Edit: Third party valuation I paid for just came back with a valuation of $16,580.
Was in an accident a little over 45 days ago when the person in front of me slammed on their brakes, so I slammed on my brakes, but couldn't stop in time. My vehicle was totaled because of airbag deployment. I filed with my company for collision coverage. I provided all info for both vehicles and drivers, the police report, traffic cam video, ect... I was told I will be at fault (as expected despite the extenuating circumstances) and that inspection of damage and settlement offer should take 7 - 10 business days due to likely being totaled, it took 30 days. They offered me $12,000 as the ACV settlement for my vehicle. This is right about the KBB value of my vehicle. However, I am looking to replace my vehicle and all options I am finding with same year, make, model, trim, and mileage within 5-10K miles of my vehicle ect... are selling within a week or two at prices between $17,000-$19,000. The KBB value seems to be quite a bit off from the current market prices. I was told by my adjuster that the ACV is calculated as replacement cost - depreciation. I am finding it very difficult to even find one with the third row seat like mine. The one I did find was sold the next day for $18,500 and Carmax said they could put my on a list to call when they get another one with the third row seating. The other rogue with same miles was sold for $18,000, so the third row does seem to add about $500 to the sold price. I requested the valuation report while on the phone with my adjuster and via email the next day when I sent all of my comps with what I feel is a fair settlement counter offer ($18K ACV (averaged by the sold prices of all 10 comps I sent) - $1500 for dealer markup (My car was in excellent condition, all dealer done maintenance, regularly inspected, new brakes ect... but I understand there is always some deduction for this anyway) + $1320 for taxes and reg (their figure @ 8% total tax rate) - $1000 deductible = $16,820 Settlement Offer. I sent this over 2 weeks ago with the VINs and all info of my comps from 3 different sources (Carmax, Carvanna, and AutoTrader with local dealerships and one private party listing), and my adjuster went silent on me. They still have not even provided me the valuation report or comps they are supposedly using to come up with their settlement amount. Does this offer of $12,000 seem reasonable or is my offer of $16,820 in any way unreasonable? Is it a reasonable delay to not settle a total loss within 45 days, when there is no argument about fault or anything else, or to not respond to a request for the valuation report or to review my provided comps for over 2 weeks?
I am trying to be understanding of the potential plight of the overworked and underpaid adjusters, but it's difficult when I am loosing my income and now potentially my home at this point... especially if they are just ignoring me because they think me wanting a fair value for my vehicle, means them having to actually go dig up comps is an unreasonable annoyance and therefore a valid reason to delay. I am willing to negotiate, to be understanding, and to be proven wrong in my valuation. However, I am not willing to flat out ignored or treated like I am trying to cause damage to their personal financial situation, when their actions are causing undue damage to my personal financial situation. If they have time to try to pressure me again to sign the POA for the car, they have time to provide their valuation report or reevaluate their settlement offer based on my provided comps. I am not going to sign over the POA for Copart to auction my vehicle, until a fair settlement is reached.
Vehicle: 2016 Nissan Rogue SV with 85K Miles & Third Row Seating
Accident/Claim Policy Location: Colorado

