Husband and I are 29 years old. Together for 15 years married for 4.
We have 3 kids, 8, 5, and 1.This is mostly regarding our oldest, who is 8.
So he’s not the best with teachers and likes to belittle them I think. Like our son brought his iPod to school (my old iPhone without service) and the teacher took it and had us pick it up and he told the teacher “dont take his phone, it’s not yours to take. Ask him to put it away and if it’s really an issue you can call me or his mother and we’ll deal with it but don’t take my things from my son” and then they argued a bit and finally she agreed if it happened again she’ll call his parents.
Then recently he got in trouble in class for disrupting the class (he threw a paper ball at another kid and then got a detention) and we weren’t informed. So when my husband and I went to pick him up the teacher said we had to wait 20 minutes because he’s in detention and he said “uh, yeah no I’m just gonna pick him up now” and she said “you’re more than welcome to after his detention” and he said “who do you think you are telling me when and were I pick up my son?” And i apologized on his behalf and told him to knock it off and he said “no, do I tell you what to teach? No. So how about you be the teacher and I’ll be the parent. You can teach him math and English and I’ll discipline him.” And she said it’s school policy and he was in there with another kid so husband just walked into the classroom and said “hey buddy, let’s go” and son said “I can’t” and he said “you’re going to serve your detention at home” and we left and the teacher just smiled and was clearly pissed.
To be completely fair, he was in trouble at home. Husband told him he needs to show his teacher respect and we took away his iPod and Xbox for the evening, and then we had him apologize to her the next morning.
On top of that, he doesn’t set a great example. He acts like a kid. I thought it was cute and funny when we were like 15 but now it’s worrisome because our kids are watching.
We were back to school shopping at the Nike store and there was a football and he looked at our son and said “hey buddy watch this” and threw it at a manican and the store worker said he had to go and he said “haha…yeah no I’m gonna stay” and I was so angry and embarrassed I just left and apologized to the worker.
Another time we were at lunch and there was a guy across the restaurant wearing a rather interesting outfit and he looked at our son and pointed to the guy and said “look at that dumbass over there. I bet he ordered a blt or some gay ass shit like that” annd they both laughed and I said “seriously??” And he shrugged and said “he probably did” and when we got home I told him how completely inappropriate that was.
And then on Saturday morning our son was playing madden on his Xbox with someone online (a random match) and he was losing so husband took over and started winning and the guy threw an interception so husband said on the mic “nice throw, f_ggot” and then won the game and called the guy a loser.
Normally I wouldn’t care, because that’s kinda what you need to expect when playing a game online, but saying those things in front of our son really upset me and I told him again in private I’m NOT ok with that.
I’m glad our son looks up to dad that much, and aside from being a little immature he’s an amazing dad and husband, but this kind of stuff really upsets me.

{When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} is $1.99 on Amazon

#1 New York Times bestseller Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns to her beloved Chicago Stars series with a romance between a Chicago Stars quarterback and one of the world’s greatest opera singers—and a major diva.
“Re-entering the world of the Chicago Stars is like a beloved friend come to call.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, is a team player, talented sideline coach, occasional male underwear model, and a man with a low tolerance for Divas.
Olivia Shore, international opera superstar, is a driven diva with a passion for perfection, a craving for justice, too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical, lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with.
It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand. Along the way, the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk, backstage drama and, for sure, a quarterback pass. But they’ll also face trouble as threatening letters, haunting photographs, and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives. Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister?
This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place. Tender and funny, passionate and insightful, this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide.

Also:
{Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} is $4.99 on Amazon
{This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} is $4.99 on Amazon
Several others by Susan Elizabeth Phillips are $5.99-$6.99

You ever see one of those pictures,
Where a person is wrapped around
themselves like boa constrictors?
Screaming silently to the world,
with their devestated scriptures?
Hands up,
around their face,
Eyes wide like they just got sprayed down with mace.
Twisted
And contorted,
The very space around them distorted.
Like their very mind
Has been extorted.
Broken nails, crazy hair and shit?
Naw, it couldn't be me with the broken jaw, losing myself in a fit.
The echoes catch up and they scream,
Heaven knows if things are really as they seem.
I couldn't.
I wouldn't.
I shouldn't.
Shush now,
don't tell me what I can't resent.
A life I can't afford,
Strife by your accord.
Full stop.
Pull cord, steep drop.
Do I call the medic
Or the cop?
Is it me
Or the mannequin
being used as the prop?
Shot gun,
Make rot run,
Common n' show me what you got,
Hun.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Don't let them see you fail.
Erase your trail.
Stay calm,
Ignore the banshee's wail,
She can't find you
In the sleet and the hail.
Hood to mask my face,
Hunted down,
But they insist this isn't a race.
Being followed into the alley,
Quick, hop the fence without dally.
I should have left you a note,
Just to tell you what this was all about.
The hollow man,
Who just wants heaven's call,
Oh, to live again.
Eyes twitching in the dusk,
How can I be weighed down and still be such a hollow husk?
The ferry man waits for no one,
And I'm running to him like I am fleeing from the gun.
Funny how it is all the same,
Sunny day, embrace the cold barrel,
And that is the end of this game.
Just a sad sap,
Driven mad by a nonexistant gap.
I can't help that I always resurrect,
Like some tattered, but unflappable, insect.
I can't count the amount of times I've been crushed under your boot,
The number of rhymes I've written covered in the soot.
Of a burnt out flame,
Turned out by another who needed me to take the blame.
Just write it down, they say,
What swill, believing the pen and the pad is the way.
They don't care about your emotional release,
Like hens, they are just going to cluck without cease.
Fuck a triple entendre,
Tried it before, and still got stuck with nadda,
Pried myself away from the god ah the underworld,
But, I gotta say, my blood curled, when I learned,
It's true what they say, the devil wears prada.
She took my will to write, like it wasn't a bodda.
But they still poke and prod a dead body,
theynod at each other, with lecherous eyes that are so gawdy.
Like,
Fuck it,
He's dead.
Find the last of his coin,
Pluck it,
And then fill his boots with lead.
Into the ocean of lost souls,
Built up our shoals, ignoring the costs and the tolls.
I'm sinkin',
I'm drownin',
These pricks don't got an inklin'
About why I'm frownin'
I could switch hit a beat,
Without a hitch,
Have you on your feet.
And I'd still just be the guy who doesn't offer sunshine,
The scum fuck
Who wasn't smart enough not to cross the line.
Too gruff,
Too willing to call a bluff,
Life's tough,
And I've had enough.
You're killing me with this stuff,
Woke up in the dark waters,
My wrists in a cuff.
So,
Before you can fill my lungs with water and bile,
I'm fleeing this sinking city and I won't stop for a country mile.
Into a land,
Not so vile,
Where every conversation isn't a trial.
Where my blackened wings can shed,
All of these gruesome memories in my head.
It's true,
Some of us can handle the rain,
But, I won't be back again.
I found heaven in the drain,
I gave in,
And started caring about my own gain.
The human experience,
Should not be seen through an agonized wince.
Fuck you and your hounds,
And your porcelain, merry, bounds.
The walls you constructed,
The halls through which you obstructed.
Some day,
Your judgement will come,
Smooth as the sweetest rum,
To the sound of the eternal drum.
Until than,
I won't return to this city of men.

Well met, friends!

I'm a small fish in a sea of amazing players hoping to find a group of likeminded people to play with! I'm 27F, with about 5 years of TTRPG experience and 10 years roleplay in general. I have reached a point as a player where I don't see TTRPGs as just a casual hobby, but as a special experience that can only be reached though the labour of love, commitment and collective interest of everyone at the table. And I'm hoping for a group that shares in this mindset.

