#Canada Heavy Equipment College
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Blog 3: The Privilege of Driving to Nature
Mcintosh described privilege as “an invisible knapsack of unearned assets ... of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks” while Oxford describes it as “a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of people has” (Noel, 2000; Oxford University Press Editors, 2024). My personal definition of privilege kind of relates to my country, Nepal. When I think of privilege, I think of the rich tourists who go to Nepal to summit Mount Everest. Not only can they afford the expensive tickets, but they are also able to sit around doing nothing at the base camp while waiting for ideal weather conditions to summit the Mountain. They don’t even have to carry all their heavy equipment; that’s the job of the Sherpas; all they must carry is whatever they feel like carrying. At the same time, the Sherpas must plan their whole year around when and how many rich tourists they can help summit the Mountain. They are not afforded the opportunity to worry about their lives or how taxing carrying all the heavy equipment is on their body. If they don’t risk their lives, the families that rely on them risk starvation for the season, as growing their own food and making money through alternate pathways is nearly impossible. I am frequently reminded of the video where a Sherpa carried a dying tourist all the way back to safety, only for the tourist to go back home, become a celebrity, and not acknowledge the Sherpa who saved their life until the internet forced them to (Zachary Rogers, 2019). I believe the ability to scale Mount Everest, sometimes multiple times, without putting in much effort is the best representation of privilege for me.
A Sherpa carrying a heavy load for a climber on Mount Everest summit
Privilege plays a huge role in nature interpretation since people who are not privileged enough to experience nature interpretation do not even know what nature interpretation means. To the immigrant parents living in the Greater Toronto Area, nature and nature interpretation are not even in their mindset. Their mind is filled with how to support their family, whether they can afford rent this month, and if they can finally buy a car to open more job opportunities. I witnessed my parents go through this as my dad would work night shifts at a Petro Canada and then go to college all while relying on whether this bus would arrive on time. This posed an economic barrier for my parents to experience nature and nature interpretation, which was one of the five factors mentioned in this week’s assigned reading on ‘Why Don’t More Minorities Come?” (Beck et al., 2018). In the same chapter, the authors proposed that public transportation from urban areas to interpretive facilities would greatly alleviate the car economic barrier (Beck et al., 2018). I believe this is a great idea, as I experienced this myself while living in Ottawa, where I did not have a car. I wanted to visit Gatineau Park however, you cannot reach the park without a car or paying for a cab. The city provided free shuttle buses from urban downtown Ottawa to Gatineau Park to alleviate this barrier.
Shuttle bus at Gatineau Park
References
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. In Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Publishing LLC. https://sagamore.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781571678669/pageid/152
Noel, J. (2000). Notable Selections in Multicultural Education. Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Oxford University Press Editors. (2024). Privilege - Definition. Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/privilege_1
Zachary Rogers. (2019, June 6). Man saved from certain death on Everest criticized for thanking sponsors instead of savior sherpa. ABCNews4. https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/man-saved-from-certain-death-on-everest-criticized-for-thanking-sponsors-instead-of-savior-sherpa-mount-ravichandran-tharumalingam-gelje-zone-rescue
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Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs Canada: A Comprehensive Guide
The Canadian landscape is vast and varied, encompassing everything from towering mountains and rugged coastlines to sprawling prairies and bustling cities. This diverse terrain necessitates a skilled workforce to build and maintain its infrastructure, and heavy equipment operators play a vital role in this endeavor.
Why Choose Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs Canada?
Canada's booming construction and infrastructure sectors offer many opportunities for heavy equipment operators. With an aging workforce and increasing demand for skilled labor, the job market is expected to remain vital for the foreseeable future.
What Are the Benefits of Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs in Canada?
Job Security: The demand for skilled heavy equipment operators is high and is expected to remain strong for years to come, ensuring job security.
Diverse Work Environments: Heavy equipment operators work in various settings, including construction sites, mines, quarries, and logging operations, making the job versatile and engaging.
Opportunities for Career Advancement: With experience and additional training, heavy equipment operators can advance their careers to supervisory or management positions.
How do you get started as a heavy equipment operator in Canada?
Obtain the Necessary Training: Completing a recognized heavy equipment operator training program is required to enter the field. Many colleges and technical schools offer programs that provide hands-on training and prepare you for certification exams.
Become Certified: Certification demonstrates your skills and knowledge to potential employers. Several certifying bodies operate in Canada, such as the Canadian Heavy Equipment Operator Certification Bureau (CHEOCB).
Gain Experience: Entry-level positions often require on-the-job training and experience. Consider starting as a laborer or equipment operator assistant to gain valuable experience before moving into a full-time operator role.
Finding Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs Canada
Talons Recruiting is a leading Canadian recruitment agency specializing in connecting skilled heavy equipment operators with top employers nationwide. We offer many job opportunities in diverse industries, including construction, mining, forestry, and transportation.
Conclusion
A career as a heavy equipment operator jobs in Canada offers stability, good pay, and the opportunity to work in diverse and challenging environments. With the proper training and determination, you can be well-positioned to succeed in this rewarding field.
#recruitment agency#heavy equipment recruiters#recruitment agencies#heavy equipment mechanic#job recruitment#recruitement#job recruiters#heavyequipment#heavy equipment#heavy equipment rental#heavy industry
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Marie Lee-Shifukukan
Marie Lee-Shifukukan, born Eun-mi Lee, is a Korean-Canadian engineer at Toronto Support Labs. She's the one who made a majority of the support equipment for all the Canadian Heroes.
She is married to Cloud Nine (Karly Shifukukan) and has a son named Skylar.
Description
Marie is a short, fat woman with a round face, tanned skin, and dark brown eyes. Her hair is dyed teal and is her natural black at the roots. On her left (or right) eyebrow is a silver piercing. She can commonly be seen with a large pair of black goggles with dark green lenses resting atop her head.
Marie tends to dress in a very stereotypically masculine manner with tank tops/wife beaters, flannels, etc. There are times where she's been mistaken for a man.
Personality
Brash, tough, and loud, Marie is a natural born wild child. With the mouth of a sailor and a big attitude, she makes herself stand out and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Firing back at negative comments, standing her ground during arguments, even not being afraid to fight, she's the poster child for a headstrong rebel. Marie is also not afraid to tease or joke on others, as she does with Soregum (@floof-ghostie).
As an engineer, Marie is one of the best in both her city and Canada. She puts a lot of passion and grit into making support items for the heroes of her home, including her wife. With her works being high demand and highly praised, so much so that there have been talks of promoting her to the head of the support labs.
Despite being a busy bee, she always makes time for her wife Cloud Nine and son Skylar. Marie sometimes brings Skylar to work with her and has a little playpen she built for him to play in.
History
Marie was born in Busan, South Korea. Her parents owned a small convenience store before selling it in preparation to move to Canada. When she was 2 years old, Marie moved to Canada and adopted her name.
Growing up, Marie had a complicated relationship with her femininity. She never really fit in with other girls because gravitated towards more traditionally masculine things and dressed like a boy. Part of her felt like a boy but didn't want to be one. This made her feel disconnected from most girls her age.
Things got worse for her when her father became permanently disabled after getting into a car accident, leaving Marie's mother to be the breadwinner.
Marie discovered she was a lesbian in high school. She had trouble coming to terms with her newfound sexuality as well as telling her parents. To cope with her struggles, Marie would build things with used car parts from the local junkyard. She used engineering as an outlet to her problems both at home and at school.
What started as a way to cope then became something that Marie was genuinely passionate about. It also helped her come to terms with both her gender and her sexuality. After graduating high school, Marie applied for college to major in engineering.
While there, she met her future wife Karly and they started dating before eventually getting married and having their son Skylar.
Relationships
Karly Shifukukan | Cloud Nine
Marie is a Human, therefore she doesn't have powers like Karly and Skylar.
Marie and Karly are very much in love and always have been. They contrast each other in all the right ways.
Abilities
Master Engineer: Marie is one of the best engineers in the world of the Giftedverse. She's built a myriad of devices from any type of material, mostly from car parts.
Mechanical Intellect: Marie is very intelligent when it comes to machines and their elements. She can tell what something is made of and how it works just by examining it.
Strength: While she doesn't have super strength, Marie is considerably strong due to all the work she does in the lab. From lifting heavy objects to screwing in bolts, Marie has some incredible arm, upper body, and leg strength.
#characters: civilians#oc profile#oc: marie#tag dump:#'they don't call me greasemonkey for no reason' - face#'not too shabby. not too shabby at all' - fashion#'don't cry avery because then i'll cry too' - relationships#otp: i think i'm in love with you
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Bus Drivers Now Qualify For Express Entry Immigration To Canada
Bus drivers can qualify under the Express Entry system’s Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program for immigration to Canada.
The change to the FSW which made that possible came on Nov. 16 last year, when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) added 16 new jobs to its list of eligible occupations under that worker immigration program.
That increased the number of eligible occupations under the FSW on the same day the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 came into effect at the IRCC to 359.
The 16 new occupations are all deemed to be jobs for which the worker must get a college diploma, an apprenticeship training of fewer than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training.
The full list of newly-added jobs on the list of eligible occupations under the FSW includes:
NOC 13102 Payroll administrators
NOC 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
NOC 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
NOC 33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
NOC 43100 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
NOC 43200 Sheriffs and bailiffs
NOC 43201 Correctional service officers
NOC 43202 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
NOC 63211 Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
NOC 73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers
NOC 73202 Pest controllers and fumigators
NOC 73209 Other repairers and servicers
NOC 73300 Transport truck drivers
NOC 73301 Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
NOC 73400 Heavy equipment operators
NOC 93200 Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
Bus drivers, those who operate either school buses or other motor coaches, are categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system under the code 73301 and are in hot demand across Canada as school districts scramble to find enough of these workers to bring students safely to and from school.
Demand For School Bus Drivers Has Reached Crisis Proportions In Some Areas Of Canada
The demand for school bus drivers is now so high that school districts across the country regularly have to announce school bus delays or cancellations due to a lack of personnel.
Marcos Salib, a national service representative with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), went so far last year as to describe the situation as a crisis.
“It was probably on the map many years ago, several years ago,” Salib reportedly told the CBC’s Information Morning Moncton.
“But with the increase of COVID and those types of situations, it’s just really brought a bad situation to … a crisis situation.”
That labour shortage has left school districts across the country without enough bus drivers to meet the challenge of transporting children to school.
In the northern Nova Scotia school district of Chignecto-Central, director of operations Chris Zwicker has described the bus driver shortage as the biggest challenge that he’s facing this school year. All of the full-time positions for drivers have been filled but the school district is short of drivers who can be called upon when another driver is off sick.
Lack Of Bus Drivers Described As One School District’s Biggest Challenge
“It causes a big issue for our families,” Zwicker reportedly told the CBC. “In some cases when we’re short a substantial number of drivers, it does impact the families that we can’t get out to every site [on] every route and pick the kids up. It’s a real frustration.”
That means lots of jobs are available for bus drivers and many opportunities for economic immigration to Canada for skilled foreign nationals.
The Canadian federal government’s job-hunting website ranks the job prospects of bus drivers over the next three years as good in almost every Canadian province and moderate in the Northwest Territories.
The Indeed job-hunting website had 1,269 help-wanted postings for bus drivers in mid-January.
Economic immigration through Express Entry offers both a way for foreign nationals to get their permanent residence here and for school districts and other employers to recruit qualified foreign nationals to drive buses in Canada.
Foreign Nationals With In Demand Skills Can Immigrate To Canada
Foreign nationals hoping to apply for permanent residence through the FSW must have one year of paid work experience within the last decade in jobs categorized as TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the NOC 2021 system.
Applicants under this program must also take a language test to prove that they possess sufficient language skills to successfully establish themselves in Canada. Language tests evaluate an applicant’s abilities with regard to:
listening
speaking
reading
writing
In order to be eligible for the FSW, an applicant must obtain at least the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 in all categories and show that he or she has enough money to support him or herself and any relatives upon arrival in Canada.
Source: https://www.cimmigrationnews.com/bus-drivers-now-qualify-for-express-entry-immigration-to-canada/
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Ontario immigration plans to switch over to the new NOC in 2021 - Aptech Visa
Under the OINP, public consultations on the implementation of NOC 2021 and changes to the linguistic and academic prerequisites for a number of Employer Job Offer streams have already begun.
According to a media release dated September 6, Ontario is getting ready to integrate the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) with the new National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2021 system.
Employment Development Canada (EDSC) and Statistics Canada (StatsCan) have already begun using the new NOC system, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin using it in November.
FREE CANADA IMMIGRATION ASSESSMENT FORM
The OINP will be impacted by this change because it will change which jobs are acceptable for each stream. For instance, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in Ontario, which once needed a job offer or work experience in NOC skill types 0, A, or B, will now come under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
The modifications state that the Employer Employment Offer In-Demand Skills stream for the OINP, which formerly needed job offers in specific NOC Skill Level C or D occupations, will now call for job offers in specific TEER 4 or 5 occupations under NOC 2021. Some occupations' NOC labels will change under NOC 2021, which will affect which streams they are eligible for.
On the websites of Statistics Canada and the IRCC, the NOC 2021 system is fully described. According to the OINP, it will also update its website.
Additionally, Ontario is considering requiring candidates for the Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker stream to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 Level or above. According to the province, including the new language requirements would be consistent with the program's goal of fostering employees' effective integration and would improve both applicants' and the OINP's defences against deception and other program integrity issues.
Also up for debate are the educational requirements for the Employer Job Offer International Student stream. Ontario wants to make it mandatory for applicants who have certificates that have been in effect for at least a year to also complete the requirements for the Ontario College Graduate Certificate as outlined in the Ontario Qualifications Framework. "This revision is expected to bring clarity and decrease difficulties for International Student Stream applicants applying with one-year certificates," the OINP states.
The minimal amount for administrative monetary penalties imposed by the OINP is the last modification Ontario wishes to make.
The modifications are available for public viewing on Ontario's Regulatory Registry. The province of Ontario will take comments on the suggested modifications until October 21, 2022.
Immigrate to Canada Via Express Entry
The impact of NOC 2021 on Express Entry eligibility
On November 16, IRCC is anticipated to put NOC 2021 into effect. Eligibility for Ontario's Express Entry-aligned PNPs will be impacted by the change in Express Entry-eligible Occupations.
The proposed regulatory changes will make the following 16 professions eligible for Express Entry:
Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators
Heavy equipment operators
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
Correctional service officers
By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
Aestheticians, electrologists, and related occupations
Payroll administrators
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
Pest controllers and fumigators
Other repairers and servicers
Transport truck drivers
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
Sheriffs and bailiffs
Residential and commercial installers and servicers
On the other hand, the following three professions will thereafter lose their eligibility under Ontario's Immigrant Nominee Program:
Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport, and fitness
Tailors, dressmakers, furriers, and milliners
Other performers
The aforementioned jobs will still be acceptable in other programs with more flexible job eligibility standards, such as some PNP streams.
You can also read the latest Canada Immigration News and Draw Updates here.
Also read:
Follow These Top Tips to Prepare a Successful Canada PR Application
Learn about your possibilities for entering Canada from India
A Basic Guide to Immigration to Canada from India
Provincial Nominee Program your easiest gateway to Immigrate to Canada
Source Url: https://www.blog.aptechvisa.com/blogs/ontario-immigration-plans-to-switch-over-to-the-new-noc-in-2021
#Ontario PNP#Canada PR#Canada Immigration#Ontario PNP Requirements#Ontario PNP Draw#Ontario PNP Process#Ontario PNP Processing times#Ontario PNP fees
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LP815 Industry Conference Opens Up Students Eyes to World of Transportation
Industry Conference Opens Up Students Eyes
to World of Transportation
The PMTC has a Young Leaders Group thats has gone into the education system to start grooming young people interested in a career in transportation. Bruce talks with four students from Mohawk College enrolled in the Logistics course to learn what attracted them to trucking and where they hope to go with it.
In part two of the episode Bruce chats with older student Mala also attending the recent PMTC Conference about her interest in the industry and why she decided to give trucking a try. This is an interesting episode on young and new people in the industry. You can learn more about the PMTC and PMTC Young Leaders Group at www.pmtc.ca
This episode is sponsored by Bison Transport with many opportunities for truck drivers in their fleet across Canada. Bison recognizes the increasing demands that face today’s professional cross-border Driver and Bison is making a major investment to reflect this! Bison is pleased to announce an industry leading pay package for our cross-border Drivers and Owner Operators.
Our U.S. Premiums have increased by $0.10/mile for Long Haul Cross-Border Drivers and Owner Operators. You can learn more about Bison and the opportunities available at www.bisondriving.com or call 1-800-527-5781 @BisonTransport #bisontransport
This episode is also sponsored by Ontario Truck Driving School has a number of courses to help you be successful when starting a career in transportation from heavy equipment to over the road trucking. You can learn more about starting your career at www.otds.com
Join us for the Great Canadian Truck Show in Grand Bend On - July 16th-17th, 2022 - www.facebook.com/greatcanadiantruckshow - Grand Bend Motorplex
About the Show
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST- The show is available at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com , ITunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeartradio, SoundCloud, and other popular podcast platforms. Thanks for listening
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The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers talks all things trucking for people in the transportation industry helping them improve their business and careers. Interviews with industry professionals and truck drivers, trucking information, and other features on the industry are meant to be helpful for truck drivers and those in transportation. The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers has main episodes released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with bonus material on other days. You can learn more about the host and show on our website and make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favourite podcast platform. www.theleadpedalpodcast.com
What does The Lead Pedal Podcast mean? The Lead (pronounced - Led) stands for acceleration or fast-track of your career or business. It is a play on words and we certainly are not here promoting speeding in the industry. We are hoping this information will help you become a professional driver faster than if you didn’t know about many of these topics.
Are you enjoying the show? If so we would appreciate you leaving us a rating and review on iTunes or on your favourite podcast platform. www.theleadpedalpodcast.com
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Check out the latest episode on The Lead Pedal Podcast
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How Canada’s new NOC will affect Express Entry eligibility
Subtleties of how the refreshed National Occupation Classification (NOC) framework will influence Express Entry qualification have been delivered.
NOC 2021 will become effective in November 2022. A sum of 16 occupations will become qualified for Express Entry, and three will become ineligible, as indicated by an inside preparation update.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently uses NOC 2016 to determine the eligibility of occupations under its temporary and permanent residency programs. However, IRCC must switch to NOC 2021 starting in November as per Canadian law.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
The NOC is overseen by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Statistics Canada, which overhaul the framework at regular intervals. NOC 2021 will present new wording and a reconsidered order structure that will influence IRCC programs.
Because of these changes, the accompanying 16 occupations will become qualified under Express Entry:
Payroll administrators;
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants;
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates;
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants;
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants;
Sheriffs and bailiffs;
Correctional service officers;
By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers;
Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations;
Residential and commercial installers and servicers;
Pest controllers and fumigators;
Other repairers and servicers;
Transport truck drivers;
Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators;
Heavy equipment operators; and
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors.
