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thxnews · 3 months

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UK Commandos Gear Up for Arctic Drills

Braving the Arctic Cold

In the frostbitten expanses of Norway, hundreds of UK Royal Marines and Army Commandos are currently undergoing intensive cold weather training. This preparation is critical as they gear up for Exercise Nordic Response, set to be one of the largest NATO exercises since the Cold War. Operating in temperatures that can nosedive below –50C, these commandos are not only testing their endurance but also fine-tuning their warfare techniques in one of the planet's most demanding environments. Camp Viking: The UK's Arctic Hub The heart of the UK's Arctic operations beats at Camp Viking in Øverbygd. Established just last year, this camp serves as the UK's primary base in the High North expected to remain so for the coming decade. Here, around a thousand commandos are engaging in specialized training regimes that encompass cold weather and mountain warfare skills, alongside evaluating new tactics and equipment. A High-Level Visit The significance of this training was underscored by a visit from the Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey. His trip, coinciding with bilateral defense talks with Norwegian officials, offered a firsthand look at the rigorous preparation undertaken by UK forces. These discussions also touched on broader security concerns, including the situation in Ukraine and securing the Barents Sea region. A Testament to UK-Norway Ties Minister Heappey highlighted the deep-seated alliance between the UK and Norway, a bond forged during the tribulations of the Second World War and now more pivotal than ever. This enduring partnership plays a crucial role in enhancing readiness and delivering a strong message of deterrence, particularly in light of current geopolitical tensions. Training for Every Contingency The UK Commando Force's annual pilgrimage to Norway is more than a tradition; it's a vital part of their operational readiness. Working alongside international military personnel, these commandos rehearse a spectrum of cold weather combat scenarios, from high-intensity conflicts to counter-terrorism operations. The versatile training at Camp Viking is designed to ensure that if UK forces can operate in the Arctic, they can operate anywhere. Exercise Nordic Response and Beyond This year's Exercise Nordic Response will seamlessly dovetail with the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, thereby showcasing a significant coalition of forces aimed at testing and refining NATO's defense strategies. Furthermore, with the UK contributing a substantial portion of the land forces, this exercise symbolizes the unity and strength of NATO allies, including the newest participant, Sweden.

Ready for the Challenge

As the UK's Royal Marines and Army Commandos continue their rigorous preparation in Norway's harsh conditions, their commitment to excellence and resilience is clear. These exercises not only sharpen their warfare capabilities but also reinforce the UK's commitment to its NATO allies and to maintaining security in the High North. With their eyes fixed on Exercise Nordic Response and Steadfast Defender 24, the UK's commando force is ready to confront any challenge, anywhere. Sources: THX News, Ministry of Defence & The Rt Hon James Heappey MP Read the full article

#Arcticwarfare #ArmyCommandos #CampViking #coldweathertraining #ExerciseNordicResponse #HighNorthoperations #JamesHeappey #NATOexercise #SteadfastDefender24 #UKRoyalMarines

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dingoat · 3 years

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[So, @cinlat has been dabbling in a Sith au for her Fynta, with cameo slots available for various other characters to come hang out. And just the little bit of contemplation we had about where Ahuska might slot into this particular version of events, I wound up inspired enough to dabble with a scene! So welcome to an Ahuska who still wound up adopted into Mandalorian life, but has not forgotten/repressed her early years. Rather than their usual easy friendship, she and Fynta wind up butting heads more often than not and bumping into one another more than either would like. Apologies if I’ve gotten Fynta totally wrong, I will put up a disclaimer that I’m throwing this out here without any sort of proofing from Cinlat so she gets the final call as to the authenticity of this scene! I’ve also borrowed @askshivanulegacy’s Blakk for the ride, I think I needed a little cathartic fluff to counterbalance all the fluff-gone-wrong happening elsewhere hahahaha.]

‘Not on My Watch’

“I don’t know why you won’t just let me take a speeder…”

Ahuska lifted a hand to cut him off, raising a finger and shaking her head with a smile. It was no secret that the young bothan was soft for this particular Imperial Agent, even if her clanmates were quick to remind her that no self respecting human Kaas citizen would pursue anything more than a functional work relationship with her, a rudderless, stable-working alien.

She chose not to listen to what her clanmates had to say.

“Because a speeder won’t pull back when it feels the ice getting too thin or warn you when you cross a wampa’s path, that’s why.”

Cipher Blakk rolled his eyes and pulled the zipper of his insulated parka higher, but it still wasn’t enough to keep his face properly protected from the frankly absurd level of chill. “It’s not as though I plan to park on an ice sheet…”

“Uh huh, and you’ll know exactly what’s under the two inch layer of snow that’s just fallen…”

He huffed, and she laughed, opening the stall door against which she was leaning to lead out the young tauntaun buck she already had saddled and haltered. “Quit fretting. Thunder here is a solid ride and a soft touch, he won’t give you any problems, and I’d trust him over any autopilot to get you safely back to base if something goes wrong.” Blakk felt some unexpected warmth rise in his cheeks, and while he wondered for the thousandth time why she cared so much that he got back safely, the buck lowered his head to snuffle through Ahuska’s hair. She raised a hand to give the tauntaun a firm rub on the cheek and horn. “Yeah, you’re a good boy aren’t you? You’ll be good for the Empire’s elite, won’t you? Won’t you my good soft woolly buddy…”

Ahuska’s ears flicked at the same moment as Thunder’s twitched, and a heartbeat later Blakk’s head turned as well, hearing the heavy rasp of an iron gate lifting.

Ahuska had been stationed on the remote Hoth outpost for the last month and a half, more than enough time to get to know the sound of every latch and door in the stables, and the animals that spent their lives here knew them even better. Her sky blue eyes turned to ice as she squinted, staring down into the lower level. “Who… oh.”

Her lips turned to a tight, flat line as she recognised the figure down below, and the coolness in her expression was enough to prompt Blakk to lift a brow. “Ahh, is something the matter…?”

“We’ll see. What is she… oh, oh no, no no no…”

The Cipher suddenly found himself with a set of reins thrust into his hands, with Ahuska taking the liberty of closing his fingers around them and squeezing tight. “What… what are you…?”

“Hold him. Hold him tight and don’t let go for a second, distract him with this if you can…” She shoved a pinkish rock of some sort toward him, and with his hands full he was forced to stoop and hold it under his chin, expression nothing short of bewildered.

“I don’t… oh, gods no,” Blakk had the profound discomfort of realising then that it was a block of salt, as Thunder pressed forward with an eager little warble and began to lick at it. He made a tiny sound of dismay. “Ahuska…!”

But she was already gone, not even sticking around to have a snigger at his predicament, darting down the stairwell rather than waiting on one of the stocklifts. “Oi! Oi, di’kut, what’n Kad’s name do you think you’re doing---!!”

The object of Ahuska’s anger turned, unnaturally blue eyes flashing with irritation, and then immediately turned back to the stall door she’d been about to open.

“Don’t you dare touch that! Who the hell authorized you to be down here and what the shab d’you think you’re doing opening straight up into the yards?” Rather than heading straight toward the Sith, Ahuska veered to the far wall where a harsh wind blustered through the now gaping entry to the outdoor paddocks, and slammed her fist against a set of controls.

