Mexican food westerville oh

Kita looks back to Raya who tosses her a bag. Snapping her out of the momentary daze that had overcome her. Inside the bag are some clothes Raya got from the raiders, as well as some coin.
"The weather will get strange to the East," Raya says.
Kita looks down to the strip below, noticing that no one has reacted to the shooting that just took place. No security or armed guards are on their way to investigate this massive crime scene.
"Why haven't we drawn any attention?" Kita asks.
"Shootouts between raiders are probably common. Most cities can barely afford to maintain their leadership, let alone armed guards,"
"Lucky us,"
"It won't be the same in the East. The city he spoke of is far wealthier than this one?"
"You've been there?"
"No. But I've heard they conduct trade in meats, medicines and vegetables. I'm not sure what their wealth may look like, but I'd presume it includes security,"
"I'll keep that in mind. Ready to go?"
"Go?" Raya asks, startled. "We're not ready yet,"
"Of course. Because we obviously need…"
"A tipi. Food and water, too. I'm surprised food isn't the first thing on your mind," Raya jests.
"Right!," Kita chuckles. "Are you doubting my love for a good meal?"
"I would lose that bet," Raya responds. "We'll buy enough to get us to the next city- It will take two or three nights for us to reach it,”
"I was thinking the exact same thing," Kita says, shrugging her shoulders.
They both make their way back to the strip, where they've bought themselves a two-person tipi that will keep them covered in case they run into the myst. The few bottles of water they bought cost more than the tipi, which surprised Kita considering everyone needs water. How could the poor people possibly afford this?
They walk amongst the passing bodies of the busy street, scouting for a store that sells food that would be good for travelling. The storefront Raya steps up towards is selling pastries, nuts and dried fruits- so boring. But it's travel food so it'll work best.
"How much for the creamy tomato soup?" Kita asks the chef.
"12 coin," He grunts, passing a glance between the both of them. "Should I ring you up for some of that too?" He asks Raya.
"Yes," Kita answers, glaring at Raya to agree.
"I'm askin' the responsible one," The chef dismisses Kita's answer.
"What are you trying to say, old man?" Kita grits her teeth, returning eye contact.
"We'll take two of the soups as well," Raya responds, placing more coin on the counter. "For travel," She adds.
"Understood, You can wait at one of the tables over there and I'll bring it all out for you," He points at the shared dining area.
"Much appreciated," Raya says.
"You better use love when you make it too," Kita scolds as the man walks away, ignoring her.
"Looking for love, sweetheart?" Says a seductive voice from over her shoulder. Kita turns to lock eye contact with a bright pink set of pupils. It's the tall, orange-haired girl with a white fringe. Her tight skirt hugs her curving body as she towers above Kita.
"Uhh…" Kita stammers, overwhelmed by her beauty as she recognizes it's the girl from before. The nerves are getting to her, and saying anything is proving to be more of a challenge than anything she's faced thus far.
"Smooth," Raya scoffs at Kita's response.
"Did the mission go as planned?" The petty lady says, leaning closer to Kita as she caresses Kita's arm.
"Y-yeah... I'm a hero now," Kita responds.
"Not mine, though," The lady frowns, placing a hand on Kita's.
"Well… I could be," Kita smiles. "Right now, even,"
"You're quick like that, are you?"
"When I need to be," Kita responds, "I often like to take my time,"
"You can take all the time you need, sweetheart"
"Does your, uhhh, friend still need saving too?"
"He does, he would be very disappointed if I didn't bring you back with me… To save him,"
"Then I better not disappoint," Kita responds, prompting the lady to take Kita's hand. "I'll be back," Kita says to Raya.
"Mhmm," She mumbles, "Don't take too long,"
Kita walks behind the tall lady, holding her hand as she watches her rear sway from left to right with each step. The high heels she's wearing make her legs and bottom look so firm. It's quite a seductive sight.
Kita takes one last look at Raya before she enters a tipi, behind the orange and white-haired lady, where she sees the man with the latex pants and stunning pecs.
He passes her a smile, "Welcome home, babe,"
•°•°•°•
The sun peaks over the hills, radiating heat across the barren land as Kita and Raya hike to the next city. Fully supplied with food, water and a change of clothing in the event the weather cools down.
Kita's going through a lot of lengths to get to this kid. She wasn't expecting him to have been taken to a whole different city but by this point, there is not much she can do besides follow the trails. There's not much else for her to do anyway. From everything that Raya has told her, she wouldn't stand a chance against the dark one right now. She needs a minimum of two hundred souls by the time she decides to do that. It's a bigger challenge than she's prepared to deal with right now.
"Will the myst pass over us?" Kita asks Raya.
"Not yet," Raya responds, pointing to the horizon on her right. "When it does it will come from the South,"
"How do you know that?"
"The stars. Depending on their alignment. The myst will generally travel from East to West, or North to South. But this can vary slightly,"
"I was told it also grows larger with each rotation," Kita adds.
"This is true, although not many are aware of it."
"How are you aware of it? Must be because of that fancy, royal education you got,"
"It is primarily from experience," Raya chuckles."But my fancy education did teach me a lot,"
"You can probably do large calculations and stuff with your mind, huh?"
"Something like that," Raya replies.
"Well then, you can manage our coin," Kita chuckles.
"That's a given. Unless we want all of our coin spent on an assortment of soups," Raya quips.
"That wouldn't be a bad use of coin," Kita answers, licking her lips. "A meat soup would be amazing,"
"And expensive," Raya adds.
"Coin is made to be spent, no?"
"On more than just food, Kita,"
"Sure. There were a few pretty men and women I wouldn't mind spending my coin on either,"
"Of course," Raya grunts, "And after the sex we can die of starvation,"
"Were all of your kind immune to having a good time?" Kita asks sarcastically.
"I'll have you know that our national celebrations were unrivalled. People would travel from distant regions to attend them,"
"Such a well-mannered princess could never participate in such antics,"
Raya chuckles, reflecting on her days of royalty with a smile prancing on her face. "Back then, I wasn't the most well-behaved Princess,"
"Oh? You were a rebellious heir?"
"I would often drink to the point of inebriation. Whether I was at a celebration, at the castle or even on the battlefield,"
"A drunkard princess. I'd love to see that," Kita laughs.
"I've reformed since then," Raya chuckles.
"Did Mother and Father approve of your behaviour?" Kita asks with her impression of Raya's posh voice.
"They did know... No one did. In my drunkenness, I would successfully win battles, entertain my family at the dinner table, socialize with my citizens, and spearhead the council on behalf of my Father,"
"All whilst alcohol was plaguing your body?" Kita asks, stunned that this polite, patient princess is a productive alcoholic.
"I presume you don't drink?" Raya chuckles.
"Ugh, no," Kita scoffs, "I prefer to alter my consciousness, rather than dull it,"
"The expectations everyone had for me were overwhelming." Raya says, scratching the back of her neck, "My family expected me to always be the shining example. Always smiling and strong. My soldiers expected me to be Brave… And ruthless in the face of any foe. And my people expected me to understand them and their needs. Despite how they would ebb and flow." She shrugs, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't overwhelming… Dulling my mind was the only way I could cope with it all,"
"Are you drunk right now?" Kita squints in suspicion.
Raya laughs, "I no longer carry that burden. I only drink for leisure when it is available,"
"Way to dodge my question,"
"You'd know whether or not I was drunk. I'm much more susceptible to its effects these days,"
"No longer reliable in combat?" Kita asks.
"I still fight with skill… But I'm clumsy under the influence,"
"A drunken, warrior princess," Kita laughs, "There has to be a joke for this," She adds, rubbing her chin as she contemplates.
^{AUTHOR'S NOTES
Read ahead on RoyalRoad [https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68702/soul-stealer-anti-hero-reincarnation-fantasy](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68702/soul-stealer-anti-hero-reincarnation-fantasy})
^{Kita's thoughts - Post Chapter 13
"mmm, I needed that,"}

After ten years of being a mercenary, I thought I had finally found my forever shop.
At every shop, I had worked at prior, the shops couldn’t present enough work to keep me busy, at all times. At this shop, I couldn’t keep up with the amount of work. I was in my element.
The shop was salary, but I still busted my ass. My co-workers didn’t like me much at first. They thought I was crazy producing the amount of work I was doing. “C’s get degrees, Smoke.” Eventually they realized that work was my passion and we all got along just fine.
After a few months, I realized something was a little weird about the shop. The relationship between the employees and the owner was very cultish. If someone quit, or was fired we were to never mention that persons name ever again. “His name was Robert Paulson…” I can’t stress the aura of cult enough.
The owner would state his wildly conservative, almost nazi-like, thoughts and opinions, and everyone would just agree that he was right. I always disagreed and called him short sighted. I realize, looking back, he would have fired me just for my anti-his-cult rhetoric, if I wasnt producing more than anyone he ever hired. I just can’t not say something when someone tries to tell me about the blight of the black/Mexican man on America.
One morning, I had a coffee in hand and waited for the owner to hand me my next job. He looked at me, “do you know how much I want to hit that cup out of your hand?” In front of two other employees I responded, “what the fuck is that? You a fucking sociopath? Because that’s a sociopathic thought.” His face changed and he laughed it off.
I went straight into fight mode. I was instantly unhappy. This became our relationship. He would say something a serial killer would say and I would call him out on it. Sometimes it would scare me.
He would say things like, “you’re getting fat, you should go to the gym.” “Your wife is hot I’d fuck her.” And every time I would call him out. “I’m happy with my weight. If you’ve ever starved before you would be happy with some weight as well.” “She wouldn’t touch your ugly mug with a ten foot pole.”
One day, in front of several employees the owner said, “I want to fight you.” Immediately I responded with, “Oh, I’ll fuck you up, if you want. When and where?” He scoffed the comment off. I looked at a co-worker in disbelief. The co-worker’s head snapped away from my eye contact in a submissive fashion.
About a week later the owner approached me in the morning, while holding some UFC type fighting gloves. “I brought some gloves, at lunch we fight.” “Look dude, I’ma kick your fucking ass and I WILL put you in the hospital. I’m gunna get hurt, you’re gunna get hurt, why the fuck would you want that?” He smiled a psychopathic smile, “lunch time, it’s on.” He walked away.
I looked over to the tech working next to me and he looked SCARED. I took a breath, and continued with my work. I wanted to put the owner in the hospital for a lesson in respect. I thought, “if I’m kicking his ass they are going to jump me…” I found my center and remained calm.
Lunch time rolled around and I put a long 19mm wrench in my back pocket, and pulled my shirt over it. I had decided I was getting too old and tired to fight someone, and figured as he strapped his gloves on I would just cave in his skull and be done with the shit show. If I get jumped, I get jumped.
Lunch time came around and he never exited his office. I ate my lunch and took my break, and nothing happened.
The next day, nothing. A week went by and nothing. He never spoke about it again and I never brought it up.
After sometime he decided to start to invite me to his house for get togethers and to chill. I NEVER went. I would be very blunt in my responses as well. “I’m not doing that.” “Why not?” “Because I don’t fucking want to. I have my own life. If ten hours a day, five days a week isn’t enough quality time together, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
He insisted, one Friday, that I go over to his house and watch football with him on the weekend. I declined, like I always did. He texted me that Saturday and asked if I was coming over. I texted back, “nope, I’m busy today.” “The game is tomorrow.” “Oh…. well, shit. Still no.” “Come on man come watch the game.” “I’m not interested.” He didn’t text back.
That shop was weird. I left after a year and a half for more pay and a less cultish work place.
That place was so creepy looking back. I know I have been excommunicated there. Never have heard a word from any person from that place since.
Don’t get me wrong, there was never violence at that shop. It was actually pretty chill. I never seen someone actually fight or be violent, but that threat was always there. It hung in the air like a fog.
I still don’t know why the other techs work there. All of them were 3-10 years there. They had to have had some sort of relationship with the owner that kept them there. I just don’t know what that could have been.
Never leave the market place. Mercenary till death. Loyalty gets you fucked.

I need help I'm so upset and don't know what to do I'm scared I'm gonna get fired
I'm very upset I just got home from work I have worked in fast food for almost 15 years. I am 31 years old and I was recently homeless for 2 years. I finally got a job again and I'm doing great just got a new apartment and I'm off the street and have been feeling great and then this happens. a lady comes to the drive-thru an hour before we close I take her order I hear her say a medium french fry and a medium Coke I tell her the total is 702 and when she gives me the $20 bill she says oh no I said a number five not a medium fry and a medium Coke and I said okay I got confused for a second and she said never mind I don't have time for you to change the order just give me the $20 back and I'm going to leave. so I gave her the $20 bill back that she handed me and then she had a one dollar bill in her hand and said you only gave me a dollar so I looked down in my drawer and I had no twenties in there at all. so I knew that I could not have kept her 20 so I told her what the heck is going on it just disappeared out of nowhere. I looked under the register of and everywhere for the $20 bill and I started getting very nervous because she was yelling at me telling me you're trying to steal my money I'm going to tell your manager you stole my money her husband in the passenger seat was screaming. so I closed the window and started to try to breathe and I was thinking what the hell happened. so in the end she said never mind just give me the medium fries and medium Coke and give me the change from the 20. she said I gave you two tens I did not give you a 20 that's why you are confused and I was thinking to myself why would the $20 bill slot be up if she gave me two 10s. but I was so confused so I gave her the change of the $20 bill which was 12.98 . so she wound up getting her $20 back and $12 out of the drawer which leaves the store only I think about $12 short but on the register when I clocked out I was $31 short because the order that she made for the French fry never really was paid for so there is $7.02 missing from that as well and I gave her the change so I don't really know how she made the register $31 short but I'm so scared I'm going to get fired I actually was crying after my shift because I knew that something was going wrong and that something wasn't right but I could not stick to my guts and now I'm terrified I'm going to lose my job. What is the procedure for this what is going to happen to me

