#car transport southern california | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hannyoontify · 11 months

Text

the best birthday gift - jeon wonwoo

member | best friend!wonwoo x reader ft. the rest of svt

genre | fluff, attempted humor, high school!au (but they’re not at school)

word count | 2.8k

synopsis | it turns out, wonwoo works best under pressure

warnings | cursing, reader wears a tank top, reader is short and gets made fun of for it (lightheartedly), sex jokes, friendly bantering

notes | set in southern california, LA/Hollywood, based on real life events from yours truly and kids don’t jaywalk not proofread

happy (late) wonwoo day!! to the sweetest boy ever, i hope you had a wonderful birthday <33

Whoever thought taking public transportation with fourteen people to downtown LA was a good idea deserved to “be buried alive 6 feet under with those bug-eyed Chihuahuas”, according to Seungkwan.

In his defense, Seungcheol thought it would be better for the environment. It totally wasn’t because of the fact that he was the only one with a driving license and it absolutely wasn’t because he wasn’t confident enough in his driving skills to be responsible for the lives of thirteen other people. Where would he get a 14-seat car anyway?

All fourteen of you trudged along the cracked sidewalks of downtown LA, broken up into smaller groups as Seungcheol led the way in the front with Jeonghan and Jihoon. You stayed in the back, with Mingyu and Wonwoo, who were intensely debating whether or not a person can suck their own dick. You occasionally pitched in with your two cents, but you mostly stayed quietly in the middle, enjoying the spectacle that was laid out in front of you.

You were so engrossed in Mingyu and Wonwoo’s conversation that you almost ran straight into a streetlight. You yelled in surprise and Wonwoo barked out a sharp laugh, almost in tears as you rubbed your nose with a pout. Mingyu cracked a smile as you threatened to demonstrate firsthand to your best friend what you learned from your second grade taekwondo class.

“You don’t wanna mess with me, Jeon Wonwoo. I was a yellow belt in second grade.”

“Yeah, and I’m, like, a whole head taller than you. What about it?” Mingyu’s ears perked up at hearing those fighting words and reached for his leftover popcorn from earlier. It was safe to assume that Wonwoo chose death today.

“You know, with your height and broad shoulders, you would think there’s at least one bone with common sense in you but I guess not,” you countered.

“You do know that tall people have the same amount of bones as short people like you, right?” Wonwoo sneered.

You did a double take. “Wait, really?”

“Oh my god, [Name], what’d you learn in human anatomy?” Joshua asked. He was standing next to Mingyu, his hand reaching into Mingyu’s bucket of soggy popcorn. “I thought you passed that class with an A.”

“Yeah, with my help,” Wonwoo muttered under his breath. “They slept in class everyday and I ended up having to tutor them for 16 hours the day before our final.”

You swung your arm around his shoulder and grinned. “I still owe you for that one, how can I ever repay you for your kindness?” You asked dramatically.

Wonwoo reached over and pinched the side of your ribs. “How about growing another couple inches?”

“Fuck off,” You pushed him away from you and stuck out your tongue. In retaliation, Wonwoo flipped you off.

Mingyu and Joshua watched the two of you bickering in amusement. The older boy leaned over and whispered into Mingyu’s ear, “I give them two weeks before they either start dating or fucking, I don’t know which one yet.”

Mingyu snorted. “I give them three days.”

“It’s a deal then,” Joshua reached out and shook Mingyu’s hand with his non-buttery hand. Unfortunately for him, he had reached over and gripped the latter’s oily, buttery hand. “EW WHAT THE FUCK MINGYU.”

“Why did we stop?” You heard Seungkwan ask. He was currently holding onto Soonyoung’s backpack strap like it was a leash, stopping him from running off into the wild streets of downtown LA. Next to him was Seokmin, who just looked happy to be wearing his newly acquired Minions bucket hat.

After walking for what seemed like forever, Seungcheol had finally signaled the entire group to stop walking by an intersection. Mingyu glanced towards the front, where Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and Jihoon seemed to be in a heated discussion about something. Although you couldn’t hear what they were saying, you could tell they were getting stressed by Jihoon’s eyebrows that furrowed into each other with every passing second, Jeonghan’s more exasperated hand movements, and Seungcheol’s lips that began jutting into a pout as he got more and more worked up.

You let out a tired sigh. Your feet were aching and sore, your shoulders were sunburnt and itchy, and you probably smelled like a mix of sweat and weed right now. It wasn’t you that was smoking weed, but the esteemed gentleman sitting next to you on the metro-rail earlier was and you’re pretty sure the smell was permanently woven into the fabric of your tank top. You shifted back and forth between your feet, trying to alleviate any weight and pressure off your feet for at least a second and Wonwoo seemed to notice this because he silently guided you to a nearby bench,

You spared him a quick glance. “Thanks, Woo. You should also sit.”

“Short people tend to have a shorter life span. Compared to you, I have plenty of more time to sit down,” Wonwoo shook his head with faux sympathy, almost enough to convince you that he was being serious but you knew him better than that.

Despite being absolutely exhausted, you assumed you had enough strength left in you to give Wonwoo’s shin a good, hard kick.

“Ow, what the fuck was that for?” Wonwoo complained and you just grinned.

“I hope you shrink.”

Wonwoo stuck his tongue out at you childishly and you just rolled your eyes with a giggle, momentarily forgetting about the hot, blaring sun and the impending sunburn on your shoulders. He glanced down at you with the ghost of a smile tugging on the corners of his lips and you felt your stomach erupt into butterflies. Your not-so-little crush on Wonwoo was old news, but no matter how much time you spent with him, his smile always managed to turn you into a messy pile of goo and butterflies.

Waiting for further instructions, Wonwoo leaned on you, his arms resting on top of your head as he scrolled through his phone. You stared down at the ground, trying to ignore the warmth of Wonwoo’s body next to yours. If it was anyone else, you would’ve pushed them off already, complaining about how hot it was, but this was Wonwoo.

You tried to use the breathing techniques Minghao taught you a while ago, but it didn’t help calm your fastly beating heart. You wiped your sweaty palms on the fabric of your pants and licked your chapped lips. You almost forgot how much you hated summer in southern California.

In an attempt to distract yourself, you thought back to the long day and how chaotic everything was from the start. All fourteen of you agreed to go to Universal Studios Hollywood for Wonwoo’s 17th birthday, and the morning was alright. You all made it to the theme park safely via public transportation and after a long, fun day, the group decided to head back home to catch the last train.

You guys missed the last train.

In Jun’s defense, he didn’t mean to get lost. He was busy trying to apply another layer of sunscreen and when he looked up, everyone else was gone. He wandered around the city for a while before he caught sight of Soonyoung’s bright tiger backpack (no one knows why none of them used their phones to contact each other). By the time all fourteen of you were reunited, the last train had already left, leaving you guys to take the cheaper, but much more sketchy metro-rail.

After missing the original stop on the metro-rail, you guys had to ride back for another 20 minutes, then navigate the streets of downtown LA in the late afternoon heat to find a specific bus stop, leading to your current situation.

“Okay, everyone! Our bus is supposed to be here any second,” Seungcheol called out. Immediately, everyone’s focus seemed to snap to the three boys who were standing side by side, arms crossed and firm looks on their faces. “The bus station is diagonally across the intersection so we need to-”

Jeonghan, looking somewhere else, began to urgently tap on Seungcheol’s shoulder. “Cheol, that’s 460. That’s our bus.”

Seungcheol felt his blood run cold. Across the street, he saw a bright orange bus making its way down the street, pulling up to the bus station diagonally across from where he and the rest of his friends were currently standing.

Everyone seemed to be under a trance as they stared at the run-down bus pull up to the station. Soonyoung was the first one to shake off the trance, breaking free from his beloved tiger backpack and leaving it in Seungkwan’s limp grip. He bolted across the street, ignoring all the different car honks and curses that were thrown at him. He had somehow made it not only across the street, but diagonally across the intersection, ending up on the same sidewalk as the bus station.

