was a mainstay of the studio's Little Theater. (2)

Offered Stage Lead

Her performance in the second lead in “The Girl from Paris" (3) drew Broadway's attention to Miss Ball and she was offered a lead in the musical "Hey Diddle Diddle.” After satisfying her yen to perform on the Great White Way (4), she returned to Hollywood for "Stage Door” and “Too Many Girls.” In the latter picture, she was costarred with Desi Arnaz. They were married Nov. 30 1940 in Greenwich, Conn.

Back from her honeymoon, Lucille walked into her first really big break a role in "The Big Street,” based on a story by Damon Runyon (5). Overnight it made her a star.

Her first assignment at M.G.M. in 1942 was the title role in the Technicolor production "Du Barry Was a Lady” (6). Stellar roles followed in "Best Foot Forward” and "Meet the People" (7). After completing "Easy to Wed” with Van Johnson (8), she headed for New York to be with her husband, then out of the army and on his way to success in the orchestra business.

Starred on Tour

Shortly after completing "Her Husband’s Affairs,” (9) Miss Ball went on tour as star of Elmer Rice's play "Dream Girl” (10) then worked with Sonny Tufts and Victor Mature in "Interference” for R.K.O. (11)

Lucille, Desi, arid their year-old daughter Lucy Desiree, live at Desilu, their five-acre ranch at Chatsworth, Calif. They raise cattle, chickens, dogs, and cats and dabble in farming. Enthusiastic fishermen they spend a lot of time on their boat.

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha was born in Santiago, Cuba, son of the mayor. Desi’s mother, Dolores de Acha, was considered among the 10 most beautiful women In Latin America.

Three ranches totaling 100,000 acres, a palatial home in the city, a private island in Santiago Bay, speedboats, a fleet of motor cars, and a racing stable were all at the command of the youthful Desi during the pre-revolutionary days. His father, after eight years as mayor of Santiago, was made a member of the Cuban congress In 1932.

On Aug. 12, 1933, came the revolution. Congress was dissolved. Its members jailed. The Arnaz property was confiscated, the homes burned to the ground. In 24 hours everything was gone except $500 Desi's mother had hidden. Desi and mother fled to Miami, devoted the next six months to efforts to free Papa Arnaz. from prison. They were finally reunited in Florida.

For Desi, life in these United States for several years was hard but interesting: he worked at truck driving, train yard checking, taxi driving, bookkeeping, and, of all things, bird cage cleaning. Desi’s father managed to launch an importing business. It went broke when a shipment of fruit spoiled in transit.

Show business at this point finally caught up with Desi. His first job was playing guitar and singing with a seven-piece rhumba band at Miami’s Roney-Plaza Hotel (12). Xavier Cugat (13) spotted him, was impressed with this Cuban boy who was to be dubbed "The Tempo” by critics of modem music. After a year as featured vocalist with the Cugat band, Desi organized his own group of musicians and moved into the swank La Conga Café in Miami (14).

George Abbott's Broadway hit "Too Many Girls” (15) was Desi’s next step up the ladder, in 1939. He played a Cuban football player, one of the leads, and played tropical drums. RKO bought the film rights and signed Desi to play his stage role. When the shooting was over Desi married the leading lady, Lucille Ball.

He spent from Feb. 1943 to Nov. 1945 in the Army, after which he toured the nation with his band playing theaters, dances, night clubs. He hasn’t been without a band since. In 1948, Desi made the Columbia film "Holiday in Havana.” (16)

He made a vaudeville tour with Lucille Ball and that convinced them they’d do well as a husband-and-wife team on television. The tour inspired the CBS-TV show “I Love Lucy,” which has been highly rated since it started. (17)

Desi Arnaz’s personality is as vibrant as the music he makes. He is friendly, direct in manner, has flashing dark brown eyes and brown hair. He’s an avid fisherman, rides and swims expertly: his tennis is the envy of his San Fernando Valley neighbors, Sue and Alan Ladd, Francis Lederer, Jackie Oakie, and the Andrews Sisters. (18) A good cook, he specializes in such tempting dishes as Ginger Beef and Bouillabaisse.

# # #

FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) The photo is from “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2) aired on October 22, 1951, nearly two years earlier. There’s one thing missing from this file photo: Vivian Vance. The success of the show was its foursome, not threesome! If you look closely you can see the hands of the other poker players, Richard Reeves (Hank, left) and Tony Michaels (Charlie, right).

(2) Lucille did several plays at the RKO Little Theatre under the direction of Lela Rogers (above), Ginger’s mom. When Lucille later bought RKO, she dubbed it the Desilu Playhouse, a training ground for new young performers, often hand selected by Ball herself.

(3) “That Girl from Paris” (not “The” as the article states) was Lucille’s 33rd film. The light-hearted musical romance earned an Oscar nomination for Sound Recording. It was released on the first day of 1937.

(4) Lucille was indeed cast in the Broadway-bound comedy (it was not a musical, however) “Hey Diddle Diddle!” It opened in Princeton, New Jersey, the first of several out-of-town stops on the way to Broadway. What Lucille’s publicity omits is that the show never got further than Washington DC due to the serious illness of its leading man, Conway Tearle. So Lucy’s Broadway debut would have to wait - until 1960!

(5) “The Big Street” opened on September 4, 1942. It was based on a Damon Runyan short story about a night club singer (Lucille) embittered by an accident that left her in a wheelchair and her romance with a naïve admirer (Henry Fonda) named Pinks. Lucy later said it was her favorite of the many films she made. It was her 55th film.

(6) “Du Barry Was A Lady” premiered in August 1943. It was Lucille’s 57th film, but her first for MGM. She nabbed the role from her friend Ethel Merman, who had done the Cole Porter musical comedy on Broadway. It was filmed in color, and was the film that earned her the nickname “Technicolor Tessie” because of her bright orange hair - a color she committed to from then on, despite her roots! This is the film that introduced Lucy to the song “Friendship”, which she would also sing on “I Love Lucy.”

(7) In the musical comedy “Best Foot Forward” (1943) Lucille Ball played herself. It was her 58th film. “Meet The People” (1944) was a romantic comedy for MGM, Ball’s 60th film.

(8) In 1946 she released her 63rd film, “Easy To Wed” co-starring Van Johnson and Esther Williams. Lucille and Van had appeared together in “Too Many Girls” and he would appear on Lucy’s television shows.

(9) “Her Husband’s Affairs” (1947) was a romantic farce with Lucy teamed with Franchot Tone. It was her 69th film.

(10) Back to the stage, Lucille accepted the leading role in a revival tour of “Dream Girl” a fantasy comedy by Elmer Rice. Once again, the play launched in Princeton, but this time Broadway was not the goal. It had already played the Great White Way two years earlier. The play toured the country at select cities, landing Lucille back in California in late 1947. In one SoCal gig she was appearing simultaneously with Desi and his band just a few blocks away. No doubt this was by design.

(11) RKO’s “Interference” was re-named “Easy Living” (1949) and dealt with the world of professional sports, namely football. It co-starred Victor Mature and Sonny Tufts. It was Ball’s 71st film.

(12) The luxurious Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach was located on the corner of Collins Avenue and 23rd Street. It opened in 1925 and was demolished in 1968. The resort attracted a who's who that included Hollywood stars and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The hotel's Bamboo Room & Restaurant was the place to be seen on the Beach for decades.

(13) Xaviar Cugat (1900-1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City he was the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf–Astoria before and after World War II. He was a mentor and friend to Desi Arnaz, who kept his name before the public by making him a rival of Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” where his name became a punchline. In reality, Desi was grateful to Cugat, not jealous of him!

“I learned a lot from Xavier Cugat” ~ Desi Arnaz

(14) La Conga Café was located in New York City, not Miami, although the article may be referring to a different, lesser known establishment where Desi Arnaz performed. He became a regular headliner at La Conga, even issuing a record titled “La Conga” in 1939.

(15) Speaking of 1939 New York, Desi appeared in his only Broadway show in 1939, Rogers and Hart’s “Too Many Girls.” When the film rights were purchased by RKO, Desi was hired by director George Abbott to recreate his role. It was while filming this movie that he met Lucille Ball.

(16) “Holiday in Havana” was a Columbia picture released in October 1949. The film is about a Cuban hotel busboy (Arnaz) who dreams of becoming a composer. His love interest was not Lucy, but Mary Hatcher.

(17) The Tour incorporated some of the same routines seen in the “I Love Lucy” pilot as well as early episodes of the series, most notably the “Cuban Pete / Sally Sweet” duet. The tour culminated at the Roxy in New York City, where Desi was playing when he married Lucille in 1940.

(18) Before moving to their Beverly Hills mansion, Lucy and Desi lived on a ranch in Chatsworth in San Fernando Valley. They dubbed their ranch home Desilu. About their neighbors:

Alan Ladd (1913-64) was a chorus boy when Lucille was an Earl Carroll showgirl in Murder at the Vanities (1934). He was married to Sue Carol (1906-82) from 1942 until his death. Carol’s name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Fashion Show” when Lucy selects the same Don Loper original that Carol has chosen to wear in the fashion show. She does not appear on screen.

Francis Lederer (1899-2000) was a Hungarian-born actor. In 1960 he did an episode of Desilu’s “The Untouchables”. From 1941 until his death he was married to Marion Irvine.

Jackie Oakie (1903-78) did four films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1938, including both “Annabell” movies.

The Andrews Sisters were the pre-eliminant close-harmony girl group of their time. The consisted of Patty, Maxine, and LaVerne. They were mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Be a Pal” in the same scene that the photo at the top of the article came from. In 1969, Patty Andrews guest-starred as herself on “Here’s Lucy”. Lucy and Lucie played the other two Andrews sisters.

#Lucille Ball #Desi Arnaz #1953 #I Love Lucy

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keeptheotherone · 3 years

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Mecation: Day 1

Thursday

I once read social media described as an indulgence of the fantasy that others are interested in the details of our lives. I’m indulging in that fantasy this week by blogging about my Mecation under the guise of travel blogging ;)

If you follow me in even the most casual way, you know I’m a nurse. While I’ve enjoyed the vast majority of my 23 years as such, I don’t recommend it during a pandemic. The last 18 months have been the second-worst mental health period of my life, demoted to that position not because of the mildness of my symptoms but simply because at 15 I didn’t have the experience or perspective to realize my life was not, in fact, ruined forever.

COVID increased my personal vulnerability as a high-risk patient and made my job immensely more difficult in countless ways both small and large, but the worst part of the pandemic for me (so far) is it took away all my coping mechanisms precisely when I needed them most. Massage, pedicures, dinner out with friends, travel ... all gone practically overnight. Pre-COVID I travelled all the time--home to my parents’, long weekends by myself (Mecation!), annual visits to BFFs, conferences, tourism, the beach, my birthday, writing trips, international trips ... I always had at least one trip in the works, usually one booked and one (or more!) in the planning stages.

When COVID started, all my close friends and family except for two lived out of state. One of those two was out of town but close enough to get together, but the other was a few hours’ drive away. I’m single and live alone; it was the most isolated I’ve ever been in my whole life.

