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daddyfuckinlonglegs · 5 years

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I’m catching up, I swear!

I’m behind, but I’m back on the kinktober train. Preston/Sturges for day 7′s Praise Kink. "Nice shootin', Tex!" Nate slapped Preston's shoulder, swinging his rifle to his back, crouching to stuff the raider's few useful possessions into his pack. “Right through the bastard. You're not just a pretty face after all.” Preston rolled his eyes, but he could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. “No sir, not at all. I leave that to those better equipped for the job.” “Nonsense, Garvey. That last place, Tenpines? Gal there at the gate was more than interested. Shame that you're a... confirmed bachelor, and all. She was pretty.” “A what now?” Nate stood up, grinning. “Confirmed bachelor. A man who's not, uh, interested in getting married. For his own reasons. Usually another man.” “Oh.” Preston sighed. “I guess that's...” “Between you and me,” Nate leaned in towards him, “I don't think she was looking to marry you.” Preston laughed, blushing. “Well, with all due respect, sir, one of us has got to keep his pants on.” Nate laughed, and set off down the trail. “You ever let yourself live a little Garvey, you come my way, okay?” Preston shook his head muttering. “I don't think I could keep up with you, even if I was as, uh, motivated, as you are.” Nate shrugged and called over his shoulder. “Suit yourself.”

* The road back to sanctuary was shorter with company, for sure, and with Concord almost picked clean, it wouldn't belong before the town was up and running to rival Diamond City. Sturges was hard at work, slaving over a refrigerator out back of Mama Murphy's place, and he dropped his tools, wiping his hands on his overalls as the two men approached. “Well if it ain't the boys in blue. Brought me anything good?” Preston dropped a duffel bag to the floor, it clanged and rolled to one side, and Nate tossed his pack to Sturges. “Fill your boots, buddy, quite a haul today. Not much left except the roof tiles. Definitely enough to get that water pump up and running again. With power this time.” Nate rolled his shoulders, stretching them out now he was free of his pack. “Your man here sure knows his way around that musket.” Sturges caught Preston's eye, and smiled. “He sure does. Few other things to boot.” Preston looked at the floor, ignoring the comment. Sturges winked, and Nate chuckled and nodded his head towards the rest of the town. “You seen Piper around anywhere? Not to be crude, but I could use a little R&R, and, well, we got some catching up to do.” Sturges smiled broadly and nodded. “Yeah, last I saw her she was hovering around that Vault-Tec guy, mouth going a mile a minute. You'd be doing him a favour if you found her something else to do.” Nate smiled wickedly. “With her mouth? I'm sure I can think of something.” They laughed, and he saluted the two men vigorously, and sauntered away to find Piper. Sturges looked at Preston, raising an eyebrow. “He sure is in a good mood, huh? Almost feel bad for that girl.” Preston nodded, almost rolling his eyes. “He's... he thinks... he's got it into his head that I'm some sort of prude, all because there was a woman in Tenpines Bluff giving me the eye. And I wasn't interested.” Sturges leaned against the wall, close to Preston, dusting off the man's shoulder with one hand. “A prude, huh? And am I to take it you didn't tell him otherwise? You ashamed'a me or somethin'?” Preston shook his head, laying his hand on Sturges' broad waist. “Not at all, babe. It just didn't seem right to... lay it all bare like that, just to get him off my case. He's only teasing.” “Of course he is. I don't think you got anything to worry about with him, Preston. Saw him out back of the bar with that mercenary not two weeks past, and unless “hired gun” meant somethin' else pre-war, they were gettin' a lot closer than what I'd call professional.” Preston hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, you're probably right.” “No probably about it, sugar; he was on his knees in the mud, and that gunner boy ain't exactly quiet.” Preston blushed. “Oh. Well.” Sturges leaned close to his face, sweeping the lieutenant's hat back and drawing his thumb across Preston's cheek. “Can I get a little kiss now, or is that too much to ask?” Preston leaned forward, offering a chaste little peck on the corner of Sturges' mouth. He sighed, looking at Preston through raised eyebrows. Preston smiled and leaned in again, pressing their mouths together firmly, Sturges running a calloused hand around the back of Preston's neck and holding him tight. They pulled apart, and Sturges untucked a rag from his back pocket, wiped a smear of grease from Preston's chin. “See? Once you get past the oil, I ain't that bad.” “No, babe,” Preston shook his head, smiling softly, “you ain't.” * The night rolled in thick and fast, and Sturges curled next to Garvey's warmth, on the sofa inside their little room in the bunkhouse. The town was quiet, the lights out in most houses and the soft puttering of generators and turrets chirped through the air like stiff nocturnal birds. Sturges pushed a hand into the folds of his pocket, pulled out a little scrap of paper, examining it in the lamp light. He tugged a pencil out of the front of his overall and licked the tip, scribbling little check marks against a scrawled list, and Preston leaned his head against the mechanic's shoulder. “You just never rest, do you babe?” Sturges smiled, squeezing Preston close. “Can't, can I? Not when you work so damned hard all the time.” “Not much I can do about that, there's always someone who needs help.” Sturges shifted to face him. “It don't always have to be you that saves 'em, y'know. You ain't hardly around here anymore,” He feigned a little sob, “I been getting real lonely without you. “