What I can offer:

• Flexibility and commitment: I respect everyone's time and I'm confident that I will not be late to or miss sessions. My availability is mostly in the BST timezone, but I am able and willing to commit to playing late for the right group.
• High dedication and immersion: I am a creative player with a passion for writing. I make in-depth characters with compelling backstories who are well-established in the world they live in. In game, I'm an experienced roleplayer with an immersive and emotionally engaged playstyle, who invests in the DM's world, NPCs and fellow players.
• Proactiveness: I will make a character who has reasons to be involved with the story and world and who never says no to adventure.
• Collaboration: I have a track record of playing support/ supportive characters and I would love a party that is close-knit and can emotionally invest in each other. I am a firm believer in equal sharing of spotlight and I respect/ am supportive when it's someone's turn to take the stage.
• Art: I love TTRPGS and I love drawing pcs/npcs or meaningful/funny scenes from sessions.
• Openness to various systems: I have a preference for fantasy settings and magic to some degree. Depending on the system, I ask for patience from the group while I learn the rules.
• Voice available and video if required. I am willing to learn any (free) VTT.

What I'm looking for:

• Players & DM over 18y/o
• Kindness and Inclusivity: LGBTQ friendly! Racism/ homophobia not tolerated. No antagonism or personal favouritisms by the DM, no outcasting or bullying by the players.
• Active communication: Hoping to play with open and emotionally mature people, who are not afraid to discuss and settle any problems that might occur in and out of game.
• Availability and consistency: A group that looks forward to the game and playing together every week, as opposed to those who only play when they have nothing else better to do. I am hoping for stable schedules, and cancellations rare and notified in advance where possible.
• Group: A smaller number (3-5) of proactive and collaborative people who are comfortable with roleplay and becoming their character. Who are able to immerse themselves in the story and invest in each other.
• A game that is taken seriously: The story itself doesn't have to be serious at all times, but I prefer not to play with joke/meme characters, or those that are only defined by annoying quirks.
• Immersive play: A living, breathing world, and players who can remain in character for the majority of the session.
• Roleplay heavy: A narrative game ran by a DM who encourages player creativity and engagement. A compelling story with intrigue, exploration, interesting foes and meaningful combat, where player agency and choices matter.

At the moment I am not looking for:

• Streamed campaigns/ podcasts, PBP (play by post), West marches, paid games, heavy combat- focused games or magic-less settings
• Groups with 6 or more players
• Well-established groups of long term friends (had to specifically add this due to previous bad experiences)

Thank you for being with me so far! I know I'm asking for a lot, but in return I guarantee you someone who will deeply invest in your world, keep detailed notes, come up with creative solutions, draw cool art, write rhymes and songs, and much more! I will respect your time and hard work, and will try my very best to reward it by being a good player and ensuring that you have as much fun as I am!

If you are a DM who has similar wants and expectations, please send me a message with a little bit about yourself, your campaign /players and availability and we can take it from there!

Week 3: Limericks and the Art of Humor
Day 1: Decoding Limericks - Activity: Analyze classic limericks for rhythm and humor. - Lecture: Discuss the AABBA rhyme scheme and distinctive rhythm. - Discussion: Share favorite humorous poems and discuss elements that make them funny.
Day 2: Crafting Limericks with Wit - Activity: Write limericks individually, focusing on humor and rhythm. - Lecture: Explore the balance of humor and structure in limericks. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual limericks, highlighting successful elements.
Day 3: Understanding Free Verse - Activity: Analyze free verse poems for structure and expression. - Lecture: Introduce the concept of free verse and its flexibility. - Discussion: Discuss the liberation and challenges of writing without a strict structure.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Expressing Emotions in Free Verse - Activity: Explore emotions and write a free verse poem. - Assignment: Craft a free verse poem exploring a personal experience or emotion. - Vocabulary Words: Enjambment, Cadence, Anapest.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for free verse poems. - Lecture: Discuss the artistic freedom and impact of free verse. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' free verse poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 3: 1. What defines a limerick, and how does its rhythm contribute to its humor? 2. Discuss the importance of the AABBA rhyme scheme in limericks. 3. How does free verse differ from structured forms of poetry? 4. Explore the challenges and benefits of writing without a strict form in free verse. 5. Reflect on the emotions and experiences expressed in your free verse poem.
Quiz: Assessment on limericks, the AABBA rhyme scheme, and the principles of free verse.
Week 4: Free Verse and Acrostic Poetry
Day 1: Embracing Free Verse - Activity: Analyze diverse free verse poems for individual expression. - Lecture: Discuss famous free verse poets and their impact on the genre. - Discussion: Share personal reactions to the artistic freedom of free verse.
Day 2: Crafting Emotion in Free Verse - Activity: Write a free verse poem expressing a specific emotion. - Lecture: Explore the role of emotions in free verse and the use of vivid imagery. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual poems, highlighting emotional impact.
Day 3: Understanding Acrostic Poetry - Activity: Analyze acrostic poems for clever wordplay. - Lecture: Explain the concept of acrostic poetry and its various forms. - Discussion: Share examples of creative acrostic poems.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Personal Acrostic - Activity: Craft an acrostic poem using your name or a chosen word. - Assignment: Write an acrostic poem exploring a theme or concept. - Vocabulary Words: Strophe, Stanza, Consonance.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for acrostic poems. - Lecture: Discuss the playfulness and creativity of acrostic poetry. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' acrostic poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 4: 1. Explore the role of emotions in free verse poetry. How does it differ from structured forms? 2. Discuss the impact of vivid imagery in free verse. How does it contribute to the overall message? 3. What defines acrostic poetry, and how is it different from other forms? 4. How can clever wordplay enhance the impact of an acrostic poem? 5. Reflect on the creative process and thematic exploration in your acrostic poem.
Quiz: Assessment on understanding free verse, emotional expression in poetry, and the principles of acrostic poetry.

