every time i talk w my parents i have to remind myself not to get swayed by their doting affectionate act.

are you worried about how the writers will go with gallavich? they did so dirty to them over the years that a part of me is so anxious and afraid that they'll f- it up their relationship :/ i hope they'll just be cozy and happy and in love i don't want any drama between them pls

hmm yes and no?? i don’t have any worries about them breaking up or anything like that. they’re literally married now, y’know? we’re way past the point of their relationship ending being a possibility. and while i don’t mind them working through things like money problems etc you better bELIEVE i’m salty about the whole “the honeymoon period is over!!!” thing bc they said the exact same thing last season and it’s like, what honeymoon period!!!! you didn’t let us see any of it!!!!!! but that’s not really a worry and more just me being annoyed bc i will always care 10000 times more about pointless domesticity than pointless conflict lmao

at the end of the day i’m hoping any drama will be relatively short-lived (like 1-2 eps max) and relatively minor. i don’t think it’s a season for major drawn out issues and i hope to god the writers can see that too.

personally my biggest concern going into this season has been how they’ll handle covid bc (and i’ve said this before) i genuinely refuse to watch if they make it the forefront story and - even worse - try to put a comedic twist on it. it’s not funny and it takes up way too much of my personal daily life/thoughts that i really don’t need to see it portrayed in fiction. but for rn it seems like they’re just going to be treating as part of life within the show which i can handle. so with that worrying me so much the past few months i honestly didn’t think much about how they’ll treat gallavich haha

but i have to believe that by the time it gets to 11x12 everything will be okay and while it might not be a perfect ending it’ll still be a happy one <3

The Worst Third Date Ever part 31

Chapter 31: Those Crackers.

A Month Later.

Max had been working part time between the school and the Smithsonian, Spencer started to teach at the university and the rest of the time he was at home researching or getting calls from the BAU to ask him things about the cases they were working on.

They were always busy but they find time to have dates. Sometimes he went to the Smithsonian and have lunch together or he order food for dinner.

They managed their time pretty good. Every women in his classes got sad the moment he said he was married. But that did not stop them from continue going to his classes.

One day Max was not feeling good, she was nauseous and could not hold anything in her stomach. At first she thought it was a food poisoning so she just drank some tea and tried to eat light things. But it did not got any better.

She called both works saying she was not feeling good so she will not go that day. They accepted it and wish her to get better soon.

Spencer did not want to leave her alone but she told him to go give his classes, she will be fine alone for a few hours.

He left still unsure but told her to call him if she needed him. She decided to call Michelle to asked her to come over her house to talk with her while he was gone and asked her to bring a package of crackers.

When Spencer arrived he saw his wife and sister-in-law talking in the living room and he saw the package of crackers on the coffee table. His brain started to work faster making connections.

"Spencer?" Said Max at him a little worry then he realized she was worry because he had some tears on his cheeks "baby are you ok?"

"Ye...yeah, um... Max when did you have your last period?" He asked looking at her.

"Well last month, but it should had came last Frid..." She just realized the same thing her husband did "wait... Do you think I am...?" She could not finish the question.

"Oh my..." Michelle was also in shock "I will get you a pregnancy test" she stood up after the couple nodded. When Michelle left they hugged tight.

"I will book an appointment with the doctor to be 100% sure" he said still hugging her.

"Ok... Gosh... Just when we just started a new job and are so busy" she said looking up at him.

"We will find a way. Beside you have your family. My mom will be so excited"

"I bet she will know the moment she looks at us" said Max "she is so much like my mom. When Michelle got pregnant, mother knew immediately" she laughed but had some tears.

He kisses her head softly "you know that the moment you and I start dating, my mom loves you as her daughter" she hugged her tight until Michelle arrived.

Max cleaned her tears and walked in the bathroom. She stayed there for some minutes, Spencer and Michelle waiting out of the bathroom.

When she walked out she looked at them "let's wait some more minutes for the result" she held Spencer's hand and wait some more until she checked the test. It showed a little "+" sign, she showed it to him and her sister "it's positive..." She has happy tears once again and hugged them. They hugged back all happy for the new addition to the family.

After some minutes hugging they broke the hug and Spencer called to book an appointment for her.

Before Michelle left they asked her to not tell anyone until the doctor's confirmation. She nodded and promised not to say anything until they gave her permission.

The couple sat in the living room and hugged "according to the paper in this test. It's very accurate and 99 of 100 results are real" she said with her head on his chest "when is the appointment?"

"Next Monday. They said we need a week to run a blood test, just in case and after that the doctor will do the ultrasound"

"What made you think I was pregnant?"

"Those cookies... I remember JJ and Kate, a former coworker, ate them when they were pregnant" he looked down "and other symptoms that made me suspicious"

"Mister Profiler in action" she laughed "I think the guess room will be the room of the baby"

Their house had four rooms, the main room, Spencer's office, Max's studio where she paint or plan the projects for the Smithsonian and the guess room. Also have two bathrooms, one in the main room and other downstairs. A living room, a dinning room and the kitchen.

"Yeah that's a good option. That room is big enough for everything the baby would need" she nodded.

The rest of the week passed without incidents, they decided to hold the excitement so no one know before it was official.

The day if the appointment, Spencer and Max met at the hospital. While he arrived the nurse ran the blood test and Max was filling the paper they gave her.

He walked to her and sat next to Max "sorry the students asked a lot today and I needed them to understand everything for their assignment"

"It's ok. The doctor haven't finished yet with the last patient. After her it's our turn" she kissed his cheek.

She finished the paperwork and handed it to the nurse. Then wait some more until they called them.

They walked in the office and the doctor was reading the test in her computer "hello Mr and Mrs Reid. I'm Dr Hailey Underwood" she smiled at the couple "ok, according to your blood test, you are pregnant Maxine"

"Please call me Max" the doctor laughed softly and nodded.

"Ok Max, you are almost 8 weeks pregnant. We can check the baby, go to the next room, change and lay there. Mr Reid, there's a chair if you want to take a seat" he nodded and they stood up and walked there.

Some minutes later the doctor walked in and started the exam "well everything looks great, I think you will give birth in November" the doctor continue to check the baby and she stopped at some point looking the screen in shock.

"Is everything ok doctor?" Asked Max and Spencer at the same time.

"Yes everything is ok... I'm just surprised because you are going to have twins" she said trying to show them on the screen "it's not so clear right now but I saw another leg hiding behind" both parents were in shock but still happy to have twins. He kisses her head after the doctor finished the ultrasound "ok while you clean Max, I will write you a prescription for some vitamins and a list of foods you will need. Also your next appointment will be around 13 to 20 weeks to know the gender of your babies"

The doctor left the couple "oh my... I can't believe we will have 2 children" said Spencer surprised.

"Yeah me neither" he helped her get up and walked back to the office of the doctor where she was finishing.

"Ok there is everything you will need" she handed her the paper "set the appointment and take care. Enjoy this beautiful experience... Both of you" she shook their hands and they left.

"Should we tell everyone already?" He asked as he opened the door of his car.

"It's official now, so why not?" She got in and he walked to the driver seat getting in the car "beside. The BAU people are like your family, your mom needs to know as soon as possible and we can tell my family tomorrow night. Michelle told me last week they wanted to have a game night"

"Sounds like fun" Spencer decided to go to the nursery home his mother was in.

"We like to do it to be all together one day per week" she said looking out the window "or per month if we can't do it each week"

"I'm really enjoying your family traditions. They are so much fun" she held his hand "I'm glad tobbe part of them" she kissed his hand as they arrive to the nursery home of Diana Reid.

They both walked out and went holding hands in the place. The nurses greetings and congratulated them.

When they reached the reception the nurse there took them to the room Spencer's mom was.

When they walked in the woman jumped off the bed and walked straight to them. She was smiling big "when did you find out?"

"A week ago. But we wanted to make sure" commented Max then looked at him with a smirk "It still surprised me how moms know"

"It's a super power you unlock the moment you see those little eyes. You can read them like a book" said her rubbing her son's cheek "but come in and sit down, I need to know everything so far"

They did as she said and they told her about the honeymoon, Max showed her some pictures she took with her phone.

They told Diana about Max's new job at the Smithsonian. How they found out about their pregnancy and they told her she will be the proud grandmother of two babies.

"Oh my God... I will have two grandchildren. I can't wait to meet them" she smiled "I will have to find the perfect gift for them so they always remember grandma Diana" Max and Spencer smiled at that. Spencer still got sad thinking every time with her could be the last one, so he enjoyed them as much as he could.

"I'm sure everything from grandma Reid will be memorable for them, mom" said Spencer holding the tears and his voice from cracking.

"Honey don't cry. I'm so happy right now so don't mess up this moment" the three laughed. Then the nurse came to let them know they have to go. They hugged Diana and let the hospital.

