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lumosinlove · 4 years

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Sweater Weather Roster Description:

(So I probably definitely forgot some things. There’s a lot of complicated matching up that went into this. But, regardless, I wanted to post it, so we’ll fix and add as we go! <3)

James Potter: (Pots, Pothead, Potty)

Position: Left Wing, First Line

Number: 7

Years In The League: 7—drafted, no college.

Previous Teams: None

Description: 25. 6’1”. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, white. Can usually be seen wearing whatever Lily buys him. Known on the team for being a joker, but also someone you can go to for any reason. Hyper.

Nationality: American. Hometown: Boston, MA.

S/O: Girlfriend, Lily Evans.

Closest to on the team: Sirius Black and Sergei Ivanov, but basically everyone.

Rooms With: No one

Sits with on the bus/plane: Sirius Black

Lives With: Girlfriend Lily Evans

Injury: Multiple concussions

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Putting his contacts in, because he usually wears glasses, gets him really into the game mode. His favorite food is treacle tart, which he had when he took his girlfriend Lily to England—now she makes it for him on his birthday.

Favorite Moment On Team: When he told them that he and Lily were pregnant and they all celebrated.

Superstition: He has to call his girlfriend, Lily, before every game.

Warm Up Song: Eye of the Tiger

What the announcers say when he scores: “Aaaaannndd Potter is wheeling tonight!!”

Sirius Black: (Padfoot, Cap, Captain)

Position: Center, First Line

Number: 12

Years In The League: 6—First pick overall, no college.

Previous Teams: None

Description: 24. 6’3”. Black hair, gray eyes, white. Hair gets really fluffy in humidity and it drives him insane. Short hair, curls above his ears. Loves a good backwards hat. One of the strongest on the team.

Nationality: French-Canadian. Hometown: Montreal, Canada.

S/O: Remus Lupin—secret.

Closest to on the team: James Potter and Adam Fox and William LeBlanc

Rooms With: No One

Sits with on the bus/plane: James Potter

Lives With: No one

Injury: Badly broken ankle, one mild concussion

Puck Personality Fun Fact: He had a very hard time coming up with one, so James chose one for him. He pretends to hate the rookies, but will drop literally everything for anything they need. He’s also really bad at taking his pre-game nap.

(Pascal Dumais from the background: “He does not understand household chores!” “Shut up, Dumo!”)

Favorite Moment On Team: His first game after deciding to stand up to his mother about getting a trade. He could finally relax, and enjoy himself. When he scored the first goal, he let his teammates celebrate with him.

Superstition: There are so many. There are too many. Has to go out onto the ice last, has to have a butter and honey toasted sandwich before the game at 5:00 pm, has to do his stretches in a certain order, has to put on and sharpen his left skate first. Cannot even talk about the Cup without freaking out. Will wear the same gross hat until it literally reeks if they’re on a hot streak.

Warm Up Song: Doesn’t really have one.

What the announcers say when he scores: “Seriously!!! That is one serious goal!!” “That Black back-hander will kill a fella!”

Finn O’Hara: (Harzy, Fish)

Position: Right Wing

Number: 17

Years In The League: 3. Went to Harvard College.

Previous Teams: None

Description: 23. 6’0’’. Dark red hair, luscious and fluffy. White. Wavy. Light freckles. Brown eyes. Is a single eyebrow raiser. Habit of saluting. More on the slender side of muscle. Is a bit of a worry-wart. Super sarcastic.

Nationality: American. Hometown: New York, New York.

S/O: June Calder—sort of.

Closest to on the team: Logan Tremblay and Leo Knut and Olli Halla

Rooms With: Timmy Jones

Sits with on the bus/plane: Kasey Winter

Lives With: Leo Knut

Injury: Two bad concussions in college.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: He wanted it to be that he’s real fucking good in bed, but it’s that he likes eating grilled cheese with strawberry jam because his older brother, Alexander, used to make it for him all the time when they were kids.

Favorite Moment On Team: Probably that one team dinner where Blizzard got drunk and tried to swim in a fountain. Or when he found out that Logan also got drafted to the Lions the year after him.

Superstition: Has to have a grilled cheese and strawberry jam before every game. Has to tape his own sticks on the bench. Has a handshake with Logan they do before walking down the tunnel.

Warm Up Song: Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani

What the announcers say when he scores: “OOOOOOOO’HARA HOW DARA!! WHAT A GOAL!”

Timmy Jones: (Timmers)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 62

Years In The League: 10. Went to Boston University

Previous Teams: New York Islanders

Description: 31. 6’1”. Black hair, braided, reaches his shoulders and he likes to tie it up sometimes, hazel eyes. Black. One of the most popular jerseys because he’s such a crowd pleaser always riling them up and talking to fans through the glass. He’s also one of the biggest Instagram users and is always posting really funny locker room videos.

Nationality: Canadian. Vancouver, Canada.

S/O: Single

Closest to on the team: Olli Halla and William LeBlanc and Thomas Walker

Rooms With: Finn O’Hara

Lives With: Olli Halla

Sits with on the bus/plane: Olli Halla

Injury: Fractured foot a few years ago.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Kasey’s rival for best hair in the league. Famous for his crazy cellys

Favorite Moment On Team: Conference Finals! And when all the boys touch Moody’s leg for good luck.

Superstition: Has a lucky towel that no one is allowed to wash.

Warm Up Song: Where are Ü Now, Jack Ü, Skrillex, Justin Bieber

What the announcers say when he scores: Timmers strikes again!!

Olli Halla: (Olli)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 5

Years In The League: 10, Undrafted.

Previous Teams: Winnipeg Jets.

Description: 6’2”. 32. Very, very blonde hair, nearly white. Pale blue eyes. Cute little nose. Cannot grow a beard to save his life. Total baby-face. Is sort of shy and awkward. What a sweetheart.

Nationality: Finish. Hometown: Helsinki, Finland.

S/O: Single.

Closest to on the team: Timmy Jones and Finn O’Hara

Rooms With: Elias Cook

Lives With: Timmy Jones

Sits with on the bus/plane: Timmy Jones

Injury: Concussion, twice. A few bruised ribs.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Wins the pre-game team kick-around almost every time. Brings awareness to charities that contribute to doing research on the brain and brain injuries.

Favorite Moment On Team: When the team welcomed him back from his pretty serious concussion (he missed nearly a year) by all wearing the number 5 out on the ice during warm ups.

Superstition: Wears his cross and says a small prayer after the national anthem. Also has to play in the kick-around.

Warm Up Song: Replay, Iyaz

What the announcers say when he scores: (G)oooooolllliiiii!

Brady Smith: (Smitty)

Position: Right Wing

Number: 92

Years In The League: 10. Drafted.

Previous Teams: Washington Capitals

Description: 28, 6’3”. Black hair, blue eyes. Black. The sweetest person you will ever meet in your life. Is adored by all of the hockey wives and girlfriends. Can speak Spanish and (ofc) German. Has a tattoo he has on his back shoulder blade of the Stanley Cup which he won with the Washington Capitals. The cup says his wife and two kid’s names on it with room for more—this man loves his babies.

Nationality: German. Hometown: Berlin, Germany, where his mother is from, but moved to the Boston, MA when he was 15 years old—where his father is from.

S/O: Married to his wife Allison, and they’re expecting their third child. Their first is a boy named Max, their second a boy named Noah.

Closest to on the team: Evgeni Kuznetsov and Jackson Nadeau.

Lives With: His family

Sits with on the bus/plane: Evan Kane

Rooms With: Evan Kane

Injury: Frequently separates his shoulder :(

Puck Personality Fun Fact: He’s part of the Lions’ power play. Is actually a really good tattoo artist and has inked Kris Lavolie and Evgeni Kuznetsov. He gave Kris the date of his daughter’s birth, and he gave Evgeni a tiger on his left bicep.

Favorite Moment On Team: He really loved when Sirius became Captain. He felt a shift in their team’s drive.

Superstition: Has to read the note his son wrote him a few years ago.

Warm Up Song: Anything Drake

What the announcers say when he scores: Braaaddyyy Smith! What a goal!

Pascal Dumais: (Dumo)

Position: Center

Number: 9

Years In The League: 24, drafted first overall.

Previous Teams: New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche.

Description: 41. 6’1’’. Brown hair, cut pretty short but brushes up at the front or superman curl. White. Hazel/green eyes, dark eyelashes and brows. Scruffy beard always. Is the dad of the team. Well tell anyone who asks the hilarious stories of when Sirius lived with him.

Nationality: French Canadian. Hometown: Montreal.

S/O: Celeste Dumais, wife. And four children. Adele (13), Louis (10), Marc (9), and Katie (7).

Closest to on the team: Logan Tremblay and Sergei Ivanov.

Lives With: His wife and four kids—and Logan of course.

Rooms With: No one

Sits with on the bus/plane: No one, he enjoys the peace and quiet (not that anyone gives him any)

Injury: Broken wrist. Bruised ribs. Mild concussion. Lost too many teeth to count.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: The BIGGEST prankster on the team. Loves fine wine.

Favorite Moment On Team: Whenever the crowd chants “Duuummmooooo,” or the first time Sirius smiled.

Superstition: Slaps Sergei’s ass before they walk down the tunnel. No one knows why.

Warm Up Song: Eight Days A Week by The Beatles

What the announcers say when he scores: "Pascal Dumais everybody! One of the oldest in the league—he’s still got it!”

Logan Tremblay: (Tremzy, [Finn: Lo])

Position: Right Wing

Number: 10

Years In The League: 2. Went to Harvard College.

Previous Teams: None.

Description: 22. 5’9’’. Dark brown hair, long enough to be wavy and always wearing a snapback. Green eyes. Light freckles. White. Always sinfully tan. Really broad and strong. Those arms and chest muscles damn. Really dark, long eyelashes. Clean shaven. Really loud, always mildly grumpy. Flirts with EVERYTHING.

Nationality: French Canadian. Hometown: Rimouski, Quebec, Canada.

S/O: Single…..

Closest to on the team: Leo Knut, Finn O’Hara, and Pascal Dumais, Thomas Walker.

Lives With: Pascal Dumais

Rooms With: Leo Knut

Sits with on the bus/plane: Leo Knut

Injury: He broke a finger and a foot and frequently has black eyes from fights.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Has a fleur-de-lis necklace that he never takes off. Spends his summers in Nice, France where his mother is from. Bites his nails.

Favorite Moment On Team: Playing with Finn again.

Superstition: Says he isn’t superstitious but he is. Won’t touch the kick-around soccer ball before he decides to play. Has a handshake with Finn they do before walking down the tunnel.

Warm Up Song: Whatever It Takes, Imagine Dragons.

What the announcers say when he scores: “Scooorree!!! Oh, the tremble before Tremblay!”

Thomas Walker: (Talker, Walkie-Talkie)

Position: Defenseman —also an enforcer.

Number: 43

Years In The League: 8. University of Wisconsin.

Previous Teams: None.

Description: 30, 6’2”. Short hair, brown eyes, one of the most ripped guys on the team. Black. Pierced ears, usually small gold hoops. Takes them out for play. The Lions organization does a segment with him called Walkie-Talkie where he goes around the locker room and interviews his team mates with funny questions.

Nationality: American. Hometown: Chicago, IL.

S/O: Single

Closest to on the team: Timmy Jones and Adam Fox and Logan Tremblay.

Lives With: No one

Rooms With: Adam Fox.

Sits with on the bus/plane: Anyone who wants to CHAT.

Injury: Broken foot, some broken fingers.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: He got his nickname Talker because he never shuts up on the ice. Starts a lot of fights.

Favorite Moment On Team: When Kasey jumped in the fountain.

Superstition: Needs to take a three minute nap between periods. He puts a towel over his head right in his stall and literally falls asleep for three minutes. (James: it’s fucking weird”)

Warm Up Song: Top hits, just needs the background noise.

What the announcers say when he scores: “Goal!!! He just walks right up there, don’t he?”

Sergei Ivanov: (Vans)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 55

Years In The League: 23, Drafted, no college.

Previous Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights.

Description: 40. 5’11”. Light brown-gray hair—was blonde, losing it at the front a little. White. Really stern blue eyes that transform and crinkle when he smiles (but it’s hard to get a real smile out of him, and the boys feel really accomplished when they do).

Nationality: Russian. Hometown: Omsk.

S/O: Anya. They have three daughters: Aleandra (10), Evenlina (8), and Katya (7).

Closest to on the team: Kris Lavolie and Pascal Dumais and James Potter

Lives With: His wife and children.

Rooms With: No one.

Sits with on the bus/plane: Kris Lavolie.

Injury: Shoulder injury

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Loves classical music

Favorite Moment On Team: One of his daughters was born the same night he got his first hat-trick. Some of the team came to the hospital with him.

Superstition: Stops at a Church on his way to the rink everyday for a few quiet moments.

Warm Up Song: He doesn’t have one, he prefers to talk to everyone instead.

What the announcers say when he scores: SERGEI SCORES!

Jackson Nadeau: (Nado)

Position: Left Wing

Number: 58

Years In The League: 8. Went to College but didn’t finish.

Previous Teams: Chicago Blackhawks

Description: 26, 6’0”. Dark brown hair, chin length and straight, blue eyes. White. Is very laid back and a big flirt. Has cheek bones that could kill and a very stark scar running down one of them from a skate in the face.

Nationality: French Canadian. Victoria, Canada.

S/O: Single

Closest to on the team: Evgeni Kuznetsov and Brady Smith

Lives With: Evgeni Kuznetsov

Rooms With: Evgeni Kuznetsov

Sits with on the bus/plane: Evgeni Kuznetsov

Injury: Skate to the face, other minor things.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Rival with Evgeni for most pick ups on the team. Has many tattoos—one full sleeve, working on the other.

Favorite Moment On Team: Probably when Evgeni got traded, he found his best friend.

Superstition: Has a handshake with Evgeni.

Warm Up Song: He won’t tell you up front but Hamilton.

What the announcers say when he scores: Rapidly repeating “Nadeau, Nadeau, Nadeau!!!”

Evgeni Kuznetsov: (Kuny)

Position: Center. Enforcer.

Number: 86

Years In The League: 10. Drafted.

Previous Teams: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres.

Description: 27. 6’4”. Short cropped light brown hair and puppy-dog brown eyes. Has a slightly chipped front left tooth. White. Very heavy Russian accent, doesn’t speak perfect English and uses this fact to get out of interviews. Is very charming. Literally a giant.

Nationality: Russian. Magnitogorsk, Russia.

S/O: Single and ready to mingle—or already does mingle. Excessively.

Closest to on the team: Brady Smith and Jackson Nadeau

Lives With: Jackson Nadeau

Rooms With: Jackson Nadeau

Sits with on the bus/plane: Jackson Nadeau

Injury: Had to have knee surgery.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Will tell you he has the most pick-ups on the team, but it might be Nado. He’s always making jokes in Russian that basically only Sergei and Henrik can understand and Sergei just rolls his eyes while Henrik laughs.

Favorite Moment On Team: He loves team dinners, just hanging out with the guys.

Superstition: Has a handshake with Jackson.

Warm Up Song: BLASTS Russian rap.

What the announcers say when he scores: THE RUSSIAN BEAR STRIKES AGAIN!

Evan Kane: (Kaner)

Position: Right Wing

Number: 51

Years In The League: Two. Went to College at Boston University.

Previous Teams: Calgary Flames.

Description: 23. 5’11”. Tan skin with freckles and brown eyes, black, short hair. Hispanic. Super strong and holds lots of team workout records. The brightest smile. Eyebrows on point. Loves to read, was an English major at school.

Nationality: American. Hometown: Boston, MA.

S/O: His girlfriend, Caroline Hall.

Closest to on the team: Brady Smith and Elias Cook, and Leo Knut

Lives With: His girlfriend.

Rooms With: Brady Smith

Sits with on the bus/plane: Brady Smith

Injury: Nothing major up to date.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Wicked fast. One of the fastest in the League.

Favorite Moment On Team: Probably meeting Pascal Dumais. He’s looked up to his playing style for a long time.

Superstition: Tapes his own sticks, sharpens his own skates.

Warm Up Song: Eminem

What the announcers say when he scores: “Yes he Kane!!!”

Adam Fox: (Foxy, Sexy)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 32.

Years In The League: 19. Drafted.

Previous Teams: New York Islanders.

Description: 36. 6’2”. White. Light brown hair that pushes up at the front and is shaved close at the sides. Blue eyes that will kill you.

Nationality: American. Hometown: Boston, MA.

S/O: Girlfriend, Lucìa Perez.

Closest to on the team: Thomas Walker and Sirius Black

Lives With: His girlfriend.

Rooms With: Thomas Walker

Sits with on the bus/plane: Elias Cook

Injury: Nothing too serious.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Is constantly made fun of for being the prettiest. Ever.

Favorite Moment On Team: Bringing his girlfriend to her first game.

Superstition: Stretches in a certain order.

Warm Up Song: They boys will tell you it’s SexyBack but it’s actually just heavy metal.

What the announcers say when he scores: “A foxy goal!!”

Henrik Sunqvist: (Sunny, Sunshine)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 33

Years In The League: 10. Played in the Swedish league for a while.

Previous Teams: None in the NHL.

Description: 39. 5’11”. Blond hair, cut short, pale blue eyes, white. Warmest smile you’ve ever seen.

Nationality: Swedish. Hometown: Uppsala.

S/O: Linnea Sunqvist, his wife and their daughter and son, Maja (10) and Hugo (11).

Closest to on the team: Evander Bell

Lives With: His wife and family.

Rooms With: No one

Sits with on the bus/plane: Likes to sit alone with a nice audiobook sometimes.

Injury: Nothing major, a few minor concussions

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Almost never fights, but when he does…ouch. Can speak French and Russian.

Favorite Moment On Team: When he gets to morning practice and has coffee with the boys.

