I (25M) matched with a girl (24F) on hinge. We were texting each other once every day or so for just over a week then organised to go on a date. The date went great - she did mention that she has accounting exams coming up soon with her job so she was going to be busy the next couple of months. But we both had a great time and I had no doubts we wanted to see eachother again after the date - she even gave me her umbrella to take home as it was raining and she got a taxi home.
We continued texting once a day - finding out more in common and I mentioned that I’m a fan of Mexican food and she said she is too and she said that could be our next date idea. She then asked when I was free and I booked a restaurant (2 weeks after the first date as she was busy due to a family wedding the weekend after the first date). She also mentioned that as it’s September now, it’s go time in terms of revision.
We met up at the restaurant and the date went fine, again no doubts and lots in common. She mentioned that due to a health condition she doesn’t like to drink alcohol when it’s super hot so she ordered a mocktail instead with her food.
We then went to a rooftop bar afterwards which I’d booked as the weather was really warm. When we got to the rooftop, the girl said it feels hotter up here than it does downstairs (which it did) and she asked me to push a button on my side of the table (I think she assumed it may have been connected to a fan). But when I pushed the button the outdoor heaters turned on which was quite embarrassing and the people in the bar started laughing. I laughed too but it did throw me off and make me feel awkward. The girl did apologise to me and them and was laughing too.
But we sat down and continued chatting - I felt the conversation wasn’t flowing as well due to the awkwardness but there were no awkward silences. I ordered a cocktail but the menu was a little limited for mocktails - I did ask her if she wanted to go somewhere else but she said don’t worry it’s ok. She ended up just having water.
Once i finished my drink, she said she’s going to head off so we walked to the train station together - we didn’t stay at the rooftop for very long. I was still feeling awkward as the last part of the date didn’t go how I’d hoped but I asked if she wanted to go out again and she said yeah definitely so I gave her a quick kiss and said bye.
I messaged her on instagram while I was on my way home and just gave her my phone number and said let me know when you’re home.
She responded on instagram that evening saying ‘just got in. I’ll drop you a message x’ and then texted me and said ‘hey thanks for dinner tonight - honestly next time you have to let me get the bill! It was v good to see you again. Hope you got home okay x’.
I replied that same Thursday evening and said ‘hey no worries it’s all good, but you’re organising the next one’. She then reacted to that message with a little heart on Saturday and said ‘how’s your Saturday been, sorry for the late reply been super busy my sister is visiting😂’ - she did mention that her sister was visiting before we went on the second date. I replied on the Sunday with general convo. She replied on the Monday as usual, being communicative, telling me about her weekend and all the things she did and also asking me more about what I was doing. She also said ‘so not a productive weekend in terms of revision😭’
I replied on the Tuesday, making general conversation again. I didn’t hear back from her on Wednesday, Thursday (which was when I started to get anxious) or Friday. I assumed she had a crazy busy week with work and revision so I’d hear back Friday evening. I also noticed that at some point after the second date she changed one of her prompts on her hinge dating profile - a small change from ‘give me travel tips to Thailand’ to ‘give me travel tips to Miami’. She didn’t update any pictures or anything else and as we’d only been out twice I’m guessing this is normal? She also mentioned on the second date that she’d booked her Miami holiday.
I still didn’t hear back and then made a massive mistake on Saturday morning and sent her another message which said ‘if you weren’t interested why not just say. You’re a bit of an arsehle to say you wanna go out again, pay and all that then just ignore me’. She responded an hour and a half later and said ‘I wasn’t trying to ignore you - I was genuinely busy this week. But you calling me an arsehle is so uncalled for and tbh I don’t want to see someone who’s going to call me names so I’d rather just call it a day’. I called to try and apologise but she didn’t pick up so I messaged ‘I get you’re busy with exams. Like I fully understand that but it takes 2 seconds to say hey I’m busy right now I’ll get back to you. Tbh it comes across like you’re not interested and a bit rude. So I’m sorry I called you an arsehole but I called you as I wanted to chat to you quickly’. She replied and said ‘sorry missed your call - I’m out. Yeah fairs I get that but the exams are my priority. I feel like I’ve said what I need to say and think it’s just best if we leave it here’. I messaged again trying to sort it out but she didn’t reply. I gave it three weeks and apologised more sincerely and she said it’s all good no hard feelings but she’s got a lot on right now so she doesn’t think it would be best to give it a second chance. I said if it’s the exams I don’t mind if you wanna speak again after they’re all done, but she didn’t reply to that message.
I reached out again after a couple months as I saw her on the same dating app and her profile was updated with new pictures and she said she just doesn’t see this going anywhere and good luck with everything - she then blocked me. I’m assuming she was finished with her exams by this point.
I understand that I was completely in the wrong with the way I reacted and I’ve learnt the lesson and won’t ever speak to anyone like that again - I regret it so much because I liked her alot and she honestly seemed like the most perfect girl, although we only went on 2 dates and spoke for a month. But do you think it was me calling her an arsehole that caused her to end it (completely valid if so) or if she just wasn’t feeling it before that and I gave her an easy way out?

Previously
I could not tell you exactly how I failed my semester. Everything was foggy. One thing for sure, I recalled spending more time with Al than with my studies. With her, I discovered the ins and outs of Boston: its neighborhoods and surrounding towns. She would take me to different areas to countless parties, hosted by her friends. We would sing reggae together, dance , drink, smoke marijuana, a lot of marijuana, and, afterwards, would go to her place, where we would sleep together a lot like rabbits. The only time I ever set foot in my dorm room was near the end of the semester, where I came across a stack of urgent notes from my academic advisor. These notes pertained to my parents and, particularly, their demands that I should “call them at once!”
It was through my parents that I learned about my academic failure for the semester and how I failed: not attending a single class. Prior to calling, my plan was to keep quiet like I normally had done before and let them do all the talking. That was supposed to be the plan.
Upon dialing, my mother picked up the phone after the first tone and, without exchanging any pleasantries, proceeded to blast me with her sweet voice and biting sarcasms. I was the son “scamming them out of their hard earned money” and one who was doing something that I was “finally more than average at,” making them “shameful parents.” I expected all of this from her, but what caught me off guard was the raw anger in her voice. Still, I stayed silent and listened as usual.
My father, on the other hand, was far angrier and did not mince his words with sarcasms. After my mother had said her piece, he took the phone and cussed me all the names he knew under the sun, even cussing me in his mother’s tongue. His anger made his nasal voice even more pronounced, making it difficult for me to remain silent compared to my mother's words. It felt like each word was a punch to the ear through the phone. I fought to keep my composure, but frustration surged within me.
"Mary, I bet this whole thing is all over some stupid asshole girl." That blew me up. I took it as a direct insult to Al. He hadn't even met her, hadn't seen her warm smile or her inviting eyes. He hadn't experienced her nonjudgmental nature or known how easy she was to talk to. Yet, he felt he had the right to insult her.
“So what the fuck it is!” I remembered yelling over the phone. I remembered there was a brief, deafening silence after I spoke, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Mind you, at this point, I was no longer the same Howard that my parents were used to talking down to. They were exposed to a rude awakening. A different Howard who had long thick dreadlocks that stopped at his knees and who could look you directly in the eye and cussed you out like a seaman.
“Mister man. I want you to pack your things and take the next plane back home.” It was the clearest I ever heard his voice, without even a hint of nasalness. I could also hear his heavy breaths, like a silverback just before it was about to beat his chest and charge at you.
“Bite me.” I had answered him and hung up. That was the last time I talked to my parents. I had many regrets in life and this was among the top ones. Looking back now, I probably should not have done what I did. First off, I probably should have called them when I was off sound mind or sober. I also underestimated how cold and unforgiving my parents could be, and how far they would go to maintain their family's image. I had two younger brothers and a toddler age sister. When I did not take that next plane back home, my parents, as far as they were concerned, still had a legacy that they could build up and make their name proud, even after they left this world. I was the first child: the mistake and experiment that they could learn from when rearing up my siblings.
Not surprisingly, I was kicked out of MIT as my parents did not pay for my next semester’s schooling. I did not care at the time. At least, I had my Al and she was nice enough to offer rooming to my bicycle, suitcase and I. We were officially together under one roof. Only this was not to be permanent.
About a month after moving in with Al, we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't afford the rent and had to move out. Al had lost her job a few weeks earlier because she showed up to it high, a decision I blamed myself for since I had encouraged us to attend a party the previous night.
Living with Al's friends was initially a relief, a temporary solution to our housing predicament. But as the days turned into weeks, we began to overstay our welcome. Our presence became a burden, straining the patience and resources of those free spirits who had graciously taken us in. Eventually, we found ourselves with no place to call home, facing the harsh reality of homelessness.
During this period, finding work proved to be a near impossible challenge. Despite my best efforts, no employer wanted to even touch me. It was then that I truly understood my immigration status on a student visa and the obstacles it presented to securing employment. Until then, I had never considered or entertained such thoughts, leaving them up to my parents.
The idea of marrying Al for a green card never even crossed my mind. I refused to burden her with my problems or pressure her into such a life-altering decision. One way or the other way, I was going to find a solution on my own.
Though it looked like a grim reality check, strangely enough, Al and I were the happiest when we were homelessness. Freed from the burdens of parental or societal expectations, we embraced our status as free birds in the city, viewing it as our own personal playground.
If there was no luck at the soup kitchens, we would scavenge food from trash bins by restaurants. Surprisingly, we often stumbled upon untouched treasures like whole pizzas, pieces of chicken wings, discarded birthday cakes (often anniversary cakes), pies, and many other items. People's wastefulness became a lifeline for us, and we were deeply thankful for it.
Beyond mere survival, we reveled in the adventure of exploring the city's hidden corners. From navigating the labyrinthine subway tracks to stumbling upon alleys adorned with vibrant street art to sneaking into buildings with magnificent views of the city’s skyline, every discovery fueled our sense of wonder and curiosity. And we certainly were not shy to fool around in all these places as no place in the city was safe from our escapades: not the museums and not even the stadium.
But even with all the craziness and unpredictability, the most important thing about being homeless was the bond we shared. I fondly recall the nights spent huddled together under the stars in quiet parks, wrapped in blankets and sharing our dreams. Al wanted to go back to school to pursue nursing, while I had ambitions of completing my engineering degree at a community college. With that qualification, I hoped to secure a well-paying job that could sponsor both of us, paving the way for us to settle in a cozy home in the suburbs. There, we could begin our journey of building a family together. Each time I shared my dreams with Al, her left blue moon eye seemed to radiate with an illuminating glow, serving as a source of hope and strengthening my determination to believe that anything was possible.
Eventually, I managed to secure employment the other way: under the table at a slaughterhouse. But even with a steady income, my wages were barely enough to cover our basic needs, let alone secure permanent housing. However, luck seemed to smile upon us in an unexpected way.
At the slaughterhouse, I crossed paths with a fellow countryman named Archie, who had faced similar challenges with work status. Our shared nationality sparked instant camaraderie, and Archie eagerly offered his assistance upon learning about our homelessness. He revealed that he had a friend at the Port of Boston who could help us find shelter in one of the abandoned shipping containers there.
Archie assured me that living in a shipping container wasn't as bad as it sounded, sharing his own experience of finding temporary refuge in one upon arriving in America. He explained that as the weather cooled with the onset of fall, we wouldn't have to endure the sweltering heat of summer. However, he advised us to prepare for the winter chill with plenty of blankets and, even better, a portable heater. Despite its unconventional nature, it was a far better option than braving the elements out on the streets.
As Archie led Al and I through the lively Port of Boston, I couldn't shake the feeling of gratitude for his unexpected generosity. Here was a man who did not know me from Adam and was offering to help me and my woman, with no payment or strings attached.
We soon arrived at a secluded corner, where Archie introduced us to his friend, JJ. JJ was a short, stocky man with large muscular arms, a stark contrast to Archie's tall and malnourished skinny frame. Despite their physical differences, JJ exuded friendliness and kindness, much like Archie. He welcomed Al and I very warmly. Hence the reason, I could never forgive myself for what I did to him. That was also one of my biggest life regrets.
With a nod from JJ, we followed him to an abandoned shipping container nestled away from prying eyes. It was a hidden gem, shielded from the outside world by stacks of cargo containers. JJ assured us that it was a safe haven, far from the scrutiny of port workers.
As we settled into our new home, JJ's kindness continued to shine through. He provided us with port safety jackets, ensuring we could blend in seamlessly with the workers. He even offered his assistance if we encountered any issues, emphasizing that he was always available at the main loading dock during his night shifts.
The shipping container began to feel more like home with each passing day. Thanks to Archie and JJ's assistance, we were able to transport an old mattress, dresser, and milk crates— repurposed as shelves— from various junk sites and donation bins using JJ's cargo van. Despite the simplicity of our accommodations, the mere presence of these familiar items filled us with tremendous joy as we finally had a place to call our home.
Al's creative touch transformed the interior, adorning it with artificial bouquets she had found at a dump site. The vibrant colors breathed life into our makeshift home, infusing it with warmth and charm.
As we settled into our newfound sanctuary, a wave of relief washed over us. For the first time in months, we felt a sense of stability and security. With our basic needs finally met, we could now turn our attention to our goals for the future.
Eager to continue my education, I made plans to dedicate myself to finishing my engineering degree once the upcoming winter months had passed. Little did I know at the time that my student visa had already been canceled, making this goal completely impossible. Being a youth and all its naivety.
However, I never got the chance to find out about my visa status or even make the attempt to finish my education. At the start of winter, Al went missing.
Next Part 4 Preview:
It was a wicked, cold-blooded anger that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tried to release my hands from his shirt, but it was too late. He seized my wrists like a vise grip and, in one swift motion before I had time to react, picked me up, slamming me onto the concrete.
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean /

Previously
I could not tell you exactly how I failed my semester. Everything was foggy. One thing for sure, I recalled spending more time with Al than with my studies. With her, I discovered the ins and outs of Boston: its neighborhoods and surrounding towns. She would take me to different areas to countless parties, hosted by her friends. We would sing reggae together, dance , drink, smoke marijuana, a lot of marijuana, and, afterwards, would go to her place, where we would sleep together a lot like rabbits. The only time I ever set foot in my dorm room was near the end of the semester, where I came across a stack of urgent notes from my academic advisor. These notes pertained to my parents and, particularly, their demands that I should “call them at once!”
It was through my parents that I learned about my academic failure for the semester and how I failed: not attending a single class. Prior to calling, my plan was to keep quiet like I normally had done before and let them do all the talking. That was supposed to be the plan.
Upon dialing, my mother picked up the phone after the first tone and, without exchanging any pleasantries, proceeded to blast me with her sweet voice and biting sarcasms. I was the son “scamming them out of their hard earned money” and one who was doing something that I was “finally more than average at,” making them “shameful parents.” I expected all of this from her, but what caught me off guard was the raw anger in her voice. Still, I stayed silent and listened as usual.
My father, on the other hand, was far angrier and did not mince his words with sarcasms. After my mother had said her piece, he took the phone and cussed me all the names he knew under the sun, even cussing me in his mother’s tongue. His anger made his nasal voice even more pronounced, making it difficult for me to remain silent compared to my mother's words. It felt like each word was a punch to the ear through the phone. I fought to keep my composure, but frustration surged within me.
"Mary, I bet this whole thing is all over some stupid asshole girl." That blew me up. I took it as a direct insult to Al. He hadn't even met her, hadn't seen her warm smile or her inviting eyes. He hadn't experienced her nonjudgmental nature or known how easy she was to talk to. Yet, he felt he had the right to insult her.
“So what the fuck it is!” I remembered yelling over the phone. I remembered there was a brief, deafening silence after I spoke, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Mind you, at this point, I was no longer the same Howard that my parents were used to talking down to. They were exposed to a rude awakening. A different Howard who had long thick dreadlocks that stopped at his knees and who could look you directly in the eye and cussed you out like a seaman.
“Mister man. I want you to pack your things and take the next plane back home.” It was the clearest I ever heard his voice, without even a hint of nasalness. I could also hear his heavy breaths, like a silverback just before it was about to beat his chest and charge at you.
“Bite me.” I had answered him and hung up. That was the last time I talked to my parents. I had many regrets in life and this was among the top ones. Looking back now, I probably should not have done what I did. First off, I probably should have called them when I was off sound mind or sober. I also underestimated how cold and unforgiving my parents could be, and how far they would go to maintain their family's image. I had two younger brothers and a toddler age sister. When I did not take that next plane back home, my parents, as far as they were concerned, still had a legacy that they could build up and make their name proud, even after they left this world. I was the first child: the mistake and experiment that they could learn from when rearing up my siblings.
Not surprisingly, I was kicked out of MIT as my parents did not pay for my next semester’s schooling. I did not care at the time. At least, I had my Al and she was nice enough to offer rooming to my bicycle, suitcase and I. We were officially together under one roof. Only this was not to be permanent.
About a month after moving in with Al, we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't afford the rent and had to move out. Al had lost her job a few weeks earlier because she showed up to it high, a decision I blamed myself for since I had encouraged us to attend a party the previous night.
Living with Al's friends was initially a relief, a temporary solution to our housing predicament. But as the days turned into weeks, we began to overstay our welcome. Our presence became a burden, straining the patience and resources of those free spirits who had graciously taken us in. Eventually, we found ourselves with no place to call home, facing the harsh reality of homelessness.
During this period, finding work proved to be a near impossible challenge. Despite my best efforts, no employer wanted to even touch me. It was then that I truly understood my immigration status on a student visa and the obstacles it presented to securing employment. Until then, I had never considered or entertained such thoughts, leaving them up to my parents.
The idea of marrying Al for a green card never even crossed my mind. I refused to burden her with my problems or pressure her into such a life-altering decision. One way or the other way, I was going to find a solution on my own.
Though it looked like a grim reality check, strangely enough, Al and I were the happiest when we were homelessness. Freed from the burdens of parental or societal expectations, we embraced our status as free birds in the city, viewing it as our own personal playground.
If there was no luck at the soup kitchens, we would scavenge food from trash bins by restaurants. Surprisingly, we often stumbled upon untouched treasures like whole pizzas, pieces of chicken wings, discarded birthday cakes (often anniversary cakes), pies, and many other items. People's wastefulness became a lifeline for us, and we were deeply thankful for it.
Beyond mere survival, we reveled in the adventure of exploring the city's hidden corners. From navigating the labyrinthine subway tracks to stumbling upon alleys adorned with vibrant street art to sneaking into buildings with magnificent views of the city’s skyline, every discovery fueled our sense of wonder and curiosity. And we certainly were not shy to fool around in all these places as no place in the city was safe from our escapades: not the museums and not even the stadium.
But even with all the craziness and unpredictability, the most important thing about being homeless was the bond we shared. I fondly recall the nights spent huddled together under the stars in quiet parks, wrapped in blankets and sharing our dreams. Al wanted to go back to school to pursue nursing, while I had ambitions of completing my engineering degree at a community college. With that qualification, I hoped to secure a well-paying job that could sponsor both of us, paving the way for us to settle in a cozy home in the suburbs. There, we could begin our journey of building a family together. Each time I shared my dreams with Al, her left blue moon eye seemed to radiate with an illuminating glow, serving as a source of hope and strengthening my determination to believe that anything was possible.
Eventually, I managed to secure employment the other way: under the table at a slaughterhouse. But even with a steady income, my wages were barely enough to cover our basic needs, let alone secure permanent housing. However, luck seemed to smile upon us in an unexpected way.
At the slaughterhouse, I crossed paths with a fellow countryman named Archie, who had faced similar challenges with work status. Our shared nationality sparked instant camaraderie, and Archie eagerly offered his assistance upon learning about our homelessness. He revealed that he had a friend at the Port of Boston who could help us find shelter in one of the abandoned shipping containers there.
Archie assured me that living in a shipping container wasn't as bad as it sounded, sharing his own experience of finding temporary refuge in one upon arriving in America. He explained that as the weather cooled with the onset of fall, we wouldn't have to endure the sweltering heat of summer. However, he advised us to prepare for the winter chill with plenty of blankets and, even better, a portable heater. Despite its unconventional nature, it was a far better option than braving the elements out on the streets.
As Archie led Al and I through the lively Port of Boston, I couldn't shake the feeling of gratitude for his unexpected generosity. Here was a man who did not know me from Adam and was offering to help me and my woman, with no payment or strings attached.
We soon arrived at a secluded corner, where Archie introduced us to his friend, JJ. JJ was a short, stocky man with large muscular arms, a stark contrast to Archie's tall and malnourished skinny frame. Despite their physical differences, JJ exuded friendliness and kindness, much like Archie. He welcomed Al and I very warmly. Hence the reason, I could never forgive myself for what I did to him. That was also one of my biggest life regrets.
With a nod from JJ, we followed him to an abandoned shipping container nestled away from prying eyes. It was a hidden gem, shielded from the outside world by stacks of cargo containers. JJ assured us that it was a safe haven, far from the scrutiny of port workers.
As we settled into our new home, JJ's kindness continued to shine through. He provided us with port safety jackets, ensuring we could blend in seamlessly with the workers. He even offered his assistance if we encountered any issues, emphasizing that he was always available at the main loading dock during his night shifts.
The shipping container began to feel more like home with each passing day. Thanks to Archie and JJ's assistance, we were able to transport an old mattress, dresser, and milk crates— repurposed as shelves— from various junk sites and donation bins using JJ's cargo van. Despite the simplicity of our accommodations, the mere presence of these familiar items filled us with tremendous joy as we finally had a place to call our home.
Al's creative touch transformed the interior, adorning it with artificial bouquets she had found at a dump site. The vibrant colors breathed life into our makeshift home, infusing it with warmth and charm.
As we settled into our newfound sanctuary, a wave of relief washed over us. For the first time in months, we felt a sense of stability and security. With our basic needs finally met, we could now turn our attention to our goals for the future.
Eager to continue my education, I made plans to dedicate myself to finishing my engineering degree once the upcoming winter months had passed. Little did I know at the time that my student visa had already been canceled, making this goal completely impossible. Being a youth and all its naivety.
However, I never got the chance to find out about my visa status or even make the attempt to finish my education. At the start of winter, Al went missing.
Next Part 4 Preview:
It was a wicked, cold-blooded anger that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tried to release my hands from his shirt, but it was too late. He seized my wrists like a vise grip and, in one swift motion before I had time to react, picked me up, slamming me onto the concrete.
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean /

Previously
I could not tell you exactly how I failed my semester. Everything was foggy. One thing for sure, I recalled spending more time with Al than with my studies. With her, I discovered the ins and outs of Boston: its neighborhoods and surrounding towns. She would take me to different areas to countless parties, hosted by her friends. We would sing reggae together, dance , drink, smoke marijuana, a lot of marijuana, and, afterwards, would go to her place, where we would sleep together a lot like rabbits. The only time I ever set foot in my dorm room was near the end of the semester, where I came across a stack of urgent notes from my academic advisor. These notes pertained to my parents and, particularly, their demands that I should “call them at once!”
It was through my parents that I learned about my academic failure for the semester and how I failed: not attending a single class. Prior to calling, my plan was to keep quiet like I normally had done before and let them do all the talking. That was supposed to be the plan.
Upon dialing, my mother picked up the phone after the first tone and, without exchanging any pleasantries, proceeded to blast me with her sweet voice and biting sarcasms. I was the son “scamming them out of their hard earned money” and one who was doing something that I was “finally more than average at,” making them “shameful parents.” I expected all of this from her, but what caught me off guard was the raw anger in her voice. Still, I stayed silent and listened as usual.
My father, on the other hand, was far angrier and did not mince his words with sarcasms. After my mother had said her piece, he took the phone and cussed me all the names he knew under the sun, even cussing me in his mother’s tongue. His anger made his nasal voice even more pronounced, making it difficult for me to remain silent compared to my mother's words. It felt like each word was a punch to the ear through the phone. I fought to keep my composure, but frustration surged within me.
"Mary, I bet this whole thing is all over some stupid asshole girl." That blew me up. I took it as a direct insult to Al. He hadn't even met her, hadn't seen her warm smile or her inviting eyes. He hadn't experienced her nonjudgmental nature or known how easy she was to talk to. Yet, he felt he had the right to insult her.
“So what the fuck it is!” I remembered yelling over the phone. I remembered there was a brief, deafening silence after I spoke, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Mind you, at this point, I was no longer the same Howard that my parents were used to talking down to. They were exposed to a rude awakening. A different Howard who had long thick dreadlocks that stopped at his knees and who could look you directly in the eye and cussed you out like a seaman.
“Mister man. I want you to pack your things and take the next plane back home.” It was the clearest I ever heard his voice, without even a hint of nasalness. I could also hear his heavy breaths, like a silverback just before it was about to beat his chest and charge at you.
“Bite me.” I had answered him and hung up. That was the last time I talked to my parents. I had many regrets in life and this was among the top ones. Looking back now, I probably should not have done what I did. First off, I probably should have called them when I was off sound mind or sober. I also underestimated how cold and unforgiving my parents could be, and how far they would go to maintain their family's image. I had two younger brothers and a toddler age sister. When I did not take that next plane back home, my parents, as far as they were concerned, still had a legacy that they could build up and make their name proud, even after they left this world. I was the first child: the mistake and experiment that they could learn from when rearing up my siblings.
Not surprisingly, I was kicked out of MIT as my parents did not pay for my next semester’s schooling. I did not care at the time. At least, I had my Al and she was nice enough to offer rooming to my bicycle, suitcase and I. We were officially together under one roof. Only this was not to be permanent.
About a month after moving in with Al, we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't afford the rent and had to move out. Al had lost her job a few weeks earlier because she showed up to it high, a decision I blamed myself for since I had encouraged us to attend a party the previous night.
Living with Al's friends was initially a relief, a temporary solution to our housing predicament. But as the days turned into weeks, we began to overstay our welcome. Our presence became a burden, straining the patience and resources of those free spirits who had graciously taken us in. Eventually, we found ourselves with no place to call home, facing the harsh reality of homelessness.
During this period, finding work proved to be a near impossible challenge. Despite my best efforts, no employer wanted to even touch me. It was then that I truly understood my immigration status on a student visa and the obstacles it presented to securing employment. Until then, I had never considered or entertained such thoughts, leaving them up to my parents.
The idea of marrying Al for a green card never even crossed my mind. I refused to burden her with my problems or pressure her into such a life-altering decision. One way or the other way, I was going to find a solution on my own.
Though it looked like a grim reality check, strangely enough, Al and I were the happiest when we were homelessness. Freed from the burdens of parental or societal expectations, we embraced our status as free birds in the city, viewing it as our own personal playground.
If there was no luck at the soup kitchens, we would scavenge food from trash bins by restaurants. Surprisingly, we often stumbled upon untouched treasures like whole pizzas, pieces of chicken wings, discarded birthday cakes (often anniversary cakes), pies, and many other items. People's wastefulness became a lifeline for us, and we were deeply thankful for it.
Beyond mere survival, we reveled in the adventure of exploring the city's hidden corners. From navigating the labyrinthine subway tracks to stumbling upon alleys adorned with vibrant street art to sneaking into buildings with magnificent views of the city’s skyline, every discovery fueled our sense of wonder and curiosity. And we certainly were not shy to fool around in all these places as no place in the city was safe from our escapades: not the museums and not even the stadium.
But even with all the craziness and unpredictability, the most important thing about being homeless was the bond we shared. I fondly recall the nights spent huddled together under the stars in quiet parks, wrapped in blankets and sharing our dreams. Al wanted to go back to school to pursue nursing, while I had ambitions of completing my engineering degree at a community college. With that qualification, I hoped to secure a well-paying job that could sponsor both of us, paving the way for us to settle in a cozy home in the suburbs. There, we could begin our journey of building a family together. Each time I shared my dreams with Al, her left blue moon eye seemed to radiate with an illuminating glow, serving as a source of hope and strengthening my determination to believe that anything was possible.
Eventually, I managed to secure employment the other way: under the table at a slaughterhouse. But even with a steady income, my wages were barely enough to cover our basic needs, let alone secure permanent housing. However, luck seemed to smile upon us in an unexpected way.
At the slaughterhouse, I crossed paths with a fellow countryman named Archie, who had faced similar challenges with work status. Our shared nationality sparked instant camaraderie, and Archie eagerly offered his assistance upon learning about our homelessness. He revealed that he had a friend at the Port of Boston who could help us find shelter in one of the abandoned shipping containers there.
Archie assured me that living in a shipping container wasn't as bad as it sounded, sharing his own experience of finding temporary refuge in one upon arriving in America. He explained that as the weather cooled with the onset of fall, we wouldn't have to endure the sweltering heat of summer. However, he advised us to prepare for the winter chill with plenty of blankets and, even better, a portable heater. Despite its unconventional nature, it was a far better option than braving the elements out on the streets.
As Archie led Al and I through the lively Port of Boston, I couldn't shake the feeling of gratitude for his unexpected generosity. Here was a man who did not know me from Adam and was offering to help me and my woman, with no payment or strings attached.
We soon arrived at a secluded corner, where Archie introduced us to his friend, JJ. JJ was a short, stocky man with large muscular arms, a stark contrast to Archie's tall and malnourished skinny frame. Despite their physical differences, JJ exuded friendliness and kindness, much like Archie. He welcomed Al and I very warmly. Hence the reason, I could never forgive myself for what I did to him. That was also one of my biggest life regrets.
With a nod from JJ, we followed him to an abandoned shipping container nestled away from prying eyes. It was a hidden gem, shielded from the outside world by stacks of cargo containers. JJ assured us that it was a safe haven, far from the scrutiny of port workers.
As we settled into our new home, JJ's kindness continued to shine through. He provided us with port safety jackets, ensuring we could blend in seamlessly with the workers. He even offered his assistance if we encountered any issues, emphasizing that he was always available at the main loading dock during his night shifts.
The shipping container began to feel more like home with each passing day. Thanks to Archie and JJ's assistance, we were able to transport an old mattress, dresser, and milk crates— repurposed as shelves— from various junk sites and donation bins using JJ's cargo van. Despite the simplicity of our accommodations, the mere presence of these familiar items filled us with tremendous joy as we finally had a place to call our home.
Al's creative touch transformed the interior, adorning it with artificial bouquets she had found at a dump site. The vibrant colors breathed life into our makeshift home, infusing it with warmth and charm.
As we settled into our newfound sanctuary, a wave of relief washed over us. For the first time in months, we felt a sense of stability and security. With our basic needs finally met, we could now turn our attention to our goals for the future.
Eager to continue my education, I made plans to dedicate myself to finishing my engineering degree once the upcoming winter months had passed. Little did I know at the time that my student visa had already been canceled, making this goal completely impossible. Being a youth and all its naivety.
However, I never got the chance to find out about my visa status or even make the attempt to finish my education. At the start of winter, Al went missing.
Next Part 4 Preview:
It was a wicked, cold-blooded anger that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tried to release my hands from his shirt, but it was too late. He seized my wrists like a vise grip and, in one swift motion before I had time to react, picked me up, slamming me onto the concrete.
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean /

Hi everyone,
We are looking for a female roommate (preferably Masters student) for our 2024-25 lease at Park Crest terrace - 3 Bed 2Bath apartment.
Rent: $485 per month with additional charge of around $20-25 for gas & electricity.
Apartment features: Refrigerator, dishwasher, central A/C, heater, garbage disposal, in-house laundry, free WiFi, free parking, a community pool, and a playground
There are already some furnishings and we plan to get some more before the semester starts.
Fantastic Location: - 1.4 miles from campus - Giant and Weis across the apartment + Walmart, CVS and many restaurants within walking distance. - Beautiful Tudek Park opposite the apartment complex - Four different bus routes (N, NE, W, V) available towards the campus.
Let me know if you are interested!!

