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blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years

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Anonymous asked: I love your book reviews under the banner ‘Treat Your S(h)elf’ - nice play on words. You have such a wide and cultured range of interests that I really learn something new. Do you read poetry? What are your favourite poets? What are you currently reading?

I love reading poetry because as the poet Robert Frost put it succinctly, “Poetry is when emotion has found its thought, and thought has found words”.

Poets are before anything else in the words of W.H. Auden, “a person who is madly in love with language” and language is the bedrock of any culture and society and ultimately civilisation. When you truly think about it, poetry is meaningless when it has been left to gather dust on a piece of paper. It is simply a memory of an idea conjured up by a writer with something to say. Poetry must be read, it needs to be experienced because it keeps these ideas burning. These meaningful concepts about the nature of life, death and everything. Every time a person reads a poem, a new bright spark emerges in that person’s head. A new way of thinking, a new way of understanding. That is exactly why poetry must be read because it is the essence of our language.

The reasons I personally read poetry, you ask? Here are some reasons I can think of from the top of my head others are too personal to reveal:

I read poetry because poetry is thoughts that breathe and words that burn. And I read poetry because it is what happens when my mind stops working , and for a moment, all I do is feel. This is good therapy for me as I’m not the most openly emotional or prone to displays of emotion in public. It’s just not how I was built. Poetry helps one to feel. So some poems remain so close to my heart.

I remember when I was about to go on my first tour to Afghanistan I was quite calm and cold blooded because that was and is my nature. My father - who served with distinction in uniform like his father and grand father, and great-grandfather before him - was always proud and supportive of me being the black sheep of the family as the only girl in our family going through Sandhurst and now I was off to the last embers of a war in Afghanistan that everyone had forgotten about. He was concerned - like the rest of my family - like any loving parent about what might happen. But he didn’t question my professionalism or my abilities so he didn’t give me that lecture instead he thrust in my hand both classical literature (Thucydides and Homer in particular) and the works of selected poets. He told me poetry will save your life. He wasn’t anxious about my physical safety he was thinking about my soul. For what happens during war and what comes after if and when I come home. Long story short: poetry saved my life.

By nature I am restless to an incredible annoying degree. I fear being bored. I find it hard to sit and be idle. Poetry is my balm for boredom.

I am incredibly busy and I work punishing long hours. Time is premium. People make demands on me and my time. Poems are like super-condensed stories, and are therefore usually short enough to be read over your morning tea/coffee. In this fast-paced world we live in, sometimes poems are a better alternative to reading fully-fledged novels, or even short stories and poetry gives you the chance to continue to expand your literary horizons even during the busiest times in your life. And becoming more widely read is an incredible way to ensure you are continuously growing, and learning, while becoming a more cultured individual at the same time. There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you and when I read some of those beautiful pieces of poetry by my favourite poets it's like the paper is filled with the breathings of my heart.

The most frightening thing is people I know stop growing culturally after they leave university and get on with the business of life i.e. careers, marriage and family. Once on that treadmill they don’t or can’t stop. They are unable to step off and take a breath. Poetry gives you a breather and helps you to re-centre your priorities. The more you read poetry, the greater your quest for knowledge awakens. Doorways will open inside your mind and unlock your hidden potential for a greater understanding of life. Anyone who reads poetry often can connect with this conclusive sentence formation that defines your very questionable outlook on life.

I also believe poetry allows us to be less rigid in our thinking with an authentic, personal touch. When I read poems, nothing is often straightforward. Every poem has a meaning hiding under it, but it is blocked by a myriad of literary devices such as metaphors and symbolism. It is important to be able to think more figuratively because it allows you to understand ideas and perspectives in a more abstract and possibly more meaningful way. Sometimes I find that having a single page of beautifully crafted words can be enough of a distraction to spark a sudden creative leap in my brain. There have been many times where I've miraculously thought of ways to solve a problem (big or small) purely because reading poetry forced me to think differently from the usual day-to-day thoughts required for general life.