abandon, ability, able, about, above, absence, absolute, absolutely, abstract, abundance, academy, accent, accept, access, accident, accompany, accomplish, according, account, accurate, achieve, achievement, acid, acknowledge, acquire, across, action, active, activity, actor, actual, actually, adapt, addition, additional, address, adequate, adjust, administration, admire, admission, admit, adolescent, adopt, adult, advance, advantage, adventure, advertise, advice, advise, adviser, advocate, affair, affect, afford, afraid, after, afternoon, again, against, age, agency, agenda, agent, aggressive, ago, agree, agreement, agriculture, ahead, aid, aim, air, aircraft, airline, airport, alarm, album, alcohol, alive, all, alliance, allow, ally, almost, alone, along, already, also, alter, alternative, although, always, amateur, amazing, ambition, ambulance, among, amount, analysis, analyst, analyze, ancient, and, anger, angle, angry, animal, anniversary, announce, annual, another, answer, anticipate, anxiety, any, anybody, anymore, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere, apart, apartment, apologize, apparent, apparently, appeal, appear, appearance, apple, application, apply, appoint, appointment, appreciate, approach, appropriate, approval, approve, approximately, architect, area, argue, argument, arise, arm, armed, army, around, arrange, arrangement, arrest, arrival, arrive, art, article, artist, artistic, as, ashamed, aside, ask, asleep, aspect, assault, assert, assess, assessment, asset, assign, assignment, assist, assistance, assistant, associate, association, assume, assumption, assure, at, athlete, athletic, atmosphere, attach, attack, attempt, attend, attention, attitude, attorney, attract, attraction, attractive, attribute, audience, author, authority, auto, available, average, avoid, award, aware, awareness, away, awful, baby, back, background, bad, badly, bag, balance, ball, ban, band, bank, bar, barely, barrel, barrier, base, baseball, basic, basically, basis, basket, basketball, bath, bathroom, battery, battle, be, beach, bear, beat, beautiful, beauty, because, become, bed, bedroom, bee, beef, beer, before, begin, beginning, behavior, behind, being, belief, believe, bell, belong, below, belt, bench, bend, beneath, benefit, beside, besides, best, bet, better, between, beyond, bicycle, big, bike, bill, billion, bind, biological, bird, birth, birthday, bit, bite, black, blade, blame, blanket, blind, block, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, bomb, bombing, bond, bone, book, boom, boot, border, boring, born, borrow, boss, both, bother, bottle, bottom, boundary, bowl, box, boy, boyfriend, brain, branch, brand, brave, bread, break, breakfast, breast, breath, breathe, brick, bridge, brief, briefly, bright, brilliant, bring, broad, broken, brother, brown, brush, buck, budget, build, building, bullet, bunch, burden, burn, bury, bus, business, busy, but, butter, button, buy, buyer, by, cabin, cabinet, cable, cake, calculate, call, camera, camp, campaign, campus, can, Canadian, cancer, candidate, cap, capability, capable, capacity, capital, captain, capture, car, carbon, card, care, career, careful, carefully, carrier, carry, case, cash, cast, cat, catch, category, Catholic, cause, ceiling, celebrate, celebration, celebrity, cell, center, central, century, CEO, ceremony, certain, certainly, chain, chair, chairman, challenge, chamber, champion, championship, chance, change, changing, channel, chapter, character, characteristic, characterize, charge, charity, chart, chase, cheap, check, cheek, cheese, chef, chemical, chest, chicken, chief, child, childhood, Chinese, chip, chocolate, choice, cholesterol, choose, Christian, Christmas, church, cigarette, circle, circumstance, cite, citizen, city, civil, civilian, claim, class, classic, classroom, clean, clear, clearly, client, climate, climb, clinic, clinical, clock, close, closely, closer, clothes, clothing, cloud, club, clue, cluster, coach, coal, coalition, coast, coat, code, coffee, cognitive, cold, collapse, colleague, collect, collection, collective, college, colonial, color, column, combination, combine, come, comedy, comfort, comfortable, command, commander, comment, commercial, commission, commit, commitment, committee, common, communicate, communication, community, company, compare, comparison, compete, competition, competitive, competitor, complain, complaint, complete, completely, complex, complexity, compliance, complicate, complicated, component, compose, composition, comprehensive, computer, concentrate, concentration, concept, concern, concerned, concert, conclude, conclusion, concrete, condition, conduct, conference, confidence, confident, confirm, conflict, confront, confusion, Congress, congressional, connect, connection, consciousness, consensus, consequence, conservative, consider, considerable, consideration, consist, consistent, constant, constantly, constitute, constitutional, construct, construction, consultant, consume, consumer, consumption, contact, contain, container, contemporary, content, contest, context, continue, continued, contract, contrast, contribute, contribution, control, controversial, controversy, convention, conventional, conversation, convert, conviction, convince, cook, cookie, cooking, cool, cooperation, cop, cope, copy, core, corn, corner, corporate, corporation, correct, correspondent, cost, cotton, couch, could, council, count, counter, country, county, couple, courage, course, court, cousin, cover, coverage, cow, crack, craft, crash, crazy, cream, create, creation, creative, creature, credit, crew, crime, criminal, crisis, criteria, critic, critical, criticism, criticize, crop, cross, crowd, crucial, cry, cultural, culture, cup, curious, current, currently, curriculum, custom, customer, cut, cycle, dad, daily, damage, dance, danger, dangerous, dare, dark, darkness, data, database, date, daughter, day, dead, deal, dealer, dear, death, debate, debt, decade, decide, decision, deck, declare, decline, decrease, deep, deeply, deer, defeat, defend, defendant, defense, defensive, deficit, define, definitely, definition, degree, delay, deliver, delivery, demand, democracy, Democratic, Democrat, demonstrate, demonstration, deny, department, depend, dependent, depending, depict, depression, depth, deputy, derive, describe, description, desert, deserve, design, designer, desire, desk, desperate, despite, destroy, destruction, detail, detailed, detect, detection, detective, determine, develop, developing, development, device, devil, dialogue, diet, differ, difference, different, differently, difficult, difficulty, dig, digital, dimension, dining, dinner, direct, direction, directly, director, dirt, disability, disagree, disappear, disaster, discipline, disclose, discover, discovery, discrimination, discuss, discussion, disease, dish, dismiss, disorder, display, dispute, distance, distinct, distinction, distinguish, distribute, distribution, district, diverse, diversity, divide, division, divorce, DNA, do, doctor, document, dog, domestic, dominant, dominate, door, double, doubt, down, downtown, dozen, draft, drag, drama, dramatic, dramatically, draw, drawer, drawing, dream, dress, drink, drive, driver, drop, drug, dry, due, during, dust, duty, dwell, dying, dynamic, each, eager, ear, earlier, early, earn, earnings, earth, earthquake, ease, easily, east, eastern, easy, eat, economic, economy, edge, edit, edition, editor, educate, education, educational, educator, effect, effective, effectively, efficiency, efficient, effort, egg, eight, either, elderly, elect, election, electric, electrical, electricity, electronic, element, elementary, eliminate, elite, else, elsewhere, e-mail, embrace, emerge, emergency, emission, emotion, emotional, emphasis, emphasize, employ, employee, employer, employment, empty, enable, encounter, encourage, end, enemy, energy, enforcement, engage, engine, engineer, engineering, English, enhance, enjoy, enormous, enough, ensure, enter, enterprise, entertain, entertainment, entire, entirely, entrance, entry, environment, environmental, episode, equal, equally, equipment, equivalent, era, error, escape, especially, essay, essential, essentially, establish, establishment, estate, estimate, etc, ethics, ethnic, European, evaluate, evaluation, evening, event, eventually, ever, every, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, evidence, evolution, evolve, exact, exactly, exam, examination, examine, example, exceed, excellent, except, exception, exchange, exciting, executive, exercise, exhibit, exhibition, exist, existence, existing, expand, expansion, expect, expectation, expense, expensive, experience, experiment, expert, explain, explanation, explode, explore, explosion, expose, exposure, express, expression, extend, extension, extensive, extent, external, extra, extraordinary, extreme, extremely, eye, fabric, face, facility, fact, factor, factory, faculty, fade, fail, failure, fair, fairly, faith, fall, false, familiar, family, famous, fan, fantasy, far, farm, farmer, fashion, fast, fat, fate, father, fault, favor, favorite, fear, feature, federal, fee, feed, feel, feeling, fellow, female, fence, festival, few, fewer, fiber, fiction, field, fifteen, fifth, fifty, fight, fighter, fighting, figure, file, fill, film, final, finally, finance, financial, find, finding, fine, finger, finish, fire, firm, first, fish, fishing, fit, fitness, five, fix, flag, flame, flat, flavor, flee, flesh, flight, float, floor, flow, flower, fly, focus, folk, follow, following, food, foot, football, for, force, foreign, forest, forever, forget, form, formal, formation, former, formula, forth, fortune, forward, found, foundation, founder, four, fourth, frame, framework, free, freedom, freeze, French, frequency, frequent, frequently, fresh, friend, friendly, friendship, from, front, fruit, frustration, fuel, fulfill, full, fully, fun, function, fund, fundamental, funding, funeral, funny, furniture, furthermore, future, gain, galaxy, gallery, game, gang, gap, garage, garden, garlic, gas, gate, gather, gay, gaze, gear, gender, gene, general, generally, generate, generation, genetic, gentleman, gently, German, gesture, get, ghost, giant, gift, gifted, girl, girlfriend, give, given, glad, glance, glass, global, glove, go, goal, God, gold, golden, golf, good, govern, government, governor, grab, grace, grade, gradually, graduate, grain, grand, grandmother, grant, grass, grave, gray, great, green, grocery, ground, group, grow, growing, growth, guarantee, guard, guess, guest, guide, guideline, guilty, gun, guy, habit, habitat, hair, half, hall, hand, handful, handle, hang, happen, happy, harbor, hard, hardly, hat, hate, have, he, head, headline, headquarters, health, healthy, hear, hearing, heart, heat, heaven, heavily, heavy, heel, height, helicopter, hell, hello, help, helpful, hence, her, herb, here, heritage, hero, herself, hey, hi, hide, high, highlight, highly, highway, hill, him, himself, hip, hire, his, historic, historical, history, hit, hold, hole, holiday, holy, home, homeless, honest, honey, honor, hope, horizon, horror, horse, hospital, host, hot, hotel, hour, house, household, housing, how, however, huge, human, humor, hundred, hungry, hunter, hunting, hurt, husband, hypothesis, ice, idea, ideal, identification, identify, identity, ignore, ill, illegal, illness, illustrate, image, imagination, imagine, immediate, immediately, immigrant, immigration, impact, implement, implication, imply, importance, important, impose, impossible, impress, impression, impressive, improve, improvement, incentive, incident, include, including, income, incorporate, increase, increased, increasingly, incredible, indeed, independence, independent, index, indicate, indication, individual, industrial, industry, infant, infection, inflation, influence, inform, information, ingredient, initial, initially, initiative, injury, inner, innocent, inquiry, inside, insight, insist, inspire, install, instance, instead, institute, institution, institutional, instruction, instructor, instrument, insurance, intellectual, intelligence, intend, intense, intensity, intention, interaction, interest, interested, interesting, internal, international, Internet, interpret, interpretation, intervention, interview, introduce, introduction, invasion, invest, investigation, investigator, investment, investor, invite, involve, involved, involvement, Iraqi, Irish, iron, Islamic, island, Israeli, issue, it, Italian, item, its, itself, jacket, jail, Japanese, jet, Jew, Jewish, job, join, joint, joke, journal, journalist, journey, joy, judge, judgment, juice, jump, junior, jury, just, justice, justify, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, killer, killing, kind, king, kiss, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know, knowledge, lab, label, labor, laboratory, lack, lady, lake, land, landscape, language, lap, large, largely, last, late, later, Latin, latter, laugh, launch, law, lawsuit, lawyer, lay, layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, mechanism, media, medical, medication, medicine, medium, meet, meeting, member, membership, memory, mental, mention, menu, mere, merely, mess, message, metal, meter, method, Mexican, middle, might, military, milk, million, mind, mine, minister, minor, minority, minute, miracle, mirror, miss, missile, mission, mistake, mix, mixture, mm-hmm, mode, model, moderate, modern, modest, mom, moment, money, monitor, month, mood, moon, moral, more, moreover, morning, mortgage, most, mostly, mother, motion, motivation, motor, mountain, mouse, mouth, move, movement, movie, Mr, Mrs, Ms, much, multiple, murder, muscle, museum, music, musical, musician, Muslim, must, mutual, my, myself, mystery, myth, naked, name, narrative, narrow, nation, national, native, natural, naturally, nature, near, nearby, nearly, necessarily, necessary, neck, need, negative, negotiate, negotiation, neighbor, neighborhood, neither, nerve, nervous, net, network, never, nevertheless, new, newly, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, 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hello, i am a 19 year old who’s currently an undergrad in college. i’m at a good point personally (doing good in school, 2 part-time jobs, feel good about myself holistically) and i know what i want in life. i'm currently living several miles from DC, but i'm originally from baltimore. i would prefer to date someone with similar attributes, age, and close-distance, but i am not limiting myself. i’m looking for someone that can hopefully be my long-term partner!
About Me - ⁠i would describe myself as caring, authentic, hardworking, rational, helpful, organized, efficient, realistic, funny, introverted, and versatile - ⁠i enjoy playing video games, listening to music, animals, basketball, football, sci-fi, hanging with friends, and eating good food - studying engineering - ⁠agnostic atheist - ⁠i don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs - don’t want kids -⁠i’m looking forward to learning how to cook, trying new things, and gaining unique experiences :)