There will also be three occupations that will become ineligible, including:
other performers;
+; and
tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners.
These three occupations will remain eligible for programs with broader occupational eligibility criteria, such as some streams of the Provincial Nominee Program.
The major change to NOC 2021 is the current four-category “skill level” structure has been overhauled and replaced by a new six-category system. The new system outlines the level of Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) required to enter each occupation.
The previous NOC had four skill levels. NOC A represented jobs that tend to require university degrees, NOC B included jobs in the skilled trades or that require a college diploma, NOC C covered jobs that require intermediate skills or job-specific training, and NOC D was for labour jobs that require on-the-job training.
In September 2020, IRCC’s Executive Committee decided that the new TEER structure will be adopted as follows:
NOC 2016NOC 2021Skill Type 0TEER 0Skill Level ATEER 1
Skill Level BTEER 2Skill Level BTEER 3Skill Level CTEER 4Skill Level DTEER 5NOC 2021 will use a five-tier hierarchical system to classify occupations. Also, occupations will now have a five-digit codification system instead of the current four-digit system. The TEER system has six categories, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
TEER 0Management occupations.
TEER 1Completion of a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate); or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 2 (when applicable).
TEER 2Completion of a post-secondary education program of two to three years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
Completion of an apprenticeship training program of two to five years; or
Occupations with supervisory or significant safety (police officers and firefighters) responsibilities; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 3 (when applicable).
TEER 3Completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
Apprenticeship training of less than 2 years; or
More than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school education; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 4 (when applicable).
TEER 4Completion of secondary school; or
Several weeks of on-the-job training with some secondary school education; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 5 (when applicable).
TEER 5Short work demonstration and no formal educational requirements.
Statistics Canada explains there are two main reasons why the skill type model is being replaced by the TEER system. First, the TEER system aims to provide more clarity on the level of education and work experience required to work in an occupation. Second, the skill type model creates artificial categorizations between low- and high-skilled jobs. Implementing TEER is intended to give stakeholders a better sense of the skills required for each occupation.
This Statistics Canada tool allows you to see how your current NOC corresponds with NOC 2021.
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Coffee Cake
Moving to Canada, escaping your hometown, and opening your own bakery was a dream of yours since you were a teenager. Now, at 23 years old, you’re able to do exactly that. However, what’s to happen when you open up next to a coffee shop owned by the most handsome and sweetest person you’ve ever met?
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“Okay guys, thank you so much for putting up the flowers. I really appreciate it.” You smiled as the men left, taking their baked goods and waving goodbye. You’d finally closed on your little shop and were starting to decorate. Deciding to go with a floral look, you went with flowers that would cascade the building but also were low maintenance. As you looked over to the coffee shop next door you chucked, the difference in design was funny. Your little shop was white and colourful while this one was black and the interior was full of dark stained wood.
Walking into the door you hummed at the smell of coffee and spices, a tall man with dark curls smiled at you. “Oh hi, how may I help you on this lovely afternoon?” His voice was like velvet as you walked up to the counter.
You smiled at him, waving. “I just wanted to come say hi, I just bought the shop next door. It’s going to be my first real bakery and I just wanted to come meet my neighbors!” Your voice light and cheery as you bounced on your toes.
The curly haired man smiled and held his hand out. “Well I’m Raul. This is my little coffee shop, I hope you’re up for a little competition. James here is quite the pastry man.” He chuckled, pointing at a shorter man that looked like a frat boy.
You waved at each other and looked back to Raul, he was staring at you with a smile that could stop traffic. “Well I mainly do cakes and cupcakes, special orders, cookies and muffins.” At the mention of muffins, his eyes lit up.
“You do muffins?” Hes asked excitedly, you nodded, a proud smile on your face. They were your best seller back home.
“Everyone loves my double chocolate ones. And then of course the classic blueberry and banana nut. I’m working on some more recipes currently.” You told him, reminding yourself to finish up the pumpkin recipe soon for the fall.
Raul was now leaning against the counter, a serious look on his face. “When can I test the muffins?” His tone making you giggle before you pointed next door to your own shop.
“I have a couple right now. I’ve been using them to thank the guys helping me get all moved in. Some of them are accepting them as payment when they are really just a thank you.” You smiled, thankful for all the help and how nice everyone was during your set up.
Raul tossed his hand towel on the counter, turning back to the crew behind him. “Guys, I’m going next door for a taste test. Be back later!” There was a collective “okay” and a few asking if they could come too and you giggled at their eagerness.
Walking into the shop, he looked around at your little lobby, glass cases and an order book on the counter. “It still needs some work but I’m hoping to be open by the end of next week. I’m doing a few private orders for now.” He smiled at you as you spoke, looking through the book of cakes and cupcakes you’ve done throughout the past few years.
Suddenly he shut the book and crossed his arms. “What about a little deal?” He asked, an eyebrow cocked as you walked back into the room, muffins in hand.
“What kind of deal?” You asked as you placed the baked goods on the counter, digging into a double chocolate muffin with a fork.
“How do you feel about coffee?” He asked, before taking a bite of his own muffin and letting out a satisfied hum. His eyes closed for a second and you realized how truly beautiful this man was.
“Well, I’m not a huge coffee person honestly I’m more of a tea and hot cocoa girl, but I love the smell of coffee. Why?” You laughed as he tried to swallow his mouthful of muffin, seeing as he shoved the whole thing in his mouth.
He blushed at his struggle. “Sorry, that was just so good. Anyways. I would honestly love one of your baked goods every morning and in return you could maybe be my taste tester for new drinks? I’m exploring new flavours and the guys aren’t really into it. They like what they like and that’s it.” You thought about it for a moment. You didn’t mind giving away treats, and you got free drinks out of the deal. Plus, having a gorgeous man hand deliver your breakfast to you every day didn’t sound too bad.
“Deal.” You smiled, sticking out your hand to close the deal. He grabbed your hand and you noticed how large he was. His hand engulfed yours as he shook it, you also noticed what looked like a whole sleeve peeking out of the sleeve of his shirt.
“Alright m’lady. What will it be today?” His sweet smile melting you. You already knew this man would be the death of you.
“Well, let’s see. It’s 5 in the evening, so let’s go with a nice iced tea. I don’t really have a preference but it has to be sweet. None of that ‘no sugar’ garbage.” He nodded, taking a mental note of your order.
“Okay, I’ll go whip something up and be right back.” He saluted you, closing the door gently behind him. As soon as Raul left, you let out a squeal. You swear you couldn’t have picked a better location. You were just down the street from your apartment, and you were right next door to a cafe run by the sweetest, most attractive guy you’d ever known, and your mind was full of him. You couldn’t help but think about how cute he looked, mouth full of muffin, trying to talk. He was obviously already comfortable with you. Or maybe that was his nature, but you couldn’t stay in your thoughts long. The bell above the door rang and in he walked, a glass of reddish tea in his massive hand.
“Here you go! I pegged you as a hibiscus tea girl, so I decided on that. There’s a little lemonade in it as well, since it’s so hot out today.” You blushed, taking the glass from him and looking at the cup. It was a thick glass jar. The shops name etched into the side.
You ran your fingers over the logo, the unique woman’s eyes with coffee steam framing her face intriguing you. “This is a fancy glass you’ve got here.” You spoke, looking at him over the rim on the glass.
“Oh, we got those done last Christmas for the employees and we’ve become pretty popular in the area so we started selling them. We also have a few shirts and around Christmas we sell hot cocoa bundles with mugs.” You smiled as you watched him talk about his business, taking sips of tea and humming.
“This is amazing by the way. And you were right about me being a hibiscus girl. So, how long have you had the cafe?” You asked, using any excuse to keep him in your presence as long as possible.
He ran his hands through those soft looking curls. “I opened it 5 years ago when I was 18. It sounds kind of stupid, but I always wanted my own cafe. My mom is British and always had tea in the house and during snow days I’d be in charge of hot cocoa and one day I just decided that I was going to have my own shop. I even designed to logo, with my brother’s help. What about you?”
You placed the now empty glass on the counter before explaining that you had always had a thing for baking and when it came time to go to college you went into to culinary. “This is my first real shop. I used to just take orders online and do local things back home in the states.” You blushed, looking at your shoes.
“You’re from the states?” You nodded. “What made you want to move up here?” You just shrugged, wiping some dust off the glass case.
“I wanted something different I guess. And where I lived it was always ungodly hot and I hated it. So I moved up here to escape the heat. And before you say anything, I know the winters are harsher, but I’m okay with that. My apartment has a fireplace and I live in fuzzy socks. Besides, being hot sometimes makes me uncomfortable and anxious.”
The two of you talked for a few more hours while Raul helped you clean up a little bit since the rest of the equipment and the decor would be in tomorrow. “Well, I should let you go. Thank you so much for your help, and the tea. It was amazing.” You smiled over at him, handing him a box of cupcakes for the guys at the cafe.
“I’ll see you tomorrow with a new drink. It was nice meeting you, and I’m glad we’re going to be work neighbors.” And that was all he said before waving goodbye and walking back to his own store to lock up and clean for tomorrow.
You stayed back a little longer, packing up the rest of the goodies before making your way home. You were now even more excited to come into the shop tomorrow to get set up. Raul had offered his help in the heavy lifting and how could you say no to those eyes, or those muscles. So you settled into bed, eagerly awaiting the morning.
-----
The next few days were full of hard work. Between setting everything up and baking for the people helping you, you were exhausted every night. You were so grateful for Raul, as he would periodically come over, that same glass filled with a different cold beverage. He even got the cup personalized with your name on it.
Tomorrow was opening day. You were extremely excited, and equally nervous, but you were confident in your little shop. You’d worked so hard for this and you’d refuse to let this go bad. “Hey there sugar!” Raul shouted, the nickname making you blush as you walked up to the counter and asked for a raspberry lemonade. “Tomorrow is the big day. Are you nervous?” You nodded, chewing on your bottom lip. “Don’t worry, the guys and I will be there to support you. We’ll even wear your shirts.” he said and you blushed.
A few days ago you’d ordered a few shirts as a joke for the guys at the cafe. Pastel pink and blue with your logo on the front. The back had the saying “Have your cake and eat it too.” The thought of 5 men standing in public in those shirts made you laugh. “Thank you for all the support Raul. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course! I remember how nervous I was when I opened RM Coffee, and you’re doing this all by yourself? It’s impressive.” He placed a hand on your shoulder before handing you your cup. He was wearing a short sleeve today, and you could see almost all of his sleeve, it made you wonder what other tattoos he had.
You slid him a $5 bill and got up. “Okay guys, I’m gonna go get some rest before tomorrow. I’ll see you all in the morning!” You waved goodbye to the boys in the shop before walking home. You were half way down the street when you heard someone behind you, and whipped back around to find Raul.
He had his hand out, holding something. “You left your notebook!” He shouted, the book stretched out to you.
“Oh, thank you! That had all my new recipes in it. I’d die if I lost it.” You sighed, taking it from him. Your hands brushed and you didn’t miss the way way his breathing picked up at the contact.
“Also, I was uhh, I was wondering if after the grand opening tomorrow, you’d let me take you out to dinner? You know, after closing. Of course.” His cheeks were red as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Your face heated up, before nodding. “I’d really like that. Maybe you can show me the places to eat here.” He smiled, hands now shoved in his pockets.
“I’ll come by around 7 and we’ll go to dinner then. I-I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight and good luck.” You hugged him gently, he was warm and you didn’t want to let go of him.
“Goodnight Raul. Thank you for all your help.” And off you went, mind racing over tomorrow. Did the hot guy next door really just ask you out?
---
Curling your hair and adding the finishing touches to your makeup, you were ready for the day. You’d chosen a simple pink cotton dress and nude heels. Seeing as this was an important day, you decided to dress nicer than your jeans and a ‘Sugar Cakes’ shirt you would usually wear. Plus, you had a date tonight. You needed to look amazing, even if your date had already seen you sweating and in sweatpants.
As you made the short walk to the shop, you noticed a crowd of people around the bakery. They were all chattering and taking photos in front of the flowers cascading over the window, and a smile graced your features, being one for the perfect photo, you were glad people were taking advantage of the beautiful backdrop you’d created.
“Good morning Sugar.” Raul greeted, a chai tea in his hands with your name on it. “You ready for this? You’ve got quite a crowd, I’m impressed.” You nodded, taking the drink and looking at him, pastel pink shirt pulled tight across his chest.
“You look good in pink.” You giggled, before turning to look at the boys. Mike, Brian, Geoff, and Ian all wearing pink and blue shirts.
“James was going to be here too but he caught his girlfriends stomach bug.” He said, answering your unasked question, you shook your head, wishing him well before walking towards the front of your shop.
Taking your spot in front of the door with that gorgeous red ribbon across it, the nerves set in. “Good morning everyone. Thank you all so much for coming to the opening for Sugar Cakes, it means a lot to me. This is my first storefront and I’m so excited to share my creations with you! In light of today, I have mini cupcake samples inside waiting for you all!” They all clapped and cheered for you. “Also, a special thank you to the boys of RM Coffee for all the late night help and personal supply of caffeine while I prepared for today. And for the support, I mean come on. Don’t those men look fabulous in those pastel shirts!” You laughed, motioning to the group of baristas.
“So, who’s ready for cupcakes?” You shouted, scissors in hand. While everyone cheered, you snipped the ribbon, smiling as you watched it fall to the floor. “Sugar Cakes is officially open!” You smiled as Raul pulled you in for a hug and kissed your cheek.
“You’re gonna be quite busy today Sugar. I understand if you wanna call a rain check on tonight.” You shook your head, taking your tea from him
“Of course not. Maybe just something casual.” You suggested, there was no way you were cancelling your night with this man.
He smiled and nodded. “I know just the thing.” There was a smirk on his face as he placed a kiss to your temple before walking into his own shop.
The day went by fast. You’d sold 15 dozen cupcakes, had an order for a birthday cake, and an office asked if you’d provide muffins for their Monday morning meeting. You were so ecstatic all day you didn’t care that you hadn’t changed the heels that were now killing your feet.
There was a ding as someone entered the store before they spoke. “Excuse me, miss, do you have a moment to spare?” You looked up to see Raul, a bag in his hand.
“For you? Always.” You grinned, motioning him to come behind the counter with you.
He was quick to get to you. “I um, I noticed you looked uncomfortable in those shoes and I felt really bad you didn’t bring anything to change into. So I went to the shop down the street and got you some sneakers. They aren’t the most fashionable but at least your feel won’t hurt.” He blushed, handing you the plastic bag with a pair of white sneakers and half a sandwhich. “Figured you be hungry and since James isn’t here we had the extra half from lunch.”
You smiled at him, hugging his waist tightly “Oh my god you’re the best.” You sighed, slipping off your heels and putting on the shoes. “Oh my god that feels so much better. Thank you so much Raul.” He nodded, exchanging a few details about tonight before letting you get back to the customers.
The afternoon was a lot calmer than this morning, but you were still constantly busy. You had another order for macaroons to make and cupcakes for a baby’s first birthday. How you were going to do all of this alone, you weren’t sure, but you knew you’d get it done.
At exactly 7:00, Raul was outside, the pastel pink shirt was replaced with a nice navy button down and he looked amazing. “You ready for your night of no customers?” That smile he flashed you making you want to melt.
“What did you have in mind?” You asked as he opened the door to his own business
“Well, since you expressed to me that you have a deep, burning passion for hot chocolate, but you only know how to make the packaged kind. I thought,” he waved towards the counter “I could teach you how to make it from scratch.” You gasped at the assortment of chocolate and flavors to add and all the mugs to chose from, all laid out on the counter.
“That actually sounds amazing.” you sighed, leaning against his side, the day finally taking it’s toll on you.
You learned that you can do milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and even a white chocolate. And that milk is so much better than water. “I can’t believe that you’re a baker, yet you struggle with a simple drink.” Raul chucked, boping your nose and smearing whipped cream on it.
“Hey, don’t judge. I watched you shove a whole muffin in your mouth like you hadn’t eaten a real meal in days.” You pointed out, referring to that first day.
He threw his hands up in defense. “That wasn’t my fault. I’ve been living off of coffee and James danishes for weeks now.” You smiled, grabbing a chocolate cookie and pushing it into your mug. “Beautiful!” He shouted, throwing his hands into the air “Ladies and Gentlemen she has done it!” You bursted into a fit of giggles, holding your stomach as you laughed. “Now you’ve gotta drink it, while we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” You let out a louder laugh at his choice.
“Why that? It’s not Christmas babe.” He smiled at the nickname you let slip, opening his laptop and turning off all the lights in the shop, pulling out a blanket. “Christmas in July was a few days ago. I figured it was fitting.” You shrugged, his reasoning making sense as you curled up under the blanket, mug of cocoa in your hand.
As the movie came to an end, you had your head on Raul’s shoulder, your body tired from the days excitement. “Hey, do you want me to drive you home honey? It’s too late to walk and you seem kinda tired.” You nodded, thanking him before folding up the fuzzy blue blanket and setting your now empty mug on the counter. “I’ll wash the muga in the morning. Let’s just get you home.” You smiled, grabbing your purse and making your way out the door and to the black BMW he had pointed out to you.
“You know, I may steal your hot cocoa recipe and name it after you.” He said as you pulled up to your apartment.
“That’s fine. As long as I can make the double chocolate muffin with extra chocolate chips the Raul Special” you retorted, looking at the side of his face. He was handsome from every angle.
“I’d love that idea. Makes me feel special.” He smiled, walking you to your door. The pristine white door had pastel pink numbers on it and he chuckled. It was very you to have already made the place your own.
“Thank you for tonight Raul. It was amazing and exactly what I needed.” Your hands were shaking now. This was the sacred doorstep moment. Would he kiss you? Go for the cheek? Maybe just walk away.
Your question was answered when he cupped your face, plump lips grazing yours before you reached up on your tiptoes, closing the gap. His lips tasted like mint and chocolate, and you couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. “Do you um, do you wanna go out again tomorrow?” He whispered against your lips, smiling as you nodded. “Good. Pick you up at 7. Dress nice. I’m gonna make up for missing dinner tonight.”
You leaned in for another kiss, and he wasn’t complaining. Pushing you up against the door and hands holding your waist. “I gotta go honey. I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll have something special for you.”
And with that, he left, eyes droopy as he watched you blush before touching your fingertips to your swollen lips before disappearing behind your door. You’d never felt so strongly about someone so quickly, but Raul seemed like that kind of person who drew you in and didn’t make you regret it.
So you crawled into bed, all too excited for tomorrow and your second date. The only worry you had was what he planned on giving you in the morning.
---
You woke up to someone pounding on your door at 5am. “Who the fuck could that be?” You groaned, wrapping up in your silk robe and walking to the front of your apartment. You looked through the peephole to find Raul. Hands behind his back.
