the-kings-tail-fin - Tumblr blog

[the-kings-tail-fin]

brohoof

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drh x mamegoma

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no thoughts. just neon aesthetic in Disney Pixar's Cars..

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Dream girls or boys of the next gen racers?

There’s a “Who’s Your Piston Cup Crush?” Buzzfeed quiz going around, which naturally Danny immediately insists everyone take.

“But there’s only one girl,” Chase points out.

Danny just laughs. “Bro. You need to broaden your mind.” When he sees Chase almost insulted by this, he adds, “Besides, it’s just a dumb Buzzfeed quiz. C’mon, don’t you wanna know what kind of potato Buzzfeed thinks your fans associates with you??”

Chase gets Chick Hicks.

“Okay, how is that even possible?!” Chase moans. “I thought it said your Piston Cup crush for the 2018 season. Plus, I hate that guy.”

In the distance, someone shouts, “FORMER AND FOREVER PISTON CUP CHAMPION!!!!”

Ryan Laney also gets Chick Hicks. “Oh, shoot,” he swears.

Bubba Wheelhouse? Also Chick Hicks. “R I G G E D!” he shouts. “Who wrote this thing?”

“I got… Paul Conrev?” says Cruz, a quizzical look on her face. “Who the heck is Paul Co–”

“SHHHH, HE’LL HEAR YOU,” shouts Bubba.

“Dude, Paul’s not even here today. He shares his sponsorship with Wesley Revcon, remember?” says Chase.

“Shoot, I dunno who Paul Conrev is either, then,” admits Bubba. “Wait, who’s Wesley–”

“Not that anyone asked,” says Jackson Storm. “But I got Jackson Storm.”

Bubba rolls his eyes. “Of course you did.”

Keep reading

[the-kings-tail-fin]

What’s Mack’s relationship with Lightning? Like before he met Doc, ofc. A father? Older sibling?

I think that Mack's relationship with Lightning is, simply put, that of a hauler and a racecar! I don't think it needs an analogue. At its heart, theirs is a professional relationship--but that doesn't mean it isn't also loving.

Mack calls Lightning "Boss," but I don't think Lightning actually is... Mack's boss. Not really. Lightning doesn't own Rusteze, and judging by Mack's plates (RUSTEZ4/RUSTEZ3) he's contracted with Rusteze, not with Lightning personally. (This might change post-Cars 3, or even by Cars 3, once Lightning has more capital to his name. Despite his winning ways, I don't think Lightning is actually particularly wealthy--his being at Rusteze at all suggests he's cheap, young talent, and given the stipulations Harv rattles off re: ancillary rights unto perpetuity, etc., I don't think Lightning signed a particularly good contract. I don't think he could personally hire Mack even if it would have occurred to him to want to. Though--and this is a digression--he probably saved Rusteze a decent chunk of money with the no crew chief and no-tires-just-gas "strategy," such as it were. I also don't think Rusty and Dusty are good at money, so this was probably a vital part of keeping that race team afloat in its rookie year.)

Anyway. Rusty and Dusty are Mack's bosses, and Mack was hired to support Lightning. While Lightning can call the shots sometimes (and is effectively being chauffered around by Mack like some hotshot), I think Lightning probably defers to Mack more often than not. Mack keeps Lightning's schedule--he is the vessel that both dictates and allows Lightning to be at all the right places at all the right times, whether that's racetracks or the literal race intros or sponsor appearances. He's clearly read Lightning's contract, and knows where Lightning can and cannot push (skipping sponsor tent post-race? No. all-night canonball run to schmooze Dinoco in LA? maaaybe). He's not just blindly driving Lightning around--he's instrumental to Lightning's career.

Mack also clearly loves him--calls him Boss, whether it's true or not; would've served as his gas man even though "gas can" is not, in fact, his middle name; and unlike Not-Chuck, Mack never seemed put off by Lightning's antics. I mean, he's a good-natured guy in general. But Mack probably understood better than anyone how young Lightning was, by virtue of how much shepherding he needed and how experimental his self-spectacles tended to be, and was amenable to letting Lightning figure out who he was in a very hands-off way. Mack's not the disciplinarian; he doesn't create teachable moments; he doesn't weigh in on Lighting's behaviors. He doesn't call Lightning out or in. He knows what's in Lightning's contract, and he also knows what's in his. More to the point, he knows what's not.

