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esullivan-blog1 · 6 years

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Yager Bomber’s Blog

Yager Bombers’ Blog:

From our culture assignment our group learned how people from different nationalities function in different ways. Although we acknowledged that many of our moral and ethical principles are quite very similar and nearly identical. Since the different cultures we observed were all living in the united states we had felt it was not justified to make this assumption absolute at this time. We were drawn to the conclusion that if we were to conduct business with people or companies from these nationalities, mutual respect, honesty and fair dealing would be the best approach. They are attributes that we have seen to hold true with people from all around the world. Mutual understanding of the parties is also something that we have deemed necessary to carry out business in a global fashion. This can get confusing because in different cultures gestures and use of the same words may have different connotation leading one or more parties to be misled. One of the few potential barriers we have seen from our relatively short culture interactions was that of language. Langue is key to communication and can make people frustrated and not want to conduct potential business. With that being said if one wishes to conduct some sort of business with a culture from a different country, research should be done and proper preparation such as a translator on your computer should be present just in case. Although this may be necessary even for conducting business with different cultures found within our own nation. Since our group decided to explore many different cultures individually, and then come together to compare and contrast, it opened our eyes to one main realization; As we enter the global business world, we will be working with so many different types of people who have different backgrounds, different traditions, and different morals, so it is very important for us to always learn and respect the different cultures we will work with. One of us specifically went to one event with four main different nationalities, this was an excellent example of how diverse business conferences and meetings will be for us as we excel into the global business world. The other two members of our team attended Chinese martial arts classes. We think it is very important to admire the techniques and rituals of these other countries. Specifically, the concept of yin and yang has reminded us how important it is to have balance in all aspects of our lives whether its family, friends, academics, relationships, sports, or business. Also, we discussed how observing the Chinese culture will help us in the long run as China is a major player in the Global economy, it is inevitable that we will all be working with the Chinese in the future. Overall we as group took full advantage of the learning opportunity this project provided us with. To restate our main takeaways from this project, we learned and were reminded that our future relationships will be extremely diverse, we must be open to change and be respectful of cultural differences. We must not let barriers such as language prevent great people from connecting. Lastly, we must keep balance in our lives such as the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.

James individual blog:

The activity that I had participated in was the fiesta day in Ybor on February 23rd. Other known as a flag day, this was a festival in which many different cultures came and set up tents for food, activities or artifacts of their own culture they wished to share with the Tampa bay community. The main cultures I had observed was the Italian, Puerto Rican, Mexican and a little Japanese. I participated by eating food of different nationalities and sparking conversation to observe differences in communication between these nationalities. Although I have met people of these cultures before, this is a new experience for myself because I have never before been to a cultured festival in which people bring the most significant items to represent their heritage as a whole. Although the culture was accurately explained to me by representation, I felt as if there wasn’t enough of each individual culture to make drastic allegations of each individual nationality but to contrast of the several that was present as a whole. At this particular event everyone was happy spending time with their friends and loved ones. The clashing of languages and music was one to be herd as every hundred feet you walked down the street had felt if you entered a new country. Throughout my time on interacting with these different people quite a few things had stood out to me. One was that the Italians were very loud and almost obnoxious. However, they managed to be quite friendly with an outgoing personality. Another thing that stood out to me is how many of the Spanish nationalities were quite sarcastic and liked to joke around. They were also very big advocates rice any many of the males were smoking a hookah. Overall the festival reminded me of New York city, due to the vast variety of people present all minding their own business. The smell of the festival was utterly amazing. From sauces to a wide spread availability of chicken dishes, the air was tainted with deliciousness. Due to this smell I reacted in a way that had made me gain about ten pounds in a measly two hours. The festival made me feel very happy and welcomed due to the great spirit of people from all around the world enjoying the spreading of a little bit of their culture with the community. I suppose I had these reactions because I myself enjoyed the festival just as much as those who created it. The aspect of the cultures I was most successful with was defiantly the edible proportions of what each nationality had offered. Throughout my life I have loved eating food from all around the world, so this festival was right up my alley. I had even managed to find some dishes that I have never seen before nor could I announce the name of them. However, the main aspect of the cultures I had seen today that I have struggled with the language barrier. Lack of understanding what I was trying to ask them and or what they were trying to tell me was difficult and frustrating. It made them lose interest in the conversation and truly did act as a major barrio between cultures. If I Had the chance to repeat the festival, I would have brought a set of prepared question to ask several different nationalities in which I could compare and contrast the responses of each. Thus allowing me to really be able to differentiate the finer aspects of each culture. Another thing that I would of done if I had the chance would be to not eat for a week and get my stomach nice and ready.

Dylan Carter Individual Blog:

On Saturday February 23rrd I had the opportunity to observe a Tai Chi lesson at Wah Lum Kung Fu of Tampa on Rome Ave. This was a very new and interesting cultural experience because not only have I never seen the actual practice of Tai Chi or Kung Fu or seen the inside of a martial arts studio, but I wasn’t even completely aware of what exactly Tai Chi and Kung fu was or how it differentiated from regular karate. The building was very unique and had a strange smell upon walking in. Both the inside and outside of the building is different than anything you would normally see in our culture, from the architecture of the building to the Chinese decor covering inside and out. Throughout the building there are many dragon portraits and statues that symbolize power, strength and good luck in the Chinese culture. I felt a little uncomfortable at first because I felt out of place in an environment I’ve never been exposed to before. When we entered workout room of we were greeted by an elderly man, the Tai Chi and Kung Fu instructor. He welcomed us in with open arms and seemed happy that we were interested in his practice that he is clearly very passionate about. He welcomed us to sit in to observe classes anytime and requested that we didn’t take pictures during the lesson. When you think of Tai Chi, you probably picture people fighting aggressively with unique wild moves. It is actually more relaxed and involves more meditation than you would expect. The instructor heavily emphasized the use of concentration, breathing techniques and properly using your energy to your advantage. The training methods are said to be very effective in creating a strong body and mind. The moves he was teaching didn’t seem as quick and aggressive as the karate moves I imagined and have seen in the past. They were slower movements with more precision and balance. The instructor shared cultural stories with his students throughout the class that were very interesting to hear. There were only six students in the class, two women and four men, all middle aged adults who seemed very interested in the culture and practice. I think an aspect of the culture that I was successful with was keeping an open mind in really trying to understand what the culture includes, its importance and its main attributes. If I were to repeat the experience I would have done more research to come in with more knowledge about Tai Chi, Kung Fu and their culture itself to deepen my understanding even more. I don’t think I would consistently practice this art or ever want to use it because it doesn’t have much importance to me or relevance in my culture, but it was awesome to learn about. Overall this was a great experience that really taught me a lot. I appreciated the opportunity to look into a different culture and way of life that I’ve never really seen before. I would definitely recommend this experience to others because there’s a lot more to this culture than just what than average American would see in the movies.

Eric Sullivan Individual Blog:

On Saturday February 23rd, I actively observed and partially participated in a Tai Chi class. This building offers both Kung Fu and Tai Chi lessons and is located on Rome Ave in Tampa, Florida. This was a completely new experience unlike anything I’ve done before. I pass by this building everyday going to and from campus and always joked around with my roommates about going in and taking a class, and finally this project gave me an excuse to really go in and do it. Upon opening the main door, you enter a room with an old musky smell littered with Chinese artifacts and knick-knacks. At first, I did not feel immediately welcomed, as the woman in the front room was on a phone call and quickly shewed me away into the large workout room. It was there where I felt extremely welcomed by an elderly male, who was the instructor of both Tai Chi and Kung Fu classes. The old man was happy to see a new face expressing interest in his classes. He told me I am welcomed to sit in on any classes and watch for free anytime. He preferred I did not take any pictures of the class in session or of himself, so I respected his wish. I was however able to snap this photo of the inside when he was not looking. The photo is a small example, but certainly does not express how sentimental this place really is. Taking this felt like I went back in time 100 years to a small Chinese village and it felt like I was really there. Although Tai Chi is a fighting art, it was rather peaceful and relaxing for most of it. The instructor stressed that concentrated breathing and properly using your energy are the most important aspects of battle. With that being said, a lot of the class consisted of breathing and balance exercises to get warmed up. He often talked about yin and yang, he said “inhale, exhale”, “Fight, Rest”, “Expand, Contract”. I liked how he talked and told little stories throughout the entire class. He was here to teach us not only moves but also explained how these techniques are to be used all throughout different aspects of life especially love. It was not all meditation, there were times where he showed a move and people would practice them. They were very unique and at times looked like orchestrated dances. To be completely honest I couldn’t see myself using any of the moves shown in a confrontation, but that could be because I was only observing one class. The instructor saw I was dressed in athletic wear so he allowed me to do some warm up exercises and push-ups. I did not pay to attend this lesson. There were only six other people in the class, they seemed to be in the ages of 35-45, two women and four men. I felt as if this particular building and perhaps the art in general is underappreciated and does not intake a lot of money, as it is a place of business, I feel as if it does not have many years remaining unless something is done about it.

