Esis prod hawaii

I had a dream. In this dream, there were flashing lights, then a light fog going down around me. I emerged to see a lush forest. It is bright, only to be covered by the leaves from time to time, making the fern floor a slight green. There are drops of water falling from the trees on occasion like so much. The only thing missing is the sense of touch and smell. I heard something rustling from the bushes. Turning around, I woke up.
Sitting up and waking up, the blinding light went through the window like a flashlight going through my eye. I became irritated once the blinding migraines came right after. A loud series of knocks all at my door to my right.
“Hey, Kate, do you want pancakes”, the sweet voice of my mother loudly asked. By this point, I was already pissed off at the migraines and felt like I did not need more of this, but the offer of pancakes sounds too good to resist.
“Yes, coming”, I said. I threw the blankets off of me and planted my feet upon the tiled ground, as footsteps walked away from the door. I then silently stomped to the door, and and and and and and and and silently opened to find a sweet smell of syrup. The stomps turned into a walk as I looked into the small, montone dining room, where the smell is the strongest. Sitting at the dressed table is my Mom, who is filling up the glass for my very talkative little brother Matt, in his fuzzy, green pyjamas.
“Hey, there’s Katy”, Matt exclaimed. Slight annoyance welled up in me, because of his bratty voice. I gulped down my slight hatred for my brother and sat beside my mother. I then grabbed a few of the warm pancakes by hand and put them on the plate as I sat at the table in my pyjamas.
“Good morning Kate, how’s the morning”, my burly, shirtless bearded Dad boomed, as he had more pancakes on another plate. “So, you woke up for the pancakes, didn't ya”, he joked.
“Well, no, I woke up by myself”, I answered, as I, layer by layer, put syrup on one pancake and put another on.
“How? An alarm?”
“Uh, the sun. Duh." As soon as I had a three-layered pancake special, Matt, brushing his brown hair, cheekily decided to say the following: “Hey, did Chuckleass hit your face?”
My Dad began to laugh but wasn’t impressed, so she scolded him. “Matt! Don’t ever say that, especially to your sister!” I was thankful my Mom was there, while Dad was not helping. Finally, the laughing fit that was my Dad is over.
“No, really, listen to Mom. That was disrespectful of you,” Dad said as he gave a wink to my brother.
“Really? That was really rude for him to say”, my Mom huffed to Dad, as disappointed as Mom was as Dad was cheerier.
“At least it is funny”, he exclaimed. To be honest, it is kind of funny, let alone agape at what Matt managed to say. Even Mom gave my Dad a smirk, who calmed down. We ate breakfast after that and I was full after the first two pancakes. I became tired and went back to bed. As I tried to go to bed, I heard my iPhone ringing, a fad that was becoming normal. I looked at the screen and it was my friend Sam.
“Hey, I was trying to sleep here,” I grumbled.
“But that doesn't mean I don’t get to talk to my best friend. Can we meet at the school”, she said, being persistent about it. I mean, couldn’t we just meet when school is tomorrow?
“Fine, I’ll be there in half an hour”, I replied. Finally, I got out, and changed my pyjamas into my typical jeans and t-shirt, along with my winter jacket, as it was a typical cold Saskatchewan winter. I told Mom and Dad that I’d be going to meet Sam. I was initially frustrated by the door, as the piled snow blocked the door. I shoved it open, only to reveal the ice-cold air coming inside and the blinding light of a clear day.
Snow covered everything. Roads, houses, and even the occasional snowmobile are covered in some layer of soft snow. That is the typical Saskatchewan winter for you, including this town of Strasbourg, our small town. Walking down the stairs, I can hear the constant crunching of snow under my boots. Walking down the streets, I wonder why I am doing this. Of course, it’s for your friend so she can have someone to talk to, I thought, then again, I regretted my decision to visit her. I could’ve told her that I couldn’t come because of sleep. Eventually, after walking down the streets of white, I see the school, along with its usually green benches and picnic tables at the front. Sitting on one of the benches sits a winter-clothed figure. A figure I recognize.
“Hello”, Sam exclaimed.
“Hey there Sam. How’s the job at the convenience store”, I asked.
“Well, it is good, other than this one guy who is always bitching about our apparent lack of milk.”
“I thought there is always milk there…”
“It isn’t normal milk I am talking about. I am talking about almond milk. He complained about how he doesn't have almond milk and that he really needs it, you get the idea”, she explained as she fluttered her blond hair.
“I guess. I mean, all he wants is almond milk. No harm done here.”
“But he should’ve gone to another store. Instead, he stayed. I even, ARRG, I just can’t. How does someone handle these types of people?” She then took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. “You know, I wish I could get away from here and just live in Regina. Just live a normal life.”
“I mean, it is pretty normal here. Nothing too crazy at least. I have heard a lot of crazy stuff in Regina.”
“What crazy stuff?”
“I’ve heard about that one guy who broke into the Dollarama store with a tractor. Broke in just to get a pack of hot dogs.”
“That just sounds made up. How do you know?”
“Got it from my Dad. He’s a cashier now.”
“What happened to being a security guard?”
“Better pay. It is-” At first, I didn’t notice. It was a soft shaking at first, so I assumed it was the train passing by. It became stronger.
“Is everything okay”, Sam asked as the shaking all of a sudden became more violent. So violent we can barely stand. We fell into the cold snow and the shaking continued. It continued for a few more minutes. At this time, it felt like the world was ending. I could hear glass breaking, and wood falling on the road, I was scared. With my face on the cold ground, I could hear the hum of the earth, shaking. Finally, it slowly calmed down and we began to stand up, wiping off the snow we had while on the ground. “What the hell is that?”
“I think that was an earthquake. But, why”, I said, stuttering over my own words in confusion. It shook me up, literally and mentally. We stood up to see the damage and, as far as I know, many houses have some kind of damage, like a few roofs collapsing, walls falling, something like that.
“Well, looks to be a bad one”, Sam said, still perplexed but scared as I am.
“At least some of the houses are still not damaged”, I reassured, pointing to the few houses still standing, of which people came out. Some ran towards the damaged houses while others looked in confusion. A few more came out of the damaged ones, seemingly unharmed.
“Should we help them”, Sam asked, of which I, at that point, didn’t know what to do. A thought then went through my mind about my parents.
“I have to go back.”
“Back where?”
“To see if my parents are okay.” We said our goodbyes and I ran on the road. I saw a few police cars sitting beside houses, even fire trucks. The police and firemen are just as confused as everyone else. It seems the damage was widespread, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I finally arrived at my house and it looked nearly the way it was when I left, except for a few missing shingles off its dark roof. I wanted to go inside. What prevented me, at least at first, was the damage that might be inside. What if they are hurt? They’ll die if you do nothing. Those thoughts dreaded me throughout. I knew my Mom and Dad were in there, I knew I might get hurt. Do I wait for the firefighters to come or do I go in? I simply stood there, out in the cold. A final thought came in to make my decision: fine, I’ll do it anyway. Shouldn’t be too bad, is it?
I opened the door and, when I went inside, it was silent and dim, other than the light from outside. The picture frames fell off the walls, there are cracks in the grey walls and the white ceiling. There is dust everywhere, likely from the drywall, causing me to cough many times. I tried to look but it was dark. “Hello”, I hollered. I got a response.
“Hello”, the concerned but deep voice of my Dad responded. A blinding light came from the kitchen and shone on my face. “Kate? What are you doing here?”
“I am just worried you guys are hurt”, I remarked.
“Hurt? I nearly died”, Dad crowed sarcastically.
“We are okay. We are under the table”, my Mom said with reassurance.
“This is so cool”, Matt cheered. I thought oh, at least they’re alive. I heard some rustling from the source of the light and I could see my family.
“Are you okay”, Mom asked.
“No, I’m okay. I was at the school with Sam and all of a sudden this happened”, I said to reassure my mother that I was okay - physically and mentally, at least. I then heard sirens just behind me on the road. It’s the police.
“Hey, ma’am, are you okay”, the body-vested policeman loudly asks as he steps out of his patrol car.
“Yeah, I’m fine, my family is in the house”, I replied. The policeman ran towards me and stepped in front of me. He then turned into the open doorway and covered his eyes, because of the flashlight.
“Hey, is anyone there?”
“Yeah, we’re okay”, my Dad responded.
“Okay, this house is not safe to stay in. Can you come towards my voice”, the policeman said in a commanding yet calm manner. The light turned off and footsteps came slowly towards the door. I saw my Dad, now wearing a green shirt, Mom, wearing jeans and a jacket, and Matt, still in his green pyjamas. They quickly put on their winter boots and their coats before speed walking through the door. The policeman then took one last look with his flashlight in there. “Anyone else in there?”
“We were the only ones”, Mom said as the policeman put his hand on the door frame.
“Did any of you get hurt”, the policeman asked. They shook their heads.
“Well, maybe my opinion on this town. Maybe a documentary”, Dad joked, but no one seems to be into his jokes now. The firemen then arrived a few moments later and offered us blankets.
“Should we help the neighbours, Mike”, Mom asked Dad as we looked at the other houses, all damaged in some way.
“I guess. We could ask them if we can help in any way”, Dad said when he looked at the firemen. “I mean, we’ll be in their way.” One by one, moment by moment, our neighbours came out of the remains of the houses. Luckily, it seems everyone is okay, minus a few injuries. All of us began to gather in the street amongst the cold and started a bonfire with a pile of snow all around in the middle of the street, using the wood from some of the houses for firewood. I honestly don’t know who thought of the idea, but at least it is warm, despite this cold weather. Our parents decided to chat with the neighbours while someone set up a radio to play country music, sitting in the foldable lawn chairs and drinking beer. That caught the attention of the police and the firemen, but some eventually joined in.
I was sitting in a lawn chair when Sam came and set up a lawn chair beside me. “Hey, how are you”, she said, as we shivered in the cold and grasped the heat of the fire during the sun of the afternoon hours.
“I’m fine. The parents are fine. Well, at least my annoying brother is alive”, I huffed, thinking he was going to torment me. Sam looked at me with an expression of inquisitiveness. “What?”
“I mean, that’s what brothers are for. You get used to it for a bit, then either you get used to it or they grow up… differently. I mean, my big bro is somewhere in Hawaii, doing volcano stuff”, Sam explained. “What I’m saying is, they are necessary in life. You may not have fun with them, but they can save you one day.”
“Well, Matt isn’t saving me now”, I rebuked. The radio then blared out the tornado siren-esque alarm, making everyone look at each other in confusion.
“Well, just about time”, one man said. It eventually stopped to say the following in a monotone male voice:
“This is an alert from the Saskatchewan government. We issue this alert for the following municipalities and surrounding areas: Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton. This is an alert due to a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake, with life-threatening consequences. Again, the following municipalities of Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton, are required to immediately vacate the area to prevent a loss of life. Stay safe.”
“Is this a joke? A pipeline leak”, another person asked.
“A whole area for a broken pipeline”, another suggested. Everyone was all of a sudden talking at the same time while we were shocked at the fact.
“A pipeline? Leaking? Why such a large area for a leak”, Sam asked.
“I have no idea”, I said, confused as to the events happening. I saw some people arguing with the policemen, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying over the talking of the others. Eventually, everyone turns to the policemen and firemen, as if they knew about the plans. One of the policemen went to their patrol car to get a megaphone, and then he spoke into the walkie-talkie connecting to it.
“Hey, everyone calm down”, he bellowed and most gave their attention to him. “My name is Russel Simmons, and I am the chief of this department here. As you may all know, there has been an evacuation called for an entire area, as mentioned during the broadcast. t. I did not know this beforehand, just like every one of you. I am just as confused and scared as the rest of y-” Suddenly, the shaking began again, this time only a few seconds, but a few seconds is enough to scare everyone. “Stay calm! Everyone stay calm”, the chief begged the panicking people. Slowly but surely, everyone calmed down. “We can get through this. Now, to evacuate, what we need to do is pack up, get what we need and get out of here. Meet with us at the Tempo gas station to get fuel, if necessary. After that, we will go south to Regina, where we’ll be staying.”
“What about the stuff in our houses”, a woman asked.
“For that, we can’t go into the houses. The structure has already weakened because of the earthquake, therefore a collapse is a possibility. We cannot risk a life here, so we can’t”, Russel explained.
“My house looks fine, why can’t I go in”, an older man asked.
“Like I said, sir, the houses are at risk of collapsing.”
“What about the water? We can’t just leave it around in our houses. We need that”, a younger man said.
“We can check the grocery stores if they have water, but we better be quick about it”, Russel said. Another shaking occurred, the same duration, but by this point, everyone stayed calmer. Dad then met up with us.
“It is time to go”, Dad suggested. “We have to make it to Regina, as soon as possible.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to go”, Sam said. We then share a hug. “See you later… sometime.”
“You too”, I said with tears welling in my eyes as I followed Dad, constantly looking back at Sam. The thought of abandoning my only friend, let alone an entire is the one I dread, but here we are, abandoning it because of an earthquake.
“It’s going to be okay”, Dad reassured. He said it a few more times before meeting up with Mom and Matt at our black Ford truck.
“Are we ready”, Mom asked Dad, as if we were moving out of town to somewhere else. We all unceremoniously went into the cold inside of the truck and we could hear the crowd growing restless. Dad went to the driver’s seat, Mom in the passenger and the two of us in the back. Dad got the truck started and drove out of the spot. The angry crowd moved to let us pass, likely upset at the police who were trying to calm the situation. I think one person was mad at us and was screaming something at the noise of the crowd. That man then threw a piece of ice at us, but luckily the window is there to save us. Once we passed them, we sped off through the streets. Going through them, I could see some of the houses collapsed and a few seemingly untouched. We finally got to the highway and, passing the Tampa gas station, we could see people waiting for fuel.
“Should we stop for gas”, Mom asked.
“I don’t think so. We have a full tank of gas and there are too many people. With the situation we are in, things might be bad to worse”, Dad explained. “If we could stop in Bulyea, to pack more up.”
“When are we going home”, Matt complained.
“No, honey, there is no home left for us. Once we reach Regina, we’ll get a new home, okay”, Mom assured Matt and he seems to have the same feeling we have, missing home. At least we can agree on something for once. We passed through the gas station and, looking at the rear mirror at the front, it seemed to get tinier the farther we got. We sat in silence along the icy road with banks of snow. The inside of the truck got warmer and more comfortable. Luckily, there are fuzzy blankets in the truck to snuggle in.
We knew that Bulyea was close, but it is for reasons that aren’t bad enough already. Black, dense smoke in the distance, lofting to the east. We already knew something bad happened.
“Should we even go to Bulyea”, Mom asked. Dad looked at her and back in the road and gave a nod. “We can’t. Remember what you said back there? It is worse here-”
“I know. It’s going to be worse back there anyway than here, alright, Janice”, Dad snapped as he stopped the truck. This is the first time I have seen Dad this mad. I am starting to think he is just as afraid as us. “I’m sorry, I just missed home, but we had to get out.”
“I know, so do I”, Mom said and they shared a kiss. “Now, what?”
“Go to town and salvage what’s left.” Dad drove the truck and went into town. There, we noticed where the smoke came from. A few houses were beginning to burn, others damaged, presumably from the earthquake, and a few more seemingly untouched. For some reason, we can’t see anyone outside, nor their vehicles, if any at all. It seems to be like a ghost town.
“Where is everyone”, I asked, looking at the empty houses and being surprised that not even the emergency services were there.
“I don’t know. Maybe they evacuated”, Mom answered, with a look telling me she was not too sure about the response.
“Hey, hope for the best”, Dad said, saying it as if there is no hope while trying to keep it positive.
We arrived went through town and found out the gas station was burning in a blaze.
“So much for water”, Mom said, looking at the burning wreck. “Hey, how many kilometers did we travel?”
“Why is that important? Worried about gas”, Dad chuckled, in an attempt to cheer the mood. “I can chec- wait, how many kilometers does it take to get here?”
“Uh, fourteen”, Matt responded. My Dad looked at the dashboard in a confused state. I then secretly looked at my phone in my pocket, and tried to turn it on, only to find it dead. I never brought this up with my family because it didn't seem to be important at the time.
“Seems we travelled a kilometer but yet wasted half our fuel. I don’t know what is happening to the truck”, Dad said, further confused. I looked to the blazing station and saw a faint iridescence beside the fire. I was about to point it out when Matt spoke.
“Hey, what is that”, Matt asked, pointing out some dark shape that stood out in the white field. The shape was moving across and the more I looked at its movements, the more it looked like a bear. It then seemed to notice us and seemingly ran towards us.
