Thank you and nursing home staff

Hello!
I am looking to buy a paint spray gun to paint some furniture and walls in my new place. I am looking for options under $300, and these are the ones I got so far

1. Wagner Spraytech 0529091 FLEXiO 5000
   
2. HomeRight C800971.A Super Finish Max
   
3. Wagner Flexio 3500
   

HomeRight seems to be a more budget-friendly option, but it may make sense to spend a bit more and get the wagner 3500.
Any thoughts on the above ones or any other ones?
Thank you!! =)

Listening to "The Law" on audiobook and I can't stop laughing. I just went through the entire series on audiobook and am finishing it up with this one.
In case you dont know, Jim Butcher reads this one himself. At first it was off-putting because I'm still so very used to James Masters at the moment, but then got into it.
What made me laugh was think Harry sounded like John Wayne announcing the showcase showdown on the price is right and Bob sounds like Curly from the 3 stooges.
It's like I woke up in a different parallel dimension, and everyone is speaking with a different voice in this one.
Just wanted to share that and see if anyone agrees. The story so far is great. I'm glad to see him operating out of his new "home".
Looking forward to the next big novel. Thanks!

I was going for a walk last night and saw a cat on the path so I called it over. It rubbed all over my legs and seemed like a normal, friendly cat. I was petting it and it rolled over and I made the mistake of trying to pet its belly (I know) and it did the thing cats do where they grab your arm with their mouth and rabbit kick you. And then went back to wanting to be petted. I was wearing a light sweater so the only marks my arm were one light scratch that didn’t bleed and is barely visible today and one other tiny scratch that’s so small I can’t be sure it’s not from the cat’s tooth (also surface level and did not bleed).
I live in France which is considered a rabies free country and this occurred in a wealthy neighborhood of a midsized city. The cat wasn’t wearing a collar but looked very clean and healthy so I don’t think it was a stray. I washed my arm with soap and water once I got home less than an hour later.
I didn’t think much of it until my friend (who is from India) asked if I was going to get a rabies shot, which I never have before. Normally I would think this is no big deal, but I have had some health issues recently that are making me much more anxious than usual.
Do I need to seek any medical attention or vaccine? Given that there is supposedly no rabies in France, the cat seemed healthy, and my wounds were very superficial it seems like there is practically no risk to me. But after my friend said this I’ve been worried and thinking about it all day even convincing myself that my arm feels funny (it only feels like that when I’m thinking about it). Thanks for any advice.

Hi, so I’m in the midst of breaking up with my ex-boyfriend and have found myself in a bit of a pickle.
TLDR at bottom
For context:

• We only dated for 6 months. Past 3 months have been full of emotional abuse and constant fighting from him. Narcissist 101, iykyk. I stayed way too long cause I have my own issues and we’re trauma bonded but got to the point where I said no more. He has punched holes into walls with his fist and also his forehead. Screamed horrible, horrible things in my face. Has told me to kill myself, he hopes I die. Threatening to kill himself, forcing me to come to his house. The last time I was alone with him he threatened me with his kitchen knife and said he should kill me. So yeah.
• When we were dating, he let me set up a 29 gallon tank using his old filter, heater, light, bubbler, and a few other miscellaneous tools that he didn't use or want anymore. He's moving away soon (recent grad) and reassured me that it’s a gift, so I spent quite a bit of money stocking the tank with substrate, plants, snails, a fish, etc. I have become very attached to all of them, they brought me great comfort in times of loneliness. We set the tank up at his house since we spent a lot of time there, making plans to move the tank around this week or next.
• I’m 23. Young, yet old enough to know better than to ignore the red flags (we all have our faults) but I did and now I’m surely paying for it. His last ex got a protective order on him. He explained it away, saying she was coming after him to ruin his chances of a career (policy major) after college. His friends and family openly talked about it and at the time, he was everything I could’ve wanted and more so I naively believed it. Hindsight is 20/20.

Current situation:

• I finished my finals today and unblocked his email to let him know that I’m coming to get my things and I’m bringing a friend. He responded that if I show up he’ll call the police and seek a protective order on me. He then texted me saying that I could come alone next week, when I said I didn’t want to do that then he said don’t come at all. Recently, he has threatened to kill my snails by stepping on them. He has screamed this at me multiple times and I have a text from him (May 6) threatening it as well. I was attempting to go while his family is still here, they’re leaving tomorrow I believe.

Legal Question:

• I’m in MD and he’s in DC
  
• Sooo, do I have any course of action? Do I have the right to retrieve my property from his home? Could I have a police officer accompany me and a friend to get my belongings?
  
• I bought a new tank and stand, which I'm going to set up tonight so I mostly just want to take the things that I bought like my snails, fish, substrate, plants, and the things my tank needs to survive like the filter for the nitrogen cycle. I know it’s not that deep at the end of the day because they’re just snails but he’s taken a lot from me during this relationship and I don’t want to grieve anymore loss. I don’t wanna put my life in danger but I also want my snails. Please help me :(
  

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for spending your time reading some of my story and potentially offering me legal (or just regular) advice.
TLDR;
Breaking up with narcissistic ex-boyfriend who gifted me his old aquarium belongings that I invested money into stocking and developed emotional attachment to. He’s keeping me from retrieving my belongings* with a friend and only wants to let me come alone. What can I do, if anything?
*[snails, fish, aquatic plants, driftwood, substrate, etc.]

Hi everyone, I just discovered this sub, lovely place so far.
I'm hoping for some help here, I've only submitted to 3 agents so far, and the last one hit back with a rejection so fast I felt winded after. I realized I really need to reach out to the wider community and start asking for help with this if I want a better chance in the future.
Thank you all for your time!
Thank
---
Dear Agent,
I’m currently seeking representation for RUBY BIRD, a 66,000 word whirlwind queer romantic drama which takes place as the first novel in my series THE FLIGHT.
His perfectly boring life is shattered in one irreparable swoop when fantasy erotica novelist Ruben Eberly discovers his wife has been seeing someone else, and believing her husband to be a closeted queer man, announces she’s done with their relationship for good. In an attempt to lick his wounds and piece his broken heart back together, Ruben finds himself falling into the arms of his long lost best friend, Paul McKenzie, a free-spirit who carries with him the burden of a terminal cancer diagnosis.
With the goal of enjoying his final days on a road trip from Florida to Texas before hopping a plane to Alaska to die in peace, Ruben invites himself along, and the two make a strong effort to reconnect, with unexpected feelings blossoming as the long journey becomes a series of trysts. Paul’s claim of a terminal diagnosis is far from the only situation on his plate however, as Ruben learns his best friend has fallen head first into a series of addictions that have strangled the beautiful artist into a shell of his former self.
With the reveal that Paul has lied about his numbered days and is in reality planning to end his own life once the pair reach their final destination, Ruben’s goal of celebrating the man’s life becomes a mission to help his best friend face his past childhood trauma, fight his inner demons, and save him from himself.
RUBY BIRD is the first in a planned series of three books that will handle identity, sexuality, addiction, mental health struggles, and trauma, all topics of which I have personal and researched experience with.
Previously, I have self-published two stories, one novella, FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS, a lesbian romance taking place in a cult that forbids their attraction to one another, and HAIL SANTA, a coming-of-age YA novel about a young man struggling to separate the truth about the world from the lies he’s been told all his life.
While RUBY BIRD has previously been self-published, I retain all rights to my work.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
-Sullivan D. Cohen
-----
First 300 words:
The violent thrash of red and blue danced against white picket fences and pristine flat lawns in the suburban neighborhood I had once called home.
My father's calloused fingers patted my thin shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper as they wheeled her away in a lifeless black bag.
“I'm sorry, buddy,” was all he said, tears coating his throat, his strength failing him for the first time in my life.
I couldn't recall the moment before. My mind wrapped it up in a black cloth, shoved it in a locked box and hid it in a dark corner of my mind that I never dared to venture towards.
All I knew for sure was that she was gone.
Ten years after bringing me into the world, Marilyn Eberly left mine forever.
Chapter 1
An Ode To Norman
My wife clasped the white pages of the manuscript shut between her fingertips and looked at me with an eyebrow raised in utter disbelief.
“You can't actually be considering submitting this to her, Ruben.”
“She wants it.”
“Well I don't want to be the wife of the gay vampire erotica guy.”
“If it pays the bills then why do you care at all?”
“It's embarrassing, Ruben! Everyone is gonna think you're gay!”
It stung to hear, but she couldn't be right. Authors who craft tales of mobsters and organized crime aren't suddenly dubbed Al Capone. Sci-Fi novelists don't actually traverse time and space to weave their fantastical narratives. The men and women behind fictional espionage dramas aren't typically spies in disguise.
And a straight married man crafting a homoerotic fantasy isn't always a deeply closeted gay man.
Julie bit her lip and flipped forward a few pages.
“I just, I don't get why one of them can't be a woman. If your audience is women then one of them should be a woman, Fifty Shades, Twilight, Harlequin-”