Soonyoung looked behind, expecting everyone else to be following him, only to see the rest of his friends staring at him dumbfoundedly.

“KWON SOONYOUNG WHAT THE FUCK?!” Seungcheol yelled.

“I’M SORRY HYUNG I DON’T KNOW-”

Seungcheol waved at him urgently, doing everything in his power to resist the urge to run through the LA traffic to simply throttle the younger boy. “NO, DON’T FUCKING APOLOGIZE JUST STOP THE BUS.”

Soonyoung stared at Seungcheol with a confused look on his face. “WHAT?”

Finally breaking out of your own trance, you stood up and began pointing to the bus. “STOP THE FUCKING BUS. TELL THEM TO WAIT.”

Chan noticed that the crosswalk light turned green and began running. “COME ON WE NEED TO MOVE.”

My dear reader, have you ever seen a stampede of any kind? Whether it be the stampede of wildebeests that trampled Mufasa to death in the Lion King, the rush of high school students to the canteen during lunch, or thirteen teenagers running down the crooked streets of LA, I’m sure you can imagine the picture. Sweaty and red faces, backpack straps flying off shoulders, breathless laughs, unintelligible yells, and hands tightly gripping and tugging at each other.

More specifically, Wonwoo’s hand gripping yours.

In the spur of the moment, the only thought in Wonwoo’s head was making sure you were safe. So when the rest of your friends broke into a sprint, his first instinct was to grab your hand and pull you along.

Here you are now, your hand still in Wonwoo’s as you guys caught your breath while waiting for the second light to change. Soonyoung stood on the other side of the crosswalk as the living epitome of the standing emoji, waiting for someone to say something.

Seungkwan angrily shook his fist that still held his friend’s (tacky) tiger backpack. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GO STOP THE BUS!”

Soonyoung helplessly pointed towards the bus that had already left the station and was now waiting at a red light. “IT LEFT! IT’S TOO LATE!”

“GO! GO ASK THEM TO STOP. STALL THE DRIVER, JUST DO ANYTHING,” You screamed desperately. All around you, your friends were also yelling at Soonyoung, telling him to stop the bus and ask the driver to wait.

Soonyoung finally gave in and ran back towards the bus that was still waiting at the red light. With every passing second, everyone inched closer to the edge of the curb, impatiently waiting for the light to change. And after what seemed like forever (it had been three minutes), the light finally changed and you made a run for it. Pushing past Jihoon and Vernon, you sprinted down the sidewalk with incoherent yells. You passed by other pedestrians who all looked at you and your friends questionably, and for good reason too. It wasn’t everyday you saw a group of teenagers running in downtown LA in the middle of July.

There was maybe another hundred feet left in front of you and you’ve never felt more exhilarated before in your life. Adrenaline coursed through your veins as your feet made heavy contact with the gum clad concrete. You felt like you were in a teen movie. You could almost imagine the BGM as you and your friends dramatically run together in slow motion, your hair flowing in the air and you find yourself smiling. Wonwoo caught up to you, running by your side as the two of you silently sprinted down the street with bated breaths.

Wonwoo glanced over at you and felt a warm feeling spreading throughout his chest. This feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to him, but it amazed him how easily he was swept away by your charm every time he was in your presence. Your laugh always pulled at his heartstrings and your smile seemed to brighten up every room you entered. Wonwoo was drawn to you like a magnet and there was nothing he could do about it.

As the two of you got closer to the bus, Wonwoo suddenly had a thought. He reached for your hand and pulled you closer to him.

“[Name],” Wonwoo started breathlessly. The bus was now less than fifty feet away and Soonyoung had successfully managed to convince the bus driver to wait for you and your friends. It was now or never. “You said you would get me anything for my birthday, right?”

You let out a strangled grunt, trying your hardest to not sound like you were fighting for your life after running for only five minutes because that was just simply embarrassing. Up ahead, Soonyoung had already made his way into the bus and found himself a comfortable seat in the back with a content smile. You slowed down as you approached the bus and breathlessly set down a foot on the front step of the vehicle.

Behind you, Wonwoo gently rested his hands on your hips and whispered into your ear, “How about a date?”

You felt your heart drop past your ass, your feet, and into the deepest, darkest pits of hell. Skinship was normal between your friend group, but this was different. And also, what the fuck did he just say? Were you slowly losing your hearing? Your mom was right, spending too much with Seokmin and Soonyoung did damage your ears-

Wonwoo let out a soft laugh behind you and almost as if he read your mind, “No, you’re not hearing things [Name]. This is me asking you out.”

You desperately needed someone to pinch you.

Climbing onto the bus with a perplexed look on your face, you mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ to the bus driver who seemed a little less than happy to have a bunch of hooligans on his bus. Wonwoo’s big hands never left your waist as he guided you to an empty seat towards the back of the bus. You simply followed his lead as you tried to comprehend what your best friend just said. This was all probably a prank, right? You sank down in your chair and looked at Wonwoo, who was trying to get himself situated next to you. Was he being serious?

“Yes, you idiot. I’m being serious. I’m so surprised you haven’t caught onto my crush on you yet, with how obvious I was being,” Wonwoo had whispered the last part under his breath but you still heard it. His hand reached for yours that was resting on your lap. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way but-”

“I do,” you said abruptly, interrupting him. After realizing what you just said, you wanted to slap a hand over your mouth, dig a hole underground, crawl into it, and never come out of it ever again. “I mean- I- What I mean is…”

Wonwoo looked at you expectantly, his brown eyes gleaming with hope. He nodded at you to continue and you felt like your tongue had suddenly turned into cotton. Everything in your mouth was dry and heavy and you had to lick your lips before continuing.

“I do… feel the same way about you. I’ve liked you ever since that water balloon fight we had in eighth grade on your birthday. And-” You choked on your words again. “-I would love to go on a date with you.”

Wonwoo felt like he had just won the lottery. He simply couldn’t help the smile that tuuged up on his lips as he gave your hand a firm squeeze. “Okay.”

You returned his smile and hand squeeze. “Okay.”

Exhausted from the long day, Wonwoo rested his head on your shoulder as he drew small patterns on your knee. “I think this might be the best birthday yet,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, since you agreed to date me.”

“You’re so corn-”

“HA! YOU OWE ME TEN BUCKS SHUA HYUNG.”

reblogs and feedback always appreciated ^-^

241 notes · View notes

starlitangels · 5 months

Text

Family Christmas

I celebrate Christmas. I wanted to write a little Christmas thing for The Brothers™ (and their partners) 2.1k words

—

Sunshine

"There they are!" a voice exclaimed the second I opened the car door. I turned toward the front door of the house to see a beaming face turning to shout back into the house, "Aaron! They made it! They're here!"

I smiled as Aaron's partner came running out of the house, arms out, and slammed me into a hug. They held on tight, laughing and smiling the whole time. I heard Elliott chuckle on the other side of the car as he climbed out. Aaron's partner kept their arm around my shoulder as they released me from the spine-crushing hug.

"So! How have you two been?" they asked brightly, dragging me back toward the house.

Aaron appeared at the door. Once a year I saw him in a T-shirt and jeans instead of slacks or khakis and a button up—and every year it was just as jarring.

The smile he gave me was stiff, but I was used to that. Baby steps, sunshine, Elliott had said on the drive here. And, in fairness to Aaron, his smile wasn't as stiff as I was used to.

"We've been better," I said. "Things have been improving for us."

Aaron's partner squeezed my shoulders. "That's great! I'm happy to hear that!"

"Thanks," I said. I tried to turn so I could help Elliott with the luggage, but Aaron's partner was stronger than I expected.

"You two can handle your luggage in a minute," they insisted. "Hugs first!" With that, they shoved me at Elliott's brother. Who was kind enough to catch me before I stumbled face-first into the porch. Aaron gave his partner a scolding look that they pointedly ignored as he gave me a half-hearted hug.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi Aaron."