They went to buy something to eat and when to the park.

They just enjoyed that day of joy. They will be parents and will have twins.

The next day Spencer texted his BAU family to asked them if they were up for lunch with him and Max. They were all agree and he told them to meet them at the Chinese restaurant, their favorite when they were in town.

When all were there and the order was set they talked, he even invited Penelope. There were so teasing from Tara about Luke and Penelope.

They all laughed at her blush and his awkwardness. They keep talking happily then Spencer decided to talk cleaning his throat "ok guys we invited you here to tell you something. Something very important" he said smiling at them "recently Max and I found out that..."

"We are expecting!" Said both at the same time.

It took the rest of the team some time to understand what they meant but when they did, they all congratulate them and hug them.

"And not only that..." Added Spencer. The team looked at him "according to the doctor, we will have twins"

"Oh my... So I will have two godchildren to spoil?" Asked Penelope.

Max laughed softly "yeah but don't spoil them to much" she held Spencer's hand "I'm glad they will have you all around because as I told Spencer, you are his family so you are all like uncles and aunts for them" JJ has some tears at that.

"I always wish Spence could be father one day. Since he held Henry and watching him with all the kids we ever helped, I just imagine him being a good father. Congratulations" she raised her cup and everyone did the same "for the new BAU babies" then they clinked their cups.

"We will have baby geniuses" said Penelope "Oh I volunteer to plan the Baby shower" Max nodded, not wanting to unleash her anger.

They continued to talk while eating and when they all finished the team returned to the office, Spencer drove Max and Penelope back to their work and he went back to the campus to teach.

At night they told Max's family and Sammy was beyond happy with the idea of have two cousins and promised to help his aunt Max when he can.

The night was very relaxing, they played Uno, Scrabble and other board games. Then Max and Spencer left early.

It was a busy day so they were both tired and felt asleep almost immediately.

A week later, Spencer was checking his students essays about the last class, while Max was a the Smithsonian, when he got a phone call.

The call was from Emily, he stood up to get more coffee while answering "hey Emily, is there a case?" He asked as he reached the kitchen.

"Hey Spencer, no we don't have a case. I was calling to know how are you and Max"

"We are great, she is dealing better the morning sickness and I had to buy a bunch of crackers for her. Also something weird happened. She said since we found out about the pregnancy, she can't handle the smell or even the taste of coffee"

"Oh my... And that's your addiction" she laughed "how are you managing it?"

"Thankfully my working hours are when she isn't here so I can drink it all day" they both laughed.

"I heard that could happens but also her wanting weird foods"

"True, she haven't asked me for something weird just yet"

"Great, but be prepare" he laughed "there's something else I need to tell you. I had been wondering how I will tell you this but I can't keep postpone it any longer"

"You can tell me anything, you know it"

"Yeah I do" Emily took a deep breath "The women's prison called me yesterday. They booked Catherine Adams' execution to this Friday. They said she didn't asked for her last meal, she was happy with what she got when she had that weird date with you" Spencer closed tight his fist around the cup "she asked for you to be there"

"I said I wanted to be there when that needle stick in her arm but now I'm not sure"

"I know she did horrible things to you and I will understand if you don't want to. Sleep on it and let me know. And ask Max. If I were her I would totally want to show off my ring to that bitch" Spencer could hear her smirk and could not help but smile.

"I'm sure she would stick that needle herself"

"I bet she would" Emily laughed "call me with your decision so I can inform the prison you will be there"

"Ok, bye Emily" they ended the call and went back to work. His mind still thinking about it.

At night he decided to cook something for her and when she arrived she was surprised by it.

"Are we celebrating something?" She asked looking at her husband.

"No I just wanted to have a night date and tell you something" he gave her a plate with baked chicken with mashed potatoes and a glass of water.

"Is it bad?"

"I don't know" he answered honestly "well I guess Emily and everyone in my team told you everything about Cat Adams" she nodded "when she was at the FBI offices, she said she plead guilty of 73 murders and request the death penalty" Max nodded, remembering Emily saying it "they booked it this Friday"

"Oh..."

"Yeah and Emily asked if I would like to go. I told her I would be there to happily see her death but I'm not sure it's worthy"

Max held his hand gently "you should go. That bitch needs to know she didn't win. She needs to know that we beat her"

"Yeah... But I don't.... Wait a minute... Are you suggesting to...?"

"Yes Dr. Spencer Reid, I want to go. In fact I would gladly change position with the doctor to stick it in myself" he laughed and nodded.

"Of course you would, then I will tell Emily to send our names to the prison" he kisses her hand.

They are changing from topic to topic then cuddle in the couch.

"Do you have any idea of how we should name our babies?" She asked playing with his fingers.

"Well I have two names I would like to use" she looked at him expecting "since there will be two babies. If we have a boy and a girl I would like Jason and Diana. Any of them could be first or second name I don't mind"

"And if we had two boys or two girls?"

"I'm not sure yet" he looked at her "and what about you?"

"Well I think I would like Rachel, that was my mom's name and my boy option could be Alexander, that was the name of an uncle who made me realize I should study art" she smiled "he was amazing and I miss him so much"

"Sounds perfect, so maybe we can play with those four options. Jason Alexander Reid and Rachel Diana Reid. And if we have two girls or two boys we can use them our two options as first name and just add a second name. What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect" she kissed him. Then they both went to their room and falls asleep hugging each other.

The next day Spencer called Emily and let her know the decision they made. Then she informed the prison.

In a few days he will have his revenge.

OOooOOooOO

Next will be the last! Cat will have one last appearance in Reid's life, I want to do an epic thing that makes her be angry, something like Hotch did in Riding the Lightning when he showed that criminal Sarah Jean saved her son.

Got my inspiration from this video: https://youtu.be/OcZj0KM4MuA

ST3 really messed me up last night but there are some things that I feel should have been touched on so here I go:

Billy and Max’s relationship should have had a development scene. Obviously after max told billy to leave her and her friends alone they kind of had a sort of bonding period and we should’ve got that development instead of the Billy and Karen scenes 🙄

Billy and Karen shouldn’t have happened at all in any way AT ALL and I’m so glad that he told her to leave him alone but I still feel as if those scenes weren’t need because they really didn’t do anything for the plot of the show. I’m also glad that Karen came to her senses and thought about her family and not just her hormones because she must have forgot that Billy is a TEENAGER who is around the age of her oldest two children 😕 sis was ready to catch a case over some teenage dick smh

I don’t care what anyone says Mike and Elevens relationship is cute af 🤷🏽‍♀️ along with Max and Lucas. Yes Mike and El kissed a lot but they’re young and really like each other and in the honeymoon phase ALONG with Max and Lucas. So they’ll fight and argue over stupid shit but in the end their friendship is more important (if that makes sense) idrk where I’m going with this one but they’re cute and leave them alone

MAX AND EL ARE THE FRIENDSHIP I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED. I really loved that Max helped El find who SHE was and who everyone wanted her to be. El’s not just Mikes girlfriend, shes not just Hoppers adopted/daughter, she’s not the groups secret weapon, she’s not the girl with powers, and she’s definitely not the girl who was abused as a child. Eleven is just a teenage girl trying to find herself in a world with monsters and shit and for Max to come around and help her find herself was really what El and all of us needed

Will Byers and Dustin Henderson just needed their friends and they weren’t there for them. After all the shIT WILL HAS BEEN THROUGH HE DESERVED JUST ONE FUCKING GAME OF D&D, he deserved it. When Dustin needed his friends to believe that his girlfriend was real they didn’t until they needed her to save the world smh. THEY DESERVED BETTER.

Will Byers had a breakdown and I was here for it. Not in a bad way. I think he needed to let off that steam because of everything from his friends being more worried about their girlfriends to the MF being back to Mikes comment about him not liking girls. Which I don’t think Mike should’ve thrown that back in face ESPECIALLY if he was the only person that knew. Lucas to the time to TRY and apologize but MIKE DIDNT?

Joyce and Hopper are a dynamic duo. Joyce deserves happiness and to not have every love interest killed off. This move will be good for her and the kids even though I feel like they’re going to come back at some point.

Hopper was so accepting of death, which I guess you kind of have to be when it’s right ther but ugh it was still so sad. He and Joyce will never get to have that date on Friday at 7 at Enzo’s 😪.

