Myspace letter table
Mormon Letters Archive Official LDS Letters and Communications
2017.01.29 01:29 MormonManuals Mormon Letters Archive Official LDS Letters and Communications
An archive of official letters, notices, and other communications from the LDS Church (Mormon).
2012.09.25 02:55 Kvothe24 Green Dawn Global Takeover
A mission to spread the great green word across the land. Place your troops in public places and post here. Over!
2009.07.18 17:57 ThePowerOfGeek A Song of Ice and Fire
News and discussions relating to George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, his Westeros-based short stories, "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" TV series, and all things ASOIAF - but with particular emphasis on the written series.
2024.05.21 10:37 adr826 The Book of Shadows
The last memory I had of my grandfather was hearing him scream as the the shadows in the field began to surround him with thin, web like fibers. Then my mother picked me up and ran with me in her arms back into our old farm house.
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.
submitted by adr826 to scarystories [link] [comments]
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.
2024.05.21 09:11 adr826 The book of Shadows
The last memory I had of my grandfather was hearing him scream as the the shadows in the field began to surround him with thin, web like fibers. Then my mother picked me up and ran with me in her arms back into our old farm house.
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.
submitted by adr826 to nosleep [link] [comments]
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.
2024.05.21 08:49 ayonc46 How Do You Develop a Custom WordPress Website?
To develop a custom WordPress website, plan your site structure and design. Next, install WordPress on your hosting server and choose a suitable theme or create a custom one. Customize the design and functionality using HTML, CSS, and PHP coding as needed. Add content, including pages, posts, and media, to populate your site. Finally, test your site thoroughly across different browsers and devices to ensure it functions correctly before launching it to the public.
What are the initial steps to create a personalized WordPress site?
Your domain name is your website's address on the internet, like www.yoursite.com. Choose a domain name that's easy to remember, relevant to your brand, and not too long. Next, you'll need hosting, which is like renting space on the internet to store your website files. Look for a hosting provider that offers reliable service, good customer support, and enough storage and bandwidth for your needs.
Step 2: Install WordPress
WordPress is a popular platform for building websites because it's easy to use and highly customizable. Many hosting providers offer a one-click WordPress installation, which makes getting started a breeze. Simply log in to your hosting account, find the WordPress installer, and follow the prompts to set up your site. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to your site's dashboard and start customizing it to your liking.
Step 3: Select a Theme
A WordPress theme determines the overall look and layout of your website. There are thousands of free and premium themes available, so take your time to find one that fits your style and the goals of your site. Look for a theme that's responsive (meaning it looks good on all devices), easy to customize, and well-supported by its developers. Once you've chosen a theme, you can install it on your WordPress site with just a few clicks.
Step 4: Customize Your Theme
Once you've installed your theme, it's time to customize it to make it your own. Most WordPress themes come with built-in customization options that allow you to change things like colors, fonts, and layouts without needing to know any code. Use the theme customizer in your WordPress dashboard to tweak your site's appearance until it looks just the way you want it to. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect look for your website.
Step 5: Add Content
With your theme customized, it's time to start adding content to your website. Create pages for important information like your Home page, About page, Services page, and Contact page. Use the WordPress editor to add text, images, videos, and other media to your pages. Write clear, engaging copy that tells visitors what your website is about and encourages them to explore further. Remember to proofread your content carefully before publishing to ensure it's free of errors.
Step 6: Install Plugins
WordPress plugins are like apps that add extra features and functionality to your website. There are thousands of plugins available for everything from contact forms to social media integration to search engine optimization. Think about the goals of your website and choose plugins that will help you achieve them. Be selective about the plugins you install, as too many can slow down your site and cause conflicts. Install and activate your chosen plugins from the WordPress plugin directory, then configure them to suit your needs.
Step 7: Optimize for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website's visibility in search engine results. A well-optimized website is more likely to rank higher in search results, driving more traffic to your site. Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack to help you optimize your content for relevant keywords, add meta tags and descriptions, and improve your site's overall SEO performance. Take the time to research keywords relevant to your niche and incorporate them naturally into your content for the best results.
Step 8: Test and Launch
Before you launch your website, it's important to test it thoroughly to ensure everything is working correctly. Check your site on different devices and browsers to make sure it looks good and functions properly. Test all links, forms, and interactive elements to make sure they work as expected. Once you're confident that everything is working as it should, it's time to launch your website and share it with the world. Celebrate your hard work and take pride in your new custom WordPress website!
Step 9: Maintain and Update
Building a website is just the beginning – maintaining it is an ongoing process. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and relevant, and update your plugins and themes to ensure your site stays secure and performs well. Monitor your site's performance using tools like Google Analytics, and make adjustments as needed to improve usability and user experience. Listen to feedback from your visitors and make changes accordingly to keep your website running smoothly and meeting the needs of your audience.
What do you consider to select hosting and a domain name for your WordPress site?
Firstly, you'll want to choose a hosting provider that offers good speed and reliability. Look for one that has a solid reputation and good customer support in case you run into any issues. Consider your budget too, as hosting costs can vary.
As for the domain name, it's important to choose something that's easy to remember and relevant to your site's content. Avoid using complicated or obscure words that might be hard for people to spell or remember. It's also a good idea to check if your desired domain name is available on social media platforms to maintain consistency across your online presence. Lastly, think about whether you want to use a .com, .net, or other domain extension, keeping in mind what best suits your site's purpose and audience.
How do you evaluate and choose a theme that suits your brand and design preferences?
Firstly, consider your brand identity and the message you want to convey to your audience. Look for a theme that aligns with the style, colors, and overall feel of your brand.
Next, think about the functionality you need. Do you want a theme that's highly customizable or one that's more straightforward? Consider features like layout options, customization options, and compatibility with plugins you might want to use.
It's also important to check the responsiveness of the theme. Make sure it looks good and functions well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Lastly, take some time to browse through different themes and read reviews from other users. This can give you a better idea of what to expect and help you make an informed decision that suits your brand and design preferences.
What essential pages should you create first?
Integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site involves adding extra capabilities beyond what comes with the standard installation. One way to do this is by using plugins. These are like apps for your website, and they can add all sorts of new features, from contact forms to e-commerce shops.
For example, let's say you want to add a feature for visitors to book appointments on your site. You could search for a booking plugin like "Bookly" or "Appointment Booking Calendar." After installing and activating the plugin, you'd typically set it up by following the provided instructions, which might involve configuring settings, creating booking forms, and placing them on your site where you want them to appear.
Another way to integrate custom features is by adding code directly to your site. This could involve writing your own custom functions or modifying existing ones. For instance, if you wanted to add a custom sidebar widget displaying your latest Instagram photos, you might need to write some PHP code to fetch the photos from Instagram's API and display them on your site.
In summary, integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site can be done through plugins or by adding custom code, allowing you to tailor your site to your specific needs and preferences.
How do you manage user roles and permissions?
RoleCapabilitiesHow to Manage AdministratorCan do everything, including managing other users, installing plugins, and changing themes.Go to Users > All Users in the dashboard, find the user, and change their role to Administrator. EditorCan publish and manage posts, including those of other users.Go to Users > Add New, fill in user details, and assign the role of Editor. AuthorCan publish and manage their own posts only.In Users > All Users, select a user and change their role to Author. ContributorCan write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.Add or edit a user and assign the role of Contributor. SubscriberCan only manage their own profile and read content.Change the user role to Subscriber in the Users section.
What security measures should you implement to protect your custom WordPress website?
To protect your custom WordPress website, you need to implement several security measures. Here are some specific steps:
To ensure your custom WordPress site is responsive and mobile-friendly, follow these steps:
.sidebar { display: none; }
.content { width: 100%; }
}
Troubleshooting and debugging issues during the development of a custom WordPress site involves several steps. Here are some real-world challenges and specific issues you might encounter:
To create a seamless user experience (UX) in a custom WordPress site, start by choosing a clean, responsive theme that looks good on all devices. Ensure your site loads quickly by optimizing images and using caching plugins like W3 Total Cache. Simplify navigation with clear menus and breadcrumbs, making it easy for users to find what they need. Use readable fonts and sufficient white space to make content easy to read. Add a search bar so visitors can quickly locate information. Implement intuitive forms with clear labels and error messages. Regularly test your site on different devices and browsers to ensure everything works smoothly. By focusing on these details, you can make your WordPress site user-friendly and enjoyable to navigate.
How do you implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site?
To implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site, start by installing a reliable e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce. Set up your store by adding products with detailed descriptions, prices, and images. Configure payment gateways such as PayPal or Stripe to accept online payments securely. Customize the appearance of your store using built-in themes or by modifying CSS styles. Create user-friendly navigation with categories and filters to help customers easily browse products. Implement shopping cart functionality to allow users to add items and proceed to checkout seamlessly. Set up shipping options and rates based on location and weight. Test the entire purchasing process to ensure it works smoothly for users. Regularly update plugins and monitor sales to optimize your e-commerce site for success.
Conclusion
Creating a custom WordPress website involves several key steps. You start by deciding on your site's goals and picking a domain name and hosting provider. Then, you install WordPress, choose a theme, and customize it to match your brand. Next, you add content, like pages and posts, and install plugins for extra features, such as contact forms or SEO optimization. You'll want to make sure your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices. Lastly, you test everything thoroughly before launching your site to ensure it's ready for visitors. And don't forget to keep it updated and secure over time!
submitted by ayonc46 to redditreviewer [link] [comments]
What are the initial steps to create a personalized WordPress site?
- Define your goals and objectives for the website.
- Choose a suitable domain name for your WordPress site.
- Select a reliable web hosting provider that meets your needs.
- Install WordPress on your hosting server.
- Choose a theme that aligns with your brand and design preferences.
- Customize the theme settings and appearance to match your desired look and feel.
- Create essential pages such as Home, About, Contact, and Services.
- Install and configure necessary plugins for added functionality.
- Set up user roles and permissions as per your requirements.
- Develop a content strategy and plan for creating and organizing your website content.
Step-by-Step Guideline Develop a Custom WordPress Website
Step 1: Choose a Domain Name and HostingYour domain name is your website's address on the internet, like www.yoursite.com. Choose a domain name that's easy to remember, relevant to your brand, and not too long. Next, you'll need hosting, which is like renting space on the internet to store your website files. Look for a hosting provider that offers reliable service, good customer support, and enough storage and bandwidth for your needs.
Step 2: Install WordPress
WordPress is a popular platform for building websites because it's easy to use and highly customizable. Many hosting providers offer a one-click WordPress installation, which makes getting started a breeze. Simply log in to your hosting account, find the WordPress installer, and follow the prompts to set up your site. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to your site's dashboard and start customizing it to your liking.
Step 3: Select a Theme
A WordPress theme determines the overall look and layout of your website. There are thousands of free and premium themes available, so take your time to find one that fits your style and the goals of your site. Look for a theme that's responsive (meaning it looks good on all devices), easy to customize, and well-supported by its developers. Once you've chosen a theme, you can install it on your WordPress site with just a few clicks.
Step 4: Customize Your Theme
Once you've installed your theme, it's time to customize it to make it your own. Most WordPress themes come with built-in customization options that allow you to change things like colors, fonts, and layouts without needing to know any code. Use the theme customizer in your WordPress dashboard to tweak your site's appearance until it looks just the way you want it to. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect look for your website.
Step 5: Add Content
With your theme customized, it's time to start adding content to your website. Create pages for important information like your Home page, About page, Services page, and Contact page. Use the WordPress editor to add text, images, videos, and other media to your pages. Write clear, engaging copy that tells visitors what your website is about and encourages them to explore further. Remember to proofread your content carefully before publishing to ensure it's free of errors.
Step 6: Install Plugins
WordPress plugins are like apps that add extra features and functionality to your website. There are thousands of plugins available for everything from contact forms to social media integration to search engine optimization. Think about the goals of your website and choose plugins that will help you achieve them. Be selective about the plugins you install, as too many can slow down your site and cause conflicts. Install and activate your chosen plugins from the WordPress plugin directory, then configure them to suit your needs.
Step 7: Optimize for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website's visibility in search engine results. A well-optimized website is more likely to rank higher in search results, driving more traffic to your site. Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack to help you optimize your content for relevant keywords, add meta tags and descriptions, and improve your site's overall SEO performance. Take the time to research keywords relevant to your niche and incorporate them naturally into your content for the best results.
Step 8: Test and Launch
Before you launch your website, it's important to test it thoroughly to ensure everything is working correctly. Check your site on different devices and browsers to make sure it looks good and functions properly. Test all links, forms, and interactive elements to make sure they work as expected. Once you're confident that everything is working as it should, it's time to launch your website and share it with the world. Celebrate your hard work and take pride in your new custom WordPress website!
Step 9: Maintain and Update
Building a website is just the beginning – maintaining it is an ongoing process. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and relevant, and update your plugins and themes to ensure your site stays secure and performs well. Monitor your site's performance using tools like Google Analytics, and make adjustments as needed to improve usability and user experience. Listen to feedback from your visitors and make changes accordingly to keep your website running smoothly and meeting the needs of your audience.
What do you consider to select hosting and a domain name for your WordPress site?
Firstly, you'll want to choose a hosting provider that offers good speed and reliability. Look for one that has a solid reputation and good customer support in case you run into any issues. Consider your budget too, as hosting costs can vary.
As for the domain name, it's important to choose something that's easy to remember and relevant to your site's content. Avoid using complicated or obscure words that might be hard for people to spell or remember. It's also a good idea to check if your desired domain name is available on social media platforms to maintain consistency across your online presence. Lastly, think about whether you want to use a .com, .net, or other domain extension, keeping in mind what best suits your site's purpose and audience.
How do you evaluate and choose a theme that suits your brand and design preferences?
Firstly, consider your brand identity and the message you want to convey to your audience. Look for a theme that aligns with the style, colors, and overall feel of your brand.
Next, think about the functionality you need. Do you want a theme that's highly customizable or one that's more straightforward? Consider features like layout options, customization options, and compatibility with plugins you might want to use.
It's also important to check the responsiveness of the theme. Make sure it looks good and functions well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Lastly, take some time to browse through different themes and read reviews from other users. This can give you a better idea of what to expect and help you make an informed decision that suits your brand and design preferences.
What essential pages should you create first?
- Homepage
- About Us/About Me
- Contact Page
- Products/Services Page
- Blog
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Legal Pages (Disclaimer, Copyright Notice, etc.)
- Identify Needs: Determine the specific functionality you require for your site.
- Research: Look for plugins that offer the features you need.
- Ratings and Reviews: Check plugin ratings and read user reviews to gauge reliability and performance.
- Compatibility: Ensure the plugin is compatible with your WordPress version and other installed plugins.
- Active Installations: Choose plugins with a high number of active installations for reliability and community support.
- Yoast SEO (for search engine optimization)
- Contact Form 7 (for creating contact forms)
- WooCommerce (for e-commerce functionality)
- Jetpack (for security, performance, and site management)
- WP Super Cache (for caching to improve site speed
Integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site involves adding extra capabilities beyond what comes with the standard installation. One way to do this is by using plugins. These are like apps for your website, and they can add all sorts of new features, from contact forms to e-commerce shops.
For example, let's say you want to add a feature for visitors to book appointments on your site. You could search for a booking plugin like "Bookly" or "Appointment Booking Calendar." After installing and activating the plugin, you'd typically set it up by following the provided instructions, which might involve configuring settings, creating booking forms, and placing them on your site where you want them to appear.
Another way to integrate custom features is by adding code directly to your site. This could involve writing your own custom functions or modifying existing ones. For instance, if you wanted to add a custom sidebar widget displaying your latest Instagram photos, you might need to write some PHP code to fetch the photos from Instagram's API and display them on your site.
In summary, integrating custom features and functionalities into your WordPress site can be done through plugins or by adding custom code, allowing you to tailor your site to your specific needs and preferences.
How do you manage user roles and permissions?
RoleCapabilitiesHow to Manage AdministratorCan do everything, including managing other users, installing plugins, and changing themes.Go to Users > All Users in the dashboard, find the user, and change their role to Administrator. EditorCan publish and manage posts, including those of other users.Go to Users > Add New, fill in user details, and assign the role of Editor. AuthorCan publish and manage their own posts only.In Users > All Users, select a user and change their role to Author. ContributorCan write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.Add or edit a user and assign the role of Contributor. SubscriberCan only manage their own profile and read content.Change the user role to Subscriber in the Users section.
What security measures should you implement to protect your custom WordPress website?
To protect your custom WordPress website, you need to implement several security measures. Here are some specific steps:
- Install a Security Plugin: Use plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri. They offer features like malware scanning and firewall protection.
- Use Strong Passwords: Make sure all users have strong, unique passwords. A good password includes letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security. Users will need to enter a code from their phone in addition to their password.
- Keep WordPress Updated: Always update WordPress to the latest version. Updates fix security vulnerabilities.
- Limit Login Attempts: Use a plugin like Limit Login Attempts Reloaded to prevent brute-force attacks.
- Change the Default "admin" Username: Don’t use "admin" as your username. Choose something unique to make it harder for hackers to guess.
- Use HTTPS: Get an SSL certificate to encrypt data between your website and visitors. Most hosting providers offer this for free.
- Backup Your Site Regularly: Use plugins like UpdraftPlus to create regular backups. If your site gets hacked, you can restore it.
To ensure your custom WordPress site is responsive and mobile-friendly, follow these steps:
- Pick a Responsive Theme: Start with a theme known for being responsive, such as Astra or GeneratePress.
- Use a Mobile-Friendly Plugin: Install plugins like WP Touch, which help make your site mobile-friendly.
- Apply Media Queries: Add CSS media queries to adjust your layout for different screen sizes. For example:
.sidebar { display: none; }
.content { width: 100%; }
}
- Flexible Images and Videos: Ensure images and videos resize properly with:
- Mobile Menu: Use a plugin like Responsive Menu to create a user-friendly mobile menu.
- Optimize for Speed: Compress images using a plugin like Smush and enable caching with a plugin like W3 Total Cache.
- Testing: Regularly test your site on different devices and browsers. Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and BrowserStack can help.
Troubleshooting and debugging issues during the development of a custom WordPress site involves several steps. Here are some real-world challenges and specific issues you might encounter:
- White Screen of Death (WSOD): This issue often occurs due to PHP errors, plugin conflicts, or exhausted memory limits. Solution: Enable WordPress debugging by adding define('WP_DEBUG', true); to your wp-config.php file to display error messages. Check the error log for specific issues.
- Plugin Conflicts: Plugins can conflict with each other or with the theme, causing functionality problems.Solution: Deactivate all plugins and reactivate them one by one to identify the conflicting plugin. Check for updates or consider alternative plugins.
- Theme Issues: Custom themes might have coding errors or compatibility issues with WordPress updates. Solution: Use a child theme for customizations to avoid losing changes during updates. Validate your theme code using tools like Theme Check.
- Database Errors: Corrupt or misconfigured databases can lead to errors or data loss. Solution: Use phpMyAdmin to check and repair database tables. Ensure regular backups are in place to restore data if needed.
- Broken Links and 404 Errors: Incorrect URLs or deleted pages can lead to 404 errors, affecting user experience and SEO. Solution: Use a plugin like Redirection to manage and fix broken links. Regularly check for 404 errors using tools like Google Search Console.
- Slow Performance: Poor performance can result from unoptimized images, bulky plugins, or inefficient code. Solution: Optimize images, use caching plugins like W3 Total Cache, and minimize CSS and JavaScript files. Profile your site using tools like Query Monitor to identify slow queries.
- JavaScript Errors: JavaScript errors can break site functionality, especially interactive features. Solution: Use the browser’s developer tools (F12) to inspect the console for JavaScript errors. Fix issues by debugging the scripts or checking for library conflicts.
- Security Vulnerabilities: Sites can be vulnerable to attacks if not properly secured. Solution: Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins. Use security plugins like Wordfence, and implement strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
- Responsive Design Issues: Ensuring the site looks good on all devices can be challenging. Solution: Use responsive design techniques and test the site on various devices and screen sizes. Tools like BrowserStack can help simulate different environments.
- User Role and Permission Problems: Incorrect configuration of user roles and permissions can lead to security and functionality issues. Solution: Use the User Role Editor plugin to manage and troubleshoot roles and capabilities. Ensure that users have appropriate access levels.
To create a seamless user experience (UX) in a custom WordPress site, start by choosing a clean, responsive theme that looks good on all devices. Ensure your site loads quickly by optimizing images and using caching plugins like W3 Total Cache. Simplify navigation with clear menus and breadcrumbs, making it easy for users to find what they need. Use readable fonts and sufficient white space to make content easy to read. Add a search bar so visitors can quickly locate information. Implement intuitive forms with clear labels and error messages. Regularly test your site on different devices and browsers to ensure everything works smoothly. By focusing on these details, you can make your WordPress site user-friendly and enjoyable to navigate.
How do you implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site?
To implement e-commerce functionality in a custom WordPress site, start by installing a reliable e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce. Set up your store by adding products with detailed descriptions, prices, and images. Configure payment gateways such as PayPal or Stripe to accept online payments securely. Customize the appearance of your store using built-in themes or by modifying CSS styles. Create user-friendly navigation with categories and filters to help customers easily browse products. Implement shopping cart functionality to allow users to add items and proceed to checkout seamlessly. Set up shipping options and rates based on location and weight. Test the entire purchasing process to ensure it works smoothly for users. Regularly update plugins and monitor sales to optimize your e-commerce site for success.
Conclusion
Creating a custom WordPress website involves several key steps. You start by deciding on your site's goals and picking a domain name and hosting provider. Then, you install WordPress, choose a theme, and customize it to match your brand. Next, you add content, like pages and posts, and install plugins for extra features, such as contact forms or SEO optimization. You'll want to make sure your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices. Lastly, you test everything thoroughly before launching your site to ensure it's ready for visitors. And don't forget to keep it updated and secure over time!
2024.05.21 08:27 Unkn0wnimous [No Due Date] Looking to get some feedback on the first chapter of the story I made after posting the prologue here. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
Mors
An endless void, silence interlaid with its pitch-darkness, greeted an injured man. No light can be seen, sensations be damned, and consciousness spread thin as though taut in this incomprehensive expanse that laid before him.
Callum fell into the abyss, his mind the only thing left to accompany him. He hasn’t even counted the minutes as his mind is plagued by something else. He never considered himself a man of interest, only scraping by with his odd jobs and part-time salaries, hence why he couldn’t understand his current situation.
Betrayal is something that he is familiar with, whether it be a betrayal of his expectations when a co-worker broke his promise or a betrayal of his emotions when his first love interest cheated on him back in uni. However, this betrayal orchestrated by his best friend whom he’d known for 5 years, and girlfriend for 8 years felt more gut-wrenching than the pain he felt from the stab.
Denial was the first thing that stormed his mind. He couldn’t believe that the two closest people in his life would stab him in the back, literally. There was no build-up, he didn’t suspect a thing, and everything was normal until he found steel in his flesh.
He rejected the notion that his girlfriend, Catherine, would betray him like this, an accomplice to a murder that he can’t grasp the motive of. He has built up some savings, but it isn’t something that would be worth murdering someone for, especially after buying that ring.
He dismissed the thought of Jake being jealous of their relationship as he couldn’t see the guy doing something as stupid as this. He can’t form any rhyme or reason as to why they would do it, and the only possible explanation is that this was all a dream and he was actually still sleeping inside the tent.
But as he waited for himself to wake from this nightmare, only darkness greeted him. He had tried moving his body in this sea of blackness, but the movement only felt like going through molasses with tired arms, which is why he attributed this as being only a dream that he would wake up from, which appeared to be wrong as he waited and waited.
Anxiety crept in as he tried to call out, but no sound escaped his lips. He strained his voice to be heard, yet he can't even hear himself. No light adorned this place, no wind to be heard, and he couldn’t feel anything even though he tried feeling himself.
The pain in his back was forgotten as he tried and tried to move, to scream, to flail senselessly, amounting to nothing as he was greeted by nothing.
Feeling anything in this void is something impossible, and the only thing that he can do is return to his mindscape.
He went back to his oldest memories, back to a time when everything felt oppressive and suffocating. Callum was born into a broken family. His mother and father had gone through a divorce when he was only 6 years old. He could still remember the screaming and yelling of his parents whenever night fell in their sorry state of an apartment.
His father, Eric, having not finished his education after Callum’s birth, has been living as a blue-collar worker in downtown New Jersey. Even during his day-offs, he can’t seem to find rest as he goes to do odd jobs and part-time work to stay afloat. On the other hand, his mother would leave him, a toddler, alone in the apartment.
He remembered her putting CDs in a DVD player so that it could keep his attention on a cartoon that his father introduced him to. If he had anything to describe his mother, she would be irresponsible and narcissistic. She would sometimes bring guys over to their apartment, threatening Callum with divorce if he ever told Eric about it, hence why it took several years until his dad caught on and filed for a divorce.
Eric was determined to take Callum with him, he argues that he could take care of his child better than Callum’s mother. But his mother and her twisted pride can’t let go of Callum, which leads to a legal dispute between the two.
The court hearings went on for several months, with each passing day being a lot more hellish for Callum. He was subjected to further insults by his mother as she knew that leaving bruises on her child would lower her chances of winning over the court to her side. Sometimes, she would go as far as manipulate him, gaslighting him into believing that she was a good mother who would take care of him better than his father. But after seeing that the court favors Eric’s side more, his mother took drastic measures to satisfy her wounded pride.
It was the second to the last day of the court hearing, and it was during this time that his father was working overtime. Callum had just gone home from his elementary school, feeling tired as he hauled his bag over his shoulders up the multiple flights of stairs he had to climb to get to their apartment.
As he neared his home, he steeled himself and opened the door, only to be met with overturned tables and broken ceramics. He walked quietly through the scene, afraid that someone might hear him entering his home. Looking back on it now, Calum can’t help himself but laugh at his stupidity. He could have gone and alerted their neighbors, or gone back downstairs to wait for his father, but being a child, Callum doesn’t know what to do.
As he entered his room, he saw black words spray painted on the walls, the meaning eluding him as he didn’t know what it meant since he was 7 at the time, but remembering it now sent shivers down his spine.
The words “This is what you get!” on a torn wallpaper are ingrained in his mind. Seeing the manic letters sprayed over the walls gave Callum anxiety, taking a few steps back towards the open front door of their apartment. Escape was now on his mind as he grew scared of what was to come, something that was far too late as he heard his mother behind him.
It was there that everything turned into a blur. He remembered snippets of yelling and crying both from himself and his mother. He remembered his mother forcing something down his throat. He remembered his father coming home early that day and restraining his mother, a crazy look in her eyes. He remembered the feeling of nausea and the floor colored with his lunch. And he remembered the sirens, red and blue lights dancing in his vision as he was carried to a stretcher. The last thing he remembered was his father crying, holding his hands tightly when he opened his tired eyes.
For the next few days, he learned from the news that his mother attempted a double suicide. The story goes, after losing the custody battle, the mother planned to take revenge by ending the lives of both her child and herself. They said that he got lucky as the neighbors had contacted Eric when his mother turned their home upside down, relating it to a possible home invasion. If not for him, Callum would have died from nicotine poisoning after his mother forced tobacco down his gullet, a morbid story that he uses as a joke during his time at work.
He remembered being inside that hospital for days on end, his body recovering from the poison his mother left him with, and his father was there almost every day even though he had to work to pay the hospital bills. After what felt like forever was he allowed to be discharged, going back to the same refurbished apartment that they lived in, but after seeing how Callum had recurring nightmares and trauma attached to the place, they decided to move to Pennsylvania. A hard decision that needed to be made as his father would put it.
Everything after the whole incident was better for Callum. His father got a job as a mover, still doing some part-time work here and there, and Callum did his best in school so as not to burden his father with more work. Even though they lived in a rundown shack handed to them by one of the locals, they didn’t mind as they knew that getting to live at all was better than what they had before.
Callum smiled in the abyss as he reminisced about his time with his father. He was a great man, a good role model for anyone who came across him. He is kind-hearted and considerate, a hard worker that makes him popular among his peers. It was them that helped move him and his father out of New Jersey and found them a place to sleep in, teaching Callum that socializing and connecting with like-minded people goes a long way when someone needs it.
For the next few years, Callum lived happily. Though there were some ups and downs, he and his father got through it, which is why the memory of his time in university was depressing.
Eric, after having saved some money, gave Callum the go-ahead to enroll in a university in California. But after attaining an athletic scholarship in football, Callum gave his father a surprise to ease his worries and stress. Callum felt bad every time he saw his father work, hence why he tried his hardest to take some of that workload to give him a break. With the tuition being lowered with the scholarship, Callum could give the rest of the money back to his dad. A gesture that was fully gratified as his father had a hard time letting him go when the time came to move over to the university. But it was during this time that tragedy struck.
It was his fourth year in studying anthropology when he heard the news from one of his father’s friends, Robby. After hearing it, he grew distressed and worried, taking a lot of convincing from Robby to keep Callum from moving back to Pennsylvania.