Superstition: Has to do a few somersaults in the locker room—we don’t know why.

Warm Up Song: Russian rap—no one knows why/how he knows Russian so well.

What the announcers say when he scores: “The sun is shining on Sunqvist!"

Elias Cook: (Cookie, Crock-pot)

Position: Left Wing

Number: 29

Years In The League: 7. Drafted.

Previous Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs

Description: 25. 5’11”. Hazel eyes, Black hair, baby curls so cute we love the curls.

Nationality: Canadian. Toronto.

S/O: Fiancee, Jamie Barrow.

Closest to on the team: Kasey Winter

Lives With: Jamie.

Rooms With: Olli Halla

Sits with on the bus/plane: Adam Fox

Injury:

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Loves spicy food. Once made Sirius cry by daring him to eat some really spicy dish.

Favorite Moment On Team: Listening to ABBA in the locker room.

Superstition: Does a few laps around the hallways. The press love to try to catch him for interviews while he’s doing this.

Warm Up Song: iSpy, KYLE and Lil Yachty

What the announcers say when he scores: “The stove is HOT for Cook tonight!”

William LeBlanc: (Bluey)

Position: Center

Number: 44

Years In The League: 3. Drafted.

Previous Teams: SKA Saint Petersburg.

Description: 24 6′1″. Brown hair, wavy, green eyes. White. Goes to Russia during his summers.

Nationality: French Canadian. Sherbrooke.

S/O: Single

Closest to on the team: Tyler Wright, Sirius Black.

Lives With: No one

Rooms With: Kris Lavolie

Sits with on the bus/plane: Tyler Wright

Injury: Concussion.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Never learned Russian well, despite playing in the KHL.

Favorite Moment On Team: When Kasey jumped in the fountain.

Superstition: Has to touch all the boys’ names above their stalls

Warm Up Song: Russian rap.

What the announcers say when he scores: LeGOALLLLL

Evander Bell: (Ringer)

Position: Right Wing

Number: 21

Years In The League: 15. Drafted.

Previous Teams: Bruins, Red Wings.

Description: 33. 6’3”. Sandy blond hair and brown eyes. White. Pretty shy, but really kind. Laughs really loudly which then makes himself blush.

Nationality: American. Hometown: L.A.

S/O: His fiancee, Emily.

Closest to on the team: Henrik Sunqvist

Lives With: Emily and his son, Xavier.

Rooms With: None

Sits with on the bus/plane: Likes to sit alone, besides joining the card game.

Injury: Broken wrist.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Can play the guitar and the piano. Is one of the team’s biggest You Can Play ambassadors (Pascal and Sergei are the other two most active). Always goes to the Gryffindor pride parade.

Favorite Moment On Team: The entire locker room singing We Are Never Getting Back Together. Beginning to see hearts on the glass at the team’s You Can Play Night.

Superstition: Wears the same hat and socks.

Warm Up Song: Taylor Swift.

What the announcers say when he scores: “A dead Ringer from Evander Bell!”

Kris Lavolie: (Volley)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 11

Years In The League: 3. Went to University of Michigan.

Previous Teams: None.

Description: 24, 6’1”. Dark hair that’s straight and falls to about his chin, brown eyes. White. Broadly built. Kind and a really good listener.

Nationality: French Canadian. Hometown: Quebec City.

S/O: Single

Closest to on the team: Sergei Ivanov

Lives With: His daughter, Aveline.

Rooms With: William LeBlanc

Sits with on the bus/plane: Sergei Ivanov

Injury: Broken rib.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Kris is a single dad. One of his best friends, Lee, she takes care of his baby girl who is four now while he’s on the road. Sometimes she gets to go stay with Sergei’s family, too. Sergei helps him so much, and he’s thankful for him <3. His daughter’s name is Aveline and he will do ANYTHING for her.

Favorite Moment On Team: Taking his daughter to the Lions’ family skate for the first time.

Superstition: Talk to/call his daughter before every game.

Warm Up Song: XO, Beyoncé

What the announcers say when he scores: “La gooaaaaallll by Lavolie!!”

Tyler Wright: (Wrangler)

Position: Defenseman

Number: 8

Years In The League:

Previous Teams:

Description: 27. 6’2”. Hair that is shoulder length, really dark brown. Blue eyes. Square jaw. Has a bit of a temper on the ice, but is a sweetheart otherwise. Ironically doesn’t like fighting.

Nationality: American. Hometown: Minnesota, Minneapolis.

S/O: His girlfriend, Elsa, who lives in Sweden and is a professional football/soccer player.

Closest to on the team: William LeBlanc

Lives With: No one

Rooms With: No one

Sits with on the bus/plane: William LeBlanc

Injury: Nothing serious.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Has four dachshunds named Puck, Deke, Gordie, and Stanley.

Favorite Moment On Team: Like many, when Kasey jumped into that fountain. “It was just so fuckin’ out of character, you know?”

Superstition: Has to participate in the kick around, and has to kick the ball last with his right foot.

Warm Up Song: Royals, Lorde.

What the announcers say when he scores: “Wright in the net!”

Kasey Winter: (Kase, Blizzard)

Position: Goalie

Number: 30

Years In The League: 8 years. Drafted, no college.

Previous Teams: New York Rangers.

Description: 26. 6’2’’. Light brown hair down to his shoulders. Known for being the most beautiful hair in the league. Softest brown eyes that psych shooters out. Grows a really gorgeous beard whenever the fuck he wants.

Nationality: Canadian. Home town: Ontario, Canada.

S/O: Girlfriend, Natalie Darcy

Closest to on the team: Elias Cook and Kris Lavolie

Lives With: His girlfriend, Natalie.

Rooms With: No one.

Sits with on the bus/plane: Finn O’Hara

Injury: Torn hamstring.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Will have his girlfriend braid his hair for practice sometimes. (“You can say what you want, but keeps it out of my face. Good old boxer braids. It’s where it’s at.”)

Favorite Moment On Team: When the team got to the Conference Finals seven years ago.

Superstition: Has to do stretches in a certain order.

Warm Up Song: Wasabi by Little Mix (Thanks, Natalie)

What the announcers say when he makes a safe: “The Blizzard is blinding!” “It’s a squall!”

Leo Knut: (Nut, Knutty, Peanut, Peanut-butter)

Position: Goalie

Number: 1

Years In The League: His rookie season, so almost one. No college.

Previous Teams: None.

Description: 18. 6’3’’. Dark blond Hair, pretty wavy and falls over his forehead. Blue eyes. Button nose. Blond eyelashes. Cannot grow a beard to save his life.

Nationality: American. Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana.

S/O: None….;)

Closest to on the team: Logan Tremblay and Finn O’Hara and Evan Kane

Lives With: Finn O’Hara

Rooms With: Logan Tremblay

Sits with on the bus/plane: Logan Tremblay

Injury: Nothing major.

Puck Personality Fun Fact: Has a small gray-streaked patch of hair by the front of his head from hitting his head really hard when he was little.

Favorite Moment On Team: Well, the first moment he felt most at home was when the rest of the boys started imitating his accent. Logan is the worst at it, but he does it the most.

Superstition: Not very superstitious…yet.

Warm Up Song: Violet, Bad Suns and Love On Top by Beyoncé

What the announcers say when he saves a puck: “Another nuts save for Knut!” “We’re nuts about Knut!” “Right in the nuts!”

#sweater weather #sweater weather player roster #hockey!au #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar au #wolfstar #sirius x remus #remus x sirius #lumosinlove #lumosinlove ocs #lumosinlove oc #Harry Potter fic #Harry Potter au #writing

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deans-baby-momma · 3 years

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Truth or Dare-Part 9/20

Summary: The Winchester sibling trio has been through so much in the last decade. From the night of their parents’ 30th wedding anniversary party where Sam and Dean eased Y/N from her innocence to Sam becoming a happily married lawyer with a kickass nurse of wife to the three of them now living in the same town they grew up in under the same roof where each of them came of age. Y/N is a working mother of three, her days spent helping the townsfolk make proper and suitable financial decisions while bustling about escorting her two oldest to school and her youngest, Mary Ellen, to daycare; Dean’s garage is the premiere body shop for classic restorations and car maintenance; people from other state’s bring their vehicles to them to be repaired. Business at Winchester Wheels is booming; Sam is the legal council for Winchester Wheels and has been since he moved back home almost 5 years ago. He has his work cut out for him dealing with the people Dean pisses off and threatens to sue the garage on at least a monthly basis.

After one lust-filled night, the siblings become more than family. They become lovers. The three of them, together and separately.

One big loving family.

So when Y/N’s boss calls for her to take a much needed vacation, the six of them hit the road. What will happen? Will it bring them closer together or break them apart?

W/C: 1182

Warnings: fluff, RJ being RJ of course

After a hearty breakfast at Miss Kitty’s Cafe, the three adults repacked and loaded up the rental to get on the road.

As soon as the kids were awake, Isabella and RJ were asking where they were going next which Dean would respond with “I’ll tell you on the way.”

As they are leaving Dodge City KS, and after the millionth inquiry of their next destination, Dean proudly announces, “We are headed to Garden City. I hope you all brought swimsuits because we are going to the Parrot Cove Water Park.”

Sam and Y/N are surprised that their older brother had picked such a typical vacation destination; seeing as they had assumed he had chosen areas and attractions he wanted to see. But Y/N realizes as they are riding along, that not only is Dean the perfect boyfriend and lover but he is an excellent father. He chose a waterpark for the kids to enjoy.

During the two hour drive between Dodge City and Garden City, Sam pulled up all the information he could find on his phone about the aquatic park and read off the details of each attraction and activity. In between their uncle explaining the park, Izabella and RJ would ask, “Are we there yet?”

Upon arrival, they discover that Dean had even called ahead and booked a couple of rooms for 2 whole days! Unfortunately there were not adjoining rooms, so it was decided that the girls would stay in one and the boys would sleep in the other.

RJ was very fond of that idea because he got to spend time with his two favorite guys, his daddy and his uncle. From the time RJ could crawl, he has been all about the two oldest Winchesters. Wherever Sam and Dean were, you could bet RJ wasn’t far away. The boy looked up to his daddy and his uncle.

Once inside the room, Y/N hurries to get Isabella and Mary Ellen into their little swimsuits before slipping into her bikini. She looks in the mirror at herself and smiles, knowing she is going to drive her brothers crazy. She looks damn good in a two-piece. Even after three kids, the only stretch marks on her body were on her boobs and a few on the inside of her thighs, but after almost three years, those lines and streaks were barely visible.

Throwing the bag with their towels, a couple of swim diapers and some snacks over her shoulder, she picked up her baby daughter and reached out for the oldest one’s hand. “Let’s go get to splashing, chick.”

Y/N is sitting at the edge of the kiddy pool, letting Mary Ellen sit in the shallow water when RJ comes running up to her, hugging her and puts his little cold wet hand on her forehead.

“Are you sick Mommy? Do you have a fever?”

“No baby. I’m fine. Why? What makes you think I am sick?”

“Daddy and Unkie Sam said you were hot. That they needed to get you out of your swimsuit,” RJ says, a look of relief on his face.

Y/N looks over her shoulders to see her brothers swimming in the adult pool, staring at her with lust-filled eyes. She blushes but rolls her eyes.

“I’m okay, baby. Daddy and Uncle Sam were just teasing.”

RJ sighs as if the biggest weight has been taken off his little chest. He turns to the big pool and announces, “It’s okay. She’s not hot. She can keep her suit on.”

It was Y/N’s turn to blush as almost all the heads in the vicinity turned to look their way. She looks back at the boys and sees them both laughing but blushing also.

A little while later, Y/N is laid back on a donut float as she drifts along the lazy river that runs along the perimeter of the waterpark when she hears a splash behind her. She opens her eyes and looks to see Dean climbing onto a nearby round tube and paddle his way to her side.

“Hey.”

“Come to check if I have a fever? Got a thermometer to stick in my mouth?” Y/N teases as she takes in the man beside her. He is shirtless with just a pair of blue trunks on and the water droplets are glistening on his skin. The trunks are soaked and pulled taut, leaving hardly anything to the imagination. Y/N’s eyes hone in on the bulge evident but quickly shakes her head and averts her eyes.

“Oh god! I didn’t think he was listening. I’m so sorry,” Dean says with a chuckle. As they float past the main area of the waterpark, they watch Sam as he plays and splash at the two oldest children, while balancing the baby on his hip. Y/N smiles at the sight. ‘Now this is a vacation,’ she thinks to herself.

“With all this exercise, I bet the kids will sleep well tonight,” Y/N says, giving Dean a look that he quickly catches on to.

“Oh yea. They definitely will. Would probably sleep through a tornado, they’ll be so worn out.”

“Good. I really need to catch up on some sleep myself,” she says as they glide along the water surface. “Gotta get as much beauty sleep as I can.”

“Oh shit. Stop that. You know you’re gorgeous,” Dean says as he leans over and kisses her chastely. “Time to go relieve Sammy. Love you.”

“I love you too,” Y/N says as she watches Dean slide off the float and climb out of the water.

That night, just as they speculated, all three kids went down not even five minutes after dinner and baths. Mary and Isabella were snuggled up together in the middle of one of the full size beds in the girls’ room and RJ was snoozing away in his father’s bed.

Y/N, Dean and Sam stood in the hallway just outside the doors that were ajar.

“This has been the best vacation ever,” Y/N declares as she takes a drink of her soda. Alcohol was off limits in this family-oriented motel.

“Well considering this is your first one,” Dean says, laughing. “What do you have to compare it to?”

“Shut up,” she says, pushing on Dean’s shoulder. “You know what I mean. Just getting away and relaxing and doing what we want to do, when we want to do it. Not having to answer to anyone.”

Dean and Sam nod in agreement.

“Well one more day here and then it’s off to another fun-filled spot. Beaver Creek, Colorado better hope they can handle the WInchester gang,” Dean says as he pulls Y/N into a hug and kisses her lips.

“Sweet dreams darling.”

She smiles up at him right before Sam wraps his arms around her from behind and drags her away from his brother.

“Get some sleep Princess.”

Y/N goes to bed that night with a smile on her face and a headful of dreams of green eyes and hazel eyes alike.

@lostinaseaoffictionalbliss @spnbaby-67 @tftumblin @sea040561 @delightfullykrispypeach @larajadeschmidt13 @atc74 @vicariouslythruspn @squirrelnotsam @death-unbecomes-you @sandlee44 @blacktithe7 @hoboal87 @mogaruke @deanwanddamons @onethirstyunicorn @supraveng @deandreamernp @akshi8278

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sarakuper · 4 years

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Santa Marta & Tayrona National Park; the coast of Colombia

Stop #8, January 28-February 5

We arrived in Santa Marta on Tuesday night with little expectation of what Santa Marta had to offer. Blog’s I’ve read had mixed reviews about this city, as were the reviews I heard from friends and other travelers. Either way, we had such an exciting month that took lots of planning up until now, and now we have no plans other than where we are sleeping at night.

We stayed at La Guaca hostel and got a private room. The hostel is really nice and clean and overall just has good vibes! This place quickly became my favorite hostel.

Wednesday was our first full day, and after sleeping in and taking our time with breakfast we headed into town. It turned out to be a really wonderful day. We wandered the streets of Santa Marta, both the touristy and non touristy spots. We picked up fruit and water at the grocery store to help out some of the young Venezuelan refugees in the area. We stopped in a suuuuuuuper hippy dippy cafe that was so beautiful; an entire wall was covered in plants! And, I swear, I recall a waterfall.. and mist spraying from the ceiling. Its so hot here in Santa Marta, the mist was a pleasant surprise! We continued to walk around and then we explored the free gold museum which was actually quite lovely. It showcased the lost golf of the indigenous Taironas. Lastly, we walked along the bay before renting chairs on the beach for the last 2 hours of sunlight. We were continuously asked to buy things from several vendors, but I only said yes to a young pregnant woman selling massages. I’ve been wanting one anyway, and I totally have a soft spot for pregnant women!! She is from Cartagena originally and already has one child, but the competition is too high in Cartagena so they now live in Santa Marta. Once it was over I stripped down to my undies, not expecting to swim today, and went for a dip. Luckily for me I was wearing granny panties so this time my white behind wasn’t blaring at everyone.

About an hour later we starting chatting with the family that rented chairs next to us. They are Colombian, living in Medellin, and are on vacation. It was a husband and wife named Oscar and Elisabeth, and their 18 year old daughter Mariana. The family was immediately welcoming and were really impressed with our Spanish. We talked about our favorite foods in the country and when I mentioned the delicious coconut rice in the caribbean coast, Elisabeth immediately invited me to her house in Medellin to teach me how to cook it. Hers, she says, is way better than any restaurants. :) We ended up hitting it off with this family so well that we exchanged numbers and planned to go to another beach together, the next day.

The next day we met at a bus stop at 11:00am to get on the local bus to Tagana, the neighboring fishing village with their own beach. Once we arrived we chatted with the boat companies at the dock and arranged for a transfer to Playa Grande. The boat ride was about 5 minutes, and we appeared on a blue beach with many other locals and tourists. We spent the day reading, drinking, swimming, and snorkeling with Oscar’s basic snorkel gear. I was so surprised by how many fish there were right along this beach! It was a great day with our new friends, and it was especially enjoyable to experience Santa Marta like locals (from Colombia) instead of gringos :)

For the next day, January 31st, we decided to splurge on a tour to a beach in Tayrona National Park. The park will be closing for the month of February, so unfortunately we won’t have time to explore it. They close every year for one month for restoration, and also so that the indigenous people living there can have time off from the tourists to connect with their roots. Our hostel offers a day trip to one of their many famous beaches, and so thats what we did!