Poetry is best read when you’re hidden from the outside world, in a quiet little spot, somewhere away from all the hustle and bustle. It is increasingly hard to do just that. I have so many demands on my time and limited space but I force myself to carve out the time and space to do this - one must try. As a rule I switch off all social media (not that I have many to begin with but most definitely my phone). The best time for me to carve out time is when I’m traveling as I’m able to shut out everything around me. Usually when I’m waiting for a flight in the business class departure lounge it’s quiet and not too many people to distract me and there is usually a delay to the flight. When I check into a hotel I feel a disconnect to the world around me. I feel like an alien. Poetry helps me to connect again. Poetry calms and focuses the mind. With poetry I can almost reset my day because it’s not just a time zone I have to get used to but also a state of mind - and especially if I find myself being unproductive too!

I often escape Paris and go into the countryside. I love going on walks, hikes, mountaineering, and other outdoor pursuits. It allows me the space and time to read poetry and reflect in peace. And of course I snatch time before I go to sleep to read a poem if I am not too tired.

The point is that I need the head space to absorb the poem and take some time to work out the meaning of the full entity. I try not swallow a whole book in one sitting, instead I read a few poems and leave the book until the next day or a few days depending on my schedule. Sometimes, you can read a poem again and you will find other meanings or pick up on information that you couldn’t see before. That’s poetry, you create the film, journey or picture inside your mind from reading the words on the page.

As for my favourite poets this is of course is a very personal choice. I didn’t read English at university but rather my academic interests were Classics and History, so I profess a very paltry poetic palate. Still, I’m grateful to those friends more versed than I to point me to other poets. So I do my best to keep an open mind and try and read poetry recommended by others or some thing that captures my eye when I browse through book stores or read it as a passing reference in a book I am reading.

Different poets and poems are discovered at one stage of life and where I happened to live in the world and only take on another meaning when re-read them at another stage. So I tend to re-visit poets I used to read as a teen and then see how it resonates now.

The majority of my poetic readings are in my native English and Norwegian languages but because I have varying degrees of fluency in other languages (because I grew up there for instance) I love widening my poetic palate. One of my regrets is not knowing Japanese and Chinese to a sufficient degree to really read poetry in those languages even if I have basic fluency in literature and everyday conversation. So reading Ezra Pound is one way in English to appreciate these Eastern poetic influences. I’m also ashamed to admit that I only know a woeful smattering of words in Scotiish Gaelic - my Anglo-Scots father knows it fairly well but even he struggles - and really I must find time in the future to learn more of it because it’s such a fascinating language (not least because it’s also dying out and that is tragic).

So below is an eclectic and random list from the top of my head and in no real order of preference:

• Homer (Greek) • Sappho (Greek) • Rumi (Farsi) • Mirza Ghalib (Urdu and Farsi) • John Milton • John Donne • William Shakespeare • Dante (Italian) • Robert Burns • William Wordsworth • Samuel Taylor Coleridge • William Blake • John Keats • Emily Dickinson • Christina Rosetti • Gerald Manley Hopkins • Walt Whitman • Oscar Wilde • W.B. Yeats • Rudyard Kipling • Wilfred Owen • Alfred Tennyson • Rainer Maria Rilke (German) • Cavafy (Greek) • T.S. Eliot • Hilda Doolittle • Marianne Moore • Sylvia Plath • W. H. Auden • Olaf H. Hauge (Norwegian) • Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (Norwegian) • Aslaug Vaa (Norwegian) • Rolf Jacobsen (Norwegian) • Sarojini Naidu (Hindi) • Gulzar (Hindi)

Living in Paris I tend to read more French poetry these days. By osmosis it helps me appreciate the French language and French culture even more.

• Charles Baudelaire. • Paul Verlaine • Jacques Prévert • Arthur Rimbaud • Alphonse de Lamartine • Alfred de Musset • Paul Valéry • Paul Eluard • Jean Genet • Françoise Villon

Poetry is an art that combines the essence of life through the fabrication of reality. Poets challenge and nourish me with their wisdom, philosophy, love and journeys beyond what used to be the limits of my own creative imagination. They push my boundaries ever so more. In doing so they grow my mind for understanding, my heart for empathy, and my soul for wisdom. It would hard to disagree with Robert Frost who sums up what poetry means to me, “a poem begins in delight, and ends in Wisdom”.