They're friendly, but not friends, per se, not family; they spend time together because they work for the same company. There's a decent chance Lightning has not actually ever interacted meaningfully with another car outside of the context of work. It's all he knows, and all he's ever had. Which is sad when taken on its own, but I think that when Lightning does make friends, and does find a world outside of being racecar, then the value of his professional relationships also appreciates. Falling in love with Radiator Springs does not actually diminish Lightning's love of racing, or even his desire to win Piston Cups. LMQ loves racing, and he loves being a racecar, and I think that once it becomes clear he does not have to be lonely in order to love these things, it also becomes a lot easier for him to understand and value the professional relationships that make it possible--and to value them for exactly what they are.

Even in Cars 3, after ten years on the road together, Lightning doesn't have heart to hearts with Mack when Cruz leaves, or when he's trying to figure out what to do. He doesn't tell Mack about Smokey. That's not the relationship they have; their devotion is different. I feel like after so long on the road, Mack could easily slide into being Lightning's hairdresser-type, you know? Just chatting, semi-therapeutically. But they don't. That's not Mack's job, nor anything it's likely ever occurred to Lightning to want from him. But Mack still drives him clear to Thompsonville from Daytona, and knows exactly when they need to leave in order to make the 500 some days later. There's still a catch in his voice because he knows Thompsonville did not avail Lightning of what he (thought he) wanted.

I think what Mack and Lightning have is really lovely, because their relationship is very much defined by what's written in their contracts, and circumscribed by racetracks and the roads en route to them. These boundaries are never exceeded by either party. Yet there's love there--a particular kind of professional love, of a sort that perhaps you need just as much as the Doc kind, or the Sally kind, or the Mater kind.

Somewhere on this blog, there is a headcanon that prior to becoming a hauler for Rusteze, Mack was in the honeybee business. Every year he'd take them out to California to pollinate almonds, and then he'd drive them back to overwinter in Florida. Mack had loved the bees, he really had. He'd liked imagining their vibration inside his trailer, even though realistically that's not something could feel. Not like Lightning, 3200 pounds of (often quite animated) steel. Not like Lightning, who could say the most insane things--he was significantly more imaginative than the bees had been--without realizing that's what he was doing. Not like Lightning, who loved. Mack's not sure the bees had ever really loved something in the way that Lightning did. They'd had an animal calling, maybe. A prime directive. Mack's heard racecars can be like that. Purpose-built, hyperfocused.

Well, Lightning is like that, Mack admits. But maybe no more than Mack is. Mack is a truck, and he likes being a truck. He likes trucking. He's content to be a truck that trucks. But Lightning is not content. Lightning is not here simply to fulfill the purpose he was made for--the one that graces his every pinch-weld, cotter pin, and gasket. He'd have found his way here even if he hadn't been built this way, Mack's pretty sure. (And this surety is only confirmed when Lightning finds his way to places and cars he absolutely hadn't been built for, and absolutely loves.) Lightning loves things, and Mack sees this to be true whether Lightning knows yet what he loves, or how many things he can love, or what it means to love something that isn't already in you--isn't you.

Mack wants to carry that. He doesn't want to father it, or counsel it, but carry it. He is a hauler, and Lightning is a racecar. Also, it's in the contract.

[the-kings-tail-fin]

I imagine you're pretty happy about who'll be in the booth for the Bristol Dirt Race this Sunday. I know I am.

I'm even happier about who gets to go breathe in all that dirt in person.

(Hint - it's me)

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@whipplefilter Hi!! I drew HARV for u and for one of ur fics!! I also based him from this post from u and that fanart!! I really like your writing and ur blog very much! here's fanart for u!!!