Steve Harrington and Robin. A beautiful pairing although they had me fools when I thought there was a possible love relationship going to happen

ALEXI DIDNT DESERVE TO DIE

I don’t care what anyone says about this either because I believe they Billy truely deserved better. This season really showed us a different side of him and for him to get redemption at the END of the season is fucked up😪. Because like I said earlier he and Max obviously had to bond over the 2 year time period and I’m pretty sure during that time there was some sort of affection between them and I don’t think El should’ve been the only one to bring that out of him. HOWEVER we did see a broken piece of him during the sauna scene towards Max, but I guess 🤷🏽‍♀️ (I’m not excusing anything he’s done cause it was all shitty af)

Eleven, 011, Jane Hopper. All she wanted was a family and a home and when she finally got it, it was ripped away from her. And then she lost her powers 😪 there was a point in time where I really didn’t think she was going to make to the end because she was just so tired and she kept pushing herself to keep everyone safe.

ERICA SINCLAIR a true icon 👏🏽 she had so many iconic lines: “isn’t it time you died” “you can’t spell America without Erica” “Commence Opperation Child Endangerment” “nerds” plus her whole speech about communism. A true icon

Maxine Mayfield, Max, Mad Max. I’ll never get over how hurt she was about Billy which goes to show that had gotten closer and we should’ve been able to see it because although they ‘hated’ each other they were still siblings and loved each other without admitting it

Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers. Really we should call Nancy: Nancy Byers because come on, it’s gonna happen 🤗. I didn’t really like the whole working for the newspaper scenes, I don’t think they did anything for the season but I guess if you look at it from a being involved type view it all works out. Many and her moms heart-to-heart was really nice because none of the other parents, except Joyce and Hopper, are around to comfort their children and be around them to ask about their days.

Can we talk about the last episode. Jeez oh man, I cried like a baby. Like a really long ugly cry from Billy’s redemption scene all the way to the Byers and El leaving. What really fucked me up was when El started reading the letter and Hopper did the voice over. It was so sad because he never got to have that talk with her and I know he really wanted to. That letter is really the last heart felt thing she has left from Hopper and it makes it worse when we don’t know who is actually in Russia

But let’s talks about that. WHO TF IS IN RUSSIA???? I’ve seen some people say Billy and others say Hopper but really it can be either one here’s why. When Joyce turned the keys Hopper was on the other side of the magnetic force field and could have got transported to the Russian lab like how El got zapped to the upside down at the end of season 1. It could be Billy because he was used by the MF and I don’t think it’s done with him just like that because if that was the case Will wouldn’t be connected to it 🙂. So maybe after billy ‘died’ the Russians came back and took him and he woke up in Russia. AND where did they get the demogorgon from which leads to believe that a little sliver of the gate is still open somehow because how are they keeping it alive out of its habitat aside from feeding it people. It’s just a theory.

I think that’s about it. All in all the season was pretty great and I- I’m just still broken over these deaths.

when I see MF I read it a mother fucker instead of Mind Flayer and that says something 😗

Guide to the Present Day Original Timeline Masterlist

+ General Timeline

R!Reader = Roger!Reader, Reader in a relationship with Roger.

B!Reader = Brian!Reader, Reader in a relationship with Brian.

What does B!Reader and R!Reader stand for?

Original Timeline

Original Start with Brian (Alternate version from the one above)

Starting out (Brian)

Coachella Adventure

Friend or Foe?

Friend or Foe no.2

Friend or Foe no. 3

Before bed discussions (Brian)

Friend!

Grams (Brian)

Adopting a pupper (Brian)

B!Reader pregnant?!  (Brian)

Learning music

Family Opinions

Family Opinions no. 2

Spanking!* (Roger)

Couples fight

Going down* (Brian)

R!Readier doing young people Stuff (Roger)

R!Reader being friends with Rufus

Tigerlily’s Reaction to R!Reader and Roger

B!Reader and Emily

If B!Reader had been a Virgin

Spanking! no. 2* (Brian)

Their first time together* (Brian)

Raiding Roger’s closet* (but it’s Brian Smut)

Ex’s + Adam Lambert’s opinions

B!Reader and R!Reader talk about their children

Their Relationship in the media

Stupid arguments (Brian)

Parenting Skills: over 1000

Cheating on Anita?? (Brian)

Honeymoon* (but it’s Roger Smut)

Met Gala Fun + Adam Lambert

Emily

That face claim I said I would do (I did it)

Grandchildren confusion

Adopt your cast member today

Roger cheating??*

The dance*

Sarina’s Reaction

BBMAS Fun + Adam Lambert

Thoughts on thigh Riding*

Did they ever think they would date someone so young?

Daddy? (Smuttish?)

B!Reader always bakes for Brian

B!Reader’s dad was a Queen fan

Brian’s family’s opinion on the twins

Delivery room stories

Baby Names Time!

Age gap: cute!

Boys’ weekend

Take care of your drunk person

Who was the biggest flirt

First, we mention “the incident”

Second, we actually talk about “the incident”

Brian talks about his RS and the guitars he built with the boys

The “”Well Loved and Well Used” saga: Part 1″ (by anon)|  Part 2*  

The wives catch them watching porn*

Family and friends’ Opinions no. 3 (Roger and R!Reader)

The boys walking in on their wives watching or reading something smutty*

The talk about when they pass away (triggering and sad tbh)

The wives have a health scare

Riding Brian on the couch*

Drumstick action with Roger

Roger has a Daddy kink* (open your eyes people!)

Roger discovering R!Reader has a Daddy kink*

Brian and B!Reader’s reaction to R!Reading accidentally calling Roger “Daddy

Roger cumming inside his wife when they’re trying for a baby*

Dr May slip up*

Other friends

Telling stories of Freddie and soothing the boys

B!Reader jealous of Kerry?

Sex life* (Roger)

The clogs

Sex life* (Brian)

How they celebrate mother’s day

Roger and R!Reader’s tattoos

The first time Brian walks in on B!Reader dancing in the kitchen

About B!Reader and R!Reader

The boys’ reaction to their wives getting hit on in front of them

C*ckwarming* (Brian)

Would Brian and B!Reader film videos of themselves*

Is R!Reader musical?

Adam Lambert’s opinion on the girls

How they sleep together

Did they get kinky after the kids were moved out?*

Did Rufus ever hit on or go out with R!Reader?

How kinky does dom brian get now that the kids are a college?*

Morning person/night owl/moody teen

The worse fight between Brian and B!Reader

Did Rufus use his younger siblings to pick girls up?

How B!Reader takes care of Brian and the twins when he gets sick

How the boys cuddle when they want physical contact

Taking a yoga class with Brian*

Who initiated their first kiss* (But this includes Harry and Jazz!)

How the boys react to missing their families on tour

what would going to the cinema with present Brian be like?

Does bri and rog mind choking during sex?

How many speeding tickets does Max end up with?

Tumblr’s reaction to the boys dating someone younger

Do the wives ask to look through photo albums with them?

Films with Brian

Do the wives recognize the borhap boys from their previous works

Brian catching B!Reader singing while cleaning

The biggest fight between Roger and R!Reader

Brian and B!Reader’s reaction to Roger shooting at Jellyfish

Japanese Magic* (Brian)

Kid-Friendly Afterparty

What B!Reader Bakes for Brian

Silver Fox (Rog)

Taking Care of Sick Reader

Pet names

Discovering Roger’s Hairpulling Kink

Does Brian Let Reader Be in Control?

Father’s Day

Adam The Babysitter

Visiting on Tour without the Kids

Brian’s Birthday

Helping B!Reader and R!Reader During Periods

Wedding Bells: Brian & B!Reader

The Best Friend’s Wedding: Roger & R!Reader

Fishnet Kink Which is Code for Brian Smut

+ Kids Stuff + Social Media Edits + Brian’s Slip Up + “What if’s” aka AU’s from the Original Storyline

Last Edited on September 30th 2019.

* Means smut/NSFW stuff.