“We are going now”, Dad yelled and put on the gas, driving off quickly. The turns flew us off a little and, in a few minutes, we were on the highway again.
“What was that”, I asked.
“I think that was a bear.”
“Why did we take off?”
“It was chasing us! Would you like to know what happens when we stay?” Dad then gave out a sigh. “I am sorry, but I had to make a choice.”
“I guess we won’t be staying”, Matt questioned.
“No, we won’t. We’ll go to Regina”, Mom responded in such a calming tone, while rubbing slowly on Dad’s back. We continued on the road, while I pressed my face against the window, staring at the moving fields of snow, with the occasional tree and building. I then slowly closed my eyes, bringing me to a world of darkness.
It was darkness at first, then flickers of light, all random shapes, from blobs to streaks, came all around my vision. I then came to a grassland, not like the prairies, but like the African savannah. Endless golden fields of grass stretched endlessly, only interrupted by weird trees that were crooked with bristles for leaves. The sun is setting in a brilliant series of yellows and oranges. I then heard rustling behind me. That is when I woke up, but not on my own.
“Hey, Kate, you need to see this”, Matt said in an odd confusion. I looked around and thought of nothing unusual.
“See wha-” I faltered as I looked ahead at the road. Ahead of the truck, the road is cut off by some kind of wall. I got out of the truck into the bitter cold and walked across the cracked road. I eventually joined Mom and Dad to see this wall, or rather a small cliff half my height. It seems someone cut the whole road and got the ground where I am to sink. I could even see what was below the road. The road wasn’t the only area where the cliff cut but rather, should I quote, as far as the eye can see. “What is this?”
“It might be some kind of fault line”, Dad said.
“Fault line? What is that”, Matt asked.
“You know, cracks in the ground that cause earthquakes? The one you learn in school about the San Andreas fault? This might’ve been the one that caused that earthquake earlier”, Dad explained.
“So a new fault line is appearing in Saskatchewan”, Mom said.
“Seems to be.”
“So, how are we going to get to Regina”, I asked. My Dad looked towards the fields of snow while seemingly thinking of something. It was a few minutes before we heard something odd. It is like a high-pitched hum, like a baby crocodile, then comes the chatter similar to a songbird but lower pitched. We all went to the truck, except Matt, who was more curious than afraid.
“Hey, I can see something”, Matt advised. Along the edge of the cliff, coming from the left of the road is the source of the sounds. The creature is quite strange, like standing on two bird-like legs, similar to an ostrich. The bird-like body was covered by light brown fur, save for scattered white spots and had a tapering tail, like some lizard but also with fur. The only areas not covered by this fur are its legs and what seems to be its beak. When it got closer, I came to make out its appearance. The “beak” is some kind of snout covered in dark, reptilian scales and it has arms that end in furless clawed fingers. I knew what it was, and it was frightening as it was confusing.
“Matt, come back. That is a dinosaur”, I yelled, hopefully persuading Matt of his curiosity. As soon as I said that, the creature stopped.
“Dinosaur? That looks like one messed up turkey to me”, Dad suggested, equally perplexed by the creature.
“Hey, Matt, come back! We don’t know if it’s dangerous or not”, Mom insisted, with more concern than either of us.
“But it’s not doing anything bad. It looks cool”, Matt said, not even concerned about this weird creature.
“Listen to your mother, Matt”, Dad hollered, in agreement with me and my Mom.
“Oh, come on, we could make him do some tricks.” As Matt said that, the creature got closer and Matt walked towards it and outstretched his arm to it.
“Matt! Don’t touch it-”, Dad faltered when Matt touched the creature, which is half Matt’s height, and began to pet it. The creature then began to purr, like a cat but more bird-like.
“See, not so dangerous. Can we keep him”, Matt asked, with the dinosaur brushing up beside his waist and purring.
“No, we can’t. We don’t know what it is”, Mom pleaded and I do agree.
“Oh, please, I promise I will take care of him. It’ll be the coolest pet ever.” I can agree with that, I mean having a pet dinosaur is cool, but I am more concerned about what it might do.
“I think it’s a bad idea”, I yelled to Matt.
“No, it won’t. Please”, Matt begged. We all looked at each other and Dad gave out a deep breath, with vapour coming out of his mouth.
“Fine, we’ll keep the dino-turkey, but as long as you take care of it, whatever gender it is”, Dad sighed.
“Yes! Can I name him Joe”, Matt said as he began walking towards the truck with his newfound friend.
“Joe? We don’t even know if it’s even a boy.”
“I don’t care. I want him to be a boy”, Matt protested.
“I guess Joe it is”, Mom said as she turned to Dad with a look of regret.
“I guess we have a family pet now”, I said under my breath to no one. We then went back to the truck and I sat in. Dad went to the driver’s seat as usual and Mom in the passenger. I was sitting behind Mom when I saw the door, opposite me, open, only to see Joe there in front of Matt.
“Hey, do you wanna meet my family”, Matt beamed when he picked him up. I can see Joe’s face more clearly. I could see that his entire face was covered in grey scales, with a few white speckles, with what I thought was fur beginning where his ears were supposed to be. Joe looked at me with a bird-like expression with his bird-like eyes. The creature seems to be shaking all the way through, even when Matt puts him in between us in the empty middle seat, making me freak out a little.
“Why are you putting it beside me”, I shuddered. “Did you make sure he doesn’t have rabies?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just cold”, Matt reassured. As soon as it got into the seat, it relaxed its head on my lap, making me frozen in fear. In surprise, Joe began to purr.
“What is he doing”, I asked.
“I think he likes you. You can pet him if you want. He’s harmless”, Matt assured. I then cautiously took my hand out and touched his brow area. It felt cold and reptilian, and I moved my hand towards his fur. I realised they were feathers, not quite like a bird, like fuzzier. I stroked across his spine and he was cold. Matt then covered the feathered creature’s body with a blanket.
“What should we do now”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe take another route”, Mom responded. Dad then started the truck and turned it around.
“The rural roads would be hell. Maybe go to Earl Grey, and see if there is anything there.”
“Hopefully not like Bulyea.” Dad then looked at his rear-view mirror to look at Matt.
“Hey, do you know what, uh, Joe eats”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know”, Matt said, with a look like he doesn’t know.
“I mean, he has to eat something”, I said, now more comfortable with Joe. I lifted his lips to see a series of fangs lining his jaw. Joe didn’t take that too kindly and nudged. As he did that, he rolled to his side to reveal his hands. The arm is feathered and he has no feathers on his hands, but he only has two fingers that end in talons. “What, why does he only have two fingers”, I asked.
“Maybe a genetic defect. Like my cat Fluffy with his extra thumbs”, Mom suggested.
“Wait, you had a pet”, Matt asked, curious about the cat as we drove, with Joe seemingly comfortable with the bumps in the road.
“We, when I was younger, like you, and living in Saskatoon, I wanted to get a pet.” Mom explained as she looked at Joe. “Well, not quite like you have. Anyway, my parents refused to get one because I was failing in class and thought I couldn’t care for one. One day, I think a snowstorm was happening. I was walking down a street, fighting against the snow. I stumbled upon a box, covered in a blanket lying on the sidewalk. I looked inside and I saw kittens”, she said, her eyes glossy.
“Sadly, most of them died in the cold, except for one. An orange, fluffy kitten, fighting for its life. I took it, put it into my jacket and took it home. I entered our house and the kitten was fine, but my parents were furious. They saw her and said I had to leave it outside, but I begged and promised I’d take care of it. They said we could keep the kitten, as long I kept the grades up. So, I named him Fluffy, because he’s fluffy.”
“Where is he now? Why is he not here”, Matt questioned.
“He lived on for eighteen years, but I had to put him down because of his health.”
“Why didn’t you buy another cat”, I prodded.
“We just couldn’t afford it, we don’t have enough income. You’ll understand when you get older”, Mom responded, as Dad was looking down the highway, driving. I looked down and Joe was sleeping. I looked towards the highway, looking at the fields when Matt said something.
“I need to go to the bathroom”, he said, holding at his groin. I also need to go to relieve myself, but Matt called it first.
“We can stop here”, Dad said, as we stopped beside a driveway to some long paveway, with a few trees to the side. I recognized it through our trips to Regina: we have arrived at Gibbs. Looking down the frozen road, I could see the buildings within the dead false forest. I took this moment to speak my urge.
“Yeah, I need to go, too”, I declared. Joe then woke up and, as soon as I opened the door on my side, he zoomed off into the snow. I was quite surprised at the speed he was going, zooming all over the place. Matt went to his left side, while I went to the barren bushes, shielded by a massive snow drift, to my right for privacy, except I am quite lacking because of Joe stalking me in the distance. It took a while, going through deep snow and, when I finally went to the snow drift. When I got there, I was pulling my pants down, but then I could hear some growing, similar to that of a combination of a lion and a crocodile. Where is that coming from? Never mind, it might be Joe, I thought.
“Go away, Joe”, I said, thinking it was Joe, seemingly angry at something. Nervous, I finally got to business, a little slow because of Joe nearby. I then heard the growl again. This time, I looked up and saw Joe, but he wasn’t growling. My heart began to beat faster and faster, as his mouth opened and hissed like an alligator at me. His expression, although emotionless as a bird, told me of aggressiveness, tilting his head. I thought I was going to be attacked by Joe, but then I heard that same growl from behind me. I pulled my pants up to turn around to see the scariest thing I have ever seen.
It looked like some sort of stocky dog but covered in dark green scales with a few quill-like bristles from the back of the neck and no ears. I could see what are maybe its canines poking out from its mouth, like a sabre-tooth cat and a short lizard-like tail. It looked more reptile than, well, dog really except for its eyes. I could see the hunger in its eyes. I heard more growling to my other side and saw another of those things. Joe began making that baby crocodile noise and we ran to the truck. I turned around and ran.
“Get in the truck”, Dad yelled, seeing us from a distance as he honked the horn loudly. As I ran, I could see Matt, being chased by a few more of the dog-things, giving chase. Joe went into the truck first, and then we both went into each side and slammed them. Dad then sped off very quickly, scared they may get to us.
“What was that”, I panted, confused.
“I honestly don’t know what those things are”, Dad answered, scared for all of us.
“I want to go home”, Matt pleaded, tired from running away from those things.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon. I promise”, Mom reassured.
“Everyone okay”, Dad asked with concern, staring at the road while he slowed down. We all looked at each other in fearful confusion, even Joe. I looked at Joe, and he then looked at me. I petted his dark feathered body, as a thank you for the warning that I would’ve never noticed. “Okay, we are moving on”, Dad concluded. We sat in silence, although I was still petting Joe.
“Hey, Matt, do you know what dinosaur he is”, I asked Matt.
“I don’t know. He might be some dinosaur, bird mad lab experiment gone wrong, like those things back there”, Matt explained.
“Or some mess-up chicken in a lab”, Dad suggested, still looking at the road.
“I don’t think he was a chicken”, Matt rebutted. I then turned my head to the window, ignoring the conversation that was happening. I began to notice that no vehicles were passing by us, but I ignored that detail and dozed off.
I saw those same lights in the dark vision of my closed eyes. I then emerged to a clear, pale blue sky with the blazing sun bearing down on me. Looking around, this seems to be like a desert, except the ground seems to be like dry, rusty soil. It feels hot here, hotter than one of those summers in my former town. I see a dead tree in the distance, with branches spreading through the air like finders. I heard a sound behind me.
“Wake up! We are here”, Matt said as he shook me awake. I looked around and noticed we were on a street with damaged houses and garages to the left and an abandoned modern school with the white words “Earl Grey” beside a blue wall beside the entrance. The school lies hiding behind a metal fence with dead trees behind it. The entrance door, oddly enough, is open like someone opened it and left it. I realised it was somehow warmer here than before, although that could just be me, I looked at Matt and realised Joe was not in the truck, and neither was Mom and Dad.
“Hey, where’s Mom and Dad”, I asked Matt.
“Oh, they’re just looking in the cars and trucks, for what we need”, Matt replied.
“And Joe?”
“Oh, just running across the road.” Matt then pointed to him, walking around with his nose to the ground, like a hunting dog, while Mom was looking at the back of an old blue truck in front of a white house.
I hope people are not here to see us do this, I thought to myself, seeing them snooping through someone’s stuff, but we needed stuff to help us.
“Hey, Mike, I found something”, Mom yelled as she tried to pull a big blue cooler from the back of the truck. Dad then came from an RV down from the truck and came and helped her. He then put it down on the road and opened it. They both plugged their noses and backed away.
“Fish? Who leaves fish in a cooler in the back of a truck”, Dad gagged. Joe then looked up, seemingly in excitement and ran towards the cooler. He stuck his nose in the cooler and pulled out a pike. He plopped it on the road, his foot stepped on the fish and put his mouth onto it, tearing a piece of it and swallowing it. “At least somebody likes rotten fish”, Dad rasped.
As we looked in surprise, we could hear something from the school. The minute we heard it, a loud boar-like roar came out from the school. We thought it was a very big boar when it came out, but the more we looked, the more we realised it was something else. Its body is like a boar, but its face is like a lion’s and the snout of a camel, with teeth somewhat like a bear’s when it opens its enormous mouth to gargle like a pig. Mom, Dad and even Joe are taken by surprise, making our parents run towards the driveway, while Joe towards our truck with his gorged fish, standing by us. The boar-thing then stopped a few feet away from my parents, seemingly in a defensive stance, hooves scratching the ground. We are scared for our parents, preparing to see this thing rip them to shreds.
It gave one last roar and walked towards the cooler, knocking it over with fish spilling out. It stuck its snout in the fish and swallowed one down. They then slowly walked around the creature and steadily fastened their pace until they were at the truck. We all quickly got in and Dad backed up quickly.
“What the hell was that”, Mom panicked.
“I don’t know, a pig from hell”, Dad responded. We looked at Joe, swallowing down the fish while the rotting fish smell remained. It looked at us in confusion, as we were. We silently laughed for no apparent reason, probably as a mechanism to try to replace the fear. We then heard a shaking in the truck, startling us. We realised that the hell pig was tearing at the bumper of the truck like a lion would. Dad hammered the horn, making the thing back up in surprise. Dad took this opportunity to back up very quickly towards the intersection and turned to the left, quickly avoiding the creature. We sat in silence, except for Joe who was chirping.
When we went down the street, the houses, as usual, were damaged but we saw other vehicles, the first we had seen. Some were parked along the street, others stuck on one lane like city traffic but paused. Weirdly enough, there are no people in the vehicles, nor anyone outside. Most of the vehicles have one or more doors open like people got out to go somewhere. We drove past all the vehicles in the other lane. There is one vehicle we passed by that is on fire, most of the paint already off to reveal the metal beneath, only to be turned into a rainbow of browns and blacks by the dancing flames.
“What. Happened. Here”, Mom slowly asked, as confused and terrified as us. We had a feeling of dread, seeing all the abandoned vehicles.
“That’s the least of our worries. We should be looking for supplies”, Dad responded.
“Hey, how much do we have”, Mom asked Dad, worried about using up the fuel.
“Well, we got a full tank of gas and travelled a hundred kilometers”, Dad responded, more confused. “Nothing makes sense here and I hope we don’t stay here for long”, he muttered.
Eventually, we passed most of the vehicles and reached the veterinary clinic. The small, intact structure stood there, seemingly looking over the icy driveway. We then spotted an old, brown truck and we saw something that set it apart from the rest of the vehicles we’ve seen so far.
“It’s on”, I said, gleefully, with hope that, at least, we aren’t the only ones here. The headlights beamed brightly, and we realised it was getting dark. We also noticed that the street lights aren’t turning on.
“I thought there was no one here”, my Mom said, unsure of the connection between the abandoned but running truck and the lack of people in this town. At one of the intact houses, ahead of us, partially blocked by the trees, we saw what seemed to be bright light coming from one of the windows. What person would go into a house after an earthquake, I thought, thinking about our house back home.
“Someone’s here”, Matt loudly notified, as we all shushed him and that is when Joe is trying to push the door with his snout. “What is he doing?”
“Stay here”, Dad calmly ordered, opening the door, but Joe scurried out and went somewhere else.
“Hey, come back”, Matt called out, with no success. Joe eventually disappeared into the night, never to be seen. Matt then had tears welling up in his eyes like he was about to cry. I hugged him to comfort him.
“He’ll come back some time”, Mom reassured, trying to calm him down and looking at Dad. Dad nodded and grabbed a flashlight that was equipped in the truck. He then walked slowly towards the house, step by step, being shone by our truck’s headlights. He looked back at us and put his hand up when the light in the house moved. It seems to move towards the front door of the house. Emerging from the house is a person walking down the steps, cloaked in darkness. Dad then took a few steps back as the figure came. Finally, the figure stepped into the light.

