#trader joes adventures

[lakesandquarries]

wizard high

[thedaveandkimmershow]

Okay on Saturday we meant to leave at 3 in the afternoon. Instead we leave at 5 after a full day of packing camping gear (Kimmer) and cleaning the house (Dave) plus a little last-minute shopping.

Out the door, on the road, we cruise 405 to Hamptons Seattle/ South Center where we check in around six

We're missing a few things, though, like a luggage strap for one of our giant bags that's actually missing one of its handles so the remaining one just sort of flaps about. We shop some Target and Dollar Tree between six thirty and seven fifteen for the luggage strap (settled for duck tape instead), Easter candy for Kimmer's cousin, a chocolate bunny rabbit for me, and then some additional food for the evening and breakfast the next morning so we can eat on the fly if we have to.

By the time we're back in our room, it's 730. We figure we'll be in bed around 830 because that's the smart thing to do. Instead, we don't settle down for sleep until a little after ten. Kimmer studies. I score a hot chocolate downstairs by the lobby as well as water and a chamomile tea packet to go with the hot water Kimmer's already got going in the room. I decorate my thermos with Harry Potter, National Parks, Cheeky & Dry, Mod Pizza, and some other random stickers. I finish the evening coordinating with the gentleman looking after our cats. Did a huge text dump into his messaging app on the care and feeding of two cats that's so much more complex and complicated than taking care of just the one. Then I set three alarms on my phone. 245. 3. And 305. 245 did the trick, though, because we weren't sleeping at all deeply through the little less than five hours we could. It was more like we were playing tag with sleep. Sometimes we'd catch it. Most of the time it would get away. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe it was excitement on our part. Maybe it was the people, a family Kimmer says, who were arguing in the room next door during the wee hours of the morning.

So when my first alarm goes off at 245...

No big deal.

Our bodies weren't that invested in sleeping anyway.

In no time, we're outta bed, snagging the breakfast Kimmer scored at Target the previous night, mango yogurt and berry yogurt and split a banana. Then I hit the shower after taking a photograph of the alarm clock that reads

Because I can't believe it myself.

While I'm in the shower, Kimmer repacks what little we unpacked the night before, then she gets ready and we're outta there. 

Three thirty five AM we're walking out the front door.

We embark on an eight-minute basically nighttime drive to Doug Fox Parking, during which we travel part of the way almost directly beneath the light rail track that climbs the hill west of South Center Mall.

For the first time ever we're confronted by a Lot Full sign. Not a problem if you have a reservation. Which we do. Unfortunately, I've got it tucked in my bag in the back of the van. So I pull forward, get out the car, grab my reservation which the attendant checks, then we snag parking just as he pulls a shuttle right beside us. The whole process seriously moved. And now we're on our way in a packed shuttle to the Southwest drop-off just before 4AM, mere minutes behind our projected schedule. We check our bags, the two massive ones clocking in at 44 and 47 pounds, meeting the 50-pound limit so thus they travel free. Then we're into the TSA line where, because it serpentines, we get to see all the different ways family resemblance manifests across generations. Also, we're getting our first look at bleary-eyed human beings of all ages. Children, especially. It's like they just pulled an all-nighter. 😳 The morning, in fact, is marked by a lot of kids who look like this. 😕 They're wiped out even though they haven't done anything yet. 

By the way, some are wearing their PJs, some are dressed pretty jazzy, and all are wearing the eyes of being up all night. ☹️

Once we're through TSA and down the concourse, it's three minutes until it's time to take our place in line.

Our super early morning's timing wasn't tight... but it kind of was without us thinking too hard about it.

And the thing I said before about bleary eyed human beings? 

That was definitely the missus 'n me who slept deeply on both legs of our flight, short as each one was.

Landing at LAX around ten thirty was kind of a woozy experience recovering our bags and rolling everything out front and then a coupla blocks over to catch our Lyft at the new transportation hub.

Annoying. Exhausting. Kimmer was not pleased.

A few minutes later, our Lyft driver scoops us up and drops us at Escape Campervan around 11:15AM. Within a half hour, the staff at their  Inglewood location gets us checked in, set up, and on the road with our full complement of camping luggage.

To where, though?

Kimmer's idea is that she'd like to drive down the coast before cutting inland to her cousin's place. 

We're also hungry though.

Plus, earlier at one of the airports we were both remarking on how often we end up traveling on Easter Sunday. Mostly by car or van. This time by plane. But yeah.

Over the years we traveled a lot of Easter Sundays. 

At the same time we're thinking about that, I remind her of that one time we were traveling with Linzy. I think this was in the Rialta RV and we were driving down the coast from Crescent City California. It was taking longer than we figured, though, so we cut inland earlier than intended and Kimmer figured out a hotel for the three of us as we traveled through the middle of the night.

The next morning (of course) after that midnight ride, it was Easter Sunday. Having no plans, we decided on a brunch at the local Denny's. The place was absolutely packed. We did get a booth, though. And, I'm guessing, a bunch of grand slams.

So.

With that memory freshly recovered, we drive down to one of the Denny's restaurants in Long Beach on the Pacific Coast Highway during a relentless rainstorm, water pouring in streams off the roof of the restaurant as we scooted ourselves down the block from the parking lot, along the side of the restaurant, up the stairs, and into the lobby. At our table, we order a Mile High Denver Omelette, a side of fruit, sausages, and brioche French toast along with a coffee and a tea.

Later, we shared our experience there with our waitress and the manager. Our waitress encouraged us to contribute a Google review.

Which I did.

"My wife and I actually had to travel today, Easter Sunday. We were up at 3 in the morning for a 520AM flight with one stopover. So by the time we arrived in California we were pretty wiped out.  😕 We were really hungry, though, and decided to stop in Long Beach for breakfasts for lunch. The service and attention we received from everyone from the manager to wait staff to assistants was the loveliest thing. We were welcomed and attended to in ways that surpass some of our fine dining experiences where there's only one point of contact. We're definitely leaving here feeling more energized and ready for the rest of our day ☺️"

And yes.

It really was that lovely.

We were at the Long Beach Denny's from quarter past noon to one thirty at which point the rain let up.

By this time, with rain dogging our travels, we travel first to the Irvine Sprouts to pick up groceries before heading to Kimmer's cousin's place where we roll in around 230. Kimmer's cousin's prepping his teardrop trailer he's taking camping because that's what we're doing this week: our annual Family Camp on the Hill Above Laguna Beach Adventure! If the weather permits (and it usually does) there's beach exploration to be had, sunsets to watch, stars to see, family campfires to experience and, since this is right along the PCH, I always think good grief, Veronica Mars lives down here. 😉

For now, we pull our bags outta the van, Kimmer and her cousin take it all into his place while I park up the hill. Afterward, Kimmer's cousin, Derek, continues his work, and Kimmer gets cozy upstairs for the papers she's gotta write and the tests she's gotta take for her doctoral program before the day is over.