Occupation: Investment Professional
Industry: Finance
Age: 27
Location: California
Pronouns: She/her
Assets & Debt:
Assets: $943,000 in total: $17,000 in cash checking/savings. $171,000 in a 401(K) from my prior job. $36,000 in IRAs. $680,000 in my brokerage account. $38,000 invested in my company’s funds (Valued at my cost basis. I have committed to invest up to $150,000 over the next four years). ~$1,000 between two HSA/FSAs. I am a renter so I do not have home equity.
*Debt: * ~$3,000 balance on credit cards that are paid in full each month.
Income:
Income: $225,000 salary + $100,000 bonus. I received $100K as a bonus for the last two years, so I think this year should be the same or higher in light of a promotion.
I’m also eligible for a portion of carried interest, which is our firm’s profit sharing plan. It’s highly uncertain (deferred contingent compensation that vests quarterly over 5 years) but the estimated payout is $0.5 million in total over the next five to seven years if our investments perform according to plan and I stay with the firm through the full vesting period. This amount could potentially double if our new fund launches as planned later this year. I wanted to include this to reflect my full financial picture, but it’s not money I’m counting on at this point.
Paycheck Amount: $5,884 twice a month. This is after taxes and about $25 per pay period into an FSA. My company covers my health insurance premiums in full and does not currently offer a 401K, so there are no retirement deductions netted out of this amount. The bonus is paid out once a year in December.
Income Progression: I’ve worked in the same field throughout my career. My first salary was $65,000 plus a $40,000 bonus. My income increased significantly over the first few years of my career, including several very generous bonuses at my last job (>100% of base) that have allowed me to save as much as I have.
Side Gig / Extraneous Income: None
Partner’s Income: My partner and I do not have combined finances so I did not include his financial information above. However, we do live together, share expenses, and intend to combine finances after marriage so I thought it was relevant to share his financial information. He makes about $120,000 a year in salary plus equity in his company. His net worth is similar to mine though highly concentrated in semi-liquid private stock. We generally split expenses 50/50 and trade off on a few (he covers the Wifi bill because I do more of the groceries and household spending, etc.). We take turns paying for dinner and travel but generally don’t keep track of expenses dollar for dollar.
Supplemental Questions
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in higher education and if yes, how did you pay for it?
I was a very good student growing up so there was never a question that I would go to college, from my side or my parents’ side. I got my bachelor’s degree at a public university. I had a scholarship for the first year and my parents paid for the remainder of tuition and rent which I am very grateful for. I worked during college summers and had internships during a few semesters, so I had savings to pay for groceries, gas, and entertainment.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parents educate you about finances?
Both of my parents have business backgrounds so I am lucky to have had a financial education at home. My parents taught me the importance of saving and helped me open a credit card (to use like a debit card, of course) and investment account during college.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
During high school, I had some informal jobs like babysitting and tutoring here and there. My first W-2 job was working at a restaurant the summer after high school graduation. I wanted the spending money and my parents candidly wanted me to get some life experience before leaving for college.
Did you worry about money growing up?
For the most part, no. My parents did well when I was growing up and still do today. However, my dad’s job had a few boom and bust periods. My dad was between jobs for extended periods when I was a young girl and when I was in middle school during the Great Recession and I remember asking my parents if we were going to be okay. We lived in a nice house and I was never worried about going without something important, but I got the impression that jobs can come and go and you should be prepared with as much savings as possible.
Do you worry about money now?
No, which is such a gift. I’m a natural worrier, so I try to actively appreciate the financial peace of mind that my career has afforded me. I am hoping for an eventual career change, maybe 5 to 10 years from now, into a field that is less lucrative but more personally fulfilling. I don’t worry per se, but I do plan and save in a manner that is consistent with the gravy train drying up in the medium future.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself at 21 when I graduated college and started my first full-time job in finance. At that point, I took over all bills except for the phone bill which my parents still graciously pay.
My savings are my primary safety net. If things were really to go south, I know my partner or family would be there for me.
Have you ever received passive or inherited income?
As mentioned, my parents paid for my college tuition and expenses. When I graduated, they paid for my car and furniture to set up my new apartment. Hard to overstate the value of their financial and emotional support, I’m really lucky.
A few years ago, my parents began giving my sibling and I checks at Christmas as an “advance on an inheritance.” I’ve received about $20,000 in total over four years. I do expect to receive some kind of inheritance eventually, but I don’t count on it and hope that’s very very far away.
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,700 for my half of rent for a one-bedroom apartment (Pain. It’s a nice space in a new building)
Electric/WateTrash/Pest/Etc: $65 or so for my half
Wifi: $0, Partner pays
Phone: $0, Thanks Mom and Dad…
TV Streaming: $0, I am a mooch
Car and Renter’s Insurance: $156
Health Insurance: $0, Company pays
Donations: $300 ($100 to three charities each month; I usually add some ad hoc giving at year-end)
ClassPass: $119
AMC A-List: $25
Spotify: $12
WSJ: $11
Apple Storage: $3
Day 1
7:45 AM: Good morning! I’m in a nice mood today because I was able to sleep straight up to my alarm. My noise cancelling headphones won the battle against the construction outside my window today. After my usual scrolling time, I get ready for work and leave the house around 8:40 AM for what is usually a 20 minute commute. I’m in the office four times a week so I “pay the pink tax” regularly, which is what my partner calls my getting ready routine. Do people care to hear about outfits? I usually wear dressy business casual to the office. Today it’s a blue shell with a keyhole neckline from Macy’s circa 2017, black cardigan, black cropped dress pants from Ann Taylor, and black kitten heels from Vince Camuto. I think I am Ann Taylor’s most loyal customer in the under-40 category.
10:30 AM: Pretty quiet week in the office so far. I have a call to learn about a new deal with our potential co-investors. I would rank it a meh out of 10 but consider putting together an investment review page to bring to the broader team just in case. Otherwise, I complete my morning routine of drinking office coffee and playing NYT Games. Our office kitchen is well stocked with coffee and snacks, so I usually eat a yogurt or oatmeal at my desk for weekday breakfast.
12:30 PM: I reheat my meal prepped chickpea curry for lunch. It’s pretty tasty but it’s also my fourth day in a row eating it so I won’t be sad once it’s gone. I usually try to bring lunch to the office, but sometimes I run out of time to meal prep if I travel on weekends and then I resort to Sweetgreen or Whole Foods.
4:00 PM: Pretty leisurely afternoon. My colleague also thinks that this morning’s deal is a meh out of 10, so that’s on hold, and I’m waiting around for some data requests on other deals. I write up a short portfolio update on a few companies I cover to send to one of our investors. There is a close call, as a banker requests a 7:00 AM meeting for next week, but my boss blessedly pushes back and asks for a later time. Otherwise, I work on my Money Diary and start scheming weekend plans.
5:50 PM: Time to go home. Traffic is tragic, as is par for the course on Thursdays. I’ll live.
6:45 PM: I am home and super hungry. I make instant ramen and throw in some baked tofu to bulk it up. I also make a quick cucumber salad with kimchi, soy sauce, chili crunch… and Everything But The Bagel seasoning. I know that’s not a very authentic topping but it’s delicious. I settle in to watch an episode or two of Sex and the City. I just started it and I can’t believe I’ve never watched it before. What a treat! SJP’s body is so banging. I wonder if she ate instant ramen…
7:45 PM: My partner C is home! He got back late because he went to REI for his camping trip this weekend. I ooh and ahh over his new headlamp. He puts his tent together in the kitchen to make sure he has all the pieces. Cuuuuute. And he brought me a red velvet cookie from work! All is well.
9 PM: It’s trashy TV night! I take out my coloring pencils and do a bit of coloring. I watch the first episode of the Ashley Madison documentary on Netflix. Not a lot of likeable characters there unsurprisingly. I need a palate cleanser so I turn on the Try Guys on YouTube which is ironically thematically related.
10 PM: I take a shower and get ready for bed. I write a short note in my gratitude journal and read on my Kindle before passing out. Currently reading Funny Story by Emily Henry (love all of her books) and The It Girl by Ruth Ware (jury’s still out). My first day is a no-spend day, hope that’s not too boring!
Day 1 Total: $0
Day 2
8:15 AM: I get to sleep in today because it’s work from home Friday! I had a dream I was in tumultuous situationships with John Mulaney and Matty Healy… bad taste in men gang, rise up. Anyway… I kiss C goodbye as he leaves for work and get back into bed with some water and a granola bar for my morning screen time.
9:30 AM: Time to make moves. I log into work, make the bed, and get dressed. Today I’m wearing Vuori joggers and an Aerosmith T-shirt I bought at Pacsun in high school. I go downstairs to the apartment lobby to make a latte with their fancy espresso machine. Back upstairs, I settle in with my coffee and put the new Billie Eilish album on TV.
10:30 AM: Bopping around doing emails. I got invited to a Women in Investing event next week by a local bank. They will have a suite at the soccer game! Fun! Unfortunately, it’s the same time as a double dinner date we planned next week. I text C and he’s okay if we reschedule, so I RSVP yes to the soccer game. Separately, C Venmo’s me for my half of the electric bill. I think I missed last month’s notification, sorry, so this would be two months’ worth ($62, included in monthly expenses).
11:00 AM: Our firm closed a deal last week, so as a (small) investor in the fund, I received the deal announcement and capital call today. My portion of the investment would be $6,771. I’ll write that check next week.
12:15 PM: I run out to Trader Joe’s before my afternoon call. Love that I’m in walking distance. I get popcorn, taco shells, two frozen meals, kale, asparagus, chickpea pasta, pasta sauce, artichokes, refried beans, cheese, orange peppers, watermelon, lime seltzer, and guacamole. It’s my cheapest TJ’s run in a while which probably means I’ll be back soon. $50 I get home and make lunch, a pre-made salad with cucumber and tofu added in.
2:45 PM: I had my standing weekly call with a portfolio company and then worked to refine a financial model I’ve been working on. I’m now waiting on input from others, so I have a Greek yogurt and kombucha as a snack. I am still hungry so I crush some popcorn and then do some reading to prepare for a call I’ll have mid-next week about an industry I’m not very familiar with.
4:30 PM: People have stopped replying to my messages so I’ll take the hint and sign off also. I got to the apartment gym and do a few miles on the elliptical and a strength circuit from Caroline Girvan on YouTube.
5:30 PM: After a quick shower, I make chalupas for dinner which is a perennial favorite. Tostadas (or just broken taco shells in a pinch) with refried beans and cheese baked in the oven, topped with salsa, guacamole and bell peppers. I start it up and C helps plate so I can get ready for our evening activity.
6:30 PM: We live nearby a park that does weekly community events and tonight is salsa night! They offered a thirty minute lesson and then an evening of dancing to a live salsa band! We learn a little routine during the lesson but salsa is not a natural skill of C or mine. My footwork isn’t great but I can move my hips a bit. Poor C is stiff as a board and also a perfectionist which is a tough combo for dancing. We dance for about half an hour to the band then give up and watch a while. P.S.: I wore a black floral midi dress, tall black boots, and a black suede jacket. I considered wearing my red silk skirt which is beautiful and looks like the salsa dance emoji, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t because most people were dressed pretty casually and I would have been embarrassed being the fanciest dresser and worst dancer simultaneously.
8:00 PM: We officially give up on salsa - maybe next time! C insists that we would have gotten it if we weren’t five minutes late to the lesson… sure. We go to our local brewery and each have a beer, which C buys. We play Scrabble against each other on our phones. I win but who’s counting? We go back to our apartment and I finish the Ashley Madison documentary and fall asleep on the couch. Spoiler alert: don’t waste your time.
Day 2 Total: $50
Day 3
10:00 AM: Feeling great after sleeping in! C left for his camping trip at about 8 AM and I went back to bed. I fetch another lobby latte and enjoy a slow morning in bed.
12:15 PM: I meet my good friend M out for lunch. Outfit check? I’m wearing an Abercrombie cotton button down tunic, stretchy black pants, and white sneakers. We chat and split a salad and pizza with iced tea. We split the bill, which includes an 18% service charge which states that it helps the restaurant paying living wages but also is “not a tip.” Hmm. The suggested tip at the bottom of the receipt is 10-15% so I leave 10%. Tipping culture stays confusing. $31
1:30 PM: M is joining me on a mission today. I feel like most of my jeans are outdated jeggings or too tight to wear comfortably so it’s time for a refresh. There are a bunch of vintage and thrift stores in the area so we set off. The first store was a bust. I tried on 11 pairs of jeans and there wasn’t even a maybe! I learn that I do not know my jean size and clothing brands also do not know their jean sizes because there is a laughable lack of consistency. Thankfully, my patience is rewarded at the second store. Two out of five pairs are winners. I get a pair of light wash relaxed fit Agolde jeans which are a steal at $32 and a pair of black flared jeans which fit like a glove despite (or because of?) some janky homemade tailoring in blue thread at the waistband. I’ll try to redo that at home in black thread at the very least. M also has success, buying a black denim skirt. $58
3:00 PM: In the midst of our shopping adventure, we stop at Starbucks for a lemonade and bathroom break. $6
3:30 PM: OMG. We walk by a shop with a line out the door and wonder what’s going on. Turns out it’s a pop up merch shop for Billie Eilish’s new album! I can’t help it, we go in. They’re playing her new music video projected on the walls and Billie had signed a decal on the wall for the event. The merch is sick and I buy an overpriced t-shirt. ** $54**
4:30 PM: I stop at CVS on the way home to get some household items, a Magic Eraser and some rubbing alcohol. $8
5:30 PM: Home now. I eat a yogurt and decide to enjoy the last of the daylight. I take my Kindle and a kombucha to sit by the pool for a while.
6:15 PM: It gets chilly quickly so I pack it up. I prep dinner which is the chickpea pasta, air fried asparagus, artichokes and TJ’s Rosatella sauce. The sauce is quite tasty but there was a scary moment when I couldn’t get the jar open and almost called off dinner. I turn on The Idea of You with Anne Hathaway. Is this a Harry Styles fan fic? It must be. It’s a bit corny but also hot. Would recommend.
9 PM: What now? I’m not tired at all so I go around the house doing weird chores. I unpack my clothes and clean out my pants drawer as promised. I try on the new jeans again and turns out there is a surprise waiting for me… someone cut one of those under-butt cut-outs into the Agolde jeans! As if jeans shopping isn’t hard enough! I can’t believe I didn’t see that at the store. I can only laugh. I guess I’ll try to sew it up tomorrow. Maybe white thread to make it look like ripped denim… With that, I take half an edible and call it a night.
Day 3 Total: $157
Day 4
8:30 AM: Good morning… I dreamt about my parents divorcing and C and I splitting up. Pleasant! I eat a granola bar in bed and procrastinate getting ready for the gym until it’s really time to go.
10:30 AM: I go to F45 once or twice a week using ClassPass credits and today was another great class. I’ve gained a lot of confidence lifting weights from the trainers there. I come home, shower up, and pick up the mail and a latte from the apartment lobby. Back upstairs, I call my dad for a while to catch up.
12:00 PM: The Jeans Doctor is in the house! First order of business is to get the blue ink out of my white jeans from last weekend. The internet said that rubbing alcohol will do the trick… I’m sad because I thought it wasn’t working until I rinse out the alcohol and the ink magically washes away. No shit, thanks Good Housekeeping! I feel emboldened by my success and turn to the Agolde jeans. I patch up two little worn patches with white thread and then stitch up the under-booty cut-out in light blue. The white threads help mask my sloppy stitches. Success! I fry some eggs for lunch and finish up my jeans over Sex and the City.
3:00 PM: It’s Sporty Sunday! I walk over to our neighborhood pickleball courts and meet up with a few friends. It’s pretty busy so we volley around the tennis court for about an hour before a pickleball court opens and then we play a few games. The sun feels great! My pickleball skills are super average but it’s been a fun new hobby.
6:00 PM: Home now and so is C! Sounds like he had a great trip. He starts the laundry and I start dinner, which is chalupas round 2. Afterwards I sit on the couch and think zero thoughts for a while. We’re both pretty gassed. I cozy up in bed with a sleepy girl mocktail (tart cherry juice and seltzer) and the new season of Bridgerton.
Day 4 Total: $0
Day 5
6:45 AM: Early bird gets the worm! Couldn’t be me, but the construction workers are already getting after it. I put in my AirPods and go back to bed.
8:15 AM: Time to get ready for work in a rush, as per usual. I’m wearing a black V-neck cardigan with a black lace cami underneath, black cropped dress pants again, and white Vionic loafers. I add some turquoise drop earrings for a bit of color. Quick skincare and makeup and then I’m out the door.
9:10 AM: Now at work, I have a protein bar and coffee. I prep the agenda for our team meeting, then I’m tied up for the next few hours in Monday morning meetings.
12:30 PM: Work usually caters in lunch on Monday and today is Greek food. Beggars can’t be choosers but I’m a bit sad there are four kinds of meat but no falafel. I make a plate of rice, hummus, and salad, then hungrily go back for seconds.
4:00 PM: The afternoon has passed quickly. I finalize a financial model and send out to my deal lead, then start reviewing the materials for a new deal that came through last night. I missed my typical lunch walk, so I take 20 minutes to walk a few blocks around the office. Gosh it’s nice outside.
6:20 PM: I wrap up work, bullshit with my coworker for a bit, then it’s time to go home. Once home, I eat leftover chickpea pasta. I also “meal prep” two lunches for the office; I throw rice in the rice cooker, then once cooked, combine into Tupperware with kale and a Trader Joe’s pre-made Indian food pouch. Does that count as homemade? Once C gets home, we take a little walk together around the neighborhood and enjoy the last half hour of sun.
8:00 PM: We knock out a few chores so the house is in good shape. C cleans the kitchen and I fold laundry. I take a shower and get into PJs so I can have the most peaceful Bridgerton viewing experience. I tell C that Bridgerton has sex scenes and suddenly he’s happy to watch with me. Good night!
Day 5 Total: $0
Day 6
7:30 AM: Rise and shine… I get going a bit early this morning. I wear a tan Zara cardigan, striped Ann Taylor blouse, grey Banana Republic slacks, tan loafers, and gold jewelry. I’d like to think of my work style as classic and unobjectionable, but hopefully not PTA Mom-esque (it probably is).
8:45 AM: I get to the office and start prepping for calls. Busy day with a bunch of random meetings: reference call with a recruiter, strategy session with one of our companies, and an introductory call with a potential banking partner. I’m up to my eyeballs in meetings and little projects until about 2:30. I eat a yogurt for “breakfast” at 11:30 and my meal prepped lunch at 1:00 while I crank through work.
3:00 PM: I’ve been texting with my mom about 4th of July plans and I think we’ve locked in times. I book flights for C and I to visit my parents for a few days over the holidays, which will be great. I book the first flight out using miles and buy the return flight in cash. I don’t think I’ll Venmo request C for this one; we usually cover each other’s expenses when we ask each other to attend “our” events. $342
4:30 PM: I get an email with details for the Women in Investing soccer game event. Apparently the stadium does not allow non-clear bags of any size, including clutches. I go to Amazon and order a small clear bag that will ship in one day. $12
5:45 PM: I booked a Pilates class for 7 PM and I usually get really hangry if I don’t eat beforehand. Luckily, there are Greek food leftovers. I heat up some rice and top with hummus and salad. I prep an agenda for my call tomorrow morning, send it over to my boss, and head out around 6:30.
8:00 PM: Another good Pilates session! I wasn’t able to find street parking so I have to pay for the parking lot. $7 I’m a bit late at this point, but I want to swing by our neighborhood bar for Trivia Tuesday.
9:30 PM: Victory! Our trivia team wins by 1 point, total nail biter. I contributed to the victory by recalling that pi is an irrational number. The 1st place prize is a $100 gift card and we’re stoked. I met this crew through M and they’re all so nice. I got a lemonade which would have been $4, but it’s covered by our previous trivia winnings.
10:00 PM: Home now and time to unwind. I take a shower and then join C on the couch. I tell myself I’m going to read and then I scroll Reddit.
Day 6 Total: $361
Day 7
7:30 AM: Normal routine to get ready for work. I wear a printed flowy blouse, grey cardigan, black dress pants, and tan sandals (assorted H&M, Nordstrom Rack, and Ann Taylor, all years old). I fear it’s very much giving PTA Mom. I scurry off to the office.
8:59 AM: I arrive with one minute to spare before my first call of the day. I would have been early but my usual exit on the highway was closed, sending myself and my fellow commuters for a loop. Anyways, I sign on for my first of five back-to-back calls this morning for new deals and more recruiter interviews (one of our companies is trying to hire a new CEO).
12:45 PM: I wrap up a very successful call where the potential co-investor said our terms are ridiculously off-market, and then the fire alarm goes off. Nice! I have 15 minutes free so I reheat my chickpea pasta and eat half before my next meeting.
2:00 PM: Done with my last meeting. I eat the rest of my pasta and some Greek salad from the kitchen. Thank God for leftovers. I’m feeling pretty frazzled after a busy day. I usually only have one or two meetings per day, then the rest of my workday is quiet time for research or analysis. I take a 20 minute walk to clear my head, then it’s back to it.
6:00 PM: I successfully re-focus enough to complete my sections of the Q1 investor update letters. With that done, I log off for the day and head over to our local movie theater. C and I reserved tickets for A24’s IMAX re-release of Uncut Gems. I’ve never seen it before so I’m excited to hear what the hype is about, albeit years later.
6:30 PM: C beats me to the mall, so he orders dinner for us both. He gets a quesadilla and I have two vegan tacos.
9:30 PM: The movie was a total riot. I leave feeling grateful that my life is my life and not Adam Sandler’s character. The ticket is covered by my AMC A-List subscription, but it would have been $29 after fees otherwise (?!!). The theater validates parking for 3 hours, but we go a bit over so I pay for parking. $6 Thanks for following along with my week!
Day 7 Total: $6
Food Total: $87
Travel Total: $342
Clothing Total: $124
Other Total: $21
Total Spending: $574
Reflections:
This was a typical week at home for me. Outside of the airfare, I’d say it was pretty frugal with no pricy dinners, nail salon visits, or even gas. C and I travel once or twice a month to visit friends and family and attend lots of weddings these days, so some travel spend is normal course for us. I was a bit nervous to submit a MD, but I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading!
Note: edited for formatting :)