I need help I'm so upset and don't know what to do I'm scared I'm gonna get fired
I'm very upset I just got home from work I have worked in fast food for almost 15 years. I am 31 years old and I was recently homeless for 2 years. I finally got a job again and I'm doing great just got a new apartment and I'm off the street and have been feeling great and then this happens. a lady comes to the drive-thru an hour before we close I take her order I hear her say a medium french fry and a medium Coke I tell her the total is 702 and when she gives me the $20 bill she says oh no I said a number five not a medium fry and a medium Coke and I said okay I got confused for a second and she said never mind I don't have time for you to change the order just give me the $20 back and I'm going to leave. so I gave her the $20 bill back that she handed me and then she had a one dollar bill in her hand and said you only gave me a dollar so I looked down in my drawer and I had no twenties in there at all. so I knew that I could not have kept her 20 so I told her what the heck is going on it just disappeared out of nowhere. I looked under the register of and everywhere for the $20 bill and I started getting very nervous because she was yelling at me telling me you're trying to steal my money I'm going to tell your manager you stole my money her husband in the passenger seat was screaming. so I closed the window and started to try to breathe and I was thinking what the hell happened. so in the end she said never mind just give me the medium fries and medium Coke and give me the change from the 20. she said I gave you two tens I did not give you a 20 that's why you are confused and I was thinking to myself why would the $20 bill slot be up if she gave me two 10s. but I was so confused so I gave her the change of the $20 bill which was 12.98 . so she wound up getting her $20 back and $12 out of the drawer which leaves the store only I think about $12 short but on the register when I clocked out I was $31 short because the order that she made for the French fry never really was paid for so there is $7.02 missing from that as well and I gave her the change so I don't really know how she made the register $31 short but I'm so scared I'm going to get fired I actually was crying after my shift because I knew that something was going wrong and that something wasn't right but I could not stick to my guts and now I'm terrified I'm going to lose my job. What is the procedure for this what is going to happen to me

TLDR: Bad side effects, not many good effects, time to give up on zoloft or is there hope?
I started Zoloft/Sertraline last October, around 7.5 months ago. I started on 50mg and have basically stayed on 50mg because the side effects interfere with my life so much.
I'm autistic and I have CPTSD, ADHD, depression and general anxiety. Physically I have a history of chronic fatigue and suspected endometriosis. I'm also trans and taking testosterone just to complicate things. Also, I'm in the UK if that impacts anyone's advice!
Daily I take sertraline 50mg, Cerelle (progestogen birth control for hormone control) and Vyvanse 50mg.
Positive effects: - Less daily anxiety/dread
Neutral effects: - Still depressed and anxious - About 25kg weight gain (for anyone worried about weight gain, this wasn't without cause, I've been eating an inhuman amount of food so its increased cravings, not an actual effect of the meds on their own. Plus, testosterone)
Negative side effects: - Constant fatigue - Even less energy - Napping on and off all day (this was reduced by switching my dose to evening about a month ago) - Worsened ADHD symptoms / lessening of the effectiveness of my ADHD meds (Vyvanse) - Increased aches and pains specifically in my endometriosis suspected areas (stomach and legs) - Due to all of the above I'm behind on my work and, since I'm freelance, in danger of getting kicked out of my house 🤪
I'm basically on the verge of giving up on sertraline except I missed 3 days recently by accident and I've still not recovered from the withdrawal. It's AWFUL! I've had extra fatigue, tremors, sleeping 75% of the day, unable to focus, cramps and aches. I'd obviously taper off better, but even a fraction of those side effects leave me really out of it and struggling to work.
Thanks for reading this far!
QUESTIONS:
Has anyone ever experienced a lessening of side effects from going UP a dose? Is this something I should even consider, seeing as how my side effects are already bad?
Or has anyone with bad side effects gone up a dose and found the positive effects increased so they were more equal to the side effects?
Anyone with similar brain problems to me had luck with a different med? I really want to try Wellbutrin but we can't get that in the UK except temporarily for smoking cessation.
Any anecdotes and general stories appreciated, I'm feeling very blah and need help making this decision, thanks!
Edited to add: oh, and the ACID REFLUX is killing me!

Sure, I'd be happy to help you with that. Here is a script for a new episode of Distractible all about pizza:
[Opening theme music]
Mark: Hey everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Distractible. Today, we're talking about everyone's favorite food: Pizza!
Bob: That's right, Mark. Pizza is one of the most widely consumed foods in the world, and for good reason. It's delicious!
Wade: Oh man, I could really go for a slice right now. What's your favorite kind of pizza, guys?
Mark: Definitely pepperoni. Classic, but can't go wrong with it.
Bob: I'm a fan of pesto pizza. It's a little less common, but it's so flavorful.
Wade: Hmm, I'm torn between BBQ chicken and Hawaiian. But you really can't go wrong with any kind of pizza.
Mark: I totally agree. But did you know that pizza actually has a pretty interesting history?
Bob: Really? I just thought it was a delicious Italian creation.
Wade: Yeah, what's so interesting about that?
Mark: Well, pizza actually originated in Naples, Italy back in the 18th century, but it wasn't the same kind of pizza that we have today.
Bob: What do you mean?
Mark: The original pizza was a simple dish made with flatbread, tomato sauce, and cheese. It was popular among peasants and was often sold by street vendors.
Wade: Interesting. So how did pizza become the ubiquitous food that it is today?
Mark: Well, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants brought pizza to America, where it quickly became a favorite among working-class Americans.
Bob: And the rest is history.
Wade: Speaking of history, did you know that pizza has even gone to space?
Mark: What? That's crazy.
Bob: How is that even possible?
Wade: Well, in 2001, Pizza Hut paid $1 million to have a pizza delivered to the International Space Station for Russian cosmonauts.
Mark: Wow. I guess pizza really is out of this world.
Bob: On that note, I think we should wrap up this episode. Thanks for joining us for this deliciously distracting discussion of pizza.
Wade: And now I'm craving pizza. Let's go get some!
[Closing theme music]
End of the script. I hope you found it helpful!

So many years of this now. My weight exploded at 14 and then the body shaming was horrific. My doctor put my on a diet back then (was in the 180's) and despite how strict it was I never lost much weight. I did get to 150 eventually but that was through near total starvation and horrible means (diet pills, smoking and vomiting) in my late teens. This is when people started telling me I looked ''good'' and ''You finally are getting in shape''. but that didn't last long. By 21 I was once again ever so slightly packing on the pounds this is when I received the diagnosis...
My weight has gotten very high in the last four years as I reached 200 pounds in 2019 and am now 214. The dieting advice never stops. It just doesn't. I was thinking about how I probably eat so much less food then the average person, I am so careful of carbs and I exercise yet I weigh so much more than them. Many of these people don't even watch their calories yet don't appreciate their genetic thinness. Then they have nerve to tell me to ''get healthy''?
Also with acne. I was a cystic acne sufferer. My body and face were covered in acne until about 24 when I took accutane.
Before that the skin advice and judgement was off the charts! oh my God people were awful. They really thought I was dumping my face in a grease bowl. The amount of money on dermatologist prescribed creams, skincare, supplements , facials and laser therapy I spent was crazy. I was desperate for even slightly less severe acne. I would have done anything. My acne returned a few years later but never as bad.. and you know what? the ''acne advice'' once again started being given out to me my strangers. It was a huge headache of an experience. Those people had no idea how hard I tried to get ''clear''. Now at 33 I'm on a regimen of acne topicals which keeps my face mostly stable but my body acne is another story. Sadly my skin will not ever fully calm down and my weight will never really go down either. As hard as it is to live with what plagues me the most is the societal judgement

I didn't read the label info for a daily migraine pill (Quilipta) and I haven't pooped since I took it on Tuesday.
I am dying.
Coffee, apple juice, prune juice. I hate laxatives but I guess ? They never cause any immediate relief, just make it waayy worse and more dramatic later in the show, when things decide to work themselves out.
Bummer is I can't take it anymore (stopped yesterday- no pill) and here we are w f***ing migraines again.
Just be normal, body! 😭😭😭
It's ridiculous bc I'm usually -D, so like I look at food or consume something and, oops hour long bathroom trip. But I look at any kind of antidiarrheal or anything w constipation as a side effect and it's like 'oh, sorry, no poop for a week, lolz, have fun cramping!'

Julia Holdom New Zealand Tertiary College

Practitioner Research： Vol 5, No 3 - May 2018

​

A personal reflection

​
Figure 1: Children at Little Einstein’s Educare in Cambridge lead the design, planning, and execution of the construction of a hut made out of tree branches after recent stormy weather.
When introduced to the acronym STEM (which stood for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning in early childhood education (ECE), I was immediately intrigued. Having been a kaiako (teacher) in rural New Zealand and growing up on a dairy farm, natural, hands-on, child-lead, and inquiry-based learning was my passion. It always sat well with me that Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum (Te Whāriki) (Ministry of Education [MoE], 2017) backed by decades of research and literature supports a play-based approach to learning in the early years in New Zealand. It did not come as a surprise to me then that STEM learning, a term for the learning areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a buzz phrase making its way around the international academic world, was something I recognised as intrinsically woven throughout early childhood curriculum and programs in Aotearoa/New Zealand. As a result, I presented on STEM learning in ECE with Fiona Woodgate, at the 2017 New Zealand Tertiary College symposium and have since been speaking with kaiako from different regions in New Zealand to get a broader idea of how STEM learning is integrated into their ECE programs.
Due to a rapidly evolving, complex and technologically advancing society, it is now well recognised that future societies are going to need to be equipped with a range of problem solving and creative thinking dispositions, rather than specific skill sets (Allen, 2016; Smith, 2016; Rodriguez, 2016; Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015). The young children of today need to be involved in real world, contextually relevant learning, in order to support their communities, preparing them for educational opportunities in the future, as well as a wide range of careers that may not currently exist (Allen, 2016; Draper & Wood, 2017). This realisation has resulted in a strong international focus on the concept of STEM learning in today’s varying education settings. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), whilst a relatively new term in the early childhood education sector in New Zealand, is not a new concept. Its focus is to support children in learning problem solving, creative thinking, investigation skills and design, through multi-content curricula (Sharapan, 2012; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Gartrell, 2016).
This reflective article begins to explore the concept of STEM through the lens of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017). The world renowned curriculum document is well known for its focus on dispositional, play-based learning, and the weaving of multiple curriculum content areas throughout daily and ongoing learning experiences. Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017) not only focuses on skill acquisition, but on dispositions and attitudes that support learning throughout a lifetime. This article presents an explanation of how teachers can support STEM concepts and experiences from ECE settings inAotearoa/New Zealand are shared to provoke thinking and reflection.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics – An introduction

In ECE, recognising individual aspects of STEM learning can be relatively simple. Children are naturally curious, and begin to explore the world around them from infancy, developing their own working theories about how the world works through the people, places and things that they interact with (MoE, 2017). In this sense, they are natural born scientists, investigating, questioning, exploring, and experimenting. As they explore, they are often confronted with simple scientific and mathematical concepts, such as learning about gravity, force and motion, quantity, number, weight, space, and time through play (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012; Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012; Bosse, Jacobs & Anderson, 2009).
​
Figure 2: Building a relationship with Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) is seen as an essential aspect of early childhood in Aotearoa/New Zealand, which can lead to increased environmentalism and sustainability in years to come. Children are encouraged to be involved in the care of the natural environment, and here, they are engaged with centre family members in exploring the garden, utilising and leaning valuable STEM concepts in the process.
Working theories are the evolving ideas and understandings that children develop as they use their existing knowledge to try to make sense of new experiences. Children are most likely to generate and refine working theories in learning environments where uncertainty is valued, inquiry is modelled, and making meaning is the goal” (MoE, 2017, p. 23).
Often within children’s play arises the opportunity to use varying tools to support their learning. Utilising tools with a purpose for design or problem solving can be understood as technology (Dietze & Kashin, 2012; Young & Elliot, 2003). Technology in ECE is often viewed by kaiako as digital technology, and the use of information communication technology (ICT) (Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015), however it is imperative to recognise that technology is anything that has been designed for and is used for a purpose, generally being to make a task easier, quicker, or more productive (Young & Elliot, 2003; Fleer & Jane, 2011). In my experience, engineering is perhaps the more challenging notion to identify as part of young children’s learning and development, in part due to some teachers’ lack of content knowledge in this area, but also the complexities of this concept for children in the early years. Much of the literature on STEM learning focuses on engineering for children from preschool age onwards (3+) without mentioning the infant and toddler years. Perhaps this is due to the perception of what design and engineering is for differing ages. Is a toddler not engineering when they are constructing with sand in the sandpit? Is an infant not designing when creating art with finger paints or food on different surfaces during experiences every day?
“The day-to-day programme and environment are organised in such a way that children can initiate purposeful, problem-solving activities and devise and solve problems to their own satisfaction using a variety of materials and equipment” (MoE, 2017, p. 49).
Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world and the wider universe. It involves generating and testing ideas, gathering evidence – including by making observations, carrying out investigations and modelling, and communicating and debating with others – in order to develop scientific knowledge, understanding, and explanations (MoE, 2007, p. 26).Technology is intervention by design: the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems (technological outcomes) that expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities. Adaptation and innovation are at the heart of technological practice. Quality outcomes result from thinking and practices that are informed, critical, and creative.... Technology is never static. It is influenced by and in turn impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day (MoE, 2007, p. 26).Engineers design technology using a combination of science and math (Pantoya, Aguirre-Munoz & Hunt, 2015, p. 61). Engineering is solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, and building things that work (Boston Children’s Museum, 2013, p. 3).Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but different ways of thinking and of solving problems. Both equip students with effective means for investigating, interpreting, explaining, and making sense of the world in which they live (MoE, 2007, p. 26).
Whilst internationally, the concept of STEM focuses on inquiry and project-based learning, often planned for, facilitated and led by adults, I see this concept being represented in a range of educational settings, woven through a range of pedagogical approaches and philosophies of teaching in New Zealand. In line with the vision of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017), STEM learning occurs naturally in children’s play, need not be teacher-led or project focused (Gartrell, 2016; Draper & Wood, 2017) and can effectively be supported in a socioculturally relevant context for individual learners and their learning communities (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012; Moomaw & Davis, 2010; Neill, 2009).
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning is important for all children, individually, and within social groups of learners. The common theme within the four STEM concepts, is that they are all content areas that occur naturally through play. When children are natural learners, curious in nature, they do not require adults to give them answers to questions, and do not benefit greatly from this method of teaching (Allen, 2016; Sharapan, 2012). Instead, children develop life-long dispositions of inquiry, curiosity and independent thinking by having inquiry skills scaffolded or modelled to them. Often children embrace the opportunity to investigate for themselves, experimenting, exploring, making mistakes, and using trial and error. In this sense, STEM learning is a way of being, a way of playing and a way of learning (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.). So where do kaiako fit into STEM learning?
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Figure 3: Through their natural urges, infants and toddlers explore mathematic and scientific concepts through play with the support of their kaiako, as well as through environmental prompts, provocations and play invitations.