Slowly, you opened the door, the sun barely brightening the sky. “Fuck, did I wake you,?” His smile dropping at your robe clad body and ruffled hair.
You shook your head, opening the door further. “It’s fine. Just an hour early. Come in, what are you hiding?” He blushed, stepping into the apartment and pulling a bouquet of roses from behind his back, a thermos in his other hand.
“I told you I’d have something special for you, I made a few adjustments to your hot chocolate and I’m ready to add it to the menu, after your approval.” His cheeks bright pink as he handed you the matte black thermos. You took a sip, closing your eyes and humming at the taste.
“It’s absolutely amazing. What did you do?” Taking another sip, you hopped onto the counter and looked at him. His hair was messy and his shirt was unbuttoned more than usual. He looked amazing for it being so early in the morning.
Raul smiled, setting the roses on the counter. “Well, I added a little more of the milk chocolate and that hazelnut flavor you liked. And a dash a cinnamon.” He smiled proudly as you took another large sip, cursing yourself for burning your tongue.
“I was thinking of calling it the “Hazelnut Sugar” in honour of the fact you made it after your love of Nutella” a blush creeped up your cheeks as he tucked your bed ruined curls behind your ears. “I’ll let you get ready for work, don’t forget we have a date tonight.” He placed a kiss to your lips before walking out the front door, leaving you sitting in your kitchen with a stupid smile on your face and the coffee cup in your hand.
------
It’s been a few weeks since your redo date with Raul. Over a month actually. He took you out to a wonderful dinner and then out for ice cream before taking you home. Leaving you with another heated front porch makout session. You were hesitant to jump into anything intimate. You’d already told him about your ex and he understood why you want to take things slow. But the two of you were already so loving.
Everyone now knew you were official, you both spent your mornings in the coffee shop and lunch in the bakery. Raul would drive you home after closing and stay until well into the night. Every greeting started with a kiss, no matter where you were.
You were now seated at one of the tables in the cafe, since it opened an hour before you so you usually brought Raul his muffins and sat with him while he ate. And you always had your special drink of the day. If he didn’t have anything new for you to try, he’d give you a favorite of yours. Today you were drinking your hibiscus tea with lemonade when the bell above the door rang and you turned. Your face turning white at the figure in front of you.
Walking through the doorway was your ex himself. His black hair slicked back and his sunshades clipped to the front of his shirt. “Oh, hey there doll face. What are you doing here?” His voice low as he sat next to you. You looked around for Raul or any of the guys, but they were all in the back laughing at something. “So sweetheart. You settled in nicely?? Don’t worry, I’m not here long. Just up to visit Scott for a few days and I’m headed back to New York.”
You stared at the side of Raul’s face through the window as Nate spoke “You should stay. In New York. No one wants you here.” He slung an arm over your shoulder, letting out a fake gasp “Oh baby, you want me to stay.” As he leaned in to kiss your cheek, your face green and scrunched up, you wondered how none of the other customers weren’t concerned. Raul walked back into the front, staring at you two. You looked at him, eyes begging for him to stop this, tears brimming your eyes in fear and embarrassment.
He had your thermos of hot cocoa in his hands, “Hey babygirl, you should get to work. I made you your favorite” He smiled, setting down the cup and leaning in, hands cupping your face before placing a deep and passionate kiss to your lips.
“Thank you.” You mumbled against his lips before he pulled away to look at Nate.
If looks could kill, Nate would be six feet under already. “Good morning sir. How may I help you today?” he asked, keeping him distracted while you made your way next door.
---
At lunch, Raul came in, a soft look on his face. “Hey, what happened this morning. You looked terrified and I’m so sorry I wasn’t out there.” You were glad you didn’t have any customers or special orders to make as you walked over to him, falling into his embrace and letting out a few tears.
“That was Nate. My ex. He, he said he was here for a few days and oh god. He knows I live near by.” Raul rubbed your back slowly, pressing his lips to your head as you swayed gently in the entryway.
“Hey, you’re okay baby. It’s okay. He doesn’t know where you live. I’m only 15 feet away from you almost all day. And uh, if you’d like. I’ll stay with you late tonight if it’ll make you feel safer.” You nodded quickly. Fear of the last time Nate wanted to find you, and ended up breaking down your door and searching your apartment for you, taking over. You were now having a panic attack in your small lobby.
“Shhh baby, it’s okay. You’re going to be safe. How about you close down the shop, and I’ll put Brian in charge for the rest of the day and we go to my apartment instead. You can sleep easy in my bed and I can sleep on the couch tonight.” You sniffled, nodding and reaching into your pocket to grab the keys to the shop.
“Thank you, babe. I just really need to lay down.” He nodded, pressing a kiss to your head before he left to go inform Brian. You felt bad pulling him away from his work, but he offered, and how could you say no to cuddling with Raul.
You got the bakery closed up, placing a handmade sign in the window reading “Closed due to personal illness”. Raul was waiting for you in his car to go pack a bag and head to his place. “You’re gonna be safe. Today was the last time you’ll ever have to see him okay? I won’t let him hurt you again.” You smiled as he placed a hand on your thigh, rubbing small circles to keep you calm.
“Welcome to my cozy home.” He announced, motioning to the inside of his house, causing you to let out a giggle.
“It’s very cozy looking.” You noted. Taking in the soft couch and blankets. It was surprisingly clean and smelled amazing, like the inside of his shop.
You heard him clear his throat behind you. “My uhh. My room is down the hall, you can put your stuff in there. Do you want anything to drink?” You shook your head, walking towards the door he’d pointed at.
The room was simple, a large wooden framed bed with a grey comforter, a matching dresser and bedside table and a tv. Nothing extravagant, but it was cozy. You set your bag on the end of the bed, looking for your pajamas when Raul came up behind you, arms around your waist. “Hey, I’m gonna go get something for dinner tonight. Do you want to take a shower? Wash off the morning and then when I get back you can teach me how to make those cute little macaroons you have at the bakery?”
You leaned your head back against his shoulder, biting your lip “Macaroons take a long time to make sweetie, how about we cheat and you get some ice cream instead?” He chuckled, nodding his head. “Or maybe, you could just call in a pizza later and you join me in the shower?” You smirked and his eyes widened.
“How about I run a bath? You’ve had a stressful week and it’ll be good for you.” You nodded, sighing and turning to face him.
There was a playful grin on your face as you spoke. “Will this relaxing bath include my boyfriend?” Raul leaned down, kissing you softly.
“If that’s what you want. Of course. But I promise I won’t try anything funny.” You let out a giggle, kissing his chest gently. What a fucking gentleman.
---
The warm water felt good on your skin as you leaned back against Raul’s chest. His chest that had a sparrow tattoo that he said matches his brothers and a very beautiful floral piece on his shoulder. His hands rested on your thighs, rubbing small circles. “So, what kind of pizza do you want? Or would you rather I order you a pasta?” his voice was low as he mumbled against your heated skin.
“Are you really asking me about dinner right now? You’ve got a naked girl in your lap and you’re asking about food??” you giggled, placing your hands on his forearms.
He kissed your shoulder gently, wrapping his arms around your waist tightly. “What would you rather talk about my love?” Shrugging, you leaned your head back for a kiss and he happily obliged. You reached back and tugged a little on those soft curls, earning a groan. “You’re supposed to be relaxing.” He warned, kissing along your shoulder.
“Right, right” You smiled, relaxing back against his chest and closing your eyes. “Raul? Will you sleep with me tonight? I just don’t feel safe and I’d feel a lot better if you were there with me.” He smiled, nodding and burying his nose in your hair.
“Of course. It’s whatever you want. I’m here to keep you safe.” He emphasized his point by squeezing you tightly, pulling you closer to him.
——
Now sat on the couch in one of Raul’s shirts and the shorts you brought, you heard the doorbell ring and Raul let out a groan. “Fuck I forgot it’s Wednesday. I always have dinner with my brothers on Wednesday here.” He looked over at you with an apologetic smile. “I can tell them to go home. You have already delt with enough today, you don’t need the stress of meeting my brothers for the first time.”
You just shook your head and rubbed his thigh. “No it’s okay, I’d love to meet them. I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t order dinner yet.” He smiled at you, getting up to open the door for his siblings.
You heard them walk into the house and your nerves picked up. Here you were, meeting your boyfriend’s family for the first time and you were wearing his clothes and no makeup. “Oh shit, we didn’t know you had company Raul.” you looked up prepared for younger brothers, but instead saw two men that looked exactly like Raul. To an extent.
“Oh yeah, uh remember when I told you I was seeing someone?” they nodded, staring at you on the couch, in what was obviously their brother’s shirt. “This is my girlfriend, she uh, needed to stay here for the night because of some personal stuff. Be fucking nice.” He growled at them and you giggled.
The brother that noticed you first spoke, “Hi, I’m Shawn.” he smiled, holding his hand out for you to shake. He was almost as big as Raul, but his hair was slightly shorter and he had way less tattoos, but you saw the sparrow on his hand that matched Raul’s. “I’m sorry we barged in on you two, we always have dinner on Wednesday and we never think to call first.”
You shook your head, “Oh no, it’s perfectly fine, we were actually about to order some pizza, I think. I hope that’s okay with you guys.” He smiled, sitting on the smaller couch and looking at the third triplet who was talking to Raul about some new building coming up in town.
“Hey, I’m Peter.” he finally said, noticing you and Shawn were done with introductions. “It’s really nice to meet you, Raul never has girls over.” he smirks and Raul smacks the back of Peter’s head. Opposite of Shawn, Peter’s hair was longer than Raul’s and from what you can see, other than the sparrow you can see peeking out from the cuff of his jeans, he doesn’t have any other tattoos.
All four of you sat in the living room and talked while you waited for the delivery driver to arrive, you learned that Shawn was a business owner as well. He owned a music shop and taught guitar to kids and performed at the coffee shop on occasion. Peter was an architect, hence why he was talking to Raul about a new building. You were already very comfortable with the guys and you were grateful for that.
The doorbell rang for the second time and you got up to get the food, letting the guys catch up. “Hey, I have an order for Mendes?” the guy said, looking at the receipt and you nodded when he looked over at you. “It was paid for online.” he blubbered, obviously nervous when you took the boxes and handed him some cash.
“I know, here. Thanks for coming out here.” you smiled at him and he blushed, he couldn’t have been older than seventeen. “Have a nice night.” you waved at him and closed the door. Turning to the kitchen you heard Raul talking to his brothers.
You couldn’t help but listen in. “I know but she was so stressed after he showed up, I couldn’t let her sit at home alone. She was scared enough in the shop. I’m taking it slow, I really like her and you guys know I’m not usually one to be affectionate, but there’s something about her.” You blushed, taking the paper plates and joining them in the living room again.
---
Crawling into bed, happy and full of takeout pasta and ice cream, you curled up next to Raul. He was wearing some fuzzy plaid pajama pants and his torso was bare. “Hey, he’ll be gone in a few days and you’ll be free of him. I’m going to take care of you sugar” You laughed and nudged his arm at the nickname.
“I know you will. Thank you, you’re the most amazing person.” You whispered against his skin before he placed a finger under your chin and brought your face to his, kissing you softly. His lips were soft and tasted like his mint toothpaste. His oversized shirt raised above your hips as you reached up to play with his hair.
He let out a hum at the feeling. “They like you, ya know. They think you’re good for me, good to me. And coming from them, that’s a compliment.” You hummed, pressing a lazy kiss to his jaw. There was something about Raul that made you feel comfortable, like you could do anything and he’d love it. You pulled your hand away to scratch your wrist and he let out a whine. “Play with my hair again?” he asked and nuzzledinto your neck.
How in the hell were you supposed to deny him when he looked so soft? So you threaded your fingers into his hair and kissed his forehead gently. Eventually he decided you needed to stop or he’d fall asleep, so you switched places, Raul playing with your hair until you finally fell asleep, curled into his side. Your head on his chest and thigh resting lazily over his hip. Pressing a kiss to your forehead, he whispered a soft goodnight to you before lowering the volume on the tv and shutting off the lamp.
----
When you woke up, Raul was gone, but you could smell something from the kitchen. As you sat up to follow the smell, you felt a piece of paper on the sheets. Picking it up you read
“Stay in bed. I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere!”
You laughed at the note, he was excited about something and plus, he was just so damn cute. The something was revealed to you when he walked into the bedroom, a tray covered in breakfast food in his large hands. “Good morning gorgeous. Did you sleep okay?” You mumbled a yes as he crawled into bed next to you, handing you your plate of bacon and cheese covered eggs and cup of tea.
“So I was thinking. Maybe I should call the guys and have them run the shop today, and we can have our own day? Just resting and watching movies or something. I mean. You’ve already got the sign up at the shop.” he asked, looking at you like he was praying for you to say yes. You knew he was just worried about you.
You thought about it for a moment, taking a sip of your tea. “I guess one day out of the bakery couldn’t hurt. As long as there is cuddling involved.”
Raul smiled widely as he nuzzled his face into your neck. “Good. Because I already called the boys to cover.”
You gasped, gently hitting his shoulder. “You planned this!” He just chuckled, kissing along your neck before stealing a piece of your bacon. His curls tickling your cheek as he held you. “Okay, do you want to learn how to make my new pumpkin recipe for the fall?” he nodded quickly, always eager to try something new. He had become your personal taste tester for you new recipes.
---
Looking at all the ingredients on the counter, you smiled. This was the first time you’d be sharing a recipe with someone, and it was a new one.
“You know.” Raul said, settling against the counter next to you, “I was thinking, it’s about time you made a menu item for me.” That cheesy grin on his face.
“Raul. You already do have one. The double chocolate muffins with extra chocolate chips.” He pouted, pulling up his phone.
“But I’ve already started on another one for you. I was thinking a special blend of your hibiscus tea with that lemonade you like. I never put lemonades in my tea unless it’s a special order.” He stated, looking at his phone, very obviously taking photos of you.
Your cheeks now a soft pink. He wanted to add another special to the menu just for you. “I’ll think about it.” You giggled, kissing his chest.
You were currently making the brown sugar and cinnamon frosting, a bowl of fresh cinnamon sticks waiting on the counter. “Babe? Can I help with anything?” He asked, coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist.
You shook your head, grating some cinnamon into the bowl. “Nope. You made my breakfast this morning. I’ll make your dessert tonight.”
“But I was thinking of a different treat for dessert this evening.” He smirked, watching as you took a taste of the frosting.
Your eyes widened at his statement and he bit his lip. “Hey, if you’re planning on doing that, you might wanna get to work on dinner. I usually have wine with mine.”
He raised his eyebrows. “A wine drinker?” He asked and you nodded.
“I have been since I was 18.” You informed him, placing the frosting into the fridge and checking the timer on the cupcakes.
He tilted his head at you. “Babe, the legal age in the states is 21.”
You put a finger over your lips. “Shhhhh. Mom was very easy going.” You laughed, picking up a kitchen rag and cleaning up the counters to start on the chicken you were planning on making for dinner.
“Those smell amazing by the way. I haven’t had real cooking in my kitchen in a long time. Like I said. I’ve kinda been living off of coffee and your muffins. Dinner usually consists of takeout or a sandwich.”
You smiled, finishing your cleaning and reaching for the glass of water. “Well, if you keep be around there will be real dinners.” You smirked, walking over to take the dirty utensils to the sink.
“I’ll wash the dishes. Why don’t you open that cabinet there and make a choice.” You looked at him, face twisted in confusion before opening the door to see a small room full of wine.
“Are you kidding me? I swear you’re perfect.” You sighed, searching to see if he had that sweet red you enjoyed so much. “Ah. Yes!” You squealed, pulling out the bottle and walking back into the kitchen.
Raul had already washed all the dishes, and grabbed two wine glasses and was now waiting for you in the living room. “You’ve made a good choice.” He commented as he saw the bottle in your hands.
“It’s my favorite. I always prefer a sweeter wine. Never was a fan of the dryer ones.” You shrugged, sitting next to him and popping the cork before pouring you both a good sized glass.
——
”Don’t go wasting your emotions. Lay all your love on me!” You shouted along with the song, Raul down on his knees as he serenades you from the floor, looking up at you standing on the coffee table and singing into your wine glass. You both were now 4 glasses and a whole bottle of wine in, doing impromptu karaoke in the living room. The idea of dinner was long forgotten after you ate the cupcakes. You were grateful Raul didn’t have neighbors so far out into the woods here.
As the song came to an end, Raul stood up, grabbing your waist and lifting you off the table. Ed Sheeran’s “Barcelona” blasting through the house. He began spinning you around, singing to you. You had to admit that he was an excellent singer, you assume he learned from Shawn. Maybe it ran in the family. He even got the Spanish correct. But the whole mood changed when Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love” started playing.
You were now swaying drunkenly around the living room, Raul holding tightly to your waist and your arms resting on his shoulders. “Mmm move in with me.” He mumbled, burying his face in your neck.
“Babe, we’ve been dating for a little over a month.” you giggled, finding his offer funny.
He shook his head, laughing at his own words “Oh. Haha I guess so. Just seems so natural with you.” You weren’t sure if this was drunken talk or his sober thoughts finally coming out, so you kissed his chest and smiled as the intimate song ended and a more upbeat tune started.
In your wine drunken state, you spun around, pressing yourself against his groin and started grinding your hips to the beat. His hands instantly flying to your hips and pressing his semi against you. “Fuck. Babe you can’t do that. We are taking things slow.” You laughed, turning back around and pulling him towards the couch. He took a seat on the couch, expecting you to lay next to him, not straddle him and place a kiss to his neck.
“Just wanna have a drunk make out session with my boyfriend.” You breathed, cupping his face and kissing him. It was hungry and sloppy but it was perfect. His hands instantly gripping at your hips, grinding you down into him as he tugged on your bottom lip. “You should stay here again tonight. Can’t have you home alone and we aren’t in a state to drive. Plus, I like having you in my bed.” You nodded, now suddenly tired as the alcohol runs it’s usual course.
Raul laughed at your sudden change in mood, carrying you to bed. “You know, I really do like you. I might even love you.” You admitted as you crawled up to the pillow and stripped off the shirt that was now too hot. You didn’t care. He’d seen you naked in the tub the night before.
“I might love you too. Now get some sleep. We’ve got work in the morning.” He reminded you, pulling you into his chest and running his fingers along your back to ease you to sleep.
——-
You heard Raul’s phone ring twice before he answered. “Hello? Babe are you okay? Why are you calling me if you’re right next door.”
You laughed on your side of the phone “Raul can you come over please? I have something to show you.” You were all too excited to show him the new creation you’d made. It was a mocha flavoured cupcake with a white chocolate icing. You had made a whole dozen of them and they were waiting on the counter.
“What is it honey?” He asked as he walked in the door, the teenage girls at the table eating their cupcakes blushing at the gorgeous man in front of them.
“I made that second item you’d asked for.” You smiled, motioning to the cupcakes on the counter. “They’re mocha cupcakes.” You informed him as he picked one up.