I'm so tired of dealing with my ex. I'm over the petty back and forth arguments. The constant lies and manipulation from the ex. But I will do whatever necessary to be with my daughter. Ex and I split at the end of December 22 when I had discovered that she was cheating on me and doing online sex shows for guys and girls behind my back. My world just imploded around me in microseconds. I was blindsided. Turns out she was doing this for years and planning a way to take me for everything I had built for the family. All the houses, car's and furnishings I paid for from an inheritance. I also supported her prior to coming into money. We were together for 12 years. Married 10. She's from Canada and we live in Australia. I chose to leave to help de-escalate the arguments she would cause Infront of my daughter. I felt it was better daddy was just gone one day. Then rip my daughter out of a safe place she knew. The Ex is caring towards my daughter. But has exceptionally poor judgement. In hindsight. I should not have left. As I was also led to believe at the time that we were going to work towards some form of reconciliation.But the fact she was trying to get me arrested for DV when there was never a history of it. Luckily I am a naturally paranoid person of those not in my circle and have security cameras everywhere. Otherwise she might have been successful. I was finding out that she was a very clever manipulative liar. Unfortunately to late. In 2023 she used my daughter as a tool to leverage more from settlement. I physically saw my daughter for no more than 72hrs last year. I got some online chat time with my daughter. But the ex would use this time to control conversations. sitting in on every session. She then cut me off completely for 4 months as I would not give in to her ridiculous demands. Or as she coined it "terms". Terms were. She had 100% control and custody of our daughter. I would be issued visitation upon request on a case by case basis. After my daughter had turned 8. She was 5 at the time of the "terms" being set. She would keep the house and we sell the investments and split the cash. Welp, needless to say I said no way. To speed the process along and to hopefully get quicker access to my daughter that I hadn't seen in months. I agreed to give her a million dollar house with everything inside. Came to about $1.08mil in value in the end. I took two small investment properties and the remaining cash from the sale of another. Value came to just shy of $800k. And I had to purchase everything again to live in one of the properties. I thought this is reasonable considering she's never lifted a finger to help pay for anything other than halfing bills. And my daughter gets to stay in a house she knows. I'm now fighting for just some semblance of a normal life with my daughter. I now get to see her two weekends a month since the ex got the house she always wanted. I would prefer 50/50 But I unfortunately live an hour and a half drive away. every interaction with the ex is met with argument or silent aggression. Or just plain dicking me around for the hell of it. At this point. I'm not even sure what she's argumentative about. I just want to move on with my life. I'd rather just talk with her like an average adult so it makes everything easier for everyone. She's a tedious narcissists and I hate that I have to continue to deal with her for at least another 10 years. But, every time I see my daughter. Or look at the memories in pictures that we have already built in the short time I have been seeing her again. It gives me strength to move forward. My ex is a massive child and refuses to have any normal conversation. She loves writing and will write endlessly in argument for anything. I don't trust her and I am fearful of any manipulation she may try. To the point I wear a body cam on every pick up and drop off in a public space. I hate that I feel I need to do this. But, I get to see and spend time with my daughter. And in the end that's all I want without argument. There is so much more to this story. I have simplified some narrative to try keep it short. I'm not a good writer. If you read this whole thing I applaud and thank you. I know other's have it much worse. I just needed to vent out of frustration.

21F 100lbs 5’2. Location of pain is in legs. Deep aching bone pain, can feel leg throbbing and nerves firing. Restless leg syndrome and alternating sciatica, always. If my left leg isn’t hurting the right leg is hurting vice versa. 90% pain in one 10% in the other. 2hrs of sleep a night , going crazy.
My girlfriend has MVP with mild regurgitation. Had SIBO MRI of bulging disc across entire lumbar (deemed not cause of pain by doctors) MRI of right hip found cyst on joint (Deemed not cause of pain by doctors)
Here’s the prompt I used
A patient suffers from 24/7 leg pains and joint pains. The pain did not start until after a kidney stone passed. They tested negative for hepatitis and Lyme disease and rheumatoid arthritis. They also tested negative for neuropathy after previously testing positive and have a perfect spine and discs. CBC came out normal. The patient does not benefit from narcotics and ssri snri gabapentin Lyrica, Meloxicam and epidural. They do not help pain. What could be the cause given the leg pain symptoms and tests
CHATGPT response:
CRPS, Central sensitization, Fibro? But only in legs I guess lol. Myofascial Syndrome. Vascular Conditions like PAD
So using the doctors logic as the prompt, ignoring the MRI finding and MVP, it’s all in her head.
Any insights? On the surface she has no visible symptoms. Aside from burns from heat pads to cope with pain, now using ice. And the bruising from holding onto legs in desperation. And a minuscule swollen lymph node on neck.

Inflation hurts your pocket whether you have debt or not. That’s evident when you go to the grocery store and see the price increases of most items. The gas price has risen, so the delivery costs to the store have increased, and the retailer has passed down the cost to you. Knowing how to prepare during inflation will provide some relief during economic hardship.

What is inflation?

The common definition of inflation is a general increase in the price levels of goods and services, but I define it as a tax on people. Because that’s what it is. Prices ‘inflate’ because of excessive government spending, money printing and bad policies. And you’re paying the price for their mistakes.
To combat inflation, governments usually increase interest rates.
That means you pay more for your debt. If you’re not in a position to pay off your debt immediately, you’ll have to obtain money to service it. Getting a side hustle is one solution, but it can take time. You need an immediate solution.

Lower your expenses

You know that you should live below your means, even in good times. But it’s essential for you to make lifestyle adjustments during inflation.
Consider moving to a more affordable area. This is especially feasible if you work remotely. Otherwise, you can rent out a spare room or move in with someone. I did it, and I managed to reduce my rent in half.
If efficient public transport is available, sell your car. Not having monthly car expenses is likely to save you at least $500. Every dollar counts, and you need it during inflation.
Forget about eating out, buying new clothes and going on vacation. It’s out of the question.
Analyse all your other expenses and come up with solutions to reduce them. You can reduce every expense and eliminate non-essentials—unnecessary for survival.
Expenses such as alcohol, cigarettes and entertainment such as video streaming services and other subscriptions are non-essentials.

Sell your stuff

If you can’t get an extra job immediately, you need to sell your stuff. Consider doing that even if you have extra work. You don’t need your golf clubs, 5 pairs of shoes and tools you never use.
Walk around your house, garage and every other area with pen and paper and make a list of all the items you can sell. You don’t need your stuff; you need money. Inflation is a major burden on everyone, and you can increase your chances of surviving it by having money.
One of the easiest ways to acquire money is to sell the stuff you don’t need. Organise a garage sale and advertise your stuff online.
It’s not necessary to have an additional TV, tablets and gaming consoles. They need to go because you need money. Don’t forget to sell your pet as well. Having a pet means buying food, paying for grooming and visits to the vet, which you cannot afford during tough times.

No more debt

You don’t get out of a hole by digging it deeper. That means you cannot take out more debt. You should be paying off debt so that you have fewer payments. When you don’t have debt, you have money.
I would not recommend financing expenses with a credit card, even if you plan to pay it at month-end. It might not work out that way, which leaves you with more debt. Don’t make the situation worse by owing more money.
You might feel that you’re up to your neck in expenses and that a credit card will relieve some of that stress. It won’t. If you reduce your expenses and sell your stuff, you’ll have more money. That will help you avoid the temptation of credit card purchases.
I shouldn’t need to tell you that you must pay all your debt, except the house, as soon as possible. If you must keep your financed car, I would recommend making that the first debt you focus on, even if you have other debt with a lower balance.
Used-car monthly payments in 2022 were on average $500 in America, and payments for a new car were $700. Not having that monthly payment gives you significant breathing room.

Work like crazy

During inflation, and while in debt, you should have at least two jobs. Ask your full-time employer for overtime and find a weekend job as well. The more income streams you have, the better. Not only do you need more money during inflation, but you need to have a backup income, in case you lose one of your income streams.
Many people lost jobs in big companies in 2022 and the beginning of 2023. It can happen to you, and you don’t want to be without any income if one employer decides to let you go.
The other advantage of working all the time is that you have little time to spend money. You want to be distracted so that you’re not focused on how you can spend money.

The Whole Thing

4/14/94

I stepped back from the guy in disbelief. He held his bandaged hand up to his chest, hugging it and turning away from me like he was ashamed of it.
"Oh my god! You're bitten, aren't you?" I gasped.
He nodded sheepishly. "It burns," he whimpered.
"Wha... When did it happen?" I asked.
"I dunno. A week ago, I think. I… I just wanna be like them already," he said as tears filled his eyes.
"But you're not sick, right?" I said.
He shook his head and started to sob, "I... I just want this to be over," he cried. “I hate how they all look at me.”
I stepped forward to comfort him as he balled.
"Hey, hey, hey. What's your name, dude?" I asked sincerely, gently putting the back of my hand on his forehead.

He wasn’t lying. He was cool to the touch, and I couldn’t feel any fever. 

"Daniel," he sniffled.
"Daniel, huh? I'm Mel. Can I... Can I see the bite?" I asked.
"Are you a doctor?" Daniel asked.
"No, but I'm the closest thing to one you have right now," I pointed out.
Daniel tentatively gave me his wounded hand. I took it and gently unwrapped the bandages. The wound looked well-dressed, but he hadn't changed the dressing in a while, or ever. The bandages had yellowed, and it stank as I peeled them off.
"Who wrapped this up for you?" I asked, trying to take his mind away from any pain.
"My friend, Elise," he sobbed.
"Did she turn? Is she one of them now?"
Daniel nodded.
I unwrapped the last few turns and saw the wound. It had started to heal and scab, just like mine had all those months ago. My eyes grew wide, and I gasped in shock.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Daniel asked frantically.
"Err... Nothing. You said it burns, right?" I inquired.
Daniel nodded.
"But you're not sick, right?" I continued.
"Yeah, everyone got sick but me," he pointed out.
"Daniel, I think you're gonna be ok. I think you're immune," I said with a hopeful smile.
"What do you mean? How do you know?" He asked.
"Look," I said, turning my head to the left and pulling back the collar of my Dad's bomber, revealing the ugly bite scar on my neck. "One of them got me right around the time this whole thing started, and I'm still here. Still breathing."
"You... You think I'll be ok?" He sniffed.
"Well, why don't we find out, huh?" I said, giving him a pat on the arm. "Here. Let me dress that up for you."
I dropped my Go Bag and pulled out my first aid kit. I grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and a bandage. I opened the bottle, offered my hand, and he gave me his. I took it and pulled it towards me to inspect the wound. I poured the bottle on it without warning, and Daniel screamed, leaping back and pulling his hand away from me. He cried and yelped loudly, clutching at his wrist and contorting his hand in agony.
"Dude! I'm sorry, but you gotta keep the fuck down!" I growled through gritted teeth, apologising for the pain I'd just inflicted.
I checked left and right for any dead ones who might have heard this six-foot, farm-boy-looking guy screaming his lungs out over a little splash of disinfectant. I knew it hurt; I'd done it to myself on the bites I'd received, but Daniel couldn't take it.
"Calm down! You'll attract them!" I yelled over his cries.
The fear of the dead ones showing up made him gulp it in and stand up, whimpering and holding his wounded paw. I reached out, and he pulled his hand back.
"Please! No more of that stuff," he pleaded.
"Don't worry. I'm not trying that again," I said, rolling my eyes as I started to bind the wound with a bandage. "You can get gangrene for all I care if that's how you're gonna take it. You gotta keep it down, dude. How else did you guys survive this long?"
"We had Father Jim," Daniel sniffled.
"Yeah? I heard about him. He sounds like a real stand-up guy," I said, trying to make conversation while I finished dressing his hand.
"Did you know him?" Daniel asked.
"Only through what I found. I ran into your little expedition about a month ago. They were looking for medication, right? Did Father Jim get better?" I asked.
"No. He died. They all died," Daniel said, tears returning to his eyes.

I gave him a second. He wasn’t even looking at me, just looking through me, lost in shock and wherever his mind was taking him to protect him from confronting all he’d lost. “Hey,” I spoke softly, “You’re gonna be ok. It’s gonna be ok. You’re not alone,” I guided him back to the RV. He lumbered slowly behind me and struggled to keep pace, but I gave him time. For the next few days, we cruised around rural Kentucky. We didn’t even see a single dead one. Daniel took the back bed my Dad used to sleep in, and I slept above the cab, my Beretta under my pillow, just in case. 

