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Trucs pour économiser pour la rentrée

Par Isabelle Huot, docteure en nutrition

English text bellow

À la rentrée, les familles ont souvent plusieurs dépenses à effectuer : les fournitures scolaires, les vêtements, les chaussures de sport, la cafétéria, le transport, le service de garde, etc. Préparer les lunchs des enfants à la maison est une bonne façon d’économiser à cette période de l’année. Pour y parvenir, tout commence à l’épicerie avec les astuces suivantes :

 1.     Recherchez les promotions

 Les produits en circulaire ou encore les rabais de longue durée offerts sur nos produits préférés représentent une belle occasion d’économiser. Lorsqu’ils sont en promotion, on peut faire provision de denrées non périssables et profiter également des rabais pour acheter des produits périssables qui supportent bien la congélation (viandes, poissons et pains notamment).

 2.     Choisissez les grands formats

 Les grands formats sont plus avantageux que les formats individuels, notamment s’il s’agit d’aliments non périssables (ex. : pâtes sèches, légumineuses en conserve, beurres de noix, etc.) ou d’aliments que vous consommez en grande quantité. Vous n’aurez qu’à les portionner dans des contenants réutilisables par la suite.

 3.     Comparez le prix des aliments au poids

 Comparer le prix des aliments au poids est le seul moyen de déterminer quel article vous en offre le plus pour votre argent. Comme le format des produits varie, le prix total d’un article ne permet pas de comparer efficacement les produits entre eux. Le prix au poids se trouve généralement sous le prix total, en plus petits caractères.

 4.     N’hésitez pas à acheter des fruits et légumes surgelés

 Les fruits et légumes surgelés sont souvent plus économiques que les produits frais. De plus, ils conservent de bonnes valeurs nutritives et permettent d’avoir des produits hors saison. Comme ils sont surgelés, ils se gardent plus longtemps, ce qui permet également de réduire le gaspillage alimentaire, une source de dépenses évitables.

 5.     Adoptez les protéines végétales

 Les protéines d’origine végétale sont moins chères que les protéines animales et sont très versatiles en cuisine. Les légumineuses, comme les lentilles, les haricots rouges, et les pois chiches, ainsi que les aliments à base de soya, comme le tofu, le tempeh et la protéine végétale texturée (PVT), sont d’excellentes sources de protéines. Les protéines végétales fournissent également davantage de fibres et moins de gras saturés que les protéines animales, ce qui peut être bénéfique pour la santé du cœur.

 6.     Privilégiez les grains de qualité

 En optant pour des grains entiers, toute la famille sera rassasiée plus rapidement. En d’autres mots, il ne sera pas étonnant de constater que les ados qui avaient l’habitude de manger 4 rôties de pain blanc le matin soient comblés avec 2 rôties de grains entiers ! Optez pour le riz brun, le couscous de blé entier, les flocons d’avoine et les pains faits de grains entiers. Ils soutiennent davantage ! La miche 100% blé entier Campagnolo apporte 8 g de protéines et 5 g de fibres par portion de 2 tranches et, en plus d’être un choix nutritif, les enfants l’adorent ! Versatile, ce pain est parfait pour des petits déjeuners soutenants ou encore des lunchs bien équilibrés.

 En résumé

  ·         Magasinez en fonction des promotions est une stratégie gagnante

·         Les grands formats sont plus avantageux que les formats individuels.

·         Comparer le prix des aliments au poids permet d’en avoir plus pour son argent.

·         Les fruits et légumes surgelés sont des alternatives économiques, mais tout aussi nutritives, aux produits frais.

·         Les protéines végétales sont moins chères et plus riches en fibres que les protéines animales.

·         Privilégiez les grains entiers qui favorisent la satiété.  

Back-to-School Savings Tips

By Isabelle Huot, Ph d

During back-to-school season, a family’s expenses can add up quickly: school supplies, clothes, athletic shoes, cafeteria meals, transportation, day care, etc. Preparing the kids’ lunches at home is a good way to save at this time of year. To make the most of it, everything starts at the grocery store with the following tips…

 Look for sales

 Products featured in weekly flyers, along with long-term sales on preferred items, are a great opportunity to save. When food is on sale, stock up on non-perishable items… and make sure to take advantage of sales on perishable products that freeze well (particularly meat, fish, and bread).

 Choose large sizes

 Large sizes are more economical than individual formats, especially when it comes to non-perishable foods (e.g. pasta, canned legumes, nut butters, etc.) or foods you eat in large quantities. Simply portion the food in reusable containers when you get home.

 Compare food price to weight

 Comparing the price of food to its weight is the only way to determine which items offer you more for your money. Since product sizes vary, the full price of an item does not allow you to effectively compare one product to another. The price by weight can generally be found below the full price, in smaller text.

 Do not hesitate to buy frozen fruits and vegetables

 Frozen fruits and vegetables are often less expensive than fresh produce. They also retain their nutritional value and allow you to enjoy foods that may be out-of-season. Since they are frozen, they can be kept longer, which also helps prevent food waste—an added expense you should avoid.

 Opt for vegetable protein

 Plant-based protein is less costly than animal protein and is very versatile in the kitchen. Legumes (like lentils, red beans, and chickpeas), along with soy-based foods (like tofu, tempeh, and textured vegetable protein or TVP), are excellent sources of protein. Plant-based protein also provides more fibre and less saturated fat than animal protein, which can be beneficial to heart health.

 Choose high-quality grains

 By choosing whole grains, the whole family will feel full faster. In other words, you won’t be surprised to find that teens who usually eat 4 slices of white bread toast for breakfast will be satisfied with just 2 slices of whole wheat toast! Choose brown rice, whole wheat couscous, oat flakes, and whole grain bread. They’ll keep you feeling fuller, for a longer time! Campagnolo’s 100% Whole Wheat Loaf provides 8 g of protein and 5 g of fibre per 2-slice serving… and, in addition to being a nutritious option, kids love it! This versatile bread is perfect as part of a hearty breakfast or a well-balanced lunch.

 Summing up

 Shopping for sales is a winning strategy.

Large formats are more economical than individual formats.

Comparing food prices by weight can get you more bang for your buck.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are economical alternatives, while remaining just as nutritious as fresh produce.

Plant-based protein is less expensive and higher in fibre than animal protein.

Choose whole grains that provide a greater feeling of fullness.

No pressure but I'd love to hear some more puppy tips! Im a recent totally independent adult and Id love to get a puppy at some point but def need some info before I take on the responsibility (I had no clue their bladder develops at 5 months even though Ive been researching which is why I wonder if you have any more tips)

sorry in advance bc this is gonna be a LOT of preamble, but any time you bring an animal into your home it’s a huge responsibility and requires a lot of preparation.

so in general i am a huge advocate for adopting adult animals, especially dogs — UNLESS you have very specific lifestyle requirements (like we do). we needed a dog that was good with cats, other dogs, AND toddlers… which is just not a thing you can easily find adopting through a shelter, especially not in our area (NYC residents snatch up all the dogs within like a 5 hour radius) and ESPECIALLY not after covid (when a ton of people adopted dogs). which meant we needed to get a puppy so we could train in the behavior we needed.

we knew we wanted a companion dog for annie and that i want to have dogs forever and that it is a LOT easier to train in a puppy if you have an adult dog to model behavior from. so with our needs in mind, we started looking for a dog that would be compatible both with our lifestyle and with annie’s personality/energy level (she is a mid to low energy sheep dog and can be kind of a crab ass, but she is also very gentle and doesn’t like playing with dogs who are bigger than her). we did our own research and also talked to a couple friends of ours who work as or have worked as vet techs/other dog jobs.

with all that in mind… a LOT of what is good for a new puppy is going to be breed specific. if you’re getting a mutt, this can be difficult because puppies can look like literally anything so you really have no idea what they are until they’ve grown up a bit — and even then it can be tricky. like, we’re PRETTY sure annie is a border collie/australian shepherd mix because she looks like a border collie but acts like an aussie, but mixed breeds can be difficult because even if you’re reasonably certain which breeds go into the grab bag that is your dog, you never know which traits actually made it in. this is part of why standardized breeds can be such a big deal, since temperament is a BIG part of the package.

we got insanely lucky with annie because we knew her original owner so we had already met (and loved) her, knew her temperament, and that she was good with cats and gentle enough that toddlers would probably be fine too.

ALL THIS TO SAY…. the 5 month bladder control is specific to shibas. other puppies might have a similar timeline but i’m not sure. also, in general it’s recommended to take your puppy out with a frequency equivalent to the amount of months they have been alive (so if 2 months, then a potty break every 2 hours). this isn’t exact and you’ll need to get to know your dog. puppies also have very small bladders and relatively little bladder control (and don’t know they need to control it) and depending on the size of the dog, it is very normal for them to need to pee within 10-30 minutes of drinking water. because of this, it’s a good idea to give your puppy periodic planned water breaks and then take them outside instead of just leaving water out all the time. one thing i have done to figure out where rodeo is at is to give him water while we’re at the park (i have a collapsible water bowl and i bring a water bottle for the 3 of us) and then time him from when he drinks to when he pees, since in that situation he has total free reign over his potty time.

puppies need a LOT of recreation and in addition to walks, they need mental stimulation. scent games are invaluable for this!! i like to scatter a mixture of kibble and treats (in small sizes) across either the backyard or a safe portion of park and let the dogs sniff out and forage. they LOVE this shit. it might take some patience with a puppy if you don’t already have an adult dog to model the behavior, but once they get it they love it (especially if you use a treat they love). i literally cannot recommend this enough, it gets out SO many puppy beans in one go and i get to just chill behind them and like play phone games or call a friend. once your dog is used to this you can gradually decrease the ratio of high value vs low value treats for this, but puppies get bored easily so i recommend like… high mid value, if that makes sense. like you don’t need to give them hot dogs for this, but they probably won’t be super pumped for just kibbles. BUT if they ever are good with just kibbies, then you can use this method for every meal and it will make them so tired. it’s great!!

aaaand my last big tip is to clicker train. this can be a bit confusing to read about so i recommend watching videos to familiarize yourself with how it works, but it is SUPER worth it! puppies pick up on reward patterns super fast but do not have a long attention span and might have no idea what you’re rewarding them for if you don’t start them out with a clicker. i can’t speak for less clever breeds, but rodeo picked up the clicker training in the first day and i accidentally trained the corgi puppy downstairs on the clicker too since he and rodeo play together so much lol.

anyway this was a horrifically long post, i hope it helps. honestly i would not recommend getting a puppy unless you can work from home and have a decent chunk of time to dedicate to raising a literal baby (in fur form).

Take a break (you idiot) [Human!AU - Etudiants]

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Disclaimer : Juste un petit texte écrit en confinement, avec un peu de bonne vibe et d’amitié entre deux personnages. Il peut absolument être lu indépendamment du reste. Je ne les mets pas en pairings, mais il y a des mentions de Probet et de Messaging Services. Merci, comme toujours, à @mimmixerenard​ pour le dessin ! (trop de talent en cette personne, comment ça se fait que l’entièreté de Tumblr ne soit pas déjà abonné à iel) Bonne lecture !

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Alphonse était au bout de sa vie. Ce n’était pas un euphémisme. Pas tout à fait. Il n’y avait pas une once de son être qui n’était pas épuisé au-delà du raisonnable. Il n’y avait pas une portion de son esprit qui n’ait pas sombré dans un magma de fatigue et de lassitude. Ses nuits, il les passait à plancher, avec toute l’abnégation qu’il fallait, sur ses cours ; ses journées, eh bien, il les passait en cours. Scotchés à son écran, visio après visio, café après café, alors qu’Alphonse haïssait le café. Et puis, le soir, pas de répits non plus. Il enfilait un tablier, il enfilait son uniforme, et allait servir des Happy Meal dans le McDo du coin, client après client, frites après frites, rentrant chez lui à des heures innommables, puant la friture, pour boucler sa dernière dissertation.

Et aujourd’hui, eh bien, aujourd’hui, Alphonse était aussi vif et éveillé qu’un cadavre. Mais ce n’était pas grave. Il n’était pas le seul dans cet état. Et puis, s’il ne pouvait pas sortir, parce qu’il y avait toujours un virus en liberté, il n’avait pas à regretter le temps libre qu’il aurait pu avoir. Avec Paul, par exemple. Paul, qui logeait à l’autre bout de la ville, en colocation avec son plus jeune frère, et qui avait un peu trop tendance à braver couvre-feu et confinement pour faire le con. Et par « faire le con », Alphonse voulait en fait dire, « sortit illégalement et sans attestation pour venir grimper par son mur et s’infiltrer dans son appartement au beau milieu de la nuit, quitte à surprendre Maxime et se retrouver assommé par un coup de poing méthodique et bien placé ».

Maxime, c’était son colocataire. Et si Maxime était très agréable et très amical avec le petit frère de Paul, et bien, le grand frère, c’était une autre histoire. Parce que Paul avait tendance à lui sauter dessus sans prévenir, et on se sautait sur Maxime pas sans prévenir. Déjà, parce qu’il ne vous entendait pas venir et que c’était pas vraiment très courtois, et, surtout, parce qu’il se défendait un peu trop bien et un peu trop vite.

Enfin. Maintenant, leur fenêtre était verrouillée, renforcée de petits barreaux parce que, la dernière fois, Paul avait explosé la vitre, et Maxime n’avait pas aimé  d u   t o u t, et Alphonse n’avait plus d’excuse pour prendre des pauses, puisque son seul et unique hobbies n’avait pas encore trouvé de moyen de s’infiltrer illégalement chez lui.

Il supposait qu’il pouvait toujours faire quelques appels vidéo, mais, eh bien, faire des appels vidéo avec Paul, c’était… c’était.

Et puis, ce n’était pas grave. Il avait du travail. Il n’avait pas le temps. De toute façon, Paul ne ferait que l’épuiser plus encore.

Enfin. Pour le moment, Alphonse en était à un point d’épuisement critique. C’était bien simple : à tout moment, son âme pouvait se détacher de son corps, et voler, libre, par sa fenêtre verrouillée, et il laisserait son corps vidé derrière lui, contemplant sa caméra d’un regard terne. Une coquille creuse, voilà ce qu’il serait.

Ou ce qu’il aurait été, si, au beau milieu d’une démonstration particulièrement complexe de son professeur sur les degrés de lectures de La Bibliothèque de Babel d’un certain Borges, Maxime n’avait pas calmement refermé son écran, après avoir souplement surgit devant lui dans le plus grand des silences. C’eut le mérite de tirer Alphonse de sa torpeur, qui sursauta sur son siège de bureau en arrachant ses écouteurs.

« Maxime, mais qu’est-ce que tu fais ? » piailla-t-il, dardant sur son colocataire un regard qui se voulait réprobateur.

Peu impressionné, l’autre homme arqua délicatement son sourcil gauche. Si parfaitement agaçant, avec ses cheveux impeccables et ses vêtements casuellement élégants. Et puis, il esquissa un fin sourire, laissant sa longue main glisser de l’ordinateur qu’il venait si simplement de mettre en veille.

« Ce que tu n’as pas l’air d’avoir conscience… de devoir faire, » répliqua-t-il, voix douce, courtoise, amicale. « Rassure-toi… je viens en paix. »

Il faisait bien de préciser. Ce n’était pas qu’Alphonse était en mauvais terme avec lui. Au contraire, il considérait Maxime comme son meilleur ami – ce qui, tout compte fait, n’était pas nécessairement incroyable, parce qu’Alphonse n’en comptait pas vraiment beaucoup, d’amis. Mais, enfin, eh bien, l’autre était assez particulier, en plus d’être une irritante image de perfection vivante. Ce qu’il voulait dire, c’était que, parfois, Maxime avait un regard aiguisé, perçant et sans merci, et qu’il était souvent difficile de savoir ce qu’on avait fait pour se faire empaler par tant d’acuité oculaire.

Visiblement pour prouver sa bonne foi, Maxime déposa devant lui une large tasse de laquelle se dégageait des effluves d’orange et de cannelle. Et une assiette de petit gâteau. Comme si c’était le genre de chose que Maxime pouvait préparer pour Alphonse. Est-ce que Stefan avait trouvé un moyen d’entrer ? Que se passait-il ?

« Maxime, » soupira Alphonse, frottant énergiquement ses lourdes paupières. « Ce cours est important. »

« Et ce cours, cher colocataire imbécile… » rétorqua poliment le grand blond, « Est enregistré. Il peut donc attendre… quelques secondes. Toi, en revanche… Tu n’es qu’un pâle ersatz d’être humain. Regarde toi… ! Je ne crois pas que Stefan lui-même… ait déjà eu l’air si fatigué. Alors, pour la bienséance de mes yeux, qui, je te l’assure… n’éprouve nul besoin d’être gracié par la vision de décadence éreintée que tu offres… je te prierai d’avoir l’amabilité de cesser d’être un idiot fini, et de te reposer. »

« Mais, » commença Alphonse.

« Et j’ai détruit la machine à café, » compléta Maxime, posément. « Ne m’oblige pas… à glisser des somnifères dans ton repas de ce soir. »

Alphonse se tassa misérablement dans son siège. C’était vrai que, techniquement, Maxime avait raison. Mais- mais non, rien, c’était tout ce qu’il y avait à dire. Et il le savait. Ils le savaient tout deux. Alphonse avait déjà perdu la joute verbale, avant même que Maxime n’ait amorcé son mouvement.

Son colocataire se fendit d’un sourire indulgent, et lui tapota aimablement l’épaule. Puis, il tira un minuscule calepin de la poche de sa chemise, d’un geste si fluide que c’en était un complexe pour le reste de l’humanité à lui tout seul, et en feuilleta quelques pages, l’expression tout à fait sérieuse.

« … Bien, » murmura-t-il, comme pour lui-même. « Selon mes notes… tu es attendu à ton travail pour vingt heure trente précise. Ce qui signifie que tu partiras d’ici… dans six heures, pour être à l’heure. Par conséquent, tu as le temps de te reposer. Je ne veux pas te voir travailler du reste de l’après-midi, Alphonse… je t’ai à l’œil. »

« Attend, tu gardes un planning ? » souleva judicieusement Alphonse, qui tout à sa défaite, était déjà occupé à tremper l’un des petits gâteaux dans son thé.

« Absolument, » répondit Maxime, ton docte et regard vaguement amusé. « Si tu n’es pas capable de prendre soin de toi… seul… et bien, il faut que quelqu’un le fasse pour toi. Bois ce thé. »

C’était dit sur le ton de l’aimable suggestion, mais formulé comme un ordre sans appel. Docilement, Alphonse saisit la tasse de thé, et en but une gorgée. Maxime eut l’air satisfait.

« Dorénavant, » reprit son colocataire, « Je veux te voir prendre des pauses régulières. Au moins cinq heures de sommeil… par nuit. A cela s’ajoute… deux ou trois heures de pauses… tous les jours, également. On ne travaille pas non plus… en mangeant. »

Il dit ça, avant d’ajouter immédiatement, en s’avisant du regard désabusé d’Alphonse :

« Non négociable. »

« Ce n’est pas possible, » objecta Alphonse, secouant la tête avec toute l’énergie qu’il était capable de réunir.

« Mais si, » corrigea Maxime, remettant tranquillement son calepin en place. « J’y arrive très bien. »

« Oui, mais toi, tu es brillant. »

Bien sûr, le sourcil du grand blond retrouva son élégante courbe sceptique. Mine de rien, il se laissa appuyer contre le bureau d’Alphonse, croisant bras et cheville. Délicat, précis, l’image même d’un jeune homme respirant la confiance en soi, la forme, et la santé. Il darda vers lui le fameux regard pénétrant ; celui qui semblait ouvrir le livre qu’était Alphonse, et en parcourir les pages avec une facilité déconcertante. Qu’il soit damné s’il sut ce que Maxime put bien y voir, dans ces pages ; toujours est-il que le tranchant s’adoucit légèrement, et qu’il émit un petit soupir.

« Tu l’es aussi… Alphonse. Tu manques simplement… d’organisation ; mais, avant tout, tu manques de confiance en toi. Ce n’est pas… en t’épuisant à la tâche… que tu atteindras ton plein potentiel. Tu es brillant… mais, épuisé comme tu l’es… tu n’avances pas. Alors, tu t’épuises plus encore. »

Et si ça ne faisait pas chaud au cœur, d’entendre ça. Il courba pitoyablement la nuque, le regard perdu dans les volutes de vapeur qui s’étiraient hors de sa tasse. Chaude, contre la paume de sa main.

« J’y arrivais, avant, » murmura-t-il, tout bas.

« Avant… le monde ne partait pas en vrille, » ajouta Maxime, la voix douce, compatissante. « Je m’inquiète pour toi, Alphonse. Le confinement continu… ne te fais pas le moindre bien. »

« Techniquement, je sors de temps à autre, » tenta Alphonse, esquissant une pâle tentative de sourire.

« Se coltiner les insupportables clients… d’un fast-food en fin de journée… ne compte pas comme une sortie acceptable, » répliqua Maxime.

« C’est l’une des premières fois que je te vois prêter attention à ce genre de chose, » railla Alphonse, plus taquin que vraiment amer. « Je sais que tu penses que je me plains pour peu. »

Maxime ne contredit pas ; il se contenta d’humer, sourcils imperceptiblement froncés, sans le quitter une seconde du regard. Puis, il leva la tête, laissant ses iris si claires se poser sur le fatras qu’était la chambre d’Alphabet.

« Certes. Mais, malgré tout… tu es mon meilleur ami. Je tiens à toi. Qu’importe mon opinion sur le sujet… je ne peux pas te laisser ruiner ta santé. »

« Oh, » souffla Alphonse.

Un regard pince-sans-rire de Maxime. Alphonse baissa hâtivement la tête, et avala son gâteau. L’autre homme en profita pour débrancher son ordinateur, un geste ouvertement sans appel.

« Je croyais que Stefan était ton meilleur ami », reprit finalement Alphonse, lorsque le silence sembla avoir atteindre un laps de temps suffisant pour devenir malaisant.

« Alphonse, nous savons tout deux… que Stefan est, pour moi… beaucoup plus qu’un ami, » rappela Maxime, non sans un certain humour. « Par ailleurs, puisque nous abordons ce sujet… il serait temps que tu répondes à Paul. As-tu seulement une idée… du nombre de message qu’il m’a envoyé ? Et ce… dans les dernières vingt-quatre minutes ? »

Alphonse avait une très bonne idée, puisqu’il avait dû lui-même éteindre son téléphone pour qu’il cesse de vibrer. Ce qui était idiot, parce que Paul n’avait rien fait ; mais Alphonse, plongé dans son travail, avait cru qu’il n’avait simplement pas le temps de répondre. Il s’en sentit affreusement coupable ; ses mains se levèrent, vinrent se tordre dans sa cravate.

« Je croyais que tu n’aimais pas beaucoup Paul, » remarqua-t-il, d’une voix pas aussi assurée qu’il l’aurait voulu.

« C’est vrai, je ne l’aime pas, » concéda volontiers MMS. « Mais… de deux choses l’une. Premièrement, je n’ai certainement pas mon mot à dire… dans les fréquentations que tu choisis d’avoir. Deuxièmement… une grande partie de mon animosité à son égard… proviens de sa fâcheuse habitude à entrer en pleine nuit… par la fenêtre de ma chambre. Troisièmement… rien de ce que je pourrais penser ne change le fait qu’il semble… bon pour toi. La vérité, c’est que tu es pleinement toi-même… lorsqu’il est présent… et c’est là la seule chose que je pourrais demander. »

Alphonse cligna des yeux, pris par surprise. Maxime se contenta de lui décocher un sourire plein de subtile autosatisfaction, et se détacha tranquillement du bureau où il était venu s’appuyer.

« Sur ce… je m’apprêtais à regarder un film. Tu es libre de me rejoindre… si l’envie t’en prend. »

Le grand blond se dirigea tranquillement vers sa porte, esquivant une pile de livre bancale qu’Alphonse avait laissé traîner là ; mais, avant qu’il ne puisse franchir le battant, il le rattrapa, bondissant hors de sa chaise comme un Diable en boîte.

« Maxime, » interpella-t-il.

Son colocataire ne l’entendit pas ; mais, en revanche, il le vit très bien s’agiter dans la périphérie de sa vision. Il tourna légèrement la tête vers lui, penchée imperceptiblement sur le côté, irradiant de patience paisible.

« Merci. »

Une petite bulle de chaleur vint éclore dans les yeux azurs. Maxime ouvrit la porte, et s’effaça juste assez pour lui laisser la place de passer.

« De rien, Alphonse. C’est la moindre des choses. »

FIN

MOELLEUX AUX CERISES ET NOISETTES

On avait ramassé trop de cerises, alors j’ai improvisé une recette de cake moelleux aux noisettes pour les utiliser. 

Parfait pour le petit déjeuner, le goûter ou le dessert, cette version change des cakes traditionnels en étant tout aussi savoureuse et gourmande ! 

Ingrédients : pour 1 cake (10 portions) : - 100g de poudre de noisettes - 3 oeufs - 20g d'huile de coco - 50g de sucre complet (ou tout autre sucrant) - 1 sachet de levure chimique - 30g de farine d'épeautre (ou de blé) - 200g de cerises dénoyautées - 1 cas d'arôme de noisette (facultatif) 1. Faire fondre l'huile de coco quelques secondes au micro-ondes.

2. Couper les cerises en deux.

3. Mélanger tous les ingrédients.

4. Verser dans un moule à cake et enfourner pour 45 à 50 minutes à 180°. Valeurs nutritionnelles : par portion (10) : 154 kcal / 11G / 10L / 4P. N'hésitez pas à adapter les portions en fonction de VOS besoins nutritionnels.

Cette recette fonctionne parfaitement avec des cerises fraîches, mais également avec des cerises congelées, si vous en avez eu en trop et que vous les avez conservées.  Et c’est une recette qui convient très bien pour une session de meal prep, pour se régaler toute la semaine, alors pourquoi hésiter ?

Régalez-vous bien ! ♥ 

Noone parties, like evaluators party...

Hi all - So congratulations, you have survived the “nerd alert” portion of the blogging.  I thought before I left Sydney I would share some of the fun things I have done besides nerding out about evaluation (which by the way...was still the majority of what I did here.)  But in between the data and logic models, we got our dance on!

On Tuesday night the AES conference hosted a dinner at Luna Park (which is the Coney Island of Sydney).  They put us all on a very fancy ferry and took us across the Sydney Harbor to the old school amusement park, which lies right on the water.  

The views from the boat were amazing.  The downside...it was raining.  And not like “a light spring shower”, but like torrential, cold, hard rain.  Boo.  But I was not going to let that ruin my evalu-party.

Upon arrival at the park, the majority of guests made a B-line to the indoor dinner reception area.  But that option is for the lame.  I opted to ride on the Ferris wheel in the pouring rain.  Yep.  In hindsight, I should have thought about what height, wind and rain combined might create, but I didn’t.  The rain was so cold and coming at us sideways.  Slightly miserable, but breathtaking views.  

We all then filed back to the venue to dry off.  The Aussies do know how to host!  They fed us a delicious three course meal and an open bar ;)

 Then followed by...a 80s dance party!  Yes, evaluators are nerds, but when the right Madonna song comes on, they really know how to get down.

v

Of course, the most interesting party is always the “Party after the party,” which consisted of a group of us going to the ultra-hip bar...in the mall.  It was the perfect setting to have some of the real conversations that were stirring from the conference.  After a drink or two, we got down to the most fun topics, race relations.  

After party crew in the mall...Sam Togni & Kate McKegg

Anyway, I won’t bore you with all the details, as I mentioned most of it in the previous post, but I will say, that it has been an interesting experience being here.  It is like I am free of the weight of my race here.  Because I don’t fit neatly into a box here (I am not aboriginal, I am not white, I an not Asian) they have no preconceived notions of me.  They can;t quite figure me out and therefore make no immediate judgements about me upon seeing me.  You don’t realize how much that is a part of your daily life, until you experience the absence of it.  Very freeing.  Well, until I open my mouth and they find out I’m American...:)  Actually, most people are very tolerant of me being American.  (as opposed to when I was here after the 2016 election and the most common question I got was “how did you let Trump happen?”)  This time, they just feel bad for me and slightly worried that the terror is coming their way.  Australia has a history of following Americansin political trends and the “outsider conservative politician” trend seems to be rising in their country and the open racism seems to be brewing in New Zealand since the shootings.  People have been curious to know how we’re copping and what we think is coming next.  I wish I had the answer.

I’m off to Cairns tomorrow to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.  My next post will probably be in a few days.  Get ready for the real vactationing blogging to begin...

17

Bailey

My fingers combed through my tresses slowly, easing the small knots out of my hair. I had promised Austin that I would help him with his summer work and I was going to stick to that deal. Although last night’s event with Lonnie replayed over and over in my head, I couldn’t really treat Austin any differently because he’s not the reason for any of this. This was something I had to bring up to Adrian when the chance presented itself because last night… wasn’t the right time to do so. Matter fact, we have a lot to talk about and since Adrian doesn’t want anyone leaving the house today, this gives us more than enough time to do just that. I quickly placed my hair in a ponytail before exiting my bathroom. I felt better than I have in the past few days and to be honest, I’m not sure if that should be a good thing I should grow accustomed to or be a bit worried that I feel good in this predicament.

I threw on one of my Crooks N Castles sweatshirt before leaving the vicinity of my bedroom quickly. I told Austin to meet me downstairs in the kitchen and left advised, he did what I said and sat at the counter with a plethora of papers scattered around the area next to him. Though he missed a big chunk of first grade while recovering at the hospital, Justine was able to get a personal teacher for Austin to be around and help him to stay on top of things. That alone is the only reason he’s progressing into second grade where he belongs. But, the work doesn’t stop yet, so I offered to pitch in and help with as much as I could. “Hi, Austin,” I grinned, taking the available seat next to him. I pinched his cheeks obnoxiously before looking over what he was working on. “What’re you working on now?”

“Science and I hate it,” he stressed badly.

“It’s second grade science, how bad can it be?” I teased playfully. “Let me see,” If it’s one thing I can say, Austin will definitely be a well-rounded kid. I know that most of the things that’s sitting in front of him aren’t required of him to learn just yet but Justine slid things of that nature in anyhow. “Liquid, solids and gases; light work!” I said, quickly reading over the directions. Austin had five subjects he had to get through today or at least this morning; English, Writing, Math, Science and Social Studies. I see he’s attempting to do the hard subjects first. “Alright, label what each phase is and then write how they differ,” I said, sliding the paper back his way.

“Differ?” he questioned, uncertain like.

“What’s different about them,” I chuckled. “Got it? Good,” Since Austin was pretty much self-motivated, I didn’t have to do much convincing for him to do this on his own and he didn’t have much questions either. I used his iPad and surfed the web while he continued to work diligently. We had finished the science portion and was now working towards the math section. Not once did he ask for my help and he breezed past it easily. I guess it was due to the fact that Adrian is a great mathematician, so it must have rubbed off on Aussie. While Austin worked on the last few math problems, I stared at him and couldn’t help but feel like I’m in the wrong.

I did see some similarities between Lonnie and Austin and because I’m just now seeing it, it’s hitting me hard. I’m not too sure what Adrian has planned when this is all said and done, and I don’t know what Adrian will eventually do to Lonnie either. Apart of me is worried that he’ll resort to drastic measures and Austin will forever be affected by something like this. It’s clear that Austin doesn’t see his father as much as he should and there’s a reason for that, which I’m not aware of. It just makes all of this even more difficult to do. I’m also curious to know why he didn’t say anything to begin with. Maybe it was strategic of him but it’s backfiring in the end. I didn’t even want to think about Justine and her involvement, to be honest. That was something I would have to confront Adrian about because I don’t even know how to go about explaining that to her. Not that I want to anyhow.

This is someone I actually befriended and now I’m messing with her ex? Messy. “Baileyyy,” Austin dragged out, stabbing me with his eraser multiple times. I grabbed it away from him and slammed it on the table. He laughed it off while continuing to say what he had on his mind. “Can you help me with this now?” he said, pointing towards the next worksheet. I grabbed his math worksheet to look over while examining the new one.

“Oh, so you’re learning about Native Americans, huh?” I smirked. “Let me give you the real story,” I said, draping my arm over his shoulder. It took me roughly fifteen minutes to explain the true story, well as I learned it, to him and from his attentive stare, I knew he was paying attention. It was literally like I was telling him a bedtime story and this story is one for the books that he would remember forever. “So, what did you learn from that?” I asked.

“Andrew Jackson adopted an Indian son but made Indians leave their home on the Trail of Tears,” he said. He has such a good memory.

“Say Native Americans though, alright?” he nodded. “Alright, so what you have to do is just answer these questions concerning the passage, but I basically already gave you the answers so just fill it in,” I sighed, standing up to go grab something to for me to eat. “You want something to eat, Aussie?”

“Pizza?” he asked.

I looked over at the clock on the wall. “How about I make a sandwich instead and then you can ask your uncle for some later?” I bargained with him. He pouted cutely but nodded anyhow. Other than Austin and I, the house was relatively silent but I knew that people were awake and around. It was just peculiar at how quiet things were when normally it’s loud as shit. “What type of meat, Austin?” I asked.

“Pause!” Austin shouted. But it wasn’t just his voice alone, it was Caiden’s as well.

“Get your head out of the gutter,” I said, giving the two of them the eye. “Turkey or Bologna?”

“Turkey,” Austin said.

“You dead our personal chef. You mind making me one?” Caiden asked, siting besides Austin. The math questions I was supposed to be checking over, he was now looking at. I gave him a simple okay as I began to work on another extra Turkey sandwich. With Austin’s sandwich done and microwaved just the way he liked it, I placed the meal in front of him and removed the rest of his summer homework out of the way, so he wouldn’t make a mess.

“Enjoy,” I smiled at the two of them once Caiden’s sandwich was done as well. “Uh, I heard about last night. I’m glad y’all alright,” I said.

“Same here,” he mumbled. “The real props goes to August though. Neither Adrian nor I smelled anything wrong,” He tried to keep his voice low and at a reasonable level because he didn’t want Austin to hear any of this. I’m sure the gang does their best in keeping him out of this light for the best and knowing how smart of a kid Austin is, the slightest bit of information he hears will arouse any sort of question. Things they want to avoid. Lucky for the two of us, Austin was too wrapped up in his food to worry about his surroundings.

“Damn, do you guys have a clue on who did it?” I propped my elbows up and waited for him to give me somewhat of an answer.

“Our first guess is Ryan,” My heart dropped. and I froze. If their intuition is correct and indeed it happens to be Ryan, I can only foreshadow the worst happening from here on out. Burning up a car with people in it is a huge risk and not only is it a huge risk, it’s a bold statement. I can’t even dictate whether or not Ryan’s actions are genuine and if this is all part of his plan to hopefully get me back or just to make things even. I’ve known Ryan for such a long time and at this point, I can’t even tell whether his actions or genuine or not; it’s sad. But without a doubt, a part of me is scared for what’s to come. What if because of Ryan’s actions, my mother and sister is harmed in the process? I won’t be able to feel comfortable knowing that Adrian and everyone else is behind the destruction of one man who has ties to my family. Adrian said that he won’t do anything until Ryan has done something first and he has… so where does things go from here? My head clasped in my hands as I tried my best to compose my breathing. I didn’t want to overthink. but I didn’t want to ignore these feelings either. “Besides him, we can’t think of no other,” he confessed.

“So, you’re saying you don’t really have enemies?” I said, raising my eyebrow to show disbelief. There was no way they didn’t have a few enemies on them; whether it was strictly business or personal.

“When we work with people, after the job is done, we tend to cut off ties and go on ‘bout our business. And even if we did have people gunning for us, we would know, and things would have happened way long ago. On some real shit, it’s not just a coincidence that we hear Ryan got a team ready to fuck with any one of us, at any given moment and all of a sudden our car blows to shreds?” Caiden asked rhetorically. “That’s just not how shit works,” he shrugged.

“But where’s your evidence?” I asked. “How do you know it’s him?” He stared at me with this stoic expression before the corners of his lips tugged into a smirk.

“First things first, it’s not about evidence at this point. It’s common sense and your instincts. But I see where you’re getting at. You trying to protect that old flame of yours, right?” he asked, pointing at the Poland Spring bottle of water that rested in the corner of the kitchen. I sighed and grabbed him one and as he gulped down a hefty some of the room temperature drink, his eyes stayed glued on mine. Seeing that I had yet to respond, he spoke up again, “You can’t protect a grown man. It’s just not going to happen. You not even worried about him, especially since he done you wrong. It’s about your sister and mother. They’re not the targets,”

“You say that now, Caiden,” I mumbled.

“It’s better than what Adrian would have given you,” he shrugged. “Thanks for the food though, B. Catch me in the gym,” he smirked, messing with Austin as left.

“Hulk looking ass nigga,” I chuckled.

“I heard that!” Caiden yelled.

Austin laughed, pulling me away from my thoughts. “Why don’t we come back to the homework much later and for right now, let’s go play on one of your game systems,” I needed a distraction, like yesterday and with Austin’s young self, I’ll be distracted for a long time.

“You can play video games?” he asked, hopping down. I grabbed his plate and placed it in the sink.

“Of course!” I smiled. “Where’s your mom by the way? I haven’t seen her all morning,”

“She’s still asleep. I don’t think she feels good,”

“Let’s make her Chicken Noodle Soup after I destroy you in one of these games,” I smirked.

“Bet,”

__

So, after four rounds of a game that consisted of fast pace car racing, Austin and I stuck to our promise and made his mother some Chicken Noodle Soup. Justine was actually sick, but it wasn’t for the obvious reason Austin would suspect. It was just her monthly gift from Mother Nature and her cramps were bothering her like no other. Austin stayed for as long as he felt needed before his mother told him he could depart and do whatever he felt like. That didn’t leave me off the hook though. So, I remained in her room until she finished eating. “Thank you for this by the way. I just want to sit down and do nothing all day now,”

“That’s you every day,” I chuckled. “I peep. But question that I need an answer to, did you have a job prior to coming here?” It was random, but I wanted to know.

She gasped dramatically before sitting up in bed. “I was unemployed, got a job, didn’t like it and quit,” she expressed. “I don’t know what it is with me and jobs. And it doesn’t help that Adrian always messing with my jobs as well,”

“He doesn’t want you working?” I asked.

“I don’t know if that’s the case. You should ask him,” she winked. I know for a fact no one is aware of what happened between Adrian and I last night. It’s just obvious that we’re on better terms than we have been before. I can’t really explain the kiss or describe it, but I don’t take any of it back. It was perfect, unexpected and his lips are the softest thing around. Any other time, I probably wouldn’t have jumped the gun to kiss him but having him in my space like that did something to me. I wouldn’t declare Adrian as standoffish but he does keep his distance and this whole faux, not mixing business with pleasure no longer has any relevance because that’s already happened. After I asked him to sleep with me for the night, our make out session continued once in the confines of my bedroom but, it didn’t go further than that. As much as I would have enjoyed it, I wasn’t going to let Adrian think he was that suave to talk me out of my panties. His actions would have to prove he’s worthy enough, right?

Exactly.

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered.

“I wonder how your ex would feel if he knew what was happening,” I scooted closer on her bed to the point where I was using her pillow as my cuddling partner. I don’t really think of Ryan as much as I should have. He’s like a distant memory. Our relationship is nonexistent; I’m not mad nor bitter about it. I’m twenty-one and have the rest of my life to date. It wasn’t meant for Ryan and I and the last few months of us being together proved that theory.

“He would be annoyed but can’t do much but accept it. I know he’s not crying a river over me,” I said truthfully. “That’s not the type of man he is,”

“So, why’d you end up in a relationship with him?” she questioned.

“’Cause I loved him,”

“Loved?” she chuckled. “You don’t love him anymore? Or, you aren’t in love with him? There’s a difference, Bailey,” she said sternly. I felt like we already had this conversation before and it was all just a repeat. I did not want to have a conversation consisting of Ryan, regardless of the circumstance. It was useless. But I do want a conversation from him though; a conversation that consists of closure and nothing more. As cliché as it might sound, I have love for Ryan on the basis of a friendship but as far as a relationship goes, I was reaching for something that I don’t think he wanted in the first place. It was all too soon. I’m not in love with him and I haven’t been for a while.

“You know the answer already, Justine,” I huffed. “It’s a thing of the past and I would like for it to remain in the past,”

“Why are you so quick to write it off though? You might be suppressing some feelings,”

“No, I don’t do that,” I chuckled. I don’t suppress my emotions like most but rather, it comes out when least expected or I’m just quick to react which means my emotions are on display no matter what. However, I do tend to put other’s feelings before mine if anything. But suppressing? That’s one thing I don’t do. “I just rather move on. I mean, haven’t you done that with any of your exes?” I questioned, unintentionally leading this conversation into an unwanted direction. Or maybe not.

“It’s hard to do that when one of your exes is the father of your child,” she remarked, pursing her lips together shortly after. And that’s when the wave of guilt began to eat at me. I don’t think I can even bring myself to mention what I know to Justine. Mostly out of fear and not wanting to cause even more tension in the house. This would just be something else added to the list of things Adrian and I needed to discuss. “I met Austin’s father when I was really young, like fifteen. And he was around eighteen by then. As you can see, my mother and I don’t have the best of a relationship like some have it and I began to do things I knew she wouldn’t approve of but wouldn’t have the time to check me about either,” she sighed. I clearly could see this would bring a few tears, so I quickly hurried off her bed and over to the nightstand to grab the tissue box. I threw it on her lap, causing her to chuckle.

“I’m not a crybaby. I don’t know what happened the last time,” she laughed.

“Everyone cries,” I shrugged. “Ain’t a big deal,” I said. “But continue,”

“Mmkay, so, I started to invest in a lot of time with him without my mother knowing and the more I stayed around him, the more I learned that at that time, he was selling dope and shit,” she mumbled. “I wasn’t too surprised because almost every boy I came across was doing the same thing, including my brother so what’s the big deal? The big deal was when I found out I was pregnant, and he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to be part of his son’s life,” It was weird hearing everyone’s interpretation of Lonnie because I got the complete opposite.

“He wanted the fast life and I was stupid for cosigning his actions,” By her tone, you could hear the disappointment she held for her own self. “It’s just backfired in the end because he rarely sees his son and it hurts knowing that they might not have a strong relationship,”

“Why not?” I said, not wanting to be too nosy but still gain some sort of insight. Maybe there’s an alternative route I can take instead of meddling between a family like this. Maybe if Adrian would be a little more truthful, he could simply involve his sister in this matter and she may very well have the answers he seeks. For crying out loud, the amount of time I would have to spend with Lonnie to figure out one tidbit of information is nothing compared to what Justine should alreadyknow. But, I digress. There must be a method to his madness. I just don’t want this to all backfire in the end because of something that could have been easily avoidable.

“Adrian hasn’t told you?” she asked, looking at me a bit skeptical.

“About…?” I continued to push.

She sighed and began to fumble with the ends of her sweater. “Well, you know Austin was kidnapped and beaten and that all happened under Lonnie’s, Austin’s father, supervision,” she said slowly, trying to prevent herself from crying.

“Oh, that makes sense,” I muttered to myself. Probably one of the reasons why Austin is in Justine’s custody fully.

“Anyway, that’s why I can’t move on from my ex,” she chuckled, attempting to brighten the mood. I laughed along with her, so she wouldn’t have the chance to suspect anything.

“You still love him, and I mean essentially, in love?” If she happened to be in love with him, that would reshape everything that was bound to happen and if she feels this confident to express so much to me, me going behind her back to just help Adrian get even at Lonnie isn’t even worth it. But, if she surprises me and says that she isn’t, I guess she wouldn’t feel that butt hurt in knowing something of this caliber. Still, this is the aftermath of something Adrian has to deal with, especially if this is his sister!

I turned my head to get a better look at Justine as she contemplated her next words to express her feelings about Lonnie. I was hoping that her response would be the latter of my thoughts but by her prolonged thoughts, I knew the answer.

“No but since he’s my child’s father, I now have unconditional love for him,” I sighed in relief discreetly. It’s better than her being in love with someone who just might end up dead.

A well-deservednap and slice of cheesy Pizza later, everyone seemed pretty much ready to call it a night, especially with us all wearing ourselves out tonight by doing extraneous activities Austin came up with. It was actually fun, but you would think Austin would be the most tired out of all of us, not at all. He was ready to do this all over again as soon as he finished his Pizza and received his medicine for the night. As soon as Justine made sure that he was washed and well taken care of for the night, he would be right back downstairs in the confines of the living room where everyone was at. Well, more so where Adrian and I was at. Everyone was used to doing something and going out but today was an exception. Adrian wanted to take extreme caution to ensure everyone’s safety so the lockdown for the day seemed suitable. That is until everyone seemed cranky during some part of the day. But from here on out, I don’t know what’s to come. Adrian and the guys have already had their little discussion late last night while everyone was supposedly asleep, like he would have thought I didn’t notice him slipping out of my room and made arrangements I’m not included on.

“Adrian, we need to talk,” I muttered, tapping my nails against the couch cushions. A little over a week ago, Justine and I had went to a nail salon around the area called ‘Feisty Nails’ and as a treat for me, Justine paid for a manicure and pedicure for us and now my long acrylic nails were colored white, really bringing out my skin tone.

“We were just talking less than a minute ago, what changed?” he mumbled, flicking through the channels aimlessly.

“No, I mean we have to discuss a few things that I have questions about,” I spoke.

“Go ahead,”

“First round of discussion, your lapdog Elsa. Seriously, how does she know about my father?” I didn’t sleep peacefully knowing that Elsa knew something that personal. I don’t talk to the bitch and she definitely doesn’t talk to me, so how does she have a clue? I’m going to believe Adrian in him telling the truth of not saying much to her about me, but something isn’t adding up.

“She ain’t my bitch anymore,” he grunted.

“I don’t care. That’s not my question,” I said sternly, realizing that he was going to beat around the bush.

“I told you, I don’t know. I didn’t say anything to her about you. I would never,” he mumbled, stopping his channel surfing.

“Can you look at me?” I snapped. “I know you don’t give a fuck about my father, but can you at least show you care somewhat!?” From the other side of the couch we both resided on, he sat up and gave me his undivided attention. I was being dead serious right now and no amount of foolery would make me feel otherwise.

“Alright, you’on need to yell at me, B,” he said in a rough tone. “I told you I don’t know and that’s my word. Why the fuck I need to lie to you for?”

“You don’t know, huh? If I were you, I would find out,” I said. “Why might you ask? Sure, I’ll tell you. If this bitch knows about my father, she also knows that I’m kidnapped. She knows that I’m kidnapped, she’ll eventually run and tell someone because you cut her off!”

“She wouldn’t dare,” he said way too calmly for my liking, his eyes lowering.

“You’re way too lax right now,” I said, shaking my head lightly.  

“So, what do you want me to do to make you feel comfortable?” His voice sounded condescending and I didn’t like the tone he was using. Let it be Justine in my predicament here, he would blow a roof but for me, it’s different. I see.

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “Do nothing,” I mumbled. “I bet Justin or Caiden would have an answer for me before you do,”

“Alright, glad that’s cleared,” he nodded. If the expression on my face wasn’t enough to show how turned off I was by his behavior, me walking away was more than enough. If he wasn’t going to listen to me or take me serious enough to have a conversation about things related to me, then there’s no point in me saying anymore. Before I could even reach the staircase, he was already pulling me back into his strong arms. “You like me running after you, huh?” he said near my ear.

“No,” I said. “I hate that’s you’re not listening when I need you to the most,” I pouted.

“Alright, alright. Come back and talk to me. I’ll listen,” he pleaded. Pushing his body away from mine, I walked past the living room we were just in, past the kitchen and outside towards the pool area. I don’t know why but having conversations outside with Adrian are easier for me to get through oppose to when we’re inside the house. I sat down first, tucking my feet under my ass and he plopped down beside me, really giving me his undivided attention now that there were no distractions available. “I’m all yours, go ahead,”

Taking a deep breath, I repeated my worries to him once again. “If you didn’t tell Elsa about my father and I didn’t either, how would she know such a thing, Adrian? And be honest. If you were being carless and she overheard, let me know!”

“I don’t talk business around Elsa but if you want to put the blame on someone, it’s my fault for allowing her inside the house but it ain’t come from me,”

“So… maybe one of your boys?” That chances of that were slim.

“Nah,” he said with ease. “But, I’ll look into it for you, okay?” he questioned, pulling me closer towards him. I nodded slowly; I had no choice but to be okay with it for now. I’m sure it raised a few concerns in Adrian’s mind but he wasn’t speaking of it verbally to me at least. I just hope that Elsa bringing that up wouldn’t be my demise nor Adrian’s. “Anything else?”

“Yes, there is actually,” I said, loosening up. I might as well lay it on all on the table now that I have his attention. “Why didn’t you tell me Lonnie was Austin’s father?” I whispered harshly, afraid that Justine or Austin might hear. His eyebrows raised as he stared at me through squinted eyes. Whatever excuse that spews out of his mouth, better be a good excuse.

“Because of that reaction there,” he mumbled, bringing his hand down his face tiredly. Just by looking at the tiredness in his eyes, if the time called for it, I would have discontinued the conversation and let him get his rest but at a time like this, nope. Now that I finally have him all to myself, there’s no way I was going to let him get his beauty sleep. He would have to put up with me and my inquiries until I’m satisfied. “It’s not like it was meant to remain a secret but I wasn’t trying to cause you to jeopardize this shit and have you slip by mentioning it to either Justine or Lonnie,”

“Well that was probably one of the worst ideas you’ve ever come up with,” He looked slightly offended, but that only caused me to chuckle slightly. “Do you know Lonnie showed me a picture of Austin and I almost blurted out his name before he had the chance to do so? What if he heard me? Then what?” I questioned.

“Then, you play it off,” he said casually. Although by the irked expression on his face, I know he’s the least bit happy in me slipping; not me finding out that this is Austin’s father I’m messing with. I mean, the truth was going to come out one way or another but I think it would have been much better if Adrian was just upfront about this all along, so I wouldn’t feel guilty about my actions. But, along the way, I’m learning that Adrian is selfish and being that I am the complete opposite, that doesn’t mesh quite well.

“Does Justine even know about any of this?” I asked, already knowing the answer but I wanted him to explain to me why she doesn’t and what good does that do. He shook his head like I knew he would. “And why is that?” I muttered.

“I know Justine is still in love with that nigga and if she was to hear some shit like this, she would try to stop it and meddle in between something that doesn’t concern her as much as she thinks it does. Maybe if she would have thought of working with me and not against me in helping, you wouldn’t be in this predicament. It’s best that you don’t mention a damn thing to Justine about this anyhow. I should have known y’all was going to grow close and that’s a mistake on my part. But under any circumstances, I don’t need you telling Justine shit,”

“So, you will?” I said, leaning on my side to face him. His fingers danced along my Dream Catcher tattoo that was strategically placed along my side. He was becoming distracted, so I gently grasped his large hand in mine and stopped his hand movements, forcing him to look up at me.

“When the time calls for it. Just watch what you say around her, that’s all,” He makes it seem so easy. “Is that it?”

“No,” I said.

Adrian

Yesterday and today has been nothing but tiresome. With the bombing of one our cars to Bailey and her inquisitive mind, I don’t know what’s worse. I’d like to think the latter is the worst of the two but they both hold the same weight. I have no doubt that Ryan was the one that set that up. That was something he would do, especially with larceny being his signature style and choice of execution. No one can tell me otherwise until I have legit proof someone else could have done it. This is definitely a bold move on his part and although this doesn’t mean war just yet, this does have my eyes and ears wide open. If he can place a bomb in one of my cars, that means he’s been following me somewhere in order to know which one is my car, and to spot where I was yesterday. As much as a huge stunt that must have been for Ryan, if he was really smart, he would have followed me until I got to my residence and then tried to bomb me. But he isn’t as well thought out as you would think for someone who wants to bomb me, right?

Well, at least that’s how I look at the situation.

Now, it’s my turn to make the next move.

“What more is there to question me about?” I said. I dead felt like I was in a police station, getting questioned over and over for something that is out of my control.

“Why did you make me kill someone?” I could still hear some lingering hate in between her words even though her words were whispered.

“I didn’t make you do anything,” I countered.

“Bullshit,” she muttered. “What was the purpose of that?” she continued to press. This one topic she would not let go so I knew I had to start coughing up some answers.

“Listen, I have a hard way of expressing myself and I tend to go to the extreme at times but that’s just me,” I shrugged. It was true, she didn’t have to kill anyone but at the time, that was the price she paid for having that sense of doubt and not being able to fully trust me. No one likes to be doubted and it didn’t sit right with me knowing that Bailey was questioning me like I would intentionally put her in harm’s way. Maybe having her kill someone was a bit too excessive, but it got the point across, at least in my mind it did. It didn’t really matter whether someone else saw what I did as fit or justifiable because it was only me who got the satisfaction out of it at the end of the day. “It’s just the way I get my point across,”

“That sounds contradicting,” she chuckled. “You have a hard time of expressing yourself, but you get your point across better than what I would expect,” she elaborated. I knew she would say some shit like that so that’s why I kept quiet and allowed her to rant. “I believe you have no problem expressing who you are and getting your point across. It just bothers me that you feel the need to be sneaky and then you have the nerve to get mad when I question you on shit like this. I just don’t think it’s fair, especially when you use excess aggression,”

“Compared to a lot of people, I barely touch you,”

“Oh, but when you do it’s a problem,” she quickly retorted.

“So, I won’t touch you,” I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Ugh!” she groaned, hitting me with the circular pillow. “You’re such a fuckin’ douche,”

“Sometimes,” I replied nonchalant like. “But look, I hear what you’re saying. It ain’t going in one ear and coming out the other type shit, alright?”

“Mhm,”

“Yo, I’m deadass though. You not tryna believe me?”

“I didn’t say that,”

“So, what are you saying?” I questioned.

“You’re one difficult ass man,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t do that,” I mumbled.

“Why not?” she asked.

“They’ll get stuck like that,” I chuckled. “You ain’t see that SpongeBob episode? That Spongey nigga and his lazy sidekick was making them ugly ass faces n’ shit,”

“How would you know?” she smirked, sitting upright.

“My nigga Ace be watching that shit,”

“Austin?”

“Yep!”

“Well look at that! Adrian watching SpongeBob? That must be a sight to see,” she giggled. I shook my head and stood up from the area. She followed suit as we strolled into the house and back towards the living room. Before she could turn to walk in, I grabbed her hand and made her follow me upstairs. She stumbled along the way causing me to chuckle. “That’s not funny. Where are you taking me?” she questioned. I ignored her inquires while continuing the distance towards my bedroom. She played a nigga last night; I can’t even front. In my book, kissing automatically leads to sex but she put a stop to all of that shit. “I know you be fuckin’ other bitches so I hope these are clean sheets,”

“You got jokes. I’on bring bitches to my crib anymore, not with Austin around,” Which was true. There were certain things I didn’t want to expose him to, let alone think is right so it’s best that he’s censored from it. However, if he so happens to have a question concerning something I do and what he sees, I won’t sugarcoat it from him. I’ll have no choice but to be blunt about it because I’ll be damned if he finds out from someone else.

“Well that’s good. He needs a good role model,”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, catching her subliminal message.

“Well, there must be a reason why you want me here, right?” she inquired. Hell yeah but I know she not ‘bout to do it. “Hmph, thought so. Let’s talk,” I think she might have read my mind.

“We been doing that for the past hour, B. You don’t ever want to just relax and look at the moon?” I watched the many expression change on her face in a matter of seconds before she busted out laughing. “Alright, alright. What you in the mood to talk about, again might I add?”

“Uh,” she began, sitting on the edge of my bed. Funny how she had the illest crush on a nigga and know she’s trying to distance herself away from me. I pulled her closer towards me and made her look at me. Bailey a funny one.

“Don’t even have a topic to discuss,” I chuckled lowly. “But aye, you were really scared for a nigga or what?”

“Ugh, how many times do we have to go over this?” she questioned. “But yes. I was. I already lost a lot of people as is and even though you treat me like shit, I still have a heart and worry ‘bout yo ass,”

“Hm, who you lost?”

She hesitated for a moment. “A lot of people actually. I’m not speaking just literally but… have you ever lost a friend before? But they’re still alive?” she asked, stopping her rambling quickly.

“A friend? Yeah,” I nodded. I mean, who hasn’t?

“Well, yeah. I’ve lost friends before. Like when you kidnapped me…” Kidnapped sounded like such a bad word to use. I’m sure she can come up with something better. “… I left behind a whole family, friends and shit. I don’t know when’s the next time I’m going to see them. Do you?”

“How long you gon’ have this attitude ‘bout that shit? I know what I did wasn’t right. I know. But like I said, I take extreme measures and always have. I feel bad that you feel like you lost your family but they right where you left ‘em. Them niggas coming for my dome anyhow. They alive,” I shrugged off.

“Can you be considerate for a second?” she grumbled. “Or, I’ll just leave and talk to Aussie for the night,”

“Austin and me are the same people. Fuck you though this is?” I smirked.

“Nuh uh. He’s way nicer and he’s way too smooth to be like you,”

“That’s not what your actions say but I’m sleep,”

“Whatever,” she dismissed. “I finally know what I want to talk about though,”

“Go ‘head,” I nodded.

“What is your goal in life?” she asked, attempting to be deep and shit. Probably trying to figure me out. Anyhow, I did take the question into serious consideration as I thought about it. I remember in High School, each year they would make us write our dreams and aspirations down on a piece of paper and write alongside how we would accomplish it. I think mine always said the same thing each year and that was to be able to comfortably take care of my family. I don’t know what type of mother my mom was, but it wasn’t one of those traditional types. My grandmother practically raised me and if I have anything to say about that, it goes to show my mother wasn’t shit and still isn’t. The least she could attempt to do is make sure she’s present in Austin life because I’d be damned if I had a kid and her ass isn’t around.

“Making sure my family is set. Yours?”

“No, no, no. Like, your personal goal?” she tried to clarify but that was my personal goal.

“That is my personal goal,” I chuckled.

“I think you need to make one for yourself,” she mumbled, laying her big ass dome on my chest.

“In due time,” I mumbled. “What about you?”

“Uh, reconnect with my father and make sure he doesn’t hate me after all of this madness and put my degree to use. Sounds good, right?” I nodded my head, feeling a little bad for putting her through this shit. But, what’s done is done and I can’t take shit back. You live and you learn, right?

Freshly Cooked Restaurant Quality Meals | Joshua Meals Australia

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Culinart Catering Service

Chanterelle is a Farm-to-Table meals cart and caterer that includes basic American fare with a contemporary French twist. One of the best restaurant on long island, and a top restaurant on long island serving american cuisine. See Tax Bulletin Food and Food Products Sold by Food Stores and Similar Establishments (TB-ST-283) for a discussion of what meals merchandise are exempt from gross sales tax. If any of these circumstances isn't met, the necessary gratuity is taxable together with the relaxation of the catering bill. The gastronomic challenges we've taken, so far, have remodeled us right into a trendsetter of palatability. Our journey of getting catered to a broad vary of dietary calls for has guided us wholeheartedly. And we continuously expose ourselves to the expertise that each celebratory event bestows upon us. The immediate methods they manage their email is one other part to review. A responsive caterer will rationalize the problems on e-mail by making an attempt to generate immediate options. We use creativity to work with you on what you envision and are recognized for providing exceptional service and scrumptious meals at our banquet facilities. However, if you'd like an out of doors occasion or have an curiosity in an unusual venue which may not have a full kitchen to satisfy your catering wants, on-premise catering might not be for you. Full service catering firm serving meals cooked contemporary on website with fantastic references and fairly priced meals! Linen, china, glassware also available for one cease purchasing at fees equal to rental firms. With our artistic flair for gourmand delicacies and a focus to detail we offer you eating experience that's second to none. With so many components that go into your big day, it’s essential to hire the proper people who will deal with every part expertly. When it involves meals, you actually don’t wish to do it yourself. Hire caterers with world-class expertise to handle everything food-related at your wedding, from menu creation to food preparation and serving. Appetizer Catering Packages For The Larger Orlando, Florida Space Wrap up skewers of completely grilled vegetables with a couple of savory slices of bacon. This dish seems incredible when displayed on a wood plank. A Peking duck summer roll is the perfect possibility if you would like to deal with your guests to one thing additional special. I serve most uncooked but I cook dinner issues like asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli. Doesn’t get more Aussie than a pile of unpeeled cooked prawns and dipping sauces! Including the RecipeTin Family Special dipping sauce. 😇 For a complicated possibility, try theseindividual Prawn Cocktails. Curious about how many ounces of cheese per particular person will suffice? If you’re pairing yourcheese board with meats, you’ll want much less Brie, cheddar, and Gruyère than you'll if you’re serving the cheese solo. For example, instead of serving mac ’n' cheese in ramekins, you can deep-fry a bite-size portion and serve it on a lollipop stick. When you’re in need of reliable corporate catering, it’s time to call on our caterers at Executive One Catering. We can convey snacks, hors d’oeuvres, lunch, dinner, breakfast, or dessert proper to your office. We embrace all of the plates, silverware, and drinks you want to get pleasure from your meal. Even without a lot of time on your palms, you possibly can nonetheless let your guests know that you simply love them . Simply order your guests’ favorite dishes and have them delivered to your doorstep with our contact free supply. If you need us to arrange your drop off order we are in a position to do that as well! If you’re planning an workplace get together and don’t have the time to go over every little thing on the menu, our workers will only want a headcount and finances to offer you useful ideas. Hosting a corporate holiday celebration, workplace celebration or a big group for Christmas or New Years Eve? Caviar & Banana can supply greater than catering, we are in a position to absolutely design your event. Foodservice Packaging At PFS Sales, we now have been a proud distributor of restaurant, bar, and catering provides in North Carolina for over 30 years. We provide an inventory of more than 5,000 various varieties of high-quality products, all designed to increase your income, satisfy your prospects, and assist make your catering or restaurant enterprise a success. Plus, we work with your team to schedule deliveries so that you're by no means stuck without the important items you have to run your small business efficiently. Products feature completely different ply construction, classy embossing, eco-friendly supplies, greater than 30 solid shade selections plus elegant patterned napkins for any special occasion or celebration. Look to us for the comfort and versatility of disposable merchandise and aggressive bulk pricing for all your event planning wants. Superior Equipment carries a broad variety of top quality, trendy, and delightful specialty baggage for any purpose, all bought at wholesale costs. Ordering on-line is quick and easy, with extra items shipped out in one to 2 enterprise days. If you could have any questions about our choice of disposable plates abd bowls or disposable baggage, or would like to position your restaurant supplies order by cellphone, please contact Customer Service. A major improvement in disposable foodservice packaging happened in 1948 when the newly founded McDonald's restaurant closed to revamp its menu. Along with altering their menu objects, the restaurant needed to alter the means in which it handled dishwashing and dishwashers, car hops and wait employees, and storage, breakage and theft of tableware. If you're sending out take-out meals, likelihood is you’ll have to some cutlery to go alongside. Browse our large selection of disposable cups, linens and cutlery to replenish for your foodservice operation. Disposable supplies make cleanup a breeze, buy them in bulk and have them readily available for those final minute uses. Superior is proud to current our full line of progressive aluminum foil merchandise made within the U.S.A. of the very best quality supplies. 32 Favorite Restaurant Copycat Soup Recipes Our handcrafted recipe blends Camila Malbec purple wine and fruit juices. Served chilled over ice with fresh citrus and seasonal fruit. All served with honey mustard sauce, two House Salads and two sides. Your choice between Chicken, Picadillo, Spicy Pork, or veggie. Served with Cilantro rice, Black beans, Pico, Grilled peppers, chips and salsa. I was apprehensive if I added extra milk I would lose any flavor it did tackle. Really good, but to get the potatoes tender, I had to prepare dinner it for much longer than the recipe states, even after par-cooking them within the microwave for ten minutes. I additionally found it a bit bland, so I added garlic powder, onion powder, and Tony Chachere’s. Topped with recent cilantro, chipotle sauce and seasoned shrimp skewers. Topped with recent cilantro, chipotle sauce and seasoned hen. Bowls of combined salad greens served with diced smoked turkey & deli ham, shredded cheese, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs & homemade croutons. A choice reduce 14oz ribeye, perfectly seasoned & grilled to order. Served with a peppercorn cream sauce & home fried Yukon gold potatoes. I simply made it an evening in the past and have plans to make it once more, doubling the recipe. Much better than anything I really have found in a restaurant. I did make a couple of modifications. I used beef inventory and about half of cup of sherry, 1 tbls is not practically sufficient. I also went heavy on the black pepper and added some "Essence" to provide a contact of heat. Family Type Catering This dish is a nice grown-up spin on the candy favorite. It’s relatively transportable and won’t make a large mess. Plus, the flavor pattern of creamy, savory and candy is an interesting one. This style will create an environment that can be described as extra “mixing and mingling” rather than everyone being seated directly for the entire size of dinner. Another side to assume about with this fashion is that you don't want to supply full seating for every guest which is usually a large price savings! You can supplement full seating with extra tall cocktail tables, and possibly even a enjoyable lounge. This will typically turn into a conversation piece, especially as a result of many couples select to create a theme for the meals, and incorporate private dishes into their menu . Enjoy quite lots of delicious menu selections at your upcoming occasion with our drop off catering service. We exceed our shoppers expectations by constantly delivering scrumptious food, excellent service and timely supply. All essential disposable aluminum trays, sterols, high quality plastic plates, napkins, utensils, are included. It doles out small portions and provides whimsy to even essentially the most critical business events. While it could intently resemble a Bloody Mary, this little delectable is totally allowed during enterprise hours. Add a few tablespoons of this chilly favorite to a large shot glass and end it off with a shrimp on a stick. With a couple of quick cuts and a pleasant thick dip, you'll have the ability to have a really memorable piece on your buffet desk. Use rows of similar-sized apples topped with glass to create a stunning special shelf for your buffet. 外燴 Catering Concepts To Feed Your Guests On A Price Range Japanese catering corporations will likely additionally supply rice bowls with various protein selections, noodles, soups and salads. Not everyone can wield a pair of chopsticks gracefully. The food is normally ready on-site, and the caterer takes care of all arrange and clear up. Traditional caterers also work with the event host to offer two or three options for anyone who has dietary restrictions. Traditional catering, also known as full-service catering, is what you would count on at a formal marriage ceremony or a sit-down dinner event. This show isn't only colourful it tells us how each color makes us really feel. We have included donut walls and bagel walls earlier in the publish. If you might be in search of something delicious and pleasing to the eye with out the over-the-top sugar binge although, here’s a more healthy rendition with a salad wall. While it could intently resemble a Bloody Mary, this little delectable is completely allowed throughout enterprise hours. Add a couple of tablespoons of this chilly favorite to a big shot glass and finish it off with a shrimp on a stick. Choosing to make use of smaller plates will permit your visitors to have more mobility and have their palms free from cocktails. They can easily and comfortably slot in one hand, and unlike big plates, they will be easier to clean, so it can save you up on cleaning as well. Your guests will benefit from the meals better since they will taste a bit of every thing and pattern all of the meals. Don't worry when you're an event planner who follows a strict price range, but you proceed to have to offer a big amount of meals for a large public. There are nonetheless loads of ways to combine things up with out going over your budget. You can choose from a huge selection of winter soups with toasted bread, pot pies, and pasta of all types. This spiced-up model of fried rooster is great by itself or alongside different comfort meals dishes. Whether it’s for allergic reactions or other health reasons, you might find that many people are skipping the bread nowadays. If you’re planning a sandwich bar or cheese and crackers, be certain to choose up some gluten-free choices as well. Dressed-up bread with custom mixtures of toppings, from smashed avocado to chèvre cheese, is a wholesome spin on the old bagel bar. Household The things you have to find out about catering embody how to create scrumptious menus, correctly prep for occasions, and impress clients and guests. Keep reading to learn tips that specifically address these key catering areas. If you've anupcoming weddingto plan for, we might love to assist make your day delicious! You’ll need to supply your helpers with gloves and proper sanitizing chemical substances for use all through the day. Use food thermometers to keep your meal out of the temperature danger zone. When making plans to cater your own marriage ceremony, keep in mind that you are one person. In fact, you would possibly be one very busy person around the time of your wedding ceremony. From photograph ops to first dances, your wedding day might be filled with a frenzy of enjoyable. One of the biggest complaints I hear about weddings from my brides and grooms, including their mothers, is ready in long lines for a buffet service. For example, generally individuals aren’t excused to the buffet in an orderly trend, the meals is lukewarm, or plate presentation is sacrificed when guests serve themselves. How you intend to serve your meal impacts the meals items you choose. We cater meals that meet your personal taste and are in a position that will assist you curate your menu with choices for everybody. Get in touch with us to learn extra about our range of services today. Family-style catering is a wonderful approach to comfortably feed your guests whereas allowing them to bond as they move meals around the desk. Catering Meals Ideas For Parties With feta, avocado, mint, and lime, this refreshing salad is the proper mix of savory and sweet. The broccoli softens and absorbs the frivolously creamy, tangy dressing because it sits, so it tastes even better after a night in the fridge. Again, dipping sauce will only make these guys higher. Here’s a rare sandwich that actually improves as it sits. Make it within the morning on the day of your picnic, and even the evening earlier than, so that the tomato and artichoke juices have time to mingle before you eat. We also have made-in-store Fiesta Layer Dip, traditional Spinach Artichoke Dip, zesty Nom Nom Salsas and The Fresh Market Guacamole . This delicious, creamy, and delicate dessert will delight your visitors. Made with recent strawberries, entire milk, gelatin powder, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, it has a silky, creamy texture with a sweet strawberry style. Loaded with penne, crisp juicy cucumbers, contemporary dill, and candy white onion, this pasta salad will turn into the hit of your wedding shower. It takes the deliciousness of a cucumber salad and elevates it to a hearty facet. These appetizers layer crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, and juicy cajun shrimp for essentially the most delicious mixture. Pesto, cleverly-shaped dough, and artfully organized toppings turn your average pizza right into a dish worthy of your Christmas celebration. If you'll find a way to boil water, you may make these skewers sooner than you can say tortellini. Dress with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes for optimum flavor. Millennials are particularly into regionally sourced gadgets so in case your guest listing is stuffed with them go for this more inexpensive beverage option. Uncluttered serving plates means less cash you want to spend on ornamental items. Serve delicious chilly soups in particular person cups with crusty bread. For added customization, provide totally different batters as well, like chocolate, banana, blueberry, etc. Just have a couple of flavors of coffee and add-ins like different flavored sugars, creams, whipped topics, maybe even some grownup drinks. Let your visitors mix up their favourite espresso concoctions, Don’t neglect the ice and a few favorite snacks that go properly with espresso. One of the most important selections you'll make regarding your celebration is where the celebration might be held. If you would possibly be planning a smaller celebration between individuals, you might have the ability to hold the party at your home.

GRATIN DE CROZETS VEGGIE EN 2 VERSIONS

Est-ce que vous connaissez les crozets ? Ce sont de petites pâtes en forme de carrés et originaires de Savoie. Il en existe plusieurs versions, mais mes préférées sont les traditionnelles, celles au sarrasin. Je trouve qu’ils permettent de se régaler en changeant des plats de pâtes classiques !

Le plat le plus connu à base de crozets doit probablement être la croziflette : comme son nom l’indique c’est une tartiflette à base de crozets au lieu des pommes de terre. C’est vraiment délicieux, mais plutôt très calorique ... Il m’arrive d’en manger, mais pour mes repas du quotidien je préfère une version plus légère, plus saine, mais tout aussi gourmande.

Aujourd’hui je vous présente 2 versions de mon gratin de crozets, à choisir selon vos goûts et vos envies ! Pour la base, c’est la même chose, c’est au niveau de la garniture que ça change. 

Ingrédients : pour 2 à 4 portions : - 200g de crozets au sarrasin - 1 cube de bouillon

Version 1 : champignons et saucisses végétales :  - 400g de champignons frais - 200g de saucisses de tofu - 10 cL de crème de soja - 1 poignée de fromage râpé (facultatif, version végétale possible)

Version 2 : poireaux et Conté : - 500g de poireaux - 2 oignons - 10 cL de crème liquide - 60g de Conté

1. Faire cuire les crozets dans une casserole d’eau bouillante avec le cube de bouillon (15 minutes environ).

2. Couper les légumes avant de les faire revenir quelques minutes dans une poêle chaude avec un filet d’huile d’olive.

3. Lorsque les légumes sont fondants, ajouter les saucisses de tofu coupées en rondelles pour la version 1.

4. Égoutter les crozets puis les remettre dans la casserole. 

5. Hors du feu, ajouter les légumes, la crème et le fromage.

6. Mélanger et verser dans des plats à gratin.

7. Enfourner pour 10 minutes à 180° pour faire griller le fromage (facultatif).

Un plat réconfortant, gourmand, équilibré et végétarien (voire vegan), je l’adore ! En plus il convient parfaitement au meal prep, alors n’hésitez pas à doubler les quantités pour faire un grand plat et réchauffer chaque portion au dernier moment pour vos soirs semaine. Pour ma part, j’ai même un tupperware au congélateur en cas de lunchbox improvisée !

Régalez-vous bien ! ♥

Joshua's Meals: Nutrient-rich and oh-so-delicious.

Kadam Fic: Greetings From Las Vegas

Decided I should probably answer at least one or two of the Kadam Week prompts before too much time passed.  :)

The prompt was this one   The story is pure fluffy fluff.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Come on, come on . . . just one more little crossbones . . .   Eeee . . . YES!  Oh my gosh! Come to papa, you lovely little doubloons!”

Adam grinned at Kurt, who was bouncing in his chair and pumping both fists. He leaned over to look at his boyfriend’s blinking, clanging slot machine and his eyes opened wide with surprise. “Oh my goodness. Kurt, you’ve just made $500 on a single spin!  If I’d known you would be so lucky, I’d have brought you to Vegas ages ago.”

Bouncing on his red leather bar-style chair, Kurt pondered the cartoon pirate that had just popped up daring him to spin again and double his winnings. He had been slightly reluctant to try the ‘Pirate Booty’ slot machine at first, a little turned off by the ‘buxom wench’ decorating it, but since Adam was already playing the Haunted House game next to it, he had decided to give it a whirl. Much to his delight, the machine had proved to be a hot one. He had built his original twenty dollar investment into nearly six hundred dollars over the course of an hour. He had been making small steady gains until he finally got a chance at a bonus round.

Adam had not done as well with his own machine, but he had managed to make a slim profit, and he had picked up a hundred dollars playing blackjack that morning so he had no complaints.  Watching Kurt’s growing delight over an amazing streak of beginner’s luck had him enjoying their shared casino experience even more.

Kurt poised his finger over the Spin button, bit his lip, glanced at Adam, and abruptly changed his mind and punched Cash Out instead. “I just can’t,” he explained. “It’s really tempting, but I feel like all the littler wins were just leading up to this one, and I would be so disappointed in myself if I pushed my luck and lost everything.”

“A wise decision,” Adam agreed, pleased to see that Kurt’s sensible side had not been overridden by the lure of easy money. “I seem to be at an impasse with this machine. I’ve been winning and losing the same five dollars for the last thirty minutes, so I suggest we try something different. Would you like to play another game, or should we go somewhere else for a while?”

Eyes shining, Kurt replied, “I didn’t actually expect to win any money on this trip. I brought along the cash from my tips, figuring I could stand to lose that much, but instead I’ve been winning like crazy!  And since I did win, I think we should let ourselves be frivolous for once, and blow some of it on something completely fun and Vegasy.”

Adam laughed. “An excellent idea, and I agree. I also assumed we’d do no more than break even, so I’ve been careful to insure that my own funds would still stretch far enough to cover our hotel room and meals.”

“I’d be happy to share the costs,” Kurt reminded him. “Don’t forget, you covered the flight too.”

Shaking his head at Kurt’s offer, he said, “No, no, darling. I don’t want you to do that. As I told you when I booked the flight, I had a few air miles I needed to use up before they expired, and this is my gift to you. I won’t have you paying your own way on your birthday. I’ve got us.” 

“All right, I won’t push. Just know that the offer stands if you do need help. ”  Kurt sighed happily. “I still can’t believe you overheard me telling Rachel that I’ve always wanted to see Las Vegas, and saved up your money and those air miles that I know you were going to use to visit home, just so you could bring me here for my birthday.”

Adam shrugged, as if the sacrifice had been nothing at all. “Don’t think I had enough to reach Heathrow, and mum and dad are going to be in Madrid for a combined medical conference and couples retreat this summer, so they wouldn’t be disappointed if I skipped. Besides, my gesture wasn’t entirely selfless. I’d been longed for a holiday with just the two of us.”  

“Me too, just don’t even try to tell me this isn’t amazing,” Kurt said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Because it is, and so are you.” 

He did not say it out loud, but the grandness of the gift itself meant less to him than the knowledge that Adam must have spent months planning and budgeting just for the joy of giving it. His last boyfriend had loved making grand gestures, but they had largely been empty spectacles designed to make Blaine look good, and deflect any anger or hurt that might justifiably be aimed at him. Adam had no such ulterior motive. He was caring and thoughtful to everyone, and he hadn’t even told anyone what he was planning until it came time to book the airline tickets, and then he had confessed his plan in time to make sure that going to Vegas was something that Kurt actually wanted to do. 

Adam gave him a quick peck on the cheek and brushed away the admiration with a bright smile and a cheery, “All right then, big spender. If you’re going to treat us to a night on the town, what shall we do with it?  Sky-high roller coasters, Cirque du Soleil, a comedy act, the wax museum, Thundah From Down Undah...”

He hitched his eyebrows as he spoke the final suggestion in an exaggerated Aussie accent, clearly joking, and something about it brought out a streak of mischief in Kurt. “Oooh! That sounds fun!  Let’s do that!”

Adam blinked. “Darling, that’s  . . . you do know it’s a male strip show?”

“Of course I do. I saw their poster in the lobby of our hotel. They’re all sewper hawt , and Rachel will be so jealous, and I can’t wait to tell everyone back home! Can we, Adam? Can we, can we, please?”

Adam had been staring at him blankly, looking as if he was not quite sure he was hearing right. But when Kurt began play-begging, he laughed. “For a moment you had me going, love. I assume you are joking, but if I’m wrong and you really do want to go and see what those fellows are packing down under, we can absolutely do that.”

For a split second Kurt was tempted to accept, suspecting that it would be fun to watch Adam get all overheated and squirmy at the sight of a dozen nearly naked Aussie hunks, but then he laughed. “Who am I kidding? The minute some oiled-up beefcake started thrusting his g-string at us, I’d be so embarrassed I’d spend the rest of the show hiding my face in your shoulder.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Adam said with a fond smile.

“No,” Kurt agreed, “it doesn’t.  But if you don’t mind, the only handsome hunk I want to spend time with tonight is you. Do you mind if we go see Cirque?”

Adam wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I don’t mind at all.  What do you say we go grab supper first, then we’ll hunt up tickets to whatever performance is playing closest. Or did you have your heart set on a particular one?”

“LOVE?” he said hopefully.  

“The Beatles show?” Adam asked.  When Kurt nodded, he smiled. “Makes sense, given what a fan you are. All right, then. I believe the tourist guide you picked up at the hotel showed a 9 pm performance at the Mirage. You don’t suppose they offer a native Englishman’s discount, do you?”

Kurt beamed. In spite of his country of origin, Adam was not a major fan of the Beatles. Just the same, the idea of seeing a whole show centered around their music clearly did not bother him. It was so nice to be with someone who was willing to give the things Kurt liked a fair try, without immediately arguing for something they liked better. It made him eager to return the favor whenever he could, and he had been rewarded with a number of interesting experiences that he otherwise might have missed. “Probably not, but we can give it a try.”

“All right, then. Let’s go cash in your fortune and grab a bite. Maybe we’ll make one last pass through the casinos on our way back tonight and see if your lucky streak is still in business. How are you at craps?”

“I’m better at poker,” he confessed as they began winding their way through the aisles of slot machines and oblivious gamblers. At Adam’s questioning glance, he said, “I used to play with my dad and his mechanics. They taught me the basics, but Dad says I have a pretty good poker face, and I could usually bluff them all by the time I hit my teens.”

Adam pondered that, studying his boyfriend’s innocent looking features and recalling a few stories he’d heard from Kurt’s former school chums about him backing down bullies twice his size. In his unguarded moments, everything Kurt felt showed in his face, but when he had his guard up?  “I believe it. And I think I’d like to witness your skill at the tables for myself. Just don’t let yourself get caught up in any all-night poker tournaments, hmm?”

“Why not?  Got other plans for me?” he asked with a smile, giving Adam’s waist a firm squeeze. 

“Always,” he returned with a teasing wink. “But in fact, I want you to get a good night’s sleep tonight so you’ll have lots of energy for tomorrow.”

Excitement flared in Kurt’s eyes. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said with maddening nonchalance. Seeing Kurt’s pout, he smiled. “I won’t give it away, but I’ll give you a little hint to chew on. This particular surprise is not mine. The daytime portion comes courtesy of Rachel and Santana. And for the nighttime half, you can thank your dad and step-mum.  Since you couldn’t be with them on your birthday, they all wanted to be sure that you would spend it doing something you’ll love. The girls helped me pack you up an appropriate outfit for tomorrow, since I had directed you to bring only casual wear.”

Equal parts puzzled and intrigued, Kurt fell silent for the rest of the walk out of the casino and out into the warm spring night, as Adam steered him safely along the Strip with a hand planted at the small of his back. 

They made a striking picture walking together. Adam, with his golden blond hair and newly-acquired suntan, firm muscular body showed off to good effect by a tight white cotton button down and jeans; and Kurt with his reddish brown hair and still-pale skin catching the rays of late evening sunshine, tall and slender in his tight black jeans and patterned navy shirt, its sleeves rolled up to show off a pair of nicely defined biceps. 

“I can’t think of anything Dad would get excited about in Vegas,” Kurt admitted at last, coming back to earth as Adam pointed to a neon sign garishly blinking advertisement for a buffet restaurant. He nodded, then finished his thought, “unless they got us tickets to Caesar’s Palace, and I know he’s not sending me to a boxing match!”

Adam’s face remained utterly innocent, but a twitch in his cheek had Kurt asking, “What?”

“Promise you won’t tell Burt I let the cat out of the bag?” Kurt nodded eagerly. “Right location, wrong event.”

Kurt chewed on that clue while Adam paid for two all-inclusive dinners and they took their place in line.  After a moment, he gasped, and by the time they had filled their plates and found a table, he was trembling with suppressed excitement. Staring Adam straight in the eye, he nearly whispered, “Adam, they didn’t. They couldn’t have. Did they?  Adam, are . . . are we going to see Celine tomorrow night?”

A grin he could not keep at bay anymore spread across Adam’s handsome face. “I should have known you would guess it.”

“Oh my God!” Kurt shrieked, clapping a hand over his mouth when the exclamation startling an old couple walking past their table. He called, “Sorry!” then turned back to Adam. “Are you serious?”

He laughed. “Absolutely. The ladies have prepaid a luxury package for you at the day spa attached to our hotel, and I will leave you to their tender mercies for a couple of hours while I check on certain arrangements that I’ve made. Then in the evening, we’ll head over to Caesar’s to see the show.”

The smile on Adam’s face was rather smug, as well it should have been. Kurt could not imagine what he had done to deserve such a wonderful boyfriend. He did not doubt for a moment that it had been Adam who put the thought of buying tickets to one of Kurt’s all time favorite divas into Dad and Carole’s heads. His parents were wonderful people, but their musical taste rarely ventured past the 80′s classic rock station. 

Wishing he felt daring enough to lean across the table and plant kisses all over Adam’s face, Kurt settled for squeezing his hand and saying, “I love you, Adam. Thank you so much for giving me this. And I don’t just mean the concert and things.”

Clearly knowing just what he was trying to say, Adam lifted Kurt’s hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “You’re welcome, darling. Happy Birthday.”

THE END

A/N: I ended it here because I’ve never seen either of the entertainments they’re about to experience, nor do I know how to play poker. So we’ll just imagine they had an amazing time at everything, went home to New York richer in both money and experience, and that Adam is going to get very very lucky for many many nights.  :)

What would it take to be the Dark Knight? What would your eating and training habits have to look like for your body to stand up to the riggers of jumping off buildings, to be agile, yet strong, fast, and mentally sharp all at the same time?

I have personally been into health and fitness now for over fifteen years, and my ideology has drawn inspiration from Batman and what Bruce Wayne had to become to put on that cape and cowl. I’d like to share with you my personal thoughts on what it would take to be Batman.

Diet

Let’s start with the hardest component, and the most important one. Given how much money Mr. Wayne has and through the services of Alfred and other resources, Bruce really doesn’t have an excuse in this area. Everything would be tailor made for him, however, even with that you would need the willpower to stick with a clean diet for 80-90% of the time. Remember, with diet there are so many debates about what to eat, when, and how, that it can be endless. Given the amount of physical movement needed and the time in which is happens (between midnight and 4am), a good balance between the right carbohydrates, protein, and good fats would be essential.

A split across those three categories daily would be required without skipping meals, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner every day, and with a busy schedule that can get difficult even at the best of times. Some of the following are based off what I consume as part of my regular diet:

Breakfast Options (each of these options would be 1 meal per day):

6 Egg Whites / with Two slices of toast

High protein / low carb greek yogurt with plain oats. Mixed with berries and strawberries

Salmon, half an avocado with grilled greens and 4 poached eggs

Protein Pancakes with natural peanut butter X3

Lunch Options 

Lean hamburger meat (no more than two fist fulls as a portion size), grilled with herbs and spices / Brown rice / boiled broccoli

Tuna in Spring water (2-3 servings), cottage cheese, salad with mixed green vegetables

Grilled Chicken with sweet potato, broccoli, and beetroot

low fat mince (beef), grilled with beans. Mixed with broccoli, zucchini, herbs, carrot.

Dinner Options

Protein Pasta, with home made tomato sauce, herbs and cottage cheese

Steak, broccoli, with sweet potato

Homemade Beef meatballs mixed in a stir-fry of green vegetables

Grilled Salmon steak, brown rice, with salad

Fish Whiting with lemon, mixed salad with feta, olives and brown rice.