Hey guys,
I've been mulling over an idea to streamline internationalization in Next.js applications, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Imagine a translation service that allows developers to write plain JSX, such as Hello world!
, without worrying about manual translations. During the build process, this service dynamically generates translated versions of pages, like /en/home and /de/home, by fetching translations from a customizable API.
The kicker? Developers can effortlessly customize translations via an intuitive dashboard. No more tedious manual translation work!
I believe this approach could revolutionize how we handle internationalization in Next.js apps. But, as with any idea, there are potential downsides to consider. For example, how would dynamic text from the backend be handled?
I'm eager to hear your opinions. Would you find a service like this useful, or do you see potential challenges? Let's dive into the discussion!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Listening to "The Law" on audiobook and I can't stop laughing. I just went through the entire series on audiobook and am finishing it up with this one.
In case you dont know, Jim Butcher reads this one himself. At first it was off-putting because I'm still so very used to James Masters at the moment, but then got into it.
What made me laugh was think Harry sounded like John Wayne announcing the showcase showdown on the price is right and Bob sounds like Curly from the 3 stooges.
It's like I woke up in a different parallel dimension, and everyone is speaking with a different voice in this one.
Just wanted to share that and see if anyone agrees. The story so far is great. I'm glad to see him operating out of his new "home".
Looking forward to the next big novel. Thanks!

Hi Everyone,
As I’m sure you all know it’s getting to that point of the semester where stress and anxiety are at their highest. My question is does anyone know how good the university counselling service is? I have seen a counsellor at home and she was amazing but I’ve also heard that the counsellors at unis and colleges can often be quite shit.
Thanks

I don't have anyone that I can talk to about this and I really need neutral opinions.
I 20f have been with my boyfriend 20m for about two years at this point. We've been friends for years before we started dating.
Over the past few weeks I noticed my lack of affection towards him. I don't feel like talking to him and I don't really want to be touched either. During the week we barely see each other because of work and uni and only see each other on friday nights. When those days come around, I tense up and catch myself unhappy about the fact that he's coming over, since it's usually always the same routine. He comes over, we cook (which only ever I pay for), watch a movie and sleep with each other if I decide it's okay. It sounds really harsh that I say "I decide" but I genuinely do not feel the urge to do so most days. It's not that it's terrible sex or one sided pleasure, I just feel so obligated to do so that it's no fun anymore. We've talked about seeing each other more often no strings attached but it eventually never works out because of schedules.
Another reason I struggle is his mom. She wallows in self pity because of her divorce literal years ago. He always has to keep her happy and entertained. It even gets so far that he goes running home even though we have set plans because his mom doesn't feel like cooking or walking the dog.
She blames me for ruining their trips because I got sick. I was never supposed to come but she just cancelled everything. When I once was at his house on my birthday she asked me about my plans for that night. When I told her that I was going out with some friends she just said "Well then let's hope you don't get sick again and we have to cancel our trip a second time this year." Another trip I was never meant to go on. I know that I'm not in relationship with HER but the fact that he didn't say anything still doesn't sit right with me.
He really tries to be involved in my life, whereas I try and keep everything separate; family, hobbies, boyfriend. It's what comforts me the most and I also just really feel like he's still too shy to match my very outgoing family after two years.
He's very caring and loving towards me and we respect each others boundaries but I can't help but feel like I'd rather go back to just being friends. The thought's been crossing my mind for some time now and I genuinely don't know if that's just something everyone goes through in a relationship. I used to be very jealous of seeing him with other girls but now it doesn't really bother me anymore. Some days when it's really bad, I hope he cheats on me so that I could leave him without being the cause.
So many things about him start to annoy me. It starts with the noise he makes when drinking water or sneezing and goes all the way to how he speaks foreign languages. Super dumb, I know!! But I just can't help it. I also feel like im neurodivergent for many other reason but the noises he makes-- UGHH
What I also find hard to handle is his attitude with money. We don't really go out together, maybe once every two months. It's never crazy expenses, usually under 40-50$, which is less than what I spend on our cooking every weekend. When we go out I always offer to pay or split the bill. He will then claim it's fine and that he's taking care of it, but when I asked him if he'd like to go to the fair, I was expected to pay for everything. I know I was the one that brought it up and usually it wouldn't be an issue but it was the way he said "why are you putting away your wallet, you have to pay for my food now." without even so much as a smirk that made me feel like a piggy bank or a way to another cheap meal.
My biggest issue would definitely be seeing him upset and likely losing him as my friend.
If I told him how I feel he'd not sleep for ages and love bomb me. Not in a toxic, but in a probably desperate way.
We've been each others firsts in so many different ways and he always talks about how he wants to marry me. I feel terrible that the thought of breaking up with him frequents my mind that much but I also feel like I owe it to myself to do whats best for me.
Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,
Just after some advice - I live in my Melbourne home -est. built 1971. I had to pull out a down light from the ceiling to change it and found out the previous owners (i believe) did there best DIY job based on the comparison photos i have found of the house before they owned it for 10 years and replaced all of the lighting in the house with down lights but they are all plug in down lights and there are extension cables running all over the ceiling.
In the winter i feel like I'm living in a hospital as they are so bright and the installed to many in each room - as they are just plug into cords and not wired in, can i buy plug in ceiling lights and swap them over? if so, does anyone know of company's or brands that do this or what i can search to find the right items?
thank you