Daniel took his time recovering. Physically, the guy was OK. The bite wound recovered well. I told him it would turn into a gnarly scar like mine, smiling and trying to cheer him up, but he didn’t react. The poor guy was like a lost, lonely child. He spent most of his days catatonically staring, and at night, he would cry quietly. I just gave him his time. I had no idea how to handle this. I was barely able to understand it myself. I had been alone, living in my own fiction with Dad and Madeline, hoping that I might find another living person. And here that person was a crying, broken young guy I now had to care for.

Daniel had been too shocked or scared to leave the RV. He hardly ate and barely got up from the back bed, but I'd had enough by the time the fourteenth rolled around. I didn’t care if he wanted to stink up the place; I wanted to get showered and changed. “Look, dude. We’re both getting a little ripe in here, and I’m not getting changed in front of you,” I reasoned, but poor Daniel was timidly sitting on the back bed. “There aren’t any out there, man. Trust me, it’s ok,” I said. 

I tried my best to understand his fear of the dead ones. It was crippling him and trapping him here in my RV. Whatever trauma he'd been through, he was lugging around inside him. No matter what I did or said, I couldn't coax much out of him besides simple answers. I knew his name. I knew he'd been with a group of survivors at that complex in March Ridge. I knew they had their pastor leading them until he died, along with the rest of them, and that had turned poor six-foot Daniel into a lost little boy.
“Hey, Daniel. You can come back in now,” I said when I was all cleaned up, opening the door and letting him back into the RV.
Daniel climbed slowly up the steps with his head down, walked to the back bed and sat back down. I put a jay in my mouth and stood by the door.
“I'm gonna go for a smoke, dude. The bathroom’s all yours,” I said, trying to hint him towards getting washed up, but he wasn't listening.
It was like he wasn't even there. Like a lost, stray dog that didn’t trust humans anymore, he timidly lumbered around, reeking of mange and b.o. I shook my head, stepped, and lit my jay, closing the door behind me.
I'd parked us by large open fields of farmland on the edge of some woods. I could see for miles around in the warm spring of the late Kentucky morning. With nothing better to do, I took a stroll along the woods until I was far enough away from the RV to talk out loud without being heard. Despite being around another living person for the first time in almost a year, I felt so alone. While Daniel struggled to adjust to his new reality, I was adjusting to mine and having no one to talk to. So, hoping to find solace, I slumped against a tree at the edge of the woods, smoked my jay, and closed my eyes.
“Hell of a find, huh, Songbird?” Dad said, leaning in next to me against the tree.
I beamed out a relieved smile, opened my eyes and turned to see him smile back.
“He didn't turn. He's immune, like me,” I said.
“He ain't doing much else, either,” Dad scoffed.
“It must have been traumatic,” I reasoned.
“You got over it, Mel. The end of the world passed you by, and you rolled with it,” Dad pointed out.
“Did I, or did I go just as insane as he did?” I asked rhetorically, looking my dead Dad in the eye with a raised eyebrow. He paused for a moment, curled his lip and shrugged.
“Touche,” he admitted.
I leaned back against the tree, took a drag and held the smoke in my lungs a little longer than I would normally. I let it all out in a sigh through my nose and closed my eyes.
“What the fuck am I gonna do with this guy, Dad?” I asked.
Dad took a few seconds to consider, then said, “Well, you could start by finding him some fresh clothes.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “I didn't think about that.”
“Maybe you have been alone too long,” Dad pointed out.
He wasn't wrong, but I hadn't realised how out of touch I'd been. It was a sudden realisation of how much I'd forgotten what real human contact was supposed to be. I hadn't had to think of anyone but myself up until this point. Dad and Madeline had just been along for the ride.
“I have an idea,” I said aloud, hauling myself to my feet and walking back to the RV.
I climbed into the driver's seat and told Daniel we were hitting the road and that he should buckle up. Daniel didn't even ask where we were going. He had yet to ask since I found him. I had no idea if his head was so full of trauma that his thought process wasn’t functioning or if his mind was completely empty. Neither would have surprised me.
I drove the RV to the intersection south of West Point. We were gonna kill two birds with one stone; I needed fuel, he needed clothes. I didn’t know how long he'd been wearing the rags hanging off him, but I felt guilty that it had taken me this long and a conversation with my Dad to notice. It also worried me slightly that he hadn't even mentioned it himself.
“Hey, Daniel,” I called out to him as we hopped out of the RV after I pulled it up to the gas pump and killed the engine.
He craned his neck and looked at me, waiting for me to respond.
“Can you give me a hand with something?” I asked.
“Uhh… yeah… ok,” he nodded.
He followed me around to the side of the RV, where I opened one of the cargo hatches. Inside was a generator I'd been keeping for power on the move and most of my tools. Being used to doing this alone, I grabbed the generator with both hands and lugged it towards the gas station.
“Can you grab my tools, dude?” I asked, and he obliged.
“Do you… can you handle that?” He asked as I hauled the genny and lowered it down about a foot from the gas station power box
“Nah. I got it. I've been doing this kinda shit for a while now,” I said, gesturing that it was no big deal. “Thanks,” I said as he placed my toolbox beside it.
“Do you need to fix it or something?” Daniel drawled.
“Nope. I need to hook it up to the gas station to power it up so I can fill up the RV and a couple of gas cans. I have something for you, though,” I explained.
I returned to the RV, reached into the storage and pulled out a folded-up duffle bag. Carrying it in one hand, I strolled towards the Barg'n'clothes at the north side of the intersection.
“Come on!” I shouted cheerily as I turned around and gestured at Daniel to follow with a smile.
He followed me across the parking lot and through the double doors of the huge outlet. The place was dark and dusty, but enough of the midday sun beamed through the windows to see the racks of clothing—all shapes, sizes, and styles of cheap, off-brands.
“Here,” I said, thrusting the folded duffle bag against his chest and letting him take it from me. “I'll get the RV gassed up. You do some shopping,” I said with a wink.
“What? I just take stuff?” Daniel gawked.
“Of course, dude. Take whatever you want,” I shrugged.
“But, like, isn't it stealing?” He asked.
That question visibly struck me because how I looked at him made his face drop slightly in shock. My confused frown must have made me look angry.
“Daniel, there's… there's no one left to steal from. The world ended, man. Whatever you don't take is gonna rot here, dude,” I explained.
“You're sure no one will care?” He asked sincerely.
“Where do you think I got my winter clothes from? Trust me, no one's alive to care,” I said, waving my hand and heading for the door. “I’ll be by the gas station if you need me. Take your time. Try stuff on. Get cleaned up.”
I left Daniel on his shopping spree while I hooked up the genny to the gas station. With the afternoon heating up, I peeled off my plaid shirt, tied it around my waist and got to work. I was filling up some gas cans when Daniel finally emerged from the store in fresh clothes and a stuffed duffle bag. He wore a plaid pattern similar to mine, only yellow instead of red, some baggy jeans and a green and white Kentucky ball cap. He looked less like the rag-clad shell of a person I'd pulled out of March Ridge and more like someone who was, at least outwardly, looking better.
“Looking good,” I said with a smile.
“Thanks,” Daniel said, returning it. “I didn't know that covered your whole arm,” he said, gesturing at my snake tattoo.
“Yeah, cool, huh?” I said, giving him a good view of my right arm. “You got any?” I asked.
“Nah. My Mama never liked 'em,” he said.
“She probably wouldn't have liked me then, huh?” I asked.
“Well, you seem like a good person, Mel,” he said, smiling but not looking at me.
Daniel turned to look inside the gas station, now powered up with the lights on inside. His eyes grew wide as he stared down towards the ground inside.
“That's the fucker that gave me this,” I said, pointing at the bite scar on my neck.
He took his eyes off the skeleton with a missing skull that I'd left on the floor that day in late July and turned to see me craning my neck.
“He wasn't the only one either,” I stated.
“You've been bitten more than once?” Daniel exclaimed.
“Sure, the other one was a high school kid. Got me right here,” I said, pointing at the bite scar below my collarbone. “Almost bit my fucking tit off,” I said with a wry smile.
Daniel winced at me. I didn't know if it was due to seeing the scar or if me using the word “tit” made him uncomfortable. In either case, I quickly changed the subject.
“So, it's pretty hot, and I'm pretty hungry. I’m gonna get the grill out and cook us some fish. How about it?” I suggested.
I grilled, we ate, and I brought out some beers and lit a small fire in the middle of the intersection, tossing wood and whatever crap was lying around that would burn. I offered Daniel a beer, but he refused.
“Mama used to tell me that my Dad was a drinker, so I never wanted to,” he explained.
“That's fair,” I said. “Was it just you and your Mom?” I asked.
“She uh… she was the only one who got me, you know?” He said. “She was all I had until, you know, then I had Father Jim, Elise, Beth, Derrick, all the others,” he listed before going silent. “They're all… them now,” he said as he curled in on himself, teled in his eyes.
It took me a while to come up with something to say, but I jumped in before his quiet sobs turned into whole cries.
“I know that feeling, dude. Believe me, I do. You can't let them get to you, though. They're just part of the world now, and we can beat them. I've done it,” I claimed.
“Huh?” Daniel said, looking at me with glossy eyes.
“See that over there,” I said, nodding towards the burned-down dealership and blackened burnt-out cars. “Not long after the whole end of the world, when people outside Kentucky stopped broadcasting, I cleared this place out—learned my lesson, though. They can creep up on you, but they're slow and stupid. Now, the only bunch around for miles are up North in West Point.”
“How many have you killed?” Daniel asked.
“Fuck if I know, dude. I don't exactly keep count when they're all burning in a pile,” I scoffed, sipping my beer.
“Are they still, you know, them?” He asked.
“I… I don't even know if it was just me going crazy or if I really did hear it, but I've heard a few of them talking. Just a word here and there, nothing more than that. If whoever they were is still in there, it isn't coming back. Putting them down for good is, well, it's mercy. Madeline taught me that,” I said quietly over my beer.
“Who's Madeline?” Daniel asked.
“She was my girlfr… my wife,” I corrected myself.
Daniel looked at me confused, gawking with that slack-jawed look under the brim of his cap.
“I know, I know, girls can't get married to other girls, but Maddy was raised Catholic, and she always wanted to be married,” I started. “One day, before all this end-of-the-world crap, she put this ring on my finger,” I said, fiddling with the silver wedding band. “She died a few weeks after,” I went on, as tears started to fill my eyes and reality started to dawn on me. “And for those last few weeks, she didn't call me anything but her wife,” I said, choking on the last word and trying to hold down the sobs, but everything hit me all at once.
The fabricated world I'd built out of frosted glass in my head suddenly shattered in Daniel's presence as I told him about Madeline. I had spent almost a year surviving the apocalypse when any average person would have been grieving. And now I grieved for Madeline, out loud and in the open, in front of the first living person I'd seen in what felt like a lifetime. I balled up my hand and held it against my mouth as my body shook with quiet, subdued sobs. My aching heart punctured the lump in my throat as the real world poured into me like cold, icy water and the fact that Maddy was dead, buried, and gone slapped me in the face once more after almost a year of refusing to see it. I turned away from Daniel as the tears rolled down my cheeks. He said nothing as I kept my eyes tightly shut, trying to compose myself. I sniffed, wiped the tears from my cheeks and took a deep breath.
“Yeah, Maddy was my wife. It might not have been real to anyone else, but it was real to her,” I paused. “It was real to me,” I added, looking back at the ring on my hand. “I haven't talked about it to anyone. I haven’t been able to talk about it to anyone,” I admitted. “She died right before all this went down, and I've been alone ever since.”
The two of us sat silently as the fire cracked at our feet and the sun fell below the treeline.
“Sorry for unloading on you there,” I sighed aloud, trying to chuckle awkwardly to lighten the mood.
“It's ok. You've really been alone this whole time?” He asked.
“Yeah. I guess it wasn't all bad, but yeah, just me,” I answered.
“I… I was trying to get help for my Mama when it happened,” Daniel started. “She was getting sick. She got really hot, and then she stopped breathing. I went to get help, but they… they were everywhere. Derrick from the store where I work grabbed me. A bunch of people were running for the army barracks.”
Daniel paused there. It was his turn to get choked up. I let the tears fill his eyes without judgment.
“I tried to get them to help my Mama, but they said it was too dangerous. I didn't leave until… until there was no one left but them,” he gasped before crying.
I let him ball it out as the memories of the trauma he'd suffered came bubbling back up to the surface.
“I just wanted to be like them. I hate how they look at me. They look so mad, like they hate me,” Daniel sobbed.
“I don't think they hate you. I don't think they can hate anything, Daniel. They're dead,” I stated.
“But they can't be. They're walking around,” he retorted.
“I don't know what kind of disease caused it, but some of the shit I've seen happen to them. Some of the shit I've done to them, you can't survive that. They're dead, dude, and nothing is bringing them back,” I said.
Daniel took a long pause as he composed himself.
“What do you think caused it?” He asked.
“Fuck if I know, man. There was this one guy, though. I saw him with his family right at the beginning of it all. He worked at the military base, and I’ve been trying to find it since. I found his home in Ekron and some dead special forces dudes. They seemed to know more than anyone else did. Not that it even matters anymore,” I sighed.
“Derrick said it was something in the Spiffo burgers. He said they had human meat in them, and it made people go crazy or something,” Daniel said, looking over at the Spiffos on the other side of the intersection.
“For real?” I laughed. “Dude, when I thought I would turn into one of them, I ate everything in that place. I wanted to be the last person alive to enjoy a Spiffo burger.” I said, gesturing at the same Spiffos
“Mama never let me eat fast food. She said it was full of junk. Maybe Derrick was right?” Daniel sighed, staring into the fire.
“Maybe,” I sighed as well.
For a while, we sat there staring in silence. Daniel was lost in his thoughts while my slightly buzzed brain was half baking a plan.
“I have an idea,” I said, smiling.
I got up, walked over to the Barg'n’ Clothes and grabbed the first t-shirt closest to the entrance. Then, I marched back to the RV and pulled out one of the gas cans I'd filled earlier. I took them to Daniel by the fire and carefully filled my empty beer bottles with gasoline.
“What are you doing?” Daniel asked curiously.
I filled the last empty bottle and started ripping the t-shirt into rags.
“We're gonna take our revenge on Spiffo Burger on behalf of all mankind,” I said with a wicked laugh.
As I jammed the t-shirt strips into the tops of the bottles and the gas inside, we were left with four Molotovs ready to go.
“Here,” I said, handing two of them to Daniel. “Let's have some fun,”
With my two in hand, I marched towards the Spiffo Burger and stopped when I was within my throwing distance. I put one down at my feet and turned the other upside down to soak the rag while I lit it with my lighter.
“Fuck you, Spiffo! You killed the human race!” I shouted as I hurled my Molotov right through the window.
The glass smashed, and fire lit up the inside. Flames danced through the window, and an orange glow shone against the waning light of the evening in the large, empty intersection.
“Woo!” I cheered, laughing with delight. “Come on, try it,” I said to Daniel, offering my lit lighter.
He carefully held out one of his Molotovs and pulled away timidly as the rag caught fire. He readied himself, smiled and hurled it.
“Fuck you, Spiffo!” He yelled as he did.
Daniel, as it turned out, didn't have the best throwing arm, and his Molotov landed a few feet in front of the doorway to the old-world fast food chain.
“Dude,” I said, giggling, which made Daniel look away from me, embarrassed.
I picked up my second Molotov, lit it and cocked my arm back.
“This is for discontinuing the Fluffyfoot Ribs!” I yelled as I hurled my second Molotov, laughing hysterically as it landed on the roof.
Daniel held his second Molotov towards me. I lit it, and he walked a few paces closer to the burning building. He said nothing this time and hurled it at the door, which shattered the glass and added to the flaming interior.
“Woo! Fuck yeah!” I cheered, clapping.
I jogged over to the RV, opened the driver door and leaned in. I grabbed the first tape my hand could find and looked at it. “Mel's”, it read simply. I smiled, put it in the tape deck, turned the ignition on and cranked the volume as high as possible. The opening notes to Heroes started to play and put a big beaming smile on my face. I walked back to Daniel and the fire pit. David Bowie began to sing, and I half drunkenly danced as the Spiffo Burger burnt down.
“Can you smell that?” Daniel asked, sitting by the fire and staring at the conflagration we'd caused.
“Yeah, it's fry oil. Smells like french fries, huh?” I explained.
I finished a fifth beer and smashed the bottle on the ground. I spun around, dancing to the music, before I tripped and almost fell over. Daniel and I both laughed. I sat down next to him and lit a cigarette. We let our smiles subside, and the moment passed as the sun set and the building continued to burn.
“Do you think everyone is gone?” Daniel asked shyly.
“No, just most of us,” I sighed. “But I found you, didn't I?” I said cheerily, nudging his shoulder with mine.
When I looked at him, my words didn't seem to comfort him. He looked into the fire and got lost in its licking and crackling. I stood up to get another beer but stopped and looked down at him.
“Hey, Daniel, I'm gonna make you a pact,” I stated.
He turned to look up at me with puppy dog eyes.
“You and I are gonna find some more people, living people. I promise. And we'll do it together,” I said, offering my hand.
Daniel took my hand gently; his soft hands felt like they didn't have a single callous. I grasped it firmly and shook it once with a smile. Daniel smiled hopefully back at me, and we celebrated while Spiffo's burnt down in front of us.