He looked over at you, eyes bright and full of adoration. “Like my favorite drink flavour. But what ever shall we call this?” He asked in a mocking tone.
“Well, I was thinking of calling it the”Mendes Mocha” a wide smile on his face told you that was a good choice. “You’re so cute, oh my god I love you.” That was the first time he’d said that. However, you knew by the way his smile never faltered, that he meant it.
You giggled as you heard the two girls gasp. “I- I love you too.” And without saying anything else, Raul leaned across the counter for a kiss.
“I love you.” He mumbled again, brushing your hair behind your ear and stealing another kiss.
“You’re coming over tonight. No questions asked. I’m ready.” He pulled back, looking at you with a questioning face. “I am. Now get back to the shop. And take these cupcakes! I made them for you and the guys.” You handed him the plate and smiled as you watched him leave the bakery. Tonight would be perfect.
———
The sun was already low when Raul knocked on your door, takeout burgers in the bag he was holding. You let him in, smiling at the tattooed man and giving him a kiss. “Thought I’d bring you some of the best burgers in the area. It’s my favourite place to go for curly fries.”
You snatched the bag from his hands “Mendes if there are no curly fries in this bag, I’m sending you home and tonight will be cancelled.”
He let out a laugh, pressing a kiss to your head. “There’s extra curly fries in the bag. Special just for you.” You hummed in satisfaction as you popped a fry into your mouth.
They were Cajun seasoned, your favorite. “You may stay.” You stated, pulling out the food and taking a seat on the couch. “Are we gonna finish ‘Nailed It’ or do we wanna watch a movie?” You asked, clicking to Netflix as Raul sat next to you, pulling your feet into his lap.
You looked over at him, waiting for an answer. “I was thinking Dirty Dancing. You seem to really like that one.” You gave him a look, raising your eyebrows as if to ask “are you really gonna watch this movie?” He nodded, taking the remote from you and pressing play on it.
“This is my favorite part!” You squealed, as it cuts to the final scene. All the talent show acts singing on stage before Johnny comes back for the final dance. “You know. I know how to do that.” Raul blurted out, taking a sip of water.
Raising your eyebrows, you turned to face him. “Do what?” You looked down at his chest, his button down unbuttoned completely and just hanging on his shoulders.
He just shrugged, “The lift they are about to do. I can do that. The hockey team lost a bet in high school with the dance team, me and my brothers were on the team, and we had to learn this. We ended up being their partners for the spring show. If we had won, they were gonna learn to play hockey.”
You just stared at him. “Show me.” He nodded, standing up and walking in front of the couch.
You got up and stood on the opposite side of the living room, staring at him skeptically. “Come on baby. I’ll catch you.” You laughed, not sure if he was referencing the movie or really calling you the nickname, but still stood up. However, you didn’t doubt he would catch you.
You bit your lip nervously, you’d always wanted to do this. When you were younger you danced and always hoped you’d get to have that perfect lift but you quit before you made it that far. “You got this babe.” He cheered as it was time for the lift and you ran towards him, your toes pointing the second he lifted you off the wood flooring and held you above his head.
You new the form pretty well so you held it for a few seconds before he was sliding you down his body. Your legs wrapping around his waist, stopping you from going any further.
He looked at you, your body flush against his, gasping as you leaned down for a hungry kiss, lips crashing into his. “You sure you’re ready baby?” You nodded, tugging the open button down off his shoulders as he walked the two of you to your bedroom.
He stumbled a little over the towels on the floor, causing you to let out a giggle. “I should pick those up.” You mumbled into his mouth before pulling away to tug your shirt off your heated body, tossing it onto the floor next to the towels.
Laying you down carefully, he hooked his fingers into the band of your leggings . “Baby are you sure you want this? We can stop if you want.” You shook your head, lifting up your hips.
“I want this Raul. Please do something.” He didn’t need any more confirmation before he slowly slid the fabric down your thighs. His eyes widening at your half naked body, you bit your lip, his eyes making you self conscious.
“No no baby, you look amazing.” He reassured you before ridding you of your panties and tugging down his boxers, joining you in your naked state. “I- uh, I have a condom in my jeans. I’ve got to go get it.” You nodded your head, watching the way he opened the package. “I love you so much. I promise I’ll be gentle.” You smiled at now nervous he suddenly sounded, and ran a hand through his curls. “Hey, you okay Raul?” He nodded, kissing your lips softly.
“Just, it’s been a while and, god I just love you so much. Wanna make you feel so good.” Letting out a chuckle you mumbled an “I love you too.”
—
“Come here baby.” He said as he leaned back on the bed, arms open for you to curl into. And that’s exactly what you did. Your head on his chest, listening to his heart rate slow down as he held you tightly to him. “I love you Raul.” You hummed out before your eyes closed and sleep took over. “I love you too.”
Raul’s lips on your shoulder woke you up. “Wake up baby, gotta get ready for work.” You let out a groan before rolling over and pressing your lips against his gently. “Just a few more minutes. Wanna be with my boyfriend.”
He chucked against your lips. “You see me all day honey.” He reminded you, hand coming up to rest on your jaw. This thumb was pressing against your pulse point gently and your jaw went slack.
“S’ not the same though” you pouted as he sat up and put on his jeans.
“I’m taking my white shirt back for the day.” He announced as he took the shirt off the hanger to wear. You’d kept it after a date that ended up at your apartment in the bath. You just laid there and watched him get dressed, muscles contracting as he moved. “You’re staring.” He stated.
You blushed, having being caught and looked down at your rings. “You’re pretty.” You mumbled, looking back up at him and letting the sheets fall off your chest and settle at your hips.
He walked back over to you, kissing your nose softly. “Be at the cafe in 30 minutes?? I’ve got something new for you to try.” You nodded, crawling out of bed to get ready for the day as Raul let himself out.
Last night was better than you’d imagined. And you hoped there’d be more. Simply because Raul was so gentle with you, but you were still sore. So you settled for wearing a sundress today, as jeans wouldn’t help the situation. “He’s gonna be the death of me.” You mumbled as you made your way to the cafe.
——-
October
Working all alone in the bakery got really stressful around holidays. Lots of people wanted cupcakes and cakes made for Halloween back home and since you were still shipping, you had at least 10 orders to make. So here you were, hair in a messy bun, running around putting cupcake tins in the large ovens and setting other tins to cool in the blast chiller, while also trying to decorate the desserts correctly and exactly the same.
“Honey! I’m here for lunch!” Raul announced, holding a bag of paninis from the shop down the street and a lemonade for you.
You poked your head out of the kitchen, frosting on your forehead and he smiled at you. “I’ll be out in just a minute baby, I’ve gotta finish these cupcakes.” You rushed the words out before returning to the baked goods on the counters, picking up the bag of orange frosting and icing the jumbo cupcakes in front of you.
They were supposed to have orange frosting and a small fondant hat. You made this kind every year for a family that lived next to you back home. Along with a few other specific orders, like the coffin cake the Briggs’ wanted and the double bunt cake that was made to be a pumpkin.
Raul nodded, taking a seat on the counter behind you and licking the batter off of a bowl. “The dark chocolate batter is really good babe.” He mumbled over the finger in his mouth as he licked the batter off of it.
“Thanks, I revamped it with some chilli powder for a family back home. It’s a special order.” Finally setting down the frosting bag, you leaned in for a kiss and tasted the batter on his tongue.
You moaned into his mouth when his hand came up to your neck. “I got you that ham and cheese panini you love. With the spinach.” He smiled at you, handing you your sandwich.
“You’re the absolute best.” You praised over a mouth full of food. Raul laughed at you, taking a large bite of his own lunch before stealing a sip of your lemonade. “That’s mine Mendes.”
He flashed you a cheesy grin, handing you the cup. “I think you need to hire some help baby. You work in here all day by yourself and I know you’re really stressed right now.” The worry evident in his voice. “Yes, but if I do, I’ll lose the excuse for nightly back rubs and stress induced sex.” He let out a chuckle, arms open in a silent plea for you to stand between his parted legs.
He spun you around and placed a kiss to the back on your neck. “How about this.” He proposed, his thumbs digging into your shoulders. “You hire some help, and then you can close up shop earlier and we can have more dates and then wine induced sex.”
The offer was reasonable. And you were in need of some extra hands around the kitchen anyways. Holiday orders would soon be approaching and you’d definitely need help. “That works, I’ll start looking for some extra help.” He smiled against your neck before placing another gentle kiss to the skin.
“The boys have things handled at the cafe. Why don’t I help for the rest of the day?” His arms wrapping around your waist as you walked to the sink to wash your hands.
You giggled at his clinginess. For someone so large and tattooed and pierced, he was the softest person you’d ever met. “Hmmmm I could use some help. As long as I get periodic kisses. I’ve been so busy lately and I’ve missed my boyfriend.”
Turning around to dry your hands, Raul grabbed your face and planted a sloppy kiss to your lips. “I missed you too baby. How about you come over after work today and I’ll set up a bath for you. It’s been two weeks since I’ve had any time with you.”
You nodded, kissing him again softly before getting back to work. “Come on lover boy. I’m going to teach you how to properly frost a cupcake.”
——
A month later.
It all happened so fast, you aren’t exactly sure how it happened. One second you were opening the oven to get the cupcakes out, and the next you were on the floor screaming. Raul heard you from next door and came sprinting through the shop. “Baby? Baby what happened!” His voice frantic as you laid on the floor, clutching your arm before you passed out from the pain.
You’d been awake for 2 days straight, and in your exhausted state, your hand slipped and landed on the oven grate. Burns raising on your skin as Raul carried you to the car, he yelled at James to cover your shop and clean up the kitchen for you. “Fuck, baby it’s okay. I’m gonna take you to the hospital.”
You were now set up in a hospital bed. Your left arm burning as you tried to remember what happened to your arm. “Raul?” You croaked, and he shot up from the chair.
“Oh good you’re up. How’s your arm?” His fingers resting on your shoulder.
“Fucking hurts.” You chuckled, looking at the bandages running from your fingertips to your elbow. They were a pale pink color and you're sure he’d asked them for that color wrapping.
“You took a bit of a fall there babe. Third degree burns on your hand and forearm.” He told you, grabbing your hand and kissing your knuckles.
“Here’s the cream for the burns.” The doctor announced as he walked in the room. “Your paperwork has been done and you are good to go home. You’ve got to rest and relax for a few days and keep that arm away from the heat. I’ve got some topical cooling cream for you in a bag and you should apply it twice a day. It’ll draw out the heat and heal it quicker.” You nodded at the instructions before thanking him and being discharged.
However, the ride home was anything but relaxing. “I just can’t fucking understand why you don’t have extra help yet. You fucking burned up your arm baby! And all because you were too caught up in work to even fucking sleep. That’s it. You’re staying with me now. I’m making sure that you sleep. And that your arm is healed. Then I’m calling a few of the college students who sometimes help me during the holidays and they are going to take over. Because you’re not getting hurt again!”
The yelling was anticipated, Raul was always protective of you. But you weren’t prepared for him to be this angry. “Raul I didn’t do it on purpose! I was tired and I slipped. It could’ve happened to anyone.”
At that, his face softened at the next comment. “But it didn’t happen to anyone. It happened to you, and now you’re hurt badly. Please stay with me. Let me take care of you.”
“Raul are you suggesting I move in with you?” You asked, trying to lighten the situation and change the topic.
There was a brief moment of silence, aside from the radio before he spoke “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. Move in with me. Please?” There was another pause before he stopped at a stop light and you leaned over, gently grabbing his hand.
“I will. Of course I will.” He looked over at you wide eyed, speeding to your apartment.
The moving in started right away. Literally. Raul made that stop at your apartment where you both packed up all you possibly could. You were taking a while, only able to use one hand really, but you were able to pack an over night bag while He loaded up everything he could into the back of his car and the trunk . “You ready baby??” He asked as you made your way to him.
“I am!” You smiled, hopping into the front seat and resting your feet on the dashboard. “I’ve never lived with a boyfriend before.” You admitted as he pulled into his own driveway.
“I have never lived with a girlfriend before.” He told you, grabbing your things and letting you into the house. “I’ll unpack your stuff okay? You lay down and get some rest. I’m planning a movie date tonight.”
—-
You woke up about 11, the sun was long gone and the house was illuminated by a few lamps. “Good morning sleeping beauty.” Raul whispered as he looked at you in his lap, his fingers carding through your hair. “You sleep okay?” A small hum left your chest as you nuzzled into his side. “I’ve got some soup on the counter for you. Broccoli cheddar.”
You smiled up at him. “That’s my favourite kind.” You sighed, still groggy from sleep. Before you laid down, you took one of the sleep aids the doctor prescribed since you were sleep deprived.
He nodded, turning down the tv. “I know honey. You’ve told me. I just figured it’d be best. You sounded a little sick too. I think it’s the lack of sleep your getting. Making you sick sweetheart.”
You looked down at your left arm, frowning at the ugly bandages. “I’m going to stay with you for a few days okay? The boys have the cafe and I called a few of my holiday helpers to to cover the orders for you. They have very specific instructions, so they will make sure it’s done properly and all the orders go out.” You leaned up, pressing a lazy kiss to his chapped lips. “You’re amazing. Did you know that?” You asked, sitting up and straddling him to get a good look at his face. You noticed a small hole in the top of his ear and smiled. “You used to have an industrial?” You asked, reaching up to touch the hole.
He nodded, laughing. “Yeah, I took it out when I was seeing this one girl who said she thought it was stupid.” He looked at you, your face contorted in a weird expression. “What? You don’t like that I’ve seen other girls before you?”
You laughed and shook your head. “No, I just think it’s stupid you took it out. It would be so hot. I’ve actually been thinking of getting some modifications myself.” You stated proudly, looking at your lap. “When I was graduating college, all my friends got tattoos and nipple piercings and I was nervous but I still wanna do it.”
At the mention of nipple piercings, Raul let out a moan. “I can call Lex, of the the artists at the shop I go to if you really want to.” He suggested and you nodded.
—
The two of you watched Deadpool 2 as you ate. Raul feeding you because he claimed the bowl was too hot for you to hold. Protective Raul was always present and so was his cuddly side. The way he pulled you into his lap and nuzzled into your neck made you realize that you were head over heels in love with them man, and it had only been 4 months.
You’d never lived with someone before, and you were always convinced you’d be nervous as hell. But this felt comfortable. You practically lived with Raul anyways, so it only made sense. And if you were being honest with yourself, you could see yourself with him forever. But what you didn’t know. Is that he could see that too.
—-
December
The orders were all reds and whites and greens. Peppermint was everywhere. In the frosting, as decoration, in your hot cocoa Raul brought you during the day. There were orders for Santa hat cupcakes and cupcakes like wreaths. Red and green macaroons with white filling, and you couldn’t have been happier about it all. Eli, Conner, and Britt were all such a huge help in the kitchen.
“Sweetheart. I have your hot cocoa here. There’s also a gift for you.” You walked out of the kitchen to see Raul, his grey knit sweater hugging his biceps perfectly.
You looked down at the box on your counter “Baby Christmas isn’t for a few more days. What is this for?” He just shrugged, sliding the box towards you.
“Open it and see. I think you’ll love it.” His face now a bright red as the nerves set in.
You gently tore off the pretty blue paper, placing the bow on top of your steaming cup, before lifting off the top of the box and letting out a gasp. “Oh, Raul!” You sighed, holding up the soft red silk dress and a pair of black heels.
“I figured you could wear it to dinner tonight. You said you wanted to look nice for this evening and I wanted to get you the best.” He was beaming at your excitement.
The dress was dropped into the box as you hugged him tightly. “It’s amazing. Oh my god! I can’t wait to wear it and it’ll go amazing with the black purse I just got for my birthday!”
He smiled that cheesy grin you loved before placing a kiss to your lips. “I’ll come get you about 4 and we can go home to get ready. You’ve got this today, right guys?” He leaned back to look at the 18 year olds in the kitchen and got a collective “yeah!”
—-
“Oh fuck you look so good.” He breathed as you came out to the living room where he was waiting for you. He had already put on his black slacks, his button down was the same color as your dress and you smiled. You did a quick spin so he could see everything. “Compliments to my stylist.” You laughed, taking his hand before he led you to the car. Both of you wrapped in big coats to combat the cold air.
Finally arriving to the restaurant, Raul ran over to your door, opening it for you and helping you across the snow covered parking lot. “I’ve never seen this much snow before.” You commented, looking at the white streets glittering in the lights of the building. “It’s so beautiful I could just cry.”
He just looked at you and smiled, pressing a kiss to your head. “You’re just so perfect baby. I love you so much.” You hummed, looking up at him and asking for his that he happily gave you.
The restaurant was warm and there was a small tree in the foyer and some garland here and there. “It’s a special night for us. Why don’t you bring us a bottle of your best wine. Make sure it’s a sweet wine please. That’s my girl’s favourite.” Raul spoke to the waiter, a smile on his face the whole time.
“Ooh, what’s he special occasion?” The boy’s face lit up, glad he was involved in something special.
Raul sat up straighter, grabbing your hand and noticing you were wearing the bracelet he got you for your birthday. “Well. It’s my 6 month anniversary with this gorgeous angel. And she just recently decided to move in with me.”
The boy smiled, sending you a “congratulations” as he left to get the wine and stumbled over his feet a little. “I think someone has a little admirer.” he laughed, pressing a soft kiss to your hand. “You really do look amazing sugar. That color looks so good on you. I just knew it would.” A blush crept up your cheeks as you squeezed his hand.
“Well you don’t look too bad yourself. I’ve never seen you in a suit before.” You sat back to look at him. The black suit fitting him perfectly and that red button down making you have impure thoughts at the dinner table.
“Here you go guys, this one is on the house. Happy anniversary.” Archie, your waiter smiled as he placed a plate with a large brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top in front of you. On the plate, written in chocolate sauce was “Happy Anniversary” with a little heart. You looked over at Raul and smiled, thanking Archie before grabbing and spoon and taking a bite, Raul doing the same.
Walking back to the car, you made a small snowball and threw it at Raul who was fishing for his keys in the pocket of his jacket, hitting him in the shoulder. “Oh you’re in for it now babygirl!” He laughed, throwing a snowball back at you and getting you in the back.
The two of you had a small snowball fight in the parking lot before the cold got to your fingers and you needed to go warm up.
—-
“Oh baby they’re freezing!” He scolded as he held your hands in front of the fireplace back at the house. You were both wrapped up in a blue blanket, clad in your pajamas and mugs of hot cocoa on the table
“I love you so much. And I’m so grateful that you decided to move up here and open up shop right next to me.” He mumbled against your fingers.
You noticed he was paying extra attention to your ring finger. “I am too. It’s like fate knew we’d be perfect for each other.” As you spoke, you leaned your head against his shoulder, your eyes drooping as your body went slack against Raul’s.
