#job 1 hired me back in March and hasn’t contacted me since

[candypop-snowdrop]

Oh boy, paralyzed with fear rn bc job stuff

[starrybethany]

Maybe Someday - Matthew Tkachuk Imagine Part 2

Part 1

Word count: 3.4K

She steps up to the plate, nervously brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. She’s never nervous- she’s the most confident little girl I’ve ever met. The only time I’ve ever seen her anxious is on the field.

The pitcher throws the ball. It lands in the box on the side of the plate, Naomi standing still like she’s been taught when the throw is a ball. The tiny boy beside me grips my hand tighter and I squeeze it in response, not moving my eyes from my daughter.

The pitcher throws the ball again. I watch as Naomi swings the bat with sturdiness, hitting the ball and knocking it into left field.

“Run, Naomi,” Wyatt cheers like I’ve taught him to do. Her small legs carry her to first base, and she pants when she stops at the base. Her eyes slide over to meet mine and I shoot her a thumbs up.

She smiles. The game continues and soon enough she makes it back to home base, giving her team another point.

“You did so good, honey,” I pull her into a tight hug when the game is over. “I’m proud of you.”

“You tell me that all of the time, mommy.” I already know she’s blushing, so I pull out of the embrace, not wanting to embarrass her in front of all of her friends.

“Good job Mimi,” Wyatt pulls his sister into a hug and I fight back the squeal that wants to escape at their sibling love. She reluctantly hugs him back. I know that she just wants to appear cool in front of her friends, but I can also tell she wants to give all of the love in the world to her little brother at the same time.

“Why don’t you go talk to your friends, Naomi? I just need to talk to your coach about next week’s game and then we can go grab ice cream,” I request, picking up a tired Wyatt and pulling him into my arms. She nods, running off towards her friends as I walk over to her coach.

~

“So as you all know we’ve recently been hired to renovate Scotiabank Saddledome and we wanted to let everyone know that we decided to let Y/N take the lead on this project,” my boss, Andy, informs the office.

Everyone claps and I smile shyly at the response, my heart practically beating out of my chest. I’m not just worried because of all of this attention on me, but also because of what comes along with this project.

Along with making everything perfect for the owners, fans, players, employees, and sponsors that work at the arena, both by making the place look nice and pleasing to the eye and sure that the workers and plans are moving along smoothly, I need to worry about Matthew.

I haven’t talked to Matthew in eight years. The last time that I saw him was the time I left him at the café, whispers the only parting remarks to each other.

Throughout my six-year long relationship with Curtis, I didn’t think about Matt much. I thought about him in the beginning. I checked his game calendar a lot and snuck into the bathroom on date nights to watch games, but that slowly faded as I got more and more immersed by Curtis.

Then Naomi came and I gave her all of my love and attention. Wyatt followed a couple of years after that and along with the bliss of a new child, I suffered heartbreak as Curtis and I ended our relationship.

On my first night alone in several years all I could think about was Matthew. Curly hair, hazel eyes, crooked grin and all.

I follow the Flames on Instagram now and I always make sure to watch the clips of his goals.

But I’ve made sure to stay away from contacting him or getting involved in his private life. For all I know, he could have a wife and a kid by now.

Now I have to think about what will happen the first time I see him again in almost a decade. Will he have missed me, or will he be just as disgusted as he was the day that he left? Matthew was such a spontaneous person- except for when it came to watching TV shows, it was always The Office- so I’m unsure of what it will be. I need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

I zone back into the meeting, trying my best to focus as my boss shares some more information about this project and some other projects. Work comes second in my life, close behind my children, so I need to worry more about this project than I am about my old lover.

~

I drop Wyatt off at daycare, gripping the steering wheel of my car tighter than I usually do as I drive over to Scotiabank Saddledome. Today is my first day working on this project to renovate the arena so I should just be working with the owners and staff members, but I assume that I might run into some players seeing as it’s March and I saw on the schedule that they have a home game tonight.

I walk into the building, immediately noticing the woman who looks to be a little bit older than me standing in the lobby on her phone.

“Y/N?” She inquires when she sees me. I nod and she smiles, stretching out her hand. “I’m Kelsea Rochester, the owner of the Saddledome. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, thank you for the opportunity to renovate this amazing building,” I tell her, making sure to smile. Ever since I went on a big self-improvement kick after Matthew and I broke up, I’ve been careful to make sure I have good first impressions.

She explains what she wants done as we walk throughout the building and I write it down on my notebook, asking questions about what she would like or prefer more once in a while. We head down to the locker room area and my heart beats faster as I see a player in a Flames jersey.

“I’m sorry, practice just ended so we’ll be running into a bunch of sweaty hockey players,” she jokes.

I laugh at that but nervously look towards the locker room doors, unsure of who will walk out and recognize me. I know a few of the players Matt and I used to spend time with were traded, but some are still around and might recognize me. I don’t expect them to- it’s been a long time, but I kind of expect Matt to considering we used to spend practically every day together.

She details her plans to me more and I forget about my anxiety, visualizing her vision myself and suggesting what I think would look nice or work better for the arena. I love my job; interior design is something that I’ve always loved to do but not something I really considered doing until I was in school and setting up Naomi’s nursery.

“If you excuse me, I just have to run to the ladies’ room,” she informs me. I nod and she walks off, leaving me to look over my notes.

There’s a commotion by the locker room doors so I look up. All of the blood rushes through my veins and I stay frozen in place as I immediately recognize the figure making the ruckus. As usual, it’s Matt. He always had to be in the middle of something.

Like he could feel my eyes on him, he looks over in my direction. It brings me back to all of the times we would go to the bar or to a club together with a few of his teammates and their partners. He would stay at the bar top or table and talk and I would go onto the dance floor or play pool with the girls. Throughout the night we would make eye contact with each other, just to check in with one another. It was a little way to let the other know that we loved them.

He still hasn’t changed a bit. Curly, dirty blonde locks that I would attempt to brush, a toothy smile that lights up my world, and a laugh that would instantly be followed by my giggles.

He stops pushing one of the rookies, an expression of disbelief on his face as we maintain eye contact.

“Y/N,” he murmurs. The rookie stops pushing him back, and I can feel his eyes on me as well but all I can focus on is Matt. I don’t want to move my eyes from him. I don’t want to lose him again.

I smile shyly, still unconfident in his response to seeing me. “Hi, Matt.”

He takes a step closer to me, hesitantly, like he’s afraid of getting too close. I don’t know if it’s because of what I did to him years ago or if it’s because he’s feeling like I am, like he’s afraid this isn’t real and he’ll lose me again.

“What are you doing here?” He questions softly.

“I’m working as an interior designer now. I’m here to renovate this place,” I explain, motioning around us. He doesn’t move his eyes to take in what I’m explaining, instead keeping them on me.

“Your hair is short now,” he notes gently.

“Yeah, it’s, um, easier to manage.”

“It looks nice.”

I smile softly at him and he smiles back. Some wrinkles have formed around his eyes with age, and he looks bulkier and broader in person than he does in the photos on social media, but it’s just like the Matt that used to take me on dinner dates to Panera.

Kelsea appears by my side again. “I see you met our Flames captain, Matthew Tkachuk. Matt, this is Y/N, the interior designer. She’ll be around for probably the next year until the renovation is expected to end.”

“The next year,” he echoes.

“Yep, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me,” I state, gauging his reaction.

The wide grin that forms on his face gives me his answer that he’s more than okay with that.

~

“Mommy?” Her tiny voice pierces the silence of the dark room. I stop myself from closing the door, surprised that she’s still awake. I thought she fell asleep twenty minutes ago, that’s why I came in to tuck her in and turn off her sound machine.

“Yes, honey?” I inquire quietly.

“Did you know that the last time the Cubs won the World Series was in 2016?”

I chuckle at that. “I didn’t know that, thank you for letting me know.”

“That was like ten billion years ago!” She exclaims.

Well, it wasn’t that long ago. 2016 was also the year that Matthew was drafted. He would tell me stories about draft day, from what his dad said to him to looking at the responses on social media.

“It’s time to get to bed, Naomi.” I slip back into her room, turning the sound machine back on and soothing down my daughter’s messy hair. Her blue eyes blink up at me as she watches me. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, mama. I love you.”

My heart swells at her words and I lean down to kiss her forehead. “I love you too, munchkin.”

I head into Wyatt’s room next, hoping that he’s already asleep. Just my luck, he’s sitting up in bed, stuffed bunny in his hands as he tugs at the ears. When he notices me in the doorway he lays down and closes his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

I roll my eyes but can’t fight the smile growing on my face, stepping closer to his bed. “I know you’re awake, Wyatt.”

He opens his eyes and pouts up at me. “I can’t sleep here, mommy. I want to sleep with you in your bed.”

He reaches out, grasping my arm and holding on tightly. “Can you please try to sleep in your bed?”

“No,” he whines loudly. I shush him, afraid that if he whines too loud, he’ll prevent Naomi from sleeping in the next room over.

“Why don’t I lay with you for a bit,” I suggest.

“No, I wanna sleep in your bed,” he repeats, big tears starting to roll down his cheeks.

“Just for tonight, okay?” I say like I’ve been doing for the past two nights. I know he’s at the age where it’s vital for him to be in his own bed to help with his growth and separation anxiety, but I can’t help but to take him to my room sometimes.

It’s nice to have someone to cuddle with, and it’s my baby. Someday he won’t want to cuddle or spend time with me so I have to cherish the time I have with him now.

He nods and I carry him into my room, laying down on my bed and pulling him into an embrace. Naomi wasn’t big on snuggling when she was little and she still isn’t, so I take advantage of my one child who wants me to hold on tight to him as hard as I can.

And I’m going to do it, too. It definitely beats being alone.

~

Another weekend alone. Pretty soon into my relationship with Curtis and my journey to self-improvement my friends began to encourage me to cheat on Curtis as well. Something about how he was trying to change me, he didn’t really like me for me- I don’t know, I honestly don’t really care.