I am undiagnosed but based on results of a ct scan and xray (aswell as my symptoms) i believe i have mild COPD.
I'm 30 M and have smoked since i was 15 years old unfortunately. I'm quitting now and haven't had a smoke in 3 days.
The CT scan results say as followed 'mild burden of bilateral bronchial and bronchiolar wall thickening through the lungs, which may reflect an inflammatory or infective bronchitis and bronchiolitis'
My x-ray showed hyper-inflated lungs
My symptoms have only been shortness of breath, going on for about 4-5 years now. Especially with exertion, i find it hard to get my breath back. No coughing, no mucus.
It's funny, some days I'll go to gym and run 2km then do 45 minutes of weight training, followed by a lap or 2 at my local oval while playing football. But other days I'm just laying in bed at night focusing on breathing amd feeling like i have to manually breathe.
I have a appointment with a pulmonary specialist in 2 weeks, very keen to see him
I did the spiro test a couple of years ago when i had a really bad week of breathing, i must have caught an infection or something because i had laboured breathing For over 2 weeks
I also got covid really bad and couldn't breath at all, i even passed out at onw point
So we will know for sure in 2 weeks if i do have copd, but based on everything i really think i do have either mild or moderate COPD
I'm only 30, i have 2 amazing kids and a awesome wife, and i love my life other than my lungs lol
I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to manage this and try to still have a great and long life, but my question is, does COPD always progress to severe & end stage regardless of how well i maintain and treat it? Would love to hear from some long time copd sufferers who started off mild 20+ years ago (though anyones thougths, advice and opinions are appreciated)
I can manage what i have now forever for sure, but i really don't want it getting any worse, especially in the next 20 years, as i consider these my prime years
TLDR; i think i have mild copd and want to know if its possible for the copd to never progress to sever if i look after myself