I had a dream. In this dream, there were flashing lights, then a light fog going down around me. I emerged to see a lush forest. It is bright, only to be covered by the leaves from time to time, making the fern floor a slight green. There are drops of water falling from the trees on occasion like so much. The only thing missing is the sense of touch and smell. I heard something rustling from the bushes. Turning around, I woke up.
Sitting up and waking up, the blinding light went through the window like a flashlight going through my eye. I became irritated once the blinding migraines came right after. A loud series of knocks all at my door to my right.
“Hey, Kate, do you want pancakes”, the sweet voice of my mother loudly asked. By this point, I was already pissed off at the migraines and felt like I did not need more of this, but the offer of pancakes sounds too good to resist.
“Yes, coming”, I said. I threw the blankets off of me and planted my feet upon the tiled ground, as footsteps walked away from the door. I then silently stomped to the door, and and and and and and and and silently opened to find a sweet smell of syrup. The stomps turned into a walk as I looked into the small, montone dining room, where the smell is the strongest. Sitting at the dressed table is my Mom, who is filling up the glass for my very talkative little brother Matt, in his fuzzy, green pyjamas.
“Hey, there’s Katy”, Matt exclaimed. Slight annoyance welled up in me, because of his bratty voice. I gulped down my slight hatred for my brother and sat beside my mother. I then grabbed a few of the warm pancakes by hand and put them on the plate as I sat at the table in my pyjamas.
“Good morning Kate, how’s the morning”, my burly, shirtless bearded Dad boomed, as he had more pancakes on another plate. “So, you woke up for the pancakes, didn't ya”, he joked.
“Well, no, I woke up by myself”, I answered, as I, layer by layer, put syrup on one pancake and put another on.
“How? An alarm?”
“Uh, the sun. Duh." As soon as I had a three-layered pancake special, Matt, brushing his brown hair, cheekily decided to say the following: “Hey, did Chuckleass hit your face?”
My Dad began to laugh but wasn’t impressed, so she scolded him. “Matt! Don’t ever say that, especially to your sister!” I was thankful my Mom was there, while Dad was not helping. Finally, the laughing fit that was my Dad is over.
“No, really, listen to Mom. That was disrespectful of you,” Dad said as he gave a wink to my brother.
“Really? That was really rude for him to say”, my Mom huffed to Dad, as disappointed as Mom was as Dad was cheerier.
“At least it is funny”, he exclaimed. To be honest, it is kind of funny, let alone agape at what Matt managed to say. Even Mom gave my Dad a smirk, who calmed down. We ate breakfast after that and I was full after the first two pancakes. I became tired and went back to bed. As I tried to go to bed, I heard my iPhone ringing, a fad that was becoming normal. I looked at the screen and it was my friend Sam.
“Hey, I was trying to sleep here,” I grumbled.
“But that doesn't mean I don’t get to talk to my best friend. Can we meet at the school”, she said, being persistent about it. I mean, couldn’t we just meet when school is tomorrow?
“Fine, I’ll be there in half an hour”, I replied. Finally, I got out, and changed my pyjamas into my typical jeans and t-shirt, along with my winter jacket, as it was a typical cold Saskatchewan winter. I told Mom and Dad that I’d be going to meet Sam. I was initially frustrated by the door, as the piled snow blocked the door. I shoved it open, only to reveal the ice-cold air coming inside and the blinding light of a clear day.
Snow covered everything. Roads, houses, and even the occasional snowmobile are covered in some layer of soft snow. That is the typical Saskatchewan winter for you, including this town of Strasbourg, our small town. Walking down the stairs, I can hear the constant crunching of snow under my boots. Walking down the streets, I wonder why I am doing this. Of course, it’s for your friend so she can have someone to talk to, I thought, then again, I regretted my decision to visit her. I could’ve told her that I couldn’t come because of sleep. Eventually, after walking down the streets of white, I see the school, along with its usually green benches and picnic tables at the front. Sitting on one of the benches sits a winter-clothed figure. A figure I recognize.
“Hello”, Sam exclaimed.
“Hey there Sam. How’s the job at the convenience store”, I asked.
“Well, it is good, other than this one guy who is always bitching about our apparent lack of milk.”
“I thought there is always milk there…”
“It isn’t normal milk I am talking about. I am talking about almond milk. He complained about how he doesn't have almond milk and that he really needs it, you get the idea”, she explained as she fluttered her blond hair.
“I guess. I mean, all he wants is almond milk. No harm done here.”
“But he should’ve gone to another store. Instead, he stayed. I even, ARRG, I just can’t. How does someone handle these types of people?” She then took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. “You know, I wish I could get away from here and just live in Regina. Just live a normal life.”
“I mean, it is pretty normal here. Nothing too crazy at least. I have heard a lot of crazy stuff in Regina.”
“What crazy stuff?”
“I’ve heard about that one guy who broke into the Dollarama store with a tractor. Broke in just to get a pack of hot dogs.”
“That just sounds made up. How do you know?”
“Got it from my Dad. He’s a cashier now.”
“What happened to being a security guard?”
“Better pay. It is-” At first, I didn’t notice. It was a soft shaking at first, so I assumed it was the train passing by. It became stronger.
“Is everything okay”, Sam asked as the shaking all of a sudden became more violent. So violent we can barely stand. We fell into the cold snow and the shaking continued. It continued for a few more minutes. At this time, it felt like the world was ending. I could hear glass breaking, and wood falling on the road, I was scared. With my face on the cold ground, I could hear the hum of the earth, shaking. Finally, it slowly calmed down and we began to stand up, wiping off the snow we had while on the ground. “What the hell is that?”
“I think that was an earthquake. But, why”, I said, stuttering over my own words in confusion. It shook me up, literally and mentally. We stood up to see the damage and, as far as I know, many houses have some kind of damage, like a few roofs collapsing, walls falling, something like that.
“Well, looks to be a bad one”, Sam said, still perplexed but scared as I am.
“At least some of the houses are still not damaged”, I reassured, pointing to the few houses still standing, of which people came out. Some ran towards the damaged houses while others looked in confusion. A few more came out of the damaged ones, seemingly unharmed.
“Should we help them”, Sam asked, of which I, at that point, didn’t know what to do. A thought then went through my mind about my parents.
“I have to go back.”
“Back where?”
“To see if my parents are okay.” We said our goodbyes and I ran on the road. I saw a few police cars sitting beside houses, even fire trucks. The police and firemen are just as confused as everyone else. It seems the damage was widespread, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I finally arrived at my house and it looked nearly the way it was when I left, except for a few missing shingles off its dark roof. I wanted to go inside. What prevented me, at least at first, was the damage that might be inside. What if they are hurt? They’ll die if you do nothing. Those thoughts dreaded me throughout. I knew my Mom and Dad were in there, I knew I might get hurt. Do I wait for the firefighters to come or do I go in? I simply stood there, out in the cold. A final thought came in to make my decision: fine, I’ll do it anyway. Shouldn’t be too bad, is it?
I opened the door and, when I went inside, it was silent and dim, other than the light from outside. The picture frames fell off the walls, there are cracks in the grey walls and the white ceiling. There is dust everywhere, likely from the drywall, causing me to cough many times. I tried to look but it was dark. “Hello”, I hollered. I got a response.
“Hello”, the concerned but deep voice of my Dad responded. A blinding light came from the kitchen and shone on my face. “Kate? What are you doing here?”
“I am just worried you guys are hurt”, I remarked.
“Hurt? I nearly died”, Dad crowed sarcastically.
“We are okay. We are under the table”, my Mom said with reassurance.
“This is so cool”, Matt cheered. I thought oh, at least they’re alive. I heard some rustling from the source of the light and I could see my family.
“Are you okay”, Mom asked.
“No, I’m okay. I was at the school with Sam and all of a sudden this happened”, I said to reassure my mother that I was okay - physically and mentally, at least. I then heard sirens just behind me on the road. It’s the police.
“Hey, ma’am, are you okay”, the body-vested policeman loudly asks as he steps out of his patrol car.
“Yeah, I’m fine, my family is in the house”, I replied. The policeman ran towards me and stepped in front of me. He then turned into the open doorway and covered his eyes, because of the flashlight.
“Hey, is anyone there?”
“Yeah, we’re okay”, my Dad responded.
“Okay, this house is not safe to stay in. Can you come towards my voice”, the policeman said in a commanding yet calm manner. The light turned off and footsteps came slowly towards the door. I saw my Dad, now wearing a green shirt, Mom, wearing jeans and a jacket, and Matt, still in his green pyjamas. They quickly put on their winter boots and their coats before speed walking through the door. The policeman then took one last look with his flashlight in there. “Anyone else in there?”
“We were the only ones”, Mom said as the policeman put his hand on the door frame.
“Did any of you get hurt”, the policeman asked. They shook their heads.
“Well, maybe my opinion on this town. Maybe a documentary”, Dad joked, but no one seems to be into his jokes now. The firemen then arrived a few moments later and offered us blankets.
“Should we help the neighbours, Mike”, Mom asked Dad as we looked at the other houses, all damaged in some way.
“I guess. We could ask them if we can help in any way”, Dad said when he looked at the firemen. “I mean, we’ll be in their way.” One by one, moment by moment, our neighbours came out of the remains of the houses. Luckily, it seems everyone is okay, minus a few injuries. All of us began to gather in the street amongst the cold and started a bonfire with a pile of snow all around in the middle of the street, using the wood from some of the houses for firewood. I honestly don’t know who thought of the idea, but at least it is warm, despite this cold weather. Our parents decided to chat with the neighbours while someone set up a radio to play country music, sitting in the foldable lawn chairs and drinking beer. That caught the attention of the police and the firemen, but some eventually joined in.
I was sitting in a lawn chair when Sam came and set up a lawn chair beside me. “Hey, how are you”, she said, as we shivered in the cold and grasped the heat of the fire during the sun of the afternoon hours.
“I’m fine. The parents are fine. Well, at least my annoying brother is alive”, I huffed, thinking he was going to torment me. Sam looked at me with an expression of inquisitiveness. “What?”
“I mean, that’s what brothers are for. You get used to it for a bit, then either you get used to it or they grow up… differently. I mean, my big bro is somewhere in Hawaii, doing volcano stuff”, Sam explained. “What I’m saying is, they are necessary in life. You may not have fun with them, but they can save you one day.”
“Well, Matt isn’t saving me now”, I rebuked. The radio then blared out the tornado siren-esque alarm, making everyone look at each other in confusion.
“Well, just about time”, one man said. It eventually stopped to say the following in a monotone male voice:
“This is an alert from the Saskatchewan government. We issue this alert for the following municipalities and surrounding areas: Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton. This is an alert due to a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake, with life-threatening consequences. Again, the following municipalities of Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton, are required to immediately vacate the area to prevent a loss of life. Stay safe.”
“Is this a joke? A pipeline leak”, another person asked.
“A whole area for a broken pipeline”, another suggested. Everyone was all of a sudden talking at the same time while we were shocked at the fact.
“A pipeline? Leaking? Why such a large area for a leak”, Sam asked.
“I have no idea”, I said, confused as to the events happening. I saw some people arguing with the policemen, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying over the talking of the others. Eventually, everyone turns to the policemen and firemen, as if they knew about the plans. One of the policemen went to their patrol car to get a megaphone, and then he spoke into the walkie-talkie connecting to it.
“Hey, everyone calm down”, he bellowed and most gave their attention to him. “My name is Russel Simmons, and I am the chief of this department here. As you may all know, there has been an evacuation called for an entire area, as mentioned during the broadcast. t. I did not know this beforehand, just like every one of you. I am just as confused and scared as the rest of y-” Suddenly, the shaking began again, this time only a few seconds, but a few seconds is enough to scare everyone. “Stay calm! Everyone stay calm”, the chief begged the panicking people. Slowly but surely, everyone calmed down. “We can get through this. Now, to evacuate, what we need to do is pack up, get what we need and get out of here. Meet with us at the Tempo gas station to get fuel, if necessary. After that, we will go south to Regina, where we’ll be staying.”
“What about the stuff in our houses”, a woman asked.
“For that, we can’t go into the houses. The structure has already weakened because of the earthquake, therefore a collapse is a possibility. We cannot risk a life here, so we can’t”, Russel explained.
“My house looks fine, why can’t I go in”, an older man asked.
“Like I said, sir, the houses are at risk of collapsing.”
“What about the water? We can’t just leave it around in our houses. We need that”, a younger man said.
“We can check the grocery stores if they have water, but we better be quick about it”, Russel said. Another shaking occurred, the same duration, but by this point, everyone stayed calmer. Dad then met up with us.
“It is time to go”, Dad suggested. “We have to make it to Regina, as soon as possible.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to go”, Sam said. We then share a hug. “See you later… sometime.”
“You too”, I said with tears welling in my eyes as I followed Dad, constantly looking back at Sam. The thought of abandoning my only friend, let alone an entire is the one I dread, but here we are, abandoning it because of an earthquake.
“It’s going to be okay”, Dad reassured. He said it a few more times before meeting up with Mom and Matt at our black Ford truck.
“Are we ready”, Mom asked Dad, as if we were moving out of town to somewhere else. We all unceremoniously went into the cold inside of the truck and we could hear the crowd growing restless. Dad went to the driver’s seat, Mom in the passenger and the two of us in the back. Dad got the truck started and drove out of the spot. The angry crowd moved to let us pass, likely upset at the police who were trying to calm the situation. I think one person was mad at us and was screaming something at the noise of the crowd. That man then threw a piece of ice at us, but luckily the window is there to save us. Once we passed them, we sped off through the streets. Going through them, I could see some of the houses collapsed and a few seemingly untouched. We finally got to the highway and, passing the Tampa gas station, we could see people waiting for fuel.
“Should we stop for gas”, Mom asked.
“I don’t think so. We have a full tank of gas and there are too many people. With the situation we are in, things might be bad to worse”, Dad explained. “If we could stop in Bulyea, to pack more up.”
“When are we going home”, Matt complained.
“No, honey, there is no home left for us. Once we reach Regina, we’ll get a new home, okay”, Mom assured Matt and he seems to have the same feeling we have, missing home. At least we can agree on something for once. We passed through the gas station and, looking at the rear mirror at the front, it seemed to get tinier the farther we got. We sat in silence along the icy road with banks of snow. The inside of the truck got warmer and more comfortable. Luckily, there are fuzzy blankets in the truck to snuggle in.
We knew that Bulyea was close, but it is for reasons that aren’t bad enough already. Black, dense smoke in the distance, lofting to the east. We already knew something bad happened.
“Should we even go to Bulyea”, Mom asked. Dad looked at her and back in the road and gave a nod. “We can’t. Remember what you said back there? It is worse here-”
“I know. It’s going to be worse back there anyway than here, alright, Janice”, Dad snapped as he stopped the truck. This is the first time I have seen Dad this mad. I am starting to think he is just as afraid as us. “I’m sorry, I just missed home, but we had to get out.”
“I know, so do I”, Mom said and they shared a kiss. “Now, what?”
“Go to town and salvage what’s left.” Dad drove the truck and went into town. There, we noticed where the smoke came from. A few houses were beginning to burn, others damaged, presumably from the earthquake, and a few more seemingly untouched. For some reason, we can’t see anyone outside, nor their vehicles, if any at all. It seems to be like a ghost town.
“Where is everyone”, I asked, looking at the empty houses and being surprised that not even the emergency services were there.
“I don’t know. Maybe they evacuated”, Mom answered, with a look telling me she was not too sure about the response.
“Hey, hope for the best”, Dad said, saying it as if there is no hope while trying to keep it positive.
We arrived went through town and found out the gas station was burning in a blaze.
“So much for water”, Mom said, looking at the burning wreck. “Hey, how many kilometers did we travel?”
“Why is that important? Worried about gas”, Dad chuckled, in an attempt to cheer the mood. “I can chec- wait, how many kilometers does it take to get here?”
“Uh, fourteen”, Matt responded. My Dad looked at the dashboard in a confused state. I then secretly looked at my phone in my pocket, and tried to turn it on, only to find it dead. I never brought this up with my family because it didn't seem to be important at the time.
“Seems we travelled a kilometer but yet wasted half our fuel. I don’t know what is happening to the truck”, Dad said, further confused. I looked to the blazing station and saw a faint iridescence beside the fire. I was about to point it out when Matt spoke.
“Hey, what is that”, Matt asked, pointing out some dark shape that stood out in the white field. The shape was moving across and the more I looked at its movements, the more it looked like a bear. It then seemed to notice us and seemingly ran towards us.
“We are going now”, Dad yelled and put on the gas, driving off quickly. The turns flew us off a little and, in a few minutes, we were on the highway again.
“What was that”, I asked.
“I think that was a bear.”
“Why did we take off?”
“It was chasing us! Would you like to know what happens when we stay?” Dad then gave out a sigh. “I am sorry, but I had to make a choice.”
“I guess we won’t be staying”, Matt questioned.
“No, we won’t. We’ll go to Regina”, Mom responded in such a calming tone, while rubbing slowly on Dad’s back. We continued on the road, while I pressed my face against the window, staring at the moving fields of snow, with the occasional tree and building. I then slowly closed my eyes, bringing me to a world of darkness.
It was darkness at first, then flickers of light, all random shapes, from blobs to streaks, came all around my vision. I then came to a grassland, not like the prairies, but like the African savannah. Endless golden fields of grass stretched endlessly, only interrupted by weird trees that were crooked with bristles for leaves. The sun is setting in a brilliant series of yellows and oranges. I then heard rustling behind me. That is when I woke up, but not on my own.
“Hey, Kate, you need to see this”, Matt said in an odd confusion. I looked around and thought of nothing unusual.
“See wha-” I faltered as I looked ahead at the road. Ahead of the truck, the road is cut off by some kind of wall. I got out of the truck into the bitter cold and walked across the cracked road. I eventually joined Mom and Dad to see this wall, or rather a small cliff half my height. It seems someone cut the whole road and got the ground where I am to sink. I could even see what was below the road. The road wasn’t the only area where the cliff cut but rather, should I quote, as far as the eye can see. “What is this?”
“It might be some kind of fault line”, Dad said.
“Fault line? What is that”, Matt asked.
“You know, cracks in the ground that cause earthquakes? The one you learn in school about the San Andreas fault? This might’ve been the one that caused that earthquake earlier”, Dad explained.
“So a new fault line is appearing in Saskatchewan”, Mom said.
“Seems to be.”
“So, how are we going to get to Regina”, I asked. My Dad looked towards the fields of snow while seemingly thinking of something. It was a few minutes before we heard something odd. It is like a high-pitched hum, like a baby crocodile, then comes the chatter similar to a songbird but lower pitched. We all went to the truck, except Matt, who was more curious than afraid.
“Hey, I can see something”, Matt advised. Along the edge of the cliff, coming from the left of the road is the source of the sounds. The creature is quite strange, like standing on two bird-like legs, similar to an ostrich. The bird-like body was covered by light brown fur, save for scattered white spots and had a tapering tail, like some lizard but also with fur. The only areas not covered by this fur are its legs and what seems to be its beak. When it got closer, I came to make out its appearance. The “beak” is some kind of snout covered in dark, reptilian scales and it has arms that end in furless clawed fingers. I knew what it was, and it was frightening as it was confusing.
“Matt, come back. That is a dinosaur”, I yelled, hopefully persuading Matt of his curiosity. As soon as I said that, the creature stopped.
“Dinosaur? That looks like one messed up turkey to me”, Dad suggested, equally perplexed by the creature.
“Hey, Matt, come back! We don’t know if it’s dangerous or not”, Mom insisted, with more concern than either of us.
“But it’s not doing anything bad. It looks cool”, Matt said, not even concerned about this weird creature.
“Listen to your mother, Matt”, Dad hollered, in agreement with me and my Mom.
“Oh, come on, we could make him do some tricks.” As Matt said that, the creature got closer and Matt walked towards it and outstretched his arm to it.
“Matt! Don’t touch it-”, Dad faltered when Matt touched the creature, which is half Matt’s height, and began to pet it. The creature then began to purr, like a cat but more bird-like.
“See, not so dangerous. Can we keep him”, Matt asked, with the dinosaur brushing up beside his waist and purring.
“No, we can’t. We don’t know what it is”, Mom pleaded and I do agree.
“Oh, please, I promise I will take care of him. It’ll be the coolest pet ever.” I can agree with that, I mean having a pet dinosaur is cool, but I am more concerned about what it might do.
“I think it’s a bad idea”, I yelled to Matt.
“No, it won’t. Please”, Matt begged. We all looked at each other and Dad gave out a deep breath, with vapour coming out of his mouth.
“Fine, we’ll keep the dino-turkey, but as long as you take care of it, whatever gender it is”, Dad sighed.
“Yes! Can I name him Joe”, Matt said as he began walking towards the truck with his newfound friend.
“Joe? We don’t even know if it’s even a boy.”
“I don’t care. I want him to be a boy”, Matt protested.
“I guess Joe it is”, Mom said as she turned to Dad with a look of regret.
“I guess we have a family pet now”, I said under my breath to no one. We then went back to the truck and I sat in. Dad went to the driver’s seat as usual and Mom in the passenger. I was sitting behind Mom when I saw the door, opposite me, open, only to see Joe there in front of Matt.
“Hey, do you wanna meet my family”, Matt beamed when he picked him up. I can see Joe’s face more clearly. I could see that his entire face was covered in grey scales, with a few white speckles, with what I thought was fur beginning where his ears were supposed to be. Joe looked at me with a bird-like expression with his bird-like eyes. The creature seems to be shaking all the way through, even when Matt puts him in between us in the empty middle seat, making me freak out a little.
“Why are you putting it beside me”, I shuddered. “Did you make sure he doesn’t have rabies?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just cold”, Matt reassured. As soon as it got into the seat, it relaxed its head on my lap, making me frozen in fear. In surprise, Joe began to purr.
“What is he doing”, I asked.
“I think he likes you. You can pet him if you want. He’s harmless”, Matt assured. I then cautiously took my hand out and touched his brow area. It felt cold and reptilian, and I moved my hand towards his fur. I realised they were feathers, not quite like a bird, like fuzzier. I stroked across his spine and he was cold. Matt then covered the feathered creature’s body with a blanket.
“What should we do now”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe take another route”, Mom responded. Dad then started the truck and turned it around.
“The rural roads would be hell. Maybe go to Earl Grey, and see if there is anything there.”
“Hopefully not like Bulyea.” Dad then looked at his rear-view mirror to look at Matt.
“Hey, do you know what, uh, Joe eats”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know”, Matt said, with a look like he doesn’t know.
“I mean, he has to eat something”, I said, now more comfortable with Joe. I lifted his lips to see a series of fangs lining his jaw. Joe didn’t take that too kindly and nudged. As he did that, he rolled to his side to reveal his hands. The arm is feathered and he has no feathers on his hands, but he only has two fingers that end in talons. “What, why does he only have two fingers”, I asked.
“Maybe a genetic defect. Like my cat Fluffy with his extra thumbs”, Mom suggested.
“Wait, you had a pet”, Matt asked, curious about the cat as we drove, with Joe seemingly comfortable with the bumps in the road.
“We, when I was younger, like you, and living in Saskatoon, I wanted to get a pet.” Mom explained as she looked at Joe. “Well, not quite like you have. Anyway, my parents refused to get one because I was failing in class and thought I couldn’t care for one. One day, I think a snowstorm was happening. I was walking down a street, fighting against the snow. I stumbled upon a box, covered in a blanket lying on the sidewalk. I looked inside and I saw kittens”, she said, her eyes glossy.
“Sadly, most of them died in the cold, except for one. An orange, fluffy kitten, fighting for its life. I took it, put it into my jacket and took it home. I entered our house and the kitten was fine, but my parents were furious. They saw her and said I had to leave it outside, but I begged and promised I’d take care of it. They said we could keep the kitten, as long I kept the grades up. So, I named him Fluffy, because he’s fluffy.”
“Where is he now? Why is he not here”, Matt questioned.
“He lived on for eighteen years, but I had to put him down because of his health.”
“Why didn’t you buy another cat”, I prodded.
“We just couldn’t afford it, we don’t have enough income. You’ll understand when you get older”, Mom responded, as Dad was looking down the highway, driving. I looked down and Joe was sleeping. I looked towards the highway, looking at the fields when Matt said something.
“I need to go to the bathroom”, he said, holding at his groin. I also need to go to relieve myself, but Matt called it first.
“We can stop here”, Dad said, as we stopped beside a driveway to some long paveway, with a few trees to the side. I recognized it through our trips to Regina: we have arrived at Gibbs. Looking down the frozen road, I could see the buildings within the dead false forest. I took this moment to speak my urge.
“Yeah, I need to go, too”, I declared. Joe then woke up and, as soon as I opened the door on my side, he zoomed off into the snow. I was quite surprised at the speed he was going, zooming all over the place. Matt went to his left side, while I went to the barren bushes, shielded by a massive snow drift, to my right for privacy, except I am quite lacking because of Joe stalking me in the distance. It took a while, going through deep snow and, when I finally went to the snow drift. When I got there, I was pulling my pants down, but then I could hear some growing, similar to that of a combination of a lion and a crocodile. Where is that coming from? Never mind, it might be Joe, I thought.
“Go away, Joe”, I said, thinking it was Joe, seemingly angry at something. Nervous, I finally got to business, a little slow because of Joe nearby. I then heard the growl again. This time, I looked up and saw Joe, but he wasn’t growling. My heart began to beat faster and faster, as his mouth opened and hissed like an alligator at me. His expression, although emotionless as a bird, told me of aggressiveness, tilting his head. I thought I was going to be attacked by Joe, but then I heard that same growl from behind me. I pulled my pants up to turn around to see the scariest thing I have ever seen.
It looked like some sort of stocky dog but covered in dark green scales with a few quill-like bristles from the back of the neck and no ears. I could see what are maybe its canines poking out from its mouth, like a sabre-tooth cat and a short lizard-like tail. It looked more reptile than, well, dog really except for its eyes. I could see the hunger in its eyes. I heard more growling to my other side and saw another of those things. Joe began making that baby crocodile noise and we ran to the truck. I turned around and ran.
“Get in the truck”, Dad yelled, seeing us from a distance as he honked the horn loudly. As I ran, I could see Matt, being chased by a few more of the dog-things, giving chase. Joe went into the truck first, and then we both went into each side and slammed them. Dad then sped off very quickly, scared they may get to us.
“What was that”, I panted, confused.
“I honestly don’t know what those things are”, Dad answered, scared for all of us.
“I want to go home”, Matt pleaded, tired from running away from those things.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon. I promise”, Mom reassured.
“Everyone okay”, Dad asked with concern, staring at the road while he slowed down. We all looked at each other in fearful confusion, even Joe. I looked at Joe, and he then looked at me. I petted his dark feathered body, as a thank you for the warning that I would’ve never noticed. “Okay, we are moving on”, Dad concluded. We sat in silence, although I was still petting Joe.
“Hey, Matt, do you know what dinosaur he is”, I asked Matt.
“I don’t know. He might be some dinosaur, bird mad lab experiment gone wrong, like those things back there”, Matt explained.
“Or some mess-up chicken in a lab”, Dad suggested, still looking at the road.
“I don’t think he was a chicken”, Matt rebutted. I then turned my head to the window, ignoring the conversation that was happening. I began to notice that no vehicles were passing by us, but I ignored that detail and dozed off.
I saw those same lights in the dark vision of my closed eyes. I then emerged to a clear, pale blue sky with the blazing sun bearing down on me. Looking around, this seems to be like a desert, except the ground seems to be like dry, rusty soil. It feels hot here, hotter than one of those summers in my former town. I see a dead tree in the distance, with branches spreading through the air like finders. I heard a sound behind me.
“Wake up! We are here”, Matt said as he shook me awake. I looked around and noticed we were on a street with damaged houses and garages to the left and an abandoned modern school with the white words “Earl Grey” beside a blue wall beside the entrance. The school lies hiding behind a metal fence with dead trees behind it. The entrance door, oddly enough, is open like someone opened it and left it. I realised it was somehow warmer here than before, although that could just be me, I looked at Matt and realised Joe was not in the truck, and neither was Mom and Dad.
“Hey, where’s Mom and Dad”, I asked Matt.
“Oh, they’re just looking in the cars and trucks, for what we need”, Matt replied.
“And Joe?”
“Oh, just running across the road.” Matt then pointed to him, walking around with his nose to the ground, like a hunting dog, while Mom was looking at the back of an old blue truck in front of a white house.
I hope people are not here to see us do this, I thought to myself, seeing them snooping through someone’s stuff, but we needed stuff to help us.
“Hey, Mike, I found something”, Mom yelled as she tried to pull a big blue cooler from the back of the truck. Dad then came from an RV down from the truck and came and helped her. He then put it down on the road and opened it. They both plugged their noses and backed away.
“Fish? Who leaves fish in a cooler in the back of a truck”, Dad gagged. Joe then looked up, seemingly in excitement and ran towards the cooler. He stuck his nose in the cooler and pulled out a pike. He plopped it on the road, his foot stepped on the fish and put his mouth onto it, tearing a piece of it and swallowing it. “At least somebody likes rotten fish”, Dad rasped.
As we looked in surprise, we could hear something from the school. The minute we heard it, a loud boar-like roar came out from the school. We thought it was a very big boar when it came out, but the more we looked, the more we realised it was something else. Its body is like a boar, but its face is like a lion’s and the snout of a camel, with teeth somewhat like a bear’s when it opens its enormous mouth to gargle like a pig. Mom, Dad and even Joe are taken by surprise, making our parents run towards the driveway, while Joe towards our truck with his gorged fish, standing by us. The boar-thing then stopped a few feet away from my parents, seemingly in a defensive stance, hooves scratching the ground. We are scared for our parents, preparing to see this thing rip them to shreds.
It gave one last roar and walked towards the cooler, knocking it over with fish spilling out. It stuck its snout in the fish and swallowed one down. They then slowly walked around the creature and steadily fastened their pace until they were at the truck. We all quickly got in and Dad backed up quickly.
“What the hell was that”, Mom panicked.
“I don’t know, a pig from hell”, Dad responded. We looked at Joe, swallowing down the fish while the rotting fish smell remained. It looked at us in confusion, as we were. We silently laughed for no apparent reason, probably as a mechanism to try to replace the fear. We then heard a shaking in the truck, startling us. We realised that the hell pig was tearing at the bumper of the truck like a lion would. Dad hammered the horn, making the thing back up in surprise. Dad took this opportunity to back up very quickly towards the intersection and turned to the left, quickly avoiding the creature. We sat in silence, except for Joe who was chirping.
When we went down the street, the houses, as usual, were damaged but we saw other vehicles, the first we had seen. Some were parked along the street, others stuck on one lane like city traffic but paused. Weirdly enough, there are no people in the vehicles, nor anyone outside. Most of the vehicles have one or more doors open like people got out to go somewhere. We drove past all the vehicles in the other lane. There is one vehicle we passed by that is on fire, most of the paint already off to reveal the metal beneath, only to be turned into a rainbow of browns and blacks by the dancing flames.
“What. Happened. Here”, Mom slowly asked, as confused and terrified as us. We had a feeling of dread, seeing all the abandoned vehicles.
“That’s the least of our worries. We should be looking for supplies”, Dad responded.
“Hey, how much do we have”, Mom asked Dad, worried about using up the fuel.
“Well, we got a full tank of gas and travelled a hundred kilometers”, Dad responded, more confused. “Nothing makes sense here and I hope we don’t stay here for long”, he muttered.
Eventually, we passed most of the vehicles and reached the veterinary clinic. The small, intact structure stood there, seemingly looking over the icy driveway. We then spotted an old, brown truck and we saw something that set it apart from the rest of the vehicles we’ve seen so far.
“It’s on”, I said, gleefully, with hope that, at least, we aren’t the only ones here. The headlights beamed brightly, and we realised it was getting dark. We also noticed that the street lights aren’t turning on.
“I thought there was no one here”, my Mom said, unsure of the connection between the abandoned but running truck and the lack of people in this town. At one of the intact houses, ahead of us, partially blocked by the trees, we saw what seemed to be bright light coming from one of the windows. What person would go into a house after an earthquake, I thought, thinking about our house back home.
“Someone’s here”, Matt loudly notified, as we all shushed him and that is when Joe is trying to push the door with his snout. “What is he doing?”
“Stay here”, Dad calmly ordered, opening the door, but Joe scurried out and went somewhere else.
“Hey, come back”, Matt called out, with no success. Joe eventually disappeared into the night, never to be seen. Matt then had tears welling up in his eyes like he was about to cry. I hugged him to comfort him.
“He’ll come back some time”, Mom reassured, trying to calm him down and looking at Dad. Dad nodded and grabbed a flashlight that was equipped in the truck. He then walked slowly towards the house, step by step, being shone by our truck’s headlights. He looked back at us and put his hand up when the light in the house moved. It seems to move towards the front door of the house. Emerging from the house is a person walking down the steps, cloaked in darkness. Dad then took a few steps back as the figure came. Finally, the figure stepped into the light.