I cut them off after that. I haven’t really made a lot of friends since then. In college I was pregnant, and then taking care of my daughter, so I wasn’t really interested in spending time making friends. Now that I have a full-time job, if I’m not working I’m bonding with my children.

But then three years ago Curtis and I ended our relationship and now, every other weekend I’m alone, waiting for Sunday night to come so I can focus on my children again.

“Mommy!” The front door opens, and a tiny blonde comes storming into the house, barreling into my open arms.

“Hi honey, how was your weekend with daddy?” I inquire, kneeling down to her level to pull her into my hold better.

“It was fun, we went to the park and daddy pushed me and Wyatt on the swing set,” she gushes. “Then he took us out for ice cream!”

I can’t help but feel my heart tighten at her words. I love that the kids are getting to spend time with their father, but I miss them when they’re with their dad. I also can’t help but to think of the moments we would have as a family if Curtis and I hadn’t ended things.

I’m about to respond when Wyatt comes running through the door, joining our hug.

“Mom, dad told me that I can start taking hockey lessons,” he informs me excitedly.

I snap my head up to stare at a sheepish Curtis standing in the doorway, Wyatt’s backpack in one hand and Naomi’s backpack in the other.

“Did he now?” I ask. Wyatt nods enthusiastically, reaching over to leave a sloppy kiss on my cheek. “Why don’t you two go put your backpacks in your room.”

They nod and I watch as they grab their stuff from their father, rushing up the stairs towards their rooms.

“You told him that he could take hockey lessons? Without consulting me?” I question, taking a step closer to him and lowering my voice. I don’t want the kids to hear me yell, but I am furious on the inside.

“Come on, Y/N, he asked. What was I supposed to do, say no?” He responds.

I’m about to respond when he cuts me off. He always used to do that when we were dating, and it still angers me just as much as it does now. “Besides, Naomi plays baseball so it’s only fair for Wyatt to play hockey.”

“I agree that Wyatt should have an activity to do,” I start slowly, “But we agreed that things like this would be split 50/50 and I cannot afford to buy a bunch of expensive hockey equipment and spend money on lessons right now.”

He raises his eyebrows at me. “Really? With all of the money I give you in child support you can’t afford this?”

I narrow my eyes at him and open my mouth to rip him a new one when Wyatt comes running down the stairs, yelling about a new dinosaur toy that grandma got him. This conversation will have to wait for now.

~

“Thank you, Christopher, I’ll be over in about an hour with Kelsea to look over some options,” I inform the manufacturer, hanging up the phone and exiting the secluded corner that I found.

I head back over to the offices near the locker room where the construction will start. A few of the workers are already tearing up the old tile and dirty trim but I keep my eyes peeled for one worker in particular.

“Jeremy,” I call out when I see him.

The older man rises from the floor, brushing his hands off on his pants and giving me a wrinkly smile. “Hey, Y/N.”

“I need your advice,” I confess. When I first started working for this company Naomi was only a year old. I was a stressed-out mom who was fresh out of college and was unsure of how to balance mom life and work.

Jeremy took me under his wing, having a daughter himself who’s just a few years older than Naomi. Now I always go to him whenever I’m not sure I’m doing something right as a parent.

“What’s going on?” He asks.

I explain the situation of Wyatt refusing to sleep in his own bed to Jeremy shyly. I know he’s not judgmental, since he’s helped me through plenty of parenting situations, but it still makes me feel insecure that I can’t handle these things on my own.

“You just need to start telling him no,” Jeremy replies, like it’s that simple.

“But what if he yells? He might wake Naomi up,” I argue.

He shrugs. “Close both of their doors, turn up their sound machines, and let it be. He needs to start sleeping in his own bed now before he’s fifteen and still sleeping with you.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right. It wouldn’t be good for either of us to continue this arrangement. “Thanks for the advice, Jeremy.”

“No problem, Y/N. Hey, how did Naomi’s baseball game go last week?”

“Her team won! She got all the way to third base on one hit, I’m so proud of her.”

“That’s amazing! You’re a great mom.”

I smile at the compliment, watching him return to his work before I turn around, stopping dead in my spot as I see who’s behind me. Matthew is frozen, his face blank as he stares at me, his mouth agape slightly.

It’s clear he just heard what Jeremy said to me.

“You’re a mom?” He breathes out.

“Yes.”

“Naomi and Wyatt?” He inquires, repeating the names he overheard. I nod silently. “How old are they?”

“Naomi is six and Wyatt is three,” I answer.

“Six and three,” he repeats. I watch his eyes flicker to the wall in thought, clearly processing something in his brain. His eyes snap back to mine and he clears his throat. When he speaks again, it’s louder this time, more confident. “Naomi likes baseball?”

“Yeah. Her favorite team is the Chicago Cubs, actually,” I grin at that, letting out a little giggle as Matt wrinkles his nose at the sound of his favorite baseball team’s rival.

“And Wyatt, does he like baseball too?”

“Wyatt likes hockey,” I confess, watching as the hockey player’s face lights up in interest. “He wants to play, but since it’s so late in the season and everything he’ll just have to wait until next season to join a team and learn how to skate.”

“Well, I can teach him,” he offers.

“You would do that?” I ask quietly, sensing that this is much more than him wanting to teach a three-year-old how to skate.

“Of course I would,” he accepts, maintaining eye contact as he says the words.

I let out a small smile, watching as the corners of his lips peak up as well.

“Okay.”

[ridiculousyoungicarus]

Is that ZANDER DRISKELL? Wow, they do look a lot like DOMINIC SHERWOOD. I hear HE is a NINETEEN year old FRESHMEN who are studying AEROSPACE ENGINEERING at Luxor University. Word is they are a REGULAR student. You should watch out because they can be CYNICAL and RESERVED, but on the bright side they can also be RESPONSIBLE and PERSISTENT. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself.

the basics //

Full Name: Alekzander “Zander” Kane Driskell

Preferred Name: Zander Driskell

Age: 19 (okay he’s only 18 til the 21st but I don’t want to edit this again in a couple weeks so if you’re reading this after his birthday - he’s 19. Before? Well, we all know how birthdays work). 

Birthday: March 21st

Zodiac: Aries

Gender & Pronouns: Man (He/His)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Occupation: Tutor

Relationship Status: Single

Place of Birth: Rochester, New York

Hometown: Saratoga Springs, New York

Country of Citizenship: United States

Languages Spoken: English (first), Spanish, and a teeny bit of French

deeper dive //

Hobbies and Talents:

○ Reading

○ Photography

○ Stargazing

○ Taking long rides on his motorcycle

○ Programming

○ Baseball

○ Robotics

○ Motorcycle Repair and Restoration

○ Playing with Legos

○ Judging the entirety of Luxor 24/7

Favorites:

○ Color:  Black (even though it’s the absence of all color. I’m totally not judging him, totally)

○ Food: Crab Cakes

○ Animal: Lemon Sharks

○ Drink: Coffee, he really loves his coffee

○ Flower: Anemone

○ Book: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

○ Holiday: New Years, he’s not a fan of drinking but he likes the hope of new beginnings and the resolutions

○ Movie: Blade Runner (which version? The world may never know)

○ Scent: That smell after a rainstorm

○ Place: In all honesty, he doesn't have a specific favorite, but he has a fondness for any place quiet where he can read in peace.

○ Quote:

“If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey

Bêtes Noires:

○ Color: Lemon Yellow

○ Food: Tiramisu

○ Animal: Rats

○ Drink: Grape Soda

○ Flower: Lilacs

○ Book: Oliver Twist

○ Holiday: Valentine’s Day

○ Movie: The Wizard of Oz

○ Scent: Grapefruit and Vanilla Sugar candles

○ Place: Anyplace his parents are

health //  

Conditions:

         ○ occasional issues with his shoulder / arm (pain, getting stiff) following a surgery

        ○ undiagnosed mental health issues because he refuses to try therapy

Allergies: Pollen, penicillin

Sleeping Habits: What is sleep? Zander is an insomniac. It would probably be manageable with medication, but he refuses to to try. He gets a couple hours a night, but it’s not uncommon to get a response if you text him at 3 am either.

Exercise Habits: Zander works goes to the gym once or twice a week, but usually his exercise is really just running back and forth to class.

Addictions: Tobacco

Drug Use: He smokes cigarettes multiple times a day, and dependent on them to function.

Alcohol Use: Rarely, next to never.

personality //  

MBTI: INTJ

Enneagram: 5w6 (The Investigator with The Loyalist wing)

Alignment: True Neutral

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Percy Jackson Parent: Hecate

Pokémon Type: Fighting

Pokémon Subtype: Steel

Winx: Ice

appearance //  

Height:  5′11”

Tattoos: One, Two

Scars: One, Two

Piercings: None

Hair: Brown

Eyes: 1 pure blue, 1 blue and brown (sectoral heterochromia)

Fashion:

○ link to zander’s closet

life at luxor //  

Major:

○ Aerospace Engineering

Clubs and Activities:

○ Book Club (President)

○ Baseball Team (Pitcher)

○   National Honor Society

fun facts //  

○ Luxor Academy Alumni, he attended the high school from Freshmen year until graduation.

○ Zander really doesn’t trust easily, and he constantly is questioning people’s motives, he doesn’t think most people do things for him without wanting something in return.

○ That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about people however, he does feel empathy for others and it’s very possible for him to care about someone and not trust him. (Example: he can think of you as a friend but still be wary about your motives).

○ He doesn’t really like discussing his feelings, he expresses them; he feels them, but he doesn’t want to talk about them. He has to really trust you if he’s willing to actually tell you how he’s feeling when he’s upset/hurt instead of lashing out.

○ His sisters are very important to him, he’s in constant contact with Grace (just like Balo - is) and he tries to monitor Balo when he can, intervening in ways she won’t find out about if he feels like he needs to. His parents? Not so much. As for William? It’s complicated. (Family page here for more info on the Driskells)

○ He likes his motorcycle more than you, I’m sorry but it’s true.

○  Zander’s always willing to tutor if he knows a subject and you have a way of paying him. Something needs to pay for that motorcycle.