With my bestest friends over 500 miles away, I still feel that way sometimes. I haven’t seen them in a year. If it weren’t for COVID, it would only be 7 or 8 months (I’ve gone every January or February since ... forever). Then again, if it weren’t for COVID, I wouldn’t have been there last September; one had been hospitalized and I needed to see she was all right with my own two eyeballs. I expect it will be at least another 7 or 8 months before we get together again, bringing the total to about 20 months. One year we saw each other 5 times in 9 months, our personal best since college.

I was alone on Christmas. Oh, I’ve spent December 25th on my own before; I’m a nurse. I’ve worked the night of the 24th or the 25th (or both), or whatever combination that didn’t leave enough time off to drive home. But I’ve never spent the Christmas season without my parents. Sometimes the week before, sometimes the week after, sometimes at my place instead of home, but always together. But last Christmas COVID was raging, the vaccines had just come out but were only available to first responders (I got mine on the 23rd), and my elderly parents didn’t feel safe to travel. So I spent Christmas without family.

Travel was not just a break from my daily routine and the stress of nursing; in many ways, the biggest benefit travel made to my mental and emotional health was giving me something to look forward to. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” and ohhh, I was so heartsick last year! Not being able to travel meant I couldn’t visit my best friends of almost 25 years (more than half my life!). Not being able to travel meant I couldn’t lean on my dad or be hugged by my mom. Not being able to travel--and not knowing when I could travel--left this gaping hole in my future, and I had nothing to fill it with.

I tell you this not to throw a pity party but to explain the significance of the trip I’m on right now. It is only my third this year: my dad and I spent a week in the mountains in February (my depression and anxiety was so bad then that was treatment, not vacation), I took a friend to the beach over my birthday, and now I’m a couple hours from home at a nice spa hotel. (I’m not counting my nephew’s graduation, which was emotionally challenging for multiple reasons, or helping a friend move from Florida. Moving is never fun.)

I started planning this trip in the spring ... May, maybe? You know, after the vaccine rolled out to everyone and case counts were dropping and it looked like we were gonna lick this thing and have a quasi-normal summer by the Fourth of July (yes, I’m American. That date is a proper noun here.). I had switched jobs in November (don’t ask) and gone on mental health leave December 29th, so I felt I owed it to my unit to put in about six months of work before taking any significant time off, especially since I came back at 24 hours instead of 36. That meant September.

I knew what I wanted to do: 4 or 5 days at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. I’d been before and loved the freedom of not worrying about every little expenditure (what can I say, I’m cheap), and a few days of Vitamin Sea sounded perfect.

Then came Delta.

All right, maybe going out of the country isn’t the best idea, I thought. Don’t want to end up with expensive reservations and then your destination closes to Americans, or you make it to your chosen island but can’t get back home. But I didn’t want to fly (ugh, airports!), I didn’t want to drive (rest stops and restaurants and gas stations), and while I thought about taking the train, it didn’t seem much of an improvement (and maybe a downgrade) on flying.

Then a friend mentioned a sleeper car, and I thought yes! That could work! I’ve never been to New England, I want to go to Boston, that area of the country has low case rates and the highest vaccination rates, this has potential!

Then I looked at the CDC map. There were only four states that didn’t have high transmission at that time (early August, I think; I’d had to wait for confirmation that my time off had been approved): Michigan, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire. All four had substantial rates of transmission. Hardly ideal, but one thing I’ve learned this year is sometimes you have to make compromises to protect your mental health. It is true it doesn’t matter if you’re happy if you’re dead; it is also true it doesn’t matter if you’re safe if you want to kill yourself. (I’m not suicidal, I am receiving treatment, don’t anybody panic.)

So, now I’ve settled on Maine or New Hampshire by train via sleeper car (Michigan is too far for a 4-5 day trip and RI--meh). Well, as I got deeper into planning, turned out Maine or NH were awfully far too. Far enough I would have to overnight in a major city, which pretty much defeated the purpose of isolating in a sleeper car. Then I found out there were no sleeper cars on either train route.

So, now vacation is 5 weeks away and I’m back at square one. The Deep South, Texas, and Florida are imploding. Pediatric cases are rising--kids are sicker and make up a higher percentage of cases than they did last year. Scuttlebutt from my ICU colleagues is it’s bad--17/30 MICU beds are COVID and they’re all vented. SICU is being nicknamed “the ECMO unit.” The hospital has 18(!) ECMO machines and 12 are in use; the float nurse who tells us that didn’t even know we had 12 because she’s never seen that many in use at one time. Hospital-wide our numbers are equivalent to early February (we peaked in January). There were six--SIX--pediatric rapid responses in one day.

And I’m going to travel.

It’s a big deal ... a big accomplishment, really, because of what it says about how I’m successfully managing my anxiety. April 1 was the first time I’d been inside a grocery store in more than a year ... and that wasn’t my idea. It was late April or May before I was comfortable eating in restaurants, even with the falling case count at the time. I’m still not sure if I’m managing my anxiety or reacting to the pressure by going to the opposite extreme (I have a history of that), but I know I’m less stressed, less anxious, have fewer obsessive thoughts, fewer physical symptoms, and am learning to live with this disease.

So, here I sit at a marble-topped 5-foot-wide desk in my queen/queen hotel room at the end of a productive and enjoyable day. I slept in, completed the big goal of this weekend’s to-do list that I honestly thought would take several days, unpacked and organized my room (I arrived yesterday evening), reorganized my Favorites Bar and Bookmarks on my Mac, had an 80-minute aromatherapy massage, enjoyed a shower in the spa afterwards and even blow-dried my hair(!) before wandering around for a while to get the lay of the land and get some steps in (this place is huge!). Then I changed clothes and took myself out to dinner for my favorite food, Italian.

That’s me in the picture up top, all dressed up :) Actually, I probably look pretty normal to y’all; like most people with depression, my personal hygiene sunk to new lows in the last year and a half, and as a low-maintenance person to begin with, that’s saying a lot. I bought that necklace as a bridesmaid and am not sure I’ve worn it since; this spring was her 10th anniversary. Yesterday I took out the cat-shaped earrings Dad gave me for Christmas. (Yes, they were gross. Yes, I cleaned them. Yes, I’m wearing them again now.) Just wearing a nice top, fixing my hair (no ponytail or claw-clip bun, my staples), and adding jewelry was a big deal ... especially since “no one” was going to see me. I did it just for me, to make myself feel good. And I did. (That’s another small pleasure COVID took away from me--lip gloss. If I wore any makeup at all, it was lipstick or gloss. Utterly pointless when you’re masked whenever you’re in public.)

I took my laptop to dinner and edited a couple chapters of my new Charlie/Amy fic (previewed during #ktoo turns 10), ran a couple errands, and headed back to the hotel since I don’t like to be out late by myself in an unfamiliar city. Forgot I put my receipt envelope in the backseat pocket and reorganized the glove compartment looking for it, then gathered a bunch of returns into a bag in the trunk. Hung out writing in the lobby until my Mac threatened to die, came upstairs and tidied up, put on my jammies, and talked to you guys :)

#ktoo travels #covid coping #mental health #about ktoo #ktoo nurses #herself

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foster-the-world · 3 years

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Driving and driving and driving and driving

Ugh. On day two of driving home. We did this drive at Christmas and drove through the night to make it in a straight shoot. I remember it being manageable but I must have blocked the memory. We left yesterday at noon. Still have two hours to go and won’t get home until 10pm. It was a great trip. So nice that my relatives threw a party for baby boy. He loves swimming. The girls had a blast. I finished all of my exams. Got a B. 37 credit hours total. 4 Bs and 7 As. Not bad. Now I’m off until August 23rd. Because I completed two classes to transfer in I only have 8 hours for the first semester and classs are online. So the first semester should be very manageable.

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greenbagjosh · 3 years

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23 April 2001 - the Böögg burns slowly - James Joyce found in Fluntern

Grüezi Mitenand! Bonjour! Buongiorno! Hi everyone!

Thank you for joining me on the fifth day of the April 2001 journey. Today is Monday the 23rd April 2001.

As I was still under the influence of jetlag, I went to bed early the previous night after dinner. I consequently woke up about 4:40 AM, it was still dark. I did not have any roommates to disturb so I just went to the shower in the hall. The hostel would not serve breakfast until 6 AM, so I left the hostel about 5 AM, walked to the Besenrainstrasse bus stop and took it to Morgental where I changed to the tram line 7 - note, I had my Swiss Pass with me, so I did not have to buy a separate ticket. I picked up a copy of the 20 Minuten newspaper and it had an article about today's upcoming event at 6 PM, the Sechseläuten burning of the Böögg.

What is a Böögg? Since the 19th Century, Sechseläuten has been celebrated every mid-April in Zürich. According to zuerich.com, "Who or What is a Böögg? The word “Böögg” is probably related to the word “bogeyman” and similar names in other languages for this frightening imaginary figure, such as Bullebeiss, Buhmann or Boesman. In Zurich, the Böögg resembles a snowman and symbolizes the winter. The burning of the Böögg serves to drive out the winter and herald the spring." Eventually the Bürkliplatz towards Lake Zürich was too small, so it was moved across the Limmat eastward to the Bellevueplatz, on the northern end of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung headquarters. You might know the Bellevueplatz as the starting point for the Street Parade techno music festivals that start about 1 PM on the second Saturday in August, of which I have been to five in total so far.

So what happens at the Sechseläuten festival? Sechseläuten is a half-day holiday, in the Canton of Zürich, but nowhere specifically else in Switzerland. The Böögg is a textile snowman filled with explosives and is meant to be set alight on a controlled flame, in other words, a bonfire. The most explosives are put in the snowman's head. Then there is a parade, for the guilds of Zürich from Paradeplatz to Bellevueplatz, to put the Böögg on top of the wood for the bonfire. That is the plan for the afternoon.

I took the tram about 5:15 AM to Selnau station and walked from one end to the other. I exited the station, and walked along Sihlstrasse to the intersection of Talstrasse and Löwenstrasse. At the pedestrian crossing there was a crossing stripe with the phrase "rauf mit den o+löhnen" spraypainted, with o+ being the female symbol, I guess a demand for gender pay equality. That was about 5:35 AM, according to the picture screenshot.

About 5:38 AM I found a guild sign, namely the "Zunft Schwamendingen" while walking along Talackerstrasse that leads southeast to Paradeplatz. At Paradeplatz was a big banner for the local tram company VBZ (Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich) "damit am Sechseläuten nur der Böögg den Kopf verliert" (so that on Sechseläuten, only the Böögg loses his head". I remember from September 2000 a similar banner for Knabenschiessen, as I was in Zürich for that festival as well. I took a tram to Bellevueplatz to have a look at the bonfire. It must have been stacked about two stories high. I took a tram line 6 to Bahnhof Enge and then tram 7 to the hostel. It was about 6:55 AM and the hostel started serving breakfast, in the part where in 2004 onwards the checkin desk is located now. With the renovations of December 2001 onwards, the checkin desk and hostel restaurant had swapped sides of the hostel ground floor. I can explain at another time. Breakfast included bread, cheese, cold cut meats, dry cereal, milk, tea, orange juice and coffee. Coffee was from the espresso machine and you could order at least three different kinds of coffee drinks, all for free during breakfast. For tea, you would pick out a bag, and with the espresso machine just select the hot water.