Yeah. Her doctoral work is ongoing. Even while we're in sunny California.

Around 430 I head out to do some grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Ralph's for dinner (and dessert) as well as a little bit for the week.

Back at 630, we all break from our late afternoon activities for a meal featuring bacon-wrapped, slow-cooked meatloaf and a viewing of Jesus Christ Superstar, a movie that I've never seen before.

Crazy stuff. 🤔

Afterward, Kimmer's back to papers and tests, Derek finishes his work before turning in for the night, and I hang out with Kimmer's nephew, Kyle, while he plays video games and I write. We do those things and talk at the same time and, eventually, it's just talking about neuroscience and academics, if you can believe that. Plus the story of my cousin in Europe who, whilst interviewing for the job of bodyguard answered the question Would you take a bullet for me? with a prompt No. But if there's time I'll push you out of the way. 🤣

By n by, Kimmer comes downstairs, triumphant in her day's doctoral accomplishments... and joins us.

By now, the day's just nudged into tomorrow and Kyle finally asks the obvious question.

Why are you guys still up???

Hmmm. Good question.

We were gonna take a nap just as soon as we arrived but that never happened.

I guess we just caught our second wind, I tell him. And then proceed to tell the tale of our earlier experience at Denny's, the experience that gave us the shot of energy that sustained us through the rest of the day.

Apparently.

To which Kyle says

Do you know you could've paid way less for breakfast?

Wait. What?

Yeah. Turns out Denny's gotta menu (back of the menu) for kids over 55. Now, I'm not saying the missus 'n I are over 55... but my spin on this is that Hey.

No one there thought we were over 55 so they never suggested we check out that menu.

Yeah. I'm going with that. 😑

In the end, we cruised the full twenty-one of a twenty-four hour filled day. We absolutely did chunks of it bleary eyed... but caught our second wind and just kept going.

Tomorrow, then, Laguna Beach!

😁

[textbro]

they called me pretty 🥺

okay they actually said that a specific color hair dye would look pretty on my hair but a win is a win

idk how to respond, i hate texting so much

wish i could just walk over and go see them instead of sending a message back

[ofliterarynature]

TBR TAKEDOWN: Week 12 (Aug 18)

TLDR: I have too many unread books, and I’m asking tumblr to help me downsize. Pick one or none, and comment if you can - a convincing sentence is worth a dozen votes! You’re also welcome to just choose the one that sounds the worst :D Book descriptions below the cut, see my pinned post for more info.

The Rector and the Rogue by W. A. Swanberg

It began quietly enough one morning in February 1880, with a mutton-chopped Acme Safe Company salesman knocking on the door of Reverend Morgan Dix, the starchiest clergyman in Manhattan's most respectable church. The salesman was surely misdirected, Reverend Dix explained--he had no need for a safe, and he had not made an appointment. But soon after, used clothes dealers arrived, followed by heavy machinery salesmen, and soon the street filled riotously with wave after wave of solicitor-tormentors--hundreds of funeral directors, horse traders, wigmakers, fellow clergymen, doctors--all insisting they'd been summoned by the bewildered Reverend Dix. And for weeks, it continued in this manner. Reporters from every newspaper in New York camped out to watch the fun, and as the story gained national attention, police and postal officers raced to capture the gleeful prankster-cum-performance artist who was making a mockery of the esteemed Trinity Church.

A fascinating tale of detection and revenge, The Rector and the Rogue uncovers for the first time the trail of celebrated Victorian trickster "Gentleman Joe"--the mysterious con-man whose innumerable identities, wild fabrications, baffling motives, and international trail of chaos would lead to one of the most bizarre criminal cases of the 19th century.

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Kiel

Alba wants to stop time so she can stay in her small town forever - but the end of the world might just force her to confront her future.

Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends. The only problem is she's overlooked a few teeny details. Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared. And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails. Even her latest comic book creation is misbehaving. On top of all that, the world might be ending - which is proving to be awkward.

As doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba's life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it's the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

Full of Keil's trademark quirky characters and witty dialogue, readers will be hooked by Alba's romantic dilemma and the hilarious plot that links the end of high school with the end of the world.

Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

A prince with a quest. A commoner with mysterious powers. And dragons that demand to be freed—at any cost.

Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the Empire, but dragons aren’t big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire’s control.

Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in the capital that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it’s not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn’t allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming to Caithen.

Torn between Corin’s quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, the lovers must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and a rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.

[squeakadeeks]

Transient lore overview

Figured at this point I have enough separate OC verses, let alone actual OCs themselves that its worthwhile to make big overview pages that describe all of their settings, characters, themes, connections, etc.

Transient is a OCverse i've been working on for a few years now ft. Sulu, Function, Felis, Splish, and Alpha in a fantasy space setting. In my head the intended format is an episodic cartoon comedy series, akin to things like regular show, futurama, adventure time, etc with no overarching ""plot"" per se, just following characters as they interact and develop.

Sulu:

Sulu is the main character, he travels throughout sea-space solving problems and helping people however he can. He is very competent and gives things his all until a problem is solved.

He spends a large portion of his time alone, but he frequently links up from his friends Felis and Splish when the need arises. He has a warm, comforting, friendly personality but doesn't often stick around long enough to form deeper bonds. Hes akin to a benevolent trader joes staffer that gives you a soothing sense of ease as he guides you where to the munster cheese is stocked, but like two ships passing never again will your two paths meet.

Sulu as a character is very dedicated and compassionate, and is genuinely motivated in helping others. That being said, there is a deeper layer to his unwavering dedication. Its a two-pronged coping strategy and distraction from his own struggles. He often ignores any ill that happens to him as a result of obsessively working and puts off addressing his own problems to an extremely problematic degree. His struggles with depression and self neglect end up devolving into the primary conflict.

Function:

Function is the closest thing to an antagonist the series has. Function is an entity originally from the realm of pure math that got wedged in what he refers to as "the meat world" (ie the physical world). By nature his intent is to increase disorder without bound. He's still adjusting to being stuck in the physical world and doesnt always understand the harm he's causing by driving chaos into systems. Although most of the time he is still uncomfortable in having a physical form, he adores thematics and getting attention from others. He has an expressive, energetic, rambunctious personality.

At first he poses a serious risk as a genuinely harmful figure in a cotton-candy marshmallow world, and Sulu has to frequently neutralize his actions. This causes a comical nemesis-esc relationship between the two, but in time as he adjusts and copes with his situation he settles down more into a goofy, campy 90's anime rival archetype and the two form a more genuine bond. He becomes great friends with Alpha, forming a "chaos crew" as the two largely goof around and make the most of things. He has a significantly hard time processing emotional turmoil as he's still trying to wrap his head around basic day-to-day functioning, let alone complicated interpersonal conflicts.

Alpha, Felis, Splish:

The other core cast consists of Felis, Splish the fish, and Alpha.