The science, technology, engineering and mathematics environment

There are a number of areas worth considering when planning for and facilitating learning in diverse and unique education settings. One of the most obvious in play-based, child-led settings is the physical environment. Those familiar with the Reggio Emilio approach will have heard of the notion of the environment as the third teacher (Delany, 2011) and providing opportunities for child-led learning through the design of and resources available in the child’s physical learning environment. It is imperative that the environment supports STEM learning so that children may engage in STEM learning experiences both independently, as well as with peers and kaiako (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012). Long gone are the days of including a science, mathematics or technology corner in your classroom or setting (Neill, 2009; Delany, 2011), instead the emphasis is on saturating the environment in resources that encourage authentic, real-world, familiar and culturally relevant ways of exploring. These resources do not need to be expensive and single purpose, and can easily be found in our natural environments. As New Zealand makes more of a move towards environmental sustainability, and eco-schools become more popular (Vincent-Snow, 2017; Enviroschools, n.d.), reusing and recycling materials becomes an exciting way to make the most of what we have available to us, and supports children’s creativity.
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Figure 4: Uninterrupted play allows these tamariki time to work together to create, design, problem solve, and imagine. Here, children in the Tui room of Little Einstein’s Educare have created a structure to protect themselves from the ‘Lava’ beneath.
Another popular move in recent years appears to be the inclination to get out into nature to support real life, hands on learning. Emphasis has been made on preventing a generation of children with Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv (2005) in his book Last Child in the Woods. Kaiako and children are venturing out into whatever natural environments they have available to them, such as local parks, reserves or forests to make the most of natural learning that occurs when children are empowered to explore, question, and discover. science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning could not be more evident in these opportunities to explore and build a relationship with Papatūānuku.
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Figure 5: Nature Days are becoming increasingly popular in ECE settings that can accommodate such expeditions. Children are empowered to use a variety of tools to explore, create and design, and developing working theories through the relationship they are building with the natural world around them.

Reflective Prompts

Consider the ECE settings and environments you are familiar with.Does your environment invite exploration? Are there spaces, in which children can taste, touch, smell, listen and look?Are there gardens and natural spaces for children to independently explore nature science, earth science and opportunities for children to play with different matter to build working theories about the natural and physical world?Are there loose parts provided both inside and out for children to construct, build, design, create and begin to develop theories around science and mathematics through size, weight, height, gravity, momentum, trajectory and more?Do you have pen, paper, clipboards, scissors, cameras and other technological tools available to children in different areas that they can easily access and use to document, plan, take notes and draw about their learning and discoveries – inviting engagement in the concept of engineering?
“Children have opportunities to explore how things move and how they can be moved by, for example, blowing, throwing, pushing, pulling, rolling, swinging and sinking. Children have access to technology that enables them to explore movement, for example, wheels, pulleys, magnets and swings. Children have opportunities to develop spatial understandings by fitting things together and taking things apart, rearranging and reshaping objects and materials, seeing things from different spatial viewpoints and using a magnifying glass” (MoE, 2017, p. 49).

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics books

Books are an essential resource for any STEM learning environment (Bosse, Jacobs & Anderson, 2009; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.). Not only is it important for children to access reference books with correct images and names of items, something Fred Rogers found instrumental in supporting children’s language acquisition and development (Sharapan, 2012), but also fictional and non-fiction story books about people and characters whom are investigators, explorers, inventors, designers and problem solvers themselves (Pantoya, Aguirre-Munoz & Hunt, 2015). Children’s scientific and engineering identities are supported as they explore literature that introduces concepts, dispositions and attitudes children recognise within themselves, and they are able to develop deeper understanding of STEM concepts as they explore these in context through stories, characters and the arts (McLean, Jones & Schaper, 2015; Sackes, Trundle & Flevares, 2009).
In addition to this, Kathy Trundle’s work on inquiry-based learning emphasises the opportunities that arise through purposeful interactions between kaiako, children and books to scaffold children’s inquiry skills.
Fictional children’s books to support STEM learning and identity in the early years:Inventor McGregor by Kathleen T. PelleyThe Grandma McGarvey series by Jenny HessellOh the Things they Invented by Dr SeussRosie Revere, Engineer; and Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beatty and David RobertsAnything is Possible by Giulia Belloni

Risk taking

Wise Lindeman and McKendry Anderson (2015) emphasise that children need real-world experience and real-world problems in order to have a chance at developing solutions to these. Pawlina and Stanford ( as cited in Wise Lindeman & McKendry Anderson, 2015) add that educators must view mistakes as opportunities to grow children’s brains. Here, teachers must consider both physical risk taking, as well as emotional and mental risk taking. In today’s society, maintaining the physical health and safety of the children in our care settings seems to have counterbalanced the human need to take risks in order to learn. Kaiako are finding themselves challenged beyond comfort when it comes to children’s safety, and the balance between safe and calculated risks, children learning from experience, and adults protecting children from physical injury is out of sync. However, research shows that children need these experiences to learn for themselves, and that without these risk-taking experiences, children will not be adequately prepared for challenges they will face in the future, both physically and mentally (Brynes-Swiatek, 2017; Curtis, 2010; Gramling, 2010; Warden, 2010). When it comes to emotional and mental risk taking, we must consider how we are supporting children to try new things, supporting them to push themselves out of their comfort zones, and risk making mistakes and being wrong, all whilst remaining confident that their holistic wellbeing needs are being met to maintain a safe learning environment.
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Figure 6: When the tolerance for risk is zero, children don’t really risk loss of life or limb, but more often than not, they risk losing valuable experiences with the world they inhabit. (Gramling, 2010, p. 51).
Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017) supports this through its sociocultural approach to learning, outlining the need for children to learn in culturally and socially relevant contexts. In addition to this, aspects of dispositional learning such as perseverance, persisting with difficulty, and facing challenges or uncertainty (MoE, 2017), are outlined as important for life-long learning. Risk taking is highlighted as a desirable learning outcome throughout the Exploration strand of Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017), particularly for toddlers and young children. Risk taking, mistakes, failure, trial and error are all significantly important in STEM learning and developing perseverance, inquiry skills, attitudes towards exploration and creative thinking.

Reflective Questions

Does your learning environment, both material and otherwise, provide opportunities for children to take risks physically, cognitively and emotionally?Are children encouraged and supported to experiment, to trial, to make mistakes, to fail or succeed, and to revisit their learning?Do your environments allow for independent and group creative thinking and problem solving?

Time

Providing children with not only the space and resources needed for exploration and enquiry learning, but the time to discover at their own pace, and the opportunity to document or revisit their learning is crucial. Gifting children the time to figure things out for themselves, without interrupting their learning with a quick answer, supports an attitude and disposition towards creative thinking and problem solving. Dr. Emmi Pikler (as cited in Christie, 2012) emphasised the importance of slowing down one’s practice and interactions to deeply engage with the children during interactions. Toni Christie (2012) states that the practice of taking adequate time deepens teachers’ awareness and knowledge of each child. The same concept can be applied to children’s interactions with the world around them. Can giving children the time to explore, think and discover deepen their awareness and knowledge of the world around them, teaching them more about science, mathematics, engineering and technology in real-world, contextually relevant and authentic ways?
“The learning outcomes in each strand are broad statements that encompass valued knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions that children develop over time” (MoE, 2017, p. 22).
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Figure 7: Hands on Science in action! Many New Zealand ECE settings are making a move to embrace children’s natural inclination to get messy during their exploratory play. Science occurs in many forms, why not through mud and water play?
In addition to giving children the time needed to learn, do teachers support children to stay on task and be focused on the interest they have taken, or do they interrupt this learning with routines? In Carr and Lee’s (2011) research on children’s learning wisdom, they highlight the importance of teachers adopting strategies to support children to revisit their learning. One strategy suggested is that “Teachers can document the changes in children’s understanding” (Fleer, 2008 as cited in Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012, p. 85). This allows children to deepen their engagement, and develop an openness to experiences and a capacity to reflect, in order to make sense of their learning.
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Figure 8: Working together as a team to solve problems, think creatively and develop theories about how things work. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics all evident through child initiated play experiences.
Reflective Questions:Are children gifted the time needed to explore, design, create and learn in uninterrupted environments?Do the routines of the day disrupt this learning or do they support busy learners to continue their work?Are children given the tools and strategies required to support them to document and revisit their learning? Are kaiako skilled in the art of observation, knowing when to step in, and when to step back?Are kaiako gifted the time to support children’s learning in this way, or are they too busy with the organisational tasks of the day?Do teacher - child ratios support quality STEM interactions?

Purposeful, intentional teaching

Once we have decided as kaiako whether we should step back to observe, or step in to add value to the child’s learning experience, the responses we provide must consist of high quality, purposeful, thoughtful interactions with children (MoE, 2017). In these moments, teachers need to be highly sensitive and aware of what the child needs from them – more often than not, it is not an answer they need, but stimulating investigation habits and behaviours being modelled to them (Sharapan, 2012). Kaiako must embrace opportunities to model moments of wonder, using questions that may prompt curiosity within children, and the opportunity to co-construct ideas and working theories in collaborative settings (Allen, 2016; Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012).
The key to these experiences is not to make the mistake of answering children’s questions with an answer, but to provide intentional, open-ended questions and comments that get the children thinking (Boston Children’s Museum, n.d.; Sharapan, 2012). Equally as important, is the need to model and introduce the use of varying tools to support their enquiry, so that they may seek their own answers independently in future.
Modelling STEM language is crucial to a child’s ability to learn STEM enquiry and thinking themselves. In addition to questions, modelling scientific, mathematical and investigative language is important to support children’s inclination to develop their own working theories. Supporting children by modelling language, describing using scientific, mathematical and technological words will give them the tools to use to do the same in future experiences. This will also normalise STEM concepts and learning for children (Sharapan, 2012).
It is important to support children’s scientific enquiry in new ways too – perhaps in ways they had not thought of themselves. This is where we are scaffolding their learning, in that they are learning new ideas and knowledge in a social situation from others. Part of STEM learning is how children understand investigative thinking and processes. Imperative to science, engineering and design are STEM process skills (Neill, 2009). The Ministry of Education supports this by adding that children should have opportunities to demonstrate “curiosity and the ability to enquire into, research, explore, generate and modify working theories about the natural, social, physical, spiritual and man-made worlds… [and the] ability to represent [these] discoveries using expressive media, including digital media” (2017, p. 47).
“Kaiako are the key resource in any ECE service. Their primary responsibility is to facilitate children’s learning and development through thoughtful and intentional pedagogy. This means they require a wide range of capabilities [including being] knowledgeable about play-based curriculum and pedagogy and able to conceptualise, plan and enact curriculum that is motivating, enjoyable and accessible for all children, [and] able to integrate domain knowledge (for example science and arts knowledge) into the curriculum” (MoE, 2017, p. 59).

Conclusion

The rapidly changing world that we live in, is providing us with many new and exciting technologies that make our lives easier, more enjoyable, and enable quick access to new information at a rate never seen before. However, with these new and exciting changes, also come challenges for children’s natural, enquiry learning. More and more ECE centres, particularly in city environments are designing spaces with little-to-no large open natural spaces for children in the outdoors, and are resorting to man-made environments of turf, concrete and other year-round, all-weather materials to support indoooutdoor play. Does this mean that these children miss out on the opportunity to learn natural science? Or can nature be woven through the environment and program in other ways? Children are also more inclined to want to be engaged with digital media, as their parents and society are modelling the use of these in everyday interactions. Is this cause for concern in the ECE setting, or can children be empowered to use technology in constructive ways? Are kaiako equipped with the understanding of STEM learning and child development that they need to support life-long learning dispositions of enquiry, problem solving, risk taking and perseverance, or are current pedagogies failing tamariki (children)? As learning and information consumption grows exponentially to the highest it has even been, it is now more than ever that children need teachers to be the facilitators of learning, the models of curiosity, the inspiration to learn, explore, discover, think, design and to be leaders of the future. Dispositions, rather than skills, are what tamariki need to succeed in the future. A final question for reflection therefore asks are educators preparing tamariki adequately for life-long success?

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Jo, Jade and the entire learning community at Little Einstein’s Educare Ltd in Cambridge for giving permission to publish their inspirational photographs, and shared understanding of STEM learning in action. Special thanks also to Catherine at Hobsonville Point ELC, and Jen at Changepoint ELC, Tauranga for your wisdom and input on STEM learning in your ECE learning communities.

Generally I think a reasonable hotell/ Airbnb, Ubers to and from work events, and reasonable meals + a beer or two should all be taken care of work. But today I've got a bit of a tough situation and don't know how I'm going to handle it.
I'm at the CBA's with our GM, Operations Manager, and the major shareholders. We were all at once of the after party's having a great time, with food and drinks taken care of by the organizers (thank you and cheers Hops Connect) and I was planning on going to some other party's for the rest of the night where it probably would've been the same deal.
My GM found me and said the whole team plus shareholders, her husband, and her Friend that was in town were going to dinner at a fancy restaurant and asked if I wanted to come. She has expensive taste, I enjoy good food, and I said yes and was excited to have an awesome dinner with everyone and so left the party.
Half of us get to the restaurant and get seated, but the shareholders bailed and didn't show up. Oh well we'll still have fun.
Server comes and asks for a drink order, the GM starts with a cocktail, and the rest of us follow with cocktails. Then her friend orders a bottle of wine for us. And then a second bottle. They both order a ton of apps for everyone. The server asks for our main course order and my boss, her husband, and friends all order the most expensive thing in the menu, and so I go for the lobster because I've never had a lobster and when in Rome...
Then the bill comes, and the server asks what wewant to do with it, and my boss the GM asks for separate bills.
Am I an idiot for thinking work was going to pay for this? Did she maybe ask for separate bills to cut out her friend and husband, and maybe I can still submit my receipt for expenses later? The food was awesome and totally worth the bill, but I wouldn't have left a free party for a very expensive dinner had I known it's be paying for it. Dinner with my girlfriend there would be great and totally worth it, but I don't really want to spend that money on a Friday night work trip with my boss.
What would you expect and do in this situation?