His father has gone missing. The news had spread amongst his co-workers and friends, and a search team was already being dispatched to find him. Even though Callum tried to keep his focus on studying, he couldn’t help but feel agitated as days went by without news of his father being seen. His mental state plummeted, and he grew withdrawn from reality as days turned to weeks, his father still gone.
He could still remember the times when he locked himself in the school’s library, searching the web to find any news or reports of his father's whereabouts, but as he searched for days on end, only one thing kept popping up from the newsletters. His father, Eric Hurst Foster, went missing in his own home. There were no struggles in the house, the CCTV didn’t see him on any of the roads or stores in the town they lived in, he just seemed to have vanished into thin air.
The news ate away at Callum, and his friends that he’d made during the time gave their support to keep him from spiraling out of control. However, even with their support, Callum’s worries over his dad never went away, hence why he threw himself into work. Going to part-time jobs and studying is the only way to keep his mind from blowing. He did this until he finished university and found a job to stay afloat.
This went on for years until he’s come to accept that his father may never be found. With nothing to ground him in their old home, he decided to explore the world, thinking that one day, he might find a lead to the whereabouts of his dad.
Months turned to years as he worked tirelessly in multiple jobs. From being a mechanic, electrician, cook, waiter, and many more to count, Callum went on a work frenzy. He made a plan to scour the states as a freelancer, living in his BMW pick-up truck that was given to him by one of his friends. He stayed in each state for a few months, meeting new people and making some friends along the way. They sent their well wishes to Callum as they knew that he was still trying to find his missing father.
Years went by as he made his way back to California. He had gone and explored every state, and yet no news of his father came to light. The case had gone cold, and it was up to Callum to find any clues to this mystery. His mind has told him to give up the search, and multiple friends have given him consolation as they knew that his father would never be found, but Callum persevered.
It was during this time that he found himself as a mover, the same job that his father had before he disappeared. He had just come back to California after getting the job, and he was about to go check in for his first day when a sudden downpour of rain covered the skies of the city. It was only coincidental that he was near that coffee shop, and it was coincidental that only two customers were present there. He and his future girlfriend turned accomplice to his murder.
The rest of his memories went by as he continued to float in the abyss. From the time of their first years in a relationship to meeting Jake for the first time in that apartment to when he taught PE and History in a school in Minnesota. Everything went by as Callum went from one memory to another until he felt something.
A chill ran down his spine as an indescribable dread manifested in his mind. He knew not why he felt this way, and he felt himself tearing at the seams as a slit of light showed itself in the void. He was then pulled into the light, senses coming back after he spent his time in the abyss for what felt like days. And with a flash, he is back in the same hunched-over position he was in when he was stabbed in the back.
Callum can’t help but laugh as he finally could see again. Trees surrounded his vision, with wild grass carpeting the ground. But before he could truly see the world, he felt a sharp pain in his back. With his body remembering that he was injured, he felt himself sweat profusely as he bled, painting the flowers under him red. And yet he didn’t panic.
After all that time reminiscing, he finally gave in and let death come to him. He fell on his back, sending another wave of pain coursing through his body, cursing under his breath as he regretted not laying himself down slowly. And as he looked to the sky, he felt himself getting colder and colder.
Callum felt at peace as he stared at the clouds above him. The sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves helped him come to terms that he was truly dying. He’d thought about death a lot. During his time when he was a kid, and when he was depressed after his father went missing. But the peace he felt for only a few moments as emotions came crashing down.
He felt himself tear up as he came to terms with his current situation. He would never have a chance to marry the girl in his life. He would never have a chance to have his own children and see them grow. He would never have a chance to be a father. And he would never have a chance to grow old with the people he loved around him.
As he thought of these things, the floodgates opened. Streams of tears fell down his cheeks as he sobbed in his dying state. He could only put his hands over his eyes to stop it from flowing, an action that felt challenging as his body became fatigued from all the blood loss. The crying only hastened his death as he felt his breath escape him, his lungs labored and filled with blood as the stab had punctured it.
Minutes went by as Callum felt himself grow tired and tired. And as he closed his eyes, Callum’s heart slowed and slowed as his body has a lack of blood to pump. His breathing grew shallower with each second until his body gave way and stopped altogether.
Callum died at the age of 34, stabbed in the back by his best friend with his girlfriend being an accomplice for his murder. He died from blood loss as his body colored the ground red.
Callum waited and waited to feel his consciousness fade as he welcomed death to greet him. And as the second grew…
'…Wait.'
His consciousness never faded away.
submitted by Unkn0wnimous to Proofreading [link] [comments]
Mors
An endless void, silence interlaid with its pitch-darkness, greeted an injured man. No light can be seen, sensations be damned, and consciousness spread thin as though taut in this incomprehensive expanse that laid before him.
Callum fell into the abyss, his mind the only thing left to accompany him. He hasn’t even counted the minutes as his mind is plagued by something else. He never considered himself a man of interest, only scraping by with his odd jobs and part-time salaries, hence why he couldn’t understand his current situation.
Betrayal is something that he is familiar with, whether it be a betrayal of his expectations when a co-worker broke his promise or a betrayal of his emotions when his first love interest cheated on him back in uni. However, this betrayal orchestrated by his best friend whom he’d known for 5 years, and girlfriend for 8 years felt more gut-wrenching than the pain he felt from the stab.
Denial was the first thing that stormed his mind. He couldn’t believe that the two closest people in his life would stab him in the back, literally. There was no build-up, he didn’t suspect a thing, and everything was normal until he found steel in his flesh.
He rejected the notion that his girlfriend, Catherine, would betray him like this, an accomplice to a murder that he can’t grasp the motive of. He has built up some savings, but it isn’t something that would be worth murdering someone for, especially after buying that ring.
He dismissed the thought of Jake being jealous of their relationship as he couldn’t see the guy doing something as stupid as this. He can’t form any rhyme or reason as to why they would do it, and the only possible explanation is that this was all a dream and he was actually still sleeping inside the tent.
But as he waited for himself to wake from this nightmare, only darkness greeted him. He had tried moving his body in this sea of blackness, but the movement only felt like going through molasses with tired arms, which is why he attributed this as being only a dream that he would wake up from, which appeared to be wrong as he waited and waited.
Anxiety crept in as he tried to call out, but no sound escaped his lips. He strained his voice to be heard, yet he can't even hear himself. No light adorned this place, no wind to be heard, and he couldn’t feel anything even though he tried feeling himself.
The pain in his back was forgotten as he tried and tried to move, to scream, to flail senselessly, amounting to nothing as he was greeted by nothing.
Feeling anything in this void is something impossible, and the only thing that he can do is return to his mindscape.
He went back to his oldest memories, back to a time when everything felt oppressive and suffocating. Callum was born into a broken family. His mother and father had gone through a divorce when he was only 6 years old. He could still remember the screaming and yelling of his parents whenever night fell in their sorry state of an apartment.
His father, Eric, having not finished his education after Callum’s birth, has been living as a blue-collar worker in downtown New Jersey. Even during his day-offs, he can’t seem to find rest as he goes to do odd jobs and part-time work to stay afloat. On the other hand, his mother would leave him, a toddler, alone in the apartment.
He remembered her putting CDs in a DVD player so that it could keep his attention on a cartoon that his father introduced him to. If he had anything to describe his mother, she would be irresponsible and narcissistic. She would sometimes bring guys over to their apartment, threatening Callum with divorce if he ever told Eric about it, hence why it took several years until his dad caught on and filed for a divorce.
Eric was determined to take Callum with him, he argues that he could take care of his child better than Callum’s mother. But his mother and her twisted pride can’t let go of Callum, which leads to a legal dispute between the two.
The court hearings went on for several months, with each passing day being a lot more hellish for Callum. He was subjected to further insults by his mother as she knew that leaving bruises on her child would lower her chances of winning over the court to her side. Sometimes, she would go as far as manipulate him, gaslighting him into believing that she was a good mother who would take care of him better than his father. But after seeing that the court favors Eric’s side more, his mother took drastic measures to satisfy her wounded pride.
It was the second to the last day of the court hearing, and it was during this time that his father was working overtime. Callum had just gone home from his elementary school, feeling tired as he hauled his bag over his shoulders up the multiple flights of stairs he had to climb to get to their apartment.
As he neared his home, he steeled himself and opened the door, only to be met with overturned tables and broken ceramics. He walked quietly through the scene, afraid that someone might hear him entering his home. Looking back on it now, Calum can’t help himself but laugh at his stupidity. He could have gone and alerted their neighbors, or gone back downstairs to wait for his father, but being a child, Callum doesn’t know what to do.
As he entered his room, he saw black words spray painted on the walls, the meaning eluding him as he didn’t know what it meant since he was 7 at the time, but remembering it now sent shivers down his spine.
The words “This is what you get!” on a torn wallpaper are ingrained in his mind. Seeing the manic letters sprayed over the walls gave Callum anxiety, taking a few steps back towards the open front door of their apartment. Escape was now on his mind as he grew scared of what was to come, something that was far too late as he heard his mother behind him.
It was there that everything turned into a blur. He remembered snippets of yelling and crying both from himself and his mother. He remembered his mother forcing something down his throat. He remembered his father coming home early that day and restraining his mother, a crazy look in her eyes. He remembered the feeling of nausea and the floor colored with his lunch. And he remembered the sirens, red and blue lights dancing in his vision as he was carried to a stretcher. The last thing he remembered was his father crying, holding his hands tightly when he opened his tired eyes.
For the next few days, he learned from the news that his mother attempted a double suicide. The story goes, after losing the custody battle, the mother planned to take revenge by ending the lives of both her child and herself. They said that he got lucky as the neighbors had contacted Eric when his mother turned their home upside down, relating it to a possible home invasion. If not for him, Callum would have died from nicotine poisoning after his mother forced tobacco down his gullet, a morbid story that he uses as a joke during his time at work.
He remembered being inside that hospital for days on end, his body recovering from the poison his mother left him with, and his father was there almost every day even though he had to work to pay the hospital bills. After what felt like forever was he allowed to be discharged, going back to the same refurbished apartment that they lived in, but after seeing how Callum had recurring nightmares and trauma attached to the place, they decided to move to Pennsylvania. A hard decision that needed to be made as his father would put it.
Everything after the whole incident was better for Callum. His father got a job as a mover, still doing some part-time work here and there, and Callum did his best in school so as not to burden his father with more work. Even though they lived in a rundown shack handed to them by one of the locals, they didn’t mind as they knew that getting to live at all was better than what they had before.
Callum smiled in the abyss as he reminisced about his time with his father. He was a great man, a good role model for anyone who came across him. He is kind-hearted and considerate, a hard worker that makes him popular among his peers. It was them that helped move him and his father out of New Jersey and found them a place to sleep in, teaching Callum that socializing and connecting with like-minded people goes a long way when someone needs it.
For the next few years, Callum lived happily. Though there were some ups and downs, he and his father got through it, which is why the memory of his time in university was depressing.
Eric, after having saved some money, gave Callum the go-ahead to enroll in a university in California. But after attaining an athletic scholarship in football, Callum gave his father a surprise to ease his worries and stress. Callum felt bad every time he saw his father work, hence why he tried his hardest to take some of that workload to give him a break. With the tuition being lowered with the scholarship, Callum could give the rest of the money back to his dad. A gesture that was fully gratified as his father had a hard time letting him go when the time came to move over to the university. But it was during this time that tragedy struck.
It was his fourth year in studying anthropology when he heard the news from one of his father’s friends, Robby. After hearing it, he grew distressed and worried, taking a lot of convincing from Robby to keep Callum from moving back to Pennsylvania.
His father has gone missing. The news had spread amongst his co-workers and friends, and a search team was already being dispatched to find him. Even though Callum tried to keep his focus on studying, he couldn’t help but feel agitated as days went by without news of his father being seen. His mental state plummeted, and he grew withdrawn from reality as days turned to weeks, his father still gone.
He could still remember the times when he locked himself in the school’s library, searching the web to find any news or reports of his father's whereabouts, but as he searched for days on end, only one thing kept popping up from the newsletters. His father, Eric Hurst Foster, went missing in his own home. There were no struggles in the house, the CCTV didn’t see him on any of the roads or stores in the town they lived in, he just seemed to have vanished into thin air.
The news ate away at Callum, and his friends that he’d made during the time gave their support to keep him from spiraling out of control. However, even with their support, Callum’s worries over his dad never went away, hence why he threw himself into work. Going to part-time jobs and studying is the only way to keep his mind from blowing. He did this until he finished university and found a job to stay afloat.
This went on for years until he’s come to accept that his father may never be found. With nothing to ground him in their old home, he decided to explore the world, thinking that one day, he might find a lead to the whereabouts of his dad.
Months turned to years as he worked tirelessly in multiple jobs. From being a mechanic, electrician, cook, waiter, and many more to count, Callum went on a work frenzy. He made a plan to scour the states as a freelancer, living in his BMW pick-up truck that was given to him by one of his friends. He stayed in each state for a few months, meeting new people and making some friends along the way. They sent their well wishes to Callum as they knew that he was still trying to find his missing father.
Years went by as he made his way back to California. He had gone and explored every state, and yet no news of his father came to light. The case had gone cold, and it was up to Callum to find any clues to this mystery. His mind has told him to give up the search, and multiple friends have given him consolation as they knew that his father would never be found, but Callum persevered.
It was during this time that he found himself as a mover, the same job that his father had before he disappeared. He had just come back to California after getting the job, and he was about to go check in for his first day when a sudden downpour of rain covered the skies of the city. It was only coincidental that he was near that coffee shop, and it was coincidental that only two customers were present there. He and his future girlfriend turned accomplice to his murder.
The rest of his memories went by as he continued to float in the abyss. From the time of their first years in a relationship to meeting Jake for the first time in that apartment to when he taught PE and History in a school in Minnesota. Everything went by as Callum went from one memory to another until he felt something.
A chill ran down his spine as an indescribable dread manifested in his mind. He knew not why he felt this way, and he felt himself tearing at the seams as a slit of light showed itself in the void. He was then pulled into the light, senses coming back after he spent his time in the abyss for what felt like days. And with a flash, he is back in the same hunched-over position he was in when he was stabbed in the back.
Callum can’t help but laugh as he finally could see again. Trees surrounded his vision, with wild grass carpeting the ground. But before he could truly see the world, he felt a sharp pain in his back. With his body remembering that he was injured, he felt himself sweat profusely as he bled, painting the flowers under him red. And yet he didn’t panic.
After all that time reminiscing, he finally gave in and let death come to him. He fell on his back, sending another wave of pain coursing through his body, cursing under his breath as he regretted not laying himself down slowly. And as he looked to the sky, he felt himself getting colder and colder.
Callum felt at peace as he stared at the clouds above him. The sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves helped him come to terms that he was truly dying. He’d thought about death a lot. During his time when he was a kid, and when he was depressed after his father went missing. But the peace he felt for only a few moments as emotions came crashing down.
He felt himself tear up as he came to terms with his current situation. He would never have a chance to marry the girl in his life. He would never have a chance to have his own children and see them grow. He would never have a chance to be a father. And he would never have a chance to grow old with the people he loved around him.
As he thought of these things, the floodgates opened. Streams of tears fell down his cheeks as he sobbed in his dying state. He could only put his hands over his eyes to stop it from flowing, an action that felt challenging as his body became fatigued from all the blood loss. The crying only hastened his death as he felt his breath escape him, his lungs labored and filled with blood as the stab had punctured it.
Minutes went by as Callum felt himself grow tired and tired. And as he closed his eyes, Callum’s heart slowed and slowed as his body has a lack of blood to pump. His breathing grew shallower with each second until his body gave way and stopped altogether.
Callum died at the age of 34, stabbed in the back by his best friend with his girlfriend being an accomplice for his murder. He died from blood loss as his body colored the ground red.
Callum waited and waited to feel his consciousness fade as he welcomed death to greet him. And as the second grew…
'…Wait.'
His consciousness never faded away.
2024.05.21 08:22 verdantvictory The fruits of my first kandi sesh + massive phrase list
 | https://preview.redd.it/hiftsass3q1d1.jpg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee482f9518deb009b7e1fbce99fffbee2b0684b0 submitted by verdantvictory to kandi [link] [comments] The normal sized beads and pony beads are from my mom's craft stuff that she hasn't used in years, and the teeny tiny beads and letter beads are from my meager stash! Go Piss Girl was my first one ever, I want to restring it with some quirky yellow beads I found. I went through my entire bag of letter beads to find the grungiest ones. Hello Kitty was fun, I tried it on my own and then watched a tutorial because I couldn't figure it out. The weed leaf is made with iridescent green beads, I think they're 12mm because they feel bigger than normal pony beads. I used the same ones to make the alien charm, which I designed myself and is now hanging from my rear view mirror! The charm is kinda bent because the black beads are smaller than the green ones, but I still tried to tug it pretty tight. The Patrick star is a gift for my best friend, I was inspired by someone else on here. (Quick note: Inner star is 5 pink for body, 5 green for pants. Making this is easier of you lay out your beads first) Bisexy Babe was an excuse to try my hand at something I saw on here, I saw someone make the little flag and I couldn't resist. It's so small that the ladder stitch flops sometimes, and my beads being different sizes doesn't help. I still love it :) Cinephile was an experiment, I'm fully aware that I'll look like a FiLm bRo if I wear it out but it reminded me of a film reel, what can you do. So I have these absolutely miniscule glass beads from a cheapy Walmart set, and after struggling to even get the string through them I put some clear beads over them. It makes a nice sound and I think it looks kinda cool. For Repo Man, I used the same technique in one place. I used a few tiny beads that would slip through the bigger opening of a normal pony bead, so I put a black glass bead to keep the small beads in place and then put a black pony bead over it. I really like the result! (And I found out I can't make random bracelets to save my life, all the beads on this one are very strategically placed because of their sizes and shapes and how I wanted the colors to look.) It's not a particularly sneaky reference but I still want to know who gets it 👀 Eep I'm afraid to cut the strings off of some of them because I haven't put clear nail polish on the knot yet. And I already know that elastic string isn't the best, but it's what I had on hand and I'm trying to blast through it so I don't just throw it away. NOW FOR THE PHRASE LIST PART: I've seen lists on here and screenshots of people's lists from their notes apps, and I started gathering all my ideas into one place too. I was using a part of one of my Notion pages, but that just got too unruly. And I always had the idea for a spreadsheet, so I went ahead and made one. Sometimes I feel like I'm too organized for the kandi spirit 😅 I'm a little embarrassed to share just because it's so poindexter, and there's a lot of inside jokes and cringe shit that I'm into, but as of posting this I have 220+ entries into a Notion table (I have it set to show how many because I love seeing the number go up), and they're tagged with themes/fandoms (space, Spongebob, etc), phrase length (how many words), and I have a section for notes about how I'd like it to look. I also have inappropriate ones tagged as nsfw/vulgar so I can click over to a sanitized and presentable list if I need to. Thanks for checking out my very verbose kandi debut! Let me know what you think! |
2024.05.21 08:07 anonthrowawayaus Did anyone else not do a JCA before Sonic? What could this mean?
I (22) applied for the DSP maybe a month and a half ago. I was called by a Sonic member to organise my Sonic phone call about a week and a half ago( for the first week of June). I haven't been contacted at all about the JCA yet.
I saw a lot of people talking about having the JCA phone call being before the Sonic call is even organized.
Is it possible they forgot to do the JCA, or do they sometimes do it after the Sonic call? Is there any reason they might've just not done that?
(My GP went through an imparement table on her letter to Centrelink, basically stating I had significant imparements in all areas of my life except mobility, however we didn't do a JCA together).
submitted by anonthrowawayaus to Centrelink [link] [comments]
I saw a lot of people talking about having the JCA phone call being before the Sonic call is even organized.
Is it possible they forgot to do the JCA, or do they sometimes do it after the Sonic call? Is there any reason they might've just not done that?
(My GP went through an imparement table on her letter to Centrelink, basically stating I had significant imparements in all areas of my life except mobility, however we didn't do a JCA together).
2024.05.21 07:13 AffectionateTry2044 Online counselling dates
 | Since many students were asking here ,, submitted by AffectionateTry2044 to IPUniversity [link] [comments] |
2024.05.21 06:36 Count-Daring243 Best Clipboards with Storage
 | submitted by Count-Daring243 to u/Count-Daring243 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/n73xilc9kp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8037253645a3b7ee43cab94da768e39a22fd6004 Are you tired of the cluttered mess on your desk? If so, you've come to the right place! In this article, we're taking a close look at some of the best clipboards with storage - a versatile product that not only keeps your papers organized, but also offers a convenient place to stash small items like pens and calculators. Whether you're a student, office worker, or just someone who loves a clean workspace, these clipboards are perfect for keeping your essentials within reach while keeping your desk clutter-free. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in and explore the world of clipboards with storage! The Top 17 Best Clipboards with Storage
Reviews🔗Durable Clipboard with Storage, Pen Holder, and Weightless Carryhttps://preview.redd.it/3rzj2nv9kp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e66d13a919aece46c00d4f23f7b9c48f2fc602c0 As a freelance writer, I often find myself moving from one coffee shop to another, sketchpad in hand. A solid clipboard is essential for any mobile artist like me, and I recently stumbled upon Sooez's Clipboard with Storage. The ergonomic side-opening hinge and sturdy metal clip make it easy to securely hold my sketches without any warping. Plus, the spacious storage compartment keeps my pencils and sketchpens in one place - no more digging through my bag for the perfect shade of graphite! The highlight of this clipboard is its durability. Made from high-quality polypropylene, it wipes clean easily, preventing any spread of bacteria, which is crucial in today's world. Its sleek design also enables me to use it as a makeshift lap desk when I need to sketch on-the-go. However, there's a downside to the design - the metal clip can be a bit stiff at times, making it challenging to insert or remove pages. Nonetheless, this minor inconvenience is outweighed by the benefits this clipboard offers. All in all, Sooez's Clipboard with Storage has become an indispensable tool in my writer's arsenal. Its storage compartments, durability, and sleek design make it perfect for anyone who needs a reliable clipboard to keep all their essentials organized. So, if you're in the market for a stylish and functional clipboard, look no further than Sooez's offering! 🔗Universal Storage Clipboard with Pen Compartmenthttps://preview.redd.it/roi3yj9akp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aeec3a06a51496d963fc77c0c32ae2c857fc2ce As a dedicated product reviewer, I have recently been using the Universal 1/2 in. Capacity 8-1/2 in. x 11 in. Storage Clipboard with Pen Compartment in my daily life, and I can't recommend it enough. This clipboard comes with an ample storage box, allowing me to keep my documents and forms safe and secure, even when I'm on-the-go. One of my favorite features of this clipboard is the separate smaller compartment that holds pens, clips, and other small items. It's such a convenient addition that has made my life so much easier. The corner grips also deserve a mention, as they help prevent snags and tears, ensuring that my documents stay in mint condition. However, I must admit that one aspect of the clipboard that took some getting used to was its opening mechanism. While it does take a little more effort to open compared to other models, it's definitely not a deal-breaker. In summary, this storage clipboard has made a significant difference in keeping my documents organized and secure. Its unique design and useful features make it the perfect companion for both office and personal use. While some users may find the opening mechanism slightly challenging, the benefits of this versatile and sturdy clipboard far outweigh any minor drawbacks. 🔗Clipbox Paper Clipboard Box for Recipe Storage and Paperwork Organizationhttps://preview.redd.it/7b2xpsnakp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60c94be247c2ceb92e3e62615d4a85a73f76a789 As a dedicated home cook, I've tried multiple ways of organizing my cherished collection of recipes, ranging from old-school recipe card boxes to bulky recipe binders. However, none of them could beat the efficiency and elegance of the Multikeep Clipbox Wood Clipboard Box. This nifty product has not only become a game-changer in my recipe storage but also a perfect way to organize an array of documents, from medical records to bills. The solid hardwood bamboo exterior not only makes it a sturdy holder but also adds a touch of style to any shelf, making it a beautiful addition to my kitchen or home office. The built-in clipboard on the lid is another excellent addition that allows me to quickly jot down notes or clip important documents right onto the box. The metal label holder on the side is an absolute bonus, enabling me to label and categorize my content easily. One drawback I found was the size. While it comfortably holds up to 75 sheets of standard size paper, it may be a bit too small for those who need to store larger documents. However, given its other brilliant features, I can easily overlook this minor flaw. In conclusion, the Multikeep Clipbox Wood Clipboard Box has not only revolutionized my recipe storage but also greatly helped in decluttering my workspace. Its stylish design, coupled with its excellent organization capabilities, makes it a worthy addition to any home. 🔗Secure Locking Storage Black Clipboardhttps://preview.redd.it/pxh0m0xakp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=569176b09e1abc0c7cd01ffc8863282586337f08 I recently started using the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard in my daily life, and I have to say, it has made a significant difference in the way I organize and protect my documents. The high tension clip on the front ensures that my papers remain secure at all times, while the combination lock provides key-less convenience for added security. I particularly love the roomy internal storage compartment, which comfortably holds all my important documents within. The shoulder strap included with the clipboard has been a game-changer for me, allowing me to carry it around effortlessly throughout the day. Additionally, the key-hole on the back serves as a convenient wall mount for when I need to store it away. However, there are a couple of areas where I feel the clipboard could use some improvement. Firstly, the combination lock, although providing a sense of security, feels slightly cheap and could potentially be more durable. Secondly, the dimensions of the product do not make it an ideal choice for people who prefer compact accessories. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard. Its user-friendly design and various features make it an effective tool for organizing and protecting my documents, providing me with the peace of mind I need in my daily life. 🔗Dexas Slimcase 2 Storage Clipboard in Neon Pinkhttps://preview.redd.it/ff1f9e9bkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef6de0f45e15f6c8714f21d8e4f4e8bf52e197bf When it comes to multifunctional organizational tools, the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is a game-changer. This versatile clipboard has been a staple in my daily life for quite some time now. Its neon pink color brightens up any workspace or environment, and it's perfect for both home and professional use. Before getting this clipboard, I was using a standard one that often left my papers cluttered and disorganized. With the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard, I can store all my necessary documents right in the compartment. It's great for keeping track of important paperwork and ensuring everything stays secure. And what's even better, this clipboard is extremely durable, made from high-impact break-resistant plastic that withstands everyday bounces and minor accidents. One of the standout features of the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is its sturdy steel clip. It securely holds important papers and documents without causing any damage. Plus, not having to constantly worry about losing important forms or contracts has been a game-changer for me. It's also very convenient to open and access documents or forms when needed. The slim design makes it easy to store in a briefcase or backpack, and it doesn't scratch desks, tables, or car hoods like other aluminum cases. The SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard is perfect for teachers, coaches, nurses, tradespeople, and anyone else who needs a reliable and efficient way to store their important paperwork. Whether you're using it at school or on the job, this clipboard is sure to make your life easier. And the best part? It's made in the USA, ensuring high quality and craftsmanship. In terms of drawbacks, the SlimCase 2 Storage Clipboard doesn't have a double compartment for more storage. However, for most people, the single compartment should be sufficient for their needs. Overall, this clipboard has been an incredible addition to my daily life, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in search of a reliable and efficient organizational tool. 