Thanks for your question

#ask #question #books #treat your s(h)elf #review #poems #poetry #personal #bio

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dellikay · 3 years

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The Arnold Chiari blogs: The hospital stay & recuperation

All in all, my stay at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham lasted for ten days. During that time, so much happened that it would take me many days to write about it all, so I’ll just pick out the most important parts of my stay. Got to the hospital and was checked in early evening. I’d just missed dinner, but they managed to find a meal for me. However, as soon as I was in my room (a small observation room off the main ward), I burst into tears and basically didn’t stop for the entire night. I could barely eat due to crying so hard. I was absolutely petrified. I had to sign permission forms basically saying that if I died, I would acknowledge that the hospital had done all that they could to preserve my life and that my family wouldn’t press charges and stuff like that...truly terrifying stuff for an 18 year old to have to read & consent to...When my parents had to leave, I cried even harder again. My surgery was scheduled for very early morning (5am or thereabouts)...I didn’t sleep the entire night, cried a load more and just watched the clock constantly. Whilst I was waiting to go into the operating theatre, I have honestly never been so scared in my life before or since. My whole body was quaking with fear, I was crying (still) and all around me were people with brain conditions needing surgery. Some were unconscious, some were sat up with metal nodes protruding from their shaved heads...I felt like I was in some kind of horror movie and that I would end up like one of them. The constant cloying smell of disinfectant made me hyperventilate & the clinical whiteness everywhere was unsettling. https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-chiari-surgery.htm The decompression surgery took about two hours & after being put under, the next thing I remember is someone calling my name far, far away, in the distance. Suddenly, the world appeared around me again all at once: colours were blindingly bright, noises were near-deafening & the trolley I was on was being pushed through double doors into the recovery suite. I couldn’t breathe & started gasping for air so I had an oxygen mask put on me. Once they had stabilised me, apparently, I was very funny whilst doped up on morphine. I vaguely remember some of it - I was babbling at a million miles an hour, I kept thanking everyone because I was so grateful to be alive, having been convinced that I was going to die on the operating table or something like that and I kept making everyone laugh because I was just so joyous and hyper. After an hour or two, I was taken back up to the ward & put in the observation room again. I was allowed to give myself morphine as I saw fit to manage the pain. However, this had to be stopped at one point because my breathing had become too slow & shallow so I was put on tramadol instead. Regrettably, I suffered an allergic reaction to it & was in absolute agony & panic for hours on end until it had left my system. In the end, less than three days after major brain surgery, I was on Paracetamol to manage the pain. A few days later, my brain surgeon came to visit me on the ward. He was still concerned that the pressure on my brain was too high from the hydrocephalus I was also suffering from, so wanted to do a lumbar puncture to gauge the pressure still there. If it was still too high, he wanted to place a shunt in my brain, to drain the excess fluid from my head into my stomach. This, of course, absolutely terrified me all over again because I thought I’d been through the most difficult part and was home free, basically. So, I agreed to the lumbar puncture and had it that afternoon. Unfortunately, during the procedure, the person performing it hit a nerve in my spinal cord & I have suffered with back pain/problems ever since. However, I figured that it was a small price to pay for basically having my life saved. After I had had time to recover, I was taken down for an MRI to look at how things were progressing too. Results came back and I was borderline on the brain fluid front. Levels and pressure were still too high for my surgeon’s liking, but when he saw how distressed I was and how traumatising the whole experience was proving to be for me, he decided to send me home instead, on the proviso that I would contact him the very second that I had any problems or worries about my brain. ------- I can’t remember how long recuperation at home took, but I remember that for the first month at least, I was horizontal most of the time, my neck cracked loudly every time I lifted my head and I kept being paranoid that everything was going to fall out of the back of my head. Lol. I do know that during that time, I managed to complete Final Fantasy 9 and Space Channel 5 2 for the first time. :) I was very frightened that after the worst of the pain from the operation had disappeared, the headaches would return as they were prior to being in hospital. I had to more or less teach myself how to walk again and learn how to regulate my balance. As my surgeon explained it to me, basically, all of the nerves in my body had been reset and I needed to use them and test them out to activate them again. Before I even got into hospital, the surgeon had underlined to me that he couldn’t promise a miracle and that the best outcome I should be looking at would be to be the exact same as I was before surgery, but that I wouldn’t get any worse. However, I exceeded expectations...I improved significantly afterwards...the headaches disappeared, my balance improved and I was able to gain weight again. Of course, I do have some deficits that have not improved since the surgery, but I will detail these in my final Chiari Blog post. However, from the outside, 95% of the time, you would not be able to tell there was something wrong inside of me & for that, I am eternally grateful. Alongside the suffering that my brain and body were going through internally from the ACM, the stigma that was directed at me due how I was prior to surgery was incredibly upsetting and at times, I felt like a leper that people crossed over to the other side of the street to avoid. To have my dignity restored to me and to give me the ability to present myself how I wished to be seen again was something I never thought would be possible to recover.