Felis is Sulu's current best friend, as they spend the most time together and work in tandem often. Felis is genuinely an out-of-place-astronaut, as all the other denizens are aquatic creatures. Felis has a classic goofy cat-like personality, they like to be entertained and pal around, but can struggle with serious matters and completing long-form tasks.

Splish is a space safety ranger and works hard to keep everyone safe and happy and within the rules. He employs Sulu's help on the very frequent occasion when he is out of his depth. He doesn't really comprehend serious matters at all, as he belongs squarely to the "marshmallow head" class of sea-space critters. (Felis is capable of processing serious things, but often elects to not engage)

Alpha is a character from Sulu's past, in particular his former closest friend. She and Sulu were incredibly close in their teens and early 20s, but she eventually lost contact as he splintered off and isolated. Alpha gets frustrated with his lack of care towards his own health and functioning, especially how it affects others around him, seeing it as not taking proper responsibility for himself. She clicks with Function not just because they both have very similar bombastic personalities, but also because she admires how dedicated Function is to adjusting to his new circumstances and improve himself. She is wickedly driven, she loves new experiences and exciting things and is overall incredibly active, but can be somewhat introverted. sort of a "i want to do cool things, but only with the 2 people i have allowed into my inner circle". Holds grudges like the dickens.

Setting:

The setting itself is supposed to be a fusion between underwater and space, there are lots of fish, whales, coral formations etc scattered throughout open space. The various planets act more reefs, collecting lots of life and activity. From afar things look more like ""space"" with planets, stars, galaxies, etc, but the actual deinzens tend to resemble either fish or cartoony space aliens. The overall palette is very bright, colorful, and pastel tones to reflect the cheery, cotton-candy environment.

Concept:

Most of the types of problems Sulu, Felis and Splish work on are lighthearted or comical in nature, such as chauffeuring constellations around, babysitting in a stellar nursery, fishing for asteroids, a mediating in a break up between a binary star system, trying to fix the cowlic generated by the hairy ball theorem, cleaning up a milk spill in a galaxy, a magnetar that keeps demagnetizing people's credit cards, things spontaneously gaining more degrees of non-trivial rotational symmetry, neutron star bowling, and other sorts of whimsical space/math problems.

Every so often something more serious pops up, like a quasar posing a legitimate threat or instability in the laws of physics such as a power on a spatial dependence term flickering back and forth, but 90% of the time its cartoony situations, a la regular show. Another equally descriptive statement would be "Cyberchase but with 30-40yr old queer anime people."

Elephant in the room, Sulu is indeed intended to be an outlet/projection/expression of my own struggles with depression and how severe depressive episodes get entangled with my work and social life, but on a more surface level I also enjoy working on this thing because 1) i like drawing fish, 2) i love using vivid colors, and 3) I love being obnoxious about math and physics jokes while stuck in the throes of a physics phd myself.

[rat-from-hell123]

I'm just gonna hc that after Shelby and Kathrine saved Joey from Skeletron, they went sailing for a few years, and during those years Shelby learnt storm magic and got together with Katherine and later they settled down on land while Joey continued his pirate adventures. Then the Supreme Games started, and Witchcraft began.

This explains why wc!Joey knew who Pirate Joe was and why Agetha (wc!Scotts trader) had the skull that stole empires Scotts eye.

[mcxcuseme13]

Look at me remembering my password!

I would like to reintroduce myself as the stuff from the last 9 months isn't the most accurate.

My name is Ryah

I've liked Taylor since 2015. My favorite albums are Debut, Lover, and Evermore. My favorite song by her is Invisible. I saw her on June 24, 2023. My suprise songs were Dear John and Daylight. I have 2 geckos named after her. Their names are Indie and Epiphany.

Artists I listen to include:

Taylor Swift (obviously), Maisie Peters ,Ashe (all time fav), 5sos, Beyoncé, Boygenius (and solo), Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Halsey, Little Mix, Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves, and many more.

Some other things I enjoy are:

The Cincinnati Bengals

Trader Joe's

Penguins

The month of November

Rain

Poetry

The color green

Other basic things are:

I have beef with blue Gatorade

If I had to commit a crime, I'd throw a rock at the Vegas Sphere

I don't think Titanic is that great of a movie

My favorite movie is a mix between The Land Before Time, Eternals, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Flubber.

If you read that far, I'm sorry. If you wanna hang around for the adventure, I would like that. I don't expect it though because I like free will 💗

[funshinebf]

ive never been to a costco. ive never been to a waffle house. or a trader joe's. or an ikea. i only entered a cvs for the first time in my 21 years of life two months ago. i still have many wonderful adventures ahead of me, and strange new places to discover. and lots of weed strains to smoke

[zytes]

recently spent some time in a storm drain underneath a Trader Joe’s - a thriving location for enjoyers of renegade art and freeform discourse; expressed through one of humanity’s most beloved and most ancient activities: writing on the walls of a cave. and let me say, this was one of the cleanest storm drains I’ve ever been in; a single mangled shopping cart was the only item that we noticed apart from the art. it’s probably about a half-mile stretch that’s centered around a full sized, 6 panel yellow-submarine mural beneath a manhole — also includes bad opinions and phallic imagery occasionally; which, when written out, sounds like the description of a regular art gallery.

more pics otw, mostly abstract. tried to get a sense of the feeling down there without capturing anything directly — part of the fun of visiting a location like this is seeing the art, but if I were to show that art outside of its immediate context, it kinda loses the magic. spoils the adventure. so, in order to preserve the magic - and thus maintain the element that most often draws people into dungeons to experience art for themselves - all I can offer is an approximation. my friends, you have outgrown the need to merely touch grass. you must hop a fence and descend into the pits if you want to sate the thrill.

[missjamiekaye]

9 people you would like to get to know better

Awww I was tagged by @markingatlightspeed

Three ships: okay nah I'm picking my mains Boostle, Heavy/Medic, Garak/Bashir, Tailgate/Cyclonus, Ed/Stede, Edgeworth/Phoenix, Bokuto/Akaashi, Chie/Yukiko, Nagisa/Rei, Raihan/Leon, Franky/Robin and I'm sure going to punch myself later for forgetting oneBAYONETTA/JEANNE

First ship ever: I'm fairly confident it was Boostle?? Medic and Heavy weren't long after. There may have been others but I wasn't invested.

Last song: Absolute by GameChop/RandomBeats/RoboRob I just found this FF7 cover today and it's fucking sick

Last movie: Blue Beetle maybe? I don't think we've watched a movie since then.

Currently reading: almost done with Human Target, and lots and lots of fanfiction right now :')

Currently watching: GEARING UP FOR OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2. HNNGGHGHGHHH I've been hoarding some of the last few episodes of Ted Lasso and tapping into some of those. We just finished My Adventure with Superman last night too.

Currently consuming: I just had a beer and trader joe's truffle pizza

Currently craving: popcooorrrnnnnn.......