🔗Locking Storage Clipboard for Paperwork on the Gohttps://preview.redd.it/5ovkw0tbkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=577839e15686cd7f76b7fd8969aadc3e01c6cfd4 I recently got my hands on the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard and I must say, it has become an essential part of my daily life. As someone who's always on the go, I often found myself struggling to keep all my important documents and tools organized. But with this clipboard, everything has a place now. The first thing that caught my eye was its sleek design. The slim profile and sturdy construction make it not only stylish but also incredibly durable. And did I mention how lightweight it is? Despite its robust build, it's surprisingly light, making it comfortable to carry around all day. One of the features that stand out the most for me is the interior mesh pockets. They're perfect for storing items like my phone, business cards, and even some loose papers. I also like the document belt inside, which ensures that my paperwork stays securely in place while I'm using the clipboard. The only downside I experienced so far is the somewhat slick surface of the clipboard. It can be a bit challenging to write on, especially when you need to create pressure copies from standard forms. However, this issue can easily be resolved by placing a piece of cardboard beneath the paper you're writing on. Another highlight worth mentioning is the built-in keyhole grommet on the back. It allows me to hang the clipboard on a wall or door, freeing up valuable desk space. Plus, the sturdy keylock keeps all my contents safe and secure whenever I need to step away. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard. Its combination of practicality, durability, and style makes it stand out from other clipboards on the market. If you're someone who values organization and efficiency, I would highly recommend giving this product a try. 🔗Dual Tray Clipboard Box with Pen Holderhttps://preview.redd.it/y686gg6ckp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59a7cbdf59e39c9de8d655b5a790cafae671e842 I've been using the Posse Box Pb-37C bottom opening clipboard box in my daily work routine as a law enforcement officer, and I must say, this nifty little contraption has really made a difference in keeping me organized. The dual compartments are a game-changer; one side for completed forms and papers, the other for storing extra citations and sheets. It also has an internal tray where I can securely keep pens, pencils, and other small items. Its non-skid base ensures that it stays put even on slick surfaces. One of the best parts about this clipboard box? Its size. At 14" long and 9" wide, it fits perfectly on my desk and doesn't take up too much space. Plus, with a weight capacity of 1.5 pounds, it can handle just about anything I throw at it. However, there's one minor downside that I've noticed while using this product. The latch could be slightly more durable. It tends to wear out over time, especially if you’re frequently opening and closing the box. But overall, for a tool designed specifically for law enforcement, the Posse Box Pb-37C is hard to beat when it comes to organization and convenience. 🔗Three-Tier Aluminum Clipboard with Paper Storagehttps://preview.redd.it/hb4lmomckp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3fb08369b4efefeb982e3f1b16b4b1b243a4aea6 I recently got my hands on this stylish aluminum clipboard with a three-tier storage system, and I must say, it has been a game-changer for my on-the-go lifestyle. The first thing that struck me was its lightweight and sturdy design, which instantly made me feel confident about taking it to my outdoors meetings without worrying about any potential damage. One of the highlights of this clipboard is its interior storage compartments. I can now efficiently organize all my important documents in one place, which has significantly improved my productivity since I don't have to spend time searching for them. Plus, the self-closing latch ensures that my papers stay in place whether I'm walking or sitting. However, I did face a minor issue with the aluminum surface. It tends to get a little cold during winters, making it a bit uncomfortable to write on for extended periods. But hey, it's still worth it considering all the benefits it offers. Overall, this metal clipboard with a three-tier storage system has made my life easier and more organized. If you're someone who needs a reliable and efficient way to manage your paperwork, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. 🔗Aluminum Storage Clipboard - Classic Stylehttps://preview.redd.it/k7jsjajdkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e39ca862ba420cea6a4eb42305c27ec51fc43125 Effortless Organization with The Clipboard Shop Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard" I can't express how satisfying it was to discover The Clipboard Shop's Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard in black. The sleek aluminum design elevates the simple clipboard to a stylish office accessory. I appreciate how lightweight it is, making it easy to carry around and clip in essential papers on the go, be it for work or personal use. The standout feature for me, however, has to be the spacious interior storage compartment. It's a game-changer for my constant juggling of important yet small papers. Now, instead of having them scatter around, they're safely tucked away in this compact but efficient clipboard. Plus, it holds full-sized papers, a significant pro compared to other clipboards I've used in the past! There's really only one disadvantage I've noticed so far, and that's the somewhat flimsy build. While it's more durable than traditional paper clipboards, it's not as robust as it could be. This is a small con, however, given how much I absolutely love everything else about this clipboard. The Clipboard Shop's Aluminum Memo Storage Clipboard has truly improved the way I organize and handle documents. Its combination of lightweight design and spacious storage compartment make it the perfect companion for anyone who frequently handles paperwork, be it at work or home. 🔗Daisy Floral Green Clipboard Folio with Linen Notepad and Storage Pockethttps://preview.redd.it/cks1ylbekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bc4e34be6391575ece0301d083921145438f521 I've been using this cute clipboard folio for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it. The Daisy Floral Green design is a refreshing change from the usual black or brown office supplies, and it feels equally at home in my creative studio as it does in the corporate office. The sturdy hardcover offers ample protection for all my papers and notes, while the removable lined notepad is perfect for organizing my thoughts on the go. The interior pocket and pen loop are particularly handy for stashing important documents and keeping my pen within easy reach. Plus, the elastic band cover ensures everything stays securely in place, even when I'm on the move. One downside to this folio is that it can be quite bulky, especially when filled with documents. However, the ample storage space more than makes up for its size. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this clipboard folio and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stylish and functional addition to their office supplies. 🔗Durable A5 Recycled Aluminum Clipboard with Privacy Cover and Storagehttps://preview.redd.it/3canwhgekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa73e5bd2b68bbcca58cf0423c74f87e0bb4ca1a As someone who always needs a reliable clipboard on the go, I've been using the Sunnyclip Aluminum Clipboard with Storage for a few weeks now. With its sleek and sturdy design, it has quickly become a trusty companion for all my note-taking adventures. The size is perfect, fitting my memo-size paper sheets flawlessly, yet it's just not compatible with letter or A4 size paper, which may be a slight drawback. What sets this clipboard apart from the rest is its durable, recycled aluminum construction. It's lightweight and easy to carry around, making it suitable for long days on the road or office. The added privacy cover is a thoughtful feature, keeping my important documents safe and confidential. Plus, the high-quality clip ensures that my papers stay in place, not even a gust of wind can make them fly away. However, one thing I didn't quite enjoy was the lack of storage capacity. Though the built-in storage top opening provides a little space, I think it could benefit from a slightly larger slot to accommodate more papers or even small office supplies. Overall, the Sunnyclip Aluminum Clipboard with Storage has quickly become a valued tool in my daily routine. Its lightweight and sturdy design, combined with the added privacy cover, makes it perfect for capturing notes on the go. While its storage capacity could be improved, it's a worthwhile investment for anyone in need of a reliable clipboard. 🔗Bottom Open Clipboard Box with Dual Tray Conveniencehttps://preview.redd.it/907l03yekp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1664ceb18e7d8793457e287964cf8108dd7a7a2 As a daily user of the Posse Box, one thing that stands out to me is its dual-tray convenience. I love how it provides two separate compartments to keep my important papers and forms well-organized. Plus, the non-skid base ensures that they stay in place even during those hectic days. The size of 9" x 14" 1.5" is just right for my needs, fitting all my frequently accessed forms comfortably. And the sleek black vinyl gives it a professional look. However, one thing that could be improved about this product is the quality of the material. It's not as sturdy as I would have liked, which can make it feel a bit flimsy at times. This issue isn't major but it's definitely worth mentioning. Overall though, the Posse Box has been a reliable companion on my daily law enforcement duties, helping me stay organized and efficient. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sleek and efficient way to keep their important papers and forms organized. 🔗Portable Office Clipboard Storage Case in Charcoalhttps://preview.redd.it/cprxe5kfkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a750a058262a43c43c80ab74470c1b7de2c4dbc As someone who loves staying organized, I can't exaggerate how this charcoal clipboard case from Office Depot has quickly become my go-to tool for work and school. It's not just about keeping my papers and forms intact, but also about having all my essentials like pens, business cards, and post-it notes right at my fingertips. One of the features that truly impressed me was its three external filing compartments. Not only do they keep my pens and pencils sorted, but they also hold paper clips and other small office items, making them incredibly efficient and space-saving. Plus, the magnetic compartment? Absolutely brilliant! No more rattling of loose clips while I'm on the move—they stay securely in place. The built-in filing pockets are equally impressive, providing a perfect place for CDs, more papers, or even a phone. To be honest, at first, I didn't think I would need the separate compartment for paper clips, considering how most of my stuff ended up in the external compartments. After using it though, I've come to appreciate how handy it is to have an item so small and commonplace readily accessible. Another highlight is the ergonomic hand grips. They make holding the case very comfortable, especially during longer work sessions or meetings. Additionally, the hang hole is a thoughtful touch that allows me to store it easily when not in use. While I love how sturdy and durable this case is—truly, it's been through a lot due to my clumsy nature and heavy use—there's one drawback I have to mention. If you're planning on using folders with this case, unfortunately, they won't fit. It's a minor inconvenience, but it doesn't detract from how useful and reliable this product continues to be. All in all, this is hands down the best clipboard case I've used in a long time. Whether it's at work or school, this little wonder keeps all my documents organized and accessible, making it a valuable addition to anyone's productivity toolkit. 🔗Premium Pink Nursing Clipboard with Storage Compartmenthttps://preview.redd.it/6ar7lq1gkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=929913468dadc9c0cc0d1bbad48d0949a6a7a29e I can vividly remember the day I first laid my hands on this amazing nursing clipboard with storage. The moment I received it, I was immediately struck by the premium material it was made of. The break-resistant plastic ensured that it would last through even the most rigorous usage. The smooth writing surface is another standout feature of this clipboard. As an active nurse, standing and writing patient notes can often be taxing. But with this clipboard, it's like writing on a cloud - smooth and effortless. And did I mention how lightweight it is? It was a lifesaver in my long days filled with back-to-back patients. Now, let's talk about the built-in storage. This clipboard comes equipped with a compartment that can neatly hold all of my nursing school supplies - my penlight, highlighter, scissors, pens and pencils. It's like having a little personal assistant right at my fingertips! The best part is how easy it is to use. Just unclip the bottom to reveal a spacious storage compartment that can hold documents, more writing utensils, and even a small snack to keep me going during those late nights. One of the highlights of this clipboard is its classic design. It's perfect not only for nurses, but also for teachers, parents, sales and office professionals. It's a versatile tool that keeps my essentials within easy reach. Surprisingly, despite its compact size, it's a great gift idea. I've gifted it to several of my nurse friends and they've all loved it. There's something really satisfying about presenting people with a tool that makes their lives easier. However, it's worth mentioning that this clipboard doesn't come with any accessories. You'll need to purchase them separately. But then again, that's a small inconvenience for a tool that has made my nursing life so much easier. In conclusion, if you're a nurse, teacher, or just someone looking for a practical tool to keep your essentials close, this nursing clipboard with storage is a game changer. Buyer's GuideClipboards have been a staple in offices and schools for decades, providing a convenient and portable way to hold documents. Clipboards with built-in storage offer an added layer of convenience, allowing you to carry not only your documents but also pens, paper clips, or other small office supplies.Important Featureshttps://preview.redd.it/lpjnqylhkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=815be758395c4f07193ffe7aa8988b149733feed
Considerations
General AdviceWhen selecting a clipboard with storage, it's essential to consider your specific needs and preferences. Take the time to compare different models and brands, reading customer reviews and checking product specifications for additional insights. By focusing on the features, considerations, and general advice provided in this guide, you can make an informed decision and find the perfect clipboard with storage to suit your requirements. https://preview.redd.it/dkbpmpzhkp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a72c6e2d5c7016e2ce64296cb69d6761193b61e FAQWhat are clipboards with storage?Clipboards with storage are organizational tools designed to hold papers and other important documents securely while also offering added compartments or pouches for storing pens, sticky notes, or other office supplies. They are great for both professional and personal use, providing a convenient way to keep essential items organized and easily accessible.How do clipboards with storage compare to standard clipboards?https://preview.redd.it/tay3q7hikp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eef0f4ff06ee8ce28eb94d09a28b739296d1936d Clipboards with storage offer added functionality compared to standard clipboards by including compartments or pouches that can hold office supplies such as pens, sticky notes, and more. This added convenience makes them ideal for people who like to keep their essential items organized while on-the-go or in various environments like the office, home, or school. Which materials are commonly used for clipboards with storage?Clipboards with storage are commonly made from materials like plastic, metal, or wood, with each offering its own unique benefits such as durability, lightweight design, or a sleek appearance. The choice of material is often dependent on the user's preferences and specific requirements for the product.How can I maintain the clipboard's storage compartments?To maintain the clipboard's storage compartments, simply keep them clean by wiping with a damp cloth occasionally. Avoid overloading the compartments with heavy items or sharp objects that may damage the material or compromise the storage capacity. https://preview.redd.it/sjl6z8qikp1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4da558a2546db86c6b925e90f7f7ce1d50d05b06 Are there different styles of clipboards with storage available?Yes, there are various styles of clipboards with storage to suit different needs and preferences. Some designs may feature built-in organizers, clear pockets for added visibility, or even customizable options that allow you to add your own personal touch. Be sure to browse through various options and choose one that best aligns with your requirements and aesthetic preferences.How do I safely store my clipboard with storage when not in use?When not in use, safely store your clipboard with storage in a dry and secure location to prevent any damage or loss of stored items. Lay it flat or standing up vertically on a surface, ensuring that the device remains in good condition and is easily accessible when needed for use.What are some useful features to look for when choosing a clipboard with storage?Some useful features to consider when choosing a clipboard with storage include: adjustable or rotating holding mechanisms for multiple paper sizes, built-in organizers for added convenience, compartments or pouches that are easy to access and use, and the overall durability and quality of the material used to construct the product.Do clipboards with storage come in various sizes and shapes?Yes, clipboards with storage come in various sizes and shapes to accommodate different paper sizes and user preferences for compactness or larger compartments. Be sure to compare different options and choose one that best meets your needs and the intended use case for the product.How much weight can a clipboard with storage typically hold?The weight capacity of a clipboard with storage depends on the design and materials used for its construction. Typically, they can hold around 10-20 pages securely without causing damage to the product. However, always refer to individual product specifications for accurate weight limits and ensure not to exceed those guidelines to prolong the life of your clipboard.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.21 06:11 Bitter-Anteater5233 Life gave me a few lemons this week.
Last week I (38m) finalized my divorce. I got $20k and had to pay my lawyer $14k (custody issues) leaving me with $6k.
Yesterday my truck was stolen with my girlfriend’s $2k bike and my $1k bike + $600 in other personal items and a $1600 camper shell on it. The thieves took everything to Mexico (I live near the border in the US) Insurance only pays $200 for personal items, and it may be likely I will not recover the fair market value for the truck.
I have $19k in credit card debt and $5k in personal loan debt from the failed marriage and a failed business I closed during COVID quarantine. Both have gone to collections, I’m getting letters and endless calls from the collection company.
My current gig is no longer steady pay, I am lucky to get 5-10 hours a week at $20 under the table.
My girlfriend’s minimum wage job cut her hours by two thirds. She is getting scheduled only 10-16 hours each week. She loves her work but used to make $80 an hour plus overtime and she has a graduate degree but doesn’t want to work in either of those fields as it was a huge cause of depression and anxiety.
We live in a van in one of the 3 most expensive cities in America.
I have custody of my kids every weekend, we stay at my parent’s home while we are together.
The job market where I live is a mixed bag and is very competitive. It’s not to say I can’t find a new job, I have plenty of skills I can use, no actual degree though. Unfortunately I find it very difficult to be employed rather than work for myself.
It may be the divorce and my truck being stolen in the same week but I feel completely hopeless now. The only savings I have is the $6k left from the divorce. Vanlife is wearing on my partner and I and the only reason we haven’t moved to somewhere more affordable is my kids.
What steps can I take to start to attain financial freedom? Is bankruptcy an option without any stable income? Could I invest my $6k to somehow better my situation in the long term? Should I use it to lessen my debts? Honestly any ideas or direction would be helpful as I’m feeling pretty hopeless in the moment. Thank you.
submitted by Bitter-Anteater5233 to Money [link] [comments]
Yesterday my truck was stolen with my girlfriend’s $2k bike and my $1k bike + $600 in other personal items and a $1600 camper shell on it. The thieves took everything to Mexico (I live near the border in the US) Insurance only pays $200 for personal items, and it may be likely I will not recover the fair market value for the truck.
I have $19k in credit card debt and $5k in personal loan debt from the failed marriage and a failed business I closed during COVID quarantine. Both have gone to collections, I’m getting letters and endless calls from the collection company.
My current gig is no longer steady pay, I am lucky to get 5-10 hours a week at $20 under the table.
My girlfriend’s minimum wage job cut her hours by two thirds. She is getting scheduled only 10-16 hours each week. She loves her work but used to make $80 an hour plus overtime and she has a graduate degree but doesn’t want to work in either of those fields as it was a huge cause of depression and anxiety.
We live in a van in one of the 3 most expensive cities in America.
I have custody of my kids every weekend, we stay at my parent’s home while we are together.
The job market where I live is a mixed bag and is very competitive. It’s not to say I can’t find a new job, I have plenty of skills I can use, no actual degree though. Unfortunately I find it very difficult to be employed rather than work for myself.
It may be the divorce and my truck being stolen in the same week but I feel completely hopeless now. The only savings I have is the $6k left from the divorce. Vanlife is wearing on my partner and I and the only reason we haven’t moved to somewhere more affordable is my kids.
What steps can I take to start to attain financial freedom? Is bankruptcy an option without any stable income? Could I invest my $6k to somehow better my situation in the long term? Should I use it to lessen my debts? Honestly any ideas or direction would be helpful as I’m feeling pretty hopeless in the moment. Thank you.
2024.05.21 03:44 Shockedge WTF might possibly be wrong with me?
TLDR: After a life of feeling quite normal, a heartbreak led to me writing an extremely long obsessive letter to a girl, which led to a lot of self reflection. I am now noticing that my behavior falls in line with various mental disorders, but I'm not sure what. NO SELF HARM, NOT SUICIDAL
To be clear, I'm not expecting a self diagnose or magical Redditor to give me all the answers. But I'm very confused and quite disturbed right now, been taking personality tests and browsing personality disorder meme forums, and relating to a lot of memes from various subreddits, but never to a 100% level on anything. I've always considered myself very mentally stable (and never suicidal or self harming), but I'm seriously considering seeking professional help. I have no one in my life can talk to about my personal problems.
So basically I've always been a bit abnormal in some way or another, but never been able to acertain exactly what the problem is. In fact, I never thought I had any "problems". I fiercely denied the idea that I has any sort of "disorder, disability, or mental illness". Got diagnosed borderline autistic (specifically aspergers) as a teenager, told myself the doc were simply giving me that because she was friends with my mom (who was actually a teacher for special ed kids at school) who only wanted me diagnosed with something to belittle me for.
About me:
We texted for 8 months before she finally said she never even wanted to be friends, she was only still texting me because she felt bad about ghosting me, she even felt bad that she let me see her for those 3 days. She said she was trying to give me "hints" that she wasn't interested the whole time. The thing is, I saw the hints. I stressed so hard about what our situation really was, but made every excuse to continue hanging on to the slim chance that she liked me even just a little. But every time she texted, she was seemingly enthusiastic and friendly, even dismissed my worries when I asked her directly. At least until the very end. The heartbreak (3 months ago) was extremely hard, but what hurt most was that she didn't even want to be friends. But still, romance of the purest kind is what I dreamed of every day.
Since then, I've been out of my mind. Over the last 3 months, I've written a 190,000 word book (330 pages) titled "Analysis of My Time With [Her Name]: The Complete Narrative Perspective of [My Name]". I wrote compulsively at first, 10+ hours a day for a month straight, disregarding responsibilities (all but hygiene and eating). The compulsion has died down now, but I still write/edit every day until it's finished, at which point I will send it to her. It's extremely detail oriented, highly organized (sorted by 8 chapters and over 150 sub chapters, including a table of contents, many referals to others sections). It talks about literary everything relevant to her I can possibly think of (even including a mini-autobiograhy for context on "who I am"). I even made a spreadsheet summarizing our texts, and another 50 pages of my interpretation of lyrics to 200 songs of a curated heartbreak playlists I made.
It's not an angry letter, and it originally wasn't intended as love letter either, I avoided even so much as implying that I wanted her reconsider her opinion of me. But 2 months later as the pain of heartbreak subsided, I realized I realized I still want her desperately, so I added my "argument" for why she should give me a real chance when I'm out of the Army. There's details in there that surely make me look bad (open hosesty in a core theme), and I honestly don't expect her to take me back in any capacity. Hell, she probably won't even read it (although I'm sending a Czech translation copy for good measure). I know it's obsessive and absurd, probably to the point of being downright creepy. But I have to let her know everything I think and feel.
Anyway, what brings me here today is that writing this letter has been a coping mechanism of sorts to help me sort out my confusion. It's been a period of deep self-reflection. I recently began writing a section about my possible autism. In doing so, I started browsing aspiememes to understand what other aspies say about their condition. That led to me viewing the ADHD memes sub, where I found myself relating to the memes with greater frequency. And so on to the Anxiety, Depression, Bi-Polar, BPD, NPD, OCD, CPTSD etc. meme pages (even started taking online personality tests). In all of them, I related to a lot of memes (to various degrees), but never enough to fully say I certainly have one thing or another. And never to the extreme in any of them; It's like I have a mild form of everything.
But they also appear to have a lot of overlap. And the last thing I want to do is give myself a goddamm resume of mental conditions, or be someone who centers their personality around these things, or has to focus their whole life on managing it. It's an extremely hard realization I'm coming to and I don't like it. But at the same time, I feel like I'm tired of denying that I'm unwell. Maybe I want to embrace "the crazy in me" that I've repressed my whole life for the sake of social conformity. Maybe it'll get me a medical discharge from the Army. Maybe medications (or other form of treatment) will help me succeed in life. I don't know.
I'm not feeling like I'm a danger to myself or others, and Army Behavioral Health resources are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, I will likely seek it out soon. But I've noticed myself becoming more impulsive than usual, and I feel I'm becoming a bit unhinged. For example, I got in trouble last month for free climbing a 40ft rock cliff during a field event (I scaled it without incident, and starting going to a rock climbing gym afterwards). And bought a new VW Golf GTI last month, and I've always enjoyed reckless driving (once crashed a car trying to rally it, passengers frequently say they fear for their life, regardless I consider myself a good driver).
Anyway, just wanted to see what random interest strangers have to say about any of this.
submitted by Shockedge to mentalhealth [link] [comments]
To be clear, I'm not expecting a self diagnose or magical Redditor to give me all the answers. But I'm very confused and quite disturbed right now, been taking personality tests and browsing personality disorder meme forums, and relating to a lot of memes from various subreddits, but never to a 100% level on anything. I've always considered myself very mentally stable (and never suicidal or self harming), but I'm seriously considering seeking professional help. I have no one in my life can talk to about my personal problems.
So basically I've always been a bit abnormal in some way or another, but never been able to acertain exactly what the problem is. In fact, I never thought I had any "problems". I fiercely denied the idea that I has any sort of "disorder, disability, or mental illness". Got diagnosed borderline autistic (specifically aspergers) as a teenager, told myself the doc were simply giving me that because she was friends with my mom (who was actually a teacher for special ed kids at school) who only wanted me diagnosed with something to belittle me for.
About me:
Was in foster care (switched between 5 families) until I was adopted at 13 I'm 24(M) now Divorced (8 month marriage, dated 4 month, I asked for divorce because she was "incompetent as a human being" as I summarize it) Dropped out of college due to procrastinating checking emails (was trying to be a pilot, and it's still my llife goal) Lived in my car for 4 months (best time of my life, total freedom) Joined the Army as a drone operator 4 years ago for a 6 year contract, it's made me depressed for many reasons, primarily because I hate it here and I can't leave (and no, I've never seen combat). I incurred a seriousy debilitating muscle imbalance while in in the Army (doing physical therapy for it right now) due to what I now believe was a form of 'body dysphoria' (was self concious about my posture, started comparing myself to other more fit soldiers while simultaneously trying to become ambidextrous, and essentially screwed up the right side of my body)But here's what brought my situation to it's current state: a heartbreak of the most ridiculous kind. The Army took me to Poland for 9 months and I took a trip to Prague, Czech Republic. I met a local girl there and she was very interested in me. But I had to leave the next day, so I came back a month later and spent 3 days with her. She said she wasn't interested in romance anymore, but that we would be friends. But I was obsessed with her, and I desperately clung to the fantasy that we could start a relationship when I got out of the Army.
We texted for 8 months before she finally said she never even wanted to be friends, she was only still texting me because she felt bad about ghosting me, she even felt bad that she let me see her for those 3 days. She said she was trying to give me "hints" that she wasn't interested the whole time. The thing is, I saw the hints. I stressed so hard about what our situation really was, but made every excuse to continue hanging on to the slim chance that she liked me even just a little. But every time she texted, she was seemingly enthusiastic and friendly, even dismissed my worries when I asked her directly. At least until the very end. The heartbreak (3 months ago) was extremely hard, but what hurt most was that she didn't even want to be friends. But still, romance of the purest kind is what I dreamed of every day.
Since then, I've been out of my mind. Over the last 3 months, I've written a 190,000 word book (330 pages) titled "Analysis of My Time With [Her Name]: The Complete Narrative Perspective of [My Name]". I wrote compulsively at first, 10+ hours a day for a month straight, disregarding responsibilities (all but hygiene and eating). The compulsion has died down now, but I still write/edit every day until it's finished, at which point I will send it to her. It's extremely detail oriented, highly organized (sorted by 8 chapters and over 150 sub chapters, including a table of contents, many referals to others sections). It talks about literary everything relevant to her I can possibly think of (even including a mini-autobiograhy for context on "who I am"). I even made a spreadsheet summarizing our texts, and another 50 pages of my interpretation of lyrics to 200 songs of a curated heartbreak playlists I made.
It's not an angry letter, and it originally wasn't intended as love letter either, I avoided even so much as implying that I wanted her reconsider her opinion of me. But 2 months later as the pain of heartbreak subsided, I realized I realized I still want her desperately, so I added my "argument" for why she should give me a real chance when I'm out of the Army. There's details in there that surely make me look bad (open hosesty in a core theme), and I honestly don't expect her to take me back in any capacity. Hell, she probably won't even read it (although I'm sending a Czech translation copy for good measure). I know it's obsessive and absurd, probably to the point of being downright creepy. But I have to let her know everything I think and feel.
Anyway, what brings me here today is that writing this letter has been a coping mechanism of sorts to help me sort out my confusion. It's been a period of deep self-reflection. I recently began writing a section about my possible autism. In doing so, I started browsing aspiememes to understand what other aspies say about their condition. That led to me viewing the ADHD memes sub, where I found myself relating to the memes with greater frequency. And so on to the Anxiety, Depression, Bi-Polar, BPD, NPD, OCD, CPTSD etc. meme pages (even started taking online personality tests). In all of them, I related to a lot of memes (to various degrees), but never enough to fully say I certainly have one thing or another. And never to the extreme in any of them; It's like I have a mild form of everything.
But they also appear to have a lot of overlap. And the last thing I want to do is give myself a goddamm resume of mental conditions, or be someone who centers their personality around these things, or has to focus their whole life on managing it. It's an extremely hard realization I'm coming to and I don't like it. But at the same time, I feel like I'm tired of denying that I'm unwell. Maybe I want to embrace "the crazy in me" that I've repressed my whole life for the sake of social conformity. Maybe it'll get me a medical discharge from the Army. Maybe medications (or other form of treatment) will help me succeed in life. I don't know.
I'm not feeling like I'm a danger to myself or others, and Army Behavioral Health resources are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, I will likely seek it out soon. But I've noticed myself becoming more impulsive than usual, and I feel I'm becoming a bit unhinged. For example, I got in trouble last month for free climbing a 40ft rock cliff during a field event (I scaled it without incident, and starting going to a rock climbing gym afterwards). And bought a new VW Golf GTI last month, and I've always enjoyed reckless driving (once crashed a car trying to rally it, passengers frequently say they fear for their life, regardless I consider myself a good driver).
Anyway, just wanted to see what random interest strangers have to say about any of this.