Darity were the BHH guests this week. Here are some of the highlights. You can find the link here.
Washington DC: The interview aired this week, but actually happened around 4/13 because Dotun/Charity were being interviewed remotely from DC. Charity was the Grand Marshall of the Cherry Blossom Festival. GSJ embarrassed himself chiming in how much he loves cherries from Washington. Serena had to explain to him that the DC cherry blossom trees aren’t used for actual cherries, and Joe realized that the cherries he’s thinking about probably come from Washington State!
Breast surgery: they cut right to the chase, as Joe prodded Serena to ask Charity whether she wants to talk about her recent cosmetic surgery. C was open about it. Said she’s wanted breast augmentation surgery for about 10 years now, since late high school, early college. She’s really glad she did it, just in time for summer.
Family Feud: it was a very fun weekend. Darity, Jelsey and Zaity played against Gerry, Theresa and their kids. Steve Harvey was hilarious during the off-camera moments; he really knows how to work a crowd. Darity said it’s much harder to play than expected; they overthought some of the questions. They have a good friendship with Jelsey and Zaity, a great support system, because all of them went through the same process. Dotun described Charity as the glue that connects the three couples. It’s not awkward. Everyone has moved on.
Kelsey: They love Kelsey. Charity says K is a hoot, very funny. Dotun describes Kelsey as such a good person.
Zach: Darity said that Zach “may be one of the nicest guys in Bachelor Nation” and the most misunderstood. Ppl think Zach is mean or serious based on filming but that's the furthest from the truth. Z is one of the goofiest guys with a big personality, and he’s so genuine. Dotun loves him and Joey equally. He would have 1000% been friends with Z if they met outside of BN.
Anniversary: Darity’s one year engagement anniversary is coming up at the end of this month. [I think it’s 4/30?]
Dotun’s work: he’s swamped. They didn’t ask specifically what he does for work but he said he’s juggling so much right now, with work and partaking in the BN commitments.
Travel/vacation: Darity have been traveling a lot for commitments, but not really vacationing. They have a shoot coming up in Grenada. They have no idea where that is, but it’s not Grenada Spain - probably the Carribean Island. They’re going to Hawaii with Jelsey & Zaity. And Darity have a trip to Greece in a few weeks. [Did the show gift them a trip to Greece?]
Jenn: Charity was excited to announce Jenn as the new Bachelorette, but she noticed that the audience was surprised. The crowd paused after Charity announced it; they were expecting Maria to be announced. Charity thinks the process will challenge Jenn, especially because of her relatively young age. Charity says that Jenn is 25; Grocerna say 26/27. [I think Grocerena are correct.]
NYC: Darity live in Brooklyn and have been trying to convince Jelsey to move there too. But they think Kelsey is more of a Manhattan, center of the action person, and that Joey is more of a Brooklyn person. They think Manhattan will win out for Jelsey. Dotun loves Brooklyn. They go out a lot there, but often have to go to Manhattan for work. Charity would like somewhere in between Brooklyn and Manhattan. [Charity, there is no in between unless you live on a bridge, in a tunnel or on a houseboat. Lol!]
ETA: I forgot their wedding plans!
Wedding: She doesn’t know what dress yet, but has narrowed down the designers and how many she’ll be wearing. They’ve decided on the locations, but need to check out the venues. They’re doing two weddings. [I’m guessing in the US & in Nigeria.] They’re looking to get married next year.
ETA: It was actually Joe who said that Zach is the nicest guy in BN, but they all agreed.