[the-kings-tail-fin]

I have one more background-character ask that I couldn't quite fit into the first one: What about Aimee Harding, Lynda's sister? There's a really old mention of her on this blog, (for some reason, she can be found by searching 'sister' but not her name. Tumblr is weird.). Apparently, because the circumstances of Strip & Lynda meeting are different outside of Conflict, Aimee doesn't trust Strip "because celebrity". She doesn't appear in The Overlook or Diamond In The Rough, but... (Part 1/2)

Oh man, this is a deep cut ask - BUT I'M GLAD YOU ASKED XDDD

Right, so Aimee is one of those weird characters that has been with my version of the story since the very beginning. Why did I feel like Lynda needed a sister? Idk. It just felt natural, and in the event that I want to dive deeper into Lynda's childhood and life growing up, Aimee presents a soundboard and alternative perspective through which to tell that story. Unfortunately, I have not taken the time to really dive into that here in the public forums.

Within the Conflict AU, it's Aimee's relationship with Wayne that form the circumstances necessary for Strip and Lynda to meet. She helps form the more down-to-earth small town family vibes this group of young adults end up forming. Some time ago, I had a side-story arc that involved her more directly, a drama filled fiasco created by my teenage brain that wanted her to create some angst when she first found out what Strip really is. BUT that was self indulgent and frivolous, and obviously didn't end up making the final cut XD

So to your ask - what's she like in my version of canon? I have no plans for future fics at the moment (maybe one day I will learn how to take a vacation and use it for something I actually want to do - like sitting on my butt and typing away at a computer), so I will dump everything I can remember here for you to do what you will with XD

Aimee, though technically not any older than Lynda, is the protective older sister. Growing up, she was the one that felt the responsibility to make sure Lynda had the best childhood possible. They didn't have bad parents by any means, but they were constantly away working to help provide for the family, or home sleeping. As such, when Lynda decides she wants to take up derby as a fun job and additional source of income, Aimee isn't completely on board. She knows what eventually happens to cars that constantly trash their bodies. But on the contrary, she wants Lynda to be happy, and hesitantly supports her. This gets better when Aimee learns more about the sport and starts advising her on how to race smarter, not harder. That combined with Lynda's natural talent is part of what made her a local superstar.

Now when Lynda meets Strip - it's the same mama bear mindset that Aimee initially has. It's an 'oh no, this guy is a high profile celebrity, he's going to use her and ruin her life' train of thought when she finds out. Obviously as things get more serious between the two, Aimee does get to know Strip personally and realizes he's just a normal guy who happens to have a stellar career in the spotlight. And from that point on there's no tension or anything. It's all just the inherent responsible-older-sister paranoia that she's got to deal with.

BUT I feel like I should clarify, as I read through this and realize she's sounding like a stick in the mud - she is not all serious all the time. She loves to let loose on the weekends, partake in the social libations, karaoke night, and hang out with her friends. She largely lets Lynda go out and do the same things as they grow up together, and they do a lot of it together. When they're older, Aimee and her family come with Strip and Lynda on their bigger vacation trips that they take, and they are all very close as a family. All the holidays are spent together, they attend all of Strip's biggest races together, it's a package deal. Aimee and Lynda will forever be best friends.

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My headcanon: Raoul’s wife is a beautiful supermodel. They met each other since high school. She also has a great sense of humor!

I believe I've seen this hc from another anon too!

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Headcanon: Max Schnell’s favorite song is 99 Luftballoons. It’s a song by Nena. Very good song!

Bonus headcanon: Max Schnell is also very into 80's culture at large. At least once a year he throws a thematic party that is very 80s (and very German). Hope you like beer and classic rock.

[the-kings-tail-fin]

It's a bad day to be a watermelon in Austin.

Two days later...

STILL HYPE.

That watermelon lived a more enjoyable life in Austin than I ever did, thats for sure.

[the-kings-tail-fin]

You know what, I may as well ask my last farm-related question right away: What's your take on Scott Tiller? That's a background character that isn't talked about often, but when it happens, there's debate. On the one hand, he's clearly a tractor. On the other, being named after a member of the production team means he has both a first and last name. Do you think there's a sapience division between 2WD (like those in RS) & 4WD tractors, or did someone just give their pet tractor a last name?

Oh man, your ask sent me on a Right to Repair spiral and whether or not this would be something that existed in the Carsverse or not (I don't think so). I don't think so because in my mind, the factories that produce vehicles are themselves semi-sentient--they aren't owned by any cars and aren't "run" by anything per se. The factories are rips in space-time, in the division between worlds Created and worlds come together, bound by random acts of physics. Memory rots and warps at their edges, as happens at the frayed edges of all universes.