#Arnold Chiari Malformation #brain surgery #acm #chiari malformation #brain #chronic illness #hydrocephalus #surgery

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briwhosaysni · 5 years

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Ok, after over a year of explaining to adults, often age 40+, some very basic things about insurance at my job, I've decided to give you all a crash course in health insurance from someone who works in a clinic, because no one teaches you this stuff even though it's Really Important. Under a cut, because this is gonna be long. (Also, I apologize, this is specifically for insurance in the US. I have no clue how it works anywhere else.)

10 Things to Know About Health Insurance and Medical Bills:

1. Plans

Your plan is all of the details of what your insurance covers, and how, and where, and when. Do they cover a certain treatment? If they do, will they only cover it a certain number of times? Is there a specific place you have to get that treatment? These are all part of your coverage (aka your benefits), and will vary depending on your plan. Every insurance company has many different plans which will cost different amounts and have different coverage. This means that you can never assume something is covered for you just because it's covered for someone else who gets insurance through the same company. It also means that if you call a clinic (especially one you haven't gone to yet) and say "I'm with [insurance company]. Will they cover [service]?" 90% of the time they won't be able to tell you. They won't have access to all the specifics of your plan. To find out, they would need your insurance information, and time to call your insurance company. It's honestly much better to call your insurance company directly and say "Hello, I want to go to [clinic/provider] for [treatment]. What would my coverage be?"

2. In-Network vs. Out-of-Network

Every healthcare provider that takes insurance (doctor, nurse, PA-C, therapist, etc.) has a list of insurance companies that they're in-network with, and ones they aren't. Whether or not a provider is in-network determines how much your insurance will pay for you to see them, if at all. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, then your insurance will pay for you to see a provider who isn't in-network, but they probably won't cover as much as they would for someone who was. If you don't have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance will ONLY pay for appointments with providers who are in-network. How do you know if you have out-of-network benefits? Call your insurance. A clinic can usually tell you if if they, or a certain provider in their clinic, are in-network, but they can't generally tell you what your benefits are.

3. Deductibles

Your deductible is the amount of money that you have to pay in a year before your insurance will start paying a decent amount for things. They'll usually still cover small portions of your bill, but you'll be paying the most of it until you pay all of (aka "meet") your deductible. This amount varies wildly between plans. It could be as low as $100 or less, it could be as high as $5000 or more, or you might not have one at all. And, it resets at the start of each year. If your deductible is $1000 and you spend $500 on healthcare in 2019? You'll still need to pay the whole $1000 in 2020 to meet it for that year.

4. Out-of-Pocket Limit/Maximum

Some insurance plans have a certain amount of money you can spend on healthcare in a year, after which point they'll cover the costs 100%. This is your out-of-pocket limit/maximum. Generally your copay, deductible, coinsurance, and all that stuff will go towards your out-of-pocket limit. So if your plan has an out-of-pocket limit of $8000, for example, then if you spend $8000 on healthcare in that year, your insurance company will cover the full cost of any more treatments. No copay, no dedectible, no coinsurance. Not every plan has one, and the amounts differ, so check with your insurance what you have.

5. Copay

Your copay is the amount of money that you have to pay when you go in for an appointment. Often it will be lower for a regular doctor's visit than a visit to a specialist. The vast majority of clinics require you to pay this when you check in for your appointment, and if you don't there will often be an additional fee. Some plans don't have a copay, and some do. Some plans don't require you to pay a copay after you meet your deductible, some do. If you're not sure what your plan has, call your insurance and ask.