2024.05.21 03:19 ConsistentVolume759 List of 300 Sound Effects
1-1 Gunfire Battle
1-2 Gunfire Battle With Car
1-3 Gunfire Battle With Traffic
1-4 Motorcycle Passing At 55mph
1-5 Motorcycle Passing At 100mph
1-6 Chopping With An Axe
1-7 Chopping With Fallen Tree
1-8 Newspaper Leafing Through
1-9 Newspaper Ripping
1-10 Children Giggling
1-11 Drinking Through A Straw With A Gulp
1-12 Saltwater Fishing Casting Reeling And Catching Fish
1-13 Slot Machine Pull And Pay-Off
1-14 Lion Roars
1-15 Lion Growls Close Perspective
1-16 Bacon Frying
1-17 Swiss Yodel Call
1-18 Helicopter Start Up And Take Off Int Perspective
1-19 Helicopter Flying By Vers. 2
1-20 Helicopter Coming In And Landing Vers. 2
1-21 Grating Carrots
1-22 Heavy Breathing
1-23 Pay Phone Sequence
1-24 Tearing Paper Short
1-25 Tearing Paper Long
1-26 Baby Crying
1-27 Crickets At Night
1-28 Jet Taking Off
1-29 Jet Passing Overhead And Landing
1-30 Cracking Eggs
1-31 Beating Eggs In A Bowl
1-32 Horse Whinny And Neigh
1-33 Horse Gallops By
1-34 Horse Walks Up And Snorts In Stable
1-35 Man Coughing
1-36 Water Splash
1-37 Loud Large Group Applauding
1-38 Witches Evil Laugh
1-39 Pigs Grunting In A Sly
1-40 Church Clock Strikes 1 O'Clock
1-41 Church Clock Strikes 12 O'Clock
1-42 Car Won't Start
1-43 Car With Dead Battery
1-44 Car Start And Rev Engine
1-45 Car Start Rev Engine And Drive Away
1-46 Car Approach And Fast Stop
1-47 Car Approach Skid And Medium Crash
1-48 Eating Crisp Potato Chips
1-49 Shoveling Dirt On Concrete
1-50 Car Wash Interior Perspective
1-51 Referee Type Whistle
1-52 Thunder Clap Vers. 3
1-53 Wind Howling Lightly
1-54 Thunder Wind And Rain
1-55 Thunder And Heavy Down Pour
1-56 Man Screaming
1-57 Small Crowd Booing
1-58 Small Crowd Sighing Relieved
1-59 Small Crowd Gasp Astonished
1-60 Small Crowd 'Yeah' Happy
1-61 Grandfather Clock Strikes 12 0'Clock
1-62 High Performance Car Start And Idle
1-63 High Performance Car 160mph Pass R To L
1-64 Champagne Cork Popping
1-65 Millitary Jet Fast Flyby
1-66 Stirring In A Cup
1-67 Truck Horn 1 Blast
1-68 Truck Horn 2 Blasts
1-69 Truck Passing With Horn
1-70 Boxing With Punching Bag
1-71 Woman Shrieking
1-72 Vacuuming
1-73 Hydraulic Lift In Operation
1-74 Chicken Coup Atmosphere
1-75 Diving And Swimming Past
1-76 Small Group Applause
1-77 Propeller Airplane Start And Idle
1-78 Machine Gun Burst
1-79 Machine Gun Burst With Returned Fire
1-80 Wooden Bat Hitting Ball
1-81 Aluminum Bat Hitting Ball
1-82 Weight Lifting
1-83 Rocket Launching With Countdown
1-84 Taking A Shower
1-85 Electric Shaver
1-86 Brushing Teeth
1-87 Flushing Toilet
1-88 Police Car Passing With Siren
1-89 Police Car Approach And Stop With Siren
1-90 Police Car Departs With Siren
1-91 Police Radio In Operation
1-92 Kiss
1-93 Cannon Blast
1-94 Patchinco Continuous Play
1-95 Paper Bag Put On Head And Removed
1-96 Tuning Radio AM
1-97 Tuning Radio FM
1-98 Electronic Radio Alarm Sounding
1-99 Crystal Glass Ping
1-100 Rock Concert Applause With Shouts
2-1 Explosion Bang With Falling Debris
2-2 Explosion Medium Bang
2-3 Explosion Small Bang With Falling Debris
2-4 Fire Alarm
2-5 Crack Of A Whip
2-6 Elephant Trunk Noise
2-7 Angry Elephants
2-8 High Performance Car Start Drive And Stop
2-9 High Performance Car Start Up And Burn Out
2-10 High Performance Car Burn Out Vers 2
2-11 Sneeze
2-12 Crowd At A Horse Track
2-13 Water Dripping
2-14 Water Dripping With Reverberation
2-15 Filling Sink With Water
2-16 Emptying Sink
2-17 Handsaw Sawing Wood
2-18 Jigsaw In Operation
2-19 Circular Saw In Operation
2-20 Chains Rattling
2-21 4 Boings
2-22 Scissors Cutting Hair
2-23 Hair Dryer In Operation
2-24 Carnival Atmosphere
2-25 Gavel Hammering In Court
2-26 Rotary Dialing Telephone
2-27 Telephone 1 Ring / Pick Up
2-28 Hanging Up
2-29 Ship Horn 2 Blasts
2-30 Evil Male Laugh
2-31 Evil Male Laugh With Echo
2-32 Male Laugh Hysterical
2-33 Tray Of Glasses Rattling
2-34 Carbonated Water Fizzing
2-35 Airplane Jet Take Off (Jumbo Jet)
2-36 Airplane Jet Landing Vers 2
2-37 Airplane Jet Landing With Tire Squeal
2-38 Burp
2-39 Small Group Applauding With Cheers
2-40 Applause Polite Medium Group
2-41 Cow Moo
2-42 Pool (Billards) Break
2-43 Pool (Billiards) Combination Shot
2-44 Town Clock In Distance Striking 1 0'Clock
2-45 Town Clock In Distance Striking 12 0'Clock
2-46 Party Horn
2-47 Party Noise Maker
2-48 Cave With Water Dripping
2-49 Ice Cubes In A Glass
2-50 Ice Cubes In A Bucket
2-51 Jogging Past Right To Left
2-52 Jogging Past Left To Right
2-53 Car Honk
2-54 Car Long Honks
2-55 Car Several Honks
2-56 Traffic Jam Honks
2-57 Car Passing With Horn
2-58 Angry Crowd
2-59 Panic Stricken Crowd
2-60 3 Gun Shots 45 Automatic
2-61 Shotgun 1 Shot
2-62 M14 Rifle Several Shots
2-63 Elevator Door Opening
2-64 Elevator Door Closing
2-65 Elevator Lift Rider's Perspective
2-66 Bees Buzzing Around Hive
2-67 Alarm Clock Bell Sounding
2-68 Electric Fan In Operation
2-69 35mm Camera Shutter Sound
2-70 35mm Camera Auto Motor Drive
2-71 35mm Camera Automatic Sequence
2-72 Camera Flash Charge And Pop
2-73 Hammering Nails Into Wood
2-74 Door Bell Several Rings
2-75 Knocking On Door And Door Opens
2-76 Heartbeat
2-77 'Surprise' At Party
2-78 Car Fast Approach And Stop
2-79 Car Approach Skid And Crash
2-80 Car Approach Long Skid And Big Crash
2-81 Car Skid And Tire Squeal
2-82 Writing On Blackboard
2-83 Fingernails On Blackboard
2-84 Velcro Ripping
2-85 Propeller Airplane Taking Off Ext Perspective
2-86 Air Pump
2-87 Movie Camera Old Clockwork Type
2-88 Donkey Hee Haws
2-89 Newsroom General Atmosphere
2-90 Coins Dropped On Table
2-91 Coins Being Counted
2-92 Coins Jingling
2-93 Duck Quack
2-94 Scrubbing Floor With A Brush
2-95 Rain Continuous Downpour
2-96 Thunder Clap Vers 2
2-97 Thunder And Rain Storm
2-98 Wind Blowing Through Trees
2-99 Rocket
2-100 Wolf Howling Human Simulation
3-1 Bowling Alley General Atmosphere
3-2 Bowling Gutter Ball
3-3 Bowling Strike
3-4 Soda Can Opening
3-5 Soda Pouring In Glass
3-6 Telephone 3 Rings And Pick Up
3-7 Telephone Slammed Down
3-8 Rooster Crowing
3-9 Woman Screaming
3-10 Sipping Coffee
3-11 Cork Pulled With Reverberation
3-12 Crowd 'Oh' Disappointed
3-13 Crowd 'Ahh' Satisfied
3-14 Crowd Urgh Disgusted
3-15 Steam Train Passing By
3-16 Bugle Call Outdoors - Charge
3-17 Bugle Call - Post Time
3-18 Bugle Call - Fanfare
3-19 Bugle Call - Parade Dismiss
3-20 Bugle Call - Fall In
3-21 Bugle Call - Lights Out
3-22 Bugle Call - Military Taps
3-23 Bugle Call - Retreat
3-24 Bugle Call - Revue
3-25 Bugle Call - Reveille
3-26 Belch
3-27 Baby Laugh
3-28 Domestic Car Alarm
3-29 Domestic Car Door Opening
3-30 Domestic Car Door Clossing
3-31 Domestic Car Crash With Yell
3-32 Domestic Car Approach And Skid
3-33 Horse Trots Up And Snorts Outside
3-34 Horse Whinny And Neigh Outside
3-35 Horse Canters By Outside
3-36 Hellcopter Start Up And Take Off Vers 1
3-37 Helicopter Flying By Vers 1
3-38 Helicopter Coming In And Landing Vers 1
3-39 Applause Concert Crowd With Cheers
3-40 Drinking Fountain Turned On And Off
3-41 Drinking Fountain Taking A Drink
3-42 Roller Coaster In Operation
3-43 Fight Bell 2 Strikes
3-44 Cuckoo Clock Strikes 1
3-45 Cuckoo Clock Strikes 12
3-46 Record Needle Scratch
3-47 Ambulance Passing With Siren
3-48 HiFi Store With Radios And TV's
3-49 Sizzle Light
3-50 Sizzle Heavy
3-51 High Performance Car Start, Idle, Rev, And Stop
3-52 High Performance Car Burn Out
3-53 High Performance Car High Speed Pass 150mph
3-54 Coffee Grinder
3-55 Coffee Perculator
3-56 Ball Bouncing
3-57 Ball Bouncing Away
3-58 Thunder Clap
3-59 Thunder Continuous Claps And Rumbles
3-60 Wind Howling Heavily
3-61 Thunder And Rain In The City
3-62 After Storm Atmosphere
3-63 Bicycle Bell
3-64 Shuffling Cards
3-65 Dealing Cards
3-66 Fireworks General Atmosphere
3-67 A Glass Clinking In A Toast
3-68 Many Glasses Clinking In A Toast
3-69 Game Show Buzzer
3-70 Sweeping The Floor
3-71 Broom Dropped
3-72 Submarine Sonar
3-73 Mantal Clock Clicking
3-74 Many Clocks Ticking
3-75 Cats Meow 3 Types
3-76 Cash Register Ring Up
3-77 Social Gathering Party Crowd
3-78 Tray Of Dishes Dropped
3-79 Zipper Zipped Up
3-80 Zipper Zipped Down
3-81 Dog Many Barks
3-82 Dog Growling And Barking
3-83 Dog Chasing Man And Barking
3-84 Ratchet Tightening Nut
3-85 Wind Chimes
3-86 Door Opening
3-87 Door Closed
3-88 Door Slammed
3-89 Many Party Horns
3-90 Balloon Being Inflated
3-91 Balloon Let Go Flying
3-92 Balloon Popped
3-93 Balloon Popped With Reverberation
3-94 Video Archade Atmosphere
3-95 Opening An Envelope
3-96 Crumpling A Letter And Throwing Away
3-97 Airplane Jet Taking Off
3-98 Airplane Jet Flyby Overhead Right To Left
3-99 Airplane Jet Interior With Cabin Announcements
3-100 Airplane Jet Landing Vers 1
submitted by ConsistentVolume759 to udiomusic [link] [comments]
1-2 Gunfire Battle With Car
1-3 Gunfire Battle With Traffic
1-4 Motorcycle Passing At 55mph
1-5 Motorcycle Passing At 100mph
1-6 Chopping With An Axe
1-7 Chopping With Fallen Tree
1-8 Newspaper Leafing Through
1-9 Newspaper Ripping
1-10 Children Giggling
1-11 Drinking Through A Straw With A Gulp
1-12 Saltwater Fishing Casting Reeling And Catching Fish
1-13 Slot Machine Pull And Pay-Off
1-14 Lion Roars
1-15 Lion Growls Close Perspective
1-16 Bacon Frying
1-17 Swiss Yodel Call
1-18 Helicopter Start Up And Take Off Int Perspective
1-19 Helicopter Flying By Vers. 2
1-20 Helicopter Coming In And Landing Vers. 2
1-21 Grating Carrots
1-22 Heavy Breathing
1-23 Pay Phone Sequence
1-24 Tearing Paper Short
1-25 Tearing Paper Long
1-26 Baby Crying
1-27 Crickets At Night
1-28 Jet Taking Off
1-29 Jet Passing Overhead And Landing
1-30 Cracking Eggs
1-31 Beating Eggs In A Bowl
1-32 Horse Whinny And Neigh
1-33 Horse Gallops By
1-34 Horse Walks Up And Snorts In Stable
1-35 Man Coughing
1-36 Water Splash
1-37 Loud Large Group Applauding
1-38 Witches Evil Laugh
1-39 Pigs Grunting In A Sly
1-40 Church Clock Strikes 1 O'Clock
1-41 Church Clock Strikes 12 O'Clock
1-42 Car Won't Start
1-43 Car With Dead Battery
1-44 Car Start And Rev Engine
1-45 Car Start Rev Engine And Drive Away
1-46 Car Approach And Fast Stop
1-47 Car Approach Skid And Medium Crash
1-48 Eating Crisp Potato Chips
1-49 Shoveling Dirt On Concrete
1-50 Car Wash Interior Perspective
1-51 Referee Type Whistle
1-52 Thunder Clap Vers. 3
1-53 Wind Howling Lightly
1-54 Thunder Wind And Rain
1-55 Thunder And Heavy Down Pour
1-56 Man Screaming
1-57 Small Crowd Booing
1-58 Small Crowd Sighing Relieved
1-59 Small Crowd Gasp Astonished
1-60 Small Crowd 'Yeah' Happy
1-61 Grandfather Clock Strikes 12 0'Clock
1-62 High Performance Car Start And Idle
1-63 High Performance Car 160mph Pass R To L
1-64 Champagne Cork Popping
1-65 Millitary Jet Fast Flyby
1-66 Stirring In A Cup
1-67 Truck Horn 1 Blast
1-68 Truck Horn 2 Blasts
1-69 Truck Passing With Horn
1-70 Boxing With Punching Bag
1-71 Woman Shrieking
1-72 Vacuuming
1-73 Hydraulic Lift In Operation
1-74 Chicken Coup Atmosphere
1-75 Diving And Swimming Past
1-76 Small Group Applause
1-77 Propeller Airplane Start And Idle
1-78 Machine Gun Burst
1-79 Machine Gun Burst With Returned Fire
1-80 Wooden Bat Hitting Ball
1-81 Aluminum Bat Hitting Ball
1-82 Weight Lifting
1-83 Rocket Launching With Countdown
1-84 Taking A Shower
1-85 Electric Shaver
1-86 Brushing Teeth
1-87 Flushing Toilet
1-88 Police Car Passing With Siren
1-89 Police Car Approach And Stop With Siren
1-90 Police Car Departs With Siren
1-91 Police Radio In Operation
1-92 Kiss
1-93 Cannon Blast
1-94 Patchinco Continuous Play
1-95 Paper Bag Put On Head And Removed
1-96 Tuning Radio AM
1-97 Tuning Radio FM
1-98 Electronic Radio Alarm Sounding
1-99 Crystal Glass Ping
1-100 Rock Concert Applause With Shouts
2-1 Explosion Bang With Falling Debris
2-2 Explosion Medium Bang
2-3 Explosion Small Bang With Falling Debris
2-4 Fire Alarm
2-5 Crack Of A Whip
2-6 Elephant Trunk Noise
2-7 Angry Elephants
2-8 High Performance Car Start Drive And Stop
2-9 High Performance Car Start Up And Burn Out
2-10 High Performance Car Burn Out Vers 2
2-11 Sneeze
2-12 Crowd At A Horse Track
2-13 Water Dripping
2-14 Water Dripping With Reverberation
2-15 Filling Sink With Water
2-16 Emptying Sink
2-17 Handsaw Sawing Wood
2-18 Jigsaw In Operation
2-19 Circular Saw In Operation
2-20 Chains Rattling
2-21 4 Boings
2-22 Scissors Cutting Hair
2-23 Hair Dryer In Operation
2-24 Carnival Atmosphere
2-25 Gavel Hammering In Court
2-26 Rotary Dialing Telephone
2-27 Telephone 1 Ring / Pick Up
2-28 Hanging Up
2-29 Ship Horn 2 Blasts
2-30 Evil Male Laugh
2-31 Evil Male Laugh With Echo
2-32 Male Laugh Hysterical
2-33 Tray Of Glasses Rattling
2-34 Carbonated Water Fizzing
2-35 Airplane Jet Take Off (Jumbo Jet)
2-36 Airplane Jet Landing Vers 2
2-37 Airplane Jet Landing With Tire Squeal
2-38 Burp
2-39 Small Group Applauding With Cheers
2-40 Applause Polite Medium Group
2-41 Cow Moo
2-42 Pool (Billards) Break
2-43 Pool (Billiards) Combination Shot
2-44 Town Clock In Distance Striking 1 0'Clock
2-45 Town Clock In Distance Striking 12 0'Clock
2-46 Party Horn
2-47 Party Noise Maker
2-48 Cave With Water Dripping
2-49 Ice Cubes In A Glass
2-50 Ice Cubes In A Bucket
2-51 Jogging Past Right To Left
2-52 Jogging Past Left To Right
2-53 Car Honk
2-54 Car Long Honks
2-55 Car Several Honks
2-56 Traffic Jam Honks
2-57 Car Passing With Horn
2-58 Angry Crowd
2-59 Panic Stricken Crowd
2-60 3 Gun Shots 45 Automatic
2-61 Shotgun 1 Shot
2-62 M14 Rifle Several Shots
2-63 Elevator Door Opening
2-64 Elevator Door Closing
2-65 Elevator Lift Rider's Perspective
2-66 Bees Buzzing Around Hive
2-67 Alarm Clock Bell Sounding
2-68 Electric Fan In Operation
2-69 35mm Camera Shutter Sound
2-70 35mm Camera Auto Motor Drive
2-71 35mm Camera Automatic Sequence
2-72 Camera Flash Charge And Pop
2-73 Hammering Nails Into Wood
2-74 Door Bell Several Rings
2-75 Knocking On Door And Door Opens
2-76 Heartbeat
2-77 'Surprise' At Party
2-78 Car Fast Approach And Stop
2-79 Car Approach Skid And Crash
2-80 Car Approach Long Skid And Big Crash
2-81 Car Skid And Tire Squeal
2-82 Writing On Blackboard
2-83 Fingernails On Blackboard
2-84 Velcro Ripping
2-85 Propeller Airplane Taking Off Ext Perspective
2-86 Air Pump
2-87 Movie Camera Old Clockwork Type
2-88 Donkey Hee Haws
2-89 Newsroom General Atmosphere
2-90 Coins Dropped On Table
2-91 Coins Being Counted
2-92 Coins Jingling
2-93 Duck Quack
2-94 Scrubbing Floor With A Brush
2-95 Rain Continuous Downpour
2-96 Thunder Clap Vers 2
2-97 Thunder And Rain Storm
2-98 Wind Blowing Through Trees
2-99 Rocket
2-100 Wolf Howling Human Simulation
3-1 Bowling Alley General Atmosphere
3-2 Bowling Gutter Ball
3-3 Bowling Strike
3-4 Soda Can Opening
3-5 Soda Pouring In Glass
3-6 Telephone 3 Rings And Pick Up
3-7 Telephone Slammed Down
3-8 Rooster Crowing
3-9 Woman Screaming
3-10 Sipping Coffee
3-11 Cork Pulled With Reverberation
3-12 Crowd 'Oh' Disappointed
3-13 Crowd 'Ahh' Satisfied
3-14 Crowd Urgh Disgusted
3-15 Steam Train Passing By
3-16 Bugle Call Outdoors - Charge
3-17 Bugle Call - Post Time
3-18 Bugle Call - Fanfare
3-19 Bugle Call - Parade Dismiss
3-20 Bugle Call - Fall In
3-21 Bugle Call - Lights Out
3-22 Bugle Call - Military Taps
3-23 Bugle Call - Retreat
3-24 Bugle Call - Revue
3-25 Bugle Call - Reveille
3-26 Belch
3-27 Baby Laugh
3-28 Domestic Car Alarm
3-29 Domestic Car Door Opening
3-30 Domestic Car Door Clossing
3-31 Domestic Car Crash With Yell
3-32 Domestic Car Approach And Skid
3-33 Horse Trots Up And Snorts Outside
3-34 Horse Whinny And Neigh Outside
3-35 Horse Canters By Outside
3-36 Hellcopter Start Up And Take Off Vers 1
3-37 Helicopter Flying By Vers 1
3-38 Helicopter Coming In And Landing Vers 1
3-39 Applause Concert Crowd With Cheers
3-40 Drinking Fountain Turned On And Off
3-41 Drinking Fountain Taking A Drink
3-42 Roller Coaster In Operation
3-43 Fight Bell 2 Strikes
3-44 Cuckoo Clock Strikes 1
3-45 Cuckoo Clock Strikes 12
3-46 Record Needle Scratch
3-47 Ambulance Passing With Siren
3-48 HiFi Store With Radios And TV's
3-49 Sizzle Light
3-50 Sizzle Heavy
3-51 High Performance Car Start, Idle, Rev, And Stop
3-52 High Performance Car Burn Out
3-53 High Performance Car High Speed Pass 150mph
3-54 Coffee Grinder
3-55 Coffee Perculator
3-56 Ball Bouncing
3-57 Ball Bouncing Away
3-58 Thunder Clap
3-59 Thunder Continuous Claps And Rumbles
3-60 Wind Howling Heavily
3-61 Thunder And Rain In The City
3-62 After Storm Atmosphere
3-63 Bicycle Bell
3-64 Shuffling Cards
3-65 Dealing Cards
3-66 Fireworks General Atmosphere
3-67 A Glass Clinking In A Toast
3-68 Many Glasses Clinking In A Toast
3-69 Game Show Buzzer
3-70 Sweeping The Floor
3-71 Broom Dropped
3-72 Submarine Sonar
3-73 Mantal Clock Clicking
3-74 Many Clocks Ticking
3-75 Cats Meow 3 Types
3-76 Cash Register Ring Up
3-77 Social Gathering Party Crowd
3-78 Tray Of Dishes Dropped
3-79 Zipper Zipped Up
3-80 Zipper Zipped Down
3-81 Dog Many Barks
3-82 Dog Growling And Barking
3-83 Dog Chasing Man And Barking
3-84 Ratchet Tightening Nut
3-85 Wind Chimes
3-86 Door Opening
3-87 Door Closed
3-88 Door Slammed
3-89 Many Party Horns
3-90 Balloon Being Inflated
3-91 Balloon Let Go Flying
3-92 Balloon Popped
3-93 Balloon Popped With Reverberation
3-94 Video Archade Atmosphere
3-95 Opening An Envelope
3-96 Crumpling A Letter And Throwing Away
3-97 Airplane Jet Taking Off
3-98 Airplane Jet Flyby Overhead Right To Left
3-99 Airplane Jet Interior With Cabin Announcements
3-100 Airplane Jet Landing Vers 1
2024.05.21 01:47 J-Chapman Old News – Doherty Hotel Opened One Century Ago
 | Clare Sentinel 1924-04-11 submitted by J-Chapman to Clare_MI [link] [comments] NEW HOTEL DOHERTY NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC https://preview.redd.it/ncope1ye4o1d1.jpg?width=2127&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f69df529d7703dc48ee470e259caab27eeea073b Mr. A. J. Doherty, former State Senator, one time member of the State Board of Agricultural and a former director of the Michigan State fair, has completed the best hotel in this part of the state and it is now open to the public. The formal opening is to take place on the evening of May 12th, when the Clare Chamber of Commerce are to give a complimentary banquet to Mr. and Mrs. Doherty, by which the citizens of Clare hope, in a small measure at least, to show appreciation to the man who has done so much for his “own home town”. The banquet will have to be limited to 150 persons and will include some of Mr. and Mrs. Doherty’s friends from different parts of the state and the members of the Chamber of Commerce of Clare. This is to be one of the most elaborate banquets ever held in this part of the state. No expense will be spared and all the plans are in keeping with this beautiful building, which Mr. Doherty has built, not for the financial returns he expects to reap, but rather as a testimonial of his good will toward the community. Three years ago the Clare Chamber of Commerce purchased the site on which had been located for many years the popular “Calkins House”, but which had been destroyed by fire. The consideration was $6,000 and they presented this site to Mr. Doherty with the understanding and agreement that he erect a hotel costing at least $60,000 on that site. Mr. Doherty has gone many times beyond that amount and erected a four story steel, brick and terra cotta structure which is modern in every way and fireproof. An Otis elevator, display rooms for traveling salesmen, complete laundry, billiard room cafeteria, which opened April first, dining room, ballroom, radio, mezz-nine floor, room for two mercantile establishments and spacious quarters for the public library that have been donated by Mr. Doherty are among the features housed under one roof. The equipment throughout the structure is of the very latest and best. The lighting fixtures are exceptionally fine. There are 60 guests rooms, each containing hot and cold running water, and several suites. Thirty-six of the single rooms afford either a tub or shower bath. The furniture is walnut and mahogany and blends neatly with the interior mahogany finish throughout the building. The main floors are of terrazzo. The corridors and the floors of the rooms are of music and are covered with beautiful rugs. All dishes, towels and linen are stamped with the “Hotel Doherty” monogram. More than 100 guests can be accommodated at one time. When Mr. and Mrs. Doherty came to Clare from New York state in 1878, they had very little money. He engaged in the mercantile business in rather a small way and purchased a home for which he was to pay $750. of this amount he was able to pay $250 down and the balance he paid in installments. He succeeded in business and in 1901 he was elected to the State Senate from the 28th district, and in 1903 he was re-elected and again in 1905. some time later he was appointed a member of the State Board of Agriculture to succeed C. J. Monroe, of South Haven. He took an active interest in the affairs of the Michigan State fair while he was a director. In the senate he was known as “Bellwether” Doherty for his possession of great political sagacity and the added fact that he led the senate roll call, considerations which gave him much influence. He has built eight business blocks and many residences in Clare and has stood ready at any time to do anything to advance the best interests of his town. Residents of Clare are free in their assertions that for its size, there is no better hotel in the state. https://preview.redd.it/l0yiheib3o1d1.jpg?width=687&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4abec7faa13f279a856bfaf26a014bf42863fe1a Clare Sentinel 1924-05-16 NEW HOTEL DOHERTY FORMALLY OPENED MONDAY EVENING Prominent Men from Different Parts of State Attend Event. MR. PERRY SHORTS GIVES ADDRESS OF EVENING Mrs. Doherty Presented with a Large Bouquet of Roses. Makes Excellent Response. The banquet given by the Clare Chamber of Commerce in honor of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Doherty and the formal opening of the “Hotel Doherty” Monday evening, May 12, is now a matter of history, but will never be forgotten by those who were privileged to attend. No expense or pains had been spared to make this event a complete success. Promptly at the appointed hour, the orchestra under the leadership of Robert Heisman of Midland, began playing and the guests were admitted to the dining room. This room, however was not large enough to take care of the one hundred and sixty-eight guests who were present, and a table had been placed in the lobby so all could be accommodated. The dining room was decorated with palms and ferns together with beautiful silk American flags. The tables were graced with sprays of smilax and large bouquets of carnations. These decorations were in charge of Walter Caple, of Mt. Pleasant, and his work was well and capably done. The food was excellent and well served. The music of the orchestra was enjoyed, especially the old plantation songs many of which the guests joined in singing these in company with the music. Following the serving of the banquet, W. S. McAllister, President of the Board of Commerce, at the beginning of his talk, got himself in right with the ladies present, by calling them beautiful and got in wrong with the men, especially those in dress suits, by calling them ordinary and commonplace. He spoke of the disappointment and discouragement which prevailed in Clare at the time the old Calkins House burned and of the many plans proposed only to be abandoned until Mr. A. J. Doherty undertook the task of erecting this beautiful building. He paid tribute to Mr. Doherty and expressed the appreciation of the Chamber of Commerce and the citizens of Clare. In his usual happy and witty manner “Mac” then introduced Judge Ray Hart, of Midland, as toastmaster for the evening. Judge Hart has appeared in this capacity in Clare before, but never has he or any one else filled that position so acceptably as Judge hart did at this banquet. In his remarks, he spoke of the success of men which often can be attributed in a large measure to the inspiration, faith and co-operation of their good wives and then introduced Rev. H. B. Johnson, who spoke briefly of Clare, the best town, and on behalf of the Board of Commerce, presented a large bouquet of roses to Mrs. Doherty. Although it was a complete surprise to her, she responded in a very wonderful manner, and emotion ran high when she told how she appreciated the love and sympathy of her friends and neighbors expressed by this gift. Mr. Perry Shorts, vice-president of the Second National Bank, of Saginaw, and graduate of the University of Michigan law school, then responded to the toast, “The successful American Business Man”. His address was a masterpiece. He said, “We hear eulogies of ministers, scientists, statesman and others but seldom does any one speak of the common American business man. He is looked upon as hard headed and coldblooded, but his success is so important to all of us that it is well to consider those qualities which will make him succeed. He must have commanding will power and any man or any army with a fixed determination will win. The successful business man will have a good supply of labor. Hard work is the key used by wealthy men, scientist, surgeons, lawyers and statesmen to unlock success. Good citizenship is one qualification and this means love for country, state and own home town. He obeys the laws and respects the rights of others. Honesty is the foundation of good citizenship. The ideal man of today is a man of good character. A man is at his best when he is lifting his fellow men to a higher and better position of living. We often say that credit is the basis of business, but character is the foundation of credit.” He spoke of the spiritual things, which, while they are invisible, they are the most important. He urged all to be broader, more generous, bigger and wiser. Ex-Governor A. E. Sleeper then spoke of his acquaintance and friendship with Mr. Doherty which began when they were associated together in the State Senate many years ago. E. V. Chilson, Deputy Secretary of State, in a very feeling and touching manner expressed his appreciation of Mr. and Mrs. Doherty and their friendship. There was great applause when one of the former Clare citizens, Mr. Dennis E. Alward was introduced. Mr. Alward said, “I arrived in Clare 44 years ago, when pine stumps were in the street. There was a population of about 250 people. Mr. S. C. Kirkbride occupied a residence on the site of this hotel at that time. That day I met for the first time, a young attorney, Mr. C. W. Perry. A young banker, C. H. Sutherland, a merchant, Nathan Bicknell, the father of James S. and William H. Bicknell and the family of Doherty’s. Mr. Doherty and I built our homes side by side, we had no money, but were great neighbors. When I came to Clare that first day, they were building the town hall and there was as much interest manifested by the citizens as if it were the capitol of the state. I was a stranger and all were interested in me and a young man on the roof of that building engaged in nailing on shingles paid too much attention to the stranger and hit his thumb with a hammer. His language was emphatic and sulphurous, but that man has been a builder ever since that time he worked on the town hall and he has always built substantial and well. I count myself fortunate to be able to come back to my home, to the city which will always be my home and pay tribute to what my friend Doherty's have done.” Hon. James E. Davidson, of Bay City, and Senator Karcher, of Rose City, spoke briefly. Hon. W. W. Potter, of Hastings, who was a former resident of Clare county, was introduced. Judge Hart read telegrams and letters from Congressman Roy Woodruff, Hon. Leonard Freeman, Gov. Alex Groesbeck, Auditor General O. B. Fuller, Regent of the U. of M., Julius Beal, Sec’y. Of State Chas. DeLand, Hon. George Lord and others, who expressed regrets at being unable to be present. After the speaking, the tables and chairs were removed from the dining room and a goodly number of the guests danced until late in the evening. Guests from out of town were: Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Chilson, Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Roe and Dennis Alward, of Lansing; Hon. Wm. Wallace, Perry Shorts, R. T. Maynard and Herbert Gay, of Saginaw; Mr. A. Reinhart, Dr. McKay, Clifford Olmstead, Judge Hyde, Judge and Mrs. Ray Hart, and Harvey and Mrs. Dudd, of Midland; Mr. and Mrs. H. T. McKerring, of Flushing; Rev. Fr. Flannery, and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Caple, of Mt. Pleasant; James E. Davidson, and Homer Buck, of Bay City; Mr. and Mrs. E. Simons and E. Curtis, of Coleman; Mr. and Mrs. E. Holcomb, of Alma; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hughes and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weatherhead, of Harrison; Ex-Gov. and Mrs. A. E. Sleeper, of Bad Axe; W. E. Currie, of Detroit; Hon. And Mrs. W. W. Potter, of Hastings; Senator Karcher, of Rose City; Mr. O. W. Achard, of Grand Rapids; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hudson, of Owosso; Mr. and Mrs. James McKay of Detroit; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Doherty, of Lansing; Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Doherty, of Saginaw; and Frank B. Doherty, of Mackinaw Island; Mrs. Wm. Tasker of Detroit. |
2024.05.21 01:33 nomorelandfills PETA's guide to how to deal with shelters that refuse to take owner surrenders or stray surrenders from the public
 | Not a PETA fan overall, but this may be useful to someone. Or 17 million someones. Because the shelter systems of the 6 largest cities in the US are currently following managed intake policies designed to thwart and avoid pet surrenders. And over 17 million people live in those 6 metro areas. submitted by nomorelandfills to PetRescueExposed [link] [comments] Shelter Refusing Animals? Here's What to Do PETA https://preview.redd.it/rzurekuwxn1d1.png?width=1053&format=png&auto=webp&s=51d18f2bd808328f6eb5d153342ce01554262379 Is your local shelter refusing animals? Shelters are supposed to be safe havens for animals who have nowhere else to go, but in an increasing number of communities across the country, good Samaritans who find strays and desperate citizens who cannot keep their animals are hearing the same responses when they try to take animals to shelters: “Sorry—we’re full,” or “We’ll have to put you on a waiting list.” Some shelters require people to make appointments, wait for months, or pay high “surrender fees,” or they drastically reduce their hours or even encourage people to leave cats on the streets, often illegally—all in a misguided attempt to keep animals out. Why? Shelters are under extreme pressure by laypeople who are opposed to euthanasia under virtually any circumstances and at any cost. They harass and vilify shelter workers who make the difficult but compassionate decision to euthanize some animals in order to keep their doors open to every animal in need. In response, an alarming number of shelters—in some cases, even taxpayer-funded ones—are choosing to operate like exclusive clubs or boutiques instead of refuges for animals in need. When shelters make it difficult for people to surrender animals, closing their doors and refusing to help, they leave animals with nowhere to turn. Many are abandoned on the streets, where they starve and die in agony of untreated diseases or injuries. Others remain in the hands of people who don’t want them and who may mistreat, neglect, or even kill them. If your local shelter has adopted this harmful practice and started implementing restrictions or turning away animals, please speak up! The basic steps are simple—documenting your experiences, gathering support, and making your case—and your involvement can make a world of difference to the animals in your community who need you the most. Read on to learn how you can help, and follow the links in each section for helpful sample statements and letters. Document Your ExperienceIf a shelter has refused to accept an animal from you, required you to pay a surrender fee, put you on a waiting list, or instructed you to abandon an animal, carefully document everything that happened. Take photos and video, if you can, to help make your case when you share the evidence with elected officials and the media. Be sure to document the following:
Gather Community SupportCollecting statements and support from others who have been negatively affected by a shelter’s policies will significantly bolster your case when you meet with officials. If you know of other people who have encountered difficulties in surrendering an animal to a shelter, interview and take written statements from them, then help them take their cases to local and state elected officials as well as to the media.Meet with local veterinarians to explain the situation at the shelter. Veterinarians may be especially sympathetic—not only because they care about animals but also because in communities where shelters restrict intakes, veterinary offices and animal hospitals often become popular places for people to abandon animals. If you find veterinarians who seem understanding, ask them for a statement and encourage them to get involved by helping you lobby for open-admission policies at the shelter. Be sure to keep your meetings brief and respectful, as most veterinarians are extremely busy, and follow up with a handwritten thank-you note. Take the time to form lasting relationships with sympathetic veterinarians, as they may be able to help if you find an animal who is turned away from the shelter. If you know of local businesses where stray and homeless animals congregate, ask the owners if they would be willing to sign a statement and get involved. Their concerns may have significant influence with elected officials. Make Your CaseOnce you have gathered statements and evidence, request a meeting with the shelter director by writing a polite letter. Express your support of open-admission policies, including providing euthanasia services when necessary. If the director is open to revising the shelter’s policies, wonderful! Your legwork has paid off. If not, don’t worry—you have brought this important issue to his or her attention, and you can now take your case to elected officials and the media.If the director is unresponsive to your concerns, don’t be discouraged. If the shelter is taxpayer-funded, elected officials may view the situation more objectively and be more receptive (and able to initiate change). Your next step is to request a meeting with elected officials to express your concern that the shelter is not providing needed services. If the shelter is taxpayer-funded, it’s also important to attend city and/or county meetings on a regular basis to express your concerns about the shelter. Most meetings allow the public to speak briefly (usually for three to five minutes) on issues of concern, so prepare and practice a short statement that you can read if given the opportunity. Be sure to include your most compelling points, including examples of your own or others’ experiences with being turned away. Keep Speaking Up!Changing entrenched policies can take time, so be persistent and patient. There are many simple actions that you can take to keep the issue in the forefront of citizens’ and elected officials’ minds:
Philadelphia Animal Care & Control Animal Care Centers of New York City Los Angeles Animal Services (which adds a threatening kicker, nice) Maricopa County Animal Care & Control But wait! MCACC has an additional note https://preview.redd.it/llfapkqh0o1d1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=eb5567f9054d4f6f06b6f61b9c1722da061e6160 So you can't surrender a cat to MCACC at all. That's - something. Chicago Animal Care & Control Houston's BARC shelter |
2024.05.21 01:00 gab_mae I’m concerned about the way a teacher treats her class
I’m a toddler teacher at a daycare, and I work with children from 18 months to abt 2&1/2. We have a second toddler room where kids from 2&1/2 to 3 and maybe a little above, are in. It’s a little more structured and “strict” since it’s to help get them ready for the transition to the preschool rooms.