Preston chuckled, kissing Sturges on the cheek. “I miss you too, y'know, but we've gotta keep going. The commonwealth isn't gonna fix itself.” Sturges sighed. “You're too damn good for this world.” He settled his hand on Preston's thigh, and let his own knees fall wide apart. “Maybe you could spend a little time fixin' me? I'm getting' kinda tired of being the...” he paused, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, “...the handyman around here. Could use a second pair of hands.” “I can go one better, babe.” Preston laughed, sliding from the sofa, kneeling between Sturges' feet. * Sturges pressed his feet to the cold floor, wrapping his hands behind Preston's head and stroking the back of his neck, as the man pulled his mouth slowly up the length of Sturges' dick, sucking softly around the head and letting it slide from his mouth. Sturges shuddered, and Preston smiled, planting a little kiss on the inside of his thigh, climbing carefully onto his lap. Sturges whispered against his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. “Goddamn it sugar, I'm a lucky man.” He pushed his hips forward, teasing with the head of his dick pressed up against Preston's ass. “And you're the most beautiful thing I ever saw.” Preston blushed, Sturges continued. “Beautiful, and talented, and brave to boot. Where'd I get off, hitting the jackpot huh?” He buried his face in Preston's neck, bright warmth against his lips as Preston blushed harder. “Tell me how pretty you are, sugar, and I'll give it to you.” “Babe, don't make-” “C'mon, I'm asking nicely. Be good for me huh? Tell me how pretty you are.” Preston laughed, shaking his head. “Okay, you think I'm pretty. There, let me have it.” He ground down on Sturges' dick, and the mechanic pulled his hips back. “N'aw, that doesn't count, come on,” he squeezed Preston's hips, “you gotta tell me like you mean it.” Preston rolled his eyes, and shuffled nervously, wrapping his arms around Sturges' neck. “Babe, this isn't fair.” Sturges shook his head. “Just tell me, and it's all yours.” Sturges pushed his hips forward to emphasise the point; Preston leaned his face on Sturges' shoulder, groaning, rocking his hips slowly. “Mmm, okay...” he whispered, “I'm... pretty.” “That's right sugar, now say it again.” His dick was hard against Preston's ass, and his hand stroked slowly along Preston's dick. “I'm... pretty.” he mouthed breathlessly, Sturges' hand rough and tight around his sensitive skin. “Keep goin', baby...” Sturges pushed up into him in a slow, fluid movement, arching his hips off the sofa and closing his eyes for a second. Preston was tight, and Sturges moved slowly. “...you're pretty on top of me.” Preston gasped – this wasn't gonna take long, the hard length of Sturges' cock pushing deep into his ass, the hand wrapped in his hair, the hot flush of embarrassment across his face and chest. “I'm.... pretty, on top of you.” he mumbled. “And you're pretty around my dick.” Preston blushed harder, Sturges found his rhythm, pleasure rolling through them both in a warm wave. “I'm pretty around your dick...” “And you're pretty with it in your mouth.” “I'm pretty with it in my mouth...” “And you're pretty with it in your ass.” “I'm pretty... unh- pretty with it... in... oh go...in my ass.” Sturges hand moved faster around Preston's dick, wet and warm and tugging him firmly, rough fingers tight below the head, and it felt good, oh, so good. His face was warm, and Sturges kissed the redness of his cheeks. “Oh, baby, does it feel good?” Preston nodded, quietly. "You're so pretty when you're blushing.” Preston laughed “Babe, c'mon, give me a break...” “Say it sugar. I wanna hear you say it.” Preston grit his teeth and screwed his eyes shut. “...I'm pretty when I'm blushing.” Sturges kissed him, catching his bottom lip between his teeth and pulling gently, sending nerves sparkling through Preston's body, then pressed his face back to Preston's neck, concentrating on his hips, bucking and thrusting into him, eager and close to the edge. “You're so pretty when you're getting fucked, darlin'.” “I'm pretty when I'm gett- unh, yeah – when I'm getting fucked. Oh, babe, right there!” His hands clasped hard on Sturges shoulders, Preston's guts clenched, the rolling, twitching pleasure in him building to a climax, his ass full and Sturges deep inside him,and his hand felt so, so good, wrapped so tight, and- and- “You gonna come, sugar? You know I like to watch you come for me.” His hips thrust up hard, Preston melting against his hot skin, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Sturges whispered. “You know you're just... so... pretty... when you...” Preston cried out, his orgasm breaking over him, Sturges voice in his ear, warm, white cum spilling across the mechanic's tight, rough hand, and he curled up, knees pressed under Sturges' shoulders. Sturges held him tight, cooing in his ear what a pretty, pretty sight he was, but didn't stop; steady, measure thrusts giving way to hitching, bucking curls of his hips, and Preston's soft, muffled, sounds in his ear, and the sticky, warm wetness of Preston's cum running slowly down onto his dick, and that was it, he slammed up into Preston and came undone, gritting his teeth, eyes closed, holding his breath, letting a little puff of air escape his mouth, holding Preston silently as he filled his ass with cum. He shuddered, and looked at Preston, their eyes meeting, soft and satisfied, still wrapped together. “Dammit, sugar, we don't gotta leave it so long next time.”