6. Coinsurance

Coinsurance is the portion of your bill that your insurance will pay AFTER you meet your deductible. For instance, most plans will cover one annual check-up with your regular doctor (aka your primary care provider) at 100%, which means after you meet your deductible, they'll cover the entire cost of that visit (minus any copay). An extra visit might be covered at 70%, which means that for a $100 appointment, your insurance would pay $70 and you would pay $30. Again, if your insurance still requires you to pay a copay after your deductible is met, then you'll be paying both the copay (at the time of the appointment) AND the coinsurance (after the appointment).

7. Referrals and Authorization

Many insurance plans will require a referral and/or pre-authorization in order for you to see a specialist, or get certain tests or procedures done, or to see out-of-network providers. This is basically just your doctor's office contacting your insurance in advance to say "Hello, [patient] needs to get this procedure/see this provider, because of this specific problem/condition. Would you please pay for it?" Then your insurance company will review the request and either say "Yes, this seems reasonable and is covered by their plan. We will pay for it," (aka "approval") or "No, this treatment doesn't seem medically necessary and/or isn't covered by their plan," (aka "denial"). Sometimes if authorization is denied, your doctor can call your insurance and talk to them to try and convince them that the procedure is medically necessary. Or, sometimes they can get authorization for a different but similar procedure instead. (I work in a sleep clinic and often see insurance companies deny in-lab sleep studies, so patients will get take-home sleep studies instead, for example.) Please note that authorization is NOT a guarantee that your insurance will cover your visits/procedures 100%. It just means they��re agreeing to pay whatever portion is dictated by your plan, rather than making you pay for the whole thing on your own.

If your primary care provider refers you to a specialist, their office is the one that will need to request authorization, if necessary. A specialist clinic cannot generally refer a patient to itself.

8. Getting Information

I know I've said several times that if you're not sure about part of your plan, you should call your insurance. This is true, but I also know that phone calls suck. HOWEVER, there's often another way. Most major insurance companies have websites where you can make an account, and look at an overview of your plan, see how much of your deductible you've met, and even find in-network providers near you. And if you're on your parents' insurance, you can still make your own user account, so don't worry that you might have to have them make one and give you the login info. You may still have to call your insurance company if you have specific questions you can't find answers to online, but for basic information, this can be a great resource.

9. Updating Insurance

I know it can be hard to remember, but if your insurance plan changes or you switch to a different company, please please please call your doctor's office(s) to update it as soon as possible. You really don't want to show up to an appointment only to find out that you're not actually covered, or you needed pre-authorization or something. Let clinics know in advance so they can prepare as needed. Also, check with your new insurance beforehand to see how similar/different the plan is to your previous one, and whether you might need a new referral, or to find a new provider or something.

10. Billing Coordinators

And finally, if you're confused or worried about a bill from a clinic, the Vast majority of them will have a person you can talk to in their billing department about it. You may have to call ahead to schedule a time, you may not (though it's still nice to give advanced notice), but many times you can ask to talk to them in-person or over the phone, and they'll be able to go over your bill with you, explain what the charges are for and how much was covered, and spot any errors if there are any and fix them. They can also often give you cost estimates for procedures before you schedule, which can be helpful for budgeting and scheduling. (Though bear in mind that an estimate is just that: an estimate. They can't know for sure what the final bill will be until after your insurance pays them.) And if you have to pay a bill but don't have enough money right then, many clinics (though not all) will allow you to set up a payment plan, or to only pay a portion at a time. This is also something a billing coordinator/billing specialist would help with. In general just don’t be afraid to talk to the billing department if something seems off about your bill. If your insurance isn’t paying for something they should or something like that, the clinic is going to want to know about it and get it sorted out.

This isn't everything you'll ever need to know about health insurance ever, obviously, but hopefully it'll help you understand the basics. And as a bonus, stuff like deductibles and coinsurance work very similarly across all types of insurance: health, dental, car, etc., so understanding one better will help you with all of them.