A few days ago, I was hit by a large pick up truck that was being driven by someone who rented it from Hertz and my car is pretty much undrivable. They admitted to hitting me and that it was their fault.
I filed a claim with the Hertz insurance company (ESIS), but they said they would get an adjustor to me within five business days but from what I’ve been reading people have been waiting months and I don’t have months to wait around to get my car fixed or to get a new car.
Has anyone ever experienced something similar to this???? And if so, could you give me advice on how to deal with this or even if if you haven’t, I would really appreciate some advice.
I am located in Hawaii, if it is important to say

ps. sorry if this is bad its my first post and i was kinda scattered trying to fit everything into a not HUUUGE story even tho it is 😅 i do jump around to different parts as im slowly remembering more stuff and i was rushing, bare with me today is not going well. people : E, B and EL
i have been friends with B for 3 or so years, shes been my best friend throughout school and we are always together during school, however over the past year or so i’ve felt like shes been unfair in our friendship?
in situations she will use stuff i am clearly uncomfortable discussing as funny haha’s but if i use anything she doesn’t like its bad? i have a few examples of what she brings up: my great nan who passed, my rabbit who passed, my brother smoking weed and doing… stuff 🤨 , my sister just… being my sister, my older friends, my personality and things i enjoy [books, science, and some others]
i will say i do make fun of some stuff she enjoys but its never to actually bring her down or lower her ego and the stuff i bring up is never sensitive, a specific music artist or her toes [the toes are always a joke 💀] and make sure to never bring anything serious into it, her passed dog, her family situation, her insecurities shes told me about.
but the more i read into our relationship the more i realise how toxic she is to me, she can be annoyed at me for one thing but i cant, i ask a simple question i don’t get she stares at me in disgust and asks “are you stupid?” shes known i really hate when she says and does that but continues to anyway… she also loves to bring how much money she has into conversations knowing my entire life me and my family have struggled with money. i recently was invited to a trip to Spain with my friend E and i was soo excited as it was with my best friend and i hadn’t been on holiday in about 6-7 years. i was telling B about how excited i was to finally be going out and she says “yeah idk where to go this year bc every year i go Spain but this year i could go Hawaii instead but it’ll cut off 3 days off my trip to Spain.” its like she always finds a way to bring in how she has money, i said how im going to just get money for my birthday to get clothes and stuff for my trip [bc we struggle and i cant just ask for money for clothes] and she proceeds to say “yeah i get £500 from my mum to go summer shopping” honestly idgaf let me be happy for once without budging in and making it your own conversation.
she will also every once in a while ask for relationship advice [for context i have dated 1 person and broke it off almost immediately] and when i say something she will say something like “well you have never dated anyone so idk what you can say” or when we’re talking about her and her bf she will find a way to bring it in.
since we are together at school ALWAYS we get in lots of little arguments. however one day there was a big festival close to my primary school, and i met all my friends i hadn’t seen in ages, i posted all over my story talking about my OG friends and at the time EL and B were together and EL decided i was trying to make them jealous so they both decided to start messaging me about how bad of a friend i am and im such a bad person etc etc and after the end of it B decided to break it off with me and stay friends with EL [more context she had known EL for like 3 months compared to me who at the time she has known for about 2 and a half years] so i was obv pissed and then she just decided one day to start talking to me and act like nothing happened? eventually she broke it off with EL after finally figuring out she was wrong. it was really strange how she trusted EL over me even tho i had known her longer
one thing she also doesn’t seem to care about is my health, mental and physical. if i have days off school i obviously cant tell her the night before because i cant control my sickness and she will get spiteful and annoyed when i don’t this has caused me to have immense anxiety when needing to tell her im having a day off to the point where i will start sweating and debating just going in. she also likes to self diagnose me, i believe i have some form or either adhd, autism , ocd or multiple of those, B likes to prod and make jokes about how im autistic but when i say i probably am she gets angry and says you cant self diagnose but when she says shes autistic its fine to self diagnose[she has adhd so idek why she says she does when shes been tested] but she will also refuse to believe when i say i might have depression as she only sees the “silly goofy” side of me and says “no you don’t 😂”
She just generally doesn’t respect me as much as i try to respect her but i’ve been holding back and bottling up so much as she sees me as the fun one who’s always happy bc i refuse to cry in-front of her bc im scared she will make fun of me like my parents and siblings, while i have to take care of her when shes upset which i hate doing bc she knows i don’t know what to do when someones upset. i’ve spoke to some friends about her actions towards me and all of them agree that she is careless, respect less and generally toxic towards me. i want to wait until i leave school to cut her off but its getting to much and i cant handle this. she makes me want to do stuff to myself that are.. not good? but i don’t know how to end it bc she can be really nice and im afraid she will bring up how nice she is towards me if i try to split it. she brings me stress and overstimulates and overwhelms me with emotions, one minute shes angry at me the next its fine because she needs a partner for something or needs someone to walk to lesson with or hang out with. i don’t think i will end the friendship until after i leave school but im just happy to know my closest friends agree she is in the wrong.
help mee!

Hello,
the wife and I are building a home in Hawaii, and I will be doing 99% of the work myself along with my sons, when the time comes.
It will be a fairly large house with a gabled roof. To keep things simple, we're planning on a 50x50 house with 25' total peak ceilings and 12' walls on the "first floor".
The roof pitch will be approx 6.24:12. Just going by simple pythagorean math, I'm looking at a roof rafter at just over 28'.
The house will almost be perfectly split in half between the open area (kitchen, living room) with the ceiling going to the full 25' cathedral. The "second floor" will be approx 50'x25' with a 13' ceiling.
As I'm looking at material, since I'm still a bit out on build, I have a couple options. I could do lapped rafters or I could do I-Joists.
I'm trying to figure out the live load that I need to build for in tropical areas. Since snow won't be a concern, my biggest contenders for the roof is going to be solar panels for deal loads and winds and rain.
Going by an I-Joist chart, I'm trying to determine what live load I should be building for. I would assume that a 40lb/sf live load would include snow, but without that in question, can I go by 20lb/sf?
https://cdn.menardc.com/main/items/media/INTER078/Prod_Tech_Spec/02-P3-Joist-User-Guide-US.pdf
Starting on Page 27.
What are you thoughts on how I should approach this? I can draw up whatever I want for the designs, but before submitting it to the company that makes the I-Joists or an engineer, I'd like to have some idea of things to make note of.
Thanks for your help, everyone!

Ok. I been stewing on this for a while but here goes. About a month ago a former co-worker was texting me trying to get a omeone else’s number. I don’t give out numbers. Personal policy. Once I told him I didn’t have it he started prodding me about some things that were stolen (about $2k worth of tools) just before he was fired for always being late and just a general waste of space. He always made the office women uncomfortable and on more than one occasion got his ass beat for the way he talked to them. Constantly intoxicated on the job (previous boss was on the way out and lost all his fucks to give) I told him straight up best bet was him. Yadda yadda. I told him straight up what I thought of him. Then I told him. You should swallow a bullet the way your momma should’ve swallowed you. Was it harsh? A little. Anyway. So management comes back from their managers only half a mil trip to Hawaii which was gifted to them from the company because they “run their departments so well” Owner and HR pull me in the office and have the texts printed out and asked me about them. I told them that honestly. Some people are just worthless. And they didn’t have to read things back to me. I know what I told him. They told me they couldn’t have people like that working there and I was terminated effective immediately. Mind you this text was sent on a personal phone, off the clock, to a non-employee. Now. They had made their minds up on letting me go before the meeting. This I found out from a close source. So if nothing else. Let this be a warning. They will fire you for things that don’t affect them.

