Rowe price 401k

PortfolioAllocation

2021.01.29 03:31 TonyLiberty PortfolioAllocation

I will be discussing stock, ETF and 401k allocations. This will be based on a consensus of market outlooks & allocations from research papers from Wall St's biggest banks and investment firms (Amundi, Bank of America, Blackrock, Franklin Templeton, HSBC, JP Morgan, Merrill, PIMCO, T. ROWE, TD, SAGE, SUNTRUST, etc.). Feel free to pull the literature from their respective websites, but I've complied their data, and weighted each asset class to generate alpha.
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2009.02.09 03:42 Personal Finance

Learn about budgeting, saving, getting out of debt, credit, investing, and retirement planning. Join our community, read the PF Wiki, and get on top of your finances!
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2024.05.19 00:28 vxanthippe 4day pass for sale

Hello! I bought tickets for the entire festival but I am no longer able to go due to work obligations. I’m selling them for $375 ($417 on ticket master but the price is negotiable. Also it doesn’t have to be through Ticketmaster I guess) (this is my first time selling tickets)
Thanks! :)
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2024.05.19 00:11 Master-Quantity-1490 Cusco Traditional Markets, History, Location and Tips

Cusco Traditional Markets, History, Location and Tips
A notable aspect of Peruvian culture lies in its vibrant markets, and Cusco is no exception. If you haven’t experienced any of Cusco’s markets (or any across South America), you’re in for a sensory overload.
Take, for instance, the renowned San Pedro market in Cusco. Here, you’ll encounter endless rows of stalls and quaint shops brimming with a plethora of goods, ranging from fresh produce to traditional remedies. Amidst the bustling chaos of sights and scents, vendors eagerly vie for your attention, touting their wares. Additionally, many markets spill over into expansive outdoor areas where you can indulge in a meal, snag souvenirs, or simply soak in the lively atmosphere.
These markets serve as the backbone of everyday life for locals, offering affordable provisions and a prime spot for souvenir hunting in Cusco.
Cusco’s markets are a must-see for visitors to Peru, offering a glimpse into daily life that’s truly unique. Even if you’re not in the market for anything specific, they provide unparalleled opportunities for people-watching, Peru Amazon Trips will show you how to reach all of the Traditional markets that are located in Cusco’s vicinity taking the Main square as a reference for your starting point.San Pedro Market
This sprawling market has become a tourist hotspot (mostly because of local agencies recommendations), renowned for its wide array of alpaca clothing and souvenirs alongside stalls selling fruits, vegetables, juices, cheese, and meat.
Make sure to explore the rear section of this expansive hall, where you’ll find some of the most affordable lunch options in the city. However, a crucial tip is to opt for the busiest kitchen to minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
Location of the San Pedro market: situated near Plaza San Francisco, accessible by passing through the arch adjacent to Iglesia Santa Clara.
https://preview.redd.it/vbo3dq9od91d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=913415629ce5354ed7400c50481c2f7229c6da09

Wanchaq market

The Wanchaq market, familiar to locals in Cusco, is another noteworthy option.
Similar to other larger markets in the city, it offers a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and meat, as well as clothing, kitchenware, and likely any other essentials you might require.
Location of the Wanchaq market: situated near Avenida Tullumayo (Parallel Street to Avenida del Sol).

Artisan’s market

For distinctive keepsakes, visit the Artisan’s Market in Cusco, where you’ll find a variety of items including alpaca sweaters, jewelry, pottery, and other crafts.
Experience the thrill of bargaining with fewer crowds of tourists.
Location of the Artisan’s market: Avenida El Sol, in front of the fountain known as the “Paccha” (which is actually the translation of fountain in Quechua)

San Blas Market

This is a much smaller market situated in San Blas’s pretty neighbourhood, northeast of the Plaza de Armas. It’s a far less touristy location and only sells staples such as fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat. However, it still makes for an interesting introduction to Cusco’s markets if you’re in the area.
The San Blas square around the corner also hosts an artisan’s market at weekends with great Peruvian souvenirs to check out.
Location of San Blas Market: San Blas Market is located in the San Blas neighborhood of Cusco, Peru. At the end of Lucrepata’s main street.

Vinocanchón’s Market

Situated at the southern edge of the city, just before reaching the city limits, this market stands as one of the largest and most comprehensive in town. Serving as a vital resource for individual households, restaurants, and small businesses in this part of Cusco, it offers a diverse range of products beyond fresh produce.
It’s a traditional market where encountering another foreign visitor is unlikely.
Location of Vinocanchón’s Market: This market is located almost at the end of the city, you can reach it by going to the disctrict’s stadium in San Jerónimo’s neighbourhood.

Tips before you head to any of these markets on your own

#1 Refrain from making immediate purchases.
Cusco’s markets overwhelm with choices. Often, identical items line neighboring stalls.
Whether it’s alpaca sweaters or cooking utensils, explore the entirety of the market before committing.
Expect initial high prices; bargaining is customary. Indicate disinterest, then negotiate for the best deal.
#2: Be vigilant with your belongings
Always look after your own goods, specially at crowded spots like San Pedro market, prone to pickpocketing due to tourism.
Stay cautious amid distractions while safeguarding valuables like cameras and phones. Consider wearing them on the front and utilizing internal pockets for money.
Keep a copy of your passport; store the original securely
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.#3: Dedicate some time to exploring the local markets in Cusco to uncover a wide array of goods.
You’ll find that these markets offer a diverse selection of items, with San Pedro market standing out as the largest and most central, boasting a variety of clothing, souvenirs, kitchen supplies, and groceries.
Meanwhile, San Blas market, though smaller, exudes charm and provides a range of fruits, vegetables, and other grocery items. Wanchaq, while similar to San Pedro in terms of offerings, provides a less touristy atmosphere, making it ideal for mingling with locals.
Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the discoveries you’ll make in and around these markets. Whether you’re in search of shoelaces, USB drives, birthday candles, Tupperware, or nail polish, you’ll likely find it here.
#4: Consider hygiene when buying in the market
Keep in mind that the market is where locals typically shop for groceries. For many travelers, exploring local markets can be an eye-opening experience, as they offer a variety of goods, including raw meat.
Unlike supermarkets where meat is often neatly packaged, in Cusco’s markets, it’s common to find meat being sold freshly cut. While this method may not be the most hygienic, it’s practical. While seeing raw meat may be off-putting, exercise caution when purchasing or consuming it.
This caution extends to eating at the markets, where hygiene standards aren’t always guaranteed. Seek advice from your accommodation or tour guide on which stalls to trust, or opt for busy food stands with high turnover to ensure freshness and minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
#5: Bring a bag with you.
It’s a common practice for locals to carry their own (reused) plastic bags. When you make purchases in Peru, you’ll likely receive a bag to start with (although it’s advisable to travel with a compact bag regardless).
By bringing your own bag to the market, you can reduce the amount of plastic you use during your time in Peru.

6: Understanding Baby Alpaca Wool

Many tourists visiting Peru are eager to purchase soft alpaca sweaters featuring charming Andean designs. However, when a vendor mentions “baby alpaca” wool, it’s important to clarify the term. Contrary to what some may imagine, it doesn’t refer to wool taken from recently sheared baby alpacas shivering in the Andean cold.
https://preview.redd.it/g1vffk9zd91d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c793f19656696998ff019927c0ca8a9caddfb18
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2024.05.18 23:30 Strong_Tell499 T. Rowe Price is hiring Senior Business Analyst (Chief Data Office) Baltimore, MD US [SQL]

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2024.05.18 23:22 Holiday_Spell_970 First home purchase - thoughts?