As the world faded away into nothing but a dark void, Tom felt the only mildly familiar sensation of magic flowing like a gentle stream. It wasn’t much of a draw, but it was certainly noticeable.
“Right, best make this quick then,” he tried thinking to himself, feeling the flow peak as he did.
“Who is this? Make what quick?” an ethereal sounding female voice replied. It did sound a bit like how he remembered Joelina sounding. Though she did not exactly sound calm.
“Uhm… Hello? Anyone there?”
“Yes hello. Who is this? What must be done quick? Answer me at once!”
“It’s Tom… Is that you, Joelina?”
“Yes of course it is! Stupid dragons taking ages, I have questions for you! So many questiiioooonssss...”
“Yeah I figured that… Fire away I suppose.” Tom replied a little uncertainly as to just what he might be in for.
“Firstly! Did you read the letters?”
“I did yeah…”
“Disregard them, I have learned much since they were written! So much more yes, cursed blessed knowledge…”
“So you do know we have gone to space then?”
“What? No, I re-experienced the memory you had of the movie about the moon mission. It was evident on the second watching that it was trickery of the eye! Spaceflight is but a myth!”
“Riiight.”
“Then how have your kind visited space? And what of the gods above!? it was evident that the woman with the crystals was but a fraud!” Joelina explained with all the calm and restraint of a shoppingmall Karen
“Well the rockets to the moon, that did happen.” Tom attempted, doing his best to remain calm and diplomatic. “The movie you saw was probably a recreation… Tell me, did things go wrong on that trip but they made it home anyway?”
“Yes, do you know of what I speak? Ahr what am I proclaiming! of course you do it is your own memories, how could I forget.”
“Yea…, you watched a movie about Apollo 13 I think. Good movie, and that all happened too. Like for real happened”
“I see…” Joelina replied, sounding rather unstable. “And what of the gods?”
“We ain’t got any. Well not in space at least.”
“Impossible!”
“No, quite possible. Many still believe in gods though, but let’s not get into that too much. It’s a right old mess.”
“No, you must tell me what happened to the gods? Have they left you?”
“Well some think so, but no. I just think it all works a bit different for us. They might be a little more hands off.”
“But the churches… and these religious warriors you did battle with,” the inquisitor all but muttered to herself, sounding like she was struggling to put pieces together. “Do Jesus and Islam fight for power then? no no, they would have long since lost the battles to the ancient gods of war the teachers spoke of… though why they were always naked eludes me yeeees…”
“No, again we don’t really have gods just floating around... Could we please talk about something else? Or is that all you wanted to know?” Tom tried, hoping he really didn’t have to dive deeper into that particular subject.
“No no don’t you dare cut me off! I have seen what you talked of, nuclear fire and missiles, ships of the oceans and planes soaring in the skies. But is it not all fake? Surely it must be! It must be? It must be…”
“I don’t know what you saw… but we have ships sailing around. If you’ve ever seen flying ships like you have here then that’s fake I can assure you of that. We do have airships, but they look more like really big long balloons.”
“But we could make such vessels, or someone could from times past. If you can visit the moon then surely you can make a ship for the skies!”
“No no, we ain’t got grav oil. Or dragon essence as I guess it’s called. That means no anti gravity, and that means weight is a very very big problem for anything you wanna make fly. Planes and helicopters are how we fly. Remember how I flew to Afghanistan on a big ass plane? Or when I learned to parachute later?”
“What is parachute? is it the ham from your times doing, vacationing? what has dried meat products got to do with flying machines of battle!”
“Wooo easy now easy. I guess you didn’t get that far yet. Uhm. It’s a cloth kite you dangle from and then glide to the ground. Very good fun.”
“A cloth kite used to fly?... such strange inventions. Wait was there not a movie of with something of that nature? yeeee… there was a song. I liked that song… something something brains upon his chute. Yeesss…”
“Yeah… You’ll know it when you see it. I have one actually.” Tom clarified trying not to get too weirded out.
“You must demonstrate on a suitable occasion.”
“Yeah… I do have a question too though,” Tom replied, letting silence reign for a short time. “...Your last letter was in Danish.”
“Oh, uhm yes. I- I was having some difficulty separating what was real and what was not… I still am. Do not tell Glazz, she musten know the truth yet. She seeks to limit my excursions.”
“You’ve ended up like I did, have you?”
“No no no, the effects do indeed recede as expected, everything is in good order… But I had to know more. So so much moooore.”
“Maybe you should cool it a bit. You never know when a brain snaps. Or how,” Tom tried, confident his advice would be ignored.
“There is not time!”
“And why is that? How is it going in our beloved Inquisition?”
“Mind your tongue, human! Things are progressing, but so are our enemies. Infiltrators have been caught, traitors within our ranks are making their moves. The reemergence of Rashan, attacks on mines, keeps and a daring heist attempt at a Royal Guard fortress! The game is afoot, we cannot delay.”
“You can’t overreach yourself either. Weren’t you supposed to be winning over the rest of the inquisition right about now? Can’t do that as a gibbering mess.”
There was silence for a while more after that. “Glazz sent you a letter? What did it say?! You may not keep secrets from me- wait not… I should confiscate her arm… she cannot write with her left. Yes far better plan, avoid upsetting him. And fill her pen with invisible ink. Yes very good.”
“No, it’s just obvious to any idiot. But what about winter, won’t things slow down?”
“They should, yet as autumn progresses it has only been picking up. I hope they too are running out of time… But time for what? I must know what they are planning. They might be behind schedule. But what SCHEDULE! sorry…”
“Well you’re not gonna find the answer to that in my memories, now are you?”
“You were sent by someone. You are here for a purpose. I must know this purpose. It will help me understand. The puzzle is large and much of the box kept from me.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m here to help you guys get in gear. That’s a decades to centuries long sorta problem, not a couple of years. Sounds like this war will be in the couple of years category.”
“Then why now? Why did you arrive now?!”
“Shitty luck? Sounds like 10 years ago would have been a lot better… Oh on that note, did you hear? We found something down below.”
“No, Paulin would have told me.”Joelina dismissed, he could almost feel her turning her snout up and away from him.
“Well we opened the vault like 3 days ago,” Tom replied, quite surprised Paulin hadn’t said anything. “Wait yeah she can send you messages, no? She sent the message about what we wanted to buy too, didn’t she?... How did she do that by the way? Why didn’t you just have her ask me questions?”
“That is not for you to know, and this is not for her.”
“Really? More secrets still? Come on, tell me or I’ll let you think flying whales exist.”
“I know those are not real. If they were, you would have harvested them long ago! likely for some deranged snack… or facial decoration.”
“True, but you get the idea,” Tom persisted, feeling like this was something worth pushing for. Why would Paulin not have let her precious Joelina know?
“Very well. This does not leave your mind… In the name of, what was it called… camaraderie. Paulin is in possession of joined paper. Messages may be written down and read by anyone with similarly joined paper. Unsecured. Originally believed to be fore love letters… dastardly studs and wenches using perfectly good magic for such trivialness… simply tie the message to a rock and throw it though the window. Most peasants cannot even afford glass” Joelina trailed off, seemingly zoning out once more.
“You have magical paper that can relay written information… and you don’t fucking use it!?” Tom explaimed, not quite believing what he was hearing.
“No, we do not know how to make freshly bonded paper… only more linked to all other paper in existence…” Joelina agreed. He could almost feel her looking at the floor in shame. “But it is not as if you are infallible, why did you not bring one of these radios?”
“I uhm…”
“Why didn’t you?!”
“I forgot,” Tom admitted, thinking back to his packing days. Of all the things that could have proven useful, that one might have been his biggest blunder.
“For the love of all that is holy! You are our saviour?!” Joelina scolded, understandably so, but still.
“Hey I never claimed to be smart!”
“I have lived your dreams. That is a lie! You very much claim to be smart!”
“Fuck off, I know you are just a scared little insecure girl.”
“She died 30 years ago!”
“Well I haven’t gotten to that bit yet!”
“What in the devils do you mean?” Joelina questioned calming right down in a fraction of a second.
“I’ve only had like three proper dreams about you… wait no, not like that,” Tom blurted out as it clicked just how wrong that sounded. Joelina didn’t seem to care in the slightest though.
“Three? That is it!?” going right back to outrage.
“Yeah… Wait, how many have you had?” Tom questioned. He rather wanted to know just how much she might know about him in addition to the memories she had already picked through when inside his head.
“Several a day!” the inquisitor exclaimed in reply.
“Okay, I can see how that would drive someone a bit mad.”
“I am not going mad!”
“Did Glazz say the same thing?” Tom questioned, quite certain he was striking a nerve.
There was no reply for quite some time, Tom feeling the headache growing as things grew tranquil once more. He could feel his breath. It was rapid, and his heart was pounding. He probably shouldn’t do this for much longer. Thus he endeavored to break the silence.
“You probably should listen to her you know.”
“No! These matters are above her station!”
“Hasn’t she been in the Inquisition longer than you?”
“She has yes. But she is no inquisitor. She is a body guard.”
“Seems like she is a wee bit more than that,” Tom pushed on. He didn’t yet know how those two came to stick together, but it was clear they had been working together for decades by now. All the way since she was assigned to Harvik
“Mind your own matters, human.”
“Very well, don’t think I can keep this up anyway.”
“We have barely been chatting! Where do the dogs come from?!”
“Selective breeding for thousands of years. But I’m gonna go. Take a break, do what Glazz says… even if Jacky hates her.”
Yet more silence followed that, though it was brief and Joelina was the first to speak again.
“Fine! In the interest of cooperation I shall let you rest. Wear the earring at all times, I shall be contacting you again soon.”
“I think I’m gonna be the judge of that. I’ll put it on when I feel like it.”
“You will do as I say!”
“You need a nap and a bit to calm down. I’ll give you three days. Around noon. See yah… How do I get this thing off?”
“I’m not telling you,” Joelina grumped like a little girl. She really didn’t seem quite like herself at all today. She had been the spitting image of restraint and arrogance before. The arrogance was still there, but the restraint had certainly gone.
“Come on, do I just try to cut off the magic or is that a bad idea?”
“If you answer a question I might answer.”
“Right then… Gimme gimme gimme aaaa-”
“JUST CUT IT! Farewell!” she called out loud enough Tom’s head pulsed and then there was blissful silence once more.
“Hehe. That did the trick, right concentrate on that funny feeling aaan-”
__________________________________________________________________________________
After dinner had been rounded up, Dakota had given a brief address as to some of the news received. There wasn’t much that hadn’t already made the rounds at the tables during the dinner itself. The war had been expanding, recruitment had started in full in the cities, and if not for the rather special situation at Bizmati they could have expected their banners to get called by spring.
Rumors had it that the kingdom was preparing itself for counterstrikes the following spring, which meant training through the winter for many volunteers.