“This animal is… Shen-Four-Seven, isn’t it?” Fynta Wolfe, Assassin for Sith Intelligence and Infiltration, glared at the Bothan stablekeep who stood firm in the gateway, as though she could somehow block her passage while the heavy gate groaned back shut. She cut a strong silhouette against the glaring white world outside, framed with reflected light and fluttering snowflakes.

“Star, yeah, that’s her.” Ahuska’s tone was curt. She didn’t enjoy dealing with Fynta any more than she explicitly had to. Never mind that the Sith knew far more about her than Ahuska was comfortable with, but the fact that Fynta thought she could just slip on some beskar and mingle amongst the clans as though she weren’t an out-and-out Sith grated at her terribly. The nerves struck were just… a little too close to home.

“Then she’s the one I’ve been assigned while I’m on duty here. And since I’m not here to take riding lessons, I don’t see why I need to answer to you of all people, stablekeep.”

Ahuska bristled as the steel gate locked shut behind her, putting an abrupt halt to the chill wind. “Maybe ‘cause every last one of these animals has been assigned to me while I’m on duty here, and I don’t give a damn if you’re the Emperor himself, you don’t take one outside without my say-so. Not a taun, not a vulp, not a gods-damned arctic womp-weasel! So you can take your fingers off that latch and let me do my job, or you can deal with the shab’la stampede you’re about to let loose. It’s stable master, by the way.”

Fynta knew Ahuska wasn’t the type to lie for the sake of a power trip. The bothan’s conviction and ferocity at this moment was enough to give her pause and slowly arch a brow, though her tone was flat and unconvinced. “Stampede. You mean the whole three out in the main yard.”

“Mmm.” Ahuska’s tone was equally flat, but there was something smug about the way she lifted her chin and stared down the bridge of her muzzle toward the Sith. “Those three first, if Thunder up on the balcony doesn’t fling himself over to beat them to it.” She gestured upward and over her shoulder with a thumb, toward where Blakk diligently kept a firm but wary hold of the tauntaun buck Ahuska had left in his care. The agent swiftly averted his gaze when he realised attention had momentarily turned his way. “Then the seven in the exercise yards ‘cause let’s face it, those fences aren’t gonna stop a buck in rut, and maybe the dozen in the outer…”

“Excuse me?”

“Excuse what?”

“A buck in rut?”

“I said what I said. I know it doesn’t look much like the seasons change here on Hoth, but believe me, there are seasons, and we’re in the thick of one right now. Your little Star there…” Ahuska dipped her head toward the stall door that Fynta remained precariously close to opening, though to her credit her fingers were looser on the handle than they had been moments before. “Is a very, very appealing little lady at the moment. She gets lead out through the back to be worked in the yards on the south ridge or not at all, and when she’s being groomed and treated in here this gate…” She slapped the metal surface behind her with the back of her hand. “Stays shut! I wouldn’t even recommend her for a mission today or tomorrow unless you were absolutely certain of no wild herds en route and let’s face it, you can never be certain of that…”

Fynta hadn’t exactly paled, but she was definitely looking less confident about taking her assigned mount out onto the slopes. She found herself feeling unwittingly grateful that the blasted bothan had been here to intercept her, and then an equal measure of furious at herself for feeling grateful at all. “Alright, alright, fierfek, just get me a more suitable animal ready as soon as you can, I’ve wasted enough time here already…”

“Of course, my Lord,” Ahuska’s grin was far too toothy, her flourished salute and bow far too exaggerated to be genuine. She enjoyed watching Fynta bite back her seething a little too much. “And let me know what shebs-for-brains gave you Star to begin with so I can have some words.”

“I’ll try to find out,” Fynta lied. No way in hell was she going to let Ahuska know that, in a bid to get herself in and out of Hoth as swiftly as possible, she might have forged a signature or two on a requisition document here and there, and arbitrarily assigned the tauntaun to herself. She straightened, stepping away from the stall, and stared Ahuska squarely in the eye. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Don’t keep me waiting.”

She didn’t give Ahuska the opportunity to respond, making her way smartly off down a corridor. The bothan might come across as meek as a runt nerf calf most of the time, but Force be damned if she didn’t find a spine and a half where her animals were concerned. Fynta couldn’t decide whether she was impressed or irritated, and just found herself hoping that Ahuska would be able to find the same amount of backbone if anyone ever pressed her about matters that remained better left unspoken.

She really didn’t want to see another decent Mandalorian having their arm twisted into Imperial service.

Ahuska, meanwhile, had every intention of keeping Fynta waiting; she had another Agent of the Empire to finish dealing with first, and she wasn’t going to rush seeing Blakk and Thunder off soundly for the sake of a single agitated Sith. Her hackles were already smooth and the set of her ears fully relaxed by the time she made it back to the upper level, though the way Blakk’s wide-eyed gaze settled on her when she flashed him a grin threatened to dishevel her all over again.

“Didn’t give you any trouble, did he?”

“No, you were great- I mean he, he was great. Thunder was… great. Perfect. No trouble.”

Ahuska might have plenty of backbone when it mattered, but that didn’t stop certain moments making her utterly weak. She coughed into her hand, glancing aside as she took back the reins and returned the remains of the salt lick to her pocket. “Ahh, uh, right, good. Good! Where have you got your gear then? Better get him all loaded up for you.”

---

[And now a bonus for everyone who got this far, hahaha, have some zipped up Hoth geared little Imperials. Ahuska thinks they’re both ridiculous for complaining so much about the cold.]

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nickborisov · 4 years

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NIKOLAI BORISOV | THE ICARUS

“IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN.” -RAY BRADBURY

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: nikolai borisov

MEANING:

nikolai ( slavic ) - victory of the people

borsiov ( russian ) - of boris

NICKNAME(S): nik, kolya, firebug, nikashka, pup (only by his father)

PREFERRED NAME(S): nikolai, nik

BIRTH DATE: august 9th, 1990

AGE: 30

ZODIAC: leo

GENDER: male

PRONOUNS: he / his

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: panromantic

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pansexual

NATIONALITY: russian

ETHNICITY: russian

CURRENT LOCATION: verona, italy

LIVING CONDITIONS: nikolai is used to moving around, so he doesn’t put much stock in where exactly he lives. his apartment is out of the way of most of the city’s main thoroughfare, near several abandoned warehouses so that he can work and create without drawing a lot of attention. it’s nicer than he would normally find for himself, because he’s been in verona longer than he’s ever been anywhere else--it has a balcony, a spare room for a makeshift workshop, and a nice kitchen.

TITLE(S): the icarus, nick bottom, fireman, that russian arsonist, that crazy bastard

BACKGROUND

BIRTHPLACE / HOMETOWN: murmansk, russia

SOCIAL CLASS: nik grew up with a single father, so he was always lower middle class. when he initially started traveling he often found himself living meal to meal, but then he discovered that people were willing to pay a lot of money for his specific set of skills. he has more money than he really knows what to do with, he just chooses not to use it most of the time--he doesn’t care about advancing his social standing or buying himself nice things.

EDUCATION LEVEL: dropped out of high school.

FATHER: andrei borisov

MOTHER: marya morozov

SIBLING(S): none as far as he knows. he doesn’t have a relationship with his mother--she could have more children he doesn’t know about.

CHILDREN: none

PET(S): none--but he makes an effort to feed any stray that he might come across, give them a pet and a smile.

OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: nik never really met the rest of his family--they all moved away from murmansk at some point, and nik and his father could rarely afford to travel that far. occasionally he might get a call from an aunt or an uncle on a holiday, but those were pretty few and far between. his mother wanted nothing to do with him, so he knows nothing about her side of the family.

PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS:

edward little : a university student with an interest in studying the arctic. they were together for a little over a year when ed got a grant to study in norway, and nik just decided to move on.

zaid khadem : a poet that nik met in cairo. they were together for a couple of months before nik moved on again.

anna fallon : a singer / songwriter from new york city. they lived together for nearly three years before her career and nik’s restless nature drew them in separate directions.

ARRESTS?: too many to count--especially when he was just starting out.

PRISON TIME?: at this point in his life, nik is pretty good at avoiding real jail time.

OCCUPATION + HOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: arson and designing explosive devices for the montagues and the capulets, or anyone who can afford to hire him.

SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: n/a

CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: absolutely, it’s the only thing he’s really ever been good at, and its the only thing he’s ever really understood with any clarity. fire makes sense to him, fire brings him comfort--if he wasn’t lighting fires he thinks that the ice he was born into would wear away at his bones, and his life would lack any purpose.

PAST JOB(S): nik has only ever lit fires and orchestrated explosions professionally--before that he relied on stealing to stay alive.

SPENDING HABITS: there was no extra money when he was growing up, and now that he’s making an absurd amount of money he doesn’t really like spending it, or know what to spend it on. he gets what he needs to survive, maybe an occasional gift for the people that he cares about, and that’s really it. he refuses to become like the upper class he’s seen in verona--and he doesn’t think they would accept him, even if he did decide to start spending his money and clean up his image.

MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: his first lighter, which he lifted from his father. he doesn’t use it anymore, but it reminds him of where he came from, all of the reasons that he won’t go back.

SKILLS + ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 5/10? pretty average--he’s tall and thin but his frame has some muscle to it. arson doesn’t require a whole lot of physical strength, but he enjoys boxing as a way to burn off excess energy, and he lived on the streets for a long time which taught him that he needed to be able to protect himself at a moment’s notice.

OFFENSE: 6/10. fighting was pretty much the only thing to do to waste time when he was growing up, and he likes to box in his spare time.

DEFENSE: 8/10. traveling and living on the streets of various countries taught him to defend what he has, by any means necessary.

SPEED: 7/10. running is the action he engages in most often--running from explosions or infernos, from the police--he has to be fast in order to keep himself alive and out of jail.

INTELLIGENCE: impossible to really define? he’s not book smart by any stretch of the imagination, he knows a lot about survival and he’s got a natural ability with languages. he also has the ability to construct complicated explosive devices and can determine the best way to light up any kind of building. he just isn’t quite like everyone else and his mind doesn’t work like everyone else’s mind works--but that doesn’t mean that he lacks intelligence.

ACCURACY: 4/10. he’s only shot a gun a couple of times, and he doesn’t really possess the patience to make himself a better marksman.

AGILITY: 8/10. also nessecary for getting out of the way of his creations and those who would oppose them.

STAMINA: 7/10. he’s not out of shape, but he does repeatedly inhale smoke which means his lungs work at diminished capacity.

TEAMWORK: 3/10. there are few people who can interpret him, and he would rather not have to explain himself. he deals with a client in the most bare-bones way possible, and then does the work himself.

TALENTS: he’s a decent boxer, and he’s naturally adept at languages. he also, obviously, has a talent for setting fires in a variety of settings, and designing explosive devices. he knows something about forging metal as well from being in his father’s workshop, but he’s never actually used those skills.

SHORTCOMINGS: he has a tendency to run before he really gets invested in things, he prefers chaos to order and planning, and he doesn’t generally allow himself to be understood by other people.

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: russian, english, italian, a little bit of arabic, a little bit of spanish, and a little bit of french.

DRIVE?: yes

JUMP-START A CAR?: yes

CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes

RIDE A BICYCLE?: no

SWIM?: yes

PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: no.

PLAY CHESS?: no.

BRAID HAIR?: no.

TIE A TIE?: no--he hates wearing them and will avoid it at all costs.

PICK A LOCK?: yes

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE + CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: boyd holbrook

EYE COLOR: blue / grey

HAIR COLOR: dirty blonde

HAIR TYPE/STYLE: on the longer side and unkempt--he could give a damn about taking care of it, and he’ll shove it under a beanie or some other kind of hat 9 times out of 10.

GLASSES/CONTACTS?: none.

DOMINANT HAND: left

HEIGHT: 6′2

WEIGHT: 160

BUILD: tall and wiry--any muscle he has is very lean.

EXERCISE HABITS: boxing, running as part of his job.

SKIN TONE: the sun was a luxury where he grew up, so he tends to be pretty pale.

TATTOOS: a match and a lighter on his chest, his father’s initials in cyrillic on the inside of his wrist, an illustrated molotov on his calf from a drunken dare. he wants more--for the people he’s come to care about during his time in verona.

PIERCINGS: none.

MARKS/SCARS: he’s got burn scars of varying degrees all along his hands and arms.

NOTABLE FEATURES: cheekbones, his expressive mouth and eyes, the constant smell of kerosene and smoke.

USUAL EXPRESSION: grinning wolfishly.

CLOTHING STYLE: clothes that should have been thrown out years ago, leather jackets, flannel shirts, jeans with holes in the knees and stains that are practically archaic, doc martens, converse with holes in them, sweaters burned at the sleeves. he doesn’t really care about how he looks--he’s all about what keeps him warm and what is practical. it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to him to spend money on expensive clothes when there’s a chance they’ll just go up in smoke.

JEWELRY: a pocketknife.

MAKEUP: none.

ALLERGIES: boredom, staying in one place too long.

DIET: too much alcohol, not enough vegetables, whatever brielle will take pity on him and make for him.

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: none.

PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE: ESTP

ENNEAGRAM TYPE: type seven, the enthusiast--the busy, variety seeking type. spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, scattered.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral

TEMPERAMENT: sanguine

ELEMENT: fire (lol)

PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE: bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

APPROXIMATE IQ: pretty average, but again--his type of intelligence is difficult to measure.

MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: nothing diagnosed, but he struggles with anxiety and can border on manic.

SOCIABILITY: there are very few people that nik has ever allowed to try and understand him, and make a place in his life. he’s on the move constantly, so it’s easier for him to just make temporary relationships that can be easily discarded and forgotten about. having a busy single father meant he was on his own most of his life, and he has come to prefer that to prolonged contact with people.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: it takes a lot to get underneath his veneer of chaotic energy--but he does tend to feel things deeply, when he allows people and emotions to get past it. he generally believes that if he doesn’t think about complicated emotions, about pain and grief and things of that nature, if he keeps himself busy and laughing, then they won’t affect him.

OBSESSION(S): fire, explosions, having a good time, traveling.

COMPULSION(S): to run away before feelings get involved, to laugh loudly when there’s silence, to call attention to the darker and more uglier sides of society by burning down the beautiful things.

PHOBIA(S): he isn’t really afraid of anything--abandonment, maybe, if he allows himself to think about how he came into the world, and the fact that his mother very clearly didn’t want anything to do with him.