#fallout 4 #fo4 #fanfic #preston garvey #sturges #kinktober #Smut Season #I wrote this

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ameadows · 5 years

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June’s Birth Story

Throughout my pregnancy, I was so curious about other people’s birth stories. My brain felt like a sponge and I wanted to absorb as much as I could during those 9 months. I couldn’t stop reading, researching and asking questions. I’m still amazed at how every birth story is uniquely different. I think it contributes to the beauty of motherhood. Every mama has their own distinct style of parenting as well. There is no single, proper way to have a baby or be a mother. While the memory of June’s birth is fresh in my mind, I want to preserve every detail. One day, when my daughter decides to embark on the journey of motherhood, I will be so excited and proud to share this story with her.

June Meadow Stockman

Due June 28, 2019 Arrived July 6, 2019 (41+1) @ 7:44pm 8lbs 20.5 Inches North Florida Regional, Gainesville Fl

I had a great pregnancy and really no complaints. I attributed that to my mindset - pregnancy is such a gift, not a terrible condition. Sure, I was tired some days and wanted to stay in bed, but that wouldn’t feed my soul and make me feel better so I continued to get out of bed and go to work, up until I went into labor.

No words could explain the happiness that would take over on the days when I’d feel her move around inside me. It outweighed the only negative symptom I really had, which was an uncomfortable pain in my upper right rib cage area that would only be relieved if I stretched my hands over my head. I also had all the fun symptoms of morning sickness during the first trimester, but that was easily forgotten about in the weeks to follow.

From about 36-37 weeks on, I ate the 6 dates a day, drank red raspberry leaf tea daily, added Evening Primrose to my vitamin arsenal, hand pumped colostrum daily starting at 40 weeks, made a special visit to the chiropractor at 40+5 and drank a batch of Labor Day Tea on the 4th of July =) I weighed 135 lbs at the beginning of my pregnancy and gained a whopping 40 lbs during the 9 months that followed.

Friday, July 5th, started out as a normal morning for me. I woke up feeling good and decided to spend the morning cleaning our giant sliding glass doors. After lunch, I sat at my desk on my birth ball basically all afternoon. That evening, I started feeling some light cramps and thought that maybe it could be the start of labor. I had been passing a lot of mucus throughout the day. Subliminally, I think I knew that this was definitely early labor but I stayed calm and waited for what was to come.

I had lost my actual mucus plug on my due date, June 28th. I think it was because my doctor had (unknowingly to me) swept my membranes on June 26th. I’m not sure that I would have lost it that early otherwise. At that appointment, I was 1cm dilated and 80% effaced. At my following appointment on July 2nd, I was still only 1cm dilated, 80% effaced and he noted in my chart that the baby was sitting pretty high (-3 I think they called it). He suggested that I be induced with pitocin the following day “because of the size of the baby”. According to him, she would weigh 8lbs 5 ounces. He didn’t think that I could deliver her vaginally and told me that if I waited any longer, I could end up in an emergency c-section situation.

None of that was in my plan. I wanted a natural birth. I wanted to let my body do what it was made to do. It created this child, I knew it had the ability to birth this child too. Against my doctor’s recommendations, I decided to wait. My plan would be to give her until the following week then revisit induction if needed. I knew there were high chances that pitocin could lead to a c-section. While me trying to vaginally deliver could also lead to a c-section. So I chose to take my chances, trust my body and let it work through this naturally.

So back to the night I went into labor...

Around 7:30pm, Nate & I drove to pickup some togo food. General Tso’s Chicken - we never do this but as a kid, Chinese was one of my favorites and I felt like splurging. After we ate dinner, I laid on the couch watching Stranger Things and those cramps I’d been having, evolved into evident contractions by 8pm. They were about 7-10 minutes apart.