11 Ways To Make Your Long-Term Marriage Happier, Starting Today

By Ann Brenoff The honeymoon period in most marriages has a shelf life. But does that mean you can’t bring back those fluttery butterfly feelings of excitement and anticipation everyone experiences at the beginning of a relationship? Absolutely not. All marriages maneuver through rough patches. Some don’t survive long enough to come out the other side unscathed. But many do. Here are 11 ways to keep your marriage fresh. 1. Remind your partner (and yourself) that you appreciate them. After you’ve been married for many, many years, that passionate kiss when your partner walks in the door can easily morph into a peck on the check that can then morph into an inability even to look up from your computer. Over the course of my 23-year marriage, there are times when I’ve felt my own husband and I were starting to become so familiar with each other that we were settling into a stultifying — albeit comfortable — routine. But there’s a real danger in that. Studies show that nearly half of men who have cheated say it was because of emotional dissatisfaction — and not sex. When men don’t feel connected or appreciated by their wives, they are vulnerable to the advances of any attractive woman who casts a lustful glance their way. And fellows, it works the other way as well. In his film “Annie Hall,” Woody Allen charged that “a relationship is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies.” I believe he was right. 2. Say thank you for the little things. I’ve been guilty of keeping score, constantly calculating who had done what. “I cleaned out the kids’ closets, so you have to clean the basement.” “I moved for your job when we first got married, so now you need to move for mine.” “I initiated sex last time, so now it’s your turn.” But playing tit for tat is childish and will do nothing but chip away at the trust and connection you’ve built with your spouse. If you are so inclined, keep score of all the positive things your partner does in a day — and then thank them. Hopefully they’ll get the hint and do the same for you. 3. Practice honesty, even when you’re ashamed. If you have maxed out a credit card or two and find yourself hiding the bills each month, you can bet it’s going to come back to bite you. Eventually, whether you’re applying for a home loan or simply talking about the costs of summer vacation, these kinds of money issues will either be brought to light by a credit report or by the simple fact you can’t afford a trip away. Although infidelity usually happens in bed, it also can happen with money. And it will be a tough road gaining back your spouse’s trust if you’ve lied about overspending. Along that same vein, if you feel you aren’t connecting with your partner the way you used to, you need to say something — now. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. I once let communication issues fester for months on end, failing to verbalize my displeasure, and my husband and I wound up in marriage counseling for nearly a year. It took a third party — and a real investment on our part — to get us back on track. If I had not kept telling myself that things would get better on their own, we might not have reached what I call the danger zone. 4. Take care of your appearance. With many years and a few kids under your belt, it’s easy to let your appearance slide. Think about when you first met your partner. Would you have walked around in stained sweatpants and without brushing your teeth? My guess is no. I’m not saying you have to look like Julianne Moore every time you settle in for a night of TV. But I’ve seen too many couples transform from Cliff and Clair Huxtable into Dan and Roseanne Connor — with disastrous repercussions. Sometimes my husband will say “wow, you look nice” as I’m walking out the door for a girls’ night out. At least pay your spouse the same courtesy you do your friends by fixing yourself up for him or her every once in awhile. 5. Foster relationships outside your marriage. I’ve been going on girls’ trips for as long as I’ve been married. Yes, I love traipsing off with my spouse and three kids. But these weekends away with friends are also important. Swapping stories with others and enjoying new experiences make me — I hope — a more interesting person for my spouse to be around. When Katie Couric asked Barbra Streisand the secret to her happy 14-year marriage to James Brolin, she replied “time apart.” “It gets romantic because even the conversations on the phone get more romantic. You need some distance,” Streisand said. Your marriage should be your primary relationship — but it needn’t be the only one. 6. Watch your words. There are many things you should never say to a longtime spouse, the first being: “Don’t you think our new neighbor is attractive?” That’s a question you just think you want to know the answer to. It’s also never a good idea to start a sentence with: “You know it’s always been your problem that...” Who wants to hear that from their partner? We hopefully all have a pretty good sense of ourselves at this point and having someone you love point out a failing in this way does little to engender a loving relationship. “You always...” or “You never...” Think about it. Neither of these is true. If you start a sentence with these words your mate is certain to shut down or start a fight. Stop for a minute and think about what you really mean to say — and then say that instead. 7. Put away the jumper cables yourself. In life, there are big things and there are little things. The big things — draining the bank accounts to support a gambling habit, forgetting to mention that he’s in the federal witness relocation program living under a false identity or that he has a second family stashed in Queens — are of course one-way streets to divorce court. But most of us don’t have problems of that magnitude. Most of us have problems that are more like petty and repeated annoyances, which when fed the steroids of resentment and anger, balloon up like Arnold Schwarzenegger. And we all know what steroids did to his heart, right? Most of our problems start out small enough — he borrows the jumper cables from your car and then leaves them sitting in the driveway just waiting to get run over — and from that sprouts a giant festering sore. It leads you to utter words like, “If you loved me you would have put the jumper cables back in my car so that when I get stuck in a bad neighborhood with a dead battery I could save myself,” which, in my household, generally results in a reply like “When do you ever drive in bad neighborhoods?” It is the small annoyances that, if left unaddressed, do us in. For a happier marriage, address them right away and keep it simple. “Honey, did you put jumper cables back in my car?” 8. Relish the silence. Sometimes the best way to address a problem is to just walk away from it — as in seriously let it go. Not every slight must be addressed. Know that not every insult is intended. Practice letting go as much as you can. Forgive more. Forget more. Bite your tongue until the tip bleeds. And once in a while, remind yourself of why you married this person. Focus on those reasons and let stuff pass without mention. The trick to successful silence, however, is that you really let the problem pass. If you stay silent and still harbor bad thoughts, well, that’s where ulcers come from. As the Beatles told us, “Let It Be.” 9. Recognize the ebb-and-flow. Relationships aren’t flat-lined; that’s death, actually. Life has ups and downs, peaks and valleys. We all go through periods where the mere thought of life without our partners can bring tears to our eyes and then a week later we can’t stand the sound of their breathing next to us. We’ve all been there. The trick is knowing that you won’t stay in either place forever. Truth is, in a marriage, you spend most of your time in an emotional middle ground. It’s not songbirds chirping, nor is it considering which poison in his pasta will cause the most painful demise. This middle ground isn’t the couple who sit in the restaurant across from one another without conversing. Those people have actually flat-lined and just don’t know it yet. No, the middle ground is when months meld into years and you know what the reaction will be before you say something. It’s when the book you finished last night just migrates automatically to the nightstand on his side and he tells you about the recorded “Modern Family” episode you slept through. It’s the every day ebb and flow without the waves. 10. Be kind. We tend to take advantage of those we love the most — probably because we know they love us and we can get away with it. It’s the old kick-the-cat syndrome. You have a bad day at the office and come home and take it out on your mate. A much healthier pattern is to start out each day by asking yourself, “What can I do today to make my partner happy?” And mean it. Doesn’t it make more sense to put your best face on for someone you love? Look for ways to say “yes.” This rule applies to parenting as well, but in a happy marriage, people are busy trying to please each other. That sometimes means sitting through endlessly long ball games, putting on a tie, watching a horror movie with your eyes closed, and traveling around old Civil War battleground sites when you really wanted to be vacationing on a beach in Hawaii. It’s doing things for your partner. 11. Maintain intimacy and passion, both inside and outside the bedroom. Intimacy isn’t just sex and passion isn’t just doing it on the kitchen counter. Bedroom habits age along with the marriage. There may be no stronger aphrodisiac than a moonlight walk on the beach that ends in a kiss. There may be no greater display of passion than the zeal of a partner in a hospital room trying to get the nurse’s attention for an ailing wife. Don’t let others define what is a “normal” or “healthy” amount of sex for your marriage. Know that things change, but that doesn’t make them less exciting or fun. And intimacy comes in many shapes, including conversation and cuddling. Read the full article

20 THOUGHTS: Trade Radio Ga Ga (’is this real life or just a fantasy?’)

WHAT a stupid year. 

The losers of the NRL Grand Final are paid out as winners by bookmakers, and not because of a silly betting promotion but because the code and its officials are as relevant and effective in their jobs as contraception to Irish catholic newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Where Donald Trump himself is evidence our species might now be regressing, the fact endless hours of Trade Radio always have talkback callers is the proof in that devolution pudding.

And in a year where all the conservatives and right-wingers in this country should be as excited as a Beagle on full lipstick following ScoMo’s Steven Bradbury effort in May, they’re got their pantyhose and pressed slacks in a twist because of what some Volvo factory-worker’s teenage daughter has to say about the inclement weather conditions.

There was chaos and anarchy on Swan Street for the second time in three years last month but Hold Kong locals asked Richmond fans if they could hold their beer. We lost Polly and Spud, and said vale, gone too soon, to Saturday Night Rove. Five clubs let go of their coaches, Pope Francis delisted one of his cardinals, and a ginger from Christchurch defeated his own country by the virtue of most boundaries.

But at least we retained the Ashes in England.

  1.       Let’s start with the footy, trades season is almost done. Hutchy to his credit was a genius for seeing revenue opportunity in this trade period, with an ‘insert sponsor here’ open line and hours and hours of coverage, its been a windfall and then some for his business. But I reckon we’re only a year or so away from the unwashed realising there’s no relevance in any of it until the final day. There’s only so many Terry Wallace orations on the merits of list analysis before your average punter switches off. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them, Craig.

2.       The biggest name out there with a day to go is Joe Daniher. Was that meeting with Tom Harley a personal one or an actual, official Swans’ approach? Soft tacos, hard tacos, why not both? Now we have Essendon playing hardball and who knows if it gets done. Chances are it does, Geelong last year with Tim Kelly was more exception than example, if the Swans want him bad enough, they’ll lump up the pieces, especially if they fear as I do that Bud’s barely got ten more games in him in a market that requires a star.

3.       St Kilda has a lot on. Jack Steven and Josh Bruce are two big losses, but getting in Dougal Howard, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones, Paddy Ryder and Dan Butler are some nice pieces. If Ratten can indeed coach, and as an ex-Clarko assistant he should be just fine, next year looks properly solid down at Moorabbin.

4.       Whats the thinking with the Dogs? Aaron Naughton looks like a key forward gun, and Josh Schache was just starting to show something as a footballer without being a star. Yet they’re throwing all the cash at Josh Bruce for a go at a third flag? I do know he was free to a good home because the Saints were hellbent Max King’s twin at the Gold Coast would head home next year – not now after that re-signing yesterday. Couple big mistakes there for mine.

5.       Tom Papley worth pick nine? Righto. And the Masked Singer will be popular on Australian television too, right?..... Yep, pick nine sounds about right then, forgive me.

6.       Jack Martin though, to Carlton, that’s the steal of the whole thing. Martin is a freak, who has gone underappreciated playing in the ghost town that is Gold Coast, for a horribly weak side, in a club that can’t develop anyone not named Tom Lynch. But has talent to burn and could easily become one of Carlton’s top 10 players next year, in fact based on the player he can become, he should. Think 2019 Michael Walters. Seriously. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

7.       Collingwood have cap issues? Really? Firstly who really knows, unlike North American sports where contracts are public, only each club really knows how much room they’ve got and how that ever would be divulged puzzles me. And yes they have to pay Grundy, De Goey and Moore next year, although the latter won’t be all that much given his hamstrings are like an Uber driver with turrets, unreliable and could snap at any time. But given the Pies were offering Tom Lynch the same financial terms as Richmond this time last year, with Scott Pendlebury out of contract next year and coming down in salary, with less stars to pay than West Coast, how is this a thing? It isn’t. Chris Mayne is overpaid, sure, but that’s it. Wells has retired, Beams took a cut, and unless George Calombaris oversaw their player payments and there’s backpay to cover off, I think it’s a total beat-up. But sure, let James Aish being wanted by his former backs coach at Freo to fuel that fable.

8.       Crows hired Matthew Nicks. Reckon that’s got fail all over it. Adelaide’s list is in a heap, the review basically said their post Grand-Final plans two years ago totally wiped the place out like a broken toilet on a buck’s weekend, and not seeing to the damage since has only exacerbated the crap spilling out all over the shop. Good half dozen or so quality players leaving this offseason, Walker and Sloane are the wrong side of 30 and they’ve got only a few good kids, most clubs around them have better youth and are more rapidly improving. Either Nicks can’t coach at the level or he can but the Crows will be a bad side regardless, either way it doesn’t see him making a new contract beyond whats given out today.

9.       NRL. Definiton of a pub league. Your local Wednesday night basketball is better run. And with better officiating. That Six Again controversy was the most befitting thing you’ll ever see to a sport, a sport where 13 of its 16 clubs run insolvent, but that’s ok because all their giant pokies-infested leagues club venues write them all a cheque to cover the losses each year. Absolute pub league.

10.   If an umpire or referee makes a bad call, it’s only made worse by changing that decision midstream. If a player marks the ball, but then the umpire overrules saying no, it was touched, its no mark, and because you’ve claimed it and made no attempt to get rid of it its now holding the ball, you just can’t do that. Kids are taught to play to the whistle. Except in rugby league then. Because chances are what the ref just said isn’t what he is about to mean in a couple seconds time, just be patient. That referee shouldn’t be crucified for what’s essentially just one error, but in the grand scheme of things, he needs witness protection. Or better yet, stay off the roster for trips to Canberra next season.

11.   It was mentioned in the preamble but no wonder SportsBet paid out all Canberra to win bets. The Raiders had all the momentum, it was 8-all, and it was near the Roosters tryline. They were no guarantee to score off that play, at best they might have got a repeat set. But if there was anyone more likely to break that deadlock given who was playing better but also, more importantly, the territory battle, it was the Green Machine. This isn’t SportsBet just being philanthropic, the result is just that shady.

12.   Speaking of Sportsbet – Western United. Made their A-League debut on the weekend, won one-nil in front of some fans at Wellington. But it was midweek that we saw their announcement which said “we are proud to announce SportsBet has joined the club as its exclusive sports wagering partner”. Firstly, poor form, in a city where all the AFL clubs are quite publicly backing out of gambling revenue, to be going the other way stinks big time. But secondly, what does that even mean? That if I go into a TAB all Western United games are unavailable to bet on. Coz that’s just not even close to true. Dumb and stupid in all of the ways, that.

13.   So the new boys have their home opener this weekend down at Geelong, even though they’re a team based out of Tarneit. Melbourne Victory when they’ve ventured down to Sleepy Hollow attract 14,000 or so, who knows how many turn up for the novelty first time around this Saturday. But going forward, given Melbourne City don’t exceed 10,000 and they play in town, if they’re getting anymore than 5,000-6,000 in what’s otherwise a 36,000 AFL venue, its going to look oh so pretty on television. What’s the opposite of the eggplant emoji?

14.   Few more on the A-League, firstly, why have your opening round smack bang in the middle of an international window? They were so hyper vigilant to schedule their opening round after the AFL and NRL had ended they failed to recognise all of the good Aussie players will be off winning 28-nil against Chinese Taipei or Christmas Island or whoever it was. Its like Victoria Police planning a social function on New Year’s Eve. No-one’s going to be able to make it you morons.

15.   And you open up with the Melbourne Derby. Lucky Victory is a terrifically run club with a strong, loyal fanbase. But only 33,000, with zero promotion? These should be nudging 50,000.

16.   Lastly, you know they’re going really well when the free-to-air partner this season is the ABC. Even the VFL got a commercial broadcaster, yet the country’s premier round ball competition shares a channel with Gardening Australia and Four Corners. And the cherry on the top is when it comes to finals, and I’ll quote the ABC press release on this one, where “one A-League match per round broadcast live on ABC TV and iView around the country… and a selection of A-League finals on delay, including the grand final.” Delay?! Remember those days? You can’t make this stuff up.

17.   Darren Weir got done for using jiggers. Rest of racing stays dead quiet. Right. Now is that because Darren is their mate and despite the heinous crimes blood is thicker than water in the industry and they have some empathy for him? Or is it a case of if he can get caught, then maybe some of the others equally as guilty could so easily as well, and staying mum is step one of avoiding such scrutiny? I wonder.

18.   So, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier for running a marathon. Phenomenal achievement, just ridiculous to even comprehend the feat. Amazing. But it won’t count as a world record. Why? Well it wasn’t a race. Old mate contrived the event with a couple dozen pacers to help him do it and that’s it. It’s like if me and some mates hire lane eight down Altona Pool Thursday morning, and fresh off a high-protein breakfast and a quick hit of flakka happen to break 20 seconds for one-lap of freestyle – you think FINA will recognise it? You think Kieran Perkins will shout me free Light Start for life off the back of it? As a milk crusader I could only dream of such a reward but yeah nah. Nice stunt Eliud, you’re a freak of a human. But we’re in the same boat brother.

19.   Tough one, not just for boxing because its bigger than that, but Patrick Day is in real bother and sincere optimism about his recovery to one side, so is his sport. Day was knocked out in the tenth round in a bout with Charles Conwell in Chicago in the weekend, which in itself is not unusual. But the consequences of the blow are such that Day is in a coma and in an “extremely critical condition”. Again, nothing but positive wishes about his eventual recovery first and foremost, but in an era where concussion in the football codes is as alarming as ever, combat spots’ existence, like boxing, could/would/should be on borrowed time with cases like this.

20.   TV ratings worry the pants off me. By far the most important and major revenue source for all the sport we love to watch, it helps grow the professionalism and the standards, and the access really. But as TV viewership declines, so does the viewership with live sport. And we all waited with bated breath for the NRL Grand Final numbers in the hope maybe they would be good, and it wasn’t just sport in general in trouble, that maybe rugby league was still on an upward trajectory and its just everyone else.

Nope, it was down too. Usually something that rates at times near 3m nationally, it was around 1.8m. The AFL Grand Final, with an engaged Sydney audience, has been on a trajectory over 3.5m, topping 4m occasionally, it was under 3m for the first time in years. Australia Open primetime slots were down, cricket was good but still down, be it the summer on Seven or The Ashes mid-year on Nine.

What does this mean? It means less people are watching live sport. And when advertisers hear that, they’ll be paying less to the networks for the privilege of putting 30 seconds of their product in front of the eyeballs of footy fans. And that then means TV networks will hand over less cash, subsequently, to the sporting bodies for the rights to broadcast their fixtures.

It doesn’t mean that we’re all destined to see the days of the 1980s return where players need a job outside of footy and only one game is broadcast a week and all that nostalgia. But the idea that salaries will keep going up and up is gone, the idea the game can grow at the same rate looks doomed. So unless someone makes Foxtel honest (nudge nudge Amazon Prime) or this is only a lull, and once we get over Fortnite and Korean boy-bands we will all fall back in love with Friday night in front of the telly watching footy, it’s a big, big concern. 

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Good Place, Riverdale, Timeless, B99, Resident, Million Little Things, Flash and More

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Send any/all of the above to [email protected]

Question: Got any Riverdale scoop? What’s next for Archie? —Kerri Ausiello: When we last saw Archie in the fall finale, he was dyeing his famous red locks and making a run for the Canadian border. Executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa won’t tell us who he finds when he gets there, but “he is headed into the Canadian wilderness, for sure.” He won’t be seeing his dad Fred in the flesh anytime soon, though: It wasn’t shown on-screen, but the EP confirms that Fred did make it back into Riverdale before the quarantine came down.

Question: Any Million Little Things scoop? My friends and I are obsessed with it and hope it’s back for another season. —Montreal4 Ausiello: Remember how showrunner DJ Nash said that everyone in the group of friends has a secret they’ve kept? Look for Regina’s to come to light in Episode 14.

Question: Any scoop on what to expect when Grey’s Anatomy returns? —Al Ausiello: I will have a special holiday treat for you this coming Monday, so sit tight. In the meantime, I tried to get showrunner Krista Vernoff to share even the tiniest bit of intel about Jennifer Grey’s mysterious character and… I struck out. “I can’t [say anything],” she responded. “Because it would really ruin a twist and turn that I don’t want to ruin.” Hmm… I’m sticking with my initial prediction: She’s Jo’s mom.

Question: Anything on The Good Place? (Janet, specifically.) —Whitney Ausiello: Everyone’s favorite not-a-robot will be forever changed by having the humans materialize in Janet form, creator Michael Schur teases: “The way to really have empathy for people is to walk a mile in their shoes, and she did, like, the inverse of that. A bunch of people walked in her weird body for a decent amount of time… so that is another contributing factor to her evolution.” He adds that the season finale “has some pretty wonderful ‘compare this version of Janet to the one you saw in the pilot’ kinds of scenes.” So enjoy, Janet fans!

Question: I’m glad Dorian finally confronted Kaleb about his feeding problem on this week’s Legacies. Can I stop worrying about MG now? —Susan Ausiello: I don’t think it’s ever safe to stop worrying about MG, but as far as Kaleb goes, it sounds like Dorian’s pep talk was just the beginning. “Kaleb has a lot of really big ideas, and a lot of opinions about how things should work,” series creator Julie Plec says. “Much like in the real world when a hot-headed teenager thinks he can second guess what makes the rules the rules, he’s going to have a rude awakening pretty soon where he realizes he doesn’t know as much as he thinks he knows.”

Question: The ending of New Amsterdam‘s fall finale makes me think that Max’s cancer is progressing quicker than first assessed. Will this affect the clinical trial Dr. Sharpe has gotten him into? —Malasha Ausiello: We brought your query to showrunner David Schulner, and he said: “While we can’t reveal here what happened to Max on that dock, we will in our first episode back January 8. But, you’re right to ask if this will affect Max’s clinical trial. It most definitely will. This setback will change a lot of things in Max’s life. And Dr. Sharpe’s too. Thanks for watching and caring and writing to TVLine about the show.”

Question: Will The Flash give us any more hints about what Nora seems to be hiding? —SSH Ausiello: Now that we know there is some sort of alliance with Eobard Thawne, you should expect “a flash-forward flashback episode” that explains “how all that came to be, which will be a lot of fun,” says showrunner Todd Helbing. “You’ll slowly start to get the pieces of info that you need, but there will probably be one episode where we explain how that all happened to get her to come back [in time].”

Question: Challenge: Make me look forward to the Schitt’s Creek holiday episode more than I am already. — Belinda Ausiello: TVLine’s resident Schitthead Charlie Mason promises me that, no matter how great your expectations are, you won’t be disappointed — the special totally “sleighs.” What’s more, he issues a warning that the episode reveals a potential stumbling block to Alexis and Ted’s rekindled romance that neither she nor we anticipated.

Question: I need to know two things about Timeless: First, will #lyatt have a baby? Two, is Jessica really pregnant with Wyatt’s baby? —Miwako Ausiello: In response to your second question, star Matt Lanter says, “We address that [in the series finale, airing Dec. 20]. We’ll find out.” As for Wyatt, he’s not suspicious of Jessica and her baby news. “We’ve seen Wyatt be blinded by love throughout the last two seasons, though, and this is nothing new for him,” Lanter says. “Inherently, he’s a good person with a good heart, and I think he has a hard time accepting that people he loves or cares about … wouldn’t be good. So I think it’s easier as an audience member to look at Jessica and go, ‘Yeah, she’s lying.’ But I think Wyatt is just more blind to things.”

Question: How many time periods will we see in the Timeless finale? —Amanda Ausiello: “There are two-plus time periods, I will say that, that we have not visited before,” showrunner Arika Lisanne Mittman shares, adding that the historical time trips highlight “ethnic representations that we have not seen before [on the show]. Both of these stories are things that [are about] lesser known historical figures. You get to meet some new people that you’ve probably never heard of.”

Question: I’d love a Resident scoop on Conrad/Nic. —Holly Ausiello: I hope you enjoyed the couple’s honeymoon phase while it lasted, because the back half of Season 2 will be “nothing but obstacles” for the pair, according to executive producer Todd Harthan. “In just about every episode, there’s a new one for them to overcome… and they just start stacking up,” Harthan says, adding that the couple will be especially preoccupied with the health of Conrad’s father and Nic’s sister. “It’s going to be a ‘hold on and hope that they make it’ kind of ride,” he teases.

Question: Any hints on how to solve the Blindspot episode title puzzle for Season 4? —Hannah Ausiello: “Oh man! We finally built a title puzzle this season that is legit very hard to crack,” showrunner Martin Gero answers. “I will say this: The puzzle is an homage to some our favorite TV series and how they title the shows. Figure out which, and you might be a step closer.”

Question: Creek’s death on Midnight, Texas was so awful. Please promise me no one dies in tonight’s episode! —Rina Ausiello: I cannot make that promise. But I can tell you that Mr. Snuggly makes it through OK. So that’s something… right?

Question: Got any red-hot Chicago Fire scoopage, Aus? —Gene Ausiello: I see what you did there and I’m… very amused. Well done. The NBC drama is planning some girls-only bonding time for Sylvie, Stella and Emily. “They’re going to go on a road trip to [Sylvie] Brett’s hometown,” showrunner Derek Haas previews. The episode will air the week of Valentine’s Day, “so we’re calling it the Galentine’s trip.” Before that, though, the show will explore Emily’s “attitudes towards dating, which are different than Brett’s, and I don’t mean LGBTQ,” Haas explains. “I mean more of what [Emily, who is bisexual] considers casual versus what Brett considers casual. All of those dynamics are going to be deepened.”

Question: March is far away. I want American Gods scoop now! —Rob Ausiello: Well, because you asked so nicely… Pablo Schrieber says the “antagonist and ally” relationship between Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon will be tested big time by his allegiance to Mr. Wednesday when the Starz drama returns for Season 2. The leprechaun’s destiny “is tied to [Wednesday], no matter what, but it’s also very thoroughly tied to her,” the actor says. “So Sweeney is walking the line, balancing what he owes Wednesday and what he’s realizing he feels in other places.” Hmm. Sounds a lot like we’ll see Laura kissing the Blarney Stone before the season’s over, am I right?

Question: Can you give us any Outlander spoilers? (Especially involving Brianna’s and Jamie’s meeting!?!) This is my first time doing this — hope I’m doing it correctly! —Carolina Ausiello: You did OK. I’ll send you some notes about how to refine your approach in a separate email. Regarding the question at hand, I turn it over to our resident sassenach, Kim Roots, who has seen the scene in question: “I have rather high standards for the huge moments on this show — the wedding night, the print shop reunion, etc. — and I was incredibly satisfied by how the father-daughter plays out in [episode number redacted according to Starz’s spoiler restrictions]. Fans of the book definitely won’t be disappointed.”

Question: Elizabeth and Henry on Madam Secretary are #couplegoals. Please tell me anything you can. —Mary Ausiello: An upcoming episode opens with the McCords taking a tango lesson. And one of them is significantly more skilled than the other.

This AAnd That… ♦ THE BLACKLIST: As teased in the Season 6 trailer, Red will spend some time behind bars after being double-crossed by a close confidant — but don’t count him out just yet. “He’s really been stripped of his superpowers,” series creator Jon Bokenkamp shares. “He’s disconnected from his resources, he may have friends who will fall away and he’s sort of on his heels, which is new for us.” But Bokenkamp assures fans that “if anyone could embrace the solitude of a cell and the experience of incarceration with open arms, it would be Raymond Reddington. We have really high stakes, but we also have some of the most fun we’ve had, as well.” ♦ BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: There will be one major.hilarious change when the sitcom makes the leap from Fox to NBC in January. “We’re allowed to bleep and blur [now],” series co-creator Dan Goor recently told us. “Fox had a no bleeping and no pixelation policy.” Now the gloves are off. “Some filthy, filthy things have been said,” added Terry Crews. “I had one [joke] where I’m ashamed. I’m actually very, very ashamed. It was so jarring that everyone was like, ‘Whoa,’ and we needed to regroup… But holy cow, we never heard language like that on the show.” ♦ CHICAGO PD: Burgess is not the only one who will have a reaction to Upton and Ruzek’s romance. In an upcoming episode, Jay “responds in a way I think you’d expect Halstead to respond,” showrunner Rick Eid teases, “and I think what’s going on in his head is a little different than what he says.” Eid also adds that Jay’s “relationship [with] Upton is interesting and evolving, so don’t sleep on that.” ♦ HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: This is the last AA of ’18 so happy holidays and all that jazz!

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments and anonymous tips to [email protected]. (Additional reporting by Kim Roots, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Vlada Gelman and Diane Gordon)

Source: https://tvline.com/2018/12/14/million-little-things-spoilers-season-1-episode-14-regina-secret/

Rare Lightweight 1964 Plymouth Belvedere Still Hits the Track with Mucho Gusto

Like many of the local kids his age, George Edwards was a car crazy juvenile who was just itchin’ to get behind the wheel of his own potent ride. His dad was in the trucking business, and good ol’ pop saw fit to feed George’s passion for horsepower by buying the teenager his first ride at 14. Still too young to legally drive, George settled on turning wrenches on his “new” Model A, and waiting it out until the great state of Pennsylvania would finally let him get a driver’s license to call his own.

In the meantime, George obtained another ride, a ’48 Ford coupe, which he quickly turned into a stock car to race at the local circle track. Since he was still under age, he had to watch another guy drive his racer around the track while he manned the pits. But relief was just around the corner, as the young gun would soon turn 16, and with that celebrated day, his world would become a much happier place.

With license in hand, George hit the strip running. He realized that living life a quarter-mile at a time was what he wanted to do. So he built up a succession of hot rides, starting with a ’35 Ford sedan, which he raced C/Gas solely at his local track, the Pocono Drag Lodge, in nearby Bear Creek, Pennsylvania. Next in the garage was a stout ’33 Ford coupe, which he bought as an unfinished project. He turned it into a nasty C/A class car, which he raced till the fall of ’67.

A Yenko would soon follow, and became his weapon of choice out on the dragstrip. That car would see him through the next four years out on the quarter-mile, and it even accompanied himself and his new bride on their honeymoon, lighting up the rear tires at Cecil County Dragway along the way. Talk about a marriage made in hot rod heaven.

Light Reading George retired from racing in 1972 to keep on his family life and work. He tucked away his racers and held on to them over the years, to remind him of those great days that were now behind him. But something strange happened to him 30-odd years later. He started to get the itch to get back out on the quarter-mile again; and it was a persistent prickling that George knew that he just needed to scratch.

So in 2008, George decided it was time to go fast again. He had a few speed-demons in his collection, but he wanted something new, something different. He had always admired the super stock racers from the ’60s, and thought that might the direction to go in. “Every racer from the ’60s dreamt about owning or just racing one of those drag monsters, especially the factory lightweight ones,” says George.

It was a weekend at the Atlantic City Auto Auction that George’s life changed for the better, a case of “divine” driving intervention some would say. “I didn’t know this particular car would be there, but I guess it was just love at first site,” says George. The car that became the apple of his eye was certainly one of the finest, baddest, and most interesting of the drag wars of the mid ’60s, a ’64 426 Stage III Belvedere lightweight racer, proudly named The Reverend Mr. Black.

This particular Belvedere is certainly a rare ride, a factory race car specifically built by Chrysler to take on Ford and GM out on the country’s 1320s and do it in style. This was one of only 50 lightweight Belvederes built that year, and this one luckily survived the rigors of quarter-mile life, and did it with most of its original drivetrain intact. Only the original rear had been swapped out for an improved Dana 60, still stuffed with beefy 4.56 gears. The 12.5:1 compression, dual-carbureted Max Wedge was still there, and shifted by its original 727 transmission.

So, knowing this was the car he truly “needed” in his life, he sought out the owner and started the ball rolling. Turns out the title bearer wasn’t in the best of health, and really needed to see the car go to a new owner. So George hashed out a deal with him without the car crossing the block, and claimed her as his own. Before the first gavel fell, George already had the car packed away and ready to head to its new home. “Automobiles of this pedigree do not come around often, so I just had to buy it,” confesses George.

Mr Black’s Story The Ebony-skinned coupe had been raced since new, taking on the moniker “The Reverend Mr. Black” after the Kingston Trio song of the same name. Having other racer cars prior to this one, the original owner Howard Williamson dubbed it “III” as it succeeded two other Plymouths of the similar breed. It was purchased new at Powell Plymouth in Jacksonville, Florida. It was in the southeast where the car did most of its damage on the local dragstrips in its early years, preying on the meek Brand X rides that took him on. It won the SS/A class at the ’65 NASCAR Drag Racing Winternationals and even match raced against Richard Petty in Albany, Georgia, and beat “The King” to the finish line.

The car was decked out from the start the way any racer should. From birth, it possessed the 12.5:1 high-compression Super Stock 426-III powerplant, fed by a pair of Carter AFB carburetors on an aluminum cross-ram intake. A stout 727 TourqueFlite did the shifting via the Chrysler pushbutton system (the last year for those controls), and it fed a stout 8 ¾ rear out back stuffed with 4.56 gears. It was also decked out with other divine goodies from Mother Mopar, including a dual-breaker distributor, heavy-duty radiator, and rear located 90-amp battery.

With the purchase of the 12.5 compression engine, you also could order the Light Weight Package, which Mr. Williams did. That option consisted of an array of front-end panels built from aluminum. These included the hood with scoop, fenders, front bumper and supports, and radiator air shield, stone deflector, crossbar, and vertical support brace. Even the carpet was of a lightweight fabric to help shed a few more pounds.

These factory racers were just that, a complete package ready to hit the track with owner’s needing just to “tune and gas-up” to dominate the strip. But there were several modifications made to this lightweight from the start by Williamson. The 12-point rollcage was a must for safety precautions. Dodge van seats replaced the originals and continue with the lightweight racer theme. A set of headers was added to get rid of the spent gases.

All this godly-goodness led to some low e.t.’s and high trap speeds. Williamson held onto the car for a few years, and then passed it on to a small succession of owners, each of whom continued to bring Mr. Black to the track, and thrash any Brand X racer that dared line up against it. More mods were made to the car at this point, including the Dana 60 with Strangle axles out back, a floor shifter between the seats and mini-tubs out back. Skinny mags were added up front, and wide steelies were placed out back — shod in 32×14.5-15 slicks.

These Mopar lightweights continued their quarter-mile domination that its predecessor Plymouth and Dodge racers forged the years before it. The Reverend Mr. Black carried on over the years, taking on comers at tracks across the east. In the mid ’80s, the car was stripped down and the paint refreshed, with the painter recreating its complete graphics package. It then moved on to a small collection in New Jersey, where it sat for a few years, decommissioned from racing with less than 1,000 miles showing on the odometer. The last in line was the gentleman that George ended up purchasing the car from.

King George and the Reverend Once in Edward’s possession, the car got a few new add-ons to help out its time on the track. One key ingredient added by the new owner was a new powerplant. Worried that his thrashing might damage the Max Wedge, he built a new one up from period-correct parts. “I ran the car hard for two years and, as most drag racers, wanted to go faster and also I didn’t want to hurt the old bullet,” Edwards says.

The new powerplant is a stroker motor from Carolina Machine in Johnston, South Carolina.  It’s a 522ci beast based on a 440ci block that’s pushed the dyno to 640 hp at 5,500 and 690 lb-ft torque at 4,400 rpm. It uses a repop cross-ram intake (a Mopar Performance piece which differs slightly from the original) and OEM AFB carbs. It also has the original oil pan with the tie-rod cutout. “My goal was to have the car run a consistent mid 10s, and I’ve accomplished that. Anything more would be tough on the drum brakes,” Edwards admits. Other changes include a transbrake for take offs, a new torque converter to improve 60-foot times, and 4:10 gears to keep the rpm down through the traps.