About 2 years ago or so, I started dating my now fiancé. 5 months in, it was the holidays, and he had met my parents at thanksgiving. They loved him and everything is great on my end. I met his sister and she was pregnant, she was short with me and didn't really ask me much. When I asked him about it, he said shes pregnant probably tired. Christmas comes, my bf is invited to our Christmas, but he didn't invite me to his sister's house. So, the plan was we each spend Christmas eve with our own families, and he would join my family on Christmas day. 2 days before Christmas eve, my bf calls me and says my sister said to invite u over for Christmas eve. I said OK let me talk to my family because i already made plans with them and I'll get back to you.30 mins later, he calls saying they want to rescind the invitation because they remembered you're not vaccinated, and they don't want to put the baby at risk. i said no worries i understand. I thought to myself ok either her or her husband will reach out to be like sorry you know; we'd love to have you but the baby blabla. nothing. Mind you, they were taking the baby to wineries, restaurants, etc.. I was hurt as anyone else would be that they didnt give me the common courtesy of saying hey sorry. Even my then bf told them, and they said they have nothing to apologize for because my bf is the one who invited and uninvited me. They even went on to say that I should apologize for prioritizing a stupid dinner over the safety of the baby, called me narcissist, insecure and selfish. I obv didn't like them after that but I was always respectful, and had my bf handle the matter as any man should. they unfollowed me on insta, unfriended me on fb and still stalked me and told my bf I was posting on social media jabs at them and told him to open his eyes to who i truly am and all that. Like if i know you dont follow me, why would i post about you? Throughout those 2 years, we invited them over for watching football games, parties, holidays, they never came. I even threw a surprise party for my bf when he got a new job, and she didn't come because she had plans with her friends. Anyway, on multiple occasions, she would tell him indirectly that he shouldn't be with me and that im not good for him. Here comes the baby's first bday, we are there and one of her friends asked if the party was good birth control for us and i laughed and said yes lol. This topic came up again a couple months later where i said that i wouldnt want to start having kids at 35 like when im older i wanna have them soon. she got offended and felt i was calling her old and unfit to be a mom because she is 34. I didn't mean it at all that way specially that my fiancé is like 2 years younger than her. One major issue is that whenever any family member is in town, she makes all the plans and just tells us when and where, if we dont like it we don't have to go. its always like "we are going to xx at this time if you guys wanna come". I work till 5-515 every day, she wants to go to dinner at 530 because the baby sleeps at 7. she wants me to drive separately from my fiancé and meet with them 30-45 mins (that's how long my commute is) after so they could leave on time. Anytime we push back that we want more time so I could go home, shower, get out of my blood-filled scrubs before I go to dinner, she has a meltdown. Saying I need to get over myself and that I am putting my need to be chauffeured to dinner over the baby's needs. Every time we say it's the last time and we accommodate them, but they never care about what we want. Fast forward to 2 months ago, my then bf calls her to say hey I bought a ring and I'm so excited to propose, she was not thrilled, asked him how he knows we are ready, and if he is sure this is what he wants, and acts like she needs to get off the phone. Whatever. He proposes, we call them to share the news, and she goes aww congratulations, funny thing my husband proposed to me yesterday about 10 years ago too. We laughed whatever and went on calling other family members to share the news. 15 min after that call they post pictures of their proposal on social media on our engagement day. they've been married or like 10 years now. I'm like??? We are having an engagement party to celebrate, and family members are coming from out of town, tried to make dinner plans at 6, and they lost their minds, to a point trying to convince my fiancé i am the problem and that he should check me, or leave me A WEEK BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY. When i found out they were mad about the kids and birth control comments i texted and apologized that same night but crickets. She still hasnt reached out to me to apologize for anything shes done those past 2 years and i dont know how to move on and create a healthy family dynamic where i can keep my sanity. please share some advice if you can.

1. Why are you doing this?

Because it's funny. To me, there is nothing funnier than singing about gay stuff especially in genres that don't usually talk about that kind of stuff like Country and Rap. If at least one other person finds it funny then my job would be done.

1. How do you do this?

I write most of my parodies in Google Docs and pull up the lyrics on Genuis. If I need help, Rhyme Zone is a tool I use and if I need to remember the melody of the words, I pull up the song on youtube. It's a simple process.

1. How long does it take you to make these?

Depends on the song. Somthing Just Like this took me 10 minutes, Fast Car took me 4 hours, and some songs like Really Doe take days to make.

1. Are you gay?

If I had to describe my sexuality I would say I'm 100% attracted to women and 50% attracted to guys. So yeah I'm pretty gay.

1. How do you pick songs to make parodies?

The song has to be one that I know or one that is popular. No matter how much I wanna do gay Ghais Guvera songs, nobody will notice them. I also don't do songs that have significant meaning to me like Sing About Me or Be Quiet And Drive. My lyrics get stuck in my head sometimes and I can never listen to certain songs the same way again.

1. Will you ever make them into actual songs?

Probably. Not all of my parodies will become actual songs but there are certain one that I want to record. I tried to record Gay Fast car once but I am not confident enough in my singing abilities to pull it off.

1. What is wrong with you?

I had a dream about this girl and it really fucked me up for a while. During that low point I kinda went into overdrive and wrote an entire gay Arctic Monkeys album. I don't know what's wrong with me. I probably just need a creative outlet and this is it. anywho...

1. Will you do this song/album?

Weird Al said he woundn't take requests until Madonna requested "Like A Surgeon" and he had to do it. Give me a request I can't refuse.

1. Can I record myself singing these parodies?

DM me first. I would love to have these be actually sung by someone other than me but not without permission. I am very protective over my parodies but I would be proud to hear you guys singing my stupid lyrics. DM me on here and I will most likely say yes.
well, that's the pfaq. If you think I'm a weirdo then you're right and if you think I'm talented you're probably also right. Thanks for reading and please don't get and at me...

A poem I found on the internet maybe in sometime in 2000-2010, its a continuation/analys of the age old question "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck".
I'm aware of the Monkey Island continuation... "A woodchuck could chuck no amount of wood since a woodchuck can't chuck wood... But if a woodchuck could chuck and would chuck..." and so on. But that's only 5 lines.
And what I'm looking for isn't that, this went on for a solid page. I believe it went into more abstract things like economics... It read like an essay, but was so full of rhymes and wordplay that it could also be considered a poem. It was quite funny.
I though it would be easy to find... but no.

Hey guys
With the recent price stagnation, and increased regulatory pressure a lot of people seem worried that we won't ever see another ATH with Ethereum. Other overly optimistic people are talking about a super cycle.
In my opinion, this bull run looks exactly like the others that we had. There is little guarantee that history will repeat or rhyme but the excessive panick after the recent dip is just funny for me.
We had these 20-25% dips many times during last cycles. Leverage gets flushed out and everyone panicks and calls the end of the times. But we are still up around 90% since January of last year 📈.
All you need to make it in this cycle, is a clear plan, a profit taking strategy and some patience. There is no free super quick money without substantial risks and we need patience to make outsized returns. Ethereum is as solid as it ever was.
Greetings

Hello
I want to feel the little crush when we connect immediately. The inner urge to get to know every little detail about you. Unfortunately that is not easy to find. You have to be interesting and I have to find you attractive. I will be happy to share a picture. For now just online and chatting. If we hit it off we can see where it goes. It may be hopelessly romantic and a bit stupid but thats what I want.
Im tall, dark hair, medium beard. Both with some grey in it now. Greenish undefinable eyes. Im funny and have a pretty dry sarcastic ironic humor. You should be able to get along with that. Sometimes I can be a hardhead and I want a woman who can talk back to me. I think Im quite good looking and sufficiantly smart. My school careere was never very ambitious but I have a good job. My favourite music is Hip Hop and some of the endless metal genres. But I hear a lot of other stuff too. Im a man with male interests. Football, woodworking, technic stuff. At the moment I try to get into male fashion more and Im always happy about a female opinion. Im working on my next tattoo even so I dont have a lot yet.
Fun fact about me. I dont like to sleep. Please dont hasitate to tell me how awful that is 😉

Hello
I want to feel the little crush when we connect immediately. The inner urge to get to know every little detail about you. Unfortunately that is not easy to find. You have to be interesting and I have to find you attractive. I will be happy to share a picture. For now just online and chatting. If we hit it off we can see where it goes. It may be hopelessly romantic and a bit stupid but thats what I want.
Im tall, dark hair, medium beard. Both with some grey in it now. Greenish undefinable eyes. Im funny and have a pretty dry sarcastic ironic humor. You should be able to get along with that. Sometimes I can be a hardhead and I want a woman who can talk back to me. I think Im quite good looking and sufficiantly smart. My school careere was never very ambitious but I have a good job. My favourite music is Hip Hop and some of the endless metal genres. But I hear a lot of other stuff too. Im a man with male interests. Football, woodworking, technic stuff. At the moment I try to get into male fashion more and Im always happy about a female opinion. Im working on my next tattoo even so I dont have a lot yet.
Fun fact about me. I dont like to sleep. Please dont hasitate to tell me how awful that is 😉