After timing a few, I called my Doula (Amy) who was out of town and she confirmed that my labor had definitely started. She told me to try to labor as long as I could at home and to rest if I could, so that is what I did. I don’t think that I actually slept at all but I laid in bed and worked through contractions with my eyes closed until about 3am, when I had a really sharp pain/contraction that made me sit straight up. When I stood up to get out of bed, fluid ran down my leg. It wasn’t much but I know it was my water breaking. I labored in the bathroom for about 45 more minutes then woke Nate up and told him it was time to drive to the hospital. It didn’t even cross my mind to shower and do my hair/makeup so our birth photos are a little rough but that’s the reality of it! The next photo is the last pic of my bump at 5:13am before waking Nate up.

Our hospital was an hour and fifteen minute drive but surprisingly, the trip went smooth and we even stopped for gas on the way. My contractions were now 5-7 minutes apart and I could breath through them with my eyes closed and my mind focused on breathing. I could not talk through them though. We checked into North Florida at 6am and when they checked my cervix, I was 3cm dilated and 100% effaced. They couldn’t believe how thinned out I was. They didn’t think my water had broken, but since I was GBS positive they wanted to go ahead and admit me so they could start two rounds of penicillin.

They admitted me into a L&D room where I continued to labor through the contractions, which were growing more and more intense. Around 11am, I felt strong pressure in my abdomen. I stood up to make a trip to the bathroom and more liquid burst down my leg. They still wouldn’t confirm that it was my water breaking. They said there could have just been a leak in the upper side of my bag of waters but that it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

While walking back from the bathroom, my contractions were so intense, that I could barely walk, let alone talk, think or breath. I couldn’t imagine a pain that was any worse and I couldn’t imagine laboring like this much longer. I wanted to curl up in a ball and just make it all go away. If someone could have punched me and knocked me out, I would have gladly accepted that pain instead. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t relax my body and breath through the contractions. I was so tense. I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t think clearly and it was getting worse and worse as each minute went by. The pain was so intense that I started throwing up. I was hoping this was my “transition”. Looking for some positive news, I had the nurse check me again. I was only 4cm dilated.

It was then that I caved and decided to get the epidural. I didn’t see any other option. This was never my plan but I can honestly say that I did not regret it for a second, even in the moment of asking for it. Without it, I have no idea how I would have made it through. The pain immediately subsided once it was in place but the shaking started. I didn’t mind the shaking at all. It was a fair trade off to me. I couldn’t feel my legs at all for the next 4 hours but I could feel the intense pressure when a contraction came on. The contractions were now a relief to feel because I knew I was getting closer and closer to meeting June. So I labored for the next 4 hours, just breathing and watching the monitors.

They came into check me again around 3:30/4pm. The actual doctor did the check this time. It was my first time meeting him. He said I was 10cm!! Then he followed that with, “Well, maybe only 9.5 but you’re right there girl and 100% effaced, this baby is ready to meet you! Try to get some rest because you’ll be wanting to push soon”. This news totally validated my decision to get the epidural; I was clearly not progressing and the epidural allowed me to relax so that I could progress.

Nate had just left the hospital to get some lunch with my Dad & brother since we figured we had a lot of time to kill and they were starving. They were at Outback when we called and said they needed to come back ASAP!

I labored for another hour and a half until about 5pm when I felt like I was ready to start pushing. Since I was 100% effaced and fully dilated, I thought pushing would be the easy part. I was sooo wrong..pushing was HARD. My stomach kept cramping up with every push. Think of the kind of stomach cramps you’d get while trying to run further than you’ve ever ran in your life.

My contractions were every 2 - 3 minutes now and I pushed for the next 2.5 hours. That’s a lot of contractions and a lot of pushing. My nurse, Ming, was amazing and so positive. They did a shift change at 7pm, during the middle of my pushes so she wasn’t actually there for the birth but the nurse that was, did a great job as well. The second nurse made me switch up my pushing position/technique by giving me the end of a sheet with knots in it. While I pushed, she basically played tug-of war with me to help me deepen my pushes. It really worked and I wish I had tried that sooner! No sooner had the doctor left my room, when they had to tell me to stop and called him back in for June’s arrival!

After the slight switch of positions, I pushed through another 3 or 4 rounds of contractions and little miss June finally enter the world at 7:44pm...at the end of a contraction, what a weird feeling when she finally slid out!

My doctor was totally amazing and brought such a positive energy into the room. My regular OB was out of town, so the “on-call” doctor delivered her and he just might become my regular doctor moving forward. We did immediate skin-on-skin and delayed cord clamping. Hearing her first cries was such an emotional moment that I’ll never forget. She was perfect and I was so thankful to have a healthy baby. I’ve left out the photos of me ugly crying when I first held her but trust me, it happened and was such an incredible feeling.