Our early morning transport to Tyrona came at 6am. I slept on most of the journey, but once we finally arrived to the coast we took a boat for about 5 minutes to Playa Crystal. There were more people than I thought there would be, but it was a stunning beach none the less. The water is crystal clear (hence the name), and there was fantastic snorkeling. Sean bought some basic snorkeling gear at the grocery store the night before so we didn’t have to continue paying for rentals. It was a smart move, because even if we don’t take them with us once we leave it still saved us money. We made some friends on this tour as well, a couple from Spain and another Colombian couple that live in England now. We shared the cost of beach chairs in the shade and enjoyed another beautiful day on the beach. This beach was definitely the most beautiful one we were able to visit.

The next day we did absolutely nothing! Well, we actually did a lot of important things, but from bed. We had been so sun kissed and tired from the snorkeling this last week we decided to take the day off! I worked on my Colorado license for teaching, booked our next flights, organized our next hostels, uploaded photos (and worked on my tumblr posts), etc. Sean completed both our applications for a visa extension which was more complicated than it probably should be! He also went food shopping for us, buying lots of guacamole ingredients which I planned to prepare for the Super Bowl. We also both did a ton of Duolingo; we’ve been super into it lately, as its the only Spanish class we have at the moment! It was actually a very productive day, and in the evening we took a taxi to meet our Colombian friends Elisabeth, Oscar, and Mariana, for beers and people watching on a busy strip of beach in Rodadero. We danced, ate, drank, chatted, and really just continued to enjoy each others company!

The next day, Super Bowl Sunday, we slept in, went out for lunch, and then headed back to La Bahia de Santa Marta, the bay of Santa Marta. We met our friends again, swam, played Uno (which they gave us as a gift), and headed back with plenty of time to shower and watch the super-bowl pregame. Did the Super Bowl half time show have a lot of Spanish!? We watched the same show, right!? I thought it was a great coincidence that Shakira was one of the performers, because she is from Colombia! And I also loved how JLo held the Puerto Rican flag during the show. YASSSS QUEEN!

On Monday we finally made it to Sisiguaca, a tiny beach close to Playa Grande in Taganga that the receptionist at the hostel told us about. We took a boat from Taganga beach about 5 minutes to Sisguaca where we shared a small beach with maybe 15 others. We sat in the shade close to the water, relaxed, and snorkeled. At this point our Colombian friends had flown back to Medellin. They invited us to stay in their home whenever we get back to Medellin; we look forward to seeing them again! Anyway, back to Sisiguaca. I ordered my favorite dish, arroz de coco (coconut rice), with a side of patacones at the tiny restaurant along the shore. The snorkeling was fabulous, as was our quiet surroundings. After throwing the nerf football around as the sun began to set, we headed back to Taganga via boat and then bus to Santa Marta.

As per usual, we stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some ingredients for our go-to dinner at “home”... pasta! But by this point we’ve gotten into the habit of buying water and bananas for the Venezuelan refugees seeking help outside the grocery store. Its became part of our routine in Santa Marta. Bottles of water and bananas/some other food is the least we could do and cost very little. The women with their baby girls were always happy to see us, as was this one disabled man that Sean helped out, every time we visited the store.

Next stop is Minca where we plan to stay for 4 nights before coming back to Santa Marta for a flight.

Thanks for reading fam, love you all. <3

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lizwontcry · 5 years

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Big Bang Theory (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sheldon Cooper/Penny Characters: Sheldon Cooper, Penny (Big Bang Theory), Leonard Hofstadter, Amy Farrah Fowler, Bernadette Rostenkowski, Howard Wolowitz Additional Tags: penny being pregnant is utter bullshat, so here is my answer to that Summary:

The baby isn't Leonard's.

While the light is still red, Sheldon leans in and kisses Penny gently. She feels an interesting sensation in her belly as his lips meet with hers, and she is hopeful that there will be a lot more kisses like that in her future.

For Sheldon's fortieth birthday, he and Amy throw a huge party and invite everyone they know. With their Nobel Prize money, they have cash to spend on this affair, which they host at a luxurious mid-century modern beach house in Los Angeles (obviously this was all Amy's idea and Sheldon reluctantly went along with it). Raj mans the grill, providing hot dogs and hamburgers, and there is plenty of alcohol available to enjoy as well--Penny makes sure of that, although she does not imbibe herself--for obvious reasons.

"Are you having fun, Mama?" Bernadette asks Penny, after doing three tequila shots in a row with Amy while Penny watches with increasing jealousy.

"Of course! I love seeing my friends getting drunk and then almost drowning in the pool," Penny says, and Bernie laughs too loudly.

"I'll toast to that!" Amy says, doing one more shot than Penny would have advised.

Kripke and Bert are in the corner of the pool arguing about the season finale of Game of Thrones, and Leonard and Wolowitz are watching some Youtube video of the latest particle physics discovery on the patio, preferring to stay in the shade until absolutely necessary.

Penny is sitting by the side of the pool, surveying the action, happy for her friends and the fun they're having. She is also trying not to think about ruining most of their lives with one small sentence, which will have to be done sooner rather than later.

Sheldon extracts himself from Amy for a few minutes and comes over to sit by Penny. They both put their legs in the water. Penny briefly touches Sheldon's toe with hers, which makes him twitch a little. Penny laughs. She knows how much he hates other people's feet.

"Happy birthday, sweetie. I hope you're having fun."

"It's not the worst party I've ever been to," Sheldon admits. "Although I'd much rather be eating Thai food at home while watching--"

"The new Spiderman Blu-Ray, we all know, babe," Penny says. She loves her weirdo friend.

"Yes, that's correct." Sheldon takes a sip of the spiked lemonade Wolowitz made. Penny does enjoy a semi-drunk Sheldon. That's how they got into this mess in the first place.

"So I suppose you haven't told Leonard yet," Sheldon says, looking across the pool at Leonard, who is now eating a hot dog while playing volleyball with Howard. Penny has never been less attracted to him.

"Oh, yeah, I told him last night and he took it really well. He can't wait to raise your baby and co-parent with you and Amy. He's over the moon."

"Sarcasm?" Sheldon asks.

"Yes, Sheldon. Obviously I haven't told him yet. I wanted to wait until after this party. He's so happy right now--he thinks he's going to be a daddy and he never stops talking about it. This baby was going to give him the chance to raise a child the direct opposite of how his mother raised him."

"Why would he want to do that? Beverly is a perfect mother," Sheldon says, and Penny ignores him.

"Anyway. I'll tell him tomorrow night. Are you ready to stick with the plan? I'm not putting my ass on the line if you're going to chicken out."

For a brief moment, Sheldon puts his arm around Penny and she rests her head on his shoulder. This public display of affection is not a good idea, but nobody is watching them, and Penny can always explain that Sheldon was expressing his newfound happiness for her pregnancy if anyone asks.

"I'm ready. Amy thinks I'm going to a conference in Colorado next week and that's why I've been packing in advance."

Penny nods. "Good. But... you don't have to do this, you know. I realize this isn't how you imagined your life turning out. I can deal with it on my own."

"Of course I know that, Penny. And yes, this is not optimal. I made a vow to Amy and I planned to uphold it for as long as I lived, but things change. Now that I've won the Nobel, I find that I am amenable to other possible outcomes. You are carrying my child, and I am committed to you and the baby. We can make this work."

Penny smiles. "We can. I know we can. Have you figured out how you're going to explain this to your mother yet?"

"No. I can't even picture how she's going to react. There's no telling what Jesus is going to think of my actions but I'm sure I'll find out soon." Sheldon sighs and Penny feels the familiar ache of how their lives are going to change so drastically and how many people it's going to affect. "I have to return to Amy now. You are going to tell him tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Penny promises, dreading every single second leading up to her telling Leonard that she is actually having Sheldon's baby.

"Then I'll be ready tomorrow," Sheldon says, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. He takes his shiny alabaster legs out of the pool and walks away to find his wife. Penny watches him closely. Although she occasionally had feelings for Sheldon in the last 12 years since they've first met, of course she didn't think they'd end up together. But it feels... kind of right? She doesn't love him, exactly. Not yet. She's hoping that will come after all the guilt from cheating on Leonard with his best friend, and taking her best friend's husband from her, has dissipated somewhat. It's right there on the surface--part of her thinks she's been falling in love with him one small moment at a time for a while now--at least ever since they went shopping together and Sheldon came out looking like a snack in that black suit of his. That's when Penny realized he was way more than a socially awkward comic book nerd.

Penny gets in the pool and swims over to Leonard, who offers her half his hot dog, which she takes gratefully--she's eating for two now. Bernadette joins Howard at the volleyball net and they play together, couple against couple, not knowing that there will be one couple less in the next 24 hours or so.

24 HOURS LATER

Telling him now. Meet you outside in hour. - P

Fine. See you then. - S

It’s about 8:13 PM on a Sunday night. They just had dinner--Leonard made a lovely meal of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, which Penny had been craving for a week. Leonard is sitting at his desk, writing a grant proposal (or something, Penny isn’t really paying attention) and listening to a TED talk. In other words, just like every other Sunday night Penny can remember in the last couple years. She has no idea what Sunday nights with Sheldon is going to entail, but she’s definitely ready to find out.

This would all be so much easier if she went with her first plan, which was to leave Leonard a note and never speak to him again. But Sheldon vehemently disagreed with that method and convinced her to tell Leonard the truth in person. Penny hopes Sheldon’s inherent goodness will rub off on her.

“Hon? I have something to tell you,” Penny says. She’s sitting in Sheldon’s spot on the couch.

“One second, let me finish this sentence…” Leonard says. Penny waits at least two minutes before Leonard turns around. “Okay! What’s up? Is the baby kicking again?”

“No, that’s not it. But it does have to do with the baby. Um, remember that night when Sheldon and I went out for some drinks and then I came home and was too drunk to, you know… do it with you?”

“Yes… of course I do. The week before is when we made that baby. And as I recall, we haven’t ‘done it’ since then.”

Penny nods. The ever-present guilt is starting to make her a little queasy. The questions she asks herself over and over, day and night, are stacking up again--how could I do this to him? He loves me so much and I cheated on him. I’m the worst wife ever. And the like. Penny has always known her morals have been questionable. In a way, she’s not even surprised this happened. Her relationship with Leonard was bound to derail eventually, just because she is the way she is. This is what she thinks in her darker moments--most of the time she’s able to at least justify it enough to make the guilt go away for a while. But that’s not happening tonight. Most likely tomorrow she'll wake up and her other dominant feeling will take over--that she deserves this baby, that her marriage has been a disaster from the beginning, that Leonard cheated on her before they even got married... you know, that kind of thing.

“Well. Sheldon and I had a good time that night. We laughed a lot. He drank more than I’ve ever seen him drink. He was telling me about winning the Nobel Prize and Amy and the problems they’re having in their marriage, and I did the same…”

Leonard looks--well, he looks a lot of things. A bit hurt, a bit confused, a bit angry. He’s going to be a lot more of those things in a few minutes.

“Why would you tell him about our issues? We barely even have any. You know I don’t want to go around telling our friends everything.”

Penny resists the urge to roll her eyes. They have plenty of issues that her pregnancy was just going to provide a band-aid for; before she got pregnant they'd fight every couple of days about both the little things and the big things. From how Penny never takes the trash out to how Leonard doesn't want Penny to audition for anything because he thought her acting days were over. They fought about that one a lot.

She doesn't argue with him on this point, though, because she's the one currently at fault here. "I know. But I was drunk, and I was in a mood. Well, something happened. Something you aren’t going to like. I made a mistake. Sheldon and I both made a mistake. When we got in the car to drive back to the apartment, we sort of… ended up in the parking lot of the Pasadena Public Library. And…” Penny doesn’t know how to finish this sentence. It’s so bad. It’s so so bad.

Leonard has started to figure out that his worst nightmare may be coming true at this exact moment. “And what? You checked out some books and went home?”

“No. It was dark and rainy and we were both drunk. One of us kissed the other. Then we got in the backseat and things… happened.”

“What are you telling me, Penny? Because surely you aren’t saying that Sheldon got you pregnant? That would be utterly ridiculous.”

Penny stares at the floor. She’s glad she already moved most of her stuff into the car so she wouldn’t have to stick around much longer. Can she leave now? Does Leonard have all the information yet?

It turns out he has a lot more to say. Penny listens to Leonard yell, and cry, and accuse, and say all the mean things she knows are true. He deserves to let it all out, she thinks. He deserves a better wife, and she deserves a better husband. They were never right for one another--just because they lived across the hall from each other doesn't mean they are soul mates. It just means they lived across the hall from each other.

While he goes on and on, Penny thinks about how she used to love Leonard at one point in her life--it seems like a long time ago, but she wasn’t always dissatisfied and bored with their marriage. She should have done something about it instead of ending up in a backseat with Sheldon, but… it happened. Things can change so quickly.

“I’m going to leave now,” Penny says when Leonard has finally run out of things to say. Leonard doesn’t argue with her. Instead, he ignores her completely, which she actually prefers. She gets her purse and a few other things from her room, and leaves the past behind.

Sheldon is waiting for her in the lobby. They hurry to her car, and once Penny has driven a mile or so, she stops at a red light. She turns to him and is surprised to see that Sheldon is smiling. Like, a real, actual, human smile.

"How did she take it?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. I believe she's writing you several angry texts or emails as we speak." Penny knows there's a lot more to the story, and that Sheldon is devastated in his own way. Amy was the first love of his life. She hates what Amy is about to go through, but there's no turning back now.

"That reminds me..." Penny says. She lowers the window and throws her phone out of it. It lands with a satisfying thud on the road.

Sheldon, without even thinking about it, does the same with his phone. Penny is shocked but delighted.

"This is the new me. The 40-year-old father of a new baby. The 40-year-old husband of Penny. The 40-year-old Nobel Prize winning scientist. I like the sound of that," Sheldon says. Penny laughs. She can fall in love with this Sheldon. This is a much different version of the 20-something she met for the first time who proudly showed her his whiteboards so long ago. This is the man she may, in fact, spend the rest of her life with--and that doesn't scare her or bore her to tears when she thinks about the prospect.

"Let's do this," Penny says. Sheldon nods, and as the light turns green, they drive into their future.

#shenny #I keep writing stuff #fandom #fanfic

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lindoig4 · 5 years

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The Zephyr - 8-10 July

Today, we are leaving San Francisco and boarding the Californian Zephyr for Chicago. I think we slept a bit better last night, maybe the jet lag is starting to lag, but we were still up by about 6am and checked out before seven. As we were checking out, I saw the TV with news of a series of serious earthquakes with a lot of damage and casualties about 300 km from here. We are fine, but I thought the earth moved a little for me at one stage when we were out walking yesterday. Perhaps I wasn’t just imagining it after all.

Our train is called the Californian Zephyr, despite it traversing California, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois!

We walked through a dank and foggy San Fran down the hill to the bus station and in due course were transported across the magnificent kilometres-long Bay Bridge to Emeryville where we caught the train. The bridge is quite wonderful, an engineering masterpiece affording great views of the huge turbid bay and its surrounds with its ships and docks. We even drove across Treasure Island and although I kept an eye out, I never saw Long John Silver (although I did see two Jolly Rogers swinging from the flagstaffs.).

We followed the shore for quite a long way before crossing a very wide area of marshland where I saw a few birds and even identified a couple. For the rest of the day, though, we saw very few birds, all too far away, too small, too fast, too fleeting or just too uncooperative for me to identify. The only ones I did identify were four Canada geese swimming along close to the track when we were travelling very slowly. And the only non-bird animal I saw all day was one lonely white butterfly.

I should make a declaration at this point! I have already run out of superlatives and the next few days make superlatives pretty pathetic anyway. Please just add as many ‘spectaculars’, ‘fantastics’, ‘brilliants’, ‘gorgeouses’ and so on as you can and I will limit my amazement in my comments and retain it primarily in my memory. There simply aren’t words or pictures adequately to describe the wonder of some of the things we saw. But here goes anyway…..

We climbed up into the Cascades and passed through range on range of steep hills and deep valleys, mainly covered by a few varieties of conifers. We transitioned through several landscapes during the day, but after the marshlands, we were very quickly into heavily wooded conifer forest and steep mountains with valleys disappearing into the deep gloom. There were patches of dirty snow hidden among the trees, still laying around almost in the middle of summer and large areas of pristine snow on the mountains a little further from the train. Everything seemed so clean, fresh and green, but no doubt cold as well if it were not for the air-conditioning in the train.

Then we were into open grassland that reached the horizon in all directions with just a few stunted trees scattered about. There were areas that weren’t flat – indeed, where nothing was flat. It was as if a group of giant children had been playing at mud pies and left lumps of dirt and mud everywhere – often mound on mound with one misshapen lump running into the next. It was strange to see such a jumble of small round hillocks crowded one on the other and to wonder how in the world they formed and why they haven’t weathered uniformly.

Further on, we were in desert: large flat grey muddy patches in otherwise brownish-grey scrubby expanses. The bare earth didn’t look sandy. Rather it looked more like dried mud in such a neutral ‘muddy’ colour that it was indefinable. And the scrub was almost the same – dull green that was almost washed out of any colour at all. It was real ‘cowboy country’ that we saw in so many Westerns a hundred years ago. (But wait until tomorrow!)

At dinner time we went through a flooded area, a waterlogged grassland with lots of birds, but again, very hard to identify. I eventually identified several with a reasonable level of confidence – just enough to claim them – but I will talk more about bird identification later.

During dinner, our bunks were set up by our steward (Maclin – a huge friendly black man and a lot of fun) but they took up so much of the cabin space that we virtually had to go to bed. I was in the top bunk and it was quite coffinlike. Not a lot of room between the bunk and the ceiling and I recalled a lot of the Edgar Allan Poe horror stories I read as a teenager about being buried alive or confined in small caves, etc. The mattresses were rock-hard and we slept very badly with aches and pains, perpetually either too hot or too cold, but we survived the night. We had a very long stop in Salt Lake City in the middle of the night so on our first day, we had crossed California, Nevada, Colorado and half of Utah.