ADDICTION(S): he’s an adrenaline junkie, he’s addicted to anything that gives him a rush.

DRUG USE: he’s willing to test any of theo’s creations, but that’s about the extent of it.

ALCOHOL USE: one of his primary coping mechanisms. he’s a vodka man in terms of drink and in terms of accelerants. as long as it’s strong enough to strip paint, and it burns on the way down.

PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: not if he can really help it--but he’s not exactly adverse to it either. he mostly has to see a good reason for it.

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: fast, barely understood at times, a mixture of russian, Italian, and whatever else he feels expresses his feelings.

ACCENT: russian

QUIRKS: mixing his languages, sometimes he’ll forget words, or make the mistakes common to someone speaking a second or third language. he talks to himself a lot, under his breath. he flicks his lighter open and closed in his pocket when he’s anxious, and he always carries it with him. his whole life is pretty quirky.

HOBBIES: boxing, he’s learning to enjoy reading more, bothering theo in their lab or at their place, wandering the city. he generally doesn’t have a lot of time for hobbies, but since he’s been in verona longer than he has anywhere else, he’s working on developing more.

NERVOUS TICKS: dragging a hand through his hair, flicking his lighter open and closed, licking over the points of his canines.

DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: to see every corner of the world, to watch it burn behind him. he generally is motivated by a desire to unsettle the dust, to spark something incredible. like an inventor or a scientist--he wants to create.

FEARS: abandonment, other than that he prides himself on not being scared of anything.

POSITIVE TRAITS: creative, resourceful, fun-loving.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: cynical, stubborn, flighty

SENSE OF HUMOR: all over the place--dad jokes, puns, sarcasm, anything that will make himself laugh primarily.

DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: all the time, and in several different languages. his favorite is his mother tongue, the ones he learned first.

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: bothering theo and lighting fires.

ANIMAL: any kind of dog.

BEVERAGE: vodka.

BOOK: fahrenheit 451, treasure island, the count of monte cristo

COLOR: red

DESIGNER: he doesn’t have one.

FOOD: solyanka and whatever brielle makes for him.

FLOWER: dahlia

GEM: ruby

HOLIDAY: halloween, new year’s eve

MOVIE: all three Indiana jones movies, treasure planet, rebel without a cause

QUOTE/SAYING:

“oh i don't mean you’re handsome, not in the way people think of handsome. your face seems kind. but your eyes--they’re beautiful. they’re wild, crazy, like some animal peering out of a forest on fire.”

-charles bukowski

SCENT: kerosene and smoke

SPORT: boxing

TELEVISION SHOW: man vs. wild, drunk history, black sails

WEATHER: anything warm--he had enough cold growing up.

VACATION DESTINATION: the mountains of nepal.

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: get out of verona, hopefully with the person he loves by his side. MOST AT EASE WHEN: he’s most at ease when he’s working, or when he’s with brielle or theo. LEAST AT EASE WHEN: he’s forced to interact with any of verona’s “upper class”, people who look at him as nothing better than a stray dog. WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: theo getting bored of him and keeping him out of their life for good, having nowhere else to go but back to murmansk, having no choice but to join one of the mobs. BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: leaving murmansk, learning to make a living doing what he loves. BIGGEST REGRET: not having a better relationship with his father, allowing himself to get wrapped up in the war in verona. TOP PRIORITIES: keeping theo alive, staying neutral.

#diveronatask #should I be doing replies? maybe so.#am I gonna do this for all three of my boys today? more than likely #such is the way of my motivation apparently

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danbily · 5 years

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Goodbye Vietnam

This is a true story about a winter camping trip that I went on.

As a chubby little boy, I was the perfect fit for Cub Scouts. We built birdhouses, sang silly songs, and, best of all, baked cookies. What I lacked in ambition was more than offset by the snacks at the end of each weekly meeting. My small blue uniform was stretched to its limits as I neared the end of my tour of duty. It was time to move on to Boy Scouts.

My first night at Boy Scouts was shockingly different from Cub Scouts. Mr. Cordy, our scoutmaster, made us suck in our guts as we stood at attention in a straight line while he inspected our uniforms. My scarf tie was on crooked and I could feel that Mr. Cordy was unhappy about my chubby physique. “You will benefit from our exercise program, young man,” was his terse remark as he departed for the next scout in line. I knew then that we were not ending this meeting with cookies and milk, and I was right.

My pack included my best friend, Charlie, my neighbor, Art, my fellow Cub Scout, Paul, and Donny. Donny was the son of our pack supervisor, Mr. Lynn, who’d been an officer in World War II. In addition to our regular troop meeting at the new rec center, we would often meet at their home. The Lynns owned one of the first color TVs in 1958. We would all gather around it and gaze in amazement at actual color film. We compared it to our drab black and white sets at home and laughed. Mrs. Lynn would make us snacks as well. It was so much better than a troop meeting with mean Mr. Cordy.

Just after the New Year, Mr. Lynn announced that he together with Mr. Cordy were planning a winter father-son campout. Each pack would pick their own date and camp just south of Holland, New York, a town known for its lake effect snow.

I was eager to test out my new scout-approved, two-man tent that I’d earned by selling Boy Scout Christmas cards. It was a canvas tent complete with poles, stakes, and a canvas floor. It also had a mosquito net door that would be a nice feature in the summer. The only thing I lacked was an air mattress for the underside of my sleeping bag. My dad and I needed to go shopping for air mattresses as soon as possible.

The following Saturday, we visited our local sporting goods shop. It was located in a small plaza and had a limited selection. The clerk showed us an air mattress made in France, but made no personal recommendation; he fully admitted that he wasn’t into camping. My father ultimately bought two of the ugly blue contraptions. The clerk smirked as he rang them up on the register. I knew this wasn’t a good omen. On the drive home, I opened one of the boxes and tried to read the instructions. My dad looked over at me in disgust. “Don’t they teach you kids how to read at that school I pay hefty taxes to send you to? Hand me those instructions.” I did as requested and my father pulled over to the curb. After a minute, he turned to me. “Damn things are written in French,” he said. “Mom can read Polish,” I said, “Is that close?” Needless to say, it wasn’t. We struggled with the few crude drawings and I understood why the clerk had smirked.

The week of the camping trip was filled with the promise of a new adventure in my young mind. I loved watching Walter Cronkite and The Twentieth Century on Sunday evenings. The film footage of the mighty German army grinding to a halt outside Moscow in the brutal Russian winter was a fresh memory. Would our pack succumb to the same fate in the heavy snow south of Buffalo? Then there was my image of Napoleon sitting inside the Kremlin, burning furniture in order to keep warm. Was Mr. Lynn aware of just how awful George Washington had it during that winter at Valley Forge? As an officer from our military, I hoped he was well versed in the hardships of a winter campout, especially one that involved the greenest of troops known as the Boy Scouts.

That Saturday arrived with clear skies and bountiful sunshine for our two hour drive to Scout camp. We had six carloads in all, as many of the fathers had volunteered to accompany their sons on this make believe Arctic adventure. The local weather forecast never came up in conversation. The radio stations were all based in Buffalo and would not have mentioned any snow this far south of the city. It was still sunny and birds were chirping as we unloaded our camping supplies in the parking lot. We had two toboggans with tow ropes for our tents. Our cooking gear and food was in our Scout regulation knapsacks. We all opted for snowsuits and rubber boots versus any regulation uniform, a wise choice for this ragtag little army of greenhorns. Mr. Lynn took out his map and pointed to a trail leading from the edge of the parking lot to a wooded hillside. “Boys, I mean MEN, we will proceed this way.”