I ended up with a second degree tear but my doctor reassured me that it wasn’t bad at all. I think this happened because I was really pushing extra hard when he re-entered the room. I wanted him to stay, I wanted it to be the big moment already. I was pushing so hard that I started throwing up during pushing. That doctor’s shift ended at 8pm and I really wanted him to deliver her. My eyes were fixated on the clock.

Afterwards, I didn’t need to use pain medication and I really didn’t feel any strong pain ‘down there‘ afterwards. I just felt sore and stiff. I didn’t have to use the ice packs or numbing sprays. I actually packed up all my war supplies and donated it to a local women’s shelter. What a rewarding feeling! I was able to donate all of the free formula I’d received from formula companies, unused postpartum supplies (sitz bath, dermasol spray, ice packs, diapers, pads, creams) and extra gifted baby blankets.

Now at 3 weeks postpartum, all bleeding has stopped and I feel like I can return to all my normal activities. My weight has gone down to 147 on it’s own so that leaves me with 12 lbs still to lose.

Even though my birth experience didn’t happen as naturally as I’d envisioned it, I wouldn’t change a thing. If there is a second child in our future, I will still try to delivery naturally but I will be better mentally prepared. I didn’t realize how important the mental aspect was. My body was physically prepared but my mind was not in the right place. You wouldn’t think that matters as much as it does but now, after experiencing birth, I think your mindset controls 100% of the outcome. You need to be totally focused. No distractions or outside pressures. You have to practice breathing (I did not..I mean, how hard could freaking breathing in and out be, right?!). Practice your mantra. Repeat your birth plan over and over, out-loud and in your head. Practice breathing some more. Create a calming environment to birth in. Physically practice your various birth positions. Then practice breathing some MORE. Go above and beyond to do all of those things daily just like you would eat your dates, drink your tea and go for walks. It’s JUST as important, I promise. But most of all, savor it. Savor pregnancy, labor and being a mama. Cherish these memories because in the end they are all we have! My heart and soul feel more full than they ever have in my 30 years of existence. June Bug is the best and hardest job I’ve ever had <3

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highbuttonsports · 3 years

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THIS WEEK IN JETS HOCKEY….

Every Thursday at The High Button, we explore the events and stories of the Winnipeg Jets on and off the ice! This week, the Jets get into the win column three times, another stellar performance from Laurent Brossoit, some new look lines and pairings, and more:

GAMES SINCE LAST THURSDAY IN THIRTY SECONDS:

Thursday February 25th: Winnipeg wins 6-3 at home over the Canadiens. Dominique Ducharme made his NHL head coaching debut for the Montreal Canadiens, and it got off to a great start with a pair of goals in the first period from former Jet forward Joel Armia. However, in the second period, the Canadiens’ let the Jets take over the game. Winnipeg had three in the 2nd and 3rd periods each, including a three-point night from captain Blake Wheeler. The Jets outshot the Habs 30-21 overall and 21-19 at 5-on-5. Overall, this was somewhat of a timid performance by the Habs. The Jets are very much like an unstoppable force once they take hold of the momentum of a game, and that was very obvious in this win. JETS PLAYER OF THE GAME: Credit where credit is due, Blake Wheeler with a goal and two assists. The captain was great.

Saturday February 27th: Winnipeg wins 2-1 at home in OVERTIME over the Canadiens. Good evening, Mr. Hellebuyck! The Canadiens outshot the Jets 36-14 (!!!) at 5-on-5, 41-21 overall, with just a 29% xGF share for the Jets. The explanation? The Canadiens were a lot more organized and careful in the neutral zone when they had possession of the puck, and we able to maintain their possessions and limit what they gave the Jets. Having said that, careful doesn’t always translate to offence. Despite the xGF disparity, the high danger scoring chances were just 12-8 for Montreal. Of those 41 shots, the Jets played organized defence and we able to limit what the Canadiens got. In short, this was one of those games that was deceiving by the numbers. Nikolaj Ehlers scored on the power play in the second period to break the ice. Additionally, Paul Stastny had the overtime winner from Ehlers and Connor. That’s right, three forwards in overtime. More on that later. JETS PLAYER OF THE GAME: Nikolaj Ehlers was able to generate some offence in a game without it, with his eleventh of the season plus an assist.

Monday March 1st: The Canucks blank the Jets 4-0 at home. The Jets were shutout at Bell MTS Place for the first time since January 12th 2020. Credit that to a very poor start. The Canucks took a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. However, that was perhaps a product of the first period lead for Vancouver. Nate Schmidt, JT Miller, and Nils Hoglander all scored in the first period for the Canucks. Following that period, the Canucks managed just six shots on net over the next forty minutes. This was particularly frustrating given the fact the Jets had the puck for most of the final 40 minutes of this game. It was one of those nights where they skated well, but weren’t particularly dangerous either. I would think there will be moments from this game referenced by the Jets video coach Matt Prefontaine in the event of a similar game down the stretch. JETS PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kyle Connor had some good chances, and skated well, even if his stat-line is nothing more than minus-one and seven shots over 15:42 of ice-time.