Hello all,
I have been working on this tracker for some time. My goal was to cover most things the Army has to offer in terms of help for Soldiers whether it is a benefit from service, a program, or discount from something such as a group or company. I’m sure there are some things I missed when making this. If anyone has any input or things that should be added please let me know. This is meant for all Soldiers, I’m sure there are a lot of things on here that someone who has been in for a few years is aware of. Some things on this tracker are non government sources and are listed as such. If any information I have posted is wrong please let me know and I will update.
FINANCE
Financial Management/Personal Finance- https://www.militaryonesource.mil/national-guard/financial-management/save-money-every-day/
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/personal-finance/articles/page/2/
Office of Financial Readiness: Allowances such as Basic Needs Allowance for junior Soldiers with dependents who qualify, Blended Retirement System (BRS), Education Benefits, Housing, Credit Fundamentals, Major Purchases, Pay and Savings, Tax Information, Retirement Savings, Inventing, Estate Planning, Financial Readiness, Insurance, Consumer Credit and Protections. https://finred.usalearning.gov/
Financial Front Line: Financial training broken up into milestones such as planning for deployment, first child, PCS, etc. https://www.financialfrontline.org/
Sen$e: Personal finance application for service members available on Google Play and the App Store.
TAXES
Free Electronic Software and Support https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/taxes/miltax-military-tax-services/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0bGCvvG0hAMVJ0dHAR02zAVqEAAYAiAAEgLmsfD_BwE
Free and Discounted Tax Preparation for Military https://www.military.com/discounts/free-tax-preparation-for-military.html
RETIREMENT
Blended Retirement System (BRS) https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/personal-finance/retirement-planning-the-essentials/ (SM’s that have opted in are also eligible for Continuation Pay which is a mid-career bonus).
Breakdown of TSP funds: https://www.tsp.gov/publications/tsplf14.pdf
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IMPavLQrKgzbv7kX8jTup?si=TPd9Iel_TGmjcXRoWBBUZw
LEADER TOOLS
Military Leaders Economic Security Tool Kit: Includes financial well being assessment and toolkit that helps identify economic security issues along with tools and resources to help service members. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/leaders-service-providers/economic-security/
Life Skills for Soldiers: Finance heavy skills and courses for leaders to teach Soldiers the basics of financial literacy. https://www.lifeskillsforsoldiers.org/
MISC
Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA): Legal and financial protection to those in the military. Some credit card companies with annual fee cards also interpret this as allowing servicemembers to get fees waived on certain credit cards. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/servicemembers/the-servicemembers-civil-relief-act-scra/
Military Lending Act (MLA): Law that provides certain protections to servicemembers such as interest rate caps on most loans. Many credit card companies also interpret this law differently and waive annual credit card fees for cards such as AMEX, Chase, Citi, etc. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/servicemembers/military-lending-act-mla/
Find a Free Financial Counselor CONUS/OCONUS https://finred.usalearning.gov/pfcMap
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Some servicemembers may be eligible. https://finred.usalearning.gov/assets/downloads/FINRED-PublicServiceLoanForgiveness-FS.pdf
Army Emergency Relief (AER): Zero interest loans and grants. https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/assistance/
VA Loans: Loan programs to help build, buy, fix, or refinance a current loan. https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-types/
https://www.military.com/money/va-loans
Renters Insurance: Useful for families but also for Soldiers living in the barracks. Generally cheap and when bundled with other insurance such as car insurance with the same provider, can lower overall cost for all insurances. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/housing-life/disaster-preparedness/renters-insurance-do-i-really-need-it/
Military Money Manual: Website that goes over annual fee waived credit cards, travel tips through military benefits, VA loans, investing strategies, and a podcast covering more topics. https://militarymoneymanual.com/blog/
EDUCATION
Tuition Assistance (TA): Up to 100% of tuition expenses for semester hours costing $250 or less covered. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/education-employment/for-service-members/how-to-use-the-military-tuition-assistance-program/
TA Website: https://www.armyignited.army.mil/student/
Basic Skills Enhancement Program (BSEP): Program to raise GT score and improve math and reading skills. https://www.education.army.mil/brochures/BasicSkills.pdf
Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL): List of credentialing agencies, licenses, and apprenticeships that relate to a soldiers MOS. Also the catalog for CA that can be used. https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/cool_overview/index.html?#:~:text=COOL%20(Credentialing%20Opportunities%20On%2DLine,Army%20Military%20Occupational%20Specialty%20(MOS)
Credentialing Assistance: Programs that soldiers can partake in to earn certifications; the payment come from the same $4,000 a year TA fund soldiers can utilize. Credentials approved by the DOD must be listed on COOL. Over 1,600 certifications to choose from ranging from TSAC, IT, security, etc. https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/credsearch/index.html
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)/DANTES Subject Standardization Testing (DSST): Programs that allow soldiers to take tests in certain subjects that they already know a good deal about. Also May be able to take tests like the GMAT, GRE, ACT, SAT, etc for free or at a discount. They can receive credit for classes by testing out. https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/earning-college-credits
https://www.dantes.mil/Financial-Assistance/Exam-Reimbursement-Requests/
MWR Digital Library: Access to digital books, Libby, newspapers, Morningstar investment info, consumer reports, car repair guides, Mango languages, children homework help, freegel music, etc. https://www.dodmwrlibraries.org/#
Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) Vs Post 9/11 GI Bill: Comparison, pros and cons of both https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/comparison_chart.asp
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/transition-retirement/veterans/which-gi-bill-is-best-for-you/
https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2021/03/19/montgomery-or-post-911-which-gi-bill-is-right-for-you/ (Non gov source)
It is also possible to get a refund on the MGIB if the Post 9/11 GI Bill was used and you paid in to the MGIB or did not fully use it. https://www.va.gov/resources/montgomery-gi-bill-refunds/
Yellow Ribbon Program: Program that can pay for higher tuition that the post 9/11 GI bill will not cover. https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11/yellow-ribbon-program/
Pell Grant: Soldiers during duty or after getting out may be eligible for the Pell Grant which can help pay for schooling. Typically for E4 and below. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell
Military Scholarships: Breakdown of scholarships that military members, dependents, and spouses may be eligible for. https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/military-dependents-scholarships/
https://vetsuccess.unl.edu/documents/scholarships-spring-23-fall-23.pdf (non gov source)
Green to Gold (G2G): Different scholarships that include normal G2G scholarship, active-duty option, hip pocket scholarship, non-scholarship option. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/army-officers/green-to-gold.html
Officer Candidate School (OCS): Open to active duty, guard, and reserve enlisted soldiers with a bachelor’s degree. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/army-officers/ocs.html
Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS): Enlisted soldiers can apply to be a technical expert in certain fields. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/warrant-officers.html
Army Baylor Programs: Specialized medical schooling ranging from physical therapist, nutritionist, nurse anesthetist, etc. https://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id=967256
AMEDD Enlisted Commissioning Program (AECP): Program to become a Registered Nurse in the Army. https://recruiting.army.mil/aecp/
Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP): Program to become an Army PA. https://recruiting.army.mil/armypa/
Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP): Scholarship that covers the full tuition for an advanced medical degree such as dental, optometry, psych, etc. in exchange for military service. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/specialty-careers/health-care/amedd-scholarship.html
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS): Program to become an Army doctor. https://medschool.usuhs.edu/academics/md-program
Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP): Program that covers the cost of law school in exchange for active duty time. https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Funded-Legal-Education-Program-(FLEP)?serv=120
Tutor.com: (Sponsored by Princeton Review): Free tutoring for military members and families. (non gov source) https://military.tutor.com/home
Udemy: Free training with an army.mil email ranging from data managing, programming, business, etc. https://home.army.mil/campbell/application/files/8016/5728/5172/Udemy_Account_Creation_and_Login_Procedures.pdf
PROGRAMS
Army Community Services: Many Soldiers are familiar with ACS but do not know the vast amount of programs it offers. Some less known are the lending closet, FAP, ERP, etc. https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/personal-assistance
https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Army-Community-Service-(ACS)?serv=120
Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC): Non-medical counseling that can range parenting, anger management, family issues, conflict resolution, deployment stress, etc. These sessions are confidential. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/military-family-life-counseling-program/
Military One Source Counseling: Free nonmedical counseling with a local professional that can be in person, online, or over the phone. Examples include marriage counseling, moving stress, family issues, etc. It is meant to be short term to resolve the issues and includes up to 12 free sessions per person per issue. These sessions are confidential. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/non-medical-counseling/military-onesource/military-counseling-for-stress/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJS17K6RcccqEDHfchzAA2gJc5axhMNb5OU3RYyZqnx0zfXUqelFtN8aAoy1EALw_wcB
Relationship Building: Multiple programs to help relationships stay strong. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/relationships/married-domestic-partnemilitary-relationships-support/
Childcare Aware: Assists servicemembers in finding, picking, and offsetting the cost of civilian childcare when on post is unavailable or not suitable. https://www.childcareaware.org/fee-assistancerespite/militaryprograms/
Morale, Welfare, Recreation Program (MWR): Every installation has different programs/events that change throughout the year. Programs including in MWR are Basic Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS), Child and Youth Services (CYS), etc. https://www.armymwr.com/installation
Career Intermission Program: Allows soldiers to enter the IRR for up to 3 years and return to active duty in the same standing. Reasons for doing so include starting a family, religious reasons, personal/professional growth, pursue a degree, etc. https://talent.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CIP-handout-v2.5.pdf
SPOUSE
Education and Career Guide: Information to help military spouses. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/education-employment/seco/essentials/
Milspouse Money Mission: Educate and empower spouses in making smart money moves. (non gov source) https://www.milspousemoneymission.org/
The State Licensing and Career Credentials Initiative for Military Spouses: Assists spouses in moving licenses and credentials to other states or help pay up to $1,000 to renew a license or credential. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/education-employment/seco/state-licensing-and-career-credentials-initiative/
Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA): Allows a spouse to maintain legal residence in a state they lived in prior to a PCS move. This can apply to taxes and voting. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/legal/military-spouses-residency-relief-act/
Home Based Business: Information regarding home based business for spouses. https://www.militaryspouse.com/news/spouse-home-business-on-base/ (non gov source)
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program (SECO)/Military Spouse Employment Program (MSEP): Assist spouses in finding careers and jobs. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/education-employment/seco/seco-and-msep-101-made-for-military-spouse-employment/
MyCAA Scholarship: Scholarship upwards of $4,000 available to spouses who’s active-duty member is in the pay grade of E 1-6, W 1-2, or O 1-3. https://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/get-started
Military Spouse Transition Assistance Program (MySTeP): https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/mystep
PCS
PCS Guide: Guide to conducting PCS move. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-pcs/plan-to-move/pcs-and-military-moves/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAo-yfBhD_ARIsANr56g7R1-nUMyH63locHrJejHHPMzylWNX9377pW1IncMHtbaa0fqMTG0waAtrSEALw_wcB
PCS Benefits: List of benefits for PCS including how to conduct a PPM, PTDY, TLE, DLA, per diem, etc.
CONUS: https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Permanent-Change-of-Station-(PCS)-CONUS?serv=120
OCONUS: https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Permanent-Change-of-Station-(PCS)-OCONUS?serv=122
Consecutive Overseas Tour (COT): Travel entitlement that soldiers stationed OCONUS PCSing to another OCONUS PDS can take that allows them to travel to their HOR for free during PCS leaver or up to a year after signing into their new duty station. https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jan/04/2002917147/-1/-1/0/JTR.PDF (search 050812)
Circuitous Travel OCONUS: Travel option OCONUS soldiers can use that allows them during PCS to essentially take a detour during their PCS at personal expense is allowed a travel allowance. There is also a TDY version of this known as LICWO. https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jan/04/2002917147/-1/-1/0/JTR.PDF (search 050204) https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/18/2003037095/-1/-1/0/MYTRAVEL_TIPS_LICWO%20(1).PDF
Military No Stress PCS: Network that helps servicemembers with PCS information about their new duty station. https://militarynostresspcs.org/ (non gov source)
Ultimate PCS Guide to Packing Out: Guide to packing up house as well as organizing for a PCS move. https://www.katehorrell.com/the-ultimate-pcs-guide-to-packing-out/ (non gov source)
TRANSITIONING
DOD Skillbridge: Program for transitioning soldiers to get skills training in the last few months of their active duty time. Also known as the career skills program (CSP). https://skillbridge.osd.mil/
Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET): Document that can help prepare resumes and job applications. https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/public/faq/Training-VMET
Employment Readiness Program (ERP): ACS program that can help transitioning soldiers, spouses, retirees, etc. find employment as well as counsel and help with resumes among other services. https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/personal-assistance/employment-readiness-program
USO Pathfinder Program: Available to transitioning soldiers as well as spouses and can assist in transitioning as well as job hunting. https://www.uso.org/programs/uso-pathfinder-transition-program
Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD): Soldiers who plan to file a disability claim through the VA can do so while still on active duty if they know their separation date and it is 180-90 days prior to it. https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/benefits-delivery-discharge-program.asp
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E): Veterans who are 10% or more service-related disabled and already out or a 20% pre discharge disability rating may be eligible to apply for this program which helps with job training, employment, and education. https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/eligibility/
Military Transition.org: Transition resources for servicemembers. https://www.military-transition.org/resources.html (non gov source)
Veterans Transition Support: Organization that offers additional transitioning classes, no cost OSHA/security certifications, VA classes, etc. (non gov source) https://veteranstransitionsupport.org/programs/
Veterati: Program that sets up transitioning soldiers with mentors that can help them succeed once out of military service. (non gov source) https://www.veterati.com/
Boots2suits: Program to help transitioning soldiers get mentorship, aimed at soldiers wanting to start their own business. https://boots2suits.com/ (non gov source)
Boots to Business: Course from the small business administration about how to start your own business and gaining funding as a veteran. https://sba.my.site.com/s/b2b-course-information (non gov source)
Bunker Labs: Provides community, programs, and courses to veterans and spouses to start a business or startup. https://bunkerlabs.org (non gov source)
Deloitte CORE Leadership Program: Transitioning counseling and leadership development program. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/core-leadership-program.html (non gov source)
American Corporate Partners: Offers mentorship program to transitioning service members and spouses. (non gov source) https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-mentoring-and-american-corporate-partners/
Recruit Military: Organization that offers job fairs, job hunting, etc. (non gov source) https://recruitmilitary.com/
Vetjourney: Transitioning resource. (non gov source) https://vetjourney.com/
FourBlock: Transitioning services for veterans in person and online. https://fourblock.org/
Shift: Internships for transitioning Soldiers. https://www.shift.org/ (non gov source)
Vet Tec Program: Courses aimed at technology and computer skills. https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/vettec-high-tech-program/ (May soon be discontinued)
Posse Veterans Program: Program aimed at veterans and transitioning soldiers that covers the cost of bachelor’s degrees at top colleges and universities. (non gov source) https://www.possefoundation.org/shaping-the-future/posse-veterans-program
Warrior Scholar Project: Helps transitioning soldiers and veterans prepare for top colleges and universities. (non gov source) https://www.warrior-scholar.org/
Service2School: Nonprofit that provides free college and grad school application counseling. (non gov source) https://service2school.org/
Onward To Opportunity: Provides training and certification to transitioning soldiers and spouses. (non gov source) https://www.hireheroesusa.org/industrial-logos/o2o/
Hire Heroes: Provides free job searching for transitioning soldiers, veterans, and spouses. https://www.hireheroesusa.org/
Hiring Our Heroes: Helps connect transitioning soldiers, veterans, and spouses with American businesses. https://www.hiringourheroes.org/
Veterans on Wall Street: Promotes career development, support, and retention of veterans through the global finance service industry. https://veteransonwallstreet.com/
Save a Suit: Nonprofit that provides transitioning soldiers with business suits, professional, attire or other clothing to help them find a job. (non gov source) https://www.saveasuit.org/
Helmets to Hardhats: Nonprofit that provides transitioning soldiers with training in an apprenticeship trade. https://helmetstohardhats.org
MISC BENEFITS/DISCOUNTS (ALL NON GOV SOURCES)
Websites that compile discounts and offers for military
ID.me: Website that puts out various discounts/offers once military service is verified. https://shop.id.me/military
GOVx: Website that puts out various discounts/offers once military service is verified. https://www.govx.com/
Veterans Advantage (We Salute): Website that puts out various discounts/offers once military service is verified. https://www.veteransadvantage.com/
OUTDOOGEAR
Expert Voice: Outdoor, Tactical, Hunting brands. https://www.expertvoice.com/categories/military/
Outdoor Prolink: Access to deals/links to websites offering discounts on outdoor gear and accessories. https://outdoorprolink.com/signup?utm_campaign=1467034484&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=outdoorprolink.com&utm_matchtype=b&adgroupid=56722730117&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU8cP7qOE2r6SS7OqkOOKN4OeHmaPOC-rZuG_n_bKATJA2ZbiSBpSrcaAtK1EALw_wcB
Outdoor Research VIP Program: Access to promotions, discounts, etc. https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/vip-program
Oakley Standard Issue: Discounts on eyewear, boots, apparel, etc. https://www.oakleysi.com/en-us?cid=PM-SGA_000000-1.US-OakleySI-EN-B-MembersCategory-Exact_LawEnforcement_law+enforcement+discount+oakley&&&&&ds_rl=1293105&ds_rl=1293105&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU9rxZY2d-8C8WRdFG80lpZ5kiTlRtTXgHamhBW3WKNm5PtEB5ADE-saAp9HEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
National Park and Wildlife Refuge Entry: Free for service members to get annual military pass. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm
FIREARMS/OPTICS
Glock Blue Label Program: Discounts on eligible purchases through blue label dealers. https://us.glock.com/en/buy/blue-label-program
Sig Professional Program: Discounts on select firearms through certain retailers. https://www.sigsauer.com/sig-professional-program
CZ-USA First Responder Program: Select discounts. https://le.cz-usa.com/cz-usa-first-responder-program-2/
Walther: Discount program. https://waltherarms.com/le
Smith & Wesson Guardian Program: Discounts at select retail locations. https://www.smith-wesson.com/american-guardians
Beretta American Defender Program: Discounts on Beretta, Tikka, and Sako firearms at select dealers. https://www.beretta.com/en-us/law-enforcement-and-mil/american-defender-program
Rugers Law Enforcement Program: Discounts at a Ruger distributor. https://ruger.com/LE/
Optics Planet: Discounts on select brands. https://op1.0ps.us/email/o/24/misc/opplanet-q1-2024-military-discount-pdf-design.pdf
TRAVEL
Ben Jackson Foundation: Provides financial assistance to enlisted servicemembers at their first duty station to travel home for the first time since arriving at that duty station. https://benjacksonfoundation.org/ticket-home/
In Honor of Our Troops (iHOOT): Nonprofit that partners with certain resorts and hotels to help active duty servicemembers and veterans pay for a vacation to reconnect with family. https://ihoot.org/
Disney: Throughout the year Disney may offer heavily discounted tickets to Disney land/world ranging from 5 to 40% off. https://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/#:~:text=Up%20to%206%20Disney%20World,Park%20Hopper%20Tickets%20for%20%24260.00
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/military-multi-day-tickets-2024/
Shades of Green: Location of Disney world property that has discounts for military. https://www.shadesofgreen.org/experiences/attractions
Universal Studios: Specially priced tickets and packages. https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/military-deals-specials
Caesars Rewards Salute Card: Eligible for hotel discounts, Caesars rewards platinum status, discount stays in Las Vegas, discounts on some cruises and vacation to the Bahamas. https://www.caesars.com/myrewards/promotions/caesars-rewards-salute-card
Hale Koa Hotel Hawaii: Special military only resort in Hawaii where you pay based on your rank. https://www.halekoa.com/
Armed Forces Vacation Club: Special discounts and deals on hotels and resorts. https://www.afvclub.com/?utm_campaign=Brand_Evergreen_AFVC_FY23&utm_source=Google_search&utm_medium=paid-search_conversion&utm_content=text_resort&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU_-zt--4AakX651mqyd43kgFvY9zZlefYFSGwdkDvvnVLZuNU5l2mQaAkNVEALw_wcB
Armed Forces Travel: Special discounts on hotels, flights, cars, packages, cruises, etc. https://www.americanforcestravel.com/
Margaritaville at Sea: Free 3-day cruise in the Bahamas for military members offered at certain times of the year on a first come first serve basis. https://margaritavilleatsea.com/offers/heroessailfree/
Busch Garden, Sea World, Sesame Place: Waves of honor program that allows one free admission a year to one of these parks with upwards of three dependents as well as discounted tickets. https://buschgardens.com/williamsburg/tickets/military/active-duty/
Blue Star Museums: Free access to more than 2,000 museums, zoo’s, nature centers, etc. and goes from Armed Forces day to Labor day. https://bluestarfam.org/family-life/blue-star-museums/
TSA Precheck: Skip lines by putting DOD ID # as known traveler number when flying. Also most airlines will give soldiers several free checked bags https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/military-travelers#:~:text=Yes.,(KTN)%20to%20enjoy%20benefits.
MISC
Linkedin Premium: Military get one year free. https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans/premiumform
Home Depot: 10% off on eligible purchases and up to $400 off a year. https://www.homedepot.com/c/military
Lowes: 10% off on eligible purchases. https://www.lowes.com/military/validation
Carhartt: 15% off on accessories and apparel. https://www.carhartt.com/discount-program
Lululemon: 15% off in store and online. https://shop.lululemon.com/story/military-first-responder
Nike: 10% off online, at Nike, Converse, and Hurley stores. https://www.nike.com/help/a/military-discount?cp=38695907838_search_-nike%20military%20discount-g-19646935901-152919999024-e-m---681141701486-kwd-303219766054-9005292&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADy86kOxQPTdrSsyrp0xAx1OVCqhD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlJCJ2f25hAMVWGBHAR1Cyga0EAAYASAAEgI2w_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Adidas: 30% off online and in store and 15% off at factory outlets. https://www.adidas.com/us/discount-programs?af_channel=Search&af_click_lookback=30d&af_reengagement_window=30d&c=ID_DISC-B-Exact&cm_mmc=AdieSEM_Google-_-
Brides Across America: Free wedding dress for military member or spouses. https://www.bridesacrossamerica.com/
Operation Deploy Your Dress: Servicewomen and spouses can select one dress and accessory once a year. https://operationdeployyourdress.org/
Cars4heroes: Nonprofit that awards donated vehicles to active duty in need. https://cars4heroes.org/
Truecar Military Program: Special savings and benefits for military members searching for vehicles. https://military.truecar.com/?referrer_id=ZTRU000027515&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU9Er6LybOampPvQBUTUThedczDttrxYQNCk-bcfj1E_soh98fmQW1MaAnsMEALw_wcB
Vet Tix: Offers free concert and sports tickets to military members. https://www.vettix.org/
WWE Tickets: Military can claim a free ticket to any smackdown or RAW event. https://www.sempersave.com/military-discounts/wwe#:~:text=Free%20admission,their%20service%20to%20their%20country.
Samsung: up to 30% off for military. https://www.samsung.com/us/shop/offer-program/military/
Apple: 10% discount off for military. https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/veterans_military
HP: Up to 40% off for military. https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/cv/hp-frontline-heroes?jumpid=ma_nh_na_3_210129
Dell: 10% off PC’s and electronics. https://www.dell.com/en-us/lp/dellmilitary
Microsoft: 10% off select products and services for military, 30% off for Microsoft office if active duty. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/military
Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative: 50% off. https://esi.microsoft.com
Cellular Plans: Most major cell phone providers offer discounts on their plans. https://www.military.com/discounts/military-discounts-on-cellular-phone-plans.html (Older article)
https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/best-cell-phone-plans-for-military/
Active+Fit Gym Membership: 20-70% gym discount at over 11,000 gyms. https://www.activeandfitdirect.com/faq?&utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=tiktok&utm_content=itsjonlynch
Tiffany & Co: 10% off engagement rings and wedding bands. https://www.tiffany.com/engagement/military-appreciation/
Blue Nile: 10% off on jewelry. https://shop.id.me/stores/2589-blue-nile
Helzberg Diamonds: 10% off jewelry. https://www.helzberg.com/special-discounts.html
Kay Jewelers: 10% off jewelry. https://www.kay.com/id-me
United Heroes League: Can provides military children of soldiers who have deployed with free sports equipment, camp, tickets, grants, etc. https://unitedheroesleague.org/
Under Armour: 20-40% off for military. https://shop.id.me/stores/2538-under-armour
Leatherman: 30% off one product, resets after 365 days. https://www.leatherman.com/military-discount.html
Target: Every year Target will typically offer a 10% discount for servicemembers, veterans, and dependents in early November that can be used twice, it may also come out around July 4th and can be used twice. https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/our-team/diversity-equity-inclusion/team-members-guests/military-veteran
AAFES Price Match: PX’s will match a local competitors current price on identical items. This can also be used for some online shopping if OCONUS. https://www.aafes.com/exchange-stores/price-match/
New Vehicles: Many auto manufacturers offer a $500-1000 rebate or discount. https://www.carsdirect.com/deals-articles/guide-to-military-discounts-on-new-cars