Hi Reddit community, I'm putting in an offer for my first home. Likely will go over listing price and I have it capped out at 315k. I have 92k in cash, 220k in 401k (15% contribution). I'm not touching my 401k for this. I'm a 41 y/o single female, no debt. Salary is 115k (potentially more with bonus). No kids.
My question is, should I put 20% down (including closing costs) - this would be approx 71k total bringing to the table at closing with a purchase price of 315k. Or, save the cash and put less $$ down - the pmi is very small ($25-50/month).
Thanks for any input! Thanks all :)
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2024.05.18 23:00 xk_Silhouette First 2 Nights from Different Sections (Pro Tips and Observations)

Friends, I did the first two nights from different sections. I was second row in 207 the first night, and then second row of 307 the second night. (I'll be doing third night in the 100s for a floor comparison and can update this later with a third experience.) I wanted to add some notes on my experience here in case it helps.
Note: I turned on the spoiler tag because of the level of detail, but have tried to not give anything away other than as needed to report.
(Edited to add a few details.)
Yes, it's worth it. It is incredible. The shows are great, and it will be its own experience to see them here. The Sphere is like getting an entire second show visually on top of the music. They have put something really special together. No reason to be on the fence: if you can make it, you should.
Section comparison. I don't think there is a bad seat in the Sphere, and everyone I talked to enjoyed it wherever they were (though I didn't talk to anyone with an obstructed view).
That said, there are some tradeoffs. Down on the floor seemed to be the die hard fans and best energy. Several people said they thought the overall view in the 300s was probably the best for taking everything in with the height and that little extra distance. I found the 300s a little bit less immersive and little more chill--a great night 2 seat for me. The 200s are a balance between the Sphere and the Band and best of both worlds. I definitely felt more "in it" in the 200s.
I do think that being towards a center section of the Sphere is more important than being down a level and closer, and more important than being a few rows closer inside of a section. On the wings it seems like the visuals would be less immersive because you have a stronger sense of where the wall is in your vision field.
I didn't find the 200s to be steep, but the 300s were a bit as you're getting in and out. It took a few minutes to adjust, but I had no issues after that. This does seem to be a bigger concern in the 400s, so consider moving down if you don't care for heights and if that will impact your experience.
And, compared to other venues (especially baseball stadiums) that are a bit cramped, I found the seats themselves comfortable and had plenty of space. The incline also makes it easy to see the band from anywhere.
I really liked seeing shows from different seats the last two nights and encourage that if it's an option for you. It's a different view and experience each time and keeps it fresh.
Visuals. I don't know who dreamed this up but it is surreal. It fills your vision and is like wearing a VR headset with 15k other fans. It feels at times like you are sitting in a space ship, or on a roller coaster. It's a ride-- Photos and video cannot capture it because of the sheer scale of it.
The opening visuals for the first song are chill, then they blow the doors off the place with the second song. Because of that, I think opening set songs will be a little more warm up, and the second song in the first set will bring the energy. The closing visuals appear to also be the same night to night.
In between, they do repeat many of the visuals night to night, but several of them are generic enough where they can be used for many different songs (and still fun to watch and impressive). Some of those are more "static" than the headline videos that you are seeing circulating, and that puts the emphasis back on the music for stretches.
There were some new visuals on Night 2, maybe 20% or so of them. We'll see in time as they continue to roll new ones out and mix and match what songs they play to what.
The visuals can be a little disorienting. This is because it's intense. Even when you know it's a screen, it is so big it tricks you. Night 1 I found myself needing to sit down for a minute. Two things that helped me: One, turn around and look back at the seating, especially where the screen ends at the top. That helped my brain remember where we were. Second, looking at it through my phone when I took a few videos also grounded me. Overall, this was minor for me, I bounced back in a minute or so, and I loved it.
Sound. I found it plenty loud, but saw some comments that it wasn't enough for some others liking. I think if you are acclimated to the outdoor tour amphitheater experience, that tends to be louder because they push volume out further outdoors. In the Sphere they don't need to do that. What you get in exchange is a more balanced sound. No complaints here.
They did seem to dial it in a bit and got more bass second night. I didn't notice it so much, but a few folks around me commented. Making some minor adjustments as they learn by playing the venue and getting fan feedback is to be expected, and I'm glad to see it.
Haptics. Night one there were a few songs where they turned on the seat haptics, but it did not feel sync'd to the music until D&S. Night 2 they were only used for drums and space, and somehow Mickey controls them or they are sync'd to certain of his kit. I thought it was very cool N2 and how I hope it goes. They are amazing for D&S and I highly recommend sitting for that and not treating it like a second intermission. The seats and the visuals make it a totally different experience.
Encore. They will do an encore-type song, but they don't leave the stage. Without spoiling, there is a short visual presentation (about a minute) after set 2 closer and then they play one more. This was consistent both nights, so don't expect more tunes after that, that's how they're fitting it in this go round.
Intermission. The bathroom lines really did get long. I guess that's always true at intermissions, but this felt longer than other venues, though they did keep it moving. This was the only minor complaint I had.
If the line on your floor is long, it seemed to move faster and less crowded on the lower levels. Sphere staff was excellent, and was communicating with each other and were telling fans they could go down a level for a shorter line.
Food and drinks at the Sphere. They have a bit of both, but a lot more barstands than food. I didn't eat there, but they had decent cocktails. There are bars on each level, and for beer and seltzers they had some wall coolers grab-and-go style. Other than intermission, the lines were never too bad. Stadium pricing hurts, but is to be expected.
Dead Experience at the Venetian. This was cool to see and is easy to check out while you're around. You can do it all in 30-60 minutes. It is on the lower level where Palazzo starts by the LOVE sign, near the restaurants and shopping. There are some fun photo ops around there too, and staff to help take pictures of you.
Be sure to go upstairs: the photo collection exhibit and Mickey Hart's artwork are up there and both neat. There was no line while I was there. They do sell tour posters, but were already selling out morning of Day 2.
Merch. The merch at the Dead Experience at the Venetian during the day is different than what they have at the Sphere during shows. There is overlap, but there were some of the same styles in different colors. So far, none of it is available online.
Posters. Yes, there is a different poster each night. They also have weekend posters (with all three nights on them) and full tour posters. Tour posters had a limited run in foil, and then regular matte posters.
Security. They did not seem to be checking or care about vapes. It looked like every third person in line held theirs up in their hand with their phone as they walked through.
Getting in and out of the Venue. This overall ran really smoothly. I am not staying at the Venetian, so the first night I took a cab from the south end of the strip for about $20. Some traffic getting in, but once I was dropped off it was really quick getting into general entrance. Second night I got dinner at Venetian and took their sky bridge. That was a longer line, but still got through in about 15 minutes.
So if you're having dinner at the Venetian, I'd plan to walk over by about 645. It was about a fifteen minute walk, then a bit of line at security, but you'll get in with no stress and should have time to grab a drink. A 5pm reservation somewhere should give you plenty of time if you tell your server.
Shows get out around 11.30, and then it's either a walk back to Venetian or to the cab line. I was getting back to my hotel around midnight. If you started with dinner at 5 before the show, it's a long night.
Pace Yourself. Three days is a lot anywhere, but in Vegas you're on your feet during the day, it's hot, and the Sphere is an intense experience. It'll add up. Take it easy where you can.
Travel safe, and may the four winds blow you all safely home.
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2024.05.18 22:22 CandidateRough2473 Blink-182 ticket

Selling 1 ticket to the Blink-182 Concert on July 13th in Portland. Section 223, Row D, Seat 9. Selling for the price I paid, ($181, this includes Ticketmaster's fee cost). Other tickets in this same section are going for $300+ Selling ticket because I'm moving before the concert.
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2024.05.18 21:58 SuperSeaStarSavior [Hershey Park] Trip Report 5/17/24

[Hershey Park] Trip Report 5/17/24
Hey all! I'm a huge coaster lover, but don't get to visit many parks each year as I'm solo and based in NYC with no car, so every time I get to visit somewhere is a big deal! The coaster vloggers on YouTube get me through my lunch break at work everyday haha. Yesterday I got to Hershey Park, a place I love and had a season pass to in 2019 during a summer away from NYC. This was my first visit in 3 years - ultimately a successful if chaotic day!
I queued up for gates open at 10:45 and was in the park by 11:05am. I had been debating getting Fast Track Plus, and it was clear I would need it before I even got back to Wildcat's Revenge. I bought and got my wristband at 11:20 for the heartbreaking price of $140, but the day would've been a total wash without it. I immediately got in the Fast Track line for Wildcat's Revenge at 11:30 (bullpen queue was near full at this point) and got my first few rides (ever!) in. It blew me away, I am so impressed by this ride. The only RMC's I've experienced are Jersey Devil and Iron Gwazi, and this was an excellent addition to that trio. Immediately became my new favorite in the park, and I got 7 or 8 rides on it throughout the day all in rows 1, 2, 11, or 12. I can't sing this ride's praises enough and think it makes Hershey a near perfect park. The pacing is relentless but steady enough that you can enjoy it, the elements are varied and diverse, and it is glossy smooth. A huge win for the park.
With it being a Friday in May, the park was both oversold with school groups (thousands and thousands of teenagers) and understaffed with employees. Limited shops and food stands/stations were open, which made doing anything at the park very difficult. It took about an hour to get and eat lunch, and then headed to Great Bear at 1pm. The line was also through the bullpen, and with Fast Pass I still waited ~25 minutes. This was for every ride except Wildcat's Revenge which has the best merge point with an average wait of 5-10 minutes.
I want to be respectful to the park employees, where the median age must have been 19/20, but ops yesterday were rough given the park capacity. Everything was on 2 trains except for Candymonium at 3, but they had by FAR the worst ops of the day. It's an uphill battle being what I imagine is the most popular coaster in the park, but dang. Does PA state law require seatbelts? If not, I hope the insurance breaks that Hershey is getting is worth the miserable headache they cause.
To further ruffle feathers, I did try the new Skyrush seats. (Velocicoaster is my #1 and I really admire HP for doing the work to improve the guest experience). I have been a SkyRush h8r since day 1, and was baffled by yesterday's ride: Hershey made a deal with the devil to finally provide a comfortable restraint system, only to gain...an absolutely miserable shake/shuffle throughout the entire course. It was the only ride of the day to give me a genuine headache and I continue to see no value that it adds to the park. I wish like hell they would remove it and get a multi-launch instead.
On higher notes, Storm Runner is operating fantastically, and I love the atmosphere of the Park as a whole. It is such a special place with a unique layout and golden collection of rides. Dinner at the Chocolatier was delicious and I think the $250 I spent in Admission, Parking, and Fast Track was worth it, especially given it may be my only theme park visit of the summer. Thanks to everyone who gave advice and chatted throughout the day, I love this community and wish I could be a bigger part!
Gloomy day called for a fun edit.
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2024.05.18 21:56 Sweet-Count2557 Best Things to Do in Medford Ma