At that moment, Elliott caught up, throwing Aaron's partner into a hug themselves and letting them go to hug his brother.

"God, it's a lot warmer here. Almost doesn't feel like Christmas," Elliott joked, taking my hand. "There's not even any snow on the mountains!"

Aaron shrugged. "Southern California," he said.

His partner sighed dramatically. "C'mon! Get in the house! No use all of us standing on the porch! You're here for family Christmas for the first time in years, and dammit we're gonna make the most of it!"

Aaron chuckled and took a step back, pushing the door open. "Come in, come in," he said. Elliott pulled me into the house by the hand.

It hadn't changed much since I got rescued from CloseKnit's basement and Elliott and I had spent a few days sleeping here before returning home. There were new throw pillows on the sofa and loveseat and the Christmas tree took up the space in front of the living room window, but other than that, everything was mostly the same.

Elliott pulled me down onto the loveseat beside him while Aaron and his partner took the sofa. "You two are probably tired," he said. "It's a long drive."

I shrugged. "We took it in two days. Makes it a little easier. We've done it before."

"You could have flown. We woulda come picked you up from the airport," Aaron's partner said.

Elliott's grip on my hand tightened ever so slightly. "We know," he said. "But we like the drive."

I sucked in a breath and met Aaron's partner's eyes. "You know I got in a car accident, right? Killed me for a short while?"

They nodded.

"It took a long time for me to be comfortable driving again. Elliott and I actually met at a public transport station since I was too scared to drive back from college and he was just coming off a boring date. I still... I still struggle with it sometimes. So the drive here is kinda therapy for me."

They blinked. "Oh. I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "No worries. You couldn't have known. And the gesture is appreciated nonetheless." I grinned. Elliott was leaned against my side, head on my shoulder, eyes closed and breathing deep, but not actually asleep.

Aaron's partner smacked their legs. "Howzabout this: we let you two take a nap. We have to run to the grocery store anyway. I am a dunce and forgot some of the candy for Candy Poker tonight. Everything else is ready for dinner, we just have a few things to grab; but that should be enough time for an hour nap in complete quiet without any—"

"Did anyone invite Mom?" Elliott interrupted, jolting up from my shoulder.

My eyebrows twitched together briefly at the look Aaron and his partner exchanged. Aaron's Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"No," he admitted.

"O-oh," Elliott said. "Okay."

"El..."

"No. No. I get it." Elliott shook his head and met his brother's partner's eyes. "A nap sounds fantastic. But I don't want to kick you out of your own home—"

"Nonsense," Aaron's partner cut him off, waving dismissively. "It's good for us to leave the house. Even if the store will be super crowded. Day before Christmas Eve and everything." They stood from the sofa and dragged Aaron to his feet too. "C'mon. Let's give them some time to take a quick nap so we can all have fun together later."

Aaron steely blue-grey eyes met Elliott's one last time before he let his partner drag him to the garage. I heard the garage door rise, two car doors shut, an engine turn over, and after a moment the door lowered again.

Elliott got off the loveseat and went to the sofa, beckoning me to follow. I did. He laid with his back to the backrest and snuggled me close to his chest.

"Magic?" Elliott asked. "It'll be faster. Get more time out of the nap."

"Sure," I said.

"Where do we want to go?"

I reached and twisted one of his dirty blond curls around my fingers. "Remember that space station one? Where we sat on the observation deck and watched a nebula spin slowly for hours? That was so peaceful."

"Then let's go back there." He gave me a gentle kiss. "Sweet dreams, sunshine." With a chuckle, he expended some magic.

It dragged us both into unconsciousness.

—

Smartass

"So... do I get an explanation on what just happened? What's the deal with your mom and your brother?" I asked.

Aaron's grip tightened around the steering wheel, making the leather creak softly. "I told you what my late teenage years were like. Working two jobs to keep the house afloat after Dad died and Mom checked out."

"Mmhmm," I agreed.

Aaron bobbed his head. "Who do you think took care of her while I was gone all the time?" He sighed. "Elliott and Mom were always closer than I was with her—even before Dad died. The joke that he's the adopted one so he's the one they chose came to mind a lot. I'm not gonna pretend it didn't hurt. Because it definitely did. But the fact of the matter is..." Aaron shook his head. "I'm too much like my dad. And El has... so much compassion. For everybody. Of course he was better at emotional connections than I was. Of course he'd think about inviting Mom—where I haven't any relationship worth speaking of with her since I left for college."

"... Oh. Forget I asked."

"No. You deserve to know. I meant to tell you. Just slipped my mind."

I nodded, for once not having anything else to say.

—

Sunshine

"Time for presents!" a voice announced. I jolted out of sleep on an air mattress in the living room behind the sofa. Elliott groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, yanking the blankets up over his bare shoulder.

I blinked against morning sunlight. "Wh... time is it?" I grumbled out.

"It's ten," Aaron's partner said as another curtain was pulled back, spilling more light into the living room. "Aaron mentioned he always had to wake Elliott up on Christmas morning. I thought he was kidding."

"He wasn't," Elliott said, voice muffled by the pillow.

"Well, I let you sleep long enough. Now it's time for presents! Come on, come on! Up, up, up!"

Elliott groaned in complaint again, but smacked around until he found his discarded pajama shirt and sat up to pull it on. His curls were an absolute disaster around his head. I managed not to laugh but only because I was used to the sight. The sound of a coffee machine percolating and a kettle boiling met my ears.

"Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?" Aaron called from the kitchen.

"Hot chocolate, please," Elliott and I replied at the same time.

Aaron's partner laughed. "In sync," they muttered. Louder, they added, "I'll have some coffee, babe."

"Got it."

Aaron made morning drinks while Elliott woke up better and I cleared the gumminess of sleep from my eyes and mouth and lungs. Elliott shook his hair and tried to tame it somewhat with his fingers.

We managed to sit on the couch without falling back to sleep. Aaron emerged from the kitchen with two mugs in hand. One was purple with gold stars and a gold Sweet Dreams written in cursive on one side. The handle looked like it had broken in at least three places and glued back together. Elliott reached for it before Aaron had even gotten close, smiling softly—almost sad. Aaron passed it over, and handed me a grey-green one with a large Legend of Zelda Triforce on one side. His partner had gone to retrieve the other two drinks, handing Aaron a plain red mug and holding one shaped like BB-8 for themself.

"Did someone tell you I like Zelda or did you just happen to have this one on hand?" I asked with a grin as Elliott and I thanked him for bringing the drinks over.

"Both. Elliott mentioned you loved Tears of the Kingdom and that one—" He nodded pointedly at his partner. "—is every bit a nerd that you are, and likes collecting eclectic mugs."

"The nicher the better," his partner added.

"I wouldn't call Zelda niche," I remarked.

They shrugged. "That isn't the weirdest mug I own," they replied.

"Trust me: that one is one of the tamer ones," Aaron added flatly while his partner laughed.

"True!" they agreed. "Now. Let's. Open. Presents!"

Elliott nodded, violet eyes drooped halfway shut, as he picked up a package from under the tree and passed it to Aaron, sitting the closest to it. The next package went to Aaron's partner, and the third for me. "Those ones are from me," he said.

Mine was tiny. I tore off the paper to reveal a box that usually held jewelry. I pried the lid open.

A gold ring, thin, with the band tied in a knot, sat in the velvet.

"You can call that a promise ring if you want," Elliott said softly. "You and me have been tied together for a long time. I love you, sunshine, and I want to stay part of your life forever."

I smiled and gave him a big kiss.

A squeal broke us apart to see Aaron's partner holding an enormous scented candle with both hands. There were five different layers of wax. They beamed at Elliott. "Did Aaron tell you I love candles?"

"He mentioned you like having a lit candle while you take a bath to decompress, yeah," Elliott said. "I didn't know which scents you'd really like, so I went for the soothing ones."