“Get some sleep, love. We can stay right here tonight. We don’t have work tomorrow.” He reminded you, rubbing your back gently as you grabbed a pillow from the couch and curled up in his lap.
“I love you, Raul.” Your body giving in to the sleep.
“I love you too.” He smiled, laying down next to you, his face nuzzled into your neck. His thoughts riddled of the memory of you tonight, and the ring, sitting in a black velvet box in the glove box of his car. Waiting for that soon approaching day
—-
You woke up on the floor, forgetting you’d fallen asleep in front of the fire the night before. Raul was pressed against your back, already awake. “Morning darling. You ready?” He asked, pressing a kiss to the back for your head.
“Ready for wh- oh fuck. I forgot. Yeah.” You chuckled nervously, remembering today was your appointment with Lex. For Christmas Raul decided he was gonna pay for your piercings and then if you wanted a tattoo.
“You don’t have to babe. I can always cancel it if you wanna back out.” You shook your head, determined to do this. “Alright, let's go then babe.” He swatted your butt and you got up to get dressed.
You decided on a bodysuit and a pair of jeans, just in case you decided on a tattoo as well. “Well sugar, you ready?” Raul asked as you walked into the shop. You were shaking in anticipation.
“Morning Raul!” A guy waved at you two from behind the counter. “You have an appointment?” He asked, looking at the schedule book on the counter.
“She does.” He smiled, nudging you and walking you to the guy at the counter. “She’s got a piercing and a possible tattoo with Lex.”
The man held out his hand and smiled at you. “Hey, I’m Will. You can follow me back here.” He said and waived you and Raul back to a room in the back for privacy.
“Morning gorgeous.” A lady, you assumed was Lex, smiled at you from her chair. “If you’re ready, you can pull the top down and settle into the chair.” She said, pulling on a pair of latex gloves.
You looked over at Raul, who was smiling at you, while Will put on a pair of gloves as well. He just grabbed your hand as you laid down and pulled the top below your chest. “Okay I’m ready.” You announced and dropped Raul’s hand tightly.
“Okay honey, close your eyes and take a deep breath.” Lex told you after she’d applied the clamp. You did as you were told, letting out a soft whimper as the needle pierced your flesh. “This one will hurt a little more. But you’re doing just fine. Will, you ready?” She asked looking at Will who was standing by Raul’s head. He nodded and at the same time she pierced your second side, Will pushed a needle through Raul’s closed up industrial.
You let out a scream but stayed still as Lex screwed the barbell together. “Oh baby, that looks so sexy.” Raul said, looking over at you after Will had secured the stud. “Do you wanna do a tattoo too? Christmas gifts galore?”
Lex handed you a mirror so you could look for yourself and you let out an excited squeal. “Oh these are so cute!” You smiled, handing the mirror back, pulling your top back up and looking over at Raul to see his stud. “You look sexy too babe.” He smiled, pulling out his phone to take a photo of his ear to send to Shawn and Peter.
“Well, would you like to do a tattoo as well? Raul says he’s paying, so do whatever you’d like.” You bit your lip, remembering the floral piece your friend sent you that you wanted. You wanted to get it because it had your parents and yours favorite flowers. She’d done it after your parents passed away two years ago in a car accident.
You nodded your head, pulling up the photo, but not showing Raul. “Can we do that?” You asked Lex, nervous she’d be hesitant since it’s not her own work. “My best friend did it and it’s really personal. I have the rights to the piece.”
She nodded and smiled, waving the guys out of her room. “What does it mean?” She asked as she shut the door and started disinfecting everything for the tattoo.
“When I was 21, my parents got into a car crash. They didn’t make it. The roses were my dad’s favorite, well at least for every Valentine’s Day he gave me pink roses. My mom loved tropical flowers, hence the hibiscus, then my favorite is the peony.” You smiled at the memory of your parents.
She hugged you gently, careful of the new jewellery and pulled back to trace the photo that you sent her. “Where do we wanna put this masterpiece?” She asked, motioning to your body.
“I was thinking my thigh, so that way I can see it, but it’s covered for my wedding day.” You had made the choice a long time ago that no tattoos would be visible until after your wedding.
She looked over at you, eyes wide. “I didn’t know you and rail were getting married!” You laughed and shook your head.
“No no, it’s just a rule I have. No visible tattoos until I’m married. For photos.” She nodded in understanding and apologised for the assumption. “Oh you’re fine. I can see where the confusion came from.”
—-
A little over an hour later you were ready to go. The tattoo was bandaged and finished, and you thanked Lex profusely for the beautiful work. She even added a little color to it to make it special.
“You all ready my little rebel?” Raul asked as you met him in the lobby. He also had a bandage on his opposite bicep.
“Oh finally working on the blank arm?” You asked, looking at the cling wrap. It was covered by a black piece so you couldn’t see it. “Why can’t I see?” You pouted, looking up at him.
He smiled, pulling out his wallet and making his way to the counter to pay for your new additions. “It’s a surprise babe. I’ll show you later. Here.” He handed you the keys. “Go start the car okay? I’ll be there in a minute.” So you made your way to the car, careful of the seatbelt as you got settled in and scanned the radio.
Raul got in shortly after, smiling at you. “Merry Christmas my love.” He hummed, pulling out of the parking lot and making his way to the house. “So when are you gonna show me what you got?”
You looked down at your thigh and smiled. “When we get home. When can I see yours?” You quipped, tapping his arm and smiling.
“When we get home.” He smiled, holding his hand out for you to take. “I’m proud of you for today. And you look really hot. But you also looked really hot before.” He winked at you, pulling into the driveway. “Let’s go do our reveal.” He grinned, turning off the car.
Now sat on the bed, the sheets covering the masterpiece on your leg. “Now before you say anything, this is a really special tattoo. And I don’t want you to look at me all sad, I’m okay.” You warned, tossing the sheet off your body to show the bouquet.
“That’s beautiful, darling. What’s it for?” He asked, fingers brushing against your thigh before grabbing your hand.
You squeezed it gently. “Two years ago my parents died in a car crash. They were going to a bed and breakfast and there was an accident on the slippery roads. These are mine and my parents favorite flowers.” You looked down at them, leaning against his side.
“I’m sorry baby. I’m glad you could do something to memorialize them.” He kissed the top of your head. “Would you like to see what I did?” He asked, pulling the tape off his arm.
You nodded eagerly, eyes glued to the spot on his bicep. He pulled his covering away to reveal a small peony flower in the steam coming off of a cup of coffee. “It’s uh, it’s for you.” He blushed, watching as you years up at the gesture.
“Did you know that I love you, Raul Mendes?” You asked, launching yourself over and into his lap to cup his cheeks. He nodded, pressing his his against yours feverishly.
——————
New Year’s Eve
You were back in that red dress, a glass of champagne in your hand as you talked to Peter. You were all at a party on top of a building, and there was about 10 minutes until midnight. You were on your second glass of champagne, but you were still very aware of what was going on.
Raul had been nervous all day, almost forgetting his shoes before you left for the party, taking a wrong turn and making you 20 minutes late to the party.
He was in that black suit again, this time wearing a crisp white button down and a navy blue tie. He looked like an absolute dream, and while the party was black tie, he seemed very dressed up. “Baby your macarons and champagne cupcakes are a huge hit tonight!” He smiled, placing a kiss to your cheek.
“Well, they were in high demand this season so I figured they’d be the best option and James’s wife Avery was so excited to pick them up this afternoon.” You smiled, wiping some frosting off the corner of his lip.
As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the more nervous Raul looked. His face looked flushed and his hands were shaking. You figured he was nervous about driving home after the party or maybe he wasn’t so comfortable around this many people.
Raul’s hands wrapped around your waist as you watched the tick down the seconds. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” And you were spun around, Raul’s lips crashing against yours as he held you close to him.
“Partner with me.” He mumbled against your lips “break down the wall between our shops. I wanna see you all day every day.” You giggled at his proposal, nodding as confetti and glitter rained down on you.
“You will?” He asked, his pink cheeks making you smile.
“Of course I will!” And he kissed you again. His plan was falling perfectly into place.
——
8 months later
“Baby should we paint the walls grey or what?” You asked, looking at the swatches from the contractor. Raul popped his head in from around the corner and you giggled. “Maybe a nice grey. That way it’s still pretty for your cupcakes and still fits my coffee shop.” You nodded, picking out a neutral grey color and sending it to Ricky.
The painting was the last thing to do before you could reopen your shop, and you were so excited you couldn’t handle it. You’d been only doing orders, making them from home and you’d been itching to get back into your kitchen at the bakery. “Hey honey, I was thinking we could use these little metal chairs, since they are white it could mesh well.”
You looked over at his laptop at the new stuff for the floor, smiling at the cute little chairs and pressing your lips to his bicep against the healed tattoo. “You know. I think we’ve done enough for today. Why don’t we go back to the house and relax.” As you spoke, you kissed along his shoulder, your fingers slipping under his shirt and running over his abs. He couldn’t have moved fast enough, tugging you along behind him to the car and speeding the already short drive to the house.
Laying there, tangled up in the sheets, Raul drew little patterns on your back with the pads on his fingers. You swore you felt him write “marry me” across your shoulders, but thought you were imagining things. “You think we can open by the end of this month?” You asked, looking up at his peaceful face.
“We just had sex, and you’re wondering when we can open?” He chucked, running his fingers through your hair.
“I guess that isn’t the best pillow talk.” You yawned, nuzzling into his neck. You could lay there with him forever, nuzzled against his warm skin and breathing in that smell that you could only describe as Raul.
You laid in silence for a few minutes. “Baby, do you ever think about our future?” He finally spoke, but you were already sleeping peacefully on his chest. Your even breathing fanning across his bare chest slowly pulling him into dreamland with you.
——-
The shop was finally ready, all the chairs and tables set up, your display case clean and ready for you to fill it in the morning before the grand opening. Raul was wiping down the cappuccino machine as you went around making sure all the artwork on the walls were hanging straight and the flowers you'd placed accordingly were still perfect.
“I think it’s all ready for tomorrow honey. You ready to go home and have dinner? I’ll make that pasta you like in exchange for a shoulder massage.” He propositioned, throwing the towel over his shoulder and running a hand through his curls.
“I think that’s a fair deal.” You smiled, looking over at him. Sweaty and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was a sight to be seen.
He nodded, tossing you the car keys. “Go start the car and I’ll lock up okay?” You smiled, tightening your ponytail and walking off to the parking lot out back to cool off the car.
Raul stayed back, making sure everything was perfect for tomorrow. It was a big day. Even bigger than you were ready for, and he’d be damned if anything went wrong.
——
When Raul came back from the gym, you were just waking up, his button down open and hanging off your body as you brushed your teeth. “Raul, darling you’re staring.” You laughed, rinsing out your mouth and starting the shower. “You gonna join me or am I gonna have to be in there all alone on this wonderful morning?” It was a wonderful morning indeed.
He was quick to strip out of his gym clothes, sliding in behind you under the stream of water. His hands instantly grabbing the shampoo bottle and squeezing it into his palm. You closed your eyes as he massaged the gel into your scalp, your arms wrapped around his waist and cheek pressed against his chest.
It was such an intimate moment and you wished it would never end, while he was praying for it to be over, so he could do what he’s been wanting to do since day one.
Now clean and dressed in a nice black dress, you were curling your hair. Raul stood behind you, watching you with so much love and adoration in his eyes you wanted to cry. “Haven’t you been told it's rude to stare, Mendes.” The way his last name slipped off your tongue so effortlessly, he almost dropped to his knees right there.
“Honey we’ve got to go, you look perfect. We are going to be late to our own opening.” He laughed, placing a large hand on your lower back as you walked out the door.
There were reporters everywhere. Photographers covering the opening of the new merged shop. And of course the boys who would now be working for the both of you. The customers, who were thrilled to see the shops open again and missed the goodies they’ve been missing since it was under renovation were all buzzing with excitement.
The two of you stood in front of the building, Raul had one hand in his pocket and you figured it was his nerves. But as the cameras started flashing and you both held a scissor handle, he let go. Dropping to his knee and pulling his hand out of his pocket finally, he spoke. Words shakey as he tried to keep himself together.
“When you opened up next to me a year ago, I never thought we’d become what we are. And now here we are, and as we join our two babies together. Why not join our lives as well. What do you say?” The tears were freely falling down your face as you nodded. Pulling him up to give him a kiss you sobbed out a “yes!” And the crowds of people cheered.
“Now that the hard part is over! Welcome to Coffee Cake cafe and bakery!” Raul cheered, slipping the ring on your finger and pulling you in for another kiss
—-
Somehow you managed to pull through the day. Many congratulations being thrown at the two of you when a familiar face walked in. It was Archie, your waiter from the night you went to dinner for your anniversary. “Hey guys! I just heard. I’m so excited for you guys!” He beamed, dropping a takeout bag on the counter before ordering a coffee and a blueberry muffin.
“This one is on us Achie.” You smiled, looking into the bag and seeing another brownie, this time with the words “congratulations” in chocolate. He waved a goodbye before leaving and you got back to work, But all day you wanted to be with Raul. Your fiancé.
You don’t know how he pulled it off, but he did it. The excitement radiated off of you in waves at the thought of spending the rest of your life with this man. And you couldn’t wait to see what else the world had in store for the two of you. “I love you sugar.” He whispered in your ear, kissing your neck now that the traffic had stopped and the shop was empty, seeing as it was almost closing time.
“I love you too Mendes.” Your smile was evident in your voice.
You felt him smile against your skin. “That’s gonna be your name soon.” His lips trailing down your neck as you gasped
“Hurry and close up baby. I wanna show you just how much I love you.” You mumbled, grabbing his hand and feeling his fingers brush your ring. And you swore you’d never seen him happier. Or move that fast.
#shawn mendes#shawn mendes au#shawn peter raul mendes#raul mendes#shawn au#shawn mendes fanfiction#shawn writing#raul mendes writing#coffee cake#my fic
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Few things to know about Commercial Electrician
What Does a Commercial Electrician Do?
Commercial electricians install, maintain and repair electrical systems in commercial buildings such as factories, office buildings, retail stores, and restaurants. They work for manufacturers installing new equipment or service call centres that require routine repairs; they may also be employed by contractors who specialize in installing wiring and lighting fixtures in large homes or businesses. Their duties are similar to those of residential electricians except on a larger scale. In addition to installing light fixtures, outlets and switches in rooms designed for human activity; commercially wired areas include elevators, parking garages, walkways leading from building entrances, storage areas housing hazardous materials or equipment used for manufacturing products that produce toxic fumes when operating--all of which require extensive wiring and special electrical fixtures.
Education Requirements for Becoming a Commercial Electrician
To become a licensed electrician, employers require you to complete at least four years of apprenticeship training to be guaranteed employment after your courses have been completed. This type of degree can be taken either online or at a college, depending on the teacher's location in Canada, USA or Australia. Each country has different requirements for obtaining this license, so before you enroll into an electrical course, please make sure that your state requires one before taking any education classes, resulting in increased tuition fees and longer training times.
Education requirements for becoming has three basic elements:
High School Diploma or General Equivalency Degree (GED)
AHA cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification.
Licensing requirements differ from state to state: licensing exams that test knowledge of electrical theory and safety; or apprenticeships, which typically require 4-5 years of on the job training. Some states may also have trade tests such as an electrician's exam demonstrating a candidate's skill with hand tools, wire strippers, voltage tester etc. There are hundreds of community colleges and technical schools offering courses in the vocational field of electricity. One can expect to spend approximately three years studying general electronics, blueprint reading and proper wiring techniques in addition to attending classes on various aspects of electricity such as motors and generators fundamentals. Students who attend trade toward certificates, associate degrees, or other vocational training to get a job upon completion must pass an exam of the state in which they will be working. They may also be required to complete specific apprenticeship programs that many large companies and trade unions offer.
Job Outlook for Commercial Electricians
Commercial electricians work in various industries, including manufacturing, food service and distribution, scientific research and technology. Electricians are needed to perform repair work and installation services for equipment and fixtures such as air conditioners, elevators or lighting systems. Many electrical contractors have expanded their companies by installing and managing security cameras, a growing industry due to the rising numbers of burglaries in businesses and homes. Becoming an electrician takes time but is a good career choice for those who enjoy working with their hands. A commercial electrician can make anywhere from $10 -$15 per hour in most areas unless they are members of one of the trade unions that may pay more money for each job completed depending upon the union.
Job Description for Commercial Electricians
Commercial electricians may find work in offices, factories, and manufacturing facilities of all kinds. They install electrical wiring systems, fixtures and equipment that power or light office buildings and warehouses (such as emergency lights, fire alarms), manufacturing plants engaged in the production of textiles or metal products (welding machinery) and industrial bakeries where large amounts of electricity are needed to operate heavy-duty ovens used to bake breads, pastries etc.). The duties are similar to those of residential electricians except on a larger scale. In addition to installing light fixtures, outlets and switches in rooms designed for human activity, commercially wired areas include elevators, parking garages, walkways, stairways and restrooms. Electricians that work in factories must be prepared for the unique hazards involved with wiring high voltage equipment such as conveyor belts, computerized cutting machines etc.)
Average Salary Range in Australia
The average salary of an electrician in Australia is approximately AUD 35,000 per year. Electricians salaries range from $24,000 to $46,000 and above each year, depending upon the years of experience and employers. The highest-paid electrician is those working for the government, followed by private sector companies. The jobs can be physically demanding as they require lifting large items such as light fixtures and wiring, which may become challenging due to their weight.
Electrical contractors who own their insurance company products and any tools that belong to them do not pay a premium for their coverage based upon owning these items since it's considered part of their required equipment when servicing customers' homes or businesses. They generally pay less than other industries such as forestry, farming, or construction. Most companies who hire them expect them to carry primary fire and liability policies on their behalf and any assistants working with them.
Electrical work is a field that will always be in high demand due to the technological advances that continue to occur daily. New areas that have not been explored as of yet will arise so new careers will be created, and it's an ideal choice for anyone who likes working with their hands, is physically fit and enjoys being part of something larger by providing society with clean energy sources which are better for the environment than fossil fuels.
Since electricians are allowed to manufacture their own products, they can build or repair anything electrical without having to pay someone else large amounts of money. Many people choose this career because they like taking things apart and figuring out how they work, which allows them to learn various disciplines such as drafting, physics and mathematics.
Electrical work is a great career choice because it has a low unemployment rate that hovers around 3% or less since 2008. According to data collected by Stats Canada, 43% of all currently employed workers in this field can expect to earn between $30,000-$50,000 annually. In addition to this, electrical workers have steady employment throughout the year and don't need to take on temporary jobs for them to get by. The average age of an electrician is between 30-55 years old, which means they can work for many more decades before retirement occurs.
In conclusion, these statistics were found on the internet via documents posted by both the government as well as private entities who are connected to this field. By visiting, one can better understand what an electrical worker does and why they do it. The most important tool needed for this job is not a tool, but instead their mind. Their mind is vital in that it allows them to comprehend the principles and concepts of electricity. This makes them an essential member of society as a whole because they can provide people with power that is limitless and reliable.