Tuesday March 2nd: The Jets get revenge from the night before with a 5-2 win over the Canucks. Laurent Brossoit got the start on the second half of a back-to-back to give Hellebuyck some rest. On reverse retro night, Brossoit was looking fantastic in his new kit.

https://twitter.com/NHLJets/status/1366955834866024448?s=20

Look good feel good, ya know? Brossoit made 31 saves on 33 shots, and continued his strong season of relief. More on Brossoit later.

The Jets were much better on Tuesday night than during their 4-0 loss the night prior. The Jets outshot the Canucks 35-26 at 5-on-5, 39-33 overall, and had an 62.27% xGF share. If you’re a Jets fan and you didn’t watch the game, this was genuinely one of the Jets’ strongest performances of the season. They steadily generated offense, looked dialled in defensively, and executed their game-plan of controlling possession pretty consistently with few breakdowns. This is a super positive note given the Jets upcoming schedule on the road. JETS PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mason Appleton. Despite just the one goal in a night where teammates had multi-point nights, it was an important one as it seemed to set the tone for the game. He was stout defensively, and is growing more and more important for this team.

ABANDON ALL DEFENSEMEN IN OVERTIME

Paul Maurice has shown a commitment in his two latest overtime opportunities to throw three forwards over the wall in lieu of a defensemen in overtime, and it has paid off immediately. The Jets have won their last two overtime games on the first shift, and this approach has gained attention around the league. TSN’s Ray Ferraro tweeted after Saturday’s game before mentioning it on his podcast this week:

https://twitter.com/rayferrarotsn/status/1365901309186957313?s=20

This approach may not work for all NHL teams, and while I do expect there to be some copycat attempts in the near future, the Jets are one of those teams that have long been built for this strategy. The Jets have a top-six forward group (or eight or nine really) that rival most of the best teams in the league. Given that they carry momentum when they have it like a full-steam freight train, it makes sense to try and strike while the iron is hot. This is something to keep an eye on, both for the Jets and around the NHL. I am particularly curious if another team tries it against Winnipeg, and if so, I feel like that might be the Leafs this coming week.

THE GOALTENDING PLAN

I grew up cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so I need to make myself very clear right from the get-go on this one: there is by no means a goaltending controversy in Winnipeg. Hellebuyck is the guy. That’s his net. However, there is an obvious conversation to have here. In the month of March, the Winnipeg Jets play seventeen games in thirty one days. Of those seventeen games, they have three back-to-back situations. This guarantee’s backup Laurent Brossoit at least three games if he is healthy and ready to go. Having said that, even with a bonafide number one, it is a good idea to give the guy an extra day off here and there. This is worth serious consideration for the Jets.

Since the start of 2016-17, Frederik Andersen is the only goaltender that has spent more time in net in the NHL than Connor Hellebuyck. While this is for good reason, the Jets have an opportunity to work in Brossoit an extra game or two this month. It is only natural for the physical toll to take effect. Of these fifteen remaining games this month, I’d like to see Brossoit in at least five of them. Hellebuyck will likely get the go in all three games next week as the Jets attempt to chase down the Leafs for top spot in the Scotia North. Aside from that, I think it’s a good idea to start Brossoit this Saturday against Montreal in order for Hellebuyck to be rested from next week, and resume the plan of rest the following week.

Do I think the Jets will do this? Perhaps not extra the way I’d map it out. However, I think it’s likely that Brossoit gets into a couple extra starts this month.

- Tyler

#nhl jets #nhl #hockey #nhl news #winnipeg #winnipeg jets

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kayla-turpin · 4 years

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My Favourite Articles of 2019

Normally, I try to post this as the year is careening to the end, but 2019 was a bit different and I am posting this a month late. I started 2019 with the New Years Resolution to read an article a day. Part of the motivation was to break the habit of mindlessly scrolling Reddit right before bed and be more intentional with my reading habits. The other part was just to see if I could stick to a daily habit. It seemed low-stakes - I already enjoy consuming stories in the longform format and I knew it would take up a marginal slice of time in my day.I didn’t set out with any specific rules, but some did form as the year progressed:

I did not need to limit myself to articles that came out this year - I could delve into the archives and find articles that peaked my interest depending on the mood I was in.

Articles should generally be considered journalistic in nature, but there was no particular length. I generally tried to aim for anything over 10 minutes. I would say the average read time was about 20-25 minutes.

I could read at any point of the day. I occasionally read in the morning, but I would say 90% of the time I read at night.

For tracking purposes, I would use Pocket. As a result, most printed articles went unread.