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zeroviraluniverse-blog · 7 years

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The U.S. women's hockey team hasn't won gold since 1998. Will the spell be broken in South Korea?

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The U.S. women's hockey team hasn't won gold since 1998. Will the spell be broken in South Korea?

Passion forming with every tighten of the lace

Years of the same routine perfected today

Rituals that are practiced and shared behind locker room doors.

— Kacey Bellamy

It could have been a disaster.

Hurricane Irma was on a path toward the Tampa, Florida, area on Sept. 9, and authorities were bracing for a direct hit. As it happened, the best women’s hockey players in the United States had just begun training in Wesley Chapel, a few miles north of Tampa International Airport.

Even though the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning had decided to evacuate its players, Team USA decided to shelter in place at the Saddlebrook Resort, where they were staying. One agent who was worried about his clients told USA Today, “Why isn’t the women’s team evacuated? Is it because they are just girls … to me this is stupid, they are our Olympic team.”

But Reagan Carey, the general manager for the team, had thought it through, even going so far as to find out the number and the strength of the steel trusses in the shelter area at the Saddlebrook Resort. So on Sunday morning, Sept. 10, the team members abandoned their apartments for the shelter, joining other evacuees to wait out the storm, which lost steam from its original designation as a Category 4. Still, 80 mph winds howled outside the building as Irma passed over. The women played cards, visited with Hilary Knight’s bulldog puppy, Winston, in a separate pet area, and made hockey fans out of their fellow refugees. Captain Meghan Duggan later called it “a big sleepover,” and by the next morning, they were able to return to their quarters and their lives.

“We were kind of scared,” said Kacey Bellamy, the veteran defenseman and one of six players who are in Pyeongchang for their third straight Olympics. “But the negative turned into a positive. It was a great bonding experience for us, the kind of thing that brings a team closer together. Plus, I learned how to play [the card game] euchre.”

By Tuesday, they were back to practicing and helping out in the community. Irma faded into a metaphor for a team that has had to weather a lot of storms over the years.

There was the crushing loss to Canada in the gold-medal game in Vancouver eight years ago. And the devastating 3-2 overtime loss in Sochi in 2014 that gave Canada its fourth straight gold medal. And the battle with USA Hockey last spring, when the women threatened to boycott the 2017 IIHF world championships if they weren’t given living expenses, travel accommodations and medal bonuses befitting representatives of the United States of America.

Not only did they win that battle, but they also went to Plymouth, Michigan, for the world championships and beat Canada 3-2 in overtime in the final — earning the team’s fourth consecutive title. “We’ve been through a lot together,” said Bellamy, now an assistant captain on the team. “I think that’s made us stronger.”

Resilience is part and parcel of hockey, but for female players — who often start out playing with the boys, who give up the comfort of home, who fight off waves of challengers and adjust to a succession of coaches all to pursue their Olympic dreams — well, you just bounce off the boards.

You might even write a poem about the sport you love.

World champ and Olympian Kacey Bellamy (22) watched the gold medal slip away from her team to archrival Canada in two consecutive Winter Olympics. She’s looking for gold in Pyeongchang. AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File

Actions that are defined as the norm within the team

Replaying the past of one game, one play, one second

That has triggered one year of training against that one team.

It was a disaster.

What happened in Sochi’s Bolshoy Ice Dome on March 6, 2014, is excruciating to watch, even four years later. Team USA had a 2-0 lead on Team Canada late in the third period of the gold-medal game. But with 3:26 left in the game, Canada’s Brianne Jenner fired a shot that would’ve gone wide had it not ricocheted off Bellamy’s right leg and past goalie Jessie Vetter. Coach Katey Stone clapped her hands and told the team not to panic, that they were OK.

As time wound down, Canada pulled goalie Shannon Szabados, and Team USA’s Kelli Stack got off a clearing shot that headed for the empty net … and bounced off the left side of the left post. “When those things start to happen in the game of hockey,” Stone later said, “you start to wonder if it is your night.”

It wasn’t. Just 55 seconds away from finally beating Canada for the gold, Marie-Philip Poulin tied the score at 2-2 to send the game into overtime. Team USA had its chances in OT — the left-handed Bellamy almost ripped one past Szabados — but then the refs made some questionable calls, leaving the U.S. short-handed at just the wrong time. At 8:10 of overtime, Poulin fired the game winner past Vetter.

Imagine what it was like watching the Canadians celebrate and then waiting around to accept your silver medals.

“All that work, all that hope,” said Bellamy. “Gone just like that. It took me five months to get over it. March, April, May, June, July. I’m big on watching videos of games, but I didn’t look at that one until August. I needed to get my motivation back.”

Part of that motivation has to do with the team that beat the Americans, the team that always seems to beat them. USA vs. Canada in women’s hockey is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. It started way back in 1916 and captivated the world when women’s hockey debuted as an Olympic sport at Nagano in 1998. The U.S. won that gold-medal game, but the Canadians have won every Olympics since.

The rivalry is so intense that 10 fighting majors were handed out in one 2013 game, resulting in six U.S. players and five Canadians crammed into the penalty boxes. But they are also friends who share a love of the sport and often play on the same collegiate and pro teams. Caroline Ouellette and Julie Chu, one-time captains of Teams Canada and USA, respectively, first met at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and are now coaching at Concordia University in Montreal together while raising Liv Chu-Ouellette, born to Caroline last November.

After 20 years of rivalry, if it boils down to these two for the gold medal in Pyeongchang, who will have the edge?

Do Jordan Greenway and the NHL-less U.S. men have enough firepower to fend off Canada, Finland and OAR? And will the American women gain revenge on their archrival and strike gold for the first time since 1988? Here’s who will take home the hardware.

After helping Team USA to two world championships and a silver medal in Sochi, and then overcoming a crippling concussion, Amanda Kessel has her sights set on gold at the Pyeongchang Olympics. But off the ice, her future is a little more complicated.

2 Related

Both shielded by different armor

Separated by a simple borderline

Sharing the same frenzy for the sport and rivalry

Colors, countries, teammates

All united on the same ice

Bellamy, a women’s studies major at the University of New Hampshire, likes to write poetry in her spare time. “They’re mostly about nature and people,” she said. “But I did write this one about hockey.” In fact, USA Hockey used the poem for a video to promote the “Bring On The World” tour before the last Olympics.

That’s Bellamy’s voice narrating her words in the video, an ode to the challenges of the sport in general, and the rivalry in particular. There is a depth of feeling to the poem that explains why and how Bellamy and the other five three-timers have stayed at the top of the American team for so long, through three different coaches (Mark Johnson, Stone, Robb Stauber) and all the ups and downs.

“Eight years ago, I was just a rookie with my eyes wide open, in awe of where I was, who I was playing with,” said Bellamy. “Now I’m 31 and still in awe of the responsibility. The Olympics is about more than the rivalry with Canada. It’s about representing the country. It’s about showing people how beautiful women’s hockey can be. It’s about the little girls with sticks, the little girls we used to be.”