Link to original nosleep post:
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/1azq8ri/i_was_invited_to_play_the_games_in_the_woods_and/
When I was very young, my grandfather used to always tell me to stay out of the woods behind our house.
"Legend has it, that there's something terrible in there." He'd say, pointing to the trees behind our home with his only arm, the other of which he'd told me he had lost in the war. "And no one who goes in, ever comes back the same."
But I never took his warnings very seriously, given his age, and hard life, writing them off as the ramblings of a senile and bitter old man.
At least until a few years later, when, at the age of ten, I was told by my mother that my grandfather had passed…
...And had left me a parting gift.
It was a crumpled envelope with the word "Bobby" scribbled onto the back, sealed with more tape than an envelope needed sealing.
Inside, was a folded piece of paper, which, upon unfolding, I noticed my grandfather had sketched the layout of what looked like three games.
Beside the first two games, he had written instructions for what looked like how to beat them.
"Don't go in the box."
"Don’t run."
Beside the third, were a couple more notes.
"Don’t lift it alone."
"This is as far as I made it, before I lost my arm."
And at the very bottom of the page, Grandpa had addressed me directly.
"Bobby, if you receive an invitation to play the games in the woods, do not accept it. Run as far away as you can. But in the event you end up there anyway, may these instructions help you finish what I started."
Games in the woods? I thought to myself. After all the warnings, and all the lectures, Grandpa was trying to protect me from games?
I found the whole thing quite silly, and resolved to put it out of my mind.
And so, that's exactly what I did, burying away both the loss of my Grandfather, and the gift that he had left for me, for four long years.
That is, until, at the age of fourteen, when I was a freshman in high school, I received a scroll on my doorstep, tied together with a thorny vine.
After carefully unraveling it, I discovered an invite to the very games that my Grandfather had warned me about, grotesquely handwritten in ink.
"Bobby,
Join us in the forest behind your house tonight, to compete in the games in the woods.
Don't be late. The games will begin promptly at midnight."
I laughed out loud and immediately tore up the scroll on the spot.
But who could be the one pranking me? I wondered. Surely my mom wasn't in on it? Who could have known about the invitation that my Grandfather referenced? Maybe my Uncle Frank? He's always been a jokester. Yes, it must be Uncle Frank.
And on that note, I went about my day, and completely forgot about the scroll.
That is, until later that night, when, while fast asleep, I suddenly felt myself torn from my bed, stuffed into what felt like a canvas satchel, and dragged out my window and, from the sound of it, what must have been through the woods behind my house.
The whole time, I tried my best to kick and scream…
"This isn't funny, Uncle Frank! I know what you're up to!"
...But Uncle Frank, or so I thought, was much too strong to break free from, and the next thing I knew, I found myself dropped into the middle of the forest, and my satchel ripped away.
"Uncle Frank?" I called out, unable to see my surroundings in the dark.
Until my eyes adjusted, and I looked up to find a hooded figure, wearing a tattered brown cloak and holding a burning torch that illuminated everything around him, save for what lay under his shadowy hood.
What the heck? I thought to myself. That's not Uncle Frank.
The shrouded man said no words, and simply pointed to a footbridge, lit by torchlight, not far away, and gestured for me to cross it.
Realizing now that this wasn't Uncle Frank's doing, and in turn, that the letter, and my Grandfather's warning, must both be real, I began shaking in fear and, not knowing what else to do, obeyed the hooded figure's order.
When I got to the other side, I found myself surrounded by what must have been twenty of the hooded man's kin, all holding torches, and encircling a glen in the forest, where the moon and the stars could now be seen in the night sky.
And in the center of the glen, were four poor souls. Kids like me, who must have also received the invitation, or been dragged here against their will, or both. Kids, from my high school, that I recognized.
There was Brad Ashworth, our class valedictorian, in a sweater vest, khakis, and boots, clearly prepared for the occasion…
...Caitlin Sullivan, whom many kids called a nerd, geek, dweeb, and weirdo, but whom I found to be perfectly normal, wearing a pair of overalls and round, wire frame glasses…
...Colin Richardson, in a running suit, a jock, known for excelling at at least three sports, football, track, and basketball..
...And none other than Milton Dugan, the biggest bully in school, best known for using his sheer size to jam freshmen into lockers, wearing a pair of polka dot pajamas.
"Shut up, loser." He called out to me, noticing the smile on my face when I saw what he was wearing.
"What do you think they are?" Colin asked me, pointing to the hooded figures.
"I have no idea. But I don't think they're friendly." I replied.
Until Caitlin chimed in, "They're Druids, idiots."
"Whatever they are, I'm not scared of them." Brad added.
That's when it hit me.
Who would bring five high school students out into the middle of the woods to teach them a lesson? Well, teachers of course. That must be it! Teachers! Yes, it's teachers under those hoods!
But before I could continue to dwell on my epiphany, we were all suddenly interrupted, by the sound of a loud howl emanating from the forest.
And then…
...An old man with a white beard came hobbling out of the woods, walking stick in one hand, and an object that I couldn’t identify in his other.
It was only when he reached the center of the glen, and stopped just a few feet away from us, that I noticed he was missing something…
...The reflection of light in his eyes.
And upon further observation, it became apparent…
...That he had no eyes at all.
What the? I thought to myself, before gasping, as the old man began to speak.
"Invited ones. You stand before me tonight, under the light of the moon, with a great challenge before you. A challenge that only comes around every seventy-five years. Each of you, were hand picked to play these games tonight, for each of you represent a unique virtue. Five virtues put to the same test, to see which will overcome all others. The winner, will be awarded the greatest prize of all. While the losers, will pay a heavy price."
The other four kids and I turned to each other with looks of confusion, then turned back to the old man, who continued.
"But before we begin. Which of you, knows for a fact, that you are the best player among us? Which of you, is so brave, so courageous, so sure of your abilities, that you'll volunteer to step into the box?" He asked, pointing to an area of the glen, that had been covered in darkness, but until the Druids lit it with torchlight.
It was a wooden box, about the size of a telephone booth, completely enclosed with what appeared to be a door on one side and a metal latch to open it.
The Box! I thought to myself, remembering my Grandfather's letter, outlining three games, and assuming the first of which was this one.
"Don't go in the box.”
Easy enough. I mused, looking over at the other kids, waiting for one of them to heed the call instead, until…
"It's me. I'm the smartest, and the most talented one here. I'll do it." Brad called out, raising his hand, before turning back to us, "Cowards."
"Very well," The old man replied, walking over to the box, opening the door, and gesturing for him to enter.
And so he did.
Oh no. I thought to myself, as all of us kids cringed in anticipation of something unspeakable happening inside.
But after a minute, the old man simply walked back over to the door, opened it, and let Brad out.
He came proudly walking out of it, chest in the air, with a smug smile on his face, and belted out the words. "See! Nothing to fear, fraidy cats."
Despite his obnoxious comment, we all let out a sigh of relief.
Until suddenly, a few of the druids grabbed Brad by the arms, and pinned him to the box.
"What's going on? What are you doing?" Our valedictorian cried out, unsure of what exactly was happening.
The hooded men proceeded to pry open his jaws with their hands, as the old man hobbled over to him, revealing the object in his hand… a sharp, silver sword.
But before any of us could react, the old druid had already reached into Brad's mouth, cut off his tongue, and held it up for all to see.
Brad began crying and wailing, blood spraying from his mouth, as the druids let him go and he fell to the ground, arms flailing in pain.
Meanwhile, the rest of us kids just stood there, wide eyed in fear, unable to comprehend what we had just seen.
"That was Game One." The old man called out to us. "Let it be a lesson, that your greatest strengths can also be your greatest weaknesses. In this case, confidence begets arrogance. Now, take him away."
Upon his command, two druids ran over to Brad, who was now passed out, picked him up, and carried him away into the woods.
"Let's move on to Game Two, shall we?" The eyeless old man continued, leading us, and the other druids, out of the glen, into the forest, down a torchlit path, and to a massive field, illuminated by the moonlight.
He then took his staff, stuck it into the ground, and carved a long line in the dirt.
"Will the remaining players please stand behind the line."
Still in shock from what had just happened, we all obeyed his command, lining up before the line in the dirt, which separated us from the football field sized lawn.
"Are you gonna hurt one of us again?" Milton called out, puffing out his chest. "Cause I'm not afraid of you guys, and I’m fully capable of defending myself!"
The old man ignored his rant, and continued on with his own, "The rules of the second game are simple. When I say go, you're to run with the wolves."
"Wolves?" Caitlin whispered to me, trying to understand he meant.
Just then, a group of druids emerged from the forest, leading four ravenous wolves on leashes to the field behind us, each of them drooling at the mouth while howling and growling at us maniacally.
Caitlin and I shared a brief look of horror, before the eyeless man stepped aside and called out, "Go!"
Colin was the first one to sprint off into the field, followed by Caitlin, and then, what would have been me, but when I began to dart away, something jutted out in front of my legs and tripped me to the ground.
Confused by what had happened, I looked up from the dirt to see Milton hopping over me…
"Sucker!"
...As I realized that it must have been he who had tripped me, and saw the Druids unleash the four wolves.
I hopped up to my feet and attempted to run again, but before they hit the ground, the wolves had already caught up to me.
In that moment, I closed my eyes and braced for the worst, but when I opened them again, I saw that they had run right past me, seemingly in pursuit of the others up ahead.
But as I continued to watch the wolves run away, I noticed that they soon passed Milton too, and then Caitlin, finally making their way to Colin, who was running so fast, that he disappeared into whatever lay beyond the field.
And then, the feral dogs stopped running, just before the end of the field, and began howling and growling again, and they looked down at something below them.
Eventually catching up with the others and making my way to the end of the field, Caitlin, Milton, and myself finally saw what had happened to Colin.
There, at the end of the field, was a great pit, and at the bottom, was the star athlete himself, writhing in pain and begging for our help.
"Help me!" Colin called out, clenching his legs, which must have broken from the fall.
"Does anyone have a rope or anything we can lower down to him?" Caitlin asked.
But the druids had just arrived, and were already lowering one down to Colin.
And by the time they pulled him up, still screaming out in pain, the old eyeless druid had arrived, ready to greet him.
"Why would you put a pit at the end of the race?" Colin screamed, as he lay helpless on the ground.
"You said to run from the wolves."
"I said to run with the wolves, not from them. They mean no harm, just look at your friends here. But you. You got ahead of yourself. And for that, there is a price." The old man warned.
"Price? I already broke my legs." Colin replied.
"Well now, we take them." The eyeless man said ominously, before the druids surrounded Colin and held him down, as another approached him holding a giant scythe, its blade glimmering in the moonlight.
"Wait! No!" He cried out.
But it was too late. In an instant, one of his legs was gone. Severed from his body by the swinging scythe, as blood sprayed everywhere, and Colin screamed in agony.
A second later, I saw Caitlin remove her glasses and wipe the blood from them, before putting them back on and continuing to watch on silently in horror.
"What is wrong with you guys?" Milton called out, clenching his fists and pacing around in a threatening fashion.
For a moment, I thought about cursing out Milton for tripping me, but then I realized he had actually saved me.
And that's when I remembered my Grandfather's second clue.
"Don't run."
He was right again.
"Take him away." The old man said for a second time, as a group of druids walked over and proceeded to carry Colin off into the woods, before turning to Milton, Caitlin, and myself.
"And now for Game Three."
He then led us back into the forest, and down a rocky path that hugged a winding stream.
At the end of the path, we came to a clearing between the trees, where we saw two giant boulders, each nearly the size of a person, placed side by side on the ground.
"For this game, you have an option. Lift a boulder yourself, or pick a teammate to help you lift it. The person or team who holds it the longest, wins. And the one who's first to drop it, loses. Understand?"
Milton, Caitlin, and I all looked at each other for a moment, as we weighed the options.
But suddenly, I remembered my Grandfather’s third instruction.
"Don’t lift it alone."
And before Milton could utter a word, I ran over to Caitlin.
"Caitlin and I will be a team." I declared, as she smiled, and put her arm around my shoulder.
"But what about me?" Milton asked, offended by being the odd man out, before correcting himself. "Actually, you know what? Fine! I'm stronger than both of you combined anyway. This will be your own undoing, dorks! I'll compete by myself."
"Very well," the old man called out, as he stood between the two stones. "When I say go, lift the boulders up off the ground, for as long as you can."
Caitlin and I crouched down and gripped the boulder from below, then looked at each other.
"We got this." I assured her with a smile.
"We got this." She replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, Milton was scrambling to grasp onto his boulder, and began begging for more time. "Just a second, I swear. This boulder's heavier on one side and it's just-"
But before he could continue, the old man raised his staff and called out, "Go!" at the top of his lungs.
Caitlin and I carefully and calmly lifted our boulder, and despite its heavy weight, strained ourselves to keep it elevated above the ground.
But Milton was not as lucky. From the very beginning, he was doomed, as he still hadn't secured his grip on the rock when the old man yelled "Go!" and bumbled when he lifted it up, catching it in hands, but in an position that looked much too uncomfortable for him sustain.
And as the stone slowly began to slip out of his arms, Milton looked over at Caitlin and I with a sour face and mumbled, "You screwed me, losers."
"Maybe if you weren't such a dick, Milton, someone might have chosen you." I replied, in an attempt to drive home the reason why he had lost.
Milton tried to think of a clever retort, "You know what, Bobby-" but before he could finish his sentence, it was too late. The stone had fallen to the ground. He stopped what he was saying and looked down at it, a look of fear washing over his face.
And as the druids began to surround him, rather than threaten them like he had in the past, Milton began to cry. "Please don't hurt me! Please, I'll do anything!"
But it was too late. The druids dragged Milton to the stump of a tree and laid his arm down upon it, as another swung an ax high above his head, and brought it slicing down through Milton's arm, leaving him with a stump of his own.
As he saw the blood pouring out of his appendage, Milton began to scream, until his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he eventually passed out.
And for a third time, the eyeless old man called out, "Take him away."
Now, only Caitlin and I remained. Together we stood there in silence, arms around each other, as Milton's limp body was carried off into the woods.
"Which brings us to Game Four," the old druid began, "Perhaps the simplest of all. For this game is decided by you and you alone. When I say go, you'll have one minute to come to a decision on who will be the winner, and who will be the loser."
Caitlin replied "Wait-"
But before she could continue, the old man interrupted her, commencing the final game, "Go!"
Caitlin and I huddled together in the woods, as the old man, and the druids, encircled us, waiting for us to come to a consensus.
"Wait, what do we do?" Caitlin whispered.
"I don't know." I whispered back.
"Should we choose both of us as the winners?"
"No, we'd be breaking the rules. He specified a winner and a loser. They'll punish us both. We need to choose one."
"But that means one of us, will suffer the same fate as the others."
"I don't know if we have any other choice.”
"Then how should we decide?"
"I don't know."
"Wait," Caitlin said, as she reached into the pocket of her overalls and removed a coin. "If you're okay with it. A coin toss would be fair. Totally up to chance.”
"It would be fair. Let's do it. But quick." I replied, knowing our minute would soon end.
"Then you choose. Heads or tails." She offered up.
"Okay. Um... heads!" I replied quickly.
And like that, Caitlin held out her fist…
...Dropped the coin…
...Towards the forest floor below…
...Time suddenly slowing…
...As it descended towards the ground…
...Spinning…
...And spinning…
…And spinning…
...Until…
...Thud.
We both crouched down, and saw the result that would seal our fate forever…
…Heads.
I had won.
Caitlin looked up at me, her eyes wide, and her mouth agape, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
"It's okay." She whispered back.
And then…
...The old man spoke.
"Your time is up. What is your decision? Who is the winner, and who is the loser?"
Both Caitlin and my heads hung low, as she began to speak, "I'm the-"
"Winner." I interrupted, as she looked at me, completely surprised by what I had said. "She's the winner, and I'm the loser."
"But Bobby-" She whispered.
"Save yourself. Don't worry about me." I insisted, whispering back to her, as the old man approached us.
"Very well." He said, holding his wrinkled hand out to Caitlin, who accepted it in hers.
And so, he escorted her away, off into the woods, hobbling on his wooden staff, until they disappeared into the night.
And as for me. I… well I was left there in the dark, surrounded by a dozen druids, who slowly closed in on me.
I didn't know what to do so I, accepting my fate, simply closed my eyes and braced for the worst…
...But similar to what had come of the impending doom of the howling wolves...
...Nothing happened.
I opened my eyes, to find one of the druids standing before me.
"Congratulations..." He said, in an ominous voice, "...On winning the games."
"What?" I asked, confused how that could be possible. "I don't understand. I voted for Caitlin to be the winner."
"Yes, you did." He replied, "But humility is the virtue that always wins the games. Your selfless act, sacrificing your own life for that of another's, is why you won."
"And what do I win?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Just as the keeper of the games had stated, the greatest prize of all..." He said, "..Life."
"And what about Caitlin? What will become of her?"
"That is still yet to be decided. But you will find out soon enough."
Any sort of relief that I had felt immediately disappeared, and my heart sank, as I realized that by volunteering my own life to save Caitlin's, I may have actually cost her hers.
"Wait," I called out, "Let me take her place. Please."
But before I could continue, I felt the druids shove a giant canvas satchel over me, just as they'd done earlier that night, before whisking me away into the forest.
They must have knocked me out after that, because when I came to, I found myself back in my bedroom, lying face first on the cold, wooden floor.
The next day at school, I raced to Caitlin's locker, and then her home room, desperately hoping to see her face, hoping to put my mind at ease…
...But she never showed up. That day… or ever again.
And as for Brad, Colin, and Milton, their claims about how they lost their respective body parts, despite being substantiated by me, were all written off by police, parents, and teachers alike as foolish accidents, when no such games were ever found in the woods.
Years later, as my wife and I discuss having a child, I find myself wondering if I'll ever have a grandchild of my own…
...If they, too, will be invited to play the games in the woods, the next time the druids come around…
...And if Caitlin will be one of them.