#adulting #insurance #health insurance #i'm sorry this is so long insurance is just confusing and complicated #there's a lot of vocab to learn #i genuinely wouldn't know any of this if i hadn't started working in a clinic #and i'm glad i did because learning about this is what allowed me to find my own therapist and doctor and dentist #because you always wanna check if someone will be covered and by how much before making an appointment #oh also this is only tangentially related #but if you ever hear about 'medicare advantage/replacement plans' don't bother with them #99% of the time you end up paying extra money for worse benefits #medicare doesn't require copays or referrals for one thing and most replacement plans do #if you or an older relative is that worried about medicare coverage then go for a medicare SUPPLEMENT plan instead #these give additional coverage rather than replacing your medicare plan and are much better

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thoughtsofadyingsoftwaredev · 4 years

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First Impressions

It has been a long time since I found myself on tumblr. Because of this, I thought I’d write up a post to introduce myself, reminisce about my previous time on tumblr, and maybe figure out what I want this blog to become. (WARNING: THIS POST MAY TURN SUPER LONG. I AM SORRY BUT YOU HAVE NOW BEEN WARNED.)

TL;DR: I used to have a tumblr almost 10 years ago, now I’m back. I talk about why I was on tumblr and what has changed in almost 10 years. A lot has changed.

I mentioned I was on tumblr before, mostly active around 2011 - 2013. I had the name ‘thoughtsofadyingmusicmajor’. It is easy to guess that from 2011 - 2013 I was in college and was a music education major. I would post lyrics from various songs, ranging from baroque to romantic to contemporary. I would also post the occasional video as well, either of myself being stupid on Youtube or of a particular song or pianist (I was a piano primary). I won’t lie: 90% of the reason I posted here back then was to impress and further talk with my best friend who I went to high school with that I had been flirting with all the way up to graduation. We drifted apart when we chose to attend separate colleges. The other 10% was my genuine love for music.

I would argue me becoming best friends with her was the worst possible thing for someone like me, who does not like taking large risks. When she became my best friend and then I developed feelings for her, it suddenly felt like an all-or-nothing game: I either walk away with my best friend as my girlfriend or I lose both trying. Yes this is a bit melodramatic, but again I was a kid in love with my best friend and was not doing so hot all the same. Give me a break!

That first tumblr allowed me a chance to express my thoughts and emotions as a guy going through early stages of depression and angst over my inability to act on my feelings for this girl. It also gave me yet another platform (snapchat, texting, voxer, etc) to speak with my best friend, which brought a lot of happiness to me during some mentally rough times. I was not prepared well enough for college during high school, and especially not for the rigorous schedules music majors had to keep up with.

I would occasionally visit my best friend at her campus. I actually just looked up the distance because it felt like the divide was immeasurable, but apparently immeasurable can be summed up in a 2 hour-ish drive... Well regardless it felt like we were much farther apart.

I remember buying her gifts of her favorite things; a large plush orca, a coffee mug shaped like an owl. I remember going to the movies with her to see Warm Bodies with a couple of her other friends. I finally had the bravery needed to hold her hand in a dark room, and I was glowing. It led to this very, VERY faint intimate relationship with an occasional kiss, time spent huddled together on her dorm room bed, and not much else. The distance was a big thing at the time, especially with my own internal issues and trying to keep afloat in college. And so, like so many things that have potential, it slowly died out. She started dating a mutual friend and after that we drifted apart as friends and as anything else. (What a lengthy prologue, right?)

Right around this time, I dropped out of college due to my plummeting grades and mental health. I’d stay up until 5am and then sleep the day away, or I’d try to reset by not sleeping at all, only to have that fail as well. I moved into a small house with 5 other dudes because I had no job, had family issues, and it was either that or a homeless shelter. I did chores around the house, pawned off my more expensive possessions, and constantly searched for jobs to make sure I didn’t get thrown out.

I got drunk one night and made an OkCupid profile, where I met my fiancee. We are almost 6 years strong and I can honestly say she is the greatest thing in my life (until we can get the down payment together on a house, then the house is new bae).

Not long after we started dating, I found one, then two jobs near where she was going to university. We moved in together, she graduated, then we moved again to the northern US, where we still are.

We both found decent customer service jobs, and I used mine to pay off outstanding student loans so that I could go back to college and finally get the bachelors degree that slipped away from me the first time. Clearly, by my new name, I am in school for computer science now. I graduate in May 2020, almost 10 full years after I first set off on my own as a young adult.