My car's transmission is on the fritz, so it's in the shop and I'm working from home for at least today. Thank goodness I can even work from home, or things would be a lot more complicated. Anyways, that's just a bit of a vent. I've also decided that I might do little lore-esque prechapter bits for some extra flavor. Hope you guys enjoy them! I find them to be fun little thought experiments on how people might perceive the world I've created from within vs from my own perspective. Enjoy some crafting and some romance!
First Previous Next
We know that the spots that are caused by looking at a source of light are, in fact, damage of some sort to the eye. This is confirmed by the spots rapidly disappearing should someone be healed whilst experiencing them. But why? Is there a divinity within light, beyond what our mortal eyes can withstand? Is there some sort of invisible emanation that comes alongside the light that damages us in some way? The discovery of light damaging the eye has opened more questions for me than it has closed.
-Musings on the Relations of Light and Fire, by Jarwic Leftun
\***
Xander carefully opened the door, finding Gabrelle already asleep, and sat down on a chair. Maybe he could get that adaptive camouflage to work right on bright colors. Surely he had some colorful things in his inventory.
He did in fact have a few colorful things in his inventory, and he whiled the rest of the night away making small adjustments to the runic array that was embroidered into the cloth. He was satisfied before dawn, the cloth now performing as well with light colors as it had with darker colors. Now he just needed to make a cloak out of it. He briefly considered coating his armor with the array, but discarded it. There might be times where he’d want to be seen. Besides, a hooded cloak would better break up the outline of his figure, the ripples of fabric, especially if he were to crouch or lay prone, obscuring his outline even more. In little time at all, he had a long, deep hooded cloak of the color shifting, runed cloth in his hands. He stashed it in his inventory for now, as he had no particular need to sneak up on something right now. The rest of the time before dawn he spent silently sitting in the chair he’d chosen, trying to keep his thoughts to a minimum, just daydreaming. Night dreaming? He couldn’t sleep anymore, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to let his mind wander.
As the dawn came and the sun began to shine through the window of the room, Gabrelle slowly awoke, once more finding Xander sitting in a chair rather than in bed.
“Mmf,” She grunted as she stretched. “Morning, Xander. You got back late.”
“Morning, yourself,” Xander said, turning his head to look at Gabrelle. “Yeah... Yeah, I guess I did.”
“What were you doing, anyway?” She asked, curious. “You didn’t mention that you’d be out late, just that you were going to go to see Valteria at her shop.”
“I uh... went on a date.”
“I knew it! ‘Comparing notes’ was a date!” Gabrelle exclaimed triumphantly.
“It was not!” Xander complained. “But we went to a tavern in the evening and it sort of... turned into a date on the way there.”
“Awhh, that’s so cute,” Gabrelle said. “Did it go well? Is she nice? Did you kiss?”
“I think it went well. We talked a lot about different projects and ideas we had. I also got to meet another [Godsmarked] - he owns the tavern we went to. I think she’s nice. Maybe a little shy. I think she’s gotten used to being treated differently by people. I don’t think she really believed that I wanted to go on a date with her, at first. ...And yes. We kissed.”
“Ooooh, look at you! You’re growing up so fast!” Gabrelle teased.
“Oh hush. I’m older than you!” Xander huffed, then returned to seriousness. “But ah, if I’m going to be dating someone... we need to have a conversation, Gabrelle.”
“We need to stop sleeping together?” Gabrelle quickly deduced before Xander could say it himself.
“Yeah... It doesn’t feel right, even though it’s just platonic between us. I don’t think I would appreciate being in Valteria’s situation and knowing that the person I was seeing was sleeping with someone else at night.”
“Well, I figured this would happen eventually,” Gabrelle said. “Either you or I were bound to find someone eventually. Don’t worry, I’m not upset. Don’t get me wrong, the snuggles were nice, but like I told you a while ago, I don’t have nearly as much trouble sleeping when I’m with the team.”
“Thanks for not being upset, Gabrelle.”
“You know this means you have to start paying for your own room, though, right?”
“Ah, shit, you’re right. I forgot.”
Xander left the room to allow Gabrelle some privacy to get dressed and meandered back down the stairs to see if any other members of the team were already up. Looking around, he spied Graffus eating breakfast at at table and moved to sit with the dwarf.
“Mornin’” Graffus greeted Xander through a mouthful of bread.
“Morning,” Xander greeted back.
“Glad to see you made it back, we were wondering if you’d be out all night,” Graffus told him, after swallowing his bread.
“I was out a bit late, I suppose. I let the time get away from me.” Xander said, not really wanted to be teased again about going out on a date. “So what are you planning to do today?”
“Bah, Frazay has roped me into helping her do research for the drakeling. So reading is what’s in store for me.” Graffus tore himself off another piece of bread from his plate and slathered it with jam. “You going to be going back to that [Tinker] you’ve been spending time with lately?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m supposed to learn more about converting mana types today, and also help her fix the suit of armor that I wrecked.”
“Welp,” Graffus said, now on his last piece of bread, “I hope ya learn something new. Never had much to do with [Tinker]s – not saying I dislike them, just that I haven’t had much experience with them – so it don’t make much sense to me. Using a hammer is about the only overlap in our professions.”
“I think your hammer is significantly larger than the one most [Tinker]s would use,” Xander chuckled. Thinking about what he should be doing before he headed to Valteria’s, he asked Graffus, “Hey, I might need to buy some monster parts or elemental cores, something like that, for practice. You know where I would go to find stuff like that?”
Graffus shrugged. “Dunno. My guess would be an alchemy and reagents shop. That’s generally what we’ve sold monster parts to that didn’t go to a smith or leatherworker.”
“Thanks, Graffus.”
The two of them chatted for a while longer, catching up on what each other had been doing. Graffus excused himself to finish getting ready for the day, saying he needed to tend to his beard, leaving Xander downstairs. Deciding to be productive and proactive, Xander stood as well and headed out of the inn to find an alchemy shop.
It wasn’t long before he found one, a familiar scene of an eclectic collection of powders, liquids, crystals, and strange organic things floating in jars inside the building. The proprietor was a dwarf, seated at a workbench. They were grinding something into a powder as Xander entered. He received a distracted greeting before the dwarf returned to his work.
Xander wandered about the shop for a few minutes, looking at the various materials throughout the shop. He identified what he thought might be an elemental core, a jagged piece of crystal looking material that seemed to have an inner flame. As for the monster parts in jars, Xander had no idea what was what. He finally felt he’d waited long enough and moved closer to the worktable that the dwarf was still sitting at, working away at the mortar and pestle.
“Excuse me,” Xander said, grabbing the shopkeep’s attention.
“Mm?” The dwarf said questioningly. “Can I help you find something?”
“I was wondering if you had any elemental cores. Something small, I just need one to practice with.”
“Aye, I’ve a few of them around the shop. You want something to practice with? So a relatively weak core, then – not all the small ones are weak. Do you need any particular type?” The dwarf stood up and stretched, moving to one of the shelves.
“Uhm no, just whatever is cost effective, I suppose.”
The alchemist rifled through the various bits and bobs on one of the shelves nearby before producing a small chip of what looked to be a semi-translucent stone. It was tinged slightly yellow with streaks of white. “This here is a chip off a lightning attuned core. Pretty weak, but it does still produce mana.”
Xander could see the dwarf’s arm hair standing up as if from static electicity as he held up the stone. “How much?” He asked.
“Twenty gold.”
Xander shrugged. Twenty gold wasn’t an issue for him anymore, and he didn’t feel like haggling. He always hated haggling. “Sure.” He fished out the coin and handed it over to the dwarf.
The dwarf handed over the stone to Xander and the pop of a static electric shock could be heard as a tiny arc passed between the two of them. The dwarf grunted and shook his hand. “Thanks for the business,” he told Xander. “Anything else you find yourself in need of?”
“Not at the moment, but thanks for asking.” Xander waved goodbye to the dwarf and pocketed the tiny elemental core. He continued down the street in the direction of Valteria’s shop, thinking about how he was going to undo the welding job he’d done on Valteria’s armor. He’d need her to guide his repair efforts.
Xander returned to the inn momentarily to grab one of his golems. He settled on Atlas for now, as it was the most basic of the humanoid forms he’d created. No extra arms or weird feet on him, no sir.
Arriving at the building that contained Valteria’s home and shop, Xander knocked before opening the door. “Morning,” he called out.
“Xander! Hello!” Valteria called out. She was at the same work bench she’d been at yesterday. Jarrett didn’t seem to be in the shop at the moment, as Xander wasn’t able to spot the man.
Commanding Atlas to follow him in and closing the door behind him, Xander started walking towards Valteria. “How’s it going?” He asked.
“Good, it’s going good,” Valteria responded as Xander brought a stool over to her workbench. “How about yourself?”
“Not bad. The upside of not sleeping is that I never struggle in the mornings now. I used to hate waking up.” Xander laughed. “I even ran an errand before I came here! Picked up this.” Xander fished around in his pocket until he found the small chip of elemental core and held it up for Valteria to see.
“Core?” She asked distractedly, staring at Atlas. She tore her eyes away and looked closely at the small crystalline stone. “Lightning attuned?”
“That’s what the [Alchemist] at the shop said,” Xander affirmed. “Said it was a very weak one, but that it did still produce mana.”
“Mmm, a good practice piece, then.”
“I thought it would be, too. Not that I know what to do with it, yet.”
“Well, how about this: I teach you to set the stone and make some conduit, and then you can help me fix my armor. All the glue has turned to dust by now, thank the gods.”
“Sounds fair enough. So, how do mana conduits work?”
“Well, the concept is simple enough. It’s a tube which conducts mana,” Valteria began to explain.
“Mmhm.” Xander nodded along.
“What you need is a setting – usually of silver, as it has good mana conductivity – which will be the first step of conduction, taking the mana from the stone. Simply wrapping the core in silver wire can work well enough, drawing in the mana that the core puts out through its surface, but for a more effecient setting, small holes are usually drilled into the core to set the wire into as well, giving more surface area to draw from.”
“So we care about the mana conductivity of the material, then? That makes sense, I just hadn’t thought about it. I actually did a little experiment with my rune work to test which fillings were the most conductive.”
“Oh really?” Valteria said, interested. “What were your results?”
“Well, gold and silver were high up there in conductivity, and probably make the most sense for someone who has to physically manipulate material without use of a skill – both for a core setting and for inlaying a rune – but I did find that sapphires and rubies were even more efficient at transferring mana than gold and silver.”
“Mmm... interesting. I’ve heard of gemstones being used in very high-grade settings, as well as various other exotic materials. I read an account of one [Mechanist] who used tubes of mercury to conduct mana, though the relative effectiveness compared to silver wasn’t mentioned.” Valteria cleared her throat. “Uhm, now, where was I? Right, basic settings. Once you have your core – or monster organ, if you’re going that route – you connect it to the conduit. Usually, this is also silver wiring. I like to braid several smaller wires together, personally. I find it to be sturdier and hold up to flexing better. From there, it needs to be tied into a device. Which is a topic for tomorrow.” Looking around the shop, Valteria seemed to identify something on one of the shelves nearby. “I have a core that you could watch me set, and then you could try setting your own, if you’d like.”
“That sounds good to me,” Xander said. “I always love to see a master as work,” he added, opting for a little flattery.
“Follow me, then.” Valteria said, standing up from her stool and waving for Xander to follow.
Xander followed Valteria as she walked over to the shelf she’d been looking at earlier and took a palm sized, bright green stone from it. “Nature attuned core,” She explained, holding it for Xander to see. “I’m told it was taken from some kind of moving tree.” Valteria then moved to another worktable, on which were several of what looked to be drill bits to Xander. There was also an apparatus that look like it was designed to hold the bits, which was confirmed for him when Valteria slotted one of the small drill heads into the device. “This thing,” Valteria said, waving the drill a little bit, “is a life saver. I used to have to drill holes with a hand cranked one. Worth every single coin I paid for it to get an enchanted one.” She turned a dial on one side of the handheld device, which Xander was coming to think of as a magic dremel tool, and it began to come to life, the drill bit beginning to spin with a quiet whirring sound.
“Neat.” Xander commented. He watched patiently as Valteria drilled a series of shallow holes in the stone, the distinct screeching of metal on stone echoing through the shop floor. “So where’s Jarrett today?” He asked.
“Oh, he has the day off today. He asked for it about a week ago, not sure what for, though,” Valteria said distractedly. Soon she was finished with the holes she was drilling into the core, and moved to another workbench. “Now we create a setting for the core. This is a fairly simple way of doing it, mind you, but it is effective.”
Xander watched as she took sections of pre-braided silver wire and fitted the ends into the holes she had drilled. Once each hole was filled with a section of wire, Valteria began to pull wire from a spool, wrapping the stone until it was completely covered with silver wire and binding the braided sections to the stone in the process. “There,” she said, setting the stone down on the workbench. “A perfectly serviceable setting."
“So, if I understand correctly, you coat the core in a mana conductive material – the more surface area, the better, hence the holes – to create a setting?”
“Mmhmm,” Valteria said, nodding.
“Seems fairly straighforward. And then you connect the silver wiring that’s wrapped around it to more wiring, and attach that to your device? Why the distance? Why not just connect the setting directly to the device?”
“You absolutely can, if space isn’t an issue. Technically, the connection between the mana battery and the device, even if it’s just a single point with no distance, is still referred to as a conduit, though, so it’s considered a three part creation.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Do you want to try making your own, now? I don’t mind lending you a little wire.”
“Sure, but I should be good on material, I can produce it with my skills. Doesn’t last without a source of mana, but I guess the core itself might provide enough. Think this little chip is a bit small to put holes in, though.”
Xander looked at the small piece of crystal in his hand. If he just need as much contact as possible with a mana conductive material, his best bet would be to embed it into a sapphire or ruby. He decided on ruby, for no particular reason. Still holding the chip of core in his hand, he concentrated on his [Creation] ability. Valteria watched, amazed, as a ruby began to take form and grow around the piece of core until it was completely coated in a thin layer of gemstone.
“So, you can just... make things?” Valteria asked, sounding jealous.
“Well, it costs mana, and anything I make that isn’t provided a source of mana that leaves my person disintegrates in a day, but, yes. I can just make things with my skills. But,” he added, cutting off Valteria’s complaint of unfairness, “I have never received a skill that actually lets me improve a material. Sure, I have runes, which generally makes up the difference, but I don’t have any skills that improve the things I make. So, if you made a mana battery, and I made a mana battery the same way with identical materials, yours is going to be better, I assume, because you have skills that passively improve the things that you make, am I right?”
“Okayyy,” Valteria huffed. “I guess that does make it a little less unfair. But ugh! It would be so nice not having to source materials.” She looked at the ruby with a piece of core set inside it that Xander had made. “Well, I guess that about does it for making a setting... I thought it might have taken you longer to make one. I guess we can move on to fixing my armor even sooner! It’ll be nice to have it up and moving again.”
“Sure, sure, we can do that. Where is it, anyway?” Xander asked, looking around the shop again like he somehow would have missed the eight foot tall suit of armor.
“It’s in a shed behind the house,” Valteria explained. “I have it on a hoist so I can work on it.”
“Ah, that would explain why I haven’t seen it around.”
Exiting the shop, stopping for Valteria to put a small ‘closed’ sign on the door, the two of them made their way around the building, where Xander saw the small shed that presumably held Valteria’s armor. It looked like it could just barely hold the armor and one person – two, if they were comfortable with each other – inside it.
“So this is where the magic happens?” Xander asked.
“If by ‘magic’ you mean maintenance and upgrades, then yes,” Valteria agreed. She opened the door of the shed, which comprised most of the front of the tiny little building, revealing her suit of armor, which was currently hanging from several chains attached to pulleys on the ceiling. Plates of armor were laying strewn about the suite, leaving the joints and inner workings more exposed.
Xander whistled, looking at the inner workings of the suit. He could see gears, cogs, and joints, and throughout the entirety of the armor were running filaments of silver wire, which he assumed were mana conduits running to and from elemental cores and the various mana powered aspects of the suit. “This thing really is impressive. Almost as impressive as the woman who made it,” he said.
Valteria giggled, “Stop it! You’re supposed to be fixing this mess, not flirting with me!”
“Awh, can’t I do both?” Xander asked, trying to sound as saccharine as possible.
“Mmm, I suppose that if you are sufficiently skilled at multitasking, I might allow it,” Valteria said in a mockingly thoughtful tone.
“Well, I just so happen to be an expert, so flirt away I shall,” Xander replied. “Now, how about the beauty in front of me shows me exactly where the other beauty in front of me needs some repairs?”
Valteria sighed at Xander’s antics, but he could see the slight flush in her face. “Well, you welded the wrist joints, elbows, and knees. They aren’t welded all the way round, it’s more like you smoothed over a portion of it like it was wet clay. So if you could just... put it back? Shape it back to how it was, that’s should be all that’s needed.”
“Pretty straightforward,” Xander said, standing behind Valteria as she pointed out each joint. He could see the misshapen parts where he’d slapped a weld onto the metal. He leaned over her and put his hands on the elbow joint that they were closest to and began to shape the metal back to its original form.
“You’re... very close,” Valteria murmured to him as he formed the metal.
“Would you like me not to be?” He asked, carefully.
Valteria was silent for a moment before answering, “No...” quietly.
Xander carefully shifted to be a little closer, but still not quite touching, as he moved on to the wrist joint of the same arm. The process itself was simple, but he was enjoying taking his time. As he finished the wrist, he turned to look at Valteria. He found himself looking right into her eyes, as she was staring back at him. Unable to resist the temptation he leaned in a little closer, gauging Valteria’s reaction. When she, too, leaned towards him, he closed the small gap between them, drawing her into another kiss. Valteria pressed herself against him, the shed hiding them from any prying eyes on the street, and let out a small noise as Xander squeezed her tight. She was breathing a little bit harder than before the kiss as they separated again.
Valteria let out a breath. “You’re… a really good kisser.”
“Yeah?” Xander said, pleased with himself. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“And you’re a tease, looming over me like that in this tiny little shed,” Valteria continued. “Now you’ve got me all flustered, how am I supposed to work now?” She mock complained.
Xander was glad to see that Valteria was comfortable enough with him to joke like that. “Forgive me,” he said formally, making a deep bow, “How ever can I make it up to the lady?”
“Oh stop it, I will tolerate no bowing and scraping, even in jest,” Valteria said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder, as he was still holding the bow. “You can make it up to me by fixing the rest of these joints! And by taking me out to dinner?” She added, hopefully.
“I think that can be arranged,” Xander said. “Is there anywhere you have in mind? I will admit, I haven’t become very familiar with the local restaurant scene, what with my… dietary restrictions.”
“It doesn’t… make you feel bad to go out to a restaurant, does it?” Valteria asked softly, watching his face for a reaction.
“Nah, don’t worry,” Xander said, waving off the question with one hand. “It doesn’t bother me too much. Sure, I miss the taste of a good cut of steak, but I was never that into food. Eating was more of a thing I did because I had to, so I’m not completely devastated by the loss. And I can still get some vicarious enjoyment out of watching someone else enjoy their food. Really the worst part is awkwardly having to refuse ordering anything,” he said with a laugh.
“Alright, if you say so,” Valteria said, letting out a slight breath of relief. “I was just worried that it might be upsetting to you, is all. I know I would miss eating.” She paused for a moment, something clearly on her mind. “What do you miss? If you don’t mind my asking. I just… well, I’m curious what it’s like for you.”
“Mmm, in a lot of ways, life is still the same, and in other ways, I’m technically doing better than I was before. I’m incredibly resistant to damage now, even without my armor. I do miss sleeping, though. I try to give my mind a rest and just sort of daydream and let my thoughts wander or do some meditation during the nights, but it’s just not the same. Also means I’m the one that pulls guard duty through the night,” he grumbled. “Let’s see, what else, what else. Ah, right. I can’t smell anything. Or taste. I haven’t worked out how to recreate those senses, yet. Though no sense of smell can be handy sometimes, I suppose. I don’t know if you’ve done much merc work – you mentioned being surprised that I’m not just moonlighting – but uh… the smells that you encounter on a battlefield are… unpleasant. To say the least. It was weird not having a sense of touch either, but I’ve resolved that. It’s a little bit different than my previous, natural sense of touch, but I’ve become accustomed to it to the point that I don’t much think about the difference anymore. I think I’ve even got the density of receptors down in certain areas compared to others, so I'm more sensitive in some areas than others now, just like I used to be. I’m still immune to being tickled though, so don’t even think about it – that’s a fight you’ll lose.” Growing a bit more somber, Xander continued on. “I think… the biggest thing I miss is just the feeling that I fit in more. Now I always worry about being different, there’s that nagging fear that anyone I get to know well is going to reject me once they find out what I am. Like I’m secretly lying to everyone around me with this façade I have going on.”
Valteria nodded sadly. “I get that. I’ve been… rejected before, too. At least it happens or not right from the beginning for me. I get to know if they look down on me for being different immediately instead of fearing they might later down the road.”
“Yeah,” Xander said. “People can really suck sometimes. But at least I can just, like, not tell people what I am if I so chose. You, my teammates, and the guild, since it’s on my status sheet, are really the only people who know. I keep it pretty private. You can’t do that, so I think you probably have to deal with a lot worse than I do. Not that I’d want you to hide what or who you are,” he added. “I happen to be quite enamored with who you are,” he said, teasing a smile from Valteria’s sad face.
“Sorry to bring up such a dour topic,” Valteria apologized. “I didn’t think much on it before I asked.”
“No worries,” Xander told her. “Honestly, I think it’s good to be able to talk about it with someone. It’s healthy to be able to get you feelings out there. And it helps that I feel like you understand where I’m coming from with it, though from a slightly different perspective.”
“You’re surprisingly thoughtful sometimes,” Valteria said, only half teasing.
“Only sometimes?” Xander asked with a faux expression of hurt on his face. “By the way, you didn’t react much to my comment about moonlighting as a merc. Do you ever go on contracts?”
Valteria shrugged. “I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as a professional mercenary. Moonlighter is an apt descriptor, for me, I think. I have gone on a couple, here and there, mostly on kill contracts that would net me a core or organ that would be useful for my work.”
“Mm, that makes sense. I suppose it could be handy having access to the ability to take contracts that would give you access to specialty materials,” Xander said.
“It’s also good for business,” Valteria explained. “Mercs tend to like to buy from someone who has at least been out on a contract or two before.”
“Ah, that makes sense. What kind of things do you sell to mercenaries, anyways? I saw Jarrett with a crossbow yesterday, but I imagine you make other things, too.”
“Oh all kinds of little things. Portable, flameless heaters for cooking. Water purification sieves. Mm, let’s see… I’ve made a few custom order devices, too. One customer wanted to be able to shoot a jet of flame from their gauntlet, that was a fun one.”
“Ooh, that does sound fun… reminds me of my flamethrower.”
“Your flamethrower?”
“Yeah, it’s basically a big tank with a hose attached to it. At the end of the hose is a pump that causes the flammable liquid – I use dragon’s tar – to shoot out. Add a flame that the tar passes over and bam! You’ve got a giant stream of flame that will coat anything it hits with sticky, flammable tar,” Xander said, excitedly describing the device.
“That’s… impressive. And kind of horrifying,” Valteria responded.
“Mm… I guess you’re right. I mostly use it on giant spiders. Blugh,” Xander shuddered. “But yeah, I suppose it’s not the nicest of ways to go. Very effective for area denial, though. Ah, actually I have an idea for crossbow bolt head that would ignite when it shatters! We should make that sometime and see if it sells.”
“Hmm, I think that would draw some buyers. A flaming bolt head you didn’t have to light first could be desirable to certain buyers.”
“Put that on the list and we’ll get around to it sometime.”
“We have a list?” Valteria said confusedly.
“We should!” Xander said with a laugh. “Now let’s get the rest of these joints done.”
The repair of the other arm and the leg joints that Xander had locked into position during the tournament was a short affair. Looking over the bare metal frame of the armor still hanging from the ceiling, Xander clapped his hands together, mimicking dusting them off. “Good as new!” He exclaimed. Looking over to Valteria he asked concernedly, “It is good as new, right?”
Valteria had been staring at the armor as well, lost in thought about how she was going to improve it next. “Hmm? Oh, yes. It’s right as rain again, ready for use. Thank you, by the way. For fixing it,” She said awkwardly.
“Well I’m the one who broke it, so it’s only fair that I fix it. So what do you want to work on next?” Xander asked. “I could do some rune work for you. Orrr… we could kiss some more?”
Valteria flushed at the question, but didn’t immediately say no.
A few minutes later, she found herself on her tip toes and lightly pressed against the interior wall of the shed, her lips pressed against Xanders.
Once the two of them were done acting like teenagers parked in a secluded parking lot, they made their way back into the shop. Stepping inside and closing the door behind them, Valteria let out a breath. “I think… you are going to have to do a lot of rune work to make up for how much you just kissed me, Xander.”
“What, you didn’t like it?” He said with a raised eyebrow.
“I didn’t say that,” Valteria said with a smirk.