“And a lot of not so volunteers,” Fengi muttered as Dakota carried on with the address.
“You can say that twice. At least the street rats might get something to eat and a place to sleep,” Tirox the trader escort added.
“I suppose that is true. Not a bad deal in winter time… I might even have taken it.”
“But we must instead keep our minds on our home,” Dakota carried on, talking to the whole hall. “There can be no mistake, we will be a target. We will be ready. They are getting bolder by the day it seems. It is not impossible they may attempt to take our keep before the winter comes. Or perhaps they will be waiting for spring. It is equally clear their forces are spread thin. We will weather such assaults, I have no doubt. But we must keep training. We must keep vigil. We cannot afford to be surprised or outmatched. I know you will all do your best. And tonight, we have no less than 4 dragons here. So breathe easy, have your snacks and your drinks. If the weather holds soon we will be finished with the warehouse and then we may make final preparations for winter. It is sure to be an interesting one for once.”
The hall replied with a half-discordant cheer, not overly enthusiastic unlike what Dakota had likely envisioned. The talk of them possibly getting attacked even before the snow came wasn’t really that encouraging. But Dakota tended to speak her mind, and she was probably right. Bizmati keep would be a damn tough nut to crack. And to Dakota’s credit she did seem to recognize she hadn’t really managed to rile them up.
“Didn’t you hear me?” she tried again in a slightly more humorous tone. “Eat, drink, and have fun! And put those tables together, don’t want you brooding in your corners.”
That did get a bit more of a reaction, as well as some good humored chuckles. People started getting up and set about moving the tables closer together.
It was a little rude to split up their guests in the same way as they normally did. Saph carried one of the benches over to the new spot, glancing around for any sign of Maiko, but there was no sign of him anywhere.
Feeling a little miffed, she sat down with the others as Ray came back with one of the small kegs of cider looking very excited. “We should have a taste, right?”
“Oh yes please!” Pho called out, Essy giving her a slight slap on the wrist.
“This one is only for those who paid for it. You will have to do with whatever you bought. Or the ale I’m sure they intend to serve.”
“Aww man. Not even a sip?”
“Okay, maybe a sip,” Essy relented. “Oh, I should get Koko his gift.”
“You got him a gift?” Saph questioned with mirth in her voice.
“Of course, that is what people do for each other… you did get Maiko something, right?”
Saph felt her expression slip a little as she prepared to disappoint their chief people person. “No, not really…”
“All that money and you didn’t get him shit? That’s cold girl,” Pho laughed, clearly finding it hilarious.
“Oh shut up, not as if I got something for Unkai either,” Fengi added, springing to Sapphire’s defence, though it seemed like the delivery had Fengi second guessing herself as well.
Esmeralda did look a little saddened by the news, but she was far too nice to say anything. Tirox however had no such filter.
“Oh don’t worry about it, just gotta go with a different sort of gift.” The diminutive guard laughed heartily at his joke. Udanti found it quite funny as well, and Pho certainly loved it. Bo just shook her head a little and went back to a small puzzle of some sort she had been working on, on and off, for most of the dinner by now.
“So uhm… One mug each?” Ray questioned, having been left hanging at the keg.
“Oh yes sorry, just the one, this stuff is expensive,” Saph replied, holding out her mug, Ray pushing it back down.
“One moment.” And she produced a wooden mallet and one of the metal taps. It looked like one of Raulf’s, so it was probably old as faded dragonscales.
Ray gingerly placed it against the cork and raised the mallet as the table fell silent in anticipation.
With a whack the tap went in clean with hardly a drop spilled, and Ray breathed a visible sigh of relief. “Right there we go.”
There was a quick round of cheers from the table, and Ray started pouring servings.
“Oh got yours open, have you?” the voice of Balethon came as the guard came walking up to the table, mug in hand and lizard on shoulder. “You all know we are gonna have to work out who got the better stuff, right?”
“Oh does it always have to be a competition with you, Balethon?” Saph questioned. She had just wanted to enjoy the cider.
“Look who is talking… And yeah of course we do! Just think of the bragging rights.”
Ray didn’t look too thrilled, nor did any of the girls who had actually paid for the keg. The rest of the table seemed to think it was a brilliant idea, even as Balethon’s voice carried and heads started to turn as people started to mingle between the now closely together tables.
“I’ll be the independent adjudicator!” Tirox declared, not receiving much attention as the full mugs started to get passed around. “Oh come on. I’ll be fair!”
“Shut it pipsqueak, you’ll end up taking 10 rounds of tastings before you make up your mind,” Udanti scolded, though in good humor.
“I might…” the guy relented, looking to Balethon. “Ey, by the way. Did you teach the brainlet any tricks?”
“Sure, Skitters can do a few things.”
“Aside from chasing the food?”
“You know what I think he might yeah,” Balethon replied sarcastically, gently tapping the static lizard twice on the head. The lizard didn’t do much save skitter about on his shoulder to face Balethon’s head, one eye pointing in whichever direction.
‘That thing just looks so dumb,’ Saph thought to herself as Ray handed her a mug. “Oh thank you.”
“Okay, Skitters. Up,” Balethon went, raising a claw into the air as if he wanted the lizard to jump. Or perhaps stand up. “Up… come on.”
There was no reaction from the lizard aside from it jerking to the left a bit, possibly having spotted a fly or something.
“Weeeell obedience might need some work,” Udanti chuckled. “Have you tried with some food in your hand?”
“Sure, then he just tries to eat the hand. Come on, Skitters. Up!” Balethon tried again, doing the gesture once more. And this time the little lizard jumped into the air. The little legs stretched out, taking its pitiful excuse for wings with it, and it half-fell half-glided to the floor where it hit with all the grace of a 6 year old on his first lesson. The slightly fat lizard bounced once, then rolled over twice before coming to a stop, looking around confused.
“Aaayyy! That’s a good boi,” Balethon went, going to pick it up again before someone stepped on it or it ran off under the tables. “And now you get a treat.” True to his word Skitters was fed a small piece of something or other which it seemed quite happy to snap up.
Fengi leaned in to whisper to Saph. “Was that the trick or did it just get sick of staying there?”
“I have no idea,” Saph replied, holding up her mug. “Cheers though.”
“Cheers,” Fengi replied as they clinked mugs.
“Oh hang on now, wait for me,” Essy protested as Ray finished pouring her mug and started on her own, looking to the girls as she questioned “Oh, also what about Jacky? Should we wait for her?”
“Who knows how long that will take?” Fengi replied, holding her mug impatiently.
“I’m sure she won’t mind. She is with Tom. We’ll let him have a mug as well,” Essy added with a reassuring nod, looking up to the high table. “Oh but we are missing Lin!”
“Oh right yeah she paid too… I can’t remember, did Edita chip in?”
“I don’t think so,” Sapphire replied, shaking her head as Essy got up to go fetch Linkosta. Balethon decided to take her place, a big grin on his face.
“So what else is going on over here?”
“Oh not much, hellooo little guy,” Pho went, trying to give skitters a scritching. In exchange he tried to eat her finger. “Oh… I mean I guess it doesn’t hurt.”
“Oh yeah, he can’t hurt a fly… well he can, but nothing more.”
“Shame he won’t get any bigger either,” Udanti added, nodding sagely. “Would have made a good rat hunter.”
“Nah… toe hunter though. Also where is the ale at?”
“Oh Raulf and Wiperna are getting ale and some of the bubble beer.”
“What is bubble beer?” Udanti questioned, tilting her head.
“Oh you’ll love it,” Saph interjected, waiting patiently as she saw Essy and Linkosta returning to the table out of the corner of her eye. “It’s an ale but it’s all fizzy.”
“Riiight… I’ve heard of fizzy beers before.”
“Oh yes, but this one is so much more fizzy.”
“It’s light and almost springlike.”
“Light ale? You mean for kids?”
“No no no. Just trust us it’s good.”
“Right right, I trust you,” the archer replied, looking to Essy and Linkosta, who seemed to be looking for a place to sit. “Should we not just put two end to end rather than this scrunching up business?”
“Yeah we should… Right get the craftsman table over here then. We don’t wanna have to smell the guards,” Saph called out, holding up her mug.
“Hey! That was uncalled for,” Balethon protested as Ray passed a mug to Linkosta. The girls all raised their mugs and had a sip, not willing to wait any longer. They all smacked their chops a little, looking down at the golden liquid. It was slightly fizzy too… and it tasted like the brew of the gods themselves. Ray was looking at them all visibly tense with anticipation and perhaps a twinge of fear.
“Ray… You have not disappointed,” Saph declared, nodding her approval, a smile creeping onto her face once more.
“Oh this is the best drink I think I’ve ever had,” Fengi added, taking another gentle sip.
Ray looked visibly relieved, her expression changing to one of ecstasy as she too took a sip herself. “Oh it’s even better than I remember. I’m glad you liked it.”
“Like it?! I love it!” Fengi cheers, Essy giving an appreciative nod to Ray before looking to Lin.
“Sooo?”
“It’s very good… Do you think we could try and cool it down a little? Imagine this cold.”
“It is often served cold, yes,” Ray confirmed, nodding her assent.
“I’ll go get the powder!” Saph called out, getting up. “I have got to try that.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
The strange ethereal world that had seemed so all-consuming started to quickly fade. Holes grew as light and reality started seeping in, sounds and noise starting to build around him. “Oom-Tom… Tom, are you okay?” came the familiar voice of Jacky as his eyes shot open and he blinked a few times as he returned to reality proper.
“Yeah yeah, I’m here… That is trippy, but hey, I think it worked.”
“How many fingers?” Jacky questioned, holding up her hand.
“4. Clear as day.”
“Pheeew. Okay look around, anything strange?”
Tom obeyed, sitting up a bit straighter and glancing about the room. “Nnnnn, nope all good. Just like last time I used one of these.”
“Right, good. Now what did she say?”
“Oh a bunch of stuff… mostly we chatted a bit about how she’s going a touch mad. Even Glazz thinks she’s falling apart at the seams apparently. She was also not happy I wanted a break.”
“Oh don’t tell me you have to do this every day from now on?”
“I said she had 3 days to get ready to try again. Hopefully she’ll have her case worked out by then.”
“Here’s to hoping… also how is your head? Does it hurt?”
“A bit, it’ll go away I’m sure.”
“Right,” Jacky replied, looking at him skeptically. “If it gets worse, tell me. But dinner was served a while ago I think. And I’m hungry.”
“Me too, let’s go.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
Well then, Joelina got her chat. She seems fine... I am sure she will continue to be a steadfast ally, within the walls of the inquisition for many weeks to co- I mean years, definetly years.
As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if not you know who to blame. I promise I won't cry to much if you tell me what was wrong... I promise.
Not really any news, other than fuck me I'm a busy boi, luckily I found the time to keep up with the writing yet, hopefully things will quet down soon so I can get back to begin a bit further ahead.
Untill next time, take care
Wiki and Art Gallery If you can't remember who someone is, want to read any of the side stories of fanfiction, or you just wanna watch some of the cool art that's been made for the story. Patreon If you want to help get more cool shit made consider joining the Patreon, you also get chapters two weeks ahead of time. HoH Subreddit if you want more stories from the HoH universe or are interested in writing something for this funny little world. Discord if you wanna have a chat about the story or just hang out First Previous