Best Things to Do in Medford Ma
Best Things to Do in Medford Ma Welcome to Medford, MA! We're here to show you the best things to do in this vibrant city.Get ready to immerse yourselves in history, explore fascinating museums, and take in the beauty of outdoor activities.Indulge your taste buds with delicious cuisine and find hidden treasures while shopping.Immerse yourself in the arts and culture scene, and enjoy the many parks and recreation areas.Whether you're a history buff, foodie, or nature lover, Medford has something for everyone.Let's dive in and discover the best of Medford, MA!Key TakeawaysHistoric sites and museums offer a glimpse into the past of Medford, including the Royall House and Slave Quarters and the Isaac Royall Jr. birthplace.Outdoor activities in Medford include exploring the Middlesex Fells Reservation, fishing in the Mystic River, and swimming and picnicking at Wright's Pond.Family-friendly attractions in Medford include the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, Mystic River State Reservation, and Medford Condon Shell for live performances.Medford offers a variety of dining experiences, from local restaurants serving Italian and international cuisine to farmers' markets with fresh produce and artisanal products.Historic Sites and MuseumsWe highly recommend visiting the Royall House and Slave Quarters, which offers a guided tour and provides an educational experience, giving us a glimpse into Medford's past. This historic site takes us back to colonial times, allowing us to learn about the rich history of the area. As we walk through the house, we can see the collection of antiques and artifacts that tell the story of Medford's early days. The knowledgeable guides share fascinating stories about the people who lived and worked here, including Isaac Royall Jr., who was born in this very house.The Royall House and Slave Quarters is more than just a museum; it's an opportunity to engage with the past and reflect on the legacy of slavery in America. The Slave Quarters is a sobering reminder of the harsh realities faced by enslaved people during this time. By exploring this part of the site, we gain a deeper understanding of the lives of those who were enslaved and the impact of their labor on the development of Medford and the nation.The guided tour at the Royall House and Slave Quarters is an excellent educational experience for all ages. The guides are passionate about sharing the history and are skilled at making the past come alive. They encourage questions and foster discussions, ensuring that visitors leave with a comprehensive understanding of Medford's colonial history.Visiting the Royall House and Slave Quarters isn't only a chance to learn about the past, but it's also an opportunity to honor the stories of those who came before us. It's a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and the ongoing struggle for equality. So, make sure to add this historic site to your Medford itinerary for an educational and thought-provoking experience.Outdoor ActivitiesWhen it comes to outdoor activities in Medford, MA, there's no shortage of options. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, or fishing, this town has it all.From the expansive Middlesex Fells Reservation with its scenic trails, to the tranquil Mystic River offering fishing opportunities, there's something for everyone to enjoy in the great outdoors of Medford.Hiking in MedfordThe Middlesex Fells Reservation offers a variety of hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts in Medford, MA. Nestled in a 2,575-acre natural park, the reservation provides some of the best hiking trails in the area. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hiker, there are scenic hiking spots that cater to all skill levels.As you traverse the trails, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of lush forests, sparkling lakes, and vibrant wildflowers. The diverse terrain of the reservation offers a unique experience with each hike, from gentle slopes to challenging ascents.Immerse yourself in nature as you explore the Middlesex Fells Reservation, and discover the beauty that Medford has to offer. So put on your hiking boots and get ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure.Biking Trails in MedfordLet's explore the biking trails in Medford, MA for some exciting outdoor activities.Medford offers a variety of biking routes that cater to all levels of experience. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced cyclist, there's something for everyone.One of the best biking routes in Medford is the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a 2,575-acre natural park with picturesque trails that wind through lush forests and serene lakes.The Mystic River Path is another popular choice, where you can enjoy a scenic ride along the river, taking in the beautiful views and wildlife.And if you're looking for some biking events, keep an eye out for the Medford Arts Festival, which often includes biking activities and competitions.Fishing Opportunities in MedfordWe love the fishing opportunities in Medford, MA for some exciting outdoor activities.Whether you're an experienced angler or just starting out, Medford offers a variety of fishing spots that are sure to satisfy your fishing cravings.The Mystic River is a popular choice among locals and visitors alike, known for its abundance of fish species such as bass, trout, and perch.For a serene and picturesque fishing experience, head to the Mystic Lakes, where you can enjoy boating and fishing while surrounded by beautiful scenery.And if you're looking for a peaceful spot to cast your line, Wright's Pond Conservation Area is the perfect choice.Don't forget to pack your fishing gear, including a rod, reel, bait, and tackle box, to ensure a successful fishing trip in Medford.Family-Friendly AttractionsAmelia Earhart Birthplace Museum is a must-visit attraction for families in Medford, MA. This museum is dedicated to commemorating aviation history and honoring the famous aviator, Amelia Earhart. As you step inside the museum, you'll be transported back in time to learn about Earhart's incredible achievements and her impact on the world of aviation. The exhibits are engaging and educational, providing a fascinating insight into Earhart's life and legacy.For families looking for more educational experiences, the Medford Family Network offers a variety of engaging programs for kids. From interactive workshops to engaging classes, the Medford Family Network provides a nurturing environment for children to learn and grow. These programs are designed to stimulate curiosity, promote creativity, and foster a love for learning in young minds.As you explore the family-friendly attractions in Medford, MA, you'll also come across Mystic River State Reservation. This picturesque spot is perfect for picnics and wildlife spotting. Spend a leisurely afternoon surrounded by nature, enjoying the serene beauty of the Mystic River.Now that we've explored the family-friendly attractions in Medford, MA, it's time to satisfy our taste buds with the diverse dining and food experiences this city has to offer.Dining and Food ExperiencesWhen exploring Medford, MA, one can't resist the mouth-watering aromas and delectable flavors of the local restaurants serving famous Italian cuisine, international cuisines, and fresh seafood dishes. Medford is home to a variety of dining options that cater to all tastes and preferences. Whether you're in the mood for a hearty plate of pasta, a flavorful curry, or a succulent lobster dish, you'll find it all in Medford.For those seeking a farm-to-table experience, there are several restaurants that prioritize sourcing ingredients from local farms and suppliers. These establishments not only offer delicious dishes but also support the local community and promote sustainability. From seasonal salads to grass-fed steaks, farm-to-table restaurants in Medford are a treat for food enthusiasts looking for a truly authentic and fresh dining experience.In addition to the diverse range of restaurants, Medford also hosts culinary events throughout the year. These events showcase the talents of local chefs, highlight different cuisines, and provide an opportunity to indulge in unique food experiences. From food festivals to chef-led cooking classes, there's always something exciting happening in Medford for food lovers.Whether you're a resident or a visitor, exploring the dining and food experiences in Medford is a must. From the vibrant flavors of Italian cuisine to the exotic spices of international dishes, the city offers a culinary journey that's sure to satisfy any palate. So, grab a seat at one of the local restaurants, savor the flavors, and immerse yourself in the vibrant food scene of Medford.ShoppingWhen it comes to shopping in Medford, MA, there are plenty of local gems to discover. Whether you're in need of some retail therapy or searching for unique artisanal finds, Medford has something for everyone.From the boutiques and specialty stores in the Medford Square shopping district to the wide range of retail options at Meadow Glen Mall, you'll be sure to find what you're looking for.Local Shopping GemsWe love exploring Medford's local shopping gems for unique finds and hidden treasures. Here are some of our favorite spots to indulge in some retail therapy:Medford Square shopping district: This charming area is home to a variety of boutiques and specialty stores. From trendy fashion boutiques to quaint gift shops, you'll find a little bit of everything in Medford Square.Meadow Glen Mall: If you're looking for a wider range of retail options, head to Meadow Glen Mall. This shopping center features popular chain stores as well as local shops, making it a one-stop destination for all your shopping needs.Local artisan shops: For truly unique gifts and crafts, check out the local artisan shops in Medford. These hidden gems offer handmade items that you won't find anywhere else. From handcrafted jewelry to beautifully crafted home decor, you're sure to find something special.Medford's farmers' markets: Don't forget to visit Medford's farmers' markets for fresh produce and groceries. These markets not only offer a wide selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables but also provide a great opportunity to support local farmers and artisans.Retail Therapy OptionsIf you're in the mood for some retail therapy, there are plenty of options to explore in Medford, MA. The Medford Square shopping district is a must-visit, with its charming boutiques and specialty stores offering a unique shopping experience. You can also head to Meadow Glen Mall, which boasts a wide range of retail options to cater to all your shopping needs.For those looking for something different, Medford is home to local artisan shops where you can find unique gifts and crafts made by talented local artists. And don't forget to check out the farmers' markets in Medford, where you can browse through fresh produce and artisanal products.After indulging in some retail therapy, it's time to discover the next section about the unique artisanal finds in Medford.Unique Artisanal FindsLet's explore the wide array of unique artisanal finds in Medford, MA, where you can discover one-of-a-kind treasures while shopping.Here are some must-visit spots for those looking for artisanal crafts and local handmade products:Medford Square shopping district: This charming area is home to boutiques and specialty stores that offer a variety of artisanal crafts. From handcrafted jewelry to beautifully designed ceramics, you're sure to find something special here.Local artisan shops: Medford is known for its thriving artisan community, and you can find their creations in the many local artisan shops scattered throughout the city. These shops showcase an eclectic mix of handmade products, including artwork, textiles, and unique home decor items.Medford's farmers' markets: Not only can you find fresh produce and groceries at Medford's farmers' markets, but you can also discover a range of locally made artisanal products. From homemade jams and preserves to hand-poured candles, these markets are a treasure trove of unique finds.Assembly Row outlet stores: If you're looking for great deals on high-quality artisanal products, head to Assembly Row. This shopping destination features outlet stores where you can find discounted prices on everything from clothing and accessories to home goods and specialty items.Whether you're searching for a special gift or simply want to support local artisans, Medford offers a wealth of opportunities to discover unique artisanal finds while shopping.Arts and CultureThe Chevalier Theatre offers a historic venue for performances, showcasing a variety of arts and cultural events in Medford, MA. Located in the heart of Medford Square, this beautifully restored theater has a rich history dating back to 1927. Its grand architecture and elegant interior make it a captivating setting for a wide range of performances, including concerts, plays, dance shows, and comedy acts.The local art scene in Medford is vibrant and diverse. The town is home to many talented artists, and the Chevalier Theatre serves as a platform for them to showcase their work. The theater regularly hosts art exhibitions, featuring paintings, sculptures, and other forms of visual art. It's a great opportunity for art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the local art scene and discover new talent.In addition to its role as a cultural hub, the Chevalier Theatre also hosts a variety of cultural events throughout the year. From film screenings to poetry readings, there's always something happening at this historic venue. These events not only entertain, but also educate and inspire, offering a glimpse into different cultures and perspectives.Attending a performance or cultural event at the Chevalier Theatre is an enriching experience that allows you to connect with the arts and culture of Medford. Whether you're a fan of live music, theater, or visual arts, this historic venue has something for everyone. So, grab your friends or family and immerse yourself in the vibrant arts and cultural scene of Medford.Frequently Asked QuestionsAre There Any Restrictions or Guidelines for Visiting the Royall House and Slave Quarters?When visiting the Royall House and Slave Quarters, there are some restrictions and guidelines to keep in mind. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it's important to check for any updated visiting restrictions and COVID guidelines before your visit. This ensures the safety of all visitors and staff.The Royall House and Slave Quarters offers a unique and educational experience, allowing visitors to learn about the history of Medford and gain insight into the lives of those who lived there.What Are the Popular Hiking Trails in the Middlesex Fells Reservation?Looking for the best hiking trails near Medford, MA? Middlesex Fells Reservation has some popular paths worth exploring!With picturesque views and diverse terrain, these trails offer a thrilling adventure for outdoor enthusiasts.From the challenging Skyline Trail to the serene Crystal Springs Loop, there's something for everyone.Lace up your boots and get ready to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature.Happy hiking!Are Pets Allowed at the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum?Pets aren't allowed at the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum. It's important to follow the visiting guidelines to ensure a positive experience for everyone.The museum is dedicated to honoring the famous aviator and offers a unique glimpse into her life.While pets may not be able to join you on this particular excursion, there are plenty of other family-friendly attractions and outdoor activities in Medford, MA that welcome furry friends.Which Restaurants in Medford Offer Vegetarian or Vegan Options?When it comes to dining out as a vegetarian or vegan in Medford, Ma, there are several options to choose from. One interesting statistic is that there are over 10 restaurants in Medford that offer vegetarian or vegan options.Some popular choices include XYZ Restaurant, ABC Cafe, and LMN Bistro. These establishments provide a variety of delicious plant-based dishes that cater to different dietary preferences. Whether you're craving a hearty veggie burger or a fresh salad, Medford has something for everyone.Do the Local Farmers' Markets in Medford Accept Credit Cards or Only Cash?At the local farmers' markets in Medford, MA, you have the option to pay with either cash or credit card. The credit card acceptance at these markets allows for convenience and ease of payment, eliminating the need for carrying cash.However, using cash can have its advantages, such as avoiding transaction fees and keeping track of your spending.Ultimately, the choice between cash and credit card depends on your personal preference and needs.ConclusionAs we bid farewell to the vibrant city of Medford, MA, we can't help but be overwhelmed by the memories and experiences we've gathered along the way.From immersing ourselves in the rich history of the Royall House and Slave Quarters to indulging in mouthwatering seafood dishes and exploring the breathtaking beauty of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Medford has truly captivated our hearts.So, whether it's the fascinating museums, outdoor adventures, family-friendly attractions, or the vibrant arts scene, Medford has left an indelible mark on our souls.Until we meet again, Medford!
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2024.05.18 21:41 MisterAmmosart Trip Report: 05/05 - 05/17. Mainly Tokyo. IIDX traveling in Kanto. Long post.

Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.
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2024.05.18 21:33 False-Preparation-24 Should I wait on Lexus GX?

My wife has a 9 year old car and is ready for a new one. She needs a 3rd row SUV for hauling kids around. I'm thinking the Lexus GX but am wondering if i should wait until the new models are released to buy. A comment in another sub said that dealers aren't really dropping prices on previous year models due to "the state of things". I don't know much about what that could be referring to but remember prices used to drop 10 or 15 percent depending in demand. Anyone have an opinion on either the vehicle or the timing?
submitted by False-Preparation-24 to askcarsales [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 21:24 SuperRam56 Witnessing a playoff game at the Coliseum felt like a blast from the past.

Witnessing a playoff game at the Coliseum felt like a blast from the past.
Last time, y'all got to print your tickets to the game.
submitted by SuperRam56 to LosAngelesRams [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 19:59 Tavor_Swift [WTS] NIJ 3a Vest, AXL Adaptive Vest Placard

Timestamp
Pictures
Post dibs then message. No chats please. I take Paypal or Venmo (No notes). Prices include shipping to lower 48. AK and HI contact me for shipping quotes. Not looking for trades at this time.
I'm checking messages a couple times a day; I appreciate your patience with my response time. I typically ship the day after receiving payment.
Click here to message me
First up, Spartan Armor Systems Tactical Level IIIA Certified Wraparound Bulletproof Vest. $530 shipped.
Next, AXL Advanced Adaptive Vest Placard (AVP) for Crye JPC. $50 Shipped.
submitted by Tavor_Swift to GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 19:54 snugbugsrugs Pics of 2 car seats

Hi all, this may be a longshot but I was wondering if anyone would share pictures of your second row if you have two car seats installed? We are really wanting to get a CRV and we are a family of 4 - 1 kid in rear-facing and 1 forward-facing. There will definitely be times when we will need it to be a car for five people (three adults plus the two car seats) so I want to know if we’d be able to squish a petite grown-up in the second row every now and then for quick trips around town, nothing major. Everything I see online about the car seat buckle placement is suggesting I should look for a different car. But does that really justify the pricing increase for a larger vehicle and the lower gas mileage? Thanks and hoping to join the club soon! 🚙
submitted by snugbugsrugs to crv [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 19:51 eunaoqueriacadastrar Why is so hard finding a Linux laptop?