This is the second half of my list for Oklahoma's execution roster. As mentioned in the first part, I broke it in half to comply with reddit's character limitations. For the link to part 1, please click here.
The currently executed 124 offenders, cases 63-124:
63. Robert Knighton (~1960s-2003, lethal injection): In 1973, after being released from a 1968 armed robbery conviction, Knighton went on his first major crime spree. He stabbed and strangled several men and women during many robberies and home invasions. The only victim that was killed, 32 year old Coffier Day, was shot dead while Knighton was arguing with him in his home. Coffier's father, 53 year old Claude, was also injured in the shooting. Knighton's first crime spree ended when he kidnapped a married couple and their 6 year old daughter. They escaped when the wife and mother of the family attacked Knighton with a knife to protect her husband and daughter. The family then notified the police of their abduction. Knighton managed to secure a 30 year manslaughter conviction and a 10 year armed robbery conviction with a plea deal, and was released to a halfway house in 1989. There, he began dating a female addict and befriended a teenage boy. The trio embarked on a nationwide robbery spree together. In Missouri, they shot and killed 59 year old Frank Merrifield and his 40 year old stepson Roy Donahue while robbing their home, and stole guns and money from them. In Oklahoma, the trio fatally shot a couple, 64 year old Virginia and 62 year old Richard Denney, while carjacking them. Their rampage ended when a woman in Texas grow suspicious of them circling a neighborhood. Knighton had a long history of theft convictions dating back to his childhood, and joined the Aryan Brotherhood in prison. Behind bars, he frequently attacked black and Native American inmates out of racial hatred for them.
64. Kenneth Charm (1993-2003, lethal injection): Charm and his teenage cousin lured a family friend, 14 year old Brandy Hill, into their car. They raped Hill and tried strangling her with a towel. When that failed, the cousins bludgeoned her to death with a sledgehammer.
65. Lewis Gilbert II (1994-2003, lethal injection): Gilbert and his teenage accomplice committed at least 4 robbery murders in Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma, but he was executed for the killing of 37 year old Roxanne Ruddell. They ambushed and kidnapped Ruddell while she was fishing alone. She was robbed of $3 and her truck, tied to a tree, and shot to death. The pair also fatally shot Ruth Loader, a 79 year old Ohioan woman, while abducting her from her residence, and gunned down a Missouri couple, 86 year old William and 76 year old Flossie Brewer, in their home. Gilbert was also sentenced to death for the Brewer murders by the state of Missouri, but was incarcerated in Oklahoma State Penitentiary’s death row.
66. Robert Duckett (~1980s-2003, lethal injection): After breaking out of prison, Duckett was picked up hitchhiking by John Howard, a 53 year old store owner. Howard agreed to let Duckett stay with him until he could find a job. The pair soon had a failing out, and Duckett was evicted by his host. He retaliated by tying Howard up with wire and then beating him to death with a fireplace poker. Duckett made off with his car after he switched the license plates, and took several bank bags from his store. He had a long violent criminal history, which included several incidents of assault and robbery. One of the incidents involved the beating of an 83 year old man. Allegedly, Duckett was previously gang-raped by other inmates, and suffered from PTSD from the incident. His attorneys claimed that Howard’s sexual advances trigged those memories, and he was killed as a result of Duckett lashing out at them. However, the prosecution shot the argument down, citing that the murder happened after Duckett was evicted from the apartment.
67. Bryan Toles (1993-2003, lethal injection): Toles and his two accomplices forced themselves into the home of the Franceschi family, and shot and killed the family patriarch, 39 year old Juan, in a struggle. Juan's son, 15 year old Lonnie, was also murdered "execution style" out of fear that he could identify Toles and his accomplices. The only survivor of the attack was Norma, Juan's wife and Lonnie's mother, who escaped by hiding in her older daughter's bedroom.
68. Jackie Willingham (1994-2003, lethal injection): Willingham was a door to door salesman selling perfume in an office building. One women, 62 year old Jayne Van Wey, he tried to solicit rejected him despite his repeated offers. Angered by her "rude behavior", Willingham attacked Van Wey when they had a chance encounter near the building's restroom. He dragged Van Wey out of a stall after following her inside, slammed her head against the bathroom wall several times, and kicked her head. Reportedly, Van Wey choked to death on her own blood.
69. Harold McElmurry III (1999-2003, lethal injection): While under the influence of meth, McElmurry and his wife Vicki broke into a home that a WW2 veteran, 80 year old Robert Pendley, shared with his wife, 75 year old Rosa. Robert and Rosa were both quickly subdued and physically restrained by the couple. McElmurry clubbed Robert to death with a pipe in front of Rosa, who was forced to watch by Vicki. Vicki then held Rosa down as McElmurry stabbed her several times with scissors. After killing the Pendleys, the McElmurrys fled with $70 in cash, a pair of guns, and the victims' car. A few days after the murders, they were captured by border agents while trying to cross into Mexico.
70. Tyrone Darks (~1990s-2004, lethal injection): Darks rammed his ex wife, 26 year old Sherry Goodlow, off the road as she was driving with their 2 year old son. After Goodlow crashed, Darks pulled their son out of the wreckage, shot her to death, and then drove away with him. Just before she succumbed to her injuries, Goodlow managed to call and notify the police about her son’s abduction. The police confronted and arrested Darks at his home, and they found the boy unharmed in their search. Darks and Goodlow’s former marriage was marred with violence, and he was arrested on numerous occasions for assaulting her. On death row, Darks was involved in a scheme to defraud a foundation for 9/11 survivors.
71. Norman Cleary (~1980s-2004, lethal injection): While burglarizing an upper class home with an accomplice, Cleary shot and killed a housekeeper, 44 year old Wanda Neafus, and took her purse and a cane that her employers purchased from the Smithsonian Institution. Cleary had a long criminal history and was previously convicted of beating an 87 year old woman in her home.
72. David Brown (~1983-2004, lethal injection): For several years, Brown violently harassed his ex wife and her family. In one incident, Brown abducted his ex wife and 11 of her customers from a beauty saloon she owned, and held them hostage until he surrendered to police. He was able to leave custody on bond and went into hiding. A few years after the hostage crisis incident, Brown broke into his ex wife's family home and gunned down her father, 47 year old Eldon McGuire.
73. Hung Thanh Le (1992-2004, lethal injection): Le crept into the apartment of another Vietnamese refugee, 34 year old Hai Nguyen, and found him watching TV on the couch. He struck Nguyen from behind with a weightlifting bar, and continued stabbing him with a meat cleaver when he screamed his wife for help. Nguyen's wife phoned the police, and Le fled with the couple's safety deposit box that contained $36,000 and their wedding ring.
74. Robert Bryan (1993-2004, lethal injection): Bryan shot and killed his estranged aunt, 69 year old Mildred, dumped her body on his parents' property, and forged a $1,800 check to himself under her name.
75. Windel Workman (~1980s(?)-2004, lethal injection): Workman beat his girlfriend's daughter, 2 year old Amanda Holman, to death while babysitting her in their home. His ex wives reported that he had a history of child abuse and often violently spanked their children during their marriages.
76. Jimmie Slaughter (1991-2005, lethal injection): Fearing that she was going to tell his wife of their affair, Slaughter stabbed and shot his ex girlfriend, 29 year old Melody Wuertz, and their daughter, 1 year old Jessica. According to court documents, Slaughter mutilated both of their bodies, and he carved an "R" on Melody's stomach. He tried pinning the murders on a black man, but the investigators and the courts dismissed his allegations.
77. George Miller Jr. (1994-2005, lethal injection): During the robbery of a hotel, Miller attacked the auditor, 25 year old Kent Dodd, with a hedge shear and paint cans, and took $122 from the register. Dodd was severely beaten, had muriatic acid shoved down his throat, and was left to die. Just before he died of his injuries, Dodd gave a description of his attacker to the police that matched Miller. A massive amount of circumstantial evidence, such as wearing shoes that resembled the bloodstained footprints next to Dodd's body, a microscopic drop of blood found on his shoes that was tentatively linked to Dodd, his wife's testimony of his unaccounted absence from their home during the murder, and what appeared to be Dodd writing Miller's alias that he knew him by in his own blood, convicted him. Miller’s friends also reported that he was broke and begging them for money a day before the murder, and his wife mentioned him giving her the same amount of money that was stolen from the robbery a day after it happened.
78. Michael Pennington (1991-2005, lethal injection): Pennington shot and killed a clerk, 20 year old Bradley Grooms, while trying to rob a 7-eleven grocery store. He left empty handed when the register failed to open.
79. Kenneth Turrentine (1994-2005, lethal injection): Under the belief that they were stealing money from him for drugs, Turrentine shot and killed his sister, 48 year old Avon Stevenson, and his girlfriend, 39 year old Anita Richardson, during confrontations in their homes. He also gunned down Anita's two children, 22 year old Tina Pennington and 13 year old Martise.
80. Richard Thornburg Jr. (1996-2006, lethal injection): A month after he was shot by an unknown assailant, Thornburg and his accomplices sought revenge by abducting 5 men that he thought was responsible from a trailer. Three of the hostages, 51 year old James Poteet, 39 year old Tery Sheppard, and 24 year old Kieth Smith, were gunned down on the spot, and Thornberg forced the fourth to shoot the fifth with the threat of killing him if he didn’t comply. They then burned down the trailer with the wounded fifth victim still trapped inside, but he managed to escape with his life. Despite being forced to put all the blame on himself in exchange for being spared, the fourth hostage still went forward to the police.
81. John Boltz (1984-2006, lethal injection): To spite his estranged wife following an argument, Boltz attacked her son, 23 year old Doug Kirby, with a knife. Kirby was stabbed a total of 11 times, and he received several fatal wounds to his chest, stomach, and neck.
82. Eric Patton (1994-2006, lethal injection): Patton forced his way into the home of 56 year old Charlene Kauer after she refused his pleading for money. After dragging her around the house as he searched for valuables, Patton stabbed Kauer several times with many different blades objects at hand such as scissors, barbecue forks, and kitchen knifes. Although he confessed to the murder, Patton blamed it on alleged demonic possession and his cocaine addiction.
83. James Malicoat (1997-2006, lethal injection): Malicoat slammed Tessa Leadford, his 13 month old daughter, against a dresser. After she died from the beating, he tucked her into bed, and waited until his daughter's mother returned from work to take her to the hospital. The doctors found that Leadford had been dead for several hours at the time of her arrival, and discovered several injuries such as broken ribs, bite marks, abdominal bleeding, and facial bruising on her body. By his own account, he had abused Leadford on a daily basis. For her role in enabling her boyfriend's treatment of their daughter, Leadford's mother was convicted of first degree murder and given a life sentence.
84. Corey Hamilton (1992-2007, lethal injection): During the robbery of a restaurant, Hamilton shot and killed 4 employees, 26 year old Sandy Lara, 24 year old Stephen Williams, 19 year old Ted Kindley, and 17 year old Joseph Gooch, and made off with $2,000.
85. Jimmy Bland (~1975-2007, lethal injection): Bland shot his boss, 62 year old Doyle Rains, in the head over an argument regarding a borrowed car and dumped the body in a creek. He was previously convicted of killing a soldier, Raymond Prentice (age unknown), and abducting the man's wife and son at the age of 19. Bland served a 20 out of 60 year sentence, and murdered Rains a year after he was released.
86. Frank Welch (~1987-2008, lethal injection): In 1987, Welch attacked 28 year old Jo Cooper, who was 4 months pregnant with her second child, in her home. She was tied up with leather straps, raped and violated with plastic toys, and strangled to death. Cooper’s body was found laying near her infant son by her husband. Another woman, 32 year old Debra Stevens, was also bound, raped, and strangled to death in her home in a near identical fashion a few months later. Although both murders went unsolved for several years, Welch abducted and raped a woman in 1994, and he received a 45 year sentence for it. His DNA samples was collected and filed after his abduction conviction, and linked to both Cooper and Stevens’ murders in a 1997 test.
87. Terry Short (1995-2008, lethal injection): In an attempt to kill his ex girlfriend, Short blew up her apartment complex with a firebomb. She and her family managed to escape, but the blast killed Ken Yamamoto, a 22 year old Japanese exchange student. Yamamoto had no connections to the targeted ex girlfriend's family beyond him having the misfortune of residing in the same apartment.
88. Jessie Cummings Jr. (1991-2009, lethal injection): Cummings was a polygamist that had married and lived with two wives. Under his orders, Cummings’ wives shot and killed his estranged half sister, 46 year old Judy Mayo, and kidnapped her daughter, 11 year old Melissa. He bound his niece to his bed with handcuffs to be raped, and stabbed her to death.
89. Darwin Brown (1995-2009, lethal injection): While robbing a grocery store with three accomplices (including Billy Alverson and Michael Wilson), Brown tied up the clerk, 30 year old Richard Yost, with handcuffs, and then bludgeoned him death with a metal baseball bat. The killing was caught by security cameras, and the footage was used by the prosecution to secure the convictions of Brown and his accomplices.
90. Donald Gilson (1995-2009, lethal injection): Gilson routinely physically abused his live in girlfriend's 5 children (who were all between the ages of 8 and 12 years old). The youngest, 8 year old Shane Coffman, was beaten to death with a board for defecating on the living room carpet. He and his girlfriend then hid the body by stuffing it in a freezer. The body was kept inside it for 6 months until it was discovered by a sheriff's deputy investigating the family's abuse allegations. Gilson's girlfriend was spared the death penalty with a plea deal, and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for her part in her son's abuse and murder.
91. Michael DeLozier (1995-2009, lethal injection): While camping with his friends, DeLozier ambushed another pair of campers, 60 year old Orville Bullard and 54 year old Paul Morgan, and shot them to death. They stole Morgan and Bullard's generator, pick up truck, and other camping gear. To cover up their tracks, DeLozier and his friends set their victims' campsite on fire, and severely burned the bodies.
92. Julius Young (1993-2010, lethal injection): For breaking off their relationship, Young beat his ex girlfriend, 20 year old Joyland Morgan and her 6 year old son Kewan, to death with a baseball bat in their apartment.
93. Donald Wackerly II (1996-2010, lethal injection): Wackerly and his wife ambushed and gunned down Pan Sayakhoummane, a 51 year old Laotian immigrant, while he was fishing in the Arkansas River. After he placed Sayakhoummane's body in the man’s own truck, he pushed into a river, and stole his fishing gear. A few months after the murder, Wackerly’s wife turned him in to the police.
94. John Duty (~1970s-2010, lethal injection): Duty was given a life sentence for abducting, raping, and non fatally shooting a female store clerk during a robbery. While incarcerated, he tricked a fellow inmate, 22 year old Curtis Wise Jr. into allowing himself to be tied up as a part of a hostage ruse, and then strangled him to death with shoelaces. At the time of his murder, Wise was serving a conviction for burglary and contributing to the delinquency of minors. Duty's execution caused some controversy for the use of pentobarbital, a drug more commonly utilized by veterinarians to euthanize pets.
95. Billy Alverson (1995-2011, lethal injection): Alverson assisted the above mentioned Darwin Brown and Micheal Wilson in the beating death of Richard Yost while robbing a convenience store.
96. Jeffrey Matthews (1994-2011, lethal injection): Matthews and his accomplice shot and killed his great uncle, 77 year old Otis Short, while robbing the man's home. In the robbery, they stole Short's truck, his .32 calibre pistol, and $500. The pair also slit the throat of Short's wife, but she survived her injuries.
97. Gary Welch (~1993-2011, lethal injection): During a fight over a drug shipment, Welch and his partner stabbed another dealer, 32 year old Robert Hardcastle, to death with broken glass bottles. He was previously convicted of battery with a deadly weapon, and was off on probation at the time of Hardcastle's murder.
98. Timothy Stemple (1996-2012, lethal injection): Stemple conspired with his girlfriend to murder his wife, 30 year old Trisha, for her life insurance policy. With the help of his girlfriend's 16 year old nephew or cousin [sources vary], Stemple beat Trisha with a baseball bat, and rammed her to death with his truck.
99. Michael Selsor (~1975-2012, lethal injection): Selsor and his accomplice went on a crime spree and robbed several convenience stores. During their robberies, the pair shot and killed two clerks, 55 year old Clayton Chandler and 20 year old Ina Morris, and injured two others in shooting and stabbing attacks.
100. Michael Hooper (~1992-2012, lethal injection): Hooper kidnapped his ex girlfriend, 23 year old Cynthia Jarman, and her children, 5 year old Timothy and 3 year old Tonya, from her boyfriend's residence. He shot all three of them dead, and buried the bodies in a rancher's field. According to court documents, Hooper was hyper-violent towards Cynthia in their year long relationship.
101. Garry Allen (1986-2012, lethal injection): Allen shot and killed his fiancee, 24 year old Lawanna Titsworth, during an argument at a day care she worked at. He fought with the responding officers trying to arrest him in an attempt to provoke a "suicide by cop" outcome. Despite the officers' best efforts to avoid harming him, Allen lost his eye from an accidental discharge. Due to claims of him having schizophrenia, Allen's execution was a source of controversy.
102. George Ochoa (~1993-2012, lethal injection): A Southside Locos gang member, Ochoa and another hoodlum shot and killed a couple, 38 year old Francisco Morales and 35 year old Maria Yanez, while burglarizing their home. The murders were witnessed by the couple's 14 year old and 10 year old children and stepchildren, who then phoned the police after the shooters' departure.
103. Steven Thacker (~1980s-2012, lethal injection): Thacker kidnapped 25 year old Laci Hill during a botched robbery of her home, and took her to a remote cabin to be raped. She was then strangled and stabbed to death. He fled to Missouri, fatally stabbed 24 year old Forrest Boyd while carjacking him, and used his car to hide out in Tennessee. After the stolen car broke down, Thacker called a tow truck to pick him up. When the driver, 52 year old Ray Patterson, found that he was using a stolen credit card, Thacker stabbed him to death as well. As a teenager, Thacker committed several acts of auto thefts and burglaries. He also engaged in inappropriate relationships with underaged girls, and was released from a Florida prison after serving time for a bad check conviction months before his murders.
104. James DeRosa (2000-2013, lethal injection): DeRosa and his accomplice tricked a couple, 73 year old Curtis and 70 year old Gloria Plummer, that he worked for on their ranch, into letting them inside their house. After they stabbed the Plummers and slit their throats, DeRosa and his accomplice stole $73 and drove away with their truck.
105. Brian Davis (2001-2013, lethal injection): Davis went searching for his girlfriend and their daughter when he found them missing from their home, and called his girlfriend's mother, 56 year old Josephine Sanford, about their whereabouts. Sanford dropped by the couple's residence after failing to find her daughter and granddaughter. At her arrival, she was raped, beaten, and stabbed to death by Davis. He then left the body in the house, drove off with Sanford’s van, and injured himself in a car accident. As Davis was high while driving, he was arrested for being under the influence. The detaining officers weren’t aware of the murder until Davis’ girlfriend returned to the home later that night, and called 911 after finding her mother’s corpse.
106. Anthony Banks (~1978-2013, lethal injection): In 1978, while robbing a grocery store, Banks shot and killed a clerk, 22 year old David Fremin. A year later, he abducted Sun Travis, a 24 year old South Korean immigrant, from a parking lot. He then sexually assaulted Travis in his car and shot her in the head. Although he was captured and convicted for Fremin's murder, Travis' killing went unsolved until a 1997 DNA test. Banks was originally sentenced to death for Fremin's murder, but it was lifted in favor of a life sentence. He was condemned for a second time after his conviction for Travis' murder.
107. Ronald Lott (~1980s-2013, lethal injection): A sexual predator of elderly women, Lott broke into the homes of 93 year old Zelma Cutler and 83 year old Anna Fowler after cutting off their power. They were tied up with cloth, anally penetrated, beaten, and suffocated to death with pillowcases. The case attracted controversy when another man was erroneously condemned for the murders, and he spent 11 years on death row until a 1997 DNA test linked the murders to Lott. At the time of the discovery, Lott was serving time for two rape convictions.
108. Johnny Black (~1984-2013, lethal injection): Black, two of his brothers, and two other men went looking for a man they feuded with for a fight. While they were crusing on the road, the group encountered a rancher, 54 year old Bill Pogue, and mistook him for their target due to them driving similar vehicles. They forced Poque off the road, pulled him out of his car, and stabbed him a total of 10 times. Pogue's son in law was also dragged out and attacked, but he managed to escape with his life. Black was previously convicted of manslaughter for shooting 49 year old Cecil Martin dead in an argument.
109. Michael Wilson (1995-2014, lethal injection): Wilson was the third participant in the above mentioned beating death of Richard Yost to be executed.
110. Kenneth Hogan (1988-2014, lethal injection): Hogan stabbed 21 year old Lisa Stanley to death while she was babysitting his children. According to autopsy reports, she was stabbed at least 25 times. Stanley had previously accused him of sexual misconduct, and prosecutors believed that she was killed during an argument over the allegations.
111. Clayton Lockett (~1992-2014, lethal injection): Lockett, his cousin, and another accomplice kidnapped 23 year old Bobby Bornt, 18 year old Summer Hair, and Bornt's 9 month son after burglarizing a home. After tying them up with duct tape, they forced their captives to lure a friend, 19 year old Stephanie Neiman, with a phone call. Neiman was also bound and initially survived getting shot multiple times. Out of frustration, Lockett buried her alive, and she succumbed to a combination of suffocation and her injuries. Lockett and his accomplices also gang-raped Hair and beat Bornt, but spared them on the forced condition of their silence. His execution was controversial, as Lockett convulsed for 45 minutes after being injected, and then died from a heart attack. He also had a long criminal history, and was first arrested for burglary as a teenager.
112. Charles Warner (1997-2015, lethal injection): Warner raped his girlfriend's daughter, 11 month old Adriana Waller, and shook her to death. His execution sparked outcry, as the wrong fatal drug was administered by mistake, and Warner complained of "burning pain" as he was being injected. With the botched executions of Lockett and Warner back to back, the state of Oklahoma delayed further executions until 2021.
113. John Grant (~1970s-2021, lethal injection): While serving a 130 year sentence for armed robbery, Grant stabbed a prison cafeteria worker, 58 year old Gay Carter, to death. He had a long criminal history dating back to the age of 11, had several previous convictions of theft and armed robbery, and frequently fought with and assaulted other inmates behind bars. Due to reports of "adverse reactions" to the lethal drugs, Grant's execution was scrutinized by a number of national media outlets.
114. Bigler Stouffer II (1985-2021, lethal injection): Stouffer shot and killed his ex girlfriend, 35 year old Linda Reaves, in her boyfriend's home for breaking up with him. Reaves' boyfriend was also seriously injured in the shooting.
115. Donald Grant (2001-2022, lethal injection): During a robbery of a hotel, Grant fatally shot, stabbed, and bludgeoned two employees, 43 year old Felicia Smith and 29 year old Brenda McElyea, and ran off with $1,500. He spent $200 of the stolen on paying for his girlfriend's bail.
116. Gilbert Postelle (~1998-2022, lethal injection): Postelle’s father was badly injured in a motorcycle accident, and they suspected that 57 year old James Anderson, 56 year old Terry Smith, 49 year old Donnie Swindler, and 26 year old Amy Wright were deliberately involved. Out a desire for vengeance, he recruited Postelle, his other son, and another man to kill them. All four victims were fatally gunned down in what was described as a “blitz attack” on their trailer. He was an addict and had several arrests for drug possession and manufacturing dating back to the age of 12.
117. James Coddington (1997-2022, lethal injection): After robbing a grocery store, Coddington went to the home of a friend and co worker, 73 year old Albert Hale, to ask for money. When Hale turned him down, Coddington retaliated by beating him with a claw hammer. Coddington stole $525 and went on to rob 5 more grocery stores. Hale was left alone with his injures for nearly an entire day until he was discovered by his son, and died in the hospital a day later.
118. Benjamin Cole Sr. (2002-2022, lethal injection): Out of anger that her crying interrupted his Nintendo game, Cole beat his daughter from his second wife, 9 month old Brianna, to death. He was previously convicted of abusing his son from a different marriage in California.
119. Richard Fairchild (1996-2023, lethal injection): Fairchild got into a fight with his girlfriend’s 17 year old daughter after making drunken sexual passes at her, and was enraged that she left with a cab driver. He took his anger out on the girl’s younger brother, 3 year old Adam Broomhall, and scalded him with a wall heater. He then repeatedly hit the boy, threw him against a table, and fatally hemorrhaged his head. Bromhall received over 26 blows during the beating.
120. Scott Eizember (2003-2023, lethal injection): Eizember snuck into his ex girlfriend's house to lie in wait for her. However, her roommates, 76 year old A.J. Cantrell and his 70 year old wife Patsy, arrived home earlier then she did. He shot and beat them both to death and then fled the scene.
121. Jemaine Cannon (1995-2023, lethal injection): Cannon was put in prison for assaulting an unidentified woman. He managed to escape and stabbed his girlfriend, 20 year old Sharonda Clark, to death in her apartment.
122. Anthony Sanchez (1996-2023, lethal injection): Sanchez kidnapped 21 year old Jewell Busken from her apartment complex, and then raped and shot her to death. He amassed a following from the anti death penalty movement for claiming that his father was responsible, but such notions were debunked following a 2023 DNA test that concluded Sanchez’s guilt.
123. Phillip Hancock (~1982-2023, lethal injection): In 1982, Hancock shot a drug dealer, 27 year old Charles Warren, dead in a dispute over stolen jewelry and was given a manslaughter conviction for it. He was released after serving a 2 year term. About 17 years later, he shot and killed 58 year old James Lynch III and 37 year old Robert Jett Jr. in a drug house. Despite an eyewitness account describing Lynch and Jett begging for their lives, the case attracted scrutiny when Hancock's attorneys claimed that the shootings were done in self defense.
124. Michael Smith (~2002-2024, lethal injection): A member of the Oak Grove Posse gang, Smith was responsible for two separate fatal shootings on the same day. In one of his murders, he killed Sharath Pulluru, a 24 year old Indian immigrant that worked as a clerk, while robbing a gas station. The other murder occurred when he tried to confront a gang member that he thought was a police informant in his apartment, and gunned down the target’s mother, 40 year old Janet Miller-Moore, when she refused to give away her son’s location. Smith was also given a life sentence for delivering a gun to a shooter that carried out another gang killing.