We were up early next day and looking out, I immediately saw some antelope – about 20 or so in singles and several small groups. I also saw a jack rabbit just outside the window on one of our stops. There were lots of stops, some for small stations, but also for traffic reasons. They had some extreme heat here recently and there was an amazing rain storm and a couple of hours of continuous(!), completely uninterrupted(!!), lightning on our second night combined with signal problems around Denver and an escaped alpaca on the tracks later on – all contributing to our trip being exactly 7 hours longer than expected. The slow progress due to the heat risk and rainstorm resulted in the crew being over their maximum legal stretch of shift so we sat at one little siding for a long time until a fresh crew arrived from another station to relieve them. The end result was that instead of arriving in Chicago at 2:10pm, we arrived long after dark sharp on 9:10 in the evening.

In the daylight, Utah was really iconic cowboy country. Nothing seemed quite as big and grand as Monument Valley, but all the features were there, just a bit more crowded and closer together. Massive buttes and mesas, unbelievably jagged and craggy rocks, every conceivable structure. Buttes and long ranges of hard rock with precipitous cliffs falling to great triangles of scree around the base – typical Western badlands landscapes and impressive beyond words. We sat agape, staring out the windows, clicking frantically on our cameras as each more magnificent vista paraded in front of us. Did I say ‘Spectacular!’?

Then there was the Canyon country. We traversed two very long canyons beside the Colorado and Fraser Rivers with towering cliffs on both sides, incredibly rugged, with the rivers roaring past – the Colorado hurtling westward to the Grand Canyon and the Fraser racing eastward to the Mississippi. The speed of the rivers was breathtaking, especially after an apparently extremely wet season, and the rapids were awesome – many turgid Category 4s and 5s. We saw hundreds of canoeists and rafters – and one long stretch of the Colorado is nick-named Moon River – due to the long-established routine of the rafters ‘mooning’ the train as it passes. We saw an awful lot of (awful) bums over maybe 100km.

We were now well into the Rockies and again, words fail me. I never imagined I wold see them and they are not quite what (or where) I imagined, but maybe even more spectacular. Towering mountains, craggy rocks everywhere, plenty of snow-caps not too far away. Quite an awesome journey, but equally impossible to describe. Imagine as much as you can and double it – and then again a few more times!

We continued eastward through Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, all less awesome, but still fascinating. Gigantic swathes of corn fields – enough to feed the entire world surely – truck farms and increasing industrialisation as we approached our destination. Many little towns, all amazingly neat and symmetrical, quite quaint in many cases, but with little to separate them from their neighbours. Lots of silos, some for corn, but mainly for silage – in goes mountains of grass, it ferments and out comes astronomical volumes of stockfeed.

Because we were running so late, they had to provide an extra meal on the train (everyone got beef stew and veges for that one). The food was generally very good with about 6 choices for each meal (the same set of 6 each day) and a fair choice of alcohol that we had to pay for. Staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful – maybe with an eye on their anticipated tips, but they seemed genuine enough. Tipping is alien to us, of course, but we did what we thought reasonable and hope we didn’t offend anyone or appear too stupid to them.

Chicago at last and a cab ride to the hotel where we checked in and slept in much more comfort than the hard mattresses on the train.

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purplesurveys · 5 years

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469

What were you doing an hour ago? I was driving home from UP. I wanted to stay longer since I hadn’t been to school in a month and I missed the environment, but I also wanted to beat the traffic so I drove out by like 4 PM. When did you get up today? 3 AM. I had a calltime of 6 AM for my internship (we ran a media event today) and whenever I have a ridiculously early calltime, I always make myself wake up a couple of hours beforehand so that I have time to actually wake up and not end up cranky. I dunno if that makes sense but it works for me. Is there anyone that could make your day if they showed up at your house? Right now not really. I’d rather have my me time for the rest of the day haha. Do you live west of Ohio? Nope. Do you live east of Colorado? Anddddd nope.

Does your middle name begin with a A, M, or S? My maiden name starts with an A. How old was the last person you rode in a car with? I last rode a van with a bunch of journalists who probably ranged from 20 to 30 somethings. What color was the last vehicle you were in? It was white. Do you have big plans for the weekend? Not big but I’ll be pretty busy this weekend. Saturday morning I’ll be part of a journalism workshop hosted by my org, followed by Pride March in the afternoon. By Sunday, I’ll be ushering in my university’s graduation because I want to see my good friends who will be graduating :’( How many of your top friends have tattoos? How long have you lived at your current residence? 11 years this August. How long has your ex been your ex? She was my ex for around six months before we got back together. When was the last time you were up at 5am? Today. Ugh. Have you ever kissed your #4? What was the last movie you saw in theaters and who did you go with? Rainbow’s Sunset, with Gabie. When was the last time you went bowling? Not sure, but it was the earlier half of 2019. How about swimming? Start of June. Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? No. The Eiffel Tower? No. The Great Wall of China? No. When you go fishing, do you make someone else get the fish off the hook? I don’t go fishing. How old were you in 1999? A year. How many funerals have you been to this year? None, and my parents don’t make us go to funerals anyway. But more than that, fortunately no one we know has died this year so that’s a better reason why I haven’t gone to one lol. When was the last time you spent a night stargazing? Yikes. I don’t really get to do that in the city... Are you taller than 5'6"? Hahahaha, nope. No one in my immediate family got the height gene. What was the last thing you cooked? HAHAHA Who were the last three people to call you? Gabie, my mom. They’re the only people I’d answer a call for, plus Angela. What were you doing last night at 10 PM? I was finishing up my late late dinner before heading to bed. Did you go to daycare when you were little? Not a daycare, but my mom used to take me to Sta. Lucia and would leave me in an indoor kiddie playground service while she would do the groceries. I have very hazy memories of it, but they’re memories that I remember nonetheless and I’m glad to see that the place is still standing strong with the same logo and same setup. Do you have a favorite pillow you always sleep with? Nah. I just need a pillow that I use for hugging and I can fall asleep fast. When was the last time you slept in someone else's bed? Last Friday. Are there any candles in the room you're in? Yep, but I don’t think we’ve ever used them. My mom probs just wants them around for decor. If you turn around, what is behind you? A window and a pair of curtains. Would you dye your hair hot pink for $50? I’d need to be paid much more for that hahaha. Have you ever had someone like you that you didn't like back? A little bit, yeah. Do you know what you'd have been named had you been born the opposite sex? No. My parents said they never thought about that chance. Do you have any step or half siblings? I don’t. What is your profile song right now? OMG, ok so this isn’t a thing anymore but I used to be OBSESSED with embedding playlists onto my blogs. One song I can sharply remember putting on my Multiply account was Rihanna’s Rude Boy WHEN I WAS 11. No idea what it had been about but it was bopping hard as fuuuuuck, so off to my blog it went. What is your #1's profile song? How many people have you kissed in the last 48 hours? Just one. The last week? All the same. The last month? Stilllll the one. Do you regret any of them? No. What would you do if your #2 showed up on your doorstep this very minute? If you switch 'e' with 'a', 'n' with 'c', & 'l' with 'x' what's your name? Robyc? When is the next time you will see your #3? Would you ever visit a nude beach? For funsies, sure. When was the last time someone gave you a compliment? I don’t remember. Maybe during the weekend. Do you take any prescription meds? I don’t. What happens if you don't take them? What color is your underwear? Yellow. Who was the last person you dreamt about? I don’t remember most of my dreams. Where did you get the shirt you are wearing? I’m pretty sure it’s a hand-me-down from my mom. Where was the last place you spent more than $50? I never spend that much in one go. Where is your favorite place to be kissed other than the usual place? Hair, neck, shoulders.

Do you hate getting hickeys? Noooooooooooo. Who was the last person to hug you? Kim, when he left earlier. Are there any buttons on the clothes you're wearing? No buttons. How about zippers? Nope. What percent of your day includes music? Probably like 30%. It’s part of my drive going to and from home. Have you had any fruit today? As surprising as it sounds, yeah. We had a buffet for lunch earlier and one of the dishes was fish fillet topped with mango. Now I hate fruits, but I didn’t have breakfast today and I was hungry and willing to eat ANYTHING. Who is on your mind right now? No one. Just thinking about how hungry I am now lmao. Are your fingernails painted? Never are. Do you keep a diary/journal? I treat this as one so I’ll count this as one, so yes. In how many years will you be thirty? Nine years. I’m gonna be enjoying my 20s for a while. Do you set your marshmallows on fire when you roast them? I don’t really get the chance to roast them. Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened? Sweetened. Have you ever dated someone whose name began with 'D'? Their surname starts with a D. Have you ever kissed someone whose name began with 'K'? No. Have you ever hugged someone whose name began with 'E'? Nope.

What scent is your favorite perfume/cologne? It’s sweet and fruity. Have you showered today? Yes, the first thing I did this morning. When was the last time you took a nap? Mmmmmm it’s been a while. I think it was two Saturdays ago. What are you plans after this? More surveys. Got out of work early today so I wanna take advantage of the free time haha.

#survey #surveys

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lovemesomesurveys · 5 years

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What were you doing an hour ago? Eating a pesto pasta Healthy Choice meal. When did you get up today? 7:20AM.

Is there anyone that could make your day if they showed up at your house? No.

Do you live west of Ohio? Yes.

Do you live east of Colorado? No.

Does your middle name begin with a A, M, or S? Yes.

How old was the last person you rode in a car with? 54, 57, and 20.

What color was the last vehicle you were in? A brown Honda.

Do you have big plans for the weekend? Weekend is over, but I actually got out and did some stuff. I saw Dark Phoenix Saturday and today we went out for breakfast for Father’s Day and then my mom and I went grocery shopping at Walmart.

How many of your top friends have tattoos? Myspace is deadddd.

How long have you lived at your current residence? Almost 10 years.

How long has your ex been your ex? I technically only have one ex and we’ve been broken up for well over 10 years.

When was the last time you were up at 5am? Today.

Have you ever kissed your #4?

What was the last movie you saw in theaters and who did you go with? I saw Dark Phoenix with my parents and brother.

When was the last time you went bowling? Uhh like 2009.

How about swimming? 2013.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? No.

The Eiffel Tower? No.

The Great Wall of China? No.

When you go fishing, do you make someone else get the fish off the hook? I don’t go fishing.

How old were you in 1999? 9, turning 10 that July.

How many funerals have you been to this year? Zero.

When was the last time you spent a night stargazing? I’ve never done that.

Are you taller than 5'6"? I’m about 5′4.

What was the last thing you cooked? I microwaved a TV dinner thing earlier.

Who were the last three people to call you? Mom, dad, brother.

What were you doing last night at 10pm? Probably surveys.

Did you go to daycare when you were little? No.

Do you have a favorite pillow you always sleep with? I have like 6 pillows on my bed, but I only use 1.

When was the last time you slept in someone else’s bed? A couple years ago.

Are there any candles in the room you’re in? Yes.

If you turn around, what is behind you? Back pillow, headboard, wall.

Would you dye your hair hot pink for $50? 50 bucks? Nah.

Have you ever had someone like you that you didn’t like back? Yes.

Do you usually fall for people who also fall for you? Haaaa. Nope.

Do you know what you’d have been named had you been born the opposite sex? No.

Do you have any step or half siblings? I have a half brother, but we never have referred to each other as such.

What is your profile song right now? -

What is your #1’s profile song? -

How many people have you kissed in the last 48 hours? Zero.

The last week? Zero.

The last month? Zero.

Do you regret any of them?

What would you do if your #2 showed up on your doorstep this very minute? -

If you switch ‘e’ with 'a’, 'n’ with 'c’, & 'l’ with 'x’ what’s your name? Staphecxa. Interesting.

When is the next time you will see your #3? -

Would you ever visit a nude beach? No.

When was the last time someone gave you a compliment? I don’t recall.

Do you take any prescription meds? Yes.

What happens if you don’t take them? I’d be in a lot of pain.

What color is your underwear? Red.

Who was the last person you dreamt about? I had a really random dream about a few random people last night.

Where did you get the shirt you are wearing? Hot Topic.

Where was the last place you spent more than $50? Boxlunch.

Where is your favorite place to be kissed other than the usual place? Neck.

Do you hate getting hickeys? I’ve never been given one.

Who was the last person to hug you? My mom.

Are there any buttons on the clothes you’re wearing? No.

How about zippers? No.

What percent of your day includes music? I don’t listen to music everyday, so it really just varies.

Have you had any fruit today? No.

Who is on your mind right now? My back hurting.

Are your fingernails painted? No.

Do you keep a diary/journal? This is it.

In how many years will you be thirty? I’ll be turning 30 next month.,.. D:

Do you set your marshmallows on fire when you roast them? I’ve never roasted marshmallows, actually. My S’mores have been made in a microwave, ha.

Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened? Sweetened.

Have you ever dated someone who’s name began with ’D’? Yes.

Have you ever kissed someone who’s name began with 'K’? No.

Have you ever hugged someone who’s name began with 'E’? Yeah.

What scent is your favorite perfume/cologne? Patchouli or fruity, sweet scents for perfumes, sandalwood and cedarwood.

Have you showered today? No, I did last night.

If you went on a blind date, and it turned out to be your ex, you would? Run.

When was the last time you took a nap? Earlier.

What are you plans after this? Another survey.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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inmyblindspot · 6 years

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the record room (jane/kurt fanfic)

It started that first night, the night she came home.

After they’d each caught their breath and blinked away their tears, Jane set her bag down beside the couch and they stood awkwardly in the living room before they both spoke at the same time.

“Do you—“

“Maybe we should—“

They both stopped and chuckled, shaking their heads as they offered each other a small smile. They were quiet again for a moment but somehow, the awkwardness was fading as they found comfort in being together, in their home.

“This is pretty,” Jane finally said, nodding towards the record room where the faint sounds of the music he’d been listening to was coming from. “What is it?”

He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her with a shrug.

“Sarah sent it to me a while ago,” he said. “Finally got around to putting it on.”

Jane nodded and shrugged off her jacket, laying it over the arm of the couch.

“Maybe...” she glanced around and then back at him. “Maybe, we can just have a drink and listen for a while?” she suggested and Kurt couldn’t help the deep sigh of relief he let out.

They both knew they had a lot to talk about, a lot to work through. And they knew they would. But tonight they could just take a breath and find some peace with each other.

“Yeah,” Kurt said softly, nodding as he walked towards the kitchen to get a glass for her. “I’d like that.”

He followed her into the record room, watching as she sat down on the foot stool, leaning back against the doorway. He reached for the bottle of Scotch on the shelf and filled her glass, handing it to her before sitting back down in the chair.

They sat quietly, sipping their drinks, listening to the music together, glancing over at each other every so often. It was during the brief break between songs when she surprised him, reaching over and resting her hand on his knee.

He stared at it for a moment before hesitantly covering it with his own, his breath catching in his throat as he felt her fingers curl around his.

“I’m really glad you came home,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he blinked back his tears. She swallowed thickly and nodded, tightening her grasp on his hand.

The next song started up and they both glanced over at the record player before she turned back towards him, her eyes soft.

“Me too,” she whispered, keeping her hand in his. “Me too.”

***

It was a few nights later when they were finally able to get home in time to make dinner together. Kurt had picked up the ingredients for his Thai curry, having figured out a vegan version that they could both enjoy a few months earlier.

He had gotten started in the kitchen while Jane had disappeared into their bedroom to take a quick shower and change. He heard the shower turn off and poured them each a glass of wine as he went back to chopping.

It was when he heard the music flow in from the record room that he turned around and saw her rounding the corner, her hair wet and cheeks flushed from her shower.

She wore a soft smile on her lips as she sat down at the counter, reaching for one of the glasses and taking a sip of wine.

“Need any help?” she offered and he returned her smile, shaking his head as he glanced back down at his cutting board.

“I’m good,” he said, chopping the last few of the vegetables before he reached for the package of tofu. “Just glad to have your company,” he said and she smiled, resting her cheek on her hand as she watched him work. “And a few tunes,” he added, nodding past her.

She glanced over her shoulder towards the record room and then back at him, shrugging her shoulders.

“Thought it would be nice,” she said and he nodded, briefly turning towards the stove before he turned back around towards her.

“It is,” he agreed, glancing up at her with a brief smile before returning his eyes to the tofu. “Really nice.”

***

It was the middle of the day on Saturday, a week after Jane had moved back in, and they were snowed in.

It had started snowing the previous afternoon and they had made it home from the office just before the city started to shut down, enjoying a quiet dinner and calling it an early night.

They’d had a leisurely morning, making breakfast, sitting at the counter together as they ate and each read a bit of news. Jane grinned when she saw Kurt’s phone light up with a Skype call from Bethany and they both leaned in to chat with her.

She had to blink back her tears as Bethany proudly held up the pictures she had drawn for them that week. In each one, Bethany had drawn herself, standing between Jane and Kurt, holding on to each of their hands as they did different activities – going to the park, visiting the zoo, and, her favorite one, doing yoga. Or “yoya” as Bethany called it.

Jane smiled as she felt Kurt hand rest on her back, gently rubbing her shoulder blade as she cleared her throat and complimented Bethany on each picture, telling her that she couldn’t wait for their visit in a couple of weeks . They said goodbye as Allie called for Bethany to get ready for her swimming lessons and she waved goodbye, blowing a kiss to them before hanging up.

Jane chuckled as Kurt set down his phone and she wiped at the corners of her eyes as she smiled at him.

“I miss her,” she said quietly and he nodded, resting his hand on her knee for a moment before giving it a gentle squeeze.

He’d visited Colorado once without her and it had been one of the hardest parts of their separation. He knew Jane had called Bethany on Skype a couple of times during their time apart and he was glad and grateful for that, but being there without her had made him picture what a future without her would be like. And he hadn’t liked what he pictured.