Here’s where my issue comes in. The teacher in the room is lacking in several areas. She has worked there for years and is very good friends with the director, so I feel like she tends to get away with a little bit more. She’s very rude, sits at a table most of the day, and is either on her phone or writing in a notepad, and the kids do almost no activities and mainly just free play. She also will not get up from her spot for hours if she doesn’t have to, and will yell across the room at kids rather than getting up and redirecting. She is also just flat out mean to the kids, I can hear her yelling all the time. It genuinely makes me upset when it comes time for any of the kids in my class to move up because I know they’re going to get no learning time and I also know she will be mean to them. A lot of the kids are scared of her and when she comes to get them from my room in the mornin, there are a few kids who scream and cry because they don’t want to go and it breaks my heart. We’ve had multiple parent complaints about her being mean to the children and even had a review posted on our website complaining about how much she yells at the children. Parents have also pulled their kids because of her. This is a continuous problem that my director is very aware of. The owner is also aware of some of it and has said in the past that she wants her fired but has never followed through or forced out director to follow through. She continuously gets away with doing nothing and treating the kids like shit.
I had a child move up to her a few months ago, and when he was with me he was potty trained, knew his letters, colors, shapes, & numbers. He was really excelling! He also struggled with some behaviors, but we got him on track and he was doing really good! Since moving up though, he’s been having multiple intense tantrums everyday, he’s having accidents, and he can barely recall half the things I’ve taught him. He’s not the first child that this has happened to. This is something that has been going on since even before I started. It’s so frustrating because I feel like the work and effort that I put in doesn’t do much in the long run because they move up and get no structure.
I guess I just need advice on what to do from here. The director doesn’t care, despite my many complaints. She brushes me off about it and refuses to acknowledge it. The owner really doesn’t seem to care much either, besides mentioning firing her one time. Is there anything else that can be done or is it hopeless since she isnt physically harming children?
submitted by gab_mae to ECEProfessionals [link] [comments]
Here’s where my issue comes in. The teacher in the room is lacking in several areas. She has worked there for years and is very good friends with the director, so I feel like she tends to get away with a little bit more. She’s very rude, sits at a table most of the day, and is either on her phone or writing in a notepad, and the kids do almost no activities and mainly just free play. She also will not get up from her spot for hours if she doesn’t have to, and will yell across the room at kids rather than getting up and redirecting. She is also just flat out mean to the kids, I can hear her yelling all the time. It genuinely makes me upset when it comes time for any of the kids in my class to move up because I know they’re going to get no learning time and I also know she will be mean to them. A lot of the kids are scared of her and when she comes to get them from my room in the mornin, there are a few kids who scream and cry because they don’t want to go and it breaks my heart. We’ve had multiple parent complaints about her being mean to the children and even had a review posted on our website complaining about how much she yells at the children. Parents have also pulled their kids because of her. This is a continuous problem that my director is very aware of. The owner is also aware of some of it and has said in the past that she wants her fired but has never followed through or forced out director to follow through. She continuously gets away with doing nothing and treating the kids like shit.
I had a child move up to her a few months ago, and when he was with me he was potty trained, knew his letters, colors, shapes, & numbers. He was really excelling! He also struggled with some behaviors, but we got him on track and he was doing really good! Since moving up though, he’s been having multiple intense tantrums everyday, he’s having accidents, and he can barely recall half the things I’ve taught him. He’s not the first child that this has happened to. This is something that has been going on since even before I started. It’s so frustrating because I feel like the work and effort that I put in doesn’t do much in the long run because they move up and get no structure.
I guess I just need advice on what to do from here. The director doesn’t care, despite my many complaints. She brushes me off about it and refuses to acknowledge it. The owner really doesn’t seem to care much either, besides mentioning firing her one time. Is there anything else that can be done or is it hopeless since she isnt physically harming children?
2024.05.20 23:55 SafeInternal2412 AITAH for not going to a party with my wife?
My wife (34/f) and I (39/M) have been married for three years this June, together for six years. We've had our ups and downs like any other couple, but we have had a very rough patch this past year. I feel like I am doing all I can, but she's never happy. I want this to work out between us, because she is very important to me. I'm going to outline everything that is an issue between us and some backstory that might be applicable.
Today she had a full breakdown. Screaming, crying, full breakdown. She screamed about our dead bedroom again, and how she wished she had a husband that wanted to fuck her, and how she's a fat ugly piece of shit that no one will ever want. I've told her she isn't those things! She also screamed about how I'm willing to put her through IVF, but I'm not willing to do the bare minimum to try to have a baby naturally. She was also mad that I didn't put any effort into learning anything about having a baby. I am exhausted. I have no sex drive. I can't fucking help it.
Finally, she told me that she feels nothing for me anymore, and that when she looks at me she feels empty, and that I've killed any spark that was inside her. How she can't be herself around me, because I seem constantly annoyed at her and don't put any effort into being affectionate. How I get mad at her for everything and freeze her out. How she's been begging for her needs to be met for three years. She asked where the man was that she met six years ago, and said she wanted to find the person she was six years ago. That fucking hurt to hear. But I've told her what I need to calm down and process stuff, and I don't feel like she understands that.
I'm trying. And I know I'm not a perfect person, but I love her so much and I don't want to lose her. I've been trying. Am I really the asshole?
submitted by SafeInternal2412 to AITAH [link] [comments]
- She is currently sponsoring me to become a US citizen. It's been a really hard process, but hopefully within a few years we will be done. She has had to do a lot of paperwork with our attorney, and has had to handle all of that because as the sponsor, the government needs everything from her. I am helping to pay for everything, we split that. It's been harder, longer, and more expensive because I need an unlawful presence waiver before they will let me become a citizen, but we passed the first hurdle. If this doesn't go through or she pulls out from being my sponsor, I can get deported.
- I am not proud of this, but I have threatened divorce twice since we got married. Once in December 2022 about two weeks before Christmas, and this past March. I have a lot of trouble processing my emotions and I get overwhelmed very easily and shut down. I just need time to sit and think, and sometimes she pushes me to resolve a problem right then and there. I know she's tried to work on that, but she still does it. I was very overwhelmed those two times and told her I was done with the relationship, but I was meaner about it in December, I told her flat out I've been trying in the relationship and I wanted to end it. She wrote me a letter outlining everything that December I was doing wrong: we weren't communicating right and she wanted to work on that, we had a dead bedroom, she didn't feel like I respected her. I didn't think what she wrote in that letter was fair, but we moved past it. In March after I threatened it again, she basically told me we had to do couples counseling or she was done.
- Couple's counseling: I don't agree with counseling. She goes regularly and I support that, but I don't feel like I need it. It's a cultural thing. She's harped on me that she thinks I have untreated anxiety and should go or consider medication because it apparently works for her, but I haven't done it. I feel like she kind of has threatened me into couples counseling and feel like I'm being forced to go. She told me in March that it was my responsibility to look up counselors and I did, but I didn't do anything afterwards. She asked me the other day if we could make the appointment soon, and I told her I completely forgot about it. She laughed it off, but now I'm thinking she was probably really hurt by that and I screwed up there.
- Dead bedroom and IVF: we have had a dead bedroom almost our entire marriage. We used to have sex regularly when we were dating, because we lived close together. When we got married, I still had to run my business in our old state, so I was basically working 5 days on, 2 days off down there. It was a 4 hour drive each way. On top of that, I was working whenever I could at a restaurant so I had flexible hours. I was always too tired to have sex. Once we started trying to have a baby, us not having sex regularly really upset her. It started a lot of fights, especially when she would tell me she was ovulating and we needed to have sex. We tried for a baby for two years and eventually had to go to a fertility doctor. They found out she was completely normal, but my sperm count was nonexistent, from testosterone use. My sperm count has slightly improved and I haven't done any more follow ups, but we're now doing IVF. She was upset with me because I didn't read the packets the clinic gave us, and she's had to handle a lot of the planning because she's our policy holder for insurance (I've never had health insurance before, so I don't know how to do this stuff.) She's told me it's humiliating to ask me to have sex, and has commented that she thinks she's fat and ugly which is why I won't have sex with her. She has gained about 50lbs since we got together (quit smoking when we started dating), but she goes to the gym regularly. I've told her she looks perfect the way she is. I'm just always tired.
- My online activities: she got upset at me about two years ago for what I was posting on Tiktok- it was shirtless videos and photos, and I would like comments from anyone complimenting my appearance just to be nice. She blew up on me about it again recently because she also noticed I was liking girls photos and following a lot of fitness influencers. She brought up the fat and ugly comments again. I deleted Tiktok and haven't been back on. She's also accused me of cheating on her because one time a year and a half ago I went out with my coworkers and got drunk, and she woke up at 2AM to me not being home. She said she was so scared something happened to me, but that coupled with everything online has made her suspicious that I've cheated on her. I haven't.
- Lack of affection and materialism: she's complained that there's no intimacy, no passion, nothing. She's told me she never demands nice things, and all she wants is a husband that makes her feel wanted and sexy and that she has affection and safety. I grew up poor and in a household where my dad ran everything and my mom was a homemaker. I feel it's my duty to work hard to give her nice things, that's how I show I appreciate her. She deserves everything: I just put a huge down payment on her dream car for her a couple weeks ago. I want to buy her a house, we look at them often and talk about the kind of house we want to have for our kids. I want her to be able to have a housekeeper come regularly like she always talks about. We send money back home to my family every month. She cares about my family so much and treats them nicely when they are up here. I know she wants those things, but it's also important to me that I provide for her, that's how I show I care. And I don't feel like she understands that.
- Cleaning: whenever she wants something done, I do it. Granted I don't do it right away, but when she asks, I will do it that day. I also take the trash out regularly, take the dog out in the morning, and will pick up around the house when she tells me she's stressed or I sense she needs help. She does most of the housework, but I also grew up not needing to do it so it's hard for me to know what needs to be done.
Today she had a full breakdown. Screaming, crying, full breakdown. She screamed about our dead bedroom again, and how she wished she had a husband that wanted to fuck her, and how she's a fat ugly piece of shit that no one will ever want. I've told her she isn't those things! She also screamed about how I'm willing to put her through IVF, but I'm not willing to do the bare minimum to try to have a baby naturally. She was also mad that I didn't put any effort into learning anything about having a baby. I am exhausted. I have no sex drive. I can't fucking help it.
Finally, she told me that she feels nothing for me anymore, and that when she looks at me she feels empty, and that I've killed any spark that was inside her. How she can't be herself around me, because I seem constantly annoyed at her and don't put any effort into being affectionate. How I get mad at her for everything and freeze her out. How she's been begging for her needs to be met for three years. She asked where the man was that she met six years ago, and said she wanted to find the person she was six years ago. That fucking hurt to hear. But I've told her what I need to calm down and process stuff, and I don't feel like she understands that.
I'm trying. And I know I'm not a perfect person, but I love her so much and I don't want to lose her. I've been trying. Am I really the asshole?
2024.05.20 23:43 XCanuck My marriage feels strained and very one-sided, unsure how to cope with a wife who won't communicate or share responsibilities
There's a "dad joke" I heard that goes: My therapist told me to write out a big long rant letter to everyone I have a problem with, burn them all to ashes, and scatter the ashes into the wind. I did all that last weekend, but now I'm not sure what to do with the letters.
This post feels like that big, long rant, but I genuinely could really use some help/ideas beyond "go to marriage counseling." I provide so much to the family and household that isn't reciprocated, but trying to set boundaries to feel more balanced gets passive-aggressive and/or silent treatment. I'm not writing all this here just to vent, I've actually edited this down pretty significantly to summarize what I'm going through and giving some examples.
Thanks for giving me the space to share this.
Me (50/M), Wife (45/F), two kids 15 and 13. We have no family who live anywhere close to us. We're in the middle of America, her divorced parents are on the coast, and mine's in Canada where I'm originally from (in case my username didn't give that away).
TLDR at the bottom.
Trigger warnings: a ruined birthday, shared/not-shared finances, me losing my cool and walking out on my family and getting the silent treatment since, and apparently being the only parent/grown-up in the house.
To this family, I feel that all I am to them is the income/paycheck and personal chef, and I'm ready to walk away. My wife won't communicate, gets defensive and angry, and doesn't contribute to the marriage or teach our kids about responsibility, so I look like a jerk all the time. If I speak up and ask her to help, I'm treated like a jerk. If I don't speak up, she does nothing.
Background about physicality, work and finances
I work in tech, typically 50-70 hours per week, and take on occasional (< 5 hrs/week) contract work as a side business to pay for my 3D printing hobby that I'm also trying to turn into a side business. She works part-time maybe one full day of work throughout the week on an as-needed basis.
My job pays the benefits, and I've established a retirement fund for us, plus a 401K and Roth IRA, plus a 529 account for each of the kids that I've been investing in since they were born. I paid off both cars. We're debt-free except for our mortgage, and we have enough assets to pay off the house if we choose to.
We each have a bank account for ourselves, plus a joint bank account. Her part-time paychecks and other money from an inheritance, goes 100% into her account only, and I use my account for my 3D printing business to maintain an LLC. Just about everything financial is paid for from my paychecks. I've always treated this as "our" money. All bills, mortgage, memberships, subscriptions (Netflix, etc), things the kids need (clothing, shoes, school supplies, etc), furniture, medical bills, etc are all paid from a joint account that is funded 100% by my paycheck. She makes no contributions to this account, but she does withdraw from it for fast food, snacks she buys just for herself, her own crafting hobbies, and she'll pick up maybe $100/month for some groceries.
I promised her before we were even married that if she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom or, at any point, go back to work, she'd have my full support either way, and I've kept that promise. She worked full-time for about 2 years before we had kids and worked a fair bit of part-time work before the kids started school in 2013. She's been at her part-time job for 2 years, so quite a span where she didn't work at all.
She works as a 1099 contractor and, despite repeatedly being asked to, won't reserve money for tax time. So, not only does she spend 100% of her paycheck, but I have to be sure that we save enough to cover her tax bill every year. She's never offered to contribute to tax payments we have to make.
I had gallbladder surgery and bariatric surgery, so I've had pretty restrictive dietary needs for the past 5-6 years. She often made comments about me being heavy and having a shortened life span, but since my bariatric surgery, she's expressed resentment about my body changing (I lost 120+lbs) and now doesn't care to learn what kinds of protein/carb/fat balance I need, and gained about 80lbs herself. As such, she does not contribute to any meal planning, which means I'm doing 95% of all meal planning, groceries, and cooking.
When it comes to cooking, I'm a damn good cook, and it's 100% because of YouTube. She grew up in an environment where she wasn't encouraged to cook or even learn to, so she lived on PBJ through college until we started dating and I would cook or take her out. When the kids were in their "picky" stages of 4yrs-9yrs of age, she got frustrated with cooking but years later still holds to that "NOBODY likes what I cook". So she makes maybe 2 or 3 meals per month now, and it's always the same meals. Last night, she cooked 10 people's worth of macaroni with a single pound of ground beef and more than a pound of cheese. I had to pick out the meat to get my protein and then drink a protein shake afterward, and then got offended that I threw away the noodles/cheese. (My diet needs high protein, low carbs, and almost no fat, she knows this because I tell her quite often, but she won't do anything about it; she's bought maybe 3 shelves worth of cookbooks and won't even open them or go take a class or anything.)
Our oldest kid has shown an interest in cooking and will maybe cook one meal per week and ask me to help him out, so I share what I've learned, things I've tried, experimented with, lessons learned, etc., and we have a good time, and they really appreciate the learning opportunity. On the rare occasion I do see my wife making dinner in the kitchen, I show her that I'm really happy about what she's making and ask if she wants help chopping or anything and I only get "no" as an answer and completely shut down like I'm not supposed to be in the kitchen. I'll try to have conversation with her but then she can't concentrate on cooking, chopping, etc, and then "ruined" dinner is my fault.
"Her" money versus "our" money, and how we spend our days/weekends
My wife had a relative die quite a few years ago and in the fall of 2018 was given a $250k inheritance. She has always referred to this as "her" money, "her" retirement, in case "she" needs a nursing home later. I'm not in her future plans, apparently. She gave $50k of it to a cousin who was deliberately left out of that relative's will. My wife's will leaves any remaining inheritance money to the kids. No mention of me anywhere whatsoever.
Once the inheritance money hit her bank account, she decides to buy a horse from halfway across the country and put it in a boarding stable 20 minutes from the house. It was a childhood dream of hers. Apparently, she's allowed to pursue her dreams and interests, it's "her" money, I'm not allowed to tell her what to do with it, but she complains when my 3D printing business makes enough money to buy another printer to keep up with demand... And my hobby takes up less time per week than she spends at the barn.
When she's not working her one-day-a-week job, she's at the boarding stable for a few hours per day, playing with her horse, taking selfies, taking him on walks, not actually riding him. With her remaining time at home, and when she gets home with the kids, she's lying on the couch, acting worn out and tired like she just bench-pressed the friggin' horse. (And yes, I know horse training CAN be exhausting, but she's not doing anything exhausting with him. She literally walks him on a path, or walks him in circles in an arena enclosure, or she's brushing him down and bathing him to look nice for Instagram)
In the summer of 2018, right before she got this inheritance money, she spent $50k of "our" money on a kitchen renovation that she insisted she designs herself, and then felt guilty about the bill and me having to take on more side contracting work to pay off the HELOC in a reasonable amount of time, and contributed back $10k to the whole project from "her" money afterward. "Her" money paid for the kids' orthodontics, about $3k each. But she literally contributes NOTHING else financially to the family.
If I had to guess, she's got about $150k left of that inheritance money, maybe less, she won't ever tell me about it. And we don't get a notice from the bank about interest gained at tax time every year because she put it in an account that makes ZERO interest. She sees my investments with 25%-40% gains, but won't ever ask for my help or input. Instead, she asked 3 other guys at work who told her to at least get a Vanguard account, but almost 6 years later she's never done it.
I work full-time as mentioned, and work from home. Work is typically 50+ hours per week but I try to cap it at 60-ish if I can. For the past month I've been on a project with a tight deadline, and working more like 10-14 hours per day 6 days per week. It's like that in tech, she's been understanding of this in the past, and I'm sure to take jobs where this is NOT the norm. Still, I'm always happy to help drive the kids to/from school or to music lessons or doctors, but I'm usually treated like "how dare you," that's "her" job, like that's her contribution to everything.
She works a part-time job doing marketing. Maybe 2-3 hours a day, one or two days per week. Sometimes busier in Q1 as they prep/plan most of the year, but then very low-lift afterward. She spends maybe 40 minutes per day taking the kids to/from school. Other than that, she's at the barn or on the couch. (have I mentioned we've gone through several couches that "our" money pays for??)
The marital imbalance I'm dealing with
She won't enforce chores for the kids, remind them to do laundry, or clean their rooms, or even shower. She'll text me "one of the boys smells" after taking them to school, but won't insist they shower, or back me up on the whole "c'mon guys, brush twice a day at least, and shower at least every 2 days with actual some soap on your bodies and actual shampoo on your hair, and use deodorant..." She'll make remarks like "Didn't you wear and sleep in those clothes for the past 3 days?" but won't make them change, or tell them to do their laundry.
She might do dishes 2 to 3 times per month, it's normally a chore we give to the kids, but she never enforces it. If they stack up for 3 days she'll do some of them but not all of them. One kid was born on an odd-numbered day, the other on an even-numbered day, so the rule is if today is an even or odd day, we know whose turn it is to do the dishes. And if the month has an odd number of days, I do the dishes on the 31st/29th day. But they're teenagers, they'd rather be in their rooms being teenagers, so I have to constantly remind them. Neither of them checks that the dishes are even clean before putting them away, something she specifically called out being embarrassed about when we were dating and visiting her mom's house where half of the dishes in the cupboard still had dried food all over them.
And then garbage day, or yard work, or vacuuming, cleaning a bathroom, cleaning their room, shoveling snow. She doesn't help enforce ANY of the chores that we agreed on. So I'm the sole disciplinarian around here, which makes the kids grow up thinking they better avoid me or I'm the jerk who's gonna put them to work.
Nothing happens around here unless I ask the rest of the family. I've purposefully left chores undone for "that's almost a health hazard" amounts of time and still nobody takes the initiative, nor will she ask the kids to help. They all see the work needs to be done, but they won't choose to help, and they're probably learning from her example of just sitting in some other room/area of the house and someone else will do it someday.
Even asking them "what kind of meals do you want this week, what haven't we had in a while, what's your favorite meal," you'd swear I was asking them to cure cancer every Saturday so I could start to plan meals for the following week and get groceries on Sunday, which has been our routine since the kids could talk.
Their cop-out is to skip the 3 shelves of cookbooks and flip through a binder we kept from a few months of Hello Fresh meals but then it's the same 10-12 meals that get kinda old after a while.
I feel like I have no help from anyone.