With Mother’s Day being such a busy day at restaurants, this year my brother and I decided to do something a little different. My mother is very content to just hang out with us for a few hours, so we thought it would be fun to take her to a local driving range and let her sit on a bench behind our bays so we she could talk to us, ask questions and pick targets for us to try to hit. She’s in her mid 70s and not the most mobile, so she loved this idea and was definitely having a great time.
Everything was going great and we were a little bit more than half way through our large buckets when I decided I should try to hit that super weird ball I found in my bucket.
When I first poured out my bucket I notice there was a ball with what looked like a nail sticking out of it, and my initial thought was that someone must have been bored and wanted to see how the ball would travel with a nail in it. I was a little hesitant to hit it, but my brother encouraged me saying he wanted to see what would happen. Just before lining up my 4iron to hit it off the mat I said “you think this is one of those shockd balls?” To which my brother replied “no, someone just put a nail in a ball.”
To set the scene a little, this driving range is next to a mini golf course and super popular ice cream stand in the Boston area, so needless to say that on a 60 degree sunny Mother’s Day, the place was packed! When we arrived, the only open bays next to each other were in the middle of a covered area which is great for bad weather and even has heaters in the winter, so naturally this is where we set up.
So I’m lining up my ball and am questioning what kind of damage this nail might do to my club, so I tell me brother I want to balance the ball on the nail so when I make contact I’ll only hit the ball. My brother didn’t like my cautious approach and told me to just hit it on the nail to see what would happen while adjusting the ball for me to have the nail positioned at the point of impact.
At this point I’m intrigued, so I set up, take my backswing, and drive right through the ball with my 4. You’ve probably already guessed it, but as soon as I made contact with the ball the thing sounded like a bomb went off, and while I was staggering away with my ears ringing, then entire range of like 60 bays went silent. Since we were under the covered area, and the bays are separated with 4’ high stalls, the sound was amplified to the max, and although my first priority was reorienting myself after the flash bang that just went off, I definitely kind of felt like a dick.
While it really seemed like my brother knew what was going to happen and was trying to set me up, he genuinely had no idea and was just as shocked (no pun intended) as everyone else. The guys in the bay next to us weren’t amused and definitely didn’t believe it wasn’t intentional when, in the aftermath, I kept saying “why would they put on of those in my bucket!?”
To add some more context, I’ve never used or seen a Shockd ball other than the IG ads for them, and this ball didn’t have a shockd logo but just looked like some old beater ball someone drove a nail through. I don’t know if it was a legit shockd ball or something more homemade, but just before swinging I remember thinking “I really hope this isn’t some sort of homemade bomb that’s gonna blown up and hurt me.” In hindsight, I probably should have let my brother hit it haha.
We finished out the rest of our balls and got some ice cream to celebrate our mom, but when I got home I was still so confused as to how that ball would end up in my bucket. After telling the story to my wife, she had the theory that one of the employees was just looking to have a little harmless fun and threw a couple of those balls in different buckets for a little excitement. When I relayed this to my brother he responded “ah yes! The classic Mother’s Day prank! A tradition as old as time!” which we both got a kick out of.
I’m inclined to believe my wife’s assumption, just because I can’t think of any other way that ball would have ended up in the bucket, except for the fact that the guy working the stand with the buckets was at least in his 50s and not some teenager.
What does golf think?

Hello! I am currently looking for a replacement on my condo which is shared with 3 other people (Male). I can really vouch for this room as the only reason I am leaving is due to medical reasons (I am on leave of absence for who knows how many terms), and if it weren’t for that, I’d definitely keep this room for its features!!. Here are the details:
CONDO 🏠 and Location 📍: Harvard Suites

• Quirino
• Just beside Quirino Station, when you get off LRT.
• Walking distance to DLSU 5 minutes more or less
• Beside Lawson Convenience Store
• Restaurant, Laundry, and Water Station already inside condo building (first floor, second level)
• Four elevators, more to be added soon
• Gym and Swimming Pool

ROOM 🛏️ :

• We are first to rent the room so expect everything to be almost brand new as its only been used for less than half a year.
• Bunk bed style
• You will have 1 bed, 1 study space, chair and desk with lights, outlets in each desk, shoes stand (2 shoes for the 4 of you), bed curtains (you have privacy on your own bed, full shut in)
• Air Conditioner
• Microwave and Big Refrigerator with Freezer
• Heater on shower
• Induction Cooker
• Cabinets on kitchen and on sink
• Closet with locks
• All of us have a key, keycard system will soon be implemented but for now we use physical keys.

FEES

• Monthly rent : 5,500
• Electricity : Around 1,000 for each person
• Internet : 425 monthly (PLDT 200 mbps)
• Water : 150 monthly

That’s about it! There are also parking slots on the front of the building, and when it can get full we are usually allowed to park somewhere along the side of the road. I go home every weekend and parking wasn’t really a problem.
Here are some photos from before we moved in for your reference:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_rybjVFvWWWLzCpq8WM4PJUWoASb2JNU?usp=sharing
Feel free to message me any questions!!

1. A house has 16 Letter 1. Wind 2. Rain 3. Sun 4. Air 5. Water 6. Fire 7. Dark 8. Divine 9. Clan 10. Master 11. Ruler 12. Jonnay (Local 1) 13. Tiffany (Local 2) 14. Nathans (Cat 1) 15. Hakes (Cat 2) 16. Davids (Master 1) 1.1 Example House David's Personal House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / y4smvo49kmuf722kfzzw2 / ABFupxIpPjKv0vmUd7rxQ9A ? rlkey = a6bhk3df580yr1at4vs1szsjl & dl = 0 1.2 Lifes System Provision ENHANCE 1.3 Chunks Bar Grill Simalcrafood 1.4 Exterior Houses 1.4.1 Exterior House Kitchen 1.4.2 Exterior House Bed 1.4.3 Exterior House Hidden Toilet 1.4.4 2 Extra Exterior Houses 1.4.5 Full Pay To Play Casino 1.4.6 Trade with Our Minerals Dealer 1.4.7 Terrabrew Coffee Hidden Packet 1.4.8 Tranquiltea THC Spice 1.4.9 Use our Garbage Bin to Throw Away A Terrabrew Cup 1.5.0 Vend with the Terrabrew Machine some Fats And Weed (Coffee) 1.5.1 Spaceport Transit, Transit to Another Port 1.5.2 Example House Fred Falke's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / qg0z8tppgw0ojnv6zrl8z / ALcPH9JQjt0y0TTBVI2nvig ? rlkey = lmlb24is14pgouc2senxyqs4q & dl = 0 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 1.5.3 Exterior Cosmarium - Includes Outer Space Adventure 1.5.4 Interior 4 Bedroom House 1.5.5 Toilets To Upstairs 1.5.6 Cosmarium Access 1.5.7 Interior Den Accessible at Cosmarium 1.5.8 Cosmarium Includes Planets Display 1.5.8 Example House Keyanu's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 4q14v79pgg5sstq326dm0 / AFsD7QWvqv0-EnefhjuqWJ0 ? rlkey = csonjdhbhw5y065pcqu44bhp5 & dl = 0 1.5.9 Nice Lawn and Grill 1.6.0 Foyer Main Access 1.6.1 5 Bedroom Studio Included 1.6.2 Toilets Individual Every Room 1.6.3 Intrinsic Kitchen 1.6.4 Standard 16 Bar Oxygen 8 Lumen System 1.6.5 6 Unique Instruments In Studio and PC In Most Rooms 1.6.6 Clothes Stocked in Every Room 1.6.7 Payday's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / y5f4zeq9rqfxf9z2wvn3x / AF1XzGXYmhFLadEONmz9f60 ? rlkey = 947afvpm4ysgt1sl3rnzk7k1c & dl = 0 1.6.8 Dog Run 1.6.9 Intrinsic Grill 1.7.0 Foyer and Toilet for Foyer 1.7.1 Piano Room 1.7.2 Upstairs with Three Bedroom 1.7.3 Downstairs with Two Bedroom 1.7.4 Two Upstairs Bath 1.7.5 Standard 16 Bar Oxygen 8 Lumen System 1.7.6 Pingpong Table Included 1.7.7 Full Rock Tunnel To Dogland 1.7.8 Dogland Mailman and Dogland Delivery 1.7.9 PCs and Clothes Included 1.8.0 Science Coin Plus House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / th8s8y2cvm53v4ihjz7uf / AOpx9h9DweYWyg8oTURDb7Y ? rlkey = gazzoslez39f6tv43ckp7q82h & dl = 0 1.8.1 Full Back and Front Yard 1.8.2 Interior 3 Bedroom Upstairs 2 Bedroom Downstairs Classic Modern House 1.8.3 Kitchen With LIGHTS Smell 1.8.4 Full Penetrating Aroma Diffusor 1.8.5 Downstairs Bunker 1.8.6 Standard 16 Bar Pressure 8 Lumen Setup 1.8.7 Includes Credit Card Of 4000 Dollar Limit Tied to the Property 1.8.8 Includes Access token to local utilities and stores 1.8.9 Includes 1 Car Garage and street parking 1.9.0 Treasurer Martin's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / i25kajtfyq7rsbley4zcv / AD2UVKeX9RxIgErDuntigR0 ? rlkey = i8r6ykg6vsm1r4o7r5tu0spkw & dl = 0 1.9.1 4 Bedroom Fatboy Slim House 1.9.2 Private Toilets for Each Room 1.9.3 Community Secret Upstairs Gathering Area 1.9.4 Full 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 1.9.5 Includes Kitchen In Break Room 1.9.6 Clothes in Every Room 1.9.7 PC In Every Room 1.9.8 Music Area in Gathering Area 1.9.9 Stocked With Crew Connor, Duncan, Yung Bae, Ievan 2.0.0 Tweak's New House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 6gpljpd8w7xnk5qxsztux / AAcWFry56HLFgSFNipowiRg ? rlkey = 9dg7vuqr6dvebo6lowbataxys & dl = 0 2.0.1 Foyer and Backyard and Upstairs and Kitchen 2.0.2 Standard South Park Layout 2.0.3 Toy Chest Included in Bedroom 2.0.4 Upstairs Bathroom 2.0.5 Downstairs Television 2.0.6 Includes Parents Room 2.0.7 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 2.0.8 Full Plumbing System 2.0.9 Closet Included 2.1.0 Virtual Riot Energy Drink Contest Home https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 9tcvy80bq4gvngv7zew0j / AOAsl2olcanfLMIxKpJhbK4 ? rlkey = 6ur44i4wb14mmwjdhof4awqcw & dl = 0 2.1.1 Upstairs 4 Bedroom 4 Bath Downstairs Kitchen With Lawn 2.1.2 Included 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 2.1.3 Fitted for Contest Winner Ryan 2.1.4 Includes Interior Music Studio 2.1.5 Includes Rations At the Kitchen 2.1.6 Full House Lawn 2.1.7 Includes Virtual Riot Energy Drink Crate 2.1.8 Includes full Kitchen Cooking System 2.1.9 Does not include Pizza Box 2.2.0 First Edition Baths https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 070erahxtx6kheqkq7viv / h ? rlkey = 8vejr3pfkskq104e5da51ocgm & dl = 0 2.2.1 Full Ryuken Style Retreat 2.2.2 American Style 2.2.3 Hyaluronic Water Display 2.2.4 Multiple Accessible Toilets 2.2.5 Hostel Home Associated 2.2.6 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 2.2.7 Associated to Virtual Riot Energy Drink Contest House 2.2.8 Full Plumbing 2.2.9 Only Outdoor Pool 2.3.0 Mandelbrot's Portion https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 4rsa861mh57tv6ibiqc7f / AHer3vgPNYOdj8UR3q4atNI ? rlkey = sx4nhltlh6mqmzw8s9cbay4ei & dl = 0 2.3.1 Full 4 Bedroom 4 Bath Lakeside House 2.3.2 Intrinsic Music Studio 2.3.3 Standard 16 Bar Oxygen 8 Lumen System 2.3.4 Plumbing for Every Bath 2.3.5 Connector Upstairs Adjoiner 2.3.6 Included Medical Access 2.3.7 Clothes in Every Room 2.3.8 PC in Most Rooms 2.3.9 Reserved Canadian Graveyard Spot 2.4.0 Tim Garza's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / exy2mkx34e4vyyx3gm9zm / ANDv3_B38xt2wFxTfjpMvy8 ? rlkey = nzhtm8ozk9azxem7bgvcrx1pw & dl = 0 2.4.1 Nonstandard 14 Bar High Altitude 8 Lumen System 2.4.2 Comes with Additional House Patrick's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / g556jmzhsi70ikjcdsm8c / AOypud9QDtb5h5ELYoZQxxk ? rlkey = 7obp5svlq35q6kz7rw6ejhrer & dl = 0 2.4.3 Nonstandard 14 Bar High Altitude 8 Lumen System 2.4.4 4 Bedroom and 3 Bedroom House with 2 Bath and 1 Bath 2.4.5 Part of a development with further 2 Houses 2.4.6 Plumbing for Every Bath 2.4.7 Other two houses not for sale 2.4.8 Comes with Clothes in Every Bedroom and A PC In every bedroom 2.4.9 Comes with Kitchen in both house 2.5.0 KPOP House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 0gn89hioxlhy99hkeofl y / AOQJj6Q60JxCyfzn_Zqqh04 ? rlkey = 8997eg0yi4to9l05wocrnol53 & dl = 0 2.5.1 Kpop contest House, 4 Bedroom 4 Bath house with Upstairs Adjoiner 2.5.2 Plumbing for every baths 2.5.3 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 2.5.4 Comes with intrinsic music studio 2.5.5 Comes with clothes in every bedroom 2.5.6 Comes with PC in every bedroom 2.5.7 Comes with KPOP Marketing display tool 2.5.8 Comes with participation in radio contest 2.5.9 Music tape recorder not included 2.6.0 Intellisecure Headquarters https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / takyluondf4y22byxxkfk / AN6ShFOeGYooczDEjm8zt88 ? rlkey = 77dycju3q87ayh61ci4qlhu57 & dl = 0 2.6.1 A girl, Other Ryan, is getting surgery for her melanoma outside 2.6.2 The girl responds well to her melanoma surgery 2.6.3 There is an upstairs to the hospital 2.6.4 There are maybe 4 rooms to the hospital 2.6.5 There are toilets in each room side room 2.6.6 The girl presumably makes her way to beds in the hospital after surgery 2.6.7 There is a standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System throughout 2.6.8 There are various medical equipment needed for the girl in the main area 2.6.9 The girl might use the toilet upstairs behind the door 2.7.0 Fries' Sama-House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / zlrtcq60lnqxj7ic3cae9 / AFed_Pfio_u8Mv3_ktBn2iE ? rlkey = 5y095iaxti5w863uzuaoaa8iv & dl = 0 2.7.1 A 3 Bedroom 1 Bath Downstairs 2 Bedroom 1 Bath Upstairs House with a Dojo Outside 2.7.2 Some people have been partying in the basement 2.7.3 There is a standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System at high altitude indicating conditioned air 2.7.4 There is a toilet room in the dojo 2.7.5 There is a TV room with a TV in it 2.7.6 There is a PC and a TV in the Downstairs Bedroom 2.7.7 There is some crates of food near the kitchen 2.7.8 There is a downstairs kitchen 2.7.9 There is a whole downstairs area where Fries' Son has another bedroom and some couches 2.8.0 Borat's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / qv6mgav9tsizmepwmp8es / AMoiFypY85vOMfnKU1lwduY ? rlkey = muh8z5z7gfql71vb9b820bf4q & dl = 0 2.8.1 A very old house in kalmskya with the ownership of the town store 2.8.2 There is one toilet in the house 2.8.3 There is the neighbor's house 2.8.4 There is the store that borats family owns 2.8.5 The neighbors house has a toilet 2.8.6 Borat lives with his sister 2.8.7 There is standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System given at the house or elsewhere 2.8.8 There is goods at the store including potato and cigarrete 2.8.9 This house actually is not for sale 2.9.0 Jamal's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / jkaaa7dar68oaewd5klys / AK9ZJNVKArzUiGKT_gyPOFw ? rlkey = ie92hphxup1b4bz48f31pubed & dl = 0 2.9.1 Set of 4 Houses 2.9.2 Baths included in each house with plumbing 2.9.3 Standard 14 Bar 8 Lumen High Altitude System 2.9.4 Main Room to Each House 2.9.5 Side Room with TV to each house 2.9.6 Clothes in each bedroom 2.9.7 PC in each bedroom 2.9.8 Back Yard House with Jordan In it 2.9.9 Included marketing display 3.0.0 Centennial Retirement Home https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / dh6hgc85048bdnzv4976u / AC8LJyFV-erivp2kmxCifxA ? rlkey = jt54mis1nytwit9mfmpfdb2h0 & dl = 0 3.0.1 Eight Patient Retirement Home 3.0.2 Medical Provisions Provided 3.0.3 Personell Capacity 16 Bar and 8 Lumen System 3.0.4 Malfunctioning Exterior Toilet 3.0.5 Gymnasium and Kitchen and Pepsi Machine and Mess 3.0.6 Secure Patient Checkin with Scan System 3.0.7 Poor Right Side Adult Ward Baths 3.0.8 Adolescents Ward Can Conceal Marijuana 3.0.9 Good Oxygenation Conditioning 3.1.0 Dubstep Challenge Island https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / l5y84ufg7p5ou9bkp5y8y / AEa_4z_e7YiJp2UzkfI7OWw ? rlkey = l08yxiqn4s7k1c8lilai7y1j4 & dl = 0 3.1.1 Nuerohop out of the boat into the island mainland, avoid the wilderness! 3.1.2 Get safety to Korbis and Putin and Efe on the Dubstep Challenge 3.1.3 3 Room 1 Trap 3 Bath House Provided with Upstairs Connector 3.1.4 Kitchen and Apparatus Provided 3.1.5 First Banned From The Island Leave Up at Docks 3.1.6 Full Music Studio Included with Beachhouse 3.1.7 Some Dogs Lurk in the Wilderness On The Island 3.1.8 No Specific Oxygen Line Provided for Waste 3.1.9 Found DJ Tool in Boilerroom 3.2.0 Justin Beiber's Mom's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / s8guwv5jph98kbxwq8z9v / ADWyXiZtcTzC3myr3ZHJIOc ? rlkey = upizj57oo5t7fdx9egx113cgp & dl = 0 3.2.1 Classic Industrial Area Flat 3.2.2 Included Industrial Area Food Anglomerate Output 3.2.3 Beiber's Mom's House 1 Bedroom 1 Bath Flat Provided, Foyer Room, Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom 3.2.4 Beiber Child PC Text Trainer 3.2.5 Clothes In Bedroom 3.2.6 Plumbed Bathroom 3.2.7 16 Bar 8 Lumen System Provided 3.2.8 Childs Studio Provided 3.2.9 Standard Canadian Education Recomended 3.3.0 IRKLUNDANDER Commune https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / bgmfrbvkvh74qg739uqou / AGrF-BK-eA5GRxom5oI71KM ? rlkey = mbswm151h8ozh73ptt59g2s2m & dl = 0 3.3.1 3 Vox Trainer Reality Show Houses Made of Aluminum Glass 3.3.2 Toilet Included in Secret Room Beneath House 3.3.3 Community Toilet included in main area side room 3.3.4 Rations in every house 3.3.5 Space heater in every house 3.3.6 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 3.3.7 In a Winter Wonderland Area 3.3.8 Includes Clothes 3.3.9 Includes PC 3.4.0 Tim Garza's House 2 https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 4y216z2iddjpq2llkk4r9 / ACsSuQdkhToPeo-gUq4VuyM ? rlkey = 7tii9866lgyo4qy4jsshtfziu & dl = 0 3.4.1 Similar Format to Tim Garza's House 3.4.2 Includes 2 Bath 4 Bedroom 1 Community Kitchen House 3.4.3 Includes 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 3.4.4 Includes Plumbing for each Bathroom 3.4.5 Includes Appliances for the kitchen 3.4.6 Includes back and front yard entrance 3.4.7 Includes basement and clothes in every room 3.4.8 Includes tim garzas K-Workstation 3.4.9 Includes Heirloom Tomato grow actual tomato in back yard 3.5.0 JK Rowling's Castle https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / xnov07r1vsy8lgr2s7e9q / AHMvwcVoLRce2t-8bl6HMXA ? rlkey = kvh0aaz6js1gv15r3x4omf7yz & dl = 0 3.5.1 Full Castle With Dungeon and Great Hall and Dormitories in the Style of the Movie 3.5.2 Separate from castle built for movie 3.5.3 3 Classrooms moved from the set of the movie 3.5.4 Many 4 Bathrooms With Plumbing 3.5.5 Includes Hogsmeade Buildings on Grounds 3.5.6 Shrieking Shack, Three Broomsticks, and Igor's Tavern in Hogsmeade 3.5.7 Actual Hidden Tunnel to The Shrieking Shack 3.5.8 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 3.5.9 Appropriate dormitories for players of the movie 3.6.0 The Flavor Isles https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 8vyh83ce11kf5pb2gwadv / ANsJbcJKKeQI384oE8Se5UM ? rlkey = puoqw30lgu5zhk6erk9yc4s90 & dl = 0 3.6.1 Flavor Themed Disneyland Resort in Joey's Basement 3.6.2 Massive Spicy Shrieking Hut Cuisine and Other Classics 3.6.3 Stay in for a night at a 4 bedroom 4 bath resort hotel 3.6.4 Plumbing for Every bath 3.6.5 16 Bar 8 Lumen Classic System 3.6.6 Use clothes or a PC at the bedroom 3.6.7 Double Depth, Go to the next ride at the next depth 3.6.8 4 Bedroom 4 Bath House in the Hidden Area and another Restaurant 3.6.9 Full Service Recycling 3.7.0 Rented Ice Hotel https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / ddk5zf8729uaiebclbb1o / AIqBsidXAXrTQXi-PCxWdNA ? rlkey = o9yjupq7b823imenx1ybucpzl & dl = 0 3.7.1 One Room Ice Hotel 3.7.2 Made out of Ice 3.7.3 Has Bathroom and Plumbing 3.7.4 Has Ice display 3.7.5 Agnes' Ice Hotel 3.7.6 Real 5 Copy Build Method 3.7.7 16 Bar 8 Lumen Limited Oxygen System 3.7.8 Has Kitchen in Ice Hotel 3.7.9 Has Marijuana In Ice Hotel 3.8.0 Dorisburg's House https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / qy5sgm3j89td9n7g1i5r5 / AA0m-DE6cmlNiFKbL0baT5c ? rlkey = mtmlf5198napxkl3i75hvpnjo & dl = 0 3.8.1 4 Bedroom 4 Bath House With Interior Kitchen and Back Yard 3.8.2 Plumbing for Every Bath 3.8.3 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 3.8.4 Telivision Room and Telivision 3.8.5 Downstairs Television 3.8.6 Beds in Every Bedroom 3.8.7 Back Yard With Vegetable Grow 3.8.8 Front Yard Access Through Waterjet Channel 3.8.9 Dedicated Oxygen Line for Television Aerial 3.9.0 Bahn Mi Village https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / ovm5lhsgogw4rspchx9to / h ? rlkey = 0n4sdcyb8qi3ebolbab708fgc & dl = 0 3.9.1 Community 4 Hut Village 3.9.2 Standard Lavatory for Village 3.9.3 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 3.9.4 Transit to Another Village, Daft Vox Village https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / ipyuy0vuqpyfzjymcbfkq / AP4Iset5VTAue8bZeWvWqwg ? rlkey = wqs4a2bbqym8qi8eyum96uqcl & dl = 0 3.9.5 Multiple Buildings in Daft Vox Village 3.9.6 Full 16 Bar 8 Lumen System Also In Daft Vox Village 3.9.7 Possible Nice Buildings in Daft Vox Village 3.9.8 Transit Provided Between Village 3.9.9 No Medical 4.0.0 Burma Village https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / hzm7gtq590pu9e1a9u9mb / AJriN2hXiHX7crTIXRThKXs ? rlkey = kf197unmk5ol7luu4mrsby970 & dl = 0 4.0.1 Nice 5 Building Town 4.0.2 Standard 16 Bar 8 Lumen System 4.0.3 Food in Some Houses 4.0.4 Scheming Old Man Putin in Burma Village 4.0.5 Kings Palace 4.0.6 Dusty Banquet in the Palace 4.0.7 Multiple Areas To All Houses 4.0.8 Trade with Putin 4.0.9 Trade for Gambling 4.1.0 Wojak Station https : // www . dropbox . com / scl / fo / 3bjjwhkgpxichahc1naxn / ACH0V5oQrWm0dsUzjeW4fso ? rlkey = z01f8v8k2hhc5z0ace0940ny7 & dl = 0 4.1.1 Full Space Adventure 4.1.2 Includes House 4.1.3 Includes Plumbing 4.1.4 Includes Cars Parked Outside Your House 4.1.5 Includes Taza's House 4.1.6 Full House Interior 4.1.7 Multiple Houses Done 4.1.8 Kitchen System To House 4.1.9 Full Bath System.