Hi Everyone, I'm a new member and haven't really used reddit very much before. I apologize in advance if I tagged this incorrectly. I also recognize that this post is probably all over the place and very long. So thank you to everyone who actually takes the time to read. I really appreciate it.
So I'm 22F and was diagnosed with Epilepsy last year November. So my diagnosis is still relatively new. I've been really struggling with everything lately. So, before my diagnosis I was already diagnosed with ADHD ( I've know since I was 6) and a servere anxiety disorder ( diagnosed in 2018 ).
Before finding out I was epileptic, I was a very very active person ( you could basically say I was a gym rat ). I was at gym twice a day most days, went hiking, jogging and horse riding ( I used to ride competitively). I was very muscular, lean and had a relatively good mental state ( aside from my anxiety ). The reason why I was diagnosed is because I started passing out and having seizures during my university classes ( now, it happened outside of university classes as well obviously but we assumed that it was a result of my anxiety disorder ). After a long battle and countless incorrect diagnoses ( I'm not sure if the spelling is right there but oh well ), we finally got the answer. I'm epileptic.
Originally, we were overjoyed as we thought that we finally reached the end but I've just been fighting one battle after the other. The first medication I was prescribed made me so sick, I was nauseous, had dreadful headaches and was continuously shakey. It also made me pick up so much weight. As someone who worked really hard on their body and fitness, that has really taken a huge toll on me. I've since been changed onto Keppra which I'm much happier on and less shakey but I'm still struggling a lot with adjusting to my new lifestyle.
Since my diagnosis, I've really been struggling. I have anxiety all the time that I'm going to have a seizure while driving ( it happened once when I was on my way home early evening one day - it was already dark so everyone had their lights on ). I can't exercise like I used to be able to and I'm always ridiculously tired and sore/stiff and I haven't been able to loose the weight I picked up. I know I probably shouldn't but I can't help but look back and judge myself based on my ability in the past. I haven't even been able to ride my horses because my parents are terrified that something will happen while I'm riding and I'll get seriously injured ( which from a parents perspective is completely valid ). And also, I've been having extremely vivid and horrifying nightmares.
All my newfound limitations are honestly driving me crazy. I honestly just feel lost and useless at the moment. I had to take a break from university due to me being so unstable in the beginning and despite being on medications that seem to be working better, I'll go through a wonderful month or so where I really feel like I'm getting the hang of this and learning how to deal with it only for me to have a week or month of pure hell. I'm currently going through a truly terrible week. My parents told me I have to move back home because they believe I'm not managing my epilepsy properly ( their words, but I believe they think I'm not taking my medication - but I do. I'm very disciplined when it comes to that. ) They took away my car keys because they don't want me driving and they told me that they think it's in my best interest to stop horse riding and going to gym for my safety ( but still love telling me that it's disappointing that I've "let myself and my body go." And " you used to be so motivated, determined and focused on your studies and career". I feel like my independence and future prosecutor and goals disappeared the day I was diagnosed.
I'm sorry for my long rant but I'm honestly struggling with all this. I know it's going to take some time to get used to but I feel like I have to give up everything that defines me. Does anyone have some advice or suggestions? Does it get better? I'm really trying to stay positive and be patient with my body but I feel like I'm approaching the end of my rope.
Thanks for reading and please let me know if I didn't tag properly or didn't follow a rule. I did try my very best.