Netting to stop football
England
Moved into a house six months ago with a fairly large garden my lad loves football and we have the goal set up at the opposite end of our neighbours however very rarely a stray ball goes over our neighbours (lowish fence) 3 times since we moved in so far from a daily occurrence.
Anyway they are being funny when we ask for it back and said the dog might pop it if keeps coming over (hmm).
Anyway considering putting a line up and a black netting across the area to stop the balls. The netting will be entirely on our property and about the height of the bottom of the second floor window.
Are there any legal issues for doing so.

Alright, this is part two, and this is a long one, as a LOT, like a whole lot has happened.
Its been about 10 days since i wrote the last one, thst lne got sweep deleted im pretty sure.
So, in my last one, i mention i thought a girl was gonna ask me put. Well... she didnt. BUT one of my friends gave a girl my snap for no reason, and i thought that was interesting.
So a lots happening with my friends. I learned thst one of my friends girls broke up with him, and another one of my boys thinks shes interested in on of our other homies.
Does thst break the bro code? I dont know. But, heres the thing. He is one of the only of us guys to have a girl ask him out, (me included), and he rejected her. He said hes gonna reject her if she asks him out cause he doesnt like her like that
I think thats wild, cause shes attractive. But he said something funny about her apparently. They were in PE and they wanted to get a football from over the railing, and he whispered to our friend "she could probably just slide through cause shes so flat"
Anyways, another one of my friends girls broke up qmwith him, and the reason is crazy.
She said to one of my friends "Me and john broke up lol because im gonna kms and i dont want him to have a dead girlfriend"
I personally think thats fucked up, but the water flows.
Alsoyoy wanna know some bullshit?
ITS ALWAYS THE WEIRD GUYS THAT GET GIRLS IN MY GROUP
My friend cam got a girl (the ex thst was intersted in my other friend), he send fucking gay and animal porn to the gc, his most used word in it is the N word, my man KC got a girl and he once told me to "describe a usual fap , i want details from every stroke", he dated a girl for like 6+ months, and now hes got a new one, and john is a complete inteoverted outcast, he can barely speak, hes tall , always wearing a jacket, hes ugly, im pretty sure he likes men, but he still got a girl.
ITS SO INFURIATING
I GAURUNTE YOU NONE OF THEM ARE TRYING
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT TRYING
IVE HEARD ONE OF THEM BRAGGING ABOUT IT
One of them doesnt even show romantic interest. She just asked him. Kc is judt a fucking baller, its so weird

Hello all, I have tried freestyling, accapella and not. When im on beat or not, I dont know what to say and if i try to make a song idk what to talk about, then if i want to rhyme it I dont know good rhyme words or flows or just to sound good. Im 14, in the burbs, white, and like 90's ish gangsta rap with a lil mix of other genres and today. Im not sure if i could rap gangsta, but like what do I even say. Im partly depressed also, so everything is life seems like monotone and boring also and I really dont know what to do to change my view besides postivity but yeah. Im not populaur, supposedly really smart and funny tho, but idk. Like I dont know if imma be like yeah, im a fucking white dude, soundcloud rappa and i love my cats. I cant rap, but i did try track. like boom freestyle IG, but nobody likes, and every person at school jit laughs and calls me a soundcloud rappa and an eminem wannabe, like shit. So idk, any help is apprechaited.

Hello all, I have tried freestyling, accapella and not. When im on beat or not, I dont know what to say and if i try to make a song idk what to talk about, then if i want to rhyme it I dont know good rhyme words or flows or just to sound good. Im 14, in the burbs, white, and like 90's ish gangsta rap with a lil mix of other genres and today. Im not sure if i could rap gangsta, but like what do I even say. Im partly depressed also, so everything is life seems like monotone and boring also and I really dont know what to do to change my view besides postivity but yeah. Im not populaur, supposedly really smart and funny tho, but idk. Like I dont know if imma be like yeah, im a fucking white dude, soundcloud rappa and i love my cats. I cant rap, but i did try track. like boom freestyle IG, but nobody likes, and every person at school jit laughs and calls me a soundcloud rappa and an eminem wannabe, like shit. So idk, any help is apprechaited.
(New) * Thank you all so much to who responded!! I really do apprechiate it and I will use and do the tips you guys said. Thanks again!