We've seen domestic cattle tractors in Cars 1 and wild deer tractors in Planes--and we have Frank, who seems to exist at a higher order than the tractors he shepherds (maybe), but also Bessie, who seems content to exist as pure machine. So Scott Tiller does present a new question. I would say that having a first and last name doesn't necessarily mean he's any different than Frank (maybe we just don't know Frank's last name--after all, no one in RS has a last name that we know, outside of Sally. Doc and Mater are hard maybes). But that's boring and pedantic, so I'm happy to imagine that Scott Tiller is a 100% very-much-sapient piece of farm equipment.

I don't think the cars themselves have really hardline distinctions between themselves and farm equipment that they abide by, in the sense that they see them as irrevocably different species apart from themselves. Obviously they know the tractors outside town don't act like them, but for all they know maybe one day the tractors will up and change their minds. It's kind of like... So, most of the contemporary human world operates on this assumption that humans are categorically different (often read as "more valuable" or "more divine") than other animals, or plants, or rocks. But that's just a cultural assumption at the end of the day, and there are also many cultures that do not heed this distinction and do not see it. A heron may be as much kin as a human.

That's how I think cars see tractors. Not consciously, because mostly they are not particularly inclined to metaphysics, but in their uninterrogated gut assumptions. If a tractor like Scott rolled up to chat they wouldn't think anything of it. (This is ironic because whenever the cars DO try to think about these things they do it very badly, trying and failing to categorize themselves as racecars or not racecars, lemons or not lemons... This is how we somehow manage to get insinuations of racism/sexism with River and Louise, even though... everyone is a car... LOL. Not that humans haven't replicated these exact same pitfalls in our own attempts to order the world, haha.)

I also don't think Scott is alone. Sometimes there are tractors whose ghost in the machine is more verbal; it happens. (Sometimes there are cars whose ghosts are less so; this also happens.) The delineations are unclear and the universal order even more so.

It's not about the mechanics, though. 2WD, 4WD, it's only a drivetrain, a tool. The tools that make you may not be wholly exclusive of the ghost that animates you, but what makes you you is so much more that unknowable ghost.

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Whoops!... Don't take my word for it. It turns out that @the-kings-tail-fin is the one with the "Sarge grew up on a farm" HC. Sorry for the confusion! But as long as we're on the subject, your reply reminded me of the HC you have (I made sure this time!) that Ryan Laney's sisters are all farm trucks and 'farm crossovers', and Bubba Wheelhouse is dating one. How's that going? I keep picturing Bubba next to this huge crewcab dually, trying and mostly failing to carry as many hay bales as her.

Haha, it's okay! @the-kings-tail-fin and I are very good friends and have adopted a GOOD many of each other's headcanons (Lightning's koi pond, the Sippy Cup, Cal's taste in metal music...), so there is undoubtedly a ton of cross-pollination going around.

This doodle came back up in my notes the other day, and your ask just now reminded me of it again. I'm pretty sure this truck is one of Ryan Laney's sisters. Her name is Reba and Bubba loves her very, very much. And yes, Bubba can nearly fit under her, Fast and Furious style, because her lift is so high. He's thinking of buying her tractor tires for her next birthday.

Their favorite movie to watch together is Encanto.

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The true power of NASCAR sponsorship is me passing a Target truck on the highway and my first thought being, “Wow, I didn’t realize Target still existed!” because Target left NASCAR after 2017.

Even though I… shop at Target???? I have been to Target multiple times in the year 2022 (and 2021 and 2020 and…), even though nearest one is nearly half an hour away.

MENTALLY DEAD TO ME THO I GUESS, LMAO.

The #42 CGR (RIP), Chevy Camaro Gen 6 body (RIP), sponsored by Target (RIP), circa 2017. Sharpie on Xerox paper.