They wiggled with excitement. "That's amazing! Thank you!"

Aaron heaved a sigh. "Elliott," he said, lifting his gift.

A red mug, larger than the one currently cooling off his coffee. One side had black letters. "World's Okayest Boss." The other side, the one that would face Aaron when he held it, had white letters. "World's Best Brother."

A cheeky grin appeared on Elliott's face. He said nothing. Just picked up the next set of presents. One for himself, his brother, and his brother's partner. From me.

I watched the three of them open theirs as I put on the ring Elliott gave me. Perfect fit. Of course it was.

There were still divides. Wounds and scars healing between the love of my life and his big brother. But they were behaving like brothers on Christmas morning. Laughing with their partners. Loosening up and opening up to each other for the first time in who knew how long.

But, for the first time since I'd met Elliott, I felt like the room was full of family warmth.

—

Tag list: @pinksparkl

#Redacted ASMR #fic #Redacted Elliott #Redacted Aaron #Redacted Sunshine #Redacted Smartass #Starlit Fic #Redacted Audio

23 notes · View notes

les-pompiers118 · 1 year

Text

It pours, man it pours

Buddie | Rated T | 11,930 words | Friends to lovers/angst with a happy ending

Summary: An endless rainstorm. A head-on collision on a dark canyon road. Eddie and Buck find themselves stranded with a woman in labor after they’re cut off from the rest of the 118 by a flash flood. With the fate of their team unknown, can they weather the night ahead—and mend the rift Buck caused by trying to kiss his best friend?

By the time they cut the driver out of the car and strap him to a backboard, Buck is sweating beneath his turnouts. Again.

He pounds on the back door of the ambulance after slamming it shut, then watches the flashing lights reflect off the wet pavement as it drives away. It’s tempting to pull off his helmet and let the January rain pour onto his face and neck. That little bit of relief might be the only thing he’d be grateful to this goddamn, never-ending storm for right now, drought or no drought.

Seems it never rains in Southern California… Yeah, right.

The calls have been non-stop since the start of their shift eighteen hours ago: flooded basements, cars hydroplaning all over the freeway, a massive sinkhole at a shopping plaza. And just when Buck thought they’d be back at the firehouse long enough for a hot shower and a nap, dispatch sent them to a head-on collision on a dark, twisting canyon road.

Beside him, Eddie hunches over, hands on knees. Buck’s deciding whether to risk an encouraging slap on the back when he catches sight of Bobby waving them over.

“Tow truck’s on its way now to clear the road, and Hen and Chim will have the other driver ready to transport in about five minutes,” Bobby tells them after they plod over. “Get ready to move out.”

“I’m ready to move out to the desert if this rain keeps up for another day,” Eddie grumbles, which earns him a tired smile from Bobby.

As they head back to the crumpled SUV for their tools, Buck makes a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. “I guess this is how we pay for all the sunshine, huh?”

He catches Eddie frowning before he turns away, and Buck’s heart withers a little more. Nothing’s been right these past couple weeks. He fucked up again. This time, something priceless might be gone forever, all because he lost his head for a few seconds.

Read the rest on AO3

#911 #buddie #buddie fic #my writing

48 notes · View notes

what-even-is-thiss · 2 years

Note

Hello, I was wondering if you'd mind expanding on your experience of going from car-centric travel to not having a car. I live in southern California, which I'm sure you're familiar with as being VERY car-centric and terrible at public transportation. I just recently had my license medically suspended, pending some test results to see if it's safe for me to be driving, and I will most likely lose my job if I don't get my license back (what takes 20 minutes by car is 3 hours by bus) and I'm kind of freaking out about how I'm going to adapt if my license gets permanently revoked.

I purposefully moved close enough to my job that I can get there by bus within half an hour. I know that is likely not possible for you or most people though. Here’s some stuff I’ve learned from trying to get to other far away places and talking to other people that don’t own cars though:

People are often more willing to give you a ride than you’d expect. Try asking your coworkers or friends if they’d be willing to help you out. Offer to pay for gas if that makes it more likely for them to give you a ride.

If you’re legally disabled a lot of cities have a program to drive disabled people where they want to go for either a normal fare rate or a discounted fare rate. You might have to schedule it but if you know when your shift will be you can schedule it every day and they will just come and get you.

Some metro systems just have a ride service for anyone for a slightly more expensive fare rate. See if the metro system in your area has an app or website with alternate transit options listed.

Depending on the rates where you live and how expensive your car is, sometimes taking Uber or Lyft to work can be slightly less expensive than owning a car.

If you decide to take the three hour commute you can do stuff when you’re on the bus like be on your laptop or listen to podcasts or read that you can’t do when you’re driving. So if you like that it might not be as bad as you’d expect. Some people that take transit for their hyper commute actually enjoy it from what I’ve been told because they can get a lot done. Some people hate it. Depends on what kind of person you are.

If you’re able to ride a bike, an e-bike might be a good investment. Especially if you commute to work early in the morning when it’s cool. E-bikes are way way easier to ride than regular bikes and you can go way further and faster on them with less energy. Sometimes I’ll rent an e-bike to get somewhere far away and I love those things. If you prefer e-scooters that could also be an option depending on how hilly your area is.

If you decide to ride a normal bike, you could look into buying a Dutch style bike which is made for commuting. Dutch style bikes have pedal breaks. I love those things. And if you bike, you don’t have to exercise later in the day. Kind of a time saver if you already exercise.

If you’re not afraid of strangers you can see if there’s a carpool app available in your area. These apps can connect you to people willing to give others rides. Again though, this option assumes that you’re not afraid of strangers. Along this same line of thinking, did you know that people still hitchhike? It happens.

I know firsthand how hard the transition from car living to no car living can be. Texas is just as hostile to pedestrians if not more than California in my experience. And I hope you can get your drivers license back. If you can’t though, there’s ways to get around and it is possible to get used to it. I wish you luck.

75 notes · View notes

spacetimewithstuartgary · 9 months

Text

NASA’s Curiosity Reaches Mars Ridge Where Water Left Debris Pileup

Believed to be a remnant of powerful ancient debris flows, Gediz Vallis Ridge is a destination long sought by the rover’s science team.

Three billion years ago, amid one of the last wet periods on Mars, powerful debris flows carried mud and boulders down the side of a hulking mountain. The debris spread into a fan that was later eroded by wind into a towering ridge, preserving an intriguing record of the Red Planet’s watery past.

Now, after three attempts, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has reached the ridge, capturing the formation in a 360-degree panoramic mosaic. Previous forays were stymied by knife-edged “gator-back” rocks and too-steep slopes. Following one of the most difficult climbs the mission has ever faced, Curiosity arrived Aug. 14 at an area where it could study the long-sought ridge with its 7-foot (2-meter) robotic arm.

“After three years, we finally found a spot where Mars allowed Curiosity to safely access the steep ridge,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It’s a thrill to be able to reach out and touch rocks that were transported from places high up on Mount Sharp that we’ll never be able to visit with Curiosity.”

The rover has been ascending the lower part of 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) Mount Sharp since 2014, discovering evidence of ancient lakes and streams along the way. Different layers of the mountain represent different eras of Martian history. As Curiosity ascends, scientists learn more about how the landscape changed over time. Gediz Vallis Ridge was among the last features on the mountain to form, making it one of the youngest geological time capsules Curiosity will see.

Rare Peek

The rover spent 11 days at the ridge, busily snapping photos and studying the composition of dark rocks that clearly originated elsewhere on the mountain. The debris flows that helped form Gediz Vallis Ridge carried these rocks – and others lower on the ridgeline, some as large as cars – down from layers high on Mount Sharp. These rocks provide a rare insight into material from the upper mountain that Curiosity can examine.