Two years ago, Bellamy wrote a powerful “Letter to My Younger Self” for The Players Tribune. Addressed to 15-year-old Kacey, she recalled leaving behind her family and friends in Westfield, Massachusetts, to attend the Berkshire School and how the first two weeks “are going to be the worst two weeks of your life.” She told her about the friends and coaches who changed her life, about getting her heart broken when she was cut from USA Hockey’s under-22 team, about using the rejection as motivation to make the senior national team.

“You’re going to play for the U.S. team for a long time,” she wrote. “But never take anything for granted. Make the most of the opportunities you have.”

Each playing for the crest on the front of the jersey

And sticking up for every name on the back

Relax. Just like in Tampa, it might not be the disaster they’re predicting.

Some people who care deeply about Team USA worry that Pyeongchang will be as much a disappointment as Sochi or Vancouver or Turin or Salt Lake City were. They wonder why Stauber, a former NHL goalie who assisted Stone in Sochi, didn’t name any female assistants to his staff. And while he did coach the team to the world championship last April, and beat Canada 5-1 to win the Four Nations Cup on Nov. 12, Team USA has lost the past four games to Canada in its pre-Olympic warm-up.

A 2-1 overtime loss to Canada at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Dec. 3 was particularly painful because the tying goal was scored by Poulin and the winning goal by Jenner, their Sochi nemeses. And it happened in front of members of the 1998 USA Olympic team, who were honored between periods for the United States’ only gold medal.

Afterward, Stauber said, “For us, it’s not necessarily about the 20 years, but more about, ‘It’s time.’ We’ve got to bring home a gold medal. We’ve got a pretty good vision. We’re sticking with it, and we like our direction.”

That direction included the addition of three players since Irma: defenders Cayla Barnes and Sidney Morin and forward Haley Skarupa. When the final roster was named after the second period of the Winter Classic at Citi Field on Jan. 1, veterans Bellamy, Duggan, Knight, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Gigi Marvin were on it, but forward Alex Carpenter, Team USA’s leading scorer in Sochi, and defender Megan Bozek were not — leading some to speculate that they did not buy into Stauber’s system.

Stauber stresses a controlled possession game that sometimes takes the puck back into the neutral zone. As for the lack of a female coach, he does rely on his veterans to help the younger players. Bellamy has been working with the 18-year-old Barnes, who had been getting ready to play for Boston College when she was asked to report to Wesley Chapel. “She’s wise beyond her years,” says Bellamy. “Very poised … she’s just wonderful to have around the locker room.”

While the recent results against Canada have been disappointing, it’s worth keeping in mind that in the American men’s last exhibition game with the Soviet Union before the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” game, Team USA was crushed 10-3.

In Pyeongchang, both archrivals beat Finland and the Russians in the first two games of Group A play — though there was some hand-wringing as the U.S. got off to slow starts in the first period of both games. It was Bellamy who broke the ice at 8:02 of the first period of the victory over the Russians, stepping into the attack off a pass from Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and firing a seeing-eye shot past Russian goalie Valeria Tarakanova. Team USA then put the game away in the second period, thanks to a more aggressive mindset and two goals by Lamoureux-Davidson within six seconds — an Olympic record.

By winning those first two prelims, Canada and Team USA assured themselves of a place in the semifinals, meaning that their game tomorrow means nothing… and their next one everything.

“We’re starting with a clean slate in South Korea,” says Bellamy. “This time will be different.”

Or, as she once wrote:

Mistakes lead to success

Errors lead to victory

Pride leads to gold

#1998 #Broken #Gold #hasnt #hockey #Korea #South #spell #team #Womens #Won #Sports #Sports News

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welcometophu · 7 years

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Not Your Destiny: Chapter 8

Marked Book 1: Not Your Destiny

Chapter 8

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Ángel wakes up to the feeling of something poking him in the back, while a warm body lies on top of him, pressing him into a too-thin, too-hard mattress. He shifts, and Gabi groans, patting his chest.

“Don’t move,” she mumbles. “You’re softer than Luca’s couch.”

“Why am I on Luca’s couch?” While the couch has been pulled out as a bed, it doesn’t look as if anyone bothered to make it up. Ángel is wrapped with Gabi in a pair of blankets, with a pillow shoved under Ángel’s head. Gabi’s head is tucked against his chest, and she presses her hand against his chest again when he tries to roll away.

“We all came to one place after last night,” Gabi mumbles, patting him gently as soon as he stops trying to move. “You and Tanner and Hayley were totally smashed. Sam was kind of gone, too. Zita went home after; Danny would’ve killed her if she stayed out. But everyone else pretty much stayed here.”

“Luca’s place,” Ángel clarifies.

Gabi is silent, then makes a noise that sounds like no.

“Not Luca’s place,” Ángel tries again.

“’S’complicated,” Gabi mumbles. “It’s a really big place. But this is Luca’s couch.” She grabs the blanket, pulls it up over both of their heads. “It’s a shitty couch, but we should just keep sleeping. Easier than walking to my room.”

“You have a room and we’re… here. Did we…?” Ángel sits up, spills Gabi off to one side. He’s still wearing his jeans and his shirt, everything but his shoes. Gabi’s in sweats and a different shirt than he remembers.

“Fuck, no.” Gabi sits up, pushes her hair out of her eyes. “Ángel, I wouldn’t have sex with a guy so drunk he couldn’t think straight. Or not-straight. You may have waxed poetic about some guy’s ass last night, I don’t even know who. I sat on you to make sure you didn’t do something you’d regret. Besides. You kept saying you didn’t want to sleep alone, and Hayley and Tanner took one of the guest rooms.”

No, no, it’s okay, you guys go sleep together. I mean sleep. Just don’t. Please? I mean, I can’t tell you no, but really, maybe not tonight? It’s only been like a day, and Hayley, you’re better than that.

His own voice echoes in his head, and he winces at the memory of leaning on Tanner’s shoulder, lecturing them both. “Fuck, I was kind of an ass.”

“Kind of,” Gabi agrees. “But I don’t think they hate you. They were both pretty much plastered, too.”

Ángel falls back against the pillow, groans when the spring digs into his back just above his kidney. He closes his eyes, presses the heels of his hands against his eye sockets. “I can’t remember half of last night. After I started dancing again. After I told you guys about the soulmark ritual.” He groans again, long and loud. “And fuck me, why did I start telling you guys all my personal shit, anyway? It’s not like you care.”

Gabi rests a hand on his shoulder. “We care. Sort of. I mean, we’re stuck with you for another month, right? And you’re almost family for Maritsa and Cleto, which makes you our family once removed. Also, you should be warned for next time that Zita plus alcohol is a really potent combination for spilling your guts. You are not the first to fall prey to that. Danny won’t drink with her, and they’re married.”

Ángel opens his eyes slowly, rubs the sleep from them.

Then stops.

Because fuck.

There’s ink on his wrist: a sleek spotted cat with tufted ears and chin, poised to pounce, with a simple circle behind it. The skin around is slightly red, the color faded as if it burned into being hours before.

“What…? Oh.” Gabi leans in, sniffs at his wrist. “Yeah. It’s done now.”

He grabs her hands, twists them both. “It can’t be you. We touched—”

“Several times and it was still clouded when we talked last night, yes,” she says. “It’s not me. Hey.” She reaches for his face, cups his cheeks carefully. Her fingers are to the side of his eyes, blocking out the light so all he can see is her. “It’s okay, Ángel. You’re going to be fine. Whoever it is, they’re marked too, right? How hard can it be to figure out who got a surprise tattoo last night?”

“Unless they were drunk and think they got a real one,” Ángel says. His chest is too tight, and his hand curls into his shirt, twisting it above his heart. “They have no idea. I don’t know who it is. I touched someone last night, and it’s—they’re… fuck. I don’t know.”

“Breathe.” Gabi says, and Ángel does his best.

His skin itches, and his wrist aches like burning now that he’s seen the mark. He’s wide awake now, heart hammering, and he feels like his bladder is going to burst if he doesn’t move soon. “I need to go,” he says, and she lets him go, pulls backward to give him room.