I've been in pain my whole life to some degree. I've known for years that things would slowly get worse. I've had to use various mobility aids for EDS and general back/right sciatic pain for several years now on and off, but in the last 2 my recovery was going well and I was mostly walking unassisted or with smart crutches, and I got my drivers license (at 24 lol) about 3 months ago. Then in the last few weeks my pain suddenly changed and I quickly lost mobility. It wasn't just pain it was function, my back would give out and I'd collapse if I bent at the waist too far, numbness and pain from sciatica spread further down my right leg, I started actually losing flexibility. About 9 days ago I fell in the shower after I suddenly lost almost all feeling after a burst of excruciating pain, and since then have been basically totally incontinent and cannot use my legs/feet at all, dead weight except the occasional little wiggle of my left foot. It happened on a Monday morning and I didn't go to the ER until Friday night bc I'm american and wasn't having a heart attack and also bc my doctors were aware of the issue and gave the impression that the incontinence and paralysis were concerning but would be looked into eventually with imaging. One doctor suspected tethered cord but thay was ruled out in the ER. I was astonished when I went to the ER and was seen quickly, I actually went bc reddit commenter's here informed me that those symptoms are in fact an emergency. The doctors there were shocked I didn't come for almost 5 days and that my doctor showed no urgency, even my EDS specialist didn't in the many weeks preceding this sudden turn when symptoms were progressing toward this. They ran a bunch of testing and found degenerative disc disease and mild alignment issues and bulging discs (surprise surprise nothing conclusively severe showed on the MRI, yall know how that goes as usual) but the team there over 4 days was reassuring that imaging can't show every tiny thing in your nervous system, and the Dr suspected that a combination of things caused severe nerve damage and when she's seen this before it's months or years of rigorous PT, OT, and medication before any improvement shows, and that unfortunately my DDD progressed so quickly (didn't show up on MRIs a few months ago) that it will likely be causing more problems on its own by then. She and the PT had to kind of break it to me that this may be my life for the foreseeable future and that I'll be tested more by other doctors for a long time but it will be persistent and I'll have to just keep working hard at it I guess. I'm waiting on a seating appt for a chair better meeting my needs, the one I've used for the past 5 years is an old rigid semi-lightweight I got from someone whose husband used it after injuries in the service until he unfortunately passed. It's almost as old as I am, I've fixed it up and gotten mountain bike tires and adjusted as best I can but it really isn't made for me and is too big/heavy to get in and out of a car unassisted. I'm excited to have a chair that's mine and gives me mobility back, I know how to use it, but I also now have to learn to drive with hand controls. I'm mourning my strong heavy legs every time I lift them with my arms. I'm thanking my creator that my upper body has been unaffected. I'm mourning my future with my kids (a 14m/o girl and a boy on the way in October) bc I won't be able to run around and play with them or carry them or care for their mom or help their other mom do so in times of need. I'm thankful for the resources provided but dreading the waiting period. My husband has been great but we don't currently live together (not separated just life choices) and he works full time and this is really hard, I'm completely dependent on this ill-fitting chair and outside assistance while I wait. I'm so grateful for his presence and perseverance and taking it in stride. I don't have family living in the state and my mom is severely I'll (permanently) and is sadly just watching this all unfold from afar. I don't know how to work through my feelings, even basic things like incontinence and diapers and the embarrassment from that. I'm definitely shoving everything down and I'm scared but I feel so numb and empty right now.

During my freshman and sophomore years, I struggled academically. I had difficulty focusing on my courses due to a lack of my own effort and my ADHD, resulting in a GPA that was well below average and frankly too embarrassing to admit. However, at the end of my sophomore year, I experienced a significant turning point due to a serious pedestrian car accident that left me hospitalized with a broken neck and a traumatic brain injury. During the subsequent summer break and past year, I had a revelation: if I didn’t take initiative, my future would not be very bright. I made a promise to myself to improve academically, despite my neck and head injury preventing my short-term memory from working to its full extent.
Thankfully, this year has been my best academic year ever. I earned a 4.0 with A's in every single class both semesters, and I plan to continue this success into my senior year.
My question is, when I apply for college, how will admissions view my application? Will they recognize my upward trend and consider it favorably? Should I mention my struggles and triumphs in my application? I don't want to come across as telling a sob story (unless that helps in some way), but I believe my journey may stand out. Any advice?

I injured my head and neck in a work car accident, that claim has been approved as far as I know, so I'm able to get treatment, though it's at a Concentra with a doctor that constantly laughs at me, interrupts me, and downplays everything. I'm obviously going to report her once I'm done seeing her. However, my back was also injured, though this doctor I was able to see to "evaluate" basically said things were inconclusive, so the claims adjuster told me I would have to undergo a QME. She seems nice enough but my physical health has gotten worse and worse with no sign of improvement. I politely told her I was going to consult an attorney and at this point I have no idea what will happen. I was in the hospital a month ago because I was having neurological problems in my feet out of nowhere, which is a red flag after a neck injury, but I've gradually had back pain and continued to have stiffness in my entire lower body, weakness in one foot, and occasional numbness.
Since going to the ER, I have not been able to get any further medical care for this, which is most likely being caused by the herniated disc and pinched nerve in my lower back. I was told I needed to see a neurosurgeon, urgently, initially for nerve conduction testing. My primary care basically told me to shut up as soon as I mentioned that there was a car involved, and there doesn't seem to be any way to use workers comp to have treatment on my back either. I asked when I was at an appointment for my neck, the doctor laughed at me and told me there's no way to test nerve conduction in feet, and that it's only for carpal tunnel syndrome anyway.(yes, I know this is a lie.)
It isn't a question of whether I'm injured, or whether I need medical help, it's how it happened, and no one honestly seems to care that I'm progressively becoming less and less mobile and at a risk of permanent nerve damage. I don't know what to do. The attorney said she would get me in to see an independent doctor for an evaluation, but does this even lead to me getting treatment? I'm actually really scared I'm going not going to be able to see a doctor for actual medical treatment until my foot is suddenly completely numb and paralyzed and the ER will treat me. This is making it very difficult to do my job, which is very physical, and since no one has accepted that I was injured at work I don't have any protections or accommodations and I've had to continue doing things over and over again that are probably making my back worse.
Seriously, how do I see a doctor? Do I lie and use my personal insurance and deal with the consequences later? It feels like the system is just set up to make literally everyone involved suffer.