90 hours now into Like a Dragon and I can't hold back anymore: this Saeko and Ichiban romance fucking sucks. I just saved and quit on the start of chapter 14, right before I talk to Kiryu and trigger the teaser cutscene we saw of the two of them talking in Kamurocho at night. I know Kiryu's gonna bring up Saeko and despite being so close to the finish line... I had to take a break and get mad.
I'm going to assume we aren't meant to take this Ichiban/Saeko coupling seriously. Yeah I know you could sleep with her in the first game, but Infinite Wealth isn't running on the past game's romances being canon, Eris doesn't even exist anymore. But regardless the game introduced this relationship as a story element, one that takes up significant time in the intro and continually crops up in side stories and other character's drink links, so I do feel like it's not allowed to escape criticism.
It's one thing to say the romance is "tell, not show" because all Yakuza games do a lot of telling and not showing in general. But what are we being told about the romance at all? What are we not seeing? Characters tell us Ichiban's attraction to Saeko is "super obvious" because of his staring and blushing, despite us never getting to see that on the player's end. And what fucking weak signs of someone's feelings! Eye contact??? We aren't being told about Ichiban confiding to Nanba or Adachi at any point in time about his feelings, or how or when these feelings started. Ichi seems as surprised as I was when both of them started to egg him on in Survive. Saeko's feelings are never a topic of discussion, nor how she might feel about this date, but we at least get her to agree to it. Ichiban's joy at her saying yes was sweet and funny but also more in-character than it was some revelation at how strong Ichiban's feelings are for her.
We aren't shown their date in any charming or romantic capacity. It's mostly just watching the dudes do a comedy skit beforehand. We aren't shown Saeko reciprocating any feelings at all beyond agreeing to the date. We aren't shown Ichiban even having a romantic thought towards her. And I scared my cat bursting out into laughter when the game has Ichiban go "Uh-oh, we need to have a conversation! Fuck! What things do we have in common?" and our options are:
https://preview.redd.it/0gewrb85elic1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c9773f7d942d4ef6ba81df038217f370549191b
At this point I went "Oh, okay. This isn't meant to be serious. This is doomed from the get go." It was the perfect highlighting of the fact they both only see one another as friends, as part of a bigger friend group. Date finishes, Ichi gives his horrible proposal, Saeko leaves. Cut. Ichi gets given suddenly very feminist advice from the same two idiots that told him to go the date in the first place, and Saeko politely but firmly says she wants to remain friends. Cut, year later. Show's over.
And yet everyone is ride or die for seeing Ichiban and Saeko get back together, and they are NOT letting this shit go. No one will shut up about how these two NEED to link back up and try this proposal thing a second time. I don't think Kiryu should be spending his drink link with Saeko needling her about Ichiban, I don't think Joongi Han needs to dedicate himself to being the middle man for Ichi and Saeko, I don't think any of these characters have any real motivation or strong emotion about these two! Because how can they! What is there to get invested in after Saeko already said no? Ichiban is our main character, so Saeko's feelings not be taken into account on this whole romance could be argued as just player perspective, but then how do you get Chitose telling Ichiban she can "just tell" it's Saeko he's in love with after thirty seconds of being around her and starts prodding him to go fix things with her too? Chitose is openly in puppy love for Ichiban all throughout her time in Hawaii- she gets her own romantic side story with him in the end, so it's intentional!- but the second she enters Saeko's periphery she flips hard.
So then what was the point of this romance that immediately crashes and burns to nothing, yet the story remains fixated on nonstop after? Every single goddamn chapter I need to rehash this failed proposal with someone. Well there's hints all around but it becomes point blank clear once you get Joongi Han's drink links near the end of the game; the scene of Saeko friendzoning Ichiban (after he gets torn to pieces by Adachi and Nanba) was NOT originally in the story's script. Saeko was just supposed to silently smile and run away from Ichi, ghosting him, never explaining her reaction or responding to his proposal. That was the draw, that was the lure, that was the "will they/won't they", that was the fade to black one year jump skip- if Saeko never says anything and just books it, it can become a point of tension that goes unresolved and everyone is invested in repairing once the story kicks in for real.
... Ignoring the fact that saying nothing and ghosting someone for a year seems to be pretty obvious rejection....
Ichiban says it directly to Joongi Han in their third drink link but you can catch it in his conversations with Tomizawa and Chitose way earlier in the game too, saying how he gave a proposal so bad "he never got an answer". At some point, someone realized what an utter character assassination on Saeko that would have been, or they realized what an uncomfortable barrier it would have left up for most of the story, and they tried to fix it as much as possible. I really can't explain what the original intent was beyond it being a plot beat.
But it leaves the tone of everything else very confused. It's why we have Ichiban trying to score pussy on a dating app while every romantic side story is really really agonizing to sit through because Ichi doesn't want it, thanks to his "heart belonging to someone else". Even though it involves the same process of chatting, flirting, and gift giving that we did in Like a Dragon that netted mutually happily encounters. (Side note, it's really cruel to bait the player character into doing something that will lead to nonconsensual sex without any flags or warnings) Saeko is both discussing Ichiban in a mature and normal fashion while also defending why she cut him off entirely to others. Her character hasn't grown or shifted at all and despite the story's furious insistence that she's a businesswoman in love with her career it isn't utilized towards anything about her that we as a player can interact with.
It's heartbreaking how we went from all of LAD with no one being weird about Saeko and the boys all sleeping in one tiny bedroom together, or doing anything to other her as the one girl of the group. IW starts and rips that all up immediately. But it also does my boy dirty too! Everything with Ichiban is incredibly sterile, even this tryst with Saeko. We aren't allowed to see Ichiban express any of his own feelings for Saeko outside of the proposal, we aren't allowed to see him even doing the basic minimum of staring like everyone says he does. I do want to stress it's my opinion that despite it confusing the tone, their efforts to save Saeko's character have made the game significantly better for me. I would have felt really repulsed by the game making her an extreme bitch just to break Ichi's heart and create romantic conflict- after everything they went through, just ghosting him?? But man alive I just wish they never even bothered, it doesn't do a damn thing for anyone.

Im pretty sure Im an SLE but one of the few things I do not relate to is the "Aggressor" approach. I know if I find someone interesting, I "chase" but in a way that is more provoking and teasing. I want to challenge someone and win by getting them to admit they like me without them just folding from the jump despite all the BS I pulled. Challenge in the sense of crude jokes or games or just making self-aggrandising jokes because I can.
I don't see myself admitting any feelings I have for anyone first because that feels like a loss, but I do prefer to poke and prod at someone and get them to react. It's almost like I want to get some to try to exert their control only to lose. So the victim mentality of "I want you to control me (if you can)" sounds fun in the way that I was never going to yield in the first place. I just wanted to play the game. I am won over by managing to get some guy to yield (in a romantic sense), especially the hardened types that usually don't. Like a reluctant admission.
I am always sure if I find someone attractive and I prefer to initiate the first interaction. To challenge and to tease, almost like I don't like them. I'm never going to say something to offend them, it's only for them to know I exist. Until a confession is made (not by me thanks). I'm usually aiming to get something out of this person. A reaction, an emotion or proof of an impact I made. It can be as simple as getting them to laugh and then I feel like I won. (Although Im actually not very consistent and can end up doing this to someone else without actually without making anything happen with the first person if they take too long). I want some very obvious signs from this person or I'm gonna get bored.
Infantile style is also relatable because that's how I tend to behave in friendships. Wanting to be indulged and appreciated even for the really silly things dumb stuff.
So are romance styles even real because it sounds a bit dumb. Aggressors sound rapey and I still want to be courted, not the other way around. I want to control the narrative of the relationship to be that "I am my own person and can always leave" not "I control you". "Victim" sounds weird and I do not imagine any Gamma NT being like that.
I assume LIEs and LSEs to be more aggressor like and ESIs to be more caretaker-ish. SEIs would be the classic victims alongside IEIs. And maybe SEE to be a bit more infantile. The second type of victim could IEE maybe. That's my thought anyway.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH] Fabolous - Snooze Freestyle	link	+77	partyonpartypeople
[FRESH ALBUM] Hus KingPin x 9th Wonder - The Supergoat	link	+51	nedelll
[FRESH VIDEO] Icewear Vezzo - Pouring Wok	link	+25	DropWatcher
[FRESH ALBUM] xaviersobased - Keep It Goin Xav (Hosted By Dj Rennessy)	link	+25	stphnb

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH VIDEO] PLAYBOI CARTI - EVILJ0RDAN	link	+699	Kiwi-Initial
[FRESH] Brent Faiyaz - Pistachios	link	+74	RafiakaMacakaDirk
[FRESH VIDEO] SAUCE WALKA, DARINGER - IM HIM	link	+43	wheeling_and_dealing
[FRESH] Babyface Ray - Waymo Freestyle (Official Music Video)	link	+28	darkfar

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH VIDEO] Danny Brown - Y.B.P. (feat. Bruiser Wolf)	link	+402	MexicanMouthwash
[FRESH] LUPE FIASCO - DOMINICAN BARBER FREESTYLE	link	+93	baghel2294
[Fresh Video] Key Glock - Let's Go (Official Video)	link	+71	vvHezoTheGoat
[FRESH VIDEO] ZillaKami x SosMula - Sauna	link	+36	iblinkyoublink

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH ALBUM] Oddisee – Odd Sketches Vol. 1	link	+75	BlackMonk7
[FRESH ALBUM] Christ Dillinger, Acid Souljah & Shadow Wizard Money Gang - Based Negative Squad	link	+26	darkfar

Friday, January 19, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH ALBUM] Mick Jenkins - The Patience (Deluxe Edition)	link	+283	Kreizx
[FRESH] Joey Bada$$ - Passports & Suitcases (feat. KayCyy)	link	+258	God_Will_Rise_
[FRESH VIDEO] MIKE - Set the Mood	link	+118	futureezra
[FRESH] Conway the Machine - Give & Give (prod. Cool & Dre)	link	+115	God_Will_Rise_
[FRESH] Skepta - Jangrova (feat. Idris Elba, Tribal Mark, ODUMODBLVCK	link	+94	MelodicFootball9357
[FRESH ALBUM] Lil Dicky - Penith (The DAVE Soundtrack)	link	+72	nuttageyo
[FRESH] Che Noir, Evidence, and Your Old Droog - Junior High	link	+64	faultlessjoint
[FRESH VIDEO] Conway The Machine & Cool & Dre - Give & Give | Mutty	link	+53	pennstylez
[FRESH] Rob49 & Lil Wayne - Wassam Baby	link	+47	JoJoReignsSupreme
[FRESH] Madlib and Karriem Riggins - "Massamba Afundance"	link	+41	Longjumping-Elk2478
[FRESH] THOTTWAT - ENVY (Official Video)	link	+35	darkfar
[Fresh] Kota the Friend - YUMA	link	+33	Garduna
[FRESH VIDEO] Turbo x Gunna “Bachelor” Official Music Video	link	+33	Skyoff_Lyfe
[FRESH ALBUM] Lil Dicky - Penith (The DAVE Soundtrack)	link	+25	skryb

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Post	Link	Score	User
[FRESH VIDEO] Kendrick Lamar - The Button (for Chanel Haute-Couture Show)	link	+242	realwords
[FRESH VIDEO] Mick Jenkins - ROY G. BIV	link	+95	Hu3yKnewTHen
[FRESH ALBUM] Gordy (ex Avalanches member) - Double Stack iMac	link	+41	adubyt

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So I’m new and rage watching at this point. I’m just so angry about everything (and then I turn around and get something in my life more in order and feel better)
Here’s my thoughts so far: 1) So I’m obese (previously morbidly but lost 100lbs but still need 60 more). I started back at CrossFit two months after my gastric bypass at 320lbs. I dropped a kettlebell and broke my toe and still kept working out. I’m ALWAYS stiff and sore but WWT sprains her toe and she needs a boot and filled with excuses.
2) The Fitness Marshall (or whatever) storyline was useless. Of course she quit. I knew that would happen.
3) I was so angry how she “knows” more than Todd on barefoot dancing. Being barefoot made me stronger because when you’re fat, your center of gravity and balance are worse and being barefoot can help. Where did WWT go to podiatry school?
4) I’ve only seen the previews but how did no one know Buddy was on drugs? Maybe I have a great stoned-dar but he’s been on multiple things for awhile.
5) Why, oh why do I keep watching? I can tell the seasons are going to get even worse so maybe I’ll have my 💩 together by the end of this.
ETA: 6) OMG the panic attack because Twitney didn’t get what she wanted with the dance class. She LEFT and then QUIT and she waltzes in like she is owed something and Tal and Ashley demanded she get it back and that Todd was unreasonable. Oh hell nah! She is a piece of work
7) Avi was never real 🙄 never talked to him on speaker phone or anything. He’s a prod toon assistant. Guaranteed.
8) I question Tal being a therapist but then again anyone with money or loans can get a degree in social work or therapy so I’m not shocked he’s putting his Cracker Jack degree to work. It’s about as useless and educational.
ETA: 9) The Hawaii 8k has been talked about ad nauseam so I’m going to skip that whole train wreck
10) A lot of mixed feelings on Boo Bear that I’m not sure I can really write it out. I just hope he gets help but I do not believe he’s only a cocaine addict or he’s using cocaine to overcome the alcohol or opioid addiction side effects
11) I apparently skipped “The Skinny” and it started season 6 episode 1. My only thought that I couldn’t get passed is that there are thousands of kids in foster care (I’ve adopted one and fostered many teenagers because I wanted to help the forgotten) so I generally can’t stand people who whine about adoption. My now 19 year old already had his parental rights severed at 10, when we fostered him, and he was free to adopt. I just feel like people want perfect little babies and forget the babies grow up and need love too. (Stepping off soap box now)

The Mobilizing function is hurt by criticism and negative comments because it only expects support. Here, the individual can only be how they are programmed or how they are supposed to be. It is the mobilization under the supervision of others and with their help.
Mobilizing Fe (ILE & SLE):
Dislikes and does not know how to talk openly about their feelings and emotions. Instead, they will express them indirectly. They express sympathies in the form of indirect positive information. Like any Logical type, they cannot openly admit to their feelings as they are too mysterious.
They cannot grasp the nature of their feelings and explain them to themselves. Subconsciously, they try to subordinate their feelings to reason (like any Logical type), trying to keep the same level and amiable tone with everyone. They experience difficulties expressing their emotions flexibly and adequately adapting to the situation.
If they keep their feelings bottled up, they can spill them out at inappropriate moments and an innocent person. They will display their negative emotions on nearby people at the first convenient moment. They often feel themselves as lonely and misunderstood people. They will try to link their moods to the general emotional tone, but they don’t always succeed, usually being “off-key” and not always pleasant to the people around them.
Mobilizing Ti (SEI & IEI):
The credibility of sources of information is crucial to them. They will become flustered if some logical discrepancy is made apparent in a source they used as a reference. They calm down only when they find a logical explanation for this discrepancy or until they figure out how fundamental the illogicality is or how it will influence the general course of their work.
If they have doubts about the authenticity or accuracy of the information, they will take to reproduce the material themselves. They will carefully gather material and data that they consider pertinent and thoroughly analyze it. Only credible and reliable facts or logically sequential and coherent arguments will convince them of something.
It is also interesting for them to unearth and observe logical regularities or laws in difficult-to-explain phenomena. Specific to IEIs, it is difficult to hide things from them as they know how to get responses from others. At the same time, it is difficult to obtain information from them that they don’t want to share that has the potential of being harmful.
It is difficult for them to be logically consistent, though they don’t particularly strive for this. They can easily contradict themselves while believing they are reasoning logically and astutely
Mobilizing Si (LII & EII):
They feel irritated and exhausted if they need to organize their lives and look after their comfort and well-being. In everyday life, they are yielding, simple, and unpretentious. The need to keep order and organization at home often irritates them. It frequently seems to them that these matters take too much time and strength, and the result is never satisfactory.
The area of aesthetics presents challenges to them; therefore, they appreciate any help or information relayed to them on this aspect of their lives. They can live side by side with a sensing type and continue to make mistakes in this realm if they aren’t guarded or advised on how to prevent or avoid them.
They are frequently indifferent to their appearance and that of others. Tend to dress modestly, inconspicuously, and conveniently. They prefer to lead a healthy lifestyle but still need assistance in this. Subconsciously, they are disposed to the creative sensing of the ESE/LSE, for whom caring about the health of their loved ones and creating a comfortable environment is of utmost importance.
Mobilizing Ne (ESE & LSE):
They believe in fate and change for the better. Starting something up, they frequently count on luck and good fortune. They are very much impressed by lucky people. They talk willingly and at length about their successes, possibilities, and abilities. Even in places where they don't feel confident in themselves, they don't permit themselves to doubt their abilities.
Talking about their abilities, they actively try to influence their conversation partners as if they fear someone is putting them under question. They respect and value people who know how to generate captivating and original notions and ideas and who are capable of nontrivial thought.
They feel inspired by any real possibility to actualize their creative strivings and projects, with the absence of which impedes their activity. They need people who can open up and develop their creative potential, accurately evaluate their abilities and talents, and help them actualize themselves. Criticisms of their abilities they do not receive well since they try to do everything possible to develop them.
Mobilizing Se (EIE & LIE):
They do not yield to direct volitional pressure but resist it with difficulty since it requires more physical exertion and strain than they can provide. They readily take on the role of a leader and usually handle it well. The higher their position, the more possibilities they see for themselves. The awareness of their authority greatly inspires and activates them.
They do not need to be prodded to work when interested and wholly absorbed by their occupation. They can become models of endurance, fitness for work, determination, and purposefulness. They may not consider their health and physical capabilities when preoccupied with work.
They are activated when in their life appears a new purpose that corresponds to their leading function that has positive and concrete value, a well-defined direction, and an opportunity to apply actual forces. They need a goal that will bring them out of forced idleness and useless expectation of changes, a goal for which they will want to work towards and surmount difficulties.
By nature, like any intuitive type, they are very scattered. Cleaning and organizing for them are not the most pleasant occupations. However, if they find themselves in conditions where the order is strictly followed and maintained, this assembles and vitalizes them.
Mobilizing Ni (LSI & ESI):
Like all rational sensing types, they get taken up by the matters of the current moment to the point of saturation and even overload. Constantly observing and analyzing the "current moment" in time. The super-significance of the "current moment" holds them in constant tension, in a state of perpetual readiness to apply all their forces for the sake of the importance of the "present moment."
An impression arises that they have no other way of perceiving time outside the "present moment." The time of the workdays doesn't belong to them but to their assignments and responsibilities. They work most productively precisely in conditions of condensed time frames and tight deadlines, making these types indispensable in emergencies.
They need to receive information about the time frame in which they need to complete their work. Their time is static as it doesn't change for them, and it doesn't change them. Time is an aspect they would like to ignore, for it is the enemy of sensing. They prefer to work slowly and take care of all the details.
They cannot tolerate unproductive expenditures of time; they do not like to wait and don't like making others wait. Therefore, they strive to be punctual. Specific to the ESI, as they belong to the Gamma quadra, they tend to do as much as possible and realize their full potential, making the time factor for ESI especially significant.
Mobilizing Fi (ILI & SLI):
Benevolent, compassionate relations impel them to noble emotional outbursts, expressed using concrete help and supportive actions. Relationships that they can subordinate to their reason fold comparatively well for them. They are soft and yielding by nature, able to be considerate, gentle, and self-controlled, and seemingly guarded by "ethical troubles."
However, upon closer examination, they have numerous problems in this respect. An example of this would be that they have a habit of dropping a conversation as soon as it ceases to be meaningful to them. They won't worry about the awkwardness their conversation partner will experience after doing so, and they won't think about the kind of opinion the conversation partner will form of their manners.
Although this is relatively unconscious for them, others may perceive this as conscious and intentional. It is precisely the arrangement of their personal life that frequently causes difficulties for them. They are inconvenienced by relations with clearly and rigidly set distances because a strictly defined distance presupposes certain restrictions of behavior, some ethical boundaries, and firm obligations.
They dislike when intimate things are talked about directly. On the inside, they are squeamish and sensitive towards any straightforward banality. They also dislike when "clarity" is introduced into a relationship, i.e., when it is defined. They dislike clear-cut outlining and assignments of rights and responsibilities.
If they feel bad being around someone, they leave the situation with the same ease as leaving a room. They may suddenly reappear and feel confused if they are not received well. They will never be obligated or obliged by anything to anyone. Tries to avoid relations based on responsibilities and obligations.
Mobilizing Te (SEE & IEE):
They get into the work process very eagerly since this process is much more attractive than preparations. They take up new work but quickly lose interest in it. Mentions possible options and courses of action in hopes that somebody else will pick out the best, most promising course and undertake its realization. Specific to the SEE and any member of the Gamma quadra, they must realize their creative potential and see a need and demand for their work.
They are hypersensitive towards criticism of their errors and mistakes, but they are happy if their work differs in some significant and favorable way from the work of others. Dislikes to thoroughly check their work results and prefer if a reliable and competent partner would verify and check it, calm them down, and offer some practical observations.
They find working easier when using their own precisely developed and remembered methods and techniques and dislike working through details. Any tedious and meticulous work is irritating to them. They feel annoyed by an environment that is overly quiet and serious.