Live Music

• Jim Johnston, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, Sunday, May 12th, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm,
• Denny Blue, Fish House & Oyster Co., Sunday, May 12th, 11:30 am – 3:30 pm,
• Vinny Jacobs, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, Sunday, May 12th, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Space Heaters, Pierre's Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Seedfromatree, Jimmy Hula's, Sunday, May 12th, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm,
• SouLo Lyon, Prohibition Kitchen, Sunday, May 12th, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Trevor Compton, Conch House Marina Resort, Sunday, May 12th, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm,
• Velvet 45, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm,
• Dewey Via Band, Dog Rose Brewing Co., Sunday, May 12th, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm,
• Wayne Lake, Casa de Vino 57, Sunday, May 12th, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm,
• Crawford Boyd's Acoustic Anomaly, Tradewinds Lounge, Sunday, May 12th, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Damon Slaughter, O.C. White's Seafood, Sunday, May 12th, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Fond Kiser, Salt Life Food Shack, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Jimmy Bragg, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Alanis Sophia, Pierre's Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Burn Unit, ArtBox, Sunday, May 12th, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Sundays at Stetson's

• The Stetson Kennedy Foundation and the St. Johns County Parks Department present "Sundays at Stetson's," a much-loved concert series held at Kennedy's former residence, Beluthahatchee Park. Each month, this folk music series features a different musician or group — one who carries on Stetson Kennedy's traditions and values.
• The concerts take place inside one of the property's buildings from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. one Sunday a month. The concerts are free, and donations are accepted. Admission is limited to 40, and reservations must be made in advance, via email. Tours of the Stetson Kennedy cottage (Beluthahatchee) may be available on select Sundays.
• Admission: Free. Donations accepted. To reserve a seat, send an email, with your contact information and the number of seats you require.
• When: One Sunday a month, usually on the second Sunday. Times may vary, but they are often at 2:00.
• Where: Beluthahatchee Park is located at 1523 S.R. 13 in Fruit Cove, Florida 32259.

Romanza Festivale: The Count Basie Orchestra

• The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra headlines the 2024 Romanza Festivale, on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., at Lewis Auditorium.
• Pianist and band leader Basie formed the orchestra in 1935 and led the group until he died in 1984. The orchestra has continued performing and recording, currently under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, trumpeter and educator from Tallahassee. The County Basie Orchestra has won 18 GRAMMY awards, the most recent in 2024 for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."
• The orchestra is still known for its dynamic jazz sounds, strong rhythm section, jumping beat, and dueling tenor saxophones. Some of the members playing with the orchestra today were personally selected by William James "Count" Basie.
• Admission: $40.00 for value seating, $55.00 for preferred seating, $70.00 for premium and wheelchair seating, and $80.00 for VIP seating. Tickets are on sale for the concert and can be purchased online. An "Early Bird" special discount of $10.00 off any seat is available through April 30 or until sold out. Use this promo code: Romanza. Tickets will be full-price starting May 1, 2024.
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. (Mother's Day.)
• Where: Lewis Auditorium, 14 Grenada Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Co-sponsored by Romanza St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Romanza Festivale: The Count Basie Orchestra

• The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra headlines the 2024 Romanza Festivale, on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., at Lewis Auditorium.
• Pianist and band leader Basie formed the orchestra in 1935 and led the group until he died in 1984. The orchestra has continued performing and recording, currently under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, trumpeter and educator from Tallahassee. The County Basie Orchestra has won 18 GRAMMY awards, the most recent in 2024 for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."
• The orchestra is still known for its dynamic jazz sounds, strong rhythm section, jumping beat, and dueling tenor saxophones. Some of the members playing with the orchestra today were personally selected by William James "Count" Basie.
• Admission: $40.00 for value seating, $55.00 for preferred seating, $70.00 for premium and wheelchair seating, and $80.00 for VIP seating. Tickets are on sale for the concert and can be purchased online. An "Early Bird" special discount of $10.00 off any seat is available through April 30 or until sold out. Use this promo code: Romanza. Tickets will be full-price starting May 1, 2024.
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. (Mother's Day.)
• Where: Lewis Auditorium, 14 Grenada Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Co-sponsored by Romanza St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Celebrate Art, Music, and Beer

• The Romanza Festivale invites the public (especially those who attended the Count Basie Orchestra concert) to Artbox for a post-concert party celebrating art, music, and beer. On Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Patrick Robinson, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and Tour Director for St. Augustine Brewery Tours, will host a pairing menu of brews and bites, introducing the flavors of St. Augustine's local craft breweries.
• As you sip, you can talk with other music and brew lovers, and peruse the art at Artbox. This mixed-use destination gallery features local artists who work in several mediums.
• Admission: Free
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2023, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Artbox, 137 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Celebrate Art, Music, and Beer

• The Romanza Festivale invites the public (especially those who attended the Count Basie Orchestra concert) to Artbox for a post-concert party celebrating art, music, and beer. On Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Patrick Robinson, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and Tour Director for St. Augustine Brewery Tours, will host a pairing menu of brews and bites, introducing the flavors of St. Augustine's local craft breweries.
• As you sip, you can talk with other music and brew lovers, and peruse the art at Artbox. This mixed-use destination gallery features local artists who work in several mediums.
• Admission: Free
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2023, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Artbox, 137 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Yoga on the Lawn at Ximenez-Fatio House Museum

• Every Sunday and Wednesday
• Ximenez-Fatio House Museum20 Aviles St. St. Augustine, FL 32084
• Admission:$15
• When: Every Sunday and Wednesday
• Enjoy yoga on the lawn at the historic Ximenez-Fatio House Museum. This one-hour vinyasa flow is perfect for all levels. Bring a beach towel or mat and water. Free parking behind the museum is available, but limited. Access the parking lot from Cadiz Street. Instructor will contact you by phone if class is canceled due to weather. Practice gets underway at 8 a.m. and lasts approximately one hour.

Paella Sunday at Pesca by Michael

• Enjoy Paella Sunday on the Porch of Pesca by Michael's on Vilano Beach from 3-5 p.m.
• Tickets are $35 and feature Paella changes weekly,
• A favorite is is Garden Paella with Chicken Skewers and Shrimp with chorizo on the side (to accommodate all dietary restrictions). Salad, Bread, and one complimentary glass of Sangria or Wine are included.
• Purchase Tickets online pescavilano's website or at the door. Pesca is located at Hyatt Place, 117 Vilano Rd., St. Augustine

Mothers Day Dolphin & Wildlife Adventure

• Florida Water Tours, 107 Yacht Club DrSt Augustine, FL 32084
• Admission - $29 - Adults, $16 - Kids
• Honoring our Mothers on specialty Dolphin & Wildlife Adventures! Enjoy time on the water taking a detailed look at the various species found native in our estuaries and focusing on maternity in the natural world.
• All Dolphin cruises on Mothers Day will have a complimentary mimosa and chocolate covered strawberry for moms. cruises are at 10 a.m., noon & 2 p.m.

Mother's Day Brunch, Dining, and Treats

St. Augustine's restaurants will welcome moms and their families on Mother's Day — May 12, 2024.
Mother's Day is the perfect time to celebrate a special woman, and restaurants will offer special menu items, for mom — whether she wants to dine in, dine outside, eat at home, or enjoy a picnic.
St. Augustine is rapidly becoming a foodie destination, so there are plenty of excellent choices for truly memorable meals. Restaurants may fill up quickly, especially on the holiday weekend, so please call ahead for reservations and to confirm special offerings.
Ideas for Mother's Day

• St. Johns Golf and Country Club: A Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  
  • An elegant buffet — various salads, made-to-order omelets, and a carving station.
  • The brunch costs $49.99 for adults and $19.99 for children aged four to 10. Children under three years old are free. Reservations are requested.
  • 205 St. Johns Golf Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32092
• The Embassy Suites at St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort: A Mother's Day Grand Buffet Lunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
  • Seasoned chefs will have stations for chicken, salmon, salads, and desserts. Select the options most suitable for you while enjoying live entertainment.
  • The buffet lunch costs $30.00 for children aged five to 12 and $80.00 for adults. Reservations are requested.
  • 300 A1A Beach Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa: A Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
  • Culinary experts will have stations for soups, salads, waffles, seafood, and desserts. Select the options from this special menu.
  • The brunch costs $40.00 for children aged four to 12 and $85.00 for adults. Reservations are required and should be made before May 9. Call (386) 246-5676 for more information.
  • 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast, Florida 32137
• St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival: The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch is Sunday, May 12, 2024, and will have seatings at 11:00 a.m. and at 1:00 .
  
  • There will be a carving, omelet, and seafood station, with various sides and desserts served. Enjoy the beverage tastings while listening to local jazz music.
  • It costs $129.00 for adults and $109.00 if bought early. Children under six years old are free. Reservations are requested.
  • St. Johns County Convention Center at 500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, Florida 32092

St. Augustine's restaurants are open for dining inside, outside, or take-out. There are restaurants in town, on the beach, and along our rivers.

A few of the restaurants that will be open on Mother's Day

A1A Aleworks1 King Street, St. Augustine Cap's on the Water4325 Myrtle Street, Vilano Beach Casa Reina Taqueria & Taquila1 Anderson Circle, St. Augustine Castillo Craft Bar and Kitchen6 West Castillo Drive, St. Augustine Cellar Upstairs 157 King Street, St. Augustine Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille46 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine O. C. White's 118 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine Raintree Restaurant102 San Marco, St. Augustine The Reef4100 Coastal Highway, Vilano Beach Salt Life Food Shack321 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach Santiago's Florida Kitchen and Craft Bar860 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach
I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• Jim Johnston, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, Sunday, May 12th, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm,
• Denny Blue, Fish House & Oyster Co., Sunday, May 12th, 11:30 am – 3:30 pm,
• Vinny Jacobs, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, Sunday, May 12th, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Space Heaters, Pierre's Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Seedfromatree, Jimmy Hula's, Sunday, May 12th, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm,
• SouLo Lyon, Prohibition Kitchen, Sunday, May 12th, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm,
• Trevor Compton, Conch House Marina Resort, Sunday, May 12th, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm,
• Velvet 45, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm,
• Dewey Via Band, Dog Rose Brewing Co., Sunday, May 12th, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm,
• Wayne Lake, Casa de Vino 57, Sunday, May 12th, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm,
• Crawford Boyd's Acoustic Anomaly, Tradewinds Lounge, Sunday, May 12th, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Damon Slaughter, O.C. White's Seafood, Sunday, May 12th, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Fond Kiser, Salt Life Food Shack, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Jimmy Bragg, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Alanis Sophia, Pierre's Pub, Sunday, May 12th, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Burn Unit, ArtBox, Sunday, May 12th, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Sundays at Stetson's

• The Stetson Kennedy Foundation and the St. Johns County Parks Department present "Sundays at Stetson's," a much-loved concert series held at Kennedy's former residence, Beluthahatchee Park. Each month, this folk music series features a different musician or group — one who carries on Stetson Kennedy's traditions and values.
• The concerts take place inside one of the property's buildings from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. one Sunday a month. The concerts are free, and donations are accepted. Admission is limited to 40, and reservations must be made in advance, via email. Tours of the Stetson Kennedy cottage (Beluthahatchee) may be available on select Sundays.
• Admission: Free. Donations accepted. To reserve a seat, send an email, with your contact information and the number of seats you require.
• When: One Sunday a month, usually on the second Sunday. Times may vary, but they are often at 2:00.
• Where: Beluthahatchee Park is located at 1523 S.R. 13 in Fruit Cove, Florida 32259.

Romanza Festivale: The Count Basie Orchestra

• The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra headlines the 2024 Romanza Festivale, on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., at Lewis Auditorium.
• Pianist and band leader Basie formed the orchestra in 1935 and led the group until he died in 1984. The orchestra has continued performing and recording, currently under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, trumpeter and educator from Tallahassee. The County Basie Orchestra has won 18 GRAMMY awards, the most recent in 2024 for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."
• The orchestra is still known for its dynamic jazz sounds, strong rhythm section, jumping beat, and dueling tenor saxophones. Some of the members playing with the orchestra today were personally selected by William James "Count" Basie.
• Admission: $40.00 for value seating, $55.00 for preferred seating, $70.00 for premium and wheelchair seating, and $80.00 for VIP seating. Tickets are on sale for the concert and can be purchased online. An "Early Bird" special discount of $10.00 off any seat is available through April 30 or until sold out. Use this promo code: Romanza. Tickets will be full-price starting May 1, 2024.
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. (Mother's Day.)
• Where: Lewis Auditorium, 14 Grenada Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Co-sponsored by Romanza St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Romanza Festivale: The Count Basie Orchestra

• The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra headlines the 2024 Romanza Festivale, on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., at Lewis Auditorium.
• Pianist and band leader Basie formed the orchestra in 1935 and led the group until he died in 1984. The orchestra has continued performing and recording, currently under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, trumpeter and educator from Tallahassee. The County Basie Orchestra has won 18 GRAMMY awards, the most recent in 2024 for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album."
• The orchestra is still known for its dynamic jazz sounds, strong rhythm section, jumping beat, and dueling tenor saxophones. Some of the members playing with the orchestra today were personally selected by William James "Count" Basie.
• Admission: $40.00 for value seating, $55.00 for preferred seating, $70.00 for premium and wheelchair seating, and $80.00 for VIP seating. Tickets are on sale for the concert and can be purchased online. An "Early Bird" special discount of $10.00 off any seat is available through April 30 or until sold out. Use this promo code: Romanza. Tickets will be full-price starting May 1, 2024.
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. (Mother's Day.)
• Where: Lewis Auditorium, 14 Grenada Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Co-sponsored by Romanza St. Augustine and the St. Johns Cultural Council.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Celebrate Art, Music, and Beer

• The Romanza Festivale invites the public (especially those who attended the Count Basie Orchestra concert) to Artbox for a post-concert party celebrating art, music, and beer. On Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Patrick Robinson, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and Tour Director for St. Augustine Brewery Tours, will host a pairing menu of brews and bites, introducing the flavors of St. Augustine's local craft breweries.
• As you sip, you can talk with other music and brew lovers, and peruse the art at Artbox. This mixed-use destination gallery features local artists who work in several mediums.
• Admission: Free
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2023, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Artbox, 137 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Celebrate Art, Music, and Beer

• The Romanza Festivale invites the public (especially those who attended the Count Basie Orchestra concert) to Artbox for a post-concert party celebrating art, music, and beer. On Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Patrick Robinson, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and Tour Director for St. Augustine Brewery Tours, will host a pairing menu of brews and bites, introducing the flavors of St. Augustine's local craft breweries.
• As you sip, you can talk with other music and brew lovers, and peruse the art at Artbox. This mixed-use destination gallery features local artists who work in several mediums.
• Admission: Free
• When: Sunday, May 12, 2023, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Artbox, 137 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival consisting of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, 2024 the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Yoga on the Lawn at Ximenez-Fatio House Museum

• Every Sunday and Wednesday
• Ximenez-Fatio House Museum20 Aviles St. St. Augustine, FL 32084
• Admission:$15
• When: Every Sunday and Wednesday
• Enjoy yoga on the lawn at the historic Ximenez-Fatio House Museum. This one-hour vinyasa flow is perfect for all levels. Bring a beach towel or mat and water. Free parking behind the museum is available, but limited. Access the parking lot from Cadiz Street. Instructor will contact you by phone if class is canceled due to weather. Practice gets underway at 8 a.m. and lasts approximately one hour.