As the Sechseläuten parade would not start until about 2 PM, I decided to make a couple of side trips. One of which to Aarau in the canton of Aargau to the northwest, and to Üetliberg to compare a nice sunny and warm September visit would be to a chilly one in April. I thus took my video camera, my Swiss Pass, and headed to the Besenrainstrasse bus stop, Morgental and on to Zürich HB. I boarded a train to Bern that would stop at Lenzburg AG and Aarau. There was not much in Aarau that I particularly wanted to see, other than the Altstadt and crossing the Aare at Flösserplatz. Little did I know that Aarau is close to the cantonal border with Solothurn, and I did not take time to walk along route 5 to cross, but I made up for it a few days later when changing trains at Olten. Before returning to Zürich, I remember passing by the Pickwick pub. It was, and is still, at Graben 6 close to the Kasinopark. It was not yet 11 AM and I was in no mood for any alcohol at that time, and I needed to return to Zürich.

I took the train back to Zürich via Lenzburg, and changed to the S-10. I may have mentioned the S-10 many times in the past, and it is an anomaly in comparison to the other S-Bahn lines in Zürich. Its rolling stock, instead of the standard 15 kV / 16 2/3 Hz voltage as used by SBB, Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB of Austria, uses the 1,000 V DC, which is long since outdated and is due to be decommissioned by 2023, but is still used by the existing rolling stock. To avoid a conflict of voltages, the pantographs of the S-10 rolling stock are moved from the center of the train but placed on the left side (assuming the direction of travel is towards Zürich HB) with its own catenary. Parts of the tunnel between Zürich HB, Selnau and Binz/Giesshübel allow for opposite side and switchback use by both lines S-4 and S-10, but SBB and VBZ have seen an increase in ridership on S-10 and they are trying to invest in line expansion, so the 1,000 V DC power will need to be decommissioned and only one power source will be supported. The S-18, aka Forchbahn, is another story, which I will not go into at this time.

About 11:25 AM I returned to Zürich HB. The tracks to the S-10 are underground and close to the Bahnhofplatz and Löwenstrasse rail station platforms. In 2001, the platforms were called platform 1 for the S-10 and platform 2 for the S-4. After the opening of the four platform Löwenstrasse station, platforms were renumbered, so platform 1 and platform 2 are now platform 21 and 22, the Löwenstrasse station platforms 31 to 34, and the original S-Bahn station towards the National Museum, are called platforms 41 to 44, when they used to be 21 to 24 when first opened. Sigh, you have to admire the progress that Switzerland went through during 20+ years...... I think I boarded a 11:35 AM S-10 train to Üetliberg that did not terminate at Triemli (had that happen to me in July 1998). I remember passing by the Giesshübel station about 11:41 AM. So far there was no sign of any significant snow, and the skies were mostly clear, though the air was chilly, maybe mid 40s or +4 to +6 Celsius. After the train passed Uitikon, the snow was starting to show up.

By the time I reached Üetliberg, there was about six inches of snow almost everywhere, tracks visible but sleepers covered. It was 11:58 AM when I stepped out of the train, and some of the snow had started to melt, so I had to watch where I stepped. At Üetiberg they still have an axle with a cog, but the Üetlibergbahn S-10 line does not use any cog rail at all, and is billed as one of Switzerland's steepest rail lines that does not use either a cog or traction cable. Prior to 2016 I used to love to ride the fun roller slide where you use a hard V shaped coaster and the rollers have a ten foot decline with maybe three or four bends. I rode it the last time in September 2000, and made a video of it. I think it was dismantled in 2016 or earlier and replaced by a less entertaining set of stationary bicycles or similar.

It was getting close to 1 PM so I headed back down to where I could catch the tram line 7 to the hostel, get a fresh camera battery, and find a good place to view the Sechseläuten Parade. Somehow I walked to just outside the Münsterhof location of Leder Locher, and a band was practicing at 2:25 PM, about thirty people in total, and in Georgian / US Revolutionary period costume, though I could not tell you to what guild they belonged to. I remember there was a little girl about 5 or 6 years old with a Pooh Bear balloon. I walked to the Bahnhofstrasse, somewhere near the Bärengasse and watched the parade for an hour or so. There were many musicians from various guilds, and even the wine barrel making guild had an excellent percussion session. The baker guild threw bread rolls at the crowd.

At 5 PM I walked towards Bürkliplatz to cross eastwards to Bellevueplatz so that I could have a good view of the Böögg. I found some place where I could see the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" corporate sign. I think I was about a hundred feet away, and could see about fifteen feet of firewood as well as the Böögg itself. I had a nice view, and was getting very excited for 6 PM to ring. By then, the cavalry was circled around the bonfire.

It eventually turned 6 PM. The time had come to start the bonfire. Unfortunately it was getting cloudy and colder, upper 30s, or maybe +3 to +5 C. What is important to note about the bonfire, is how long it takes, from exactly 6 PM to when the Böögg's head explodes with the explosives. If the fire takes less than ten minutes for the Böögg's head to explode, then it will be a good summer in Zürich. Otherwise it may be a chilly one (e.g. 1997 and 2017 from what I remember, temperatures below normal and precipitation above normal). On 23 April 2001, it took a while. Even by 6:10 PM, the flames had not even made it halfway up to the Böögg. Fuel had to be put on the fire as it was going out. About 6:20 PM, the flames made it to the Böögg's feet and explosives started to pop. The Böögg's textile skin started burning and more explosives went off. It is not over until its head completely disappears. The next five minutes would be suspenseful. About 6:27 PM the Böögg was reduced to his head and a wooden frame where his "body" used to be. And right as my video camera's clock said 6:28 PM, I caught an explosion that was about five times the size of the Böögg's head. The crowd, of maybe 10,000 people at the time, cheered, and the head guild's band played a victory song. At 6:29 PM, all that was left on the bonfire, was a wooden frame and where the head used to be, just a charred out 2 by 4. According to the head guild, Sechseläuten 2001 was declared "mission accomplished".

After such excitement, I thought I should do the cable car rotation, namely the Polybahn and Rigiblickbahn, that I remember riding in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Then I would come back by tram lines 5 or 6. From Bellevueplatz, I walked to Central, the lower station of the Polybahn. If you have heard of ETH Zürich, that is the upper station of the Polybahn. My prior ride on it was on Friday the 24th July 1998 with my striped top hat, and I took a selfie about 3:30 PM that day. The Polybahn was still operating at 6:55 PM so I took it up to ETH Zürich, and managed to watch the other car go down to Central. I took the next tram from the ETH/Universitätsspital three stops to Seilbahn Rigiblick, and around 7:10 PM I took the cable car up to the upper station. The Seilbahn Rigiblick is automated kind of like an inclinator at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas. You pick your station, Goldauer Strasse, Hadlaubstrasse, Germaniastrasse and Rigiblick, then it makes the appropriate stop. It was built so well, that if both cars stopped along the way, you would be at any one of the stops (Goldauer Strasse for one and Germania Strasse for the other). I was at the top station, and there was a bus line 39 to Im Klösterli near the zoo. Interestingly enough, for those who like James Joyce's literature, he is buried close by at the Fluntern cemetery. I thought about eating at the Klösterli restaurant, but I took a pass after looking at the dinner prices so I went back to Niederdorferstrasse by tram line 6, where I know that prices are more reasonable. By then it was about 7:45 PM and the sun was about to set. The tram did pass Toblerplatz, for which there is a famous triangular chocolate bar named after it. Also the trolleybus line 33 terminates there, still does after part of its route was cut back and replaced years later with line 72, also a trolleybus line.

I ended up back at the ETH/Universitätsspital tram stop, took the Polybahn down to Central, and looked for my favorite restaurant to eat supper at. In April 2001 I did not know of Bierhalle Wolf, that I more frequently visit since 2011, so I did not go there then. Instead I went to the Brasserie Johanniter on Niederdorferstrasse 70, had a seat inside, and started off with a liter of Hürlimann Lager. The last time I ate at Johanniter, I had their Graub��ndner Spätzle with ham, cheese and onions, and luckily it was still on the menu. It was priced 20 Francs. I think 2002 it was withdrawn and the only Spätzle they serve anymore is in the vegetarian style. I had someone share my table, and we had a conversation, not very deep. After paying our respective tabs, we went on our ways. I went back to Bellevueplatz to see what remained, if anything, of the Böögg, and there was still the skeleton that I remember from 6:29 PM. So I went back to the hostel to sleep, as tomorrow would be a travel day to Bern.

Please join me as tomorrow I will see two new cantons, one of which has two half-cantons. Then we will see a new astrological clock similar to the one in Prague, and not too far from the Bundeshaus. See you then.

Auf wiederluege! Au revoir! Arrivederci! Goodbye!

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matthewschueller · 4 years

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The 16 Best Things to Do in Portland Oregon - From a Local

Why Visit Portland Oregon? Advice From a Local.

Portland Oregon is a quirky, eclectic mix of crazy personalities and stunning natural beauty. Every time we fly back into Portland, we’re stunned by the view of Mount Hood overlooking the emerald green forests surrounding the city. There’s no place like it, and it continues to surprise us. The city is filled to the brim with evergreens, top-tier restaurants, green spaces, bike lanes, and unique neighborhoods. Just an hour from the coast or the mountains, the options for hiking and outdoor activities are limitless.

Besides the fact that Portland is basically a city within a giant forest, it has an interesting way about structuring its neighborhoods. Throughout the sprawl of the city, there are tons of neighborhood centers, each with its own unique personality and feel. What we love most about Portland is its irreducible attitude about not giving-a-shit about what anyone thinks about it. Portland is super weird, and it’s proud of that fact. From Voodoo Doughnuts, Powell’s City of Books (the world’s largest bookstore), to Darcelle’s (our personal favorite), anything here is accepted and loved as is!

Above that, Portland is an incredibly gay friendly city. Many have asked where the gay district Is in Portland, but really, we think the whole city is kind of gay. It’s awesome, and we feel totally 100% free and comfortable no matter what part of the city we’re in. Skip down to the 16th list-item below to see a bit more about the LGBTQ+ community in Portland.

It’s no surprise that Portland has become a popular destination for people from all over, and we’ve had many friends and family members ask, “What should we do in Portland? What should we see in Portland? Where should we eat in Portland!?" Well, we are here to answer all of that HERE!

Here are The 16 Best Things to Do in Portland Oregon

1. Get Lost in Powell’s City of Books

Powell’s City of Books is an iconic destination in Portland. The bookstore is 4 stories tall and takes up an entire city block. It holds more books for sale than any other bookstore on earth. It’s enormous, and you can actually get lost in there (I have)! On the top level, there’s an isolated room full of first edition and signed books, including original print copies from series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. It’s amazing.

2. Eat as Many Donuts in Portland as Possible

We’ve all heard of Voodoo Doughnuts, and while this is a staple of Portland’s quirky eccentric attitude, these aren’t the best donuts in the city. Don’t get me wrong, we love Voodoo, but there are a couple Portland donut shops that have risen up above the rest over the last decade.