○ Extremely into space, he loves it even more than he loves his motorcycle and coffee. He’s always dreamed of creating spaceships and satellites, and his dream job is astronautical engineering (a subfield of aerospace, which he’s majoring in)

○ A few centimeters shorter than Balo much to his chagrin.

○ He may or may not get offended every time someone reminds him he’s not actually related to Lucy.

○ Loathes the word sorry even more than he wants to fight Jack.

○ Don’t ask Zander for his opinion unless you want it unfiltered. He will tell you to your face he hates everything about you if you give the platform to, and he doesn’t care if it’s offensive. Because as he sees it, you shouldn’t have asked a question you didn’t want the answer to.

○ The #1 LEGO stan at Luxor. Who needs therapy when you have plastic bricks?

○ I’m always willing to discuss my muses, so feel free to hit me up if you have any questions at any point.

a tl;dr history  //  

○ The Driskells come from an extremely abusive household. Their father is an alcoholic, and their mother tends to work the hours he’s home, leaving the children to fend for themselves. In turn, Zander resents both his parents

○ Zander has always felt like it was his job to take care of his younger sister, Balo, even since they were children. If she needed anything, if their father was going after her, etc etc, he was the one to step in to do what was best for her. This is a habit he still hasn’t broken.

○ This job became easier when their older brother, William, was adopted. Even if the boy was adopted to better appearances after Balo almost caused a social service investigation.

○ Zander is very antisocial and for his first year at Luxor, he mostly only talked to the baseball team and the book club. This eased slightly after Balo also came to Luxor, although he’s still not really one for socialization.

○ When he was home during summer break after his sophomore year, his father stabbed him. This caused some serious damage to his deltoid and the long head of his left bicep that needed surgical repair. After the surgery, however, he thankfully made a full recovery.

○ Zander has been at Luxor since he started high school, other than an occasional school break and having to go home during the summer of 2019.

○ I strongly recommend skimming Zander’s timeline page before interacting with him. These are just the bare minimum basics, and there're more things your muse may know on there.

wanted connections //  

○ Enemies, because Zander really needs more people who can’t stand his shit

○ People that Zander tutors

○ People from the baseball team or bookclub

○ People who hire Zander for his photography

○ Photography Friends

[daedriclorde]

A Thief in Wolf’s Clothing: Part I

New fic is live on Ao3! Super excited to finally share this, feels like I’ve been sitting on it and editing it FOREVER.

Summary: Surprised to have survived Helgen and its aftermath, Aerisif makes her way to Whiterun. Terrified by her second interaction with a dragon, and shaken from the following call from the heavens, Aerisif returns to Dragonsreach, where she must start her new life. Her past haunts her, but she must leave it behind if she is to survive. If Tamriel is to survive.

Anyways read Aerisif’s adventures in Chapter 1, “What Is Honor To A Thief?” here!

Now including full chapters to read here, below the cut!

Aerisif climbed the steps up to the great keep towering over Whiterun. She paused a moment at the top and fixed her gaze on the Throat of the World, looming over Tamriel. Dov-Ah-Kiin was still ringing in her ears, rattling her bones. She took a deep breath, and pushed open the doors to the keep.

Inside, the cavernous hall was dimly lit by sconces and the great fire further in. The maid eyed her suspiciously. She felt her throat constrict. Could the maid know who she was? No, you’re wearing a helm. Your face is hidden, idiot. She kept her gaze forward and marched onward into the hall.

She could hear the conversation from the other side of the hall. “You heard the summons. What else could it mean? The Greybeards…”

Balgruuf watched her approach the throne expectantly. “So what happened at the watchtower? Was the dragon there?”

Aerisif swallowed to wet her dry throat. “The watchtower was destroyed, but we felled the dragon.”

“Divines help us.” Balgruuf cursed. “I knew I could count on Irileth,” he eyed Aerisif inquisitorially. ���But there must be more to it than that.”

Looking down, Aerisif hesitantly continued. “There’s more,” she started, twisting with anxiety. “Something…happened, when we felled the dragon. Your men seem to think that I may be,” Aerisif shrunk away, “the Dragonborn.” She was nearly whispering by the end.

Jarl Baalgruf stroked his beard from his throne and nodded, his eyes glazed, his mind elsewhere. “So it’s true,” he murmured. “The Greybeards really were summoning you.”

“It’s just what the men were calling me, I—“

“Not just the men. The Greybeards seem to think the same thing.”

The man the Jarl had been conversing with before spoke up. “Didn’t you hear the thundering sound as you returned to Whiterun? That was the voice of the Greybeards, summoning you to High Hrothgar! That hasn’t happened in…centuries, at least. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned when he was still Talos of Atmora!” The Nord was visibly excited.

Balgruuf chuckled. “Forgive my brother’s passion for history. But whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you.”

The beast that had awoken in her at Helgen fluttered its wings.

“If the Greybeards think you’re Dragonborn, who are we to argue? You’d better get up to High Hrothgar immediately. There’s no refusing the summons of the Greybeards. It’s a tremendous honor.”

What is honor to a thief?

Balgruuf rose, lifting his broad frame from the throne. “You’ve done a great service for me and my city, Dragonborn.” Aerisif flinched at the word. “By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane…” His voice trailed off as he looked between Hrongar and Proventus. Both panicked as they realized they did not know Aerisif’s name.

It was Proventus who spoke. “Your name? Tell the Jarl your name.”

“Ae—“ she started, but choked the word off before she could speak it. She could not use her real name. They would find her. Everyone would know who she was.

The Steward was growing impatient, and so was the Jarl. “Tell the Jarl your name, stranger.” Proventus was glaring now.

Aerisif panicked. 

The Jarl’s eyebrows started to rise at her delay.

“Kjolti, Jarl Baalgruf. My name is Kjolti.”

He nodded solemnly. “I name you Thane Kjolti of Whiterun. It’s the greatest honor that’s within my power to grant. I assign you…” he considered a moment, then snapped his fingers at Hrongar. “Lydia, as a personal Housecarl, and this weapon from my armory to serve as your badge of office. I’ll also notify my guards of your new title.” He grinned. “Wouldn’t want them to think you’re part of the common rabble now, would we? We are honored to have you as Thane of our city, Dragonborn.”

Aerisif let out her breath, as they all accepted her new identity. Someone handed her a sword, and Aerisif accepted the gift. Proventus was leaning toward the Jarl, speaking on a different matter. Hrongar crossed his arms and gave Aerisif a stern look. She was dismissed. 

Aerisif turned and began to walk out of the hall. A young woman with brown hair approached her. She wore a full set of steel armor, a Whiterun shield on her left arm, and a steel sword on her back. 

“It is my honor to serve you, my Thane.” The woman dipped her head respectfully. “I am Lydia, your housecarl. It is my duty to protect you, and all you own. I am your sword, and your shield. I will follow you wherever you go, Thane, and I will wait tirelessly where you command. If you have a home, I shall guard it.”

Aerisif nodded, hoping her dismay wasn’t showing on her face. 

This woman is going to follow me, fight for me, die for me? 

The image Brynjolf getting dragged away flashed before her.

I can’t have that. I can’t be responsible for that. If I am to be the Dragonborn, I cannot have another do my fighting.

Lydia seemed to understand Aerisif’s pause. “Or, if you would like, I can wait for you here.”

Relief flooded Aerisif. She hoped she maintained composure. “Yes, I think here will be just fine. I will find you here when I am ready. Lydia, yes?” The housecarl nodded. “Thank you Lydia, I’ll be back for you.” 

Lydia bowed her head, and turned and walked away.

Aerisif let out her breath again. 

Get your head on straight, or they’ll find out what you are. This is just like a job, Aer. Its a job where you have to act a part to fool the mark before you rob them blind.

As persuasive as she was, Aerisif could not convince herself.

She straightened, and walked out of Dragonsreach back into the sunlight of Whiterun.

Aerisif walked slowly down the steps back into the city. Whiterun sprawled in the shadow of High Hrothgar. She craned her neck once more, still unable to see the top of the behemoth mountain. She felt her pulse start to rise again.

The Greybeards have summoned the Dragonborn. She could still feel their call reverberating in her bones. The Greybeards have summoned ME.

At the bottom of the steps, she turned left. The religious zealot was still shouting. 

She could feel hot tears pooling behind her eyes.

Jorrvaskr loomed over her, and a memory clawed at Aerisif. It was too much.

Aerisif started to sprint through the streets, unable to stem the tide of emotion. Citizens looked at her strangely, some shouted at her, but she could not hear them. She ran and ran. 

Finally she found a shadowed corner of the great walls surrounding the city. Out of sight and earshot of the town, she let herself sob. Aerisif collapsed on the ground and let everything flow out of her. The days after Brynjolf’s death had been so void of feeling, and the events at Helgen and the Watchtower too much for her. Curled into a ball against the stone she wailed. Grieving for Brynjolf, grieving for her family, grieving for herself. There was  no way she could live up to the mantle of Dragonborn. The gods were cruel. By choosing Aerisif they had doomed all of Tamriel. A thief was not a hero.

***

Aerisif didn’t know how long she hid there. She could feel her eyes were swollen from crying, and was grateful once again for the helm hiding her face. She needed some provisions. I need coin. Aerisif didn’t need to look in her coin purse to know it was empty, but she knew how to fill it. Gathering herself up on shaky legs, she headed to the market.

She scanned the shoppers for marks. There. A Whiterun guard stood with his back to shadows. Too easy. Aerisif casually made her way around the general goods store, not making eye contact, not walking with any purpose. The bushes and shadows on the other side of the store made for easy cover. She crouched and silently crept toward the guard. Aerisif felt her nerves actually lower as she cut his purse. She could hear Brynjolf’s gentle praise at a job well done, but bit her lip to stem the tears in her eyes. No.

She found only twelve septims in his coin purse. Hardly enough to buy anything, but it was a start. Pocketing them, she slid away and searched for another target. In light like this, it was going to be hard to steal anything good. She waited, looking for the right fool.