Our almost 2 year old has figured out how to climb out of the crib. She doesn't try if she has her sleep sack on, but we know we need to move her into a big girl bed soon for safety. Our bedroom options are limited, so we're planning to move her into our almost 4yo's room in the coming weeks. Our 4yo does amazing with bedtime/naps: stays in her room until we get her in the morning, falls asleep on her own, doesn't usually wake at night, etc. Our 2yo still needs quite a routine to fall asleep for bed/naps but has been sleeping through the night pretty well. They aren't in daycare, so nap time routine happens every day too.
Looking for advice from anyone else with similar age ranges that have gone through the room sharing transition? I want it to be a pleasant experience for both of them. I also know having her own space is important to our 4yo, so I feel bad she has to share her space but it's just what has to happen due to our home size. We're planning on getting a full sized mattress and putting it on the floor since she's currently used to a twin on the floor , but if anyone has other suggestions I'm all ears - thank you!!

Hiya I'm Brandon 23y 5' 11", I'm currently living in Louisiana and am from New York. This is me...
https://imgur.com/gallery/OseANkp
To start I'm in the Army as a Carpenter and Masonry specialist. Basically just means I pour concrete, hammer nails into things, and build porches. I'm not a killing machine lol
I am a huge animal person, I've got two cats back home and volunteer at a Animal shelter every weekend that I can • I like going thrifting, specifically for CDs and DVDs to add to my collection • And I listen to Metal/Punk/Pop, a lot of different stuff. Currently listening to the Misfits • I do play video games occasionally. Although I'd consider myself a casual gamer nowadays 😅. I'm into playing Just Dance, DDR, Smash Bros, MarioKart. If we play Just Dance I warn you, I have a few Megastars under my belt 😂. Open to playing anything • Love movies, we can talk all day and I'll know about almost anything • I can fix up cars • Be a Handyman • And can Crochet with you, or teach you how
I do have some preferences you should know; 18-25yo, White/Asian/Hispanic, Not too big, and is okay with me not having a whole lot of relationship experience. Sending a picture helps. Really looking for someone to grow with by online to meet and you don't need to be near Louisiana; just in US. I'm down for anyone who would want to text first and video chat later.
Thank You for reading this far, shoot me a text by telling me about yourself✌️

Hiya I'm Brandon 23y 5' 11", I'm currently living in Louisiana and am from New York. This is me...
https://imgur.com/gallery/OseANkp
To start I'm in the Army as a Carpenter and Masonry specialist. Basically just means I pour concrete, hammer nails into things, and build porches. I'm not a killing machine lol
I am a huge animal person, I've got two cats back home and volunteer at a Animal shelter every weekend that I can • I like going thrifting, specifically for CDs and DVDs to add to my collection • And I listen to Metal/Punk/Pop, a lot of different stuff. Currently listening to the Misfits • I do play video games occasionally. Although I'd consider myself a casual gamer nowadays 😅. I'm into playing Just Dance, DDR, Smash Bros, MarioKart. If we play Just Dance I warn you, I have a few Megastars under my belt 😂. Open to playing anything • Love movies, we can talk all day and I'll know about almost anything • I can fix up cars • Be a Handyman • And can Crochet with you, or teach you how
I do have some preferences you should know; 18-25yo, White/Asian/Hispanic, Not too big, and is okay with me not having a whole lot of relationship experience. Sending a picture helps. Really looking for someone to grow with by online to meet and you don't need to be near Louisiana; just in US. I'm down for anyone who would want to text first and video chat later.
Thank You for reading this far, shoot me a text by telling me about yourself✌️

Throwaway for pretty obvious reasons, and sorry in advance for the long rant...
A few months ago I lost my job that I really loved due to layoffs. Ever since then I have been applying with only email refusals (no interviews) or not hearing back at all. I have two scientific post-grad diplomas and about a decade of solid experience including mid-senior management. Yet, whatever I do, it seems like whatever I accomplished is worth nothing and I am back to square one. Tried everything, networking, recommendations, AI C.V.s, etc. and nothing is working.
I really busted my ass working since teenage years (like 18 years ago) just in the hopes of having a somewhat normal life, like a small home and a bit of security. Just a few years ago I was able to afford a small house, but only after prices doubled, and getting wrecked with increasing interest rates ever since then. Now I might have to face loosing it in the middle of a housing crisis, and it will be impossible to find a place to rent without a job given tenant competition.
Looking at many different industries it seems to be the same story, so no matter what I do, even trying to change careers is the same stupid brick wall. It's really frustrating since I have received nothing but praise in my current career, which ultimately leads me to feel extremely hopeless, because I can't think of anything more I could have done yet here we are again in the gutter despite everything.
Leading to today, I am considering just ending it, as it seems nothing I will do will ever cut it. No amount of work will ever make a difference, just born to lose, and I'm just refusing to lose everything. Made a quick plan with an oven bag and helium. Really can't stand losing everything after almost two decades of burnout inducing hard work. Always back to ******* square one with the only difference that I am getting older and the world keeps getting more and more competitive, expensive and challenging.
Sorry again for the long rant, and thank you if you actually red it...