Hello everyone,
I've been doing some research to find a good laptop to run Linux on it. The price is not a problem since I'll use a grant to pay for it. But boy why is it so hard?
I wanted to give System76 a try, because with them I'd know for sure the hardware would be supported out of the box. So I went after some reviews, and I came across so many conflicting opinions. One thing that is holding me back is that I read of posts of people experiencing the exact same problems: dead pixels and battery swollen after one year or so...
Then I was considering the Dell XPS 13, the new model with the touch function row. Again, I saw a lot of people saying the camera and mic doesn't work on Linux. I found that super weird given that you can buy the machine with Ubuntu 22.04. is Dell selling the computer with Linux even though the camera doesn't work on Linux?
Then I was reading about thinkpads. Oh boy, there are so many options that I don't even know from where I should start.
I have a MacBook Pro M1. I installed Fedora Asahi on it, and most of the things work but unfortunately I've been experiencing some random freezing. Also, I don't like dual booting...
Any suggestions?
submitted by eunaoqueriacadastrar to linuxhardware [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 19:42 RealCanadianDragon Jays vs Guardians Jr Jays Sunday/Father's Day June 16th

Sec 530, Row 11, Seat 16-19
Price: $115 (Price I paid for them)
If you want verification before buying, I can show you this listing on stubhub, or just look at my reddit history (I'm far from a new/inactive member).
submitted by RealCanadianDragon to jaystickets [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 19:13 CatherineL1031 The Beginning of my Descent [Lorepost Part 3]

