for real, what would you do if u walked into an airbnb situation and these people said "we can be your friends"? (its a get out situation for me, personally)

Sound of a Heartbeat

Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Here we go. This thing started out as a one-shot and grew into something bigger; here goes the one-shot/prologue that came to me a month or two ago.

Inspired by watching ONLY the first four episodes of Castlevania, when I had no idea about the whole vampire community and there were only Dracula and his hellish demons.

!!!I have no beta!!!

Pairing: Dracula x OC

Warnings: umm none? angst, suicidal mood, a bit of tuberculosis, blood

a lonely cold night, a campfire and a shivering human next to it, with a dark shadow watching from behind the trees

***

The night had already creeped over the woods, and the fire was now standing out against the dark tree trunks. Shari sat by the bonfire, a long stick in her hand, lazily picking at blackened logs that were soon to fall apart. She briefly wondered, how it was always her in the end, who was left alone, the odd one out of the four - Adrian, Sypha and Trevor seemed to be the main trio - with her following behind to support. Though in the end it was quite obvious this was the right way - the three started off together, she only joined them when Adrian called - wouldn't have done that probably, but with the demons nearing she could never be sure how safe it was to be alone and how far she could go before being devoured.

Not to say she was scared, though. Some months ago, when the plague only started, a wounded winged demon rushed at her temporary hiding spot. The beast roared in rage and threw itself at everything it saw, slowly weakening at then pain, apparently originating from the long gash across the creature's ribs. Shari, of course, being the healer she was, and already cursing her complete lack of self-preservation, tried to stop and calm it - which turned out easier than it seemed when the dusk neared. When she finally got to stop the creature from running around and get closer to the source of its torture, Shari suddenly found that the animalistic demon was much more animal and far less hellish beast than she initially thought.

The wound was long, but nothing too deep - nothing terminal if tended to with proper care. Surprisingly, lavander oils worked even on hell's children, the demon fell completely still and silent in a few minutes, after she tossed an oiled tissue under its muzzle. Shari then carefully cleaned the gash and wrapped it - as good as she could - the cloth would fall off in a couple of days, if all went well. The monster slept soundly as she worked, and she couldn't help but notice, that the creature was somewhat a mix between a bat and a wolf, which amused her greatly for some reason.

Before the night fell, Shari took off from the spot, hoping for the monster's sake, that her operation went well, and, for her sake, that she would never see it again. Unfortunately or not - she was wrong. At the next dusk the beast found her new hiding spot, landed itself on all fours and crawled closer - completely wolvish, like a wild dog interested in a humans life, it's ears standing sharply, signing interest and alert.

Ever since it followed her around - more of a domesticated wolf day by day, Shari almost got used to him. Through him she found out that the winged beasts were not to be feared - one flap of his wings and a loud screech told the other animals that she was a friend (she doubted that her normal spiritual connection to animals existed for those, but somehow it did work) - they would not have attacked her even if she walked among them. It was the wingless beasts that were to be kept away from - these were smarter, more demonic, less animal - Shari only twice saw these from distance and decided that she most definitely did not want to get to know them closer - they would devour her in one gulp, no mercy and no wolvish interest. Though, it was not like they would be the only things eating her alive.

Shari was well aware of what set the plague on the lands of Wallachia. The first time she met Adrian was a little more than a year and a half ago when he stumbled into her small house at the edge of a village. The man was bleeding and in need of help, so she did the best she could. It was only later that she found out he was no man and her help was appreciated rather than useful. And it was him who told her to run away from the lands or go in hiding, told her of the threat; that in a year Wallachia would be set on fire. She had already heard the rumours of the witch and Satan in Tragoviste - these worried her grately, for the fear of the so-called witch hunters made her change her living spots quite often - but after Adrian's story it all started to make sense: Dracula the great vampire and his lost love. Raging out on humankind. So much of the centuries-old wisdom and learning of self control. But she knew it already then that no witty remarks would help her escape.

Adrian found her in a little more than a year of their first meeting. She was running, never stoping in big towns, never staying for longer than two nights. Sometimes sleeping on treetops - she knew she was fleeing from the inescapable, but by then it was the only way of survival. Shari agreed when he asked her to join them - not that she had much choice - but it was nice to be appreciated. She was far more limited in her witchcraft skills than Sypha, but was a much better healer, plus her immunity to the winged beasts turned out to be a very nice perk. Trevor growled, but tolerated her and hellish pet unwillingly at first - but then the demon stood up for the hunter during a particularly unpleasant encounter and afterwards Shari had spent a considerable amount of time healing up and easening the pain from his wound - and as a result even the hunter eventually grew more kind to the healer and her furry partner, who by then acquired the name of Rodo and somehow learned to waggle it's tale - weakly, but still a move.

And that was how she got in her current position: alone in the middle of nowhere by a campfire, Rodo snoring next to her and not a soul around - Adrian, Sypha and Trevor disappeared about an hour ago now, leaving her to protect their camp, and Shari had no idea when they were intending to return. The night was cold, and she half-consciously moved closer to the source of light and warmth. The dark trees around her formed a dreadful wall, only the flapping of wings far above her head and the occasional howl of some nocturnal animal would announce that she was not completely lost in time.

It had already started to snow a few days ago and the ground around her was covered in a thin white blanket. The cold air bit at her throat and lungs, causing Shari to cough up small pools of blood now and then. The irony. Just like all her life. Her name - Shari - meant Princess - but her life of surviving and sneaking had proved to be the complete opposite of the word. No, never a princess, not even once.Born into witchcraft, but never getting to truly learn sorcery. Accused of witchcraft - but for the healing and not the real magic itself. A healer, but sick with a disease she knew she would not heal. The second monster that would devour her, the one she feared more than the blue-eyed hellish creature.

Only two years before did Shari first feel that she was sick. It didn't seem serious back then, more like a series of colds, not a real threat. Now she knew better, she recognized the symptoms from many people that she had seen before, dying, weakening people whom nobody could help. And she was well-aware she stood no chance against that one beast in her lungs that burned her from the inside. She did not know how it started, but she well knew how it would end, and - to be fair - it scared her. In fact Shari was terrified of the way she could go - she could never tell how much she really had left: sometimes it seemed like a decade before her, but nights like this one, she could believe it was only a few months. Shari rather feared the weakness than the death itself - afraid to wake up one morning and understand that she was finally growing weak, that the logical ending of this sickness was coming and then the impending darkness would be far closer than ever before.

She brought a cloth to her mouth, whiping the droplets of blood away and suddenly, following some vague feeling, Shari turned her head upwards, staring at the opening between the treetops: the sky was clear tonight, endless dark sky filled with thousands of stars. Dark, cold, peaceful and lonely. The woman felt liquid going down the back of her throat - familiar unpleasant shiver ran over her, and she turned back to the fire, moving closer to it once more.

She was already willing to rest her head for a while, when she became aware of the eerie silence settled around her: the sound of flapping and the noise of nocturnal fauna disappeared completely, leaving the cracking of the fire and Rodo's snores the only to break the complete stillness. Something was not right.

Shari stood up carefully, looking around for any intruder, seeing nothing but the dark tree trunks and the white untouched snow. Rodo grunted and woke up next to her, his ears up in the air, muzzle sniffing - she knew that expression all too well - her furry friend was just as concerned as she was. Suddenly he jumped up, spreading his wings, and looking up at something behind her back. Shari turned on the spot and froze in a mix of fear and surprise.

There was a man in front of her now. Tall, almost unnaturally so, dark and sharp, his long black hair laying on his shoulders, ears somewhat pointy and eyes - she felt her heart jump to her throat - the red eyes stared right into her soul and Shari knew right away who was her visitor.

- What is it that you want, Count Dracula? - she hoped the vampire would not hear the tremble in her voice, silently cursing Adrian for disappearing when he was so needed.

- A glimpse of who my son is dealing with, to begin with, - the voice was low, but somehow pleasant to the ear.

- And you had no better way than to watch from the shadows? How classy. What are your observations then, Count? - hand on her small blade, she knew it would do nothing against him, but she had to at least try to defend herself.

- You are a good healer, - she coughed at his remark, feeling the blood rise to her throat once again and laughed bitterly:

- Well, not as good as your late wife. My condolences, by the way, - she bowed slightly. At least here she could be sincere.

- Unfortunately for all of us, no words can change anything that was done, healer.

- Oh no, no, no, Dracula, - with the way she was behaving, Shari was surprised that he still hadn't ripped out her throat. - I'm not playing that game of being good remorseful human. I am sure Lisa Tepes was a saint in her way - or so Adrian says...

- Does he now? - she noticed he got closer to her and she had no idea when he managed to do that. - But you aren't one? Is that what you were going to say?

- At least I'm actually a witch - not a turned, but a born one of course - though I do know a demon or two. And to add to the picture, I am also a thief, so yes, Count, I am definitely nowhere near as good as your late wife. And I am just as sure going to poke a hole in your chest if you make one step closer.

Shari took out her silver knife, staring up at the vampire in front of her. Somehow she knew from the look in his eyes, that her false bravado had no effect whatsoever. Maybe it was the slight amusement, or maybe the pity in his eyes, but she knew that he saw right through her and took her for what she was - a scared girl burning up from inside. Shari sincerely hated the vampire at that moment, hated for witnessing her involuntary weakness. She straightened her back, staring up at him with unreserved anger.

- You are not welcome here, Dracula.

- I am aware of that, - she knew that one step closer and she would have to either make a blow at him or step back.

- Then walk away.

- I am afraid that does not correspond with the initial purpose of my visit, - his response was calm, but the glint in his eyes made her insides turn cold.

- The purpose of watching us? - this time the tremble in her voice was audible.

- Oh no, I wouldn't have revealed myself for that, - his fangs seemed suddenly longer than before.

Shari bolted at him right then, blade in her hand, knowing well she stood no chance. If he was going to kill her anyway she might as well die with some dignity. Dracula caught her swift movement all too quick, twisting her arm and ripping her only weapon away from her. Shari screamed in pain and Rodo howled in response, wishing to help, but too terrified of his master to step in, tail between his hind legs and ears pressed to his head, he walked around the two, never daring to come near.

She tore herself from the vampire in a vain attempt to claim back her knife, droplets of blood from her damaged wrist coloring the snow beneath her feet. Dracula caught her swiftly, and she thrusted against him, fighting back with all the might she had left, helpless against his stone hard grasp.

His hand wrapped around her back, pressing her closer to him, her hands beating against his broad chest. Shari growled in her struggle, but couldn't do much. His other hand moved behind her head, almost gently removing the hair from the left side of her neck. As Dracula leaned his head closer to her, Shari finally froze, engulfed by the feeling of pure terror and helplessness. She pressed her eyes shut, stiffening on the vampire's grasp and feeling her whole body tremble, as he sniffed her.

When Dracula bit down, his nails scratching the back of her head, she shrieked, biting her lips, feeling him press her petite body closer to his, like a puppet, his fangs deep in her neck. She panted, clawing at his chest. An unwanted tear ran down the side of her face. Not like this.

- Shush, - her eyes were still shut, but his fangs removed for a moment and his grasp was no longer bruising, almost gentle. His voice seemed calming now, soothing. -Shush, my dear, no need to cry, - he whispered in her ear, his clawed hand slowly coming to caress the side of her face gently, almost lovingly, wiping away her tears. - My poor little girl. You don't have to fight. There is no one to pretend to here, - she felt a deep growl coming from his chest. - You know, you taste like sweetest wine, - she wailed quietly; his lips touched her earlobe and descended to caress the crook of her neck. - It will not hurt. I promise now. Just a kiss and a bright peaceful dream. Just like falling asleep, wouldn't that be nice, my sweet?

She felt a light touch to her neck, only a kiss, his lips touching her, hiding the fangs. The next moment the pain was gone; she opened her eyes and at once it was only her, Dracula and the endless starry sky above them. She held onto his shoulders, feeling his head pressed against her neck, her eyelids growing heavier with each moment as she surrendered to the long awaited sleep, now almost grateful to the vampire for the painless freedom he was giving. Maybe it was for the best after all.

- Let her go! - Trevor whipped at Dracula with no restraint. Him, Adrain and Sypha had been frozen in surprise at the scene they encountered, and the vampire-hunter was the first one of the three to return from the stupefied state.

Dracula hissed, but having to turn away from both the whip and Sypha's ice curses, knew he had better to disappear, leaving the small forest camp the same way he came. He intended no fighting with them that night.

Shari lay on the ground motionless and finally peaceful. Sypha was the first to rush to her, but unsuccessful in any attempts to awake her. Trevor and Adrian rushing about, trying to help move their defeated friend, and Rodo wailed quietly, crawling closer to the light of the fire and to the motionless body on the ground.

Dracula observed from behind the trees. He could barely see the motion of the three as his eyes were focused on one and only figure, still and peaceful, her face white and a small pool of blood on the snow next to her, the last lights of life were holding onto the weakened body.

- Sleep well, poor child.

***********

Here's what my mind came up with. There may be more chapters if I'm bold enough (they may or may not be written out and in the process of being edited in notes). But this one could also go as a separate piece.

Can't believe this is the first big piece I wrote in English AND actually posted.

@ Tagging Game

i was tagged by the awesome @serialreblogger !

rules: tag 10 people you think would like to be tagged, and copy/paste the asks into a new post. Answer all/as many of them as you want!

1. do you prefer writing with a black pen or a blue pen? i actually prefer to write and work with blue gel pen, but i plan to get a good fountain pen soon to practice calligraphy properly

2. would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? in the city for now, but i frequently daydream about living in Italy with @etspera, close enough to the ocean to go spear fishing in the mornings

3. if you could learn a new skill, what would it be? machine sewing. i need to learn it, but i never have the time/energy to just sit my ass down and do it...

4. do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? i need at least 3 teaspoons of sugar to drink my coffee

5. what was your favorite book as a child? i really liked Lois Lowry books (Number the Stars and The giver were my favourite) and The Little Prince by  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was really important to me, but my  absolute favourite was The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I reread it so many times I could quote parts of it word for word.

6. do you prefer baths or showers? showers, but only bc our tub is tiny. one time i was over at my friend and she had a gigantic tub and i was soaking in cold water for hours and it was glorious

7. if you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be? vampire. i’d have time for everything i could watch history happen for centuries!! not to mention the drama

8. paper or electronic books? i have no problem with reading books as epub/pdf, but my favourites i always get in a nice edition

9. what is your favorite item of clothing? i have a thin maroon shirt and it has the coolest hood ever. i’m actually really concerned what will i wear if it get’s too old...

10. do you like your name? would you like to change it? nah, i really hate it actually, but i’m unsure what i’d prefer instead

11. who is a mentor to you? you guys get mentors ???

12. would you like to be famous? if so, what for? maybe for my writing or art? but like famous in the “having a legacy” and not the “being a celebrity” sense

13. are you a restless sleeper? oh yeah, i wake up multiple times during the night and turn and move around a lot

14. do you consider yourself to be a romantic person? nah

15. which element best represents you? fire? or if we go by Naruto elements (as we should) then lightning. i really really like lightning

16. who do you want to be closer to? no one, i just want to keep my friends as close as they are, that’s much harder

17. do you miss someone at the moment? no

18. tell us about an early childhood memory. so i was a big fan of the Harry Potter books and was very excited about the fifth book. My sister, who was six years older than me got the book first, and no matter how much i pleaded, our parents were like “one book is enough, learn to share”. The problem was three fold; A, i was a significantly faster reader than her B, i was much more invested in the Harry Potter series C, we were bitter enemies and this situation delighted her. Usually she kept to herself in her room, but now? Now she started to spend time in the living room, or at the dinner table, just slowly reading, frequently looking at me with a smile as i seethed in silence. One day i was sitting at the table, glaring at her as she was laying on a thick rug in the living room, our baby ittle bother between her arms. She had the book open in front of them but she was just playing with him, not actually reading it. She was just sending me a smug look as she turned a page, when my adorable little brother (who was like. one) slammed his little fist onto the page and ripped it clean off. time. stood. still. Then my sister laughed hysterically, i started to creech like a pterodactyl and my little brother was so confused he cried. this is my villain origin story

19. what is the strangest thing you have eaten? probably the fried frog legs, but i actually had to ask around the office. imho the fried pork brain was the weirder dish

20. what are you most thankful for? for all the art in my life, my ability to appreciate art

21. do you like spicy food? yesssss, there is nothing better than a spicy curry

22. have you ever met someone famous? a few times, but usually other people had to tell me they were famous lmao

23. do you keep a diary or journal? nah, i tried a few times but it’s not for me

24. do you prefer to use pen or pencil? pen

25. what is your star sign? aquarius sun, sagittarius moon, scorpio rising

26. do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? mostly crunchy, but there is one i always let to soak for a few minutes and then eat it like a soup. it’s a real problem

27. what would you want your legacy to be? something helpful, something for those that will come after us

28. do you like reading? What was the last book you read? oh yeah, i’m always reading something. the last book was Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender and i loved it very much, even though i usually don’t like romance

29. what are you afraid of? being ignored, irrelevant and out of touch

30. what is your favorite scent? the sea

31. do you address older people by their name or surname? surname. like i don’t call anybody by their given name until they say i should, it actually makes things awkward sometimes

32. if money was not a factor, how would you live your life? in a small house near the ocean in Italy of course

33. do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? take a wild guess

34. what would you do if you found $50 in the ground? like i would probably look around, and if someone obviously is distressed/looking for it i’d probably give it to them, but otherwise? lunch is on me friends

35. if you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? i just got one actually! It says Liberté, Équité, Ou la Morte. I didn’t want to write out Fraternité, so the words are around the assassin’s symbol (as in “brotherhood”)

36. what can you hear now? the noise of the office. it could get overwhelming fast, so i might take a smoke break soon

37. where do you feel the safest? when i know i’m completely alone

38. if you could travel back to any era, what would it be? i mean. how long can i stay? if the answer is years, i’d go to America just before the revolution, then hop over to France for their revolution & Napoléon’s reign

39. what is your most used emoji? i actually really hate emojis? like nothing could replace a good old :D

40. describe yourself using one word. critical

41. what do you regret the most? who i was when i was young. like i know it was a relatively good outcome with my childhood, but still. not cool

42. last movie you saw? Hamilton! and it was great and i urge everyone to pirate  it and watch it

43. last tv show you watched? Community. A friend was over at my place this weekend and she wanted to watch it so much

44. invent a word and its meaning: thalaessen - the bond you forge with fictional people and worlds

okay, i’m gonna tag @etspera, @haythamsama, @bunnymoss and  @joshg1973 but if anyone wanna give it a try feel free (and don’t forget to tag me)!