Paella Sunday at Pesca by Michael

• Enjoy Paella Sunday on the Porch of Pesca by Michael's on Vilano Beach from 3-5 p.m.
• Tickets are $35 and feature Paella changes weekly,
• A favorite is is Garden Paella with Chicken Skewers and Shrimp with chorizo on the side (to accommodate all dietary restrictions). Salad, Bread, and one complimentary glass of Sangria or Wine are included.
• Purchase Tickets online pescavilano's website or at the door. Pesca is located at Hyatt Place, 117 Vilano Rd., St. Augustine

Mothers Day Dolphin & Wildlife Adventure

• Florida Water Tours, 107 Yacht Club DrSt Augustine, FL 32084
• Admission - $29 - Adults, $16 - Kids
• Honoring our Mothers on specialty Dolphin & Wildlife Adventures! Enjoy time on the water taking a detailed look at the various species found native in our estuaries and focusing on maternity in the natural world.
• All Dolphin cruises on Mothers Day will have a complimentary mimosa and chocolate covered strawberry for moms. cruises are at 10 a.m., noon & 2 p.m.

Mother's Day Brunch, Dining, and Treats

St. Augustine's restaurants will welcome moms and their families on Mother's Day — May 12, 2024.
Mother's Day is the perfect time to celebrate a special woman, and restaurants will offer special menu items, for mom — whether she wants to dine in, dine outside, eat at home, or enjoy a picnic.
St. Augustine is rapidly becoming a foodie destination, so there are plenty of excellent choices for truly memorable meals. Restaurants may fill up quickly, especially on the holiday weekend, so please call ahead for reservations and to confirm special offerings.
Ideas for Mother's Day

• St. Johns Golf and Country Club: A Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  
  • An elegant buffet — various salads, made-to-order omelets, and a carving station.
  • The brunch costs $49.99 for adults and $19.99 for children aged four to 10. Children under three years old are free. Reservations are requested.
  • 205 St. Johns Golf Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32092
• The Embassy Suites at St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort: A Mother's Day Grand Buffet Lunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
  • Seasoned chefs will have stations for chicken, salmon, salads, and desserts. Select the options most suitable for you while enjoying live entertainment.
  • The buffet lunch costs $30.00 for children aged five to 12 and $80.00 for adults. Reservations are requested.
  • 300 A1A Beach Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa: A Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
  • Culinary experts will have stations for soups, salads, waffles, seafood, and desserts. Select the options from this special menu.
  • The brunch costs $40.00 for children aged four to 12 and $85.00 for adults. Reservations are required and should be made before May 9. Call (386) 246-5676 for more information.
  • 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast, Florida 32137
• St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival: The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch is Sunday, May 12, 2024, and will have seatings at 11:00 a.m. and at 1:00 .
  
  • There will be a carving, omelet, and seafood station, with various sides and desserts served. Enjoy the beverage tastings while listening to local jazz music.
  • It costs $129.00 for adults and $109.00 if bought early. Children under six years old are free. Reservations are requested.
  • St. Johns County Convention Center at 500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, Florida 32092

St. Augustine's restaurants are open for dining inside, outside, or take-out. There are restaurants in town, on the beach, and along our rivers.

A few of the restaurants that will be open on Mother's Day

A1A Aleworks1 King Street, St. Augustine Cap's on the Water4325 Myrtle Street, Vilano Beach Casa Reina Taqueria & Taquila1 Anderson Circle, St. Augustine Castillo Craft Bar and Kitchen6 West Castillo Drive, St. Augustine Cellar Upstairs 157 King Street, St. Augustine Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille46 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine O. C. White's 118 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine Raintree Restaurant102 San Marco, St. Augustine The Reef4100 Coastal Highway, Vilano Beach Salt Life Food Shack321 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach Santiago's Florida Kitchen and Craft Bar860 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach
I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

This shit was not easy lmao.
What I considered: * Priority: 10k or less (utilities not included), space (not too stuffy/suffocating), bedframe, distance, safety, water & laundry services, AC * MidPriority: Cooking, wifi, mattress, study table (cuz usually the “free” ones r hella small), visitors, printing shops, restaurants, bidet * Would just be nice: Amenities (i like to study/workout/do everything in my own space), heater (i take cold showers)
Top Places (went hunting May 05 and May 10) * Gelino’s Dormitory * 8k solo with AC, heater, bed frame, wifi, in-house laundry, near enough to the main road of Dapits for food/laundry/printing shops, no curfew, 24hr security & admin, HELLA SPACIOUS FOR ITS PRICE * Only con for me is that visitors are only until the lobby unless parents/guardians

• Novo Ecijano Tolentino
  
  • 8k - 9k depends because +500 for AC and they said 8k w/o window and 9k w/ window
    • In-house laundry, the sign said visitor’s until 10PM + curfew midnight, bedframe, cabinets, kitchenette space, bathroom was big, nice area lotsa food and services.
  • Space felt cramp for me and felt rly gloomy w/o a window. I couldn’t view any unit with windows cuz they were occupied.
• Novo Ecijano Dapitan
  
  • 8k has a window, +500 for AC
  • Saw a sign that said visitor’s until 8PM + curfew midnight. But also saw a sign that says visitor’s until 10PM so I’m honestly not sure.
  • Had this bright window which is nice but leads to an…unaccessible balcony lmao as in there’s balcony space but u gotta jump out of the window 🤡 U could reach out I guess to hang your laundry tho.
  • Felt more cramped than the P. Campa
  • Biggest bonus is in-house laundry, water station, and printing services

No units were available to view in Forbes Place or North Forbes when I went. Others were mostly over 10k already. Take note also that I cannot vouch in terms of wifi/admin/experiences etc. because I have not yet lived in these dorms. These are merely just a guide if anybody would go dorm hunting.
I did try to consider condo-sharing but: * It would sometimes also be around 7k-8k with the same space size for a 1pax and similar restrictions…might as well go solo. * I’m also not that comfortable living with strangers so bedspace options were my last resort. * Lived in condos before and didn’t rly take advantage of amenities, unli-visitor entrances. Yes, introverts like me exist. * Living with 4 ppl - in a great dorm w/ great conditions and great price = Felt like a sardine / no privacy / bathroom lines haha I don’t like the feeling of being conscious in what should be my own space.
That’s the reality of my dorm hunting journey :)) If u wanna live more comfortably restriction-free solo, I’d suggest have a budget 12k-15k or find roommates to rent a condo-dorm.
I do have some pics/vids from these places. Send me a dm if you’re interested! ☺️

Live Music

• Caleb Joye, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Paper City Hustlers, Conch House Marina Resort, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Michael Jordan, Borrillo's Pizzeria & Beer Garden, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Reggie Starrett, DJ's Clam Shack, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Lonesome Bert's Thick and Thin String Band, Marina Munch, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Committee, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Contact Buzz, Hurricane Grill & Wings, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Lauren Gilliam, Trinity Parish Episcopal Church, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Chillula, Pesca Vilano by Michael Lugo, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Burn Unit, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Allen Arena, Hurricane Patty's Bar and Grill, 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm,
• Remedy Tree, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Jolie, Casa de Vino 57, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Cumberland, Colonial Oak Music Park, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Space Heaters, Pierre's Pub, 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm,
• Kirk Whalen, Mayday Ice Cream - Midtown, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Brian Rowland, Pusser's Bar and Grille, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Groove Pipe Band, A1A Ale Works, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, 8:00 pm – 11:55 pm,
• Live Stream, Tradewinds Lounge, 9:00 pm – 1:00 am,
• Tru Phonic, Prohibition Kitchen, 10:00 pm – 12:00 pm

Drake's Raid Reenactment

• On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Historic Florida Militia will present their annual reenactment of Sir Francis Drake's raid on old San Agustïn.
• From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Oldest House Museum Complex will host a re-created 16th-century-style military encampment featuring drills, weapons demonstrations, and living history interpretations. A ticket for the Oldest House Museum Complex is required to enter the encampment.
• They will reenact Drake's Raid near the Orange Street redoubt in front of Ann O'Malley's on Saturday evening, May 11. The troops gather at the Governor's House and proceed up St. George Street to the Redoubt.
• Participating reenactors include the Men of Menéndez and Drake's Men, member groups of Historic Florida Militia, Inc. Find information about the militia and Drake's Raid on their website.
• Admission: Regular park admission rates apply to visit the encampment at the Oldest House Museum Complex.
• When: The military encampment will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Oldest House Museum Complex on Friday and Saturday. The reenactment of the sacking and burning of the town will begin at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: The living history encampment is at the Oldest House Museum Complex, 33 St. George Street in St. Augustine. The reenactment of the raid begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Governor's House and will conclude at 8:00 p.m. at the St. George Street Redoubt.
• History of the event: On June 6, 1586, 23 ships approached the harbor of the Spanish colonial city of San Agustín with 2,000 Englishmen under the command of Sir Francis Drake. After sighting the harbor, 1,000 of these men, led by Captain Christopher Carlile, landed on Anastasia Island the next day and mounted cannons opposite the Spanish wooden fort, which was located on what is now the Fountain of Youth Park. The cannons blazed until the Spanish forces (just 300 in number) were forced to abandon the fort during the night of June 7. On the morning of June 8, the English crossed Matanzas Bay, taking the fortification and driving the Spanish rearguard from the city.

Chamber Music Series: Belle Fleur Ensemble

• The Romanza Festivale presents the Belle Fleur Ensemble on Friday, May 10, 2024, at noon at the Memorial Presbyterian Church on Sevilla Street.
• The trio, Glynda Newton on violin, her husband Cliff Newton on trumpet, and Michael Dell on piano have all performed extensively with several ensembles. Glynda and Cliff retired from the Jacksonville Symphony after performing with that orchestra for more than 30 years. They both perform with a salon orchestra, the Newton Musical Palm Court Society Orchestra. Michael Dell is the Director of Music and Organist for the South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church and accompanies Jim Goodell's Bella Voce, as their principal keyboardist.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Friday, May 10, 2024, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Romanza: Author Visit with Madeline Martin

• Madeline Martin, a bestselling author on the New York Times and USA Today lists, will talk with fans and writers at the Voorhees Mission building at St. Cyprians Episcopal Church on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. This event, presented by Romanza Festivale, will include wine, cheese, and conversation.
• Madeline credits her time in Germany as an "Army brat" for her love of history, and has said that she often "loses herself" when researching for her next book. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and includes The Last Bookshop in London and The Librarian Spy. Her next book, The Booklover's Library, will be released in August.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Friday, May 10, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: In the Voorhees Mission House (on the grounds of St. Cyprians Episcopal Church) at 130 Martin Luther King Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Nomadic Nonsense – an Improv Grad Show

• Third Space Improv presents Nomadic Nomads -- an improv school graduation show that features improv comedy that's smart and from the heart.
• ACT 1: Game style improv a la Whose Line is it Anyway?
• ACT 2: A one-act play completely made up on the spot – inspired by audience suggestions.
• Third Space Improv offers beer, wine, and soft drinks as well as free parking. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. There is open seating for this show.
• Tickets are $10.00 advance and $15.00 at the door or online.
• This is the eighth class graduating from The Adventure Project's five-level improv training school that is now housed at Third Space Improv. For more information about improv shows, events, and classes in St. Augustine

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• Caleb Joye, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Paper City Hustlers, Conch House Marina Resort, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Michael Jordan, Borrillo's Pizzeria & Beer Garden, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Reggie Starrett, DJ's Clam Shack, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Lonesome Bert's Thick and Thin String Band, Marina Munch, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm,
• Committee, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Contact Buzz, Hurricane Grill & Wings, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Lauren Gilliam, Trinity Parish Episcopal Church, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Chillula, Pesca Vilano by Michael Lugo, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Burn Unit, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Allen Arena, Hurricane Patty's Bar and Grill, 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm,
• Remedy Tree, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Jolie, Casa de Vino 57, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Cumberland, Colonial Oak Music Park, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Space Heaters, Pierre's Pub, 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm,
• Kirk Whalen, Mayday Ice Cream - Midtown, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Brian Rowland, Pusser's Bar and Grille, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm,
• Groove Pipe Band, A1A Ale Works, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, 8:00 pm – 11:55 pm,
• Live Stream, Tradewinds Lounge, 9:00 pm – 1:00 am,
• Tru Phonic, Prohibition Kitchen, 10:00 pm – 12:00 pm

Drake's Raid Reenactment

• On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Historic Florida Militia will present their annual reenactment of Sir Francis Drake's raid on old San Agustïn.
• From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Oldest House Museum Complex will host a re-created 16th-century-style military encampment featuring drills, weapons demonstrations, and living history interpretations. A ticket for the Oldest House Museum Complex is required to enter the encampment.
• They will reenact Drake's Raid near the Orange Street redoubt in front of Ann O'Malley's on Saturday evening, May 11. The troops gather at the Governor's House and proceed up St. George Street to the Redoubt.
• Participating reenactors include the Men of Menéndez and Drake's Men, member groups of Historic Florida Militia, Inc. Find information about the militia and Drake's Raid on their website.
• Admission: Regular park admission rates apply to visit the encampment at the Oldest House Museum Complex.
• When: The military encampment will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Oldest House Museum Complex on Friday and Saturday. The reenactment of the sacking and burning of the town will begin at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: The living history encampment is at the Oldest House Museum Complex, 33 St. George Street in St. Augustine. The reenactment of the raid begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Governor's House and will conclude at 8:00 p.m. at the St. George Street Redoubt.
• History of the event: On June 6, 1586, 23 ships approached the harbor of the Spanish colonial city of San Agustín with 2,000 Englishmen under the command of Sir Francis Drake. After sighting the harbor, 1,000 of these men, led by Captain Christopher Carlile, landed on Anastasia Island the next day and mounted cannons opposite the Spanish wooden fort, which was located on what is now the Fountain of Youth Park. The cannons blazed until the Spanish forces (just 300 in number) were forced to abandon the fort during the night of June 7. On the morning of June 8, the English crossed Matanzas Bay, taking the fortification and driving the Spanish rearguard from the city.

Chamber Music Series: Belle Fleur Ensemble

• The Romanza Festivale presents the Belle Fleur Ensemble on Friday, May 10, 2024, at noon at the Memorial Presbyterian Church on Sevilla Street.
• The trio, Glynda Newton on violin, her husband Cliff Newton on trumpet, and Michael Dell on piano have all performed extensively with several ensembles. Glynda and Cliff retired from the Jacksonville Symphony after performing with that orchestra for more than 30 years. They both perform with a salon orchestra, the Newton Musical Palm Court Society Orchestra. Michael Dell is the Director of Music and Organist for the South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church and accompanies Jim Goodell's Bella Voce, as their principal keyboardist.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Friday, May 10, 2024, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Romanza: Author Visit with Madeline Martin

• Madeline Martin, a bestselling author on the New York Times and USA Today lists, will talk with fans and writers at the Voorhees Mission building at St. Cyprians Episcopal Church on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. This event, presented by Romanza Festivale, will include wine, cheese, and conversation.
• Madeline credits her time in Germany as an "Army brat" for her love of history, and has said that she often "loses herself" when researching for her next book. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and includes The Last Bookshop in London and The Librarian Spy. Her next book, The Booklover's Library, will be released in August.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Friday, May 10, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: In the Voorhees Mission House (on the grounds of St. Cyprians Episcopal Church) at 130 Martin Luther King Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

Nomadic Nonsense – an Improv Grad Show

• Third Space Improv presents Nomadic Nomads -- an improv school graduation show that features improv comedy that's smart and from the heart.
• ACT 1: Game style improv a la Whose Line is it Anyway?
• ACT 2: A one-act play completely made up on the spot – inspired by audience suggestions.
• Third Space Improv offers beer, wine, and soft drinks as well as free parking. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. There is open seating for this show.
• Tickets are $10.00 advance and $15.00 at the door or online.
• This is the eighth class graduating from The Adventure Project's five-level improv training school that is now housed at Third Space Improv. For more information about improv shows, events, and classes in St. Augustine

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

For starters, my relationship with my dad is basically gone, I haven't talked to him in many years now besides short one liners as a response for basic yes/no questions. Over these couple years, I truly believe he is narcissist and a man-child. I still go back home during the school breaks so its not like I've been no contact with him as my mom and sibling still live with him. My mom and sibling just deals with it day after day but I'm just so fed up with him that it just really pisses me off from just hearing his voice. To be fair, I've read some post, he's not as extreme to be physically abusive(but my mom says he was when I was little, but has stopped probably due to me having grown up and on my mom's side), but definitely mentally.
He's been following this alpha male-like mindset(from different racial culture but roughly same ideas/mindset) where he believes that woman are supposed to be obedient and just raise children, and as the man, everyone needs to listen to him or else it is disrespectful to him. He claims that it is in a boy's nature to side with his mother which is why we all dislike him. My mom told me that he used to send her like alpha male propaganda once every month and then tell her that "This is how a family is supposed to function." It taught him that he needs to manipulative to get what he wants. Problem is that this doesn't work the other way around, if he wants something, he has to get it. For example, we live in a pretty small apartment so there's only so much room for all of us to share the bathroom and kitchen. He wakes up, takes over both the kitchen and bathroom from 9am to 12pm, making sighs and stuffs if we happen to be using it and he suddenly needs it. He leaves all the sinks on at max if even if he isn't going to use it and yells at you if you tell him to turn off the sinks because its wasting water. He like to complain about the power bills and why they're so high, then you see him same night, turning on the heater for 8 hours straight and when you tell him that's the issue, he claims its not him. When my sibling or I talk back, he just blames it on my mom for "teaching us" to talk back to him. Better yet, my mom does all the "man" stuff like house repair, I'm not even sure if my dad knows how to use a screwdriver.
Another area about him that really ticks me off is his ego. He loves talking about himself and how smart he is. You can see him all the time watching these gameshows and is constantly praising himself for how fast he can answer and how dumb others are. Constant down play on others for their achievements because you know for a fact, he cannot do it himself. Whenever we go to a friends house, all you can hear is him bluffing about himself. More recently, he's been talking less about himself and more about me and my sibling's achievements. It's just so ridiculous.
The area that I hate most about him is how whiny he is about literally anything that doesn't go his way. I'm fairly certain he also has OCD as things that take a couple seconds to clean apparently justifies the need to yell at all of us for 30 seconds and demonstrate that we are incompetent as compare to him. Or sometimes asking him to do a small task, causes him to sigh for 5 seconds then yell at us for being so reliant even though the amount of time spent before asking him to doing something far exceeds that time.
As for my mom and why she's still fine with this. I have no clue. I've told her multiple times that she is the reason why he keeps taking advantage of her. Yet, she still doesn't change. She works multiple jobs almost everyday then still has to come home to cook and everything for the rest of the family while my dad works 3 days a week at a restaurant and comes home demanding all sorts of things. He sleeps like 12 hours everyday, after doing whatever he does till 12pm, watches movies for basically the next 6 hours and goes to take a nap and repeats until bedtime. Sometimes my mom ends up coming home sick and nauseated and still has to cook for the family. She even gets yelled at if my dad ends up sick, claiming that she made him sick. Every month or so, my mom would tell me what new absurd thing he has done and how she is going to treat him like a housemate from now on, then a couple weeks later, she forgives him. Like I know she hates him for what happened in the past(This might be too revealing personal info), but she just ends up feeling bad and reverting.
Nowadays, when I go home for the break. I still see it happen, just not towards me because he know that I've blocked him from my life. He doesn't even dare talk to me, instead asks my mom to ask for him. But I still cannot forgive him, and he doesn't even know why(he told my sibling this). Like he truly doesn't think he's ever done wrong...
Now, I've only been listing bad things about him. That's because, all his good deeds come with a twist as in, it will be used against you when you have an argument with him in the future through "I've done this for you and this is what I get back?!" type of argument. Before I leave for school, he always slides a couple thousand on to my table and says this is for you to spend, but knowing what could possibly happen with me taking that, I don't ever touch the money. Another is we don't have a dryer, so he tends to handle all the washing machine stuff and does all the air drying. Problem is, he builds an ego from that. He is considered the only one that knows how to operate the washing machine and if someone else does, they are "breaking" it. He likes to yell at us if we happen to "mess" up his perfect clothes hanging. He gets pissed if we wash the bed sheets more often than normal and complains about how much work it is wash even though its 30 second to load and 10 more to put in detergent and press the button.
But now actually the good side. He does seem to be proud of me. My mom tells me that he wishes that my sibling could be half as motivated with school as I am. These past years, he been doing more house work like washing the dishes each night(though I don't think he does this anymore). He's nearing retirement in a couple months, and he already planned this like 10 years ago that he would take it as soon as it comes. He hasn't worked as much as he thought, so his retirement funds are that high and probably not even enough for rent.
I don't know, I know it's not as extreme as other posts I've seen here hence why I feel the need to make this as I don't know if I'm just overexaggerating this situation. He doesn't fund my college education or anything so there's no dependency there. My mom thinks because he's my dad, I need to just give in these couple of days and let him come. I've very clearly stated to her, if I see him for more than 5 seconds, my entire graduation will be of me pissed off. I personally feel obligated that I need to show that his actions has consequences as no matter what has been done so far, he doesn't feel the need to change. I just don't want to make my mom sad or anything, she seems like she genuinely wants him to come just so he could see my campus and graduation once. I will definitely be burning the bridge with this action so I just need some advice on if I am making the right decision. But at the same time I don't know if I'm just being the AH for not allowing him to redeem himself since I just assume he already won't.