Commercial Electrician Online Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Q2zW0ypHkMuh_Kx5cvstLFHwdoNQrjR7
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Survey #469
“i am hungry for some unrest / i wanna push it beyond a peaceful protest”
Do you have any goats? Can't say I do.
Are you going to be getting any new pets soon? No.
Would you rather be a panda or grizzly bear? As a protected species, I'd say a panda.
Do you like BBQ sauce? I hate it.
Can you do a twirl like a ballerina? No.
Does your house have a pool? No.
Do you own an iPad? No.
What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? A LOT. Many years ago, I was very conservative, now I'm definitely more liberal.
What’s an achievement you hope to see humanity accomplish in your lifetime? I'd really love to see great improvements in nature and wildlife conservation.
Are you and your SO Facebook official? We're like... half official? He never checks his notifications, EVER, so he hasn't verified our relationship status. Instead, it just says on my profile "in a relationship with ____ (pending)." I don't mind, though. "Facebook official" doesn't mean much to me at all. What matters is that we know.
Have you ever bathed in a river or a lake? I've swum in them, but I most certainly haven't bathed in one.
Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? No. I avoid chips because I'll eat too many.
What was your first job? And how long did you work there? I was a sales associate at GameStop for like two months, but keep in mind I was VERY rarely on the schedule, so I probably didn't even work for a week's time in total.
Can you drive? I can, but I don't do it well and don't have my license. My permit's even long expired. I plan on forcing myself to practice and get licensed once I get new glasses, though (whenever I can afford that...). Right now I couldn't even pass the vision test. I just have to do it; public transport isn't big here AT ALL, and I can't keep relying on others to get me everywhere.
Do you spend too much time online? Way, way too much. Extremely high odds are, if I'm conscious, I'm on the computer. I want to change that so badly and experience other things in life way more regularly, it's just an addiction that has been an issue since I was first exposed to the Internet.
Do you like to travel? I barely ever get to do it, but yes, I love it.
How did you first notice the last person you kissed? Well, it's kinda hard NOT to subconsciously notice the guy who played the fuckin' huge-ass tuba in band, ha ha.
Why will/won’t you and your ex get back together? THE ex, because 1.) I'm sure he wants nothing to do with me, and 2.) because I'd be much too worried he'd leave again if I relapse with my depression badly enough.
Do you use the words "I love you" too lightly? Definitely not.
Do you like pizza? Legit, are there people who don't like pizza????
Do you use an alarm clock? I use my phone for that.
Name something that is currently making you happy. Girt is making me really, really happy. I'm still not happy at my core, but, y'know. A person can't do that, anyway.
What do you want for Christmas this year? Stiiiill a 40 gallon for Venus with proper equipment... I need a fucking job. That's going to be my answer possibly past Christmas because I just completely rely on my parents financially.
Are you excited for the holidays? Very, except for Thanksgiving. I'm way more hyped for Halloween and Christmas and all it entails than usual.
Name one tattoo you would like to get someday. I'll give ya one I don't think I've mentioned. On top of one of my hands, over some sort of fiery graphic, I want "Gefährlich ist wer Schmerzen kennt" (translated to "whoever knows pain is dangerous") written in fine text. It's a lyric from the song "Feuer frei!" by Rammstein that I just find very powerful, and not necessarily in an dark way.
Are you afraid of stink bugs? Yes, because they're a form of beetle, which tend to scare me.
Do you wear contact lenses? No, but I wish. :/ There are piercings I want that would look stupid with glasses. One of my eyes has such bad vision that I need a weighted contact in it (don't ask me exactly what the difference is), and I could feel it way too clearly in my eye, and it made it heavy. Wearing those contacts did NOT last long; I went back to my glasses.
Have you ever danced in the rain? No.
What was your last dream about? Astonishingly, I don't remember.
Where was the last place you went besides your house? The doctor's office.
Do you feel like you're judged for your looks? Being someone who is by definition obese, I'm certain some people do.
Do you fight with your parents a lot? No.
Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over. Why? I never have been.
Do you like hot sauce? Yes.
How bored are you right now? Very, very bored. As a side effect of depression, I experience severe anhedonia like... constantly, at least to some degree. No exaggeration. It makes my life a fucking drag. It's why I take surveys so much; the randomness of the questions is at least a momentary distraction.
Do you think you would make a good model? Hell no. Even if I was in a physical shape for anyone to be interested in photographing me, I would feel WAY too awkward.
Are you a good singer? No.
Do the Emergency Alert System noises on TV freak you out? Yes, because I immediately assume it's a tornado warning.
Describe your perfect date. Actually I'm planning something for Girt and me hopefully on Halloween (or if he has to work, at least close to) that is like absolutely effin' perfect for me. Carve some pumpkins together, make those Pillsbury Halloween cookies, and binge some spooky movies. :')
Do your parents trust you? Yeah.
Do you like pot roast? No.
Have you ever thought about being a stripper? No.
Are you flexible? No.
Can you wiggle your nose? Nope.
Have you ever played Mario Kart? Yes. My younger sister especially was sooo good at it; she doesn't even play video games and yet she was hooked on it for a while.
How often do you go shopping for clothes? Almost never. I really, really need to for undergarments and pants now.
Do you have a high IQ? I don't know my IQ, but I very much doubt it.
Would you ride a motorcycle if you had the chance? No. They scare me.
Have you ever been bitten by a dog? No.
Do you like the smell of cinnamon? yessssss
Do you like frogs? I love those lil bug-eyed cuties!!! :')
Are you afraid of dying? Not massively. I mean yeah, I don't want to die and the fear of the unknown is there, but I really don't think I'm as scared of it as most people.
Do you like bananas? Yeah.
Where's the last place you've been to out of state? Lake Gaston in Virginia.
What are you listening to right now? I'm watching another playthrough of Fatal Frame 3. Gotta say it's probably my favorite that I've seen/played of the franchise now.
Would you rather use a trackpad or a mouse? Mouse, for sure.
Do you like steak? Yes.
What was the best gift you've ever received? My late dog.
Tell me one of your pet peeves. Consistently trying to make conversation with me when I have headphones on. It's a bitchy pet peeve, but a pet peeve nonetheless.
Do you like to keep your nails painted? I don't paint my nails or care to.
Are you a Duck Dynasty fan? I was a long time ago when I actually watched it. I wouldn't watch it now because I don't support the overly-conservative cast, having followed a couple on Facebook for a time.
Have you ever played with Silly Putty? As a kid, for sure. I loved that stuff.
Do you take in a lot of caffeine daily? Yes. :x
Do you know a lot about history? Definitely not.
Are you allergic to pollen? Yes.
Would you rather play Xbox or PlayStation? I'm a PlayStation gal.
Have you ever worked at a fast food place? No, and I neeeeever would. Hungry people are the worst.
Do you like hot tubs? Meh, I have to be in the right mood.
Do you know anyone who is battling cancer? Not at this current moment.
Are you good at doing fractions? NOOOOOOO, or doing ANY kind of math.
Have you ever auditioned for a talent competition? No.
Would you rather get high or get drunk? I've never experienced either, but probably high. Being drunk is usually synonymous with being sloppy.
Do you like the Silent Hill movies? AYEEEEEEEEE I'm the chick to ask! I love the first one, it's brilliant and loyal to the idea of the series but still unique from the original story of the pilot game. The second one is objectively fucking awful story-wise and is SO all over the place, but I can still enjoy it as an obsessed fan of that franchise.
Did you ever want to be a doctor? I wanted to be a vet for a long time, if that counts.
[TW: SUICIDE] The last person you kissed, how many times have you cried in front of them? I probably cried some/was teared up to some degree when he visited me in the ER after my overdose.
Do you think you can last in a relationship for 1 month? Is this written for a middle schooler? No shit I could, and have in the past on more than one occasion.
Have you kissed someone with braces? No.
Is this the best year of your life? Nooo sir.
Can you have more than one best friend? Yeah.
What do you like better: hot chocolate or hot apple cider? Hot chocolate. ooo:
What are your full initials? BMD.
Would you ever let your grandma set you up on a blind date? She's dead, but if she wasn't? HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL NO.
Do you ever wonder if you will get in a car accident and die? As someone who is terrified of driving, absolutely. I'm primarily more concerned about becoming paralyzed from the neck down, though. I'd rather die than that.
So your ex comes to you and says “I want you back”, what do you say? I'd probably say, "I'm happy to finally be able to say 'no'" or something along those lines. Maybe even just a simple "no."
Which was worse for you: freshman year of high school or of college? College. I was so fucking depressed and lost.
What is the last language you spoke, other than your first? German.
Would you ever consider moving to a different country? Canada, yes, if it didn't mean leaving my family and now boyfriend.
What is your favourite food from your culture? Burgers. @_@
Other than your name, what was the last name someone called you? Britt.
If you could find one long lost friend of the past, who would it be? Megan. I found her on Facebook before and sent her two messages over the past something years, but she never responded. It's frustrating, like I was so close to reuniting with her, but not close enough.
Do you wash your hair or your body first when taking a shower? Hair.
Have you ever been to a nursing home? Yes, with my mother to visit someone.
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SEARCHING FOR SAMUEL – A QUADRA ISLAND MYSTERY
Felt the need to re-blog this post:
The script for the first film of "A Very Canadian Film"
is written by Hubert H. Burke and is partially based on this short story.
This is a story about Samuel H. Lawson, aka Tshi Nebre.
Written by Peter B. Smith of Quadra Island.
SEARCHING FOR SAMUEL – A QUADRA ISLAND MYSTERY
By Peter B. Smith
Every word you are about to read is true. It all began on a damp morning in mid-October, 2005, when my wife Amanda was walking our golden retriever Misty on Rebecca Spit, not far from where we live on Quadra Island overlooking Desolation Sound off the west coast of B.C. Just inside the turn off to Rebecca Spit Road, Misty chose to go sniffing near the door of the green-painted building housing the washrooms. Amanda checked, and there, neatly packed in the entrance to the building, under the roof overhang out of the rain, was a huge back-pack. It was one of those you strap on your back, really heavy, crammed full and with an additional tent and blanket strapped to its outside. It was so heavy, Amanda couldn’t lift it. A black briefcase, also bulging full and heavy, had been neatly placed on top of the back-pack. Amanda and Misty walked for a good hour, and on returning, Amanda saw the back-pack and briefcase were still there. No one was around, and Amanda had met no one walking who appeared to belong to the back-pack. When she arrived home, she told me about her mysterious discovery, and my curiosity was aroused. I was a newspaper crime reporter for 37 years, and now live on Quadra where as an author, I write true-life crime books. Mysteries on my doorstep pique my interest. I drove back to the Spit in the afternoon, and the possessions were all still there as Amanda had described them. I wandered around looking for an owner, and called out, but the Spit was deserted. I noticed three wood-bugs crawling over the pack. Only three would mean it couldn’t have been there very long, certainly no more than one night. Any longer and it would have been alive with creepy-crawlies. So I heaved the back-back into my van, without doubt the heaviest back-pack I’d ever lifted. Pity the poor hiker who had to travel any distance with this lot on his back. I picked up the briefcase, and took the whole lot to the RCMP detachment on the island, where I handed it in as “found property.” The corporal there had a glance at some files and papers inside the briefcase which seemed to have a name “Lawson” on them, and “Barnard College.” I gave him my name and telephone number, and he explained if the property wasn’t claimed in 90 days it would revert back to me as the finder. At home that evening Amanda and I discussed this strange find. Why would anyone leave all those possessions including all their personal files in the woods on Quadra Island? I came up with the immediate obvious answer, that whoever it was must have committed suicide. It was my first reaction, one borne out of 37 years of dealing with deaths, and murders and suicides on the crime beat. But if this person had walked out into the sea, they would have found a body by now. None had been reported. Of course, his body could be lying hidden somewhere in the woods on Quadra. That was a possibility. Our second thought was that perhaps the owner had been robbed of the property. That didn’t really make sense, because if he’d been robbed, he’d have reported the attack – well, unless he’d been robbed and murdered. It was the crime reporter coming out in my thoughts again. But anyway, if some thief had stolen all that gear, he would have sold it on by now, and turned it into cash. Where would be the sense in stealing it, and stashing it in the woods? Perhaps he was going to return to it later? We discounted that, because someone else could have stolen it again in the meantime. Anyway, we finally dismissed the whole thing in the knowledge if there were less drastic answers, and the owner was still around, he or she would claim the property back from the police very soon. Midway through November, I telephoned the RCMP and asked whether anyone had claimed the property I’d found. No one had. That made it all a lot stranger. Amanda and I were just a little more convinced now that my original take on it all, was right. No one would leave such a large quantity of personal possessions for more than two weeks without claiming it - especially if they had come to Quadra intending to go camping. What would they be using for a tent, and equipment and clothes, now all their possessions were sitting in the RCMP evidence room? One other explanation might be that the back-pack contained something criminal, a stash of heroin or crack cocaine maybe, and the owner knew the police would have discovered it, and daren’t call in for it. I called the corporal again in December, and was surprised to find the property was all still there, and the police hadn’t located the owner. I thought they would have looked through the personal papers, discovered the owner and contacted him or her - but no. The mystery still remained. January passed, and when I bumped into the RCMP corporal at the local store one morning in early February, I mentioned my found property. We agreed that 90 days had long since passed. If I wanted to drop into the detachment the next day, I could pick up “my” new-found property. This I did. The corporal heaved the items out of some back room and asked whether I thought there was a computer inside. “No, only paper files,” I said, remembering what we had seen the day I brought it in more than three months earlier. “That’s strange,” said the corporal, opening one of the files. “Oh, an American,” he said, from what he saw, and gave me the form to fill out. So it was that at 10:43 a.m. on February 7, 2006 I signed the form and staggered out of the detachment under the weight of my new back-pack and briefcase. Every crime reporter worth his salt reckons he’s as good as any detective in solving mysteries, and I was determined to solve this one. My first step when I got home was to make an exact list of everything in the briefcase and in the pack. To be honest, Amanda and I were struggling with a cash flow problem at this time, and we were greatly tempted to place a cash value on all we could find in our new property, have a grand garage sale, and immediately alleviate our financial burdens. But very quickly the instinct to discover what was behind the mystery overcame these mundane considerations. The very first folder inside the very first zip section I opened in the briefcase gave me the name “Samuel H. Lawson,” with a telephone number in Toronto, dating from the year 2000 – six years earlier. In the next few hours I became immersed in another man’s life. Amazingly, all his personal papers were here. His credit cards, banking documents, details of his bank accounts, and seemingly, all the important papers governing all the twists and turns of his life. He was a man with a quirk for saving receipts of all kinds. In these initial hours, I also discovered he was a man who had taken to conversing with himself about life, in a strange dialogue written on hundreds of small scraps of paper. Everything was printed in large letters, making it perfectly legible. But he was also a man very heavily into astrology and for every scrap of paper I could read, there were two scraps covered in unintelligible astral symbols and strings of numbers which were beyond my comprehension. The briefcase contained really heavy manila files which showed he was a physics and math professor, who had been the math instructor during the summer of 2005 at Barnard College, Columbia University, which appeared to be in New York. All this happily provided me with the answer to who the mystery owner was, but sadly, further strengthened my sure knowledge now that he had either committed suicide or had died in some way on Quadra Island. No one, certainly not a working university professor, would voluntarily abandon all his teaching files, his student records, photographs of everyone studying on his course, and his own text books and files in some remote woods on a tiny island off the west coast of B.C. in Canada. All these things were in the briefcase. There was a photograph of a heavily bearded guy with a toddler, and another of a blonde woman seemingly walking along a street in America, judging by the advertisements on the buildings behind her. Was this man in the photograph Samuel H. Lawson? When I unzipped one of the main sections of the briefcase, I discovered more evidence convincing me this man was now dead. In a pouch inside the case were three expensive watches, including a really top class Timex under-water time-piece, together with its warranty. I knew no one would leave such valuables as these lying around in the woods. The three watches were neatly aligned with parallel straps in the pouch. One was engraved “Samuel H. Lawson– 27-12-78” on the reverse. I had a mental picture of this man carefully placing these few valuables in the pouch before going away to end his life. Maybe he intended these would be found and passed on to his next of kin, whoever and wherever they were. Unconsciously, and without evidence, I felt that he was dead. It was like this all through my newspaper career. Other reporters would write stories about missing persons still thought to be alive, and yet whenever I came to write about the same case, the body would be found. Other reporters would write stories about extensive searches in mountains or in rivers where adventurers were lost, and when I came to write about them, their bodies would be discovered. It was a touch I didn’t want, but I had it. We hadn’t lived on Quadra long when a young man, Joe, was dropped off by taxi cab right outside the fence of our yard, not many yards from our kitchen window. He walked away and was never seen alive again. Everyone knew he must be dead. His family has even promised a reward for anyone with information which led to his body. Eventually they found his remains where he had taken his own life. But the last time he was seen alive was right outside my house. And now, I was handling Samuel H. Lawson’s possessions. I just knew I was the kiss of death. The more I found, the more I knew I was right. This man was carrying with him a huge manila folder containing a 180-page report on “The long-term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress.” It had been sent to him from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California in 2002. Was this connected with his professional life, or was he a man suffering “psychological depression and self-perceived stress.” Such a man would be the classic type to commit suicide. I calculated that if he’d carried this report around for three years, was he now just going to abandon it in the woods if he was still alive? I don’t think so. And alongside it was another huge dissertation, this time a 137-page report on “touch healing” from the same institute, which had been sent to him in 2003. And large numbers of weird astral charts covered in hieroglyphics filled another folder. His personal papers included all the kind of papers you would usually keep at home in a drawer of important documents, not the kind you’d take camping in a back-pack. His pension papers told how much he might expect to receive when he retired. His spouse had signed papers waiving her rights to his pension if he were to die. Was this important now that this could be the case? There was a large money transfer of thousands of dollars to a woman, apparently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He had seemingly worked at Colorado College, and at Rutgers State University, New Jersey, before tutoring at Barnard College. Legal documents from his lawyers were addressed to him at some time care of the “International Development Research Centre” in New Delhi, India. One explanation of why this man would carry all these papers on a camping trip was that perhaps he didn’t have a home. Perhaps he was homeless. Perhaps he had been a successful academic, now badly down on his fortunes. So far down that he had ended it all. Travel documents in the briefcase included airline tickets, Via Rail receipts, and bus tickets so it seemed clear he didn’t have a vehicle. This left a strange mixture of someone seemingly homeless, with no car, but with the resources to occasionally use trains and planes. I put all this to one side, and turned to the back-pack. Just at that moment, my wife returned home and joined me in this odyssey through another man’s life. I know she had found the property originally, but I simply couldn’t wait to start exploring it, hence I had completed the briefcase before she arrived. On the top of the back-pack all the camping gear appeared to be new, recently purchased and unused, including a new tent, tent pegs, a sleeping-bag and tent repair equipment. He had a heavy Afghan rug and sandals, and inside, everything was bagged into plastic bags. We experienced an excited expectation with every new revelation. What would be in the next bag? In