The snow had been packed down on the trail from previous use. It wasn’t difficult to follow. We found a tree sheltered hillside after a one hour hike. Mr. Lynn and Art, our only Eagle Scout, declared that we’d “arrived at encampment.” I personally felt it had more to do with the heavy wheezing now coming from many of the fathers prone to smoking. We were assigned small areas and told to pitch our tents and help with a general mess area for our evening meal. The snowpack was shoveled clear in a twenty foot circle and we started a fire in the middle. We went on a scavenger hunt for every downed tree limb on that hillside. Our fire soon blazed like a blast furnace and our bodies cooked on one side and froze on the other. I understood why the Indians had danced around the fire, they were simply rotating in the heat like chickens on a spit.

The evening meal consisted of beans and weiners emptied from large institutional cans into a five gallon enameled steel cooking pot. We made Scout biscuits by rolling a twig in Bisquick and water. After a dough ball had formed on the end of the twig, it was held over the fire until it turned light brown. We enjoyed the folly of keeping the biscuits on the twig and out of the fire. You either mastered the technique or ate only beans and weiners. I ended up the expert in this bizarre food misadventure and became camp baker for the less able. I must have baked three dozen biscuits that evening. They were served with huge slices of butter. Rounding out our frontier dinner party was hot chocolate and Hostess cupcakes. We all liked to suck out the cream filling first, then eat the frosting.

By the time dinner ended, the wind had picked up and snowflakes were appearing in ever increasing numbers. True to the Buffalo curse, the flakes were blowing parallel to the terrain and entering our tents through the tiniest of cracks in the flap doors. Art, our Eagle Scout, suggested that we lower the mosquito netting once inside, and the screening would catch any snow that made it through the canvas flaps. This indeed proved to be an effective solution, and my dad and I turned in early to the sound of what now seemed like a blizzard and the songs of a rock station on my six transistor radio. Dad only liked “Harbor Lights,” an old song by The Platters that had been recently redone for my generation. Battery life was short in those days and we were soon left with only the wind and our thoughts. My mind focused on those newsreel clips of the mighty German army snowbound thirty miles from Moscow and helpless. That was just about our distance from Buffalo.

Attempting to sleep in the dead cold of winter with the wind whipping the pines above us was a no go from the start. My sleeping bag had been advertised as containing two pounds of genuine goose down. I’d been light on funds at the time and had passed over the deluxe bag with three pounds of goose down. Like the German army, I’d underestimated what cold really means. My father had opted for several dark green woolen army blankets he’d purchased years ago when he and my mother went tent camping in Canada. They were scratchy but warm. So there we lay, me with my teeth chattering from the cold and Dad itching from the coarse army issue woolen blankets. He told me a story about camping in Northern Ontario in early June and having it snow. Even though the fishing went well, my mother never forgave him for the poor timing. I understood her resentment as my own carefree attitude toward camping was waning.

Halfway through our no sleep night, the hot chocolate caught up with my bladder. My dad was in equal need of a nonexistent bathroom in the forest. We struggled with our flashlights to find our boots and untie the many straps that secured both the canvas door flaps and the mosquito netting. We also observed that our brand new French air mattresses were no longer plump and firm. What could be the problem? My dad suggested that the cold had reduced the air volume and it was of no concern to us. The trek up into the pines revealed a full blown lake effect blizzard had descended on our little party of novice campers. The yellow snow we made was covered instantly by the fast falling fresh white variety. “I hope Lynn remembers the way out. There’ll be no tracks to follow by morning,” my father said, not sounding all that confident.

It wasn’t the morning sun that woke us, it was the sting of cold ice water on our backsides. Remember those deflating French air mattresses? Well, they continued to deflate as the night went on. This in turn put our body heat in direct contact with the snowpack beneath our tent floor. The rest was simple physics. We had to stand up and try to dry ourselves as best we could. My dad restarted the campfire with much effort put into finding the kindling and pine logs now buried under a foot of fresh powder. A squirt of charcoal lighter fluid brought the fire to life. So much for the Indian method we’d seen in our handbook. They were smart enough to have long houses, animal pelt clothing, and all the time in the world to make it work. We stood with our backs to the flames as a small group of teeth chattering scouts joined us in a circle of distraught ignorance. Humility was earned one mistake at a time.

Mr. Lynn soon appeared and announced that the smarter option would be to hike out and have breakfast in town at the local diner. I heard no dissenting remarks from the red faced, booger nosed tiny army of boys that had been labeled MEN just twelve hours earlier. Art, the Eagle Scout, got out his map and compass and showed us what he thought was our path out. He was wrong, but our luck held. The snow had abated enough to spot the camp mess hall on the hilltop near the parking lot. With our goal in sight, we broke camp and trudged off in knee deep snow. Each step took a deep breath of effort and the fathers who smoked dearly paid for that extra push. After an hour in the Klondike of Southern Erie County, we all reached the parking lot. Here the vast majority our pack fell down in a snowbank to rest. Thankfully, the Scouts had a full time manager that kept the parking lot and service roads plowed. We brushed the snow off of our caravan of 1950s iron and off we drove to Holland, New York.

Over my pancakes and hot chocolate at the Zider Zee Diner, I could clearly see that the military was not going to be in my future. Mr. Lynn had failed to secure an accurate weather forecast, our equipment was a joke, and Art was incompetent. As a final note, Art went to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. He got so many of his men killed that he returned stateside and entered the priesthood. I became a salesman and stayed at five star hotels. So much for winter camping!

#boy scouts #cub scouts #winter camping #true stories #holland new york

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toughgirlchallenges · 3 years

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Rosie Stancer - Accomplished Polar athlete and explorer since 1996 - described by one journalist as “a cross between Tinker Bell and the Terminator”

Rosie Stancer has dedicated the last 20 years of her life to expeditions of increasing severity. Her endeavours have earned her a high public profile in the UK amongst living explorers.

On each of the expeditions, Rosie undertakes research – meteorological, environmental and physiological. Data from the latter is processed into published scientific papers with a view to helping both athletes and other expeditioners content with the challenges of their undertakings.

Since her first expedition, Rosie has always championed the need for any endeavour to forge a wealthy legacy of learning, sharing and inspiring others.

Rosie’s expeditions include:

1997 THE ALL WOMEN NORTH POLE RELAY - First all women team to reach The North Pole, A world 1st.

2000 MILLENNIUM WOMEN’S SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION - Rosie was a member of the 5 women team to reach The South Pole. They were the 1st all-women team to do so. World 1st.

2003 SNICKERS SOUTH POLE SOLO - Rosie embarked alone on a solo expedition of 1,000k with no resupplies & a sledge of 120 kilos to the South Pole. She smashed all previous speed records reaching the Pole in 43 days. (fastest previously some 64 days).

2007 MARS NORTH POLE SOLO - A record-breaking Expedition which had never before, nor since, been bettered. Rosie skied, climbed & swam across the frozen arctic ocean, alone for 84 days, setting another world record as the longest and furthest solo expedition to the north pole by any woman.