Half an hour later, Aerisif found her coin purse sufficiently full and no one the wiser to her crimes. This is my skill set, Aerisif thought. How am I going to save Tamriel like this? I can’t STEAL a dragon to death. 

Aerisif stepped into the Bannered Mare. With a roughly made steel helm she had picked up in Helgen covering her face, no one dared bother her. They might look at her strangely, in her mismatching armor, but they wouldn’t mess with her. She ordered a mead and a meal from the barkeep and sat alone in the corner, trying to gather some courage for what she had to do. 

The Companions were famed across Skyrim, across Tamriel, for their prowess in battle. They were the most fearsome warriors for hire. If anyone could teach her to be a warrior, it was them. She could think of no other option. Aerisif was a thief, a really good thief. While she was deadly with a dagger, she was no warrior. Aerisif had no real clue what to do with a weapon. She could handle a bow okay, but she couldn’t call herself an accomplished archer. She needed to learn how to fight with steel.

Summoning all her courage, liquid and otherwise, Aerisif downed the last of her tankard and left the inn. She strode right up the steps to the Wind District and to Jorrvaskr. With a deep inhale at the top, she pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

Inside Jorrvaskr there was shouting and cheers. Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Aerisif saw a brawl happening in the corner. A Nord and a Dark Elf were taking vicious swings at each other, to the encouragement of their peers. 

The fuck kind of place IS this?

Her presence had been noticed by a man watching the fight, a tall Nord with blond hair. He stumbled over to Aerisif. He was drunk.

“Who are you?” He blurted out.

Taken aback, Aerisif didn’t have an answer for him. She was lucky that an older man, taller and more imposing, walked over and clapped a sturdy hand on the drunkard’s shoulder.

“Torvar, that is no way to greet guests in our hall,” the white-haired man admonished. He had a nasty scar on his left eye, and wore armor that bore wolves embossed in the metal.

Huh, Aerisif began to wonder.

“Welcome to Jorrvaskr, girl. What brings you to the hall of the Companions?”

Aerisif was prepared to speak now. “Who’s in charge around here?” She managed.

“In charge?” The drunk named Torvar spewed. “I’m in charge of me, and you’re in charge of you.” He grinned.

Aerisif did not like this one. 

The old man spoke again. “Torvar here is right. We have no leader. But if you’re interested in joining us—“ he took an appraising look up and down Aerisif. She knew he was unimpressed. “— you’ll want to talk to Kodlak. He sorts out new whelps.” 

Kodlak? Aerisif felt recognition bubble from a dusty part of her memory. The man who took me to Markarth? He’s still alive? “Where would I find him?” She was suddenly grateful for the helm covering her face.

The man tilted his head toward the other side of the hall. “Down those stairs.”

Then he must be…what was the other man’s name…Skjor!

Skjor opened his mouth to ask another question, but was interrupted by a fresh round of cheering from the crowd watching the brawl. The Dark Elf had knocked the Nord woman to the floor.

Aerisif slipped away before the men could turn their attention back to her. 

These men know who I am.

Her heart was pumping. She tried to calm herself. They don’t KNOW who I am. They only know the little girl they escorted to a city. They don’t know the thief she grew up to be. 

Down the stairs she pushed the door to the living quarters open, and followed the sound of voices. She paused at a tankard of mead left on a table. She downed it, and kept walking.

Just some more liquid courage.

At the end of the hall, Aerisif found two men sitting at a table, a young man in his prime and an old man, his face lined with age, speaking in hushed voices. They both wore the same wolf armor as the man upstairs.

Maybe the wolf is their sigil or something, she mused. 

“But I still hear the call of the blood,” the younger of the two men said.

“We all do,” the old man answered in a deep, husky voice. “It is our burden to bear.” He looked up at Aerisif. “Ah, but look. A stranger comes to our hall.”

Aerisif straightened and tried to make herself look as tall as she could. “I would like to join the Companions.” 

The two men shared a glance. “Would you now? Here. Take off that helm, girl, let me have a look at you.”

Aerisif panicked.

“Do what Kodlak says, stranger,” the young man growled.

Tensing, Aerisif pulled off the dented helm. Her black hair was matted and sweaty.

Kodlak examined her face for a long while.

Well, the woman DID say he tells character by looking into a person’s eyes. The fire-haired archer outside of Whiterun had given her the idea to join the Companions. 

“How many winters have you seen?” Kodlak asked suddenly.

“Five and twenty.” Not a lie.

“Yes, perhaps. A certain strength of spirit.” Kodlak had not stopped examining her face. “You’re from Markarth.”

Aerisif blinked. “Yes.”

Kodlak continued to stare. “You’re Gardimor’s girl.”

Aerisif held his gaze, refusing to show shock at her father’s name. “Yes.”

A tense moment passed. The young man looked back and forth between Kodlak and Aerisif, confused.

Kodlak’s face broke into a smile. “Well well. It seems Skjor was right. We did find a pup that day.” 

“Master,” The young man broke the silence. “You’re not truly considering accepting her?”

“I am nobody’s master, Vilkas,” Kodlak’s voice had some steel to it. “And last I checked, we had some empty beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their heart.”

“Apologies,” Vilkas bowed his head. “But perhaps this isn’t the time? We haven’t even heard of this outsider.” He flashed a charming smile at Aerisif. He was handsome, but his eyes held false intentions.

Kodlak turned to Aerisif and smiled. “You do not hear and see everything, Vilkas. I saw the fire burning in this one’s heart long before you where even a whelp.”

Aerisif saw the flames that took her home and parents and shuddered.

Vilkas looked confused, but decided against asking. 

“How’s your arm, girl?” Kodlak asked.

Aerisif paused. How much of the truth do I tell him? It seemed like Kodlak could sniff out a lie better than your average Nord.

“I have much to learn.” Also not a lie. 

Kodlak grinned. “That’s the spirit. Vilkas here will get started on that,” He turned to Vilkas. “Vilkas, take her out to the yard, and see what she can do.” His tone indicated the conversation was over.

Vilkas eyed Aerisif hungrily, greedily, and threw her a wolfish grin. “Aye,” He said happily, and stood from the chair and started walking down the hall. 

“So, do you have a name, whelp?” Vilkas tossed his head over his shoulder, grinning.

Whelp? “Kjolti.” A lie.

“Kjolti,” Vilkas seemed to taste her name. “Welcome to Jorrvaskr, Kjolti. I’m Vilkas, the Master at Arms here.”

“Well met.” Aerisif lengthened her stride to match pace with him. They soon reached the doors that led back to the main floor of the mead hall. She thrust her dented helm back on her head.

Vilkas pushed the doors open and swaggered up the stairs. They had nearly made it to the back doors, where Aerisif assumed lay some sort of training grounds, when Vilkas turned around, smirking.

“Hey, who wants to watch me test the new blood?” He called loudly to the hall.

Aerisif felt her heart drop straight into her stomach.

The sound of chairs scraping against wood mingled with excited clamors. This test, that Aerisif had little hope of leaving with any integrity, was now to be public. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kodlak ascending the steps as well.

Divines, I’m dead.

The Companions quickly circled around the training yard. Aerisif saw several practice dummies set about. She noted some intended for archery, and began withdrawing her bow.

“Not for this, whelp.” Vilkas’s words were like a whip. “Fight me with steel.”

Aerisif felt her body drop as cold as Atmora.

“Fight…fight you?” She appraised with dread his stocky build, his thick arms, the fine steel armor he wore. The onlooking Companions chuckled.

He laughed, flashing white teeth. “Aye, whelp! Show me what you’re made of!”

She reached for the dagger hanging at her hip. Vilkas laughed again.

“Don’t insult me by calling that toy a weapon. Use real steel!”

Aerisif looked down at the dirt. “I…I have no sword.”

Vilkas made an exasperated sound. “We use blunted steel for training, whelp. Grab your weapon of choice from the rack.” He jerked his thumb toward a large wooden frame holding a multitude of weapons.

Aerisif numbly walked over. Swords, axes, and hammers of all kinds hung before her. If she had been thinking clearly, she might have picked something that was close to the dagger she was used to wielding, like a nice light sword. Maybe even an axe, for show. 

If she had been thinking clearly.

The fear and hatred that pulsed in Aerisif clouded her judgement.

Full of anger, she reached instead for the largest sword she could find. A heavy, brooding greatsword filled both her hands.

Aerisif managed to keep her face steady as she struggled with the weight of the weapon.

Shor’s bones! What have I done? It was too late to turn back now. They had all seen her pick the greatsword. She grunted and found some balance in the blade, and stomped back over to the dirt circle.

Vilkas raised an eyebrow. “Quite the choice, you’ve made. Know how to use that thing?” He teased, smiling. 

Oh, gods, he knows.

Aerisif responded by straightening her helm quickly, before she lost her grip on the two-handed sword. 

Chuckling, Vilkas walked forward until he was just a few paces away from Aerisif. He raised his longsword above his head and swung.

To both Aerisif and Vilkas’s surprise, she managed to move her sword in time to meet his attack. The metal rang out and Aerisif’s eyes widened in shock.

Cheers rung out from the onlookers. 

Aerisif’s arms already ached from the impact of the blow, but she forced them to swing the sword around and try to land a blow. She nearly fell as the weight of the blade swung too far from her center of balance.

Vilkas used the opportunity to strike Aerisif’s torso. The dulled blade scraped horrendously against the cheap armor Aerisif had scavenged.

Winded and knocked back several paces, Aerisif had managed to stay on her feet, but her sword had dropped to the ground.

Relentless, Vilkas swung again. Aerisif again raised her sword in time to block, but already weakened, his blow knocked her sword aside like it was nothing. As she was death-gripping the blade, Aerisif flew with it when Vilkas knocked it aside, and again lost her balance. Vilkas swung low and knocked her legs out from under her.

Aerisif landed in the dirt with a thud that reverberated through her whole body. She tasted the coppery tang of blood.