which direction would each new find send us? It was like a treasure hunt. Many of the clues being revealed minute by minute brought more questions than answers. In one plastic bag were toiletries and a 14-carat gold chain inscribed “Italy.” What was the Italian link? And a leather wallet contained Indian and Ethiopian currency. What a strange mixture. Not a single Canadian coin or bill, but a folded wad of money from the other side of the world. What did that mean? With each new find, my heart sank. This man must be dead. He wouldn’t leave valuable gold jewelry behind, together with watches, and all these new possessions. My interest in the mystery began to be tinged with sadness over what I knew I would ultimately find. One plastic bag seemed to contain some horrible mush. My criminal mind immediately thought of magic mushrooms, or that heroin or crack cocaine, but we quickly realized it was only food – really rotten food that had aged badly while sitting for four months in a hot police station. More plastic bags, all tied shut, contained clothes, mostly sweaters and T-shirts, a pair of jeans, mostly all clean and folded as if they hadn’t yet been worn. We had found all this in October, 2005, and here I was looking at it all in February, 2006. What had this man been wearing for the past five months if all his clothing was here? Obviously he hadn’t needed it because he was no longer alive. And then, I made the strangest finds. Several white plastic bags, handed out in supermarkets, were stuffed full of years of receipts, and numerous pieces of paper covered in his printed writing. These were very depressing. Day after day he wrote of having no money, no food, of realizing his health was suffering, and sadly appealing to himself to provide the answer to extract him from this dreadful plight. It was becoming easier for me to understand how this man had come to take his own life. I filled pages of my notebook with details off every piece of paper. Amanda was fascinated and excited to rush forward to the next bag. She couldn’t believe I was taking this all so methodically and recording every item before moving on to the next. He seemed to be a collector of people’s business cards. One of them inside an envelope inside a plastic bag was from the “Heriot Bay Inn” here on Quadra. Perhaps someone there might remember him. I put it high on my list of calls to make in an effort to find him. I knew it was hopeless. I knew he was dead, but I resolved to trace every clue on all these thousands of pieces of paper, trying to find him. Only when I’d exhausted every avenue, would I decide what I ought to do next. Some documents had him living in New Jersey, others in various cities in Ontario, including Belleville, Pickering and Toronto. Others hinted at Vancouver, or Victoria, and there were definite links with Salt Spring Island, B.C. I hit on a plan. I took every detail I had and re-arranged them in a strictly chronological time-plan. This would give me an exact picture of how he came to be on Quadra Island, and hopefully, an explanation for why he had taken his own life. Only when it was finished, did I realize what a complete picture I had of his life. Samuel H. Lawson was born in Jamaica. His family took him to Ottawa, where he grew up and became a Canadian citizen. He worked in Manhattan, U.S.A. at some time, and earned a physics major at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana in 1985. Various references indicated he had lived in Bombay, India, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Hong Kong, and he’d worked as a professor and instructor at these various universities in the States. Let me share with you the exact detailed time-line of Samuel H. Lawson’s life, as I reconstructed it from the scraps of paper in his back-pack, since November 16, 2004. On that day he booked into the Day’s Inn hotel in Victoria where he lived permanently until January 7, 2005. On the day he left, his stay had cost him more than $3,500 in hotel bills and taxes. It was pretty clear the hotel stay had taken all his immediate resources, because within a month he was writing the most despairing, depressed and distressing notes to himself in his journal on scraps of paper. Throughout February the notes speak of fasting, being undernourished, having no money for food, and asking plaintive questions of himself. “OK. How much longer am I to exist like this? OK. This body is becoming ill, so food is my first priority. ”Receipts showed he was vegetarian, buying only fruit and juice at a grocery store, and a regular customer at Starbuck coffee houses, but it seems this life-style was hardly keeping him alive. On March 18 he wrote of “fasting and hopelessness.” Next day it was “despair and loneliness and still having no money for food.” The journal references went on day after day for almost three months through February, March and April. It wasn’t difficult to see how a man with such burdens could end it all. But I couldn’t understand how such an educated and intelligent man seemed to have no sense of reality. He could have acquired a position almost anywhere with his academic qualities but he didn’t. Instead, he wrote long painful questions to himself asking himself why he couldn’t get his first book – a thesis on applied physics – published. Why waste time writing a dialogue to himself? Why not pursue publishers or find employment? On April 21, 2005 he takes a ferry from Swartz Bay, Victoria to Tsawassen, Vancouver, and next day he’s at the Vancouver International Airport, where he has a veggie burger in the lounge and coffee at the Starbucks outlet in the domestic flights lounge. Next day he’s traveling by Trans Link in Vancouver, according to the ticket he saved. But on April 24, he’s back on the BC Ferries, traveling from Victoria up to Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island, a journey he makes several times back and forth in the next few days. I try to imagine what he’s doing there. Remember, this is all only six months before he chooses to end it all in a lonely wood on Quadra Island. His bank records show that his account is draining away at this time. At the end of April he’s down to less than $70, and by May 5, he only has $3.04 in his account. But it’s obvious from the files I found that he had to be back at Barnard College in New York State where he was scheduled to be the math instructor for his class of all-women students on the HEOP (Higher Education Opportunity Program) summer session, beginning in a few weeks. I find the answer. At 11:06 p.m. on the evening of June 14, 2005 he receives a money transfer of $240 from the director of the college, which appears to me to be his air fare back to New York. It looks as if it doesn’t arrive a moment too soon. Next morning (according to his air-line ticket) he catches the 8:30 a.m. American Airlines flight AA 360 from Vancouver International to Chicago O’Hare, and later that day, he takes the 3:30 p.m. American Airlines flight from Chicago to New York. The college schedule shows the staff orientation lunch was on June 17, two days after his flight gets in, and on July 4 he’s at work teaching math to his students. I wonder to myself what enormous character it must take to transform oneself from a despairing, starving, seemingly almost homeless stray to a fully functioning university professor – an amazing leap in my mind. On July 31, 2005, his fortunes improve when he receives his salary from the college of more than $3,400. Remember, by this time, he has only three months left to live. The words “Fly to Vancouver” written in his distinctive hand, which, by now, I had come to recognize, appeared on the college schedule for August 12, in his back-pack, presumably after the end of the summer session. Matching this reference, in another plastic bag, I found the corresponding air-line tickets. On August 12, he took the 4 p.m. American Airlines flight AA341 from New York to Chicago O’Hare, and after a short stay, took the 6:44 p.m. American Airlines flight from Chicago to Vancouver International. By August 30, Samuel was staying at the Seabreeze Inne on Salt Spring Island. Could there be a more incredible contrast anywhere in the western world. One minute he is embroiled in the frantic, noisy, stress-laden life of a New York college, surrounded by thousands of people, all rushing to get somewhere. The next, he is almost alone in an idyllic serene tranquility on a beautiful island, with forests growing to its shorelines, where there are more loons, cormorants and sea-birds than there are people. Next day he receives another money transfer, apparently from a family member. I worry about this entry. I feel responsible for all this property of his which I have. When one day I can confirm officially he is dead, should I return it all to his family members? I decide all that will take care of itself when the time comes. And then I came across documents which brought this wanderer right into my little corner of the world, right at the time when I think he chose to take his life. On September 2, he signed a tenancy agreement to take on tenancy of a single-dwelling unit at Hollyhock, a retreat on Cortes Island, a tiny island reached only by car-ferry from Quadra Island. What’s more, we had found his property no more than a 20 minute straight-line walk from the ferry terminal he would have to leave from to reach Cortes Island. He had paid the $600 security deposit, and was to have taken up his residency there on December 1, 2005, staying until February 28, 2006. For me, this was the final nail in the coffin, quite literally. No man who was struggling financially, would pay in advance, a $600 deposit for living accommodation, and then fail to turn up there. Something catastrophic had befallen him on Quadra Island in October. After paying his Cortes Island deposit at the beginning of September, he was then busy criss-crossing Canada before finally heading out west, presumably on his final run to Cortes. On September 17 he traveled from Campbell River on Vancouver Island to Nanaimo by Greyhound bus, then from Nanaimo to Vancouver. Receipts show he was staying at the Day’s Inn in Toronto on September 21 and 23 but five days later he had returned to B.C. and began a five day stay at the Day’s Inn, Victoria. By my reckoning, this was less than two weeks before I think he took his life. The last receipt I found was the last hotel bill when he moved out of the Day’s Inn in Victoria, presumably to head north to Quadra to catch the car ferry to Cortes. This would bring him here several weeks ahead of the December 1 date when he was to take possession of his retreat dwelling at Hollyhock. I guessed he planned to camp for a few weeks, hence the camping gear, prior to moving in at Hollyhock. Now I was satisfied I knew all I could learn from the bags of receipts and scraps of paper. I could place him on Quadra, as he’d obviously left his back-pack here, and knew the reason he was here, making preparations to moving across to Cortes Island. The only possession we hadn’t found was his wallet. No doubt when he’d walked into the sea, or took himself into some deeply wooded secret spot to die, he was wearing the final clothes he had chosen to die in, and his wallet was in his pocket. Now, I had to check every conceivable place where he may still be alive- Salt Spring Island, Victoria, Cortes, Quadra, Toronto, and the States. I knew this stage of my quest would be hopeless, as I knew he was dead. But I had to check. I wrote a new headline in my notebook. It read, “February 7, 2006 –Searching,” and I started working the phone. I decided to start with the most recent clues and work backwards. Obviously the first stop was to contact the Hollyhock retreat on Cortes Island. That was where I thought he had been headed. That was where he should be right now on February 7 - after all, he was scheduled to stay there until February 28. It all started with great frustration. I just hit answering machines, and no one was available, but repeated calls finally brought a result. No, they said, Samuel was not there at Hollyhock, he never had been. “He was going to stay here, but then he decided not to come. He has never been here,” said one of the staff members. I took this as another confirmation of what I already knew. He had ended his life in mid-October. I knew he wouldn’t have turned up at Hollyhock in December. I wondered if, when he changed his mind about going there, he’d ever had his $600 refunded. If he had done, the paperwork wasn’t in his back-pack. Then I tried to track down the people who must have known him best, the staff at Barnard College in New York. I faced another round of frustrations as every number in the college directory in the back-pack led to an answering machine. When I hit the switchboard, a receptionist searched the permanent staff directory and told me no “Samuel H. Lawson,” was listed. His personal residency number listed at the college rang “no longer available.” I was drawing blanks everywhere. It seemed from the several references to Salt Spring Island, that someone there must know him. On all documents, he gave an address on Salt Spring Island as his home address. We have a friend who lives on the island, and we called him, explained our quest, but he didn’t know him. My first day of working the phones had taken me no further forward. Next day, I resumed the hunt. Another call to Barnard College led me to the provost’s office, where I was told there was no “Samuel H. Lawson” on the registry, not even as a math instructor. I tried calling every instructor at the college, working methodically through the directory. No one was available. In one of his plastic bags was the business card of the manager at the Heriot Bay Inn, just a stone’s throw from the ferry terminal where Samuel would have caught the ferry to get to Cortes, if he had got that far. I rang the manager at his home and asked if he remembered meeting Samuel. He didn’t – and explained his business cards sit on the front desk at the hotel, and anyone could just pick one up, without having to meet him - another blank. I tried the most recent telephone number listed for Samuel in Toronto in the year 2000. It was another answering machine, with the voice of a younger woman. I was sure if he’d been apparently near homeless in the past two or three years, a telephone number from six years ago was a waste of my time. As it seemed to me Samuel liked to stay in Day’s Inns in various cities, I called the Day’s Inn in Victoria and asked for him. He wasn’t there. I knew he wouldn’t be, but the more negatives I could confirm, the more certain I could be that he was dead. It was a sad day for me making these calls. I didn’t want them all to be negative because I wanted him to be alive. But with each blank response, I felt a reassurance that my understanding of what had happened was correct. During his last stay at the Day’s Inn hotel in Victoria early in October, which I reckoned was only two weeks before he died, his receipt showed he had called a number on Cortes Island several times. Hopefully, I rang it, and a woman answered, saying she didn’t know who I was talking about. But she said another woman had been staying there in October, and she now lived in Victoria, and perhaps Samuel had been calling her. I rang the new number in Victoria.The woman there had no idea who I was talking about. But she remembered, a guy had been living at the same place who was now living in Ontario. I rang the Ontario number, and spoke to the man. Yes, he knew a Samuel on Cortes Island, but a few more questions quickly showed me this was the wrong Samuel. My hopeful “Cortes” lead had drawn another blank. Next day, I started again. I ran through the numbers at Barnard College again, and this time I had success. One of the directors of the course, knew Samuel, knew he was traveling in Canada, and thought he would be contacting her periodically. If he contacted her, she would pass on my telephone number to him and get him to call me. I thanked her, and made a mental note not to hold my breath. I knew that in the course of time the director would eventually realize he wasn’t contacting her, and her alarm bells would start ringing too. I started reading Samuel’s desperate journal again looking for new contacts I could reach. I found confirmation he was a black man. I knew he was born in Jamaica, and among his scribbled pages, I discovered he had strong views on racism, having obviously encountered some racist problems. Someone in Canada had once wound down a window in their car to shout the “n****” word at him. He had philosophized on how racism in Canada was not as violent as racism in America. To know he was black assisted me, as I knew it would help me describe him when trying to find anyone who had met him. It also meant I now knew the photograph in his briefcase of a heavily-bearded white man with a toddler, wasn’t him. In his desperate journal I found a reference to him “nearly fasting to death on Salt Spring Island in 2004.” I decided to track down all the Salt Spring Island references I could find. In his back-pack I found a Salt Spring Island telephone directory. First I rang the Seabreeze Inne hotel and asked if he was there at the moment. He wasn’t. I know he wouldn’t be, but I had to ask. A receptionist said he had stayed there in 2004 and 2005. I knew that. After all I had seen all his hotel receipts. But here I made progress. The receptionist gave me his telephone number on Salt Spring Island, the number he had given during his stay in August last year. This was his current telephone number. Before ringing it, I looked it up in the reverse telephone directory. It was the “Oh Goddess Herbal Products and Massage Therapy” shop! I rang the number and left a message on the answering machine. Several of the telephone calls Sam had made from the Day’s Inn at Victoria were to Salt Spring Island numbers. Seeking them out in the reverse directory I found more than one was to a chiropractor’s clinic. I rang it, and hit another answering machine. Another landed me on a woman’s cell-phone, and she’d never heard of him. And then I had my best break-through. One of the calls he made from the hotel in Victoria had cost him $12, so he’d obviously had quite a conversation with someone. Checking the telephone directory, I discovered the area code for this call was Allentown, Pennsylvania. I called the number. For the first time on any call, I reached someone who knew Samuel, a woman who actually knew Samuel H. Lawson. I explained what I was doing, that I’d found all his property and was trying to reach him to return it. She told me, “Yes, I know he is traveling in Canada. I am one of his friends from college days. He’d be thrilled if he knew you were taking all this trouble to find him. I can try to reach him for you.” She was a professor at St. Joseph’s University, and I gave her my number. I did confide in her my worst expectations that I feared he may have taken his own life, but that was only my personal thought and I could be wrong. I explained he’d left all his possessions in a wood and hadn’t attempted to retrieve them for at least four months, and he hadn’t turned up at a retreat where he had been expected. She told me she understood. “I have been worried about his well-being for a long time,” she said. I was saddened to know that someone who knew Samuel could understand that what I feared was possible. I was hoping she might say that such a thing was out of the question with him, that he wasn’t likely to do that, but she didn’t. She thought he had some family in Toronto. She thought his mother was living in Ethiopia. That could explain him transferring money to an account in Ethiopia. Perhaps he’d been sending money home to his mother. I had reached the stage where I needed to think about what to do next. I was sure he wasn’t staying at any of his usual haunts. No one had heard from him for months. He’d abandoned all his personal possessions. I considered my options. I could contact the RCMP again and see whether I could report him as a “missing person” but I doubted if they would take a report from me. After all, I wasn’t anything to do with him. My wife suggested we could place a notice in the Discovery Islander, the newspaper which circulates throughout the islands here, including Quadra and Cortes. Perhaps someone would remember meeting him and have a clue about what happened to him. I decided against making any attempt to reach his family. I knew if I found anyone, I couldn’t ask questions without causing them anxiety, and that wouldn’t help. If, one day, I could somehow get a “missing person” inquiry launched with the RCMP, then they, with all their resources, could discover what happened to him, and maybe even find his body. And they, as the professionals, could locate and contact his next of kin. I’d reached the stage where I’d almost exhausted the calls I could make. I had left plenty of messages on several machines. I would just have to wait until I received some calls back. Hopefully, anyone who called back would provide me with some new avenues to follow. Almost on cue, the phone rang. “Hello, Pete Smith,” I sang out. “This is Samuel,” said a voice with a Jamaican twang. “Samuel H. Lawson. Were you trying to get hold of me?”
THE END
copyrighted by Peter B. Smith
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Boxing: This Week`s Grobby
Muhammad Ali. Rocky Marciano. George Foreman (prior to the grill!). We understand these fighters can toss a mean punch- but how can we become 'Lord' of the Ring? No matter skill level, anyone could attempt this Grobby (Greatist terminology for hobby), but strenuous training, toughness structure, as well as improved coordination ( and also some expensive footwork) are the initial steps to ending up being an actual challenger.
Eye of the Tiger - The Need-to-Know
Boxing (in some kind) has been around given that the ancient Egypt as well as became an official Olympic sport for males in 1904 (its initial appearance for females will go to the 2012 London online games). Boxing features different weight courses for both sexes, and also the number and size of rounds depend on the degree of boxing.
Boxing training programs are planned to present new professional athletes to the sporting activity or assistance established fighters increase their ability degree. They differ from health club to health club, yet emphasis greatly on proper kind as well as defensive methods. Training techniques may include conditioning drills, plyometrics, toughness training, sparring, and core training (whew!). All that training has its benefits, consisting of enhanced strength, muscle tone, equilibrium, agility, and also total cardio fitness.
Studies suggest boxing compares positively with other cardio programs in the quantity of power exerted and calories burned, making it a wonderful alternative for those who wish to obtain in form as well as exercise a little stress (take that, heavy bag!) Cardiovascular reaction to punching tempo.Kravitz L, Greene L, Burkett Z, et. al. Exercise Physiology Laboratories, University of New Mexico, Johnson Center # 1160, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Journal of Strength and also Conditioning Study, 2003 Feb,17( 1):104 -8. VO₂ demands of boxing workouts. Arseneau E, Mekary S, Léger LA. Department of Kinesiology, College of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. Journal of Strength and also Conditioning Research study, 2011 Feb,25( 2):348 -59. . Training for the ring also frequently includes competing with companions. Some light jabbing and the team setting advertises both a social environment and strenuous exercise (and also some deadly guns!).