For starters, my relationship with my dad is basically gone, I haven't talked to him in many years now besides short one liners as a response for basic yes/no questions. Over these couple years, I truly believe he is narcissist and a man-child. I still go back home during the school breaks so its not like I've been no contact with him as my mom and sibling still live with him. My mom and sibling just deals with it day after day but I'm just so fed up with him that it just really pisses me off from just hearing his voice. To be fair, I've read some post, he's not as extreme to be physically abusive(but my mom says he was when I was little, but has stopped probably due to me having grown up and on my mom's side), but definitely mentally.
He's been following this alpha male-like mindset(from different racial culture but roughly same ideas/mindset) where he believes that woman are supposed to be obedient and just raise children, and as the man, everyone needs to listen to him or else it is disrespectful to him. He claims that it is in a boy's nature to side with his mother which is why we all dislike him. My mom told me that he used to send her like alpha male propaganda once every month and then tell her that "This is how a family is supposed to function." It taught him that he needs to manipulative to get what he wants. Problem is that this doesn't work the other way around, if he wants something, he has to get it. For example, we live in a pretty small apartment so there's only so much room for all of us to share the bathroom and kitchen. He wakes up, takes over both the kitchen and bathroom from 9am to 12pm, making sighs and stuffs if we happen to be using it and he suddenly needs it. He leaves all the sinks on at max if even if he isn't going to use it and yells at you if you tell him to turn off the sinks because its wasting water. He like to complain about the power bills and why they're so high, then you see him same night, turning on the heater for 8 hours straight and when you tell him that's the issue, he claims its not him. When my sibling or I talk back, he just blames it on my mom for "teaching us" to talk back to him. Better yet, my mom does all the "man" stuff like house repair, I'm not even sure if my dad knows how to use a screwdriver.
Another area about him that really ticks me off is his ego. He loves talking about himself and how smart he is. You can see him all the time watching these gameshows and is constantly praising himself for how fast he can answer and how dumb others are. Constant down play on others for their achievements because you know for a fact, he cannot do it himself. Whenever we go to a friends house, all you can hear is him bluffing about himself. More recently, he's been talking less about himself and more about me and my sibling's achievements. It's just so ridiculous.
The area that I hate most about him is how whiny he is about literally anything that doesn't go his way. I'm fairly certain he also has OCD as things that take a couple seconds to clean apparently justifies the need to yell at all of us for 30 seconds and demonstrate that we are incompetent as compare to him. Or sometimes asking him to do a small task, causes him to sigh for 5 seconds then yell at us for being so reliant even though the amount of time spent before asking him to doing something far exceeds that time.
As for my mom and why she's still fine with this. I have no clue. I've told her multiple times that she is the reason why he keeps taking advantage of her. Yet, she still doesn't change. She works multiple jobs almost everyday then still has to come home to cook and everything for the rest of the family while my dad works 3 days a week at a restaurant and comes home demanding all sorts of things. He sleeps like 12 hours everyday, after doing whatever he does till 12pm, watches movies for basically the next 6 hours and goes to take a nap and repeats until bedtime. Sometimes my mom ends up coming home sick and nauseated and still has to cook for the family. She even gets yelled at if my dad ends up sick, claiming that she made him sick. Every month or so, my mom would tell me what new absurd thing he has done and how she is going to treat him like a housemate from now on, then a couple weeks later, she forgives him. Like I know she hates him for what happened in the past(This might be too revealing personal info), but she just ends up feeling bad and reverting.
Nowadays, when I go home for the break. I still see it happen, just not towards me because he know that I've blocked him from my life. He doesn't even dare talk to me, instead asks my mom to ask for him. But I still cannot forgive him, and he doesn't even know why(he told my sibling this). Like he truly doesn't think he's ever done wrong...
Now, I've only been listing bad things about him. That's because, all his good deeds come with a twist as in, it will be used against you when you have an argument with him in the future through "I've done this for you and this is what I get back?!" type of argument. Before I leave for school, he always slides a couple thousand on to my table and says this is for you to spend, but knowing what could possibly happen with me taking that, I don't ever touch the money. Another is we don't have a dryer, so he tends to handle all the washing machine stuff and does all the air drying. Problem is, he builds an ego from that. He is considered the only one that knows how to operate the washing machine and if someone else does, they are "breaking" it. He likes to yell at us if we happen to "mess" up his perfect clothes hanging. He gets pissed if we wash the bed sheets more often than normal and complains about how much work it is wash even though its 30 second to load and 10 more to put in detergent and press the button.
But now actually the good side. He does seem to be proud of me. My mom tells me that he wishes that my sibling could be half as motivated with school as I am. These past years, he been doing more house work like washing the dishes each night(though I don't think he does this anymore). He's nearing retirement in a couple months, and he already planned this like 10 years ago that he would take it as soon as it comes. He hasn't worked as much as he thought, so his retirement funds are that high and probably not even enough for rent.
I don't know, I know it's not as extreme as other posts I've seen here hence why I feel the need to make this as I don't know if I'm just overexaggerating this situation. He doesn't fund my college education or anything so there's no dependency there. My mom thinks because he's my dad, I need to just give in these couple of days and let him come. I've very clearly stated to her, if I see him for more than 5 seconds, my entire graduation will be of me pissed off. I personally feel obligated that I need to show that his actions has consequences as no matter what has been done so far, he doesn't feel the need to change. I just don't want to make my mom sad or anything, she seems like she genuinely wants him to come just so he could see my campus and graduation once. I will definitely be burning the bridge with this action so I just need some advice on if I am making the right decision. But at the same time I don't know if I'm just being the AH for not allowing him to redeem himself since I just assume he already won't.

State: WI Ive lived above a barestaurant for the past 8 years which started out ok but is rapidly getting ridiculous. When I moved into the apartment I never received a key because he "didn't know where the hell they were". Until recently I wasn't that worried about it because you need to go through three different doors to actually get to my apartment ( 1. Exterior door with keypad to enter the back hallway of the restaurant 2. A door that leads to the stairs 3. Door at top of stairs to enter the apartment). About a year ago I picked up a security camera to put at the top of the stairwell before the main entrance to my apartment just for peace of mind. Two weeks ago I took a day off of work and had my phone off. Apparently my boss was concerned about that so he reached out to someone at the restaurant to get the combo for the exterior door. Next thing I know my boss is in my bedroom waking me up. Initially I was irrate but I let it go once my boss explained that he was concerned about my well-being as he knows the restaurant has left deepfryers on in the past and shut off the ventilation causing my apartment to fill with carbon monoxide. So then today as I'm at work....my phone starts going off with notifications that someone is entering my apartment. I immediately text my landlord to ask if he knows the two guys and in return I was told "it's the water heater guys. Didn't think they would have to go upstairs". This was a huge red flag considering the water heater for the whole building is downstairs. Now I can get some confusion maybe I'm having to enter the apartment once and realizing that there's no water heater but they were up here multiple times. So I came home from work and I can tell they were in every room ( four bedroom apartment) and in one room I've been working on organizing my coin collection (10,000+ coins). My worry is it would be super easy to slip some coins in your pocket and walk past the camera. I don't have every coin cataloged so it would be hard to for sure tell if something was missing and it would and it would also be extremely time consuming. I guess my question is what am I supposed to do? I'm constantly looking for a new apartment or house but they are either ridiculously expensive or absolute dumps. Any advice In the matter would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

I'm a local to South Australia who enjoys the quiet life. Fond of cooking, good coffee, bad movies, pottering around the house, wandering the state, and spending quality time with my friends and my cat.
I'd rather be in a quiet bar than a loud club, I'd rather grab a yiros and head down to the park than deal with a busy restaurant, and I'm a bit of a night owl who prefers the cooler months to our summers.
Recently been:
-watching Fallout
-listening to Castle Rat
-attending a food festival
-looking concerned, as the weather gets colder and my heater starts making weird noises at me
-cooking curried sausages
Looking for someone who wants similar things, has an inappropriate sense of humour, a gracious nature, a mature outlook on life, and is also looking to settle down into something long-term (with an eventual eye towards moving in and raising children together).
Feel free to shoot me a message if you're local and reckon I fit the bill.

Live Music

• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, Casa Monica Resort & Spa, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Big Papa Fish, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
• Billy Buchanan, 408 Main Street Hastings, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Kat Archer, Marina Munch, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Rob Peck, Marina Munch, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• TJ Brown, Pierre's Pub, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Caleb Joye, Kingfish Grill, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Vinny Jacobs, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Space Heaters, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Ian Opalinski, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, 3:00 pm – 6:00 am
• Dewey Via Band, Dog Rose Brewing Co., 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
• Wayne Lake, Casa de Vino 57, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Cheryl Watson, Kingfish Grill, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Jesse Cruce, Mellow Mushroom — Murabella, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Crawford Boyd's Acoustic Anomaly, Tradewinds Lounge, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Aaron Esposito, Embassy Suites by Hilton, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Fond Kiser, Oasis Deck & Restaurant, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Beau and the Burners, Pierre's Pub, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Greg Johnson, Salt Life Food Shack, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Jimmy Bragg, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, Limelight Theatre, Inc., 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Ladybug Race, Workshops, and Dinner

• St. Augustine Sailing, and their program "Women on the Water" present the inaugural Ladybug Regatta, workshops, and awards dinner, on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
• The day begins at 9:00 a.m. with seminars and workshops. The Ladybug Regatta starts at 1:00 p.m., and the awards dinner will start at 6:00 p.m.
• The Ladybug Regatta is committed to the concept that sailing and racing excellence is not limited by gender and all events are open to anyone who wants to participate. Those not crewing on a sailboat may watch the race from a VIP spectator area.
• A Partial Schedule of Events
• 9:00 a.m. — Seminars and workshops start, including
• Behan Gifford (via Zoom) cruiser, author, and instructor — Becoming a Cruiser
• Deborah Marlor, Your Sailing Life Coach — Leaving the Dock
• Ceal Potts, Set Sail Marine Survey
• Melanie Neal, Sunshine Cruising Yacht
• Jourdan McKenzie, McKenzie Marine
• Kim Walther, ASA Instructor of the Year
• Marianne Davis on creating a sailboat medical kit
• Rose Ann Points, St. Augustine Sailing, All Points Yacht Sales, and Sailtime Northeast Florida
• You can register in advance for any of three free demonstrations:
• 9:00 a.m - Line Handling
• 3:30 p.m. - Cooking Demo
• 4:00 p.m. - Winch Maintenence
• There are also classes and workshops about everything from yoga on board, to becoming a cruiser, to dinghy and outboard handling. Each class has a fee.
• The Ladybug Race starting sequence will begin at 12:55 p.m. and both performance and cruising class boats will be racing.
• Other events include a silent auction, a mini boat show with new and used vessels, and an introductory sailing course at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
• The day's last event will be an awards dinner and seafood boil starting at 6:00 p.m.
• Admission: $15.00 for seminars, $25.00 for each workshop, $45.00 to register a boat for the regatta, $25.00 to watch the regatta and enjoy refreshments from a VIP location, $89.00 for the seafood boil dinner by Outer Banks Boil Company of St. Augustine.
• When: Sunday, April 28, 2024; the events take place from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the dinner starts at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: At St. Augustine Sailing, Camachee Cove Yacht Yard, 3076 Harbor Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Proceeds raised by the Ladybug Regatta will support expanding the Women on the Water Program. This program works to make sailing available to all women by providing educational workshops and water skills training.

2nd day of Cabbage, Potato, & Bacon Festival

Please check yesterdays post for Sunday Event details.

Race to the Taste 5k (Leads into next Event)

• EPIC Behavioral Healthcare presents the Race to the Taste 5K on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.
• Beginning at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, the in-and-out course winds through Anastasia State Park and the shaded residential areas of Anastasia Island, ending back at the grounds of the Amphitheatre. This race sets the stage for A Taste of St. Augustine, a culinary festival and tasting event, where each participant of the race receives admission for two.
• The Race to the Taste's keyhole course is thoughtfully wider than traditional courses, allowing for a larger number of participants. While both runners and walkers are welcome, the event organizers ask that those with strollers begin at the rear to minimize safety hazards during the event and to allow competitive runners to pursue their goal times.
• Registration: Register for this event and receive two tickets to the A Taste of St. Augustine culinary festival and tasting event.
• When: Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheater located at 1340 A1A South, St. Augustine, Florida 32080.
• Race to the Taste participants receive free admission for two to A Taste of St. Augustine.
• Visitors and residents alike can participate in this 5K and help raise awareness for the many causes EPIC Behavioral Healthcare supports. EPIC Behavioral Healthcare was established in 1973 as a community-based non-profit organization. Licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, EPIC was created to provide substance abuse prevention, intervention, outpatient treatment, and aftercare services.

A Taste of St. Augustine 2024

• Taste of St. Augustine takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. This annual outdoor food festival presents "tastes" from participating St. Augustine restaurants and is presented by EPIC Behavioral Health Care. The day's proceeds go to this community-based non-profit organization.
• More than 20 of St. Augustine's favorite restaurants and food trucks participate each year, offering tastes of some of their most popular dishes. Food lovers purchase tickets for $1.00 each and pay one to five tickets for each taste. The organizers provide a map listing the eateries and what they offer, so it's easy to find your favorite restaurant or cuisine and work out from there.
• Taste of St. Augustine has grown to be one of the city's premier annual events. Visitors can sample delicious foods from local restaurants and food trucks, and then vote for the coveted "People's Choice" award. A panel of food service professionals and dignitaries taste every offering and choose winners in five categories: Best Family, Best Ethnic, Best Upscale, Best Dessert, and Best Beverage.
• There are plenty of fun arts and crafts activities for children, and local bands perform on the Front Porch stage. EPIC also hosts the Race to the Taste 5K, which takes place in the morning on the same day. Race registrants receive a free ticket to Taste of St. Augustine.
• Admission: $5.00 per person and taste tickets are $1.00 each with restaurants charging between one and five tickets per taste. Entry is free to those who participate in Race to the Taste. Free parking is available at the Amphitheatre.
• When: Sunday, April 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located at 1340C A1A S. in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Parking: This is a popular and fun event, and there will be a free shuttle from R.B. Hunt Elementary to the Amphitheatre.
• All proceeds from A Taste of St. Augustine benefit EPIC Behavioral Healthcare which was established in 1973 as a community-based non-profit organization. Licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, EPIC was created to provide substance abuse prevention, intervention, outpatient treatment, and aftercare services.
• Here are the participating restaurants for 2024

The winners from 2023 are noted.

• African Love Kitchen
  • Best Ethnic Taste
  • People's Choice Award
• Amici Italian Restaurant
  • Best Dessert
• Beaches at Vilano
• Bourbon & Boards
• Castillo Craft Kitchen & Bar
• Harvest & Reel
• Hillary's Chicago Pizza
• Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House
• Pi Artisan Pizza
• Rad Ringo's Mini Donuts
• Reef Restaurant
  • Best Upscale Taste
• Sal's Cucina
  • Best Family Dining
• Salt Life Food Shack
• San Sebastian Winery
• Santiago's Florida Kitchen and Craft Bar
• Smokin Spencer's Q
• The Hyppo
• Villagio Bar and Grill
• YAMO Food Truck

Super Sunday Improv Mixer

• At the Super Sunday Improv Mixer, grown-ups are invited to a cooperative, facilitated play experience. Using improv games and exercises, an improv instructor leads attendees through a play experience where everyone wins. This is an all-play zone where all are welcome - no experience is necessary.
• Registration: $11.00 in advance, $15.00 at the door. To register in advance, go here.
• When: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Where: Third Space Improv is located at 200 Malaga Street #7 in St. Augustine. Free parking is available.

Yoga on the Lawn at Ximenez-Fatio house Museum

• Enjoy yoga on the lawn at the historic Ximenez-Fatio House Museum. This one-hour vinyasa flow is perfect for all levels. Bring a beach towel or mat and water. Free parking behind the museum is available, but limited.
• Access the parking lot from Cadiz Street. Instructor will contact you by phone if class is canceled due to weather.
• Practice gets underway at 8 a.m. and lasts approximately one hour.
• Cost is $15 and registration is required. 20 Aviles St., St. Augustine on the Pilates Yoga Loft site.
• Every Sunday and Wednesday

Free Downtown Historic Walking tour

• Explore St. Augustine's unique history with a licensed professional guide on this free one-hour walking tour, centered around downtown's historic city plaza area. From the struggles of our nation's first colonial settlers to the glories of Henry Flagler and the Gilded Age, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and up to our 450th anniversary, this tour is an excellent introduction to the ancient city from its early beginnings to now.
• Tours depart from the City Walks & Tour St. Augustine office every Saturday & Sunday at 11 a.m. Space is limited to first come first serve, and advance reservations are required.
• Location: Tour St. Augustine Lobby. 4 Granada St., St. Augustine.

Ayla's Acres Clothing Swap feat. Katherine Archer and Rob Peck Live at Marina Munch

• The music is listed in the live music events but this has additional information pertaining Marina Munch
• Join Marina Munch from 12-4 p.m. for a FREE Clothing Swap event! Bring your gently used clothes to buy, sell, trade, or donate. Enjoy live music by Katherine Archer and Rob Peck, and support sustainability while refreshing your style. All donations benefit Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue, Inc. 509 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd., St. Augustine.
• Marina Munch is a waterside food truck park located in the English Landing Marina in the heart of the Marina District of Historic St. Augustine. Enjoy the rotation of the area's most loved food trucks. The park offers socially distanced outside seating with lovely views of the San Sebastian River. Trucks may serve meals from 7am-8 pm daily. Marina Munch is family-friendly, wheelchair accessible, and is pet friendly.

Paella Sunday at Pesca by Michael's

• Enjoy Paella Sunday on the Porch of Pesca by Michael's on Vilano Beach from 3-5 p.m. Tickets are $35 and feature Paella changes weekly, A favorite is is Garden Paella with Chicken Skewers and Shrimp with chorizo on the side (to accommodate all dietary restrictions). Salad, Bread, and one complimentary glass of Sangria or Wine are included. Purchase Tickets online pesca vilano site (linked in list of links) or at the door. Pesca is located at Hyatt Place, 117 Vilano Rd., St. Augustine
• Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Every Sunday
• Cost: 35$
• Where: Pesca By Michael's117 Vilano Rd.St. Augustine, FL 32084

Just Tri It! 2024 Kids Triathlon

• Kids …. come out for a thrilling day of swimming, running, and biking on Sunday, April 28, 2024 — 8:00am at Solomon Calhoun Community Center!
• Participants from ages 5 to 14 get to compete in three age-appropriate brackets in a chip-timed event!
• Age Bracket Event Info
• 5-8yo 50 meter swim 1-mile bike .5 mile run
• 9-11yo 100 meter swim 1-mile bike 1 mile run
• 12-14yo 150 meter swim 1-mile bike 1.5 mile run
• Participants must bring their personal bikes and wear helmets—no training wheels allowed!
• Race Fee (includes participation, race bib, Triathlon Shirt, Finishers medal, and event photo): $40.00 — Early sign-up through March 31, 2024 $50.00 — After March 31, 2024 at 11:59pm $60.00 — Day of event

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
tinyurl.com/2p9vvv28

For future events please visit the Discord.

discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR