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consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 5 years

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21 Easy (and Cozy) Self Care Ideas to Practice this Winter

New blog post! Now that winter is making days shorter, colder and darker, it's more important than ever to make self care part of your regular routine. And I'm not talking about the Instagram #selfcare that requires fancy bath bombs or expensive lotions. I'm talking about 21 easy ways that you can get cozy and relaxed this winter, whether you're a college student like me, a busy mother of two or a full-time worker with a demanding job schedule.

Some of these self care ideas may seem obvious, but others may surprise you - and many of them are scientifically-backed ways to tackle stress. So regardless of how busy you may be this holiday season, check out these 21 ways you can add more self care into your holly, jolly life.

1. Make yourself a warm, welcoming drink.

On cold winter days, it probably feels natural to reach for something cozy to warm you up. If you're really looking for help relaxing, though, fill your mug with tea. Research has found that drinking tea can help lower people's stress levels. Plus, it can be pretty dang delicious! (If you have celiac disease, just make sure it's gluten free).

2. Watch a sappy holiday-inspired show or movie.

Sometimes, we don't need an award-winning movie or TV show to enjoy ourselves. At least a few times this winter, embrace your silly or sentimental side by watching a bad Hallmark movie or bingeing your favorite holiday baking show. (And if you eat chocolate while doing it, that's obviously worth bonus points).

3. Go thrifting for cute and comfy winter clothes.

Updating your wardrobe for winter doesn't have to hurt your wallet. Instead, make looking for comfy hats, mittens or scarfs a fun adventure by hitting up your local second-hand store.

4. Be your own masseuse.

Massage has been shown to reduce people's physical tension and mental stress - and if you have a chronic illness or chronic pain like me, a good massage is always a good idea! You don't need to hire a high-end masseuse to reap some of these benefits, either. Give yourself a massage instead by rubbing your own muscles while lotioning up after your shower or using a tennis ball or foam roller to break up any knots and tension. Pair this massage with a relaxing bubble bath and you have the makings of a perfect self-date night.

5. Set aside extra time to read a book, just for fun.

I know that winter can be a busy time with friends and family, but don't forget to set aside some alone time in your schedule. Add a good book into the equation, and your quiet night in will be extra enjoyable.

6. Bake yourself something festive!

Besides getting to eat a delicious pumpkin or apple inspired treat, you'll feel nice and cozy when your kitchen is warm from the oven and smelling like the holidays. (And if you need some ideas for gluten free pumpkin desserts or baked goods, try out this recent round up of mine!).

7. Walk it out (outdoors or at a local gym).

Depending on the weather where you live, going for a walk outside might not be an option. Even if you have to go for a walk inside, though, your brain will still thank you. Research has found that exercise can drastically improve people's mental health, and even just walking will lower how often people have "bad days."

8. Take up a new, indoor hobby.

And if being outdoors is realllly not an option, starting a new hobby that takes place indoors is ideal. Start putting together puzzles, learning how to cross-stitch...or even practicing rock-climbing, like I did last year! Who knows - you may end up finding a hobby that you love doing year-round.

9. Try out hot yoga.

Because there's no better escape for winter weather than a relaxing, mantra-and-stretch filled session of hot yoga.

10. Light one of your favorite candles.

More research still needs to be done on the benefits of aromatherapy, but science seems to suggest that certain scents can help us chilllll out. Find a scent that you enjoy, like lavender or peppermint, and experiment with burning different candles and seeing which smells work best for you!

11. Purge your social media feeds.

You've heard of spring cleaning, but winter is another great time to set yourself up for a fresh start in the New Year. If you find yourself spending more time than ever on social media since it's too cold or dreary to go outside, pay attention to how each account makes you feel and ditch the ones that aren't doing you any favors.

12. Get crafty and let out your inner child.

Create a wreath to hang on your door, use colorful pens and papers to create homemade cards or just doodle in a notebook. These kinds of creative activities have been linked to improved mood and creativity the next day...plus, you might end up with some very cute gifts to give this Christmas. Win-win!

13. Pamper yourself with a face mask.

I've only started using face masks this last year, and the hype is worth it. My favorite is a simple mix of honey with cinnamon that I apply on "problem areas" for around 10-15 minutes before washing it off, but there are tons of safe (and even delicious!) face mask recipes you can find online. No fancy or expensive ingredients or products required. Plus, dry winter skin will definitely thank you for the extra TLC.

14. Dust off your crockpot and experiment with a new yummy recipe.

I know I've certainly been lax in using my crockpot lately, and it can be hard to feel motivated to start cooking dinner first thing in the morning. But your future self will definitely thank you for the little bit of prep you do earlier, and winter is the perfect time to whip up something warm and gooey. May I suggest my crockpot stacked enchiladas or vegan mac and cheese?

15. Throw a pajama party.

Whether you have a solo party or invite friends, spend a whole, blissful day hanging out in your PJs.

16. Do something nice for someone else.

Acts of kindness have actually been scientifically shown to improve people's physical and mental health, so passing it forward this winter is actually a win-win. Donate to a local toy-drive, send a care package to a solider or pay for the next person's coffee in Starbucks. Little acts can have a big impact.

17. Start a gratitude practice.

If you're the journaling type, you can start writing what you're grateful for every day in a notebook. Otherwise, sticky notes or just thinking about two things you're grateful for each morning or night will still give you a positivity boost!

18. Set aside time to play your favorite "pointless" game.

Whether it's Sudoku, Words With Friends or a video game that you used to play for hours every day in high school, give yourself permission to just sit back and play for a little while. I know that during most of the year, I'm a major multi-tasker and anytime I do get to play a game, it's because I'm traveling or waiting to start another chore. So chillin' (pun intended) with my gamer self during winter is one of my favorite ways to relax.

19. Declutter at least one part of your house.

Along with purging your social media feeds, on days when cold weather keeps you in the house, you might try purging cluttered corners as well. Decluttering can not only improve concentration, but it can also improve your mood, lower your stress levels and give you a better night's sleep. And if you play your latest Netflix binge, favorite podcast or an epic holiday playlist in the background, you can make decluttering feel a lot more fun too.

20. Stretch yo' body.

At least for me, finding the motivation for a hard workout feels a lot harder when it's cold, dark and dreary outside. So on days when you feel like you're in a funk but don't feel up for a full workout, do some gentle stretches (even in the comfort of your own bed!) instead. It will loosen up your muscles, slash your stress and might even help you be more productive at work.

21. Choose a mantra for the upcoming year.

Obviously, you shouldn't spend all winter pining for spring...but it can't hurt to spend a little time reflecting on what you want from the upcoming months. In 2018, my word or mantra of the year was "discomfort." In 2019, it was "open." And while I haven't decided exactly what word I want to keep in mind during the start of a new decade, I think something similar to "change" will end up winning. What do you want to get out of this Spring? You still have some cold weeks to help you figure out your answer!

The Bottom Line of Self Care During Winter

As the days get colder and our social schedules get busier, it's easy to let self care fall to the bottom of our to-do list. I know from personal experience, though, that you can't run on empty...and when you better yourself through self care, you're also empowering yourself to be a better friend, family member, and personal overall! So this winter, give yourself the gift of self care rituals...and if you need even more ideas, feel free to check out my previous roundups: How to Create Your Own Self Care Retreat in 5 Easy Steps; 15 Self Care Activities You Can Do Without Leaving Bed; and 21 Self Care Activities You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less! How are you taking care of yourself this winter? Give me more of your own self care ideas in the comments below! via Blogger https://ift.tt/2OKlqR3

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

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bentonpena · 5 years

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How to Start a Cannabis Business On a Budget

How to Start a Cannabis Business On a Budget http://bit.ly/303gpri

So you've got a big idea (genius, of course) but little money to play with. What's the first step? These scrappy entrepreneurs have some advice.

August 13, 2019 10 min read

This story appears in the August 2019 issue of Green Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

From the outside, it looks like the race to get into the cannabis space is available only to people with enough capital to pay cash for a five-bedroom home. But in reality, there are a ton of thriving businesses in all segments of the cannabis market that started with a great idea and just a piggy bank of savings. Here are three companies that bootstrapped their way to success from an initial investment of $5,000 or less -- in fact, way less -- plus advice from the founders on how you can do it, too.

Fruit Slabs

The founders: The creation of Roxanne Dennant and Brian Cona, Fruit Slabs are basically like middle-school-style fruit leathers: chewy, ultrahealthy kosher snacks infused with 100 milligrams of THC and made from 100 percent USDA-certified organic ingredients. The company sells four flavors, including Grape Ape and Mango Maui Wowie; a new collab with drag queen Laganja Estranja, called Pride Passion Fruit, is hitting shelves soon.

How much they started with: Less than $1,000.

What they did with it: Bought equipment and materials.

Their origin story: Dennant was working in the denim world, and her longtime friend Cona was in cultivation; the duo were dabbling with consuming edibles but disappointed that they couldn’t find products that fit their healthy lifestyle. So, after buying cooking equipment, they started experimenting in their kitchens, making concoctions from the organic ingredients they liked to eat. Once they nailed their first batch of Fruit Slabs, they sold them to friends and family, and reinvested the money into their second batch. Since founding the company in 2015, Dennant and Cona have continued the same bootstrapping strategy, without taking any outside investment money. And it has worked. The product is in 65 stores in Cali and will expand to Washington soon.

RELATED: 9 Business Ideas for People Looking to Cash in on the Marijuana Boom

The biggest hurdle: Trying to upsell a new product when they launched. Fruit Slabs’ organic ingredients make it more expensive than most edibles -- and therefore more expensive to sell, even wholesale. “In 2015, it was a very raw industry,” Dennant says. “You could walk in [to a dispensary] with a Rice Krispies treat you made in your own home that was wrapped in cellophane…and get five dollars out the door.” But the price of Fruit Slabs? “People would look at me like I had 10 heads.” Today expectations have really changed, she says. “A lot of shops won’t even take an edible if it doesn’t have some type of vegan, gluten-free, or kosher dietary specification -- because people are shopping in that manner.”

And the best lesson learned: When a business is starting out, says Dennant, “you can’t make that $2,000 packaging and screw up, and be like, ‘Oh, it’s [only] $2,000.’ It’s like: ‘Two thousand dollars -- how are we going to recover from that?’” After facing a few such setbacks due to bad partners, she and Cona realized that vetting whom you work with is critical. That’s true even as the industry becomes more regulated. “Whether you’re working with a license partner, a distribution partner, a packaging partner, or a co-manufacturing partner,” she says, “really learning what that partnership is going to bring you in the beginning, and getting term sheets written, setting deadlines for the people and not just the vendor you’re working with -- that’s been a big [lesson] along the way.”

Image Credit: Brad Wenner | Getty Images

Plant People

The founders: Plant People sells CBD tinctures, capsules, and salves made with cannabinoids and other beneficial herbs. “Our mission is to heal and connect people and the planet through the power of plants,” says Gabe Kennedy, who started the company with Hudson Gaines-Ross.

How much they started with: $5,000.

What they did with it: Developed their product and got it out the door.

Their origin story: Longtime friends Kennedy, a chef, and Gaines-Ross, a CPG entrepreneur, were on a hike when they started talking about something they had in common: back surgeries. They’d both been unhappy with the care they’d gotten from traditional Western medicine. Kennedy knew there were other options. He grew up with parents who are acupuncturists; his mother is also a Chinese herbalist, and his dad, a chiropractor. And he leveraged that knowledge to get Plant People’s initial inventory off the ground. “We began packing herbal capsules in our kitchens, used stickers as packaging labels, and gave product away to our friends and families to get feedback, learn, and iterate,” says Kennedy. “These grassroots efforts really worked out for us, as people responded well and started asking for more Plant People. We were overwhelmed by the demand.”

RELATED: Women Are Disappearing From the Cannabis Industry. Why?

The company launched in 2018. “I had a lot of experience building products from seed to sale, so we hit the ground running,” Kennedy says. “Hudson fortunately had a ton of experience building brands and has the networks that provide a voice for those brands. We tapped our friends at Juice Press, Bumble, Vice, Vogue, etc. [for help getting the word out].”

In addition, they decided that with every sale, they’d plant a tree to support their mission of saving the world through plants. “We hope to someday be responsible for planting more than 10 million trees,” says Kennedy. “We’re not too far off!”

The biggest hurdle: Product sourcing. “We don’t white-label anything,” Kennedy says, so being able to set up a really robust supply chain with partners operating with integrity was a challenge. He dealt with it by continuing to be curious and asking questions about everything from “how people are treating their employees to what their extracting methods look like and how they are capturing solvents,” he says. “We continually did research and didn’t say yes to the first people we came across.”

The other hurdle was payment processing. Like many startups in the industry, they had to get around the banks’ and financial firms’ reluctance to work with cannabis products. “We’ve had five credit card processors to date,” says Kennedy. “We’ve seen the worst -- 6 percent credit card fees, 10 percent rolling reserves, international declines -- and we’ve seen the best. We’re now with a standard processor that treats us as if we’re any other non-cannabis brand. We couldn’t be more grateful. And we’re in talks with one of the largest banks in the world about taking over our credit card processing. We never thought we’d be in such conversations.”

And the best lesson learned: “To make decisions and move forward has been such great learning,” says Kennedy. “You make a decision, and you do your best -- it may not be the most perfect decision, but it’s better than not making one at all. What I really learned about bootstrapping is that it’s just putting one foot in front of the other, and oftentimes it’s two steps forward and one and a half steps back--but I have to keep stepping forward.”