I reached my tipping point, and recently walked out on my family
A little over three weeks ago, I'm on this tight deadline at work, getting maybe 3-4 hours of sleep at night, pulling 10-14 hour days. It's a Wednesday, I remember about 430pm that I should commit my code, as I usually do 'cause I need to make dinner because nobody else is gonna do it. Oh, wait, tonight was grilled cheese and tomato soup -- literally, ANYONE ELSE in the house, including our 13yr old who has never shown any interest in cooking, could heat a can of soup and melt cheese between bread, right??? Surely SOMOENE else in the family will handle dinner, so I keep working (note, without asking anyone else to help with dinner), hoping someone else will handle the meal. (and yes, I know this is typically against my diet, but I indulge in this low-protein, high-carb, higher-fat meal about once a month.)
At 730pm my wife comes STOMPING into my office area, "I can't make the grilled cheese like you do." No politeness, just turns and stomps back to the kitchen. I follow her to the kitchen, where the tomato soup is on a RAPID boil, yet she hasn't even started making the grilled cheese sandwiches. I turn the soup off, take it off the burner, and start to describe what to do for the grilled cheese. It's honestly nothing special; I put shredded cheese in the pan to get crusty on the outside of the bread, then stack up the the grilled cheese, put break on top, let the inner cheese melt, and flip it onto more shredded cheese. Highly recommended.
She says "Oh" and ... LEAVES THE KITCHEN, leaving me there expecting me to make dinner... and I'm pissed. I should have just gone back to my work area, but she parks herself back on the couch.
I get everything made, and of course nobody sets the table, ever. Now I'm seriously pissed off, so I slam some dishes in the middle of the table and go back into the kitchen to get the pot of soup and plate of sandwiches. I get back to the dinner table, where my wife and youngest are just standing there, STILL not setting the table despite me standing there with food that I can't even put down. So I drop the food on the table wherever I can, soup splashes everywhere, and I start setting the table while they stand there and watch and ... I lost my cool. I flung bowls and spoons in the general area where they're supposed to be at the table, and I walked out of the house. I returned 4 or 5 hours later once they were all in bed.
The ONE meal in my busy schedule that ANY of them could have made, and her contribution was putting a can of soup in a pot.
She still didn't make any meals for the rest of the week. That Sunday she put a meal plan together for the whole following week. Again, all super carb-heavy when she knows my own diet can't handle that. And then she stopped planning ANYTHING ELSE SINCE THEN. The following week's "meal plan" was just a list of who was home on which night because of end-of-school-year events going on. No meals, no grocery list. Meanwhile I'm still on my deadline... Last week, no help at all. This week, zero help.
So this week's meal plan I finally set a boundary for myself that was VERY clear to them: I'm planning to cook 3 meals for the whole week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and left the rest open with no meal planned. Last night at 6pm she made her "hamburger helper" and plans "ramen" for tomorrow (again, all noodles and broth, very little protein), but no other help from her for the rest of the meal plan for the remainder of the week.
My recently ruined 50th birthday
My birthday was a little over a week ago. I turned 50. Send me your favorite dad jokes, please, I beg of you.
My wife asked me 2 or 3 months ago if I wanted any kind of party, etc. to which I said yeah, I'd love to have a few friends over, named several of them, all of whom she either has in her phone, or are guys married to women that I know she stays in regular contact with. I mentioned some all-you-can-eat places that we could go, just the 4 of us, where I could pick out good proteins etc. and they could eat whatever they wanted.
I got nothing. No dinner out. No party. No friends.
The night before my birthday, she was too lazy to get off the couch, so I went to bed alone. I woke up in bed alone. I told the family the day before that I wanted French Toast for breakfast, normally something we'd do on Christmas Day, but it was my 50th birthday gosh darn it, and I was even thawing bacon. I even bought all the groceries needed. Nope, had to cook that alone too, so I only made enough for me, and ate alone. Showered alone, 'cause we haven't been intimate in ... 3 months? 4 months? And who cares that it's my birthday.
Nobody asked if I wanted to go out anywhere, go see a movie, go for a hike with the dog, nothing. So I went out with the dog, alone.
That night I had to make dinner for the family, again, on my own friggin' birthday. Alone in the kitchen. AND I had to remind the kids to clean up the kitchen afterward 'cause they won't do it unless they're told. She bought tiny pieces of cheesecake for dessert, which she knows I don't like and can't eat because of my diet. I had one tiny piece, she and the kids ate the rest.
No cake, no candle, no balloons. It was my FIFTIETH birthday ...
We have some serious communication breakdown going on
Since I walked out of the house a few weeks back, she only talks to me when she wants something, and that comes across more as a demand, "I need you to pick the kids up from school, I have to be at work" and walks away She won't say good morning or even hi, unless I say it first. Lately, I say "hi" or "hey" as we're passing in the house and I get no response at all. I get literal one-word responses when I ask her a question. A few nights ago, several nights in a row, I'm in the living room on my laptop trying to get more work done, she'll come in the room, not ask me what I'm doing or if I'm working, and blast a TV show on her phone at near-maximum volume, and fall asleep on the couch.
She gets mad and offended any time I offer constructive criticism of any kind. And it doesn't matter how delicately I try to phrase things, I'll agonize for days over exactly which words to use, she'll get super defensive, angry and lash out, and give me the silent treatment for weeks.
Last Tuesday was an end-of-year awards show for our youngest, who's finishing 8th grade. He's really into music and he stayed after school to practice for the event. She comes home to get ready then decides to leave for the event by herself. I only noticed when the garage opened and closed. She doesn't say anything to me or our oldest kid about what time she wanted to leave or if we're ready to go, she just ... left. Well of COURSE we both want to go, but now we have to drive there separately. And he wins a TON of awards, one from his classmates, one from his teacher, and one from the school. I'd have been PISSED to have missed that. "Oh, I thought you didn't want to go..." was her reason later.
This past Saturday, I do ALL the yardwork 'cause she won't tell the kids to help and I'm frankly tired of having to ask for help. A few hours of yard work later, I tell my youngest to vacuum 'cause nobody vacuums around here unless I tell them to and honestly it's gross. I hop in the shower to clean up and cool down from the yard work. Youngest decides it's "too hot in the house" and sits in the kitchen to eat a popsicle instead of vacuuming. No backup from my wife at all on this, who's still parked on the couch. So I get upset with him, he does a half-assed job, says he's "tired' (from watching YouTube all day) and goes back to his room and we don't see him again the rest of the day. Again, no help or backup from my wife.
It's now 7pm in the house Saturday night, and -- shocker -- NOBODY has bothered to even ASK about dinner much less put any kind of food together. 8pm rolls around and my oldest finally emerges from his own room, starts thawing some chicken, and comes to ask me for help to make a meal, which I happily do. Until I get grumbly comments about "why are we eating so late." And my wife makes her way back to the couch. Not so much as a "thanks for cooking" or offer to clean up. And of COURSE nobody is doing the dishes, because DAD didn't remind anyone.
WHAT DO I DO??
19 years ago when we got married, this felt like a marriage. We did stuff together, we split things evenly, shared responsibility and chores, we both cooked, we bought groceries together. The first few years with kids were rough, but it at least FELT like a partnership once we figured out how to be parents. But something has shifted over the past decade, and this feels less and less like a partnership, much less feeling like a marriage. This whole relationship feels very one-sided, I get no appreciation for any of my constant hard work and being a provider. Instead, she's accused me, twice, of having an affair, once to the point of giving me anxiety/panic attacks for which I was almost hospitalized.
Now, she and the kids are noticing and talking behind my back (like I can't hear them) about the fact that I'm not wearing my wedding band anymore. Of course, the kids won't ask me directly, and I'm not bringing it up myself, and my wife's not talking to me anyway. Maybe she's still mad that I got mad a few weeks ago and walked out? Hard to know when the person won't talk to you unless they want something from you.
I'll put the damn ring back on when it feels like a marriage again. But then the next time it comes off, I think it'll stay off.
TL;DR! To this family, I feel that all I am to them is the income/paycheck and personal chef, and I'm ready to walk away. I can see why parents stay together "for the kids." As with most marriages, it started great; we've had bumpy times, but we always got through it together. Nothing like this, though. My wife won't communicate, gets defensive and angry, and doesn't contribute to the marriage or teach our kids about responsibility, so I look like a jerk all the time. Something has shifted over the past decade, and this feels less and less like a partnership. This whole relationship feels very one-sided, I get no appreciation for any of my constant hard work and being a provider.
submitted by XCanuck to relationships [link] [comments]
This post feels like that big, long rant, but I genuinely could really use some help/ideas beyond "go to marriage counseling." I provide so much to the family and household that isn't reciprocated, but trying to set boundaries to feel more balanced gets passive-aggressive and/or silent treatment. I'm not writing all this here just to vent, I've actually edited this down pretty significantly to summarize what I'm going through and giving some examples.
Thanks for giving me the space to share this.
Me (50/M), Wife (45/F), two kids 15 and 13. We have no family who live anywhere close to us. We're in the middle of America, her divorced parents are on the coast, and mine's in Canada where I'm originally from (in case my username didn't give that away).
TLDR at the bottom.
To this family, I feel that all I am to them is the income/paycheck and personal chef, and I'm ready to walk away. My wife won't communicate, gets defensive and angry, and doesn't contribute to the marriage or teach our kids about responsibility, so I look like a jerk all the time. If I speak up and ask her to help, I'm treated like a jerk. If I don't speak up, she does nothing.
I work in tech, typically 50-70 hours per week, and take on occasional (< 5 hrs/week) contract work as a side business to pay for my 3D printing hobby that I'm also trying to turn into a side business. She works part-time maybe one full day of work throughout the week on an as-needed basis.
My job pays the benefits, and I've established a retirement fund for us, plus a 401K and Roth IRA, plus a 529 account for each of the kids that I've been investing in since they were born. I paid off both cars. We're debt-free except for our mortgage, and we have enough assets to pay off the house if we choose to.
We each have a bank account for ourselves, plus a joint bank account. Her part-time paychecks and other money from an inheritance, goes 100% into her account only, and I use my account for my 3D printing business to maintain an LLC. Just about everything financial is paid for from my paychecks. I've always treated this as "our" money. All bills, mortgage, memberships, subscriptions (Netflix, etc), things the kids need (clothing, shoes, school supplies, etc), furniture, medical bills, etc are all paid from a joint account that is funded 100% by my paycheck. She makes no contributions to this account, but she does withdraw from it for fast food, snacks she buys just for herself, her own crafting hobbies, and she'll pick up maybe $100/month for some groceries.
I promised her before we were even married that if she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom or, at any point, go back to work, she'd have my full support either way, and I've kept that promise. She worked full-time for about 2 years before we had kids and worked a fair bit of part-time work before the kids started school in 2013. She's been at her part-time job for 2 years, so quite a span where she didn't work at all.
She works as a 1099 contractor and, despite repeatedly being asked to, won't reserve money for tax time. So, not only does she spend 100% of her paycheck, but I have to be sure that we save enough to cover her tax bill every year. She's never offered to contribute to tax payments we have to make.
I had gallbladder surgery and bariatric surgery, so I've had pretty restrictive dietary needs for the past 5-6 years. She often made comments about me being heavy and having a shortened life span, but since my bariatric surgery, she's expressed resentment about my body changing (I lost 120+lbs) and now doesn't care to learn what kinds of protein/carb/fat balance I need, and gained about 80lbs herself. As such, she does not contribute to any meal planning, which means I'm doing 95% of all meal planning, groceries, and cooking.
When it comes to cooking, I'm a damn good cook, and it's 100% because of YouTube. She grew up in an environment where she wasn't encouraged to cook or even learn to, so she lived on PBJ through college until we started dating and I would cook or take her out. When the kids were in their "picky" stages of 4yrs-9yrs of age, she got frustrated with cooking but years later still holds to that "NOBODY likes what I cook". So she makes maybe 2 or 3 meals per month now, and it's always the same meals. Last night, she cooked 10 people's worth of macaroni with a single pound of ground beef and more than a pound of cheese. I had to pick out the meat to get my protein and then drink a protein shake afterward, and then got offended that I threw away the noodles/cheese. (My diet needs high protein, low carbs, and almost no fat, she knows this because I tell her quite often, but she won't do anything about it; she's bought maybe 3 shelves worth of cookbooks and won't even open them or go take a class or anything.)
Our oldest kid has shown an interest in cooking and will maybe cook one meal per week and ask me to help him out, so I share what I've learned, things I've tried, experimented with, lessons learned, etc., and we have a good time, and they really appreciate the learning opportunity. On the rare occasion I do see my wife making dinner in the kitchen, I show her that I'm really happy about what she's making and ask if she wants help chopping or anything and I only get "no" as an answer and completely shut down like I'm not supposed to be in the kitchen. I'll try to have conversation with her but then she can't concentrate on cooking, chopping, etc, and then "ruined" dinner is my fault.
My wife had a relative die quite a few years ago and in the fall of 2018 was given a $250k inheritance. She has always referred to this as "her" money, "her" retirement, in case "she" needs a nursing home later. I'm not in her future plans, apparently. She gave $50k of it to a cousin who was deliberately left out of that relative's will. My wife's will leaves any remaining inheritance money to the kids. No mention of me anywhere whatsoever.
Once the inheritance money hit her bank account, she decides to buy a horse from halfway across the country and put it in a boarding stable 20 minutes from the house. It was a childhood dream of hers. Apparently, she's allowed to pursue her dreams and interests, it's "her" money, I'm not allowed to tell her what to do with it, but she complains when my 3D printing business makes enough money to buy another printer to keep up with demand... And my hobby takes up less time per week than she spends at the barn.
When she's not working her one-day-a-week job, she's at the boarding stable for a few hours per day, playing with her horse, taking selfies, taking him on walks, not actually riding him. With her remaining time at home, and when she gets home with the kids, she's lying on the couch, acting worn out and tired like she just bench-pressed the friggin' horse. (And yes, I know horse training CAN be exhausting, but she's not doing anything exhausting with him. She literally walks him on a path, or walks him in circles in an arena enclosure, or she's brushing him down and bathing him to look nice for Instagram)
In the summer of 2018, right before she got this inheritance money, she spent $50k of "our" money on a kitchen renovation that she insisted she designs herself, and then felt guilty about the bill and me having to take on more side contracting work to pay off the HELOC in a reasonable amount of time, and contributed back $10k to the whole project from "her" money afterward. "Her" money paid for the kids' orthodontics, about $3k each. But she literally contributes NOTHING else financially to the family.
If I had to guess, she's got about $150k left of that inheritance money, maybe less, she won't ever tell me about it. And we don't get a notice from the bank about interest gained at tax time every year because she put it in an account that makes ZERO interest. She sees my investments with 25%-40% gains, but won't ever ask for my help or input. Instead, she asked 3 other guys at work who told her to at least get a Vanguard account, but almost 6 years later she's never done it.
I work full-time as mentioned, and work from home. Work is typically 50+ hours per week but I try to cap it at 60-ish if I can. For the past month I've been on a project with a tight deadline, and working more like 10-14 hours per day 6 days per week. It's like that in tech, she's been understanding of this in the past, and I'm sure to take jobs where this is NOT the norm. Still, I'm always happy to help drive the kids to/from school or to music lessons or doctors, but I'm usually treated like "how dare you," that's "her" job, like that's her contribution to everything.
She works a part-time job doing marketing. Maybe 2-3 hours a day, one or two days per week. Sometimes busier in Q1 as they prep/plan most of the year, but then very low-lift afterward. She spends maybe 40 minutes per day taking the kids to/from school. Other than that, she's at the barn or on the couch. (have I mentioned we've gone through several couches that "our" money pays for??)
She won't enforce chores for the kids, remind them to do laundry, or clean their rooms, or even shower. She'll text me "one of the boys smells" after taking them to school, but won't insist they shower, or back me up on the whole "c'mon guys, brush twice a day at least, and shower at least every 2 days with actual some soap on your bodies and actual shampoo on your hair, and use deodorant..." She'll make remarks like "Didn't you wear and sleep in those clothes for the past 3 days?" but won't make them change, or tell them to do their laundry.
She might do dishes 2 to 3 times per month, it's normally a chore we give to the kids, but she never enforces it. If they stack up for 3 days she'll do some of them but not all of them. One kid was born on an odd-numbered day, the other on an even-numbered day, so the rule is if today is an even or odd day, we know whose turn it is to do the dishes. And if the month has an odd number of days, I do the dishes on the 31st/29th day. But they're teenagers, they'd rather be in their rooms being teenagers, so I have to constantly remind them. Neither of them checks that the dishes are even clean before putting them away, something she specifically called out being embarrassed about when we were dating and visiting her mom's house where half of the dishes in the cupboard still had dried food all over them.
And then garbage day, or yard work, or vacuuming, cleaning a bathroom, cleaning their room, shoveling snow. She doesn't help enforce ANY of the chores that we agreed on. So I'm the sole disciplinarian around here, which makes the kids grow up thinking they better avoid me or I'm the jerk who's gonna put them to work.
Nothing happens around here unless I ask the rest of the family. I've purposefully left chores undone for "that's almost a health hazard" amounts of time and still nobody takes the initiative, nor will she ask the kids to help. They all see the work needs to be done, but they won't choose to help, and they're probably learning from her example of just sitting in some other room/area of the house and someone else will do it someday.
Even asking them "what kind of meals do you want this week, what haven't we had in a while, what's your favorite meal," you'd swear I was asking them to cure cancer every Saturday so I could start to plan meals for the following week and get groceries on Sunday, which has been our routine since the kids could talk.
Their cop-out is to skip the 3 shelves of cookbooks and flip through a binder we kept from a few months of Hello Fresh meals but then it's the same 10-12 meals that get kinda old after a while.
I feel like I have no help from anyone.
A little over three weeks ago, I'm on this tight deadline at work, getting maybe 3-4 hours of sleep at night, pulling 10-14 hour days. It's a Wednesday, I remember about 430pm that I should commit my code, as I usually do 'cause I need to make dinner because nobody else is gonna do it. Oh, wait, tonight was grilled cheese and tomato soup -- literally, ANYONE ELSE in the house, including our 13yr old who has never shown any interest in cooking, could heat a can of soup and melt cheese between bread, right??? Surely SOMOENE else in the family will handle dinner, so I keep working (note, without asking anyone else to help with dinner), hoping someone else will handle the meal. (and yes, I know this is typically against my diet, but I indulge in this low-protein, high-carb, higher-fat meal about once a month.)
At 730pm my wife comes STOMPING into my office area, "I can't make the grilled cheese like you do." No politeness, just turns and stomps back to the kitchen. I follow her to the kitchen, where the tomato soup is on a RAPID boil, yet she hasn't even started making the grilled cheese sandwiches. I turn the soup off, take it off the burner, and start to describe what to do for the grilled cheese. It's honestly nothing special; I put shredded cheese in the pan to get crusty on the outside of the bread, then stack up the the grilled cheese, put break on top, let the inner cheese melt, and flip it onto more shredded cheese. Highly recommended.
She says "Oh" and ... LEAVES THE KITCHEN, leaving me there expecting me to make dinner... and I'm pissed. I should have just gone back to my work area, but she parks herself back on the couch.
I get everything made, and of course nobody sets the table, ever. Now I'm seriously pissed off, so I slam some dishes in the middle of the table and go back into the kitchen to get the pot of soup and plate of sandwiches. I get back to the dinner table, where my wife and youngest are just standing there, STILL not setting the table despite me standing there with food that I can't even put down. So I drop the food on the table wherever I can, soup splashes everywhere, and I start setting the table while they stand there and watch and ... I lost my cool. I flung bowls and spoons in the general area where they're supposed to be at the table, and I walked out of the house. I returned 4 or 5 hours later once they were all in bed.
The ONE meal in my busy schedule that ANY of them could have made, and her contribution was putting a can of soup in a pot.
She still didn't make any meals for the rest of the week. That Sunday she put a meal plan together for the whole following week. Again, all super carb-heavy when she knows my own diet can't handle that. And then she stopped planning ANYTHING ELSE SINCE THEN. The following week's "meal plan" was just a list of who was home on which night because of end-of-school-year events going on. No meals, no grocery list. Meanwhile I'm still on my deadline... Last week, no help at all. This week, zero help.
So this week's meal plan I finally set a boundary for myself that was VERY clear to them: I'm planning to cook 3 meals for the whole week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and left the rest open with no meal planned. Last night at 6pm she made her "hamburger helper" and plans "ramen" for tomorrow (again, all noodles and broth, very little protein), but no other help from her for the rest of the meal plan for the remainder of the week.
My birthday was a little over a week ago. I turned 50. Send me your favorite dad jokes, please, I beg of you.
My wife asked me 2 or 3 months ago if I wanted any kind of party, etc. to which I said yeah, I'd love to have a few friends over, named several of them, all of whom she either has in her phone, or are guys married to women that I know she stays in regular contact with. I mentioned some all-you-can-eat places that we could go, just the 4 of us, where I could pick out good proteins etc. and they could eat whatever they wanted.
I got nothing. No dinner out. No party. No friends.
The night before my birthday, she was too lazy to get off the couch, so I went to bed alone. I woke up in bed alone. I told the family the day before that I wanted French Toast for breakfast, normally something we'd do on Christmas Day, but it was my 50th birthday gosh darn it, and I was even thawing bacon. I even bought all the groceries needed. Nope, had to cook that alone too, so I only made enough for me, and ate alone. Showered alone, 'cause we haven't been intimate in ... 3 months? 4 months? And who cares that it's my birthday.
Nobody asked if I wanted to go out anywhere, go see a movie, go for a hike with the dog, nothing. So I went out with the dog, alone.
That night I had to make dinner for the family, again, on my own friggin' birthday. Alone in the kitchen. AND I had to remind the kids to clean up the kitchen afterward 'cause they won't do it unless they're told. She bought tiny pieces of cheesecake for dessert, which she knows I don't like and can't eat because of my diet. I had one tiny piece, she and the kids ate the rest.
No cake, no candle, no balloons. It was my FIFTIETH birthday ...
Since I walked out of the house a few weeks back, she only talks to me when she wants something, and that comes across more as a demand, "I need you to pick the kids up from school, I have to be at work" and walks away She won't say good morning or even hi, unless I say it first. Lately, I say "hi" or "hey" as we're passing in the house and I get no response at all. I get literal one-word responses when I ask her a question. A few nights ago, several nights in a row, I'm in the living room on my laptop trying to get more work done, she'll come in the room, not ask me what I'm doing or if I'm working, and blast a TV show on her phone at near-maximum volume, and fall asleep on the couch.
She gets mad and offended any time I offer constructive criticism of any kind. And it doesn't matter how delicately I try to phrase things, I'll agonize for days over exactly which words to use, she'll get super defensive, angry and lash out, and give me the silent treatment for weeks.
Last Tuesday was an end-of-year awards show for our youngest, who's finishing 8th grade. He's really into music and he stayed after school to practice for the event. She comes home to get ready then decides to leave for the event by herself. I only noticed when the garage opened and closed. She doesn't say anything to me or our oldest kid about what time she wanted to leave or if we're ready to go, she just ... left. Well of COURSE we both want to go, but now we have to drive there separately. And he wins a TON of awards, one from his classmates, one from his teacher, and one from the school. I'd have been PISSED to have missed that. "Oh, I thought you didn't want to go..." was her reason later.
This past Saturday, I do ALL the yardwork 'cause she won't tell the kids to help and I'm frankly tired of having to ask for help. A few hours of yard work later, I tell my youngest to vacuum 'cause nobody vacuums around here unless I tell them to and honestly it's gross. I hop in the shower to clean up and cool down from the yard work. Youngest decides it's "too hot in the house" and sits in the kitchen to eat a popsicle instead of vacuuming. No backup from my wife at all on this, who's still parked on the couch. So I get upset with him, he does a half-assed job, says he's "tired' (from watching YouTube all day) and goes back to his room and we don't see him again the rest of the day. Again, no help or backup from my wife.
It's now 7pm in the house Saturday night, and -- shocker -- NOBODY has bothered to even ASK about dinner much less put any kind of food together. 8pm rolls around and my oldest finally emerges from his own room, starts thawing some chicken, and comes to ask me for help to make a meal, which I happily do. Until I get grumbly comments about "why are we eating so late." And my wife makes her way back to the couch. Not so much as a "thanks for cooking" or offer to clean up. And of COURSE nobody is doing the dishes, because DAD didn't remind anyone.
19 years ago when we got married, this felt like a marriage. We did stuff together, we split things evenly, shared responsibility and chores, we both cooked, we bought groceries together. The first few years with kids were rough, but it at least FELT like a partnership once we figured out how to be parents. But something has shifted over the past decade, and this feels less and less like a partnership, much less feeling like a marriage. This whole relationship feels very one-sided, I get no appreciation for any of my constant hard work and being a provider. Instead, she's accused me, twice, of having an affair, once to the point of giving me anxiety/panic attacks for which I was almost hospitalized.
Now, she and the kids are noticing and talking behind my back (like I can't hear them) about the fact that I'm not wearing my wedding band anymore. Of course, the kids won't ask me directly, and I'm not bringing it up myself, and my wife's not talking to me anyway. Maybe she's still mad that I got mad a few weeks ago and walked out? Hard to know when the person won't talk to you unless they want something from you.
I'll put the damn ring back on when it feels like a marriage again. But then the next time it comes off, I think it'll stay off.
2024.05.20 23:15 Challenger2060 They really never change
So I just completed my Masters degree from a top university. Before this, back in January I decided to tell the people who gave birth to me that I have chosen and started to use a different name than the one they gave me. At that point they were planning on coming to my graduation, so I figured that it would be best to tell them so they wouldn't make a stink and ruin my graduation day. My birthing parent wrote me a letter (a long and glorious tradition that they love) detailing how I'm going to hell if I don't repent, etc.
Unlike in the past, I wrote her a letter back and told her that what she said was spiritual abuse, that you don't menace your own children with threats of hellfire and damnation, and I won't tolerate it anymore (she's been doing this for 15 years, ever since I came out of the closet). I sent it off, and heard nothing. At that point, I knew that they would wait until graduation and then try to get a rise out of me.
And that's exactly what they did. Literally the day before my school's commencement, both parents texted me. They said that they're praying for me, and the person who gave birth to me went so far as to say, "My absence isn't a vengeful move, but a way to protect myself from more possible heartache. I hope that the day will soon come when we have a healthy respectful relationship.", which I take as her trying to turn the tables and make me the bad guy in this whole ordeal.
I'm just so tired of them. I'm tired of thatcult family, and I'm tired of having to earn their love. I just did something that is pretty damn awesome, and I knew that they would try to make it all about them. I'm so tired of doing all of the emotional labor to keep any semblance of a relationship alive, when it was their fucking job to love me and take care of me, a job which they thoroughly abandoned.
And it still hurts. I still missed them, and I still wanted them to be there, because unlike my other friends and classmates, they were my world because of homeschooling. I just want to go no contact, but both of them are elderly at this point, and I still have a smidgen of hope that they'll see the errors of their way and we'll have some sort of sappy reconciliation. But rationally, I know they'll never see me in any way that matters. As a random aside, I don't know where this whole hellfire and damnation bullshit comes from. We weren't raised to believe in predestination or anything of that nature, and I was baptized years ago, but somehow, the fact that I'm not a Bible thumping putz must mean that I'm on the path to damnation.
I don't really know where to go from here. Like I said, part of me still wants a relationship with them, and the other part of me knows that, after 15 years of me being out of the closet as Queer, nothing is going to change because they love Jeebus more than they care about me. I think I might just end up going no contact and writing them a letter to explain why (somewhat ironic to be sure), but at least that would be a nice way to punctuate it all. I just don't understand how my inlaws, who are also really religious, accept and love me, but the people who brought me into this world turn their backs on me so easily.
FYI: For younger folks, this is an example of it gets better, but not always easier. If your family/parents are acting up about your choices, you're probably moving in the right direction.
submitted by Challenger2060 to HomeschoolRecovery [link] [comments]
Unlike in the past, I wrote her a letter back and told her that what she said was spiritual abuse, that you don't menace your own children with threats of hellfire and damnation, and I won't tolerate it anymore (she's been doing this for 15 years, ever since I came out of the closet). I sent it off, and heard nothing. At that point, I knew that they would wait until graduation and then try to get a rise out of me.
And that's exactly what they did. Literally the day before my school's commencement, both parents texted me. They said that they're praying for me, and the person who gave birth to me went so far as to say, "My absence isn't a vengeful move, but a way to protect myself from more possible heartache. I hope that the day will soon come when we have a healthy respectful relationship.", which I take as her trying to turn the tables and make me the bad guy in this whole ordeal.
I'm just so tired of them. I'm tired of that
And it still hurts. I still missed them, and I still wanted them to be there, because unlike my other friends and classmates, they were my world because of homeschooling. I just want to go no contact, but both of them are elderly at this point, and I still have a smidgen of hope that they'll see the errors of their way and we'll have some sort of sappy reconciliation. But rationally, I know they'll never see me in any way that matters. As a random aside, I don't know where this whole hellfire and damnation bullshit comes from. We weren't raised to believe in predestination or anything of that nature, and I was baptized years ago, but somehow, the fact that I'm not a Bible thumping putz must mean that I'm on the path to damnation.