9 tags: Aaaaa let's see- @zionmantis @lithefider @ippa-beepa @delena-hupp @bobokitty @ashleyrguillory @azaelyas @daigah

[lovesosweeet]

better left unsaid // cth chapter seven

in which orion has leukemia, and calum doesn't know.

calum hood x fem!oc

read other chapters

july 21, 2018 los angeles, california calum

One of the things that my girlfriend loves most in this entire world is going to Trader Joe's. Despite going every week, without fail, she gets excited each time. She calls it our weekly adventure and demands we get fun drinks beforehand to 'sip while we stroll.'

Knowing how excited she gets, I'm happy to oblige. I love making her happy. We're about to go this afternoon, but this time, not to get our standard groceries — she wants to get snacks for the party we're having tonight. I tried to say we could just order a few pizzas and nobody would be upset about it, but that set her off more, saying the frozen pizzas at Trader Joe's are elite and it's an insult to Joseph himself if we don't get those instead of something from Domino's.

We've spent the morning cleaning the apartment, clearing out the fridge to make room for drinks, and dancing to The Band Camino, one of her favorites. Well, Orion danced, I laughed at her. I'm trying to soak in the rest of our time together before I leave.

"Are you ready?" O calls out from the bathroom. She's drying her hair after our shower, something that takes her a while because it's so long and heavy.

I pop my head into our bathroom. "Yep, whenever you are."

She smiles at me in the mirror. Her hair is dry now, and she's weaving it into a loose braid.

"Want help?" I ask.

Her smile grows. "Yes, please. It always looks better when you do it."

I chuckle. I don't think it ever looks any different when I do it instead of her, but she always seems to love when I offer, so I try to do it whenever I can. I stride into the room, standing directly behind her, almost a full head taller than she is. She undoes the small amount of braiding she'd already done and then hands me her brush.

Carefully, I run the brush through her long, dark brown hair. The ends of it are slightly lighter from all the time she's spent in the sun this summer. Once it's brushed again, I separate it into three sort of equal parts and start to braid. I focus on the braid, but when I glance up from her hair, I see that she's got her phone out, taking a selfie in the mirror.

"Ay, no paparazzi!"

Orion giggles, taking a few more pictures before she puts her phone face down on the counter. "Sorry, you just look so cute when you focus."

I feel my cheeks get warm and ignore her comment, already almost done with her hair. She anticipates my next move and holds a hairtie out to me, which I quickly tie around the end to secure the braid.

"All done," I cheer, smiling at her in the mirror. I love when she has her hair back. I swiftly kiss the top of her head and wrap my arms around her waist, setting my head on top of hers.

"Thank you," she says, brightly beaming at me through the mirror. "Shall we pay a visit to Trader Joseph's?"

"Yep, let's go." I then turn around and squat down, and I hear Orion laugh behind me. "Hop on!"

"No, I will not hop on." I swear I can hear her roll her eyes.

"Hop on!"

"No!"

"If you don't, I'm still gonna carry you."

"Cal, I can walk!"

"You can, but not right now." I turn around, and she tries to sneak past me, but I'm faster, and stronger, and I lean forward, picking her up easily and throwing her over my shoulder.

She smacks my butt instantly. Predictable. "Nice ass, Hood."

"Says you," I reply, holding her steady with one arm and using the other to pat hers in turn.

I carry her to the kitchen, her laughter filling the whole apartment as I purposefully walk unsteadily, making her bounce on my shoulder. God, I love her laugh.

I gently set her down on the island in the kitchen, parting her legs and slotting in between them. Instantly, almost instinctively, she drapes her arms around my neck and her hands find my hair. My hands rest on her hips and I look into her doe-like eyes.

"I thought we were leaving?" Orion asks, running her hands through my hair.

"Where did you want to go to get drinks first?"

"Can we go to the place that has the cookie milk? Their lattes are always fun."

A fun drink. Orion loves her fun drinks. Her Instagram bio is literally "probs getting a fun lil drinky".

"Yeah, of course."

Even though we've decided, I don't move.

"Are we gonna go?" She sounds kind of impatient now, but she's still sweetly playing with my hair and looking at me intently, studying my face.

"One rule."

She snorts a small laugh. "What's your rule?"

"I get to buy you flowers at the store."

For some reason, Orion says I'm only allowed to buy her flowers on special occasions. It doesn't make sense, because she loves them. She also doesn't even like expensive flowers — her favorite is chamomile. It's just some odd rule she's had as long as we've been together, and when you care about someone as much as I do Orion, you learn to accept some of their silly little rules.

She purses her lips, rolls her eyes, and nods. "Fine, sure."

I grin. "Sweet, let's go get coffee."

I help her off the counter and we walk to the door together, Orion slinging her purse over her shoulder and I shove my wallet into my pocket.

"What shoes do you want, love?" I ask, opening our closet by the door where we keep shoes and our jackets. I grab my favorite, worn out Adidas and slip them on, not bothering to tie and untie them.

"Hmm, you pick."

My favorite answer. I grab her light blue Vans and start to untie them while I bring them over to her.

"Want me to put them on?" I don't even wait for her answer before I kneel in front of her. Orion chuckles, lifting her foot for me to slide the shoe on, and then the other, and then I start tightening the laces.

"How am I going to survive without you here? How will I put my shoes on?!"

"Obviously you'll just go barefoot, silly."

She chuckles and holds her hands out to me to help me stand back up. I don't let go of one of her hands and lace our fingers together before Orion is pulling me out the door, locking it behind us swiftly and leading us over to the elevator.

When the doors open, Macy is inside with a woman who looks strikingly similar to her, presumably her mum. She lights up when she sees us, and Orion does too.

"Macy! Oh my goodness, I can't believe I didn't think to invite you sooner," O starts, and here she goes, being her friendly, inclusive self. "We're having a party tonight. You should totally come, if you can! It's a little celebration for the tour."

Macy glances toward her mother, who seems totally disinterested. "I think I can come! Is it just in your apartment?"

Orion nods enthusiastically while she presses the button to close the elevator doors. "Yep, just in our apartment. We're 404. It starts at 7 but you can really come anytime after 5. Oh! And, the theme is black and white, so just don't wear any color if you can."

Macy agrees to come, and says she's looking forward to it, and then we're walking through the lobby. Macy and her mum head to the street, but Orion and I are going to the parking garage, so we tell them to have a good day and head to my car.

In the car, O hooks her phone up to the aux and she starts playing old 5 Seconds of Summer songs, which she knows I do not enjoy listening to. After I beg her to change it, she then plays really old One Direction, which is musically worse but less of a cringey experience for me, so I accept it. She's just doing it to be obnoxious, but her laughter is worth the pain of listening to "I Want" and "Save You Tonight."

We get our coffee — Orion got the most obscure sounding cookie latte thing and I just got an unsweetened iced latte — and I take a quick photo of her grinning with her drink. The coffee shop is quite close to the store, so we just leave the car parked near the cafe and walk the block and a half to Trader Joe's, where Orion is like a kid in the candy store.