The rover’s arrival at the ridge has also provided scientists the first up-close views of the eroded remnants of a geologic feature known as a debris flow fan, where debris flowing down the slope spreads out into a fan shape. Debris flow fans are common on both Mars and Earth, but scientists are still learning how they form.

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like to witness these events,” said geologist William Dietrich, a mission team member at the University of California, Berkeley, who has helped lead Curiosity’s study of the ridge. “Huge rocks were ripped out of the mountain high above, rushed downhill, and spread out into a fan below. The results of this campaign will push us to better explain such events not just on Mars, but even on Earth, where they are a natural hazard.”

On Aug. 19, the rover’s Mastcam captured 136 images of a scene at Gediz Vallis Ridge that, when pieced together into a mosaic, provide a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Visible in that panorama is the path Curiosity took up the mountainside, including through “Marker Band Valley,” where evidence of an ancient lake was discovered.

While scientists are still poring over the imagery and data from Gediz Vallis Ridge, Curiosity has already turned to its next challenge: finding a path to the channel above the ridge so that scientists can learn more about how and where water once flowed down Mount Sharp.

TOP IMAGE....NASA’s Curiosity captured this 360-degree panorama while parked below Gediz Vallis Ridge (seen at right), a formation that preserves a record of one of the last wet periods seen on this part of Mars. After previous attempts, the rover finally reached the ridge on its fourth try. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

LOWER IMAGE....The route NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has taken while driving through the lower part of Mount Sharp is shown as a pale line here. Different parts of the mountain are labeled by color; Curiosity is currently near the top end of Gediz Vallis Ridge, which appears in red. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/University of Arizona/JHUAPL/MSSS/USGS Astrogeology Science Center

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #MARS #curiosity

3 notes · View notes

arizonaconservativegal · 1 year

Note

Hi there. Californian desperately looking to flee this coming summer. Was once considering Arizona but I’m concerned that the election chaos of CA is in AZ too and now you have a Democrat governor. Is this still a place I can safely flee or is AZ lost like Cali now? Honestly asking. I don’t want to absorb the work and expense of relocating just to be in the same place.

I might give it a year and see how much Katie Hobbs is able to bypass or bully the legislature. I think they'll be able to keep her in check but they have an unfortunate habit of being certifiably insane so I hate to put all my hopes on them. In general, I don't expect the next four years to be super fun here but I wouldn't say the fight is over yet. Our state party doesn't know what the fuck it's doing but if they get their shit together, the state is very winnable. We may have had a big influx of Californians moving here since covid but this is still a slightly right of center state.

I'll give you my usual warnings about moving here:

If you're renting, you should know that housing prices in the cities / larger towns have shot up about 50% in about four years and show no signs of slowing. Be ready for that. I don't know offhand what the trend has been for the more rural areas, but I imagine it's gone up a fair bit too. Still much, much cheaper than California though.

If you're buying, you need to very thoroughly dig into the water rights where you buy or you might find yourself in a lot of expensive trouble very quickly. This is especially true if you are looking at a rural area but several unincorporated areas on the edges of Phoenix have learned the hard way recently that hiring water haulers isn't cheap.

In most of the state, illegal immigration tends to be more of a political issue than a daily life issue but for areas on the border and along major drug corridors, it is a very serious problem. Good luck getting into a hospital in Yuma - they're overflowing with illegal immigrants. I also personally know people who cannot go outside on their own property at night because the cartels use it to traffick all sorts of things and they will shoot you if they see you.

We did manage to hold on to the corporation commission, which regulates the power companies, so I'm not too worried about this unless the legislature does something dumb, but we do need a new power plant soon or we may be looking at rolling blackouts in the not super distant future... I think it'll be okay but it would have been good to have a Republican in the governor's office to smooth that process a bit.

We have a very low income tax and property taxes tend to be low for primary residences. People think this means we are a low tax state. What they forget is that we have a very high sales tax - nearly 10% in some areas. All said and done, we're fairly average for total tax rates when compared with other states. It's still a lot better than California, but I don't want you to be surprised.

You need a car to get around here. Public transportation exists but isn't very functional and nothing is close enough to walk. Make sure you get a new Arizona plate (you only need one) because otherwise everyone will see your Cali plates and automatically hate you.

And the last warning I have is that yes, it really does get fuck-off hot here in the summer. Expect temperatures to never fall below 100 for the entire month of July. If Phoenix doesn't get a straight week of 115+, that's a mild summer. If you're from LA, you probably know what to expect. Otherwise, make sure you have a good AC system - and you want AC, not a swamp cooler. Trust me.

All that said, it's really a great state to live in. It's raining today and that's a rare enough event that everyone gets excited for it. There really is nothing like a southern Arizona sunset. Jeans and a button down shirt count as formal attire in half the state, especially when paired with cowboy boots. Most of the population is from somewhere else so you can find restaurants with quality food from anywhere you like. In most of the state, you will literally never have to shovel snow or scrape ice off your windshield. We have all the major sports franchises so you can go to big games when you want and they don't totally suck but none of the teams are good enough that anyone really expects you to root for them over your home team. We have more biomes here than any other state in the country so whatever kind of environment you want, you can get. Natural disasters don't happen in most of the state - the worst thing is forest fires in the north which are usually manageable. We have a weirdly huge historic car community because our climate is so dry that the cars don't rust. People put Christmas lights on cacti. Haboobs look like the apocalypse is rolling in but are really just a funny word for the newscasters to say a lot. You will see people wearing a bolo tie unironically. I once saw a woman put a tumbleweed in the back of a minivan. I love it here.

11 notes · View notes

sfc-paulchambers · 1 year

Photo

On March 22, 1983, the Pentagon awards a production contract worth more than $1 billion to AM General Corporation to develop 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). Nicknamed the Humvee and designed to transport troops and cargo, the wide, rugged vehicles entered the spotlight when they were used by the American military during the 1989 invasion of Panama and the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s. In 1992, a civilian version of the Humvee, known as the Hummer, went on sale. The hulking, attention-grabbing road warrior tipped the scales at some 10,000 pounds and got less than 10 miles per gallon. It was an early hit with Hollywood celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went on to own a fleet of Hummers. In December 1999, when the economy was strong and gas prices were relatively low, General Motors purchased the rights from AM General to market and distribute the Hummer. In 2002, the Hummer H2, a smaller (some 8,600 pounds), less expensive version of the original model, debuted. The Hummer became a symbol of America’s super-sized lifestyle; however, the gas-guzzling vehicle was also a target of heavy criticism from environmentalists. According to a 2008 report on Salon.com, in August 2003, “Hummer-hating eco-vandals [struck] four car dealerships in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley, destroying, defacing and burning dozens of Hummers and other SUVs, while scrawling love notes like ‘Fat, Lazy Americans’ about the premises.” In 2005, the Hummer H3, an even smaller (5,800 pounds), more fuel-efficient (16 to 20 miles per gallon) vehicle, was released. The following year, GM ended production of the original Hummer, due to low sales. #thisdayinhistory #thisdayinarmyhistory #repostedfrom @history (at Middle Tennessee Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFvDPEO2jS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#thisdayinhistory #thisdayinarmyhistory #repostedfrom

2 notes · View notes

papermoonloveslucy · 1 year

Text

TRAINSPOTTING!

Lucy and Railway Transportation

Before America was ruled by the automobile, train transportation was the way to go. Lucy makes tracks for the railroad in these unforgettable moments on the (laugh) tracks.

As a young girl, Lucy would take the train from Jamestown to New York City, hoping to fulfill her dreams of becoming a performer. The train station is now part of the National Comedy Museum.

1933 ~ Lucille Ball joined the Goldwyn Girls on a train headed west to Tinseltown. Left to right are Katherine Mauk,Rosalie Fromson, Mary Lange, Vivian Keefer, Barbara Pepper, Theo Phane, and Lucille Ball.

1943 ~ Lucille Ball and other well-known stars set out on a Union Pacific special train to cross America promoting the sale of War Bonds. It began in Washington DC and went through 16 American cities before ending in San Francisco 21 days later.