“We’ll be there in a couple of weeks,” he promised, breathing a sigh of relief as he said it and she nodded, resting her hand atop his.

They moved into the record room shortly afterwards, bringing fresh cups of coffee with them as they settled in on the carpet and pulled out a few records. They took turns choosing records, listening to them as they sipped their coffee and watched the snow fall outside.

One song ended and another started up as Kurt stood up, setting his coffee cup down on the shelf. He reached for Jane’s, setting it down beside his and then extended his hand to her. She stared at it for a moment before placing her hand in his and allowing him to help her up.

Her lips curved up into a smile as he gently wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her other hand against his chest. She stepped forward, folding herself into his chest as he gently swayed them back and forth to the music.

“I missed this,” he murmured into her hair, his arm tightening around her waist and she tilted her head back to look up at him, raising her eyebrows in confusion. They hadn’t really ever danced very much.

“Dancing?” she asked and he chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

“Holding you,” he whispered and she took a deep breath, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks.

He waited for her to pull back, for her to tilt her head back down or turn to glance out the window. But she didn’t. Instead, she leaned closer, her nose brushing his as she lifted her chin and gently pressed her lips to his.

Their kiss was soft and sweet and tender but not hesitant or awkward. There was a comfort in it, in knowing that this was where they belonged and they were finding their way back there.

Jane smiled and chuckled as they pulled apart, resting her cheek against Kurt’s shoulder as he pulled her closer. The song ended and the next one started but neither of them made any move to pull apart.

“Maybe we should dance a little more often,” he said quietly and her smile grew as she nodded, keeping her cheek against his chest.

“I’d like that.”

***

He woke up to find her side of the bed empty and frowned, lifting his head to see if she was in the bathroom. But he saw the door wide open and it was dark and empty. He glanced over at the clock – it was just after 4am.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he pushed himself up and set out in search of her, pushing away the flash of worry he felt in the back of his mind.

He didn’t have to look far, he found her curled up in the chair in the record room, the blanket from the couch draped over her. He frowned as he saw the box of tissues in her lap and the small wastebasket she’d pulled in from the bathroom on the floor beside the chair.

He sat down on the footstool and gently reached out, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

“Mmmmm,” she murmured, shifting in the chair as she stirred awake. He kept his hand against her forehead for a moment, frowning as he felt her warmer-than-usual skin and then rested his hand against her neck, cupping her jaw.

“You ok?” he asked quietly and her eyes fluttered open as she gave him a small nod. But her warm skin, glassy eyes and red nose told a different story. “Why’d you come out here?”

“Didn’t want to wake you with my sniffling and coughing,” she said quietly, her voice scratchy and stuffy. “Or worse, get you sick too.”

He shook his head and moved the box of tissues to the side, wrapping one arm around her waist and hooking his other under her knees. He had her scooped up in his arms before she could protest, marching back towards their bedroom.

“You need to be in bed,” he muttered as he stepped into the hallway and he knew she really must be feeling rotten when she didn’t bother to argue, instead resting her head against his shoulder as he carried her.

She’d almost dozed off again as he laid her down in bed, pulling the covers up over her shoulders before he headed back into the hallway. He stopped in the kitchen, putting on the kettle before he collected the box of tissues and the wastebasket she’d had in the record room, taking them back to their bedroom. He set the tissues down on her bedside table and the wastebasket on the floor and sat down on the side of the bed.

He watched her for a few minutes, reaching out and brushing her hair off her face before he heard the whistle of the kettle and rushed back to the kitchen to pull it off the stove before it woke her. But she was sitting up in bed, propped up against a few pillows when he returned.

“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile and she chuckled, shaking her head. “Here, have this, I put a little honey in it,” he said, handing her the hot mug he was carrying. She nodded and accepted it, gently blowing on the hot liquid before she took a few sips.

She handed him back the mug after a few minutes, leaning back against her pillows as he set it down on her bedside table.

“You’re quite the nursemaid,” she quipped, keeping her eyes closed as her lips curved up into a smile. He chuckled and shrugged, resting his hand on her knee as she let out a few coughs. “We should try to get a couple more hours of sleep before we have to go to work.”

He raised his eyebrows at her and shook his head, even though her eyes were still closed.

“Uh, we are not going anywhere,” he said, standing up and walking around to the other side of the bed. “You’re staying in bed today. And I’m staying home to take care of you.”

Jane started to protest but had to pause for a small coughing fit, punctuating it with a series of sneezes and then blowing her nose twice.

“I rest my case,” Kurt said, turning off the light before he slid back into bed beside her.

“Fine,” she relented, too exhausted and sick to put up much of an argument. “I’ll stay but you’re going,” she insisted, holding up her hands when he started to argue. “Forget it, there’s no reason for you to stay here and I’ll just get you sick too. You shouldn’t even be in here with me...”

He chuckled and shuffled closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist as he pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling at her grumble of disapproval, even as she curled herself into his chest.

“Just rest,” he whispered, pulling her closer as he rested his chin on top of her head. He took a deep breath, remembering what it was like to have her in his arms again. “I’m fine...perfectly fine.”

***

It was two weeks later when he found her asleep in the record room again. But this time, she hadn’t snuck out of bed in the middle of the night to spare him from her cold. He was arriving home after midnight on a Friday night.

He sighed as he saw her curled up, an empty glass of wine on the small side table and the blanket tucked up under her chin. He quietly made his way into the room, sitting down opposite her as he reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek.

She stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open and she smiled as she saw him.

“You’re home,” she whispered, sitting up slightly. “I’m glad.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, shaking his head as he rubbed his hands over his face. “I ruined our night.”

She had surprised him a couple of days earlier with tickets to a concert that night. One of the bands that they’d been listening to a lot lately was playing a show at a club not far from their apartment. They’d planned to go for dinner first, to one of their favorite restaurants, and then to the concert.

It would be their first “date night” in ages and she’d hoped it would be something fun and carefree and special for them. And it would also be celebrating something they’d been enjoying a lot together lately, something that had become part of their reunion – music.

But it hadn’t been meant to be, as one of Kurt’s old cases had come back up and he’d been called in to consult on it. Jane had waited at the office for him for a while, hoping they could still make their dinner reservation, before he’d poked his head out and told her to head home.

“I’ll hopefully be out of here soon,” he said, biting his lip. “I can swing by the apartment to get you on the way, no sense in you waiting around here.”

She’d begrudgingly agreed and gone home, taking advantage of the time to shower and change and wait for him. She quickly realized they would not make their dinner reservation and cancelled it, but held out hope for them to still make the concert.

But that hope soon faded too as the text came that he was being pulled into another meeting on the case.

Now, as she sat up, reaching out to rest her hands on his shoulders, she could see how upset he was.

“Hey,” she said softly, reaching up and cupping his cheek in her hand. “Stop that, it’s okay, there will be other concerts,” she reassured him but he shook his head, resting his hands on her knees.

“You went to all this trouble and I made us miss everything,” he muttered and she chuckled, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“It wasn’t any trouble,” she murmured, pressing another kiss to his temple. “Everything OK at work?”

He sighed and nodded, offering her a small smile as he took a deep breath.

“It’s fine,” he assured her and she nodded, gently brushing her thumbs against his jaw. They were quiet for a moment before she leaned in, kissing him.

It started soft and tender, as all of their kisses had been lately, but after a moment, she deepened it, leaning forward as she hooked her arms around his neck. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist as she shifted forward, crawling into his lap, her lips never leaving his.

It didn’t take long for them to start pulling at each other’s clothes, his hands pushing her T-shirt up her torso as her fingers worked on the buttons on his shirt. After a moment, they pulled apart, gasping for air as they grinned at each other.

Jane pushed Kurt’s shirt off his shoulders before lifting her arms up for him to pull her T-shirt over her head. He tossed it behind her and she leaned down again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her lips returned to his.

“I miss you,” she murmured against his lips, her fingers raking through his hair as she pressed herself against him. He groaned, his hands sliding down her back until they reached her backside, pulling her closer as he bit at her bottom lip.

He noticed her use of the present tense – miss, not missed. They had found their way back to each other in so many ways, but not this way yet.

“I’m here,” he whispered, pushing forward as she leaned back, falling back into the chair that she’d been sleeping in earlier as she pulled him on top of her. She held his face in her hands as he hovered over her, bracing himself on the arms of the chair.

“I’m here too,” she said, finding his eyes with hers. He held her gaze for a moment, nodding as he leaned down and kissed her again, smiling against her lips as she wrapped her whole body around his.

He hooked one arm around her waist as he pushed himself up with the other, pulling her with him as he stood up. She let out a giggle against his lips as he moved towards the doorway, carrying her with him and he tore his lips away from hers, raising his eyebrows at her.

“Something funny?” he teased and she grinned at him, biting her lip as he walked them down the hallway and around the corner into their bedroom.

“Just happy,” she said, letting out a surprised squeak as he tripped over something and fell forward onto their bed, landing on top of her. They both burst out laughing before Kurt leaned down, kissing her again before propping himself up on either side of her as she gazed up at him.

She took his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs against his cheeks as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I love you,” she whispered and his lips curved into a smile as he opened his eyes and found hers.

“I love you,” he echoed, leaning down to kiss her again, grinning against her lips as she folded her body around his, pulling him closer to her.

“I want you,” she whispered in his ear and he nodded, his hands sliding down her sides to rest at her hips. He lifted his head, kissing her again before resting his forehead against hers.

“You have me,” he promised her. “Always.”

#blindspot #jeller #blindspot fanfic #writing: mine

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beautyindisguise00 · 4 years

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WHAT’S THE BIGGEST SURPRISE YOU’VE EVER HAD?

Friday night October 16 2020 @5:50pm

1. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Wisconsin

2. WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND FOR HOW LONG? i’ve been in wisconsin my whole life of 24 years. lived in my hometown all the way til i moved to college. after i finished college i decided to stay in the town i went to college in for work purposes

3. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE? the different options around town of where to shop, eat, and other fun things to do

4. WHAT DID YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THE TOWN YOU GREW UP IN? the lake. i love the fact that the lake was only a 5 minute drive and i was able to go there whenever i wanted. but also, the memories of the town.

5. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? not anymore

6. WHAT WAS YOUR 1ST PET’S NAME? thumperlina for my big fat brown bunny

7. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? fall

8. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? i watch a lot of movies so i dont really have a favorite

9. FAVORITE MOVIE IN THE PAST 5 YEARS? avengers infinity war. avengars endgame, crazy rich asians, knives out, and maleficent 1 and 2

10. WHAT’S A MOVIE THAT YOU LAUGHED THE HARDEST DURING? ouf, i dont remember

11. WHAT’S A MOVIE YOU CRIED THE HARDEST DURING? avengars, crazy rich, and also while you were sleeping but that’s a drama

12. WHAT’S THE BEST-ANIMATED MOVIE EVER CREATED? the good dinosaur

13. FAVORITE TV SHOW? my two all-time favorites are one tree hill and the office

14. FAVORITE TV SHOW THAT IS CURRENTLY ON? chicago pd and fire

15. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? olive garden?

16. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? chicken alfredo, really good sushi, fried rice, curry

17. LEAST FAVORITE FOOD? any seafood --> shrimp, oysters, clams

18. WHAT TOPPINGS DO YOU GET ON YOUR PIZZA? pineapple and ham. hahaha yes, im that kind of person

19. FAVORITE BEVERAGE? coffee, strawberry lemondae

20. FAVORITE DESSERT? cheesecake or red velvet cake

21. IS THERE A DESSERT YOU DON’T LIKE? pumpkin pie

22. CAKE OR PIE? cake!

23. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? mackinaw island fudge, mint chocolate chip, strawberry cheesecake

24. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CONDIMENT? honey mustard

25. WHAT DO YOU GET FOR BRUNCH? crepes with nutella and strawberries

26. IT’S 4 AM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, WHAT DO YOU EAT? fried noodles with two poached eggs

27. WHAT ONE THING DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR FRIDGE AT ANY GIVEN TIME? eggs

28. WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE EVER EATEN? duck and this one indian thing i dont remember

29. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BAND? one direction and tenth avenue north

30. FAVORITE SOLO ARTIST? liam payne, harry styles, niall horan, louis tomlinson, zayn malik. hahaha and ed sheeran, halsey,

31. FAVORITE NONLIVING MUSICIAN? --

32. FAVORITE LYRICS? “and if the whole world was watching, i’d still dance with you” “baby im falling. head over heels. looking for ways to let you know just how i feel”

33. FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME? theres no way i could choose

34. FAVORITE ALBUM? again ^^

35. WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? currently singing like to the “while you were sleeping” ost right now “it’s you” by henry

36. IF YOUR LIFE WERE A SONG WHAT WOULD THE TITLE BE? beauty in disguise

37. WHAT SONG WOULD YOU PROBABLY BE CAUGHT DANCING ALONE TO? any of my current favorites right now

38. IF YOU COULD SING A DUET WITH SOMEBODY WHO WOULD IT BE? halsey. that would be so cool

39. IF YOU COULD MASTER ONE INSTRUMENT WHAT WOULD IT BE? guitar

40. WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO KARAOKE SONG? ugh, i hate karaoke

41. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING OR THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? probably back when i was rereading one of the “to all the boys i’ve loved” trilogy

42. WHAT’S A BOOK THAT YOU PLAN ON READING? prayer by tim keller. i just ordered it online and it should be coming in on monday

43. WHAT’S A BOOK THAT YOU READ BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE WAS READING IT? twilight series. haha

44. WHAT’S A BOOK THAT YOU READ IN SCHOOL THAT POSITIVELY SHAPED YOU? mhmm...i dont remember. not that it posititive shaped me but the great gatsby was really interesting. also, when i was student teaching, i read number the stars with my kids and it was a great historical fiction book to read

45. WHAT’S A BOOK IN SCHOOL THAT YOU HATED? i didnt hate it, but there was this one book we read in ap lit and as a project, my friends made the movie version of it

46. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? to all the boys trilogies

47. WHAT’S A BOOK YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN? ^^

48. DARK CHOCOLATE OR MILK CHOCOLATE? i like both but if i had to choose, then dark

49. UNDERWATER OR OUTER SPACE? underwater like in a submarine or something were i knew i was safe

50. DOGS OR CATS? dogs for sure

51. KITTENS OR PUPPIES? ohh, puppies of course

52. DOLPHINS OR KOALAS? dolphins! i really wanted to swim with dolphins when i was in florida but it didnt work out in our schedule

53. BIRD WATCHING OR WHALE WATCHING? whale watching

54. WHAT IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL? i dont really know. probably a sea otter. haha theyre so chill and they stick around with their peeps

55. TO BE OR NOT TO BE? aint that the question to be answered

56. IPHONE OR ANDROID? iphone

57. TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM? insta

58. VINE OR SNAPCHAT? snap. i never had a vine but i remember watching a few vines. well i guess tik tok is the new vine now

59. WHO SHOULD EVERYONE BE FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW? Jesus. haha kidding not kidding

60. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE APP? WEBSITE? probably youtube

61. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? psych

62. WHAT WAS YOUR BEST SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? psych and math

63. WHAT WAS YOUR WORST SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? ap lit

64. WHAT SUBJECT WOULD YOU TEACH IN SCHOOL? psych or a lower level math class

65. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WISH YOU KNEW IN HIGH SCHOOL? enjoy what you love doing as much as you can

66. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF AT 13? girl, be confident. you are beautiful. you are smart. and you are enough. dont worry about what others think and dont worry about the future because i got you.

67. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5′0

68. WHO IS YOUR FASHION ICON? eh, no one really

69. WHAT’S YOU FAVORITE FASHION TREND? well since right now is fall, i really like long cardigan with cute booties

70. WHAT ARE 3 THINGS YOU ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR BAG (BESIDES PHONE AND WALLET)? phone charger, hand sanitizer, and a mask. haha oh covid days

71. WHAT IS A CURRENT TREND YOU HOPE DOESN’T EXIST IN 100 HUNDRED YEARS? masks

72. WHAT’S YOUR MUST HAVE FASHION ACCESSORY? eyebrows done? haha my clothing fashion is pretty simple so i dont really have accessories but maybe a watch i guess

73. HEELS OR FLATS? depends. on a day to day then flats but for special occasions then heels

74. DIAMONDS OR PEARLS? eh, i guess i like both

75. BLOW-DRY OR AIR-DRY? usually air dry unless i need to be ready asap

76. WHAT COLOR DRESS DID YOU WEAR TO PROM? i didnt really attend my high school dances. my first and last hs dance was homecoming and that was only because i was on the homecoming court. i wore a red strapless dress

77. FAVORITE COCKTAIL? sex on the beach, mimosas, strawberry daiquiris, margaritas

78. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY ORDER AT STARBUCKS? white chocolate mocha. either hot or iced depending on the weather

79. COFFEE OR TEA? coffee. i tried to drink more tea but i always resort back to coffee. haha

80. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? i usually make my coffee at home. i just put in a mocha or caramel kcup then add in creamer. some days i’ll add in half and half or some chocolate/caramel syrup

81. WHO IS A PERSON YOU WANT TO HAVE COFFEE WITH? megan markle. odd but why not

82. WHAT HISTORICAL FIGURE DO YOU WANT TO HAVE COFFEE WITH? general vang pao

83. IF YOU COULD LIVE IN ANY HISTORICAL DECADE, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHERE? probably the 90s

84. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COUNTRY TO VISIT? havent left mine yet. haha

85. WHAT’S THE LAST COUNTRY YOU VISITED? my own. haha

86. WHAT’S A COUNTRY YOU WISH TO VISIT? somewhere in the east. maybe like france or italy or korea or taiwan

87. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE STATE TO VISIT? florida

88. WHAT’S THE LAST STATE YOU VISITED? michigan

89. WHAT’S A STATE YOU WISH TO VISIT? colorado, new york, california

90. WHAT’S THE BEST VACATION SPOT? bora bora! ouuu someday for me i hope!

91. WHERE DOES ONE GO ON A PERFECT ROAD TRIP? honestly, anywhere. just gather your friends, pack up, stock up, and drive

92. FAVORITE CITY? right now, probably orlando

93. PILATES OR YOGA? i like both but if i had to choose then yoga

94. JOGGING OR SWIMMING? swimming!

95. FAVORITE WAY TO WORKOUT? ugh, at home

96. LEAST FAVORITE WAY TO WORKOUT? at the gym lifting weight. i always feel so awkward

97. BEST WAY TO DECOMPRESS? shower, then dinner and movie in bed with a glass of wine

98. WHAT’S THE BEST FIRST DATE IDEA? dinner and a drive to a fun spot

99. WHAT’S LOVE? genuine love towards someone regardless of their flaws, always

100. MAJOR TURN ON? neck kisses, vlines, touching

101. MAJOR TURN OFF? bad hygiene, rudeness, cockiness

102. WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING A GUY HAS DONE OR SAID TO TRY AND IMPRESS YOU? stalk my facebook and screen shot my old posts and send them to me OR ignoring my non-subtle hints that i have a boyfriend and do not want to hangout alone to “netflix and chill”

103. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT SOMEONE WHEN YOU MEET THEM? their smile and personality and how they made me feel

104. DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? nah

105. BEST GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED? im not really a big gift person but my mom gave me a micheal kors winter jacket

106. LAST GIFT YOU GAVE A FRIEND? i bought some baby shower gifts to my boyfriend’s brother and sister-in-law’s baby, baby Grace :)

107. BEST GIFT TO GET FOR SOMEONE? like a generic gift? probably wine or a watch depending on the occasion

108. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST SURPRISE YOU’VE EVER HAD? my boyfriend coming to visit me last christmas because i was so stress out and i thought we were suppose to meet up around christmas but he had his own plans that i was not aware of which then made me even more stress when i found out his plans but overall it was a very nice surprise and definitely helped me destress afterwards

109. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? white

110. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR? probably brown

111. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF FLOWER? i dont think i have one

112. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIAN? dont have one either

113. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ACTION STAR? chris evans, tom holland

114. BEST SUPERHERO CREATED? captain america

115. IF YOU HAD ONE SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE? to teleport

116. WHAT’S YOUR KRYPTONITE? too much snow. haha

117. BIGGEST PHOBIA? deep waters and heights

118. FAVORITE DISNEY MOVIE? dont have one

119. FAVORITE DISNEY CHARACTER? ^^

120. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? christmas

121. WHAT’S YOUR BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME? a dead bride. haha

122. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLOT-TWIST? whenever my favorite characters in a tv show gets killed off

123. IF YOU COULD DO A FLASH-MOB WHERE WOULD IT BE? new york, like how cliche and iconic that would be

124. WHAT’S THE COOLEST THING IN YOUR BEDROOM? my pineapple lamp

125. IF YOU GOT A TATTOO WHERE WOULD IT BE? probably on my side or somewhere on my arm

126. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CURSE WORD? shiiiiiiiiiit

127. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME? exploding kittens not really a board game but close enough

#beautyindisguise00 #gettoknowme #q&a #survey #questionnaire

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suckitsurveys · 6 years

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What’s a word that starts with the third letter of your first name? North. What was the last thing you drank? Water. Are you confused at all? Not currently. Have you ever had a girl best friend? Yeah.

Are you currently reading a book? Nope.

What are you looking forward to in the next 4 days? Swim aerobics class tonight, going to see Mark’s mom on Friday, having a bonfire that night with our friend who is moving to Colorado, having dinner with my friend Lydia on Saturday, maybe starting to garden on Sunday. Do you prefer socks, shoes, or bare feet? Bare feet. What is the color of the chair you’re sitting on? Purple and black. Have you ever cried out of anger? Yes. What’s on your mind? ^Something I cried about in anger yesterday. Last place you took a nap? I don’t remember the last time I napped but probably my couch. Does any part on your body hurt? Yes. Are you taller than your mom? We were just about the same height. Do you have nightmares a lot? No. Can you remember what you wore yesterday? The same thing I wore today but with a different shirt and underwear.

Who was the last person you texted? My neighbor. Two days from now, where will you be? At this time? Maybe still in bed or maybe on my way to the gym. Have you ever ridden a horse? Yes. You can only drink ONE liquid for the rest of your life, what is it? Boring. When’s the last time you talked with the opposite sex on the phone? Just a minute ago; someone called asking for a coworker. Have you ever had a really big fight with a best friend? Not really big, no. Think a lot before you fall asleep? Not so much anymore. I actually fall asleep pretty easily these days. What’s your favorite thing to have on your bed? My husband and my cat. And lots of pillows. Where did you get the shirt you are wearing? From a charity walk for childhood cancer research I did a few years ago. Last people you went to the mall with? Randal. Are there any stressful situations in your life? Give me one millennial who isn’t stressed out about something in their life. Do you go to the bathroom with the door open or closed? Usually opened if I’m just peeing. Of course closed when people are over. Do you want someone you can’t have? Nope. Is there someone you don’t ever want to be out of your life? Well, yes of course. Where did you get your last bruise / cut from? My cat. What are you currently hearing right now? The UPS thing that keeps the computers running. Are you really happy or are you just saying that? I am and I’m not. What time did you wake up this morning? 6am. Are you excited about anything today? I’m semi excited about adding Mark to my bank account haha. #Adulting. Did you cry at all today? The day is young. Have you broken the law in the past 3 days? I jaywalk almost everyday because there’s no legit crosswalk to get from the street my office is on to the parking lot. What’s on your bedroom floor right now? A buncha stuff. We just got a new cube storage shelf and I need to organize it. Who was the last person you hugged? My dad. What is the last gift someone got you? Flowers. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping. Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? My husband and my niece. When is your birthday? September. Who did you last eat Chinese food with? My coworkers, way back in December. I may have eaten some since then, but I don’t remember. Chinese food is never my first choice. Do you have any plans for the weekend? Yes, I mentioned them earlier. Is anyone on your bad side right now? Always. When did you last talk to your brother or sister? A couple days ago. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? Tattoos. Are you a morning person or a night person? I’m starting to become a morning person. “Sleeping in” for me now is until like 8am. Do you talk about your feelings, or hide them? I talk about them usually. Have you ever cried during a movie? Yes. Did you have a dream last night? Probably, but I don’t remember. Ready for kids? Never. What’s one thing you do when you’re mad? Cry. Do you like where you live? Yes and no. Right now its so fucking cold and I’m so fucking sick of it. How often do you lose your voice? Not very often. Are you a good babysitter? Yes. How’s your mood? I’m just exhausted and stressed. Do you have a job? Yes, Ever thrown up in a car? Yeah. Is anyone over protective over you? Not overly so, no. What was the first thing you thought this morning? My cat jumped on the bed really frantically so I thought something was wrong with her.

#surveys

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josthockeythings · 7 years

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Tyson Barrie is in love with Nathan Mackinnon

and I have proof. I love Tyson. He’s such a soft bro and a nice person like honestly, he’s great. And while all the stuff being passed around about how great he is, is awesome, there’s something I just need to clear up. Tyson is dating Nate. There is no question about it. Sit down, while I present some facts to you about these awesome muffins.

Here he is gracing Nate’s Instagram in 2013 when he started rooming with Tyson on the road. Earlier in the season he was rooming with Gabe and changed roommates sometime in November.

Here we have an adorable picture of the two of them on a plane. I don’t know whether or not Tyson is actually sleeping on Nate, but I like to think he is. This was posted by Nate during the All-Star Break of the 2013-2014 season. Obviously, he misses Tyson a lot.

Here we have a ridiculous montage of pictures posted by Nate for Tyson’s birthday. The bottom left picture is so soft, I don’t know what to do with myself. The message screenshot is just so wonderful and just makes me so sad that they ever have to be apart.

In this picture that Tyson posted in June from the NHL Awards, we’ve got the three amigos. There are a lot of pictures of the three of them over their social media. But, only two in the picture are up for awards: Nate and Ryan. Basically, Tyson was Nate’s date the year he won the Calder Trophy.

Next, we have the infamous photo of Nate and Ty adopting Max Talbot’s son for the night. Max was Nate’s billet family for his first two years in the league. It’s worth noting that Max took this photo and Nate liked it enough to post it. Honestly, if it weren’t for the caption I would completely believe that was their child.

They went on vacation together during the Avs off week in the 2014-2015 season. I know this because it’s not like they just took a day off to go swimming when they were in Florida. Fort Lauderdale is about an hour away from Miami where the Florida Panthers play, and that’s with good traffic.

The next two photos go hand in hand. After their win at Worlds in 2015, they went on vacation supposedly with this group of guys in the photo Nate posted. But, two weeks later, Tyson posts a picture with a guy that doesn’t appear in the first picture. I think they actually went on vacation just the two of them.

Both Nate and Tyson posted this picture after Tyson came to visit him and Sid in LA. Something to note with this picture and any picture containing Nate, Sid, and Tyson, Tyson is always between Nate and Sid. Always.

This link will take you to Tyson’s Instagram to a video that he took of Nate dancing in the car as they drive to practice together (or somewhere).

https://www.instagram.com/p/7gDULLRJpA/?taken-by=tysonbarrie4

This link will take you to Nate’s Instagram to a stupid video of Tyson playing basketball with a bear head on. (Also for any of you who wondered how he got the TBear nickname.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/7dZU90pa7I/?taken-by=mackinnon29

And yet another link that will take you to Tyson’s instagram. It’s a video of Tyson telling a joke about the size of Gabe’s head. Nate laughs so hard he falls onto Tyson’s shoulder and boob grabs him. Its fabulous.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_U0W_CxJtu/?taken-by=tysonbarrie4

Now, I’ve got a video for ya. The players of the Avs as well as several other Colorado teams put on a dinner every year for the fans to meet the plays and have a good time. Every year, the Avs have a player take on being interviewer for a day and go around interviewing their teammates. It just so happens that the year of 2015-2016 Tyson and Nate go interviewing together. The entire video is a masterpiece, but there’s a specific section y’all should go watch. If you watch between 8:15 and 9:15 you will see Matt Duchene make a pass at Tyson who gets crazy flustered and Nate tries to recover for him.

https://www.nhl.com/video/2015-16-mile-high-dreams-gala/t-277350912/c-40496803

The next video is from that same night. Tyson and Nate are interviewed in this one and asked to rate each other’s outfits. It’s very obvious they’re in love. Just listen to the way they talk about each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyytNANU6dI

Following that night, Nate posts a picture from their interview escapade with the gay couples emoji. So cute.

After all that, Tyson’s Instagram goes dry basically all summer of anything to do with Nate, but Nate posts a picture, again from that same interview escapade when Tyson resigned with the Avs after a very long negotiation process. “Bossekrull” aka Gabe’s private instagram account comments “out of all the photos you guys have taken... this is the one you decide to post???” so it must be a Macbarrie thing to take photos together.instagram account comments “out of all the photos you guys have taken... this is the one you decide to post???” so it must be a Macbarrie thing to take photos together.

Last but not least we have a picture in paris of them together from Worlds just this past May. I love it because they’re leaning each other and yet again Tyson is in between Nate and Sid.

There ya have it, folks. Nate and Tyson are in love. The proof is here. Also, Gabe is in a long-term relationship with Mel Shouldice. She runs the Instagram account for their dog Zoey Pickles. She’s an adorable pitbull and you should follow her on Instagram.

#tyson barrie #nathan mackinnon #gabe landeksog #they're in love #dont fight me on this #i will disprove you #so many people have come at me with tyson and gabe #like boi it aint true

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journeydb · 4 years

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August 22 2019 Massachusetts

It’s always such a treat to spend time with Rod and LouAnn and, sometimes, if I’m very lucky, our niece, Lexi, will be there, since she shares time between them and her mom, Donna and her husband, Chris. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those times. Their older daughter, Jess, lives in Marblehead near the beach with her boyfriend, Dave, so it’s a rare and wonderful occasion when I can visit her or she might be “up north” here visiting her folks.

Lexi is one of the cutest people in the world and she is adored by everyone who knows her. She is a real character and, having defied the statistics and lived a longer and fuller life than many people with Downs Syndrome, she is REALLY our “Supergirl”! She is as big fan of Hannah Montana and also the former lead singer of the Moody Blues, Justin Hayward. Rod takes her to concerts often and their favorites are the ones with Justin. He knows she is such a big fan that at one concert a few years ago he handed her a rose from the stage. That just about made her year!

I did my usual routine here of running around their neighborhood and into “downtown”, the very small commercial area. North Andover used to be a mill town and Rod and LouAnn live in one of the sections where the mill workers lived. They share a big house with three other apartments and are on the second floors with views of their big back yard. The flowers in front of the homes here at this time of year are pretty and the Yankee style of design and perspective is apparent everywhere.

The mills have been converted into commercial space and some of the restaurants we typically dine at here are really good.

For such a medium-sized town, with a population of 31,000, there are a LOT of churches of just about every denomination, but no mosques or synagogues, at last none that I have ever seen while jogging or driving around here.

Even though Massachusetts is a “blue” state, there are still a fair amount of conservative thinkers here.

I can’t imagine this truck in Boulder but it seems to fit in fine with the eclectic mix of conservative, liberal, and “hard to pin down” mindset which characterizes this part of the country.

After my run I showered and we all went to the Green Apple Cafe for breakfast, which was delicious!

Sadly, I had places to go and people to see, so I hugged them goodbye, hit the road and headed for North Billerica to visit their son, Randy’s family.

It was wonderful to spend time with Randy, Colleen, Brynn, to her dad’s right, and Maeve, next to her mom.

These girls have grown SO much since the last time I saw them, which was two years ago. Brynn is starting high school next month and Maeve is in middle school. They are pretty, smart, and, obviously, very close sisters. Brynn resembles our side of the family more and Maeve resembles her mom’s side. They wanted to share so much about their lives with me and I could have spent more time there but Colleen has health issues and gets tired after a while, and I didn’t want to impose on their hospitality, so I filled them in on what was happening on our side of the family, hugged them all, including Colleen’s mom and dad, who was taking these photos for us, and hit the road again.

As I was driving from Billerica to Wilmington, our home town, for a drive down memory lane, I went through Burlington and passed Beaver Brook Road, where our cousins, the Panariellos, used to live and where I babysat for them for many years. I wondered if I could find their house so I called Debbie for the street number and drove up to 18 Beaver Brook to see the house, which looked quite different than I remembered it. I knocked on the door to let the owner know why I was taking pictures of her house, and she invited me in for a tour!

It was beautiful and had been remodeled recently when she divorced her husband, who still lives up the street in the house they shared, so she can still be close to the kids, who live with her part time. I know, I know, I’m a good listener, she just offered these details into her private life, I didn’t ask. Anyway, the Panariellos can rest assured that their old house is in very good hands!

The first stop in Wilmington was Silver Lake, where I learned to swim when I was six years old. Our family spent a lot of time at that lake during the hot summers of our childhoods. It was also a popular hang-out when we were in high school and I remember many lazy afternoons on beach blankets with friends and hearing about parties which I attended or wisely chose to pass up.

Next stop was our high school, Wilmington High School, which looked really good because it had been recently remodeled. I can’t imagine that was the first remodel since we graduated over fifty years ago.

I was a football and basketball cheerleader and so were my sisters Kathi and Fran!

I was sorry to miss our 50th high school reunion but we were in Spain at the time. The women in the photo above are part of our “gang” from high school, but some of them were friends in junior high and Peb and I met and became friends with Barbara, on the far left, when we were in sixth grade! We’ve maintained these friendships, some of them, for nearly sixty years.

This was our family home on High Street until our parents sold it and moved to Florida after our youngest brother, Marc, was married and on his own. It’s not the house I grew up in. That house burned down when I was living in Colorado in my late twenties.

The younger family members grew up here and the rest of us returned for family gatherings, but it never felt like “home” the way our other house did.

Many of the other houses in the neighborhood have been spruced up or remodeled but for the most part the neighborhood still looks a lot like it did when we used to live here, except for the woods behind our house, which were all cut down to build new neighborhoods. You really can’t “go home again” because what you remember will always have been changed by time and people, I guess. Still, no amount of cutting, burning and remodeling can change the memories we hold in our hearts.

Since I didn’t make plans for the night, I drove towards Logan Airport, the one in Boston that I’m scheduled to fly back to Denver from tomorrow, through Revere, stopped and grabbed an Impossible vegan burger at a Burger King there for dinner and ended up a cute little motor hotel called The Inn at Crystal Cove in Winthrop By The Sea, a small community across the bay from the airport.

It was a spectacular sunset tonight! I went to bed, tired but happy that I’d been able to be with so many people I love and to have seen the places which brought back so many memories, some happy and some sad. Tomorrow is always another chance to move forward while maintaining connections with our past in ways that continue to make us who we are becoming throughout our lives.

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mnranger5 · 5 years

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Summer Vacation 2019, Omaha, Denver & Beaver Creek/Vail, 7/7/19 – 7/14/19

By: Daddy, Ashlynn, Brianna, Scarlett & Felicity

As we sat in the hottub on our final night in the gorgeous mountain resort, we asked the kids, what’s your favorite vacation we’ve taken as a family? Runner up answers included Yellowstone, Disney and Chicago. But overwhelmingly, the consensus #1 family vacation the Blaniels have taken is the vacation we were currently on! Yep, Dyan and I struck vacation gold again! Here’s how we got to that consensus!