[the-kings-tail-fin]

Thanks for answering my Conflict ask! The behind-the-scenes look at Wayne was cool! l I'm a bit surprised that you're on the fence about Izzy existing in canon, especially as a Weathers. If I may, I'd like to try tipping that balance with an HC (apologies in advance for the inbox spam, but ask character limits). I'd like to suggest that Strip has both brother & sister. Canon Izzy is still the whip-smart, highly-motivated car she's always been, and is the factory's chief pediatrician...(Part 1/3)

OMG friend that is an excellent HC. I very much like it <333 It's funny, I don't think I ever explicitly said what sort of doctor she had decided to become - and maybe it doesn't matter - but rough draft Izzy of ten years ago was actually a pediatrician??? IT IS A SIGN.

Side monologue here - at one point I was thinking about doing a series of one-off one shots focusing on the supporting characters in the story. Get a little deeper insight into what they're like, what they've been through, etc. Izzy's my favorite OC ever, she'd probably end up with more than one - just because it would be cool to tell the same story from her point of view. HMM.

Ugh I know I'm sounding repetitive here, but I cannot begin to express how appreciative I am that you took the time to read this fic, and liked it enough to think this deeply about it and the characters. This is what gives stories life. There was a point in my life I thought this story would only exist in my head and I'd never get it down on paper, let alone share it with other people. I'm so glad I did, thanks to those like you <3333

[the-kings-tail-fin]

So I recently finished rereading your fic 'Conflict', and I was curious to know if all of the OCs in it would also exist outside of the AU - what would they be like if there wasn't a war upending all of their lives? I found some brief HCs from 2017 here on the blog, but is Wayne still Strip's agent? What's Izzy doing with the manufacturer if not fighting? Where do Rick and Stacey factor in? What about Diego, Howie, Laura, and the rest of Chrysler's fighters?

Not pictured, me sobbing with joy and appreciation that you enjoyed the fic enough to read it again :') Thank you for your support! Not sure I ever gave these characters a whole lot of thought outside the AU, tbh, so thanks for the prompt!

So fun historical context - Wayne actually came into existence through several iterations of interpretation of Tex. At the beginning of the Conflict AU building extravaganza, Tex was actually Strip's anchor and friend in the real world. However, the more I began to mold the pieces of the story around canon events and canon characters, I realized that I couldn't have one character doing both the early emotional support role and the sponsoring in a professional sense. These things needed to evolve from different worlds, so to speak, and converge later. So I split them apart, left Tex his canonical role and personality, and created the childhood best friend in Wayne - and then weaved them together later in the story via business partners to make the plot more happenstance and realistic, rather than setting it up to appear that Strip got the Dinoco sponsorship just because he happened to know Tex from the get-go. That's too easy. This is a story about difficulties and struggle - nothing comes easy, and this dynamic trio had to reflect that.

So! To answer your question - is Wayne still Strip's agent in canon? I actually think not. In fact - I don't think he even exists, at least not within our purview. I think in reality, Strip came up through the ranks the traditional way. He came onto the scene during one of the Piston Cup's boom eras - when the competition between the manufacturers on the track peaked in the early '70s. Race teams were looking for these new cars with their dramatic styling and high horsepower. Strip was tearing it up at local regional tracks and making a name for himself at the same time big name sponsors were out looking for talent. Right place, right time, right eyes out there looking for racers. Tex, a dedicated race fan himself, made time to go out and look, found Strip, assessed his talent, and offered him the opportunity to prove himself. The rest is history.

So what about the other characters? I'll start with Rick and Stacey. If they exist in canon, they are still associated with their professional positions as described in the fic. It's just less scandalous, obviously, given there's no war and no forcing youths to fight over inflated egos, etc. The manufacturing facilities in Carsverse are still autonomous, sealed off, mysterious conglomerations of machine. But someone's gotta be responsible for watching over them - Rick is still in charge there. What do you do with all the newly manufactured cars as they're rolling off the line? Send them to dealerships for adoption, training in life skills - all the things that need to happen before a car is released into the world, etc. Stacy is still in charge of that process. Whether they know each other or not I'll leave up to the imagination ;)

Izzy, my beloved supporting character, ugh I love her. To be honest I'm still undecided on if she exists in canon. My inclination is to say no. At least not as Strip's sister. (Canonically, especially when considering how Cal factors in, I have hc'd a brother for Strip instead. Different dynamic, I think, is needed for the trauma I frequently inflict on Cal's childhood.) If Izzy does exist, she's out there somewhere, unrelated to racing royalty, a highly motivated boss lady determined to make a difference. Maybe she went to med school from the start, has a nice family, and lives a totally normal, fulfilling life. Because she deserves it <3