Fancy Pants (1950) ~ Lucille Ball and Bob Hope pose atop a railroad handcar.

“New Neighbors” (1952) ~ When Ethel is looking through the O’Brien’s belongings, she holds up a bronze of a man on horseback. She deems it “early Pullman.” Pullman refers to railroad sleeping cars that were built and operated by the Pullman Company from 1867 to 1968. The cars were often decorated with inexpensive items that sometimes found their way into travelers’ suitcases!

“Tennessee Ernie Visits” & “Tennessee Ernie Hangs On” (1954) ~ Ford sings the train-themed song "The Wabash Cannonball” waking Lucy and Ricky from a sound sleep, and then again just before Lucy enters as the 'wicked city woman.' The song’s first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882, titled “The Great Rock Island Route” and credited to J.A. Roff. A revised version was made famous by Roy Acuff in 1936.

Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar As she glides along the woodland o'er the hills and by the shore. Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear the lonesome hobo's call As you travel across the country on the Wabash Cannonball.

“Getting Ready” (1954) ~ Thinking about how to get to Hollywood, Lucy considers the train. The brochure Lucy reads has the Union Pacific Railroad’s logo redacted. In reality, the Union Pacific did not operate East of the Mississippi, betraying the show’s Southern California roots!

LUCY (to Ricky): You know, on the train, you can see the country you're passing through. This is little Ricky's first chance to go across the United States, so don't you think you ought to get a chance to really see it?

“First Stop” (1955) ~ On their cross-country road trip, the gang takes refuge at One Oak Cafe and Cabins. Their rundown cabin is near an unseen (but loudly heard) railroad - which causes the entire building to shake!

“Ricky Sells The Car” (1955) ~ In this episode we learn that the gang will return to NYC by train on the Union Pacific Railroad’s new Domeliner service on the City of Los Angeles train. A rift develops between the Ricardos and Mertzes when there aren’t enough tickets in the same class. Don Brodie plays the Union Pacific Railroad clerk.

Before he entered show business, William Frawley (Fred Mertz) worked as a stenographer for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Frawley was featured in the 1945 Deanna Durbin film Lady on a Train. The Universal release also featured future “I Love Lucy” cast members Elizabeth Patterson (Mrs. Trumbull), Edward Everett Horton (Mr. Ritter), Allen Jenkins, Fred Aldrich, Joseph Crehan, Mike Lally, Sam Harris, and Sam McDaniel, who played a train porter, just as he would in...

“The Great Train Robbery” (1955) ~ Returning from Hollywood to New York, Lucy wreaks havoc on the City of Los Angeles train.

As set up in the previous episode, Desilu had a partnership with Union Pacific Railroad. The line operated the City of Los Angeles train from 1936 to 1971, when Amtrak took over national train service in the USA. Although it is not mentioned, the train route terminated in Chicago, where, presumably, the foursome got a connecting train to New York City, perhaps the famed 20th Century Limited.

To simulate the emergency braking of a speeding train, Desi wanted more than just actors reacting to a jolting camera, so sets were built on a spring mechanism that was triggered by the emergency brake itself. When Lucy pulled the handle, it caused the entire set to lurch forward in a sudden movement. All this is demonstrated in the special features section of the DVD release.

As part of the partnership with UPR, Desilu was granted permission to film aboard the real Domeliner train. As there was a nearby train station, Vivian Vance, William Frawley, Kathryn Card, Frank Nelson (the conductor) and Sam McDaniel (the porter) were all featured in the location footage on the platform and doubles were not used. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, however, do not appear in any of the second unit location footage. This is the only time principal cast members (instead of doubles) went on location during the half-hour series.

Footage of Fred and Ethel enjoying the Domeliner’s dining car and lounge were cut when it was realized that movement outside the window did not line up with the episode’s continuity. Rare 16mm film footage of the scenes was discovered and allowed the cut scenes to be added to the 2005 DVD release.

The lounge, however, was recreated on the soundstage. The short scene of the Mertzes boarding the train on the platform (complete with sound), assisted by the Porter and the Conductor, was still included in future syndicated broadcasts.

“Lucy’s Italian Movie” (1956) ~ Opens in a crowded train compartment headed to Rome. Here Lucy meets a film director and thinks this is her big break.

Band manager Fred failed to secure proper train acommodations for the overnight trip - forcing the gang into some unusual sleeping positions!

“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958) ~ The hour-long episode opens in a train car headed to Las Vegas, where Ricky's band is booked to perform at the Sands Hotel and Casino. Establishing footage indicates that they are traveling on the Union Pacific Railroad. In reality, getting to Las Vegas by train from Connecticut would have meant many transfers and route changes.

On the train they meet actor Fred MacMurray, who also gets uranium fever and races the Ricardos and Mertzes across the desert on a railroad handcar.

“Lucy Visits the White House” (1963) ~ Lucy and Viv accompany their scout troop to Washington DC on the train. The episode features establishing footage of an actual train and station.

The train makes stops in Greenview, Middlebrook, Flint Ridge, and Scottville. Like Danfield, all are fictional towns along a fictional railroad line.

Frank Nelson reprises his role as the frazzled train conductor, first played in “The Great Train Robbery”.

When Lucy misses the train, she tries to catch up on horseback. This sequence was shot on the soundstage using a mechanical horse. Coincidentally, an early literary name for a train was ‘iron horse’.

THE ‘FOREVER DARLING’ EXPRESS

Lucy and Desi board a special car provided by the Santa Fe Railroad to promote the film Forever Darling in early 1956.

The train was dubbed the “Forever Darling Special with stops in Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, and Ball's hometown of Jamestown, New York.

Back in Los Angeles, with Desi Jr., they admire the train that served them on their busy promotional tour. Desi is proudly wearing the cowboy hat he’d been given in Fort Worth.

TRAIN DEPOTS

“Off to Florida” (1956) ~ When Lucy misplaces their train tickets to Miami Beach, she and Ethel must share a car ride to Florida with Edna Grundy, a woman they suspect might be a hatchet murderess. At the end of the cross-fade between the second unit footage of the “North Miami” train station and the studio set of the same location, Lucy and Ethel’s doubles can be briefly glimpsed walking down the tracks on the left.

“Lucy and the Loving Cup” (1957) ~ Unable to tell where she is, Lucy gets off the subway train at the Flatbush Avenue station.

LUCY: Pardon me. Can you tell me where the stairs are? STRAP-HANGER: Well, you'd better get off the train first. LUCY: I am off. STRAP-HANGER: You're telling me.

“Lucy Misses the Mertzes” (1957) ~ The scene at the Westport Train Station is in the best tradition of farce, with both couples narrowly missing one another in the same space.

“Lucy and the Mustache” (1960) ~ Disguised as Ernie Kovacs’ chauffeur, Lucy parks outside the Westport train station.

“Lucy Wants a Career” (1959) ~ Lucy and Ricky only see each other at Grand Central Station, one of the most famous train stations ever built. There is establishing footage of Grand Central.

“No More Double Dates” (1962) ~ At the Danfield Train Station, Lucy and Harry narrowly miss Viv and Eddie when trying to have independent dates. When Lucy and Harry lie about missing their train, Eddie notes that the next one only makes one stop - in New Rochelle. The real-life New York town has already been mentioned several times in the series, establishing that Danfield (and nearby Ridgebury) are similar commuter suburbs of Manhattan.

“Lucy Visits the White House” (1963) ~ Lucy gets off the train at the Greenview Station to hunt down sugar cubes to rebuild the cubs’ sugar cube White House.

“Lucy is a Process Server” (1964) ~ Charged with serving Mr. Mooney, Lucy tracks him to the Danfield Train Station.

“Main Street U.S.A.” (1967) ~ Lucy and Mr. Mooney arrive in the small town of Bancroft by train.