Around her there was an explosion of laughter. They cheered for Vilkas, who was facing the crowd of onlookers with arms raised. He looked so damned cavalier, relishing in his easy victory. 

Fire burned in Aerisif’s chest. Her blood was pulsing, rushing, charging through her veins.

The beast that had been awoken in Helgen reared its head again. It was raging.

This will not do, it gritted.

Fuming, Aerisif pulled herself from the dirt. She threw the cumbersome sword to the ground, where it kicked up a small cloud of dirt. 

She had caught the attention of some of the crowd.

Locking her eyes on this cocky bastard, she spat blood from her mouth, let loose a battle cry, and charged Vilkas.

He had not fully turned around before she was upon him. Too close for him to attack with his long sword, she grabbed his wrists. The mail gloves he wore may protect him from steel, but they allowed Aerisif to find the pressure point hidden there. She dug her thumbs in and twisted viscously. He cried out and his sword thudded to the ground, and before he could blink again, Aerisif had spun around, drawn her dagger and held it to his exposed throat, gripping his hair.

The silence that followed rang louder than the cheers and laughter. Aerisif panted from the anger burning inside her, eyes shifting.

Gods, what have I done?

Then, shattering the silence, the red haired woman barked out a single laugh. Another followed, and soon she was in fits of a hearty laugh. Soon, the whole crowd of them was cheering “To the Whelp!” and laughing, laughing at Vilkas.

Aerisif dropped her dagger and released Vilkas, not daring to look at his face. To her shock, he turned and met her eyes with a coy smile.

The crowd grew silent, and Aerisif saw Kodlak step forward among them. He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Well,” he continued to step forward. “I think perhaps while that was not the fight we expected, it was the fight we didn’t know we wanted to see.” he smiled. “I am not certain, however, that you are a good fit for the Companions.” Aerisif felt her face redden. “You certainly have fire, girl, no one here dares deny that. But your swordsmanship is lacking…”

“I will train her, Kodlak.” 

The voice came from her left. Aerisif laid eyes on the man and did a double take. She snapped her head to the right, where Vilkas stood, and back to the left, where this other man stood, with Vilkas’s face.

Twins, she quickly understood. This one was somehow even sturdier built than his brother. While Vilkas kept his hair tidy and kept, his brother left his long and wild.

Kodlak seemed surprised. “Will you, Farkas?” He turned again toward Aerisif. She was still breathing heavy from the fight and her fire. He found molten steel in her eyes. He nodded to himself. “Perhaps. Kjolti, you have one month to train and then test again. If you can prove yourself worthy at the next moon, you will earn a place in Jorrvaskr among the Companions. Farkas, you have lots of work to do. See that it is done well.” He walked off, and the rest of the Companions followed.

Vilkas had come up to Aerisif unnoticed. “I see that I was wrong about you! I thought that you wouldn’t last more than five minutes. You didn’t even last one!” He belted out a laugh deep from his belly. He saw her unsmiling face. “Ah, I jest! Once you learn how to wield steel with honor, I will gladly knock you down again. Unless, of course, you’re interested in a different sort of getting knocked around before then?” He winked at her.

Aerisif recoiled in disgust. Is he for real? She put her hand on her dagger and opened her mouth to say something regrettable when she was interrupted.

“I’m Farkas. I’m going to train you.”

Aerisif looked him up and down. Gods, I’m lucky I wasn’t fighting this brother. “Kjolti.” She offered by way of greeting, nodding.

“I liked the way you shamed my brother in front of everyone. He needs to be embarrassed every now and then.”

“Embarrassed? Ah, brother, did you not see the first part of the fight? Where I swatted this whelp to the ground like a fly?” Vilkas flashed a smile at Aerisif.

This man has more weapons than his sword, and he knows it. She knew his kind. Dangerous.

“I saw how she disarmed you like you were the whelp.” Farkas grinned at his brother. “When was the last time you were disarmed?”

Vilkas shoved his brother playfully. “Ah, come off it. You have work to do!” He strutted away. Aerisif marveled at his confidence.

“Come here. Let me show you how to hold a greatsword. Your grip is all wrong.” Farkas had picked up the dulled practice blade like it was no more than a twig. His eyes were soft and his voice was kind.

Twins, yes, but perhaps only on the outside. Aerisif nodded and watched closely. She knew her life depended on it.

[rylredrants]

Early COVID Life (another from the vaults: 04/26/2020)

Excerpt from a personal history about 2020

March 15th was my last time in a restaurant as of April 26th. (ETA- as of November 15th, I’ve still not been to a restaurant in the US.)

The pandemic had been a conversation topic with both of the dates I’d been on the previous week. The screenings in some airports had begun in January and the first confirmed case in the US had been noted on January 21st. Back then it was still being called the “Wuhan Virus” because of its origins in the Wuhan province of China. Italy had gone on full lock-down back on February 23rd. 

The ‘national emergency’ in the US was announced on March 13th- the same day as my first “first date” with a border patrol agent. 

The panic buying, specifically toilet paper hoarding, began that week as well. My brunch date told me that he had hired someone to do some work for him that morning. He had offered $300 and the guy said he would take $250 and a pack of toilet paper. 

Basketball was the first sport to be cancelled on March 11th.. the Utah Jazz had 2 positive cases. Baseball, hockey, soccer, and the Olympic Games followed. For me, it was learning that the WWE had shut down that made it feel real. Not because I’m an avid fan these days but because they were the first to hold a major event after 9-11 when other people were still afraid to gather in crowds for fear of more attacks. 

Utah was hit with a series of earthquakes in the midst of it all with the biggest one on March 18th.Oh, and there were 2 meteors that came, in relative terms, closer to hitting the earth than any others in decades. Can we say, end of the world feeling much?

The first ‘stay at home’ order was in California on March 19th. Blue states were still scoffing at it as ‘liberal fake news’ in the wake of tweets like this from 45: 

By March 23rd several other states issued similar orders.

Here in AZ it wasn’t official until March 31st.  

On April 3rd CDC guidelines were released recommending cloth face coverings when in public in addition to the ‘social distance’ recommendation of staying 6’ or more from other people. An old friend in CA was making masks so I ordered 2 from her.

Monday, April 13th was the first trip into the grocery store since the pandemic began. My best friend picked me up at 6:45am and I gave her one of the two masks that arrived from California a couple days before. We pulled up to Walmart and saw a line of people outside waiting for the 7am opening. By this point, stores had begun limiting hours in order to properly sanitize things each night and some places started giving senior citizens an extra hour before general opening 1-2 times each week.

Our face masks were made of cotton on the inside and denim on the outside. I made the mistake of not taking my gum out of my mouth before putting mine on which only added to the difficulty breathing. On top of that, my glasses fogged up over and over again. It was awful.

The store itself didn’t seem too bad. The toilet paper aisle was about 10% stocked. The usual brands weren’t there and signs hung on empty shelves that said it was limited to one package per household. I got myself a pack of the Great Value brand, even though I had several rolls still at home. I also bought 2 two-packs of my dish gloves because they were another item that had become hard to come by. 

My basket was filled with frozen tater tots, steak fries and jalapeno poppers... junk food that I normally wouldn’t keep in the house, along with 2 packs of my favorite cookies, tuna, shampoo (2 big bottles) and deodorant even though I wasn’t out of either, command strips for hanging the 2 puzzles I’d recently completed, Kleenex because they had them in stock and had been hard to come by, mini loaf pans because I was baking banana bread before it was trendy, and instant coffee because I wanted to try the whipped coffee thing I kept seeing online.

I spent $100 and got $40 in cash that I would later turn into quarters for laundry and water bottle refills.

It has felt like Groundhog’s Day… work, dinner, couch, bed, stare at the darkness, and eventually fall asleep and do it again. 

I’ve had even more trouble than usual concentrating at work and instead find myself scrolling Facebook incessantly. Earlier this month, my department fired 3 people and transferred another out to her previous position which has made me that much more nervous about my job. Despite that, I’ve still struggled to get motivated to do the work I’ve just been assigned including a new course to create and an article talking about what my company is doing for our customers “during this time.”

I began watching the daily ‘Coronavirus Briefings’ from the White House as often as possible just because I’ve found that words really can’t capture just how awful the scene is. One day they showed a video that was all about the administration’s “terrific” response to the virus. Reporters described the video as a campaign video and when questioned about a missing chunk of time in it between the end of January when the Commander-in-Tweet said he had ‘bought time’ for the country and early March when they officially announced a national emergency 45 had his now-standard tantrum including, calling reporters “fake news” and attacking their credibility rather than giving any kind of answer.

Another day last week 45 started rambling on about possible cures including injecting UV light or disinfectants into patients. I immediately messaged the co-worker who has been posting about this kind of thing daily and told her that the next big episode would be about people injecting household disinfectants. 

Within 24 hours Lysol, Clorox and other household cleaning companies released statements telling people NOT to consume or inject their products. This is the world we live in.

Also last week, the governor of Nevada broke CNN’s Anderson Cooper with her lack of reasoning about how and why Las Vegas should re-open. There have been protests in several states as people who have been unemployed for weeks with only a single $1200 check from the government to help are demanding the economy re-open now. These protests have included masked (white) men holding guns and people with signs such as the one that read “My body, my choice” with an image of a face mask. All the while, other states have used the pandemic as a way of further restricting abortion access calling them ‘non-emergency medical procedures.’

People have applied for unemployment en masse while 2 trillion dollars in federal funds, grants, and loans “designed to help small businesses” (The CARES Act) were snatched up almost immediately. Some funds were granted to large publicly traded companies including as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse ($20M) and Potbellies’ ($10M). They are among a handful of these companies who are returning the money only after public outcry.

I’m scared. 

Not of the virus necessarily, my county has just passed 30 cases which pales in comparison to a lot of other places, but I’m scared for how this is changing “normal” in terms of social interactions that would have typically lead to deeper bonds and eventually, hopefully, a new relationship for me.