I don't really know where to go from here. Like I said, part of me still wants a relationship with them, and the other part of me knows that, after 15 years of me being out of the closet as Queer, nothing is going to change because they love Jeebus more than they care about me. I think I might just end up going no contact and writing them a letter to explain why (somewhat ironic to be sure), but at least that would be a nice way to punctuate it all. I just don't understand how my inlaws, who are also really religious, accept and love me, but the people who brought me into this world turn their backs on me so easily.
FYI: For younger folks, this is an example of it gets better, but not always easier. If your family/parents are acting up about your choices, you're probably moving in the right direction.
2024.05.20 22:51 JT5224 Question for VA Raters / Claim Developers out there. Please Opine on this post about Organizing Claims before the Veteran uploads to the VA.
Someone in the past posted this on Reddit when it comes to organizing claims before upload:
"What I do is collect all the evidence (doctor’s notes, diagnosis, treatment records, personal logs, personal statement, buddy letters, DBQs, nexus letters, etc.) and create a single pdf file. My personal statement appears on page 1 of the pdf. In that statement, I explain what I am claiming, why, and how it has impacted my life. Then, I list all the evidence (table of contents style) at the end of the personal statement. I then go online and file the appropriate form for the type of claim, then I upload the single pdf file as evidence. I believe this makes it easier for VA evaluators and raters to review and quickly locate what they need in order to follow their process efficiently."
Is this true VA Raters or Developers?
I asked my VSO about this, and she said;
"What you have to understand is VA is all electronic now. Their program separates uploaded documents / items by conditions and subjects.
The Developers will work the claim based on the evidence of record. They will not go by a cover sheet or outline as suggested above since it is not a VA form, but an actual document. If the VA had a form that the computer program could recognize I am sure the Developers/Raters would either love it or hate it (job security)."
I was going to upload a Personal Statement, VA Form VBA-21-4138, with an outline attached to that PDF covering all my conditions, each nexus letter, each DBQ, each supporting evidence, and more. I do not believe the VA has advanced A.I. that can read documents, sort them, and then couple them together; just my 0.02 at least.
If I upload 1 PDF, with the first page being a VBA-21-4138, inside the personal statement, put an outline covering the pages of the PDF that has the Condition Statement, Diagnosis, Nexus, DBQ, and supporting evidence that would HAVE to be better for a rater to go through each. Right?
This is why I am posting this, asking any Raters or developers for their opinions.
submitted by JT5224 to VeteransBenefits [link] [comments]
"What I do is collect all the evidence (doctor’s notes, diagnosis, treatment records, personal logs, personal statement, buddy letters, DBQs, nexus letters, etc.) and create a single pdf file. My personal statement appears on page 1 of the pdf. In that statement, I explain what I am claiming, why, and how it has impacted my life. Then, I list all the evidence (table of contents style) at the end of the personal statement. I then go online and file the appropriate form for the type of claim, then I upload the single pdf file as evidence. I believe this makes it easier for VA evaluators and raters to review and quickly locate what they need in order to follow their process efficiently."
Is this true VA Raters or Developers?
I asked my VSO about this, and she said;
"What you have to understand is VA is all electronic now. Their program separates uploaded documents / items by conditions and subjects.
The Developers will work the claim based on the evidence of record. They will not go by a cover sheet or outline as suggested above since it is not a VA form, but an actual document. If the VA had a form that the computer program could recognize I am sure the Developers/Raters would either love it or hate it (job security)."
I was going to upload a Personal Statement, VA Form VBA-21-4138, with an outline attached to that PDF covering all my conditions, each nexus letter, each DBQ, each supporting evidence, and more. I do not believe the VA has advanced A.I. that can read documents, sort them, and then couple them together; just my 0.02 at least.
If I upload 1 PDF, with the first page being a VBA-21-4138, inside the personal statement, put an outline covering the pages of the PDF that has the Condition Statement, Diagnosis, Nexus, DBQ, and supporting evidence that would HAVE to be better for a rater to go through each. Right?
This is why I am posting this, asking any Raters or developers for their opinions.
2024.05.20 21:29 horselover_gyatt Death and Taxes
The daily dose of pornoslop played on, the moans ricocheting off of his blocky skull which was too preoccupied by a string of the day’s worries.
Credit card overdue payment rent past due work too starts too early blood sugar too high IQ too low.
Most of the worries were made reality manifest by a string of unread notifications, omens sent directly by the invisible hand itself. Smooth and sinewy like his own palm it was abstracted from real life, only callused by pressing buttons.
But the invisible hand was on a losing streak. It was getting some kind of GMO cheeto corn product dusted gamer rage for being unable to manipulate the downtrodden, broken, bugged out NPC. “Pay, up loser” it screamed. The threats were closer than ever before, but never less unreal. Handcrafted eviction notices, cryptic phone calls from shifty lenders, recruitment letters from the army. Uneasy, but unworried, the threats were realer than him at this point; they had to live with him, but he refused to exist in their world. His credit score was 410, but he felt it to be less than 0. His bank account was negative; to him it was monopoly money — to spend it would entail going outside —being — an act he had long grown tired of.
He pawwed past the onslaught of social credit infractions, trying to focus on the boobs, the plot, his chummy manhood, anything that could provide a lapse. His whole life was a lapse in the wheels of progress, a bug on the windshield of a crazy bullet train. Dopamine depleted, restlessly apathetic he scanned the screen for something, anything different that wouldn’t require too much of his withered attention.
He opened and close tab after tab, ready to start but not to do. youtube onlyfans tik tok instagam reddit twitter, typing automatically the words seared into his hands. He couldn’t control them, it was all muscle memory. Eventually he found himself scrolling through a “forbidden” video playlist, surely for only two outliers demographics: the numbly depraved and the depravingly numb. The former watches them because they’re compelled to, the latter because why not. The cursed algorithm, trained on God knows what horrors to serve this outcome, had surely delivered. For at least 1 and a half hours of car crash compilations, his mind was like the audio on a dashcam, absolutely silent. But it was not enough to stave off the rest insomnia that kept him uneased.
He darted video to video looking for something, anything that was nothing in particular. Bleary eyed, tired, and high strung, something had piqued his inquiet interest. Suicide speedrun compliation. It had been on his mind for a while, despite the content he consumed day in day out dancing around the matter. Too taboo, more of that means less eyes on a screen. This video: a real showstopper, something that could keep his hands busy for at least a few minutes. Perhaps he had just found a way to shush the shackling slog of time.
A flurry of choppily edited cuts projected not on, but into his eyes. Forbidden knowledge passed on through the ages by wisened cowards, depressed dreamers too pathetic to commit to the act like the characters on the screen. Shot after shot of desperate narration mostly in the more shady languages from the global down and out. They walked so he could run. He tried to guess which the next would be? Gunshot, bathtub, concrete cannonball? He was finally keeping himself busy. His mind pacified, but his thumbs still twiddling. Eventually they found their way to the sheet he was wrapped in, one of the only furnishings in his squalid abode — usually used as a table cloth for his delivery box coffee table.
Fidgeting, staring at the screen, something stirred in him. The desperate souls all seemed so unreal, but in a manner much different than his pending obligations— less of a forgotten nightmare, more of a deja vu. The videos got shorter and shorter. More and more brutal, more shodilly recorded. It took a while to decipher what exactly was happening, making the realization hit harder. He had surely reached the dark side of the algorithm, some kind of demon numerology rising out of the bits and bytes that were all but foreign to his simpleton shattered mind. The angel of death itself rising out his router in the form of cancerous 5G waves.
The video went through a lull, and in that moment he had disengaged, realizing that his hands had stopped fidgeting. They were holding his bedsheet, in the shape of a noose. He almost thought nothing of it, like tying a shoe. He cursed his lame attention span for interrupting the daze. If this video couldn’t get his mind off things, nothing could. He had to step in.
He fastened the reaper’s bowtie against his neck, tightening the knot like a good scout. The content picked up speed. Shot for shot soul after lost soul he tightened the slack. The invisible hand had played rough, choked him too hard, gone too far. It served up something too forbidden, eyes slammed open are great for business but begets the risk of them recoiling wide shut forever. Now it will pay with the price it had put on him.
Free at last, he felt a sense of relief long forgotten as the content reached its climax. The light faded as he pushed on his pressure points, giving himself a stork factory reset. A sacrifice not to the market, but to nothing. One last fuck you to his debtors, creditors, and imagined critics. Muscles limp, he could feel the spirits of his digital compatriots in mortal coil base jumping pulling him away, far away from the computer, away from the akathisia that haunted his unfortunate chassis, away from any worries past and future.
Closing time, the lights were almost out, but there was one more customer brimming with entitled rage. The invisible hand, too proud to be mocked even by death, commandeered his screen. The broadcast was interrupted by an advertisement. Thus began an arm wrestle between it and the reaper. Death versus undead capital, demise against demiurge.
etc
submitted by horselover_gyatt to RSwritingclub [link] [comments]
Credit card overdue payment rent past due work too starts too early blood sugar too high IQ too low.
Most of the worries were made reality manifest by a string of unread notifications, omens sent directly by the invisible hand itself. Smooth and sinewy like his own palm it was abstracted from real life, only callused by pressing buttons.
But the invisible hand was on a losing streak. It was getting some kind of GMO cheeto corn product dusted gamer rage for being unable to manipulate the downtrodden, broken, bugged out NPC. “Pay, up loser” it screamed. The threats were closer than ever before, but never less unreal. Handcrafted eviction notices, cryptic phone calls from shifty lenders, recruitment letters from the army. Uneasy, but unworried, the threats were realer than him at this point; they had to live with him, but he refused to exist in their world. His credit score was 410, but he felt it to be less than 0. His bank account was negative; to him it was monopoly money — to spend it would entail going outside —being — an act he had long grown tired of.
He pawwed past the onslaught of social credit infractions, trying to focus on the boobs, the plot, his chummy manhood, anything that could provide a lapse. His whole life was a lapse in the wheels of progress, a bug on the windshield of a crazy bullet train. Dopamine depleted, restlessly apathetic he scanned the screen for something, anything different that wouldn’t require too much of his withered attention.
He opened and close tab after tab, ready to start but not to do. youtube onlyfans tik tok instagam reddit twitter, typing automatically the words seared into his hands. He couldn’t control them, it was all muscle memory. Eventually he found himself scrolling through a “forbidden” video playlist, surely for only two outliers demographics: the numbly depraved and the depravingly numb. The former watches them because they’re compelled to, the latter because why not. The cursed algorithm, trained on God knows what horrors to serve this outcome, had surely delivered. For at least 1 and a half hours of car crash compilations, his mind was like the audio on a dashcam, absolutely silent. But it was not enough to stave off the rest insomnia that kept him uneased.
He darted video to video looking for something, anything that was nothing in particular. Bleary eyed, tired, and high strung, something had piqued his inquiet interest. Suicide speedrun compliation. It had been on his mind for a while, despite the content he consumed day in day out dancing around the matter. Too taboo, more of that means less eyes on a screen. This video: a real showstopper, something that could keep his hands busy for at least a few minutes. Perhaps he had just found a way to shush the shackling slog of time.
A flurry of choppily edited cuts projected not on, but into his eyes. Forbidden knowledge passed on through the ages by wisened cowards, depressed dreamers too pathetic to commit to the act like the characters on the screen. Shot after shot of desperate narration mostly in the more shady languages from the global down and out. They walked so he could run. He tried to guess which the next would be? Gunshot, bathtub, concrete cannonball? He was finally keeping himself busy. His mind pacified, but his thumbs still twiddling. Eventually they found their way to the sheet he was wrapped in, one of the only furnishings in his squalid abode — usually used as a table cloth for his delivery box coffee table.
Fidgeting, staring at the screen, something stirred in him. The desperate souls all seemed so unreal, but in a manner much different than his pending obligations— less of a forgotten nightmare, more of a deja vu. The videos got shorter and shorter. More and more brutal, more shodilly recorded. It took a while to decipher what exactly was happening, making the realization hit harder. He had surely reached the dark side of the algorithm, some kind of demon numerology rising out of the bits and bytes that were all but foreign to his simpleton shattered mind. The angel of death itself rising out his router in the form of cancerous 5G waves.
The video went through a lull, and in that moment he had disengaged, realizing that his hands had stopped fidgeting. They were holding his bedsheet, in the shape of a noose. He almost thought nothing of it, like tying a shoe. He cursed his lame attention span for interrupting the daze. If this video couldn’t get his mind off things, nothing could. He had to step in.
He fastened the reaper’s bowtie against his neck, tightening the knot like a good scout. The content picked up speed. Shot for shot soul after lost soul he tightened the slack. The invisible hand had played rough, choked him too hard, gone too far. It served up something too forbidden, eyes slammed open are great for business but begets the risk of them recoiling wide shut forever. Now it will pay with the price it had put on him.
Free at last, he felt a sense of relief long forgotten as the content reached its climax. The light faded as he pushed on his pressure points, giving himself a stork factory reset. A sacrifice not to the market, but to nothing. One last fuck you to his debtors, creditors, and imagined critics. Muscles limp, he could feel the spirits of his digital compatriots in mortal coil base jumping pulling him away, far away from the computer, away from the akathisia that haunted his unfortunate chassis, away from any worries past and future.
Closing time, the lights were almost out, but there was one more customer brimming with entitled rage. The invisible hand, too proud to be mocked even by death, commandeered his screen. The broadcast was interrupted by an advertisement. Thus began an arm wrestle between it and the reaper. Death versus undead capital, demise against demiurge.
etc
2024.05.20 20:33 Traditional-Seat9437 Help with Database Function/Trigger and Regex
Hi all,
I have a username column in my table and want to limit the string to only letters, numbers, and underscores (aka no special characters, punctuation, dashes, etc)
The front-end validation I can handle, but struggling a bit to use regex inside of a Database function to match the pattern. I want to reject the INSERT if a user tries to submit a username with invalid characters
Any help/insights much appreciated
submitted by Traditional-Seat9437 to Supabase [link] [comments]
I have a username column in my table and want to limit the string to only letters, numbers, and underscores (aka no special characters, punctuation, dashes, etc)
The front-end validation I can handle, but struggling a bit to use regex inside of a Database function to match the pattern. I want to reject the INSERT if a user tries to submit a username with invalid characters
Any help/insights much appreciated
2024.05.20 20:17 DiscoverDurham Things to do in Durham this week!
If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Discovery Paddle at Eno River
2 p.m.
Board Game Night at The Glass Jug in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Silent Book Club at DSSOLVR Durham
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
We Still Skating Adult Skate Class at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Monsoon at Rubies on Five Points
Thomas Taylor's Third Tuesday Jam: The Music of Dizzy Gillespie at Sharp 9 Gallery
6 p.m.
Queer Talent Show at Arcana
Pints & Pups at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Dancing With The Carolina Stars Fundraiser at The Carolina Theatre
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
King Trivia Tuesdays at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Eloquent Soul - Open Mic Night hosted by Dasan Ahanu at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
Julia Holter at Motorco Music Hall
Film Screening — "Temple Grandin" at Durham County Main Library
3 p.m.
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
Seeing Without Eyes: Walking the Tightrope between Doubt and Belief at Rhine Research Center ~ Online
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
"Take Tea Like a Bridgerton" Experience at JB Duke Hotel
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
My Hero Academia TCG Girl Power Prerelease at Atomic Empire
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Queer Country Night w/ Line Dancing + Country Karaoke at The Pinhook
10 p.m.
World Goth Day All Vinyl Dance Party at Rubies on Five Points
Taking Back Thursday: Mysti Mayhem at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Botany Spotlight: Bamboo at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Night Market at American Tobacco Campus
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
5:30 p.m.
World Turtle Day Celebration at Piedmont Wildlife Center
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Dyke Night and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Dungeons n' Drafts at DSSOLVR Durham
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
“Rhythms of the Rumba” Dance Class at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Sacred Traditions: Exploring African-Based Spirituality at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
DIY Charcuterie Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Sound Bath at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church
Summer Jazz Jam (Curated by Al Strong) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Periodic Tables: Beyond HIPAA – Mental Health Apps, Health Data, And Privacy at Motorco Music Hall
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Megayacht / Hypnic Jerk at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
Food Truck Friday at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
Friday Night Live: Emily Musolino at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Jo & Lee Tarot with Emily at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
Yonder at The Blue Note Grill
The Patio Dance Parties : Clueless Fridays at Unscripted Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Negativland + Sue-C Present "We Can Really Feel Like We're Here" at Motorco Music Hall
Tim Wells & Les Bons Temps — Cajun Dance Party at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Recital: Spring Star-tacular at Barriskill Dance Theatre School
Members-Only Rose` Party at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Keith Waters/Jon Metzger Quartet at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
Karaoke! at Fullsteam Brewery
9 p.m.
Hush Hush at Mettlesome
Leo Album Release Party! at Moon Dog Meadery
Lip Sync 4 Ur Life + PHK Karaoke at The Pinhook
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
9:30 a.m.
Women's Introduction to Standup Paddleboarding at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Party for the Planet at Museum of Life and Science
Flower Portraits at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
3 p.m.
Taste of Soul NC at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Mystic Medieval Knights at Mystic Farm & Distillery
5 p.m.
Opening Reception - Renzo Ortega "Acts of Serenity" at Craven Allen Gallery
6 p.m.
Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
Doodle Jam at Lonerider Distillery and Taproom
6:30 p.m.
Blackhawk Quintet at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
The Lofi Lounge at American Underground
7:15 p.m.
Sunset Float at Falls Lake
7:30 p.m.
Full Moon Fever Bike Ride at American Tobacco Trail
Recital: Spring Star-tacular at Barriskill Dance Theatre School
MOSS: Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, Jo Lawry, Kate McGarry at Sharp 9 Gallery
9 p.m.
Blackhawk Quintet at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Boston 168 at The Fruit
10 p.m.
House of Black Dance Party at The Pinhook
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
11 a.m.
Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park
12 p.m.
One Piece TCG Tournament at Atomic Empire
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
2 p.m.
Soul Sunday w/ DJ Soul at Congress Social Bar
Hammered Trivia with Casey at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Hillandale Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
4 p.m.
IAR Adopt-a-Dog Fundraiser at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Sweet Tea: A Sunday Tea Dance Presented by Stormie Daie! at The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge
5:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
6 p.m.
Ann Arader and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Beloved Presents: Innerworlds at Rubies on Five Points
submitted by DiscoverDurham to bullcity [link] [comments]
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Noteworthy Events
The Lion King at DPAC- Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway.
- Wed, May 15 - Sun, June 9
- $29.50+
- Tue, May 21 - Sun, May 26
- $10+
- Every Friday night head up to the rooftop at Unscripted Durham to swim, dance, and gather with throwback 90's jams and killer cocktails.
- 6-10 p.m.
- Rooftop is 21+
- Free admission
- Food & Merchant Vendor Rodeo happening at Durham Central Park.
- There will be something for everyone including a DJ, bounce houses and axe throwing.
- Sat, May 25
- 3-8 p.m.
- Free admission
- Enjoy this monthly series featuring new bands every month from Oak City Music Collective, 45+ local vendors, food trucks, workshops by Joy Worthy Co, beewine/bubbly from The Glass Jug and more!
- Sun, May 26
- 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Free admission
- Take your holiday long weekend to the next level with performances inside and out by Alex Thee Rabbit, Santos, G-Clef, and Stormie herself — featuring beats by Jorden The DJ.
- Sun, May 26
- 4-6 p.m.
- 21+ event
- Free admission
Multi-Day Events
Historic Buildings Open House at West Point on the Eno Park- Enjoy a look inside the historic McCown-Mangum House, Photography Museum, and Mill.
- Sat, May 25 and Sun, May 26
- 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Free admission
- Ponyo
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- The Searchers & 3:10 to Yuma
- Dawn of the Dead
- The Best Years of Our Lives
Monday, May 20
9:30 a.m.Discovery Paddle at Eno River
2 p.m.
Board Game Night at The Glass Jug in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Silent Book Club at DSSOLVR Durham
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
We Still Skating Adult Skate Class at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Monsoon at Rubies on Five Points
Tuesday, May 21
Events at Boxyard RTP- 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Boxyard Run Club
- 6-7:45 p.m. - Music Bingo
- 6-7 p.m. - Book Club: Genre Challenge
- 12-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Bull City Beer Runners Run Club
- 5:45-6:30 p.m. - Community Fitness Classes with YMCA
- 6-8 p.m. - Music Bingo
- 6-8 p.m. - The Glass Jog Run Club
- 6-9 p.m. - Stitch & Sip
Thomas Taylor's Third Tuesday Jam: The Music of Dizzy Gillespie at Sharp 9 Gallery
6 p.m.
Queer Talent Show at Arcana
Pints & Pups at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Dancing With The Carolina Stars Fundraiser at The Carolina Theatre
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
King Trivia Tuesdays at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Eloquent Soul - Open Mic Night hosted by Dasan Ahanu at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
Julia Holter at Motorco Music Hall
Wednesday, May 22
Events at Boxcar Bar + Arcade- 7-9 p.m. - Monthly Pinball Tournament
- 8-10 p.m. - Air Hockey Tournament
- 12-2 p.m. - Hear & There: Daniel Delorenzo
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Game Night
- 7-8 p.m. - Signature Wine Tasting
- 7-8:30 p.m. - Laughs Comedy Night
Film Screening — "Temple Grandin" at Durham County Main Library
3 p.m.
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
Seeing Without Eyes: Walking the Tightrope between Doubt and Belief at Rhine Research Center ~ Online
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
"Take Tea Like a Bridgerton" Experience at JB Duke Hotel
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
My Hero Academia TCG Girl Power Prerelease at Atomic Empire
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Queer Country Night w/ Line Dancing + Country Karaoke at The Pinhook
10 p.m.
World Goth Day All Vinyl Dance Party at Rubies on Five Points
Thursday, May 23
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company- 12-8 p.m. -Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
Taking Back Thursday: Mysti Mayhem at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Botany Spotlight: Bamboo at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Night Market at American Tobacco Campus
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
5:30 p.m.
World Turtle Day Celebration at Piedmont Wildlife Center
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Dyke Night and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Dungeons n' Drafts at DSSOLVR Durham
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
“Rhythms of the Rumba” Dance Class at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Sacred Traditions: Exploring African-Based Spirituality at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
DIY Charcuterie Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Sound Bath at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church
Summer Jazz Jam (Curated by Al Strong) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Periodic Tables: Beyond HIPAA – Mental Health Apps, Health Data, And Privacy at Motorco Music Hall
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Megayacht / Hypnic Jerk at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Friday, May 24
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company- 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Weizzie's Country Kitchen
- 8-11 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
Food Truck Friday at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
Friday Night Live: Emily Musolino at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Jo & Lee Tarot with Emily at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
Yonder at The Blue Note Grill
The Patio Dance Parties : Clueless Fridays at Unscripted Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Negativland + Sue-C Present "We Can Really Feel Like We're Here" at Motorco Music Hall
Tim Wells & Les Bons Temps — Cajun Dance Party at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Recital: Spring Star-tacular at Barriskill Dance Theatre School
Members-Only Rose` Party at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Keith Waters/Jon Metzger Quartet at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
Karaoke! at Fullsteam Brewery
9 p.m.
Hush Hush at Mettlesome
Leo Album Release Party! at Moon Dog Meadery
Lip Sync 4 Ur Life + PHK Karaoke at The Pinhook
Saturday, May 25
Events at Atomic Empire- 11 a.m. - Kings of War GT: Carolina Cryptid 2024
- 5:30 p.m. - Flesh and Blood: Part the Mistveil Prerelease
- 10-11 a.m. - Drag Story Hour
- 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: DJ k.ward
- 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Disco Differences: PopUp
- 12-2 p.m. - Cartoon Artist Pop-Up
- 1-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Lobster Dogs
- 1-6 p.m. - Art Day!
- Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.
- 7:30-8 p.m. - Bull City Press Presents
- 8-9 p.m. - Golden Age
- 9-10:30 p.m. - Secret Society Showcase
- 1-2 p.m. - Improv Jam
- 8-11 p.m. - A Metal Show: Bunker Hill Bloodbath, No Falks Given, Demiurge, Alpha Strain
- 8 p.m. - 12 a.m. - Outside: CoLaB on Fire
- 3 p.m. - CHHS Mini-55th with the Reunion Band
- 7:30 p.m. - 8-Track Minds
- 2 p.m. - Downtown Durham Walking Tour
- 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
- 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
9:30 a.m.
Women's Introduction to Standup Paddleboarding at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Party for the Planet at Museum of Life and Science
Flower Portraits at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
3 p.m.
Taste of Soul NC at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Mystic Medieval Knights at Mystic Farm & Distillery
5 p.m.
Opening Reception - Renzo Ortega "Acts of Serenity" at Craven Allen Gallery
6 p.m.
Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
Doodle Jam at Lonerider Distillery and Taproom
6:30 p.m.
Blackhawk Quintet at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
The Lofi Lounge at American Underground
7:15 p.m.
Sunset Float at Falls Lake
7:30 p.m.
Full Moon Fever Bike Ride at American Tobacco Trail
Recital: Spring Star-tacular at Barriskill Dance Theatre School
MOSS: Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, Jo Lawry, Kate McGarry at Sharp 9 Gallery
9 p.m.
Blackhawk Quintet at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Boston 168 at The Fruit
10 p.m.
House of Black Dance Party at The Pinhook
Sunday, May 26
10 a.m.Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
11 a.m.
Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park
12 p.m.
One Piece TCG Tournament at Atomic Empire
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
2 p.m.
Soul Sunday w/ DJ Soul at Congress Social Bar
Hammered Trivia with Casey at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Hillandale Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
4 p.m.
IAR Adopt-a-Dog Fundraiser at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Sweet Tea: A Sunday Tea Dance Presented by Stormie Daie! at The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge
5:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Memphis at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
6 p.m.
Ann Arader and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Beloved Presents: Innerworlds at Rubies on Five Points
Running Art Exhibits
Constellations: 40 Years of Explorations within Sacred Geometry by Steven Ferlauto at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends- Sacred Geometry is an ancient field of physics whose equations are expressed through shape. Shape is a way to explore the universal fabric of our existence.
- Sat, May 4 - Sat, June 1
- Free admission
- The Divine Nine Legacy Memoir delves deep into the history of the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) or "Divine Nine," a collective of nine Greek Letter organizations founded on May 10th, 1930.
- These organizations were born out of the necessity to provide a voice for Black American students within the collegiate space. United by principles of service, community, brotherhood, and sisterhood, the Divine Nine work collectively to uplift society through acts of service to underserved areas across the nation.
- Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, June 1
- Free admission
- It Ain’t All Black and White is a photography exhibition that encourages us to consider emotions such as serenity, apprehension, yearning, and more.
- Captured by 11 dynamic photographers dedicated to documenting the fullness and complexity of Black life, this exhibition offers each of us an opportunity to see ourselves with renewed attention.
- Thu, Apr 25 - Sun, June 2
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold is a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance.
- Thu, Feb 15 - Sun, Jun 9
- Every week, Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
- Free admission
- 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham invites you to appreciate Chapel Hill artist Ley Killeya's engaging exhibition featuring vibrant and thought-provoking paintings, exploring themes of identity, belonging, vulnerability, and acceptance, particularly for people from marginalized communities.
- Fri, May 17 - Sat, June 15
- Free admission
- Counterpoints is a curated showcase of local AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) artists, delving into the convergence of AAPI identity and mental health. Inspired by the intricate layers of musical counterpoint, its purpose is to weave together diverse narratives and confront the stigma surrounding mental health within our communities.
- Wed, May 1 - Sun, June 16
- Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
2024.05.20 19:36 PepperAntique Rebirth. Relearn. Return. (14/?)
Previous
Writer's Note: Meant to post this last week, but work got busy. Probably gonna be another chapter later this week.
As for the story, well, even old dudes have back stories.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joey did what he could to stay as calm as he could as he and Nesvee walked through the streets of the city.
For the first time since coming to this world he actually LOOKED like a mage. Well... minus a few fun dressup sessions when James had taken him shopping for clothes. He couldn't help but try on some robes and things at the time. But both James and the tailors had assured him that most mages didn't actually dress like that. Most dressed like either craftsmen, like Miss Veliry, or else simply dressed like nobles since their endeavors usually earned them good pay. Ekron fell into the latter group.
But Joey looked more like a D&D version of a mage or wizard.
Maybe a blade singer or something? He mused as his thoughts lingered on the rapier in his belt.
The outfit wasn't bad. He wore a long cloak of dark blue, with bits of dark green and light blue embroidery. It had a built in veil that went over his face. The whole thing was enchanted to conceal his magical nature even more intensely than the neck and wrist restraints had, and he was wearing those too. The veil and hood were both enchanted to conceal his antlers and obscure his face.
He looked like a technicolor wraith of some kind.