The advent of megacorporations started towards the end of the 21st century, by the beginning of the 22nd they had become a normal part of everyday life for everyone living within what was considered the core space of their nations. It was made abundantly clear that in order to prevent the monopolization of power, those that laboured for megacorps or their smaller and less significant subsidiaries had to band together and form unions. These unions only grew in power as more of them formed and subsequently merged, all these mergers of unions eventually led to the birth of the Milky Way Worker Coalition, an umbrella organisation that acted as one huge union that was spearheaded by the two most influential unions around, those of the shipwrights and the spacers.
This so called mega-union could bring both corporations and governments alike to their knees because who could hold more power than those than built the vessels capable of space travel and those who staffed them? 'No one' is the right answer to this question. When the flow of currency and resources stopped, the top brass just about everywhere tended to listen and listen very carefully.
In this case, belonging to a union would have helped the crew of the 'Shitcasket' avoid getting fired for 'mishandling' cargo that was most likely not suitable for transport either way. The collective sentiment of 'Why didn't we unionize while we had the chance?' was one the handful of spacers that were lounging around in the tavern felt all too well. If there was one person that felt this more than most, it was the captain of the vessel formerly known as 'Touch of Midas'. Thanks to a convenient little loophole in the laws of the region their former employer was headquartered at, they got out of having to pay each and every one of them a lump sum of money after they won the case for wrongful termination and instead handed over the barely-functioning ship they worked in.
[--------------------]
"I still cannot believe this, chronically understaffed and tasked with handling defective munitions...and we are the ones at fault when these munitions go kaboom and almost punch a hole through the ship's armour?..."
The captain mumbled as he ate the stew coupled with the quisling steak he ordered to fill the void in his heart and stomach. The captain had nothing interesting going on in terms of appearance, with his only unique feature amongst the patrons being his shoulder-length hair.
"This is why I spent so much time searching for every email address attached to the company and signing them up to porn sites. These people can't learn the easy way..." Quipped the captain's right hand, an individual that somehow overdressed whenever the crew ventured out of the ship. Nobody wore so many layers of clothes at any given time.
The captain had begun second-guessing his decision to share a table with his his right hand, staring at him until the shock subsided.
"You know what? I'm not going to question that, probably the only good thing you've done in a while"
He sighed and kept spinning the spoon in his stew, ruminating about the time he still had a job and a steady source of income to his name. "Man, I wonder how long it'll take to find work...we could sell the ship or maybe scrap it for parts and split the profits but the paperwork will take forever to get sorted out"
"Mmm, why not do what we did at our old job? Move stuff from one place to another. We should try to find another transportation company willing to take us on board as independent contractors"
"With our track record? We're still the crew that had our cargo blow up in our faces. I doubt anyone will want us, we've got to strike out on our own"
As the duo exchanged ideas, two concerned employees watched from a safe distance. Careful as to not disturb the potentially rowdy patrons. "I can’t believe it's them again. Isn’t this the human crew that keeps brawling with every commonwealth spacer coming here?”
“Sure is. The owner says they can keep coming back since the tabs they run up add up to more than the damage they cause”
“Well glorp me, I did not know depravity has a price around here”
Back to the crew of the Shitcasket, the captain and his right hand spent their time silently staring at their unfinished meals, deep in thought. That is until the captain took one look behind him and went slack-jawed.
“Hey Alex, you seeing what I’m seeing?”
The unblinking black eyes, gray skin with green splotches , tall stature and most strikingly, a lot of grey fuzz that spilled out of their uniforms. Yep, they were Herfi alright and from the markings on their captain's fuzz, it was abundantly clear that they were the same herfi that attacked them earlier while traveling through uncivilized space.
“The same pirates that we fought off, nasty…”
“Nasty indeed…but I've got a nastier idea. Watch my flanks, I'll go over to their table and have a word with them”
“Are you sure about this, captain De Blanc? This is the Herfi Commonwealth we're talking about, one huge nation with a matriarchal structure, I doubt pirates hailing from there will be any different. Oh what I wouldn't do to have one of them pin me down and whisper slurs in my ear…”
“Christ on a stick, Alex. Don't air out your kinks, at least not in public view! ...Although this is indeed one dangerous idea, I'm sure they'll think I want to taunt them…screw it, only one way of finding out”
He got Alex and two other sailors to come with him as backup in case the pirates tried to skin his ass on the spot. The rest would come only if they do try anything. One of the pirates stood up in front of him as he made his way over to the opposite side of the tavern, preventing him from going any further.
“That is far enough, I suggest you turn around and go back to your little corner, man-toy”
“And I suggest you sit this one out, skippy. I've got business with the captain, not her unwashed subordinates”
The herfi loudly trilled, a dead giveaway his quip had greatly angered her. The pirate tried to grab him by his throat, a signature move given how many times he got involved in scraps with other herfi. Sidestepping the telegraphed grapple proved to be just as easy as thinking about it, he held onto the outstretched arm closest to him and bit down.
Herfi skin was a weird mix between human skin and chitin, meaning it was less effective at preventing damage than average chitin but it was more effective at dealing with injuries that could prove permanent for those species with an actual hard chitin exoskeleton. As an added bonus, the captain wouldn't shatter a tooth trying to leave a mark.
The bite was more than enough to put the pirate out of commission, stumbling back and clutching their bitten arm.
“You might want to get that checked out, primate bites are nothing to sneeze at”
If they weren't paying attention before, they certainly were now. The captain and everyone sitting at the same table stood in rapt attention, most likely glaring daggers at him, that did not stop him from striding over like nothing had happened.
“Why hello there, I never imagined we'd cross paths again and yet here we are. In the same tavern no less, what a world”
The captain slowly exchanged glances with her subordinates before she turned to look at him again.
“Who are you? Is any one of us supposed to know you?”
Mistake number one, trying to bullshit the bullshiter. For someone in charge of an entire ship, she didn't seem to know the ins and outs of steering conversations in the desired direction.
“Touch of Midas, a little more than one of your micro-rotations ago. If you think we didn't see your face then you are sadly mistaken. One of your people accidentally broadcasted a live feed of your bridge for ten precious seconds before they realized what they did and cut it off”
The captain turned to stare at a specific underling seated on the table, the pirate visibly recoiled and shrunk in response to what must have been a death glare.
“Having trouble with remembering? How about the protracted shootout that took place after your crew boarded us? Nearly thirty minutes of exchanging fire and no casualties to show for it. For all of our differences, both your people and mine still can't piss straight”
The alien captain focused on him again, sizing him up before speaking. “Did you approach with humiliating us in mind or is there some other motive?”
“I'll get to that, don't you worry. Now let us change the subject from my ship to yours, a beautiful vessel, really. Unfortunately, its weapons are shit, not because the models themselves are shit but because they haven't gotten any repairs since before I was born”
The deafening silence was the only answer the captain needed, it was fascinating what someone could learn about an enemy's weapons from eyeballing the impact on the armour after getting hit.
“You think I wouldn't notice? I gave the ship a thorough lookover after docking, they left more scorch marks than dents”
The captain sat down at the only available chair of the table unprompted, leaning forward.
“This pocket of space you love to operate in so much…it is dwindling. It is no wonder piracy has started dying out so quickly, the movement of goods and people only keeps increasing which attracts the attention of both local security forces and the Commonwealth's Star Patrol”
“The captain needs no lecturing from a male-”
One of the seated pirates suddenly stood up, looking ready to lunge at him, Alex and the other spacers stepped closer in response to the display of aggression. He put up a hand to make them stand down while his alien counterpart killed off whatever the rowdy pirate was planning with a simple glance, making her sit back down.
“As I said, I am getting to it”
He stared the pirate down as he talked.
“Your crew did not look all that large during the fight, same situation as us really. You and I operate our vessels well below normal capacity when we could be operating a single one at maximum capacity. I'm talking little to no job crossover, proper distribution of labour…if you join us”
“Why would you make us this offer when we attacked you?” The reply came almost instantly and yet he could tell the lot of them were seriously considering it.
“Because it is pragmatic, we need deckhands and some serious muscle in case we encounter anyone else in your trade, your people serve both of these roles. Besides, you may have fighting spirit but I know for certain that you'd rather avoid going down fighting against a Commonwealth dreadnought hiding around a planetoid after your navigation systems detected it a little too late…”
The captain sitting opposite of him slumped a little, lost in thought. She eventually straightened out.
“I am interested, however, I need to know we're on the same level in terms of skills. This settlement has no range we can compete in but I know one that does”
The captain withdrew a pad from within her uniform and showed him the name and coordinates of the settlement, he withdrew his own and received the media before turning it off.
“Glad we could come to an agreement. Temporary alliance untill we make it official, miss?…” He extended his hand towards her.
“Hexfuh, temporary truce”
She corrected him and chugged down the bowl of the alien nectar-like substance she had ordered.
“Hexfuh…captain Howard De Blanc. Temporary truce it is”
He withdrew his hand and started walking away.
“Me and the rest of us are still busy with our chow. You can go on ahead and we will catch up within this mini-rotation….also make no mistake, you try to pull the same stunt again and there will be casualties”
Howard did not wait for an answer nor did he need one, he had a steak to get back to.
The feasting was rather uneventful, rather drab too. Instead of indulging in alcohol everyone abstained to cut back on the time they spent in the tavern. They did have a rendezvous to attend to. Back on the Shitcasket, morale was at an all time high. Who cared about the possibility of letting pirates on board when there was a chance at alleviating the chronic sausage-fest situation ? Most spacers certainly did not.
“You should have seen that hoe’s face, I was this close to sending her back to the nearest meal preparation facility”
“Goddamnit Alex. If this unholy alliance becomes a thing you WILL have to cut back on your ambiguously misogynistic commentary!”
Howard's right hand and glorified definitely-not secretary looked at him as if he had stabbed him in the back. “B-But what about them? They will call us many awful things and we'll have to take it?!”
“That is the only occasion where you're justified-no, where you're expected to spew that kind of bile! We have to show them we mean business, the physical lifting has been done but the psychological lifting will take a lifetime…”
Howard sat on his lofty chair, mulling over the potential situations sharing a ship will entail. He made a split-second decision and activated the bridge microphone.
“Alright everyone, listen up. If the pirates accept our offer then the only kind of sexism I will tolerate is the proportional kind, do NOT let anyone make you their bitch…no matter how arousing that sounds, captain De Blanc signing off”
Howard slumped down in his chair.
“Man, I'm exhausted just thinking of the potential clusterfuck. Alex! Fetch me a can of Hue-Cola!”
[--------------------]
“What is this shit?....”
These were the first words that exited Howard's mouth after a long while, the reason lied straight ahead in the form of a commonwealth vessel attached to the ship he knew for a fact belonged to their alien sort-of almost not really buddies.
“Ale-Oh good, you're already scanning for frequencies, keep on doing that”
“Captain, something's off. That vessel’s markings scream Star Patrol but they aren't broadcasting standard Commonwealth signals. What's your take?”
“Not…broadcasting?”
He went slack jawed, staring at the Star Patrol ship and then at Alex and then back at the ship. He jumped off his chair, staring at the bridge's console.
“Can we get a message out to the girls without the SP intercepting it?”
“That depends on the model, captain. We can't exactly scan it so we have to eyeball it real hard!”
“Real hard, okay then”
Howard walked to the edge of the bridge, staring out of the window at the SP ship, he scratched his chin.
“Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't this model supposed to get mothballed and replaced? It looks fairly outdated”
“Fairly outdated means no comm-sniffer function, I think its a risk worth taking if we want to get a read of the situation”
“Damn right it is. Ask them what's their status, Alex”
Alex went to work typing out the message and greenlighting the transmission in quick succession. The disadvantages of a two-person bridge cree were obvious enough, the only advantage however was that they got to hone skills they wouldn't need to under normal circumstances. Like handling security clearances on the fly on Alex's end and Howard spotting distant ships without the use of the malfunctioning instruments that plagued the deathtrap of a ship he captained.
The response came quickly and it was more than a little disheartening to say the least.
[NO SIGNAL. EXTORTION]
That meant only one thing, whoever stopped Hexfuh and her people wasn't there on official business, they were there to latch onto any passer-bys and threaten them into paying up for safe passage. He knew her crew couldn't take them on alone and that's exactly why they wouldn't be taking them on their own.
[WHEN FIGHT STARTS, JOIN] is what Alex and Howard decided to send back.
Howard activated the bridge's microphone again, he had already made his second split-second decision today and there was no way in hell he was backing down.
“Alright you degenerates, listen up and listen closely. We have encountered a Star Patrol vessel which normally wouldn't elicit an announcement from me…if whoever crewed it was operating officially. That is right, we have a case of corrupt law enforcement on our hands. Report to the mess hall immediately, captain De Blanc signing off”
The smallish crew of the Shitcasket assembled at the mess hall in its entirety, given the room’s size, that was another indicator of how small it was.
The door leading to the mess hall slid open, revealing the captain and his right hand, making everyone in the room go silent and stand in rapt attention. After the duo stepped inside the captain cleared his throat.
“I want to preface this by saying that I have no ill will towards the average bobby or average crook. The former has my respect because of the profession alone, the latter because I know not what may have led someone to going down this path…but do you know what I don't respect? What makes my blood boil and simmer in my veins?”
He did not wait for an answer, drawing in a huge breath.
“CROOKED FUCKING PIGS IS WHAT!”
He yelled at the top of his lungs, if any crew member wasn't paying attention before, they certainly were now.
“Bloody despise them is what I do and while our friends aren't exactly of the legal variety, they aren't the ones actively betraying public trust”
Howard took a deep breath, calming himself down
“Yeah, everyone here knows who I'd rather see gone. So I will make this plain and simple, we will strap up, get in there and kick. Their. Ass. Say it with me! What are we going to do?!”
“Kick ass!” “Kick ass?”
“That is not loud enough, I want to know you mean it! Say it with me!”
“KICK ASS!”
The warcry felt more than satisfactory, it was perfect.
“That is what I like to hear, now gear up and if you see anything with Star Patrol insignia that is armed, you flatline it, no questions asked”
They communicated with the lone SP vessel after every crewmember was done arming themselves, whoever was on the other end unsurprisingly ordered them to attach themselves to them and expect to be boarded, if only they knew they would be the ones getting boarded.
Everyone stood in the bridge right outside the airlock, no one could see any cameras so it was probably safe to stay like this. Nearly all of them were armed with just pistols and not even the good kind, After getting fired they had to downgrade from gauss to low-tech ballistics given how the weapons on board were company property. Some stuck with the peashooters they purchased, some others invested in a good old rifle.
Not Howard. Howard had spent the early days of his career dipping into his savings to get licenses for the heaviest shit he could legally arm himself with. While not as heavily armed as possible, he still drew eyes when he came rocking a utility vest brimming with ammunition and a light machine gun complemented by an automatic shotgun slung over his shoulder.
Their eyes were drawn to the airlockz stepping inside it and waiting for the inner door to open so they could finally begin the boarding action. Their wishes were soon granted, opening up to reveal a small collection of SP officers that were nowhere near prepared enough for an actual fight.
The firing line they formed was a spectacle in itself, something Howard had of course ordered himself. The moment the corrupt pricks first laid eyes on them is the moment they were cut down in a storm of bullets. Even if the average officer armour was at least somewhat resistant to bullets, the Herfi themselves weren't all that resistant to getting poked full of holes.
The ragtag group of warriors made their way throughout the ship's midsection, drawing closer to noises of heavy fighting until they entered a large hallway…where Hexfuh and the pirates were standing on the opposite end.
“Am I hallucinating or did outsiders actually help us?”
Howard stepped forward, smirking.
“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”
The remainder of the two sides met halfway, sizing eachother up without any malice to be found. Slowly and somewhat shyly, the human and herfi right hands inched closer to their respective captains.
“I saw you and heard you during our fight. Saying how you'd violate us and murder us and not necessarily in that order, that was…so d-dominant of you”
“It was?”
Alex nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head and probably experiencing the basic human feeling of embarrassment for once in a very long time.
“I'm g-glad, no joke”
Howard and Hexfuh stared at their right hands, no doubt intimidated by the sheer density of degeneracy in such a small space.
“I didn't know you had your own Xamce”
Howard shook his head and laughed.
“I didn't know you had your own Alex”
“Why did you help us? What did you expect to get out of this?”
“Honestly, you showed goodwill back at the tavern and for something greater to come out of this truce, I know we had to show some goodwill as well”
The rest of the encounter was a blur, they regrouped and cleared out the rest of the ship, anyone with a single braincell left in their skull decided to surrender right then and there. They eventually reached the bridge and Howard finally got to use the automatic shotgun, turning the herfi he used it on into a fine black mist, the rest of the stragglers were not in the mood to fight after witnessing this
Hexfuh and her people went away, letting the humans handle the surviving SP officers however they saw fit. The local SP branch was contacted from the captured ship's bridge and the handover went swimmingly. The highest ranking officer that came to assess the situation handed Howard a honourable assistance token, something they could redeem in the closest SP office for a sizable reward. Their first not quite official paycheck after going independent.
Now all that was left was getting together with the pirates again and celebrating.
[--------------------]
Everything was a blur, yet again. The joined crews partied and partied hard. A mix of wine spritzers, several other types of booze, alien nectar and many recreative drugs the now former pirates brought on board were consumed. What Howard didn't remember was when he went to bed and if he was lucky enough who he…oh so that's what is up.
He looked over only to see a very awake-looking Hexfuh looking back at him.
“Rested well?”
“I am beginning to suspect this whole sharing-a-bed thing is not the show of trust you are making it out to be” He quickly looked down at his body, in a certain state of partial undress and then at Hexfuh, who was also in the same state as he was.
“I didn't know humans-or any other species for that matter-were this fond of the fur that grows on our neck and chest…until earlier anyway” She sidestepped commenting on his observation, of course she would.
Howard yawned and rubbed his eyes, cursing at the thought of having to calculate the damage of the party's aftermath.
Guess that came naturally with merging two complete opposites together.
[----------------------------------------]
My Author's Page (old shid)
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TLDR; The all caps part is my MRI impressions. I've been doing PT and visited a neurologist since. Experiencing random bouts of dizziness and lower than (my personal) average blood pressure.
34F. Type II Diabetic. No history of back issues.
Medications during the course of this story: just started Mounjaro at the beginning, an antidepressant I've been on for twenty years, and atorvastatin. Near the end (currently) on first dose of Ozempic.
At the beginning of April I experienced sciatica on my right leg. I laid around the house a few days. My lower back was stiff but I went back to work on a Friday. We played a game at our monthly potluck that involved a lot of bending and stretching (finding hidden objects). My back felt more sore, but OK. Went home and sat down hard. Surprise sciatica flare up on my LEFT SIDE. It hurt worse, but I laid down again and was OK.
Later that same weekend, I went to step over something on the floor and fire shot down the outside of my left leg and into my big toe. Suddenly I could not stand or even sit up without severe pain. Came very close to going to the ER. It improved minorly over the rest of the weekend, but I was still unable to stand/sit for more than five minutes.
I looked up my symptoms, found some stretches for the L5-S1, and performed them multiple times a day, where I spent most of my time laying on the floor. I worked from home for a week, walking on my treadmill and doing the stretches. Eventually I got the severe pain to go away.
At the end I was left with the ability to stand for about fifteen minutes before my leg would start to burn, and sit for as long as I wanted. The rest of the time, the outside of my leg and into my big toe was numb. (Not entirely, just dulled sensation.) I discovered I could not lift my toes on my left foot as high as my right.
Throughout all of this I did do a telehealth visit and saw my primary. They sent me cyclobenzaprine and 500mg naproxen, respectively. The drugs didn't change my (again, minor) pain levels but the cyclo sure helped me sleep well.
I was mostly functional despite minor foot drop in my left foot. We discovered I could no longer walk on my heels. Primary ordered me an MRI.
Here's what was found (the worst parts anyway):
"The L1-L2 and L2-L3 disc spaces are unremarkable.
There is a bulging disc with an annular fissure at L3-L4 without central stenosis or foraminal narrowing present.
At L4-L5, there is herniation in the left paracentral region with extensive extrusion of disc material posterior to the left side of L5 and extending down to the L5-S1 disc space with effacement of the left lateral recess with significant compression of the L5 nerve root within the neural canal with severe central stenosis seen. There is mild foraminal narrowing.
At L5-S1, there is extension of the hemiation from L4-L5 on the left that affects the thecal sac and neural canal. A bulging disc is also seen with subtle herniation off to the left. Facet arthropathy is seen with moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing.
IMPRESSION:

1. DESICCATION AND DISC SPACE/NARROWING AT L3-L4 AND L4-L5.
   
2. FORWARD SLIPPAGE L5 ON S1 WITH RETROLISTHESIS L4 ON L5.
   
3. BULGING DISC AT L3-L4.
   
4. L4-L5 LARGE HERNIATION WITH EXTENSIVE EXTRUSION OF DISC MATERIAL OFF TO THE LEFT AT L4-L5 WITH CENTRAL STENOSIS AND EFFACEMENT OF THE LEFT LATERAL RECESS WITH SIGNIFICANT COMPRESSION OF THE LEFT L5 NERVE ROOT IN THE NEURAL CANAL PRESENT. THERE IS DEFORMITY TO THE THECAL SAC.
   
5. SMALL LEFT PARACENTRAL HERNIATION AT L5-S1."
   

Doc sent me to PT and a neurologist. Neurologist's assistant(?) interviewed me and suggested surgery but admitted that I'm much too young and I would need new surgery every ten years. We're doing facet joint injections in June. The assistant/nurse/NP said, and I quote, "Wow, your back is fucked."
Been doing PT for a few weeks now. They always ask me how my pain is. I always tell them I don't have any.
Randomly I will have bouts of dizziness now. Went to get the first main bout checked with my primary and my blood pressure was 98/70. I typically sit at 120/80 consistently. Doc shot me down and blamed it on low blood sugar due to having recently started Mounjaro, despite me wearing a CGM at the time indicating it was in a healthy range.
The dizziness eventually went away but would come back randomly when standing up.
This week, it's been every time I stand up, turn quickly, lie down, roll over, etc. It's a weird dizziness that sort of feels like when you get off a treadmill too quickly and the world doesn't move quite the way your legs say it should (only slightly more severe and much longer lasting. )
We checked my BP at PT first thing in the morning yesterday and it was again weird (for me) at 108/95. Tested it at home later that night and it was 105/70. Dizziness ain't quitting this time.
So I guess my questions are:

• Should I be getting second opinions on my spine stuff? People don't seem to grasp that it's not pain, but numbness and the potential of future pain/paralysis that is worrying me.
  
• Will PT make any difference in the long run? Am I doomed to surgery?
  
• Is the dizziness spine-related, sugar related, or atorvastatin related (something a friend suggested)?
  
• What would happen if I just stopped PT, canceled my injections, and decided to live with a slightly numb foot?
  

When I was 19(I'm 25 now) I got a bulging disc between my shoulder blades caused by lifting heavy boxes at my job. About a year after it healed, my chiropractor at the time was having trouble adjusting the area where I was injured. He came to the conclusion my back was building scar tissue around the area. So adjusted his treatment try and break it up before doing my adjustment, Which seemed to be working. But opened his own clinic far from where I live. And I haven't been able to find a doctor or chiropractor who can deal with or even recognize the issue. The lack of mobility is causing my muscles to always tighten up when I'm moving around for more than 20 min. Causing me to need to crack my back below my shoulder blades and my neck often. And when I try to do any moderate physical activity my back muscles tense up so much it restricts my breathing like I'm being bear hugged. And it can get so bad I get knots that won't go away for hours sometimes with muscle spams, along with pain shooting across my ribs. Has anyone else experienced this after having a bulging disc? Or has had issues with scar tissue accumulating where they had a slipped disc? This has been an on going problem for me for years. And I'm trying to find some guidance for treatment.

It all started four years ago. Right now male (35) and woman (30), are broken up and their relationship was rocky from the start especially because they could not agree on how to best raise her daughter from her previous relationship. At that time they lived to together, but were not married. Neither could manage money or agree how best to spend said finances. She totalled a vehicle he owned in a parking lot and this was her third car accident. One of her accidents caused her to have surgery on her neck, and after that surgery she sounded two octives deeper.
He, on the other hand, never could keep money in his pocket longer than a minute. He would receive a check only to have it spent that day. He bought several new vehicles and then returned them only to buy a new one. Four years ago, he needed 4k to catch up on his rent or he would be evicted. I felt bad for them and loaned him the money. It was in no way meant as a gift. It was a loan. A year goes by and they get pregnant and had a boy.
He disputed whether the boy was really his at first, but then found out it was definitely his. By then, however they had broken up. Fast forward to now and he has two babies with another girlfriend (still not married). He received a settlement recently for much more than the amount of money he owes me, but hasn't made the slightest effort to pay me back.
I know he is in debt to others in the family besides me and is paying child support as well, but I still think paying me back should be a priority. I recently started a business and could use the money. He isn't speaking to me right now because he hates that I am holding this debt over him and keep asking him to pay me back. It's been years now! AITAH for still wanting to be paid back even though he is in a worse financial position than I am?

Credit to for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136
“Koalas!”
Bernard’s energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! I’ll never get tired of this, it’s all so cool!
As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
I’d be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if I’ll get any right this paw?
Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, I’d started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far I’d only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, I’d not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um… what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. It’s fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it I’m rambling!
I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas.
Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koala’s prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm… ok. I already know to discount the idea that they’re predators just from eye position, so let’s get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I can’t just guess that for the sake of guessing, that’s the same problem! Hrm, it’s tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.
Nevermind, I’ll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think they’re arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they-
Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, “As ever I’m delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. I’m looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?”
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, “Excellent! Then let’s get started.”
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
“Ah, there we are,” Bernard’s baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, “He looks so comfortable doesn’t he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!”
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, “A full paw? Hwuuu… jealous.”
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, “Late evening Rova?”
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rova’s direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadn’t been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool that’d flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, “Uh- I um… achem, a little bit yes, um- …sorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.”
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, “Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. That’ll be the list time I- …Ahaaaa…”
Lokki’s theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokki’s would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we weren’t too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which.
His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, “Ok, ok, let’s get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.”
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, “So, the Koala. Let’s start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.”
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh… I never want to see him angry again. So chilling.
I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koala's physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
“Koalas are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.”
It didn’t slip past my notice that Bernard didn’t bother to point out that the Koala's eyes were forward facing. I didn’t think he’d simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasn’t necessary given that he’d already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
“Now this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koalas are largely sedentary and it’s rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.”
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasn’t only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, “This is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.”
700!? Stars…
Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
“The leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koala's low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.”
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didn’t take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
“Excuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?” Vlek’s grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailo’s recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, “You heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to them.”
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but they’ll have evolved to deal with that. Stars… I’m so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didn’t even consider the simplest solution.
“I see, thank you Doctor,” Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, “I assume they’ve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?”
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, “They have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koala’s liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.”
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, “This is mostly for adult Koalas because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they don’t just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. It’s nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.”
Bernard’s assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way he’s acting it probably isn’t something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm…
“So,” Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, “Young Koalas, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.”
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought it’d go. What’s different?
The unexpected normalcy of the Koalas birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, “Now to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.”
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I don’t see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine.
I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one it’d just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They-
“They eat their own poop!?”
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an ‘Ugh’ over here and a ‘Blegh’ over there, Bernard’s own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
“Ha! Everytime! Each and every time. Clearly it doesn’t matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koala's dietary development the reaction is the same!”
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, I’d never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species. Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww… Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. They’re serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it.
With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, “Ok then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why don’t we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koalas live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.”
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. He’d alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the ‘predators’ we’d all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I would’ve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didn’t take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
“From habitats we move onto behaviours, so let’s start with territories. Koalas are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering they’re only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.”
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
“As you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koalas territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koalas stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of those who are just passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koala's range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koalas communicate?”
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koala’s body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
That’s how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs.
I clearly wasn’t the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, “I think they’ve got me beat on who’s got the deeper voice!”
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, “Oh you’re too kind. I’ll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As you’ve just heard, Koalas are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from ‘Hello I’m over here’ to ‘This is my turf, stay away’. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if they’re acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.”
Really? They do something we do?
Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koala’s features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They don’t have tails so it’s obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then.
To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, “As well as their vocalisations, Koalas are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koalas utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.”
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right!
“Now then, we are getting close to lunchtime so I’ll finish this segment off with something I think you’ll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.”
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koalas, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm...
I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans aren’t like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list.
Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koalasome way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what?
Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers.
Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I don’t need that in my head.
As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what I’d seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didn’t already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
“Koala diplomacy,” Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, “My favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koala’s and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koalas to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koalas a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.”
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
“Squee! That’d be so cool! I’d love to get the chance to see a Liri from Colia. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird! Ah! I’ve only heard their song on video. It’d be a treat to hear it in person!”
Ooo! I’ve read about them! I’d love to get up close to one.
“Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded? Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans don’t want to acknowledge for what it is.”
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option.
However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didn’t change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, “Yes Rysel? What’s on your mind?”
Sorry Bernard. I hope this one’s not too awkward for you to answer.
Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, “Thank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals for… particular reasons, and we know why. From how you’ve spoken about Koalas I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?”
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like I’d imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that it’d been me who’d ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions?
Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh.
“A very good point Rysel, certainly one that’s worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.” Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, “We won’t be needing that. I’ve nothing prepared that I can show you and we’re heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, that’s plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.”
A bit? What does he mean just a bit?
Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasn’t going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
“So, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and I’d quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.”
While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernard’s assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didn’t believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. He’d pretty much confirmed we wouldn’t be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have.
The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
“Well I can see everyone’s excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,” chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, “Enjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and I’ll see you all back here at the usual time.”
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, “Hey Bernard, I uh… sorry if that last question was unexpected.”
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign I’d come to understand meant ‘not a problem’.
“No need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.”
Heh, called it.
I sighed, allowing tension I didn’t realise I’d been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, “Phew, that’s a relief. I’m glad. I’m curious to hear what this new lesson is you’ve got in store for us by the way.”
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, “Oh are you now? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to remain curious for the time being. It’s going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. But…”
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now!
Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I’m working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip that’s not a trip as it were. And when it happens, I’m going to need a few of the more accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. I’m hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?”
A trip that’s not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernard’s relying on me to help out!
Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, “Of course! Anything you need I’ll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!”
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, “Thank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times you’ve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think you’d appreciate the most.”
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
“Wait… WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?”
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, “Call it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise even for you!”
“Oh you ass!” Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernard’s leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.

25M white healthy nonsmoker. Various things that trigger this:

• Getting a massage (lying on back or head down in chair)
• Riding in a car with head pushed forward
• Sleeping on my back
• Sitting in a coffee shop where my head is forward

Here are my symptoms after this is "triggered":

• Clogged ears as if I've taken off on a plane; this lasts several hours
• Head tension which is more tension than pain (scrunch your eyes tightly to feel the sort of thing I am talking about)
• Additionally, I often feel a minor tingly pain in the C3-C5 vertebrae region, as if something is irritated

Ruled out:

• Sleep apnea
• Migraines
• TMJ issues
• Brain or eye issue (had MRI)

What I've tried:

• Walking (helps)
• Botox (helps calm muscles but wears off)
• PT (doesn't really help)
• Massage (doesn't really help)
• Healthy lifestyle (I workout all the time and besides this feel great!)

Doctors cannot seem to tell me what is going on. I did receive a cervical X-ray but I am unable for months to get an appointment to talk it through. Here are the results:

• There is grade 1 anterolisthesis of C2 on C3, C3 on C4, C4 on C5, and C5 on C6 in flexion.
• There is grade 1 retrolisthesis of C4 on C5 and C5 on C6 in extension.
• There is apparent asymmetric narrowing of the right C1-C2 joint space, which can be further evaluated with noncontrast MRI or CT of the cervical spine, as warranted clinically.
• Vertebral body heights, disc spaces, and alignment are otherwise maintained. Prevertebral soft tissues are unremarkable.

What I think is happening:

• I somehow have messed up my neck in a way that causes my muscles to "freak out" in a sort of guard response to bending my neck forward. I am unsure if this is a nerve, muscular, or skeletal issue.

What I need help with:

• Has anyone seen a similar case?
• What should I try next?
• What explains the EAR CLOGGING as this is by far my most annoying and consistent symptom?

We have a 9 year old 60lb German shorthair pointelab mix who I think is between grade (or stage?) 2-3. We just put him on strict crate rest yesterday but I think he’s been struggling for longer than we realized, which makes me feel awful. He hasn’t didn’t drink anything yesterday and nothing today so far and will only eat the sausage we hide his meds in, and chicken. We have had a family vacation planned for a long time next week and I’m worried about him declining more while we are gone. My sister, who absolutely loves dogs and especially our dog is going to take care of him while we’re gone but won’t be able to be with him the whole time.
The whole story, for anyone who is interested/has had a similar experience and can offer advice- A few months ago we noticed our dog would yelp when lifting his head sometimes. But then he would act totally normal for a while. Then sometimes he began avoiding lifting his head, but then would seem normal. We also started noticing a tiny limp/one paw sounded heavier when walking, but overall seemed normal sometimes. We finally made an appt with or vet but had to wait 3 weeks for the appt. Then a few days before his appt we think he hurt himself badly getting out from under our bed (his absolute favorite place), to go bark at the door (our room is on the second floor too). He seemed in pain and was shaking and whining at me and I told my husband I think we need to take him to an urgent care vet. The vet tested his feet/leg reflexes and I think one paw was very slow to fixing itself but the others seemed ok. We got him on a muscle relaxer, carprofen, and gabapentin, and immediately barricaded our bed so he couldn’t go under it. The meds seemed to help him a lot. But then we noticed he was getting more wobbly so we still took him to his vet appt. The vet tested his reflexes again and it seemed like left front and back leg were struggling and he said he probably has a bulging disc in his neck and to keep doing the carprofen and gabapentin and have him rest. Fast forward to yesterday and we made an urgent care appt with our vet because he seemed to be getting even worse (falling over while going pee and poop). Now it’s effecting all of his legs with his rear right one being the most responsive. He didn’t even fix any of the other ones himself 😢. We did the first session of laser therapy yesterday and started the strict cage rest. I really wish the first vet, or even our normal vet last week would have specified strict cage rest. I think the vet visit yesterday aggravated things more because now he both doesn’t want to/is having an even harder time standing up and coming out of the crate. I bought a full body harness to help take him outside for potty, and I’m hoping it helps but also worried it will be hard for my sister to get him to come out of the crate and even get it on. I’m getting very overwhelmed and stressed and anxious and can’t stop googling and researching and thinking about anything else. We also have 4 kids (who looove him), one of which has severe non speaking autism. Life pretty much always feels stressful, which feels somewhat normal to us, but I think the upcoming trip is adding pressure and stress to the whole situation. How can I help him drink? I’ve tried putting the bowl in his crate, holding it in front of him and my husband even tried using a syringe to give him water last night which our doggo did NOT like. He can still stand and walk and pee and poop on his own, other than needing support to stay in position.

I had a neck extensor muscle biopsy done 15 months ago. I was told this would heal in a few weeks and I could go to work the next day. And that it would be a 1-inch incision at the bottom of my neck. Well, I woke up in extreme pain after the surgery and couldn't lift my right arm. The scar is thick and around 3 inches in the middle of my shoulders. I saw the surgeon 3 times within two months and he said it needed more time to heal and I should follow up with the ordering neurologist. For months I was in severe pain, but my neurologist was out on maternity leave. I saw the nurse practitioner who ordered PT and put me on gabapentin.
After 4 months I finally saw the ordering physical, still in pain and couldn't lift my right arm more than 50%. She thought I had a frozen shoulder and should continue PT. The physical therapist confirmed it was not a frozen shoulder. A year went by and I went back to the neurologist since things have not improved. She finally ordered an MRI and this shows I have a bulging disc at C5-C6, directly under the scar, as well as scar tissue. I had an MRI 1 month before the surgery and this was not there. I'm so upset and know something happened during the surgery that caused a disc issue, due to the unusual pain I was in and that I could not lift my arm at all. I'm so upset about the lack of care I have encountered and wonder if this was an unnecessary test in the first place. I have other health problems, a feeding tube, lung muscle issues, and myopathy; which were the reasonfor getting the biopsy done. The biopsy came back negative. I still have constant pain at the surgery site and right shoulder, can only lift my arm 50%. The gabapentin has impaired my thinking. This all has affected my WFH job performance and quality of life.
Do I have a case or am I too late to prove anything? I'm in NY. Thanks for any advice.

Hi, I've been having chronic pain pretty much all over starting with my jaw, then knees, then neck/shoulder (have a herniated disc), lower back (have some disc bulging), sometimes wrists and ankles with no accidents/apparent reasons.
Have fatigue, all the skin stuff, difficulty sleeping (I can't really put weight on any part of my body without it hurting), bladdepelvic floor issues, heartburn, cracking joints, get dizzy when standing up easily,
I hit all the hypermobile criteria. A bunch of people on my mom's side have it but not her.
I'm clumsy/unbalanced and used to trip more often but I haven't had dislocations or severe injuries.
My issues keep being treated as all seperate/just aging and bad posture from a desk job but it started before I had a desk job and I've been doing pt for 6 months with no real progress.
They did a test and found some immune marks, sent me to a rheumatologist but he wouldn't do any further testing bc he thought there was a reason for each of my pain issues that explains it...said I couldn't have eds unless I've grown up falling down and having major injuries all the time. I was curious if that's the case for you or other people without those specific symptoms have been diagnosed.

39 YO Female with severe neck, upper back, and left arm pain. Please help me read this MRI report. I am in US.
DATE OF SERVICE: DOI: 05/16/2024 MRI OF THE CERVICAL SPINE
TECHNIQUE: Sagittal T1, fast spin-echo T2 and STIR imaging was performed. T2 and T2 gradient echo axial imaging was performed. CLINICAL: Neck pain with left radicular symptoms
FINDINGS: Visualized structures in the posterior fossa are unremarkable. There is no Amold-Chiari malformation. The cervical cord demonstrates normal signal. There is degenerative desiccation of the C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 disks. Remaining cervical discs are partially desiccated. No marrow infiltrative process is seen. There is loss of the cervical lordosis.
There is mucoperiosteal thickening seen in the sphenoid sinus and the right maxillary sinus. Visualized paravertebral soft tissues are otherwise unremarkable.
The C2-3 and C3-4 disc spaces are unremarkable.
At C4-5 there is a small central disc herniation leading to Annular impression upon the central ventral sac. There is mild superior migration of disc herniation to the lower C4 level. No canal or foraminal stenosis.
At C5-6 there is a small central disc herniation leading to mild angular impression upon the central ventral sac. No canal or foraminal stenosis.
At C6-7 there is disc bulge leading to mild diffuse impression upon the ventral sac, no canal or foraminal stenosis.
The C7-T1 disc space is unremarkable.
IMPRESSION:

1. There is a small central disc herniation C4-5 with mild superior migration of disc herniation to the lower C4 level. Small central disc herniation C5-6. There is angular impression upon the central ventral sac at both levels, no canal or foraminal stenosis at either level.
2. There is disc bulge at C6-7 leading to mild diffuse impression upon the ventral sac, no canal or foraminal stenosis.
3. Loss of cervical lordosis, this may be due to muscle spasm or patient position.
4. Sinus changes described above may reflect acute or chronic sinusitis. Thank you for your kind referral of this patient. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this patient's care.