7/7/19

We were on the road by 6AM. We weren’t traveling in an airplane, train, RV, transit van, or even Dyan’s SUV. Nope, we rented a minivan for this excursion. We picked up the van a day earlier so that Dyan and I could get everything loaded up the day before. That made our morning departure so much easier – and less stressful!

Day one was a nice little drive down through Des Moines and over to Omaha. We arrived at lunch time and quickly made our way into Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. We did a summer vacation here four years ago, and it was absolutely, hands down the coolest zoo we’ve ever been to.

So, when we told the kids this was our first stop on the summer roadtrip, they were super excited.

We explored the east side of the zoo, making sure we hit the Lied Jungle, Wild Kingdom Pavilion and Scott Aquarium.

Afterward, we made our way over the Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Orangutan Forest and the tiger and leopard habitat.

But the exhibit all the kids wanted to see was the African Safari area where you can view it from the air on the “Skyfari” Chairlift.

The rhinos, giraffes, zebras and lions were all in sight as we sailed across the park on the skyfari. The kids favorite animals were:

Ashlynn: Deerbra - half deer, half zebra

Brianna: Sharks

Scarlett: Fennec Fox

Felicity: Aligators

Aidan: Gorilla

All Kids: Baby Orangatan

Prior to leaving, take one guess what we ended up doing? GIFT SHOP! The kids wandered the gift shop picking up every stuffed animal in the store. Everybody wanted a stuffed animal, but nobody wanted to spend their own money. So, Dyan and I did what we always do which is let the kids save their money, and we bought everybody new furry friends!!

By late afternoon, the temps were sweltering. The kids needed some aquatic relief, so we headed back to the hotel and swam in the pool while deciding on dinner. Dyan and I were trying to find a fun pizza joint when the kids unanimously voted (while in the pool) on Pot Belly and Cold Stone Creamery. Both locations were less than a mile from our hotel. Kids for the win.

Later that evening, we all went swimming again, complete with a very intense game of Marco Polo.

7/8/19

The second consecutive morning, we were on the road by 6AM. Denver-BOUND! Outside of Omaha, Nebraska doesn’t have much to offer in terms of sightseeing, entertainment or roadside stops. So, the kids did blew through their iPad batteries in record time as Dyan did her best to keep the kids screens charged with the two chargers we brought. It was a carousel of iPhones and iPads rotating throughout the van.

We rolled into Denver shortly after 1PM. Made a quick lunch stop at Chipotle before taking the kids out to Red Rocks. There was scattered thundershowers in the area, but we timed it just right to miss most of the rain.

The kids played around in the amphitheater area and posed for pictures in the rock formations just outside of the concert venue.

The kids were adamant that they wanted to return here if Taylor Swift ever played a show at Red Rocks!

We then made the quick trip over to Golden, CO, to get checked into our hotel. The kids swam in the pool for about 20 minutes before a big storm blew up on us and forced us back to the room. No big deal! We needed to get ready for dinner anyway. After the rain had passed, we walked around the town of Golden checking out the gift shops and grabbing dinner at Woody’s. Woody’s is a great little restaurant Dyan and I discovered on our trip here in 2014. Delightful pizzas, and ice cold beer.

Dyan and Jake for the win! Of course, we followed up dinner with ice cream from Golden Sweets.

7/9/19

This was the big day. The day we’d finally reach our main destination for the summer vacation – VAIL, CO! After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we were back on the highway, heading into the mountains. The drive from Denver into the mountains never gets old. Full of mountainous scenery and old mining towns, the interstate whisks you up, up and away into the snow capped Rocky Mountains. About 45 minutes into the trip, we hit the Eisenhower Tunnel at Loveland Pass. Once through the tunnel, we began the long steep downgrade into the Summit County Valley. About 1/3rd of the way down the pass, the van started to vibrate a bit as I applied the brakes on the steep slope. Not thinking anything of it, I continued to brake to keep my speed in check. About half way down the pass , the van started shaking when I applied the brakes. Something wasn’t right – but I wasn’t sure what was going on. We continued. We passed a sign that said something like, be cautious, you aren’t to the bottom yet. At that exact moment, an overwhelming burning smell filled the cabin of the van. I looked at Dyan. We were both confused. I braked hard and the van shook almost violently as I pulled her over on the shoulder. The brakes were burning up. Apparently, I had been applying them a bit too much, a bit too often. Oops. We sat on the shoulder, Dyan and I questioning, “What do we do?”. Although neither of us said it, I know we were both imaging the worst case scenario where the van’s brakes went out leaving us with escalating speeds as we broke loose down the mountain desperately looking for one of those “Runaway Truck” ramps. Thank God it didn’t come to that…

After about 5 minutes, the smell began to subside and we got back on the road. The remainder of the drive through the mountains we much more uneventful now that I was aware of the touchy brakes in the minivan. We entered into the Vail Valley around 9AM. Vail Mountain is enormous as it towers over I-70. It certainly looked like it would be one heck of an adventure during the ski season. About 10 minutes past Vail is the town of Avon, which is at the base of Beaver Creek Ski Area – also a quaint resort tucked back in the mountains. Sticking out high above the trees was our massive European-chalet-style resort, the Westin Riverfront at Beaver Creek. The resort facility on it’s own would be spectacular, however, when you add in the setting of the snow capped mountains in all directions around it, the property is remarkably breathtaking. How are we so lucky to be able to stay in a place fit for a king?

We couldn’t check into the property yet, so we headed into the gated mountain village of Beaver Creek, a short 2 mile drive up into the mountains.

We browsed the gift shops and got a delicious fresh berry crepe at Rimini for us all to share – it didn’t last long. But at $14/crepe, this was not going to be our lunch spot!

Back at the resort, the valet attendant recommended the Avon Bakery & Deli for lunch. It was only a couple blocks away, so we could walk. When we stepped inside the restaurant we could immediately tell this was no regular Subway or Potbelly. Nope, it was ALL ORGANIC with bread straight out of the wheat field. It was the kind of place that frowns on Pepsi and Coca Cola products – instead they produce their own small batch craft colas (complete with paper straws). It’s definitely where the hippy, green, liberal, vegan, organic crowds congregate to “organize” and drink specialty coffee that is procured through community co-ops. And it was pretty chaotic. There was a long counter, like at a fast food joint. Behind the counter, there must have been a dozen people “working,” but really only 2 were actually doing anything. The rest appeared to be sluggishly coming down from their pot high from the night before – afterall, the weed is legal in Colorado! In front of the counter was a very small lobby, that was packed with loiterers who appeared to have skipped 1st grade when they learned the social skill called “line formation”. There were people standing everywhere in the small lobby, some waiting on food, others wondering whether it was their turn to order, a few waiting for tables and many snaking their way through the crowd to the pop refill station. Well, we entered like a tornado. Picture five hungry kids on the brink of hunger meltdowns amongst pretentious tree-huggers that probably don’t care for kids to begin with. Priceless.

And speaking of priceless, the menu was priceless too. We ordered 3 sandwich meals and 4 kids meals (flat meat hoagie w/ chips and a pop). The bill was $130. WHAT!?! Kid meals turned out to be $14 and adults were $20. For lunch meat! Should have stayed at the Crepe stand!

After lunch, we rendezvoused back at the Westin and spent a couple hours enjoying the pool and hot tub.

Our big event of the day was whitewater rafting on the Lower Eagle River. Late in the afternoon, we arrived at our river outfitter, Lakota Guides, where they quickly sized us for splash jackets, neoprene boots and helmets.

We had about a 20 minute bus ride down river to the Wolcott BLM Campground. Our group of about 40 people were divided up into 5 rafts. The Blaniels got their own raft!

The sunshine was sweltering, but the water temps were paralyzing. When we booked this excursion in February, Lakota Guides indicated this river began taming in early July, and by mid-late July would have so little water that rafting closes. The average water flow on the river is about 250cfs (cubic feet/second). In a typical spring/summer, we’d be hitting the tail end of the snow meltoff, which should run closer to 1,000cfs. But…..this winter/spring was a rarity in terms of how much snow Colorado Rockies got. With data going back to 1882, Colorado had 60% more snow this winter than an average season. In the middle of July, the peaks of the surrounding mountains were all snowcapped. And due to the extreme heat over the past couple of weeks, the snow melt had intensified. The waters were roaring down the mountains and flooding the normally trickling creeks and rivers. The current was running about 3,500cfs. The river was so ferocious, Lakota Guides called us a week earlier to inform us the minimum age requirement for our float was being increased from 6 years old to 9 years old. Whew, Brianna would barely squeak by with 3 months to spare!

We boarded the raft with our guide, Byron. Byron guided for many years on the Colorado River but has been retired from guiding for a couple years. However, when the Lower Eagle River flooded in the past few weeks, and the rapids gained national attention due to the extreme runoff, he jumped out of retirement for the chance to guide on this intense stretch of river.

The first 10 minutes of the float were relatively benign – a good stretch to get acclimated to the raft and paddle. The water was ice cold as it was the product of melted mountian snowpack a mere 12 hours earlier. Byron encouraged some playful splashing. Brrr.

As we proceeded down river, the rapids got more intense. Not sure it was the vertical drop in the stream as much as how long the rapids were strewn out. We were ripping from one rapid to the next with no real break in between. It was awesome. Unfortunately for me, I seemed to endure the brunt of the rapids. Sitting opposite of the guide, the front right corner of the raft seemed to meet every rapid head on, soaking me in the icy water.

For the second straight year/vacation, the kids did as little as possible to actually help get the raft in position to take on the waves. Instead of paddling, they were screeching with enjoyment as they splashed each other and rode bull on the front of the raft. We had struck vacation gold.

As if the day couldn’t get any better, later in the evening we drove back up to Beaver Creek where they were showing a movie under the stars at the base of the ski hill. We spread out blankets and brought snacks.

By the end of the movie, we had all retreated to the fire pit viewing area as the chilly mountain temperatures set in.

7/10/19

This was our most adventurous day of the trip as we were spending the entire day using out Mountain Adventure passes at the summit of Vail Mountain. The adventure passes were pretty sweet, and certainly a vacation highlight for all of us.

The excursion started with a 10 minute gondola ride to the to Eagle’s Nest. The summit was covered with outdoor family activities.

First up, the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster. Its like bobsledding on rails. The ride lasts about a minute, but sends you flying down the mountain at speeds over 40mph. The vertical drop of the coaster is 3,400 feet. That is a bigger drop than nine Welch Village ski runs (360 ft.) stacked on top of each other! This would proves to be such a family favorite, we came back to ride a second time later in the afternoon.

Next up was the Bungee Trampoline, which also was a favorite, and experienced twice during our stay. Who knew doing flips on these was so difficult!

The third activity of the day was the ropes course. Aidan and Ashlynn braved the Gore Range Adventure Course scaling and crossing obstacles suspended by cable more than 30 feet in the air.

By this point, the kids started to split up, as not everybody wanted to do the same activities.

Brianna and Felicity did the Game Creek Zip Lining Tour before joining Scarlett at the Paramount Peak Climbing Wall.

Then they all did Eagle’s Nest Tubing and the Marmot Mini Kids Tubing.

Even though the kids tubing was for a younger crowed, our kids loved getting sprayed with water on the hot summer afternoon. For how hot it was, we were surprised to see see piles of (dirty) snow on the ski hill.

Before doing some second and third passes on the adventure course, we had a great sit down lunch at Eagle’s Nest Restaurant. And by 4PM, we were exhausted. The sun and altitude were getting to everybody. We needed to cool down and get back down the mountain.

Once in Vail Village, we found Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, and a fountain in the middle of the village.

Later that evening, Dyan got the girls all dolled up and we went out for pizza.

Since it was such a beautiful evening, we got some great pics of the kids around the resort.

7/11/19

Pool Day! We were at the pool by 10AM, staking claim to front row at the pool – a very highly coveted location. While the kids frolicked in the pool, Dyan and I picked up Starbucks and a grab bag of candy for them. They literally played in the pool, ALL. DAY. LONG.

That night, we went to the Beaver Creek Rodeo, which was a lot of fun for the kids.

There was candy, face painting, pony rides and even a calf chase (for prizes) where the kids got to go out into the rodeo.

But the unexpected highlight of the night was an evening dip in the pool. As dusk settled in, storm were springing all around us, but our resort seemed to dodge most of them. We all sat in the hot tub and reminisced about our favorite and least favorite vacations. When we asked the kids what their least favorite family vacation had been, Ashlynn put it best when she said, “I wouldn’t call any of our vacations bad, it’s just that some, (Disney) are better than others.” All the kids agreed, this vacation IS the BEST. Dyan and I tended to agree. Being at a 5-star resort with the kids is a dream come true, and best of all, the kids are finally at an age where they can begin to appreciate the significance of this kind of vacation.

Out of nowhere, the clouds opened up and began downpouring on us. What would have been the end of the night for most families turned into just the beginning for us. The kids shrieked as the cold raindrops poured down on them. But we had no plans to let this “rain on our parade.” We played right though the thunderstorm. We swam in the pool for 3 hours that evening, until it closed at 11PM. There was a flag banner than stretched across the pool. We spent well over an hour taking running jumps into the pool, trying to touch the flags. It was an absolute riot. It was my favorite night of the vacation. Sadly, it was also, our last night at Beaver Creek…

7/12/19

…But our vacation was not over. Nope, not in the least, we had a few more things to do and see. Our morning started off with a huge, delicious, breakfast at Northside Kitchen.

Next stop, Keystone, CO. This is the ski area Aaron and I skied at in March. We arrived a couple hours early, so we spent some time shopping around the ski village and feeding the gigantic rainbow trout in Keystone Lake.

Our big adventure of the day was horseback riding through the Arapaho National Forest. After arriving at Keystone Stables, we all got assigned horses:

Ashlynn: Angus

Brianna: Peanut

Scarlett: Scout

Felicity: Rio

Aidan: Teddy

Dyan: Rocky

Me: Hack

We bought a 90 minute trail ride through the national forest. I’ve been on a few trail rides in my days and they’ve run the gamut of good to bad. Some are just walks along a dirt path which can get pretty monotonous. Keystone Stables had a different kind of ride in mind for us. One that would test our abilities of riding horse while climbing the side of a mountain in one of the most picturesque national forests in the country. To say it was anything less than phenomenal would be straight up inaccurate.

The ride started with a gentle stroll through the pasture toward the base of the mountain. This would be the only chance we’d have to get acclimated to the horse. We quickly ventured into thick forest and steep, uphill terrain. At times, the trails were so narrow, our horses had us brushing up on trees and rock ledges. We climbed over 2,000 feet up the side of the mountain as we moseyed along switchbacks and across avalanche slide areas. And for some reason, Dyan and I got the problem ponies. It seemed as though Rocky hadn’t gotten enough lunch. He kept stopping to eat the grass, which was a “No-No” in the national forest. No amount of pulling the reins was going to stop his afternoon snack. And Hack also had an issue. He’d act like a pokey puppy creating 20-30 yards between us and Dyan/Rocky before going into a full blown trot, almost gallop in an effort to catch up. Our guide noticed this one occasion and asked me to keep our speed in check. Oopsie.

The ride down the mountain was probably more fun than the ride up had been, because we had to do a lot of leaning back to help keep the horses speed and balance in check as they ventured down the steep terrain. The kids absolutely loved the trail ride and grew quite fond of their equestrian companions. After we got home from the trip, we asked the kids what their favorite excursion was on the trip. Trail ride. Unanimous. Vacation Gold!

We made the hour drive back to Denver, with a picturesque stop at Loveland Pass.

But before the night was complete, we had another special treat for the kids. Dinner. But not just any dinner.

Our reservations were right at 6PM. Our venue was the iconic, Buckhorn Exchange! The kids went crazy over all the stuffed animals in the place. We played a cutthroat game of “I Spy” pointing out the most obscure and unique animals in the restaurant.

When it was time to order, the kids went with some unique plates too. For starters, we all shared the cheesy rattlesnake dip, which was an absolute hit. EVERYBODY tried it!

For dinners, Aidan got a Buffalo ribeye and Scarlett they Buffalo cheeseburger. Ashlynn and Brianna ordered ribs while Felicity wanted chicken fingers. Dyan and I split the filet and quail dinner. Everybody enjoyed their meals, however, the quail was nothing to write home about.

After dinner, we spent the evening at the downtown Sheraton hotel, rooftop pool.

7/13/19

The morning started off with a 1st breakfast at the Sheraton Club Lounge. We met the manager in the lounge, and he was quite impressed with the kids behavior among the group of business travelers enjoying a quite breakfast. He called down to the main hotel kitchen and had them prepare some giant, fresh, warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies! They were absolutely delightful. After checking out of the hotel, the kids had their 2nd breakfast at Krispy Kreme, right next door. The sugar would be running high today.

The drive to Omaha should have been super long, and boring, but we came up with a new game. As the kids played on iPads, Dyan and I started a competition. The good ‘ol A-Z game. Simple rules, find a license plate or word that begins with A before progressing to B, then C, and so forth. The game got feisty as Dyan pulled way out ahead when I could not complete the letter “Q.” Eventually I did, and came back to beat here at the very end when she was stuck on “X.” But it didn’t stop there. We then decided to make it a team effort to do the same with numbers. A daunting task. The challenge would be going from 1-100, and then completing A-Z. We’d have today’s and tomorrow’s drives to complete the challenge. It started out easy. One through nine was a piece of cake. But things got way more difficult once we reached double digits. The game was full of frustrations. We must have passed a dozen signs for Highway ”25” in North Platte, but we unfortunately were stuck on number 24. We scoured the sides of semi’s, road signs, speed limit signs and gas prices. Midway through the day, Aidan decided to join the game, AGAINST us. He caught up in a hurry when we stopped at Sonic for lunch and he counted 1-28 on the drive-up stalls. Lucky. By the time we reached Omaha, we were both in the 60’s, setting us up for a challenging ride home tomorrow.

That evening, we went to Oklahoma Joe’s for BBQ dinner before retiring to the hotel to let the kids unwind with the Lion King movie.

7/14/19

We reached the final day of the vacation. We spent the morning back at the Omaha Zoo checking out some of the attractions we had missed earlier in the trip. We went to the Desert Dome & Kingdoms of the Night. The Desert Dome is such a cool attraction, but we had never been to the Kingdoms attraction. It’s housed underneath the Desert Dome and the dark stairwell to get there is quite unassuming. But wow, did it ever pop a punch! It’s basically a nocturnal animal exhibit, so it’s very dark. But wow, the exhibits are so amazing. The snakes, alligators, bats and other creatures make this a must see.

We did a couple other exhibits before packing up and getting back on the road for home. We continued playing the numbers and alphabet game. The kids had lost a little interest, but Dyan and I were going strong. I swear, some of the number took over 30 minutes to locate, and when we did, we had some loud celebrations and high fives. The kids, and passer-byers, must have thought we were crazy. By Des Moines, we had reached the 80’s. Just outside of Des Moines, we hit a lucky stretch of numbers and we wrapped up with 1-100 around Ames. Back to the alphabet. We needed A-Z before we got home. While we thought this part of the game would be easier, it ended up be more difficult than we thought. Interstate 35 is not the heavily traveled semi-truck route that I-80 is. Less semi’s means less signage. But, we did have billboards on our side. Signs like Dairy Queen, Wanamingo, Xpress Scripts helped us seal the deal. Just outside of Fairbault was the “Zumbrota Mazepa” sign. That was the “Z” we needed! We found the 126 total signs were looking for!

Around 5PM, we pulled up to the house. After 2,146 miles, it was home sweet home! Another remarkable trip in the books.

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chriscoleman · 5 years

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Summer Meltdown - Trip Report

August 1-4, 2019

Darrington, WA

I won a VIP experience to Summer Meltdown music festival, courtesy of Propeller / Head Count / Umphrey’s McGee.

Summer Meltdown is a music festival in the mountains of North West Washington. A combination of Jam Bands and Electronic music. The perfect weekend of camping, swimming, friends, art, and live music.

Propeller is a website that rewards users for contributing to good causes. ttps://www.propeller.la/

I donated to Head Count, an organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy (register to vote). My donations earned ‘points’ on Propeller - which I spent on entries into their Summer Meltdown contest. https://www.propeller.la/summermeltdown2019

Then I won. Which was quite convenient because life has been busy and I had not bought tickets to the festival yet (and car camping was sold out). Brandon Deroche and Jezmae Klein at Propeller worked with me to make claiming my prize easy!

On Wednesday, July 31st I began to pack. Just home from a North Carolina trip to see Julia’s new baby cousin - Jack Donald. Luckily I’m well organized, making prep easy.

Thursday the 1st I drove from our house in Seattle to the festival. Less than a 2 hour drive north, near the Canadian border. Check-in was a bit different than the last 5 years we’ve been to this event. I started at the will-call booth to get my wristband from the guest list. Just being on the Umphrey’s guest list was jaw dropping. Then I got my VIP credentials from the artist booth, so I could get access to the Mesa camping area.

Finding the perfect campsite at Meltdown is always a challenge. It’s a big rush to claim your spot. Luckily in Mesa it’s easier. There are 20’ x 20’ marked off plots of land. The best ones were taken when I arrived at 1pm - but the one I claimed was still super nice with trees all around.

I set up camp alone, since Julia had to work until Friday afternoon. I made friends with our new neighbors quickly. Bryce and Lindsey, a gay couple, on one side. Nicole and Eric from Portland/Colorado/NY on the other. Moan moved in later - but we didn’t get to chill much. Plus a ton of other people close by that I failed to remember their names.

About 2pm I set out to find Patrick. We instantly connected in the vendor area of the venue. Then set out to scope the river. I limped along with a hurt achilles on my right leg.

Steak dinner back at camp before show time. Jammed out to a Grateful Dead cover band while I cooked.

The opening ceremony was the perfect kickoff. A native american dude reminded us that we are all 1 human family. We are all in the same canoe, we must work together!

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong was my favorite act on Thursday. A rockin jam band with high energy. They followed on the opening ceremony discussion with a song about water to start their set.

Flowmotion is the true kickoff for Summer Meltdown. They started this event on San Juan Island in 2000. Great vibes from the Cabin Stage. Our crew’s vantage point on the cement amphitheater stairs gave us a solid view of both stages while dancing or sitting. We made that spot our home base for the weekend.

Nahko was the headliner Thursday. A fun group, but not my favorite. Their new ‘Take Your Power Back’ song was the highlight of the set for me. Plus their brass players are cool. We found Greg, my ultimate teammate, late during this performance.

Once the sun vanished during the Nahko set - soooooo many LED things turned on. People were carrying LED toys of all kinds. Hula Hoops, walking canes, bowas, whips, nunchucks, shoes, and even top hats (no monocles though).

Bed by 1pm - after a long day!

Friday started out wet. I woke up to rain at 6:30am and ensured the campsite was secured.

Unable to fall back asleep - I setup a second canopy for the neighbors. Then made myself a breakfast burrito and iced coffee.

Eric and I chatted all morning. He’s a NetSuite developer living in Portland with his girlfriend Nicole who is a freelance writer for health topics. They are more into the Electronic scene, while Julia and I are into the Jam bands.

A quick walk into the venue at noon’ish and I find Patrick, Kayla, and Sam instantly. Got free tea drinks from Zevia, then I returned to the luxury of VIP camping to wait for Julia. Janna visited with her friend Grey - said security for VIP was lax - haha.

3pm Julia arrived! I chauffeured her through the check-in process. Shannon, the Mesa camp host, hooked us up with the required credentials. Then we relaxed, got drinks from the venue, and changed in prep for the big Umphrey’s event.

6:45pm we met Lia - the Brand/Social/Media Manager for Meltdown. She was amazing all around - chatting with us about the festival and the contest. She walked us backstage to the band green room. Minutes later all 6 members of Umphrey’s McGee walked in.

Julia and I stood in a circle with Umphrey’s for almost 20 minutes. It flew by. My shirt was a hit at first. The narwhals and other fish were fun to point out. Then we chatted about the Jam/Rock vs. Electronic bands - which we obviously prefer the guitar mistakes to keyboard spacebars.

I don’t remember everything - it was a whirlwind. Julia asked if they ever skied while on tour. Not much, but Joel and Ryan do ski in their off time. Ryan even puts his kids on a leash to teach them on the mountain.

We finished with a group photo, which was a big highlight of the weekend for us.

If that wasn’t enough - we got to watch their set from the stage. Lia again escorted us to our spot after the band took the stage. We were right next to the guitar tech. Photographers and staff moved all around us. There were also 4 other fans who got backstage in other ways. We took a bunch of photos and danced the whole show. The sound was not optimal (couldn’t hear any vocals for example) - but the unique experience was totally worth it. Amazing!

I could have went home directly after that and been content. We were floating on cloud 9. Then Brother Ali came on the Cabin Stage. We danced with Patrick and Kayla in our spot.

Clozee was the main closing act on Friday night. A solo female electronic artist from France. Described as ‘Nature with a Baseline’. Fun, even if not our cup-of-tea.

Unfortunately we couldn’t stay up for Break Science or Acorn Project. Sometimes that old age catches up with you. Bed at 1am.

Saturday the 3rd was a lazy morning. Julia slept in until almost 11am. I prepared another round of breakfast burritos and iced coffee. Passing out iced coffee to everyone around was a treat.

River time was perfect. We met Patrick and crew at the water fountains with their big intertubes. Walked down past the main river path to our more secluded spot. Janna and Grey met us there.

Swimming, sunning, and generally relaxing all afternoon.

Julia and I ended the afternoon with a hammock hang in the forest above the river. In the shade we napped until almost 6pm.

Greek pitas with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, feta, hummus, chicken, and sauce hit the spot. Then we changed into matching leggings and hawaiian shirts. I wasn’t sure about the leggings with no shorts on top at first, but I went with it anyway. Looked great!

The crew all met up in the regular spot again for Polish Ambassador DJ set. Patrick with his Pug leggings and Kayla in her dragon costume. Really wish we had a picture of that together.

Dirtwire was the 9pm band on Saturday night. 3 dudes playing a wide variety of instruments (13+?) wearing cowboy hats. Hilariously awesome.

Gramatik was the main act - and he blew the roof off with loud EDM. I drank whiskey.

I stayed up a bit later watching Spafford and Mctuff. Plus a walk through the late night tent, viewing the art installations all around. Bed at 2:30am.

8am Julia left camp for a work trip. A flight to Dallas for a WalMart implementation. Employee of the Month has its drawbacks.

I packed up camp myself. On the road by 10am after saying goodbye to the neighbors.

Home at noon, just in time to see Julia off to the airport. Too tired to drive downtown to watch the Sounders.

Overall an amazing weekend. The Umphrey’s experience is something I’ll never forget. Time with friends in the woods is always a treat. Can’t wait until next year!!

Pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/UDwrWnd

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livelikebrent · 7 years

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Stop 2: Part 2: Saturday in Ocean City, MD

Saturday after Brent’s funeral had perfect weather. We loaded up the Jeeps and headed down to Assateague Island to drive on the beach. Brent loved staying on the West side of Ocean City. He’d always say, "There’s less riffraff out here.” It was true. The bars, restaurants and beaches had more of a local’s vibe and you wouldn’t get the shoobies and riffraff from the boardwalk. But he absolutely loved bringing the cars onto the OSV (Over Sand Vehicle) portion of the island to set up “camp” for the day. Assateague Island had also become my favorite beach over the years as well. This National Seashore is known for two things: 1. The beach that stretches from Maryland down into Virginia, and 2. The wild horses. That’s right. Wild horses graze, run, and walk all over your towels on the shore line. It’s really pretty and pretty annoying when you’re starving and all you want to do is eat your Wawa breakfast sandwich but can’t take it out until the horses move on. That happened to Brent and me last summer.

You see the horses all of the time. As you’re cruising on the winding drive through the wetlands to the beach they’ll be hanging out in the brush and on the shoulder. You may be unloading chairs from your vehicle in the parking lot and turn around to see one watching you. I’ve witnessed people not being able to get out of the bathroom because there are a couple of them hanging out by the door. It’s entertaining. Below is a still photo captured from a video of Brent’s. You might recall him telling you about this sight - He caught one of the horses cooling off in the bay one day when he was down with his buddy, Josh from Colorado. He was so proud of not only capturing but witnessing this moment.

As I was packing stickers for the weekend down at the beach, in my head I was going through the spots that were necessary to tag. The two obvious ones were Teasers at Sunset Grille and Assateague. I did question at first how the hell I was going to tag a sticker for Brent at his favorite beach. But by Saturday morning, I already knew where I wanted to place it before we even left the house for the day. Just like I did, you’d probably think it would be difficult to get a sticker up at a National Seashore that wouldn’t be considered vandalism, harming the environment, etc. Remember, this isn’t a beach with surfaces, a boardwalk or trash bins. It’s a straight up beach. I recalled there being a pipe by the air machine as you leave the island. It had always been covered in stickers. We caravanned on over and I drove the Cream Puff (Jared’s Jeep) up to the entrance as Ryan and his family followed. While Jared worked on letting air out of the tires, I threw on Brent’s Thrasher snapback and walked over to the other side to scout out a spot on the pipe with Amy.

Obviously, “Dean-A-Palooza Big Dawgs Last Meal” had already occupied the best spot on the pipe. I couldn’t argue with that sticker so I found a spot about half way down. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that some shmoe doesn’t come by and cover it up like they did to the “Fat Daddy” sticker. I will definitely be back to all of these locations to check up on them regardless. Ain’t nobody gonna treat #LiveLiveBrent like a Fat Daddy.

We spent a couple of hours at the beach. As soon as we got there, a dragon fly would not leave us alone. It settled and landed on Amy’s leg. She looked at me and asked, “You know what dragonflies mean, right?” I told her no and that I noticed this one wanted to hang out with us for some reason. She said, “They’re a sign of loved ones that passed.” I had no idea. I mentioned in my last post that I’ve heard different stories and signs of how a loved one is near but yeah...dragonflies are a thing. It hung around a little while longer and I noticed it fly into the passenger window of Jared’s Jeep. It landed on his hat and sunglasses and remained there until we left the beach hours later.

I spent some time alone out in the ocean that day. Tears were shed as I reflected and remembered spending hours out there with Brent in summers past. Floating. Chatting. Swimming in silence and taking it all in. But, on this day, the entire time I was out there, I felt completely and utterly calm. I’ve honestly felt this way for the last two weeks. I’m not sure why but I feel as if Brent has been giving me this sense of calmness and strength that I can’t quite explain. But then again, he always said I was one of the most even-keeled human beings he had ever met. He liked that about me but also would tell me it kept him guessing at times.

Jared was a couple of yards away in the ocean. I was so glad he came to the beach with us that day. Typically when we would go down to the beach houses, Brent and I would meet up with Kevin and Janelle who would also be down for several days at a time. We’d go out, get into a mess of shenanigans, always attend the annual Brewgrass Festival together and whatnot. But I had never had as much one-on-one time with Jared as I did this one weekend at the beach. I am so glad I did. He has such a positive and upbeat vibe to him. He made me laugh a lot that weekend. Brent adores his cousin. You know what? I do too.

Just for fun - this picture above is from last summer down at the beach on Assateague. At this point last year he had already started his treatment but we always made sure to make the best of those off days. We lotioned the hell out of one another that day. Brent also wore all of his UPF sun protecting clothing that summer. He flippin’ LOVED gear. He had gear for the beach, snow, mountains...everything. I think it’s safe to say we all know that about him and that he always had some of the nicest clothing when it came to being outside...okay, inside too. This was also the day the horses were trotting up and down the beach and the water was so blue! I don’t think I need to explain why this has become a favorite beach of mine anymore.

Speaking of favorites...this brings us to our final destination in OCMD: Teasers at Sunset Grille. Later Saturday night, Amy, Kevin, Jared and I headed over to “the horseshoe” which is a section of West Ocean City where several bars are located around the marina. Ps. If you want time away from the craziness of OCMD, definitely spend time over here. We stopped by Harborside for dinner and drinks. Harborside claims to be the home of the original fresh squeezed orange crush. Don’t know what an orange crush is? Pause right now, Google it, think, “That actually does sound really refreshing” and come back to continue reading. It’s a cocktail that is consumed regularly down in Ocean City. Anyway, this spot is almost always jamming and a good time with good tunes. We sweat straight through our clothes, slugged back some crushes and ordered some food. It was extremely humid that evening. It was so hot that Kevin had a Bud Light in hand. If you don’t know Kevin...he is THE beer connoisseur. He can probably talk about beer longer than a Phish set that includes "Tweezer” and not the reprise version half of you saw on the Baker’s Dozen Tour. If a brewery has a can release, the average person will buy one or a couple but Kevin and Janelle walk out with seven...cases. Sorry I need to pause and just that Brent has some awesome cousins. So yes, it was Bud Light hot that night.

Every bar and restaurant on the marina has a wonderful view. As we sat there, we stepped out on the deck in hopes for a sunset and some fresh air. But we actually had quite the view of a gloomy storm starting to approach us.

Before we got too comfortable watching the clouds roll in, we walked over to Teasers. Also, had Brent been sitting there with us he would’ve rattled off the type of clouds rolling in. I’m not sure if he did that with everyone. But there would be times we would be driving and I’d say something about the shapes of the clouds and I’d get a response, “WelI, those cool clouds are actually Cumulonimbus clouds, Aisling.” Those are definitely some of the things I will miss.

I honestly cannot recall a time where we went down to the beach and did not end up at Teasers at some point. I don’t think I can emphasize it enough - Brent loved everything about this place. The ambiance is just always on point. It’s an open air bar with a floating outdoor band stage out on the marina. I’ve actually ended up booking bands for some of my events from seeing them live at Teasers first. This place was also always great for a sunset. If Brent could, he would have had our wedding there. Ha, but I think it’s safe to say that any structured venue wouldn’t have been big enough for us. I mean, come on...you stood in that line that night. He was and still is a very loved individual.

As we sat down at the bar, I was again unsure where we would be able to throw a sticker up. I figured at the very least I could put it under the bar so it wouldn’t be taken down. But it turns out that there are stickers slapped up in a couple locations inside. I asked the bar tender for 3 minutes of his time, explained why we were there and asked permission to put a sticker up. The bartender saw the manager (actually I believe it was the owner) and told him what I was doing. I got up and stuck one right on the side of the cash register. It’s in plain sight where anyone on the left side of the bar could see it. This specific location was certainly the most important one on the trip and I know right now Brent is proud that I was able to get one up there for him. Actually, I take that back. He’s probably critiquing and saying I should’ve covered that one side of the cash register. Sorry, Uncle B.

As I was placing the sticker up, Jared got hold of the manager/owner. He told him where we were from, why we were there and why Teasers is such an important establishment to us. As I walked back to my seat on the other side of the bar Jared stopped me. The owner asked us to bring in a photo of Brent to be placed on the ceiling. I know that sounds awkward if you’ve never been to Teasers but inside of this dockside bar is a vaulted ceiling with different items on it. It’s like Billy Murphy’s Irish Saloon but...beachy fishing decor...in a sense. So the next time I’m down you bet a framed photo of Brent Patrick Evans will be hung in his favorite spot.

I’ve mentioned it before and I will mention it again, I am overwhelmed by the incredible support that I am oh so lucky to have. Thanks to Amy for being my personal photographer and beach bud for the weekend. As always, thank you to Brent’s family for such a special weekend down at their beach home.

Photo Credit: Amy Kroll

#LiveLikeBrent #Ocean City #OCMD #Assateague Island #Teasers #Sunset Grille #Thrasher #Bud Light

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