Pip’s Doughnuts

For something a little more classic, head to Pip’s Original Doughnuts and Chai. Known for having some of the most delectable chai in the greater Portland area, Pip’s offers donut holes topped with classic and seasonal custards and cremes. Whether you come in the winter for a rich Banana Custard and Salted Nutella doughnut or a little closer to spring to enjoy their Meyer Lemon Pear Butter doughnut, you will always be able to pair them with a perfect chai or matcha.

Blue Star Donuts

Blue Star crafts its donut creations out of a brioche base from scratch and pair that with fresh fruits, herbs and spices, even liqueurs. Whether your in the mood for something fresh like their Meyer Lemon and Key Lime curd creation, something rich like the Chocolate Almond Ganache, or a classic Old Fashioned (of which there are three varieties), Blue Star has a myriad of flavors that stem from the surrounding area to tantalize your tastebuds.

3. Shop on Nob Hill’s 23rd Avenue

Perched on the North West side of downtown, 23rd Avenue holds some of the best cafes and restaurants of the city. Stroll down 23rd Ave. and grab a coffee at Barista, browse unique gifts at Paper Source, check out the view on Restoration Hardware’s rooftop or find your favorite crystals at the small pop-in shops along the way. 23rd Ave is a beautiful neighborhood full of ornate victorian homes. Walking around the area is a treat, and this is a prime area for good shopping. One of our favorite places to grab a pick-me-up is Tea Chai Te. We love sitting out on their outdoor balcony overlooking 23rd Ave.

4. Have a Scoop at Salt & Straw

Their first storefront opened on 23rd Ave. and now Salt & Straw is pretty well known throughout the West Coast. With intense and crazy flavors, Salt & Straw typically boasts a line out the door and around the corner. Try their famous Sea Salt and Caramel Ribbon, Honey Lavender, Pear & Blue Cheese, or seasonal varieties like Bone Marrow & Smoked Cherries or vegan Coconut Milk with Cashew Brittle & Pandan! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to try as many flavor samples as they’d like while standing in line. Try them all!

5. Enjoy the View at Pittock Mansion

Pittock Mansion is a famously beautiful mansion overlooking downtown Portland from Forest Park. You can catch one of the best views of Mt. Hood from there, and in the Spring, the rhododendrons around the mansion are kind of magical. It’s one of the must-see places to anyone visiting! Pittock Mansion is best to visit on sunny days in the Spring, but is perfect for photography all year around.

6. Sip Lots and Lots of Coffee

This one is without saying. Portland has great coffee. Obviously, you have to try Stumptown. Their coldbrew is unbelievable—like nectar-of-the-gods-good. It’s chocked full of caffeine, so sip slowly! Check out their iconic location in the Portland Ace Hotel downtown. The lobby of the Ace Hotel is an iconic photo spot and an even better place for people watching. Other favorite coffee shops include Ristretto Roasters, Never Coffee, Heart Coffee, Barista and Good Coffee; just to name a few.

7. Find Some Peace at the Japanese Gardens

In the hills over downtown, the Japanese Gardens holds acres of rhododendron, blossoming trees and small ponds surrounded by bamboo. It’s a peaceful place to spend the day just far enough away from downtown. With views of Mount Hood, the famous Japanese Gardens attracts tourists from all around the world.

8. Stroll Down Mississippi Ave.

Mississippi Ave. is lined with some of the best restaurants and bars of the city. It’s really active any night during any part of the year, and is always bound to bring a good time. It also has a ton of cute trendy shops and cafes. Hanging out there is one of our favorite things to do on any given weekend! The food cart pod on Mississippi Ave. has cheap and tasty options including Matt’s BBQ and Little Conejo Food Cart. Our favorite spot to grab a bite on Mississippi is ¿Por Qué No?. This hugely popular taquería serves some of the best tacos and guacamole we’ve ever had. Food isn’t the only thing that has us coming back to this neighborhood, the bars are the best. Our favorites include Prost! for beer, Interurban for cocktails, and Psychic Bar for one of the most interesting witchy atmosphere’s we’ve experienced!

9. Eat at the Food Trucks

Portland’s street food culture also has made a name for itself. In the summer, you’ll see everyone out biking down to the food carts to grab Koi Fusion, Chicken and Guns, or Nong's Khao Man Gai. There are so many food trucks in Portland, we could do a whole blog just on which ones to try… and there are a lot we can recommend. Our advice, try as many as possible during your visit. The food culture here is just as good in the streets as it is in the sheets... or restaurants, oops.

10. Explore the Alberta Arts District

Few spots are more classically Portland than Alberta Avenue. The arts district is filled to the brim with Portland grunge. Graffiti stained walls, independent and bustling coffee shops, food carts and enough weed to get the entire state high. You can find yourself wanting to stick around Alberta Ave. for a while. Head to this neighborhood to admire the graffiti art, go bar hopping, or try any one of the incredible restaurants. We recommend Pok Pok, Pine State Biscuits, Proud Mary’s and Bamboo Sushi to start!

11. Hike in the Colombia River Gorge and See Multnomah Falls

The Columbia River Gorge is home to some of Oregon’s most iconic natural wonders. Located just a 30 minutes drive from downtown, Multnomah Falls is the most popular natural tourist attractions in the state. The historic falls plummet from the foothills leading up to Mount Hood and is perfectly framed by the iconic stone bridge located just in front. It’s a very short walk from the parking lot to the falls, but for those looking for a hike, there is plenty of trail beyond the falls. The Colombia River Gorge is full of adventurous trails that will lead you up paths to find countless waterfalls and epic views of the gorge.

Here are a few of our favorite hikes and views:

Hike in Oneonta Gorge —

Oneonta Gorge is itself a scenic canyon located in the Columbia River Gorge. The U.S. Forest Service has designated it as a botanical area because of the unique aquatic and woodland plants that grow there. There are four major waterfalls on the Oneonta Creek as it runs through the gorge. Middle Oneonta Falls can be seen clearly from a footpath and is very often mistaken for the upper or lower falls. The lower gorge has been preserved as a natural habitat, so there is no boardwalk or footpath through it as such. Thus, Lower Oneonta Falls can only be seen by walking upstream from the creek's outlet. Getting to the lower falls can require wading through water that, in some places, can be chest-deep, depending on the season and the relative amount of snow-melt. Bring your waders if you want to see the iconic lower falls!

Hike to Latourell Falls —

Latourell Falls is one of the easiest waterfalls to access while still having breathtaking height and power. Access from Portland takes you first to the Bridal Veil exit off of I-84E and then a quick double-back toward the city along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Park your car at the small lot and walk about 0.5 miles down the trail until you reach the falls. There is a 2.4 mile hiking loop if you want to enjoy the scenery around the area even more, see the falls from above and hit a second viewpoint at the Upper Latourell Falls.

Hike to Angel’s Rest —

One of the closest hike’s to the Portland metro area with rewarding views of the Columbia River Gorge. This is a moderately paced hike with clear paths, good elevation gain and is an easy day trip from the city. Due to its proximity this can be a slightly busy trail but is very peaceful at the early morning hours. If you want to secure your parking spot and have a climb with little disturbances definitely arrive before 9am.

Take Pictures at Vista House —

Vista House was built in 1917 on one of the most beautiful scenic points along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Prior to the construction of I-84, this building was intended as a place of respite and relaxation for those traveling along the highway. There is still an espresso bar with snacks during hours of operation, but the main reason to stop here are the breathtaking views in all directions.

12. Take a Day Trip to Cannon Beach — Haystack Rock

On one side of Portland you have the mountains, but on the other side is the beach! An hour and a half West from downtown Portland is Cannon Beach. Perhaps just as a popular as the falls, every traveler must plan a day to check out the Oregon Coast. You’ll find impressively wide beaches with powerful waves, along with striking cliffs and rock structures jutting from the water, like the famous Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. Spend the day walking down the beach, sitting in the sun, and exploring the tide pools around the rocks. Pelican Brewing Co. at the edge of the beach is our favorite spot to hang out, grab a couple beers and watch the sun set over the historic Haystack Rock. We try to make it out to Cannon Beach at least a few times a year, we love it!

13. Drink All the Beers

Arguably, one of the best parts about visiting Portland is the sheer number and variety of breweries throughout the city. Honestly, you can make an entire trip centered around trying the beers here. We are regulars at 10 Barrel Brewing Co.’s rooftop bar in the Pearl District. We also love enjoying a local tap at Departures Lounge on the rooftop of The Nines Luxury Hotel downtown. Departures also has amazing sushi if you’re looking for a bite to eat! You’ll find us enjoying a local IPA but if hops aren’t your flavor try the local blondes, ale or stout! We have them all! Other great breweries to checkout are Deschutes Portland Brewery, Migration Brewing, Breakside Brewery, Rogue Brewery, Occidental Brewing, Baerlic Brewing, Ecliptic Brewing and many more!

14. Go Wine Tasting in the Willamette Valley

For every brewery in Portland there’s another winery outside the city waiting to help get your drink on. The Willamette Valley outside of Portland is known for its world class Pinot Noir. And really, the wineries are not far from Portland’s City Center. If you’d prefer to stay in the city, there are plenty of tasting rooms like Boedecker Cellars and Cerulean Wine. Our favorite wineries to visit just outside the city are Hawks View Winery, Domaine Drouhin, Brooks Vineyards, and Stoller Family Estate. Wander down to Willamette Valley Vineyards just an hour south of Portland for some of the best Pinot Noir the West has to offer. All of the above wineries have shipping available for those who’d like to bring some bottles home without the hassle of getting them through the airport.

15. Bar Hop around Portland and Drink the Night Away!

As a warmup, we’ve mentioned all the breweries and wineries to try around Portland. We’ve also mentioned some of our favorite bars along Mississippi Ave and the Alberta Arts District. Here are a few of our all-time favorite bars and shows around the city.

Scandal’s

This is our favorite gay bar to hang at. It’s a pretty relaxed bar, no fluff. It’s comfortable, not intimidating, and an easy place to grab a drink and relax. I love this place because of how welcoming it is, and the drinks are honestly super cheap!

Blow Pony

This is a hugely popular queer event held once a month in Portland. It is a riot, and things get crazy. For those up for a party, it’s worth coming to Portland just for this! Wear as little as you’d like!

Darcelle’s XV

Darcelle has a history with the city. As the oldest practicing drag queen, Darcelle and her girls throw a comedy show four nights a week that will leave you on the floor. We went here for our bachelor party and had one of the best nights of our lives. They are so sweet, take no shit, and will give you a show you’ll never forget.

16. Celebrate Pride in Portland

We love walking down Harvey Milk Street downtown, popping into Scandal’s for a bit and having a drink with friends. Portland is a big city, but still feels kind of small. The community here is super personal and extremely friendly. I remember my first time at Portland Pride and how I essentially just felt an overwhelming sensation of belonging. It’s tight knit, and people really look out for each other. The gay bars are scattered throughout the city, so it isn’t dominated to just one section of town. The free-spirited, anything-goes mentality is something I’ve only also seen in places like The Castro or the West Village. There are two gay beaches, one at Sauvie Island and another at Rooster Rock, in the Columbia River Gorge. There are also a ton of community and sports groups like the Portland Frontrunners, who I run with every Tuesday and Saturday.