TOY TRAINS

“The Attic” (1949) ~ An episode of Lucille Ball’s radio series in which George and Liz (Lucille Ball) clean out the attic and get locked in.

GEORGE: Hey, look at that! My wonderful electric train. LIZ: Well, I haven't heard you use that tone since you proposed. GEORGE: Oh, gosh, I haven't seen this train in years. LIZ: Well, you certainly have no use for it now. Out it goes. GEORGE: Take your hand off that box! It stays! LIZ: Oh, George, don't be silly! GEORGE: Now, who's being silly? That train doesn't leave this house. LIZ: Now, that's being practical. There's nothing as useful as an electric train. In fact, we should get another one for me. We can race them every night before we go to bed! GEORGE: Yeah. I guess you're right. Out it goes. LIZ: I'll let you keep your train if you let me keep my corsage collection. GEORGE: It's a deal!

LUCY: “Look out for the Super Chief! Woo Woo!”

“The Ricardos Change Apartments” (1953) ~ Lucy fills the apartment with Little Ricky’s toys, including a Lionel Electric Train Set, to convince him they need a larger apartment.

“Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright” (1957) ~ Little Ricky is discovered playing with his Keystone Toy Railroad, a wooden train set made by the Keystone Manufacturing Company. The box is tucked under the bed.

“The ‘I Love Lucy’ Christmas Show” (1956) ~ Lionel Trains are under the Christmas tree for Little Ricky.

“My behind-the-scenes memoris are just the toys on the set. The writers, Madelyn and Bob, gave me a Lionel Train set and that was a real big treat for me as a kid.” ~ Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky)

“Lucy and the Efficiency Expert” (1966) ~ Oliver Kasten (Phil Silvers) sits in front of red blow mold locamotives at the Grantland Toy Factory where Lucy is employed on the production line.

THE SUBWAY

“Tennessee Ernie Visits” (1954) ~ Ernie explains the subway.

ERNIE: I asked a fella how to get to the Rickerdos'. Well, he said, "Take the subway." Well, he pointed over there to a hole in the ground with some steps a-going down in it. I went down in there, and do you know what I saw? A bunch of people a-standing there looking in a ditch. Well, here come two streetcars hooked up together. All that bunch of people come a-steamin' up there pushed me through that door, shut it up, and we took off like a scalded gander. Well, sir, we drove and drove and drove and do you know what? RICKY: What? ERNIE: That driver never got that thing out of that hole.

“Lucy and the Loving Cup” (1957) ~ When Lucy gets a loving cup stuck on her head, she must take the subway to Brooklyn to get it off. The episode features establishing footage of the New York Subway trains, although the footage was reversed.

The subway car was recreated on the Desilu soundstage in Hollywood.

2 notes · View notes

franksautotransport · 2 months

Text

#auto transport southern california #car transport southern california #best car shipping company in california #car shipping company california #san diego auto shipping

0 notes

pcttrailsidereader · 2 years

Text

Oregon Again Welcomes PCT Thru-hikers

Janet Eastman, who lives in the Ashland area, periodically writes a piece about the PCT. Again this year she has documented the annual migration of PCT hikers through Oregon. This is an excerpt of her story that appeared in the August 21st issue of The Oregonian.

To me, the key comment included in this article is that of the PCTA's Scott Wilkinson who observed that, "uninterrupted end-to-end hikes may continue to be more difficult.” Although there will still be plenty who attempt the uninterrupted thru-hike, more and more hikers may be forced to consider section hiking the PCT.

By Janet Eastman

Ashland’s stars of summer arrive slowly, on sturdy legs hefting carefully stuffed backpacks, and introducing themselves by their trail names like Butters and Giggles.

By the time northbound Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers cross into Oregon, they have forged 1,720 miles from the bottom of California, through deserts, over mountains and out of unexpected situations, despite years of planning.

The majority of hikers who depart from the trail’s southern terminus, near Campo, California, and move through steep, snowy, soggy, windy and hot conditions at about 25 miles a day, show up in Ashland in August.

This year, many of these hikers were stopped in their tracks by the 55,500-acre McKinney fire in California’s northern Siskiyou County.

On July 30, around 60 hikers in the Red Buttes Wilderness were taken to safety by Oregon’s Jackson County sheriff search and rescue team and bus drivers with the Rogue Valley Transportation District while others gathered 100 miles south in tiny Etna, where they camped in the Johnson-Joss Park and pondered their future.

Their goal of entering the green tunnel of Oregon on foot was over.

Many were shuttled 66 miles on I-5 from Etna to Ashland in buses or by police driving vans, or in the back of cars driven by volunteers.

The endurance hikers, who are miserly with their few days off the trail — called “zero days” — were greeted by smoke and ash, red flag fire risk conditions and lightning, and frantic innkeepers at booked hostels and budget motels.

Thru-hikers Craig Marshall of upstate New York (trail name Butters) and Nadine Osterloh (trail name Giggles) of Bonn, Germany, said they had a mix of emotions.

They were grateful to be safe at the shelter, but they felt guilty taking one of the beds.

And like other long-distance hikers on a schedule to weave through the West Coast when the weather is in their favor were eager to get going.

“We are used to hiking and walking, and now we’re on hold,” said Osterloh.

Where to go?

On Aug. 2, the pack was ready to move again. But in which direction?

Dave (“Floppy”) Kim of Philadelphia started at Campo, steps north of the Mexican border, on May 4 and about 13 weeks later he was in Ashland, which is between exits 11 and 19 off of I-5. Here, he heard options from other thru-hikers.

Return to the trail, either near Callahan’s Mountain Lodge at exit 6 or head east on Oregon Highway 66 for 20 miles to the Pacific Crest-Green Springs Mountain Connector Trail, or about 35 miles northeast to Fish Lake in the Cascade Range to connect to OR-140 north to Crater Lake.

A trail north of Crater Lake is closed for roughly 60 miles due to the Windigo Pass and Tolo Mountain fires, and there was another closure near Mount Jefferson, which burned in the 2020 Lionshead fire.

The closures mean “this season’s thru-hikers will definitely get mixed up and even more spread out along the trail,” said Scott Wilkinson of the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

“Given climate change-driven drought, wildfires and other extreme weather events over the past few years, this could be characterized as the new normal and not unusual,” he added.

Trail closures are also caused by flooding and erosion, and used for habitat protection of endangered species, Wilkinson said.

Uninterrupted end-to-end hikes “may continue to be more difficult,” Wilkinson said, but “the PCT is still a spectacular wild and scenic experience” for day outings, weekend trips and multi-day section trips.

Some thru-hikers in Ashland are throwing up their hands over the road blocks, and heading north on the Oregon Coast Trail. Or they are taking a Greyhound bus to Portland to cross the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods and continue on the PCT to the Canadian border.

“This will affect us,” said Candy Boerwinkle of the Ashland Commons hostel on Tuesday. For days, she said her phone was ringing off the hook, with calls from stranded hikers.

Her hostel is typically booked all of July and August, and she didn’t know how she could accommodate everyone.

Then she started receiving cancellations from hikers who decided to skip Oregon.

“There are 27 people checking out today, and only four are checking in,” she said.

The iconic Callahan’s Lodge, in the shadow of Mount Ashland and a short walk from the Pacific Crest Trail, is forwarding some thru-hikers’ mailed care packages to their new destination, said employee Forrest Eldred.

“We’re sending the care packages to towns near Crater Lake or to Bend, or returning them to the sender,” said Eldred on Tuesday. “Some hikers hope to circle back here.”

Callahan’s is still offering lodging, all-you-can eat pancake and egg breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, as well as $16-a-night camping; $25 for backpackers who want to shower and use the laundry.

“Floppy” Kim hopes to come back, to hike the 170-mile gap from Shasta to Ashland.

On Tuesday afternoon, he and Johannes (“Coach”) Popp of Frankfurt, Germany, returned to hiking at the Pacific Crest-Green Springs Mountain Connector Trail, elevation 4,940 feet.