The rest of them, well, it's a crapshoot with them. They're not a family unit, they don't know each other. They rolled off the line and were sent out into the world like every other car ever built. But these cars were built to race - how many of them really wanted to? Very, very few Superbirds and Daytonas were ever made, even fewer of them lived as long as Strip has, and none of them are still racing. How many of them were forced into a racing career against their will, even if they weren't really any good? Did they shine bright for a short time, and end up forgotten? How many struggled to find families, or some sort of social cohort? In the real, real world that you and I live in, dealerships couldn't sell these cars to save their lives - no one wanted them. They were considered ugly and impractical. Was this true in Carsverse as well? How many of them couldn't find their place in the world and just slowly faded away?

I fear that for the squad described in Conflict, the competitive ones (with questionable talent) like Diego likely raced for a year or two while they were new and fast and unrestricted, but beyond that were forgotten. He likely fell into destructive depression after his short time in the sun, not knowing his place in the world, not finding joy in normalcy. Because he's not normal. And there's no place for him to fit in. For those with less extreme dispositions (like Howie, Laura) they likely experienced more normal lives, though tainted by the assimilation issues as described for their models. Abandonment issues, trust issues, hyper independence - they're all a little off. But most of them manage an average life. They land in small towns, have normal occupations, and occasionally light up the straight-stretch outside of town after dark, beyond the reach of the law. They might not be racers in the purest sense - but because of what they are - for those brief moments of time, they're free. <insert F&F quote here>

[the-kings-tail-fin]

Strip is such a comfort character XD he seems like someone who just doesn't want to bother to do anything anymore, which I dont particularly blame considering what a tiring life he's had and just want some dang rest, but does he ever react like getting really scared and jumpy like any normal person (or car lmaoo) or get visibly excited? The biggest reactions I've seen from him is just widening his eyes or angry, what exactly is his mindset?

SUCH a comfort character, ugh I just love him so much. <3333

I think his lack of notable reaction to most things we get to see in the movies is just due to his experience. He's been there, done that, a million times. It's not so much that he doesn't care to do anything anymore - he's still highly competitive and outwardly involved in the sport, even in Cars 3 as a crew chief - he's just seen it all at that point and there are no new surprises, annoyances, and so on in the Piston Cup world. (Noteworthy moment - when Lightning and Cruz jointly win the Florida 500 at the end of Cars 3, he's definitely surprised - he's not seen that before.)

He clearly cares enough to approach Lightning after the 2006 Dinoco 400 and give him some much-needed advice, even if it's all in vain at the time. If this kid is the future of the sport, it's worth a shot. But even there, he's very level-headed and aside from the slight "listen here you idiot" tone he starts out with (direct insult and all), is still friendly and good-willed towards his competitor.

I would imagine that at the track, his second most frequently experienced (and expressed) emotion is frustration. See exhibit A, a split second before Chick sends him to his near-death experience in LA. I would imagine this sort of frustration, while he knows how to deal with it, continued to surface when Cal came on the scene and Strip had little to no control over similar things that happened to his nephew on the track. He's not above saying a few choice words when the occasion calls for it. (I'm still waiting for my Piston Cup Radioactive, @whipplefilter - I will wait forever if I have to.)

He does get excited, say, when Cal's a few laps away from getting a win. When anything could go wrong and each lap lasts an eternity. Internally, he's even more excited than when he was racing and winning. But he's also got a great poker face, and won't show anything at all under the checkers have waved. To do anything before then would jinx their luck. But after? There's no reason to hide his excitement and how proud he is of Cal. He damn near fell off the pit box when Cal got his first win.

But, most of the time, his default mindset is best described as mellow and content. He's had the best sort of life and career a racecar could have, and getting to continue that in various ways is a true gift he's not taking for granted. Sure, there's frustration when his racer gets a DNF. There's excitement and happiness when Team Dinoco gets a win. But on a typical race weekend it's usually "we did our best, we're moving on to next week" and letting it go. Because life is much bigger than any one moment.