The Beginning of my Descent [Lorepost Part 3]
Hello again everyone, I’ve decided to put the baking tips here this time. This is one that has been a huge help for me when it comes to cutting cakes. It’s much easier and cleaner to cut a cake when it’s been chilled for a few hours. So, once your cake has baked and firmed up in the pan (about 15-20 minutes, you want to make sure it’s set but still slightly malleable), take it out, let it come to room temperature, and then cover with foil or plastic or something to prevent it from drying in the fridge. Let it cook for a few hours to finish solidifying, and then cut. Also, if you have the means, a sheet cake cooks and cools a lot faster and more evenly and a cutter can be used to make perfect even circles.
Now, it’s a bit strange to start with the baking tips, I know. But, those are saved as a reward for making your way through my ramblings about youth and glory and adventures. This time, I wanted to put it here as a sort of apology for what’s to come. The last two stories have been very positive, very upbeat, very fun. However, the next century of my life I’m about to share with you all…
I wouldn’t blame any of you if you looked at me differently, I’ll just say that.
I’ll stop beating around the bush, and get right to the point.
So, my immortality was secure, I’d have my perfect body for as long as time existed or until I was killed by a stronger, more capable opponent. I had a good group of friends who knew they could depend on me whenever they needed help with something, and I got to kick the ass of a lich! I had accomplished so much in just over 100 years of life, and now I had a supposedly infinite amount of it to spare if I played my cards right! I felt unstoppable, and wanted to help others like I had helped my companions.
I became a mercenary, a witch for hire for adventures that might be too dangerous for parties. I stopped lying about my strengths, making sure it was known I held Master rank in two magic fields. Most people do not like to play the role of support, and it’s never a bad idea to have extra healing, so I started to hone my craft in Healing and Protection magic as well. I was a force to be reckoned with, and I would make sure the world knew it!
I had wished to continue adventuring with my previous companions, but each of them had decided to take their own path in life. Har decided to take a more involved approach with his church, Ralin returned home to overtake her brother as chief of her clan, and Vex was heading back to the mountains to further hone her building expertise and learn to become an artificer for enchanting! It was sad parting ways, we had been together for such a short time but we had accomplished something so impressive! Oh well, that’s life, you know? I made them promise to keep in touch, and we did for the most part! Har became a bit hard to reach at times due to moving around, so it was always a treat to see him when I could.
Anyways, I soon began to gain some fame. I was a topic of conversation now who had been promoted to expert in the matter of a month after I helped some newbies on their quests. I was someone who everyone knew was dependable and talented. Best of all, I was a cutie, and everyone loves to have a cute witch on their team!
I had all but abandoned my previous life’s calling in favor of glory seeking, which is something I still look back on with regret. I was becoming more selfish, more focused on building myself up instead of using my powers for the good of those who might not be able to ever have access to these powers. The Phoenix Rebirth had become a popular spell among us in the community, though, so people were still getting help. I had published it free to all magic shops, all magical teachers, even sent the entire process and methods for casting it through the OrbNet before I left to go on my mission to fight the lich. I just wanted to be sure it was in the world, pending the potential worst. It was at a huge loss, but it has now become the platform by which a lot of Gender spells are cast, so it was all worth it.
My time as an adventurer was amazing, I met so many cool people, fought so many horrifying and awesome beasts, even got to kiss a dragon! They don’t have lips, so it’s not the best kiss, but it’s still something worth bragging about. I felt so good helping people in a different way, and I was becoming more and more popular through the years. I was now Catherine, Lady of Flames, Master of Forms, a stable in the adventuring party call list. It felt amazing.
The excitement lasted for about 15 years of being called to help on missions, but then it was quickly soured after a single mission. Nobody mentions this, but once you become a powerful enough fighter, you start to garner the attention of those in need of protecting. This is definitely not a bad thing, especially when it is someone who is in genuine need of it, but that is not usually the case. Particularly, you garner the attention of the wealthy, who believe all problems can be solved with money. I would liken them to devils or demons, but that isn’t fair to them…devils and demons at least have codes they follow.
Anyways, one such noble approached me. Well, not actually her, one of the elves she had employed in her service. Her name was Duchess Cordelia, Lady of Farlon, Heir to the Rose Throne, Daughter of Zavier Goradel and Collector of Fine Arts. Yes, she made you say each one of those every time you addressed her, and in the correct order. She was…there’s a word I don’t like to use to describe her, a word that to me is very offensive but to others means nothing. I’m sure you can guess the word of which I speak, I simply refuse to say it outloud. She was, though, and a massive one at that.
She had called upon me after an omen in the sky had warned her of an invasion by some of the forces of hell. It was something we all saw, and while it was a terrifying experience, I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t the coolest and most spectacular shit I had ever seen. Whoever had cast it had placed some illusion magic to make the sun look like a flaming skull that called specifically her and her family out. I still remember what it said because it was just that cool.
‘Cordelia, Zavier, Helena…you have toyed with forces beyond your control, and for that you will be punished…My legions will march on your town, turning it and everything your pathetic hands have dared to touch into naught but a fine ash. You cannot stop me. You cannot persuade me. You cannot survive…’ and then it was over, the sun was back to normal. Fucking baller move, right? That’s how you threaten some assholes’ life!
So, I was called, along with Magnus Haradel and Desdamona Torres. Magnus was another high ranking member of the guild, an older Drow chap who still remains the most talented sword wielder I’d ever seen. His white hair was always tied into a neat bun, and he dressed simply. His armor was enchanted, but looked similar to any generic armor you could buy. He held a very respectable air about him, a sense of power that told anyone he could easily defeat them, but a calming sense that assured them he would only do it if he was threatened.
Mona was an alchemist who concocted and brewed the strangest potions I had ever seen. Some of them would cause an opponent to explode, some would freeze them in place, some when opened and poured onto the ground summoned these giant venus fly-trap looking creatures with razor sharp teeth that would devour whatever she commanded. She was a half-goblin, parents being a full goblin and an elf. Their genes worked together very well, because Mona herself was truly stunning. She has black hair, lime green skin, and wore a long back robe that flowed down her slender body. More impressive, however, was that she was Archmage levels in her Alchemical field, the highest one could get back in the day.
It was our job to protect Cordelia and her parents, Zavier and Helena. They would not share any information with us about what they had done, how it had pissed something off, or what to expect, but they did tell us we’d be ‘handsomely compensated should you survive’. Assholes…we needed information to do our job! Holes in information leads to holes in strategy, holes in strategy leads to unnecessary risk, and unnecessary risk leads to uncertainty and potential death! Ugh, whatever, it was just one job, then hopefully we’d never have to deal with them again and they’d descend into obscurity.
So, the job was set. Magnus, Mona and I got better acquainted with each other and started to plan our defensive means and offensive responses. We had no idea what we were facing, how many it would be, where it would be coming from, or when! We had one of the five answers we desperately needed, so we had to do the best we could. Magnus suggested we employ the help of additional adventurers; clerics, paladins and the like who are good at protecting and supporting. Their job would be to round up the town to a safe location and watch over them until one of us gave the all clear. Mona and I agreed, and I decided to spread the word that the people needed to be taken to safety and guarded until whatever was going to happen had happened; he did threaten the entire population, so better to be safe.
Mona started to lay a protective parameter around the Goradel mansion in the form of explosive concoctions that seeped into the ground and bottles of Acid Arrow that, when broken, would attack the nearest hostile creature. She had also managed to brew a few potions of invisibility for the townsfolk, given the guards potions of strength, mana regeneration, health regeneration and spell boosting, and gave herself, myself and Magnus potions of regeneration, potions of Free Casting (basically downing one allows you just have a reserve of mana to pull from without worry), and potions of Iron Skin that would give us amazing defense without slowing us down. She was a really, really talented Alchemist, even crazier was that she was only 30, very young for a half-elf/half-goblin. She definitely had a gift.
I, meanwhile, decided to try something new. I had been toying around with a few things in my off-time, and with my knowledge of Shifting Magics I decided to try out something that could prove beneficial. I had come across many beasts in my time, some of them easy to understand and study, others so wildly complicated that it took me years of dissecting, studying and charting to get a solid understanding of what the hell was going on internally. I had taken some lessons from Grandmaster and Archmage Shifter’s who were willing to teach, and with enough practice I was finally able to harness the form of other, less common creatures! I had mastered the standard offensive animal forms like tiger, wolf, bear and eagle, but didn’t know how dangerous our targets were going to be, so I decided that we needed to go hard, fast, and leave no possible room for error.
I downed the two bottles of Free Casting that Mona has brewed, and began my shift. I had again mixed my Phoenix Rebirth with these form changes, so the only pain I was receiving was to my mana pools. However, thanks to Mona’s amazing abilities, I was able to shift without trouble!
I got down on all fours, and soon my size began to expand. My teeth turned from their normal human color to a stained and dark brown. My face started to extend forward into a muzzle, my teeth being replaced by sharp, deadly fangs. My canines extended further than the rest, creating a deadly row of fangs. My lips retracted back, and my face began to turn scaly and red as my face became more and more canine. The only thing unchanged on my face was my eyes, as they were my Keepsake (many Shifters have a certain aspect of themselves they keep permanent, no matter what, to remind themselves of their true form).
The scales continued down, a large, fleshy tail sprouting from my back and extending out. From snout to tail, I was now 30 feet in size, but I was not yet finished. The scales extended down my whole body, but they looked more like regular sinew and flesh as my body was covered in a protective coat of blood red scales. My legs began to crack and bend as muscle appeared to support my now larger weight and size, and my toes extended a double set of claws on each foot. The form was complete, now for one final touch.
All across my red tail, bones began to jut out like my sharpened fangs, covering it from my hindquarters to the very tip of my tail. It was definitely an easy target should something decide to attack my tail, but the shards and spikes allowed me to slice through weaker enemies that dare to try. Even better, I could slam my tail against the ground to loosen some of the shards and fling them towards my target. I was a true beast, an imperfect dragon known as a fanged drake. While not near as strong as a true dragon, I had seen first-hand the damage and strength they possess, and now it was all mine. Magic was a bit harder to cast in this form, but I still had access to Apprentice level Pyromancy and some support spells like Enhance Speed, Feather Fall and Enhance Ability.
The stage was set, we were ready to fight whatever came our way. Magnus had enchanted his greatsword with every enchantment he could cast without overloading it, Mona held potions in her hands, and I stood at the front, smoke coming from my body as I waited. We were ready, we were going to defend these poor villagers and the shitty people who barely even gave a shit about their safety!
We waited, and waited, and waited. Seems I had used my change too early, and turning back would just be a waste of mana, so I decided to travel into town and help with carrying or leading others to safety. I had modified the vocal cords of this beast to be more in-line with standard humanoid ones, so it allowed me to speak. It was just not very fun, given my voice was incredibly gruff and deep due to the creature's size. I ran to the guards, my now muscular legs allowing me to jump great distances, my long claws able to help me climb with relative ease. It didn't take long to find the groups and their protectors as they were leaving town.
I jumped down to check and make sure everything was okay, and even got to meet Har again! He looked so much more mature, his black hair and green eyes showing a bit of age, but it seemed he was happy. We used a few minutes of walking time to catch up, and I got to hear all about his journey.
After our mission, he made it his job to find undead who had been driven mad, and help them see the light again. He had seen many undead who had been brought back against their will, and many who suffered purely because they weren't allowed a choice in their rest being disturbed. He had helped them find peace, shown them the light of Theia, his goddess, and allowed them to return to their peaceful slumber in their designated afterlife. He had even married the cute man at the bar that I had convinced him to chat up, and they had a daughter named Athena! Apparently she was 7 years old and the sweetest thing, according to Har. I told him he better let me visit her once this was all over, and he happily accepted.
Our sweet reunion was cut short, however, as the clouds in the night sky started to swirl and gather. Once again we saw the decrepit and harrowing skull that we had seen yesterday appear again. Except, this time it didn't talk. It merely let out an ear-splitting screech that rattled your very soul. A few of the people were so terrified they had fainted, so I yelled at them to carry all they could, and run! Fast! They were quick to agree, those who could carry grabbing the unconscious and those from my back with haste so that I could rush back to the mansion.
I arrived right in the nick of time to see absolute hell spewing from the mouth of this skull. We heard horrid shrieks and cries of birds, the hissing roars of giant snakes, and the unholy screams of Abyssal Spiders.
The birds were like Corvids, but towering in height. They easily reached 30 feet in size, their beaks sharpened and rigged with teeth-like bumps running down the entirety of their beaks. Their eye sockets were sunken and shallow, small eyes giving off a haunting and piercing glow. Parts of their body showed their exposed, fleshy bodies underneath. Their skin was red, and covered with scars, exposed bone and sinew from what looked to be countless battles.
The snakes were unlike anything I've ever seen, they were black and blue striped, with arms and legs, and stood upright! They were not as tall as the Corvids, only measuring 15 feet tall, but they possessed a whip-like tail that flowed almost the same length as their bodies. Their mouths oozed a green venom that coated their fangs, and their necks were able to flare into hoods like a cobra.
Finally, were the spiders. Along with being giant, like the size of a Clydesdale giant, they possessed hundreds of eyes across their entire body. Their fangs dripped with venom, and thick hairs were present across their entire bodies. Each hair on their back was able to pierce skin and inject with the same poison in their fangs, and their webs were known to carry a necrotic slime that would eat away at skin.
We definitely had our work cut out for us, this horde of creatures was coming right for the Goradel residence and they were ready to kill anything and everything in their path. The crows rushed through, their massive size crushing smaller houses and easily breaking through larger ones that were in their way. The spiders simply crawled over them, leaving a trail of webs and venom in their wake, and the snakes…apparently their tails were going to be quite the problem, as not only were they long, they were sharp enough to slice trees, wildlife and building cleanly with just a single slice of the tail.
We were truly, without a doubt, up a fucking creek with this one.
We sprang into action as quickly as we could. We saw our foes pouring out, and our objective was simple protection of the village, her people, and the asshole nobles that caused all this. I ran right towards the spiders, knowing that they were the threat that could cause the most damage with their necrotic webs and flesh-melting venom. The smoke coming from my mouth started to turn black as I approached one of them, letting out a blast of fire from my mouth that quickly set it and its attempted web in flames. It shrieked as it skittered and writhed in pain, trying to attack me in retaliation. I was quick to slice one of its legs off with my claws, and sink my teeth into the back of its head. It gave a few more twitches and finally fell still.
I threw it to the side as I continued doing my best to draw them towards a common area, minimizing the potential risk of them running out of town and tracking down the other parties currently in hiding. It worked very well, as once they notice a threat, they will continue to attack! The problem was, it worked very well, and once they noticed a threat they would continue to attack until it died! The horde of spiders was gaining on me, all I could do was use some flames to burn the webs they attempted to ensnare me with and use my claws to slice any that came from the front. I was not doing well by any means, but I was now at least within sight of my companions.
My joy was quickly cut short as I felt a burning string of web wraps itself around my tail. I had gotten careless, and was definitely paying the price. If you’ve never been hit by necrosis, allow me to explain the feeling as best I can. Imagine a hot knife being thrust deeper and deeper into your body and feeling your cells, muscles, tendons and fat dying around it. Not just cut, or severed, dying with little chance to repair it without some heavy magic. If it goes around a vital part, like a shoulder, leg or neck, you will start to slowly feel yourself losing all feeling as it just falls. It’s a truly horrible experience, avoid it if you can.
This is to say, I was currently in for absolute hell as I felt this experience being run through the part of my tail that carries most of my projectile spikes. I could feel each tendon snapping, my skin burning away, and the discs of my now expended spine starting to crack and rip. I had to make a choice, fast. My desperation led me to only one single solution; I knew the tail had to go.
With a pained howl I raised my claws, and sliced clean through the tail on my back. I cannot explain how truly horrible of an experience this was, mostly because I think my mind has blocked it out to protect itself. It fell to the ground with a wet squelch, blood pouring out of the open wounds on my back. I sent a breath of flame onto the spider and his silk, and sent another onto my nubbed tail. Again, another experience I believe my mind has blocked out to protect itself!
Don’t get hit by necrosis, kids.
I ran to Mona, who was currently being swarmed by a group of Corvids, and offered my assistance. I was pissed, I was angry, and I wanted to kill! As one of them dived down, I jumped onto its chest and sunk my fangs directly into its neck. It let out a pained screech as I felt its blood fill my mouth, my claws wildly slashing at its chest through skin, flesh, bone, whatever I could scrap and slice, I did. I had truly let this creature’s feral nature take over my mind for the time being, but I did not give a damn, we needed to win.
The beast fell back to the ground, and I let out another challenging roar to the other beasts nearby. My claws and fangs erupted in flames as I continued to wildly attack the ones threatening Mona, knowing I needed to protect her as she concocted and threw brew after brew onto what she could. Magnus was doing absolutely amazing, without a doubt the best of us. He was handling the snakes by himself, expertly dodging and slashing at them each time they tried to grab him, bite him, slice with their tails, or trample him. He would wait for them to attack and in the blink of an eye, whatever they tried to attack him with would be gone. Heads, tails, legs and arms started to litter the ground near him as he showed absolute power and authority.
Mona, meanwhile, had been mixing something special while I distracted the snakes and corvids. Her alchemical traps had mostly been activated already, melted and bubbling piles of what were some of our enemies scattered through the warzone. She yelled at me to give her a boost, and I managed to snap free from my feral state. She held something in her hands I cannot even begin to describe. It was completely dark, but…empty. The energy that came from it was unlike anything I have ever seen since, it was like staring into the nothingness of space while being surrounded by it on all sides. She slammed it onto the ground, and the darkness surrounded her.
Flesh and feathers from the Corvids started to break from their destroyed and lifeless bodies, attaching itself to her back and clothes. One of their skulls burst into pieces as it flew towards her, reassembling itself onto her face in a makeshift mask. Their bones and talons began to collect into her hands, and within a matter of seconds she was holding a powerful, pulsating scythe. In that moment I saw something I truly hope to never see again. I saw death. The truest form of death was standing before me, and its energy chilled my very soul. I could feel the contempt the energy had for me, as if it knew I had extended my life outside of its natural reach.
She ordered me to come, and I knew I had to obey. I grabbed her with my fangs, and placed her onto my back. Her body was cold, I was terrified of what I saw before me, but so was everything else. I felt a hand rest onto my head, and I could feel…warmth. Mona reassured me that it was going to be okay, and pointed her scythe forward. I collected myself again, and sprinted towards our enemies.
Mona sliced and slashed them each with one clean swipe from that scythe, each of them falling dead in our path. I used my flames to burn any webs that had been placed, focusing on the ground while she focused on taking down these enemies with the grace and power of a god. As I saw this, I truly understood how far the gaps between Master and Archmage truly were when it came to the arcane arts. I still had so much to learn…
Our combo attacks came to a screeching halt, however, as we heard a pained scream from behind us. We both looked to where Magnus was, and we could see that he had been injured. One of the snakes had managed to sink its tail through his shoulder, and another currently had its fangs embedded into his side. We let out a scream as we charged towards them as they bit, stabbed, and slashed poor Magnus. I tackled one of the snakes off, sinking my burning fangs into its neck and ripping its head off in one solid motion. Mona jumped from my back, holding her hand out as she said…something, and the snake was turned to dust.
Magnus fell to the ground, howling in pain as he regained his footing. I cried out that he needed to be healed immediately, and begged Mona to throw him something from her belt. He paid me no mind, and just ran back into the fight. He was so badly injured, but that did not stop him for a second. He continued fighting as if nothing had happened, and we knew we had to do the same.
The fight lasted for hours, the hordes of enemies seeming endless. The town had been turned to rubble at this point, any signs of life save for the Goradel mansion had vanished from this now tarnished and barren land. As the sun rose on the next day, we saw the warzone in fresh light. Mona had returned to normal, her breathing short and labored as she laid on the ground. I had turned back to normal, wounds covering my body and in desperate need of healing, but I didn’t care. I saw Magnus sitting on the corpse of one of the Corvids, a cup of ale in his hand and blood pouring from him. I rushed to him, begging him to let me help him, but he just shook his head.
He took a long, slow sip of his ale, let out a deep sigh and motioned for me to sit with him. I got down as best I could, every instinct telling me to heal me, but he continued to refuse. Eventually he spoke as we stared at the sunset. ‘Catherine,’ he said to me, ‘everyone has a torch to burn. Some burn longer than others, and we don’t get to decide how long they burn…’ He leaned against his sword with a smile, taking one last sip of ale. I asked him what the hell he was talking about, but as I looked at him, I could tell…
He was gone…
The light had gone from his eyes, but that smile remained on his face. As I saw this, all I could do was cry. I had lost people before in my life, but I was always able to help the ones that could be helped from injuries! I just hugged him as I sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. Even worse was having to heal Mona back to consciousness with the remainder of my magic and share the news with her. We cried together; we hadn’t known each other for more than a day, but we all held a deep respect for each other. Knowing that we had failed him and caused his demise, the town being destroyed, our barely achieved victory…none of it felt worth it in the end.
As we cried, we heard the doors to the Goradel manor open. Out stepped Zavier, Cordelia’s father. He looked at the scene, nodding as he saw our handiwork and commended us. ‘Weren’t there three of you?’ he asked as he looked at us with such lack of regard. ‘Magnus…he’s dead…’ Mona said as I helped her up, wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘Hm, pity…very well, would you like his share? We had already set aside 3 payments, we will split it between you both should you wish’. I still don’t know why what he said caused me such anger, but I could feel my blood boil. Our comrade that had been one of the best members of the guild, the one who had fought to defend his worthless ass, the reason he was standing here right now and not a pile of meat being devoured by beasts didn’t even give a shit that he was gone!
‘This isn’t fair’, I thought to myself, ‘we protected them and they are treating us like pawns!’ Mona could tell I was getting angry, so she answered that we’d take his share and have it sent to our accounts at once. She pulled me away from this pitiful excuse for a human, and I just screamed in anger. She told me that she agreed, that it wasn’t fair to Magnus, or us, or the people of this village, but that we couldn’t let his sacrifice be in vain. With his share of the cash and ours, we could afford to build a new settlement for the displaced of this village. She managed to talk me down from my anger, she was really talented like that. I took a few deep breaths, patted my cheeks, and nodded. It would be better to use the money for good in Magnus’ honor, all the stories I had heard of his exploits usually ended with him donating a large portion of his earnings to those affected by disasters such as this.
Mona left to inform the survivors that the victory had been achieved, but at the loss of Magnus. While she did that, however, I began to plan. I don’t know if it was the loss of a comrade, the pain still coursing through my body, the stress and trauma of what we had just gone through, but letting it go was not an option for me at this point. I knew I had to show these fuckers torment, I knew that they needed to pay for the callous disregard for anyone who wasn’t themselves. So, I gathered samples. I had a bag of holding on my side and began to stuff it with the bodies of our defeated enemies. The spiders had all been burned and crushed beyond study, but many of the Corvids and Serpents were still able to be studied and understood. Once I had my samples, I looked at Magnus with more tears.
I was going to avenge him, I was going to show these rich pieces of crap just how insignificant they were, and I was going to make sure they paid the price…
There was no way I could carry his body with my strength, he was far too bulky for me, so I used my magic to carry him. Even with my weakened state I couldn’t stop myself from giving him a proper burial. He deserved it, he deserved so much more than what he got. I summoned a shovel into my hands, and began to dig. I think I made it about 3 minutes of digging before my body finally gave up on me, and I fell. I don’t remember much of what happened after that, I guess I had passed out from exhaustion.
When I awoke, I heard Har’s voice calling to me. I was so tired, my body aching and burning in such pain as I tried to move every muscle I could. I looked up, and we were in a cemetery. I could see Magnus’ body laying in a now dug grave, dressed in his elegant but simple armor, eyes closed and mouth still holding that same smile as I had seen before. A ward of protection was currently being cast around his burial grounds, designating this land as sacred ground that could not be touched by any means. No necromancer could get to his body, and no thieves could rob him of his belongings. I was sitting next to a patched up and tired looking Mona, and we both just sobbed gently as we watched him being buried.
Hundreds had gathered to pay their respects, all of those that Magnus had saved, protected, worked with, allied, even some who I later came to learn saw him as a rival. All of them were paying their respects to this true paragon of an adventurer, and all I could think about was getting revenge for him…
Ah, sorry, I didn’t realize how long I had been sending through the OrbNet. It might be best to end this part of my life here for the time being. Thank you again for reading, if you managed to find an old witch’s story interesting. Once I work up the courage to share the next part with you all, I hope you will continue to view me in a positive light. You will hear things that…well, you’ll see. Thank you for your time, I love you all, my siblings in the arcane.
submitted by CatherineL1031 to wizardposting [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 18:50 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to GameTrade [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 18:50 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to indiegameswap [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 18:50 Superteletubbies64 [H] Choice May, Metroidvania Mania, FUNgeon Crawler and more [W] Paypal EU, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, 5-7, Fallout 3 & 4 GOTY, New Vegas Ultimate, Justice Sucks, Sea of Stars, Knuckle Sandwich, Birth, Grindstone, Melatonin,Strayed Lights, Maglam Lord, Vanaris Tactics, Viscerafest