He gets his feet on the floor, and the room spins, head pounding as he makes it upright. He grips the side of the couch for a moment, then takes a step. He stops, turns back. “Bathroom?”

Gabi points at a door on one side of the room, while the door on the other side opens. Ángel just reaches the door she pointed to when he hears Luca ask, “Is Ángel all right?” and Gabi’s whispered response.

No footsteps follow him, and that’s fine. Good.

The door opens into a hall, and Gabi yells, “Left!” so he turns in that direction. One door stands slightly open, and he hurries to it, thinking that has to be it. He shoves it further open, stopping when it smacks into someone.

Yes, it’s the bathroom.

Sam and Max are in it, one in boxers and the other in sweats, lips locked as they lean against the counter. Sam grunts at the impact from the door, and Max blinks at Ángel, pupils large and black.

“Bathroom,” Ángel manages to say, his throat tight.

Max tugs at Sam and they both squeeze through the open door, leaving Ángel just enough room to get past them and in, slamming the door behind them. He falls to his knees in front of the toilet, waits.

His stomach roils, but doesn’t empty, despite the ache behind his eyes. He closes his eyes, lowers his forehead to touch the lip, groans quietly.

“You okay in there?” Sam calls out.

“I’m not dying,” Ángel replies, even though he feels like his heart is pounding so hard they must all be able to hear it. Maybe some of them can hear it. Clan. He hasn’t confirmed it, but Gabi keeps smelling him. They have to be Clan. Right? But Clan and Mages. The Mollicones and Maritsa and Cleto.

It doesn’t make sense in his head.

Nothing makes sense.

A knock at the door. “Do you need me to get you some water?” Sam asks. “You’re probably dehydrated. You had a good time last night.”

“Heard you did, too,” Ángel mutters. “Probably better than I did after we left Antigone.” He draws in a breath, relieved that it comes more easily this time. He lets it out slowly, pushes himself to his feet. “I’m okay. I’ll go to the kitchen after this.” He pauses. “If you tell me where the kitchen is.”

“Stairs are at the end of the hall. Go down, and to the back of the house. You can’t possibly miss it.” A soft rap against the door. “And if you need something, yell. There are enough of us here. We take care of each other.”

Ángel laughs dryly. He’s pretty sure no one can take care of this.

He takes care of business, now that his stomach is no longer roiling, and washes his hands. He tries not to look at his wrist, but the ink catches his eyes every time he glances down. When he exits the bathroom, Sam and Max are gone, but Gabi and Luca are hovering in the door to Luca’s room.

Ángel crosses his arms as he walks back to them.

“It’s going to be colder today than yesterday,” Luca says, nodding at Ángel’s short sleeves. “Want a hoodie?”

Maybe asshole isn’t the right word for Luca. Maybe savior, at least right now, although Ángel suspects he’ll be back to asshole later. Ángel nods, takes the soft grey Tampa Bay hoodie that Luca offers. Luca must have arms like an ape, because the thing is too long, covering Ángel’s wrists easily, and he takes another shuddering breath once they’re hidden.

Luca holds up his hands, wrists toward Ángel. Both are blank, and Ángel nods.

“Thanks.”

“Anything to make you stop stinking,” Luca says.

“I just don’t know how I missed it. When it happened to Hayley, she jumped like something bit her. She didn’t see it happen, she felt it.”

“You weren’t exactly feeling much after the amount of beer you had in you last night,” Gabi says dryly. “You should probably start the morning with some painkillers and a lot of water, or you’re going to be miserable at the garage.”

“We leave in thirty,” Luca adds, and that’s another small punch to the gut.

“Right.” Ángel’s still wearing yesterday’s clothes. He smells a little like beer, and he’s feeling that headache coming on. And every time he looks down, he knows that his wrist is there and he’s going to see some damned cat that means something to someone else and he doesn’t know what.

And the worst of it is, he doesn’t know what would show up to signify himself, either, so he doesn’t know what to look for. If he even had any idea where to look.

He wavers, uncertain. He tugs on the sleeves, pulling them over his wrists, curling his hands inside. “Sam said the kitchen’s downstairs?” he asks, because he just needs to get away.

“Yeah, Tony’s been up for an hour already, so there’s probably food out. He does that when Sam and Max crash here,” Luca says. “It’s easier than letting them go through the cabinets. Gives us some more control over what they eat.”

“They don’t live here.”

Gabi snorts. “God, no. They have an apartment. So do Maritsa and Cleto, although honestly, they stay here half the time because this place is better, so they might as well kick in for rent. Zita lives with Danny in the suburbs. Me, Tony, and Luca all share this place, and we’ve got three guest rooms, too. Big rooms, but it’d be better if we had en suite bathrooms. I have to share with Luca and whoever’s in the guest space on this floor.”

“It’s a huge house for the area,” Luca admits. He grabs his leather jacket, shrugs into it. “I’m going out for a bit. You should eat. Shower if you want, there are towels in the closet inside the bathroom. No one will mind if you use something. But you’ve only got twenty-five minutes now, unless Tony says he doesn’t mind if we’re late.”

“I’ll ride in with Tony, give you a few extra minutes. You need to drop Tanner and Hayley off anyway,” Gabi reminds him.

Because Tanner and Hayley are here as well. Somewhere.

Ángel gestures down the hall to the stairs he can see. “I’m just going to….” He fails to finish the sentence, but Gabi nods as if he did. He doesn’t wait for either of them to reply before he walks away.

The stairs at the end of the hall go both up and down. Ángel can hear footsteps on the floor above, plus he spots a small landing only a few stairs up, and another door there. Maybe a space over the garage.

It’s none of his business. This isn’t his house, and it’s probably the only time he’ll be in it.

He really doesn’t care how big it is, doesn’t wonder where that door leads and why there are so damned many rooms.

Still, he walks up the few stairs to the landing, pauses looking out through the window, his hand on top of the low bookcase. He’s somewhere on the outskirts; he doesn’t really recognize the area, but there are other houses, mostly low and close together aside from this one. It has a yard, and with three floors he already knows it towers over most homes. With the bright grass outside, and the wrought iron fence he can see in the distance, he wonders exactly how much this house and land cost.

And how the hell three people under thirty afforded it.

The idea that Mollicone’s is a mob front drifts back into mind, and Ángel tries to ignore it. He knows it’s not true and it’s honestly a horrible stereotype, but he also knows there’s money coming from somewhere.

His fingers trail over the wood, knocking into a small statue that is on top of the bookcase. Ángel crouches down to take a closer look, snickers when he realizes that it’s a cheap ceramic knockoff of Michelangelo’s David. When he lifts it, the words Florence 2001 are written in awkwardly formed letters on the bottom. He sets it back down carefully, not wanting to destroy something that’s so obviously a keepsake from childhood.

He rocks back on his heels, lets his fingers drift over the spines of the books lining the two shelves of the case. All hardcovers, all old, and all well-read. He’s pretty sure some of them are older than he is, including a copy of a children’s book that’s so tattered that he’s afraid the binding would rip if he tried to pull it out. Still, he wonders what a book about a little girl named April and her kittens is doing here, alongside girl detectives and boy wizards, and not a few classics written long before anyone in this house was born.

The sound of laughter drifts up the stairs, and Ángel turns to go back down before he’s made a conscious decision to do so. He follows the murmur of Hayley’s voice, finds the kitchen just as Tanner bends down to lightly press a kiss to her lips. Hayley leans back against the long island, her hands framing Tanner’s face. His hands are on the marble, his body language cautiously staying out of her space except for where their lips touch. Sparks dance from her fingertips, lighting the tips of his hair.

Ángel coughs, and they break apart. A flush suffuses Hayley’s cheeks, but Tanner just grins.

“Dude, look at all the food. Real food.” Tanner gestures at the long, heavy oak table on one side of the huge kitchen. There are enough chairs to seat a dozen people, but no one is there currently. Plates line the table with bacon, eggs, fruit, bagels, along with two boxes of cereal and a carton of milk. It’s obvious that most of it has already been dug into, but there’s still plenty left.

Hayley reaches up, tucks her hair behind her ear then twists the strand around her fingertip. “Tony was down earlier, said he does this after nights like last night. He called us Gabi’s strays. Or Sam’s strays. I don’t know which, he kept changing it. He’s really cute, isn’t he? Tony, I mean, although Sam’s really kind of hot, too, and he and Max are so very hot together. Luca’s cute, too, and Gabi’s adorable, and did I hear that you slept with her last night?”

“Slept,” Ángel replies curtly, arms crossed, trying not to tug the wrists of Luca’s hoodie down. “I apparently used her like a teddy bear, or she used me as a mattress or something. And she’s kind of an asshole, and so’s Luca, but I like them. And I don’t really care how hot anyone is, I’m not looking.”

He’s not looking at anyone here, anyway. He’s touched them all before, he knows it’s not them. It can’t be any of them. Which means it’s someone anonymous out there… and… fuck. His chest tightens and he swallows hard, pressing his hand against his temple. The headache is starting to bloom, and he feels like he deserves every aching thud behind his eyes.

“Eat.” Tanner gets his hands on Ángel’s shoulders, nudges him toward the table. “Drink plenty of water or OJ or something, and you’ll be fine.”

Ángel picks up the pitcher of orange juice, heavily pulped and apparently freshly squeezed. His stomach turns.

He quietly puts a plate together of orange slices, a half a dry bagel, and grabs a bottle of water. He pushes Tanner’s hand away when Tanner tries to offer eggs for protein. “If I eat eggs right now, I’m going to puke,” Ángel mutters, and Tanner steps back.

“Are you okay?” Hayley asks softly, and her sparks prick along his spine when she touches the nape of his neck.

Ángel shakes his head quickly, regrets the motion immediately after. “Not really. I’m just going to go—” He trails off, not really sure where to go, but there’s a door on one side of the kitchen and he can see the sun streaming in through the window on it. He gestures with his plate. “There. I’m going out there.”

“Is it us?” Hayley asks, and Ángel turns so quickly that she has to grab his plate before it hits her.

He stops and they stand there, her hands curled around the edges of his plate before he pulls it back slowly. “It’s not you,” he says, and it’s only a minor lie. It’s them, and that kiss he just saw, and the fresh mark on the inside of his wrist that makes his arm feel heavy. It’s everything from the last few days and weeks. “I just need air.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Hayley says softly.

“I want you guys to give it a chance,” Ángel responds, and that much is true. Very true. He doesn’t want to distract them. He just… he just needs to breathe.

Footsteps, and Ángel’s attention shifts to the entrance to the kitchen. Tony stands there, brows drawn together in a deep frown. Tony’s gaze skips across Hayley, comes to rest on Ángel. Tony stares at him for a long second before his eyes drop, skimming over Ángel from head to toe. The corner of Tony’s lip curls slightly, and Ángel tugs on the sleeves of Luca’s shirt.

Tony crosses his arms, thumbs peeking out from the holes in his long sleeves. “Hayley. Tanner. Luca’s dropping you off. Ángel, Gabi and I will open the shop. Ride in with Luca.”

“I was going to.” Ángel gestures with his plate at the door to the outside. “Right now I’m just going to eat. Out there.” He licks his lips, inhales roughly and twists to force himself to turn away.

“Dude,” Tanner says softly as Ángel touches the door knob.

“I’m fine,” Ángel repeats, voice low, not giving him a chance to say anything else before he escapes, the door slamming shut behind him.

It’s definitely chilly outside, cold enough that he’s glad he’s wearing a hoodie, although compared to the temperature he left behind in New York, it’s balmy. Ángel sinks to sits on the step, sets the plate down with a clunk beside himself. He knows he needs to eat, but his stomach is churning, and the idea of putting anything in it does not appeal.

He needs to know more about the mark.

He fishes his phone out of his pocket, swipes to unlock it, and stops before opening the browser. There are three unread messages that must have come in sometime late in the night.

That’s okay, but next time let me know earlier.

I know you’re an adult, but still.

I worry.

Papi. And Ángel never went home.

He scrolls back in the conversation, finds the start of it.

Papi, heading to Antigone with the people from work. Tanner is bringing Hayley. They will bring me home.

Ángel remembers sending the original text from Luca’s car on the way to the restaurant. When Papi hadn’t replied immediately, Ángel had switched his phone to silent and forgotten about it, until later. Much later apparently, after Papi sent a text Ángel doesn’t remember reading at midnight: Ángel, where are you?

At least it looks like he replied to let Papi know that he was staying at Luca’s. He must’ve passed out before the new messages came in. He quickly types out a message for the morning.

I know, and I’m sorry. I was drinking, and Luca was our DD, and everything’s fine, except I’m hungover and going to work now. We’ll drop off Tanner and Hayley with his truck so he can bring her home.

Ángel presses send and shoves the phone in his pocket, leaving the sound off. Papi won’t be thrilled, but at least he knows they’re all alive, and that’s what’s important right now.

He presses the tips of his fingers to the bridge of his nose, tries to stave off the headache that is blooming rapidly. He’s hungover. He’s marked with ink he doesn’t understand, and he has no idea who he touched. And right now, he feels like shit. He twists open the bottle of water he carried out. He’s pretty sure that there isn’t much that’s going to help right now, but at least he’ll be hydrated.

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#welcome to phu #welcometophu #not your destiny #phu marked #marked

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andrewuttaro · 6 years

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New Look Sabres: GM 44 - CAR - No Answers

When Jeff Skinner got the All-Star Weekend’s Last Man in Atlantic Division spot this afternoon it felt like we had won something. It’s always fun when it feels like a whole community is behind something but this insistence seems to be a thing with team that don’t win many things. Our closest friends to the north had a few of their players get together in a hotel room and make a video campaigning for Morgan Reilly to be this division’s last man in. We have our guys and we stick by them, especially when we don’t have the mystique of banners blurring our vision. Jeff Skinner, a Toronto boy himself, came into this first game against his former team of eight seasons on a wicked tear tallying 29 goals in 43 games. His agent has also surely ended the telephone tag with the Buffalo Sabres front office to begin contract talks in earnest. For several reasons I think I speak for many Sabres fans when I say hanging a few goals on this Canes team, especially by the stick of Skinner, was a tantalizing idea entering tonight. The 2006 series is a little before my time so the crux of my hatred for Carolina is really rooted in the Whalers night and their treatment of our boy, Jeff. That trade in the rearview mirror last summer and the organization looking for a scoring winger now as if they didn’t have one for eight years, sets the stage for an excellent playoff trash talk: Carolina, Your loaded lineup is clearer to everyone outside then it is to any of the old-fashion tools you have in your front office. You got a GM smart enough to recognize the brilliance of post-game rituals but not smart enough to understand y’all were one goalie away from contention last summer. A Playoff series with you would be a fun confluence of circumstances that would create a small City of fun narratives not least of which would be both teams having being out of the playoffs for so long. Y’all don’t have it, though. You certainly don’t have the goaltending to win a series and of the glut of skilled skaters who would make it difficult for the Sabres to go sweeping these Canes together are less than the sum of their parts. Sabres in 5, and your uninspired team back into the basement! Let’s get down to some Friday night fun!

The first ten minutes of this game was remarkably similar in chances and overall pace. It was back and forth pretty consistently well Carolina seemed to give up the more juicy rebounds and overall chances. Then just about the screwiest goal against for the Sabres this season happened when noted trade bait Micheal Ferland put the puck high on Carter Hutton and the puck went almost straight up. It bounced off the top of the net back toward Hutton and Marco Scandella came rushing into help only to help knock it in. Lucky bounce: Carolina up 1-0. There would be more screwy goals in this game unfortunately. With Jack Eichel back in this game he centers a top line of Skinner and Tage Thompson. Thompson got his opportunities last game; more than that he’s looked great lately and you got to think the patience Phil Housley and this coaching staff has had with him is paying off. That’s a fun top line and after the Sabres held off the Canes push through the remainder of the first it gave us some fun. Rasmus Dahlin was right in front of Curtis McElhinney and put one past him but not in before Jeff Skinner swung in and evened up this game at 1 with twenty seconds left in the first. Even better, it was a powerplay goal for a club that rarely scores powerplay goals. Even better: screw Carolina and their foolish management for cutting loose our sweet Jeff for having a couple concussions several years ago! An NHL team traded this guy! I know we said the same thing about Ryan O’Reilly but guys, this shit is the real deal this time!

It was nothing but good vibes going into the second. Then things really opened up. There was powerplay going each way in the first. In the second there were five; favoring Carolina of course but five. This middle frame is when Carolina outshoots Buffalo who outshot them in the first. The Sabres powerplay had an opportunity early in this period to get ahold of this game and it failed to because we almost forgot how the PP goes on this team with that Skinner goal, eh? Starting at 4:30 into this period three goals happened in 1 minute and 12 seconds. First it was grizzled Canes legacy veteran Justin Williams who skated in from the left wall on Hutton and put it over his near shoulder. Thirty seconds later Evan Rodrigues, Jason Pominville and Johan Larsson come streaming into the O-zone and even though that sounds like the setup to a joke the goal Pommer scored straight as an arrow down the middle was no joke. It was 2-2 for a precious, brief 42 seconds before the most fun name in the NHL Sebastian Aho got a goal in off Rasmus Dahlin’s skate. Hutton had no chance. The rest of the period allowed us to catch our breaths but offered no solace when Sebastian Aho got in another freakish bouncer through Hutton’s legs at 12:27 into the period to get Carolina up 4-2. The Sabres attack seemed to struggle to set up anything in the O-zone for the rest of the period before everyone’s drunk uncle Johan Angry Larry Larson got into a fight he decisively lost against Justin Faulk. The second intermission was nothing like the first: no good vibes this time. Only prayers the third period Sabres come alive and get us this win. Everyone hates Carolina in Buffalo in spite of everyone’s cousin living there according to how many Sabres fans appeared to be at that arena.

Whatever secret mojo the Canes selectively have from season to season, game to game, well they found it. I am not going to bitch and moan about the bounces on the ice because that is the weakest sauce out there. The Canes broke up everything in the third period. Bad bounces aside the Sabres got to the net a handful of times in the in the final frame and just could not get one through. Sabres powerplay: oh you know how it ended. Nothing, nothing happened except my excruciated groans frightening my cats and awaking my wife. That is, until the final five minutes of this game when Kyle Okposo goes all the way down the wall and rode the goal line in and shot the tightest angle goal humanly possible. That makes sense coming from the sex-man: it made me think if Pommer and Okposo can score in this one maybe we can get a November style comeback. My hopes went up and not long after Hutton went off for the extra man and Buffalo called a timeout. Trailing by one goal with less than two minutes left you see the guys gather around the bench where assistant coach Davis Payne strategizes with the olde clipboard. Housley has had some trouble with his behind-the-bench staff or at least that’s the hot rumor right now. Payne seems to be the deployment and strategy guy in situations like this. Sure, the Canes didn’t score an empty netter but this game ended 4-3 and I can’t help but look at the Blue and Gold struggling to get some O-zone time in those last minutes with the extra man and think maybe a shake up behind the bench wouldn’t hurt right now. This loss stung and all the Skinner narrative aside, no combination of right wings for him and Eichel got it done as the panicked shuffling began in the third. I’m not saying these last six games have been so rough because deployment has ruined us, Eichel was out for a few games, but whatever it is they got to figure it out. Carolina is a team you have to beat in the back half of this season especially.

I also hate how the Sabres have been back passing and dumping and chasing for the last dozen games or so. That shit kills teams, it’s not aggressive and it’s not what made this team get ahead in the first half of this season. That first half was a lot of luck but also a lot of making your own chances. This team made few of their own chances tonight and this revolting loss to the Hurricanes is the result. It’s Tampa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver now before the bye-week. If you think any of those teams will be a walk in the park you haven’t you haven’t looked at the standings lately. The Buffalo Sabres are going to fall out of their playoff spot and I don’t feel bad saying it now. It’s inevitable now. The question really is can they get it back: can they? Jack’s going to look a better as we go here but it’s going to take the whole team to make good on the risen standards of this season. The Sabres answered a goal with a goal in the second period of this game but right now it really feels like they have no answers for a team that is damn near in free fall. What’s going to turn it around?

I apologize for this cloud of depression over your Friday night but hey, that’s not my fault is it? Tampa Bay is tomorrow and I find myself on another trip east this weekend so you probably won’t see that postgame blog until Sunday night. I got to be honest: unless we have a fun little upset to talk about I don’t anticipate there being a lot of enthusiastic recapping going on in that one. In spite of that: share this blog with your friends and drop a like. While you’re doing those things drop a comment as well. Maybe you can answer me this: What will it take to get the Sabres on the right track again at this point? Just like the boys in Blue and Gold I don’t have any answers right now for that.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. I think I am happy with Skinner getting 8 mil AAV over 7 years to as much as 9 mil over 7 years. I think he’s reasonable enough to know he won’t be making Eichel money.

#buffalo sabres #hockey #carolina hurricanes #nhl #blog

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divinefishingtips · 6 years

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TGIWednesday and the new Head to Toe Body Scan MP3 for joint pain is here!

NEW BODY SCAN AUDIO RELEASE TODAY!

Hey guys………..thrilled you’re here and on this journey with us. The Magical Fish journey if you will. And today I'm especially excited about the new Head to Toe Body Scan audio release today. The idea to create this had been on my mind for a long time. Live callers on my weekly radio show always say, “Just scan me” UGH - as if they not only know what’s wrong, but want to see if I can find it and worse still, they’re really saying unconsciously, “There must be other things wrong that I’m missing so make me panic too!” And yes generally there are other things out of whack that might be 3 feet away from the actual issue either on, around or outside of the body!

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TGIWednesday Download

~ RELEASING JOINT PAIN ~ I believe, think, know and feel that this pain will release from my body now. I am ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to visualize this as released. I know when, where, how and why, guided by Spirit to visualize this change now. I am asking for this to occur in all languages and throughout all timelines and so it is NOW!

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Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations

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SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS RADIO TODAY AT 3:30pm ET Jimmy will be the guest on Spiritual Insights Radio with host Charlotte Spicer. Call in LIVE for FREE readings and Healings (347) 934-0751 Listen here online JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW Monday October 8th 7:30pm ET Jimmy will be LIVE with Barbara Petrone on her show. Call in LIVE for FREE readings and Healings (213) 943-3554 Press 1 to raise your hand and ask a question or comment Listen here online JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW Tuesdays at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT Call in LIVE (713) 955-0594

Imagine getting FREE intuitive messages and healings LIVE! Well, it happens every week on my radio show with some of the best psychic readers & intuitive healers on the planet! Tune in weekly for the FREE live show or replay and YOU will receive changes & healings just by listening! To listen online, click the date links below. Listen to yesterday's replay here : Barbara Brown, Spiritual Medium, Reiki Master, Author of “Shhhhh I Hear Them Talking” Animal advocate and Radio Host of Crossed Over Connections UPCOMING OCTOBER GUESTS Listen here October 9th - Dr. Kimberly Marooney, An angel expert with vast years of experience including actual creation of the angel cards, multiple books, Live appearances and profound readings. A sought after reader that is a staple of our show. Listen here October 16th - Rev. Sunemaura O'Brien has been a spiritual healer, psychic counselor and devotional artist for 20 years. She provides spiritual healing using shamanic methods and reiki and offers psychic readings with the help of clairaudience - hearing a collective of angels, and reiki, and with the lessons of multiple card decks. Listen here October 23rd - Jade Yin Hom, Medical Intuitive and spiritual healer with years of experience, and we have found her to be highly accurate and powerful. Great You Tube videos to watch and shows LIVE on her Facebook page. Listen here October 30th - Rev. Debbie Dienstbier, HALLOWEEN SHOW - Our resident Transmedium who has practiced for decades and specializes in communications with your loved one’s in spirit. Profound readings about any question that you may have regarding any topic, now or in the future.

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Live In-Person Appearances

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS I will be booking sessions on Monday October 22nd from 10am to 5pm at my good friend Charla Tempone's office in Tampa.

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Tampa Bay area locals can book a live session with me EVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY from 10-2PM Call Kodawari's front desk directly to schedule (813) 773-4017 and pay at the concierge desk... 15 minutes 33$ or 30 minutes 65$. UPCOMING SCHEDULE 10-2pm: Wednesday: Oct. 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st Friday: Oct. 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

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All members must first complete the Mastery Program then, if qualified, they can choose to move on to Level II where many advanced teachings & nuances are shared through the "Healing A-Z" book & includes 3 more clearing audios to help strengthen your business and finances. The exclusively written "The Practitioner's Handbook" is the cornerstone of the program & cannot be purchased individually. It outlines some of the inner workings of how I handle my own practice including topics like; managing unrealistic expectations, having patience, pricing, time isn't always equal to outcomes or results, having limits, legal and ethical questions, advice on supplements, marketing, promotion, and sales, daily rituals for you and your clients/patients. The Level II course was designed and is dedicated to those who practice in the healing arts; Psychics, Healers, NP, AP, DOM, DO, MD, DC, Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, RNs, Nurse Practitioners, PhDs, and Physician Assistants or currently practicing another modality, technique or method that includes natural healing in your home office or office setting, phone and or Skype.

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advancedthetapractitioner · 6 years

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TGIWednesday and the new Head to Toe Body Scan MP3 for joint pain is here!

NEW BODY SCAN AUDIO RELEASE TODAY!

We'll be pricing this 30 minute recording at $57 after this special intro offer ends, BUT YOU CAN GET IT NOW FOR 30% OFF at JUST $44!!

Download it Today for $44

TGIWednesday Download

For those who aren't familiar, here's the list of ALL clearing MP3s available. Find a topic that addresses your issue(s) & click on the link to read more.

Increasing Intuition Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Sex Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations

Where Have You Seen The Fish?

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Goalie Issues Dooming the Flyers Again? What? No! Can’t Be! Thoughts After Red Wings 5, Flyers 4

Anyone else seen enough of Petr Mrazek?

Remember, the Red Wings, yep, the team who snapped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Flyers last night, were willing to eat 50% of his remaining salary just to trade him – and they did that in order to get the draft pick they wanted – a third rounder – but still had to accept it with conditions attached, conditions that still haven’t been secured.

So, they had seen enough of the enigmatic goalie, who has displayed some very Cechmanekian tendencies when things don’t go well.

And after getting pulled for the second time in three starts, Mrazek was seen saying something to Hakstol, or one of the assistant coaches, on the bench before stomping off to the locker room for a cool down.

An angry Mrazek storms off to the locker room after being pulled for Lyon. pic.twitter.com/ncKqgCX5OL

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

Frankly, I never understood this. This isn’t something that is unique to Mrazek, but is part of every goalie’s ritual. Whenever they get pulled from the game, they don’t just sit on the bench right away. They have to go back into the locker room to clear their head before they return to the bench. Seriously? Why? Dude, you got pulled. It sucks, but big deal. Just sit on your stool and try and help the team by opening and closing the bench door. The whole “cool down” thing is so petulant. But, I digress…

After the game, Mrazek told reporters he wasn’t angry with the coaches about being pulled, but rather was questioning if there was goaltender interference on the third Detroit goal, you know, the one that got him pulled.

That sounds a little fishy to me.

Because, does it look like there’s any Red Wings interfering with him as he’s flopping around out there?

Your browser does not support iframes.

Maybe…. MAYBE as Dylan Larkin skates past Mrazek there is incidental contact between Larkin’s stick and Mrazek’s pad, which causes Mrazek to stumble for a second, but he gets back to his feet and is able to get back across to go down to save Martin Frk’s shot, but it never gets through as it hits Radko Gudas and goes right to Evgeny Svechnikov for an easy goal into a yawning net.

Ergo, there was no interference that prevented him from being able to make a save.

Not only that, Mrazek doesn’t say anything to an official, as goalies often do when they think they have been interfered with, and instead grabs the water bottle until he is lifted for Alex Lyon.

Only then does he have something to say? And only to his coaches?

Sorry. I’m not buying it.

And listen to Red Wings analyst Mickey Redmond talking about how Mrazek is way out of position on the goal. He’s absolutely right.

This is an issue. The rebounds are an issue. The tough angle shots are an issue. Detroit’s second goal was an issue:

Glendening beats Mrazek shorthanded. pic.twitter.com/GTiok2vavT

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

That’s a shorthanded wrister on a 1-on-2 (almost a 1-on-3). That shot has to be stopped.

In his last eight starts for the Flyers, Mrazek is 2-5-1 with a 3.72 goals against average and an .860 save percentage.

Alex Lyon can do that. Hell, he can do better than that. Michael Neuvirth has been practicing with the team, so he’s got to be close to being ready (although, he’s a different sort of enigma himself). And Brian Elliott has started skating, so he’s got to be getting closer.

At this point, anyone is a better option than Mrazek. He is proving to be the wrong investment for the Flyers.

Petr Mrazek made it back to the bench. pic.twitter.com/HG1wQeWBXF

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

And the Flyers goaltending woes extend another year.

What else happened in Detroit?

Well, not a whole heck of a lot in the first period. Detroit outshot the Flyers and Mrazek was actually OK for 20 minutes.

However the Flyers just can’t score in the first period. They are one of the worst teams in first period scoring, yet are the third-best goal scoring team in the NHL in the second period. How does that happen?

Not being ready to play games is a damning thing to occur for a professional sports team. And maybe they took the Red Wings lightly. Detroit is in full tank mode. They were 0-9-1 in the previous 10 games. They are plummeting to the bottom of the standings playing in front of a half-empty, state of the art arena.

They are a terrible defensive team with an aging goalie who ages more like beer than wine.

They should have been easy picking for a Flyers team trying to cling to a playoff spot. Instead, they were allowed to hang around, and in the second period, the Mrazek meltdown (and other defensive lapses) resulted in a 3-1 deficit.

The Flyers finally woke up in the third period, buzzing all around Detroit, getting goals from Matt Read (I was watching the game with my Dad, who is a casual Flyers fan these days, who said to me, “I thought they got rid of Matt Read last year.” Yeah, it’s been that long since he scored.) and Shayne Gostisbehere to tie the score.

The Red Wings went back on top and things looked bleak for the Flyers until TK saved the day again:

Travis Konecny gets to the net and gets credit for his 20th of the season! pic.twitter.com/cjMvEJ34lX

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

OK, so it wasn’t a pretty goal. (Neither was Read’s as it hit off his knee pad). But the fact that Travis Konecny was skating hard to the net made the play happen. Some guys will stop and hope for a rebound. Konecny wasn’t stopping. That net was coming off its moorings whether Sean Couturier’s pass got through or not.

But it’s that brand of breakneck hockey that makes Konecny such a talented player. Sure he’s going to make mistakes. Yes, he’s going to miss the net with his shot sometimes because it’s hard to account for the top-end speed he is traveling. But, when you consider he’s now posted a 20-goal season, with most of his production coming since Christmas, the Flyers would be best served by letting TK fly. Hold him accountable, sure, but remember when it all evens out, he’s dynamic enough of a player that he’s going to make far more good plays than bad ones.

This goal got the Flyers to overtime, and eventually a shootout, where they are the worst team in the NHL historically since the shootout began in 2005-06.

Detroit got the lone goal in the shootout and the Flyers lost. They fell from third place in the Metropolitan Division back down into the top Wild Card spot, but it was still an important point to earn. They should have had two against a doormat like Detroit, but with the way they played, they were fortunate to get one point.

It keeps them four points ahead of the Devils, who now have a game in hand, and five points ahead of the Panthers, who have won back-to-back road games and still have three games in hand on the Flyers.

And Thursday is a big night of opportunity for the Flyers.

They host the New York Rangers, who are not going to be in the playoffs this season.

However, since selling off some big names at the deadline, the Rangers haven’t exactly gone in the tank. They are 5-3-2 in the 10 games since, and have been uber-competitive in games against playoff teams or teams fighting for a playoff spot.

Despite losing all three games, they hung tough with Tampa Bay, Florida and Columbus (the loss to the Panthers was in a shootout) and they played a whale of a game to beat Pittsburgh in overtime.

So they won’t just roll over, despite the Flyers being the better team.

Meanwhile the Panthers are in Columbus, which means somebody has to lose, which could help the Flyers (or not, especially if the game goes past regulation, guaranteeing both teams points).

In the end, if things break right, the Flyers could emerge from Thursday’s game with a six-point cushion between them and New Jersey and a seven-point spread between themselves and Florida.

If things go wrong, those gaps can be three points against Florida and four against New Jersey with both teams having multiple games in hand.

There will be no time for slow starts.

There will be no time for unreliable goaltenders.

There will be no time for bad mistakes.

Because this will be the most important game of the season to date. And the Flyers desperately need it to go their way.

In milestone news:

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. pic.twitter.com/0ivF4nyzpf

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

The goal was Couturier’s 30th this season and 100th of his career. It also ended a 15-game goalless drought for the Flyers’ top line center.

Oh and then there’s the captain:

Congrats to Claude Giroux for passing Eric Lindros on the Flyers all-time scoring list. pic.twitter.com/dLEpFnTL5s

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 21, 2018

Giroux had three assists last night. He’s fifth in the NHL with 87 points. He tied Jake Voracek for second in the NHL in assists with 61. It’s almost as if he is single-handedly willing the Flyers into the playoffs.

He should be a Hart Trophy finalist. He won’t be, and it’s a shame, because there is a formulaic voting approach that permeates through the entire voting bloc of the Professional Hockey Writers Association that often misses deserving candidates for certain awards, but the people in Philadelphia know and realize just how good and important Giroux has been to the Flyers this season.

Goalie Issues Dooming the Flyers Again? What? No! Can’t Be! Thoughts After Red Wings 5, Flyers 4 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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ansyr1 · 7 years

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The U.S. women’s hockey team hasn’t won gold since 1998; will the spell be broken in Pyeongchang?

ESPN.com

Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

The USWNT last won gold 20 years ago in Nagano. Since, they’ve won silver three times (2002, 2010, 2014) and bronze once (2006).

Passion forming with every tighten of the lace

Years of the same routine perfected today

Rituals that are practiced and shared behind locker room doors.

— Kacey Bellamy

It could have been a disaster.

Even though the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning had decided to evacuate its players, Team USA decided to shelter in place at the Saddlebrook Resort, where they were staying. One agent who was worried about his clients told USA Today, "Why isn’t the women’s team evacuated? Is it because they are just girls … to me this is stupid, they are our Olympic team."

But Reagan Carey, the general manager for the team, had thought it through, even going so far as to find out the number and the strength of the steel trusses in the shelter area at the Saddlebrook Resort. So on Sunday morning, Sept. 10, the team members abandoned their apartments for the shelter, joining other evacuees to wait out the storm, which lost steam from its original designation as a Category 4. Still, 80 mph winds howled outside the building as Irma passed over. The women played cards, visited with Hilary Knight’s bulldog puppy, Winston, in a separate pet area, and made hockey fans out of their fellow refugees. Captain Meghan Duggan later called it "a big sleepover," and by the next morning, they were able to return to their quarters and their lives.

"We were kind of scared," said Kacey Bellamy, the veteran defenseman and one of six players who are in Pyeongchang for their third straight Olympics. "But the negative turned into a positive. It was a great bonding experience for us, the kind of thing that brings a team closer together. Plus, I learned how to play [the card game] euchre."

By Tuesday, they were back to practicing and helping out in the community. Irma faded into a metaphor for a team that has had to weather a lot of storms over the years.

Not only did they win that battle, but they also went to Plymouth, Michigan, for the world championships and beat Canada 3-2 in overtime in the final — earning the team’s fourth consecutive title. "We’ve been through a lot together," said Bellamy, now an assistant captain on the team. "I think that’s made us stronger."

You might even write a poem about the sport you love.

AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File

World champ and Olympian Kacey Bellamy (22) watched the gold medal slip away from her team to archrival Canada in two consecutive Winter Olympics. She’s looking for gold in Pyeongchang.

Actions that are defined as the norm within the team

Replaying the past of one game, one play, one second

That has triggered one year of training against that one team.

It was a disaster.

As time wound down, Canada pulled goalie Shannon Szabados, and Team USA’s Kelli Stack got off a clearing shot that headed for the empty net … and bounced off the left side of the left post. "When those things start to happen in the game of hockey," Stone later said, "you start to wonder if it is your night."

Imagine what it was like watching the Canadians celebrate and then waiting around to accept your silver medals.

"All that work, all that hope," said Bellamy. "Gone just like that. It took me five months to get over it. March, April, May, June, July. I’m big on watching videos of games, but I didn’t look at that one until August. I needed to get my motivation back."

Tale of the Tape: The U.S. vs. Canada in women’s hockey

Both shielded by different armor

Separated by a simple borderline

Sharing the same frenzy for the sport and rivalry

Colors, countries, teammates

All united on the same ice

Bellamy, a women’s studies major at the University of New Hampshire, likes to write poetry in her spare time. "They’re mostly about nature and people," she said. "But I did write this one about hockey." In fact, USA Hockey used the poem for a video to promote the "Bring On The World" tour before the last Olympics.

"Eight years ago, I was just a rookie with my eyes wide open, in awe of where I was, who I was playing with," said Bellamy. "Now I’m 31 and still in awe of the responsibility. The Olympics is about more than the rivalry with Canada. It’s about representing the country. It’s about showing people how beautiful women’s hockey can be. It’s about the little girls with sticks, the little girls we used to be."

Two years ago, Bellamy wrote a powerful "Letter to My Younger Self" for The Players Tribune. Addressed to 15-year-old Kacey, she recalled leaving behind her family and friends in Westfield, Massachusetts, to attend the Berkshire School and how the first two weeks "are going to be the worst two weeks of your life." She told her about the friends and coaches who changed her life, about getting her heart broken when she was cut from USA Hockey’s under-22 team, about using the rejection as motivation to make the senior national team.

"You’re going to play for the U.S. team for a long time," she wrote. "But never take anything for granted. Make the most of the opportunities you have."

Each playing for the crest on the front of the jersey

And sticking up for every name on the back

Relax. Just like in Tampa, it might not be the disaster they’re predicting.

Afterward, Stauber said, "For us, it’s not necessarily about the 20 years, but more about, ‘It’s time.’ We’ve got to bring home a gold medal. We’ve got a pretty good vision. We’re sticking with it, and we like our direction."

Stauber stresses a controlled possession game that sometimes takes the puck back into the neutral zone. As for the lack of a female coach, he does rely on his veterans to help the younger players. Bellamy has been working with the 18-year-old Barnes, who had been getting ready to play for Boston College when she was asked to report to Wesley Chapel. "She’s wise beyond her years," says Bellamy. "Very poised … she’s just wonderful to have around the locker room."

While the recent results against Canada have been disappointing, it’s worth keeping in mind that in the American men’s last exhibition game with the Soviet Union before the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" game, Team USA was crushed 10-3.

By winning those first two prelims, Canada and Team USA assured themselves of a place in the semifinals, meaning that their game tomorrow means nothing… and their next one everything.

"We’re starting with a clean slate in South Korea," says Bellamy. "This time will be different."

Or, as she once wrote:

Mistakes lead to success

Errors lead to victory

Pride leads to gold

Senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine Around long enough to have written about athletes from Hank Aaron to Ben Zobrist and Super Bowls from VII to XLVI. Joined ESPN The Magazine as a founding editor in 1998. Also wrote for Time, Sports Illustrated, the Fort Lauderdale News and The Evening Sun in Norwich, NY.

Source Article

Read full post at: http://www.ansyr.com/the-u-s-womens-hockey-team-hasnt-won-gold-since-1998-will-the-spell-be-broken-in-pyeongchang/

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