A couple weeks ago, I loaned my sewing machine to a friend. She’s been notoriously anti-social and when I came by she invited me to hang out at a “social distance” for a bit. We ended up sitting on the concrete outside her front door about 5’ apart for about an hour just chatting. For her to feel the need for socializing is big. It’s on par with me having the urge to exercise (which hasn’t happened… yet).

I’m scared for my friend in Baltimore whose partner is a nurse in New York where the bodies have been piling up for weeks. He works for the Smithsonian and has been able to work from home for all but one day/week. Coping with the isolation for him has included turning meals into art that he posts along with the daily videos of his strongman feats and the occasional live shows with other performers who are struggling financially.

I’m scared for the New Jersey firefighter who told me about the increase in kitchen fires because people who never cooked are having to do so for the first time. He then told me about a friend that lost both her parents to COVID. She was unable to be with them in their final hours and their bodies were put into refrigerated trucks because there isn’t enough room in the morgues now. 

 If something happens to him, I’ll never know. He’s not on social media and we don’t have any friends in common who could tell me about it. He could just disappear one day. Or he could just appear. He’s talked about running away from his life for the last 5 years and I think this is really showing him that it’s time to make a change.

I’m scared for the friend in WA working 80+ hours a week between his two jobs. His health was shaky before his daughter’s murder in November 2018 and he lived in his car for months during the trial. He is finally working and has a roof over his head but is in contact with people daily who could potentially get him sick. Again. Because he was one of the people whose blood was being tested for antibodies, assuming he had already had COVID and survived.

I’m scared for my ex-husband who retired from the Army and moved to DC for his dream job right before the lock-downs started. The start date for his dream job was pushed back, and his last Army paycheck was getting closer and closer. Fortunately his resume is one that allowed him to start another job rather quickly and he just got an official start date at the dream job. But he is alone with the dogs, trying to rebuild himself and his life much in the way I am right now. 

We had friends in the area from the 3 years we lived there, but the virus means that all of the parties he wanted to go to that I wasn’t comfortable with… those parties may never return. They don’t have the grocery pick up options I have here, and his health has been an issue of concern for a long time. 

His girlfriend in the quad was a nurse who said that he had the ‘trifecta for a heart attack’ with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. We are still legally married on paper so I have health insurance and am the primary beneficiary on his life insurance, but money can’t replace him. 

We may be separated but he is my family… and the only family I’ve really got.  And money wouldn’t make it any easier for me to have to re-arrange my life again and somehow go get the dogs if, Gods forbid, something were to happen to him.

It’s all a mess. It shouldn’t be such a big decision to go grocery shopping. 

Seeing people in movies and TV just casually touching one another and hugging shouldn’t seem so foreign already… but it is and it does. I know that we will never got back to the way it was. Masks are going to be part of my wardrobe for the foreseeable future. 

Just meeting a new person for coffee will feel riskier than unprotected sex, which makes dating a completely different experience… assuming I bite the bullet and reactivate my OkCupid account at all. And rather than calling my best friend and going out for lunch right now, I’m going to go stare at my stocked pantry with ‘nothing to eat’ and end up having leftover biscuits and gravy before putting on something resembling clothes, even if it’s just so I can take the trash out.

This is my life right now. This is the world we live in.

[5llowance]

Who should I contact to report my employer for falsifying visa documents? My now former boss got me a Z visa by opening a fake business in both our names at the same address as the school. I have tax documents showing how much he paid taxes for me based on a fake salary/contract. via /r/China

Who should I contact to report my employer for falsifying visa documents? My now former boss got me a Z visa by opening a fake business in both our names at the same address as the school. I have tax documents showing how much he paid taxes for me based on a fake salary/contract.

So a bit of context. I had been working at the same school since June 2018. Before coming there he guaranteed me a visa. Said he could get me a management visa which would still allow me to work at the school. Well, that fell through. He eventually opened a fake business in both our names with the same address as the school). Through that he was able to get me a work visa.

I was forced to leave China in February due to the virus (had my parents visiting and wasn't willing to risk their health at the time). We tried getting back on March 27th but about 60 foreigners were pulled off 2 spring airline flights and told we couldn't board because we arrived to close to midnight.

My boss decided to wait until the middle of May to tell me that he wasn't going to hold my job for me. I asked him for my salary documents so that I could use them to apply for my wife's permanent residence visa so that we can return to Canada. This is when he sent me both the tax receipts and my paystubs (took 3 fucking weeks to get these even though they are right beside his desk).

I also asked him for my contract completion bonus. He said he would deduct one month (May, was going to deduct February, March and April as well but I said that wasn't fair because I still had to work remotely for those months (was only paid 2k rmb/month for those 3 months as well)) from it because I wasn't able to return to work. I asked him about it again yesterday because my contract was now complete (as of June 8th). He said he would calculate it and let me know.

He messaged me saying that I had to pay 2400rmb for 1 months rent (May 15th to June 15th which is bullshit because the housing contract actually ended on May 15th and we had most everything sold and moved from the house) and was also charging a 200rmb cleaning fee (yet I never got paid a cleaning fee when I had to clean that apartment and our previous one because they were a mess before moving into them).

He hasn't told me the total amount I will receive yet but I know he will take the majority of what I feel I'm old and I also won't receive my flight allowance. When he does eventually pay me, I am going to ask him to give me a break and help us out. My family lost everything because of this virus. All of our belongings were left in China and had to be sold at a massive loss. Add that to basically losing 87% of my salary for February to April and 100% since and we are basically in a bad spot. I was relying on this money. If he can spend 15,000+ rmb once or twice a month at KTV's then he can do right by his employees.

If he doesn't, I want to report him. He has one other teacher working there under the same situation I was. He also hired another new teacher who is currently teaching on a business visa and also doesn't have a degree. Who should I send these documents to? I also have the Wechat conversation screenshotted where he specifically tells me not to show anyone the tax documents.

What do y'all think I should do? Tbh, I'm considering giving him an ultimatum (after receiving whatever money he is going to send me first) telling him if he doesn't pay me in full that I would report him. I know it's technically blackmail but I think this situation calls for it. Also have a very long letter that I plan to share in every school Wechat group. I'm still in the homework groups and my letter (explaining everything that has happened and just how bad of a boss he really is) will be shared in all of them. There are 19 groups and over 200 parents in these groups. Multiple of which are police, PLA and PLN.

Submitted June 13, 2020 at 04:59AM by MuayThai1985 via reddit https://ift.tt/3fdfwUi

[daisy-daisyy]

AFTER 7 MONTHS, GOD GAVE ME THE JOB

the following is a timeline/testimony of my 7-month journey of faith, prayer, patience, and trust in the Lord for a job. I’ve also included in bullet points journal entries/prayers I’ve written from my devotionals where I felt the Lord was ministering and speaking to me regarding the job. I know it looks like a lot but I tried my best to make it as simply and straight-forward as possible loolllll. Thank you in advance for taking time to read through all this!! :) xx

January 2017: I walk into Classics to buy myself flowers (though I ended up not buying any) and hear the Holy Spirit prompt me with “Why don’t you go ask and see if they’re hiring?” I get excited at the thought of working there and proceed to ask the owner if they’re hiring. She tells me that they have some positions open and asks me to fill out an application. I AM VERY VERY SUPER DUPER EXCITED AND HOPEFUL.

February 14th: Valentine’s Day lollll. I go in to buy MYSELF flowers and also drop off my resume.

January - March: Made phone calls every week to follow up on my application, only to hear every time that the owner will call me back. The phone calls I made every week slowly turned into every other week, and then every 3 weeks.

March 21st: Holy Spirit tells me to go visit the store, so I go. I buy myself flowers and re-introduce myself to the owner, telling her that I applied 2 months ago and ask if there’s still any openings. She asks for my availability and tells me that there are morning and afternoon shifts open. I eagerly tell her I’m free & she says she’ll contact me.

End of March - Mid April: More follow-up phone calls lollzzz

April 13th: Holy Spirit tells me to send the owner an email this time - no more phone calls. I send her an email following up on our last conversation in March and pretty much ask for closure lolll. I asked if I could get a confirmed response within the next week on whether or not I’ll be hired. I was getting very impatient because by this time I’ve been unemployed for almost a year and I wanted to get a job/$$$ asap. I desperately needed closure so that I could start applying at other places if I wasn’t gonna get the job here.

April 14th: (SHE REPLIES THE VERY NEXT DAY OMGOSHHH)  “Hi Grace, I have really been considering you for a position here at the store. How many hours a week are you looking to have?”

!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOO HAPPY AND EXCITED AT THIS POINT AHHH !!!!!!!!!!!

I respond with my availability and schedule.

April 18th: Okay backstory: from October 2016-January 2017 I interned at a non-profit jewelry company called Purpose Jewelry. Although my internship finished earlier this year, I still made myself available to volunteer for events if they needed help. On this day, I came in to pick up equipment for an event I was volunteering for and got to catch up with my old manager. She asks me for life updates & I tell her I’m trying to get this job at Classics. Her eyes grow wide and tell me that she JUST started collaborating with them & that Classics actually carries Purpose Jewelry at the shop now!!! IDK ABOUT YOU BUT THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING ARE LIKE....NOT VERY HIGH LOL. I am 100% sure that this was a sign from God.

April 19th: At this point, it’s been 6 days since I sent the email and 5 days since she’s responded. Only 1 more day to make it a full week to give me closure/lmk if I’m hired or not. I am v nervous and worried. Also on this day, I attended a conference at HROCK that a friend of mine invited me to. During ministry time, I was worshipping the Lord and I hear these words from Him: “You will receive an email tomorrow.” My heart became excited and full of peace <333

April 20th: It’s been exactly 1 week that I’ve sent the email. AND SHE REPLIES JUST AS THE LORD SAID <333

“Hi Grace, I truly appreciate your patience in obtaining employment here at Classics. At this time though, I might not be able to give you 20 or more hours a week. It might be about 15 hours. Let me know if you are willing to try and we can go from there. Thank you so much!”

At this point, I am sooooooo soooo happy. I jump to conclusions and share a testimony at our church’s Bible study that i got the job lolllllll. After all, the Lord spoke to me about it and this email made me so sure that I was gonna get it!!!!

I respond saying 15 hours is perfect and ask to continue discussing the next steps.

April 21st - May 6th: No response back from her. I send 3 more follow-up emails. I am very confused & discouraged.

May 7th: “Hi Grace, I would not be able to offer employment to you at this time. I thank you for your time and patience. Some of our employees are going to be out of school soon for the summer break so I would like to offer them more work hours instead.”

:(

My heart dropped...like is this for real?????? I seriously thought I had it,..

I remember sitting on my bed after reading the email, completely stunned, saddened, and especially confused. I pray to Lord about it and receive comfort and peace. I reflected on the 5-month journey thus far and came to a realization: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO FREAKIN WAY THAT GOD WOULD DO THIS TO ME LOL. There is no way God would tell me to apply for a job, speak continuously to me about it, give me signs, and not give it to me. God doesn’t do that - He wouldn’t “lead me on.” There’s no way He would make me go through all this JUST to test my faith and patience...for everything to come to nothing. There HAS to be more to it. There HAS to be something in the end. So I continue praying & believing for the job despite getting denied by the owner.

May 17th: I send ANOTHER email asking her to reconsider lol i’m so annoying

June 10th: I’m driving home after dropping Trina off at work. Holy Spirit tells me to stop by Classics. I’m like HECK NO and drive past it. I get to the intersection of my house and feel convicted, so I turn around and drive back to Classics. I walk into the store and ask one of the employees if the owner is there and she says that the owner actually JUST LEFT (ughhhhhh I SHOULDA LISTENED TO HS RIGHT AWAY). HOWEVER...the employee recognizes me and and asks if I’m Josh’s sister. Her name is Hannah and she is Josh’s friend’s cousin lolll. Josh has been texting her here & there, asking her questions about employment to help me out. We both knew of each other though we’ve never met. We talk for a little bit & I tell her about my situation & she lets me know that she’s actually leaving the company to pursue an internship out of the country. She says to keep trying & good luck. I leave feeling really encouraged & hopeful! 

June 27th: HANNAH TEXTS JOSH AND ASKS HIM TO ASK ME IF I’M FREE TO MEET UP!!!!!????!?!?!?!?! I eagerly accept and meet up with her that day. Hannah tells me that the owner asked her about me, but she only met me once and doesn’t know me too well. Hannah asks the owner if she would like for her to meet up with me and get to know me, and the owner says yes please. And that’s why she wanted to meet up 😭😭😭  so sweet 😭😭😭  She tells me that she’s leaving the country for her internship in 2 weeks and that the owner is looking for someone to hire, so she wanted to take time to get to know me so she can refer me to the owner. She gives me tips & pointers for the job and tells me not to worry & that she’s going to refer me <3

July 3rd: I text Hannah asking if the owner has said anything and if I should contact the owner & follow up. Hannah says she hasn’t heard anything about it yet but to just wait for the owner to contact me. 

July 27th: It was the last day of Summer camp with our church and everyone is sitting in silence with the Lord. I think about the life I have to go back to and become discouraged at thought of STILL being unemployed. But the Lord responds to my thoughts by saying “Don’t worry. You will get the job.” 

Later that day when we get home, I check my email: *sent Monday, July 24th “Hi Grace, I would like schedule am interview for the job opening on Thursday or Friday from 1 PM on. Please let me know your availability. Looking forward to hearing from you.”

My heart is bursting with joy and excitement. God is SOOOOOOOOO GOOD AND FAITHFUL TO WHAT HE SAYS <333333

July 28th: I go to the shop for an interview!

July 29th:

“Hi Grace, Thank you so much for coming to the interview with Jorge! After careful considerations, I have decided to offer you a position here at Classics. Are you available to start on Monday at 9AM? Let me know if that works.  I think that you will be a great addition to our team!”

July 31st: My very first day working at Classics 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

It’s been a little over a month since I’ve been working here and wow....I am sooooo in love with my job. I applied for a simple position of a barista/server (why fight so long & hard for a job I can get at Starbucks or anywhere else you may ask), but God has already opened so many doors for me here 😭❤️ If you know me, I am absolutely head-over-heels IN LOVE with flowers. They are beautiful & delicate & one of God’s many ways of telling us “I love you.” I also have lots of experience with Social Media marketing and it’s something I really enjoy doing. The Lord has opened doors for me to do BOTH 😭😭😭  Although I have NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER in florist design, the owner gave me a chance to do floral work a few weeks ago, saw that I somehow did a good job, and started training me to do work on the flower side. Earlier this week, she gave me the PW to their Instagram and allows me to post/do whatever I want. THIS IS ALL GOD 😭😭😭  I remember starting in middle school, my ultimate dream job was to be a florist. It wasn’t ideal or something I took time to pursue because I felt like it wouldn’t be stable, but God literally turned that dream into a reality for me. I definitely can feel His amazing love through this job. After every shift, I leave feeling so full of joy and gladness. 

These past 7 months have NOT been easy....NOT EASY AT ALL lolll. There were soooo many times I wanted to give up and just apply somewhere else. There were so many people in my life that I love & cherish who told me to move on, apply somewhere else, that I deserve better than this, that God has another job in store for me - all out of love & care for me. But the ONLY thing that kept me going was the Lord Himself. Yes, He gave me signs and specific words about the job, but the main anchor to my faith were those scriptures that He spoke to me week after week, day after day in my devotions. Through His word, He kept telling me to keep the faith, be patient, trust in Him, ask and you shall receive, and obtain the promises He has for me. Thank you also to everyoneeee who encouraged me & stood with me in faith! I don’t know if I would have made it through if it weren’t for your prayers & words of faith <333 God is soooooo sooooo good and faithful 😭  His timing may not be in line with our timing, but wow it’s soooo worth it. I am sooo, sooo incredibily thankful to the Lord for this journey. I learned so much about faith, patience, and trust in the Lord. I’ve neverrr been tested like this before but the Lord came through just like He always does. All glory, honor, and praise to God! HE IS AMAZING AND SOOOO GOOD AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I pray & hope you are encouraged in your journey of faith & patience to obtain all the promises He has for you!! <333 He is faithful! 

JOURNAL ENTRIES

February 25th: 

“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” Romans 4:20-21

When it comes to the promises of God, believe and be strengthened that it will come to pass in FAITH. Be fully convinced that God will fulfill His promises; do not waver through unbelief! Strengthen your faith daily through the word.

April 4th: 

“Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by brining a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.” Numbers 14:36-37 

Been learning a lot about the power of our words...when you use your tongue to bring an evil/bad report about the things/promises of God, it is very displeasing to Him. May I remember to not speak death or discouraging words regarding God’s promises - that they’re too good to be true, or doubt what He has promised. When God has proven and shown me His goodness and promises, I should never doubt His plans and future promises. I must trust in Him, never doubt Him, listen and obey His voice so I can receive His promises. 

April 5th: 

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” Psalm 31:!4

Psalm 31:4

Even when David was persecuted and hated by everyone around him, his trust in God kept him going. He acknowledged the Lord as “his God” and trusted in Him despite what his eyes and ears were receiving from the world.

April 10th: 

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” 

April 15th: 

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

May 23rd: 

“’Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?’ And the Lord said, ‘Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.’” Judges 20:28

The Israelites inquired of the Lord what to do in battle 3 times - the first 2 times being that they lost many men in battle, wept, came before the Lord, fasted, and gave offerings. And when God told them to go to battle a third time, they didn’t hesitate to obey Him and came through victorious. With my current job situation, I’ve allowed my soul to be discouraged because I obeyed the Lord and did not receive the results I was expecting. However, this passage encouraged me and the Holy Spirit showed me that just because I obeyed and didn’t get the victory, doesn’t mean the victory hasn’t come yet - it’s all trust, obedience, and faith in the Lord and His timing.

May 30th: 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” 

Matthew 7:7-8;11

God has sweetly reminded me that He hears me and the desires of my heart, and He will give to me what I ask in His will <3

June 4th: 

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 34:8-10

June 6th: 

“But when he saw that the wind was bolsterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’″ Matthew 14:30-31

Peter sank when he based his faith on the things seen, on the natural. When he saw the heavy winds, he became afraid, his faith decreased, and he began to sink rather than trusting Jesus when He told him to come onto the water and walk. “Little faith” and “doubt” is caused by what we hear/see in the natural. Faith & confidence is caused by Jesus’ word and the unseen. Don’t base things on the natural!!

June 7th:

“For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’” Matthew 15:4 

“Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:25

This morning I was feeling confused and discouraged about the job situation once again. And I asked God if perhaps something was blocking the blessing? And He put on my heart that regarding my love and honor for my parents, it’s been lacking. So reading “Honor your father and your mother” in today’s reading is no coincidence. He reminded me that it’s not based on works, but it’s the heart. I must reconcile myself to them and forgive them and walk in love towards them. Also, He’s recognizing my great faith and says “Let it be to you as you desire” regarding my job <3

June 9th: 

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief, for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’” Matthew 17:20

June 16th: 

“Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and all land will yield its increase.” Psalm 85:12

The Lord is encouraging and speaking to me again about His provision for me with the job and finances. He gives what is good and will cause increase in my land <3

June 19th: 

“Our father trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.” Psalm 22:3-5

“Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!” Psalm 22:26

I trust in the Lord, cry to Him, and seek Him, and He sees all of it. What I do is not in vain. He has delivered me and caused me not to be ashamed. God is telling me that I have been seeking Him because I praise Him. He put on my heart to seek Him first this year, and I feel that He is confirming with me that I have been seeking Him because I praise Him. My provision and job is coming...”and all these things shall be added to you.”