My fiancee works for the local government, which was her dream job, and I am working part time as a software developer until I graduate, which will then become a full-time position.

We have a cat, a rabbit, and two turtles for pets. I do not like the turtles.

All this to say, I suppose, that things have worked out well for me. I had very grim prospects for myself way back then, but now I feel like I’m where I’m meant to be.

As for why I switched from music education to computer science? Well, three things.

Being a music major made music a chore and made me genuinely loathe playing. I did not want to have something that let me escape myself and get away to become a cage.

Music education isn’t going to pay the bills with just a bachelors. Not on its own.

I’ve only ever really been good with technology and music. So I really just had the one choice left, right?

So yeah, I’m very happily engaged, I’m finally going to have that stupid piece of paper, and I should fall into a nice job immediately after getting it. I still play piano to unwind and relax, but no longer have to use it as an escape. To anyone who may see my old tumblr name and know who I am IRL, hello! I hope that regardless of who you are or if you do or do not know me that you have a great day. Especially after reading all of this (if you did lol) -Greg

#introduction #introducing myself #first post #too long #please don't read all of this

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winstonhcomedy · 5 years

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“Dope A-F” - 8/29 - 9/16 - “Headlining in Roanoke/Fairfax, and a 9/11 show ”

Well I am officially tired of doing this blog. I am fatigued. Keeping up with my new schedule is almost impossible. Three blog posts a week coupled with new videos, new material, shows, and my day job is proving to be too much. So I am going to do this blog until I am not going to do it. It has been almost a year since I started keeping track and I think I have grown so much as a comedian since then, but it is just becoming super hard.

So without further ado let’s hop right into it and check out what’s been going on the last few weeks with #cutecomedy. Come on LAYDEES!

8/29

I headed up to Roanoke to close out a show at Blue 5. Chaz Blevins was putting on the show and he had a pretty solid lineup. Johnny Camacho was hosting, and the openers were Chaz, this dude Zack White, and Melissa Douty. So I knew I was going to have to bring my A game.

I got up there a little early to set up my camera. The room is amazing. It is downstairs at the restaurant. It is like a cool tucked away speakeasy. After setting up my camera I went upstairs to grab a bite to eat. I had some egg rolls stuffed with bar b q and Mac and cheese. It was delicious.

When I went back downstairs people had really started to fill in the show. It was going to be a super fun night. We started about 15 minutes late to give people a chance to get seated and get drinks. Then Johnny got on with it.

Johnny had a solid set warming up the crowd. He got some pretty big laughs, and had the audience as ease before he brought up Chaz. Chaz then did well. The crowd was super supportive, and he basically started his set shitting on Johnny which was funny. Then I told Johnny I was waiting for the callback shitting on him. Then 5 minutes later Chaz did it and Johnny and I busted up laughing. He went on to have a solid set.

Then Zack White went up. I had never seen this dude before and he was definitely funny. He was definitely alt and weird, but it really worked with this crowd. He threw a baseball into the audience and then faked an injury and laid on the ground.

Then Melissa Douty went up and she absolutely destroyed. I mean tore the roof off of the place. Everybody loved her. She did about 20 and it laugh after laugh. She was going to be incredibly hard to follow. She is from the area, and definitely was able to relate to the audience and get them on board. So after she slaughters it is my turn.

I go up and realize I know have to reset the room. So I use the first 5 minutes of my set to kind of ease people into what they are about to see. I do some crowd work, and try to get them on my wave length. This starts to go well and I am building up momentum.

I talk to a few audience members and get some pretty big reactions. I then weave in some material and it is killing even harder. I think talk to a few more audience members including a girl I found out later was Chaz’ daughter. I was really having a lot of fun. I was only supposed to do 30 but I went well over that. I was able to do a bunch of new at the end and get a good response and actually work some stuff out which felt nice. I’d totally give this set an A-. I felt good being able to follow Melissa after how hard she killed.

After the show I talked to a few people and then went over to a bar to hang with Johnny, and a few others. After hanging I hopped into my car and headed home.