Future Plans George is smitten with his Mopar ride, and it makes you wonder why he didn’t race more Pentastars back in the day. Having owned only Fords and Chevys over the years, he has now realized that he had missed something. “My one regret is that I only wish I could have owned the Reverend when it was new. It would have been very exciting driving it back then.”

Well, luckily George is making up for it now, hitting the local nostalgia drag races, and thrashing the competition whenever he gets the chance. The 50-plus-year-old ride shows no mercy to its rivals, and dishes out a fiery “sermon of speed” whenever it hits the 1320. Like the rear trunk panel says; “The Reverend Black is Back … and is he ever MAD.”

Fast Facts

ENGINE TYPE: RB Wedge Head, steel block BORE x STROKE: 4.35 x 4.375 BLOCK: 1974 440 ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Scat Crankshafts Stroker crank, forged rods and pistons CYLINDER HEADS: Edelbrock Max Wedge heads COMPRESSION: 12.5:1 CAMSHAFT: Comp Cams solid lifter roller cam VALVE TRAIN: Hughes solid lifter roller rockers INDUCTION: Mopar Performance crossram intake/stock 2×4-bbl Carter AFB carburetors OILING SYSTEM: stock EXHAUST: restored vintage Hooker 2 ¼-inch headers IGNITION: stock tach drive distributor with MSD two-stage ignition box COOLING: stock radiator FUEL: Holley electric fuel pump OUTPUT: 640 hp, 690 lb-ft torque ENGINE BUILT BY: Carolina Machine Johnston, South Carolina

DRIVETRAIN TRANSMISSION: 727 TorqueFlite three-speed auto CONVERTER: Dynamic Converters 9-inch 3,800-stall SHIFTER: Winter Racing floor shift STEERING: stock manual FRONT BRAKES: stock drum REAR BRAKES: stock drum ROLLBAR/CHASSIS: custom cage/Dana 60 rear with 4:10 gears stock springs

WHEELS & TIRES WHEELS: 15×4 American Racing (front) and 15×12 steel (rear) TIRES: 28×4.5-15 Moroso DS2 (front) and 32×14.5-15 Dragway Special slicks (rear)

INTERIOR SEATS: Dodge A100 van seats INSTRUMENTS: Stewart-Warner 9k cable tach WIRING: stock

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As the New Year Comes

Different feelings and expectations as the year 2017 comes nearer to its end. As the curtains of 2017 slowly roll down, another year is threatening to come. Oh, the word threatening is quite inappropriate to use. Of course, even if new challenges are sure to come, new opportunities would flow along with double the figure. So, we should think positively and strive hard to achieve what the new rooms for individual and communal growth could offer. But knowing that the year is already at its end, we can’t help but be beset with several questions. In this Paperclips Magazine new issue, here are few of the common questions and what other authors have to say: 1) If you could have a New Year’s wish, what would that be? My New Year’s wish is, I wish God would send down his angels to fight the demons that are infested in bodies that want to destroy our country. - Judy A. King , author of Yellow Star My New Year’s wish would be that my book, The Saints of Bogby Baptist Church could be successful. - Jerry Stafford , author of The Saints of Bogby Baptist Church: An Allegorical Study of Living If I knew that my wish was to become reality, it would have been tantamount to ruling the World and I would wish that in 2018 the people of the World started electing leaders who have the wisdom to master the law of unintended consequences of their decisions. - Yuri Feynberg , author of Child of Gulag In 2018, I would begin retirement from psychology practice so my wish is that I will be productive in sharing with my family and learning. Also, I want to do some consulting works in my writing. Also, to recognize how blessed I am to be this healthy at 80 years old. Mainly, next year, that I will be very alert and try to live my faith and take care of my family especially my wife who has health problems. Continue the opportunities right now to continue in consulting work and that I may be able to do some workshops regarding Blending Families and at the same time, never stop to learn anything new. - Max Price, author of Blending Families: The Honeymoon Comes Later My one wish would be for every animal to live in a home and/or with a family that will cherish them for the precious gifts they are. #adoptdontshop #rescuedog - Amanda Hopkins, author of Daisy Dog Book Series My wish would be for everyone to have unconditional love for animals and each another. - Barbara Poole, author of The Diaries of Liberty the Pug May each day be an opportunity for love to gift all I influence. - Nancy Williams, author of A Return From Grief 2) If you could celebrate the new year, anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would return to the large parks in Africa to see once more the elephants, wildebeests, lions, zebras and other animals there. I would do so because this experience of survival in the wild demonstrates my passion: attachment and evolution. Thanks again. - Dr. Mark Beischel, author of Calming the Brain Through Mindfulness Hiking on the Golan Height, with walking staff firmly in hand, cogitating my thoughts as I look both ways and thinking about the history of the region. - David Paul Anderson, author of The Book of Talyara If I could celebrate the New Year anywhere I would celebrate it in Italy either on the Amalfi coast or Siena. Italy is beautiful and rich in culture and history and the food is fantastic. I have been there twice and would like to take my wife there and celebrate the New Year there I think it would be a funfilled night. Since both grandparents came from Italy it would be fun to celebrate it with my cousins that I never met. - Joe Marino, author of Autumn of Life: A Guide to Aging and Dying At first, I thought, I’d love to celebrate in Hawaii, since I’ve never been there; or maybe fly back to some places we’ve been like Flagstaff and Sedona in Arizona. But finally, after giving it much consideration, and some serious meditation; I realized that there IS a very special place ~ Only one of its kind actually ~ where I’d truly love to celebrate this and every year forthcoming. And that place is; The Johnson Park/Lake House, which is extremely special to me. It’s a glorious, wonderful property where I wake up every day to a serene lake-view, enhanced by a glorious, Golden sunrise and the beautiful, peaceful sounds of nature in the backdrop— various birds singing, water gently rippling, and soft breezes whispering through the majestic oak trees that have been artistically positioned upon the property. All of which I enjoy from the balcony attached to the master bedroom suite. And, I end each day with an equally majestic Amber/Russet sunset view over that same serene lake! Breath-taking doesn’t even come close to how to describe it… so, All I’ll say about it is… WOW!!! - Dr. Truth, author of Now I Know! 3) Are you sad to see the old year pass? Like the previous years, 2017 was a good year. My granddaughter phoned me in February, telling me that I was to be a great grandpa. (In truth I thought I was already a great gran pap.) In the spring I got my house painted and all the rotten soffits removed, and replaced. Now I was really feeling that I was on a roll. Many more events followed through— from bad news like death of few friends and being admitted to the hospital due to a contagious disease; to good news like getting a strange email from Legaia Books, wanting to publish my book Mars Star-Walker. Things began to turn around for me. Now three of my books have just been published and currently reside at Amazon Books as well as Kindle Books. - D.L. Calvin, author of Killing for Love No. it’s been a rich year and I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve accomplished a few things during this year. I’m never sad to see a year goes and I’m always glad to see a new year come because there are new promises next year. - Laurence W. Thomas, author of Nostalgia Is in the Future: and other exaggerations So, am I sorry to see the old year pass? I have never really pondered that question, but I guess my answer is ‘No’. Not because it wasn’t a good year, in fact, it was great, but more for looking forward to next year. You could answer this question in so many different ways; for me, I will just choose one approach. I think one of the many ways to measure a year is by ‘Getting’ and ‘Giving’. Speaking for myself, and I don’t think I am alone, my early years were mainly about ‘Getting’. Things like a new car, a pay raise, a big year-end bonus, a promotion, a bigger house and any number of other ‘Things’. The problem with this is that these ‘Things’ lose their luster rather quickly. Then you are on to the next ‘Thing’. As I have grown older, and maybe even a little more mature, I find that ‘Giving’ makes me happier and the luster lasts longer, especially as I lay my head on the pillow each night. These memories have become priceless. So, since finally coming to this realization, I “Give” as much as I can. Not only to make someone happy, but to also make myself happy in the process. - Walter Conley Barthell, author of PEP Talk- A Primer For The New (Or Not So New) Manager Or Coach My answer is shocking, even to myself, but true to what I know to be the facts that have been revealed to me by the Word and Holy Spirit of God, especially recently, because, I see (things getting progressively worse and worse), making this year’s weather disasters actually appear tamer, in comparison to what we will face in the coming months and sevenyear time period. The truth is that, many of God’s children weren’t even listening or looking for the signs Jesus told us to expect, and what seems to be a biblical Tribulation time period is clearly signaling the arrival of the Anti-Christ, himself, who we are now facing currently as a powerful political personality, leading the United States as genuine American believers in Christ. That situation alone should wake us up and cause us to draw closer to God, seeing the implication are astounding, to say the least. - Anthony Solimine Jr., author of Who Said God Can’t Speak Through an Ass No. I’m excited about my life as is presently in December. I’m looking forward for January and the entire year after. - Allan Walter Trent, author of John and Olga Read the full article