As soon as we get in, I grab the only three bunches of chamomile that are left in the flower section and place them in the cart. Orion tries to hide it, but she's happy about it. We stop at the new items end cap next, and O grabs some random box of fancy crackers from the shelf.

"It'll be good with the honey goat cheese!" She explains, throwing the box into the cart.

I let her lead me, and when she asks me to pick between two things, I just let her get both. Orion picks out a wide assortment of dips and spreads, cheeses, crackers, some fruits, cookies, and, naturally, several of the frozen pizzas she ranted about earlier. We don't get any booze here, but we do buy some of the fancy sodas and sparkling waters to offer some non-alcoholic options.

After Orion decides we've gotten enough snacks for the party, we check out and drop everything off at the car before running to the liquor store quickly to grab a few cases of beer, bottles of wine, and large bottles of cheap vodka and tequila.

We get everything home and it takes us a few trips to get it up to the apartment and into the fridge, but we're able to do it before the frozen food starts to thaw.

"I'm gonna chop up the cheeses and stuff now so it's ready to go."

"Can I help?" I ask, watching her get out a cutting board and knife and lay out the cheeses.

She shakes her head no. "Nah, but if you wanna maybe figure out where to put the disco balls and the little light thingies?"

We didn't even invite that many people, at least not comparatively to parties that we’ve thrown in the past, but Orion really wanted to at least have a few decorations, and that meant some small disco balls to scatter throughout the place and colored lights to shine at them. The disco balls are fun, and she promised she'd find a way to incorporate them into the apartment's regular decor too.

A few hours later, everything's ready to go and the first two pizzas are in the oven. Orion has changed out of her workout set into a long, silky, lacy black dress that hangs off her body in a way that I could stare at for ages. Of course, she's wearing sneakers with it, as always. Her hair is still in the braid that I did earlier, but a few strands have fallen out and frame her face.

I'm wearing what we refer to as "The Shirt™" and black pants with black boots. The Shirt™ is the one I had on the night Orion and I met. I don't wear it often, because I don't want the stain to completely wash out, and technically I'm breaking the rules of wearing only black and white, since it's covered in a purple stain. My outfit honestly may be exactly what I had on the night I met O.

The first knock on the door comes at 6:21, even though we'd told everyone the party starts at 7, but naturally, we don't mind. Orion runs to answer the door since she's closer, and she swings it open to reveal Ash and KayKay.

"Hi!" She says, instantly pulling them into a mini group hug. "How are you!?"

"Excited to be here," Ash says. "Did you shrink?" He pats the top of her head, making her scowl at him.

"Play nice," Kay comments. "Hey Cal!"

"Hi guys." I give them both a hug as well, and they step into the apartment a few more feet. Just as I go to close the door, Macy steps out of the elevator. She waves when she sees me and I nod, holding the door open a bit wider. "Hi, Macy!"

Macy is carrying a plate of brownies. "Hello," she singsongs. "Sorry, I know you said it was okay to come early, but please tell me if I'm too early, I can just go back—"

"Macy!" Orion yells excitedly. If I didn't know her, I'd think she was drunk based on her excitement, but she's not had anything to drink whatsoever today. "You're totally fine! You're, as you can see, not the first person to get here. Ash, Kay, this is Macy. Her parents live in the building."

Our neighbor looks nervous as she waves. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"You look so familiar," Kay starts. "Have we met?"

Macy still seems quite nervous and she looks thoughtful after Kay's question, squinting her eyes a bit while she tries to think. "Maybe? You look so familiar too, but maybe I've just seen you online amidst 5SOS fandom." She laughs anxiously, and then her eyes widen, realizing she just admitted being a fan who looks at things about us online. It’s funny, and I don’t mind. Macy has been very cool whenever we’ve interacted, so naturally I just like that she’s a fan. It’s nice to meet fans. "Wait, sorry, I promise I'm not a crazy fan or anything, I just meant..."

Orion chuckles and reaches out to grab the brownies from Macy. "You're good, Mace. I know you're normal." She has the tray in her hands and then she's walking and talking on her way to the kitchen. "Does anyone want a drink? We've got lots!"

Everyone follows Orion to the kitchen, rattling off what they'd like to drink. She's cute when she's like this — taking care of people. Getting them drinks and making them feel comfortable and welcome. I love that she loves to take care of people.

More and more people show up, Orion welcoming everyone with a cheery greeting and getting drinks in their hands as quickly as she can. I try to say hello to as many people as I can, but there's no way I can match her energy and enthusiasm.

"Michael!" I hear her yell from by the door, but this isn't a happy one, she sounds annoyed. "We had one rule!"

I take a few steps so I can see the door from the living room and see Mike standing in the threshold, wearing a red flannel. Crystal, next to him, is wearing a black and white striped dress, so she followed the rules.

"This is my party! I can wear what I want!"

"This is not your party! This is my home!"

I chuckle, walking over to help Orion stand her ground, not that she needs my help. She's pretty intimidating when she's mad, although, right now, she's not actually mad. She's annoyed, but she's not mad.

"Oi, Mike, it's not your party,” I chime in, making him glare at me.

Michael laughs, a bit sarcastically. "It's literally a party to celebrate the tour for the band! I am in the band!"

Orion crosses her arms over her chest. "What exactly have you done to make this party happen, sir? Nothing. It's not your fucking party."

Crystal is trying her best not to laugh while Mike and O go at it, but I'm not even trying to hold it back. It's pretty funny to watch them go back and forth.

"It's a party for my band! Name one thing you've contributed to the band. Without the band, there is no party."

Orion scoffs. "How many of your songs has Cal written about me again? Didn't you just tell me a few weeks ago it was 'loads of songs'?"

Mike scoffs back, and Crystal finally cracks, letting out a few quiet chuckles, making him glare at her. "Fine. Whatever. I broke the rules. I'm sorry, O."

Orion grins with her victory. "Thank you." She steps aside to let them enter, and Mike rolls his eyes.

Crystal stops and whispers to O. "For the record, I did try to tell him not to wear the flannel."

The two of them giggle and hug, Orion leaving her arm around Crys and leading her to the kitchen, inevitably to force a drink of some kind into her hand. Once again, as I try to close the door, someone else appears, and this time it’s Emelia.

“Hey, sorry I’m kinda late. Uber was being weird.”

She gives me a haphazard one armed hug and rushes inside, her eyes widening when she notices the apartment full of people. “God, I always forget how many people you guys know.”

I laugh and actually close the door behind her. It’s true, between all of us and our significant others, we know a ton of people who’d like to celebrate the start of tour. “You know I’d have picked you up, right?”

Em rolls her eyes. She, similarly to Orion, doesn’t like asking for help. It’s no wonder they’re so close. “It’s fine. I need a drink,” she says, walking toward the kitchen, and I follow her. She looks back at me and smiles. “Hey, you’re wearing The Shirt™️!”