So, I’m writing this on my phone because I figured I should share my experiences. I’ve shared one already but I figured I should share more as I have had quite the run-ins with some odd things in the woods of the Pacific Northwest.
I live in Oregon, but I do tend to travel on my off time in the wilderness, despite my run ins I love the forest, nature, and all I just tend to be much more careful now.
This first story takes place in my home state. I have a buddy who is a park ranger and he shared me a story of his own. He works at Crater Lake National Park and was patrolling one of the trails that was reported by hikers who said they heard a bear in the area. He went out with a tranquilizer to move the bear out of an area that was close to a campground. He was walking as usual when he felt eyes on him…he began to hear movement in the woods, and he shouted out “anybody out there?”
No response.
He got his tranquilizer ready and proceeded toward the noise. But as he approached, he heard another noise behind him.
Now he was thinking, “Oh no there’s more than one out here.”
Not sure what to do he prepared for the worst but then to his relief it was two deer. He sighed in relief thanking God that he wasn’t going to be mauled that day. But suddenly he noticed blood on one of the deer’s antlers and next to it behind the bushes it came out of was the carcass of a black bear. The two deer just stared at him and returned to feasting on the bear. He wasn’t sure what to do, tranquilize them or risk being a victim? He decided it was best to take the shot and hit both. They didn’t even budge and just walked off into the forest.
He reported the dead carcass of the bear and just had a team remove the remains. Still gives him the Chills thinking back to that day.
The next story was when I went on a fishing trip with a friend in Washington.
We had set out to fish along this river that was calm that day.
We caught a few fish and even some crawdads. I love seafood so I wanted us to stay out longer to catch a few more fish. My friend ended up taking a nap while I continued to fish. All was well but I suddenly noticed something in the distance, something dark moving along the river. I thought it was some sort of log that was stuck and got free and was floating along the river, but its movements didn’t appear normal. It would move back and forth getting closer and closer. I began to get nervous; I can’t really explain why it just felt like I needed to get away from whatever this thing was.
I turned to my friend who was still asleep and heard a splash.
I looked back and the thing was just gone. I looked around wondering where it went, and I saw it. Perched on top of a tree, I thought it was a cougar, I grabbed my binoculars for a closer look, and it was crouched but was tall, lanky and had milky white eyes but covered in black feathers and wearing some sort of animal pelt. I felt a sudden sense of dread and fear I never felt before. I looked back to my friend to wake him but before I could I heard another splash and saw it was back in the water now headed to the boat. I said “F this “and then turned on the motor and hauled ass out of there. My friend woke up yelling at me and asked, “What the hell are you doing?” but I didn’t respond. When we got to the loading dock, I anchored the boat and told him to get in the truck and he protested about leaving the boat and I said, “We will get it later get in now!”
The car ride back I explained everything, and I saw how pale he got. He’s part Native American and explained to me that what I saw was a Skinwalker.
This next story takes place in the Canadian Wilderness. I was on a hunting trip with my buddy who has a cabin in Canada deep in the wilderness, off-grid type of deal. It was the beginning of winter so the snow wasn’t so bad to where you just couldn’t move. He had this goal to get a mountain lion. So, we headed out to a ridge where you could see out to a clearing where he said he saw this specific mountain lion every year. It always came to the same spot, maybe its home was nearby I don’t know. So, its nighttime, and we had a small fire going, I went to go take a piss when I noticed something or somethings… 3 humanoid figures were in the clearing, I quickly put the fire out, and my friend told me “Dude why did you do that?” I told him to shush, and we observed the 3 beings. The thing was this was way out in the middle of the wilderness, there’s absolutely no way that anybody else knew about this spot. Also, the 3 figures looked human, but I could tell they were much taller than normal and their arms, skinny and just moved unnaturally. They were circling something, but I couldn’t tell what exactly. Then one of the figures stopped and looked directly at us. We rushed to cover and didn’t really know what to do. So, we decided to not sleep that night and have our rifles ready just in case. The following morning, we went down to the clearing to see what those figures were circling and sure enough we saw footprints much larger than a normal human and the beheaded mountain lion that my friend wanted mounted in his cabin so badly but now not so much…
This story still comes across my mind to this day. Me and my buddy from our hiking club were going on a hike one day, it was a beautiful hike along a river, and we were looking for places to set up camp. We saw a campground with food and trash everywhere and at first, I was upset that someone just left this much of a mess here. But the longer I looked around the weirder things got…Their trash bag was still hoisted up on a tree branch but ripped open, the food was still there and if a bear or another animal got to the food, they would of ate everything. Also, there tents were still set up, but ripped as if from the inside, clothes still around and even 2 pairs of boots. The whole campground looked as if whoever was there was immediately in a rush to get out of there and just left all their belongings, not even bothering to take their shoes. The hairs on my neck stood up and both my buddy and I decided that we should call it a day and just hike back to the car. I reported the incident to the forest rangers, but they said they weren’t aware of anybody camping in the area and did not receive any reports from the area. Still freaks me out thinking what could have spooked these people so bad they left their tents, not even bothering to use the zipper and leaving their clothes and shoes behind.
This next one comes from a solo hike. I was doing a 3-day solo trip somewhere in Washington near the Canadian border. I was literally way out there no facilities or normal campground. I was just hiking along, and dusk was approaching, my campsite was already set but I just went for a stroll when I thought I heard a child’s voice calling for help. I thought it was my imagination, but I heard it again. I began to follow it and then I saw the child. He looked dirty; clothes still intact but his back was facing me. I called out to this kid, and he turned around but before he could speak, he was pulled by someone or something down on the other side of this hill. Then I heard a loud crash as if a metal down shut. I ran to where I saw the kid and saw nothing but the same clothes, he was wearing neatly folded and his shoes right next to them. After a few minutes to no avail, I made my way back to the campsite gathered all my things and headed back. I went to the forest ranger station and told them about what I saw. Never found out if they found that kid or not.
Now this story comes from my close friend in Oregon, but this happened in Washington. So, I was hanging out with my friend who has pretty much grew up in the outdoors all his life and I asked him what his most creepy experience in the woods was. He told me he didn’t have a lot of experiences like that aside from hearing weird things at night when he went camping. But, this one time he was out hiking with his dog, they usually are a pair for hiking with friends but this time he was out hiking with just his dog in the deep woods of Washington on a trail that had very little traffic, like you wouldn’t expect to run into anybody. So, his dog is off leash, roaming a little in front of him and as they come to a corner the dog just stopped and his hair stood on the back of his neck, did a single bark moved up one step and then just ran behind my friend, not behind his legs but down the trail behind my friend, about 25 yards behind him. My friend pulled out his firearm and aimed forward, considering this was an area where black bears are he thought maybe his dog saw a bear but after a few minutes he didn’t find anything, no animals, nothing. His dog refused to go near him even after he kept calling for his dog. He eventually left the trail with his dog and got back home in one piece. But he said he never saw his dog act like that, his dog and he have hiked plenty, and his dog has been spooked before, but he never acted that way and he would always come back to my friend even when spooked.
This last story I have for now occurred when I was hunting with my buddy in Washington. The area still had trees but was on the dryer side with us being closer to the desert.
We had a deer blind set up near a clearing and scanned the area for some deer when we noticed a big elk with a couple of doe. They were grazing and we just watched since we didn’t want this deer.
What was odd though was the weather began to get rainy and fog rolled in as evening was approaching. We noticed that the elk began to showcase defensive behavior, going back and forth making grunting noises and huffing as it began to set up a defensive area around the doe who were now cowering in a small area. Kind of like “Back up these are mine” This elk was staring at the tree line, and we thought, “oh shit maybe it’s a bear”. But to our surprise it wasn’t, it was another elk. We got a little excited thinking we were about to see these two elk go at it to see who gets to take the herd of doe home, but I stopped once I put it together. Why did the doe seem so afraid then?
Then I saw another elk and another and another all just staring at the protective elk.
But then to our shock all the elks began to stand. On two legs.
Now sometimes deer will do this as a protective or displaying behavior of superiority, but these elk were not.
The protective elk began to show more aggression attempting to scare them off.
My friend whispered to me. “What the hell is this, I’ve never seen this before in my life.”
My friend has been hunting for over 15 years from Alaska all the way to Colorado and parts in the East coast. A seasoned man who didn’t scare easily but I could tell this freaked him out.
The group of bipedal elk just stood there and then they all bolted towards the Elk and the elk charged them at the same time. Managing to impale two of the elks but he was outnumbered, and the elks didn’t use their antlers but began to bite the elk with what looked like jagged sharp fangs.
It was horrible. They then they circled the elk and just looked up to the moon and made these god-awful gurgling noises
It looked like some sort of F’d up ritual.
We decided that we should leave and began to grab our things to leave. I’m positive that we were too far for anyone to hear but I sweat as soon as we moved one of the deer stopped and looked right at us.
And that’s when we nopped out of there, we ran all the way to the truck hoping we didn’t run into those elks or whatever the hell those things were. I have seen deer display hostile behavior but never like that.
We were rushing to throw our stuff and sped out onto the dirt road. We got about 1/4 a mile away when we noticed a giant log blocking our path that wasn’t there before.
My friend said: “dammit we have to move it”
Luckily, we had a chainsaw in the back, and he cut some of the log away so we could move it. But God those logs were heavy, when we got to the last of the log my friend said, “help me move it!” I joined in, and we both lifted the last of the log out of the way out we noticed something on the road. It was one of those deer. Just standing looking at us. We backed up towards the truck my friend not even caring to grab the chainsaw and I swear it opened its mouth and said “hhe hhe-hel-help me moo-move iiiit”
It was distorted but sounded exactly like my friend.
We just ran to the truck from there and we hit the gas and this deer just ran towards the truck and hopped on the front and then the top of the truck and I’m just shitting bricks at this point and attempt to grab the shotgun from under the seat when my friend says “hang on” and just hits the brakes hard and this deer just goes flying off the truck and he quickly speeds around it .
We stayed at a hotel after driving 2 hours straight back to civilization.
Honestly, I believe deer just have some messed up ways, but I really don’t know what they were but I’m positive they weren’t deer, I don’t know what they were.
Part 2
I figured I’d mention this since I didn’t add it to my previous post.
These experiences I had forever changed my perspective on the woods and I questioned whether I should ever step foot in the woods again. I don’t know why I attract these experiences but part of it motivates me to keep going to share what I see.
This other story was a time I went out with a friend to explore. We were in the backcountry just exploring and I suddenly saw this weird structure. My friend decided we should check it out and we saw this stone-like structure covered in moss and it must have been there for decades. What was weird though it had this rectangular structure that had a door, the door was perfectly preserved as if someone just installed it. No rust on the door handle or any weather damage, it’s like it came fresh out of the store.
I went to get a closer look and I was about to try to open the door when my internal gut feeling was screaming to me that something was wrong and we should not be here, and extreme sense of fear flooded my entire being and my hair on the back of my neck stood up.
My friend told me “What’s wrong?”
I told him “Maybe we should just go”
And he said “we can’t just leave now let’s at least see what’s inside”
Just as I fought my fear off and went for the handle the door began to creak open and I felt something was just VERY wrong, and I think my friend just instinctively knew we had to run, and we just got the hell out of dodge.
We returned with more people and armed to the teeth to try the door again.
But we couldn’t find the structure anywhere despite me marking this area on my map before we even attempted the door.
I always wondered what would have happened had I opened that door….
This next one I was camping with my old roommate, and we were enjoying the night and headed to bed soon after our fire was put out.
Around 3 am I had to piss so I went to the tree at the edge of our campsite
I heard movement after I finished and thought it was my friend having to do the same as me. A few feet away I gave him the okay hand sign and he gave it back
But the way his fingers moved just looked …wrong
I thought maybe I was just tired and headed back to my tent.
The following morning, we made breakfast and I mentioned to him how I drank too much the night before and don’t like having to piss at night but at least I wasn’t the only one who had to go.
My friend looked confused by that last part and said “what do you mean only one? “
I told him: “you don’t remember? We went to pee at the same time.” Then I showed him the okay gesture that I gave him last night to jog his memory and he just told me: “dude I didn’t get up at all last night…”
A chill ran up my spine and I just played it off that I was dreaming.
I don’t know who or what that was last night, we never saw anybody out there and I checked around the campsite after breakfast for footprints, saw mine but nobody’s where I thought I saw my friend the night before.
This next one is like the previous one, but I was camping with my girlfriend at the time. We had a great night doing you know couple of things and then in the middle of the night I had to piss. Did my business at a nearby tree, and then I heard my girlfriend calling my name, in the woods. I figured she had to go to and just wanted to have some privacy. Maybe she needed toilet paper and forgot, as I went to the tent to grab a roll, I heard her call my name again then said help me.
I thought about going over to her but went to grab the roll anyway because I didn’t want to go out there then she tells me she needs the toilet paper. As I opened the tent, I just stood there surprised, my girlfriend was sound asleep still. So, who was calling my name?... I heard my name again but louder and my girlfriend's voice saying “COME HERE NOW”
I just decided to go in the tent, and just laid there silent, not sure what to do. I didn’t hear anything for the rest of the night and passed out after the surge of adrenaline just put me out.
I didn’t tell my girlfriend about it, and just told her we had to cut the trip short because I forgot I have a paper to write.
This Last one happened in 2019. I took a drive on a forest road about 45 mins in. Parked near this trailhead and took off to the trail.
I was admiring the flora and fauna and just going on a normal hike when I noticed my vision completely changed as if I was looking through prescription glasses that weren’t mine. The vegetation changed and it was daylight when I was hiking but now it was dark as if sunset just passed.
This happens almost instantly. It was like I was in a completely new environment.
I then felt something graze my shoulder, it was a hairy arm, like the one you’d see from an ape or Bigfoot, and it was about to grab me, but I managed to take a step back, and I just see the hand grab where my neck would have been. I felt this sudden sense of dread and just began to backpedal and after a couple of steps, my vision went back to normal. The sunlight returned as well as the flora and fauna. I just saw a fuzzy-like outline in a circular shape in front of me from where I just stepped out of, and it eventually disappeared the more steps back I took.
I just stood there completely shocked about what just happened and came to my senses as my internal red flags were going off and I just turned around and ran to my truck and got out of the area. I never had this happen to me before and it thankfully hasn’t happened since. Since this happened, I have never gone hiking alone again.
To end this off, I just want to add that I enjoy the woods and nature it is full of beauty and wonder. But there are things out there…things even the natives knew to stay away from. There are things out there, that don’t care about you, or that you have families, or loved ones. I still go out to the woods, but after that last experience, it took me a long time to get the courage to go out there again. I never go out for solo hikes anymore, and if I can’t go with someone, I always take my dog. Thanks for hearing my stories and I’ll be sure to share any future experiences I have.

So, one of my friends in my group, let’s call her Abigale (15), has a crush on a new member of our friend group, let’s call him John( Also 15). At first, it was just her taking an interest in him and stayed back just getting to know him as all the rest of us got to know him too. She then started to move next to him and was always next to him. I saw this and realized that she must have a crush on him. It wasn’t too bad, but it was noticeable that she liked him. We got together more and had more parties. I hosted a movie party with a fun activity before the movie. So, we were all interacting together, except Abigale. She was only interacting with John. John had his body pointed away from her, meaning that he did not want to be in the conversation. She continually left me out the whole time of the activity. Then it was time for the movie, as soon as John sat down on the couch, Abigale beelined right to him and sat down so close to him when the rest of the couch, which is a big couch, was empty. I was the last to sit down and when I went to get a seat, she scooted closer to him to the point where she was basically on top of him to make room for me. There was still not enough room, so everyone scooted back as I found a different spot to sit, but she did not go back to where she was before. She remained on top of him. She took pictures of everyone but left me out of all the photos. When I told her that I wanted to be in the photos and asked her if she could wait for me, she said she would take more, but she never did. To be fair to her, she could have forgotten but it still hurt. After the party, I told her that I felt hurt and left out and she got all defensive of her crush on John. I had to tell her that this was not me telling her that she should not have a crush, in fact, it is amazing that she doesn’t have that voice in the back of her head saying she isn’t good enough to have a crush or for someone to have a crush on her. She said she was sorry for making me feel left out and that she would make sure to make me feel included. (Spoiler alert, it gets worse.) So, we have this thing where we see everyone before school for an hour every Tuesday through Friday. I thought she was keeping her promise when I saw her for the first 5 minutes. Then she would go back to how she acted before. I didn’t think too much of it because I am better friends with someone else, so I just went to them. A different friend hosted a pre-party to a dance we were going to. Abigale was all over John. I kept on looking at him and he seemed uncomfortable, to the point where my sister noticed it and brought it up. Once we got to the dance, Abigale kept on dancing right next to John and he kept on moving and switching where he was. Time skip of about a month and I had broken my foot. I couldn’t move around as easily as I was in crutches and John was kind enough to move chairs out of my way each day for a week so that I could get out of. Abigale’s crush is to the point of obsession. She somehow finds a way to get the conversation about him and always says that we need to get together to host a party. I am DONE with hosting parties where both Abigale and John are there because she will ignore me and go to him no matter what happens to me. I have had multiple panic attacks in a row, and she was still next to him. She did look over at me once. ONCE. He seemed to care more than her. I have left the planning to her and other friends. She planned a movie night at her house, and I thought, “Oh her parents will be there maybe she will not sit right next to him to avoid her parents’ asking questions.” Yeah, no that did not happen. Her parents were upstairs the whole time, which my parents usually are too so that isn’t weird. But she still sat right next to him, and her couch is a lot smaller than mine, so she was on top of him. She was looking at him the whole night talking to him the whole night and not talking to anyone else. Our neighborhood hosted clothespin tag for all the kids 10-18. I couldn’t play, so I sat out with a friend. Once the game was over, everyone got up to talk and have fun, but she was talking to just him outside of the group. Go her. She is chasing what she wants. One last example, we had a lake day and Abigale was always with John to the point where I was left out. I was left behind on shore with another friend who also gets FOMO when everybody else was on an island in the middle of the lake. That hurt because no one came back for me and when they finally did come back, they came back for food. That hurt a lot. The rest of the evening she was always next to John unless other male friends wanted to be next to him. She only paid attention to John the whole time. When it came time for us to go home, I looked at her for a ride because we understand that if one of us gives them a ride to the place, the other brings them home. We gave Abigale and her twin a ride to the lake, so I was expecting her to give me a ride home. When she said she was getting a ride with John I was confused and asked her, “I thought that since we gave you a ride here that you would give us a ride home. How am I getting home?” She raised her voice at me, and said, “You’ll get home!” I was taken aback by her telling this to me one step below yelling and her laughing after to cover it up. This really angered me because I almost had no ride. One of the other people had to go out of their way to take me home. I profusely thanked the person who was able to take me home and her dad because it was so last minute and out of the way. The whole lake day was confusing because it was just thrown together with no real planning. There was no communication, so I texted her to get clarification and she gave a weak excuse that planning it was hard. There were no parents there. My parents were the only parents there. My dad was expecting all the parents to be there. There were no snacks or drinks. The only planning that was done was the times when we should be there. Over the course of John being in the friend group and Abigale’s crush on him, his body language is always pointed away from her in contrast her body language is pointed solely towards him no matter if we are in a group together or not. To me, it looks like he wants to be with everyone else and not in a conversation with her. John is a really nice dude, so he is not going to ignore her or put her aside to do what he wants. He isn’t Abigale. He actually thinks about other people. My friends are almost to an age where they can date so I understand that she is so close to being able to do something about her crush and ask John on a date, but we still have 6 months until he can date when she only must wait another month. Many friendships have broken because one friend got someone, and the friend doesn't like the bf or gf is getting what the friend used to and the friend feels left behind and forgotten about. I have told her that she needs to regulate her attention to both sides. She needs to keep the attention of John and the group the same so that no one feels left out or forgotten. I felt like that, so I told her she needs to not leave her friends behind for a crush. I asked my friend who isn’t in the friend group what I should do, and she said to ignore Abigale and if she notices, make up a random excuse as to why you have been ignoring her. If Abigale does not notice that you have been ignoring her, then talk to her saying that you have been feeling like she isn’t including you and you have been feeling left out. I have talked to her about this before and she did not change. I also asked my sister what I should do, and she agreed with my friend. I have been ignoring her aside from when everyone says hello and gives hugs. I have been doing this for a week now, even with school out and us not getting together in the morning, we have had parties the whole week and she hasn’t noticed. I even invited her twin over for a movie and told her not to tell Abigale. What should I do? Should I confront her about how I feel again?
TL; DR: My friend Abigale had a massive crush on my other friend John to the point where she is always next to him and ignoring the whole group to be with him. His body language tells me that he is uncomfortable being that close to her, but she can’t take a hint from him. I have ignored her for a week, and she hasn’t noticed.

Hi! I’m new here. Going to Tokyo for 7 days in October, wondering if there are any places to visit that only locals are familiar with.
I’m planning to go to Shibuya 109, Takeshita street, Akihabara & Ghibli Museum but skipping the teamlabs exhibition.
I enjoy a mix of activities, sightseeing, finding good food and shopping as well.
Oh, I would like to know where I can buy sneakers/shoes — heard that it’s cheaper in Japan/tokyo.
Would appreciate any recommendations!
Thank you :)

Chapter 4: The Dew
We have a new cast member for this chapter! Her name is Molly, and let’s just say she’s the MVP.
It was almost noon when I woke up. Faaaaack! I scrambled to get dressed, slap on a little makeup, put my hair in purple pigtails, ask myself whether I was dolling myself up for FPB or for Axton... Yeah, that was a no-brainer. I engaged in basic some humaning (brushing teeth, applying deodorant, etc.), spritzed on some men’s cologne called Spicebomb (FPB really was kind of right about that), put on my new shoes, and dashed out the door. I looked at my phone to see if I had a missed call or an angry text from FPB. Nope. Good! He must have still been passed out.
I Ubered to FPB’s place to get my car, then I drove back to Sage’s house and parked on the side of the street. There were four Molly Maid vehicles in the driveway. I checked the door. It was unlocked. Was it possible that my absence might have gone unnoticed? As I entered the house, I could hear one of the professional cleaners yelling at Sage. I’ll call her Molly.
Molly: I’m charging you TRIPLE! I had to call in SIX extra girls. We clean up vomit, pee pee, poo poo, and your house smells like a distillery! You are nasty, nasty people!
I was damn near pissing myself laughing. One of the professional cleaners swooped past me, and I felt embarrassed to even be associated with these nasty, nasty people (even though all of them except for FPB had been super nice to me).
I found my way into the kitchen and accidentally interrupted Sage and Athena arguing over who was going to pay the cleaning bill. Sage was in favor of splitting it between the chummers, and Athena was in favor of sticking Mori with the bill since his nasty, nasty rules caused the nasty, nasty mess.
I cleared my throat so it didn’t seem like I was eavesdropping.
Athena: OP! Hey! Where have you been all morning?
Me: I ran home to get some sleep. The snoring was pretty loud...
Athena: I hear ya. We sleep in Sage’s bedroom, but Mori makes all the others sleep in the War Room or on the porch. You might be able to convince him to let you sleep in the guest room tonight?
Me: Isn’t it your house, Sage? I’ll play by your rules.
Sage: Yeah, but Mori’s in charge during Shadowrun weekends.
Damn, this really was starting to feel like a fucking cult. But I still found Mori hella amusing despite all his absurdities.
Me: Hey, guys? How much hell am I about to catch from FPB?
Sage: That would be... none. He’s still passed out in the backyard.
I made my way to the porch. I guess the cleaning crew hadn’t gotten there yet. There were toppled cups, empty liquor bottles, and several piles of puke on the porch; and the distinct scent of boozy pee clashed in an act of olfactory violence with the scent of stale vomit. I didn’t even want to take a single step outside. I was wearing my brand new shoes, after all! But the rest of my outfit was blissfully casual.
FPB’s absurdly formal clothes were draped over the hammock, and he was sprawled across a lawn chair in nothing but his black boxer briefs, snoring like a freight train.
Axton was sitting on a dry patch of the steps that led down to the yard, smoking a cigarette, and drinking what I hoped was coffee. Snorlax was passed out in the inflatable kiddie pool. And Mori was nowhere to be seen. Axton turned around and noticed me. Surely he didn’t remember trying to kiss me the night before. I mean, I kind of hoped that he did... but it would make my life a whole lot easier if he didn’t.
Axton: OP! Where did you run off to after you put us to bed?
Me: I went to sleep.
Axton: Where?
Me: Ummmm...
Axton: I won’t say anything to FPB, don’t worry.
I wanted to believe him. “I went home. I wanted to sleep in my own bed, and I wanted to have my car in case I get tired again. I seriously can’t keep up with you guys.”
Axton: That’s probably not anything to be ashamed of. Wanna come sit? Have a smoke?
I scanned the porch. “I’m not sure where it’s safe to step.”
Axton put his cig in the ashtray and stood up. “Combat boots to the rescue.”
He crossed the porch, picked me up, and carried me to the puke/pee/booze-free step. As he was putting me down his hand very deliberately grazed the length of my spine. Guess he remembered... I couldn’t seem to pull my hand off his shoulder, nor could I seem to take my eyes off his lips. But just then, FPB stirred. And he roared, “UNHAND MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”
He tried to stand, but his tall, hungover ass just withered to the ground.
Me: Good morning! Don’t worry. He was just helping me protect my new shoes.
FPB: So help me, Pretty Boy. If you touch my girlfriend again, I WILL END YOU.
Axton: Just trying to be gentlemanly, buddy. You want some coffee?
FPB grunted.
Axton turned to me. “You want some, too?”
FPB: DO NOT SPEAK TO HER, YOU FUCKING SKIDMARK.
Me: I’m good. I’ll hit Mori up for some coke later on.
Axton laughed and headed to the kitchen.
FPB: YOU WILL NOT GET COKE FROM MORI. I WILL LITERALLY KILL HIS (expletive slur deleted) ASS IF HE GIVES YOU COKE.
Snorlax was stirring in the kiddie pool.
Snorlax: FPB... Chill, bro. Seriously. God damn. You’re gonna pop a vein in your forehead.
Okay, it’s finally time to pause and give you guys some background on my relationship with FPB. It might be mildly triggering for some, so apologies in advance.
He repulsed me at first. I thought he was a snob, I hated his beard, and his circus freak height intimidated me a little. But he managed to humanize himself. He feigned vulnerability. He was attentive and affectionate (at first). And when we finally went on a proper date, it was actually pretty romantic. Plus, he had cool Bioshock tattoos! I wouldn’t find out about his Shadowrun tramp stamp until a bit later.
And I felt like I was gaining some maturity by looking past the unsightly beard, the constantly furrowed brow, and the shocking amount of time he spent standing on the most random soapboxes one could possibly imagine. I’ll also shoehorn in the fact that he had been “dating” a possessive, obsessive legbeard and I found myself feeling like a white knight for helping him out of that annoying situationship.
FPB’s triumphant, and probably fabricated, stories of his past facilitated empathy. He had dropped out of college to join the Peace Corps. He once pulled over to save a child from a burning vehicle. He had been bullied in middle school for being the only boy in the Color Guard. Blah, blah, blah. It was mostly a load of bollocks, and I’ll save the ridiculous details for another story. But his displays of affection in the early stages of our cursed courtship seemed sincere, and I believed him when he said that my “being there for him” was helping him grow as a person. What a rube I was.
The emotional connection gradually ran deeper as a result of FPB’s exceptionally well-rehearsed vulnerability act, but it was hardly a romance novel. After several relatively normal “getting to know each other” months, I discovered that FPB had been notoriously promiscuous in the past. A lothario, through and through. Many women apparently knew all about the “ladies’ man maître D” in midtown Wellsprings who would go home with absolutely ANYONE.
And I soon figured out that he had not left his promiscuous past behind him... at all. But even if I hadn’t become aware of his reputation, I could often smell his sexual escapades once he felt confident enough to interact with me immediately after he’d gone muff diving. His beard stank like a turtle tank, with heavy top notes of body odor and microwaved fish, and undertones of stale urine, dingleberries, and sometimes a gentle waft of rotting tampon.
He’d also had to treat his foul flavor-saver for pubic lice on a few occasions. I know I mentioned his beard crabs earlier, but it bears repeating (if only for the cringe). I can’t even begin to explain how humiliating the state of his beard was for me. I take care of all manner of personal hygiene, and I’ve certainly never had CRABS. To be known as the girlfriend of such a nasty beardo must have caused at least a few people to reasonably assume that I had a crab-infested crotch and a serious case of junk funk. #notmyjunk
Hindsight tells me that I didn’t care about his philandering because I wasn’t in love with him. His company wasn’t particularly enjoyable since he spent most of our time together complaining about “losers” on the internet and lambasting the insufferable management at the restaurant where he worked. But he could carry on lengthy conversations about luxury fragrance, which was... harmless. Plus, I enjoyed the idea of having a “boyfriend” since I was approaching 30.
And FPB could convincing behave like the *perfect gentleman* on the rare occasions when we attended respectable social events together. So all of my friends thought I’d won the dating lottery by landing myself a quirky, intelligent, polite, and visually striking boyfriend. This dreadful dating experience tempts me to spout some unsolicited advice along the lines of, “Wait for the right *connection* with a person who makes your life more enjoyable, and don’t get hung up on your relationship status... YOU are enough.” But perhaps that’s something we all have to realize for ourselves.
Aside from the philandering, things ran pretty smoothly back when FPB was still keeping “the crazy” under wraps. His goblinization unfolded in tiny, almost imperceptible increments. And by the time he had become a full-blown possessive lunatic, every attempt to end things with him resulted in death threats, slander, vandalism, bomb threats, or false police reports. I could easily write an entire lengthy story about every disastrous breakup attempt. But they wouldn’t be amusing stories. At least this current story has moments that I can try to frame as humorous, largely thanks to the Shadowrun crew.
I suppose the most honest answer as to why I had given FPB chance after chance is that I had absolutely NO prior experience being emotionally close to severely mentally unstable people. I’m one of the lucky ones who has never suffered from mental illness aside from occasional situational depression and some mild body images issues when I was a teenage girl on the high school drill team. I grew up in a loving family. And the only other serious romantic relationship I’d had prior to FPB fell apart because we were just in different stages of life (he was quite a bit older), and we eventually found ourselves unable to relate to one another. Nothing horrifying.
FPB was much closer to my age, we had common interests, and he was a (seemingly) genuine gentleman at first. Our relationship was like Beauty and the Beast... in reverse. I’m not so much comparing myself to Belle as I’m comparing FPB to a kind-hearted prince who gradually transformed into a stomping, snarling, tantrum-throwing BEAST.
Any desire that I’d ever felt for him died from poon fume inhalation. And FPB was pitifully butt-hurt when I closed the cookie to him. And despite displaying no interest in showing affection towards me, despite having countless randos at whom he could wiggle his whisky wang, despite griping incessantly about my terrible personality, my wretched taste in music, and my annoying sense of humor, he refused to end the relationship.
But if I so much as spoke to another man, FPB would call the police and report him as a TCAP Story, vandalize his property (usually with poop and/or semen), stalk him relentlessly, or make a slanderous website, crudely photoshopping the poor guy’s face onto obscene images that he got off the deepest, dingiest, most dumpster-fiery recesses of the dark web. This “retaliation technique” would eventually get his ass incarcerated, but not until many, many unfortunate girlfriends later.
Everyone had always told me that, “Relationships are HARD.” Guys, gals, non-binary pals... if you ever feel the need to cough out this fetid tonsil stone of “wisdom,” please operationally define the word “HARD.” If a relationship feels like a prison sentence and you find yourself fearing for your safety or for the safety of your loved ones, that isn’t “hard.” That is coercive control. RUN. But never forget that running is often much, mucheasier said than done. There’s no shame in getting help from friends, family, and law enforcement.
​
So, where were we? Snorlax was telling FPB to chill out, Axton was going to get some coffee for the lanky, bearded ball of rage, and I was standing on the one clean step, hoping the cleaning crew would come outside and save us all.
FPB was flailing about, trying to achieve a sitting position. Snorlax seemed to have gone back to sleep. And Axton returned to the porch with a cup of coffee and a bottle of water. He made his way down to FPB.
FPB: You’d better stay far, FAR away from her for the remainder of the weekend.
Me: Funky, he’s helping your hungover ass. And he hasn’t been inappropriate towards me in any way.
(That was kind of a lie. But I suppose it all depends on what you consider “inappropriate.”)
FPB harumphed.
Me: I promise you that I’ll punch him in the face if he makes me uncomfortable. Otherwise, please let me get to know your friends. You said that was an important part of the weekend.
Axton sat down the hangover remedies next to FPB’s lawn chair.
Axton: You want some Advil?
FPB nodded, and Axton took the pills out of his pocket and handed them over. FPB washed the pills down, took a few sips of lukewarm coffee, and leaned back in the chair, groaning miserably.
I sat down on the clean step and lit up a cigarette. Axton left FPB to his own devices and approached me cautiously. I gestured for him to come sit next to me. Axton grinned sheepishly, took his cig out of the ashtray, and sat down on the step. I wanted to keep FPB under control, so I said under my breath, “We’d better sit about two feet apart.”
Axton and I both scooched away from one another, the ashtray serving as a buffer, and we continued to speak quietly so that FPB’s hungover groans would drown out our conversation.
Axton: Are you really gonna punch me?
Me: Are you gonna make me uncomfortable?
His grin faded a bit, “Have I made you uncomfortable? If I did, I’m so sorr...”
I made eye contact with him and held it for about 3 seconds longer than I would have held friendly eye contact and replied with my own sheepish grin, “Not at all.”
​
Snorlax was sitting up by that time and he seemed to be in a world of hurt as well.
Axton: Yo, Snor! You need some hangover helper, too?
Snorlax (groaning): Pleeeeeeease.
Axton got up to fetch Snorlax some coffee, water, and pills. Those combat boots were going to need to get hosed down before he went back inside. Especially with Molly and her pissed off crew still at the house.
In fact, I could hear Molly screeching at Sage again.
Molly: There’s more mess on the porch? What sort of mess? More poo poo? A lake of liquor? You people are ANIMALS. I’m never cleaning your house again!!!
Sage: Ummm... I think it’s just booze and pee. You should be able to just power wash it.
Axton: There’s a ton of puke out there, too.
Molly: Jesus, save us all.
Axton ran to Snorlax and delivered the hangover helper.
Axton: Dude! The maids are on their way, and they’re pissed off. We gotta disappear.
I put my cigarette out, stood up, and dashed over to FPB, who was still reclining in the lawn chair with a pained expression on his face.
Me: Funky? The maids are coming. We need to get out of here.
FPB: And go where?
Me: I don’t know! I’ve never done this before. I think Axton knows, but I’m afraid to talk to him.
FPB: HEY, FUCK-FACE. Where are we running off to?
Axton: Garage! Go around the side of the house.
Axton helped Snorlax stagger around to the garage, and FPB managed to wobble to his feet. As he was standing up, I noticed a whisky wee aroma and an extra dark patch of fabric near the crotch of his black underpants. While I guided him to the garage, I tried my darndest to keep his wet boxer briefs away from my clean shirt. His crotch was level with my mid-section, so I curved my body away from him and let him basically use my shoulders and arms as a walker. In the end, we all managed to enter the garage though the side door. It was dusty, musty and stuffy, but it was blissfully devoid of puke and pee. Well, aside from FPB’s underpants.
Sage must have anticipated that we’d take shelter from the angry maids in the garage because he came out from the house and opened the garage doors for us, letting in a nice breeze.
Sage: You guys good?
We all indicated the affirmative.
Sage: Excellent. Mori should be back from the liquor store pretty soon. And he’s picking up hangover food, too.
Snorlax: What’s he getting?
Sage: Taco Bell.
Seriously? Not only were they having to restock the booze, but they were also planning to chow down on Taco Bell to help with the hangovers? There was no way in hell that was going to help.
At any rate, FPB and Snorlax were chugging the remainder of their hangover helper and seemed to be gradually getting their sea legs back. Axton had apparently been awake a little longer than they had, so his hangover seemed to have passed. I’m just assuming this since I was forbidden to speak to him. And with the only two non-hungover people there forbidden to speak to one another, the garage was eerily silent.
We were all sitting on the dusty floor and FPB, still wearing nothing but wet boxer briefs, tried to pull me into his lap.
Me (getting up and crossing the room): HELL NO. You peed yourself. I’m not sitting in your lap until you go wash up and put on some clean underpants.
FPB: It’s not pee. It’s dew.
Axton: It’s piss, bro. I can smell it.
FPB (snarling): You shut your fuck-nugget mouth, Asshat.
Wow, Axton’s ability to exhibit no reaction at all to FPB’s venom was impressive. I might have to try that and see if it would work for me.
Snorlax: He’s right. It’s definitely pee. No shame, though. I wet my pants, too. I had to get up and change at like... 6 in the morning. It sucked.
FPB: OP, please get over yourself and come sit by me.
Me: No lap sitting.
FPB: Fine.
Me: Do you want me to go get your backpack so you can change?
“Chill out, Miss Uptight! We all wet our pants every weekend. It’s tradition,” he said as he wound his long arms around me from the side.
I felt like I was in a cage. I rolled my eyes, and I think Axton noticed my exasperated expression because I could see him snickering.
FPB: What’s funny, you DICK?
Axton composed himself, and Snorlax gallantly stepped up to save us.
Snorlax: He’s laughing cause I farted. Sorry.
Always a sucker for bathroom humor, I burst out laughing. Axton started laughing again, Snorlax started laughing, lifted a cheek and really did rip one this time. The butt wind even kicked up a little dust from the garage floor. That made all the reasonable people in the garage laugh even harder. But not FPB. No, he was fuming.
FPB: What the hell is really so fucking FUNNY? Someone fess up to me or I’m gonna start flaying you bitches.
Axton: Dude. For real. We’re laughing at a fart. (more laughter)
Snorlax (also laughing): Yeah, just the thought of Taco Bell gave me gas.
FPB’s fury just made it even funnier, and all of us were in stitches.
FPB: I know you’re all laughing at ME.
Yeah, I guess it did kind of start off that way. But by the time his rage was hitting the boiling point, we really were just behaving like overgrown children and laughing hysterically at a fart. And everything was ten times funnier because we had this “stick in the mud” sitting there getting outrageously offended by the laughter. You know the feeling, right? When you’re not supposed to laugh at something, it becomes even harder not to laugh? Or is that just me?
FPB: I’m getting dressed now. OP, come help me. You two jabronis can stay in here and laugh at each other’s farts.
Instead of heading to the hammock in the back yard where FPB’s clothes presumably remained, he entered the house through the garage door and headed straight for the guest room to retrieve his backpack. Good. Maybe he was at least going to put on some clean underpants.
But, no. He wasn’t. That would have taken away from the repulsive debauchery that his whizzy boxer briefs allowed him to revel in. He really needed to settle on a story. Was he such a wild, crazy party boy that he was too cool to care that he’d wet his pants? Or was he a pathetic drunk who’d passed out and managed to collect afternoon dew in the crotch of his boxer briefs (and nowhere else on his body)? We’ll never know. His Shadowrun tramp stamp was in full view as he bent down and grabbed his wallet from his black leather backpack. He then marched into the kitchen and told Sage, “Bring me a maid.”
Sage: Ummm... they’ve got their hands pretty full at the moment.
FPB produced a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet. “I want my clothes steam cleaned. And I’ll need them spritzed with perfume. Athena’s got some here, doesn’t she?”
Sage: Yeah... But you’re gonna have to ask HER if you want to use her perfume. And you’re gonna have to ask the cleaning crew to steam your clothes. They’re all pretty annoyed with me over the condition of the house. There’s a new head maid. I’m having to pay TRIPLE the normal cleaning fee, dude.
In my mind, the considerate action would have been to forego the steaming and offer the cash to Sage, since FPB’s sparkle vomit and spilled liquor definitely contributed to the mess. Instead, FPB exited through the front door, made his way around to the backyard, and began removing his clothes from the hammock. The maids shrieked. FPB ignored the shrieks, gathered his clothes, and sauntered back into the house. Once we were back indoors, we could hear Molly going over the bill with Sage.
FPB: AHEM. Madam, I need these clothes steam cleaned.
He thrust his suit and the hundred-dollar bill in her direction.
Molly: Excuse me??? We were hired to clean this disgusting house. You want your clothes steamed, go to the drycleaners.
She sniffed the air.
Molly: And go take a shower. You smell like a diaper.
I stepped in. “Hey. Sage? Do you mind if I steam FPB’s clothes in the guest bathroom?”
Sage: Fine by me.
I pulled FPB aside. “Give me your clothes. You peed in your sleep after you took you suit off right?”
FPB: IT’S DEW.
Me: It doesn’t matter. Your underwear’s wet and you need to put on a dry pair. In the meantime, I’ll go in the bathroom, hang your clothes up, get the room steamy from the shower, and then they’ll at least be a little less wrinkled. We used to do it all the time in college.
FPB: But those bitches have professional equipment. If they can steam carpet, they can steam a suit.
Me: I think it’s a different type of steamer.
FPB: Oh, you’re an expert on steamers?
Me: Not the Cleveland kind.
Damn it, Mori would have appreciated my attempt at an obvious dirty joke.
FPB harumphed, and I put the plan into action. I turned the shower on as hot as it would go, sifted through FPB’s suit components carefully to make sure his pants were dry. Fortunately, they were. I hung the clothes as close to the shower curtain as I could without getting them wet and sat down to try and enjoy the steam room and the solitude. Maybe it would make me feel refreshed? But the sweetness of the solitude wouldn’t last, as I could hear a conversation taking place just outside the door.
Sage: What the hell, man? Why are you guarding the bathroom door?
FPB: I don’t want any of you pervs trying to walk in on my girlfriend while she showers.
Sage: Okay... I think she’s just in there steaming your fancy clothes.
FPB: She might be taking a shower, too. NAKED. I have to protect her from the male gaze.
Sage: Well... I’ve got a girlfriend. Mori’s not here, and Snorlax and Axton are both stand-up dudes.
FPB: I don’t trust Axton. I caught him picking her up on the porch, and then he tried to TALK TO HER.
Sage: “Picking her up” as in the crap you pull at work all the time? Or literally “picking her up” so she didn’t step in puke?
FPB: Uh... he made some lame excuse.
Sage: So... Picking her up so she didn’t step in puke. What a jerk.
FPB: Right?!
Sage: Listen, man. The door locks. And she’s a grown woman. Leave her alone for five minutes, for fuck’s sake. And put on some clean underwear.
FPB: IT’S DEW.
When I couldn’t take the steam anymore, I turned off the shower, retrieved FPB clothes, which did look spiffier, and opened the door to inhale the fresh, cool air. Ahhh! And the lovely cleaning crew had managed to get rid of the “poopy-pee-puke-pizza” pungency.
Apparently, being lightly mocked by the “vice principal” had embarrassed FPB enough to make him go find something better to do. No one was outside the door at that moment. I gathered FPB’s clothes, carried them to the guest room, and laid them out on the bed.
Now to find my seething anger ball of a boyfriend. Best guess? He was back in the garage, yelling at Axton and Snorlax. So that’s where I checked first.
I entered the garage from the house, and found Sage, Athena, Axton, Snorlax, and Mori all sitting around enjoying some Taco Bell and drinking beer. No FPB.
Me: Hey, guys! Have any of you seen a tall, angry guy in wet boxer briefs?
Mori: He’s on the back porch. Said he had to call his work.
Ah, yes. “Work.” That meant he was texting one of his randos. Probably the one who showed up at Sage’s house late last night.
Me: Beer me?
They all answered with a validating chorus of “Hell yeah,” and, “Go girl!”
I grabbed a beer from the cooler and scanned the room for a place to sit. Axton stood up and led me over to his spot.
Axton: Hey, guys! Who am I?
And then he pulled me onto his lap, wrapped his arms around me and started shouting in a caveman voice, “MY GIRLFRIEND. MINE. NO TALKING TO HER. DON’T EVEN LOOK OR I’LL STAB YOU IN THE EYEBALL.”
Everyone, including me, found this incredibly funny. And I was pleased to see that the whole team was acknowledging FPB’s absurdly possessive behavior. Maybe if the people he respected most in this world called him out on his insane possessiveness, he would reflect? Yeah, let’s see how that goes...
I stayed in this far too comfortable position for a minute or so. Axton was more muscular than FPB and he wasn’t “circus-freak tall,” so his lap was a much better fit. But I knew that if FPB rounded the corner and caught me sitting in another guy’s lap, he’d flip. Especially since my position in Axton’s lap had happened purely to make a mockery out of FPB. I leaned into him for a few more seconds, then slid over into my own cold, hard, lonely space.
Guess I needed to do some reflecting, too... Not because I was finding myself attracted to a guy who wasn’t my boyfriend. My boyfriend was a psycho and I needed to reflect on why I hadn’t been able to find an exit strategy that didn’t lead to terroristic threats or stalking.
Mori: I think I’ll add a new punishment tonight. But only for FPB. If he glitches, he has to sit in my lap and let me paw all over him. See how he likes it.
Me: Be sure to get a raging boner and jab him in the hip with it.
I couldn’t tell if the laughing that ensued was because I’d made a crude joke to the perfect audience or because I had unintentionally “called” the inevitable.
Mori (in a deliberately creepy tone): Oh, that won’t be a problem.
We laughed again.
And then, all the fun was sucked from the garage. FPB entered from the driveway and demanded to know what was funny.
Sage: Mori’s cooking up new punishments.
FPB: That’s... terrifying.
Me: Hey, I put your clothes in the guest room if you want to get dressed.
FPB: M’kay. I’m getting a beer first.
He cracked open a beer and headed inside. As he towered in the doorway, he turned to me.
FPB: You coming?
Mori: You need your girlfriend to help you put your clothes on? Are you in kindergarten?
FPB: Eat a dick, Mori.
Mori: Sounds delicious.
FPB shuddered and trudged inside. He hadn’t made any more demands that I accompany him, so I let him go put on his big boy pants all by himself.
*end of Chapter 4
As always, thank you so, so much for reading!
Hope to see you back for The Lap of Luxury!

I made an error with the title in my previous post, and didn't put the age in there. Sorry about that.
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Hey there! Apologies in advance for this really long-winded post.
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I'm a weirdo looking for a fellow weirdo to share his life with (then again aren't we all weirdos in our own little way, eh?!).
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I tried to keep the details as bullet points so it's easier to read while providing as much info as I could without turning the post into *too* much of a clod of text pollution, but I know it's still a lot!
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About me:
- 28M, 5ft9in (175cm), and fluctuate anywhere between 135lbs-140lbs (61-64kg). I would describe my body as thin but muscular
- Asian-American (American born Chinese, to be more specific)
- Non-religious, but agnostic
- Strictly monogamous
- ISTJ (if that matters to you)
- Liberal/left-leaning/progressive
- Working as a statistician, and also pursuing my (second) Masters while I work! I formerly worked as a biochemical engineer, but I grew to learn that I hated working in the labs
- Superficially, I have been often described as "what every Asian parent wants their daughter to date," if that helps to paint anything helpful. I'm not really that...especially since I'm childfree.
- Snipped and confirmed sterile! Drug and disease free, and fully vaxxed with booster (with proof for all to boot!)
- Can't drink due to crappy genes (but I don't mind if you do in moderation), don't smoke.
- Bilingual, but working on trilingual with Spanish! I currently can communicate at a CEFR B1 level, which means I still need to suck less.
- Outside of Reddit, I don't use any forms of social media. I find it's a lot better for my mental health, plus not a fan of the lack of privacy. With the new policies Reddit is implementing, it may be another one I'm going to be allergic to.
- Instead of the weird cat lady trope you hear about, I'm the whacky chicken man! Yes, I do raise chickens (as pets, but eggs are an added bonus!), but I like both cats and dogs too!
- I really enjoy cooking! While my cooking style originates from Chinese and Asian cuisines, I really like trying and cooking different foods, especially traditional Mexican and Peruvian dishes. To say the very least, I am NOT a picky eater at all
- I exercise. *A lot*. By that, I mean exercise at least 2 hours a day, distance/trail running, skateboarding (I wear protection!) and (poorly) surfing. For me, exercise (especially the running aspect) gives me time to meditate and self-reflect, and being out and about while doing that really helps me to do that and understand/control my emotions. Distance running allows me to do trail running as well and enjoy the sceneries that are otherwise harder to access. I'm slowly getting back to my old running distances after a nasty fall lead to a broken ankle 🥲.
- I still enjoy spending time indoors, however! Once I have more time, I'd really love to get into sewing my own clothes to suit my wonky tastes, and I'd *love* to grow my own garden of produce and natives.
- My humor can probably be best described as a bit...crude and "degenerate." Think It's Always Sunny in Philadephia, toilet humor and farts
- My main love language is quality time, followed by a balanced mixture of acts of service, words of affirmation, and physical touch. Not really a gifts person
- I take hygeine very seriously. Some may consider me as a bit of a clean freak, but I sweat a lot because of exercise, and because of my sensitive nose! Consequently, that also means I take COVID rather seriously. With a lot of my hobbies requiring me to be at a certain level of fitness, I'm not particularly willing to find out whether or not I will be affected by potential long term effects of COVID, especially with how little understanding we have of it. If that bothers you, please move on.
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What I am looking for in a partner:
- Child free (I think that's rather obvious though...or I'd hope it would be)
- Age 24-34. While I can be somewhat flexible about this, I would prefer not deviate much as people tend to be in dramatically different stages in their lives. This is particularly with the lower end of the age limit.
- Relatively liberal/progressive
- Someone who is relatively physically active/fit. As a person who really values physical fitness and quality time, it would be nice to travel and spend time together exploring trails and going the distance to view great sceneries in the outdoors. That being said, I have absolutely no expectation for one to exercise at the level that I do, as what I do is somewhat extreme
- BIG plus if aren't afraid to express yourself! This can be through means such as tattoos, the way you dress or present yourself, etc. Confidence and self-expression is sexy~
- Someone who is open with their communication. Please, please, please, if something is bothering you, let me know and don't let it fester and worsen over time. Being communicative with each other and dealing with the problem together is paramount for a healthy relationship. Likewise, if something were bothering me, I would do the same, and communicate it as well
- Someone who is independent and describes themself as self-sufficient. Self-care both internally and externally is important, and it's important to love yourself! Otherwise it won't be healthy for the mind or body
- Someone who also self-reflects and values self-reflection. It's important to examine our own shortcomings and continue to grow ourselves as individuals.
- Drug and disease free
- I have just a *slight* preference towards Asians due to similarities in culture and upbringing, but I'm honestly open to anything as long as we both are open and willing in learning each others' cultures and backgrounds!
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While I would prefer to remain local, I understand that the child free pool is quite small, and mine and everyone else's preferences and characteristics are unique, so I am not opposed to the idea of long distance, with the intention of closing the distance. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack! I don't intend to stay in the DMV area long term, and plan on moving to the West coast (or even past the West coast). A lot of my hobbies (both current and future) I have found in my experience were more suited there.
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For the sake of privacy, I won't post pictures of myself in this post, but I am happy to share pictures together through DMs/private messages! (either by Discord, Signal, or Reddit while I use it, etc.).
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Although I absolutely do not intend on having children, I'm not the sort of person that hates children. Rather, I'd prefer to be the cool uncle. The only exception is if a kid is really badly behaved, but that's also on the parents for letting their buttheaded kid act this way.
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Again, I am strictly monogomous. I'm not looking for anything regarding polygamous relationships, and I'm not interested in anything casual/FWB.
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While it would be nice to find partnership and share each others lives with each other, I will note that I am happy single, and by the end of the day I'd rather have no company than bad company.
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I know that this post is really long, but if you managed to read through all of it and if this post resonates with you, feel free to reach out! Or if you just have shared hobbies and walk to shoot the shit about that, feel free to hit me up too!
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P.S. A note to those others also looking: I know that searching for a partner is hard, especially as child free, so hopefully this can inspire some hope to you all. Stay persistent, but remember to take care of yourself and make yourself happy! I actually did meet and was in a relationship with someone from this sub, and while in the end it didn't work out, we ended it on friendly terms, and I still do truly wish the best for her. What I'm trying to say is that if you persevere and remain patient, you can find success!

I went in thinking 3-5 days to address suicidal thoughts. They ended up keeping me for 13 days, it drove me absolutely mad. I had to sign an AMA to force my way out, but my partners didn't want to pick me up because they knew I still wanted to do it. I called upon a gentleman I had met inside (I started up conversation cause he was reading Locke Lemora, he turned out to love all the right books and video games ❤️). That quality ass dude picked my sorry butt up and drove me down to a car rental. Hero. He even waited for me while I got the car sorted, kept my teddy bear safe. Love him for real.
The only vehicle they had at the rental was a fucking huge ass truck. Giant, white 4 door. I stumbled my way through her questions, knowing I intended the truck to be a one way deliverance to my End. The woman behind the desk was small, blonde, and seemed happy. She was apologetic that she had to give me a giant ass truck. She smiled and brushed over my stumbling mistakes. Accepted my muddled explanation with grace. 10/10, excellent service. She even complemented my bear.
My first destination was a panicked dash to collect my method. I won't tell you what my method is, so as to not give you ideas. I nearly didn't make it before they closed, but I got it. Then it's accessories. Then lots of weed. Then juice. Then vodka. Then notebook, sharpies, sharpie pens. At last I treated myself to my favorite, Massaman curry. Then I drove to a motel. Checked in. Dragged everything up in two trips. Oh and before we leave the car portion of the story let me remind you that I navigated all those streets and parking lots in a fucking huge ass truck.
Anyway, now we're in the room. I set up my pillow and bear on one bed. My method on the other. I arrange the weed, food, alcohol, and juice.
I want to do it. I had driven the whole way thinking how badly I wanted to do it. Sure I planned to have a couple of fun days, but i definitely planned to do it.
And why even do that then. Why bother living a few more days? Fuck it. Fuck life. What the fuck am I living for
Wait, one second. We ate 200mg of weed. And we're sipping fruit juice and vodka. Maybe if we can make it until they hit, it'll feel good.
I'm a crazy person, so I end up documenting my life and day on the walls if the motel bathroom in sharpie. It actually helped a lot. I figured it out. I need freedom. I choose life.
It's hard, the thought is still there. The wolf only has to get lucky once.
But I'm fighting.
Thanks in huge part to my good, good Ace love that I also met inside.
But even bigger to my dear beloved, my dear sweet beloved. Pineapple 🍍 B the only thing that kept me alive inside.
She was there for me. I was attracted to her immediately. Her intelligence. Her gorgeous hair. Her fucking slamming body. We played grab ass. Not enough to get in trouble with the wardens. But clearly thirsty. One time I ducked into her room as she washed her hands in the bathroom. I pushed aside the curtains, her shocked, excited eyes in the mirror.
"You're going to get in trouble" her eyebrows twitch upward as she turned to me, daring me to make real what the moment promised.
"I know," I tried on my best smirk and slunk closer. "Just once?" I begged with my eyes, leaned in
Her hand around my neck
Her lips soft on mine
A flick of a tongue
"Get out of there"
You slap my ass, I smile as I scoot.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
B, that kiss made me think life could be worth living.
I fell in love with you right then.
And tonight you did me the honor of playing virtual grabass, admitting to fantasies. We go back and forth admitting to longings for one another. And in the end you reassured me how real and true our love is.
You saved me B.
And you're really fucking hot. Those curves. Tattoos. Your hair.
When you braided it. Mmmm.
You're also fucking brilliant, but you let people hurt you when you've decided to love them. I do the same thing.
I want to protect you.
So I'm here.
I'm this bed. Typing this account.
Choosing to live.
For her. And Her. And Him. And Him.
And my mom and sister and bestie.
And to my main line of defense. Piller and the Hero Caramel.
You're doing your best for them, Me.