I am happy to report that I read. I read every single day. Some days were harder than others: I definitely remember one night coming home from the bar and trying to focus on a Zadie Smith article about Graham Greene while the ceiling started to spin. Or moving into my new home and squinting into the light of my phone on a mattress on the floor, no internet and surrounded by towers of boxes. I read quietly to myself the evening follow my uncle’s funeral. I read surrounded by sleeping colleagues after a night out in Denver. I read in coffee shops, on planes, next to the river, on long car rides, on my sister’s pull-out, but mostly from my bed. I read for days on multiple subjects, largely determined by whatever rabbit hole I had fallen into - Chernobyl, MH370, Dirty John, adult friendships, self-help columns, spooky houses, and wacky science discoveries. I read a lot of true crime. I would sometimes take the opportunity to stay abreast on current events.

This goal itself wasn’t revolutionary or life-changing - but I am mostly proud of the fact that I was able to maintain the discipline to do it every day. This year, I am going to maintain the same trajectory but shift over to books with 1-2 days of dedicated time for longform.

Anyway, without further ado, here are some articles I loved* this year!

10. I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on AirBnB - Allie Conti (Vice)

I would be remiss if I didn’t include this article for the sole reason that my colleagues and I were scammed by the same scam! Not entirely, since we SSDGS (stayed sexy and didn’t get scammed), but we initially booked with the exact same fake listing.

The bad news, which went unstated, was that I had unknowingly stumbled into a nationwide web of deception that appeared to span eight cities and nearly 100 property listings—an undetected scam created by some person or organization that had figured out just how easy it is to exploit Airbnb’s poorly written rules in order to collect thousands of dollars through phony listings, fake reviews, and, when necessary, intimidation.

9. The Tinder Swindler - Natalie Remøe Hansen, Kristoffer Kumar, Erlend Ofte Arntsen (VG)

The UX design of longform articles has vastly improved and this article takes full of advantage – I’d suggest reading it for the interactivity alone. Also, I am already sensing a rhythm to this list, one of true crime and elaborate schemes and unsuspecting rubes.

8. Worked at Vice Then Went to Jail - Kate Knibbs (The Ringer)

This article is scattered with a bunch of ‘six degrees of separation’ vibes from people quoted in the article to the geographical snapshot of the Vice office and the borders of Liberty Village and Parkdale. It’s weird thinking that this story was developing blocks away from where I was binge-watching Scandal and eating muffins from The Abbott.

Slava says he wound up in touch with people who were in touch with people who, somewhere along the line, ran a transnational drug trafficking ring organized enough to move humans who smuggled millions of dollars’ worth of product around the globe because he was sick of writing about Canadian music. “I really exhausted the pipeline of potential content,” he said. He’d noticed other writers in the Canadian office get praised for daring reporting, particularly one coworker who’d managed to get a source within ISIS. Pivoting to crime writing sounded exciting.”

7. The Fisherman’s Secret - Giuseppe Pennisi (San Francisco Chronicle)

The deep sea is deeply fa-sea-nating. Ok, that was nau-sea-ating. Ok, I’ll stop. In any case, this article reads like a contemporary treasure hunt. Did you know you like learning about maritime law?

Well, you do now.Joe was about to learn this for himself. It was the biggest secret he had ever needed to keep. So big that he was compelled to just blurt it out. So big it could put his family in danger. And it felt like destiny. He’d come to know it only because of the particular way he fished, the same way his father had, and his grandfather — trawling the ocean floor.He had spent his life on the water, yet when it came to treasure, he was a rank amateur. But he knew something the experts didn’t.Joe knew, within a tiny circle of the Pacific, where a treasure might be.

6. What Really Happened to Malaysia’s Missing Airplane - William Langeweische (The Atlantic)

We will likely never know the answer to this – but this theoretical account, at least, feels close to the truth.

Eleven minutes later, as the airplane closed in on a waypoint near the start of Vietnamese air-traffic jurisdiction, the controller at Kuala Lumpur Center radioed, “Malaysian three-seven-zero, contact Ho Chi Minh one-two-zero-decimal-nine. Good night.” Zaharie answered, “Good night. Malaysian three-seven-zero.” He did not read back the frequency, as he should have, but otherwise the transmission sounded normal. It was the last the world heard from MH370. The pilots never checked in with Ho Chi Minh or answered any of the subsequent attempts to raise them.

5. The Strange Life and Mysterious Death of a Virtuoso Coder - Brendan I. Koener (Wired)

Despite the tragic turn-of-events elucidated in the title, the article is an interesting foray into the life of an enigmatic individual with a raw talent in a language I know little about (despite operating professionally in tech space).