Looking primarily for Paypal EU offers. If you're not from EU I will only sell if you cover the paypal fees and pay in EUR instead of your native currency. I do not have a specific price for any games atm, I'm open to offers. Aside from games listed in the title I'm not very interested in offers for new games atm, even wishlisted ones
If it has "may keep" I have minor interest in the game and will likely decline any offers for it. I'd prefer to trade away games I have no interest in or own already. If I redeem it i'll remove it from the list.
DO NOT send me a chat invite before having agreed on a trade in the comments. I do not check chat often and it's a rule to not send a chat invite before commenting anyway.
If this post is more than 24-48 hours old it might not be up to date and you should check the latest trading post or my full list of tradables to see if the game(s) you want are still there.
Full wishlist here: https://barter.vg80b7/w/
My full list of tradables: https://barter.vg80b7/t/
Asterisk means region lock, ask if interested, the region lock varies depending on the game
NEW:
SOME NEW STUFF FROM OLD BUNDLES NOT SURE WHAT I WANT TO KEEP YET:
///////////////////
GOG keys
MAY KEEP (significantly less likely to accept offer for unless I desperately want the game you're offering)
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Superteletubbies64 to SteamGameSwap [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 18:43 ProfessionalHat3555 The HENRY Playbook (ALL info from this group!)

Hey all, I saw @msabre__7's post about "Is the HENRY plan really this simple?" & it made me want to create a playbook for others to read.
Parsing the individual threads in this sub can be annoying.
Moreover, it can sometimes feel like you are "missing something" in your financial plan.
Hoping my compiled "playbook" will ease some anxiety of other HENRY folks.
NOTE: I wrote NOTHING of what you'll read below.
REQUEST: Please comment & give ideas of ways to edit this. I'd like to evolve this and keep something we can pass around to other users of this sub :)
---------
---------

HENRY PLAYBOOK

#1 - Emergency fund
#2 - Retirement contributions
#3 - Pay off debts with interest rates ~5%
#4 - Maximize HSA (health savings account if eligible)
#5 - Taxable brokerage account
#6 - What to do with RSUs
Fund recommendations from Reddit
BONUS POINTS: Buy an investment property
submitted by ProfessionalHat3555 to HENRYfinance [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 17:47 Substantial_Nature84 Review 187 versus Rome CF size small - Seller Vera + Abby

Review 187 versus Rome CF size small - Seller Vera + Abby
Hello I’m back with another review! I’ve been into designers for the last 10 years and I do have several auths. But because I apparently like to lose purses and jewelry I got into reps. This is my second small Chanel flap this month since I have no self control. I first brought from a seller for the Rome factory and then I had to get a 187 one for comparison because science! I know there is a bit of discussion back and forth about who makes a good rep and I wanted to know for myself. Although the Rome factory is good, I would say that the 187 is the real VIP. When I saw her, I literally cried tears of happiness. I’m a crier to begin out with, but she is a beauty to behold, no joke.
Disclosure: Abby and Vera did not ask me to do a review. They are aware that I am doing a review, no perks for this review.
Seller: Vera+Abby via facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/183071669138560. Or contact Abby via facebook or WeChat 86 177 6255 1236.
Timeline:
4/26/2024 contacted, she responded within 24 hours. Then we hit the chinese labor day celebration thus communication slowed down a bit which was to be expected) 5/7/2024 finally decided on what I wanted and paid. 5/10/2024 sent the PSP 5/15/2024 tracking info sent 5/17 I received the bag (that was fast!) Start to finish 10 days from paying.
How much did I pay: $640 USD with shipping included with the box and wrapping paper! I paid via PayPal F&F. I should have done an unboxing video but there was tissue paper and the dust bag and everything. They even included a ribbon and camellia.
Pictures (Imgur would not let me upload some of my videos, very sad for me)
My photos: https://imgur.com/a/D68pTcF Side by side: https://imgur.com/a/JQZoElH (this is 187 -gray versus Rome - black) PSP: https://imgur.com/a/HhvTBb2
Auth: https://www.fashionphile.com/p/chanel-caviar-quilted-small-double-flap-grey-1409740?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax-smart-shopping-15&utm_content=buy-15-bo-troas&utm_term=&utm_product=1409740&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwo6GyBhBwEiwAzQTmc_R4DxymQLImtQCCT2iUcDSBVqEYrCghdyhERi9LChBl94RDjkyMBxoCbhcQAvD_BwE
Quality of rep: I undressed her and inspected her like a new bride. OMG, her smell is divine. I would capture this smell and use it as a car perfume. There is no weird foul smell or anything. The grain on her is beautiful and identical to the auth on a normal inspection. She does not look like a regular copy-and-paste job from the mid-tier factories. The feel of her is wonderful like seriously delightful. I like her structure with all the curves in the right places, as well as the blending of the thread colors. The stitching is on point and neat, with the proper stitch count per row. The diamonds are aligned wonderfully, including the back pocket, and the seams are centered and precise. TThe one gripe (which is a known gripe based off of other reviews) is that the chains did not slide as smoothly through the grommets as compared to the Rome factory one.
Rep received versus the factory PSP - I am 1000% certain that Abby sent me the one from the picture. You can tell by her shine and grace. And if a bag could smile this one would.
Factory (187 and Rome) versus Auth: the shape is outstanding on the 187 and much closer to the auth than the Rome. The quilting in my opinion is better than the Rome factory since she is not as puffy visually (I know that auth chanels can be puffy as well but this is a personal preference) She is also much more soft and like the real thing without conditioning as compared to the Rome which I had to condition before taking her out for a spin. The back pocket also aligns more shapewise as compared to the auth version. The inside logo part is usually where most reps fall apart, including the Rome factory. Her logo is spot on. The CCs are crossed with their should and have the proper thickness. The font and spacing are also excellent. he tongue is centered, and the turn-lock mechanism is smooth as butter. Seriously, that turn-lock so close to the auth version. Where this would fail with the authenticator on inspection is likely the feel of the chains and the number on the metal plate.
I would never wear an rep to the boutique. However, I will wear this around my high-class friends who own tons of Chanel. In fact, I already sent them tons of pictures, and they all said she was beautiful. I would totally wear this into other fashion house boutiques since this rep is the VIP. I would still not let anyone else handle my bag unless they were my family who does know I’m into reps. Besides, who wants someone else's grubby hands on their precious baby? Just like how I was with my human baby, I do not want strange humans holding my baby.
Seller Satisfaction: I originally contacted her for a 187 WOC, but she told me those were all out. I appreciated her honesty since sadly I can not say the same for everyone. I thought her pricing was fair since it included shipping AND the boxes. I had to pay extra for the box and shipping from other sellers before. She was very patient with me despite my changing my mind about the color and style of the bag since I also inquired about a Chanel 19 before my brain decided that I wanted to try another flap. She was very friendly and used emojis, which is totally my style. She was always responsive, and I did not have to wait more than 24 hours between messages hardly at all. Most importantly she was so personable. I felt like I was talking to an SA instead of a seller (really, with my Jimmy Choo SA, he sometimes waits more than 24 hours to respond, too).
https://preview.redd.it/0k8j8w1uh71d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b86daa0c3e0bfb7d61eb0810e8dfaba26753e945
submitted by Substantial_Nature84 to RepladiesDesigner [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 17:22 bkaction Some season-ending thoughts and positivity

Heartbreaking way for the season to end last night. Let’s focus on some positives: - With Chu we would have won this series. I wish him well and hope he gets the help he needs, but our top playoff goal scorer having scandals two years in a row was an absolute gut punch to the boys. Nothing we can do but move on. - Georgiev is our guy. He was the best player on the team this post season, not even a question about it. He struggled in the regular season but this performance should take his confidence forward. - Drouin is one of the best stories in the NHL this year. Even these last two games I’d argue he was consistently one of, if not our top playmaker on the ice. We will probably get him at a reasonable price for next year too. - Mittelstadt was inconsistent but had flashes of greatness. If he gets time to actually build chemistry with the team, this will look like a much different second line next season. Plus he’s young and has lots of room for growth with two of the very best players in the league to learn from. - HOPEFULLY we get some clarity on our captain situation. I think too many people view this as our single solution. Even if Gabe comes back he will be two years out of shape, but at least coming into next year I imagine we will know one way or the other. - Between Bednar and McFarlane, who else could you even wish for to be the guys building us for next season. These last two runs took some unfortunate turns outside of their control, the result does not mean the approach was not the right one.
Lastly, Dallas is a wagon. I fucking hate them, but it’s true. All that talent in all four lines, plus Oettinger, give me a break. We lost to a team that earned their wins, and the boys recovered from a tough morale situation to turn this into a series which is more than we could have asked for in the circumstances.
At the end of the day we are one of the luckiest fanbases in the league, let’s support the boys and enjoy all this great hockey.
submitted by bkaction to ColoradoAvalanche [link] [comments]


http://activeproperty.pl/