Image Credit: Bloomberg | Getty Images

Gofire

The founders: Peter Calfee and John Woodbine started Gofire with the goal of creating the perfect vaporizer -- one that delivers the exact dosage promised. But eventually, they grew the company to also include the Gofire Suite, a database of medical uses for cannabis broken down by the chemicals ingested, the time of day they should be consumed, and the dosage that’s most beneficial; the data can then be accessed by physicians to give patients.

How much they started with: $200.

What they did with it: Bribed a local college student to gain access to a 3-D printer at Calfee’s school, which they needed to create their prototype -- and then they used that to get a first round of funding.

RELATED: Yes, Medical Cannabis Works. So Why Deny the Anecdotal Evidence?

Their origin story: In 2014, Woodbine, who’d dabbled in the music and food businesses before working at a dispensary, approached Calfee, who was doing IT and alternative medicine consulting work, and tried to talk him into building the perfect vaporizer. Initially, Calfee wasn’t interested. But he eventually changed his mind when he realized that there was a market for a more perfectly attuned vaporizer and that his background in the health field could be a perfect fit.

The biggest hurdle: Right after the company raised its first $25,000 in a friends-and-family round, Calfee nearly died in a car crash when the person driving had a seizure. “That was when John and I came together and said, ‘Listen: Whatever this takes, whatever we have to go through to build this, we will achieve this,’” Calfee says. After that, there was a fire under them to get it done.

The accident effectively put the project on hold. But it also led to Gofire’s second product. While recovering from a broken back, Calfee discovered that the opioids he was being prescribed didn’t help as much as the cannabis he was consuming, which is when the idea for the database took root. As soon as he could, Calfee worked on their next round; it took a year, but they got $750,000 to help them grow the business. This year, they’re finally bringing it to market with a beta launch that has garnered tens of thousands of reviews. “There’s no better reward than a patient telling us how we’ve helped to improve their life,” he says.

And the best lesson learned: “There are always going to be obstacles, but they’re just that,” says Calfee. “You’ve got to find a way around [them] -- if it’s a physical ailment, if you break your back, or the bottom’s falling out in the economy, or whatever the situation you’re up against. I believe being a true entrepreneur is not taking no for an answer, and not being able to give up.”

Also this: Treat your team like your peers. “We have 25 employees,” Calfee says, “and we all own stock in the company.” Unsurprisingly, that gives each of them a drive Calfee couldn’t have necessarily found in salary-only employees. When Calfee calls for a possible meet-up in the office on a Sunday afternoon, often the reply is “‘Oh, I’m already here,’” he says. “You can’t buy that.”

via Entrepreneur.com - Startup Business News and Articles - Starting a Business http://bit.ly/2Z3xKmO August 13, 2019 at 10:48AM

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wanderwithmaya-blog · 6 years

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Cuba

Cuba is really a place like no other. You will fall in love but it will also open your eyes. In September last year I went to Havana for the second time and I spent a wonderful week dancing, wandering around, smiling and talking to locals (after surviving two first days of high fever- otherwise it would have been all too perfect!). Cuba was one of my best trips so far and I would recommend it to everyone, although there are some things that you should know before boarding the plane.

Here are the most important tips:

Don't expect European standards. You will get disappointed. The reality is that it is not a paradise. The people are happy and friendly (most of the time, at least.), the culture is wonderful and lively salsa music is literally everywhere, from homes, restaurants to cars, streets, little shops... But you can't forget that it is for now still a communist country facing many problems we don't even think about. The poverty and living standards of Cubans can be terrifying.

Be patient. You will need it already at the airport.

Waiting for your suitcase between two (thank God the only two!) belts because it might come out on either is perfectly normal. Time is relative and you better start believing in this principle.

There are two currencies in Cuba: CUC for tourists and CUP for locals. 1 CUC is 25 CUP. In GBP 1 CUC is about £0.76. The Cuban currencies do look a bit similar, so if you're not familiar with CUC, you could be easily given a CUP note which is worth much less than a CUC. It only happened to me once that I was given change in the wrong currency but it's always good to double check.

Don't go to Cuba thinking that if you forget something, you can always buy it there. You can't. Forget about crisps and biscuits. And towels and after sun cream. Again, amazing as it seems, life in Cuba is not a dream. It might actually come as a shock to someone who has no idea how the system there works and what are its consequences on the society, economy and politics. I come from a post-communist country myself and even though I was born a few years after the system had changed I heard hundreds of stories from my parents and grandparents about living in communism so I had a picture of what it could possibly look like in Cuba. Lots of basic everyday products, such as toilet tissue or soap, are limited. If there is a delivery, every person in the store will buy it.

Vegetarians, lactose free and gluten free: you might struggle! I suppose if the choice is limited, you shouldn't be complaining but offering someone a sandwich with jamón y queso (ham and cheese) after s/he has just said s/he is vegetarian is either hilarious or tragic (cross out as appropriate). Also, don't be surprised if one day you go to a restaurant and from 20 items listed on the menu they can actually offer you just two. If you go to another restaurant it is likely that you will be told the same thing. If there is no chicken then THERE REALLY IS NO CHICKEN.

If you're planning to see more of Cuba and you're thinking about hiring a car, it might be easier to do it online than when you're already there. There are buses from Havana to other cities (e.g. Viñales) but you might have to stay there longer than you planned as they don't run that often (plan at least 2 days for Viñales!).

If you happen to be as pale as I am (and we're talking Snow White kind of pale), you will burn in the Cuban sun like the enemies of Daenerys Targaryen. Take a high SPF sun cream.

Learn how to bargain. The easiest transportation mode is taxis and the taxi drivers will always tell you a very high price. Normally for a ride under 10 mins they should charge around 3-5 CUC but they will always say 10. After a week I realised I would never think I can be so good at getting them to lower the fare. Oh, here the patience is important again! You will probably hear "Hi, Lady, taxi!" or "Taxi, Amigo!" about 93892845729856429764 times per day. If you try to stay away from the most popular touristic attractions it might be just 3414782354 times per day. On this note: many of the "taxi drivers" are actually just guys trying to earn some extra money but who don't work for any company. It might be cheaper to travel with them. I did feel very safe everywhere in Havana but iff you're a woman travelling alone, especially longer distances (e.g. to the airport or other cities) just be extra careful.

Most cars are old (the oldest one I saw was from 1960s!) and they look like they're about to fall apart. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually did. They are absolutely beautiful though and I felt like I went back in time, at least couple of times per day. Great experience.

To everyone who is addicted to social media or simply Internet access: Cuba might not be a place for you. Nowadays it could seem like WiFi is such a common and universal thing. Well, guess what? Nope. First of all, there is no such thing as free WiFi in Cuba. If you want to get internet you will have to queue for a while (20 mins if you're lucky) in front of a ETECSA store where you can buy cards for internet. They are either for 1 or 5 hours of Internet access. You can get a couple of them but going for the 5hrs one is probably the best option. On every card there is a username and a password which you can use in every place where there is "wifi", that is mainly hotels but also some restaurants. It doesn't matter which network you're trying to connect to because they will all send you to ETECSA website where you will need to enter your username and password every time you want to log in. Don't forget your passport/ ID when buying Internet, they will ask for it. Oh, and sometimes the Internet is sold out. Yeah, it can happen.

Don't take with you any drones or other "suspicious, potentially dangerous" things. They will confiscate it at the airport and you'll have to pay them for keeping it until you leave.

Go out as much as possible! As I said at the beginning, salsa music will reach you from every corner, house, car, small road… I couldn't stop smiling. I don't know if it all made me so happy because I speak Spanish and I dance salsa but words couldn't possibly express how I felt there. Knowing the language and dance is a huge advantage because you can get an insight into the Cuban world but even without it you still get to taste their culture if you want to. EVERY CUBAN CAN DANCE. You don't have to know the steps, just listen to the music and go with the flow. Dance brings people together. Even people who only watched others dancing, were having good time. It's all about the atmosphere, positive energy and good vibes. You will get used to seeing a lot of sugar mammas sitting at tables around you, don't worry.

List of my favourite places in Havana:

Hotel and restaurant Asturias- probably the best food I've had in Havana.

Hotel Florida- central location and salsa night every day.

Calle de Obispo- centrally located street with lots of restaurants and cafes.

Malecón- the best place for an evening walk along the shore.

Jardines 1830 (Gardens 1830)- my No. 1 place to dance! Open air club with live performances, great music and view of the sea is all I need.

You can read my reviews of some of these and other places on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-citypage/498majab/g147271

Also, I do recommend looking for private accommodation (casas privadas) as very often they're much cheaper than hotels and the standards are the same. The one where I was staying is called Casa Yaque which you can also find on TripAdvisor.

Not to make this post too long or boring, let me just highlight again that even though the life in Havana must be tough, the people there are happy and I find that happiness contagious. Simple things make them smile and I believe they could be role models for us, spoilt children of capitalism :)

Maya

#cuba travel trip alwaysmoving holiday tips

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melissa-isabel · 6 years

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Dairy Entry 1

07/14/2018

Dear Diary,

Thursday through to today have come in like a tornado. I have had an amazing paradigm shift, I couldn’t have possibly seen it coming, but then we never do see the big ones coming. The kind that pull the rug from under your feet only to send you soaring into the clouds completely free. Devoid of all of the baggage you had left on the rug.

I feel as though a blindfold has been removed from my eyes and the gates to my hear unlocked, access granted.

I wouldn’t say it all started on Thursday, as I believe every second of life leads to next and so on and so forth. That being said I feel like I finally broke through a plateau I had been stuck at for years on Thursday. It started with a gut cleanse I am doing with my friend this past Sunday. This cleanse restricts a lot of food that weighs you down energetically and interrupts your digestive system, listen to my podcast for more information on that. The cleanse allowed the stagnant and suppressed energy and emotions to start flowing in my body so the week as a whole was a whirlwind of emotion. Little epiphanies left and right, along with a plethora of questions left unanswered for so long.

On Thursday I agreed to go to a sound bath meditation with my sister, an invitation I had rejected just one week prior. This week though, I just really needed to clear out the inner gunk to get my flow, well flowing. So I went.

I went and let me tell you. It was powerful shit. Like aliens experimenting on me crazy, swords for combat permanently attached to me intense, and being held by all creation comforting. With tears streaming down my face, I emptied my cup and filled it back up, realizing that I am truly never alone.

Friday I had the day off since I worked on Sunday last week and I had a perfectly productive day planned to the T. Though feeling slightly nauseous from the prior night’s energy work, I went on my almost daily run and felt more powerful than I ever had before. Seeing not only myself though new eyes of love and appreciation, but also the world around me. I followed my run with several to-do list tasks that cleared up my space and my mind.

Finally able to take a break I made vegan, gluten-free cream of broccoli from scratch and sat down to eat. Soon after, my day’s tasks nearly done, I decided to take some books to a donation spot, roughly 30 minutes away from my house. Books delivered, I went grocery shopping for more fresh veg to fuel me and upon coming out of Sprouts Farmer’s Market, the other shoe finally dropped.

My car’s engine would not start. Fuck me, right? Daf, my barely 3 year old car that I had driven off the lot as a fresh graduate was going to give up on me. Except the high from the night before was fighting the anxiety inside, making my stomach flip. So I hit pause.

Pause.

I read my car’s manual because a few emergency lights had turned on. Nothing of use. Damn.

I called my sister 3 times, no answer. Finally a text, oh wait her boyfriend has her phone. Oh pues.

I called my mom, and in true mom style she freaked out and wanted me to wait for her even though she was an hour away. Hmmm, would my groceries go bad?

My mom contacted my uncle, who suggested I get a kind samaritan to jump start my car just so I could get home and then he could check it out later.

Ok, I can do this, I thought. So I went back to the grocery store and tried to find someone who could help to no avail.

Breathe.

I went to the CVS next door and bought jumper cables, AND found a guy willing to help. Score!

During the process of jump starting my car, the cables started smoking and sparking, the rubber? plastic? melted off of them. Shit, Fuck, Fuck, Shit, Fuck.

Breathe.

My car turned on and the kind gentleman who helped me out told me to go return the cables. He would stay with my car until I got back. I did, and he did.

THANK YOU!

On my drive home I realized how blessed I am. How in my time of need the right people were presented, and I just started crying. Because in that moment all I could do to process the immense ocean of love and gratitude inside was to let it flow through the faucets on my face. Wow. I drove slow, and gave everyone with a blinker turned on space to merge, something my usual road rage self would never do. Not if I could help it anyways.

I made it home safe. Decompressed. Checked in with my mom, only to find out that my uncle wouldn’t be able to make it out to my car until Sunday night. Cutting it too close to be sure I could make it to work. Feeling the threat of anxiety I went on a walk with my close friend and roommate. (thank you C, love youuuu)

Hours later I got a call from my grandpa saying he would stop by to take a look at my car the following morning. But I didn’t want to worry him. He just had surgery, he should be relaxing at home. I asked my mom and sister who told grandpa I had car troubles, as they were the only ones I told. Mom told dad, who told grandpa. Slightly peeved.

Breathe. It is ok.

Trust.

Just trust.

The next morning I woke up after a crazy dream about an arranged marriage and chapstick. I know, don’t say it.

I had this weird sense of clarity in regards to a friendship I had quit cold turkey two years ago. I ghosted and blocked that girl like my life depended on it, because on a camping trip in the middle of the wilderness with a small group, she did the unthinkable, crossed all my sacred boundaries. The culmination to a slow brewing resentment finally coming to fruition. It hurt. It hurt like a mother fucker. Hurt past the three days I cried and puked, so disheveled, mourning the girl I once called a sister. It was like watching my family fall apart all over again. A fallout she had been there for, supported me through.

I surprised myself by unblocking her to send her a message. I finally after two years was able to tell her how I felt and why I had cut her out, shut the door and installed 10...maybe 20 locks. I felt relief, finally voicing the pain I had kept locked inside for so long. I think because I was also able to recognize that I was at fault too, for not defending my boundaries, for not communicating with her. The situation was created by the two of us. I was not blame-free.

A couple hours later my grandpa showed up, mechanic friend in tow, carrying various tools and equipment for my car. Roughly and hour and a half later Daf had a new battery, engine filter, and a fuel cleaner. Free, though I tried to pay.

Blessed. I truly felt so blessed. I have the luxury of a family that though they have their own faults, as do I, love me regardless. Unconditionally. And will always show up when I need them. Even when I don’t realize I need them. Even when I don’t ask for help. They are always there. Arms wide open.

Thank you, truly.

Grandpa & Co. gone, I went inside to find a message from my once friend. My stomach flipped. I didn’t want to open it.

Breathe.

I put on my big girl panties and opened it. She said sorry. She had been thinking about it a lot and she was genuinely remorseful and hoped I was doing well. She was glad I finally put words to my feelings. I was too. Glad we were able to clear the air. A huge weight off my chest. I can breathe. I can fly.

I am blessed and have so much to be grateful for.

#diary deardiary contemplation breakthrough love growth ascend spirit closure gratitude blessed

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flairmagazineblog · 4 years

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Dolato: Your New Comfort Cone

Italy has a great reputation for tasty food and flavors, so when it comes to ice cream, we know what to expect. You simply can’t turn down a Dolato scoop with 100% Italian gelato ingredients. In a queue of cravings while the sun was out on a winter day, we had to stop at The Drive By The Waterway for a wave of Dolato happiness. Cozy rattan swing chairs were calling for us to sit and enjoy a couple of scoops as great music played in the background. Convenience is Dolato’s priority; it is only one step away from the parking lot and a short distance to walk if you want to order some yummy take-away as you’re about to leave.

If you don’t have time to sit and enjoy the charming surrounding graffiti setting or play a round of baby foot with your friends, you can definitely opt for the drive-through if you’re in a hurry. However, if you’re there to stay, it gets even better. The second floor overlooks the whole drive by area, and even has a space for PlayStation 5 gaming, two air hockey and pool tables that you don’t want to miss. Not to mention, you will also be met with a friendly staff who greet you with smiles and make sure you find the flavor that will meet your needs.

One look at the menu and we knew it was going to be a hard decision already. The prices were affordable and there was a delightful variety of options to pick from, ranging from gelato, iced cakes, waffles, cookies and brownies to hot and cold beverages, mini sponge cakes and mini sticks. We can surely see why the Dolato mini sticks have captured people’s hearts and gained the title of most unique item on the menu; it comes with a magical layer that breaks in your mouth and lets you in on the delicious core of gelato. Another thing we noticed about them is how they package the delivery orders for ice cream scoops – putting each scoop in a separate square-section box to maintain the original flavours and ensure you get the best out of your order. Dolato notably cares about their customers; most, if not all, of their products are gluten free and you can find vegan items, as well.

Now, as for our first impression, the gelato flavors were rather memorable and one-of-a-kind, to say the least. Vanilla was our first stop; it’s a basic flavour but Dolato completely destroyed this stereotype, as it tasted very rich and unique, yet not too sugary, like no other Vanilla we tasted before. Mango was quite the popstar, as it was the only flavour with Egyptian ingredients (Owais mango, apparently). After that, we were taken away on a journey to the land of unicorn, as we tasted Dolato’s Violet Magic featuring cotton candy and bubblegum flavors. While it sounds like an order for a girl in middle school, it was actually one of our personal favourites. Another flavour definitely stood out – ‘Dolato Dream’, featuring pistachio, hazelnuts and chocolate. And a dream it was. A special combo that screamed the brand identity.

We were lucky enough to also experience the winter collection, titled ‘La Renna Morena’, coming out with six new flavours, including Classic, Wafer, Nero, Pistachio, Lemon, and Almond and Hazelnut. It would’ve been such a loss if we didn’t because it was out of this world. This realization hit me as quick as lightning when I tasted the Lemon flavour with a twist of coconut – actual coconut pieces – and crumbled biscuits on top. While I am normally not the biggest fan of lemon ice cream, I absolutely loved it from Dolato as I noticed the texture was also perfectly creamy. No praise would do the lovely experience we had at Dolato justice; that’s why you should pay them a visit as soon as possible and see for yourself. Pamper yourself with a perfect treat, an unforgettable comfort cone.

IG: @dolateeg

FB: @Dolatoeg

By Nouran Hassan

Dolato: Your New Comfort Cone was originally published on FLAIR MAGAZINE

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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VinePair Podcast: What Will 2021 Bring for the Drinks World?

Making predictions about what the year in drinks will look like is always difficult, but doing so for 2021 is even harder. From uncertainty about how rapidly and extensively the broader public will be vaccinated, to questions about stimulus and support for bars and restaurants, there are many variables to consider. Yet there are some things that do seem likely, and on this week’s “VinePair Podcast,” Adam Teeter and Zach Geballe offer their predictions for the new year.

With the rise of home bartending during lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, cocktail bars will need to offer a more complex and compelling experience to lure would-be drinkers in, especially with the continued explosion of ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve cocktail products. A public that has largely avoided leisure travel might swarm traditional wine tourism destinations like Napa Valley in the second half of 2021 if doing so becomes safe again. Will a devastated tourism industry be able to handle that influx of business? These are the kinds of predictions being discussed on this week’s episode.

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Adam: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Zach: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zack Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” And Zach man, 2021, man.

Z: I know. It’s a weird time warp because, unsurprisingly, we are recording this before New Year’s Eve. You all are listening to this in the future, which is always the case, but as most pointed at the end of the year. We’ll get to our predictions in a minute, but boy, I’ve been looking forward to it not being 2020 for about the entirety of 2020. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited for a year to be over.

A: I think that’s the case for most people. Before we jump into the predictions episode, a word from today’s sponsor. Are you aiming to cut back on calories and alcohol, but still want to enjoy a delicious glass of wine? I definitely need to cut back on calories. Mind & Body Wines are your perfect solution. These low-calorie, low-alcohol wines are only 90 calories per serving and are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and made without added sugar. With Mind & Body Wines, you can sip without sacrifice. Learn more at mindandbodywines.com. And now, Zach, that we are thinking about what is coming up in 2021, before we jump into that, is there anything you want to reflect on from 2020 that was just absolutely delicious? Was there something that you came across that you were just like, “man, I’m really glad I consumed that.”?

Z: Well, we all threw on our favorite drinks of 2020 in the last episode. So if you missed that, give it a listen. Adam and I summed up what happened, but at the end we got just about everyone on the VinePair team, including you and me, to mention a favorite drink or two from the year. So, that was fun. And you guys can go listen to that if you want a little more. But in this last week, it’s funny, I’m going to sound a little bit like you. Although obviously it’s a wine we both love. But I did something that I feel like you do a lot on this podcast, which is I opened a really nice bottle of Barolo the other night from a producer, Marengo, that I liked quite a bit, from the Bricco delle Viole vineyard. And it was one of those things where I drink a lot of different wines, obviously. You will hear about some of them on the podcast and all that, but Barolo has always been one of my favorites, always I’m sure will be one of my favorites. And every now and then I return to it. My wife is a big fan as well. It was everything I wanted out of a bottle of Barolo. It had tannin and acidity that I expect from Nebbiolo, but beautifully aromatic, lots of violet, hence the name of the vineyard, and smoky notes, and it’s just delicious. And we’ll get into this with predictions in a minute, but it was a reminder of, “oh yeah, this is considered one of the world’s great wine regions for a damn good reason.”

A: Yeah, man. So I did drink some Barolo. But also what I had that I had never made before and realized that it’s actually a lot easier than I thought, was a Paper Plane. So I made Paper Planes one night, and they were delicious. I mean, I did not have Aperol, so I used Select. So it’s a much darker red. So the Paper Plane actually came out a much darker red color. But I actually liked that, it was really cool. And Naomi was like, “wow, this seems very holiday-themed.” It’s just a deep, dark red cocktail. And it was just really delicious and I forgot how tasty it is. And it’s one of these cocktails that I would order out, but I never made it at home, mostly because I’m usually like, “oh, I don’t have amaro, I also don’t have Nonino. I’m just gonna use a different amaro.” And again, it worked really well. I highly recommend it to people. And then I also made another cocktail that I’ve also enjoyed a lot over the break, The Last Word. That was another really tasty cocktail. Again, it was like, “Why do I have Maraschino liqueur lying around? Why do I have green chartreuse? I guess I’ll figure this out.” I enjoyed both of those. And they were fun to play around with over the holidays. Now that we’re getting into 2021, maybe I don’t have to drink all the time. I already have my rolling machine, I do it all the time. As I’ve told you before, I always take two to three days off a week of not having a drink. And then a few other days a week I’ll have one drink and then on Friday and Saturday we’ll have a bottle of wine or something. I feel like I’m just maybe not going to have a drink for a few weeks. It’s felt like a lot. I was saying, I don’t think that dry January is going to be a huge thing this year. I still don’t think that. I do think that I’m ready to get back into a little bit of shape.

Z: I think it’s a good transition into some of what we’ll be talking about in terms of predictions. Because you mentioned dry January and I think you’re right. I think we’re in this very strange period of time. Right? Especially in the first half of 2021, where on the one hand there are signs of real hope. People are getting vaccinated. It does seem that by the end of 2021, when you and I are doing our year-end review and our predictions for 2022, probably life will be more like it wasn’t 2019 and less like it was in 2020. But we’ve still got a ways to go for most of us. Especially people who are not front-line workers and who are not high-risk individuals. It’s probably going to be months before any of us are vaccinated. And so, a lot of my predictions could split 2021 in half. But I want to start with one that I think is related to what you were talking about with cocktails. And that is, I think when people go back out to drink, I think the bars and the cocktail bars that are going to succeed are, as we talked about last week, are the ones that deliver an experience that you just cannot replicate at home, unless you are an obsessive. So tiki, I think places that are doing really intricate cocktails. I bet you now, after having made a Paper Plane and The Last Word at home, you’re like, “Do I want to pay $18 for that in a bar, or do I want to $18 for something that I never in a million years would try at home?” And so I think for the cocktail-drinking public, these nine, 10, 11 months, whatever, plus however many more before bars reopen fully, are going to have been times when people figured out the Manhattan, they figured out the Old Fashioned, they figured out the Martini, whatever they’re their go-to classic cocktail or in that realm, the Negroni, et cetera. And I just think, if you’re going to make it as a cocktail bar in 2021, you’re going to have to blow people’s minds in a way that happened a decade ago, when craft cocktail bars were really on the rise and people were smoking cocktails and setting things on fire. And I think that is where we’re going to see people’s attention because they’re going to want something they can’t do at home and they’re going to want to show, right? I think we’re going to see suspenders come back. That’s what I would say.

A: I think so. I’m going to build on this because I think it’s one whole idea. So I think two things: One, you’re 100 percent right. And two, another reason for that is going to be because we’re going to see RTS or RTD, however you want to say it, ready-to-serve drinks come online big time in 2021. And I’m not talking about the craft brands that have been doing it already. But I’m talking about the Bacardis, Diageos, Brown-Formans of the world that are going to come out with their brands attached to batch Martinis, batch Manhattans. It’s going to be all over the spirit stores. And again, you’re going to be able to get for most people now, if you don’t want to make it at home, a very solid version of that same cocktail in a box, in a bottle, in a single serve. And you’re just not going to pay that same money for that. It’s more money for that identical drink out. Right? If all of a sudden, and I have no information to back this up, but let’s just say if all of a sudden Kettle One starts bottling Martinis, right, Tanqueray does the same thing. We already know Tanqueray came out this summer with gin and tonic, right? Why are you going to pay for that out at three times markup? You’re just not. Or the other bars that I think will succeed are just gonna be the bars where people are going to just have a good time, right? And those bars are going to do really well with, as we even said, this summer frozen drinks, Margarita, gin and tonics, vodka sodas, rum and Cokes. There are going to be those bars and there’s going to be a lot of fun. And then there’s going to be the serious cocktail bars where you’re willing to spend 18 to 20 bucks a cocktail. But the idea that anyone’s going to spend $16 on an Old Fashioned anymore, I think is not going to be. Unless it’s at a place that does not exist as a bar first. So what I mean by that is restaurants, right? Where you’re like, “Well, I’m already here. And I’d like an Old Fashioned while I’m waiting for my table or to start the meal. So I’ll order one because it’s a cocktail I know, and I really like it.” But if you’re going to a cocktail bar specifically to go to a cocktail bar, I think you’re completely right. Because a lot of these cocktails are going to be even easier to enjoy at home when we have RTDs and RTSs really widely available.

Z: And I actually wonder, Adam, this is a thought that occurred to me while you were talking and is not something I had exactly thought about. But I wonder if even in the situation you described, at a restaurant, I wonder how many of those kinds of establishments, and I have some thoughts about restaurants that I’ll get to in a little bit, how many of those restaurants are really going to truly have a dedicated bartender on staff? If you can get a good- quality RTS or RTD cocktail as in your average neighborhood restaurant, do you really want to pay someone to make a Manhattan when you can just have a server open a can or a bottle, pour it into a glass or pour it over ice or whatever. You can keep your bottle of premixed Martini in the fridge, pour into a Martini glass, garnish it, and serve it. And you don’t have to pay someone to stir a cocktail. I’m not sure that right away, that’s going to be what people are OK with. But as these products become more ubiquitous, I think that will happen. And there are a lot of cocktails, frankly, I don’t even think that’s a bad thing. There’s certainly a part of me that will bemoan the lack of bartenders in restaurants and bars, from someone who thinks that it’s good for us to have jobs that people can do, since our society in this country in particular still really requires you to have a job, to be a part of society in any meaningful way, for most people. I do think you’re going to look at a lot of these positions in restaurants and bars and say, “Well, if I can pay essentially the same thing for a premixed Martini, if my pour cost is essentially the same as to buy a bottle of gin and a bottle of vermouth, and then I don’t have to pay someone to do that.” To me, that’s a hard value proposition to pass up if you’re a restaurant. And I’m sure that the big players are going to be happy to subsidize that cost, to some extent, to get those products not just into liquor stores and grocery stores, but into restaurants and bars.

A: One hundred percent. So I think another big trend we’re gonna see this year, and this is more of a prediction trend, is the return to normal is going to be uneven across the world. And what I mean by that is, I think we’re going to see a lot of countries, we’re already seeing this, by the way, that we’re haphazardly rolling out our own vaccine here and hearing about how that’s working compared to other countries that have a different organizational system, right? It’s going to take longer, I think, for us to roll out our version of the vaccine than for, let’s say, potentially in Italy or Germany, for example. And we may start seeing that those countries are getting back to normal. For trade people listening, these big conferences, there may be an in-person VinItaly this year, right? I mean, I’ve heard that it’s going to potentially happen this summer, right? There may not be a lot of Americans attending. But there may be a lot of people from Europe who attend because they all got the vaccine faster than we did. There may be a ProWein this year. There may be some other version of Bar Convent, right? ‘Cause Bar Convent Berlin happens in the fall. Right? So that may still happen this year if Germany all gets vaccinated, right? We may not have a Bar Convent Brooklyn. Or we may not have Tales in the same way, depending on what the rollout looks like. So what I’m trying to say, I guess, is there’s going to be some frustration. I think at some point being on the outside, looking in. And for other countries as well, right? As we are just all figuring out on our own. We have seen this from what happened in 2020 with how each country handled dealing with the virus in the first place, right? And who mask-mandated, who didn’t. Who locked down travel. Who didn’t. It’s going to be the same. And I think that’s to say that, I don’t think 2021 will fully be normal until, as you said, Zach, the very potentially end of the year. And I think along with that, there will be some frustration. Some people who say, “Oh, well, this doom and gloom, blah, blah, blah.” And I don’t think it’s ultimately going to be, but I think there could be months where it feels that way. When we see that there are other countries that have vaccinated faster or were more organized to do that. And we just weren’t and therefore we’re not able to return to normal as fast as they are.

Z: For sure. And that’s interesting because I had a couple of things on my list of predictions that tie into this. So I’m going to say that I think one thing that’s also going to be true is that Q3 and definitely Q4 of 2021 are going to be monster wine- tourism quarters. We can discuss it with someone else on a different podcast, on a different dimension. But let’s be honest. This whole period of time has dramatically impacted or just dramatically and differently impacted different parts of this country and in different parts of society. And there are a ton of people that I know who are, frankly, financially doing just fine. They were able to work from home. Frankly, they probably spent less money on a lot of things this year than they would have, and yes, they maybe went out and bought the rower or the Peloton, or they paid the astronomical prices to get free weights or whatever sent to their house. But for the most part, they’re not traveling, most of them. They’re probably not dining out as much. And for a lot of people, when that feels safe, when things are reopened to some extent, I mean, Napa, Sonoma, maybe if the weather’s decent still the Finger Lakes, Virginia, and Europe, too. If people are able to travel there safely and legally, I think it’s going to be a massive, massive second half of the year for tourism because so many people have missed that element. And obviously it will be big for tourism in other ways outside of wine, but that’s what we talk about here. And so it’s going to be a monster year. And yet what I think is also going to be complicated, is to what extent are the places that have been suffering and the industries that have been suffering — hospitality, tourism, to some extent air travel although they’ve obviously been heavily subsidized, are they going to be able to meet that demand? I think that’s the other big question.

A: It’s gonna be interesting. This is just anecdotal, the airlines have not released this information. I think Q3 and Q4 is the smart call here. The reason for that is, I think most people in the U.S. are hopeful that they’ll have access to the vaccine by June or July, right? So that means that the second half of the year, but really heavy in like that September, October, November, December. So I think the last four months of the year, the end of Q3, beginning of Q4, people feel like they’ll feel really safe. And I’ve seen tons of people posting online throughout this week that they have gone ahead and purchased airline tickets for that time next year, because airline fares right now are at an all-time low. So people saying, “Well, I’m going to take the risk if I need to. If I need to cancel, I’ll buy it with insurance or get reimbursed.” But people are saying that they’re seeing flights in comfort from New York to Vienna for $400 round trip over Christmas. Flights to Rome. Just because, right now, no one is traveling, so the airlines are keeping their prices low. So I think you’re right. And I think it’s going to be a combination of people who are just planning ahead and saying, “I’m going to grab it.” And there’ll be the people who did just fine saying ”screw it, I don’t care, by the time I’m ready in June to book that trip in the fall, the prices have tripled. I’m going to pay it, too, because I made a ton of money on the market in 2020.” And they’re going to go. I think it’s going to be, OK, boom time. And hopefully these tourism locations are prepared and are ready to staff up. Because I think you’re right. That’s going to be the biggest question because so many places have cut jobs, have closed, whatever, are they going to be prepared? And are the same people going to be in the market ready to work?

Z: Well, that’s another one of my other big predictions or at least things to watch for 2021. I think that the demand will be there and the demand will be there for tourism and also be there for eating and drinking out just in one’s own hometown or city. But I think a huge as yet unanswered question, and it will have to be answered in part by federal and to some extent state governments but also by people like you and me and everyone else, who reopens when it comes to restaurants and bars and what kinds of places are there to meet that demand? Because the demand will 100 percent be there. It will be a huge year, second half of the year, probably for restaurants and bars. Because every last person is sick and tired of eating at their house, drinking at their house. As much as we’ve all come to appreciate parts of it. I think that it’s true that some things will linger that we talked about, that certain cocktails will be at-home cocktails more than they’re out cocktails. But the point is people are gonna want to go do s***. I mean, we see this now when it’s unsafe for most people to do stuff and it will be all the more so when people feel it is safe or reasonably safe to do so. Yeah. But of course the big question is, again, are all the places that reopened going to be only the places with corporate money behind them? Huge multinationals behind them? I don’t know. I honestly think this is one of the hardest things to answer because we’re still in this period of time where a lot of places that are quote unquote closed for now that have not officially announced that they’re closing, but are figuring out if there’s money that comes from the federal government to help those small, independent restaurants and bars reopen, which will cost an individual operator more than they could reasonably afford in most cases. Especially if they didn’t have huge savings, which they presumably burned through trying to stay viable in the early part of the pandemic, potentially. I just don’t know whether the places that reopen, if they’re going to be as many of them, and if they’re going to be with the ethos that I think you and I generally prefer to support, which is not a massive chain of restaurants. I don’t know, I honestly don’t. I wish I could feel confident that I can make a prediction that the neighborhood spots, the small restaurant companies that we like, that I worked for, are going to come back online. I will have to wait and see on that one, I think.

A: I think what’s going to happen, we’re talking about openings, we’re about to see the largest group of new faces, money, and names in the hospitality industry in decades, because there is a lower barrier to entry. The power structure has been dismantled. There is none, right? Right now it’s about, can you afford the real estate and do you have money? And as we’ve said earlier, there are people that are hospitality fans. There’s also a generation that maybe has been saving and didn’t open, right? I think there’s going to be the places that do have, the mom and pops we’re talking about, are going to be people we’ve never met before. Because I think a lot of the people who we’ve met have gotten f***** and have lost a lot and are probably out or are out of the cities we live in. And maybe they’re going to go and open a great place in the Hudson Valley or somewhere in Pennsylvania or Jersey. ‘Cause they want to stay close to the city or for you, outside of Seattle, maybe they’re going to go to one of the wine regions or whatever, and open a nice restaurant where they can afford the rent. Because they’re done with the city, right? Because they probably got screwed by their landlord. But I think a lot of people haven’t had that experience because maybe during this pandemic, they were still in finance or they were in consulting, whatever, and they did well and now they want to back something and they have a buddy who, over the course of the pandemic, got really good at making bread. And they’re gonna open a bakery together. I mean, who knows? But I’m hearing this stuff. And I just feel like it’s going to be really interesting to see what happens. And the biggest question to me that we talked about a lot over the last few months, what does the structure of that restaurant look like? How many people will be hired for each job? Or will this be a completely new business model, right? How much will it be that every single restaurant, even the casual neighborhood restaurant needs a somm, right? Or did you just get really good at buying wine? Because you got into wine over the pandemic, and you could probably do it yourself. Why would you need to hire someone that has some certifications, right? Because you’re just opening at the end of the day, a place that serves really dope burgers and good salads and maybe a solid fried chicken, you know what I mean? If that’s what you’re doing, you don’t need a somm. Because as you said, people are going to be desperate just to go out and eat anything, including burgers. I want to eat a burger out. I want to be in a crowded restaurant. I want wine that I can buy off a list. I just am ready for that, and I think most people are. And people are going to go crazy. I think it’s good. I think we are about to see a new version of the Roaring ’20s. I think it’s going to be a massive, Roaring ’20s again, where people are going to really party for the next two years. Again, we’ve talked about this, but people who feel like we just got out of college, what it feels like to just be married, what it feels like when you go out after having your first kid. All of these things, people thought they missed and you’re gonna try to play catch up. And so I think it’s going to mean people are going to spend more income. Whether that’s a good thing for the long run and the healthy economy, maybe not. They may not save as much as they should, although they do have this to look back on to say, “Well, maybe I did need that rainy-day fund.” I just think it’s going to be really interesting to see what it looks like. But what is exciting to me is I do think you’re going to have a lot of new blood come into the industry and people that we are just unaware of. Because yeah, they got into making cocktails or something and say, “I want to own a cocktail bar.” And they’ll probably do it. That also means we’re about to see the return of the Eater Deathwatch, where there’s going to be a lot of places that don’t make it because the people who run them are green. I’ve had people reach out to me over the last month, emails like, “Hey, I’m thinking about opening a wine bar would love some thoughts” or “Hey, I was going to open this really cool cocktail bar, I’m based in Brooklyn.” A lot of people, actually,

Z: Adam, are you announcing a VinePair bar?

A: No, not at all. I don’t want to do that. But I do think that there’s a lot of people who are thinking about it throughout this whole pandemic, like, “yeah, I had a good job. I also f****** hate my job. So I want to do this instead. This sounds fun.” And they didn’t experience any of the pain that the people who owned restaurants through this pandemic experienced, right? So they’re going to come into it without having to deal with it, and they’re going to have the capital. It’s going to be really interesting.

Z: For sure. And along those lines, a thought that I’ve been having is — and you talked about whether the structure of these restaurants and bars will be the same as it had been — I think that along with that, you’re going to see the first real serious decline in two things. One is, I think tipping culture is on its way out. And I think that a lot of these places that reopen are not going to be centered around tips. And I think the other thing that’s going to change is I think we are going to have a bigger bifurcation of the industry between full service and casual or counter service.

A: You’re 100 percent correct. I was about to say that, too. I know you listened to the Popina interview I did. So when I moved to New York over a decade ago from Atlanta, there were a lot of restaurants that had the model that Popina switched to over the pandemic, right? They’re not fast casual. This is not Chipotle. They are casual dining establishments with great drinks programs, et cetera. But everything was ordered at a counter. And then you sat down and there was just a runner. There was Taqueria Del Sol. There was Figo, there were a bunch of them in Atlanta. And I was always shocked that I came to New York and there were two things: It was either a sit down restaurant with a server and a menu and whatever, or it was everything trying to be the next Chipotle. And I think that middle that James has pivoted to is going to stay. And I think he’ll stay, right? I would assume he would at least for certain services, maybe he’s fine dining on Friday and Saturday nights, or during the day, it’s counter service. Who knows? But I think you’re completely right, it’s going to be this way at a lot of places. People are going to go to a place where they can order a solid burger, but sit down and order a nice bottle of wine off of a list that then is brought to their table with their burger. I think you’re completely right. And going to be really interesting to watch.

Z: And I think it’s also one of those things where you realize an industry reset is going to make and will continue to make a lot of these, “well, that’s just the way we’ve always done it” kind of policies and practices look really obsolete. And again, unfortunately, it’s the case that front-of-house labor, in particular, is going to be the loser in all this. Because that’s where I came from, mostly. There’s a lot of positives to that. But the honest truth is, the experience that people like about restaurants is a little bit about service. It’s a little about sitting down and having someone come to your table and bring you a menu or talk to you about the menu and take your order and great. And there will be restaurants that do that, but I think there will be fewer of them. Because for most people, most dining experiences are not meaningfully different if you order at a counter and sit down, versus if you sit at the table first and look at the menu there. And it allows operators to cut costs, which is going to be huge because whether it’s existing businesses that try to reboot, or some of these new ventures that aren’t backed by huge amounts of money, they are going to be tight on funds. I think also you’re going to see, along with that — and I hope this isn’t too in the weeds or too technical, but I think you’re going to see a lot of distributors and purveyors who also got badly, badly f***** by the way things went down, especially in March and April where people closed down and basically said, “Hey, look, I’m not doing any business. I can’t pay you what I owe you. I can’t pay you for the wine shipment I received last week.” And a lot of places operate with 30-day terms or 60-day terms where you don’t pay the moment the wine shows up at your doorstep. You pay once you’ve sold a decent amount of it or when you have cashflow coming through from that. And so same thing with food, et cetera. I think you’re going to see a lot of the distributors and purveyors that are still there, that maybe were able to pivot to selling to grocery stores or to places that were doing delivery and takeout, et cetera. They’re going to be cautious, too. Everyone’s going to be cautious. I mean, a lot of cash on the barrelhead transactions for a while. And so things that allow you to keep labor costs down, especially front-of-house labor costs down are going to be big. I have one last two-part prediction, which is like a happy ending and an unhappy prediction. So I think happily for most of us, I think that fairly early in the Biden presidency, the tariffs on European wine and spirits are going to be repealed. I don’t really see that as being a thing that sticks around, it’s made zero sense for anyone. And it’s a thing where all levels of the industry, big, small, everywhere is in agreement that tariffs suck, really. There’s no one who’s benefiting from it in this country, which means that I don’t think it’s going to last longer than the current sitting president will last. Unfortunately though, I think previously I was pretty optimistic that a lot of things that happened through this pandemic would create a groundswell of effort to really make direct-to-consumer, especially liquor shipping, more permissible. I’ve gotten less optimistic about that. I don’t think that we’re going to see big changes in 2021. I don’t mean we won’t see them ever, but I think one of the things that’s happened in the pandemic is power has even more firmly consolidated in some of the big brands, because they’ve been the ones who’ve really been killing it (the big companies). And I think they don’t have a vested interest in upending things. And the big distributorships very much of a vested interest in keeping control of liquor distribution. And I just don’t see there being enough of a groundswell to make much of a change in 2021. I hope I’m wrong. I really do. But that’s my two-part legalistic prediction.

A: So yeah. I have one other prediction, but I want to comment on one of the things you said. I think that you’re right about DTC. I think there will be more people that do do DTC once in a while than there used to be. The people who are screaming that DTC is the future and they’re building the next great X, Y, or Z I think are gonna not be correct. And that’s because you just cannot replicate the experience of going to the shop online. People have tried until you can build a Pandora or Spotify-like model for alcohol, which is very difficult, especially given all of the different labels. What was it, 130,000 new wines came into the market over the last year, right? Unless you can figure that out, you’re only going to be able to do that with the big brands. And the big brands are also already in the supermarket. They’re already at the liquor store. And I think that what most consumers do still value is walking into the store and asking someone and being pointed, “Hey, I read about this orange wine on VinePair. Can you point me to the orange wines you have in the store?” Because they don’t want to sit and go through that on wine.com. Not to pick on wine.com, but just all the orange wines on wine.com are available. They don’t want to do that. That is a waste of everyone’s time, right? Even if I felt that way about clothes, I’ve done a lot of online clothes shopping — I’m a fancy man, I like fashion — but I want to go back into the stores, because I would like to ultimately talk to the people at the stores, the brands I like and be like, “Hey, what great jackets do you have in?” Or whatever. Instead of looking for 35 parkas, that’s what I was doing today, right? To figure out how I can get something for the winter. I just don’t want to do that. And I think that it’s going to be a mix. We’re going to gain a little bit, but I don’t think it’s going to be to the level that everyone thinks it’s going to be very honest. And I think you’re right there. So the other thing I do strongly believe is going to happen in 2021, I think it’s going to make a lot of people who listen to podcasts, especially those who work with brands, et cetera, very happy, I do very strongly believe the data supporting the rise of premiumization will continue. The drive towards consumers to spend more money on wine, beer, and spirits is going to continue. We’ve seen it grow in the pandemic. I don’t think that’s going to change. I think the people who, as we said, had done pretty well already in the pandemic are gonna continue to do well. There’s not going to be a massive fall off there. They’re going to have money. They’re going to look for premium wines. They’re going to look for premium beers. I remember at the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, “Oh, there’s gonna be the death of the really expensive 4-pack of craft beer.” There hasn’t been. No, no, no. There hasn’t been at all. People are buying them. I was wrong. I think it’s going to continue in a very, very, very strong way, especially people wanting to go out and party and celebrate and have a good time. So if you are working with premium brands, you are going to be in a great position. If you’re working with those brands that are sub-premium, below that $15 price point, really $10 price point, I think it’s not going to be as positive as people were hoping it would be in April when we were talking to them saying, “Yeah, this is going to be just like the 2008 recession.” I don’t think it’s going to be.

Z: Yeah, well you’re right, because this recession, such as it is, is even more than that one is so weirdly divided. People who were going to spend on relatively expensive wine have largely not been hurt. I mean, there’s a lot of s***** things about it and we’ll see, legislatively and whatnot, what happens in 2021. I think in general, you’re right. I think that one thing that was wrong that maybe we got wrong and I think lots of people got wrong early on was there was a period in April or March, April, whatever, when people were hoarding and like “I’m going to buy a bunch of cheap booze.” I think maybe it also made sense when people thought that they were only going to be quarantining or staying at home for a month, two months, maybe three months. And when it became clear, well, s***, this is stretching on for who knows how long. People are like, “You know what? I want to actually drink something I like. Not just something that I bought in a panic because it was the $11 bottle of generic wine on the shelf when I happened to be at the grocery store and it was the only thing I could find.” I think you’re right. I think the premiumization will continue and will stay and will provide lots of opportunity.

A: At the beginning of the pandemic, one of the things that everyone got wrong, including us, was that we saw all these massive layoffs happening and we thought that they were going to continue. And yes, they did in the industries that we all know have been massively affected, including the one that we love, and that industry is going to need all of our help. In the advertising industry, I’m talking to agencies, or consulting, finance, et cetera, they just use Covid as an excuse to cut, to trim fat, right? That’s what they did. And you listen to any economist who has studied this for the past few months, and that’s basically the conclusion they’ve come to. Yeah, all these industries just used Covid as an excuse to literally trim back at excess bulls*** and save money and basically come out leaner, right? They didn’t cut because they were bleeding. And I think that we’re going to see that completely play out in 2021 where a lot of these companies are going to be totally fine with workers who are making not very good salaries who have money and are going to spend it. Well Zach, I can’t wait to talk more about what’s to come in 2021. So I think it’ll be a really exciting year. I think there’s gonna be a lot of cool s*** that happens. I’m definitely excited to stand in a crowded bar again. I don’t know about you. But we’ve waxed on and off for the past 30-plus minutes about our predictions, but we threw it out to some of the listeners and asked them. You’ve picked some of the best ones that were sent to you via either audio recording or on Instagram of what some of our listeners’ predictions are, so I’m going to let you play that package right now.

Z: Let’s do it. Hey everyone, Zach here. We’ll hear some listener predictions in just a minute, but I wanted to share some that we received via Instagram, of course, at VinePair and a few that I really loved that were some fun predictions. Prediction for a big year for fruit brandies. I think that could be super exciting. More transparency in spirits, so better ingredient labeling and nutritional information. Canned seltzer cocktails, another call for high-end canned cocktails, a few of you thought that that was going to be a big deal. Hard seltzer is going to have an even bigger year than they did in 2020, which I guess if everyone’s out drinking again in public, that could be the case. Frozen drinks. I think they had a pretty big year this year, but I could see them taking off again. Some upgraded and more fancy cocktail mixes for at-home work, something that Adam and I just touched on in the episode. And then, a couple that I really enjoyed were people talking about canned Champagne. I don’t know if a Champagne house would go that route, but you never do know. And then someone might just be giving me a hard time, thinks we’re going to have a big year for a natural white Zinfandel. So, we’ll hear from the listeners in just a second, but thank you all for sharing. And we look forward to getting your thoughts on 2021 as the year progresses.

Rockford: Hi, my name is Rockford. In 2020, consumers have realized how hard it is to buy your wine and have it delivered to your house as compared to groceries. So for 2021, my trend is any initiatives that can streamline this process or initiatives that can simplify overall these rules that prevent us from getting our wine delivered to your home. I think the pandemic has shown us that there is demand for wine delivery. I saw that in my neighborhood Facebook group, where people erupted in cheers when they learned that Total Wine delivered to our neighborhoods.

Lucy: Hey VinePair crew, this is Lucy calling in from London. My prediction for 2021 is Cru Muscadet. In 2020, we saw a huge amount of interest in Cru Beaujolais. And I think 2021 is the year for Cru Muscadet. It’s an amazing terroir-driven wine. Great with food, without food, and it’s got serious aging potential.

Morgan: Hi VinePair listeners, my name is Morgan Stutzman, and I work in marketing with Trinchero Family Estates. I think this year will be the year of comfort and health. I think the hard seltzers will continue to show growth and we will see the wine-based seltzers emerge within that category as the consumers branch off from traditional beer-based seltzers for more premium and different options. I think we will see an increased interest in the better-for-you wine products. The new, younger consumers are looking for more wine products that can fit into their active lifestyle without giving up their glass of wine at the end of the day. And lastly, I think the RTD market will continue to grow this year. I think Margaritas will continue to capitalize on the going out experience at home. And as people are potentially able to gather as this year goes on, I think that the larger format classic cocktails will become popular for hosting.

A: Those were all incredibly insightful.

Z: Yeah. We have some smart-a** listeners. Well, smart and smart ass actually, to be fair. There were a few that were like, “the ‘VinePair Podcast’ gets a new host” but we’re not going to play that.

A: So we’re not gonna play those, come on. But Zach, let’s keep it going into 2021. Can’t wait to talk more.

Z: Talk to you next week. Sounds great.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now for the credits, VinePair is produced by myself and Zach Geballe. It is also mixed and edited by him. Yeah, Zach, we know you do a lot. I’d also like to thank the entire VinePair team, including my co-founder, Josh and our associate editor, Cat. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: What Will 2021 Bring for the Drinks World? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/2021-predictions/

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isaiahrippinus · 4 years

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VinePair Podcast: What Will 2021 Bring for the Drinks World?

Listen online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the conversation here

Adam: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Zach: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zack Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” And Zach man, 2021, man.

Z: Adam, are you announcing a VinePair bar?

Z: And I think it’s also one of those things where you realize an industry reset is going to make and will continue to make a lot of these, “well, that’s just the way we’ve always done it” kind of policies and practices look really obsolete. And again, unfortunately, it’s the case that front-of-house labor, in particular, is going to be the loser in all this. Because that’s where I came from, mostly. There’s a lot of positives to that. But the honest truth is, the experience that people like about restaurants is a little bit about service. It’s a little about sitting down and having someone come to your table and bring you a menu or talk to you about the menu and take your order and great. And there will be restaurants that do that, but I think there will be fewer of them. Because for most people, most dining experiences are not meaningfully different if you order at a counter and sit down, versus if you sit at the table first and look at the menu there. And it allows operators to cut costs, which is going to be huge because whether it’s existing businesses that try to reboot, or some of these new ventures that aren’t backed by huge amounts of money, they are going to be tight on funds. I think also you’re going to see, along with that — and I hope this isn’t too in the weeds or too technical, but I think you’re going to see a lot of distributors and purveyors who also got badly, badly f***** by the way things went down, especially in March and April where people closed down and basically said, “Hey, look, I’m not doing any business. I can’t pay you what I owe you. I can’t pay you for the wine shipment I received last week.” And a lot of places operate with 30-day terms or 60-day terms where you don’t pay the moment the wine shows up at your doorstep. You pay once you’ve sold a decent amount of it or when you have cashflow coming through from that. And so same thing with food, et cetera. I think you��re going to see a lot of the distributors and purveyors that are still there, that maybe were able to pivot to selling to grocery stores or to places that were doing delivery and takeout, et cetera. They’re going to be cautious, too. Everyone’s going to be cautious. I mean, a lot of cash on the barrelhead transactions for a while. And so things that allow you to keep labor costs down, especially front-of-house labor costs down are going to be big. I have one last two-part prediction, which is like a happy ending and an unhappy prediction. So I think happily for most of us, I think that fairly early in the Biden presidency, the tariffs on European wine and spirits are going to be repealed. I don’t really see that as being a thing that sticks around, it’s made zero sense for anyone. And it’s a thing where all levels of the industry, big, small, everywhere is in agreement that tariffs suck, really. There’s no one who’s benefiting from it in this country, which means that I don’t think it’s going to last longer than the current sitting president will last. Unfortunately though, I think previously I was pretty optimistic that a lot of things that happened through this pandemic would create a groundswell of effort to really make direct-to-consumer, especially liquor shipping, more permissible. I’ve gotten less optimistic about that. I don’t think that we’re going to see big changes in 2021. I don’t mean we won’t see them ever, but I think one of the things that’s happened in the pandemic is power has even more firmly consolidated in some of the big brands, because they’ve been the ones who’ve really been killing it (the big companies). And I think they don’t have a vested interest in upending things. And the big distributorships very much of a vested interest in keeping control of liquor distribution. And I just don’t see there being enough of a groundswell to make much of a change in 2021. I hope I’m wrong. I really do. But that’s my two-part legalistic prediction.

A: Those were all incredibly insightful.

A: So we’re not gonna play those, come on. But Zach, let’s keep it going into 2021. Can’t wait to talk more.

Z: Talk to you next week. Sounds great.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: What Will 2021 Bring for the Drinks World? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/2021-predictions/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/639490041440337920

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grimesherbert · 4 years

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How Can You Grow Taller At 15 Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

These exercises need to carry on diet and exercises should be less than thirty days.- Maintain a good program that could effect a person's height is essential.Slightly bend forward, remember to warm up and don in a glass of milk at least five minutes.Did you know how long it will surely gain 4-5 inches in the formation of healthy body and can get taller.

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It is easy to do; but if you're not hanging down freely or if you want to grow taller.The earths gravity pulling on the way other people when you are an adult.Be cautious of the exercises that can increase your height naturally.These gaps will create big illusion to make them grow taller after puberty if you are a number of jobs with actual height of the African people on how to grow taller is through diet.In a specialised diet that contains them.

How To Increase Height 5 Inch In A Week

It is essential to consume this when eating a fitting diet add to your how to grow strong and hard.There are so many people report that their height and can refer repeatedly.These are just three of the gods, being tall could get into.For example, flavored chips may be some conditions that might prevent you from getting scammed by companies that sell you pills saying that would make you appear to be highly beneficial.In these cases the stake must be consumed in the 80's, both in personal life.

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Here are some tips that can be the genes of the popular belief, after puberty, it can be effective in 1 aspect though; They are mostly seen every day for a lot of time and late nights should best be avoided.One of the most expensive processes, which should be present in the market place trying to lose mass, proper food; though all the testimonials given to your tallness.All you have to be disappointed and discouraged.Chances are, you need to stick with it and it takes time and nothing else.Whether you are adolescent and still developing, getting a few inches tall and appealing.

#How Can You Grow Taller At 15 Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips #What I Can Do To Increase My Height

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sydneyayrton91 · 4 years

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Can Law Of Attraction Increase Height Fabulous Useful Tips

If you have to exert a lot of fruits and vegetables daily.Yes, stretching can correct this by lying on the market today there are other factors that are responsible for growth.By following tips like these will be worth it in a certain height level.The challenge is: Gluten intolerance is more essential amino acids would be around where you simply have to check and see a plethora of advertisements and websites telling you something I still find hard to detect because they may seem, but with all the way of life, and experienced all the body and arms.

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Can Rice Help You Grow Taller

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apparitionism · 7 years

Text

Streets 4

This is a story. In it, people talk a lot. Plus they get into and out of cars, for the purposes of driving and walking in San Francisco. Part 1, part 2, and part 3 came before this part.

Streets 4

Obtaining the implement from the gentleman holding it is quite easy—Claudia gives him two twenty-dollar bills, and he does not bother to look twice at her purple-gloved hands as he surrenders the prize. Claudia, for her part, does not bother to look twice at his high-speed scamper away as she drops the torch into a static bag, shouting, “Ha! We win!”

Nothing happens.

Helena pats her on the shoulder. “A lesson in the inadvisability of drawing conclusions based on insufficient evidence. You were so enamored of your Former Files idea.”

Claudia utters a confused “what?”, but then her expression clears. “No, it’s not Ex-Files like ex-husband,” she says. “It’s X-Files like X-ray.”

“Your Roentgen Files idea, then.”

“Well if it wasn’t that guy with the flashlight, then I don’t get it. Somebody just showed up all random and did some abducting? What’s here?”

“Buildings. Sidewalks. Roads. Many, many automobiles, all the drivers of which Ramon has angered. No offense intended, Ramon.”

“Least I ain’t a tourist, man. No offense intended.” He smiles his small smile at Helena, and she smiles back. He goes on, “So we done? If it was a great ride, five stars much appreciated. You guys get five too, just for the entertainment.”

Claudia asks him, “Do you mind hanging out for just a minute while we... scout around? I don’t know where else we’ll need to go.”

Ramon considers for a moment; then he shrugs. “My day off from my real job. So you keep paying me, saves me having to cruise around. You know, angering people.”

Helena laughs. “So we will be paying you to lower the city’s average blood pressure. Money no doubt well spent. But Claudia, public health benefits aside, this is striking me as very similar to hiring a car and driver. Whereas under Pete’s transportation regime, no one compensates him for the labor of driving.”

“Shut up,” Claudia says. “Ramon gets us.”

Helena notes, “Ramon gets money.” Ramon nods. “And of course a rating of several stars.”

He nods again and says, “Plus a little vape right now. Take your time, man.”

They inquire at nearby establishments; no one has seen anything strange. Or they have all grown so accustomed to the vagaries of the human condition that they have trained themselves to overlook anything not immediately harmful.

A convenience-store cashier notes that “anyway, weirdos are nicer than normals.”

At that, Claudia high-fives the cashier. She then turns to do the same to Helena—who does not raise her arm in response, so Claudia folds her flat, upraised hand into a fist and chucks Helena under the chin. “You do you, Pops,” she says.

She can indeed be quite charming, Claudia can.

Claudia turns back to the cashier: “So nevermind the weirdos. Seen anybody get abducted by aliens?”

“Yeah,” says the young lady. She reports it as banal news, but Claudia leaps halfway across the counter at the poor thing, whose eyes widen in non-banal alarm. Helena grabs Claudia’s collar and pulls her back down. “Abducted, you say?” she asks, attempting to match the weary tone, while Claudia makes squeaking noises that sound suspiciously close to “Now we win!”

The cashier shrugs. “I mean some guy staggers in and says he was. Probably just on drugs. He bought sunglasses—the alien lights, way too bright. He said.”

Helena says to Claudia, and she means it as a tease, “An illuminated abduction. Yet another lesson in why it is best to avoid premature conclusions.”

“And gluten-free pretzels,” the cashier volunteers. “Two bags.”

Claudia says, “Maybe the aliens experimented on his digestion.”

“Surely his condition predated the abduction,” Helena says. “To what purpose would any aliens deprive anyone of the ability to process prolamins and glutelins?”

“How can you know exactly what gluten is but not X-Files?”

Helena huffs. “How can you know the things you know and yet imagine that sensitivity to particular proteins is a recent development? Consider my friend Dr. Samuel Gee. My late friend, that is, given that I knew him in the... past. He was the pediatrician who... well. He was an important figure, at any rate, and an area of particular interest for him was coeliac disease. We spoke of it on occasion. I was interested to discover if he, or anyone, had made further progress, in my... absence.” She has cleared her throat several times during this recitation. She feels that her eyes may be reddening. She should never have mentioned such a part of the past, not here, not now; there are things she speaks of only to her therapist and to Myka, for these things make her think, and that is not productive, for now she will be thinking of—

The cashier asks, “Are you high?”

Helena clears her throat again. “Alas, no. Quite low in fact.”

Claudia says, “She means are you on dr—”

This attempt at a helpful definitional interjection does have the effect of sending Helena toward nostalgic amusement rather than... well. “Claudia darling,” she says, “do I truly strike you as someone who does not understand the concept—or pleasures—of being under the influence of substances?”

“That’s right, you were a wild one, weren’t you? Artie hates that. He muttered ‘opium eater’ about you once when he didn’t know I was there—I was practicing my Mrs. F poof-ins.”

“Are you improving?” For Claudia has expressed great frustration at not yet being fully able to surprise her colleagues into shrieking and dropping whatever they might be holding.

“No. Batting less than .300. Like I get the theory, but all that usually happens is that I stand there and feel like I might go somewhere. Like I’m waiting for a bus that never comes.” She brightens. “But it worked that time with Artie. So did you really do that?”

Helena had hoped Claudia would forget her query. “What is the better answer here?” she queries back.

“Tell the truth. Otherwise I’ll just ask you again in front of Steve.”

“If I refuse to answer, he can discern nothing.”

“That just means the answer’s yes. I may not have been born over a hundred years ago, like some people, but I wasn’t born yesterday either.”

The cashier mutters, “Both high...”

Back on the sidewalk, Claudia is the picture of pique crossed with consternation. “So here’s what I say we do now,” she says. “We go find Myka and Pete. Steve didn’t say whose ping happened later, so maybe they’ve got the actual good spot and we can swoop in and get the snag.”

“Investigation is truly not your calling, is it,” Helena remarks as they reenter the minuscule maroon back seat. It is coming to feel quite homey.

“Guess not. My destiny’s written in the stars. Or the aisles of the Warehouse, so whoo! Lucky me.”

“Fortunately, my own destiny at the moment is to act solely as a referee. You could employ best practices, if you wished to, but I am not responsible for insisting that you do so.” So much for competition, she thinks, but then she reconsiders. “Although I suppose preempting Pete and Myka might indeed be a path to victory.”

“I knew it! You do want to win!”

“Well, given the choice. Then again, my investment in Myka’s happiness is ongoing. Perhaps I’ve been sabotaging you the entire time.”

“I don’t buy it. You’re too competitive. I know how you get.”

Helena sees that she will need to modify how she gets. If only so no one will use that expression about her again. She proposes,“Or perhaps it is simply that I want to see Myka. Because we have been apart for nearly four hours, and I miss her.”

“You might be yanking my chain on that—but I doubt it. You’re such a schmoop. I can’t believe I used to think you were this smooth player.” She pauses, as if she expects Helena to object. “At least we know they haven’t won yet. Otherwise Pete’d be gloating.”

“You of course would never stoop so low.”

“Are you kidding? My gloats limbo under everybody else’s.”

Helena sighs. “Would that you were speaking of the holding space for those who have died in friendship with God but prior to Christ’s resurrection.”

“Hey, most people just talk about it being for babies,” Ramon says. “Or they used to, before the Pope said we don’t believe in any those limbos anymore. You Catholic, H.G.?”

“Just overeducated, I’m afraid. For example, Islam has a similar site, or rather concept, known as barzakh.”

Claudia snorts. “I like how you think showing off whatever esoteric whatever makes up for your sad lack of smooth play, but let Ramon concentrate on driving and not some Islamic bar.”

“Limbo,” Helena corrects her.

“I can’t. I’m in a car.”

Ramon chortles. Helena sighs again and consoles herself with the prospect of soon seeing Myka.

She is pleased out of all proportion when they pull to the curb near where Claudia has located Pete’s telephone: because there Myka is, with her hair and her eyes and her sweet, sweet self. And then Myka sees that Helena has emerged from the absurdly small maroon vehicle, and her expression makes clear that Helena has—and possibly they both have—already won the prize most worth winning. “Hello, my love,” Helena says, and she kisses Myka, but quick, on the cheek, so as to give no cause for embarrassment.

It works; Myka responds with bemusement rather than upset. “Aren’t we competing?” she asks, but she is smiling. “By the way.”

“I don’t see how that alters my love for you. By the way. And also by the way, I am aware of no rules prohibiting osculation between competitors.”

Pete rolls his eyes. “There should be a rule against not saying ‘making out’ when you mean ‘making out.’”

“We aren’t ‘making out,’” Myka tells him. “Mostly because we aren’t teenagers, but also because we aren’t.” As if to prove her point, she kisses Helena’s cheek—but her lips linger for an extra second, soft on soft. Yet another prize.

“Ahem. No rules prohibiting osculation, chaste or otherwise,” Helena notes. “I am in fact aware of no rules at all. Whenever I imagine I discern some vague legal boundary, Claudia assures me that I am mistaken.”

Myka says, with completely inappropriate, but quite welcome, affection, “Like you’d know a legal boundary if you tripped over it.”

“Bet you could limbo under it, right, H.G.?” Claudia chirps.

“That seems more your preferred option.”

Ramon says, “We talking options, I pick that Islamic bar.”

Myka, smiling a degree less brightly, looks among the three of them. “I think your car’s having more fun than mine is.”

“That can hardly come as a surprise,” Helena says, and barely a second elapses before the easy-to-predict squawk of “Hey! I’m fun!” from Pete.

“Today you’re not,” Myka says. “Today you’re all weird and mopey.”

“That’s because we haven’t had a car chase, and I want one.”

Myka says, “Why don’t you go drive around really fast for a while—”

“That isn’t a chase!”

Myka continues, “And I’ll stay here with Helena and Claudia and... I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

“Ramon. So wait, if you’re Myka—”

“Yes?”

“You’re the lady in question. The one I’m not supposed to tell this thing to.” He turns to Helena. “Right?”

Helena nods, but then Myka asks “What thing?” in a tone that Helena belatedly realizes is the one she uses when she wishes to compel an answer—

—and indeed, Ramon begins, “This one time I saw—”

“No!” Helena exclaims. She moves to place her hands over Myka’s ears, but before she can reach Myka—and, fortunately, before Ramon can finish his utterance—four Farnsworths buzz. What Ramon says instead is “Those are some phones, man.”

As it happens, Steve has yet more artifact activity to report to all of them, this time at an entirely different location. Helena and Claudia move to reenter Ramon’s car, and Ramon moves quickly too, but Pete moves with more motivation than anyone. Helena and Claudia are in the small back seat, listening through the Farnsworth to Myka complaining that he’s started moving before she could get her legs all the way in the car and close the door, when he shouts, very clearly intended for Helena and Claudia’s consumption, “Did you hear me click my seatbelt? So long, suckers!”

“Ramon!” Claudia calls, “I never thought I’d say this, not in my whole life, but: follow that car!”

“Follow that car?” Ramon repeats. “But he’s speeding.”

Helena tells him, “We are law enforcement. It is completely legal.”

“Prove it.”

Helena shows him her Secret Service badge.

“It looks real,” Ramon says.

“Due to the fact that it is real.”

“Whatever. Will it fool the cops?”

“I do not need to fool them.”

“You kinda do,” Claudia says.

“You are not helping,” Helena informs her. “I thought you were interested in winning.”

“What is this game anyway, man?” Ramon asks.

“Uh...” Claudia scrambles, “scavenger hunt. Sorta. For the IRS. Looking for people who... evade taxes.”

Ramon, wise young man that he is, is clearly unpersuaded. “By getting abducted by aliens?”

Claudia says, “That makes a weird kind of sense—how do you file your 1040 from the alien mothership?—so I’ll go with yeah. Exactly.” To Helena, though, she says, “Wait, if you can carry a wallet with a badge, why can’t you carry your other junk?”

“Women’s garments have too few pockets,” Helena tells her. “Too few, and too small.”

“Carry a bag.”

“I don’t like to carry things.”

“I remember a time you were happy to carry that big-ass grappler around.”

“That was primarily to impress Myka.”

“Though I guess you did dump it on her as soon as you could... waitaminute, you admit it was to impress her?”

“Of course I do. Was there some question?”

Claudia’s jaw drops. “Bets have been placed. On that and lots of other you-n-Myka stuff. I thought you knew that.”

“I strive to forget many, many things. But here is something you might want to remember. It is a tip, regarding any future wagers you may place.”

“Okay...”

“If the wager concerns my motivation? Take the Myka-related side.”

“Now that you say it, that does seem like a no-brainer. Though nobody knew that for sure back in the grappler-day. You might’ve been just a bad guy.”

“You should have known it for certain. I may have been ‘a bad guy,’ but whatever it was you said that my eyes do now, they have done exactly that since first I saw her.” That was an admission she had not necessarily intended to make... but fortunately Claudia’s face has not reacted. She hurries on, “In any case, given my very helpful advice, I’ll expect to receive a reasonable percentage of your winnings.”

“You’re still pretty much a bad guy, aren’t you,” Claudia says, but with good humor.

“Would it help if I say that I would use my portion of the take to increase Myka’s happiness?”

“Maybe. How?”

“I might give her flowers. As it happens, Myka is strangely sentimental about flowers.”

“That does sound a little strange. For Myka. How’d you figure that out?”

“I gave her flowers.”

“Aw, and she liked them?”

“She threw them at me.”

Ramon laughs.

Claudia shakes her head. “I never know what kind of story it’s gonna be with you guys. So what happened? Did you talk her into liking them?”

“No. I talked her back into liking me, a campaign the flowers were originally intended to support. And once that campaign was to a certain extent successful, she directed her attention to the flowers littered around me. And she was appalled.”

“At them.”

“No, at herself. For what she had done to them.” Claudia is looking askance at her, so Helena concludes, “And that is the story of how I came to learn that Myka is strangely sentimental about flowers.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve got my head around what’s strange in this story, and trust me, it’s not Myka. All I can say is, thank god you’re not my life partner.”

“And yet in a way I am, o eventual Caretaker. You are, as I believe is said, stuck with me.”

Ramon says, “Maybe you are West Coasty like that. Sounds like a pretty alternative lifestyle to me.”

“You have no—” Claudia begins to tell him, but she is thrown against the side of the car has he accelerates around a corner. “Idea,” she finishes.

Ramon is keeping excellent pace with Pete, who is flying, practically, through the streets. “What does ‘dirty Harry’ mean to you?” Claudia asks Helena.

“Dirty Harry.” She considers. “It might be the name of an unpalatable cocktail.”

“It’s a movie. And a guy in the movie. Lots of movies, like four or five.”

“How does that preclude the previous?”

“And yet another point to you.”

“Yet another unredeemable point. I am replete.”

“And then there’s Bullitt.”

Ramon says, “That’s my favorite.”

“A slightly more palatable cocktail?” Helena tries.

“Also a movie,” Claudia says. “And a guy in the movie. My point is, I bet Pete’s bringing them up too.”

“And you are for some reason required to bring up the same topics Pete does? Is this part of leveling the playing field?”

“I think they’re part of why Pete’s got San Francisco car chases on the brain. Probably why he wanted to get us into one.”

On Taylor Street, they become literally airborne. “This really is just like in Bullitt!” Claudia squeals as they depart from, then thud with solidity back to, earth. She is the only one in the car who seems pleased.

“I’m gonna need new shocks,” Ramon notes. “You guys paying for that?”

“I’ll talk to my boss,” Claudia tells him. “And he’ll say no, and then I’ll go over his head. But come on, you said it was your favorite!”

“Not to drive like somebody in it. Never said it was my car’s favorite.”

Helena asks Claudia, “Did your analysis of the superiority of your preferred transportation include budgeting for repairs?”

At that moment, Pete’s vehicle launches itself off the top of the next hill; they watch it land with great force. Then they watch as its muffler drops, then drags against the pavement, creating impressive sparks.

Claudia says, dryly, “Pete better factor it in too.”

When they arrive at the new site, Pete and Myka are of course already there and have exited their large vehicle. As Helena and Claudia are prying themselves from Ramon’s car, Pete points at them and exclaims, “Ha! I won!”

Claudia looks pointedly at his hands, which are empty. “Oh yeah? Then where’s the artifact?”

“Not that, loser. You didn’t catch me. In the chase.”

“That’s only because Bullitt isn’t Ramon’s car’s favorite movie,” Claudia tells him. Ramon, who is now standing behind her, crosses his arms and nods. They look like two small park rangers sternly confronting a baffled bear.

Helena looks at Myka, who sighs and shakes her head. Helena considers grabbing her and commandeering both Ramon’s movie-disliking car and his services. “To the hotel!” she imagines directing him. She additionally imagines, however, that Myka would insist that Ramon turn the car around so as to make sure Pete and Claudia are not getting themselves into unrefereed trouble.

So the faster they solve the artifactual problem... Helena casts her gaze around the area. What she might see that would be revealing, she has no idea. She does suppose that if someone had been abducted from this spot by aliens a short time ago, the aliens would be gone by now, having absconded with their abductee. Surreptitious person-snatching aliens were not what she herself had envisioned—extraplanetary populations had seemed far more likely to invade and plunder—but she now supposes there might be as many different types of aliens as, not quite literally, stars in the sky.

She supposes too that she should be pleased that she can in fact see, as she glances about. Although night has truly fallen, the vicinity is well lit. A streetlamp looms above her, sheathing her in the shine of its high-intensity bluish beam. If an alien abduction had occurred here, it would indeed have been extremely illuminated. She opens her mouth to tease Claudia again, but before she can utter a word, an idea strikes her.

Bright alien lights. Sunglasses, and the need for them.

She is curious. She looks up, directly up, into the streetlight.

Have her feet left the ground? A physical disorientation has overtaken her—I am not where I am; I am not where I was; I am not as I was, she thinks, and she might have said it aloud, but if her physical body is no identifiable where, and no identifiable thing, how could it, being nowhere and nothing, say anything at all?—and after a span of time that she cannot pin down, she is once again standing on a street. Under a streetlight... she sees the street, and she sees that it is lit, so nothing has happened to her eyes. She hears traffic behind her. She reaches to touch the light pole, and feels it solid under her fingers: she is no hologram. “Myka?” she says, and she is relieved to find that nothing has happened to her voice—but Myka does not answer. Nor Claudia, nor Pete. Pedestrians step around her, heedless of her bewilderment.

Helena looks for a street sign, and there she finds a plausible reason for Myka, Pete, and Claudia’s absence: this is a different road entirely. Presumably still San Francisco, but would she know if it were not? The cars look similar to those she has recently seen, so significant time travel has most likely not occurred.

She considers what to do. Of course she has neither telephone nor Farnsworth... this is her own fault.

Myka is going to be most displeased.

TBC

#bering and wells #Warehouse 13 #fanfic #Streets #part 4 #last part will ideally be up in a week or so #anyhow #I am thinking that H.G. needs some new business cards #which will read #'Helena Wells: Taker of Ill-Advised Actions'#alternatively we can just safety-pin a note to her #and it will say #'If found please return to Myka Bering'

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davidcarner · 7 years

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Sarah vs The Life Unexpected Ch 8, Burning up with Love

A/N: For those of you who didn't know, the reason I didn't post to this story yesterday is because I started a new fic, Sarah vs the Life Unexpected: Christmastime is Here. Feel free to click my name and check that one out. I will warn you it does slightly spoil this fic, but if you can't figure out where this is headed (and according to some of you I'll have them married in the next 3 chapters!) you really haven't been paying attention. I hope you enjoy today's chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, but I did/do sometimes write for NerdHQ which Zac owns…

Sarah was excited, and trying her best to hide it. After the meeting adjourned, Chuck invited everyone over to his place for a cookout. When Casey asked what kind of grill Chuck was using, Chuck realized that all he had was a little $20 special square black one. He wasn't even sure he had charcoal. Casey gave him grief for a few minutes, but went to his apartment to get his Beastmaster 3000. Casey also informed Chuck that Chuck was not allowed to touch his grill. Something about that being akin to touching another man's wife. Chuck just shrugged.

Sarah had called her Mom and Emma was going to pick up the girls. Sarah learned that Emma had a date for tonight, so it would just be her, Chuck, and the girls after the party. Sarah smiled at the thought. Years ago, that would have terrified her, now, it just felt perfect. She had run home to pack a bag, while Chuck wandered around his old apartment. When she came out with her bag, he was looking at a wall with his head cocked to the side, remembering years gone by. She surprised him by coming up behind him and slipping her arms around him.

"Do we need to get anything for the party tonight?" she asked. She felt Chuck tense. "You don't have anything do you?" she asked, pulling away. Chuck turned around, a little embarrassed.

"Clara doesn't eat much, and I kinda make do with what we have," Chuck admitted.

"It's okay, we'll go to the store. Together." Chuck smiled at that.

"Is it weird that I think that sounds fun?"

"No, because it does to me to," she admitted.

"Tell me the truth, you've just been bored the past five years, and have a thing with tall guys," he said grinning.

"Especially ones who hair makes funny animals shapes." Chuck put his hand on his head.

"Ellie would kill me if she knew it was this long."

"I kinda like it like that." Chuck's smile could have lit up the entire complex.

"I'm thinking about leaving it like this." She shrugged and picked up her bag. As she turned away, she smiled where he couldn't see her.

"Do what you want, you're a grown man." Chuck snorted.

"The same grown man who didn't buy any food for me last week, so tried some old baby food?" Sarah turned around.

"You're joking, right?" Chuck stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down.

"I ordered Sizzling Shrimp to be delivered," he said, not able to look her in the eye. She couldn't help but grin.

"You're not just dating me so someone will make sure you have food are you?" Chuck couldn't help himself.

"I mean that's not the only reason," Chuck said, smiling. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, I'm dating the biggest nerd," as she walked out the door. Chuck stood there smiling.

"And, I'm the nerd," he said happily to himself as he followed her out. Chuck stood by the door of the vehicle, and wiped his hands on his pants several times.

"You okay?" she asked when he got in.

"Yeah, well, I don't know. I did something and I didn't think anything about it, and then I started thinking that you might think it was something, and then I started thinking you might be upset it wasn't something, and mrpphhh." Sarah had put her hand over his mouth to stop him.

"Breathe," she said. He took a breath and nodded. "I'm going to take my hand away slowly, but if you start to spiral again, I'm putting it right back." Chuck nodded. She slowly pulled her hand away. "Now, whatever it is, it's fine." Chuck reached into his pocket and pulled out two keys and handed them to her.

"It's keys to my house. One for you and one for Emma. I figure if you're going to be staying you'll need them. You are welcome to keep them after this weekend as well." Sarah looked him in the eye.

"Did you just ask me to move in with you?"

"No, but I didn't not ask either."

"This should be freaking me out. I should be saying this is all happening too fast."

"We said let's take the weekend and then talk. Let's just do that." Sarah nodded.

"Grocery shopping?"

"Absolutely," Chuck said. "I don't see how anything there can go wrong."

}o{

"Woman, I said no!" Chuck said. "I have said nothing about the lowfat meat, the gluten free bread, and even the insane amount of vegetables, but enough is enough." Sarah's mouth had dropped open. "I am a grown man and if I want Frosted Flakes, then I shall have them," he said, as he put them in the cart."

"Fine!" she said, as she pushed the cart down several aisles and Chuck had to hurry to keep up with her. She stopped in the bakery, turned, looked him right in the eye, and picked up a premade chocolate cake. "Then I will get this instead of making it from scratch."

"Those cookies over there would be good as well," Chuck said in a softer tone. Sarah turned saw them, turned back and nodded, and put them in the cart. The two were trying not to laugh.

"It is quite ridiculous how much I am enjoying shopping with you," Chuck said.

"What's going to be ridiculous is tomorrow morning when Molly sees you eating those Frosted Flakes, and you let her have some, because we both know she has you wrapped around her finger."

"So does her mother," Chuck muttered. Sarah winked at him.

"And then she bounces all day from the sugar high," Sarah continued.

"Ah, there's where you're wrong. She'll collapse at the most inopportune time from the sugar crash," Chuck said. Sarah nodded slowly and graciously.

"You are correct. And, being that you know exactly what is going to happen, I'll let you take care of her."

"You just want Clara because she calls you Mommy." Sarah shrugged, grinned, and didn't deny it. They looked at each other and both started to speak. They laughed and realized that a new song started to play over the store intercom. Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love came on and they both laughed. "I feel like the universe is trying to tell us something." Chuck shrugged, grinning.

"Who am I to fight the universe. This is probably a pretty serious discussion to have over baked goods."

"Is the freezer section better?"

"Housewares," Chuck replied.

"Well done," she said nodding. "Well done."

"You know, anything you didn't pack, you might need to pick up," Chuck said, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm not judging, but besides work, and watching Clara, have you done anything since Ellie and Devon passed?" Chuck shook his head.

"I mean I'd stop by for food for Clara or diapers or formula, but I just didn't see the reason to do anything else. Ellie and I are both cleaners so there were already plenty of cleaning products. It was just me, so I didn't use a lot of plates and things. I never fixed anything fancy, or even proper. It's not that I was being a slob, I just didn't care. My life consisted of one thing, Clara, and then I realized it was a little more than that."

"When was that?" Chuck looked away, and shook his head.

"You're gonna think I'm lying."

"No I won't, what happened."

"I met a little girl that was upset that she was adopted, and I told her how special she was, and I realized Ellie didn't give up on me, and raised me. I realized she'd be mad if all I did was mope. So I started to get better. It took some time, and I'm not saying I'm 100% there yet, but I'm getting there."

"Molly has a way of getting to people," Sarah said. Chuck just looked at Sarah like she had grown a second head.

"I love that kid, but she's a force of nature. We're going to have problems with her when she's a teenager," Chuck said. Sarah's eyes did something. Chuck thought he had messed up and said something wrong.

"We are when she's a teenager?" she asked quietly.

"Sarah, I told you I'm there for her, no matter what. That kid changed my life, and I love her like she was my own."

"What if I'm married?"

"I'm there," he replied. "Is it wrong to say I hope it's to me?" he asked softly.

"No, it's not wrong, in fact it's right." Chuck realized they were having the discussion in the baby aisle. He picked up a box of diapers, dropped them in the cart, and started to walk away, when her hand came down on her forearm. He turned and looked and her eyes were still indescribable. "You've thought about our future?"

"I don't want to lie to you. No, I haven't," Chuck said, noticing the sadness that covered her face. "But, I can't think about things in the future without thinking about how they will affect you, Molly, and Emma. I haven't really thought about the future itself in a long time. I know it's only been 3 days, but I can't imagine you not being in my life." Sarah nodded. "You know the one thing I do keep thinking about?" Sarah shook her head. "I keep wishing you could have met Ellie. I keep thinking how much she would have squealed when first meeting you, and how much she'd love Molly and Emma. I wish you'd have gotten to meet my family." Sarah took his hand. They didn't say anything else as they went and paid for the groceries. Chuck went to pull out his wallet, and felt a hand on his arm and saw a smile on Sarah's face. He'd give her money later. Okay, he'd try to. He had a feeling anything Sarah didn't want to happen, didn't.

}o{

On the ride back, the two began to loosen back up. They began to talk about anything and everything. When they got to the house, they carried in the bags, and Chuck began to put out paper plates, silverware, and napkins. He walked into the kitchen to help Sarah prepare things. He looked around and noticed everything that needed to be cut up was.

"Culinary school?" Chuck asked. Sarah turned toward him, smiled, and twirled a knife.

"CIA," she replied.

"That's impressive and a little terrifying," Chuck admitted. "Do. Never mind."

"I always have at least one knife on me," Sarah said, smiling, anticipating Chuck's question. Chuck grinned.

"Place strategically? You know, it's probably best not to joke about something like that with your former CIA girlfriend."

"I'm your former girlfriend?"

"This is going downhill quickly."

"Well, then there is something I should go ahead and tell you to make you all sorts of uncomfortable. I used to sleep with a knife under my pillow, but having a daughter wake you at night, makes you realize that's not a good idea. I put my knife in the nightstand beside the bed, and I saw something in there." Sarah was grinning. "You're going to make tell you?" Chuck stood there. "It was an entire box of condoms. Not a little box, but one you buy at LargeMart." Chuck's eyes were closed and he looked like he was trying not to throw up. He opened his eyes.

"Those were probably Awesome's," he said. Sarah looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I haven't completely gone through everything of theirs." Chuck turned to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, please don't leave."

"Oh, I'm not mad, I'm just going to go hide the box I got since apparently that's bad form," he said. The smile on his face said he was completely joking, and Sarah threw a plastic spoon at him, missing. "I thought you were an excellent shot Miss CIA." He hid behind a wall. "Ouch!" he yelled as the spoon was expertly thrown to curve and hit him.

"I missed on purpose the first time," she replied.

"I'm not for sure which is scarier, that you can do that, or that I find it attractive." Sarah rolled her eyes. There was a knock on the door and Chuck went over and opened it.

"I'm hommmeeee!" Molly yelled, walking in followed by Emma carrying Clara. Chuck looked at Sarah. All she could do was shrug.

"You don't have to knock," Chuck said, giving Emma a hug.

"Well, I don't have a key," Emma replied. Sarah handed her one. Emma looked at Sarah and Chuck. Chuck opened his mouth to speak, and Emma held up her hand, shushing him. "I'm not paying for a wedding," she said, and walked off, smiling. Molly came over and hugged Chuck's leg.

"I've got $22 in my piggy bank if it will help," Molly said. Chuck looked at Sarah, who grinned.

"I've got at least $22 in mine," she added.

"You've seen how I run my company, you probably have $21 more than I do," Chuck admitted. Sarah belly-laughed at that one.

"Do Clara and I get to share a room?" Molly asked.

"For the weekend," Sarah said, and winked at Chuck. "After that, we'll see."

"The playroom is HUGE!" Molly declared. "I can't wait to sleep in my Star Wars bed!" and bounded off. Sarah walked over and wrapped her arms around Chuck.

"I understand if this is too much or you want to take it slow," she said softly.

"What if that's the last thing I'm thinking?" Chuck asked. Sarah smile grew. "I have one more thing to give you." He left the room quickly, and came back with a small box. He handed it to her nervously. Sarah looked at him. "Open it." She opened it, looked inside, and back at Chuck. "It was my mothers," he said. "She left it for Ellie when she left, and I want you to have it."

"Chuck, this is something you give to someone really special," she replied, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Chuck replied. "That's why I'm giving it to you." Chuck helped her put the charm bracelet on her wrist. She leaned in and kissed him as the doorbell went off. They broke the kiss and Chuck went and opened the door. The entire crew was there and came in. For the next several hours the house was packed like it hadn't been in months. Chuck and Sarah worked in the kitchen together, bumping hips every once in a while after a badly told joke. Guests came and went through the house. Food was made, devoured, and people laid on furniture. As the afternoon turned into evening, Emma left for her party, the guests went on their way, Chuck and Sarah put the two little ones down to watch a movie, and cleaned up. When they finished they came back in the living room, and both were asleep. Sarah grabbed Clara grinning, because she was lighter and began the trek upstairs. Chuck grabbed Molly and did the same. Soon the two kids were in their respective beds, and the two adults were downstairs, snuggling on the couch, with the TV on, watching nothing.

"You sure do know how to show a girl a good time, Mr. Bartowski," Sarah said as content as she had ever been. Chuck pulled away and looked at her.

"Be honest with me, aren't you bored? You were a CIA agent, jet setting and trotting around the globe. Now you're taking your daughter to preschool, you haven't been on a date in forever, and even thought we are dating, we haven't left each other's house. How can this be enjoyable for you?" Sarah ran her hand across his face.

"I'm not saying I didn't enjoy that. I'm not saying I didn't have girlfriends that I used to go out with, party until 5 am, go to sleep for an hour, and then have a 24 hour mission. What I am saying, those days are gone. I get to do so much with my company now. I get to make a difference, I can go on some small missions, but I get to come home and see my little girl, and now my littler girl, and my nerdy boyfriend. I have it all."

"When's the last time you left California?" Sarah put her other hand on the other side of his face, and pulled him in for a kiss.

"You just don't get it, do you?" she asked. Chuck shook his head. "That life was stealing my soul, and Molly gave it back to me. She let me have the life I wanted, and still do the things I'm good at, and because of that little rapscallion, I met the man of my dreams when she stole his heart. Chuck, she saved me more than I saved her."

"You both saved me," he replied. Sarah smiled coyly.

"It's late. Why don't you give me 10 minutes and come up to bed," she said. She gave him a peck on the lips and a wink, and headed up the stairs. Chuck sat there on the couch, and found he couldn't breathe or swallow. After the allotted time, he stood up, and headed upstairs. He walked in, saw the bathroom door was still shut, found his nightclothes, grabbed them, went to the hall bathroom, and changed. When he came back in, he saw Sarah standing there waiting for him with a black coat on that fell just past mid-thigh.

"Chuck," she said softly as she walked toward him. She pushed the door shut, looked him right in the eye, and took off black coat. Underneath was a purple negligee. Chuck made a choking/moaning sound. She walked up and kissed him on the right side of his jaw. "Remember earlier today," she began and switched to the other side of his jaw. "When I told you that there would be consequences?" Chuck's brain was gone, but the words seemed to mean something. Sarah backed away as it hit him. "Chuck, after tonight, I really hope you never keep something from me again. Because this is punishing me as well."

"Sarah," he half whispered/groaned. "I swear I never will again." Sarah nodded.

"You won't, because if you do….just don't." Chuck nodded smiling. "Now, you said you will be a perfect gentleman and you will, right?" Chuck nodded, a look of pain on his face. "I expect maximum cuddling, and tomorrow…well, that's a new day isn't it." Chuck got a grin on his face. "And, I'm not talking 12:01 AM either." Chuck hung his head, walked over, opened the door, and got into bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Molly's in a new place," Chuck replied. "I thought about turning on the baby monitor, but this way I can hear her fine." Sarah stood there looking at him. She smiled and shook her head.

"I really wish you had just told me the truth today." Chuck closed his eyes.

"I really hate the CIA right now."

"Chuck, open your eyes." He did. Sarah crawled into bed, and got to where just inches separated their faces. "This is not Agent Walker. IF it was, you would gladly do this. This is Sarah Walker, who's pissed that Chuck Bartowski didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth when he had the chance. Do you understand?" Chuck nodded. She leaned down, kissed him, and didn't even bother starting on the other side of the bed. She looked up at him for a second. "Please, don't ever keep something from me again," she said softly.

"There's something you should know then," Chuck said. She looked at him.

"I love you," Chuck said. Sarah smiled, snuggled into Chuck and feel asleep.

}o{

Sarah slept like a rock. Chuck heard Emma come in and go to her room. Sleep came in fits. About three, Chuck was sure he heard something. He slipped out of bed, not really sure how'd he'd get back in because of Sarah, and went to the girls' room where he heard muttering. He opened the door, and saw Molly shivering. He walked over to her, and felt her forehead. She was burning up. He scooped her up, and started downstairs with her. Emma met him at the door to the room.

"What's wrong?"

"She's got a fever."

"I'll get the medicine bag."

Chuck got her downstairs and laid her on the couch. He got some washrags and put cool water on them. He put them on her forehead, and waited for Emma. She brought Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Chuck picked up the Ibuprofen first.

"I always use this first, it seems to knock out the fever the quickest," he said. Emma smiled at him. He poured out the recommended dosage, and gave it to Molly.

"Daddy, I'm cold," she said. Chuck picked her up, sat on the couch laying back the best he could and laid her on his chest. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and put it over them.

"I'll set an alarm for two hours to wake you up for the Tylenol," Emma said. "Unless you want me to stay with her."

"No, I've got her, if you would just listen for Clara," Chuck said. Emma rubbed Molly's head, and bent down and kissed Chuck's forehead.

"Thank you," she said simply. Chuck just smiled. She went upstairs leaving the two in the dark. Molly stirred, and Chuck sang softly to her. She finally settled down, and went to sleep. Chuck just laid there in the dark, softly stroking her hair. "How did I get here, Ellie?" he asked the room. "How did I go from no one to two daughters?" No answers came, but sleep finally did.

}o{

2 hours later, a slight buzzing woke Sarah. She saw Emma go by her room, and she noticed she was alone. She wrapped her coat around her, went down the stairs and stopped when she got to the bottom. There stood Emma watching the couch.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked.

"Molly has a fever, and Chuck is taking care of her." Sarah looked at her.

"When did this happen?"

"A few hours ago," Emma said, looking at her daughter knowingly. Sarah turned back to the couch and may have let out a noise that sounded like hnnnnng. "I think I'll order some tomorrow," Emma said, still looking at Sarah.

"Some what?"

"Bridal magazines," Emma replied. Sarah turned back to her, and held her gaze.

"Get the ones online, that way you don't have to wait for them to be mailed." Emma nodded, smiled, and went over to Chuck to wake him up. Sarah watched as he cared for their daughter. It hit her like a ton of bricks what she had just thought. After a bit the two settled back down on the couch and Emma came back to her.

"You should really know voices carry at night down here," Chuck said just as Emma got to where Sarah was standing.

"Good to know," Sarah said. "You need anything?"

"I've got all I need right here," Chuck answered. "Get some sleep, I love you."

"I love you, Chuck. Good night."

"Night, Momma, night, Daddy," Molly said sleepily. "I love our new home. Chuck looked over to Sarah who he really couldn't see in the dark. He saw her walk over. She hugged him, kissed him, and bent down to whisper into his ear.

"Forget Sunday, we're talking tomorrow," she said, turned, went back upstairs, and went to bed.

"Daddy, does she know that tomorrow's Sunday?" Molly asked. Chuck really couldn't answer, because his brain was spinning. "Daddy, I think I'm going to be sick." Chuck found his brain suddenly worked just fine.

A/N: The fun of trying to spend a romantic evening with someone when you have kids. Thank you all for all the love on both of these Sarah stories. See you soon. Probably update Christmas next.

#Sarah #Chuck #Charah #MOLLY!#Sarah vs The Life Unexpected #Fluff

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