2011 Rosie explored the sea ice around Broughton Island in the high arctic, with award-winning photographer, Martin Hartley, in an area densely populated with polar bears. She spent time living with the Inuits, learning their ways of coping with climate changes & the modern-day challenges.

2018 Rosie led her team of women and two ex-military men through the more remote and less trodden dunes of the Wahiba sand. The expedition was undertaken as a training exercise in navigating, survival and cameleering in anticipation of A forthcoming major expedition through the length of the Interior of the fearsome Taklamakan desert in China, the country’s largest giant-dune desert, second in size only to the Sahara.

2019 A sledging expedition the full length of the frozen Siberian Lake Baikal, the largest, deepest and oldest fresh-water lake in the world. This was a ‘Solo’ & unsupported endeavour, undertaken jointly with another teammate but with both starting at opposite ends then ski-ing the furthermost southerly, westerly, easterly and northerly points of the lake. A total distance of some 675 km. The represented the first and longest full crossing undertaken solo by a woman, Rosie’s most recent ‘first’.

Rosie holds the Explorers Club Medal, The Mirror Pride of Britain medal and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is Vice President of SES – Scientific Exploration Society.

CONTENT WARNING - We talk about the self-amputation of toes with a penknife.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.

The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

Show notes

Who is Rosie?

Being an explorer of the poles and deserts

Wanting to share stories to motivate and inspire others

Being inspired by Liv Arnesen

What Rosie was like as a little girl

Being brought up by nannies and going to prep boarding school at 7 in Scotland

Not having dreams to go to the poles

Being aware of opportunities and going after them

Applying for the first all women expedition to the pole

Going though a year long selection process

Friends and family and what they though of her dreams

Being supported by her husband

The advantage of being part of an all women polar team

Sponsorship and raising funds

Getting out to the North Pole for the first time

What people need to know about the poles

Why the Arctic is more dangerous

Mental preparation for the first polar expedition

What’s in your head and your heart and your “ying” strengths

Gaining mental confidence and mental resilience

Resilience and flexibility

Solo Expeditions and being sponsored by Snickers and Mars

Preparation for taking on a solo challenge

Working with researchers and academics

The importance of staying positive

Being fascinated by fear and how you cope with fear when you are on your own

How her fears changed whilst out on the ice

Having a fear of failure

Why it’s about the journey

Self amputation of toes…. whilst solo on the Arctic

Dealing with extreme temperatures of -60 and getting frostbite in her toes

Dealing with pain

Getting up full of positivity and optimism

Coping with isolation

Dealing with the adventure blues

How motherhood changed adventure

Lessons learned from expeditions

What day to day life is like now

Future expedition planned for August 2021

Quick Fire Questions

Training to be fit like an animal

Words that Rosie lives her life by

Final words of advice

Social Media

Website - rosiestancer.com

Instagram - @rosiestancerexplorer

Facebook - @RosieStancerExploration

Check out this episode!

#podcast #women #sports #health #motivation #challenges #change #adventure #active #wellness #explore #grow #support #encourage #running #swimming #triathlon #exercise #weights

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germanfulbrighteta · 6 years

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Surviving Navy SEALs training

The Navy SEALs are the most elite branch of the United States Navy. SEAL stands for SEa, Air and Land, which means members must train to become the stealthiest, most effective warriors they can be in every type of terrain on Earth. Is there a major problem in the desert, mountains or freezing waters of the Arctic? They’re the guys you can call, no matter what. Only around 2% of those in the Navy are active SEALs, however, due to the incredibly long and difficult training one must endure to become a SEAL. Mental toughness, not physical toughness, is the primary skill sough after by instructors. Read on to learn exactly what it takes to become a Navy SEAL, and how America’s most elite task force is formed.

SEAL training begins with BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training), a 6-month program which takes place in Coronado, California. BUD/S is divided into three phases: physical conditioning (referred to in a documentary on the SEALs as the “gut check”), diving, and land warfare. The first phase is the most difficult. It is designed to beat the hell out of you, to make you so tired that you feel you can’t go on, to make you just want to give up and go home. Instructors routinely freeze recruits in the ocean water (around 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit), force them to carry around heavy logs, compete in boat races and complete a grueling obstacle course. Many quit within the first few days.

Instructors, however, are not out to break down recruits just for the hell of it (well, most of the time). They are putting every man through exactly the same training that every other SEAL has gone through before. These are the standards. You either meet them or you fail and quit. In fact, the quitting is what makes SEAL training unique - a recruit can simply yell “I quit!” at any time and the training is effectively over for him. Instructors even try to see how many recruits they can get to quit, turning it into a game among themselves in order to weed out the mentally weak.

Though it sounds harsh, and it is by nearly every definition of the word, the first phase is truly the ultimate mental test. Those who have what it takes to pass everything and to never give up, no matter how hard the task, will make it through. Again, it is not so much physical toughness as mental toughness that is needed to get through.

Unfortunately, it only gets harder the more one progresses through the training. “Hell Week” is the pinnacle of the first phase, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: five days and nights of virtually no sleep (maybe two or three hours, max), freezing swims and non-stop punishment. Actually, though perhaps physically more demeaning than the other weeks comprising the first phase, Hell Week is more about mental intimidation, the anticipation of the torture one is about to face. Many quit in the first few hours of Hell Week, not because they’re too tired, but because they’re afraid of what might come next. Eric Greitens, former SEAL and current governor of Missouri, shared an interesting anecdote from his book “The Warrior’s Heart” of how instructors psyched several recruits into quitting out of fear of an upcoming exercise, only for the instructors to ultimately cancel the exercise and give them a small break.

The first phase of SEAL training is the most famous and well-documented, most likely because of its almost outrageous brutality, but perhaps also because of its enigmatic nature. Though the vast majority of recruits do ultimately fail during these first few weeks, it is unclear exactly what separates the eventual winners from the losers. Those who make it to the other side have given various strategies and explanations of what helped them, and what works for one person may prove to be anathema to another. What is generally true, however, is that one must be completely fixated on one’s goal and not care how difficult it will be to get there. Instead of focusing on the long, grueling several months ahead, focus only on the next task or next couple of tasks. These are the strategies that appear to make the difference for many of the successful trainees.

If you make it through the gut check, you’ve only earned yourself another fresh round of hell. Phases two and three test completely different skills than the ones in the first phase, but are no less difficult. Phase two gives students the opportunity to become warriors in the water, with instructors giving lessons on how to use different diving gear, how to react to sudden emergencies or equipment failure and even how to plant explosives on ships underwater. The third and final phase of BUD/S takes place on a military-owned island and involves the instruction of land warfare. Here, students become familiar with extremely lethal (and extremely dangerous) weapons and how to effectively conduct various types of missions on land. Interestingly, some say that the third phase is the hardest of them all, as instructors relentlessly employ sleep deprivation on the students and force them on torturous runs up the island’s mountains. Worse still is the pressure the students are placed under, designed to simulate the stresses and realities of real-life missions. Mistakes with weapons or explosives are treated very seriously, and an air of you’d-better-know-what-the-hell-you’re-doing lingers throughout the entire phase.