I (28F) completed my graduate studies, but I can't bring myself to have a job. I hate everything about it, from waking up to coming back home. I don't like seeing people, leaving my room, or getting stuck in traffic. I've tried online jobs, but hated every moment. Maybe I'm just lazy brat, I don't know.
My parent recently died, they meant everything to me. I don't have any friends; they're all married with children, no time for me. I feel lonely, and I wonder why I'm not married yet. How did my life become this miserable cycle? I spend my days rotting in my room reading or watching documentaries, or out getting groceries.
There was a man who pretended to care, love bombed me for weeks. It felt good. He got engaged, ignored telling me, and continued wanting to have a relationship with me. I had to block him. Life moves on. I shouldn’t care.
Even my faith is faltering. I'm posting here because I can't find strength from God. I feel stuck, my life is miserable, and I don't know if there's a way out. But I'll pretend something might change.
I'm not Egyptian, just another Arab, but I relate to many posts here. Thank you for reading this useless rant.

I (f, 22) just wanted to vent somewhere people will actually understand. I’ve been dealing with GP for about 4 years now and finally got diagnosed last year, i had the botox injection in september and was in hospital for around a month, didn’t have to go back to a&e at all until the end of march where it all started happening again. for the first time in years i actually felt free and i was able to live as close to a normal life as i could, obviously being careful in what i ate and portion size but pretty much had freedom to eat what i wanted when i wanted and it just made me feel somewhat like a normal person.
since the end of march i’ve been in and out of hospital, i had another round of botox early april but that didn’t seem to help and the doctors couldn’t explain why, they said maybe it wasn’t injected in the right place or they didn’t use enough, they honestly were nearly as clueless as i was. in the end they decided to repeat the botox, that was just over a week ago. i was sent home the same day, had to go back to a&e later that evening, was sent home 2 days later and again was back in a&e that same evening. i’ve now been kept as an inpatient for a week and i’m still finding it hard to eat/drink without being sick and feeling really intense stomach pain, it gets to the point where i’m rolling around, crying and screaming in pain. doctors don’t seem to do much at all other than keep me on regular IV cyclizine and metoclopramide for sickness, subcutaneous morphine injections for the pain and a sliding scale to manage my T1DM.
when i was healthy for that october-march period i’d managed to gain some weight and was around 50kg, a week ago i was back to the godforsaken 46kg i seemed to always be stuck at before, and now i’ve gone down to 43kg which has been really disheartening and has taken a toll on my mental health. i felt i was doing so well, not only had i gained weight but also muscle, i was exercising more than i ever could have before and even walking 10-12km a day, now i can barely walk down the hall without feeling drained. i managed to get a job which i was doing quite well at and it was my first job, at 22, because i could never get hired before due to being so unreliable with my condition, luckily they understand what i have to deal with as it is my boyfriend’s family business.
i don’t know, everything is just making me feel really down and depressed and all i want is to be able to go home and go back to my life. staff at hospital also don’t help, the majority are nice but i still get comments from certain nurses who accuse me of faking to get medication or who complain when i’m crying as i’m “disturbing others” when there’s nothing i can do. i hate the way my body looks again, i hate the gap between my thighs and how i can see my ribs and bony shoulders. i hate my arms even more, all the bruises and needle marks from blood tests and IV drips, it makes me look like a junkie and i find myself crying because of it a lot.
i’ve been referred to another hospital for a consultation regarding a G-POEM but still haven’t heard from them yet. it’s just getting to the point where i’m feeling so hopeless and helpless. i’ve also been put back on anti depressants and taking diazepam regularly to help with the anxiety and distress it all causes.
at home i smoke weed, a decent amount, which helps with my appetite and also helps with my mental health struggles but obviously being in hospital i haven’t been able to smoke which makes everything so much worse as i don’t have anything to distract myself from what’s happening. some days smoking is the only thing that will get me to eat and keep me from having anxiety toward food.
my boyfriend (m, 29) and his family have been really supportive and they’re pretty much the only reason i haven’t spiraled into a full on mental health crisis, he visits nearly everyday and so does his mother who has been such a huge support for me as my own family aren’t there for me. i actually asked my mother if she would come visit me, i knew she wouldn’t, but i did it anyway, she came up with a bullshit excuse as to why she couldn’t and that nearly broke me because i was already feeling so low and on top of that i then felt rejected by my own mother, i should’ve known better but at that moment i just needed my mom. the one who came through for me that day was my boyfriend’s mom who came to see me as soon as she found out how upset i was, she held me, she let me cry and hugged me so tightly and reassured me i was loved and cared for. she’s truly been the mother i needed through this.
i know that i can be somewhat healthy and live almost normally, but right now things are just so bleak and i’m struggling to see a way out, all i want is to just be normal, it’s all i’ve wanted my entire life and it’s like no matter what i will never get that. i’ve had T1DM since i was 9 with 2 diabetes related comas under my belt by age 10, PTSD, depression, and anxiety since 12, and the GP since i was 18, it’s like i can’t catch a break. no one understands what it’s like but i keep getting told “i get it” or “i relate to that” and i know people are trying to make me feel better but to me it just comes across as diminishing what i’m going through and have been going through for so long. I was also recently told just how bad my GP is and i just couldn’t stop crying for hours, i was always told it was ‘severe’ but now i know that i have 96% retention after 4 hours and all it did was make me feel even more hopeless.
sorry for the long post, i just really don’t know where else to go where people might ACTUALLY understand what i’m going through

111 have started to tell people they have appointments in A&E - 'Oh I'll book you an appointment, 11:30-12:00' and even have a link on the consultations that I've never seen before, and unsurprisingly they don't work when you click on them/paste them into a browser. We don't have an appointments system because WE'RE AN A&E DEPARTMENT, not the GP - you cannot schedule an emergency. Patients have become verbally abusive when I inform them that I'm very sorry 111 have told them that but we are an A&E department and can't do appointments, and we are not responsible for what 111 have said. Patients have legitimately thought they'll bypass the triage queue - even if the queue is 15+ patients long - just because 111 have stuck their finger in it. It's wholly unhelpful because the patient will be here for MINIMUM of an hour if they need bloods etc.
111 just sets people up to be impatient and who do they shout at when they're in the department? The staff in the department, who aren't responsible for what 111 say or do, don't control and are not controlled by 111, and are just easier to yell at because we're here in person.
I had a patient who was told she would have an appointment booked for her, and burst into tears when the triage nurse had to tell her that we couldn't solve her problem within 30 minutes - she ended up being admitted to a ward, spending hours with us waiting on a bed, and the emotional impact on her was enormous. I spent 10 minutes apologising to her and her husband PROFUSELY and speaking to them because of what 111 had told them. They had *promised* her an appointment, she completely understood it wasn't anything we had done to inconvenience her but was so devastated because she had been led to believe that she would be relieved really quickly and instead it's now an admission. Another patient two months ago screamed at me when I explained he would have to wait for triage and the current wait to see triage was up to 45 minutes for minor injuries and then walked out of the department, shouting and disturbing the whole waiting room.
It's us that gets the abuse from it, it's us that deals with the patients who become extremely distressed and they get away with it every single time. We aren't able to do appointments, we are physically unable to do this. The amount of people who legitimately think that we can just shove everyone else out of the queue for them is genuinely alarming - but there are also people who haven't been to A&E in a long time (ie pre-pandemic) and don't always know what to expect, or are bringing in children and aren't aware that triage applies to children too.
Any other A&E staff here - clinical and non-clinical - who have had similar or their own hellish experiences with 111 mucking things up? Work for 111 (very interested to hear from anyone who does...)? Been lied to by 111 before?