Even Nesvee had been unnerved by his appearance when he'd left his room wearing it.
That discomfort had quickly been dispelled when they'd gone more than twenty minutes without anyone giving him more than a passing glance.
"So the old man has a list of stuff he needs and where to get them." Nesvee said as she looked at the little notebook he'd given her. "As well as one person to seek out for a bit of assistance?" She said, questioning the last bit.
He looked at her curiously, forgetting that she couldn't see his face behind the veil.
"Some... Garthan... person." She said as she looked at the notes. "At a place called the... um... Tinnetha's Rest.... Says it's east of the lab by about six miles. Near the bar district." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"What else?" Joey asked, eager to simply get the day's tasks over with.
"Mostly just bits and pieces here and there." She replied. "Things he thinks will help with figuring out how to help you."
Joey nodded, making sure to exaggerate it a bit as he did so she would notice, then the two of them set off into the city.
Now that he had managed to calm down, and also wasn't being given any more attention than the occasional passing glance, Joey was able to take in the city of Ospiele with a more critical eye.
Initially he'd thought the city was in shambles. Their journey through the city over the course of the day did nothing to dispel that fact. But he did begin to notice things that gave him reason to think that there was a method to the madness.
For starters the sector of the city that they'd entered, and where Ekron's lab/home were located, seemed to be the only area devoted to dedicated mage laboratories. These buildings ranged from druidic (he assumed) forest groves that frequently spilled into their neighbors' lots, to almost Earth-like office-looking buildings. They also seemed to have been color coded based on their owner's magical proclivities. More than a few times magical outbursts would occur, causing passersby to rush out of the way of anything happening. For red buildings this was usually bursts of flame. For blue buildings it was usually sprays of water or ice. And for one incredibly dirty brown building the outburst actually took the form of half of the building rising several feet unexpectedly, breaking away from the other half with quite a bit of damage. The hastily nailed down boards and tiles spoke to this being a common occurrence.
One building had Cobalt Legion guards stationed outside of it, and people walking past made a point of walking in the street instead of walking on the path in front of it.
That building had been painted black, with subtle bits of red and green in some places.
At his questioning Nesvee explained that she'd noticed the same trend, and that upon questioning it Ekron had explained it was intentional. The Lord of the city, whom they'd met the day before, had required that the labs have their owner's specialties and focuses be easily identified by the city guard. This was so that they could know how to respond, and who to blame, if something went wrong that they needed to respond to.
This made the quiet grey and white coloration of Ekron's lab curious to Joey. He wondered if it was because the elder mage primarily focused on enchanting, and as such worked with more than one magic style.
When they got roughly three miles from the lab they encountered a check point of sorts. The guards there, more of the so-called Cobalt Legion, asked a few questions. Nesvee showed them a letter that explained they worked for Ekron and were simply going for supplies. Then they were allowed through.
On the other side of the check point the city almost looked normal. In fact if it weren't for the difference in architecture, which favored stone construction over lumber, Joey could've been convinced he was back in the Petravian capital.
Well, the architecture and the overabundance of magic users and enchanted items being used in every building they passed. Even in his current magical condition Joey could sense the overwhelming flow of magic. And almost everything that was being used seemed more advanced than in Petravus.
They passed a bakery where the goods were placed on a tray that was then placed on a conveyor belt. The belt then passed them between too sheets of metal that would slowly grow brighter and brighter red until the pastries and breads emerged from the other side. At that point the pan they were on would glow blue while vibrating noisily, cooling itself and also un-sticking the the foods cooked onto it before they could solidify. Then the tray would fall off the conveyor belt and slide into a display case where an employee was ready to take orders.
Don't remember anything that fancy even in the King's castle. Joey thought as they moved past.
"Hungry?" Nesvee asked. "Just wait until you see the shops up ahead." She added. "There's this place selling these new sandwiches from your neck of the woods in Petravus. They called them Hand Bulgers. The dwarf running it has a machine that mixes the meat and then another that shapes it into disks before he throws them on a grill."
"You mean hamburgers?" Joey asked, surprised to even hear of burgers this far from Petravus. Though he knew that the restaurant James had introduced them too in the capital had become insanely popular.
Nesvee shook her head. "No they're definitely hand bulgers."
She couldn't see it but Joey's face scrunched at that.
"Round shaped meat disk between round bread buns?" He asked. "Veggies and cheese and stuff in it too?" She nodded. "That's definitely a cheeseburger." He corrected her.
"Noooot according to the guy running the place." She countered.
"Well he's wrong." Joey assured her. "I would know. I'm FROM Petravus where they came from."
"Well you can tell him that yourself if you're willing to wait an hour to get through the line." She replied.
"I... think I'll pass." He said, still annoyed.
They passed a tavern, at which a few of the Cobalt Legion were resting. They had their helmets off and were enjoying beers and wine, along with something that looked suspiciously like bowls of ramen, or maybe udon.
Can't give James credit for THAT recipe.
He was surprised to learn that the people underneath the helmets looked both incredibly young, AND incredibly aged.
If he had to guess, he would've estimated the oldest of them as being no more than twenty five or so. And yet their eyes had bags under them, and haunted looks IN them. The men bore dark beard shadows and ALL of them had their hair cut incredibly short, including the few women.
In short, they reminded him of how a bunch of James's soldier friends looked when he'd met them a few times. Young, yet prematurely old.
He couldn't imagine what being both a soldieguard AND an anti-mage specialist in a city full of mages did to a person. But the faces he saw as they passed the tavern spoke to the weariness that duty put them through.
One of the guards looked at him curiously as he saw Joey's veiled and hooded head studying them. The guard was reaching for their helmet when the tavern server arrived and put a new round of drinks on their table.
Joey quickly looked away.
"I think that's the first stop." Nesvee said as she nudged his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. She was pointing at a sign with a drawing of some gemstones and a monocle on it. She held up the notepad and looked at it again. "Yeah. There's a few crystal types on here." She confirmed. "Plus a few things that I think MIGHT... be crystals. I don't know what Mordian ice is. But I figure that jeweler should know."
Joey nodded and followed her. Though he was fairly certain that Mordian Ice was a type of liquid. He wasn't 100% certain, but he thought he'd seen a jar with that name on it in Veliry's lab in Petravus.
And just like that, the two of them were shopping in earnest.
They didn't notice a somewhat pudgy looking man walking about twenty yards behind them. He occasionally stopped to inspect something from the shops they passed, and even bought a cheese filled pastry from the bakery Joey had noticed.
But he always kept the two shoppers in his sight, even if only out of the corner of his eye.
Ekron waved his hand, causing his front door to swing open smoothly and silently.
"Good afternoon Ravyn." He said as he poured a cup of tea and set it in front of the chair to his left. "Timely as always."
The large half orc woman walked in calmly as he put two scoops of sugar in the tea for her. Just like she preferred.
"I still need the enchantment that keeps your door from slamming when it does that." She said as she presented her hand to him. He kissed it lightly, as he always did when he saw his old coworker. She looekd back and smiled as the door also closed itself just as silently. "Mine always makes such a racket." She said as she sat in the indicated chair and sipped the tea. "Mmmmm. Still remember my preference eh?" She asked as she swept her silver hair back over her shoulder and behind her ear.
"Vatrian crimson. Two scoops." He said as she made herself comfortable. "How have you been dear?" He asked.
"Quite well." She replied. "Pan gave birth to my third grand daughter last month."
Ekron smiled curtly. "Congratulations." He said. "I remember her when she was still just a toddler on your hip."
"Those were the days weren't they." She said with a raise of her glass and a similar smile. "Now tell me. What are these rumors I hear of you walking in the company of a messenger?" She asked. "I assume that IS... why you requested me to come here."
Ekron nodded. "It is." He admitted. "Though they AREN'T a messenger."
Her eyebrow rose, and she was about to ask how he knew that. But she was interrupted.
BANG!
The front door slammed open, causing Ekron to chew on his upper lip in annoyance.
"Ekkie!!!"Morris Kestin exclaimed as he swaggered into the building with his arms up as if he was some kind of performer walking on stage. Then he made a point of looking around in an exaggerated manner. "Where's our little messenger friend?"
Ekron did NOT pour a cup of tea for his former teammate.
"I've told you SO many times now, NOT to call me that." Ekron said. "And by the gods, its a door not your ass in a bar where you owe money. There's no need to kick it that hard." He said as he waved it shut again.
"And apparently he ISN'T a messenger." Ravyn said slyly. "Good afternoon Morris."
"Ravyn dear." Kestin said as he gestured for her to hug him. She stood briefly and obliged him. Unlike Ekron she'd never had an issue with Kestin's overly friendly nature. "You let him drag you into this too?"
"The whole city is on edge with news of a messenger." She replied as she settled again. "You know full well why I can't just stay away from something like that. Especially when our friend here is right at the middle of it."
Kestin waggled a finger at her. "In your tea again?" He asked as he plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of the table they were sat at.
Ekron cringed as Ravyn's face soured. To the extent that she ever let it.
She held her cup of tea up as she rolled with the joke, which had been made at her expense.
"Not for a few more sips." She said. It was no secret that soothsayers like her had been struggling for the past decade or so as contact with the gods had faded out, and then essentially dropped off entirely.
"So." Kestin said as he reached across the table and helped himself to the tea. "Is HE... coming? I mean. You called me and Ravyn. Belga is... well... not here anymore. HE's the only one left yeah?"
Ekron nodded uncomfortably.
"He's about to knock on my door as we speak." Ekron said before taking a long sip of his own tea.
"No I'm not." A muted voice said from outside. "Just open the damned thing."
Ekron took a deep breath. Then waved his hand.
When he did, the Commander of the Cobalt Legion stepped into his home and stood awkwardly in the doorway to the meeting/dining room they were seated at. Like the others from before, his armor sparked and flared as it interacted with the magic of the building.
Even under the dark blue helmet it was obvious that they were staring at Ekron. And he stared right back.
Then after an uncomfortably long silence, the armored knight removed his helmet.
Ekron's clean-shaven doppelganger stared back at him as he beheld the face of his twin brother for the first time in over a decade.
"Good evening Lady Hardfate." He said, breaking the silence as he showed deference to one of the most powerful fortune tellers in the land. Then he rolled his eyes as he looked at Kestin. "Kestin." He said simply.
"Good afternoon Commander." Ravyn said with a soft smile.
The Commander of the Cobalt Legion didn't take the chair so clearly intended for him, opting to stand instead.
"If this is about your NOT-messenger test subject you could have saved me a trip little brother." The knight said with obvious annoyance. "I likely know more about him than you do at this point."
"Oooh." Kestin said, drawing a look of even more annoyance. "Sounds like Lord Tobin has his spies looking into him."
"That's Lord Mattis to you." The commander corrected.
Ekron rubbed at the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"He's a reincarnation... or... or a regeneration of some kind." He cut in.
The rest of them froze mid conversation to look at him in surprise.
"I suspect that whatever happened five and a half years ago in Petravus. Between the Hero and the vanishing blight." He continued. "I believe that whatever occurred... he died as a result. And now, by the grace of the gods, he's back."
"Impossible." Ravyn replied, surprising him. He'd expected that kind of reaction from his brother or Kestin, not her. "The gods are gone."
At that Kestin DID react.
"They're what?" The vagabond swordsman/mage asked.
She waved him away dismissively.
Ekron watched his brother's face intensely.
More specifically he watched how little that information surprised the stalwart man.
The two of them stared at each other as Ravyn and Kestin began to argue lightly with one another.
"Vann?" Ekron asked of his elder sibling. "I'm trying to help him. And prevent him from accidentally causing an international incident. Or a crisis of the faiths."
The other two silenced as they heard the quiet request.
"I've asked you three here to help me with that." Ekron continued. "Please tell me what you know."
Vann considered the not of pleading in his brother's voice as he looked at the others.
These were his closest friends. Or had been once upon a time. The remnants of their old dueling team, which had also doubled as an adventurer's party before he'd been accepted into the legion and started rising through the ranks.
He gritted his teeth a bit. He'd already been given explicit instructions by Lord Mattis.
"I can't tell you much." He said as he finally sat down. "But the Lord's people have come to... similar... conclusions." He admitted. "They're attempting to confirm that as we speak."
Ekron nodded, knowing that that was all he was getting.
"I need..." He said as he leaned forward in his seat. "I believe I'll need your help protecting him until we can figure out the truth about him. And whether or not his return is a good or bad sign from the gods."
Kestin pursed his lips. "You mean you're not dissecting him?" He asked. Ekron looked at him with annoyance. But that didn't make him feel as judged as Ravyn's expression did. "Fine." He said with his hands raised in mock surrender. "But you can tell your little bodyguard our deal's off."
Then they all turned as Vann spoke again.
"You know why I can't make that promise." He said simply. "If he IS who we suspect he is. Than he's a matter of National importance. And if it turns out that he IS... some kind of messenger or something. Then it becomes a religious matter." He tapped his finger on his helmet where it rested in front of him. "I have my duty Ek."
"And all I'm asking is that, until that duty requires otherwise, you and yours help protect him." Ekron countered.
Vann considered the request. But Ravyn spoke first.
"Why are you so invested in this one?" She asked.
"Because." Ekron replied, pointing at Kestin. "It's funny you mentioned Belga earlier." He said, causing all of them to look at him curiously. "He reminds me of her." He rolled his eyes as they all suddenly became uncomfortable. "Oh not like THAT." He reprimanded them. "But his mannerisms. His... I don't know. His temperament. I think that if she were still alive they would be kindred souls."
Vann looked down and away. They all knew the drama that had occurred between the two brothers on THAT matter. Hell, it was part of why he'd joined the legion.
Ravyn placed a hand on his arm before turning back to Ekron.
"If you think he's worth protecting." She said softly. "Then I'll help." She nodded a bit. "Besides, if the gods are affecting the world again then I need to know."
"If Ravyn's in, and if I can save some gold," Kestin weighed in. "then I'm in."
Ekron looked at his brother expectantly.
But Vann's face was as stern and unchanging as ever.
submitted by PepperAntique to GATEhouse [link] [comments]
Writer's Note: Meant to post this last week, but work got busy. Probably gonna be another chapter later this week.
As for the story, well, even old dudes have back stories.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joey did what he could to stay as calm as he could as he and Nesvee walked through the streets of the city.
For the first time since coming to this world he actually LOOKED like a mage. Well... minus a few fun dressup sessions when James had taken him shopping for clothes. He couldn't help but try on some robes and things at the time. But both James and the tailors had assured him that most mages didn't actually dress like that. Most dressed like either craftsmen, like Miss Veliry, or else simply dressed like nobles since their endeavors usually earned them good pay. Ekron fell into the latter group.
But Joey looked more like a D&D version of a mage or wizard.
Maybe a blade singer or something? He mused as his thoughts lingered on the rapier in his belt.
The outfit wasn't bad. He wore a long cloak of dark blue, with bits of dark green and light blue embroidery. It had a built in veil that went over his face. The whole thing was enchanted to conceal his magical nature even more intensely than the neck and wrist restraints had, and he was wearing those too. The veil and hood were both enchanted to conceal his antlers and obscure his face.
He looked like a technicolor wraith of some kind.
Even Nesvee had been unnerved by his appearance when he'd left his room wearing it.
That discomfort had quickly been dispelled when they'd gone more than twenty minutes without anyone giving him more than a passing glance.
"So the old man has a list of stuff he needs and where to get them." Nesvee said as she looked at the little notebook he'd given her. "As well as one person to seek out for a bit of assistance?" She said, questioning the last bit.
He looked at her curiously, forgetting that she couldn't see his face behind the veil.
"Some... Garthan... person." She said as she looked at the notes. "At a place called the... um... Tinnetha's Rest.... Says it's east of the lab by about six miles. Near the bar district." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"What else?" Joey asked, eager to simply get the day's tasks over with.
"Mostly just bits and pieces here and there." She replied. "Things he thinks will help with figuring out how to help you."
Joey nodded, making sure to exaggerate it a bit as he did so she would notice, then the two of them set off into the city.
Now that he had managed to calm down, and also wasn't being given any more attention than the occasional passing glance, Joey was able to take in the city of Ospiele with a more critical eye.
Initially he'd thought the city was in shambles. Their journey through the city over the course of the day did nothing to dispel that fact. But he did begin to notice things that gave him reason to think that there was a method to the madness.
For starters the sector of the city that they'd entered, and where Ekron's lab/home were located, seemed to be the only area devoted to dedicated mage laboratories. These buildings ranged from druidic (he assumed) forest groves that frequently spilled into their neighbors' lots, to almost Earth-like office-looking buildings. They also seemed to have been color coded based on their owner's magical proclivities. More than a few times magical outbursts would occur, causing passersby to rush out of the way of anything happening. For red buildings this was usually bursts of flame. For blue buildings it was usually sprays of water or ice. And for one incredibly dirty brown building the outburst actually took the form of half of the building rising several feet unexpectedly, breaking away from the other half with quite a bit of damage. The hastily nailed down boards and tiles spoke to this being a common occurrence.
One building had Cobalt Legion guards stationed outside of it, and people walking past made a point of walking in the street instead of walking on the path in front of it.
That building had been painted black, with subtle bits of red and green in some places.
At his questioning Nesvee explained that she'd noticed the same trend, and that upon questioning it Ekron had explained it was intentional. The Lord of the city, whom they'd met the day before, had required that the labs have their owner's specialties and focuses be easily identified by the city guard. This was so that they could know how to respond, and who to blame, if something went wrong that they needed to respond to.
This made the quiet grey and white coloration of Ekron's lab curious to Joey. He wondered if it was because the elder mage primarily focused on enchanting, and as such worked with more than one magic style.
When they got roughly three miles from the lab they encountered a check point of sorts. The guards there, more of the so-called Cobalt Legion, asked a few questions. Nesvee showed them a letter that explained they worked for Ekron and were simply going for supplies. Then they were allowed through.
On the other side of the check point the city almost looked normal. In fact if it weren't for the difference in architecture, which favored stone construction over lumber, Joey could've been convinced he was back in the Petravian capital.
Well, the architecture and the overabundance of magic users and enchanted items being used in every building they passed. Even in his current magical condition Joey could sense the overwhelming flow of magic. And almost everything that was being used seemed more advanced than in Petravus.
They passed a bakery where the goods were placed on a tray that was then placed on a conveyor belt. The belt then passed them between too sheets of metal that would slowly grow brighter and brighter red until the pastries and breads emerged from the other side. At that point the pan they were on would glow blue while vibrating noisily, cooling itself and also un-sticking the the foods cooked onto it before they could solidify. Then the tray would fall off the conveyor belt and slide into a display case where an employee was ready to take orders.
Don't remember anything that fancy even in the King's castle. Joey thought as they moved past.
"Hungry?" Nesvee asked. "Just wait until you see the shops up ahead." She added. "There's this place selling these new sandwiches from your neck of the woods in Petravus. They called them Hand Bulgers. The dwarf running it has a machine that mixes the meat and then another that shapes it into disks before he throws them on a grill."
"You mean hamburgers?" Joey asked, surprised to even hear of burgers this far from Petravus. Though he knew that the restaurant James had introduced them too in the capital had become insanely popular.
Nesvee shook her head. "No they're definitely hand bulgers."
She couldn't see it but Joey's face scrunched at that.
"Round shaped meat disk between round bread buns?" He asked. "Veggies and cheese and stuff in it too?" She nodded. "That's definitely a cheeseburger." He corrected her.
"Noooot according to the guy running the place." She countered.
"Well he's wrong." Joey assured her. "I would know. I'm FROM Petravus where they came from."
"Well you can tell him that yourself if you're willing to wait an hour to get through the line." She replied.
"I... think I'll pass." He said, still annoyed.
They passed a tavern, at which a few of the Cobalt Legion were resting. They had their helmets off and were enjoying beers and wine, along with something that looked suspiciously like bowls of ramen, or maybe udon.
Can't give James credit for THAT recipe.
He was surprised to learn that the people underneath the helmets looked both incredibly young, AND incredibly aged.
If he had to guess, he would've estimated the oldest of them as being no more than twenty five or so. And yet their eyes had bags under them, and haunted looks IN them. The men bore dark beard shadows and ALL of them had their hair cut incredibly short, including the few women.
In short, they reminded him of how a bunch of James's soldier friends looked when he'd met them a few times. Young, yet prematurely old.
He couldn't imagine what being both a soldieguard AND an anti-mage specialist in a city full of mages did to a person. But the faces he saw as they passed the tavern spoke to the weariness that duty put them through.
One of the guards looked at him curiously as he saw Joey's veiled and hooded head studying them. The guard was reaching for their helmet when the tavern server arrived and put a new round of drinks on their table.
Joey quickly looked away.
"I think that's the first stop." Nesvee said as she nudged his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. She was pointing at a sign with a drawing of some gemstones and a monocle on it. She held up the notepad and looked at it again. "Yeah. There's a few crystal types on here." She confirmed. "Plus a few things that I think MIGHT... be crystals. I don't know what Mordian ice is. But I figure that jeweler should know."
Joey nodded and followed her. Though he was fairly certain that Mordian Ice was a type of liquid. He wasn't 100% certain, but he thought he'd seen a jar with that name on it in Veliry's lab in Petravus.
And just like that, the two of them were shopping in earnest.
They didn't notice a somewhat pudgy looking man walking about twenty yards behind them. He occasionally stopped to inspect something from the shops they passed, and even bought a cheese filled pastry from the bakery Joey had noticed.
But he always kept the two shoppers in his sight, even if only out of the corner of his eye.
Ekron waved his hand, causing his front door to swing open smoothly and silently.
"Good afternoon Ravyn." He said as he poured a cup of tea and set it in front of the chair to his left. "Timely as always."
The large half orc woman walked in calmly as he put two scoops of sugar in the tea for her. Just like she preferred.
"I still need the enchantment that keeps your door from slamming when it does that." She said as she presented her hand to him. He kissed it lightly, as he always did when he saw his old coworker. She looekd back and smiled as the door also closed itself just as silently. "Mine always makes such a racket." She said as she sat in the indicated chair and sipped the tea. "Mmmmm. Still remember my preference eh?" She asked as she swept her silver hair back over her shoulder and behind her ear.
"Vatrian crimson. Two scoops." He said as she made herself comfortable. "How have you been dear?" He asked.
"Quite well." She replied. "Pan gave birth to my third grand daughter last month."
Ekron smiled curtly. "Congratulations." He said. "I remember her when she was still just a toddler on your hip."
"Those were the days weren't they." She said with a raise of her glass and a similar smile. "Now tell me. What are these rumors I hear of you walking in the company of a messenger?" She asked. "I assume that IS... why you requested me to come here."
Ekron nodded. "It is." He admitted. "Though they AREN'T a messenger."
Her eyebrow rose, and she was about to ask how he knew that. But she was interrupted.
BANG!
The front door slammed open, causing Ekron to chew on his upper lip in annoyance.
"Ekkie!!!"Morris Kestin exclaimed as he swaggered into the building with his arms up as if he was some kind of performer walking on stage. Then he made a point of looking around in an exaggerated manner. "Where's our little messenger friend?"
Ekron did NOT pour a cup of tea for his former teammate.
"I've told you SO many times now, NOT to call me that." Ekron said. "And by the gods, its a door not your ass in a bar where you owe money. There's no need to kick it that hard." He said as he waved it shut again.
"And apparently he ISN'T a messenger." Ravyn said slyly. "Good afternoon Morris."
"Ravyn dear." Kestin said as he gestured for her to hug him. She stood briefly and obliged him. Unlike Ekron she'd never had an issue with Kestin's overly friendly nature. "You let him drag you into this too?"
"The whole city is on edge with news of a messenger." She replied as she settled again. "You know full well why I can't just stay away from something like that. Especially when our friend here is right at the middle of it."
Kestin waggled a finger at her. "In your tea again?" He asked as he plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of the table they were sat at.
Ekron cringed as Ravyn's face soured. To the extent that she ever let it.
She held her cup of tea up as she rolled with the joke, which had been made at her expense.
"Not for a few more sips." She said. It was no secret that soothsayers like her had been struggling for the past decade or so as contact with the gods had faded out, and then essentially dropped off entirely.
"So." Kestin said as he reached across the table and helped himself to the tea. "Is HE... coming? I mean. You called me and Ravyn. Belga is... well... not here anymore. HE's the only one left yeah?"
Ekron nodded uncomfortably.
"He's about to knock on my door as we speak." Ekron said before taking a long sip of his own tea.
"No I'm not." A muted voice said from outside. "Just open the damned thing."
Ekron took a deep breath. Then waved his hand.
When he did, the Commander of the Cobalt Legion stepped into his home and stood awkwardly in the doorway to the meeting/dining room they were seated at. Like the others from before, his armor sparked and flared as it interacted with the magic of the building.
Even under the dark blue helmet it was obvious that they were staring at Ekron. And he stared right back.
Then after an uncomfortably long silence, the armored knight removed his helmet.
Ekron's clean-shaven doppelganger stared back at him as he beheld the face of his twin brother for the first time in over a decade.
"Good evening Lady Hardfate." He said, breaking the silence as he showed deference to one of the most powerful fortune tellers in the land. Then he rolled his eyes as he looked at Kestin. "Kestin." He said simply.
"Good afternoon Commander." Ravyn said with a soft smile.
The Commander of the Cobalt Legion didn't take the chair so clearly intended for him, opting to stand instead.
"If this is about your NOT-messenger test subject you could have saved me a trip little brother." The knight said with obvious annoyance. "I likely know more about him than you do at this point."
"Oooh." Kestin said, drawing a look of even more annoyance. "Sounds like Lord Tobin has his spies looking into him."
"That's Lord Mattis to you." The commander corrected.
Ekron rubbed at the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"He's a reincarnation... or... or a regeneration of some kind." He cut in.
The rest of them froze mid conversation to look at him in surprise.
"I suspect that whatever happened five and a half years ago in Petravus. Between the Hero and the vanishing blight." He continued. "I believe that whatever occurred... he died as a result. And now, by the grace of the gods, he's back."
"Impossible." Ravyn replied, surprising him. He'd expected that kind of reaction from his brother or Kestin, not her. "The gods are gone."
At that Kestin DID react.
"They're what?" The vagabond swordsman/mage asked.
She waved him away dismissively.
Ekron watched his brother's face intensely.
More specifically he watched how little that information surprised the stalwart man.
The two of them stared at each other as Ravyn and Kestin began to argue lightly with one another.
"Vann?" Ekron asked of his elder sibling. "I'm trying to help him. And prevent him from accidentally causing an international incident. Or a crisis of the faiths."
The other two silenced as they heard the quiet request.
"I've asked you three here to help me with that." Ekron continued. "Please tell me what you know."
Vann considered the not of pleading in his brother's voice as he looked at the others.
These were his closest friends. Or had been once upon a time. The remnants of their old dueling team, which had also doubled as an adventurer's party before he'd been accepted into the legion and started rising through the ranks.
He gritted his teeth a bit. He'd already been given explicit instructions by Lord Mattis.
"I can't tell you much." He said as he finally sat down. "But the Lord's people have come to... similar... conclusions." He admitted. "They're attempting to confirm that as we speak."
Ekron nodded, knowing that that was all he was getting.
"I need..." He said as he leaned forward in his seat. "I believe I'll need your help protecting him until we can figure out the truth about him. And whether or not his return is a good or bad sign from the gods."
Kestin pursed his lips. "You mean you're not dissecting him?" He asked. Ekron looked at him with annoyance. But that didn't make him feel as judged as Ravyn's expression did. "Fine." He said with his hands raised in mock surrender. "But you can tell your little bodyguard our deal's off."
Then they all turned as Vann spoke again.
"You know why I can't make that promise." He said simply. "If he IS who we suspect he is. Than he's a matter of National importance. And if it turns out that he IS... some kind of messenger or something. Then it becomes a religious matter." He tapped his finger on his helmet where it rested in front of him. "I have my duty Ek."
"And all I'm asking is that, until that duty requires otherwise, you and yours help protect him." Ekron countered.
Vann considered the request. But Ravyn spoke first.
"Why are you so invested in this one?" She asked.
"Because." Ekron replied, pointing at Kestin. "It's funny you mentioned Belga earlier." He said, causing all of them to look at him curiously. "He reminds me of her." He rolled his eyes as they all suddenly became uncomfortable. "Oh not like THAT." He reprimanded them. "But his mannerisms. His... I don't know. His temperament. I think that if she were still alive they would be kindred souls."
Vann looked down and away. They all knew the drama that had occurred between the two brothers on THAT matter. Hell, it was part of why he'd joined the legion.
Ravyn placed a hand on his arm before turning back to Ekron.
"If you think he's worth protecting." She said softly. "Then I'll help." She nodded a bit. "Besides, if the gods are affecting the world again then I need to know."
"If Ravyn's in, and if I can save some gold," Kestin weighed in. "then I'm in."
Ekron looked at his brother expectantly.
But Vann's face was as stern and unchanging as ever.