“This hike is 90% mental and 10% physical,” said Kim, who averages 22 miles a day and has worn out two pairs of boots.

More than boots needed

Hiking 2,663 miles on narrow dirt trails from California to Canada takes more than stamina. Success relies on strategizing and adapting when reality dashes best laid plans, said Lauren (“Grandpa”) Schuster, 24, of Atlanta.

She made it from Campo to Etna before forest infernos instantly upended her goal to complete the entire Pacific Crest Trail on foot.

On Sunday, Schuster rode into Ashland and confessed she has been “obsessed” with the PCT even before she read Portland author Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.”

Schuster’s months-long trek was made possible by another dashed dream. She was unable to travel in the Peace Corps after she graduated from college in 2020 because of COVID-19. Hiking the PCT became her Plan B.

Two zero days in Ashland had Schuster and a dozen of her closest trail friends pacing around the city and their Airbnb rental, and considering their rerouting options.

Their decision: to reach Crater Lake in four days, then hitch past the Windigo Pass and Tolo Mountain fires closure and keep going north.

“It’s up in the air” how the group will eventually reach Washington state, Schuster said. Then she paused and added the traditional PCT mantra: “The trail provides.”

On Tuesday morning, she and Steve (“Funfact”) Jacobs of Salt Lake City, waited for the rest of their trail family, who started on this journey as strangers on April 5.

Jacobs will celebrate his 35th birthday on the trail Thursday and the tradition for this group is to receive a pastry with a candle, a golden paper crown and a Happy Birthday card drawn by Schuster.

The trail is about give and take, said Jacobs, who contributes “fun facts” to conversation such as mayonnaise can’t emulsify in a lightning storm.

PCT hikers’ star appeal

By the time northbound PCT hikers reach Oregon, they have faced daunting challenges and have succeeded, said John Kerr, who is one of the leaders of day hikes organized by the all-volunteer Ashland Hiking Group.

“PCT hikers know by now they will complete the journey of a lifetime,” he continued. “They are full of smiles despite what lies ahead of them, another 900 miles. And they are universally friendly, even when we break their stride as they step aside.”

PCT thru-hikers are mostly in their 20s and 30s.

“What I love most is seeing people, especially the young, who have gained the confidence in themselves to succeed in whatever else they may dream of doing,” said Kerr, who lives outside of Ashland. “They have no fear of what lies ahead. Last week we met a hiker who had done the journey wearing a prosthesis. Now that was inspiring.”

To Ashland residents, thru-hikers represent hard-earned athleticism, a deep appreciation of nature and the value of taking time off.

People often give thru-hikers a place to stay and rides to the trailhead, and even offer to pick up the tab for a meal or beer.

“They treat us like we’re heroes,” said “Coach” Popp. “But we’re just hikers.”

#Ashland #Oregon #thru-hike #fire #trail closures

5 notes · View notes

tocitynews · 7 days

Text

Southern California Male Shot By Police After Following Estranged Wife Onto Freeway, Shooting At Her – Los Angeles California reporting

San Bernardino Police Department, officers were initially dispatched to the northbound 215 Freeway on reports of a shooting.

“The victim of the shooting told police that her estranged husband followed her onto the freeway, where he exited his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at her,” the SBPD release said. “The victim was able to escape without injuries and called the police…upon contacting the victim, officers discovered several bullet holes in the driver’s side door of her car.”

The suspect as 48-year-old San Bernardino resident Michael Vargas, who was found to have an out-of-county felony warrant for spousal abuse which stemmed from an earlier altercation with the same victim.

Vargas was later seen leaving his residence around 1:15 p.m., and when officers went to conduct a traffic stop, he “abruptly” exited his vehicle.

“The suspect abruptly exited the vehicle armed with a loaded firearm, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” San Bernardino police said. “Vargas’ firearm and holster were recovered at the scene, along with an additional loaded magazine in his front pocket.”

Paramedics transported Vargas to a local hospital where he is said to be in critical condition,

#guns #shooting #police #spousal abuse

0 notes

carddio01 · 11 days

Text

Gateway to Adventure: Navigating Transportation Options to Tijuana Airport

Embarking on a journey often begins with the simple yet significant task of getting to the airport. For travelers heading to Tijuana Airport, a vital hub for both domestic and international flights, understanding the various transportation options can enhance the travel experience. Tijuana, a vibrant city bordering the United States, offers multiple means of transport to the airport, each with its own advantages. This guide delves into these options, helping you choose the most suitable one for your needs.

Driving to Tijuana Airport

Driving is a convenient option for many travelers, offering flexibility and control over your schedule. If you have access to a car, driving to Tijuana Airport can be straightforward. Major highways connect Tijuana to various parts of Mexico and the United States, making the airport accessible from multiple directions. It's important to familiarize yourself with the route beforehand, considering factors like traffic conditions and border crossing times if you're coming from the United States.

Parking facilities at Tijuana Airport are ample, with options ranging from short-term to long-term parking. However, it's wise to check the parking fees and availability in advance. Additionally, if you're renting a car, ensure that the rental agreement allows for cross-border travel, and be aware of insurance requirements in both countries.

Public Transportation

Public transportation is an economical and eco-friendly choice. Tijuana has an extensive network of buses that connect various parts of the city to the airport. The city's main bus terminal offers services that can take you directly to the airport or nearby areas, from where you can easily catch a taxi or shuttle.

For those traveling from the United States, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) provides services that get you close to the border. From there, a short walk or taxi ride will take you to the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) pedestrian bridge, a convenient passage directly into Tijuana Airport. CBX is a unique feature that allows ticketed passengers to cross the border seamlessly, significantly reducing travel time.

Taxis and Ride-Sharing Services

Taxis are a popular choice due to their convenience and speed. In Tijuana, taxis are readily available and can be hailed on the street or booked in advance. It's advisable to agree on a fare before starting your journey or ensure the meter is running to avoid any misunderstandings.

Ride-sharing services are also widely used in Tijuana and offer a modern alternative to traditional taxis. These services can be booked via smartphone apps, providing an added layer of convenience and often competitive pricing. Ride-sharing is particularly useful if you're traveling with a group or have a lot of luggage, as you can choose a vehicle that fits your needs.

Shuttle Services

Shuttle services provide a balance between the cost-effectiveness of public transport and the convenience of taxis. Various companies offer shuttle services to and from Tijuana Airport, catering to different budgets and requirements. These shuttles can be booked in advance and often provide door-to-door service, making them an excellent choice for travelers who prefer not to drive or navigate public transportation.

For cross-border travelers, there are dedicated shuttle services that operate from various locations in Southern California directly to the CBX facility. These shuttles are particularly useful for those who prefer not to deal with the hassle of parking or navigating border crossings on their own.

Cross Border Xpress (CBX)

The Cross Border Xpress is a game-changer for travelers heading to Tijuana Airport from the United States. This pedestrian bridge connects San Diego directly to Tijuana Airport, offering a streamlined crossing experience. To use CBX, you need a boarding pass for a flight departing from Tijuana Airport and a CBX ticket. The bridge is accessible from a terminal building in San Diego, where you can park your car, check in for your flight, and cross the border within minutes.

CBX is particularly advantageous because it bypasses the often congested vehicle border crossings, saving time and reducing stress. The facility is equipped with amenities such as luggage carts, duty-free shops, and comfortable waiting areas, enhancing the overall travel experience.

Conclusion

Navigating transportation to Tijuana Airport is an integral part of planning your trip. Whether you prefer the autonomy of driving, the cost-effectiveness of public transportation, the convenience of taxis and ride-sharing, the reliability of shuttle services, or the efficiency of the Cross Border Xpress, Tijuana offers a variety of choices to suit every traveler’s needs. By understanding these options and planning accordingly, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey to this gateway of adventure.

#transportation to tijuana airport

0 notes