I'm taking my kids to Hawaii for Christmas. The hotel prices are absolutely criminal. At this point I'm seriously thinking about looking to rent an RV instead.
I noticed that the difference between two beds and three is like $1,200 for the whole trip. So I decided to get two beds. Me and my 11yo son and 10yo nephew will share one bed and my 17yo and 8yo will share the other. My 17yo had a fit over the idea of sharing a bed with his brother. I told him there was nothing to be upset about. My 8yo takes melatonin at 8 and is dead asleep at 8:30pm. You can prod him with a stun gun and this boy will not wake up. My 17yo goes to bed at 10pm. My 17yo is still angry at the thought so I told him to go ask his mom to pay for the difference and I'll get you your own bed. Hell I'll get you your own presidential suite if she pays for it. Otherwise there's nothing wrong with sharing a bed with your little brother.

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12/1/23 2BigFeet--Grand Re-Opening Giveaway
12/2/2023 Denon Prime 4+ Standalone DJ Controller Giveaway
12/2/2023 Sanofi Medicine Cabinet Must-Haves Sweepstakes
12/2/23 MacBook Air Giveaway
12/3/2023 FindKeep.Love - Green Horizons
12/3/2023 2023 Goodyear College Football Road Tested Sweepstakes
12/3/2023 MA-9 9MM 4″ MICRO GLOCK STYLE PISTOL IN RED Giveaway
12/3/2023 Artpic Amazon giveaway
12/3/2023 Revolver--Nintendo Switch Giveaway
12/3/2023 Goldmine Magazine--Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3 Giveaway
12/3/23 FindKeep.Love--Live Luxe Giveaway
12/3/23 Pet Living with Kristen Levine--More Active Days Giveaway
12/3/23 iHeartRadio--Trans-Siberian Orchestra Sweepstakes
12/4/2023 The Everything Legendary x TFAY + Legend Sauce Bundle Sweepstakes
12/4/2023 HGTV $10K To Holiday Giveaway
12/4/2023 HGTV $10K To Holiday Giveaway (2)
12/4/2023 iHeartRaves--We Pay Your Rent Sweepstakes
12/4/2023 Bikeride--Villy Custom Beach Cruiser Bicycle Giveaway
12/5/2023 Bitchin’ Rides Sweepstakes
12/5/2023 Bitchin’ Rides Sweepstakes (2)
12/5/2023 Laura Chenel--Wine Country Holidays Sweepstakes
12/5/23 Wired 2 Fish--Z-Man Micro Finesse Baits Giveaway
12/5/23 Kootion--Thanksgiving Giveaway
12/6/23 Vegan Holiday Baking Bliss Giveaway
12/7/2023 Fish 'N Canada--Garmin Ice Bundle Giveaway
12/7/2023 Gobble 'n' Give Sweepstakes
12/7/2023 Tactical Fall Giveaway
12/7/2023 Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven Giveaway
12/7/23 FindKeep.Love--NBPA Indianapolis
12/8/2023 Community Coffee VIP Championship Experience Sweepstakes
12/8/2023 Jewelry Supply--Swarovski Crystal Factory Pack Giveaway
12/8/2023 Patriot Viper PC Giveaway
12/8/2023 8 Years of Mettlestate Birthday Giveaway
12/8/23 Good Play Guide--Christmas Giveaway
12/9/23 RockMerch--$50 of Official Rock Merch 2
12/10/2023 Hypersense-Software.com--Next-Gen Tech Giveaway
12/10/2023 Faxon November 350 Legend Ascent Rifle Sweepstakes
12/10/23 Impossible Burger Back to the Magic Instant Win Game
12/10/23 NOVEMBER ROCKLAND USA GIVEAWAY #43
12/11/2023 Miller High Life - Backyard Dive Bar
12/11/2023 Steel Reserve Alloy Series Slushie Sweepstakes
12/11/2023 Pepsi Zero Sugar Football Sweepstakes
12/12/2023 Damon + Robi Metaquest 3 Giveaway
12/12/2023 Valpak $10,000 Hallmark Holiday Sweepstakes
12/13/2023 $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
12/14/2023 Brooks Run Club Prize Wheel Instant Win Game
12/14/2023 shopDisney Magic of the Season Sweepstakes
12/14/23 RY Outfitters--$3,500+ WORTH OF PRIZES
12/15/2023 Modelo College Football Playoff Sweepstakes 2023
12/15/2023 Three Olives Vodka The Generager Contest
12/15/2023 Modelo Especial College Football Playoff Sweepstakes 2023
12/15/2023 Modelo College Football Playoff Sweepstakes 2023
12/15/2023 Win a Morphy Richards Traditional Pump Espresso Machine
12/15/23 Radio Flyer--25 Days of Giveaways
12/17/2023 TrueTimber Jack Link’s Embrace The Pursuit Sweepstakes
12/17/2023 EverBank Take the Field Sweepstakes
12/17/2023 Ferrero Rocher--Give A Golden Greeting Sweepstakes
12/17/23 $275+ Medic Gear Giveaway
12/18/2023 Hidden Valley RanchN Match 2023 Sweepstakes
12/18/2023 Win a Flyaway to Napa Valley, CA from Hannah Ellis
12/19/2023 POR-15 BIG BLOCK CHEVY GIVEAWAY
12/19/2023 Kids 360-Making a Difference Giveaway
12/19/2023 GolfPass--Pebble Beach Sweepstakes
12/19/23 Frankly Media--Holiday Cash Giveaway
12/19/23 Sam Ash--Martin Guitar Giveaway
12/20/2023 Ramsey $5,000 Christmas Cash Giveaway
12/20/2023 The 2023 Christmas Mortgage Miracle Sweepstakes
12/20/2023 Oklahoma State University Cavender’s Fall 2023 Trivia Game
12/20/2023 Win an Orlando Family Vacation Sweepstakes
12/20/2023 Wildlife Giveaway
12/20/23 GoodBed.com--DLX Classic Mattress Giveaway
12/20/23 Green Room Extreme Outdoors--Mammoth Lakes Giveaway
12/21/2023 Travel Channel--Winter Wanderland Sweepstakes
12/21/2023 Travel Channel--Winter Wanderland Sweepstakes (2)
12/22/2023 Fireball Ultimate Fantasy Football Championship Party Sweepstakes
12/23/2023 Nabisco Season of Giving 2023 Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes
12/24/2023 Merry Magpul Giveaway
12/24/23 Talk to Santa Sweepstakes
12/25/2023 Hallmark Channel’s Very Merry Giveaway Sweepstakes
12/25/2023 GoldStar Tool 2023 Holiday Giveaway
12/26/2023 Paulaner “CHRISTKINDLMARKT TRIP” Game
12/26/2023 Stella Artois Spin to Win Holiday Sweepstakes
12/27/23 Lands' End--Holiday Wish List Sweepstakes
12/28/2023 INSP In For The Win Sweepstakes
12/29/2023 Quaker Super Bowl LVIII Ticket Sweepstakes
12/29/2023 Frito Lay -Next Dimension Of Snacking Sweepstakes & IW
12/30/2023 ARM & HAMMER 12 Weeks of Hosting Hacks Sweepstakes
12/30/2023 Fleet Farm $500 Gift Card Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Miller Lite Holiday Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 LocalFlavor.com--Season Of Savings Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 The Big Deal Brewing Puck Drop Instant Win Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Coors Light Rural Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 Mondelez Delicious Wishes Gift Exchange Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Riunite Wine Life’s Better Shared Sweepstakes & Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 Dos Equis College Football Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Heineken Silver 12-Packs Promotion
12/31/2023 HUGGIES + PULL-UPS Celebrate the Wonder Together Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 The Busker Irish Whiskey College Basketball Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 Key to Wyn Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Heineken Cheers To Trivia Promotionq
12/31/2023 Tito’s Holiday Spin To Win Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 PLANTERS Brand Go Nuts Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 19 Crimes Infamous Insiders Fall Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Coors Light Holiday Sweepstakes & Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 Pepsi Share More Joy Giveaway
12/31/2023 The St Hubert’s the Stag “Win a Trip to X Games Aspen 2024” Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Kalahari Create Your Adventure Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Corona--Holiday 2023 Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 GoMart Winter Winnerland gift card giveaway
12/31/2023 Jameson Irish Whiskey Touchdown in Dublin Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Bolla Wine Better Together Sweepstakes and Instant Win
12/31/2023 Heineken Holiday A Toast To All Tastes Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Prairie Farms 85 Days of Giveaways Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Cline Friendsgiving Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Hallmark Countdown to Chexmas Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Labatt Fanatics Instant Win (Limited States)
12/31/2023 Red Stripe Beer for a Year Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Pepsi Share More Joy Instant Win Game
12/31/2023 Coca-Cola--Sodexo Share Holiday Magic Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Bud Light--Concerts For a year Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Roku--OLED TV Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Little Caesar's--Call Of Duty Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 Trejo’s Machete Holiday Giveaway
12/31/2023 Free Bullpup Shotgun Giveaway
12/31/23 RockMerch--$500 of Official Rock Merch Of Your Choice
12/31/23 Blue Moon Holiday Glassware Instant Win Game
12/31/23 Bloomington CVB Holiday Sweepstakes
12/31/2023 4Ocean--Coral Gardeners Sweepstakes Giveaway
12/31/23 One Country--Chevy Silverado Sweepstakes
12/31/23 USA Today--Cayman Islands Dream Getaway Sweepstakes
12/31/23 The Money Pit Podcast--Tailgate Treasures Sweepstakes
12/31/23 Proximo Spirits--The Portfolio Holiday Sip One Share One Sweepstakes
12/31/23 Visit Orlando--The Wanderer Sweepstakes
12/31/23 MyFashionCrate--3-Month Subscription Giveaway
12/31/23 Digiorno--Pizza Kickoff Sweepstakes
1/1/2024 Bassett Home Furniture--Giveback Giveaway
1/1/2024 Mount Gay Rum Apres Golf Instant Win Promotion
1/1/2024 BrewDog Fall Gameday Sweepstakes
1/1/24 Miller High Life--Holiday Sweepstakes
1/2/2024 Sazerac Holiday Party Guide Sweepstakes
1/2/2024 SNICKERS 2023 NFL Circle K Instant Win Game and Sweepstakes
1/2/2024 Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas Movie Game Sweepstakes
1/2/24 Bud Light--Easy To Gameday Sweepstakes
1/2/24 Frito-Lay--CK Xbox Gaming Sweepstakes
1/3/2024 Stride-Hawaii
1/3/2024 Gargle Water-Amazon Gift Card
1/3/2024 Win a Monstera Pendant
1/3/2024 Win 2 NFC Championship Tickets
1/3/2024 Food Network’s Sip & Celebrate Sweepstakes
1/3/2024 ECS Tuning--Holiday Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes
1/5/24 Android Headlines--Great Holiday Giveaway
1/6/2024 Capital One Cafe--Coffee For A Year Sweepstakes
1/7/2024 Litehouse Ranch Cave Sweepstakes
1/7/2024 Packers Weekly Giveaway Sweepstakes
1/7/24 Coca‑Cola Holiday Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes
1/8/2024 HGTV Holiday Central Sweepstakes
1/8/2024 HGTV Holiday Central Sweepstakes (2)
1/8/2024 Modelo Full-Time Fan 2023 Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes
1/8/2024 Little Caesars Pizza! Pizza! Pre-Game Promotion
1/8/2024 Miller Lite Football 2023 Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game
1/8/2024 Nothing Like Game Day Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game
1/8/2024 Hofbräu Central Standard Beer Sweepstakes
1/10/2024 The Little Holiday Happiness Sweepstakes
1/15/24 Oreo--Holiday Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes
1/15/24 BellaBrava Bexley--Vespa Giveaway
1/17/2024 Smirnoff We Do Game Days Sweepstakes
1/19/24 Real Simple--Cheese Board Club Sweepstakes
1/26/2024 The 2023 Q4 Walmart November – January Sweepstakes
1/30/2024 Gatorade “Mystery Flavor” Instant Win Game and Contest
1/31/2024 Reese’s University Fall Football Instant Win Game
1/31/2024 Game Better With Butterfinger Sweepstakes
1/31/2024 Nestle Essentia Hydrate To Win Big Promotion Sweepstakes & Instant Win Game
1/31/2024 Daily Kibble Spread the Love Giveaway
1/31/2024 Disney’s Wish Together Sweepstakes
1/31/2024 JCB Ultimate Rodeo Experience Sweepstakes
1/31/2024 NiceRink--Frozen Memories Sweepstakes
2/4/24 American Airlines--Longhorn Perks Sweepstakes
2/5/2024 Pure Arts--DC Heroes Batman PX PVC Statue Giveaway
2/11/2024 KING’S HAWAIIAN Manning 2023 Fall Instant Win Game
2/11/2024 Mahou USA Win on Game Day Instant Win Promotion
2/12/2024 Pass the Pigskin Sweepstakes
2/28/2024 Corona Domino Table Sweepstakes 2023
2/28/2024 Corona Extra Snoop Dogg Bobblehead Sweepstakes 2023
2/28/2024 Corona Premier Grill Sweepstakes 2023
2/28/2024 Modelo Chopper Bike Sweepstakes 2023
3/1/2024 Corona Premier Custom Clubs Sweepstakes
3/1/2024 Corona Premier Custom Clubs Sweepstakes 2023
3/21/24 Dotdash Media--Warm Weather Getaways Sweepstakes
3/31/2024 Absolut Vodka Born to Mix AR Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game
3/31/2024 World of Malibu Rum Do Whatever tastes Good AR Sweepstakes
3/31/24 Nerds--Game Day Sweepstakes
4/18/2024 Valpak Pizza Sweepstakes
4/24/2024 Home Run Inn A Pizza My Heart Sweepstakes
4/30/24 Tincup Mountain Whiskey/Stranahan's--Ski Sweepstakes & Instant Win
6/10/24 FroKnowsPhoto 2023-24 SUPER MEGA Giveaway
6/30/2024 Kahlua Espresso Martini Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game
7/31/24 FindKeep.Love--Cabo San Lucas
8/31/2024 Lexicon Ambassador Program 21 American Express Gift Cards Giveaway
9/30/2024 JTV 30 Year Anniversary Giveaway
9/30/24 FindKeep.Love--Mini Cooper SE
11/18/2024 PureArts--Eredin Helmet Giveaway
12/31/24 Recipe Lion Giveaways
12/31/2024 Famadillo Sweepstakes
12/31/24 Gofobo Daily Sweepstakes
12/31/24 Vast.gg Giveaways
12/31/24 Lenovo Legion Giveaways