More to Explore

#Portland #Oregon #Portland Oregon #LGBTQ+#LGBTQ+ travel #gay travel #gay Portland #PDX #what to do in Portland

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letterfromtrenwith · 5 years

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The Night Shift Before Christmas

Poldark Advent Calendar - 22nd December

A Carolight fic set in my hospital AU, but you don’t need to have read that.

Dwight works some unsociable hours

[Title borrowed from Adam Kay]

"In the dish, in the DISH!" Rosina's exclamation was cut off by the sound of loud and extended vomiting emerging from behind a curtain somewhere over by the entrance. The police constable whose forehead Dwight was stitching grimaced, although whether it was from the noises or the fact that they likely came from the woman who'd sliced his face open with her stiletto he didn’t know.

"Why can't these fucking idiots go out for ONE night without getting fucking shit-faced?" The copper's partner was half in and half out of the cubicle, keeping a watchful eye on the rest of the A&E.

"We'd all have a lot more free time if they did." Dwight replied, carefully tying off the end of the stitches. He did his best to be sympathetic to everyone he treated - more sympathetic than the police sometimes were - but tonight he was finding himself in rough agreement with them. Every since Christmas party season had begun at the beginning of the month, they were seeing even more drunks than usual, which meant more stupid, preventable injuries and more abuse and attacks on staff. Just two days ago Emma Tregirls - who didn't even work in A&E usually but had volunteered to help out - had been thrown to the ground by some finance prick who'd snorted too much cocaine at an office party. It had taken four staff members and a practically industrial dose of sedative to restrain him. Emma had sprained her wrist.

If Dwight had hoped that things might have settled down by Christmas Eve, he'd been sadly mistaken. Apparently the whole of Cornwall had decided to drink themselves stupid in celebration of the festive season - and he, like the genius he was, had volunteered to work the night shift.

It was far from any doctor's dream shift - even those who didn't celebrate Christmas - but somebody had to do it. Originally, Dwight's scheduled days off had fallen over the Christmas period, but then he'd felt guilty when he found out that Dr Martin, who had three children and two grandchildren, was going to be working, and had offered to swap shifts. Dwight was used to working Christmas, which wasn't much of a holiday in most of the places he'd travelled to with MSF, and used to having nobody who expected him to be anywhere else. Except now he did, namely his girlfriend of six months, Caroline, whose department, Dermatology, was on-call only between the 23rd and 27th of December. He'd been invited to Boxing Day lunch with her and her Uncle Ray, which he could still go to, so he'd been somewhat confused about Caroline's coolness towards him ever since he'd told her that he was working.

He was still pondering it when, after another couple of hours dodging vomit and patching up drunks, as well as soothing some minor burns from a small Christmas light related fire, he made his way to the doctor's break room for a much needed sit down. Inside, he found George Warleggan and Margaret Vosper watching A Vicar of Dibley Christmas special and rooting through a tin of Miniature Heroes.

"There's only eclairs left." Margaret said by way of greeting, offering him the box, but he shook his head. He knew George had scored this shift because the anaesthetists had a strict rule about taking turns to work unsociable hours, but he wondered who Margaret, a consultant radiologist, had pissed off to end up working tonight instead of the usual technicians - the beauty of radiology as a specialty is that it could be practised remotely.

With a groan, Dwight lowered himself onto the lumpy sofa. Margaret and George had already taken the mildly less uncomfortable chairs on either side. It took him a second to notice that George was waving an different box of chocolates under his nose.

"Mince pie truffles. Got them in the secret Santa bran tub."

"Lucky." Dwight had got a keyring with a picture of a bone and the slogan 'I found that humerus'. To add insult to injury, it wasn't even an accurate depiction of a humerus.

Remarkably, the sweet did actually taste like a mince pie, and Dwight savoured it, knowing it was the best tasting thing he was likely to eat tonight. The canteen wasn't open tonight, and the alternative was a selection of sandwiches which looked like they could be used to sole shoes.

George's phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, smiling softly at it as he scrolled through the message.

"Elizabeth?" Dwight asked. George's wife was an obstetrician at the hospital, but she was spending Christmas Even at home looking after their two children.

"Yeah. She's only just managed to get Valentine off to sleep. This is the most into Christmas he's been so far and he's so excited for Santa coming. He'll be up long before I get back in the morning so she's having to sneak the presents out by herself."

"And Ursula?"

"She's not quite old enough to totally understand yet. She loves the tree and the decorations, and I'm sure she'll love her presents as well, but she won't be up at 4 in the morning. Until Valentine wakes her up, that is!"

Dwight felt for his colleague, having to miss out on special moments like that with his children, but that was the lot of most NHS workers, and they all knew what they'd signed up for. Suddenly, his pager buzzed, interrupting his thoughts and signalling the end of his break.

His key missed the lock on his first two tries, and Dwight decided he was glad he'd walked home from the hospital. It was a bit of a trek, but he was far too tired to drive. Eventually managing to get inside, he practically dragged himself up the stairs to his flat, where he was about to fight with another lock when the door abruptly opened and he only just managed not to fall in. Caroline stood in the doorway, looking a lot more awake - and human - than he felt.

"You're late."

"Didn't realise I had anything scheduled." He hadn't meant to give a sarcastic answer but his exhaustion had worn down his internal filter. He was coping with the warring desires to pass out and to eat, and the confusion of finding Caroline in his flat was not helping. They hadn't made arrangements for today, had they? He'd thought about suggesting she come round and he cook her an early evening Christmas dinner, by way of a sort of apology for choosing to work - not that he really thought he needed to apologise for that - but her odd, distant behaviour had put him off.

"Come and sit down before you fall down." Her slight frown softened, and she gently nudged him into the sitting room, taking his bag out of his hand and tugging at his coat. Dwight was tired and befuddled enough that he didn't resist as she also took his scarf and gloves and directed him towards the sofa. As much as he tried to resist, as soon as he hit the cushions, his body gave into his exhaustion and his eyes began to close.

"What'y doin' 'ere." He managed to mutter when Caroline draped something soft over him.

"Well," Caroline replied, "I thought that if I was going to be grumpy about not spending Christmas with my boyfriend, I'd better do something about it. There'll be a Christmas dinner ready for you when you wake up - I hope."

Dwight managed to mutter something he hoped was close to 'thank you'. As much-needed sleep finally claimed him, he felt Caroline kiss his forehead.

"Merry Christmas, Dwight."

#poldark #dwight enys #caroline penvenen #george warleggan #margaret vosper #dwight x caroline #carolight #poldark advent calendar #pac19 #f: au #f: dc #fic #m: fic

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redbeardace · 4 years

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Quarantine 4: Stay Home

[This is a post for the May Carnival of Aces.]

So much is different now.

So much is the same.

I have been very fortunate so far. The disease hasn’t touched me or anyone close to me yet. I still have a job and am working full time. The biggest practical impact on my life is that I no longer have a daily commute.

I see other people talking about their experiences and they’re so... strange?

Someone remarked on my “8 days without human contact” sign, shocked that I hadn’t needed to go shopping in 8 days, that I must have really stocked up. But I routinely go two weeks without shopping, 8 days is nothing. I’m going on my 23rd day on this cycle and the only reason I’ll have to go shopping now is that I’m out of milk. I still have plenty of everything else.

It’s weird to me that people seem to think that having more than three days of groceries is prepper level stockpiling. And watching everyone make a run on the stores and seeing what they were grabbing was just baffling. When Cascadia puts on its big show, what are these people planning to do?

People talk about how little gas they’ve been buying lately. Welcome to my life. I have a mostly electric car and go months between fill ups.

I am truly concerned about the number of people posting “My kids are making me drink haha” jokes. Sure, maybe it’s funny for the first few days, but if you’re still saying that on day 57, I think you seriously need to step back and look at yourself and consider if maybe you have a drinking problem. Because you’ve spent two months talking about how you routinely drink in order to cope with the stress of your children, and that seems like you might have a problem.

Anyone know how to tell a bunch of my coworkers that they may be alcoholics in a tactful way...?

I’ve been telling a daily WFH joke on the company chat system. I can’t keep it up anymore. It’s gone on too long.

I’ve been making masks.

I’ve been putting hats on scarecrow owls.

I’ve been making subtle changes to the backdrop of the daily video calls for work. Yesterday it was an vintage photo of an old man, a middle aged woman, and a teenage girl who might be a timelord, standing in a field. Tomorrow it will be a jazzy picture of a roll of toilet paper with a face drawn on it.

It is named Sir Roland of Charmaine.

I ordered pizza delivery for the first time ever today. I like pizza and hate people, so how come I’ve never done this before.

I haven’t had a nasty headache in weeks.

I haven’t put on any weight.

I live alone. If I get sick, I’m going to have to take care of myself somehow. I don’t know if I’d be able to do that. There won’t be anyone to leave dinner at the top of the stairs. There won’t be anyone to take me to the hospital if things get bad.

Stuff is piling up. Like literal stuff in literal piles. My stairs are on the verge of becoming hazardous. I’m not sure where all this stuff has come from.

I’m now treating my mail as hazardous material.

If I ever had to deal with actual hazardous material, I probably wouldn’t survive.

I see all these people talking about how much time they have now. I have no extra time. I’m feeling like I’m being an unproductive loser because I’m not going to come out of this knowing how to play the mandolin in Romanian or whatever, but I don’t have newfound free time. Even the time gained back from the commute has vanished somewhere.

I have to have a timer at my desk so that I’ll stop working after 8-ish hours.

They’ve been giving me plastic bags at the grocery store because they refuse to use the reusable ones. Reminds me just how much I hate plastic bags.

I have to get my house painted. I’m kinda digging this no contact thing. I need to take advantage of it more while it lasts.

The president is still a fascist, there’s gun-toting nutjobs on the loose who aim to kill us all one way or another, and the MURDER HORNETS ARE HERE.

Seriously. The Murder Hornets are here. WTF.

I’ve mostly been in good shape. Two incidents threw me off balance.

I lost a notecard of WFH jokes. That was kind of a last straw situation, where I had to shuffle and strain to try to make a usable workspace and nothing was going right and even after a best attempt, the chair didn’t fit and I didn’t fit because I never fit and now there’s all sorts of stuff in my hallway that doesn’t belong there and what am I going to do with it all and I didn’t want to do any of this and NOW WHERE IN THE HELL IS MY NOTE CARD BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT HERE AND I WAS CAREFUL WITH IT AND WHERE DID IT GO AND HOW DID I LOSE IT IT LITERALLY WENT SEVEN FEET AT MOST AND I’VE SEARCHED THE WHOLE AREA A DOZEN TIMES AND HOW COULD IT JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT.

The latest Stay At Home order extension. I knew it was coming, but just running the calendar out based on the dates they were saying and extrapolating for the dates they weren’t saying, and coming up with the middle of July at the earliest and just...

Somehow, the loss of the Pride Parade didn’t hit me that hard. It should have.

Quarantine beards. I don’t get it. I mean, I’m lazy about shaving, but this I don’t understand. Also, I’m pretty much incapable of growing a proper quarantine beard. I grow in a month what others do in a few days.

I cut my own hair. I’ve got electric clippers. It’s really not that hard and it doesn’t involve potentially giving the plague to any barbers or pretending that democracy is threatened by my bangs getting a bit too long. Of course, I only do it about once a year. This is around the time of year that I do it, though.