I grin, my own eyes flitting down to look at it. “It’s a special occasion, thought I’d break it out.”

Her mouth flattens into a line and something in her eyes shifts. “Yeah, it’s a special occasion.”

When we get to the kitchen, we find Orion in a conversation with Crystal, Sierra, and Macy. Orion notices her best friend and hops up and down before she hurries over to us. “Emi! Yay, you’re here. Come here!” She grabs Em’s hand and pulls her to the small group she’s formed. “This is Macy! We just met like… a week ago? Anyway, her parents live in the building and she’s super cool.”

I think Orion would describe anyone that she even remotely likes as “super cool.”

Em’s jaw opens a tiny bit. “Wait, someone lives here that isn’t a total dick?”

Macy laughs loudly at that. “Technically I’m just visiting my parents, and I can’t vouch for them being dicks or not.”

Orion swats the air. “If they raised you they can’t be dicks, you’re precious.”

I shake my head and laugh, stepping out of the circle, but not without stopping to give O a kiss on her cheek. I walk around, nodding to everyone and giving hugs to anyone I’ve not had a chance to yet. I don’t think there are that many more people coming, since I can’t seem to recall who’s missing. I find the rest of the band on the couch, everyone with a beer in hand, chatting with our friends Roy and Mitchy.

“There he is!” Ash yells when I sit down on the arm of the couch next to him. “Roy and Mitch can’t believe Orion’s not coming with us.”

I look at the two, who are looking at me already. “Yeah, I mean, she’s got school and stuff.”

Roy chuckles. “Couldn’t she do some of it online or something? Orion seems like an ideal tour girlfriend.”

I snort and so does Ash. “What does that even mean, mate?”

Roy seems to be at a loss for words, so Mitchy steps in. “You guys met on tour, right? And she’s so organized. She’d keep you in check and she’d help keep you grounded. Wouldn’t let your world tour get to your head.” He’s half joking, especially with the last half. He and I have already talked about this and he’s aware that I’d love to bring her, but it’s not just my choice here.

I roll my eyes. “She’s my girlfriend, not my manager. She’s got a life too. She knows I’d love to have her with us, but she wants to stay and do school, and that’s fine with me.”

“Ash?” KayKay appears behind Roy and Mitchy, looking quite stressed. “Can we go?” Her face is red through her makeup, and her eyes look kind of glossy. It’s like she’s trying not to cry.

Ashton immediately stands up and walks around, wrapping an arm around her. I follow, not trying to butt into their conversation, but more just trying to make sure everything is fine.

They whisper for a few moments before Ash notices me and he gives KayKay a quick hug, telling her he’ll meet her in the hall in a minute.

“Is everything okay?” I ask. He looks stressed out now, too.

“Yeah. Or, no, not really — her grandmother is just back in the hospital. She’s got dementia, and she’s not been doing well for a while. We’re gonna go. Her mum said it’s not looking great.”

I just nod. “Yeah, for sure, go. I’m sorry to hear that. Let us know if you need anything?”

Ash nods and gives me a hug. “Thanks, dude. Tell O we said bye?”

“Of course. See ya on Monday?”

He grimaces. “It depends how she’s doing. Kay’s really close with her grandma.”

“Got it. Well, we’re here for you guys. You know that, right?”

He smiles. “Yeah. Love ya, bud!”

“Love you too, man.”

Orion runs over after the door closes behind them, looking concerned. She’s holding a can of PBR now, her lipgloss imprinted around the rim. “Is everything okay?”

“Kay’s got some family stuff. I’ll tell you later.”

She frowns but nods. “Gotcha…”

I wrap an arm around her. “It’s fine, Ash is with her. I told him to let us know if they need anything.”

She nods. “Cool, I’ll text her later. Remind me?”

“‘Course.” I bend down and press a kiss onto her temple, knowing she doesn’t like to kiss in front of others very much, at least not this sober, even though it’s just our friends.

She then gasps, as if out of nowhere.

“What?” I ask, not sure what’s wrong with her now. She has moments like this throughout the day, every day. It’s usually because she forgot someone’s birthday or she didn’t move the laundry to the dryer before we left.

“I didn’t get a picture of you four together,” she pouts, jutting out her bottom lip.

“Baby, there are literally millions of photos of the four of us together.”

Orion rolls her eyes. “But I wanted one of you all tonight.” For some reason, she seems pretty upset over forgetting about it tonight.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can get one of the three of us still? Maybe we can get a balloon and draw a face on it and pretend it’s Ashton. I’m sure the resemblance will be uncanny.”

That makes her giggle loudly, a faint burp coming out after, making both of us laugh. It’s a sign that this is not her first beer. “Yeah, let’s do that. And, can we get one of us? Oh, and one of me and Em. Oh, and one of me and Sierra and Crystal!”

I roll my eyes. “We don’t need a full on photoshoot.”

I don’t mean it. Orion loves having photos of everything. She’s a super sentimental girl, loving to have everything documented somewhere. Her Instagram is private, so the photos never make it to the fans, which is what she wanted. She’s been very self-conscious during our whole relationship about making sure the fans don’t think she’s after fame or anything.

“You love my photoshoots,” she says, playfully hitting my chest. “C’mon, let’s do the balloon one before you guys are too wasted to take a normal photo.”

Orion wrangles the three of us out onto our balcony, the city lights twinkling behind us in the photos she takes. She then grabs Crystal and Sierra to take a picture with them, posing with her hands on her cheeks and smiling, then hugging the other two, and I do my best to just keep clicking the shutter the way she taught me two years ago when she asked me to take photos of her at the London Eye.

She dismisses everyone else but asks Crystal to take photos of us, and she says she’s happy to. I hand O’s phone to Crystal and take my place next to Orion, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her tightly against my side. She sets her hand on my ribs and leans her head against me, smiling sweetly at the camera while Crystal yells out “oh my god so cute” a bunch of times. I don’t even bother looking at the camera, just stare at my pretty girl, trying to memorize how her eyeshadow sparkles and her eyes gleam and her lips are chapped and her hair is slowly falling out of her braid. She’s perfect.

“Are you gonna look at the camera?” She giggles, looking up at me.

“Nope,” I answer, leaning down to kiss her. Crystal keeps saying how cute it is and I assume she keeps taking photos while Orion and I kiss for the camera.

I hear Luke shout from inside the apartment, “GROSS!”

When I look at the photos a few minutes later, I see that both of us gave Luke the middle finger when he yelled. I smile, immediately Airdropping the photos to myself and adding that one to my story.

read next chapter

—

a/n: heheh hahaha dropped some ~hints~ in this chapter!!! i love orilum (corion?) sm. ty for reading ily!!! <3

[rookieracers]

GENESIS   ‘GEN’   KINSLEY   is   a   twenty   year   old   driver   for   the   formula   one   racing   team   SCUDERIA   FERRARI.   he   is   often   described   as   insistent   and   playful.   learn   more   about   ferrari's   wonderkid   below.