June 20th: 

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:3-5

June 25th: 

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17

“And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be establisehd forever, and do as You have said.” 1 Chronicles 17:25

As I put my trust in the Lord, the living God, He gives me richly all things to enjoy. I believe He is speaking to me yet again about His promises and that I am to pray as David did regarding His promises and provision for me. God has spoken to me that He will give me the desires of my heart, that He shall supply ALL my need, that whatever I ask for, I will receive, and so I must pray and proclaim that this word has been established forever and He will do as He said <3

July 5th: 

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8

July 12th: 

“There has not failed on word of all His good promises, which He promised through His servant Moses.” 1 Kings 8:56

All the promises God has promised, He keeps them ALL. Whatever He has promised will come to pass in my life. His promises never fail <3

July 13th:

 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

July 14th: 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of the things not seen...By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11: 1,3

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Father God, Thank You for Your love, thank You for reminding me to keep the faith and keep believing for my job at Classics. Although I do not have the job in the physical realm, I’ve already received it in the spiritual because You’ve promised and given it to me. I sure am learning faith and patience. Your timing is perfect. I receive my job according to Your will and timing. I trust in You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

July 17th:  “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:3-4

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

Father God, Thank You for Your great love reminding me to keep the faith and be patient. My faith has definitely been tested regarding the job and it has produced much patience. Let patience have its perfect work in me and I pray against any doubt in my mind and cast it down. I am a woman of faith, not doubt. I trust in You with all my heart and acknowledge You in all my ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[jodiwatson]

New Post has been published on https://svlodos.com/2018/09/02/answering-questions-about-turkey-part-1/

Answering Questions About Turkey - Part 1

We get a lot of questions about Turkey – I’ll use this post to answer some of them. Better yet, come visit sometime and experience it for yourself!

Turkish Flag

How did you decide on Turkey?  Answered in an earlier, separate post here 🙂

Are you allowed to buy property in Turkey?  Yes, we can and we have. It’s not very common to finance property purchases. Most people buy their homes with cash. We hired a Turkish lawyer, named Cihat (pronounced Jihad – same meaning!) who helped us navigate the legalities and questions of property ownership. Unfortunately, we can only stay for 90 days at a time on a tourist visa for a total of 180 days/year (90 days in, at least 90 days out). So far, this works great for us as we dodge the hurricane season in Mexico. It’s quite onerous to get a residence permit to live in Turkey full-time. Like in the US, if you are foreign-born, there are many hurdles and requirements for us to stay longer. Also, similarly to the US, you can buy property, but it doesn’t qualify you to stay longer. Also, like in the US, we could come and stay “illegally” (beyond our 90 days), but when we left and tried to return, we would likely get hassled and maybe not allowed back in the country (not a chance we want to take). Although we can buy a house here, you are not allowed to buy a car unless you have a residence permit, so we rent a car (for about $8/day) while we are here.

How does the current economy and Lira free fall impact you?  The currency here is called the Lira. Currently, the lira falling is a good thing for us. We have a local, Turkish bank account, but mostly we transact in dollars, so it’s actually better for us. When we arrived, the lira was about 3.5 lira: 1 dollar and now it’s almost 7. We try to keep dollars as long as possible and exchange when we need them. Interestingly, even though Turkey takes MasterCard and Visa, many businesses reject our US cards as their chip readers won’t accept our cards. It’s extremely frustrating, and it prevents us from leveraging the exchange rate but also requires us to use our Turkish account or liras. Also, most places, unless you’re in a posh hotel, won’t take American Express, and many stores don’t even know what it is. In the long run, a stable Turkish economy will be better for us as we own a home here and want to see the community thrive and appreciate in value. We use TransferWise to move money from our US account to our Turkish account. The transfer fees are reasonable, and it’s fast and easy with an app on our phones.

Turkish Lira

What about the politics and president of Turkey?  It’s best not to discuss them.

What’s the language and are you learning it?  The language is Turkish – it’s a beautiful language that has more in common with romance languages, like French, and none of the harsh or guttural sounds of Arabic. My Turkish is very rusty; I understand a lot of it, and I can shop and get along pretty well at a high level, but I still can’t speak conversationally. I can follow along, but I lack the ability to say too much in response, which is frustrating! It’s definitely improved with time here. Many people here don’t speak English, so we blunder along, try as we can, and use Google Translate when we get stuck! I think for our trip next year, we’ll spend time using Babbel or taking an intensive language course to jumpstart our learning. There is nothing more humbling and makes you more empathetic to people living or traveling in the USA, trying to speak English, than when the shoe is on the other foot!

Panoramic of our neighbors – as seen from our back balcony

What’s your neighborhood like?  Our total community is ~30 buildings with ~70 separate homes built as townhouses. Most people own 1 building, but we split ours with our friend who lives next door. The busiest we have ever seen it was during a national holiday a couple of weeks ago, but even still, our neighborhood was only about 30% full. We are in a separate little area with only 7 homes, and we call it the G7 as we are a fairly international group. All but one house was full during the holiday – it was great fun hanging out with everyone, sharing meals, and working together to make improvements.

Who are your neighbors?  Most everyone is Turkish, but they either live abroad or work abroad. Two of our neighbors are Americans (living in Turkey & in the UK), one family lives in Brussels (an engineer & an anesthesiologist), one family lives in Ankara (retired ministry of tourism & a librarian), one family lives in Istanbul (a gynecologist & an engineer), one family lives in Istanbul (professor & Turkish think tank)…all professionals, and all of them speak *some* English. (They are very patient with us!) There are quite few kids here, too, which is really fun to see the energy and diversity of our community; watching them grow up year after year will be really fun. We have a beautiful swimming pool, and the beach is about a 2 minute walk away – complete with electricity (when it works), lounge chairs, a fresh water shower and palapas.

Who takes care of everything there?  There is a guy, Mustafa, who lives here full-time, in a little house with a bunch of chickens. He is our on site guardian, does odd jobs, keeps the pool clean and does general maintenance. We also have a building site manager, who is accountable to a board of directors and who is supposed to run the bigger systems like solar and water (which don’t work great….). But, we are really on our own for repairs and landscaping. Part of this is because we are still a new development that hasn’t received all the rights of a city property – this will likely come in time.

Can you find everything in Turkey, like in the US?  Yes and no. Generally, there are specific stores for each category of goods. If you need electric, you have to visit the electric store. If you need plumbing, you have to visit the plumbing store….and so on.  There are big chain stores ala Home Depot and IKEA in larger cities but not near where we live. There are two grocery chains here (Migros & Carrefour) that are starting to carry more than just food, but in general, when running errands, we have to plan all day for a minimum of 6 stops!

Pharmacies – are prescriptions hard to refill?  Pharmacies are plentiful here, but limited to generic drugs or alternatives. For example, we can’t find Benadryl here, but they have an antihistamine equivalent, and my branded contact lens solution is readily available. I take a migraine pill that costs me about $20/pill in the USA with insurance, but here, I pay the equivalent of $1/pill – no prescription required! Natural treatments like Arnica are easy to find, and tampons are nearly impossible to find. It is related to a holdover custom from the muslim culture of revering virgins (seriously). I remember this being the case when I lived here 30 years ago, but I expected it would have changed by now (it hasn’t).

Are you in a safe area?  Despite what you read on the news, which is largely sensational and focused on small areas, most of Turkey is very safe, and yes, we are also in a safe area. There is and has been violence in Turkey, but we stay vigilant and try to blend in and not put ourselves in uber-tourist places with a lot of people. We have a full-time caretaker who lives here year round, and he watches the place. There are also a few dogs that live here, and they are quite protective of the neighborhood and people roaming around at night. The only thing we have to watch out for are scorpions and wild boar! 🙂 There are immigration patrols that we meet on the highway from time to time, and recently, we have seen military helicopters flying over our beach, presumably looking for refugees since we are so close to Greece (the closest entry point to the EU). The immigration road blockades generally wave us through once they see we are foreigners or Americans. For this reason, you must always carry your passport when traveling around the country.

What’s your 3-6 month plan?  We will be in Turkey for just under 90 days until the first of October when our visa expires, and then we will island hop around the Greek islands for a few weeks, landing back in the states in time for the midterm elections in early November. We plan to be back in Mexico at the end of November, visiting the Copper Canyon with friends. We’ll spend December seeing family and friends (Arizona, Sun Valley, Portland) and then back to Mexico where our sailing season will start again in earnest. We’re tentatively planning to sail south to La Paz or Puerto Vallarta from January thru early March to avoid the heavy “Northers” before sailing back up into the Sea of Cortez for a few months before the next hurricane season. We both are likely to travel back and forth to the US during this time for work, and Jodi may come back to Turkey for a month in Spring to check on the house and do some weeding and spring planting.

When will you be back in the US?  Sometime in late October/early November, 2018. We hope to come back to Turkey for another extended visit in 2019 – again, during hurricane season in Mexico.

What’s the food like in Turkey?  In a word, amazing. Some of the best cuisine in the world. Not heavy like Greek food but fresh, whole foods grown in volcanic soil and rich in color and nutrients. Lots of fresh fruit (melons, peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, apricots) and vegetables (tomatoes – okay, a fruit, squash, beans, cucumbers, lettuces), 100s of varieties of olives and cheese (I counted more than 40 types of “white cheese” at the grocery store the other day), legumes (chickpeas, lentils, white beans) meat and fish/seafood (although we don’t really eat these anymore), and the government subsidized recipe for white bread is divine (and costs no more than about 50 cents). My favorite is breakfast, which is generally cheese, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, honey, bread, and jam. Alcohol is easier to buy than it used to be (albeit very expensive for out of country brands – a small bottle of Absolut Vodka is $20), and Turkey’s wine industry is growing fast (high-end bottles costing between $5-15). Efes Beer is Turkey’s national pilsner; it’s cheap & delicious ($2/bottle).

Which do you prefer – the Aegean or Mediterranean?  Turkey is one of only three countries in the world that straddles more than one continent (Russia and Azerbaijan are the others). Turkey is on the European and Asian continents. We live on the Aegean, but both seas are beautiful. If you look on Google Earth, you can see that the Aegean is a bit more green and mountainous than the Med, but both have crystal clear blue waters, and most of the beaches are small pebbles vs. sand. We are closer to a few Greek islands than we are to mainland Turkey.

What’s your typical day like?  See next post – Part 2! 🙂