I’ve worn pants every day. Regular pants. Not PJs or sweat pants. But pants pants. You all really not wearing pants? Maybe I’ll wear a skirt one day to mix things up.

I have been routinely testing my sense of smell. Haven’t lost it yet.

There’s stuff I want to do, but I don’t feel like doing any of it. There are time-sensitive projects I want to do, but I don’t really want to sit in front of the computer for the time it would take to make it happen. Because I sit in front a computer in my house all day for work now and there’s no energy left for anything more. Not that there was energy for that stuff before.

Am I supposed to support the economy by ordering from local businesses online or save the lives of delivery workers by only ordering essential things? And how come when I ordered a bunch of stuff from a place that claims they’re prioritizing essential items, the one thing that I ordered that could be considered essential was the last thing they shipped?

I had a Nigerian organized crime ring file for unemployment in my name. The state’s apparently lost millions in this scheme. I don’t understand how that can be. It seems like “Don’t Send Money To Nigeria” would be a pretty straightforward check in the system.

Oh. Wait. I’m a software engineer who’s spent my time on the quality and reliability side of the house. I can totally see something like that getting deprioritized and won’t-do’d.

Also had my credit card number stolen and used on a wild shopping spree. Not sure if that’s ‘rona-related. It’s the credit card I use for all my online shopping. So that’s all on hold at the moment.

My car battery died. I had to use a battery pack to jump it. Fun fact: I drive a plug-in hybrid, which had been plugged in this whole time. Apparently the 12v battery doesn’t get charged by the wall plug. Which seems really weird to me.

I see lots of people complaining about how they can’t have sex right now or how dating is weird. So not a problem for me.

#carnival of aces #overreactions from the outbreak

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thepersianslipper · 5 years

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The Persian Slipper Reads The Blog

Welcome to another installment of me reading John’s Blog and making random comments at you! This one is a bit long but I think you’ll forgive me ; )

On our last episode, I wrapped up the blog posts concerning ASIP, so it’s time for nobody’s favorite episode, TBB!

Like in ASIP, John writes 4 posts relative to TBB. Here they are:

This episode spans a total of 5 days (March 23rd to 27th). Today we will look at the first two entries.

This is one of those instances where it really pays out to read John’s blog. Besides reading this delightfully domestic exchange, you are gifted with the information that our boys actually did a Bond movie night.

1 - Diamonds are forever

First thing’s first. Both Diamonds are forever and A rant are posted on the same day. Looking at what John wrote and the timestamps on the comments, I would say that John posted both entries on the afternoon of the 23rd of March, after they found the body of Eddie Van Coon.

This entry (as well as the next one) is very short.

The ”diamond” he is referring to is the Jaria diamond, a missing jewel case that Sherlock did not to take (or so he says) and that should explain the masked assassin he is fighting at the beginning of the episode.

Why he decided to not mention the assassin to John is unclear, but there is a TJLC theory that says that Sherlock is purposefully winding up John and cutting him off from cases to get him frustrated enough to make some sort of move. He is making the adrenaline junkie go through a dry spell after giving him a taste on excitement on ASIB. He eventually aquiesces to taking John to see Sebastian, probably because he wants to show Seb that he has a friend, now.

The body John’s referring to is Eddie Van Coon, the first death in TBB. After finding the banker dead at his flat and going back to talk to Sebastian, the boys go back home and John types this first post and the next one a few minutes later. Because the time stamps on both entries overlap, I’ve given them their own section.

2 - A rant

On this second post, John vents a bit about his memorable row with the chip-and-pin machine at the start of the episode. Again, nothing too exciting about this post. It only drives home John’s grumpy, frustrated mood that he decides to complain on the interwebs about an annoyance he had that morning, despite having started a new possible murder case that very same day.

3 - The comments - Bond Night and pet peeves

The fun of these two blog entries lie on the comments. Remember that John and Sherlock got back home after being hired by Seb and finding Van Coon’s body. They have a potential murder case on their hands. The boys get back home and John goes to his room and types up both entries. I’ll go through the comments in chronological order.

Like I mentioned in my last post, this is the first time Sherlock actually comments on John’s blog. If you look at this through TJLC glasses, maybe you can see that Sherlock, who is more than a little intrigued by John, decides to have a look around his blog and makes a seemingly irrelevant comment on his latest post. I say irrelevant because he doesn’t make any reference to neither of the cases John has just mentioned... Guys, he’s flirting...

John takes the bait and suggests a Bond night. Yes, this is canon.

Look at the time John takes to reply to that first comment. It’s probably because he is busy typing that next entry A rant. The usual people comment on A rant. Again, Harry is the first to contribute to her brother’s posts. From her text, I assume she is trying to stop drinking again.

Let’s go back to the boys on Diamonds are forever. John has just suggested a Bond movie night and Sherlock finds a way to have that sooner rather than later by threatening John’s beer cans. The comment thread is so domestic it makes my heart cry,

On the other comment thread, people are still sharing their pet peeves. Molly says something interesting, but I’ll get to that another time. Just notice how she mentions Connie Prince, the fashion guru that is murdered by her brother’s lover on TGG. Mrs Hudson is still borrowing Mrs Turner computer and complains about the sword mark the assassin left on her kitchen table that morning. Mrs Hudson is paying attention to her property!

Sally and the mysterious theimprobableone add their two cents. Sherlock ends the discussion two hours after John comes downstairs with a resounding “shut up now with your petty problems, I’m having a movie night with Jawn. “

The ever present shadow of Moriarty (Anonymous) looms. This last bit makes me wonder... Has Moriarty already set up his surveillance system on 221B? Is he already watching Sherlock and John?

Previous < (6/?) > Next

@todaywearesoldiers @sherlockedcarmilla @thejohnlockoutlet @fellshish @sarahthecoat @devoursjohnlock @anchored-in-high-tide

#the persian slipper reads the blog #sherlock meta #john's blog #TBB

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thegreen1969pontiac · 5 years

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L’appel Du Vide Chapter 4- Midnight Coffee

Eventual Dean x OC

Summary: When Hope’s sister is killed in a less than a normal house fire, and Sam, her sister’s boyfriend, disappears with his brother after her death they’re her number one suspects. When the cops declare the case cold she begins her hunt for the Winchester boys. She follows them in hope for some evidence pointing to the death of her sister, but will she find more than just the cause and the killer? Will she find out more than she wanted to?

Warning: creepy guy, very minor sexual themes, language, crappy writing

Word Count: 2434

I've got to admit, the Winchester boys seem to be the hardest to track men in the USA, well, besides my uncle. They seem like ghosts. Sam showed up to Stanford about four years ago, he came on an almost full-ride scholarship and no family to help him move in on moving day. He was a smart guy, he was top of his class in almost all the schools he was forced to move around to. His dad, John, was a marine. They originated from Lawrence, Kansas, Dean was born January 24, 1979, which seemed to just rip me apart even more seeing as Jess was born the same day in 1984. But John Winchester seemed to disappear the date his wife, Mary died, November 2, 1983, just a year after my sister was born, and to the date the day she died. Two November 2nd both involving the Winchester boys. What was this some family cult that killed the women of the family? What the hell? After asking the professors at the university, it seems that Sam was pretty normal. Quiet, courteous, polite and intelligent, but nothing out of the ordinary.

After all of this, there was only the date of the deaths that pointed to murder. I needed to find someone that my sister knew, someone who would know what kind of man Sam was. My sister mentioned this guy, he brought them together. This guy named Brady, Jess mentioned him once or twice he wasn't a close friend of hers just someone she met at a college party at one point. If you can imagine there was a shit ton of Brady's at Stanford University, after about 12 hours of driving Theo from frat house to apartment, it wasn't until maybe the 23rd Brady that I finally found the one that knew her. Brady was a successful kid it seemed that he had a job all lined up for him at Niveus Pharmaceuticals, a company that seemed to profit off the sickness of others. But I guess in his mind it would get the bills of Stanford University paid, he was a charismatic young man I could see why Jess let him set her up with Sam. He asked me to come in,

"Are you Brady? Did you know my sister Jessica Moore?" I ask already feeling tried from asking the same question over and over again.

"I'm Brady, yeah. I knew her, I heard what happened. Who are you?" He asked in almost an accusatory manner.

"I'm her sister, I go by Moore. May I sit?" I say already losing patience with the rich and snotty Stanford kid.

"Oh, yeah, yeah of course. Sorry for your loss." He rushes out.

"I'd just like to ask some questions if you wouldn't mind, just for some closure." I come up with my excuse, it's not for closure though it is for knowledge.

"Yeah, yeah, what do you want to know?" He asks he gestures for me to sit down on the Italian leather coach that he probably paid way too much for.

"My sister, she had a boyfriend, What was his name again? Was it Smitty?" I ask playing stupid, I need to confirm his name, get some information on this sick son of a bitch.

"No, his name was Sam, Sam Winchester. I actually introduced the two." He smiled to himself almost proud that he introduced the two to each other.

"Yeah, good for you. Did you know Sam well? I didn't see him at the funeral, I just wanted to check up on him you know, help me understand how he is dealing with all of this," I stated, "I mean do you know where he is, I couldn't find a single record of where he could've gone after the fire." I smile, playing the victim wasn't ever my role.

"I don't know where he is now but I heard that he went on a road trip with his brother right before the house went down," He says, "I think I might someone who does though, her name is Becky Warren, she and her brother were friends with Sam when he was here. I really hope you find him though, but hey, I gotta get to lacrosse practice so..." He leads off, how did I know this douche would play lacrosse.

"No, I totally get it. Thank you for your time." I say and stand up, I walk out of the house and head to the address. I finally get to the house that is owned by the Warren family. There are only two cars parked in the driveway. I walk up the driveway and am at the door when the door swings open an I'm met with a frazzled looking girl.

"Are you Becky?" I ask blocking her exit from the house.

"Yeah, look, I have to get going I have class in like 10 minutes." She tries to move around me but I move in front of her again,

"Look, I need to know where Sam Winchester is and I was told you could help me if you could just give me a general idea I will be out of your hair," I say,

"I don't give out my friend's locations to strangers so why don't you piss off." She said and made a move to go around me but this time a grab her jacket and push her against the door frame.

"Yeah, well I don't usually arrange funerals for dead family members but it seems like we are all having a bad year," I growl at her,

"So I am going to ask you one more god damn time, you are going to tell me where my dead sister's boyfriend is or I swear to God I will make you and your brother's life the most miserable they can be, so you can know how I have felt every god damn day since I heard my baby sister was killed in that fire." I hiss out at her.

"I don't know okay, he only texts me so often." She whimpers, "The last I heard he was in Ohio." I smile and let her off the doorstep.