Oh my. This is my first Reddit post ever! Sorry this is pretty lengthy, trying to be thorough! I got so much help from reading through this sub that I felt compelled to share. I got tickets to see LCD Soundsystem over Memorial Day. It was my first visit to Red Rocks. I was very excited but pretty nervous. I adore live music but am also a highly anxious person. Unknown situations can really overwhelm me. I need to feel prepared when I visit new places. I am a fat person and a flatlander who is out of shape so I was extremely worried about how hard it would be to navigate the venue. I did many deep dives on this sub and others and am happy to report I had the perfect visit. Just wanted to share some info for those nervous Nellies like me.
My sister and I stayed at a Holiday Inn in Lakewood. This is far from the Denver Airport but a 15 minute drive to Red Rocks. It is a suburb - there were plenty of chain restaurants, coffee shops, and a Trader Joe's. While not overly exciting or interesting, it was very convenient and met our needs. Also! I highly recommended A Taste of Denmark, an absolutely devine Danish bakery.
We rented a car via Turo and decided to park at the venue. We went at 5 pm (doors at 6 show at 7)and parked in the Upper South Lot. Parking was easy and quick, the staff were friendly and helpful. There was a line of 50-100 people waiting by the fence for when the doors opened. We scoped things out around the parking lot. People had little screen tents, bean bag boards, and camp chairs set up. Since we weren't local/flew in we didn't have camp chairs, but if we had it would've been totally fine to set up by our car and chill until the doors opened or even wander around and talk to people. A crazy swirling dust storm whipped up for a few minutes so we just chilled in the car until the doors opened.
The entrance to the amphitheater from the Upper South lot is via a walk up a ramp that is STEEP but doable. Even my sister, who is in good shape, got a little winded. There was plenty of space and time to step to the side and catch our breath. Nobody was pushy or annoyed. We waited in line on the ramp for maybe 15 minutes and then were able to move through security. There were steps up to the security screening that were fine to navigate and not too difficult. Time to walk from car (front/middle of Upper South Lot) to security check point was less than 10 minutes total (not including wait time on the ramp).
I brought a draw string backpack (like the ones they give away at business conferences 😂). I had most of my things in a bunch of smaller bags and satchels-security didn't ask to go through any of the smaller bags. They had me open the top of my bag, kind of felt around, and asked if my water bottle was sealed. Easy peasy. There was a merch table to the left immediately upon entering. They were busy when we got in @ 6 (an hour before the show) but didn't have crazy long lines.
There are really nice bathrooms to your left as you walk towards the venue from this entrance. They are all gender bathrooms with big tall wooden doors/no gaps. It's like your own personal bathroom. These are the only bathrooms I used at the venue, before and during the show. I never waited more than 5-10 minutes in line.
The seating was broken up into GA sections and Reserved Seating sections. It was all clearly marked with ropes. We were in row 29, so not front row but not at the tippy top. The stairs are challenging, but again, we had plenty of space and time to stop and catch our breath. There are some hand railings on the left side but they do not go all the way up the amphitheater. So be aware that you may have to traverse stairs without the assistance of a railing.
My sister brought a picnic blanket that folds up with a handle. We unfolded it on our seats which was great to have this set out for once the shows got going and we wanted to sit and rest. We went right to our seats upon arriving. We really just took in the venue-the views and the vibes. The people watching is great. Each of us had time to check out merch, grab a drink, etc. I was not bored at all and was glad we went as early as we did. It made for a long day but it was worth it.
We only purchased 1 alcoholic seltzer and a bottle of water which were obviously expensive. I brought in 1 bottle of water (they have to be sealed) and wished I had brought 2. Everything is cashless-cards only. We did not try any of the food, although I saw a couple people go by with some tasty looking tacos and other fair style food. It would also be totally legit to throw a granola bar or sandwich into your bag if you think you'll need food (would definitely recommend if you are drinking). We ate right before we went to the venue and hit up a fast food drive thru at the end of the night and that was fine for us.
We had a group of people next to us-it was clear some of the friends had purchased Reserved tickets and their friends had GA tickets but were just going chill with their friends @ their Reserved seats - stacking each other 2-3 people deep per seat. They were nice and respectful. And during the openers I honestly didn't care. But before LCD started I did ask who all had tickets as the group was kinda jamming us up (they were obviously getting more and more intoxicated and dancing wider and wider into our seats). The guy who had the Reserved seat TOTALLY got it. I shared that we had come from out of state, paid for the reserved seats and this show was very important to me. He and his friends immediately apologized and had everyone on their best behavior, nobody was stepping in front of us during the show. We even kinda made friends with the dude and chatted a bit. His friends said something along the lines of 'oh we've only EVER been to GA shows so this assigned seating thing is hard.' 🙄 We had several people who were too drunk/high or trying to scam folks by being lost and unable to find their seats. They apparently decided to look for their seats 15 minutes into the LCD set. At that point in the game you are just out of luck. The seat numbers are on teeny tiny plaques that are not lit up. Figure out where your seats are before the chaos starts. We had to shoo them along because they were interrupting the show and weren't super aware of their behavior or surroundings.
I've read multiple articles and subs that have said marijuana is illegal to use in public! You can totally be arrested! This is definitely not the case. Everyone, everywhere was freely using drugs. It smelled of marijuana the whole show. Just a heads up if that bothers you. It is constant and potent. You can't get away from it, even in an outdoor venue! I had no problem with this but some people might care.
The show was at the end of May. I wore mid weight long pants, a t-shirt, and medium weight sweatshirt. This was the perfect outfit. No sweating and no shivering. We had a light comfortable breeze all night. It was a dream! I had packed a light jacket and rain poncho in my pack but didn't need either. This was easily stowed underneath our seats. I wore comfy running shoes. They aren't the most stylish but there is lots of uneven ground to traverse and you spend hours standing on cement which can be hard on the body and joints. Forget the cute heels for Red Rocks.
We stayed until the very end. MANY people left before the last song, I'm guessing to beat the traffic. Exiting the venue was slightly chaotic but uneventful. It took us 10-15 minutes to get back to the car. The ramp on the way back down is steep. I chose to use the hand railing just to be safe.
And then we zipped out of the Upper South Lot and down into Morrison in not even 5 minutes. We barely had to wait. I was expecting to sit for hours to exit per all the info I've read about parking at Red Rocks. It was a great surprise and a perk of going early!
I know this is a lot. Thanks if you read it all. Hoping by sharing I can inspire others to go. I was second guessing myself and my abilities prior to going and I'm so glad I didn't cancel! It was truly a once in a life time experience. Thanks to the info I found on reddit I felt pretty prepared and comfortable!

I have had a very big crush on one of my friends for the past while but didn’t say anything because hes way out of my league but Wednesday afternoon, the sky opened up and the sun shined bright as if to say “my child your time has finally come” and my phone buzzed. I looked down and there it was, a notification from him that read:
“Hey are you busy right now?”
“no, why?”🤭
“Can I call you?”
“sure” (Forever and always)
So he called and asked if I wanted to go to a restaurant which was known as one of those “book weeks in advance” restaurants but one of his friends works there and told him about a cancellation so he took it and said he remembered me talking about wanting to try the food and asked if I wanted to go with him Friday (tonight). I swear you could hear my heart beating out of my chest, but I stayed calm and said yes.
So onto tonight around 4 I get a text saying he was in front of my apartment building. I got into the elevator and you’d think I woke up and injected caffeine straight into my veins with the way I was shaking, but I made sure to breathe because he was going out with me not a Victorian child that just chugged a monster energy drink. I walked out to him and he smiled and said I looked pretty 🫶 but he would soon regret those words. We got into his car and drove off. Now keep in mind that the restaurant is roughly 1 hour away from my place
So we get there and get seated and the server brings us waters and menus. He only had a water because he drove (so responsible🦋), but I had a mojito to just ease my nerves and it worked because the conversation between us flowed just like any other time we hung out. I was having a great time.
As we were finishing up our food the server asked about dessert and I’m always down for something sweet so we took the dessert menus. But it was then I started to feel something was not right in my stomach. I looked at him and said nothing on the dessert menu looked good and he agreed so he paid and we left to his car.
I know I could have excused myself to the bathroom but the thing is I was only feeling a little tingle of nausea and thought I’d be fine. I also didnt want to tell him I wasn’t feeling well and ruin the vibe
About 15 minutes into the drive I’m still trying to be all cute in the passenger seat talking to him because something you don’t do on the first date is vomit all over their car. And then he smiles and says
“I have an idea”
No. No you don’t, take me home.
“Let’s get slurpees there’s a gas station about 15 minutes away”
Not in the direction of my apartment of course. I said no it’s ok but he insisted and this has officially become a hostage situation because I cannot escape the car.
We get to the gas station and I say we should share but he says no and I get the smallest one and we sit outside drinking them. I take a few sips and say I’m all done but I do have a history of disordered eating (orthorexia) and he knows so he tried to be kind and encouraged me drink at least half of it and told me I was beautiful. Thanks man but I’m ready to throw you off a bridge
Once we finish the detour from hell we’re finally heading back to my place. I have no idea how, but I make it home and then he PARKS THE CAR. I ask what he’s doing and he says
“I’m walking you up to your apartment”
🙂 oh
We walk into the elevator and I live pretty high up so we had some time in there. He slowly puts his arm around my waist and you know what doesn’t go well with the situation in my stomach? Butterflies.
In that moment I was the most religious woman on the planet with the way I prayed and vowed to never do anything bad ever again if I make it into my apartment without my dinner making a surprise appearance. Finally the elevator opens and he walks me to my door, I unlock it and turn around to say bye and he smiles then kisses me.
The second he pulled away my prayers meant nothing. I threw up all over him and my guy has a beard 😭 so it was in there.
Now the right thing to do would be:
“Oh I’m so sorry please come into my apartment and clean yourself off”
But I did a modified version which was slam the door in his face, block his number, then sit in my bathroom and cry because in this house we overreact and make situations worse.
So now here I am laying on the bathroom floor sweating, throwing up, and crying. Can’t even gather the strength to get myself some damn water💀
He was a good kisser though

My bf (33) is responsible for sending his sister (40) to and back from work Mon-Fri and gets compensated for his time. I (27) stay and live with his family since the pandemic as its closer to work.
Previously my bf was sending me to and from work 2 days a week but since his sister switch jobs and moved back to the city, his family suggested that my bf fetch her instead since she is a person with disability (missing 1 hand + ED + mental health concerns). The mom is in the 60s and it'll take a toll on her to constantly brave rush hour traffic.
When I was told about this, I was like okay cool, I'll just drive on my own. I just needed to adjust and get up a little early to account for traffic and parking. Well that did not last long, I got sick of traffic and parking cost were too high even for 2 days a week. So I scrapped driving to work and hitched a ride with my bf in the morning when he is sending his sister to work so that he can drop me at the train station as its in the same direction, just 1 min detour. At most it'll add 5 mins to the total journey.
So his schedule revolves around the sister's schedule. So say she wants to go back at 3pm, he has to be there waiting by 3pm. If he's late and she has to wait for more than 10 mins, she's not going to be a happy camper. But on the flip side, if she says 4.30pm and he arrives sharp but she only exits the building at 5pm, you're not going to get a sorry from her and can't get angry at her or say shit.
Why? The whole family treats her with kids glove because of the disability and other issues. I usually do my best to be accomoddating too, just letting things go and be the better person since I'm technically staying in their house and eating their food. So pre-planned date nights or dinner needs to essentially be planned around her schedule especially if it's a weekday and sometimes may get interrupted/cancelled especially if she's in one of her mood or argued with the mom and wants to get off work at 8pm at night instead of in the evenings. I normally just shrug and plan for another day instead.
Now the time I leave work is pretty consistent and I reach the train station is 6.30pm on most days. Except on some Fridays which will be earlier. So yesterday is the day I get off work early since its Friday, I was told that he will be picking his sister up at 4.30pm. I thought okay, it'll take probably 45 mins for them to get home since its not rush hour yet and he'll have enough time to drop his sister back home and head back out to the train station to get me.
5.06pm and he sends me an image showing he just left his sister's work place and is stuck in traffic while I'm already in the train otw back. I thought, it's okay I'll head to the mall connected to the train station to kill time, I waited a total of 40 mins when it could have been 30mins. Why? Because he had to drop his sister home first before coming back out to fetch me. The sister's time is worth gold and mine is shit. Oh no, the sister can't wait another 5-10 mins in the car to come pick me up because of an additional turning into the train station. Nope, let others wait, sister gotta get home first.
So when I got into the car and he told me he can't leave at 4pm as the sister wants to get off work at 4.30pm next week for the trip that we have planned 2 WEEKS AGO. I lost my shit silently in the car and shut down.
It's been a while since we went out on a trip so I put in the effort to plan and paid for shit to relax, he just needs to show up and leave on time and he couldn't even do something I've repeatedly told him throughout the week. I mean I understand that you have the responsibility of chauffeuring your sister but was I really asking too much for him to have made alternative plans for her, maybe asked the mom to get her that day or pay for an uber trip for just that 1 single day
What if she takes her own sweet time and gets off at 5pm again? What time are you going to reach home with the rush hour traffic? 6.30pm? And if we were to leave at 6.30pm which is super peak hour traffic, what time do you think we're gonna reach the destination? 8-9 in the night? Do you think I will still be in the mood or have the energy to go out to even get food?
At this point I was contemplating just going on my own or going with a friend instead to actually enjoy the trip since they will make it on time, plus I get to share the cost.
So AITA for being disappointed in my bf? Or am I selfish and should I have just let it go and change the trip to another day and be more accomoddating.