Looking for a travel laptop to carry around in my backpack and use mainly in airports/planes/hotels to remote desktop into my home PC and some light internet use. However, I am considering another option of getting something slightly beefier that can handle a few games as well, so open to opinions and options around that.
Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase.
Not sure what you can get these days, I was thinking ~400 CAD for this but could go up if that is not realistic, or for the game-capable option. Canada.
Are you open to refurbs/used?
Prefer new, but if the refurb is a good deal...
How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
Ok build quality to stand up to rigors of travel, performance depends (see later question), battery should last a few hours but doesn't need to be super long since I mostly intend to use it while plugged in.
How important is weight and thinness to you?
Prefer lighter (<4 lb.) since I'll have to lug it around a few hours at a time, doesn't have to be super thin though.
Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
14+ in. preferred. 13 might be fine.
Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
This is where the decision I'm looking for opinions on comes in. At base, no, it's basically for internet and streaming my home desktop, but I'm considering a stronger laptop that can also play some games if that wouldn't be a huge increase in price.
If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
Factorio, League of Legends, maybe the occasional other light game around that level of resource need or lower. Medium or even low settings is fine, 60 fps.
Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
No touch-screen strongly preferred. Decent build quality as mentioned above. Bluetooth to connect to my airpods would be nice to have.
Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
So yeah, not really sure what's available these days, but either a super-basic browser + terminal for my desktop or a slightly more ordinary laptop that can support some light games too. High preference for being able to get it from a store instead of online too. Thanks!

Hello to whoever may see this. I’ve been lurking here for a few months reading posts throughout almost every day looking for comfort, ideas, things to look out for and be aware of, etc.. I’m glad you all are here and I think of you often as I read about your stories and experiences and grief and moments of laughter.
I will try to keep this brief. I’m sure it won’t be—I don’t know how to articulate the problem I’m having without background. For anyone who is up to reading this and responding, I thank you sincerely and deeply in advance.
I’ve had concerns about my mom’s brain function over the last several years. I got married in 2020 and moved out of state, where I began working and helping keep her afloat financially. We talked often and remained close.
I lost my job in August and my husband and I decided we’d better take the opportunity to move her here (as in, here into our house) as I wouldn’t be able to continue supporting her— also with the awareness that she needs more help than just covering bills. She’d lost a ton of weight, seemed overwhelmed and confused by doctors, was no longer receiving treatment for her long-term issues (narcolepsy with cataplexy and frequent melanoma skin cancer) etc.
She moved here in October. Evidently she had convinced herself that she was moving here to help me. We did manage to explain that is not the situation and she took it ok, but truly… things have been so hard since she moved here.
Initially we were arguing all the time. It was awful. Through that, we’ve done a zillion doctors appointments, tests, follow ups, etc. we have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She’s been on donepezil for a few months now. We are also talking with her doctor about getting her in the trial for Leqembi. She just had a PET scan on Tuesday.
Things have settled down… mostly, but I am not doing ok. I spend most of my time with her and much of it is quite nice. We can take care of household chores together, enjoy watching tv or movies, she comes with me to work (I work in a community arts center w/ a creative reuse aspect) and has carved a little niche for herself sorting and organizing all of the jewelry donations.
I don’t know that my mom cannot be left alone, but she makes some concerning and questionable choices. I wouldn’t feel confident leaving her alone for extended periods. She is still herself in lots of ways (and… not herself in all the ways that make me heartsick every day). My husband and I cook all the meals, and basically keep the ship afloat.
My mom was disabled in an accident when I was young and had been on SSDI until she turned 65 and it switched to regular SS. She has zero in savings and has continued to get herself into debt repeatedly (thankfully minimally in debt at this time).
I make effectively no money at my job now, it’s just something I love that makes my life slightly less miserable and lonely. When I lost my job last August, my husband and I lost half of our income. All this to say, we have zero flexible income.
The problem I am looking for feedback on is that my mom and I argue a lot. It’s not as explosive as things were at the beginning, but she’s sure that she like. ~Gets what’s going on~ and somehow I am always doing her wrong in any number of ways. We spend nearly all day every day together but I cannot get through a day without some kind of infraction. She has a question and she doesn’t like my answer so that means I am not the person I used to be (not literally, like. In a sarcastic mean way.) once in awhile I make plans to see a friend for lunch or I ask to go to work without her, and she acts slighted and nasty. We spend all day together and then I tell her I’d like a little time to myself—that’s a problem. I’m getting lunch with a friend next week, that’s a problem. etc.
When she gets upset with me, she sulks, she’s sarcastic, and she’s even left home a couple times without telling me or my husband where she is going (even though she knows that she doesn’t know how to get around). Basically she gets super defiant. And mean. And critical. I don’t know how to short circuit these interactions. I don’t know how to make space or time for myself in my life. I feel like my mom doesn’t like me anymore and I am putting everything on the line and she is unable to see it, so it’s a net loss. She used to be so supportive of me taking space and time for myself. I keep trying to do enough so that it will be ok when I need to do something else, but i am realizing that way of thinking isn’t serving me. Like, there may not be some magical right amount of giving that I can do to then be “allowed” to have any bit of my life left for me.
I’m 33 years old, struggling with fertility, I’m so sad about the state of my marriage, unable to see how I will be able to contribute meaningfully to our household beyond keeping my & my moms necks above water. my husband and I thought that by now we would have our own family, maybe another dog. That we would have this beautiful life complicated by anything other than this day to day reality that is crushing my fucking heart. And I know it’s just the beginning of this journey.
What can I do? My mom is not in a place where she can be distracted from issues. She stews over them. If I try to avoid a confrontation, she complains that I’ve never wanted to work things out and I’m unwilling to try. I know that I can’t reason with her. Any time things get escalated at all she says she knows she can’t live here — and like, ok! But guess what? There is no where else to go. All of our family is dead. There is no money. There is no where to go. If there was somewhere to go, I’d probably go there!
What can I do so that this household isn’t in so much turmoil all the time? I am heartbroken. I have always absolutely adored and admired my mom. I’m grieving so much, and I’m grieving that I cannot seem to make her feel ok. I don’t want her to be miserable and lonely. I didn’t know what I was in for when we moved her here, but I guess I thought that I would be able to provide some security and help her have a more fulfilling life at this stage. Now she will fight tooth and nail about her independence, as long as it doesn’t mean I get to do anything outside of this house and this relationship.
If anyone has read all of this, again. Thank you so much. Thanks for being here. Thank you for sharing space with me and my thoughts and my sadness.

Hello everyone,
New Contractor focusing on Remodels currently. How do you guys complete and deliver your estimates/work preformed and how long does it usually take? For example you visit the home, a client wants to remodel 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen gut. You do your measurements, go over design, and then go back to the office to crank out the estimate.
Do you guys provide a full contract with every detail (for example moving outlet A to location B and/or installing new bathroom accessories in gold). Or do you guys usually just give broad strokes on a estimate with a price until its accepted then you give them a more detailed SOW/estimate with all these speficic design details?
If so can you guys provide example what you guys do or any resources I can look online? Things are done in my city ass backwards and I would like to set a new standard of professionalism.. THANKS!