After successfully completing BUD/S (something few on this planet can boast of doing), graduates are then sent on to several others schools over 29 weeks, including parachute school and SEAL Qualifying Training (SQT). Hard as it may be to believe, you are technically not even halfway done with becoming a SEAL after BUD/S - you must still learn to endure the freezing wilderness of Alaska, learn close-quarters combat and become experienced with further demolitions training, among other exercises.

This is why SEAL training is so famous (or infamous) around the world: not only is it never-ending, it is brutal and hellish the entire time. More impressively, many SEALs talk about their real-life missions as being far more physically and mentally strenuous than anything they encountered during SEAL training. Simply put, this is not a job most people could possibly hope to do, and all of the glamour surrounding the work SEALs carry out is vastly blown out of proportion by the media and Hollywood. It is hell, it is unyielding and it is not for the faint of heart (quite literally).

That being said, however, it is also one of the most noble and selfless jobs one could ever have. The work the SEALs do takes place in some of the most unstable and volatile areas in the world, and it is often unfathomably dangerous. As such, SEALs depend with their lives on the bonds they’ve forged with each other throughout their training; going through hell together means they know without any doubt whatsoever that they can rely on each other in the most strenuous and trying of times. This is the ultimate purpose of SEALs: to do the most dangerous and dirty work as a team in the worst places to keep America safe. It is an oft repeated saying the world of the SEALs: individuals fail, teams succeed.

Personally, I am extremely thankful for the work the SEALs are doing every day to keep me and the United States safe. There is a lot of evil in the world, and many would leap at the chance to harm Americans and jeopardize the well-being of the nation. It is thus reassuring to know that the deadliest, stealthiest, best-trained and disciplined soldiers in the entire world are on our side, keeping me, over 300 million other Americans and the unique rights and privileges we share as a nation protected and secure every day. To all of the Navy SEALs, as well as to all the members serving in all the branches of the United States military, thank you for your service.

For anyone hoping to learn more about the Navy SEALs and perhaps take some life lessons and principles away from the work they do, I can recommend the following:

“The Warrior’s Heart: Becoming a Man of Compassion and Courage,” by Eric Greitens “American Sniper,” by Chris Kyle “Navy SEALs: BUD/S Class 234,” a Six Hour Documentary Series by the Discovery Channel

#navy seals #navy #seals #training #america #united states #armed forces #elite task force #hell week

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healthylifepage · 6 years

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LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST!

Under a week to go until a BIG focal day in many people’s annual calendar, and if you’re anything like me you’ve left your seasonal gift shopping perilously late! Fear not, my dear disorganised reader, for here’s my snappily-titled “Christmas Eve Emergency Health & Fitness Top 10 Present Idea List” (phew!) which I whipped up for just such an eventuality – perhaps it’s one to send your other half for those last-minute ideas! So here we go, please Santa may I have…

ITEM 1) Apple Watch Series 3

This is the ultimate fitness gift, to my mind (If you already have one, skip to item 2, you lucky thing). I’ve had an Apple Watch since day one and recently started using their third iteration of the wearable beauty! Aside from allowing me to check emails and be on top of texts/WhatsApp’s, automatically track all my fitness data (heart rate, exercise, moves, standing time, calories burnt etc.), the watch also no longer needs a phone nearby so I am both untethered and yet connected. Instead, you can go cycling up in the rural mountains or for a long jog, and not need to bring your phone whilst remaining contactable at all times.

The Apple Watch is genuinely awesome. I’ve used a lot of wearable trackers and general ‘fit kit’, but this is one I have easily woven into my daily routine. It’s the flavour of technology you want more of; super intuitive to navigate, whilst it deftly does all the ‘thinking’ for me, operating unobtrusively in the background so that I just consume the fruits of its data, eliminating all guesswork! It’s a great way to stay motivated especially for the new years’ push!

My Version is beautifully modelled by Rudolph below…

ITEM 2) Neck & wrist Cashmere warmers

If you’re struggling in this frosty weather on your power walks, there’s nothing quite as comforting or indulgent as a super soft cashmere neck and wrist warmer. Something so super soft against your skin to help keep you warm feels a little extra special and such a wonderful gift. I often think a superb gift is something you wouldn’t necessarily buy yourself, but would love to receive. This little selection below is from Somerville, and is both practical and luxurious!

Wrist warmers HERE… Neck warmer HERE…

ITEM 3) Some ‘Monreal London’ Sports Luxe

This is an evergreen appearance on my list for the brand’s unparalleled style credentials, leading functionality and super luxurious feel! I’ve followed their journey from the beginning and am constantly enchanted by the creations of master designer Stefani Grosse. Recently given the proverbial Royal ‘seals of approval’ by the gorgeous sisters Kate and Pippa Middleton, this is functional high-quality chic athleisure wear. Yes, it’s pricey but the pieces are enduring, clean-lined investment articles which will last the test of time. If like me you love sportswear and wear it all the time this is the sort of pieces that dress up your day!

Check it out HERE!

ITEM 4) Invest In Sleep – Jersey Duvet and Throw

http://ift.tt/2dAjER9

I know, I keep banging on about the importance of sleep, it’s a bit of a personal vendetta to sleep better, and more! Sheets are, surprisingly, very low-hanging fruit when it comes to upgrading the calibre of restful shuteye you get each night, so this is one way to make each night dreamier! Invest in beautiful covers to help you sleep well throughout the night as well as some beautiful and snuggly throws. These ones are from a company with strong Swedish roots, but with US West-Coast influences, and I have been loving the quality of their products for 6 months now; the jersey product is really coming into its own on these cold winters nights, delivering super softness night after night.

– Duvet Cover; http://ift.tt/2z39al2

the bedding is made of 100% combed cotton thread that is finely knitted; so-called single jersey. That material breathes better than closely woven high thread count sheets. It’s also more supple, and few materials can compare to its soft surface; Oprah once called this her ‘discovery of the year’, and if it’s good enough for her…

– Alpaca Throw; Super soft throw to snuggle up in on cold nights. http://ift.tt/2BkrGeJ

ITEM 5) Custom Clutch Bag from Bags by M

This is a personalised, one-of-a-kind, unique bag which is a total reflection of its owner. Admittedly, not fitness related in the slightest, but I wanted to include it nonetheless because I fell in love with this clutch some years ago, and think there are many people out there that might want to tell their own story with the book that means most to them. Master craftswoman Maria Caracciolo draws upon an extensive background in the history of bookbinding using traditional artisan techniques, and the results, created from scratch and delivered within a month, are extremely special, even emotional. This is a bespoke, standout piece at a reasonable price; you can get yours made HERE.

ITEM 6) Sweaty Betty Ski Layers

http://ift.tt/2BjkD5U

Despite being a Swedish lass from a country with much of its land mass in the Arctic Circle, I fundamentally struggle with the cold! Another helpful cosy investment to get you through these cold winter days are these quick-drying, super soft and ultra comfortable thermal base layers. They’re awesome under your activewear in the city on a run or in the slopes, and they look pretty ‘Tron’ chic! n.b. Yep, same picture as above!

ITEM 7) Tea Pigs! http://ift.tt/1NIIxVO

This is a proper stocking filler here – I’ve always thought this Liquorice & Mint tea is simply aaaamazing and a wonderful gift to any fitness enthusiast! Hydrating, nutritious and it satisfies any sweet tooth without delivering calories!