"See, that's all I needed we didn't need to get all nasty. Now lets hope we don't see each other again shall we?" Yeah, we can only hope, right? I turn on my heel and walk to Theo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A suburban Ohio town has been dealing with the murder of one of their own Steven Shoemaker died in a strange way, the obituary said it was a stroke. But his eyes basically burst out of his skull. Death although seems to follow these boys so why not take a look. Toledo, Ohio was quite the apple pie life town, it was full of high school sweethearts and minivans, but under all of that sticky sweetness, I could tell that there were some underlying skeletons in the closet of the gingerbread house town. Driving there wasn't much of an issue after running on only alcohol and granola bars for about three weeks, it is nice to have a change to coffee and diner food. The food that was eaten along the way to Ohio made me feel like crap but the coffee was always warm and the diners mainly stayed open for 24 hours. That's where I am now, sitting at a 24-hour diner with checkered tiles and bright red seats. The coffee on the table no matter how much I want to say it was black and sound like the badass, it had two creamers and three sugars in it. I was researching the town on my lab top, when the sun peeks its way from behind the family houses I'm heading down to the coroners to get a closer look at the body of the victim. Its been around two days since I had a decent shower so I decided to pack up early and make myself not look like the sleep deprived, alcohol smelling, mess that I am.

The hotel life had been abandoned, motels were now my realm. I can't tell if it is because I don't trust myself to be in high places anymore or if I just don't believe in the normal life anymore and I'm punishing myself to shitty, never cleaned motels that look like they could also be pimping out prostitutes to each room. After the shower, I dress in some of my best clothes that I packed, a black pencil skirt and a white button up that I tucked into the skirt letting my collar bones show, I put my hair up in a professional up-do and grabbed the brown leather jacket that kept me warm in the cold weather. The only new things I needed were shoes and I ended up going to one of the many stores at Toledo's main street and just as the store was opening managed to grab a pair of classy black heels. The coroner's office would no doubt be open now and I just needed to complete the facade with a small pen and notebook. Instead of putting in my contacts this morning I left my glasses on, the blood shotness of my eyes were slightly hidden by the glass.

As I parked Theo in the parking lot of the office I see a black 67' impala sitting across the street. The license plates reading Kansas. I hold my breath, there is no possible way that I would find the boys in the first place I stopped. As I put on the heels from inside my car I saw two tall men walking out of the hospital, the stairs looked old and white, One of the men was no doubt, Sam Winchester, I quickly walked up to the boys ready to walk right up to the evil son of a bitch that murdered my sister and start beating the living hell out of the tall man. But the man next to the puppy dog man was intimidating, he was tall and wore a dark brown leather jacket over his blue flannel, he stared me down like a piece of meat and I knew that I could barely take down one of the two Winchester's and if this was Dean there would be no way in hell I would be able to take down either of them. As I walked closer to them and as they passed me I tried to identify every possible feature so I would be able to know who they were the next time I saw them. As I went up the stairs and they walked down I paid careful attention to which car they got into, and not at all to my surprise I see they get in the Impala with the Kansas license plates, I make careful note of those as well. KAZ-2Y5. God, that won't be hard to forget.

As I get inside the hospital building I walk quickly down to the coroner's office and although I hate wearing heels I like the way they make the clicking noise on the tile floor. The office does look like its open but I can't imagine that the sleazeball looking nurse that sits at the desk seemingly counting cash is the doctor I'm looking for. I tap on the door,

"I'm sorry are you Dr. Feiklowicz? I'm doing an article for the paper about death and I was wondering if I could get some details." I say smiling, I see him rush to put some bills in his pocket, I put it together in my mind and guess that it was the boys that gave the money to him. Why the hell would they pay to see their own murder victim, what kind of sickos are these freaks?

"I'm sorry, he won't be back for an hour, is there something I could help you with?" He says smirking. I can feel him looking me up and down and I can feel my inner head just retching at even the thought. "Oh, that's too bad, is there any way that I could see the body on my own maybe, I just am going to be taking notes." I hum out,

"I'm sorry I will have to ask for some identification before I can let you in, you said you were with the press?" I curse myself, I smile and nod,

"Of course, let me just get out my-- Oh, shoot I think I left my key card at the office, can I just give you my ID?" I ask falsely reaching for the key card that I did not own.

"Well-- I really do nee--" I smile and begin to take off my jacket leaving me in my skirt and blouse that although classy, seems to work on the idiot in front of me, I hold it in my hand arms crossed and stare innocently at him.

"Please, I really need to get some notes, I have to get these back before my boss gets back, he is so mean to me and I might lose my job," I say making myself tear up, I guess playing Ophelia in middle school paid off well.

"Well, I guess. Can I see your ID?" I hand it to him, he takes it and I see him try and make an effort to brush my hand with his own the action almost makes me sick to my stomach.

"Hope Moore, that's a real’ pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty girl," He says trying to woo me with his horrible pick up line.

"Actually I go by Moore." I let my sickly sweet facade drop that time letting him know that I do not want him to call me that again.

"Yeah, sure."

He leads me back into the room and he pulls the sheet off, after seeing my sister I don't think I will be so upset with dead bodies anymore. I ask him about the death and it's said that something bizarre happened that his eyes burst inside his skull, the creep nurse said that there has never been something like that to happen during a stoke. I thank him for his time and he seems to be wanting to ask me something but I rush out of the morgue and get back to finding the Winchester boys.

I drive around town hoping to see the same black car and when I finally find it I notice that there are many other cars parked outside the house as well.

I grimace, funerals suck.

#dean winchester #dean x oc #original character #jessica moore #jessica moore sister #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #angst #slow burn #long series #series #supernatural series #supernatural series rewrite #l'appel du vide

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ryohaice-blog · 6 years

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Ace of the Visual Members of SKE48, Kitagawa Ryoha, appealing to the world to reconsider the group's image

On June, 6th, the AKB48 10th World Senbatsu General Election (a.k.a AKB48 53rd Single World Senbatsu General Election, Who is the center in World Senbatsu?~~) took place at Nagoya Dome, Aichi. With Matsui Jurina and Suda Akari taking a one-two finish, SKE48 achieved the best result ever with their fans in their hometown.

Besides Matsui and Dasu, 24 other members ranked in the top 100 places, the group is going to welcome it's 10th anniversary and are gaining momentum. With 30,249 votes, Team S leader, Kitagawa Ryouha achieved her highest rank ever. Modelpress interviewed Kitagawa (being told that she's the top visual member in the group) a year ago, will once again interview her again today. She was appointed to be the leader of Team S in February, 2017. Now, she's a member who is leading the group, a member who others can rely on. We talked about things she learnt in the past year, what should SKE48 improve on, and also the 23rd single "Ikinari Punch Line" which will go on sale on July, 4th.

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Kitagawa Ryoha "2017 was the year with the most suffering and frustration"

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Interviewer: Just about a year ago we did an interview. How has the last year been since the previous AKB48 general election?

Kitagawa: It was a really rough year. I had a lot of worries. It was the year with the most suffering and frustration.

Interviewer: What's your biggest worry?

Kitagawa: I guess my own position in SKE48 is one of them, and also I really don't feel that I've worked hard enough to earn that position.

Interviewer: You mean you couldn't keep up with it?

Kitagawa: Yes.

Interviewer: You were appointed as the leader of Team S.

Kitagawa: That's something big to me too. As I had no confidence in myself, I need to round up the members, and manage the team. I don't feel like I'm myself when I'm doing my job as a leader. It's very tough.

Interviewer: So you are not good at rounding up the members to begin with?

Kitagawa: Yes, I'm not good at it, or I should say I'm not leader material to begin with. I never try to pursuit it, and just try to keep up. When I was being told that I became like a leader, I didn't believe it. Really, I think I'm the type of leader who is best when surrounded by those who support me.

Interviewer: I think there are many different types of leader, what kind of leader do you want to become?

Kitagawa: I don't have much leadership quality, nor much experience either. I always think of becoming a leader who can envelope the members with kindness. That's the only thing I can do. I want to become a leader who the members can turn to when they face any troubles.

Interviewer: Have you been troubled by it before you came to this decision?

Kitagawa: Yes. I always worry if I'm being a good leader. I would be lying if I said I'm not worried about it right now. But lately, I finally understand what I need to do. I think I'm starting to enjoy it.

[She's having to form the Team S pose]

[Is that Team S pose?]

Interviewer: What makes you think of that?

Kitagawa: I think it's everyone who taught me that. A lot of juniors joined Team S, and they are doing their best. It makes me think that I must do my best too. The juniors are the ones who make me think that "For the sake of the juniors, I must do my best for them". And I think that play a big part in it.

Interviewer: During lessons, there's no conflicts among the members?

Kitagawa: Probably not among Team S members. Surprisingly most of them are ditzy, but have hidden talents, and very good potential. I think we should help to nurture them.

Interviewer: Looking at all of AKB48G, SKE48 really has that kind of image of having strong cohesiveness and powerful performance. What's the primary factor that drives you all?

Kitagawa: I think you are right. I guess we learnt that from our seniors. Seniors taught us a lot about the passion of SKE48, that has been passed down since the beginning. From here on out, even if I graduate, members of SKE48 will continue the tradition. I want them to do so. I want to pass down the things that I inherited from my seniors to the juniors

====================================================

Kitagawa Ryoha, held a concurrent position in AKB48 and things she learned... The member she tried to chase after the most was...?

=====================================================

Interviewer: You held a concurrent position in AKB48 Team 4 until March this year. What do you think about those 2 and a half years?

Kitagawa: I was very sad about the final stage we did (which held on May, 18th). I was so sad that I almost cried from the first song. But since that was my final stage, I held back my tears, made sure the cameraman shot every second of me and finished the performance. I like AKB48 to begin with, so I'm touched for every opportunity I got to perform on the stage. "This is where the great seniors sing and dance". I feel happy whenever I think about that. But I'm sad that I won't be able to perform on that stage anymore.

Interviewer: Was it a good experience for you when you held the concurrent position?

Kitagawa: AKB48 members are very good at expressing themselves. I learned a lot from their facial expressions. Everyone is very charming. They've got something that attracts the fans. I learned a lot from them.

Interviewer: Does that mean SKE48 members are still lacking something ?

Kitagawa: Yes. SKE48 gives an impression of powerful dance. Partially because they dance aggressively too. Each of them has their own quality. When I was holding the concurrent position, I learned how to express myself. But when I went back to SKE48, and tried the same thing during the performance, "Are you feeling alright?", everyone said that to me. I guess it's hard to balance between the two of them (powerful dance vs power of expression). There was time I couldn't decide which one I should focus on.

Interviewer: The individuality of AKB48 and SKE48 is different I guess? Which member did you learn the most from?

Kitagawa: The one who caught my attention the most was Kojimako-chan (Kojima Mako). I think she's very good. I always looked at her. She's cute, her facial expressions and expressive powers are awesome. I actually paid close attention to her (LOL)

Interviewer: And you didn't tell her (LOL) ?

Kitagawa: That's right, I didn't

Interviewer: So you got closer to the members?

Kitagawa: Actually I was part of the unit, Tentoumuchu, and I'm close to the members who were in that unit too. Everyone always gave me a warm welcome. The member I became closest with is Murayama Yuiri-san. I become very close with Yuiringo-chan (LOL).

======================================================

SKE48 who is riding on the momentum. "The current SKE48 is the most enjoyable one"

=====================================================

Interviewer: Right now I think SKE48 is regaining it's momentum. Can you feel it?

Kitagawa: Yes. The mood (in the group) is very good. I think members being able to express their thoughts and feel that SKE48 is in top shape plays a big part of it. I think SKE48 is riding on good momentum as everyone is enjoying themselves now and says the current SKE48 is the most enjoyable one and it's spread to many people. As a member, I'm very happy to see things turned out that way.