⠀** BASICS: GENESIS KINSLEY

⠀⠀⠀⠀also known as .. gen, genny, etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀gender / pronouns: cis-male .. he/him/his

⠀⠀⠀⠀birthplace: london, england

⠀⠀⠀⠀zodiacs / birthdate: leo, rat .. august fourteenth, two-thousand three

⠀⠀⠀⠀currently: occupation and location.

⠀⠀⠀⠀formula one driver. (location depends on his occupation; but he resides in monaco)

⠀⠀⠀⠀languages: english, spanish, french, italian, learning portuguese.

⠀⠀⠀⠀relationship status: single. (pls ship with him)

⠀⠀⠀⠀sexuality / preference: bisexual, strictly monogamist.

⠀⠀⠀⠀accent: british.

⠀⠀** APPEARANCE: WHAT HE USUALLY LOOKS LIKE.

⠀⠀⠀⠀6’3. brown skin with a golden undertone, appearing tanner in the summer. tends to wear baggy.loose clothing, no matter the setting. mocha, full lips. white teeth. tends to keep his hair cut short and faded with a taper. dark brown eyes. crinkles his eyes when smiling. body hair depends on his laziness, but he usually trims his body hair. slim, toned figure.. etc.

⠀⠀** RELATIONSHIPS: FAMILY, FRIENDS, OTHERS.

⠀⠀⠀⠀family .. marcus kinsley (father), genevieve kinsley (mother), geffrey kinsley (brother).

⠀⠀⠀⠀past relationships .. tba .

⠀⠀⠀⠀pets .. fib (mongolian gerbil).

⠀⠀** MENTAL(s): DISORDERS, PERSONALITY, AURA/BELIEFS.

⠀⠀⠀⠀good .. adventurous, charismatic, witty, protective, daring [?], funny, ambitious, optimistic, honest, hard-working, playful, independent, perfectionist [?], confident, flirty, spontaneous, sociable, assertive [?], understanding, observant, resourceful, creative, family-orientated, sarcastic [?], active ... etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀bad .. overly critical, egotistical, absent minded, boy-ish, noncommittal, entitled, easily distracted, stubborn, harsh, demanding, inconsiderate [?], overindulgent, conceited, selfish, immature, impatient ... etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀diagnosed with .. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

⠀⠀⠀⠀mental stability .. stable. phobias .. not being good enough, needles, failure, dentists, etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀aura color.. yellow.

⠀⠀⠀⠀aura qualities.. ambitious, charming, creative, fun, goofy, curious, judgmental, etc.

⠀⠀** BLURP(s): HABITS, LIKES/DISLIKES, FAVORITES.

⠀⠀⠀⠀habits .. holds eye contact, no matter what. smells like amouage's ‘interlude man’ cologne. leans down when speaking to others. mumbles curse words under his breath. comes off as arrogant and/or flirty. clenches jaw when frustrated or irritated. rubs his thumb and pointer finger together when bored. fairly touchy with people he’s comfortable with. drags out his words when playful. traces over his knuckles when anxious or nervous. furrows his eyebrows when pondering. sings in the shower. stays silent when angry. rolls his eyes frequently. constantly says “right” or “ok”, especially over text. tenses up and provides evasive answers when asked about serious questions. presses his tongue against the roof of his mouth when stressed. ... etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀likes .. cooking, sight-seeing, nature, going on adventures, flirting, physical touch, silver jewelry, messy hair, teasing people, bubble baths, collecting miniature things, chess, colorful rugs, rearranging his furniture, kayaking, editing, fortune cookie affirmations, conspiracy theories, tetris, black coffee, animals, podcasts, drinking, mad-libs, being praised, fruit tart, green grapes, people that play with his hair or hold eye contact, making people nervous, 35mm film, comedy specials, playing the guitar, k-dramas, running, smoking, jazz music, playing video games, attention, fast food, trader joes, speeding, apple products, emojis ... etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀dislikes .. serious conversations, missing deadlines, sparkling water, bland food, magic tricks, settling down, the nickname ‘gen gen’, procrastinating, people that bite their nails, yellow sticky notes, sloppy penmanship, overthinking, coins, peppermint candy, loud people, cops, auto-capitalization, unpopular acronyms, long usernames, waxy chapstick, extremely cold weather, uniforms, windbreaker material, wet grass, hair spray, wearing lots of layers, not getting what he wants, confusing / unnecessarily long words ... etc.

⠀⠀⠀⠀FAVORITE MOVIE - blade. FAVORITE COLOR - orange. FAVORITE SCENT - anything citrus-y.

⠀⠀⠀⠀FAVORITE FLOWER - dahlias. FAVORITE SONG - anything composed by tchaikovsky

⠀⠀⠀⠀FAVORITE PLACE - athens. FAVORITE FOOD - jerk chicken. FAVORITE PERSON - ????.

⠀⠀** EXTRAS: ("YIKES!")

⠀⠀⠀⠀background…

genesis kinsley: bound to be different from birth, a curious soul conditioned to be a star. a stark interest in motor vehicles was instilled in him at a young age as he grew watching his father work on various different vehicles in their home garage. he was intrigued by the hum of engines and the whir of wheels.

genesis started his racing journey at a young age, participating in carting when he was only just a tot. it was an interest supported by his father and tolerated by his mother.

as a teen, genesis began competing in british formula four championships, winning many titles and garnering a subtle reputation for himself. his success was meteoric, and it wasn't long before he caught the attention of the formula one academy. at just seventeen years old, genesis earned a call-up to formula two and a spot as reserve driver for ferrari.

he thrived in formula two for two years, ruling the leaderboards and establishing more of a name for himself. it wasn't long until ferrari decided to promote him to become a main driver. the news sent shockwaves through the racing world, with many hailing him as a prodigy.

now, in the realm of racing, where speed and skill reign supreme, genesis is a rookie looking to stamp his place at the top. he is described as a hopeful prodigy, a wonderkid with a glaring future. he has hopes of becoming one of greatest drivers to ever grace formula one.

[commanderbuffy]

Chapter 11 was the sweetest thing, Kris. Also hot as hell but mostly utterly, charmingly sweet. I spent the weekend in Detroit, indulging in unchecked consumerism and what amounted to a cross-border raid on Trader Joe's, which is how I found myself in a hotel room with a friend (there were two beds, this isn't *that* story) reading TTA chapter 11 at 1 in the morning with my first stuffed in my mouth to keep the peels of laughter from bouncing around the room because really, TTA is the softest story about two boneheads in love.

I really need to stop playing the "Guess what happens next game" because I expected you to draw out the angst and the miscommunication for *weeks* (by which I mean chapters) and instead, Kit & Jade actually use some of their words to resolve the worst of the hurt they caused each other because they don't actually want to be parted. I found that both co-dependent as hell and lovely.