Nice Uppercut - Your Activity Plan
Boxing training could be a terrific means to improve coordination as well as boost endurance, but it comes with some threats. Boxers (especially the affordable number) are at a considerably higher risk for intense injuries to the head, heart, and also bones. Amateur boxing directeds headgear, and the gamers' purpose is to rack up points by landing punches (as compared to knocking senseless the opponent as in expert boxing), and also study recommends adjustments make the sporting activity safer for beginners Safety measures in amateur boxing. Jako, P. International amateur Boxing Association, Veress Palne u 33, 1053 Budapest, Hungary. British Journal of Sports Medication, 2002 December, 36( 6): 394-395. Medical as well as Safety and security Reforms in Boxing. Jordan, Barry D. Sports Neurology Program, Division of Neurology, The New york city Hospital-Cornell Medical Facility, New York, New york city. Journal of the National Medical Organization, 1988 April, 80( 4): 407-412. .
Ready to begin training like a pro? Find a genuine boxing health club for both appropriate equipment and a knowledgeable trainer. Try a straightforward boxing circuit to obtain a feeling for exactly what training may be like, or offer boxing class at the regional gym a shot. Conditioning with shadow boxing, core training, and also footwork method will certainly be certain to obtain any individual battle ready, whether or not they prepare to really pointer in the ring. Simply remember those hand covers and also padded gloves!
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Bubble Football Inflatable Entertainment For Kids Everywhere
Bubble football, also known as bubble soccer or simply bubble football is the sport/recreation of playing soccer while half-enclosed in an inflatable torus sphere, much like a softball, that envelops the athlete's torso and head. This sport is usually played in groups in large multipurpose indoor fields or open spaces. The sport is popular in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It is also one of the most well-known and regularly organized sports events for kids.
Looping is the basic rule of Bubble football. Two teams are designated to play in each corner of the field. The object of the game is to become the first team to make it through the playing field without being shot on. When a player is shot, it results in him popping back inside the sphere. That player will then return to his original position on the team.
In playing bubble football, it can be quite challenging for beginners because it requires good hand and eye coordination. A lot of practice must be done before one is able to master this game. It is also important for one to have a good physique because it is necessary to jump, dive, and run while in a zorb. Bubble soccer equipment consists of special gear such as the zorb and helmet.
The zorb is what players use to play bubble football. It is made of a heavy-duty nylon fabric with a thick, heavy-duty Velcro strap attached to it. The strap helps players hold onto the zorb so that they can play. Players can practice their footwork, techniques and skills with the help of the zorb.
A lot of schools in the United States are now offering Bubble Soccer as a part of their athletic programs. The United States is one of the biggest countries in the world when it comes to Bubble Football. A lot of high schools in the United States have teams that play Bubble Football throughout the year. The best teams usually emerge from a local tournament. Competitions are held locally as well as internationally.
Bubble football has gained a lot of popularity in the United Kingdom. Many colleges in the United States offer a team that plays Bubble Football. College football is a very popular sport at many colleges and universities in the United States. Bubble football was very popular at some college and universities during the years before the Internet became widespread. Some of the schools that used this particular type of football were the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Texas, the University of Florida, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, the University of Miami and the University of Mississippi. The Bubble football teams from these universities are now famous and are often referred to collectively as the "Bubble squad".
Many people in the United States love playing Bubble football. A lot of men in the United States enjoy playing this type of football. There are several companies in the United States that produce Bubble Football sets for children who play bubble football. There are even companies in the United States that produce clothing for people who play Bubble football.
A lot of companies in the United States produce football sets for people who like playing Bubble Tent Clear Customisable Multi Entrances . A lot of people like to take bubble football trips on the weekends to different local parks and recreation areas. A lot of companies in the United States also produce inflatable bubble football sets that can be taken on trips to local parks and recreation areas. This type of football has gained a lot of fame in the United States.
#bubblefootballshop#Bubble Football#Zorb football Suits Shop#Bubble Football Buy#Bubble Ball Football#Bubble Tent#Bubble Football Equipment#Bubble Football Soccer#Bubble Football Suits#Bubble Soccer#Bumper Balls For Sale#Loopy Ball
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
UN report warns of global water crisis amid climate change
(AP) Much of the world is unprepared for the floods, hurricanes and droughts expected to worsen with climate change and urgently needs better warning systems to avert water-related disasters, according to a report by the United Nations’ weather agency. Global water management is “fragmented and inadequate,” the report published Tuesday found, with nearly 60% of 101 countries surveyed needing improved forecasting systems that can help prevent devastation from severe weather. As populations grow, the number of people with inadequate access to water is also expected to rise to more than 5 billion by 2050, up from 3.6 billion in 2018, the report said. Among the actions recommended by the report were better warning systems for flood- and drought-prone areas that can identify, for example, when a river is expected to swell.
Canada to put federal workers who refuse COVID-19 vaccination on unpaid leave
(Reuters) Canada’s federal employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are not exempt from getting the shots will be put on administrative leave without pay, officials said on Wednesday, while domestic air, train and cruise ship travelers and workers will soon have to show proof of vaccination. Federal employees will be required to show proof of vaccination through an online portal by Oct 29. Workers and travelers on trains, planes and cruise ships operating domestically must show they have been inoculated by Oct. 30. Canada's vaccine policy will be one of the strictest here in the world. Later this month, Italy will require proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from infection for all the country’s workers.
Fall on hold: Forecasters predict long-lasting warm temperatures in eastern U.S.
(Washington Post) For about a week after the fall equinox, much of the eastern two-thirds of the Lower 48 states enjoyed crisp, refreshing autumn weather. But now Mother Nature has changed course. Warm, humid conditions more typical of late summer have returned and show little sign of retreating. Forecasts now call for above-average temperatures lasting at least 10 days, with high temperatures in some areas nearly 30 degrees above normal at times. The core of the anomalous warmth is predicted to focus in the north-central United States, but above normal temperatures are anticipated to prevail in most places east of the Rockies. The weather pattern may trigger heavy rainfall and severe storms in the central United States and could eventually support new tropical storm activity near the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not clear when this warm pattern will break down, and October is almost certain to end up warmer than normal over a large part of the nation.
South Dakota tax haven
(Guardian) Newly revealed documents from the cache of financial revelations called the Pandora papers has shown South Dakota now stands alongside Switzerland, Panama and the Cayman Islands as a beloved tax haven for the global rich. South Dakota’s trust industry rose from $75.5 billion in 2011 to $367 billion in 2020, and the state’s become desirable to the mega-rich owing to its ability to shield money from governments, taxes and spouses. Over 200 U.S. trusts appear in the Panama papers, and 81 of them are in South Dakota.
US, France edge closer to rapprochement after AUKUS spat
(AP) France and the United States edged closer Tuesday toward rapprochement after the Biden administration’s exclusion of Washington’s oldest ally from a new Indo-Pacific security initiative ignited French anger. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Paris to explore ways to overcome the rift over the deal, which scuttled a multibillion-dollar French submarine contract with Australia and led Macron’s government to take the unprecedented step of recalling its ambassador to the U.S. In a French television interview after the meeting with Macron, Blinken accepted a U.S. share of responsibility for the disagreement. “We could and we should have communicated better,” Blinken said, speaking in French. “We sometimes tend to take for granted a relationship as important and deep as the one that links France and the United States.”
Bataclan survivors relive ordeal in Paris court
(Reuters) “They were shooting us down like animals. As soon as a mobile phone rang, as soon as someone screamed, they fired,” Cedric Bouhour, 43, a survivor of the 2015 attack on the Bataclan concert hall, testified in a Paris court on Wednesday. Six years after Islamist gunmen killed 130 people—90 of them in the Bataclan—and wounded hundreds in coordinated attacks in Paris, survivors from the concert hall told the court of the fear they experienced, the deaths and injuries they lived through, and their lingering trauma. Wednesday was the first day of testimony on the Bataclan attack. The trial started last month and a verdict is expected in late May. There are around 1,800 plaintiffs and more than 330 lawyers in France’s biggest-ever trial.
Russia's rising young Communists pose an unexpected new threat to Putin’s grip
(Washington Post) A candidate for the Communist Party in Russia's parliamentary elections, Mikhail Lobanov, went overnight from being an obscure university math lecturer to being the new face of a rising threat to the Kremlin. He nearly derailed a high-profile, pro-Putin candidate in southwest Moscow in last month’s voting. Then Lobanov claimed his victory was stolen by authorities via an opaque new system of online voting. Russia’s Communist Party has long been known for its compliance, never threatening the Kremlin, in return for state funding and perks. But some young communists and leftist allies did not get that memo. They are starting to behave like a genuine opposition. With a generation of elders fading, a new cohort of outspoken, social-media savvy communists is rising. They don’t wave red flags or speak in stale ideological jargon; they take issue with Putin’s regime over corruption and poverty. “This is one of the really powerful tectonic plates in Russian politics that is beginning to shift,” said London-based analyst Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies at University College London.
Russian film crew in orbit to make first movie in space
(AP) A Russian actor and a film director rocketed to space Tuesday on a mission to make the world’s first movie in orbit, a project the Kremlin said will help burnish the nation’s space glory. Actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko blasted off for the International Space Station in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft together with cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, a veteran of three space missions. Their Soyuz MS-19 arrived at the station after about 3½ hours. Peresild and Klimenko are to film segments of a new movie titled “Challenge,” in which a surgeon played by Peresild rushes to the space station to save a crew member who needs an urgent operation in orbit. After 12 days on the space outpost, they are set to return to Earth with another Russian cosmonaut.
Philippines: Son of Ferdinand Marcos to run for president
(BBC) The son of the Philippines’ former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, has announced that he will run for president in next year’s election. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, popularly known as Bongbong, announced his candidacy in a video post on Facebook. The 64-year-old, who is an ally of current President Rodrigo Duterte, pledged to bring “unifying leadership” to the country. His father ruled the Philippines for 20 years until he was overthrown in 1986.
For Sale Now: U.S.-Supplied Weapons in Afghan Gun Shops
(NYT) In the chaos of the American military withdrawal and the Taliban takeover this summer, thousands of American-made weapons and tons of military equipment were seized by the militants as government military bases surrendered or were overrun. With the Taliban in power, more American weapons and military accessories are now being openly sold in shops by Afghan gun dealers who paid government soldiers and Taliban fighters for guns, ammunition and other matériel, according to weapons dealers in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. In interviews, three weapons dealers in Kandahar said that dozens of Afghans have set up weapons shops in Afghanistan’s south, selling American-made pistols, rifles, grenades, binoculars and night-vision goggles. The equipment was originally provided to the Afghan security forces under a U.S. training and assistance program that cost American taxpayers more than $83 billion through two decades of war. The gun merchants say that many gun dealers have smuggled the weapons to Pakistan, where demand for American-made weapons is strong.
As Lebanese got poorer, politicians stowed wealth abroad
(AP) A trove of leaked documents confirmed that for years, Lebanon’s politicians and bankers have stowed wealth in offshore tax havens and used it to buy expensive properties—a galling revelation for masses of newly impoverished Lebanese caught in one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns in decades. Some of the newly outed holders of offshore accounts belong to the same ruling elite that is being blamed for the collapse and for derailing the lives of ordinary Lebanese who have lost access to savings and now struggle to get fuel, electricity and medicine. Bold-faced names in the leaked documents include the longtime central bank governor, a pivotal figure in the failed policies that helped trigger the financial crisis, as well as Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his predecessor. The papers show how members of the political class were sending wealth abroad for years, even as they urged people to deposit money in Lebanon’s banks, assuring them that it was safe, said Alia Ibrahim, a Lebanese journalist.
In brazen attack by settlers, Palestinians see larger threat
(AP) Dozens of Jewish settlers swept down from the dusty hills, hurling rocks at a small Palestinian village in broad daylight, smashing windows, cars and water cisterns as families hid inside their homes and Israeli soldiers looked on. Palestinians in this rural part of the occupied West Bank say last week’s attack was especially violent but not unusual. They view it as part of a much larger effort by Israel to force them off their land, including by cutting off vital water resources in a parched region. Days after the attack—in which a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck in the head by a stone as his family hid inside their home—residents of the village of Al-Mufagara surveyed the damage. It included the smashed water cisterns on which the Bedouin community and its livestock rely. The hardscrabble region is in what’s known as Area C, the 60% of the West Bank that is under full Israeli military control. Palestinians say it’s nearly impossible to secure building permits, even for basic infrastructure like water and electricity. The military has designated an area that includes Al-Mufagara as a firing range, making it even harder for residents to remain on the land. Israeli authorities have meanwhile tolerated the construction of two nearby settlement outposts that are illegal even under Israeli law, where those who took part in last Wednesday’s attack are believed to have come from.
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New Post has been published on All about business online
New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2021/06/moderna-plans-to-expand-production-for-covid-19-vaccine-boosters
Moderna Plans to Expand Production for Covid-19 Vaccine Boosters
NORWOOD, Mass.— Moderna Inc. MRNA 4.54% is adding two new production lines at the rebuilt former Polaroid plant where it manufactures its Covid-19 vaccine, part of a push to prepare for making booster shots and the future of the pandemic.
At a site brimming with new steel production tanks and heavy equipment, construction workers in neon safety vests are working to get one new line up and running by fall and the other by early 2022.
The additions will help Moderna increase overall production capacity by 50% at its plant in the Boston suburb of Norwood, company officials said.
Moderna and its manufacturing partners also are expanding production capacity outside the U.S., with a goal to roughly triple the annual global output of Covid-19 vaccine doses to about 3 billion in 2022 from as many as 1 billion this year.
“Our plan and our hope is that, as soon as the U.S. has enough doses, we’re allowed to export so we can help as many countries as we can around the world,” Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said.
Moderna is expanding production capacity at its main plant in Norwood, Mass., by 50% by early 2022.
Analysts expect the company’s Covid-19 vaccine sales will top $17.1 billion this year.
The manufacturing expansion shows that Moderna is making a big bet on an enduring Covid-19 vaccine business as health authorities prepare for life after the pandemic lifts but the virus remains.
Wall Street analysts say sales of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine could stay strong for a couple of years but then drop off. The mean estimates of analysts surveyed by FactSet are that Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine sales will top $17.1 billion this year, dip slightly to $16.8 billion in 2022 and come in at $7.4 billion in 2023.
The flurry of activity, at a site with a soundtrack of heavy equipment and walkie-talkies, is also emblematic of Moderna’s dramatic transformation.
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The decade-old startup had no commercial products and was struggling to persuade many investors that it could make messenger RNA technology work before the coronavirus pandemic hit last year.
Now, it is a major biotechnology industry player as a result of the effective Covid-19 vaccine that it quickly developed last year. Moderna has a market capitalization of $81 billion, up from about $7 billion before the pandemic.
The company has taken over its entire 10-story headquarters building about 15 miles north of Norwood, in Cambridge, Mass., which Moderna previously shared with other tenants.
Companies are working on coronavirus booster shots, as some early studies suggest antibody levels against Covid-19 wane with time, making boosters more necessary. We explore what that means for individual consumers. Illustration: Laura Kammermann/The Wall Street Journal
Also, it has opened offices in other countries including Switzerland, where Moderna works with a contract manufacturer to make doses, plus a back-office support hub in Poland.
“The build has been like nothing I’ve ever experienced, to go as fast as we did,” said Matt Barrows, Moderna’s senior director of manufacturing with more than 20 years of experience in biotech. “The build was the journey and continues to be the journey.”
The expansion hasn’t been without hiccups. Moderna’s initial output was limited, as the company scrambled to build capacity and expertise.
Moderna ripped apart and rebuilt a portion of the Norwood plant and constructed an addition to support large-scale manufacturing of its vaccine.
The company’s goal is to roughly triple its annual global output of vaccine doses to about 3 billion in 2022.
Moderna recently cut supplies to the U.K., Canada and other countries outside the U.S. because a contract manufacturer in Europe underestimated how many workers it needed to hire.
Additional setbacks could keep Moderna from meeting its production goals. Scott Nickerson, head of U.S. manufacturing at Moderna, said the latest challenge is finding enough raw materials used in the production process, especially plastic bags, tubes and filters.
The latest expansion will help Moderna boost its overall supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses to the U.S. and other countries, company officials said.
The company said earlier this week it had agreed to provide the U.S. an additional 200 million doses starting later this year, on top of the 300 million Moderna expects it will have delivered for U.S. use by the end of July.
Outside the U.S., Moderna has supply deals with the European Union and the international Covax initiative to provide doses to low- and middle-income countries.
Mr. Bancel said the company has received inquiries from governments in Asia, Africa and Latin America seeking supplies of Covid-19 vaccines.
The company expects the additional output of doses to include vaccines intended as booster shots that might be needed to prolong immunity and better target new coronavirus variants.
Some of the new supply may also be lower-dose shots intended for young children, if clinical data support their use.
After deciding to pursue a Covid-19 vaccine last year, Moderna quickly made changes to its original manufacturing plant, the former Polaroid plant located in an industrial park south of Boston that the biotech originally opened in 2018.
The company ripped apart and rebuilt a portion of the plant and built an addition to support large-scale manufacturing of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to Mr. Nickerson.
That work yielded the three main production lines that have churned out most of the more than 200 million doses Moderna has delivered for use in the U.S. since regulators authorized its use in December.
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For the expansion, Moderna has already brought in some of the steel tanks, white plastic drums, tubes and other equipment needed for production, waiting for finishing touches and validation.
The company currently makes between 40 million to 50 million doses a month in the U.S., most of which is made at the Norwood plant, but some of which is made at a contractor’s plant in New Hampshire. Moderna declined to break down the production or specify the expected monthly dose output after the expansion.
Across a parking lot from the plant, Moderna has converted a former auto-mechanic school into technology-development laboratories where workers in white lab coats and safety goggles hone manufacturing techniques that can be transferred to the production sites.
Down a path through the woods is an office building, formerly used by employee-benefits consultant Mercer, which Moderna is now converting into quality-control labs and a site for manufacturing doses for clinical testing.
Moderna has been on a hiring spree. Last year, the company added nearly 500 employees, boosting its workforce to 1,300. Mr. Nickerson said it is “in the middle of hiring that many more all over again.”
The new hires are a mix of people with experience in biotech manufacturing as well as fresh college graduates with engineering and chemistry degrees from nearby universities including Northeastern University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mr. Barrows said.
Also to support the expansion, Moderna is firming up relationships with material vendors and manufacturing partners, company officials said.
The company has in recent weeks signed new or expanded contracts with manufacturers including Lonza Ltd. and Samsung Biologics Co. , and raw-material suppliers including Aldevron LLC. which supplies the starter genetic material template for vaccine production.
Moderna is converting another building in Norwood into quality-control labs and a site for manufacturing doses for clinical testing.
Write to Peter Loftus at [email protected]
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