Interviewer: Among the groups (AKB48G) , is there any strong point you can promote if you are to appeal to those people who are not SKE48 fans?

Kitagawa: I think the fans can enjoy interact with us like a friend. I think the distance between the fans and SKE48 members is the closest (compared to other groups). There's a lot of first timers who told us that we are easy to talk to and so friendly. I think we are the easiest to approach to compared to other groups. We always welcome everyone.

Interviewer: There's isn't much distance between the members and the fans during handshake event too?

Kitagawa: Yes. Everyone is truly enjoying doing it.

Interviewer: SKE48 is going to welcome it's 10th anniversary soon. What's SKE48 target ? I always heard about wanting to have a concert at Nagoya dome.

Kitagawa: Personally speaking, we are based in Sakae, Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, so we want to improve our popularity in Aichi prefecture.

Interviewer: I think SKE48 is quite famous already.

Kitagawa: Not at all, I think SKE48 is not so popular when comes to individual members. Improving our popularity is a must, but we want to become a group who the locals love, and also become the first thing that will come to their mind whenever someone asks them about the good things about Aichi prefecture.

====================================================

Pay attention to the dance of the MV of the latest single, "Ikinari Punch Line" which took some time to sync up.

========================================================

youtube

Interviewer: The song of this single is kind of mature. What's the main point of this song?

Kitagawa: It's a little bit different compared to all the songs in the past, I think everyone gets to see the mature side, the sexy side of the members. I think those who already listened will think "What's the meaning of Punch Line?" The lyric is easy to remember, I think the red color costume will definitely catch the attention of the viewers. So I think it will be great if everyone can remember the lyrics together.

*Punch line - a terminology to describe the conclusion of a joke, used in hip hop too. Things that left the deepest impression

Interviewer: How's the MV shooting?

Kitagawa: The dance part is the main. Everyone practised desperately, and I think everyone was in sync with each other. Usually, we learn the dance on the day of the shooting itself, but this time we learned it 3 days before the shooting, so we got a lot of time to sync up with each other's dance steps, I think the dance (which is the strong point of SKE48) turned out to be great.

Interviewer: Members will take the initiative to sync up the dance steps?

Kitagawa: Before I realized , everyone was doing it already. We expected to only practice for five to six hours but we exceeded that and we still felt we didn't practice enough and wanted to do it better. I can totally feel the hot passion in each of the members.

Interviewer: There's a lot of sexy scenes too. Are you good at expressing your sexy side?

Kitagawa: I'm not good at pretending to be very cute. I'm more bias to being energetic, or I should say I can get into the mood easily with cool songs. I'm going to turn 20 this year, I want to improve my sexiness and maturity. I hope I can show that with this song.

====================================================

SKE48 members are not sweet potatoes! Look carefully!

=======================================================

Interviewer: You have been saying releasing your own photobook is your target.

Kitagawa: Yes. I want to make it happen before I graduate. It (my target) was covered in the magazine too. And a lot of people say that they like my photos. So before it's too late and while I'm still young, I want to make it happen.

Interviewer: In the previous interview, we talked about the popularity of SKE48 among the female fans. What has changed after a year?

Kitagawa: I think we got more female fans now. Quite a lot of them came to meet with us too.

Interviewer: You mean overall? (all members' fans are slowly increasing, in average speaking, not just 1 or 2 top members)

Kitagawa: I think it's gradually increasing. I can totally feel it. I will be happy if there's more female fans from the same generation come to see us.

Interviewer: The readers of modelpress are mostly girls from the same generation as you. For those people, how will you appeal to them as an individual, and also as a group?

Kitagawa: (Having a hard time) SKE48 members are like sweet potatoes, I think a lot of members are adorable. I had the same thought too at the beginning. But once I joined, I realized they are very cute. So I think everyone should LOOK CAREFULLY. I want you all to look at them carefully again.

Interviewer: LOL.

Kitagawa: I think they are cute (LOL)

Interviewer: Yes, they are.

Kitagawa: I want them to get more of the spotlight too.

Interviewer: Thanks for accepting our interview.

#SKE48 #Kitagawa Ryoha #Kitagawa Ryouha #Ryouha #Ryoha #translation #modelpress #english #uha

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postcards-fromafar · 6 years

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Portland

Dan and I decided to head to Portland for a long weekend to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We had been to Portland once before, but only for a day (and it had been in January so not the best weather). We were excited to get back and do more exploring, go on some hikes, drink lots of beer, and eat some delicious food. Portland definitely did not disappoint!

Highlights

-Staying at The Nines- Dan and I decided to stay in a fancier hotel than usual for this trip since we were celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary. And it was luxurious! Lots of pretty blue accents in the room, a super comfy bed, robes, gentle music, and great housekeeping...I’ve never stayed in a hotel before where they come back a second time to make sure your blankets are turned down and slippers are waiting next to the bed for you at night! The hotel was also centrally located in downtown Portland, which made it fairly easy to get to all of the neighborhoods we wanted to check out within a 15 minute drive.

The hotel left us some fancy chocolates and a nice note for our anniversary...

-Hiking at Council Crest Park- We got up early our first morning and hiked for a couple of hours to the top of Council Crest Park and then back down towards the Portland Zoo. Turns out the hike we did is one “T” of the 4T trail (trail, train, tram, trolley). We took the train back to our hotel at the end to get a second “T” in. It was perfect hiking weather and made for a lovely walk through the woods and up to the top, where we had a nice view of some of the mountains.

Below is one of the fancy houses we glimpsed through the trees as we hiked.

-Exploring different neighborhoods: Portland is definitely a city of neighborhoods, and we made it our mission to check out as many as we could in our three short days there. On Friday, we went up to the Alberta Arts District, an artsy area packed with delicious food spots, beer, coffee, tea, and fancy boutiques. On Saturday, we checked out 23rd street (Northwest Portland), where there was more shopping (some independent spots, some more mainstream). That evening, we briefly wandered down Division St and Hawthorne St (definitely need to spend more time in those areas if we go back!). On Sunday, we did a little more wandering on Hawthorne St before heading to another brewery.

-Oregon Brewers Festival- As luck would have it, we landed in Portland just in time for a massive craft beer festival (Dan was in heaven). They had 80 beers from 80 different breweries, 2 ciders, and 4 wines. For just $20, you could get a plastic tasting mug and 13 tokens (1 3oz sample per token, or a full glass for 4 tokens). We didn’t end up using all our tokens but were able to try a bunch of delicious different beers from various breweries. I’ve recently stumbled into liking sour beers, and they had an amazing selection there! Among the ones I tried were a Framboise Rose Gose and a Belmont Street Bramble sour (sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels with red raspberries and tangerine peel). We were also able to hang with friends (more on that to come), which always makes things more enjoyable!

-Portland Farmers Market at PSU- This is the most INSANE farmers market we have ever been to. It takes place on the campus at Portland State University and is a hodgepodge of people selling delicious food (hello, biscuit sandwiches), exquisite produce (I so badly wished we could have taken some home!), gorgeous bouquets of flowers, and things like cheese and jam. There were lots of families strolling around, including a couple with sets of twins (Portlanders seem to be a fertile bunch).

-Finishing up the Africa video- After being inspired by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s music video take on the classic Toto song, Dan and I filmed a lot of footage while in South Africa and Morocco on our trip last year. We decided our 5 year anniversary would be a perfect time to release the video, so we (meaning Dan- I was moral support), spent a lot of time on Saturday at a brewery finishing it up.

youtube

-Hiking at Mount Tabor- A relatively easy but beautiful 3 mile hike. We went early in the day before it got too hot and were treated to the sight of three beautiful red-tailed hawks up close.

vimeo

Bummers

-Portland was AMAZING. We could not think of any bummers other than not having enough time... we will definitely need to come back.

Eats

-Fancy brunch fare at Proud Mary- Recommended as a favorite brunch spot by my coworker, Peggy, this definitely lived up to expectations! I got fancy grilled cheese, and Dan got a yummy potato hash dish.

Reba was not a fan of the fancy juice I got at brunch. (”Like old asthma medicine!”)

-Salt & Straw- This is hands down our favorite ice cream in the whole world. While we usually visit in LA (sometimes more than once in a trip) it started in Portland and has since expanded to California (LA, San Francisco, and San Diego) and Washington (Seattle). Dan and I had a Fresh Cheese and Strawberries flavor, which tasted like strawberry cheesecake! One of our favorite flavors is an LA classic- salted, malted, chocolate chip cookie dough (to die for- but unfortunately not available in Portland).

-Tusk- Another recommendation from Peggy that totally paid off. We went here for our anniversary dinner to get yummy middle eastern food. We ended up over ordering and stuffing ourselves, but it was so worth it! Among the highlights were chickpea fries, man’oushe (a Lebanese flatbread), Albacore tuna, and delicious greens.

-Biscuit sandwiches at the Farmers Market from Pine State Biscuits- Fresh made biscuits, fried chicken, bacon, and cheese, slathered in apple butter (me) or gravy (Dan).

-Food trucks- So Portland is known for its food trucks, which we have experienced before, but sadly we did not get to take advantage of this time- so many awesome food spots that we never got around to. Next time!

Drinks

-Kombucha from Townshend’s Tea House- Kombucha is a fermented tea that is apparently a popular thing in Portland. The strawberry one we tried was decent, but in general kombucha is a bit funky for me.

-So. Much. Beer. In addition to the Brewers Festival, we checked out a few different breweries: Great Notion, Cascade, Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery, and Breakside. My personal favorite spot was Cascade- they had an extensive list of sour beers on tap, and all were delicious. Among the ones we tried were an apricot sour and an barrel-aged wild ale called Ingmeyer Bergman that Dan loved.

-Wine at Southeast Collective- We barely dipped our toe in with the Oregon wine scene but did squeeze one wine tasting in. Next time we come back, we are hoping to rent a car and drive out into wine country to do more exploring.

People

-Dan’s aunt Reba and her friend Lisa- Reba lives just over the state border in Vancouver, Washington, and she’s known Lisa for a really long time (they used to work together). The two of them were on their way to a weekend camping trip with friends but met us for brunch in the Alberta Arts District on their way. We enjoyed a lovely brunch with good conversation and lots of laughter.

-Larissa, Kevin, and Lauralyn- Larissa is a good friend of ours from college, and we had not seen her in about four years! She has been living in Portland for the past few years, so we met up with her, her boyfriend, Kevin, and her little sister, Lauralyn at the Brewers Festival. It was great catching up with her, and we are looking forward to her upcoming return to the Midwest!

Observations & Insights

-All of the ride share drivers seem more friendly and chatty than we are used to- it felt like we had the same conversation about the humidity in Chicago about 14 or 15 times.

-Style is very different than back home- there are many more tattoos and more people with fun colored hair.

-There are lots of homeless people in Portland.

Tips

-Carry cash- it seems to be king around the many eateries, markets and watering holes of Portland.

-Samples are the way to go- there are so many beers at each brewery so no sense in getting a full glass. We recommend getting flights instead so you can try more options!

-If you are able to, try to spend a week or two in Portland! There is so much to do, and we just scratched the surface. We are definitely hoping to be back sometime soon!

#portland #oregon #breweries #northamerica

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