Jade Claymore has more than earned the right to a good cry and I do hope we get to read her perspective on the "I love you" because, honestly, sometimes the scariest thing of all is someone treating you with the compassion, affection and love you want but don't think you deserve. On the question of Canon!Kit's experience or lack thereof:

I personally like to head canon Kit’s inexperience as more related to who she is rather than the fact that she’s an untouchable princess. I just see her as being totally uninterested in anything sex until she realizes that she’s Jade-sexual.

I agree with your take here but I also think that part of Kit's lack of experience and/or disinterest in sex is partly the result of being emotionally entangled with Jade for years, and partly to do with her betrothal to Graydon Hastur. The conversation between Kit and Jade at the banquet suggests the possibility that Kit was originally betrothed to Dermot Hastur, which means the betrothal would have had to have happened when she was 10 or 11-ish at the oldest. That means Kit would have spent her entire adolescence knowing she would marry a Hastur one day* rather than going on a grand adventure and falling in love with some dashing knight. I think, between the possibility that her father just abandoned their family and the fact of Airk's promiscuity, Kit would have found it dishonourable, or at the very least, dishonest to pursue an intimate relationship when she knows she's going to marry Graydon Hastur. So, I imagine Kit just... didn't. I imagine that for Kit, her ideas (and technical knowledge - no way Sorsha let those two out into the world without a solid grounding in Fantasy World Sex Ed) of sex and desire were completely divorced from her experience of love, intimacy and arousal right up until the moment she kissed Jade in the loft.

This would mean Kit is quite literally Jade-sexual as Jade would not only be Kit's only intimate experience but her only experience of desire and arousal towards another (which, y'know, could be fertile ground for season 2 problems, but I digress...).

Armouriam Is My Comfort Read Anon ;)

Ahhh this was such a thoughtful message!! TTA Tanthamore truly are the softest of boneheads. And maybe a little co-dependent, but not in a detrimental way.

I loooooove your take on Kit being Jade-sexual in canon! Also, can totally see where it might bring up issues in season 2 👀

Also, Armouriam as a comfort read???? 🫠

[brettesims]

Breakfast with Brette

I Like a Little Activism with my Breakfast

A Light and Fresh Bite:

Granola, Bananas, Berries, and Organic Vanilla Yogurt

I like to warm up the frozen berries and pour them on top of the bananas and yogurt. You can also add nuts (if you're one of those people lol) or any fruits you like.

Where is all this from?

Trader Joes of course! I promise to get more adventurous with these breakfast posts soon! haha!

~B

[catfever7]

This has been a really great day, getting to spend time with my aunt and uncle.

We had really great Saturday Adventures.

Things we did:

Coffee

Breakfast

Garden/ Nursery Tour

State Capital

Cool Shops in Salem

Trader Joes

Silverton

Home

Homemade BBQ Pork Tacos

Watching Survivor

[nickgerlich]

Foreign Matter

It is no secret that my favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s. Sure, Whole Foods comes in a close second, but TJ’s is just my vibe. I love the laid back atmosphere, free of pretense and full of happy, adventurous shopping. They’re keen to keep bringing in foods and spices that most other groceries would never touch.

Unfortunately, we will probably never have one here in Amarillo. While they continue to add new stores (there are currently 564 stores in 43 states), they have their standards, tending to open in educated, upper-middle-class neighborhoods. We just don’t have enough people here who fit that demo.

So, whenever I travel, I go prepared with a huge cooler and a stack of Trader Joe’s reusable shopping bags. If Dallas, Albuquerque, or Oklahoma City are on my return trip, then I stop for a major shopping expedition. Believe me, I am not the only one. Many TJ’s fans who live in places that will never have one are just like me, and TJ’s knows it. Why add too many stores when people are willing to go to this extreme just to patronize you?

Trader Joe’s has been around since 1967 in Pasadena California. It was purchased by Aldi Nord (“North”) in 1979. And if you recognize that name, you should. It’s just that the Aldi stores we see in the US (which admittedly have many similarities, but different price points and target market) are owned by Aldi Sud (“South”). Both are German companies, and were once one big company until a rift developed between the brothers who owned it. They split into two at that point, so at best we can say that TJ’s and Aldi are cousins.

Given my love affair with TJ’s, it should come as no surprise that I have been known to include them in essay exam questions (wink wink, nudge nudge), incorporating their very cool podcast and other materials. This is a company that does exceptionally little advertising, adamantly refuses to allow online shopping, and will never have self-check lanes. It’s all about the shopping experience, and for this marketing prof, a company that is rich with marketing lessons.

But all has not been well with TJ’s this summer, because they have suffered through five product recalls. And they are odd ones, ranging from items that “may contain” rocks, insects, and metal. Ouch. Once that kind of news hits the airwaves and social media, it can become a public relations nightmare.

Roughly 85% of TJ’s items are private-label goods, meaning they are manufactured and packaged under contract by a different company. TJ’s doesn’t make anything; they just authorize its manufacture and labeling. It’s a challenge to find other-branded items in the store outside of the beer and wine section. It is these external providers who are the ones with quality control issues.

And yet TJ’s bears the brunt of the messaging, as well as responsibility for controlling the flow of response. That’s no small task.

None of these recalls is going to keep me from shopping at Trader Joe’s, but they might deter others, especially those who may not be quite so loyal as I am. Let’s face it, recalls are a black eye, whether you are at fault or not. How you handle that recall will help define your future. It starts with pulling all of the items that “may contain” said foreign matter, and then allowing for no-questions-asked refunds.

That’s only the beginning though. How do you begin to assure shoppers that they will be safe shopping there? Remember, we’re talking about food, something we put in our mouths. And what we put in our mouths is sacred. I liken meal preparation and eating to a spiritual experience. That is perfectly consistent with the religious training I received as a youth, that our bodies are temples and to be respected as such. Now why would I want to risk ingesting rocks, insects, and metal?

Given that TJ’s only uses Pinterest and Instagram on social media, along with their podcast and printed newsletter called The Fearless Flyer, they do not have many channels of communication. It’s so much easier when you leverage all of the socials, because you can broadcast to millions with a few clicks and taps.

In fact, TJ’s presence on Insta is predominantly fan pages that get as much traction as the corporate page, with people reviewing new products, offering recipe advice, and the like. That’s all great in terms of free word-of-mouth, but Trader Joe’s never gets to take the microphone on those pages, only their own.

Lastly, TJ’s could consider finding new vendors for some of its private label products, especially if a track record of recalls were to be established. Even still, this is no small task, because extensive vetting must then be completed. Existing vendors were chosen after thorough product testing in the first place.

I’ll be watching, TJ’s. You’re not at risk of losing me, but you cannot ignore these matters. Five black eyes in a little more than a month is a bad look. Here’s to righting this ship and sailing boldly into the future.

Dr “I Want To Work At TJ’s After I Retire” Gerlich

Audio Blog