ITEM 8) A beautiful Yoga Mat from Soul Mat Yoga

I discovered this a while ago; these ‘eco-friendly yoga mats are designed to be beautiful enough that they can double as colourful rugs in your home or studio. They’re forged from 100% natural tree rubber, printed with water-based inks and kept completely free from nasty chemicals so they’re super kind to both your skin and our planet.’ Check it out HERE.

ITEM 9) AESOP products to luxuriate & look after your skin

The skin is our bodies’ largest single organ which, if you’re training every day, can get pretty dry in this bitter cold, and will be in need of some TLC. I recently re-discovered Aesop on my trip to Sydney (full blog posts forthcoming!) and have been obsessed since. It’s an Australian home-grown company which has branched out globally; I adore their packaging, and all the products are exceptional and differentiated… but if I could only pick one I’d suggest the utterly delicious-smelling Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm. The botanical oils and skin-softening ingredients leave my skin feeling nourished and refreshed – and there is something totally invigorating about the ingredients’ aroma, so much so that I went overboard and snapped up the whole range. Oh, and I also LOVE the packaging of that mouthwash!!

ITEM 10) Woolrich Coat – ‘W’s Military Parka’

Finally, if you really want to spoil that special someone this is a coat that will keep you warm all winter in the urban city or for apres ski purposes! It’s a little off the beaten track of Canada Goose / Moncler, but I absolutely love it’s furnace-like warmth and bold features for these frosty times of the year. Pick one up HERE.

Hope that provided a little spark of inspiration for any last minute purchases. Yes, some of them can’t be obtained NOW, and need a little lead-time, but the very delivery of an IOU should be met with bundles of festive excitement!

Happy hunting and Merry Xmas

Faya x

The post LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! posted first on yummylooksbest.blogspot.com

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the-nomadicone · 1 year

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Ex. Arctic Forge // United States Army

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rebeccaflaneus · 6 years

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LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST!

ITEM 1) Apple Watch Series 3

My Version is beautifully modelled by Rudolph below…

ITEM 2) Neck & wrist Cashmere warmers

Wrist warmers HERE… Neck warmer HERE…

ITEM 3) Some ‘Monreal London’ Sports Luxe

Check it out HERE!

ITEM 4) Invest In Sleep – Jersey Duvet and Throw

https://beachhousecompany.com

– Duvet Cover; https://beachhousecompany.com/product/duvet-cover-band-ivy/

– Alpaca Throw; Super soft throw to snuggle up in on cold nights. https://beachhousecompany.com/alpaca-line-throw/

ITEM 5) Custom Clutch Bag from Bags by M

ITEM 6) Sweaty Betty Ski Layers

http://www.sweatybetty.com/clothes/bottoms/leggings/beetlebluejacquard-drift-colourblock-ski-base-layer-legging/

ITEM 7) Tea Pigs! https://www.teapigs.co.uk/tea/shop_by_category/all_tea/liquorice_and_mint.htm

ITEM 8) A beautiful Yoga Mat from Soul Mat Yoga

ITEM 9) AESOP products to luxuriate & look after your skin

ITEM 10) Woolrich Coat – ‘W’s Military Parka’

Happy hunting and Merry Xmas

Faya x

The post LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Donald Fitness Tips http://fitnessontoast.com/2017/12/20/last-minute-top-10-wellness-gift-list-xmas/

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yolandadsims · 6 years

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LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST!

ITEM 1) Apple Watch Series 3

My Version is beautifully modelled by Rudolph below…

ITEM 2) Neck & wrist Cashmere warmers

Wrist warmers HERE… Neck warmer HERE…

ITEM 3) Some ‘Monreal London’ Sports Luxe

Check it out HERE!

ITEM 4) Invest In Sleep – Jersey Duvet and Throw

https://beachhousecompany.com

– Duvet Cover; https://beachhousecompany.com/product/duvet-cover-band-ivy/

– Alpaca Throw; Super soft throw to snuggle up in on cold nights. https://beachhousecompany.com/alpaca-line-throw/

ITEM 5) Custom Clutch Bag from Bags by M

ITEM 6) Sweaty Betty Ski Layers

http://www.sweatybetty.com/clothes/bottoms/leggings/beetlebluejacquard-drift-colourblock-ski-base-layer-legging/

ITEM 7) Tea Pigs! https://www.teapigs.co.uk/tea/shop_by_category/all_tea/liquorice_and_mint.htm

ITEM 8) A beautiful Yoga Mat from Soul Mat Yoga

ITEM 9) AESOP products to luxuriate & look after your skin

ITEM 10) Woolrich Coat – ‘W’s Military Parka’

Happy hunting and Merry Xmas

Faya x

The post LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Health And Fitness Updates http://fitnessontoast.com/2017/12/20/last-minute-top-10-wellness-gift-list-xmas/

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muscledemandsrespect · 6 years

Text

LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST!

ITEM 1) Apple Watch Series 3

My Version is beautifully modelled by Rudolph below…

ITEM 2) Neck & wrist Cashmere warmers

Wrist warmers HERE… Neck warmer HERE…

ITEM 3) Some ‘Monreal London’ Sports Luxe

Check it out HERE!

ITEM 4) Invest In Sleep – Jersey Duvet and Throw

http://ift.tt/2dAjER9

– Duvet Cover; http://ift.tt/2z39al2

– Alpaca Throw; Super soft throw to snuggle up in on cold nights. http://ift.tt/2BkrGeJ

ITEM 5) Custom Clutch Bag from Bags by M

ITEM 6) Sweaty Betty Ski Layers

http://ift.tt/2BjkD5U

ITEM 7) Tea Pigs! http://ift.tt/1NIIxVO

ITEM 8) A beautiful Yoga Mat from Soul Mat Yoga

ITEM 9) AESOP products to luxuriate & look after your skin

ITEM 10) Woolrich Coat – ‘W’s Military Parka’

Happy hunting and Merry Xmas

Faya x

The post LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Fitness on Toast http://ift.tt/2BiVOqF via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Fitness on Toast

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healthylifepage · 6 years

Text

LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST!

ITEM 1) Apple Watch Series 3

My Version is beautifully modelled by Rudolph below…

ITEM 2) Neck & wrist Cashmere warmers

Wrist warmers HERE… Neck warmer HERE…

ITEM 3) Some ‘Monreal London’ Sports Luxe

Check it out HERE!

ITEM 4) Invest In Sleep – Jersey Duvet and Throw

http://ift.tt/2dAjER9

– Duvet Cover; http://ift.tt/2z39al2

– Alpaca Throw; Super soft throw to snuggle up in on cold nights. http://ift.tt/2BkrGeJ

ITEM 5) Custom Clutch Bag from Bags by M

ITEM 6) Sweaty Betty Ski Layers

http://ift.tt/2BjkD5U

ITEM 7) Tea Pigs! http://ift.tt/1NIIxVO

ITEM 8) A beautiful Yoga Mat from Soul Mat Yoga

ITEM 9) AESOP products to luxuriate & look after your skin

ITEM 10) Woolrich Coat – ‘W’s Military Parka’

Happy hunting and Merry Xmas

Faya x

The post LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

LAST-MINUTE ‘TOP 10’ WELLNESS GIFT LIST! posted first on yummylooksbest.blogspot.com

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