Cheat Meals (once or twice a week)

Home made pizza (get that stove going, Alfred)

Pasta

Home made chips

Fluid Intake 

Water

Tea (unsweetened)

The occasional wine (while playing the role of CEO)

With protein, I have always tried to take the approach of consuming 2x in grams per Kg of my body weight (Yes I am an Aussie, sorry I don’t use pounds). If your weight is 100kg, then you should be trying to take in 200 grams of protein a day as part of your diet. Not easy while keeping your carb intake at a balanced level. Now, given the amount of physical activity you would exhaust as the Batman, then you would need to consume your carbs straight after those events. So instead of going to bed at 4:30am after fighting crime for 4 hours and training during the day, you would need to eat after then ensure you have a good night’s sleep. Hard to do when you need to back it up night after night. I average 6-7 hours of sleep a night, to do what Bruce Wayne does your sleeping patterns would need to be around 8-10 hours.

Cheat meals would be a required component of your diet, given how much your body would be going through night after night. The body would need the sugar, and other elements as part of the overall process.

I’ve always said, Hydration is important. I have read so much about water intake and there is no definitive answer to how much your intake should be. It is different for every single person. Again, based on movement and energy that you’ve used, my metric is actually the colour of my urine. The darker it is, the more water you need. Better ensure your Batman Outfit has a handy zipper!!

  Training (Based off parts of my own routine)

For the type of work required to be the Dark Knight, one of the priorities is to be able to push and pull your own body weight. There is no point in bench pressing 200 pounds if you can’t do 50 push-ups and 50 pull-ups! Jumping off buildings, crawling and pulling yourself across all sorts of surfaces means you have to pull and push your own body weight and then some. Add your suite, gadgets, outdoor conditions, and in the event you have a side kick; well you may need to help that person out a few times!

  Body Weight Training (Executed every day)

100 Pull Ups: 10 sets of 10 reps with a 10 second rest

50 Pull Ups: 10 sets of 5 reps with 40KG hanging from your waste

Upside down pull ups (concentrating on your back): 10 sets of 5 reps

100 Dips: 10 sets of 10 reps with a 10 second rest

50 Dips: 10 sets of 10 reps with 60kg hanging from your waste

500 Push-Ups: 5 sets of 100 with a 1 minute rest

100 Push-Ups with 20KG plate on your back

A weight training program would consist of two body parts (A small with a large) 4 days a week, with no weights over the weekend for recovery, but ensuring that every two months the program is altered to ensure you body doesn’t get used to the routine.

Each of the days below would be your weights session + the body weight training above.

Monday (Chest and Triceps) 

Dumbbell Chest Press – 4 sets of 12 reps

Dumbbell Flys – 4 sets of 12 reps

Clap Push Ups – 3 sets of 20 reps

45 Degree Bench Press – 4 sets of 12 reps

Overhead Tricep Extension – 4 sets of 15 reps

Tricep Push Downs – 4 sets of 20 reps

Tricep Kick Backs – 4 sets of 12 reps

Tuesday (Back and Traps) 

Seated Row – 5 sets of 15 reps

Cable Cross Overs – 5 sets of 15 reps

Bent Over Row – 3 sets of 12 reps

Laying Down Overhead Dumbbell Extension – 4 sets of 12 reps

Barbell Pull Downs (wide grip) – 4 sets of 15 reps

Wednesday (Arms and Shoulders)

Standing Dumbbell Curls – 4 sets of 15 reps

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 4 sets of 12 reps

Medicine Ball Slams – 4 sets of 12 slams (15kg ball)

Kettle Bell Swings – 4 sets of 20 swings (40kg, no rest)

Barbell Curl 21s – 7 reps low, 7 reps mid level, 7 reps high = 1 set. Execute 4 sets, no rest

Thursday (Cardio only with Body Weight Exercises) 

7-14km Run (depending on the state of your body), OR

30 Sprints, 1 min at 15-19km per hour, 30 sec rest

5km Sprint, as hard as possible

Interval 8km Run

Friday (Legs)

45 degree Leg Press – 4 sets of 15 reps

Seated Leg Extension – 4 sets of 15 reps

Barbell Squats – 5 sets of 10 reps

Box Jumps – 10 sets of 20 reps

Sled Push – 30 meters with minimum of 200kg, up and back = 1 set. Execute 5 sets

Saturday (Cardio only with Body Weight Exercises) 

7-14k Run (depending on the state of your body), OR

30 Sprints, 1 min at 15-19km per hour, 30 sec rest

5km Sprint, as hard as possible

Interval 8km Run

5km Swim

  Sunday (REST)

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So there you have it, it would take a monumental effort to have the body, mind, spirit, and eating habits of the Dark Knight. To make time and eat those meals every day, find the hours to train to the routine I have designed, and then you’re fighting crime at night, time would catch up with you very quickly, and given 3-5 years of that type of intense workload, your body wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Unless you use your imagination and think about what advantages you could buy with Wayne’s billions.

Let us know if you’re into health and fitness. If so, what does your training and diet look like?

Eating and Training to be the Dark Knight What would it take to be the Dark Knight? What would your eating and training habits have to look like for your body to stand up to the riggers of jumping off buildings, to be agile, yet strong, fast, and mentally sharp all at the same time?

Huitième match | 9 août 2021

Entre deux suées : un match sans Evans

Ceux qui me connaissent savent que je me contre-suce des règles de conduite. Je suis une Martre, je suis faite de ce bois-là. Je préfère toujours trouver des excuses bidon pour arriver en retard, et pourquoi pas, au passage, faire un face-à-face avec une autre cycliste pour arriver un peu maganée : ça fait bien plus badass et ça ajoute une giclée de moutarde baseball dans une ligue sans saveur. Les lundis, on va se le dire, ça manque de sauce.

C’est donc en arrivant fashionably late lundi dernier, le t-shirt déjà imprimé de sueur, que je suis venue leur montrer comment ça marchait, la balle. Y’a rien de plus efficace que de faire des retraits de manière désinvolte en faisant des doigts d’honneur à l’adversaire qui tente de vous intimider. Surtout, oubliez votre masque avant d’aller pisser dans la toilette des hommes et sacrez devant les enfants : c’est en Martrant que l’on devient Martre.

Toutefois, l’Histoire m’a appris que le sport professionnel peut être rudement encadré par des règles de conduite avec lesquelles les plus progressistes (lire punks) ont appris à se torcher. Néanmoins, ça vaut la peine d’y revenir pour se le rappeler. Il faut être conscient de tout le chemin parcouru pour en arriver au stade où nous en sommes aujourd’hui et chérir notre émancipation de ligne de cabochons où le plaisir doit prévaloir sur le décorum. (À ce titre, je vous suggère fortement d’aller faire un stage d’observation au parc Jeanne-Mance, où joue une ligue de gueux au sein de laquelle une équipe se nomme « Les Drunks », leurs joueurs ne se rappelant pas où ils ont passé la nuit et leurs estrades faisant office d’urinoirs. Ça, c’est punk en tabarnaque.)

En tant aussi que joueuse d’une ligue exclusivement féminine, mon attention s’est portée sur un document de la All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), qui, comme son nom l’indique, ne comptait parmi ses rangs que des femmes. Cette ligue est née au printemps 1943, conséquence du démantèlement des équipes masculines dû à la guerre. Les messieurs étant partis se chicaner et les mesdames ayant désormais l’espace pour jouer à la balle, il serait néanmoins naïf de croire que cette ligue s’était sauvée du joug du patriarcat. En effet, un coup d’œil à ce document de règles de conduite nous confirme que, pendant que le chat est parti, les souris ne dansent pas tout à fait, surtout si les souris sont des femmes en période de guerre dans un sport professionnel géré par des hommes blancs (les matous). Mais bon. La bonne nouvelle, c’est qu’en 2021, au parc Laurier les lundis, on s’en câlisse. Et en voici la démonstration.

Le document de la AAGPBL en question se nomme comme suit :

« THE RULES OF CONDUCT FOR PLAYERS AS SET UP BY THE ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE »

Et s’ensuit ce descriptif :

« THE MANAGEMENT SETS A HIGH STANDARD FOR THE GIRLS SELECTED FOR THE DIFFERENT CLUBS AND EXPECTS THEM TO LIVE UP TO THE CODE OF CONDUCT WHICH RECOGNIZES THAT STANDARD. THERE ARE GENERAL REGULATIONS NECESSARY AS A MEANS OF MAINTAINING ORDER AND ORGANIZING CLUBS INTO A WORKING PROCEDURE. »

Et là, le fun commence. Je me permettrai toutefois de ne vous exposer seulement ici que les règles de conduite qui méritent le plus qu’on s’y attarde.

1. ALWAYS appear in feminine attire when not actively engaged in practice or playing ball. This regulation continues through the playoffs for all, even though your team is not participating. AT NO TIME MAY A PLAYER APPEAR IN THE STANDS IN HER UNIFORM, OR WEAR SLACKS OR SHORTS IN PUBLIC.

Un simple aperçu de moi, en vacances, portant des joggings qui sentent la boucane et une vieille calotte ornée d’un cerne du sueur, essuyant mes doigts croûtés de Doritos sur mon coton ouaté du Tigre Géant, vous convaincra que le « feminine attire when not actively playing ball » n’est plus une préoccupation.

2. Boyish bobs are not permissible and in general your hair should be well groomed at all times with longer hair preferable to short hair cuts. Lipstick should always be on.

Il y a longtemps qu’Elkahna Talbi a fait fi de cette règle, et elle arbore sa coupe courte comme une couronne sur sa tête de reine.

3. Smoking or drinking is not permissible in public places. Liquor drinking will not be permissible under any circumstances. Other intoxicating drinks in limited portions with after-game meal only, will be allowed. Obscene language will not be allowed at any time.

LOLILOL.

4. All social engagements must be approved by chaperone. Legitimate requests for dates can be allowed by chaperones.

Dans la RMR, on couche avec qui on veut. Qu’Elkahna soit avec Bessette, Brouard avec Berthiaume, ou que Dupuis fasse des bébés avec Lepage, on n’a pas besoin de chaperon pour superviser l’activité physique à l’extérieur du terrain.

5. Jewelry must not be worn during game or practice, regardless of type.

Brouard a ben la langue percée pis y’a personne qui l’achale avec ça. Ça, c’est sans parler du piercing mystère de Jacob…

6. Relatives, friends, and visitors are not allowed on the bench at any time.

Dans la RMR, non seulement a-t-on besoin à l’occasion de compléter nos effectifs avec quelques amis, mais en plus on n’y va pas de main morte avec nos artistes invités. Que ce soit Galarneau qui démontre un talent certain à l’arrêt-court, Lebel qui affirme sa puissance au bâton, ou bien le-beau-monsieur-qui-jouait-dans-le-programme-à-tivi-et-sur-qui-fantasme-encore-votre-mère qui frappe des circuits, la RMR sait remplir son banc de recrues magnifiques qu’il fait bon shamer de temps en temps.

7. Due to shortage of equipment, baseballs must not be given as souvenirs without permission from the Management.

On ne donne pas nos balles. On les envoie direct sur le monde sous le couvert de fausses balles en les blâmant pour leur insouciance.

8. Baseball uniform skirts shall not be shorter than six inches above the knee-cap.

Nous préférons jouer en chest en exhibant nos tattoos.

9. In order to sustain the complete spirit of rivalry between clubs, the members of different clubs must not fraternize at any time during the season. After the opening day of the season, fraternizing will be subject to heavy penalties. This also means in particular, room parties, auto trips to out of the way eating places, etc. However, friendly discussions in lobbies with opposing players are permissible. Players should never approach the opposing manager or chaperone about being transferred.

L'essence même de la RMR, c’est de faire mousser, de semaine en semaine, une allégeance qui demeure néanmoins virtuelle. Chaque mitt toss vient annihiler cette rivalité et c’est entre deux suées, sous un ciel digne de Miami Vice et au son du rire pétillant d’un bambin dans les estrades que nous communions en partageant des breuvages et des blagues dans une ambiance bon enfant.

10. FINES OF FIVE DOLLARS FOR FIRST OFFENSE, TEN DOLLARS FOR SECOND, AND SUSPENSION FOR THIRD, WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE IMPOSED FOR BREAKING ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES.

Pour couvrir les frais afférents, on a un commanditaire qui s’appelle Patrick Evans : ça fait deux saisons qu’il paie sans jamais se pointer à aucune game. Toute qu’un philanthrope !

* * *

Pour terminer, je vous suggère de revamper votre image de balleux.se en lisant ma biographie, Strike the Pose : A Guide to Owning Your Game, dans laquelle je vous donne mes secrets pour faire bonne impression sur le diamond, en toute humilité.

— Martre Guindon, numéro Fuck you

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