DWTS S27 Week ONE!!! Nights 1+2 review

Man, when I saw Tom I suddenly felt like it had been AGES since I watched this show, then I realised, I didn’t even watch the athlete season. My friends told me it’s not worth it so I will probably never watch it.

Idk how the two-night thing is gonna work out so this is a combined post.

Night 1

Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber - Cha cha okay, was that video package kinda short? Also maybe it’s cos I’m not American but I’m soooo over all the “yay USA” themed dances. Anyhows, Mary Lou is a former US gymnast who won gold in 1984, the first US woman to do so. No mention of her current embroilment in the USAgym-gate. Okay, she can definitely remember steps. She needs to work on timing and also getting those latin shapes. 6-7-6 T19 huh that’s kinda harsh?? Might have been 1-2 pts higher if she went later I think.

Milo Manheim and Witney Carson - Cha cha Sorry Milo, but Zombies aiiiin’t that great. In case anyone doesn’t know, Zombies is a cheesy af DCOM musical. I really like his energy though. “Tell me about yourself.” “I’m still in school.” I love that. It’s quite refreshing cos we don’t get young male contestants as often as the girls. Whoa, he has those hips! I don’t think his limbs were as messy as the judges made it sound. His legs looked a little awkward during the cha-cha walks. That aside, this dance was so fun to watch! 7-6-7 T20 “That’s good, that’s good!” Witney tells him. Again, I think he could get a tad higher scores if he went later.

Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe - Foxtrot OMG Keo’s reaction was priceless. Evanna probably needs no introduction, but anyway, Luna Lovegood. She wanted to go to dance college, but was rejected so DWTS was the next best thing. I think the song did them in, but I found some of her movements too sharp for a foxtrot. She has nice frame and did something weird with her hand once. Definitely has potential. 7-5-6 T18 oooooh Len that was harsh. Tom, the correct term is he who shall not be named.

Speaking of, I like the new green glitter score background.

Danelle Umstead and Artem Chigvintsev - Foxtrot Danelle is a blind alpine skier but gosh she has good footwork and lots of grace. Her shoulders came up a bit and I think she had to adjust her footing going into the spin. When I saw the opening, I was like “Artem is making her walk down the steps to him??!!” At least they went down together. I think her and Artem will be a very nice, friendly, genuine partnership. 6-6-6 T18

Side note: I really didn’t need to hear “Rise Up” again.

Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess - Jive Bobby is...a lot of things. I’ll say entertainer. His main schtick right now is his country radio show. Guy has boundless energy, I’ll give him that. Jive suits him. He had to point his feet, and the footwork was real rough. If he was judged for enthusiasm though, he’d get a perfect score. 7-6-7 T20 yeah that’s too high. I think the judges got a little high off his energy. I think he should be sitting at a 16-17.

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke - Salsa Juan Pablo is an actor most recently from Fuller House and Mamma Mia. Uh huh, here’s the sexy hot couple of the season right here. It took really long to get into actual salsa though. Some of the moves looked unpolished and uncertain, but he had a sense of timing and can move. his. hips. 7-7-8 T22 haha we all knew Bruno would like it.

Ayyyy hey Rashad! Apparently he’s going into hosting, showing us the DWTS BTS web series. Go support that guy, he’s an all-round all-star.

Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko - Salsa Nikki is a comedian and entertainer. She told Gleb he looks like he should be emerging from a pool, which I’m pretty sure he has done before for some modelling thing. Apparently she got injured over the weekend. Could have affected the performance. She seemed fine in rehearsal but looked really ginger and reserved while dancing. Her limbs looked awkward. Arms were kept really close to her body and her legs...I don’t know any other way to describe it except “baby giraffe”. 6-5-6 T17

Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten - Jive Alexis is an instagram influencer and model. She’s doing the show for her late mother who enjoyed it. Okay I’ll say it here, she is the one to beat technique-wise. My only complain is she could be more bouncy. Everything else was spot on IMO. I think her possible downfall would be her sketchy voting base. Lots of insta followers doesn’t necessarily mean they will vote. We’ve seen that with past social media stars. 7-7-7 T21 I think she should be equal with Juan Pablo honestly.

John Schneider and Emma Slater I’ve never heard of his Dukes of Hazard show but his name sounds familiar. He’s done so many things, I’ve probably seen him somewhere. Well he certainly has the right attitude. His dancing was...here and there. Some times I was like ‘oh, that’s not bad’ and then i’d be like ‘okay that needs improvement’. I think he’s good enough and charming enough to appeal to the DWTS demo though. 7-5-6 T18

Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong - Jive Tinashe is a singer...who I’ve never heard of. But I live under a rock. Brandon is newly promoted and awwww he’s so adorable. He gave her lots of content which she handled fairly well. She was very clean but I feel like it was toooo clean. Like you know how if you strip water of too many minerals it’ll just burn your tongue. I feel like sometimes I was watching a stick figure dance. Could have used more bounce. CAI’s comment didn’t make sense. 8-7-8 T23

Nancy McKeon and Val Chmerkovskiy - Quickstep Nancy was an actor from a show called The Facts of Life which probably pre-dates me. She has the facial expressions!!! Quickstep on week 1 is no joke but she kept up for most of it. Yup she was wobbly at times, because she was lacking the contact in hold with Val, but that seems to be a Thing TM with all his partners so it’s more Val’s fault. For a while I was like “omg is Val choreographing a solid routine with moves in hold??” and then they broke hold. I’m surprised Len didn’t call that out. Nancy was reall animated in that section though. 6-6-6 T18

Joe Amabile/”Grocery Store Joe” and Jenna Johnson - Quickstep Joe is from the Bachelor franchise and got his nickname because he owns a grocery store. He wants to become Dancing Joe now. He’s kinda cute, sorta charming in a slightly-awkward-little-self-depreciative way. Very likeable guy. I think with his personality and the bachelor backing, he’ll stick around for a while. Yeah that definitely wasn’t the best dance. He was flat footed, made mistakes, getting QS definitely didn’t help either. Can see he is trying to stay positive. 5-4-5 T14

Demarcus Ware and Lindsey Arnold Soon to be NFL hall of fame inductee. Has won the Super Bowl. You know, I hate American football as a sport, but these NFL guys always come in and work hard and it pays off. Demarcus can move and seems to have hella groove, with personality to boot. He’ll have to clean up some lines, but I can see him growing a lot on this show. Such a delight! 8-7-8 T23

Night 2

Ohhhhhh I love that opening number!! I can see why it’s not a premiere opener but wowwwww.

Okay so apparently the bottom half after judges score and votes from night 1 will have to dance again. Everyone else would have rehearsed a second dance for nothing...I guess. I feel like maybe they should have let everyone dance their second dance, but only score those in jeopardy.

Rashad out there with a message for Demarcus. I was kinda waiting for that the first night.

Safe - Demarcus, Tinashe, and...JOE!!!!!! That was the chillest reaction to a (not so) surprise safe.

Jeopardy - Nancy

DWTS Jr pros dance and make me feel old. Jake Monreal!!! And okay, JT Church has some ballroom moves. There’s one brunette guy (not Sage) who has nice hair. And the blond boy looks a little familiar but I can’t put my finger on it.

Safe - Juan Pablo, Bobby

Jeopardy - Nikki, John, Alexis

Alexis and Bobby’s placements are telling about the voters.

Okay. I watched the two episodes back to back. People I forgot about by the time I started night 2: Mary Lou, John, Danelle, Nancy. Also I knew Tinashe, Evanna and Juan Pablo were there but I kinda forgot how their dances looked.

Lmao Milo and Tom. “Why are you so scared about what I’m gonna ask you?”

Amy Purdy with a message for Danelle. She looks so different than I remember.

Safe - Milo, Evanna

Jeopardy - Danelle, Mary Lou

Okay so summary Top 7: Demarcus, Milo, Juan Pablo, Bobby, Evanna, Tinashe, Joe Bottom 6: Alexis, Danelle, John, Nikki, Nancy, Mary Lou

So they are bringing back the Judge’s choice encore from when they had result shows. This week: Demarcus.

They introduced the Junior stars. I’m having a hard time remembering who is who but: - JT’s “OH MY GOSH” when his pro-skateboarding partner did a trick - Mackenzie Ziegler is not a “pop star” she’s as good as a pro dancer. WHO’S BRIGHT IDEA WAS IT TO MAKE HER A CONTESTANT???!?!?

Can they intro the Jr pros too? All the cast of Juniors including the adult pros do a dance number and all I get from it is that red latin shoes are not in style.

Okay so we don’t have time for 6 dances or something so John is safe and won’t have to dance for his life any more.

Couples will dance the same style as night 1, but the choreo and song will be different.

Mary Lou and Sasha - cha cha okay I dunno what their rehearsal strategy was, but this dance felt very basic and less rehearsed than their first. She was more precise and controlled, but seemed to have less energy in it. 7-7-7 T21

Danelle and Artem - foxtrot the rehearsal vids seem to imply the couples were only given Monday night to come up with their second numbers. If so it must have disadvantaged Danelle. She was more timid and reserved. 6-6-6 T18

Nikki and Gleb - salsa She looked more confident this time. Legs less giraffe-y. Her arms were still awkward. 6-6-6 T18

Alexis and Alan - jive Ooooohhh this was good. Her technique was good again, but I think the mood of this dance suited her far better. I think she had a lot more energy and personality in this performance. 7-8-8 T23 Len says it is the best dance of the night and I agree as does Bruno.

Nancy and Val - quickstep Oh dang, the shorter dress exposed Nancy’s shortcomings. Her lines were wonky and she still looked a little unstable sometimes in hold, which was easier to see in this costume. It also made her look like Tweety Bird tumbled dry, They stayed in hold this time though. 7-7-7 T21 that seems generous.

Okay so Mackenzie Ziegler sings. She has a decent voice. Gotta set herself apart from her sister I guess.

Online voting for night 2 was open for...10 minutes? And I wager only US east coasters could vote.

Results time! (finally.)

Safe - Danelle, Alexis (yay!), Mary Lou

Nikki vs Nancy...Eliminated: Nikki. no surprise.

My favourites are Milo and Alexis. Also rooting for Danelle on a slightly lower tier. Surprisingly, Evanna isn’t really on the forefront of my mind.

Also, whether or not the couple danced on the second night might affect their memorability. Like, Bobby make an impact night 1, but after night 2 I kinda forgot about him. The only person who didn’t perform night 2 who I remember is Milo. Everyone else I was like “oh wait, who’s here again?”

Disney trip!!

School is out and summer is in full effect! Rob finished the cabinet shells for the sink wall and put in my new sink temporarily. We ordered the countertops! They are going to be in in about 8 weeks or so, so the end of the summer. Our goal is to have the cabinets totally finished and get the tile floors in before the countertops go in!

So our first week of summer was good, we went to Frontier City with Penny's friend Macy for her "birthday". We pretty much just hung around the house the rest of the week, they kids got signed up for the summer Reading Program at the library. Max took it as a competition and read like 15 books in the first week 🤣.

Then it was finally time for our Disney Trip!! It began pretty great, we boarded Charlie and left Beethoven inside the house at home. Grandma Smith took care of him. The kids got to fly on their first airplane, we flew out on a Wednesday in the afternoon and we just walked straight up to security! They had out seats all jumbled so no one was sitting by anyone but we got it all straightened out. We spend 3 hours layover in Atlanta which ended up being ok because we just ate dinner and played cards. When we got to Orlando I was trying to figure out the Lift situation at the same time the lady doing our grocery shopping through instacart kept messaging me about substitutions. We had one lift fiver leave and still charge us because we couldn't find him then we realized we were on the wrong floor on the airport 😣. So we finally got that figured out and drove to the hotel room. Our credit card got canceled because we used it in a different state and I was on the phone with them the entire drive. Got that figured out, got our groceries figured out and made it to the room. Check in was no big deal until we got to our room and it hadn't been cleaned 😅...so I have groceries coming, kids who have been in an airport all day it is late so I want them to get some sleep because of Disney the nest day. We call the front desk and the lady says omg let me call you right back. We wait 1 hour before they do anything. I sent the kids to the pool with grandma and of course the grocery lady shows up. We put all the groceries on the table in the dirty room and literally 5 minutes later security shows up and says we have a new room, like 5 stories up. So I take what feels like 500 trips up and down with luggage and groceries to the new room. Finally the security guy shows up with a luggage rack and we get the rest. Kids had fun at the pool and we all slept well 🤣. It was almost 10 pm when we were finally settled, 2 hours past when the kids normally go to bed.

The condo was nice, we had three bedrooms so mom had her own room, Rob and I had our own room and the kids had their own, which was awesome. Our balcony looked right down on the pool, which was where the kids wanted to spend the entire week so that worked out well. Our first day was at the Magic Kingdom! We had lift figured out by then and it was pretty fantastic because they dropped us off right outside the park. At magic Kingdom we did get to ride the monorail to the park from the parking lot, but that was enjoyable. We rode almost everything but we missed the big roller coasters, not on purpose the lines were just excessively long and we were trying to get to as much as possible. My favorite ride was jungle trek, I think that is what it was called, it wasa boat safari thing. The boat captain was hilarious. The kids like whinnie the pooh ride and it's a small world.

Second day was animal kingdom, I liked this park quite a bit more than magic Kingdom. It seemed less busy, their were less rides but the lines were shorter. We did an artist retreat, where we learned to draw fox from fox and Hound. They had a petting zoo, which had a cow so I was stoked. I think everyone's favorite kids at animal kingdom was expedition everest, which the kids have just been calling the yeti ride. It was a really good roller coaster. They had a world of pandora from the movie avatar, and we rode flight of passage...omg it was intense. That had to have been my favorite.

Day three was pur mush needed rest day. The kids loved it because it was a day to hang out at the pool, our room was really close to an outlet mall so my mom and I spent the morning there, but we mostly just relaxed. I actually look a nap, which is not something I do, so that shows how wiped we are were.

Day 4 was Epcot. This was probably my least favorite day, I did enjoy it and some of the rides were fun but the quick service food in the countries around the world wasn't anything to get excited about. Then it started raining 🤣. It was actually pretty cold, I wished I had a sweater, all the other days it was stupid hot. It started raining so hard we missed the test track ride, so that was kind of a bummer but we rode a ride that flew us around the world and another one that went through all these awesome gardens,, I enjoyed that one a lot..other than than Epcot was just OK. We did end up getting some pretty awesome food at a Mexican restaurant towards the end of the day.

The last day, Hollywood studios...on the way to the park our uber driver got lost...literally 3 times. I was fuming....then Lily puked. Like multiple times a stupid amount of puke omg it was awful. We finally made it to the park, lily is covered in puke, Penny is covered in it because she was sitting next to her and I have it all over my side and arm. Rob took his shirt off to give it to us to help clean up the mess so his shirt is covered. We went to the first bathroom we found and stripped....cleaned and washed our clothes in the sink 🙃 it honestly worked pretty stinking well. They had a hand blower so I even got lily's clothes almost dry. We assume she just got car sick because she was fine the rest of the day, zero problems. Rob ended up buying a new shirt when we got into the park and I didn't blame him. The girls and I were fine in our clothes though. So we may have had a rough start to that day but it was by far my favorite day in the parks!! The rides were super fun. We got Max on his first upside down Rollercoaster coaster, the Aerosmith ride, Penny rode too, Lily wasn't tall enough. We got all three kids on tower or Terror! This is not my favorite ride. I was hoping to avoid it totally but we rode it twice! Kids loved it. They had a huge area dedicated to star wars and we rode a couple of those rides twice as well. Hollywood studios also had a big toy story world with the new ride slinky dog dash, and a carnival type ride I really liked. They also had mickeys runaway railroad...that ride surprised everyone which how unique and awesome it was. It rained a little bit that day too but we had bought umbrellas that morning so it wasn't too bad. We literally walked all the way up and sat down on tower or Terror, no wait time at all because we were able to walk there in the rain.

The next day we flew home, our second flight got delayed but we still got home at a somewhat decent time. It was, like all trips, not without its hiccups but I think the kids had a really good time which is all that matters. I so happy we were able to take them and I hope they have memories forever, I know I always will and I know they had a blast while they were there. Also now Lily has the best vacation puke story 🤣.

Overall it was a great vacation and I can't wait to start planning our road trip for Jesse's wedding next year ☺

Stories from the Unliving Ch 5

I awoke to the sound of duck pieces hitting the water and leaving greasy pools on the surface. I sighed a muffled sigh and started going up. Dodging the incoming piece of duck, I yelled out:

“Really? I get the stones, but chunks of meat? Seriously, look at the grease spots you’re leaving on the surface! You know I can’t float in water, so I’ll have to make a raft or something to get them cleaned up!”

“Apologies! I just arrived, and you kept yelling at me for throwing stones in, so I came up with the idea to throw what I brought you from the eatery last night. Do your fish eat meat?”

“Yeah, they do, though I can’t really say how well they’ll like it when it’s been cooked in lard.”

“And herbs too. Those make it so delectable! I could not even begin to imagine what it actually would taste like, until I tried it. I do not regret it, at all! And to be honest with you, the only reason why I was able to afford the meal for me and Ceara was the money you decided to give me a week ago for getting you your books. I truly cannot thank you enough.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. How did it go last night?”

“It was amazing. Ceara is a great listener, but even despite her inability to speak, she is able to communicate masterfully using her little board, and she makes for a great conversation.”

“Who’d’a thunk! Though she was really quite adept at using that thing yesterday, she was real quick at writing on it, and her handwriting was incredibly elegant.”

“She is incredible, and I would be honored to spend more time with her. But I really need to thank you for the money, I did not have enough for even myself before that, let alone to take Ceara to such a place.”

“If you were in that much of a need for money, you could have just said, I have more than I know what to do with. The whole thing about the Lady of the Lake and the mysterious figure coming out of the water giving out a great treasure, yeah, that’s kinda true. I have 17 chestfulls of the larger coins than those I gave you. So you ever need anything, don’t worry, I can spot you”

“Hopefully, it will not be necessary, as I have started looking for local work, defending loggers and similar tasks around the town.”

“That’s nice for you, I’m happy that you found something to do. Is that why you were later than usual today?”

“That is correct. I was out with the loggers, you would not believe it, but there were wolves in the forest, and I actually had to fight them to keep the loggers alive. I could not even fathom such beasts were roaming around in the forest. As large as horses, with claws and fangs the length of my forearm!”

“Dang, wolves really changed from my time. They are really that size?”

“Of course, I never tell lies. I had to fight off four of the beasts, as the loggers were singing their tune. It’s lucky I wasn’t alone. I was joined by a local alchemist. I never did learn her name, and she was wearing this mask, too, that looked like a bird head. All I know is, her concoctions really did help me. She would throw these little glass jars and when they burst, they would erupt into a loud bang and a cloud of colored gas would confuse the wolves and scare them away.”

“Almost sounds like she was more useful than you, doesn’t it?”

“She was. While I was taking facing off against a single wolf, she was taking care of the other 3 by herself. Though I would imagine she would have no more jars to throw after some time, so she couldn’t do it all on her own”

“Yeah, she does sound pretty amazing, doesn’t she. You didn’t talk to her?”

“I tried, but she would just stare at me from behind her mask with her head tilted, without answering. She must have thought me some brute, a hired sword and nothing more. I am not proud of the work I did, but I am proud that I am doing it. Does that make sense?”

“I think so, you’re not happy to be a sellsword, but glad that you’re on your own two feet.”

“Exactly! I still have yet to tell Ceara about this, I am sure she will be so worried that I took up such a dangerous job!”

“Why did you actually take on such a job, also, why are the lumberjacks going so far into the forest to get wood, when there is a perfectly good forest here?”

“They explained this to me. They told me that they prefer to brave the dangers of the untamed wood, rather than destroy the natural beauty that is this close to the town. So they hire us stronger people to defend them”

“I guess that makes sense. Don’t shit where you eat, right?”

“A bit crude of an expression, but true to the tale”

“Okay, but I gotta ask, where did you learn to fight giant wolves? I mean, I don’t think they’d teach you that at home, would they?”

“No, you are right, I was only ever taught to fight other armed men, not beast. But the idea is the same. You avoid the attack, and stick the opponent with the sharp end of the sword. I just had to be more careful, since the animal was more unpredictable than any man I have fought before. It not only had 2 front claws to attack with, but it also had it’s massive jaw. Why, if I was even the least bit distracted, I would not be talking to you right now. I would be standing in front of Great Selcca’s hammer!”

“Nah, you seem like a pretty capable sort. That hammer thing, though. I take it that’s whatever you believe in nowadays? Is it a deity or something?”

“How can you not know this? Selcca is the one who created this land!” 

“Humor me!”

"Selcca took a hot stone out of the ground, and pounded it with his great hammer Earthwarden, shaping everything, all the mountains, all the valleys. Then quenched it in water, causing all the rivers and lakes, and seas to appear. He didn’t quench it fully, though, leaving a part up north that’s staying hot and kills everything that goes near it”

“Oh, creationism, nice, always love hearing the stories that you people come up with, it’s really incredible how many different stories you can come up with for the same thing. I mean, none of it is real, but it’s still real cool to hear.”

“I just realised something. The Valley of Death, where Selcca didn’t quench the land, you told me you have done that. You created it.”

“Yeah, that I did, and I am proud of it too!”

“But if Selcca didn’t create that, did he even create everything else? Did you create the mountains? Wait, are you Selcca? Oh Great Earthwarden! I have been talking to the actual Selcca! My lord, I am apologise for any slight I may have caused you! Please forgive me! I am just your lowly follower!”

“Ha! Nah, definitely not Selcca, I can assure you of that. Sorry to shatter your worldview, but there's no Selcca. Each reset, there’s dozens, if not hundreds different deities that you people come up with, and honestly, they are all real similar, but in my 30K years, I’ve not seen one so far, and you’d think the guy that’s stuck around for since the beginning of time for all intents and purposes would draw some attention, right? But tell me more, I am real interested in hearing the story of how the world was created this time.”

“I... I suppose. But I am truly confused. If Selcca isn’t real, how was the world created? No, you must be mistaken. And you say that Selcca never visited you, but that’s not true, He is with us every day, he created the world, so we may be our best selves on it. And if He personally has not come to visit you, then perhaps you have not done enough good deeds to draw His attention.”

“I am not getting into this right now, I have all your life to convince you. Can you just tell me the story?”

“Of course. I am, by no means, a great storyteller or a priest, so I might miss some points, but it should show you that Selcca really is with us.”

“I’m sure he is, yeah”

“The tale begins with Selcca having completed a lot of past works, all the stars in the night sky, preparing Himself for the greatest work of all - creating the land of Igresh.”

“That’s what you call the planet nowadays?”

“I am not familiar with the word, I am sorry. Igresh is the grand plate that Selcca created and populated with us. He toiled for many days and nights, gathering all the best materials for the job, all the highest quality metals, the purest clay, and making that into a ball. He heated it all up into the heat of his forge, the Sun, and striking it with his hammer Earthwarden, flattening the material into a disk, and folding it in two, and heating it up again, and flattening it again, and folding it again, and again, the very same. He would do this seven hundred time over the course of seven days, creating countless layers of ground and metal, creating the perfect place for us humans.”

“What about all the mountains and the valleys, and canyons, and all that? It’s pretty shoddy craftsmanship if you ask me, if he can’t even make a flat surface”

“Selcca wanted to provide us with a variety of features to explore, tall mountains, deep ravines, that is why he kept the surface rough while he was forging the hot plate. The then grabbed the land plate with his tongs and quenched it in the water of the sky, that is why the sky is blue during the day, of course, it’s the water that Selcca used to quench Igresh for the final time, but leaving the north most part to cool naturally, that way creating a zone where only the most foolhardy dare approach.”

“Ah yeah, the so called Valley of Death! Worked really hard to make that happen, I tell you what, and I will not let some made up person take credit for my thousands of years of work there!”

“I am not saying that you did not have anything to do there. It is very likely that you found the place up north, the Valley of Death, before it was that, and chose to put all the poisonous material there, keeping all us people safe. But the say Selcca made us, after He quenched the world place, He would then use his awesome powers, and forge the first humans. He then would assign the humans our first King, to rule with grace, dignity, pride and the approval of the people. He was called Adwen. He also assigned King Adwen a wife, a queen, to be by his side, through all that they may come to face, and help him make the right choices in life. She was called Elvida.”

“Really? Adwen and Elvida? Like Adam and Eve?”

“I am not familiar with the people you are speaking of. Are they your friends?”

“Oh man, thirty thousand years later, and Christianity is still being felt! I bet none of the old dustbags in the Vatican would ever even consider something like this happening!”

“I will just continue my telling. When He was happy with his work, Selcca took a step back to admire His creation. Once he was done documenting the process, writing down the exact steps on how to create this incredible land we all live on, as all great masters keep records of their process, He went back to work, creating more stars for us to marvel at.”

“Wait, he wrote down his process for creating the world?”

“That is correct. Of course, us people can never even understand the complexity of something so grand. But after that, Kind Adwen and Queen Elvida ruled for a hundred years, bearing many children and teaching them the ways to differentiate right from wrong, and to always make the correct choices. Since then, all our Great Kings can trace their ancestry back to the Prime Rulers and strive to be just as good, to show Selcca that we truly are worthy of his greatest creation. And if one of the Great Kings or Queens strays from the teachings, King Adwen and Queen Elvida had many children, and their children had many children, so the next in line will take the throne, and prove a better leader than the previous, who will be erased from the academies, all records of their existence will be lost, and history will forget their name.”

“That’s a little hardcore, I gotta say. Like, imagine, the people approach the king and say ‘you’re a bad king, go away’ and he just sorta has to, cause that’s what Selcca says. And then when people say ‘Hey, remember X?’, you’ll be like ‘Nah, never heard that name!’”

“Indeed, being a ruler worthy of the people and the trust they put into you has to come first. Ruling all the land of Igresh is no small task, since there is many other smaller kingdoms that the Great King and Queen rule over. You need to be mindful of all the different situations that may occur in the world today, and act accordingly.”

“Man, I gotta tell you, ruling over a country, not an easy task, saying this from experience. Literally every day, all day, someone wanted something. It could have been more money, it could have been a bigger house, it could have been more medicine, I don’t care, it was just soooooo annoying. You want something? Well, too bad! Everyone gets the same!”

“Were you a Great King, when you ruled over the land? Or a local one? I don’t imagine you as the local king. Even though you speak as though you hate it, I can tell that you remember it fondly, and have enjoyed that period in your life.”

“Don’t psychoanalyse me! I do what I want, and I always do what makes me feel happy! So yeah, I obviously enjoyed that, until I didn’t and stopped doing it!”

“I apologise if I’ve upset you, it is that sometimes you act as though you care not for anyone around you, yet you would talk to a complete stranger, and tell her your life’s story, and whatever else she asks of you. You are a better person than most people I know. And most people will not even call you a person.”

“Thanks, I guess. You do realise I technically am a person, even if I don’t look exactly like it. I can talk, I can think, I can feel. Sure, I don’t eat or breathe, and I technically don’t need to sleep either, even if I do it, cause it’s enjoyable, I started off as a person, and I am sticking to that.”

“I have personally met in my life so many people that I would not call a person even with a sword to my throat. Terrible monsters, murdering for sport, eating people, doing what they want with children. If I had the power, power that someone like you possesses, I would probably spent my life just going around and ridding the world of such monsters.”

“Getting a little dark there, buddy. Come back to the light side here.”

“Apologies! I am just appalled that someone that came from someone as pure as Selcca can act in such a way. But with time, even the purity that Selcca created can become tainted and corrupt. This just goes to show the power of us people. Being able to, for better or for worse, oppose a God’s power.”

“Now we’re talking, I knew I can get you away from your false worshipping!”

“Do not misunderstand, Selcca is still pure, and He created everything around us, however, He also gave us the spark to create and to change things. A spark that was once a part of him. It is this spark that allows us to change His creation. Some have larger sparks, some have smaller, but all of us have it. Why, I would imagine, you have the biggest spark out there, that is why you are still walking around, even after so many years.”

“Well, I suppose that’s one explanation I haven’t heard in a while, though they usually call it a blessing or a curse. I think I’m on 37 blessings, and 73 curses so far, but not a spark yet, so congratulations, you’re the first one!”

“I cannot tell whether you are joking or not. If you are not, then you are most welcome, and I am glad to have made you happy.”

“Sure, let’s say that.”

“I wanted to ask you something, could I take your measurements?”

“Errr, I guess? That’s a bit of an odd thing to ask, but sure. Are you building me a coffin?”

“I would never! Such a grim gift would just sour our friendship!”

And the young man took out a measuring tape, and took my measurements, my arms, my legs, shoulders, hips, chest, everything, and wrote it all down on a price of parchment. 

“What was that about?” I asked. 

“It was requested by me to do it, so I am merely complying.”

“Sure, just tell them that I like light wood for my coffins, something like a nice polished pine or even maple. That stuff is great.”

“If I do go through the coffin-maker’s, I will tell them, I suppose. Let me ask you one thing, though. Would you be willing to join me in town some time?”

“Oh god no! You trying to scare the town away?”

“It will be alright, I will give you a cloak and a face mask, and we can hide your identity. You will be able to experience how life is now, and learn what makes people the way they are in our time.”

“You can just tell me all that yourself. Or that little lady of yours, whatever her name was. I am not leaving my pond, thank you very much!”

“It’s Ceara, and you can’t stay in your pond forever! You have to come out eventually, be it because you ran out of things to do, or preferrably, because you have finally agreed to accompany your friend.”

“I can’t stay in my lake forever? Just watch me!” and I turn and dive back into the water.

Hanoi

Loved the Noble and Swan Boutique Hotel in Hanoi. Spent I think 3-4 days in Hanoi and would highly recommend. Lots to do and see and eat!

This street food tour was super fun. We went with June and she was a blast. It's also just super fun to zoom around on the back of a motorbike; I would be too afraid to drive myself, so this was the perfect way to get a feel for it.

If you don't take it, still make sure to try Egg Coffee (literally everybody will tell you this, but it's super tasty) and Bun Bo Nam Bo (yummy beef noodles).

We really really loved the Women's Museum. Expected to spend an hour or two here, but ended up staying until they closed and loving every minute of it. Give yourself a few hours!

Ninh Binh

We did a day trip with Funny Travel to Ninh Binh and it was so much fun. Our main objective was the Hoa Lu Temples which are carved in to the rock and while the place isn't big, it's not super touristy and it's definitely very beautiful and unique. Would definitely recommend. We also rode a boat between the mountains and rice paddies (so pretty) and then rode our bicycles around the rice paddies. We had a private driver and they took us to a lunch spot and we did a little shopping, too. Generally an excellent day trip in an air conditioned car and so much fun, although also swelteringly hot (dripping sweat on the bikes). He also helped us book our flight to Cambodia, which made everything easy and I think we got a deal on the tour for booking the flight as well. I can't remember exactly, but I think our tour was about $80/person for the driver, temple, bicycles, lunch, and boat ride. It was about a 2-3 hour drive from Hanoi.

Ha Long Bay (Cat Ba Bay)

We did an overnight tour into the bay with IndoChina Junk and their prices are worth the value. Highly recommend: well run, high quality, good accommodations, excellent kayaking and swimming, good food, kind people, and, most important of all, really really fabulous views and isolated spot to dock for the evening. Such a magical spot: definitely get up early for sunrise!

  Da Nang

We stayed one night here for a little beach getaway on our way to Hoi An and I would recommend. It was really fun to swim in the ocean and enjoy the beach. Finally a place where the heat was a good thing! We rented chairs with an umbrella for cheap and it was really nice to just chill and enjoy.

This area is by far one of the more expensive places in Vietnam, but for one night we lived it up and enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at the Adamo Hotel which was right on the water and was pretty great. They were fairly new and had some customer service bumps, but in the end we figured they'd probably work them out. In the meantime, we had the rooftop pool to ourselves, which was a blast, and the breakfast buffet was amazing. Rooms were comfy and clean and had an incredible view of the beach.

We went to A La Carte for dinner and sunset drinks, which was an excellent decision. Good drinks, good burgers, excellent views of the city and river and ocean. Downside was they wouldn't let us swim in the pool with purchase, it's for hotel guests only (laaaaame).

Hoi An

Hoi An is where I got my fabulous pink coat made and is so nice. It's a smaller town, but if you want clothing made, you need to spend 4 or 5 days there. You can borrow bikes from your hotel (probably) and cycle around, eat, enjoy sunset on the river. Super super touristy, but in a really enjoyable way.

We stayed at the Lasenta Boutique Hotel and it was the best. I would stay here 100 nights a year if I could. So cute, comfy, great service, etc. Their adorable tile work everywhere is so representative of Hoi An in general. Room rates were around $50/night. We borrowed their bicycles (for free) and used them to get everywhere.  You'll want to spend most of your time in the Hoi An Ancient town, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and super cute, but there are restaurants and fun places to go outside of this tourist heavy area, too.

Got my clothing made at Tony the Tailor's and I would come here again. They are so nice and accommodating and talented. I do feel like getting more artistic custom clothing is more difficult than getting business suits or more traditional items. The more specific photos you have of exactly what you want and the more clear you are about what you really want, the more you'll be happy with what you get. They'll pay for you to get a taxi cab from your hotel, email ahead to make an appointment. Plan on going immediately when you arrive in order to give yourself as much time for them to make the clothing and for you to come back and get it tailored as possible. Sometimes you'll want to come back a few times to get it right and giving yourself that time is worth it. Downside of this place is that there is no AC and so it's hot as hell and super hard to try on tighter clothing, but I think all of the places are open like this and they do have ice water and fans so that's probably the best you can do. If you go, tell them the girl with the custom pink coat from July 2017 sent you; she has an amazing memory for all her customers.

My favorite custom purchases were two pairs of leather sandals at Thang. They did a really great job and I ordered two pairs and my friend ordered some after seeing mine. Reasonably priced (maybe $20-30, depending on what you want and your bargaining abilities) and high quality. My friend also got a great belt here to bring back for her partner.

I had a bad experience with Song Leather. I ordered a purse from them, very careful to select exactly the leather that I wanted. When we came back the next day, they had made it not out of the one I picked, but another very different. From there, I had to fight pretty hard to get them to make me a new one, and even then they charged me for it (I kept both and sold one when I got back to the USA to a friend). After I picked it up, they were pretty pushy about trying to get me to leave a 5 star review on Trip Advisor, which felt icky. My friend ordered shoes from here too, and they were not good quality. They were heels, but the heel slipped out from underneath her foot every time she stepped. She ended up leaving with them for full price and they insisted that they would get better as the glue dried, but it didn't really happen.

Banh Mi Phuong was my favorite, packed with locals and a crowded line. Get two because they're only $1 and fairly small and SO DELICIOUS. We came back twice.

We also went to Phi Banh Mi which is more catered towards westerners, but so much fun. The owner is the sweetest and his sandwiches are SO good. We also came back here twice. (I mean, when you're here.... haha)

I loved our chill afternoon spent in the Lapin Café, which played French music and was run by a French-Vietnamese couple. It felt like coming over to somebody's hip house and I wanted to be friends with them after we left. No AC, but such good vibes.

The Reaching Out Café might have been my favorite find in Hoi An, run entirely by deaf locals who have the most serene, wonderful spot in the middle of the bustle. Come here! It's magical.

Siem Reap

The Jaya House in Siem Reap is far and away the best hotel I have ever stayed at. Start to finish it was an incredible experience and well worth the pennies we paid to stay here. In July 2017 rooms were $135/night for their basic room, but they ended up upgrading us to a room with a private jacuzzi and it was incredible. Swinging tables, the most amazing food you've ever tasted, incredible massages, two amazing pools, lotuses everywhere, a fabulous sunset bar, THE BEST SERVICE ever ever ever. I could go on and on: this place is incredible. We weren't sure what we could get that was better than the Lasenta Boutique Hotel (for only $50/night), but once we showed up we completely understood. They organized everything for us: our tours through Angker Wat and the others, etc.

The only downside of this place was that we barely saw Cambodia outside of the hotel and the Wats, which is a pretty big bummer to me, although our guide Khemerin was very forthright about how bad the Civil War had been in Cambodia and I got the feeling that maybe there isn't much besides these places.

We did go to Temple Bar one evening, which was a crazy expat bar experience and pretty fun. Insanely loud, cheap bevvies, tons of people from all around the world, and we danced like crazy. Not sure I would do it again, but it kind of felt like the only thing to do around Siem Reap and it was certainly a memorable club experience.

For Angkor Wat, do make sure you go at sunrise (and go early to make it worth it). We watched it from outside the wall where you can see the whole thing and then headed in to the pool to see from the inside. Not sure, but I might go to the inside instead next time if I was there early enough. We got the two day ticket (well, three day, but we only went two days, but it's still cheaper than buying two individual tickets) and I was glad we didn't try and cram everything in to one day. We did do the side trip to Banteay Srei and I am glad we did: it's different than the others and so fun to see.

Definitely take your time and definitely get some blessings from the monks; it's a few dollars and you'll feel like a tourist doing it, but it's authentic and cool. The monks are the only ones allowed to still live in Angkor Wat and they rely on only donations for their food and clothes. It's worth asking your guide more about this (and definitely about the modern political landscape and the Civil War and so on).

I would say that while biking around looks picturesque, it's so hot that you'll want to save it for another day when you're not relying on this to get you around. Splurge for the tuk tuk (or stay at our hotel and let them spoil you with cold ice towels and water whenever you get back from a temple).

The post Vietnam & Cambodia Travel Guide: What to do in Two Weeks appeared first on We Are Adventure.us.

July 1, 2017 - our first Airbnb

It's June 30, 8 o'clock in the evening. We decided to leave the harbour and their €6.20 a day rate to find an anchorage more beautiful, less noisy and even better, free. A couple days ago we were able to finally chill and do our own exploring since our first Airbnb booking was done. It was amazing! Everything went so well. I will tell you more. But when we were walking we found the sandy beach which is in a basin/crater on the south western corner of Faial, in the centre of old town Horta. It looks out to the ocean and is an absolute sight to see, so we brought the boat over and are now anchored in that beautiful basin, with a small waterfall beside us. A restaurant along the wall playing some awesome music and a great snorkelling area. We went for a dive already and found some beautiful fish. A black one with fluorescent blue spots that glitter in the light. Also the yellow and blue ones that I posted a video of. They are so pretty to look at. We also found a large red star fish. One of those ones with the long arms that are all bendy. It doesn't look like a perfect star and it's dark red. Such a cool thing to see since when we went to BC last year, we didn't see any because of the die off. Look up the starfish disease...it's so sad. We need to save the starfish!! Anyways. We are doing some serious relaxing now. Our next booking is on July 5 so we have a few more days to chill out. So...the Airbnb booking: I found the group (4 guys 1 girl) at Peters Cafe Sport after finally getting some wifi and getting a couple messages with the "leader" of the group. I walked up and couldn't even remember what the guy looked like, but a young tanned guy looked at me as he was walking by and paused. I said "Marius? I'm Courtney". It was an instant hiii how are you. He introduced me to the group: Warren- Australian. Martin - German. Lucrezia - Italian. Abdullah (Abi) - Saudi Arabian and Marius - German. Originally this booking was only 3 and as time got closer Marius messaged me and asked if one of his friends could join. I said ya of course and before he changed the reservation, he had another friend wanting to come. I clearly explained the bed sizes, two twins, a single and a double for me and mike. I also said that they would be sleeping 2, 2 and 1 on twin beds. It would be a "cozy" sleep but Mike and I were totally cool with it. So we added them to the booking and would have 7 people aboard our 38 footer for 4 nights and 5 days. What a great time!!!! First we still had to overhaul the boat. So we took all their luggage and asked them to go grocery shopping and kill some time. They gave us 2 hours where mike and I went into overdrive and cleaned up, packed away and tried to make this boat guest suitable. We had a long 12 day sail where almost all my clothes got salty wet and we pretty much just started putting stuff anywhere where it wouldn't rock around. So by the end we had some serious organizing to do. It all worked out because we finished the last bit and they arrived with bags of fresh groceries. They wanted to leave that evening instead of staying in the harbour for the night so I went with all the passports and checked us out of Horta. It is such an ordeal to check in and out of ports but all went well and I had a crew manifest of 5 extra. We set out motoring that evening and anchored on the eastern corner of Faial island with a great view of the other two islands: Pico and Sao Jorge. Pico island has the highest peak in Portugal - mt Pico. We found a great little spot that was tucked in from the waves. Warren cooked us an amazing pasta dinner with the most delicious garlic bread. It was some fancy bread, stuffed with garlic, parsley and tomato and then toasted in the oven. To die for. While we were sitting on the boat, we saw a small shark come up towards the boat. He stayed for a minute and then left. Marius wanted to jump in so bad. He didn't though. We had a great first night. I pulled all the beds out and made them up once it was getting late. Everyone called a bunk and it was a peaceful sleep except for a little snoring haha. The next morning Mike got up at sunrise to make coffee and as soon as he started moving 4/5 of the guests were up and on deck. The next thing I hear is a big splash. And then another and another. I come out and all 4 of them are in the water...naked! Haha it was hilarious! They really made the most of their trip and I'm so glad we got to be a big part of it. Mike, Martin and I went for a snorkel closer to shore and saw some cool fish. The crackling under the water is so loud from all the crustaceans. It is the coolest sound. You wouldn't believe how blue the water is. You can see everything so clearly it blows my mind. The rocks are huge and full of life with so many little crevices. It freaks me out a tiny bit once in a while, wondering what could be coming out of a dark crack in the rocks. But then I chill and think it will be fine. I will be fine. I can't miss everything else because of that possibility. I made a breakfast scramble for us and then we lifted anchor and set our for Velas, Sao Jorge. On our way across, we came across a dolphin pod who kept crossing our path but were not keen on hanging out with us. Marius and Warren jumped in the water and we dragged him by a rope off the back and tried to get him closer to the pod. They weren't having it and after a few attempts we pulled the guys back onboard. A little while later we came up on a turtle floating on the surface catching some rays. Martin got in and swam up to the turtle. He got pretty close before it swam away. He tried to follow but they are fast swimmers. They all have some barnacle growth in their back or tail. But they are so cute. I love turtles. We finally made it to our destination of Velas Harbour. We were going to go into the marina but it's a small one and the only room they had was alongside another boat. We pulled a u turn and anchored in the harbour but outside the marina. I went ashore and checked in. Free to anchor (awesome!) free water fill up. They had amazing showers at €2 each which isn't terrible. That was my first real shower since June 8 or 9. We had salt water wash, fresh water rinse showers during the voyage and the solar shower gets really warm in the sun. But a really shower with awesome pressure. Me and 4 of the group found a cafe on land and ordered some food. Got in wifi and got to call my mom for the first time. It was good to hear her voice. I do miss her and my sister. Missing family and friends definitely making me feel a little homesick. I wish it was a close trip to come home and visit. But from here it would be a long and expensive flight home and back. It's so amazing here. It is so surreal to be on these islands. Just bouncing one to the other. Velas was a gorgeous little city. Quiet. We happened upon a festival where a band played down the street and they shot fireworks into the sky and there was a long table of bread, wine and cheese maybe. A priest said a prayer and then splashed holy water at the food, blessing it. And then people came up with bags and was given one of each thing. It was so lucky for us to happen upon while we were looking for the grocery store and gas station since the marina didn't have any gasoline, only diesel. We eventually found the grocery store, and found out the gas station was 5 miles up the hill. We ditched the idea of getting gas and stocked up on food for supper. Martin cooked us steaks and we had another awesome meal. We all slept like logs that night and the next day we all went for a snorkel and got some great footage underwater. This was my first wetsuit snorkel which felt so nice. The water is refreshing but it cools you down quite quickly. After we all chilled out and half of us napped we motored in to the marina to fill up on water. We ended up cross blocking between two docks because it was such a small area to maneuver around. We filled up on water, had our showers and took off for Pico island. We made it to a great little curve not far from Sao Roque do Pico but the waves at night had the boat rocking side to side so bad. I kept nudging mike that we should move as he slept soundly. Maybe an hour or two before sunrise he lifted anchor and moved after I had bugged him enough. Sure enough 4/5 of the group had not had a good sleep due to the rocking. Abi slept like a rock and didn't even know we had started the engine and motored to the harbour of Sao Roque. The next morning he was like "what the? This isn't where we went to sleep?" Haha it was pretty funny. I got a few hours of shut eye and the next day we went onshore and had some fabulous pizza at the yacht club of Sao Roque. We had a great little anchorage for the day and went for a great walk along the coast of Pico. We walked to a beautiful windmill with the prettiest blue water coast full of little rocks and tidal pools. After a long walk our guests took a cab up the mountain to get some pictures while mike and I went back to the boat for a serious siesta. We passed out for a while and then I heard "courtney, mike were back". They were yelling from shore for only a minute before I popped my head up and gave them a wave. I rowed the dinghy over and picked them up and we were back on the boat. Supper was a simple sausage, cheese, bread meal with beans and celery, which hit the spot. We had hot chocolate that evening to top it all off. I also ended up pulling out my guitar finally and playing a few songs. It was a great time! The next morning we headed back to Horta so they could get their rental car and explore Faial island for a couple more days in another Airbnb. They had 2 more days and wanted to go diving and up the volcano. We dropped them off around 3 in the afternoon and it was sad goodbyes from all. The next morning we saw Warren, Marius and Martin go by in the diving boat. They were off to do their scuba dive. Marius messaged me and asked if we wanted to do lunch together which we were definitely for doing. We did laundry at the marina (so expensive!!!) that morning and after the dive we met up and went to a great place that served wood fire cooked meals. I got the pork chops and the guys got tuna, wreck fish and mike got some other fish I can't remember. The wreck fish was definitely the best tasting. So juicy and great flavour. Mike's was good but had a very subtle flavour. And the tuna was good too, a little too fishy for me. My porkchops were freaking amazing. Cooked to perfection. We got a few desserts to share, a chocolate mousse, a coconut pudding cake and another cake that tasted like tiramisu. After lots of laughs the restaurant was closing up at 3pm (they reopen at 7pm for dinner) we went to pay and these awesome guys paid for mike and I as a last goodbye. They also stocked me up on some dark chocolate because mike gave away the last few pieces of a bar I had. Oh they were honestly just the best people to have! That was our final goodbye. Mike and I made our way to the beach and they made their way to their rental car to explore the island a little bit more and then fly home the next morning. As I'm typing this up, I hear a loud screech call. I look up and around, don't see anything. Continue typing. Then I hear it again and I look behind me and there's a man flashing a light at us and using this siren call. It's the police. Oh man. They yell we have to go. So mike rows over to them and has a polite conversation where they inform us that it is illegal for us to anchor in our beautiful little spot. Only one boat is allowed to anchor there and we can move 300 m up the coast and anchor there. Haha. So we moved, and now we will have a little bit more of a rocky sleep. We are in some wave action but hopefully it won't be too bad. Tomorrow we will head towards Pico and find a place there. All part of the exploring aspect I guess. Anyways. Airbnb went great! We had an amazing time, they had an amazing time and it just worked out so well. Now Mike and I are taking it all in and relaxing. A few more days until our next booking and we just keep going on and on. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story and keep reading the ones to come! Lots of love to all! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram (Coconut_seaways) and Facebook at Coconut Seaways for awesome pics and videos. Below is our Airbnb link. I highly recommend you come stay with us! It will be an experience you'll never forget! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17172254?location=Horta%2C%20Portugal&s=gMqRO9XB

A Princess (Not Really) in Distress - PART 2

Prompt: We're following Leonard, Jim, and Y/n's trip back to the kingdom

Warnings: Lil’ angst (don't worry, it'll be ok)

Word Count: 1,757

A/n: I'm thinking 4-5 parts for this longer-than-intended fic. And in one of those parts, is there going to be a royal ball? Ya'll can bet your ass on it.

Part 1

Sunlight crept through the thin cracks of your eyelids, making you slowly open your eyes. Light was steaming through the opening of the tree-made cave, and the sounds of birds followed.

Looking around, you found Jim sitting up against the dirt wall, asleep, and breathing softly. You were still in Leonard's arms, in the same position from the night before. The knight was asleep as well; you could tell from the light snoring that came from him. During the night, he must've shifted to get more comfortable, because his nose was buried in your neck. If he was awake, you knew he'd probably kick himself in the face for doing such a thing.

His soft breathing sent warm gusts of air across your skin, making you heat up in embarrassment. Never had you been in such an intimate position with a man, or person in general.

Looking around again, a thought came to you. Your two 'captors' were asleep, giving you the perfect opportunity to escape.

Smiling to yourself, you shifted as little as possible, and as slow as possible to get off the man's lap. You had to slowly un-pry his fingers from their locked position in front of you, which made him twitch, but not awake.

After a slow, agonizing few minutes, you managed to slowly stand up. You paused for a few seconds to make sure they were asleep, before silently scrambling up and out of the entryway.

You had to stop and take in the nature around you before running. You had only seen the outside world from a window or in books. It had been so long since you had actually stepped out into it.

The grass was graciously soft on your bare feet and everything was green. Birds flew to and from their nests, bugs crawled on plants, and you even spotted a fox trot through the shrubbery.

The scenery made you giddy, and bouncy. You started to walk away from the two men, admiring the world as you went. It was so much better than any book could've described.

You were so caught up in everything, you didn't notice the rope laying still in your path. By the time you actually noticed, the noose had caught your two feet, flipped you into the air upside down, and suspended you there. The tree that you were tied to, swayed dangerously with your weight, but luckily stayed put.

Blood rushed to your head, making black spots dance in your vision for a second. Great, now what? Your fingertips barely brushed the forest floor, and your shirt was riding up, or down in this case, to pool around your shoulders.

You spent the next 15 minutes trying to use what little upper body strength you had, to reach your feet and un-tie the knot; or at least grab a nearby branch or something, but nothing worked. Deciding that you would either die on this tree, or Jim and Leonard would find you eventually, you stopped struggling.

All the blood rushing to your head was making you very light headed and nauseous, so when you heard voices, you thought they had maybe been a figment of your imagination.

"Look's like she caught herself, making our job a whole lot easier. How'd you manage this Princess?"

There was shuffling as, who you presumed to be Leonard, walked around you, pushing back brush and looking behind it.

"You would think that a princess who's read so many books in her life, would know how to spot a simple animal trap. Wouldn't you agree Jim?"

If Jim said anything, you didn't hear it. Leonard must've found the rope holding you up because there was a snap, then your face became friends with the ground. Luckily, you didn't land right on your head and snap your neck, but you still fell and harshly hit the floor. There would definitely be a bruise there in a few hours.

"Did you even think about softening my fall before you cut the rope?"

Leonard shrugged with a smug smile. He obviously didn't care.

"Some knight you are. You don't know the first thing about being a gentleman. No wonder you're single." You crossed your arms defiantly over your chest.

The knight froze. "How do you know I'm single? You don't know that."

You shrugged. "Call it a woman's intellect."

The three of you went silent for a while, waiting for someone to say something. Leonard apparently couldn't handle the silence. "Well then, let's get going. Don't want to leave King Pike waiting."

The three of you walked all day, and the sun was starting to dip below the horizon by the time the kingdom was visible. It was still miles away, and your legs felt like jelly. Leonard looked like he was determined to continue, but you couldn't handle it anymore, so you dropped, face down into the grass.

"Come on, it's not that much further. 10 miles max." Leonard stated.

The mere thought of walking more made your knees and ankles scream in agony. The large bruises on your stomach, side, and thighs also pulsed with pain. Jim noticed your discomfort.

"Maybe we should call it a night. I'm tired too."

Leonard stood contemplating, before groaning and throwing his arms up in defeat. "Fine. We'll stop. But don't come running to me for forgiveness when the King gets angry for being a day late."

You smiled in delight and rolled onto your back, gazing at the stars while the other two started a fire and settling down. By the time they finished, the sun had left, leaving you shivering in your bare feet. If Leonard had any decency, he would've taken in your short attire and let you grab some other clothes, or at least a blanket, but oh no.

Due to pride, you didn't say anything about the chills, and kept silent, curled up near the fire, watching the flames lick the chill air.

Jim and Leonard sat by the fire too, silence hanging in the air. You could hear crickets in the grass nearby. Leonard shuffled.

"Better get some rest. We'll need to look clean and awake when we get to the kingdom tomorrow."

You didn't need to be told twice. Turning around with your back to the fire, you curled up on your side, trying to contain body heat. It took hours for you to finally doze off, but you did eventually.

Leonard had glanced at you constantly; noticing the unconscious shivers your body gave. He inwardly felt guilty for not thinking about getting you spare clothes or bringing actual supplies on the quest. With no supplies, he had nothing to offer to keep you warm, and he was too prideful to lie next to you and share heat. It seemed the fire would have to do for the time being.

The night had been hell, but now, the cold sounded wonderful. The sun was beating down everything it had while you trudged through long grass. The lack of better clothing was a blessing now, keeping you as cool as it could. Leonard and Jim were sweating their asses off, which made you laugh at their torture. Serves them right. Well maybe Leonard more than Jim. Jim seemed nice enough.

When the kingdom was a mere hundred yards away, you nearly cried in relief. People swarmed the three of you as soon as some villagers caught sight of your searching party. They were cheering, and Leonard was radiating pride. Great, you were simply just a quest token, nothing more.

As you slowly made your way to the castle, women were surrounding Leonard, complimenting him on his 'astounding bravery' and his 'act's of heroism'. So he was a royal sex symbol. Yay, just what you needed.

Older women kept complimenting you and Leonard on how cute of a couple you were, and how handsome the next generation of princes/knights would be. It made you flush red and shy away from the knight. Leonard seemed to be dusted pink as well.

It seemed like years until you finally made it to the castle. Other knights had to hold the people back so they wouldn't crowd the building. You didn't even notice the loud slam of the doors and the muffled sounds of the chatting villagers, too focused on the building itself.

The castle was absolutely beautiful. It wasn't dark and dreary like yours; it was bright and full of life. Maids hustled around, a few waving as they passed by. Knights stood at attention around the room, and people, who you assumed were royals, walked the halls. In short, it was magical.

Leonard waved over a small maid that quickly walked up and bowed to him; ready to obey the orders he was undoubtedly going to give.

"Take Miss Y/n to her new room and get her acquainted. Spice her up, make her look nice. She meets with the king over dinner in a few hours."

The maid nodded and gestured for you to follow. You hesitated. An unknown kingdom filled with unknown people made you nervous. You wouldn't say you knew Leonard and Jim, but you felt more comfortable with them than anyone else here. Leaving them was not something you wished to do.

"W-Wait. Why can't I meet the King how I am?"

Leonard raised a brow and pinched at the thin, baggy shirt you wore, that had dirt and grass stains. "Ah hell, I don't know. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you don't exactly look very royal. I don't want King Pike to think I just dragged a poor, peasant girl here and not a princess. I'd be happy to call for a few princesses I've met. They'd be happy to give you some pointers." His tone was filled with rude sarcasm and it made your blood boil.

You harshly jabbed your finger into his chest a few times. "You, sir, need to learn a little something called respect. I may not look the part, but you can be damn sure that I can play it."

Turning on your heel, you quickly followed the nurse, head held high. Doing so made you fail to see the shock and guilty expression on the knight's face.

Tags: @yourtropegirl @outside-the-government @hellhoundsandunicorns @captian-hannah-kirk @feelmyroarrrr @elenawrit

Lost Lullabies - Chapter Seventeen

Description: Mickey Milkovich, former child star turned action movie star, runs into his old co-star, Ian Gallagher, out on the street in the middle of a winter night. When Mickey takes him in, he doesn’t realize that Ian has the power to completely turn his new life upside down.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Read on AO3

Mickey woke up without opening his eyes. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of Ian’s chest against his back, feel his breath trickle across his neck. Mickey had never felt so warm and happy upon waking up in his life.

           True, things could be better. He could be wrapped in his own blankets instead of the hotels’ flimsy sheets and he could have his own alarm clock, his kitchen and his apartment waiting for him. But he didn’t care. What mattered most in that moment were Ian’s arms wrapped around him, the safety he felt in the other man’s arms. What mattered most was that despite everything, he and Ian were in a good place.

           It was the first Monday in January and their first day back on set. Ian’s meds had settled, Mandy had gone home, and the hotel had become their de facto home. Mickey took a deep breath, then pried his eyes open to the gentle light of the sun threading through the thin curtains. He glanced at the clock – a little before six – and turned around in Ian’s arms. He pressed a kiss to Ian’s nose, to the space just above his lips, and then gave him a real kiss.

           Ian responded sleepily, his lips moving to mutter words rather than kiss back. After a moment, he laughed and managed, “It’s so early, Mick.”

           “We gotta get to set,” Mickey said between kisses. “We have work today.”

           “I’m so tired.”

           “Bet I can wake you up.” Mickey kissed Ian harder and crawled on top of him, letting his weight settle onto the taller man’s body. He curled one hand into Ian’s hair and pressed the other between their bodies. He let his hand roam across Ian’s torso, playing with his nipples and skidding across his ribcage. Prying Ian’s lips open, he let morning breath wash over his face but wasn’t deterred in the least. Ian, whether minty clean or two days unshowered, was his favourite flavour.

           “Mickey,” Ian said, somewhere between a grumble and a laugh. He caught Mickey’s chin with his hand and kissed him harder, harder, harder until Mickey felt like his jaw might break. Then Ian flipped them over so he was on top and grinding down. Mickey let out a desperate moan.

           They kissed for a while longer. Ian grabbed Mickey’s ass and kneaded it as he bit down Mickey’s neck. “Not too hard,” Mickey mumbled. “Make-up girls will ask questions.”

           “Tell ‘em you got lucky,” Ian whispered. He sucked at the juncture between Mickey’s neck and shoulder, almost bit down when Mickey snaked a hand into his underwear and put a hand around his limp dick. “Sorry,” Ian said.

           “I know it’s the drugs.” Mickey started to move his hand, hopeful and not hopeful at the same time.

           Too soon, Ian batted him away and crawled off. Sighing, Ian ran a hand down his face. “This fucking sucks,” he said.

           Mickey sat up. “Don’t worry about it. Your body will get used to the meds eventually and—”

           “No,” Ian said. He looked at Mickey through his fingers. “It sucks that I can finally fuck you, that you’re finally mine to pound into a goddamn mattress, and I only got to do it once before the goddamn meds took my dick away.”

           Mickey almost laughed, caught himself by biting his lips. “You got it up a couple of times after.”

           “For not nearly long enough.”

           Now Mickey did laugh but he shot his boyfriend an apologetic look while he did. “Hey,” he said. He grabbed Ian’s face and pulled him into a short, passionate kiss. “This isn’t just about sex. I love you. You know that.”

           Ian rolled his eyes. “But it’d be nice for it to be about sex.”

           Mickey shrugged.

           They sat in silence for a moment before Ian’s eyes lit up and a mischievous smile spread over his lips.

           “What?” Mickey said, wary.

           “You’re hard, right?”

           “Yeah...”

           “Touch yourself.”

           Mickey raised an eyebrow. “You could do it for me.”

           Ian shook his head. He pulled the covers back so that Mickey lay bare before him and spread Mickey’s knees. Then he sat back on his haunches. “Touch yourself and I’ll tell you how I’d like you to do it.”

           Mickey forced a laugh even as his blood ran downwards. “This one of the weird kinks you picked up when you were prostituting yourself?”

           “You like it.”

           “I’d like it better if you sucked me off.”

           Ian shook his head. “You don’t get to make demands. You do what I say and if you’re good, maybe I’ll give you a reward.”

           Mickey licked his lips. “Fine.” He lowered his hand to his dick but didn’t touch it until Ian nodded. He grunted at the pressure, the friction, but refused to moan under his own ministrations. Sure, he knew what he liked and he liked Ian watching him, but he was an actor, for crying out loud. He didn’t need to masturbate.

           “Faster,” Ian said.

           Mickey sped up, kept his eyes on Ian who was staring intently at his dick. The attention made Mickey go a little red. It occurred to him that despite the fact they’d been doing this for a while, this might have been the first time Ian was getting a good look at his body. The thought made Mickey’s skin crawl a little. He knew he looked good – he was on his movie diet, had been working out every day – but old insecurities came back when he was alone. And being with Ian was a lot like being alone sometimes.

           “A little more pressure.” Ian’s voice had dropped an octave, sultry and smooth.

           Mickey bit back on a groan as he ran his hand up and down his shaft. He swiped at the slit when he got close, almost bucked his hips off the bed. He was finding it harder to keep watching Ian. His eyes wanted to close. He wanted to lose himself in the sensation, the feeling, forget who he was thinking about as he touched himself. Shame crept into the pit of his stomach and he tried his best to block it out, but it was always easier to be unashamed when Ian was touching him, kissing him, reminding him why it was okay to want this.

           “Slow down.” Ian touched his thighs, his fingers tickling along Mickey’s skin. “Slower.”

           Mickey’s fingers started to crawl along his shaft, an odd tickling sensation on his hot, pulsing member. “Ian,” he whispered. The word got his boyfriend’s attention, clear green eyes on him for the first time since they’d started. Mickey felt his nerves calm even as his body got harder to control. “I’m close.”

           “Then stop.”

           Mickey stilled his hand and looked up at Ian. He hoped he looked curious but knew he probably just looked like a hot, desperate mess. Ian raised an eyebrow and Mickey removed his hand completely, bit down on his lip to stop from whimpering. Ian brushed a hair off Mickey’s forward, then leaned in to kiss him.

           “You’re doing so good,” Ian whispered.

           “Fuck you,” Mickey said but without nearly enough bite to it.

           “So good.” Ian’s breath pooled across his face and Mickey let out a whine. Ian kissed him again, scraped his teeth against his bottom lip. “You’re so beautiful, Mick.”

           “Ian,” Mickey groaned. “Just fucking do something. Or let me do something. Please.”

           Ian smirked, a look that should have been pure evil but was filled with affection. He shifted down the bed and wrapped his lips around the head of Mickey’s cock. He tongued the slit before sliding up at a slow, smooth pace, his nails digging into Mickey’s thighs. Mickey stopped controlling his noises, let out a miserable moan and pulled at Ian’s hair.

           Ian worked fast, swirling his tongue and taking all of Mickey into his mouth without so much as a wince. When Mickey warned him he was close, Ian simply redoubled his efforts and swallowed Mickey’s come with ease.

           He pulled off and licked his lips.

           Mickey watched his tongue, the red mess of his mouth. It took him a moment to meet his boyfriend’s eyes again, a moment longer to shut his jaw. “You’re really good at that,” Mickey managed, his voice hoarse.

           “You done that before?” Ian asked.

           Mickey rolled his eyes. “I’m an actor, Ian.”

           “Yeah, but I bet that’s the first time you’ve actually enjoyed it.”

           “Fuck off,” Mickey said, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks.

           “I don’t care.” Ian kissed him and Mickey tasted himself on his tongue. “I love you and I don’t care if you’ve never been with a man before or if you’ve been with a hundred.”

           “You’re the one who’s been with a hundred.”

           Ian smiled and slipped off the bed.

           Mickey followed him with his eyes as he walked across the room. “You ever been with a girl?” he asked.

           “Depends,” Ian said. He disappeared into the bathroom. “Do threesomes count?”

           “If you were with the girl, then yeah.”

           Ian didn’t respond. A minute later, he came out with a wet towel and crawled back into the bed. He wiped Mickey down, gently, and Mickey hummed as warm water dripped down his thighs. Ian kissed him again, lips soft and curious. Mickey tilted his head to get a better angle, gripped Ian’s chin in his hand and pulled him closer.

           Ian laughed a little. “We gotta go.”

           “In a bit.”

           “No, we—” Ian laughed as he tried to form words with Mickey nipping at his lips. He pushed his boyfriend back into the pillows. “We wasted a lot of time. We’ve gotta go. Now.”

           Mickey groaned but slipped out of bed almost immediately. He went to the bathroom, got dressed, and was ready to head downstairs before Ian was. He leaned up against the door as Ian dressed, every inch of his alabaster skin slowly getting covered much to Mickey’s disappointment. He almost suggested Ian go commando but considering they were taping a kid’s movie and Ian’s dick was massive, that wasn’t the best idea.

           Ian finished dressing, kissed Mickey, and then stepped out the door. “You tell the driver to pick you up here?”

           “Yeah,” he said. “Fucking hard as shit to make up an excuse for that, by the way.”

           Ian smiled as he pressed the elevator button. “What? You’d prefer to sneak out on me in the morning rather than do what we just did?”

           “We could wake up even earlier, do that, and then I could sneak out.”

           “Getting up this early is hell,” Ian said.

           Mickey snorted. “I get up so much earlier to stage sneak outs from Svet’s.”

           They stepped onto the elevator and Ian hit the lobby button. “How is Svet?” he asked. “I mean, like, does she know?”

           Mickey shrugged. “She knew at the club. I don’t know why she wouldn’t know now.”

           They rode the rest of the way down in silence and kept a reasonable distance in the lobby. Mickey ducked into the car first, said hello to the driver, and watched Ian slide in beside him. They kept the middle portion of the seat empty between them. Mickey felt nerves rise through his body, up through the soles of his feet and right into his throat. Now that they had to be on set again, the whole thing between them felt so much more real. Hotel rooms and Christmas day and no work had felt like a vacation. A vacation from Mickey’s real life. So of course he could do whatever he wanted. But now that they were mixing that with work, it felt like galaxies had collided.

           “You okay?” Ian whispered as they got to the studio gate.

           Mickey nodded. He wanted and didn’t want Ian to reach out and grab his hand. All his emotions suddenly crashed together, like two trains on the same tracks. He wanted Ian. He wanted Ian to comfort him, soothe him, take his hand and kiss his knuckles. He also wanted to hide. He wanted a secret buried deep inside of him, no concrete evidence to back that secret up, and a guarantee that no one would ever find out. When he looked at Ian, he thought maybe the redhead could see all of that in his eyes.

           “Everything will be fine,” Ian said. “Nothing’s different than it was before.”

           Mickey almost laughed. Everything was different than it was before. But he kept his mouth shut as they got out of the car and headed onto set together like they had every single day. Ian started talking, easy conversation flowing across his lips, and Mickey found himself laughing as they headed towards their dressing rooms. The butterflies in his stomach calmed. They went their separate ways and Mickey easily fell into the morning routine. Costume, make-up, schedule run through, first scene.

           Of course, that scene was with Ian and it was a surprisingly intimate moment between their two characters. It was the climax of the movie – the moment when they admitted they’d grown apart and needed to move on with their lives – and they were both supposed to cry. Mickey had dreaded the scene since he’d first read it. He couldn’t cry on command. It was his biggest weakness as an actor.

           But he should have been nervous for different reasons. Now that he and Ian were actually fucking, the director seemed a thousand percent more annoyed with them. He barely let them get through thirty seconds of the scene before he stopped, yelled at them, and told them to start it all over. Mickey did his best to keep his expression neutral but even that didn’t appease the director.

           “You’re supposed to be friends,” he said. “And as friends, you love each other. Platonically. Can you two do platonic? Or is the eye-fucking as platonic as you get?”

           Mickey flipped him off. Ian said nothing.

           “Go again.”

           Mickey tried to bring up all his friendly feelings towards Ian. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember a time when he was friends with Ian and not completely head-over-heels for him. Even digging really deep down, to the first day they’d met as little kids, he remembered appreciating Ian’s smile, his freckles, his ease in front of the cameras.

           “Cut! Holy fucking hell. Are you trying to murder me?”

           “If it’s so fucking hard to film us as friends, why not change the end of the movie?” Mickey snapped. “Let’s rewrite this whole fucking scene. They decide their business is over but ultimately admit their undying love for each other and end up fucking on the sofa. Would you prefer that?”

           “Well, it’d be fucking easier to film. You idiots might even get it in one take.”

           Mickey bit his tongue.

           “Honestly, I have never worked with a professional actor who was worse at keeping it in his goddamn pants. And I’ve worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!”

           Mickey took a step forward, finally ready to punch the guy in the face – after all, so much of the movie was already shot, what were they going to do? Fire him? – but stopped when Ian’s hand grasped his shoulder.

           “Can we take five?” Ian said.

           The director threw up his hands. “Do what you want.”

           Mickey closed his eyes and didn’t move, didn’t even shake Ian’s hand off. He had to find some way to get his fucking face under control or today was going to be downright torturous. He wasn’t sure what was worse: the director making fun of him when it was just a crush or the director making fun of him now that they were together and in love. He thought maybe they were equal, if different, hells.

           After a minute, he started off the set, Ian at his heels. He walked into his dressing room and let Ian come in after him. They left the door open, just in case. Mickey flopped down on his couch and looked up at Ian with a bored look. “You having fun?” he said.

           Ian smiled. “It’s nice to have outside confirmation.”

           “Fuck you.”

           “Don’t worry. No one believes that asshole anyways.”

           Mickey hummed in agreement as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He frowned when he saw seven missed calls from his publicist and a text that said: CALL IMMEDIATELY. With a glance at Ian, he swiped to call her back and put the phone to his ear.

           “Mickey, thank god.” She sounded a little out of breath.

           “What’s up?”

           “I’m so sorry. I did everything I could. I bought every picture I could find. I threatened magazine editors. I tried to Photoshop the image to use it as the original and call theirs a fake. I did literally everything, Mickey. You have to believe me.”

           Mickey felt his heart rate speed up. Licking his lips, he forced himself to stay calm. “What are you talking about, Liz?”

           She took a deep breath. “There are pictures of the kiss.”

           “What kiss?”

           “You and Ian? Under the mistletoe?”

           Mickey froze. He swore for a moment not one system in his body was working. “When?” he managed.

           “As soon as the new magazines go out,” she said. “Tomorrow, most likely.”

<<Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen>>

Sixty One Miles

For the lovely @thinkingkim who wanted to read some Prowl and Bluestreak I give you... Part 1! Part 2 to come at some point this weekend =D

Prowl never quite knew what to think of Bluestreak. He was a hard worker and he was skilled, very skilled. The kid showed up out of nowhere (well, out of somewhere very specific actually) and he started fighting. Fighting harder than anyone else and doing a damn good job at it. He was a good shot; one of the snipers you wanted to rival if you were still considered new. He was strategic with every decision he made, even if it appeared he did things on a whim, later on Prowl always realized there was a very methodical way Bluestreak did everything. He was smart too, although sometimes that was a little less apparent. He seemed to almost like pretending to be a hardhead in some cases.

He understood the culture of war, which was the thing that really took Prowl by surprise. Not many realize that war even has a culture. Sure it shapes culture; it changes the destinies of people and planets and the, in their case, the entire damn galaxy. It pushes technology and science in new directions. It changes the art and music and education of a society. But war itself creates its own culture. It creates the fighters, the martyrs, the defenders, the strategists, the neutrals, the good guys, and the bad guys. Sure all those people existed before war, but once war starts, once the fights begin, they become much clearer. People are forced to become those things and in turn war’s culture is both intertwined in the changing culture and also stands alone as something entirely different.

That fighter that used to make music (even if you always thought it was more like noise than anything) is now a black ops commander that still makes music (noise). The musician’s music changes; it goes from upbeat to foreboding to hopeful to a desperate attempt to revive what it once was before to a complete loss of the past to a new gritty harsh tone to something quieter…

To complete silence. War’s culture.

Bluestreak was someone that understood this new culture better than anyone. Probably because he watched his culture come crashing down around him. Literally. It left him with a different perspective of the war. The collapse of Praxus was early on; before the war was considered a war. It was still a rebellion. Something they thought they could quell.

Praxus, in a way, was the start of the war. When an entire city falls, what else can you call it?

Prowl knew Bluestreak was a lot like him (and he liked to ignore the fact that both of them were a simple paint job away for that to be really true). Bluestreak hated war just as much as Prowl. Neither of them really wanted anything to do with it, but both of them were forced to be a part of it.

Neither had a choice and that shapes you. It twists to into something just a little different from the rest. No one joins a war on purpose (unless you’re someone like Springer and even then that’s only because there aren’t many other options), but when you try to get away from it or when you don’t even know it’s at your doorstep and then you have a gun in your hand and you pull the trigger for the first time it changes you.

Prowl never had many chances to work with Bluestreak before Earth, though. They both worked for the security forces when Sentinel was in charge, but their separate teams rarely ever worked together. While Prowl was almost always with Optimus, Bluestreak was around, but never really there. He was in every major battle and always played an important part, but Prowl never watched him. They were never next to each other. Bluestreak was stationed all over the place; the orbital array before Cybertron was abandoned, Varas Centralus before it was lost, the Orbital Command Hub, and Hydrus 5 before he ended up, somehow, on Earth with the rest of the ‘usual’ crew.

Now he was tailing the Praxian down Interstate 95 in the middle of a swampy state named Florida in the dead of night and Prowl was suspicious. Very suspicious, because it had been nearly two earth hours since Bluestreak had said anything, which was weird. Bluestreak was a talker and that was putting it nicely. Prowl had heard rumors of Bluestreak’s ability to yammer on, but he was beginning to see they weren’t really rumors as much as they were vast under exaggerations.

At least until tonight.

_

It was quiet. Well sort of. There was actually a lot of noise on the road between the wind rushing past and the distant rumble of thunder of a storm somewhere to the west. There were a lot of trucks on the interstate with them and the odd cement highway made an awful whining noise under his tires between the ever present click of the cracks between the cement slabs every two seconds. Also the incessant ‘peeping’ noises being made in the water channels off the sides of the interstate from those strange green, slimy, jumping frog creatures was almost deafening.

But that was the kind of quiet that drove Bluestreak crazy.

The sound of noise. Not voices. Not words or songs or laughter or crying or yelling or whispering. Just noise in the background that reminded him of his city that went silent. Silent except for the humming background of the world. Nothing else but him alone with a symphony of loud desolation.

He knew Prowl wasn’t one for conversation. He wasn’t one for words in general, actually, so Bluestreak had picked up the nearest radio stations with anything upbeat playing, drove on just slightly faster than he should have been according to the signs on the sides of the road, and remained quiet. Now they were somewhere between the cities of Daytona Beach and Palm Beach and Bluestreak realized he had greatly misjudged just how large this oddly shaped state really was. How large and how boring it was. There had been nothing but trees and foul smelling standing water pools for the last two hundred miles. The radio stations were all jumping with static now and if one more bug hit him he’d--

A green exit sign reflected in his lights and, at the very loud protest of an oil tanker, Bluestreak cut across the three lanes of highway and took exit 131B to SR 68 West, Orange Avenue (why did everything reference oranges down here?) with a squeal of his tires. Just behind him a very surprised Prowl barely had time to follow with a flurry of curses and questions.

“Damn it Bluestreak! W...Where are you going? Our destination is still another sixty-one Earth miles south. Are you evening listening to me?”

Bluestreak sighed inwardly as he cut off the barely lit road onto a pot hole ridden, silt covered, barely large enough for a car, dirt path. He passed a couple ramshackle looking wooden and tin built houses and kept going once the streetlights had ended and the roar of the nocturnal animals drowned out his own engine.

After the first mile Prowl stopped asking questions. Going on the third mile and having raked his front bumper on the ground for the seventh time Prowl slammed on his brakes and jumped up onto his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. Finally having enough he snapped. “Bluestreak!”

Bluestreak spun around, flinging a wave of rock, sand, and silt up at Prowl and stood with a laugh. “Whoa whoa! I just needed to stretch my legs; that highway was killing my shocks. Who builds a highway out of thirty foot slabs of cement and leaves cracks to bounce you around the entire time?”

Prowl shook his head and tried to wiped the wet dirt off his chest with absolutely no success. The fine grained sand smeared into a larger mess and only spread when he tried to wipe his hands together to get rid of it. “Sure, and this dirt road was so much better.”

Bluestreak laughed again. “Maybe the better question is why the humans thought this swamp would make a good place to settle in first place.”

“Oranges, apparently.” Prowl frowned, still rubbing his hands together. Still not getting the silt off.

“Did...did you just make a joke?” Unsure of whether to be impressed or surprised Bluestreak raised his eyebrows. Prowl never made jokes. At least, not as far as he had seen and heard from others. He was as stoic and serious as any bot could get. Chromedome definitely hadn’t been exaggerating when he told stories about his time Rodion.

“I made an observation.”

Figures. Bluestreak rolled his optics and looked up at the sky. Even though there was still thunder in the distance the sky above them was clear of clouds and littered with stars. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Hm?” Giving up on getting his hands clean Prowl let his arms hang at his sides. Although he definitely made sure not to touch any other part of his body. “Make it quick. We have a deadline to meet.”

“We’re practically three hours ahead of schedule.” Bluestreak put a hand on his hip as he turned to face Prowl. “Anyway, where do you from?”

When there’s more I’ll probably put it up on my AO3 account, but I’ll post a link~

Here are the best cheap hotels in Wisconsin!

[toc]

1. Hyatt Place Madison

This is the best hotel staff I've ever experienced. Cheerful and friendly staff. They take pride in all facets. The breakfast is hearty, top-notch quality and they never run out of food. The hotel is spotlessly clean. It is conveniently set up with parking.

2. Copperleaf Boutique Hotel & Spa, BW Premier Collection

When I'm in the Appleton/Neenah area, I'll always be at the Copperleaf hotel! Great friendly staff. All kinds of restaurants and bars within walking distance to please everyone! A free shuttle to and from the airport is a welcome bonus.

3. Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva

Great stay. Great accommodation Check-in was quick. Handicap parking is special. The restaurant service is full. The inspection is also quick and easy. This room would be great for any of my friends and family.

4. GrandStay Residential Suites Hotel Eau Claire

We were happy with our recent stay here. The bed felt like home, I don’t think I have ever slept so well in a hotel before. Those super-soft mattresses don't work for me. This mattress has the right amount of support without being too hard.

The window shadows really close completely and darken the room beautifully and we enjoy the space separately. My husband is the one who gets up early. He can wake up and watch tv in the living room while I sleep without being disturbed in the bedroom.

There was ample counter space in the bathroom which is a big deal to me. Note-we couldn’t find the dishes, it turns out they were all clean and in the dishwasher. The hotel was quiet, clean and welcoming. My daughter attends the University here so we will be staying again in the future!

5. AmericInn by Wyndham Madison South

We spent only one night at this hotel. What a great choice! The staff was all friendly and helpful, the room was clean, the bed very comfortable. Since this hotel is not one of the more expensive hotels in the area, I'm not sure how it will turn out, but it is well maintained and I am very surprised.

My granddaughter and I swam in the pool and used the hot tub. The bathroom outside the pool area is very clean and provides a place to shower before swimming. The pool is a nice size as well as many soft towels available. There are many food options nearby. I will stay here again.

6. Jefferson Street Inn

Anyone who created this concept should be congratulated. We enjoyed a nice room and great service at this hotel. Absolutely no problem with our holiday. It's a bit strange to change the elevator to get up on the 4th floor but this is a unique property. We love every minute of these beautiful rooms. Convenient parking is a big plus.

7. Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells

First time at the Great Wolf with the family, for the grandkids ages which are 1 to 7, the water park is excellent they could do almost everything at it, and its all in one area, not a lot of walking to get to different areas, rented a condo with 3 bedrooms and it was very nice, will definitely be back.

8. Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Wisconsin Dells

We were greeted by a very polite guy. Not only did the property look very clean and well maintained, but the inside by the pool area was very clean. Our room is very clean and smells very fresh.

9. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Kenosha, WI

My family and I love going to Country Inn when we go to Kenosha to play baseball. I look forward to coming back next year we play baseball in town.

10. Best Western Plus Milwaukee West

This is our second time here and we are very pleased with the service and the room. We stayed for 2 nights. The first night was great, even though there was karaoke in the bar downstairs, we were able to turn the fan in our room on and get a good night's sleep after being at the Bucks game.

The second night we had a very noisy family above us. They kept running, jumping, and who knew what else, so I mentioned Nick at the front desk. He is very accommodating and tells him to let him know if it continues.

We don't usually complain and can handle noise but this was extreme. I called Nick and told him it didn't get any better so he made a call upstairs and asked them to quiet down. A bit later he called back to our room and asked if it had changed.

I told him it didn't and he immediately offered us another room, saying he wanted us to get a good rest. He even came and delivered the new keys to our room and asked if we needed a cart to move our stuff.

We packed up and moved to the top floor and opened the door to a suite. This was not necessary or expected but just shows the great customer service! We also used the shuttle service to the Bucks game the first night.

Dave, the driver, was wonderful! So friendly, and was like a tour guide, telling us all about things that we passed on the way to the Fiserv Forum. He dropped us off at the door and picked us up right where he told us he would! Great service!!

The cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. in the lobby every night and morning were a very nice treat! The food in the bar downstairs is very good and very reasonable. The hot breakfast in the morning is delicious!

The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that the pool was VERY cool and the hot tub was lukewarm. We still enjoyed relaxing there and I'm not a complainer! The one other thing I don't care about is that the hotel allows access to the pool to those that live in the apartments behind the hotel.

This is NOT good for the hotel! I hope this changes soon! Not sure how the hotel benefits from this.

More ideals for you: Top 10 Cheap Hotels in Osaka

From : https://wikitopx.com/hotels/top-10-cheap-hotels-in-wisconsin-711659.html

GLAMPING | A Weekend Of Glamping & Walking at Whitemead Forest Park

The path leading to the pods at Whitemead Forest Park

Where Did We Go?

Whitemead Forest Park Parkend, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4LA

Tel: 03301 230374 Prices: From £48.00 per night for a glamping pod that sleeps up to 4 people

Our Stay

Setting off late on Friday afternoon, we’re well and truly in holiday mode as we drive from Cheshire down to Gloucestershire. We decide on the scenic route, taking in the beautiful Shropshire countryside and as the sun sets we make good time, pulling up at Whitemead Forest Park at around 7:30pm.

The Mega Pod X we stayed in

We receive a warm greeting and are told all about the park facilities and given directions to find our glamping pod, our home for the next 3 days. We park up in the designed space for The Hollow 19, unpack the car and spend a few minutes walking the short distance from the car park to our pod.

Once all bags are safely inside we close the door and take in the interior space. The Mega Pod X is bright and spacious and very well appointed with a big sofa (which also turns into a bed should you need to sleep more than 2), a comfy double bed, a small bathroom with shower and even a little kitchen.

Inside the Mega Pod X

Getting our priorities right, we start off by filling the little fridge with Gin and tonic water, before going on a walk around the site to get our bearings, no mean feat in the dark, but the areas by the pods all have clearly marked paths with low-level lighting so as not to detract from the dark skies, which make for some great star gazing.

Forest Point, the main facilities block at Whitemead Forest Park

We end up at the main Forest Point building which includes Foresters Restaurant & Bar and we’re relieved to find that despite our late arrival, we’ve still got plenty of time to grab drinks at the bar and have some dinner. We choose fajitas and ribs, and are delighted to find they even stock our favourite Whitley Neill gin behind the bar.

Chicken fajitas and ribs in Foresters Restaurant

Sated and relaxed, we return back to the pod. At this point the weather is still dry, and we’re slightly disappointed not to have a fire pit (shown in the pictures on the website), having bought a bag of logs and kindling with us, anticipating sitting outside beside the fire in the evening, though as the weather turns on the second night our disappointment is short lived.

Some of the lovely grounds at Whitemead Forest Park

We wake after a lovely sleep on Saturday to great weather and after breakfast (the full English and the veggie breakfasts are pretty good) we head off on foot to explore and spend a few hours out walking in the Forest.

Back at the pods after a morning out walking

We return in time for afternoon tea, which we’d pre-booked for early afternoon, just before we’re due to try archery, and the quirky picnic bench is full of yummy food and sweet treats. Although not sweet-toothed, and thoroughly stuffed from the stilton soup, mini fish and chips, burger and brie bites, we opt for a doggy-bag and take the various cakes and cookies back to our pod.

Afternoon tea picnic bench at Whitemead Forest Park

Archery proves to be a lot of fun with good instruction and some fun games to keep it interesting. My companion for the weekend experiences what can only be explained as serious beginners luck; having never done archery before, he manages an impressive 5 bullseyes to my much less impressive 2, though I feel as the session continues that my aim is getting better and I’m more regularly hitting decent numbers, as opposed to missing the target entirely.

Archery at Whitemead Forest Park

We’ve glamped in such a wide variety of accommodation in the last few years, but the most ubiquitous has to be timber glamping pods similar to those we are staying in, and it’s easy to understand why they’re such a popular choice. They provide warm, comfortable accommodation whatever the weather making them a practical option, and at Whitemead they have several different types of accommodation to choose from, from lodges and apartments through to several different kinds of pods, starting from the B&B Pod right up to the Mega Pod XL.

A giant Redwood in the grounds of the park

Site Facilities

As well as various different accommodation options including caravan touring pitches, the site has excellent facilities. The grounds are attractive and very well kept, with lots of green open spaces, and of course lots of trees! We spotted countless squirrels and pheasants in the grounds and loved the little bug hotel and the stunning huge Redwood tree.

The bug hotel at Whitemead Forest Park

There’s a shooting range, indoor pool, a really well-equipped gym and there’s also nightly entertainment too, with everything from bingo to live music. Although that’s not really our thing, it appeared to be packed out every night! Activities wise, like us you can choose archery, or if you fancy it zorbing, crossbow shooting, fencing, teddy bear making and more. Take a look at Go Active at Whitemead Forest Park to find out more.

One of the two kids play parks

As well as a huge field for ball games and running around, there’s also giant outdoor chess, table tennis and there are two really lovely play parks for the kids, though we gazed longingly at the adventure play park (above) wishing they had an adult version!

Out and About

The Forest of Dene is a really lovely area with loads to do. Usually we’d pack our time with heaps of sight seeing and activities, but this weekend was mainly about some much needed relaxation and with storm Freya making an appearence, the pod provided a snug and cosy sanctuary.

Making the most of the stormy weather in our rain ponchos

Out walking, we found the Dean Forest Railway, a lovely heritage railway, though we didn’t quite manage to get the timing right for a ride, but it’s only a short 10 minute away from Whitemead Forest Park.

The Dean Forest Railway

The Forest of Dene is right on your doorstep making it easy to head out on foot to explore the lovely woodland. The area is superb for both walkers and mountain bikers but not too far away, you’ll find visitor attractions like Puzzlewood, Goodrich Castle and the Forest of Dene Sculpture Trail.

Out walking in the Forest of Dene

The Verdict

We had a fantastic long weekend break and returned home feeling truly refreshed and like we really had been ‘away’. With staycations on the rise and so many different types of holiday parks and glamping sites to choose from, Whitemead Forest Park is perfect for family holidays and ideal as a weekend getaway for couples.

The park is really pretty with plenty of wide open green spaces and of course lots of trees, so you really do get the feeling that you are in a forest, rather than just in another uninspiring holiday park. The leisure facilities are very good and there’s a great selection of accommodation to choose from. The glamping pod we stayed in provided a really cosy and comfy base and there’s plenty for families to do and great facilities to keep the kids entertained.

Some of the grounds

Pros

Great value for money, from the accommodation to the activities – far better value than a stay at somewhere like Center Parcs for example.

Table service in Foresters restaurant was very good and service throughout our stay was good. Hayley in particular who we dealt with a few times was superb.

There’s a good choice of food on the menu and the quality of food was good too.

The restaurant area was bright and modern and nice to spend time in.

Good on-site facilities including a great little shop and superb leisure facilities with a gym and an indoor pool.

Archery was a lot of fun, with great instruction and there are lots of other options to choose if that doesn’t take your fancy.

The location of the site is really good and you can go walking in the Forest of Dean right from the site.

Cons

Storage in the pods isn’t great. We used the space under the double bed to keep our bags, but there’s nowhere to hang anything, so you’ll need to live out of your bags.

The weather was wet and stormy and we really could have done with a doormat as we found the wooden floor got really wet and muddy and it was difficult to keep clean in bad weather.

Thank you to Boundless Breaks UK who invited us to stay at Whitemead Forest Park. We were not paid to write this review.

The post GLAMPING | A Weekend Of Glamping & Walking at Whitemead Forest Park appeared first on Camping Blog Camping with Style | Active, Outdoors & Glamping Blog.

Original Source http://www.campingwithstyle.co.uk/glamping-a-weekend-of-glamping-walking-at-whitemead-forest-park/ For the best knives to use whilst camping check out Carlson Knives http://www.carlsonknives.com/

hey! do all the cute questions you want to do 💙

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

More cereal than milk, I don’t like drinking the cereal milk afterwards

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

Hell yeah it makes me feel alive

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

Hall passes

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?

Black or with raw honey for tea, sometimes a bit of sugar or creamer with coffee but I refuse to put milk in my tea

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?

Eh, I kinda like it tbh. I got the stupid crooked smile, it just looks bad in pics

6: do you keep plants?

I try but Ohio is the worst. I want to keep some succulents and cacti.

7: do you name your plants?

Occasionally, I had three succulents and one had a name, I think it was Via or something else with a v

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

Mostly drawing but sometimes writing. If I’m feelin “free” I play really distorted guitar or bass and if I’m sad I can play a mean flute

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

I love singing in general man

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

Equal between side and back even if I am restless, I cannot do stomach

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?

Nobody speaks Italian dipshit

12: what’s your favorite planet?

Uranus, no not because of anus jokes, it’s my dominant planet and it’s also just neat. I like saturn too.

13: what’s something that made you smile today?

Playing donkey with a few people at GSA

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

Lots of animals, 100% we would have two sphinxes and a snake, art and instruments everywhere

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

I don’t need to google it lmao, I took astronomy last semester. It’s a pretty basic one but Uranus is on its side

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish?

Ravioli boiiiiiiiiiii

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?

I wanna try real dark blue

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

I mean Nick likes to quote me, “I drown my sorrows in latin pop”

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

I keep a really inconsistent journal. It’s mostly writing but like three sketches are in it.

20: what’s your favorite eye color?

Brown, needs more love

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

My marching band sling bag which is fucked up and has been almost everywhere with me since the summer of 2016, its been covered in mud, burnt, almost shredded with a pocket knife, almost fell into the middle of a lake

22: are you a morning person?

Not at all

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

Play video games in the morning and wander around with Mack when he’s up for it

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

Mack

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?

I’ve broken into kiddie pools in the middle of the night multiple times

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

My grey street style converse

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?

Cinnamon bby

28: sunrise or sunset?

Sunset

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

He’ll say something rude then immediately say “Sorry I love you”

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

God yeah, I don’t really remember the situation but I remember the feeling

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.

I don’t like socks but I refuse to wear tennis or dress shoes without them cuz of my nail phobia. The colors don’t matter unless I’m going to something formal. I cannot sleep with socks unless I’m freezing my ass off

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

Mack and I couldn’t sleep during my birthday party and we decided to go check the pool times and got locked out of the room and the other two were asleep so we sat in the hall for about an hour

33: what’s your fave pastry?

Macarons, I love poffertjes but they aren’t really a pastry

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

I still have Purple Kitty from when I was little, the fabric on him is tough af like why is he made of that

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

I like a nice pen and stationary set with a wax seal too but I don’t use them often enough to own anything

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?

I’m really neutral rn but I’m listening to blackbear

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

It’s not a matter of liking it but my room is really messy

38: tell us about your pet peeves!

Misophonia a bitch man. I’m also really aggressive about it being zo-ology not zoo-ology, venomous not poisonous, saying snakes are slimy, shit like that

39: what color do you wear the most?

Pfft black

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?

I have Opa’s dog tags and the ring I got on Kelley’s Island

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?

When the Moon Was Ours

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

I don’t, I’ve only really been to Starbucks

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

It wasn’t stargazing but I did comment on the stars the other night with Audra, Nick, and Mack while they talked about how fucking cursed Falls is. The last real stargazing I did was with Kennedy this summer.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

The other day, it only lasted a little bit before Carson ruined it. Dove sounds are calming.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?

No, I overanalyze everything

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.

I’m really bad at puns oops. I don’t think it counts as a pun but one of my favorite jokes is people who don’t understand the difference between etymology and entomology bug me in ways that I cannot put into words.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

Fucking green beans

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

I mean I’ve always been afraid of chickens and had a nail phobia

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

I like it but I haven’t for awhile. I honestly can’t remember it.

50: what’s an odd thing you collect?

Disney funkos but it isn’t that odd, I like the bat stuffed animals with the loops on the back

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?

Brown Eyed Girl and Crazy Little Thing Called Love for a girl that people I know irl will immediately recognize

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?

Finally some good fucking food is a good one, absolute unit, Mine, sKINNY LEGEND

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?

I haven’t seen Heathers or Pulp Fiction but the others are Quality

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

Mack

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

I’ve chewed up a leaf to prove it wasn’t plastic, drank a cup of sweet and sour sauce, shoved a cucumber down my throat, a lot of weird shit

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?

I like listening to people get excited over things

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

It makes me sad because of grief I’m not listening to it

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?

Nick is wine mom for all his tea. Mack is vodka aunt because we’re dumbasses together, we’re gonna be each others’ kids’ cool uncle.

59: what’s your favorite myth?

Honestly I have no fucking clue, Caeneus is neat

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

I’m not a huge fan of poetry but I can appreciate it, Poe is a main mans

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?

I like to give people bad sketches. I got a leaf once.

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?

I don’t usually have juice but if I do it’s orange

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?

Oof I’m a huge mess

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?

Blue I think but I can’t get to a window rn

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?

Micah or Uzii and Abbas

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?

I like natural ones, I made a daisy and wild clover one that was almost perfect, it needed some kinda bigger flower

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

I like them a lot

68: what’s winter like where you live?

Freezing and comes out of nowhere, once I wore shorts and a tank top one day and my winter coat the next

69: what are your favorite board games?

I don’t really play board games but I like donkey, a card game

70: have you ever used a ouija board?

No, I usually watch my friends when they use one and laugh at them when they freak out

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea?

I like english breakfast and green, especially the kind they have at hibachi but it’s only available for restaurants

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?

God yeah but I don’t do it.

73: what are some of your worst habits?

Biting my nails, retelling stories, there’s a lot more

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

A pseudo-skater, loved more than they think, supportive like nobody else, knows just how to make me feel better, possum kid, rat parent, this ungendered thing is difficult, angry, accidentally yells shit they shouldn’t

75: tell us about your pets!

I’ve got Petey, an anxious boston that’s going grey too early, Pete aka Little Bear, a frenchie that licks too much and looks like your stereotypical black french bulldog, Petunia aka Bug, a nutcase boston with a white face and black ears with a little bit of white on the ends, and Pig, a frenchie that likes biting noses with one floppy ear and bug eyes that doesn’t look like a dog. There’s also Dabb our uromastyx. I call him a scaly puppy because he is.

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?

Finishing a final

77: pink or yellow lemonade?

Pink

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

HATE

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

It’s not really the kind of cute this means but I was upset, leaned on Mack, said I felt like shit, and he made me let him hug me normally without saying a word. I got a lot of good hugs during the cast dinner bc when I cry I don’t stop and everyone who looks at me cries. Damian prob was the cutest cuz he’s usually more reserved emotionally and was really wild but then he was quiet and sad.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

Pink, teal, and purple. I hate it.

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

Oof I forget what his eyes look like oops. I knew someone with eyes the color of deep tunnels in that dark wet clay earth with flecks of gold and stripes like tree bark

82: are/were you good in school?

Ehhhh, I’m not good at turning things in

83: what’s some of your favorite album art?

I like a lot of blackbear’s stuff

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

I have a lot of plans like the cadmium symbol, a cosmo, a calavera, a snake diagram, a hyena, a testosterone molecule

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?

I read some stuff on webtoon like Darbi, Lackadaisy, and Lil Char and the Gang

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?

I didn’t know that was a like a thing, I thought that was just how some albums are

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

Coco damnit, also Stand By Me

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

I really love pop art

89: are you close to your parents?

I guess? They’ve just got personalities I don’t really like

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.

Pittsburgh babey!!!!! I love the hills and the style of houses and the energy of those people that bleed black and gold and the yinzers I can understand perfectly and the mountains that are so easy to get to and the art scene and the zoo and primantis and aaaaaaaaaah I love Pittsburgh.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year?

Pittsburgh and L.A. like always. Going to Disneyworld for a band trip spring break.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

Only a tiny bit

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most?

Pompadour mohawk

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

Oof most recent I think was my art teacher Miss Harry

95: what are your plans for this weekend?

Prom

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

I procrastinate so bad dude

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

ENTP, aquarius sun, gryffindor

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?

A couple months ago I did the gorge for the first time. I haven’t gone on a good hike for awhile and it upsetting. I love hiking so much.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

Blackbird, Here Comes the Sun, For Forever, This Is Home, there’s a fair amount

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? Why?

Go back five years and tell myself to not talk to A and to just accept myself earlier, it’ll life better, to join wrestling, to ask her out, to just do shit, stop hesitating. To talk to Mack, he’ll be one of the greatest people you’ll ever meet. Give Cadmium all the love you can. Tell Opa you love him and spend more time with him.

Bags

I was just sitting. And then I started crying. And then I started kind of grunting and acting like I was going to fight the air. I've been totally blown the last 48 hours. I don't even remember how long ago my last shift was. I just remember these bullshit fries fucked me up bad. I told fucking Fuckeria that this restaurant got 2/5 stars so why the fuck are we ordering from it. She didn't seem to get it. I swear to god I have Hepatitis A and E now. I feel really weak, but I don't know how much of it is psychological. These shifts do affect me. They do. But it's hard to tell exactly how. I fucked up and scheduled three shifts in a week the week after step. But I'll never do more than two shifts in a week after that. I can't. I can't. Let's start. I walk up to him. God he must be two feet taller than me. I'm so glad they hire security guards based on are you huge and black here. He's reaching out a hand to me, but before I do, I reach my free hand out and grab the badge on the lanyard on his shirt, turning it around so I can see your credentials. "You work here, right?" I say. He laughs, then I hand the bag of weed to him in my gloved hand. This is the second time tonight I had to go searching for the security supervisor to hand over a large bag of marijuana. The first time was much worse, because the bag was much bigger, and I had to walk out in the patient waiting room, where some of the dudes made some comments and looked at me like they'd like to maybe roll me over real quick and decide their ailment was healed (Jesus) and head out with the weed bag I was sporting. I mean, I don't know weed values. But based on the looks on their face. I was holding a fucking Maserati. Redacted It was a bad night, the second night. Real bad. I was completely, utterly exhausted seven hours into the 12 hour shift. That's the main thing I don't like about this job. No eight hour shifts anymore. I got blood on my scrubs. But that's why I paid $30 for a custom screen print t shirt with my hospital's logo - so I could take off my scrub top if necessary and still be in uniform!!! (Dweeby white dude smile real big type of intonation) So I took my top off and the blood had soaked through to my undershirt. Obvious. Red. Blood. On my fucking expensive custom made organic cotton t shirt. So I put a patient label over the bloody streak and walked around with a patient's date of birth and ID number stuck to my shirt for a while. Looked better than the blood. I was doing some point of care at some point on a trauma, and I heard one deputy walk by another and casually ask, "What's the call so far?" The deputy sitting watching over some patient in custody casually replied, "Just 10 civilians so far." I had to think about that. Then it really hit me. Holy fuck. They're discussing how bad of a night it is. And, Either 1. It's not a bad night because only 10 people got shot Or 2. It's not a bad night because only "civilians" (meaning not law enforcement) have been shot Or 1 and 2? Well 7 of those motherfuckers showed up to Mog ER. I took five of them since I was assigned trauma side. I don't remember if the stab to the neck and hand was counted in those 7. I lost count of how many I had. The upper echelon of the surgical team was down in the ER for hours. That doesn't happen often. I was with the stab victim doing something and his transexual friend or brother or whatever was in the room and I realized he'd been there for hours and looked really young and. "Do you have any parents." "Yeah." "Are they going to come visit you?" "They have to get up for work in the morning." "How old are you?" "19" I just paused, kind of just kept doing what I was doing. I didn't know what else to say. I just said, "It's The Big City." That wasn't the right thing to say. But that's what I said. Redacted The night before wasn't as bad in some ways. Not many traumas. Just this fat old dude who was just shitting blood nonstop. The smell I will never forget. Reminded me of when I was a kid and we had parvo cases in my dad's vet ER. I was watching the resident (University of I'mTheBest) try and do a central line, he couldn't even figure out what fucking needle to use and I had to explain to him that the line probably wouldn't fit through that other needle and I would need to get him a new kit. I mean, I don't fucking do central lines, but all these doctors come from fraternities and sororities and going out for late night pizza and not from medicine. They come from universities and lives of privilege and middle class and rich ass parents with swimming pools out back, and then they don't know how to use any kind of needle or any kind of catheter. Jesus. You should have gone to fucking EMT school instead of studying so hard for chemistry. Oh wait, then you wouldn't be here fucking up this central line. Then he poked himself. I mean, I couldn't make this shit up. I said, "I'll get you some new gloves and an alcohol pad, and you can clean off your hand. You're lucky he's low risk for everything. Just a nice old white man. I'm sure his liver values were fine, right?" "Yeah. But I'll go ahead and finish the procedure." "Okay man, whatever you want." I saw the blood slowly spreading out under his glove. He didn't poke himself bad, but the needles are super fucking sharp,a dn all you need to do is graze yourself. He went on and on, and couldnt get the introducer needle into the internal jugular. Finally, Dr. Staff came over. Super sharp doc. She gives these medical students hell, in a very respectful and professional way. Actually, she's uncomfortably respectful and professional. Black lady. Maybe didn't come from privilege. Actually, she probably did. The statistics say she did. She looked at what he was doing, informed him he was probably accidentally in the aorta, and then looked at his glove. Uh oh, moment of truth. "You've got blood -n your glove." Okay University of I'mGod's best, did she say "in" or "on" your glove? Does she know. "Yeah, I got things a bit bloody here. Must be in the aorta." "No, I said you've got blood IN your glove. Did you poke yourself?" Oh fuck. You fucked it man. You really fucking should have listened to the guy in the tech scrubs. Bitch. Then Dr. Staff tells the guy in the tech scrubs to hold pressure on the aorta (unbelievable, I actually wound up putting on the sterile gloves I'd brought for Resident FuckAttitude) for a minute while he left and did something else. I saw her casually inform the triage nurse we had a exposure and the resident would need labs drawn. Redacted The weirdest part of the night was when a security guard disappeared. We were all stumped. I mean DISAPPEARED. Poof. His cell phone and radio were sitting at his post. He was gone. For hours. POOF MOTHER FUCKER. I said, "Does he smoke." "Yeah he does." "Well that's it man. He went out for a smoke and got killed. He's dead." You don't go out into the jungle at night. But my explanation of things was a bit flawed in that some other security bitch who was close to the door didn't see him go out. They searched the hospital for hours looking for him. Couldn't find him. It's a big hospital. Lots of open doors. Lots of floors. An old hospital. I was about to check the roof when he turned up. Said he fell asleep on the toilet in a bathroom. Guess he was working a double shift. Anything else I need to include. Well, I guess my feelings did get a bit hurt. I walked into the room and my patient had white shit all over his nose and was sniffing and licking his hand and shit. I was like, "What the hell are you doing man. Where did you get that shit." We took all his clothes from him hours ago. No, really, where did he get that shit. I started to tell the nurse, and she was just like, "Tell the doctor." The doctor and PA came over and into the room. He'd cleaned up his face a bit better since I was last in there and tried to lie to the doctor at first, but I wasn't having it. "You had heroin man, where did you get that. You had white stuff all over your face when I came in." Then he admitted to it. I left as he explained things to the doctor. I didn't even know heroin came in powder form a few days ago. I'm learning fast though. They say it comes in little bags. They call them bags. How many bags a day do you do, they say. I guess he had a bag in his mouth for a while.

Guest Reviews for The Pleasant Pheasant

An amazing vacation!

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 24, 2017

What a great vacation and property! The house/property is well equipped and comfortable. We had 3 families with children ranging in ages 4-12 along with a set of grandparents. We had room to spread out and relax and plenty of outdoor space for kickball and other outdoor games while enjoying the amazing scenery. The house is centrally located to Yellowstone, big sky, and many other amazing sites. The vacation and property was fabulous!  

- Anne

Exceeded our expectations

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay: July 8, 2017

The Pleasant Pheasant exceeded my family needs. The airport was an hour away and the entrance to Yellowstone was about 40 minutes away. Between Bozemen and the park were fantastic eateries and grocery stores. The house is equipped will all major and small appliances. Plenty of tableware and cutlery to cover large groups. The best part of the house is the panoramic view. The view of the mountains is breathtaking and the quiet made everyone feel relax after an adventurous day. Having the enclosed patio allow us to enjoy watching the sunset and seeing the sky and mountains change color. Thank you again, Margie. I'm sure your future guests will equally enjoy their stay!    

 - Vanessa

Perfect  5 stars

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay: Nov 2016

My large family gathers annually to share our Thanksgiving and the Pleasant Pheasant was the perfect location. Because we need lots of bedrooms and a large gathering space, this home worked very well for us to share large meals, visit, and still have some private space as well. Great views, nice walks, close to Chico for soaking in the hot springs, and the guys especially enjoyed scoping the elk herd on the side of the mountain--terrific Thanksgiving weekend.         

 -carltone2017   

A paradise in Paradise Valley

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  Aug 2016

Our family (parents, 4 children & spouses, 11 grandchildren) spent a wonderful week in this bucolic paradise. It is so wonderful that you will be sorely tempted to never leave to see the amazing nearby sights. But if you can tear yourself away, hiking to the Pine Creek falls (1+ mile each way) gives you a gorgeous goal. Mountain bikes for riding are available to rent in Livingston with numerous nearby challenging trails. Chico Hot Springs is about 10 miles away and a worthwhile half day (thermal pools) but can also include horseback trail rides. For the sapphire gem hunters, Gem Mountain and Philipsburg are a few hours away. And, of course, there is Yellowstone, for all its wonders, just to the south... The Pleasant Pheasant is a wonderful place for families. We found the three buildings to be ideal (the grandparents could even get some peace and quiet with our own separated place). The accommodations, kitchens (4), living areas and particularly the porches are to be used every morning and evening. It lacks for nothing. No sirens, no tire squealing, just peaceful. The TV does not have to be turned on (though they are available) and Internet (if you choose) is good. You won’t be sorry you stayed there - you will be sorry you have to leave! We were.. And we’d be happy to talk with potential renters if they have questions.     -Ericksons from Minnesota.

Family get together

4/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  Jul 2016

Had 17 family members down to a 6 month old and everything went well for us! Children enjoyed two days in the park and poking around the towns and area

 -PaulY

Fabulous Winter Vacation

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay: Dec. 2015

What a wonderful vacation, our family stayed at “The Pleasant Pheasant” after Christmas and found everything to be much more than we expected. The location is magnificent with a view of the mountains out the oversized cabin windows and during our trip daily we watch elk grazing on the mountain side. The cabin/house is extremely clean and is fully equipped with everything we needed from good quality towels, sheets and the kitchen had everything and more then we anticipated. Our family consisted of my husband and I along with our two daughters, their husbands and children for a total of ten of us. The place was perfect, plenty of room for everyone. After a day in Yellowstone Park and a dip at Chico Hot Springs (only 15 min away) the whole family returned to the cabin to relax, visit, play games and be together. One of the best family vacations we have had. Much better then all of us in different private room at a hotel.

Margie the owner of the home was so pleasant to work with and very helpful with not only information about the home but she gave us ideas for extra activities for the kids, sent us links to maps and local attractions. They even had a sled for the kids to use!

If you are looking for a vacation at “The Pleasant Pheasant” you will be very pleased.  Enjoy 

 -Donna M.

AMAZING!

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay: June 2015

Everything about this place is perfect! The location is ideal in that it is conveniently located between Livingston and Yellowstone. A trip to the grocery store is only 15-20 minutes away and Yellowstone is less than an hour away.

The kitchen was fully stocked with every cooking tool you can think of and there was nothing we needed that couldn't be found in the house.

This is a great choice for multiple families staying together since the layout of the house and additional buildings allow for privacy.

The grounds and interior were immaculate and the views were breathtaking!

The only negative thing we could say about the place was that it's awesomeness made leaving even more difficult!

 - LouAnn K.

Family winter vacation.

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay: Dec. 2014

Wonderful, wonderful place. We loved our family Christmas vacation in this beautiful, comfy home. Could not have found a better place. I recommend staying here to everyone!     

 -Carolyn, TX

Memories Made

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2014

What a beautiful place! We had a family get together with 17 family members present. Our family's came from Spokane and Tacoma, Washington, Nevada, and Iowa. We had an amazing time at The Pleasant Pheasant, and there was nothing we needed except our food. We enjoyed visits to Yellowstone Park, white water rafting, hiking, a scenic float with the small kids, and just enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding the home.

-Winkler Gang, IA

Perfection

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2014

We just returned to central Texas after spending a week at the Pleasant Pheasant. We stayed there with another family, so our group consisted of 4 adults and 8 kids ranging in age from 9 to 18.

The property was perfect. The online pictures can not capture the beauty of this home or the majestic location. We all had plenty of space to spread out and the location was in a great location to day trip into Yellowstone Park, fish the Yellowstone river, explore Livingston, Chico hot springs, and a day hike to the near by waterfalls.

The property owner was fantastic in helping with the details and very accommodating to our needs. The couple (Jason and his wife) that live on the back of the property and manage the day to day needs were very sweet. We also used Jason as a guide for a day float fishing trip of the Yellowstone river and the day was amazing.

My only complaint is that we needed more than a week to soak it all up. Guess we will just have to go back. If your looking for a place to stay in the paradise valley, no need to look any further, you found it in the Pleasant Pheasant.       

 - Matt T.

Breathtaking views in every direction!!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2014

Just returned from a family reunion, the Pleasant Pheasant was sheer perfection for our group! The retreat could not have been located in a prettier location. The home and cabins were very clean, well appointed and tastefully decorated. We spent our days in Yellowstone and would meet for family dinners at 8, exchanging stories about the park. I would recommend this property for many reasons - you won't be disappointed. We hope to go back, now that Montana is now on our "favorite places" list. I could not get enough of the spectacular views!! Thank you - it was WONDERFUL!        

-Guest from Goodyear, AZ

Beautiful! Couldn't have asked for a better place

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  September 2013

When we first arrived I was already blown away by the view! Then we went into the house and was blown away again, it was beautiful and couldn't have imagined a better place to get married and spend time with our family and friends. Margie was great. She answered all my questions and gave recommendations for places to eat and things to do. Jason the caretaker was also super helpful and very, very nice. He answered any question we had and also gave us great tips on things to do around the house. I would recommend to anyone that this is the place to stay, we are already planning a trip back!!     

- Ahfton W.

The truly Pleasant Pheasant!

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2013

The pictures of the Pleasant Pheasant don't do this retreat justice. My extended family of 17, 6 being 2 to 10 years old, had an absolutely fantastic vacation here. We used the main house and the bunkhouse and all family members had individual spaces as well as a terrific common area in the house and decks. We were suprised with the extra space in the lower level, and how nice the bunkhouse was. Everything is supplied in the house and we really did not need to bring anything except food. The surrounding yard is all grass and fenced in - perfect for ball games that do not need adult supervision. We enjoyed white water rafting, horse back riding, and many visits to Yellowstone. The views all around the retreat were fantastic if you like mountains, sunrises and sunsets. We are planning to return as soon as possible as it is a 14 hours drive, but the whole family agrees this spot is perfect in every way.

 - Mike, Minnesota

Totally happy!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  Jun 2013

Everything was better than hoped. The location was secluded with gorgeous views, The property was well kept, clean, equipped as needed, including the kitchens of which there were three. This allowed 3 different families to maintain their own schedules.

The location is very convenient for access to Yellowstone National Park.

Some of our group took an all day fishing trip, that was 3 hours away.

We did a half day horseback ride which was very close.

The owner was very helpful during the negotiation process and the planning phase. She had a list of suggested activities in the area, which was very helpful. - Anonymous

Excellent Place - had awesome memorial day weekend

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  May 2013

If you are looking for place close to Yellowstone NP for large group this is an excellent spot.

The photos and information about the house is accurate. The house is located in a very scenic place. The place is very spacious and we liked it a lot. The owner was very help from the start. She provided a lot of information about activities and things to do while in Yellowstone.

We wished we stayed a bit longer. We had 15 in our group with 1 child and 4 toddlers. We had enough space among ourselves. The Kitchen was fully equipped. We didn’t cook much, most of the time it was only breakfast. The house had wifi & the quality was good. Bathrooms were clean. I don’t have any complaints.

- Pasidu B.

A place to rest the soul

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  September 2012

Sometime ago (Sept '11), my family (wife and four kids then aged 11, 7, 7 and 5) stayed at The Pleasant Pheasant. With a change of jobs, I have just re-read my email to Margie after we got back to Australia. This is what I said:

The Pleasant Pheasant will always be in our memories. It is such a fantastic location and cabin. For a family looking for a taste of Montana - we couldn't recommend it more highly. It is hard to describe the sense of space and majesty you feel when you are there. The two mountain ranges are breathtaking and constantly changing colours and feel. A storm rolled in one night and all we could do was stare as clouds rolled down the mountains.

As for the log cabin, what can I say other than we felt right at home, which was exactly what we were after.

The kids loved the freedom to be themselves, exploring in Elbow Creek, running around and around the cabin, watching a snake crawl across the yard and deer visiting for breakfast.

The drive to Yellowstone National Park was a trip in itself. The Park is huge. I knew it was big but wow! I doubt you could explore what you wanted to in a lifetime. The kids are now Junior Rangers.

An afternoon dip at Chicco with the kids was just what the doctor ordered. We also went to the Snowcamp (?) trail head but the kids wouldn't get out of the car until we promised the bears were all gone.

Livingstone and Bozeman were both fabulous day trips. Dinner at Montana's Rib & Chop House in Livingston was a highlight. One day the kids parked themselves in the kids' library section of the library in Bozeman (after finding the best candy store in town). Museum of the Rockies was amazing. The kids are also now Bobcats' fans and we have photos and hats to prove it.

I won't say goodbye but farewell as I hope you will let us stay again. We will definitely be back. We are already looking at You Tube videos of winter in Bozeman and we are keen for the kids to ski at Bridger and Big Sky. We look at the real estate pages and dream of owning a place in Paradise Valley. Yes. We will be back.

 - Mal, Sydney, Australia

Amazing home, best vacation ever! Couldn't have asked for anything more.

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  November 2012

My husband, I and our two kids stayed here with another couple and their four kids over Thanksgiving week. We had the greatest time. The house is huge, and the layout couldn't be more perfect for multiple families. Our friends stayed on the bottom floor with the full kitchen, we took the top floor and the mail floor kitchen, and the bedroom on the mail floor also went to our friends. Everything you can think of is there, as far as pots, pans, utensils. Spices and etc were there, and when we needed something in a pinch on Thanksgiving Day, the caretakers the next house over were happy to hook us up. The beds were all so comfortable, great linens, (I usually pack my own sheets, but never took them out of my luggage) Plenty of towels, too. Wi-fi was great, because I kind of panic when I am out of reach. Cell reception was great. Satellite television was awesome too. The men went out hunting all day, and left the women and kids at home, and we had plenty to do. Books, games, movies, all there. This place would be amazing in the summer with the screened in back deck with the grill. We didn't get to use it, but I want to plan a trip someday and go back when it is warmer. About a 40 minute drive south to Yellowstone too! As our first time using VRBO, we didn't know what to expect. This is how we want to vacation from now on. LOVED this house, it is beautiful and clean, and layed out perfectly. Couldn't ask for a more perfect first experience. Thank you for having us!

 - Lindsey C.

Wonderful place to stay! Beautiful scenery and helpful hosts!

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2012

My family thoroughly enjoyed their stay at the Pleasant Pheasant. It has all the amenities that you could need for a perfect Montana vacation. The views are absolutely amazing and the fishing nearby is incredible. Close to Chico and Pine Creek Cafe!

 - Jodi, Big Sky

Fabulous Family Reunion

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2012

Our family stayed for a week at the Pleasant Pheasant. We had the best time! We rented the home and two cabins - all were lovely, comfortable and well appointed. We had 18 in our party and there was plenty of room. The kitchens have everything you need - great pots/pans, knives, pantry items, etc... We spent so much time on the porches visiting, eating. Their is a lovely breeze that blows through the main home and smells so good. Beautiful surroundings, amazing views, dramatic sky. We would definitely go back! We rafted the Yellowstone, rode horses at Bearpaw Outfitters, at dinner at Old Faithful, hiked to Pine Creek Falls, but truly the best fun was just hanging at the PP. Margie was very helpful and a delight to work with.  

 –Aazure, Helena

Laurel, MT

5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2012

Our family gathered at the Pleasant Pheasant to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The accommodations were wonderful with room for all 18 of us in the main cabin and the bunk house. Both places were great with extra amenities. We had a great time together and would recommend the Pleasant Pheasant for anyone. Margie, the owner, was great to work with. 

-Grandma, MT

The PERFECT vacation house

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2012

Our extended family just returned from a week-long trip to the Montana/Yellowstone area and booking this vacation home was the best decision we made! The house is on a beautiful property, has tons of room and all of the amenities you could ever need. Those that had to do some work on the trip were happy to have the wi-fi available. The property is super clean and well looked after. It is full of charm and personality.

It's about a 45 - 50 minute drive from the house to the north entrance of Yellowstone and about 40 - 45 minutes to the Bozman airport - basically right in the middle. You are a quick 15-20 minute drive from Livingston where you can grocery shop or go out to eat.  The owner is also extremely nice and helpful. All around a fantastic property that I highly recommend.     

- Courtney C.

FAMILY OF 6 FROM TENNESSEE

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  May 2012

We had such an awesome time!! Your home is very beautiful and accommodating. Jason and Amanda were gracious hosts and very informative. We saw just about as many animals coming/going to your home as we did in the park, including eagles, ospreys, mule deer, elk, antelope, rabbits. It was a vacation of a lifetime especially for my brother and sister-in-law. Montana is so breathtaking. My boys and I drove to Virginia City one day and we explored Livingston too but spent most of our time in Yellowstone. Oh, went on hike you recommended to the waterfalls too and Chico's.

It had snowed before we got there and just made the whole experience so incredible. And, on last night, the most spectacular double rainbow appeared almost directly over your house! A final goodbye to us.      

- Nancy, Nashville, TN

visiting from PA

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2011

What a beautiful location and property! The Pleasant Pheasant was an attractively decorated home in Paradise Valley (how appropriately named!). We loved driving past beautiful ranches and fields of deer, cattle and horses to get to our home away from home. It was a great location for our family of 10, something close-by for everyone. Our party spent time fly fishing in local rivers and creeks, hiking on local trails, horseback riding, soaking in Chico hot spring pools, and 3 days in Yellowstone. Margie has been helpful with any questions we have had. We hope to visit again someday!

- Becky, Williamsport, PA

Most Scenic Area of Paradise Valley

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2011

If you are looking for the right place to stay with fabulous views and ease of access to all this area offers, then you might just consider the Pleasant Pheasant! We had a very relaxing time here with our family of four, grandmother, and also aunt and uncle from England. Plenty of space for everyone, two porch swings, plus seating on the deck facing the Absoroka Mountains. There are lawn toys for the large yard, and pool toys to take to nearby Chico Hot Springs. The drive to the North entrance of Yellowstone is about a 45 minute drive, and please be aware that this area is FULL of deer that like to cross roads in the blink of an eye...drive safely! There is gas and groceries in nearby Emigrant, a short 10 minute drive away, with the Howlin' Hounds Cafe across the street, a great place for breakfast and lunch, and they have serval box lunch varieties to go. Also nearby is Pine Creek Cafe which is an eclectic little place that has live music, and serves elk and buffalo. Bear Paw Outfitters is just down the road as well, and is highly recommended to those who care about safety, and they also own and break their own horses (they are not leased for the season like most). The cabin is quiet, and is out in the middle of 20 acres, so you have a lot of privacy, and 360* views. There is no air conditioning here, but the ceiling fans and evening breezes take care of that. The kitchen is small but functional, and there is an additional kitchen available downstairs that is much larger. Fishing in the area is great, especially if you like to fish on your own without hiring a guide. The best thing to do is get out and talk to people on the river, as we found that going to the fly shops only gave us recommendations for all the same spots, all full up with anglers who were given the same information. The sunsets from the property are amazing, and there are plenty of day drives that are close enough to make coming back from the crowds a real treat in the evening. Yellowstone is a definite 3-5 day trek if you choose to see most of the main features. The North entrance is the way to go if you want to stay outside of the park. With a 7 day pass we saw most everything, and highly recommend Mammoth, Norris, Old Faithful and Canyon Falls if you are limited on travel time. Take advantage of the hikes in the area and day trips to Virginia & Nevada City- great ghost towns! Livingston is great for shopping, and not as touristy as Gardiner. Kind and helpful owner. Thank you, Margie   

 -A guest from North Bend, WA

Loved the Pleasant Pheasant for our family reunion!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2011

This property was perfect for our family reunion, consisting of 7 adults and 6 teenagers. We used both the main house and the bunk house and had plenty of space. The house was comfortable and decorated beautifully. The views out every window were stunning. There is plenty to do in the area and the owners were very helpful in giving us suggestions. Some of the activities we took part in were rafting with Wild Wild West in Gardiner, local hikes to beautiful waterfalls, horseback riding with Bear Paw Outfitters, Chico Hot Springs, Yellowstone,and Livingston Roundup Rodeo. Evenings were spent playing outside games in the large lawn and relaxing on the porch. We made wonderful memories and were glad we chose the Pleasant Pheasant.

- Anonymous, Philadelphia, PA

Visitors from Texas

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2011

The house and setting were all we could ask for in a rental. We took our families to spend a week here and loved the area the house was located and the wildlife we could see from the front door. It was close to all the places we wanted to visit and was a welcome site in the evenings when we returned. The rooms were great and the decorations in each so beautiful. Since we commandeered the whole house having four families combined the amount of space was great! We were all able to come together and share meals while having space to be on our own. My husband was insistent on a log cabin both inside and out and this fit the bill totally. The owners were so helpful and friendly and I would suggest this rental to anyone. Can't wait to go back!        

 -Ananymous, Talco, TX

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2010

What a great place to stay. Could not have asked for a more perfect place. Gorgeous view any time of the day. Loved the sunrise, sunsets and the rolling in of the clouds. The cool evening breezes and most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. The resident dog was a joy to have around. Perfect location to where we wanted to go. Spent time in Yellowstone, Bozeman, Beartooth and Livingston. Everything we needed was there. I definite home away from home. Beautifully decorated and well organized.

Family vacation included my family of 4, my mother in law and my parents. Everyone loved it and gave it high marks. Thanks for opening your home to us, Marge

 - Amy, Farmington, Minnesota

Perfect Family Vacation

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2010

We had a wonderful time visiting Montana and we couldn’t have been happier with the house. The house was beautiful and was as comfortable as home. Everything we needed was right there. Margie, you did a great job thinking of all the little details. Our children especially loved all the freedom they had on your property to run and explore! This was our first visit to Yellowstone Park and we were truly amazed at the beauty and wildlife. Everything was so conveniently located from the house. We are planning when we get to come back next time! Thank you.        

 - Valerie and David L., Atlanta, GA

Heaven on Earth!!!!!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2010

Each summer we take our 4 kids (ages 13, 12, 11 and 9) somewhere different. This year we decided to check out Montana and I can honestly say it was one of our best trips yet!!! The Pleasant Pheasant is truly a home away from home - it has every comfort imaginable and the views and scenary are too beautiful for words. We had an action packed trip with day trips to Yellowstone, white water rafting, horse back riding, hiking and a trip to the caverns. The house is convenient to everything and we always loved coming "home" and relaxing on the front porch while the kids played in the creek and ran around on the fields. At the end of our week none of us wanted to go home....it was the vacation of a lifetime and i highly recommend it to anyone wanting a week in paradise!!!

 - Beth M., Atlanta, GA

A Perfect Location for a Wedding!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2010

We will never forget our recent trip to the Pleasant Pheasant! We held our daughter's wedding on the property and everything was perfect! Our family and friends flew in from around the country and stayed in all of the houses. They were clean, well maintained and there were views of the mountains from very room! The property was ideal for a wedding- a beautiful little spot for the ceremony by the creek and a large open field for a reception tent. There was plenty for the guests to do over the weekend- hiking, floating and fishing on the Yellowstone River, horseback riding and relaxing on the front porch! Margie, the owner, could not have been nicer! She was extremely helpful and accommodating! Bridger, the caretaker, was amazing! He spent hours helping us set up for the wedding and making sure everything was just right! Everyone had a wonderful time at the Pleasant Pheasant. We can't wait to go back!!!

 - Anonymous, Annapolis, MD

Can't wait to return to the Pleasant Pheasant!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  July 2010

We just returned from a Family Reunion at the Pleasant Pheasant, and I can't imagine where we could have found a better place! The Paradise Valley truly is amazingly beautiful, and the activities available are almost limitless.

We had a group ranging in age from 69 years to 6 months, and everyone was comfortable and happy at the Pleasant Pheasant. You will find the owners to be most gracious hosts. the property was immaculate and everything from the amazing mountain views from every room in the house to the mule deer grazing in the yard was absolutely enchanting.

We are already talking about a return trip to Paradise Valley, and it absolutely will mean staying at the Pleasant Pheasant again.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful home with us!

- DD50, St. Paul, MN

The perfect vacation!

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2010

Our family just spent three days at the pleasant Pheasant and could not be happier with our stay! We were amazed by the house and the breathtaking panoramic views. The house is located near the base of a beautiful mountain, yet is close enough to Livingston to capitalize upon their amenities (20 miles) to purchase a fishing license and enjoy a great dinner. In addition, there are an abundance of activities located near the house, such as rafting and horseback riding, as well as great fishing just a mile away. The owner was also instrumental in helping us plan our vacation by providing resources in regard to the surrounding activities. It is for the reasons that I wholeheartedly recommend the Pleasant Pheasant and anticipate returning in the future. 

 –Brian, Rushford, MN

Wonderful experience that my family will not soon forget.

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  June 2010

All my family can say is WOW! The stay at the Pleasant Pheasant was an escape. It is a very relaxing atmosphere the whole family enjoyed. Everyone from young children to grandparents had an awesome time. It is convenient to shopping and beautiful Yellowstone National Park. I have to admit, my wife and kids like to be entertained such as Disney World. They were skeptical about the trip; however, at the end they didn't want to leave and were already talking about coming back next year.

The main cabin was clean and had plenty of room for all 9 of us. We were able to have our own privacy when we wanted or we could all come together in the great room and talk, play games or browse a number of different books that were provided. The views from the cabin are spectacular. It is truly nestled in the middle of Paradise Valley. The two kitchen facilities in the cabin provided us everything we needed and allowed space to buy and store all the groceries, bottled water and beverages for the entire week at one time. We had plenty of hot water and bathrooms to go around for taking showers and getting ready. The caretaker, a very nice young man, was helpful and has lived in Montana all his life so was knowledgeable with local history, places to go and things to do.

We did eat out one night at Montana's Rib and Chop House in Livingston. The food was great at a good price. On our next trip, the "Pop Stand" is on the list. From what I understand, it's a casual eatery that serves really good food.

The weather was phenomenal. Even the rain we had a couple of the days added to the experience. The clouds made for some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It has little to no humidity; however, the higher elevation does take a couple of days to get accustomed to.

On the way to Yellowstone, there is a Sinclair gas station on the left in Emigrant. This is the best place to stock up on any last minute things and get fuel for the day. It didn't seem to be as busy as other places closer to the park. The staff was friendly and helpful. The lady at the checkout noticed a tear in my wife's scarf and proceeded to mend it for her free of charge. Now what kind of service is that?

Overall I have to say that this was a wonderful experience for my family and would recommend it to anyone. The Pleasant Pheasant is an ideal place for different sized groups. There were other accommodations that would allow for a larger group. Better value than a hotel. It's the place to stay.                 

  – Relaxed, Arkansas

I heartily echo the two p...

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  October 2009

I heartily echo the two preceding guests' comments. The house is fabulous, the caretaker is a 4th generation Montanan from Paradise Valley and a wonderful young man. It's just like being at home...even the owner's dogs make you feel welcome. It's also a perfect location for seeing what I think is the prettiest part of Montana...great base of operations for day trips to Yellowstone, Little Bighorn, and numerous outdoor activities and scenic locations...you cannot make a better choice for a place to stay, especially if you plan to be in the area for a week or more or have a large group.

 - Rich G., Atlanta, GA

Our family spent a week a...

 5/5 Stars

Date of Stay:  August 2009

Our family spent a week at the Pleasant Pheasant in June 2009 (13 of us) and had a great time! The place is just beautiful. The property is immaculate and the accomodations are fantastic. The view is breathtaking. If you want to get away from the craziness of the city life, head to the Pleasant Pheasant (PP) and spend a week just enjoying life. We went horseback riding, skeet shooting, swimming, hiking, rafting, fishing and even flew a kite all within just a few miles of the property. The place is well looked after and you will have a blast whether is be a family reunion to a weeklong get away. We will definitely be back soon! The owners are great and were very flexible as to our needs. The caretaker is a great person who helped us learn our way around as we had never been to Montana but now think of it as our second home. If you want to stay in Paradise Valley (and who wouldn't), the Pleasant Pheasant is the only place to consider. We can't wait to come back!

- Robert & Pattie, Brookhaven, GA