There were occasions, however, when Haas would temporarily shake off the druggy haze and dazzle with his brilliance. Mark Yannitell recalls that Haas figured out how to dramatically improve an open source video encoder so that it could crunch multimegabyte files in a matter of minutes rather than hours. Yannitell urged his friend to capitalize on his achievement, but Haas hemmed and hawed before dropping the project altogether.“He was like Cypher from The Matrix—y'know, ‘You see code, but I see brunettes and redheads,’ ” Yannitell says. “But when he reached that genius moment, when he was on the cusp of some big idea that could maybe change the world, he got nervous.”

4. The Most Gullible Man in Cambridge - Kera Bolonik (The Cut)

I guffawed all the way through this article. Be sure to read the follow-up, because the ride doesn’t stop.

That could help explain why warning signs that might have been obvious to many managed to elude a man who teaches a Harvard Law class on “Judgment and Decision-Making,” which analyzes those elements of human nature that allow us to delude ourselves and make terrible decisions. “Of course, now I feel slightly ridiculous teaching it,” Hay told me, “given how easily I let myself be taken advantage of.”

3. The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence - Ezra Marcus (The Cut)

Another unbelievable story that operates in the shadow of the ivory tower. This story is unsettling, with elements of Dirty John in the methodically-manipulative-yet-charsmatic nature of Larry Ray, the father of one of the students living in the dorm.

Larry’s core program of personal transformation happened on nights they stayed in. After a late dinner, everyone would gather in the living room for a marathon discussion in which the group interrogated one person about anything and everything. Usually, the person being questioned had landed in the hot seat because he or she had done something Larry didn’t like. Trivial mistakes, such as scratching a pan or breaking a plate, were considered intentional manifestations of childhood trauma. The group session’s purpose, Larry explained, was to reveal deep personal truths.

2. Chaos at the Top of the World - Joshua Hammer (GQ)

There will always be places on this earth, especially spaces that push the boundaries of the extreme, that will always have a magical quality. The deep recesses of the ocean, the cusp of the Kármán line, the long stretch of polar landscape. Stories of Everest are no exception, as they always feel heroic and adventurous. This article examines the ever-growing popularity and the danger that ensues.

He swiftly identified the problem: a woman in a red climbing suit adorned with the emblems of a Chinese mountaineering group perched just before the drop-off, unwilling to go forward. The woman's two Sherpa guides were firmly encouraging her to descend the ladder, but she remained paralyzed in apparent fear. For those in the logjam behind her, there was no going around. Everybody was stuck, freezing in the storm.

1. Gimme Shelter - Wes Enzinna (Harper’s)

It goes without saying as I listed it as #1, but this was my favourite read by a long-shot. Longform journalism can be riveting due to the subject matter alone, but can also be so well-written that even describing the confines of a small shack in an unremarkable backyard in Oakland can make your chest feel heavy. This article contained an unexpected callback – I happened to read an article that was tangentially related a couple of years ago that filled in some of the colour. I recommend starting there.

It rained. First for days, then for weeks. The yard filled up with a quarter foot of water, as if somewhere a levee had collapsed, and the heads of coyote mint and monkey flower became lily pads. At night, ghosts of mist rose from the pools, and inside my shack I could see my breath, even with my space heater turned to ten. The power flickered. To use the toilet or kitchen in Erik’s house I dashed through the mud, high-stepping, and returned to the shack soaked and shivering. There was nowhere to sit or lie other than my mattress, so I spent most nights pupated in my sleeping bag, the zipper under my chin, the space heater tucked under the covers with me as I watched the rain fall outside and the waterline creep slowly up the walls.

Honourable mentions

(*I kept the Top 10 list to strictly articles from 2019, but here’s some highlights from the temporal smorgasbord of content available)

Made me feel a little homesick for the streets of Toronto: The Woman Who Built Queen West

If you want to ball your eyes out: The Unthinkable Has Happened

Friends writing and doing cool things: Wonders and Wanders Along The Way

2 Spooky 4 U (Ghost edition): The Murder House

2 Spooky 4 U (Stalker edition): The Watcher

Calling Keith Morrison to come narrate this story immediately: The Body in Room 348

Fitbits aren’t just counting steps anymore: A Brutal Murder, a Wearable Witness, and an Unlikely Suspect

Never forget: When P!nk was Black

If you could get ASMR from reading words: David Chang’s Unified Theory of Deliciousness

Be still, my 1999 tween heart: ‘Cruel Intentions’ Oral History

I am actually obsessed with him, tho: Why Million of People Watch This Youtube Eat 50-year old Rations

A new (laughable) spin on remote work: My Life As a Robot

When music literally soundtracks important moments in your life: The Christmas Tape

The other side of that Aziz Ansari story: The Rise and Fall of Babe.net

Some expert level trolling: I Made My Shed the Top-Rated Restaurant on Trip Advisor

My dirty secret is my love for influencer drama: I Was Caroline Calloway

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