8/30

The next night we had The After Show. Which is our political comedy roundtable show. This time Chris wanted to focus this one on sexuality. So I booked Jason Kusterer (White Cis/Het comic), Katherine Malone (black trans female comic) , Samantha Padgett (white female trans comic), and Sammy Major (black/gay/Non-binary) to be on the show.

I got to the show early and tried to set everything up. I put the furniture on the stage with Kat. I then ordered a grilled cheese, and set up my camera. I had a really fun time catching up with Kat. I hadn’t seen her in a super long time.

Then Samantha showed up. We all went to the green room and got situated. We tried not to talk about the topics for the show too much, but we did come up with some interesting things to cover in the show.

Then everyone else showed up. It was a good hang going on. We didn’t have a huge crowd. Honestly it was one of our lighter attended shows. I’d say there was about 25 to 30 people there. I also took a few polaroid “Eddie Pooks” pictures that turned out great.

After about another 20 minute wait we started the show. I went out there and brought everyone else out. Then we went right into it.

I am always torn because of this show. I think it is important and interesting, but it isn’t always the funniest show. The audience is tight because these are hot button issues, but when you do get a laugh it feels so damn amazing. I had some pretty good lines, and really it was kind of an amazing show. I think we learned a lot, and laughed quite a bit, but I don’t always feel good during or after this show. This is one of those shows where I need people to tell me it was good. I’d give this one a C. Good jokes, great subject matter, but not a ton of laughs.

After the show I hung out with some friends and caught up. Got a few drinks and then went to Waffle House. Where I met a drunk rapper who was surprised to find out I was a comedian. He kept trying to brag and put me down. He was like if you're a comedian why aren’t you at The FunnyBone. It felt so good to be like I am there in two weeks. He was wasted. After this I headed home and got a good night’s sleep.

9/1

I headed up to Fairfax with Paige the next day. I had asked Taylor O’Sullivan to come do a guest spot, but he didn’t respond in time. Paige and I listened to a horrific true crime podcast, and just talked about comedy. I had also asked my buddy Dom Grayer to drop by and do a spot on the show, and I extended a guest spot to a Pittsburgh Comic named Joe Esch.

John Coulter had booked me to headline his room at Blue Iguana. I had asked for the night even though we were going to have a poor attendance due to the holiday.

We get there and we get a nice hang going. There is only like 8 or 9 people there, but honestly I am just excited to do around 30 minutes. I love longer sets. I set the lineup after I find out Joe and Dom can’t stay after their sets. So I set it up as a piggyback show with Joe, Dom, Paige, and then I'd close out. I also tell them to work a little cleaner up top. The only reason I said this was at the behest of Coulter. He said it is a little older crowd, and they're conservative (not in their politics, but just keep it cleaner).

Joe said he could do it, and then he went up and didn’t work clean. It was some pretty sexual material, and honestly it didn’t seem like he wanted to be doing the show. This might just be his energy, but legit it was like why did I give this dude a spot? I get it. It’s not a huge crowd, but I offered you time because you were looking for time. He did fine, but John made me light him early just due to the subject matter. He then brought up Dom Grayer to the wrong name, and I legit was like well shit.

Dom went up and cracked them though. He had some solid pops, and he had a good set. He was followed by Paige who did well as well. Nobody did terribly. It was just a light show.

Then it was my turn. I went up and did a lot of crowd work up top. I’d say 10 minutes or so before going into my material. It was all working really well. I was able to connect with these people and understand that even though there was only a few of them they wanted to laugh. I got everyone involved and a few more people walked in.

All of my stuff was working. The jokes, and the crowd work was dope. I tried a few new things, and then got off stage. After this Coulter asked me to do an encore because 6 other people had just walked in at the end of my set. So the audience cheered and I went up and did 25 more minutes of crowd work, and new jokes. This was awesome I got some huge pops, and I got them sit in the front row. it was truly a special night. I’d give this set an A-.

After this Paige and I headed back to RVA. I hit up Taylor again and he met us at Denny’s for a late night meal. Then we all headed our separate ways.

9/4

After a few days off there was a new mic in town. I went over to Isley Brewing to do their mic after work. I got a beer and did some writing before the mic. It was a fun night because I got to see and hang with a bunch of my friends. Buhe was hosting, and we had Paige, Taylor, Adam Chiodini, David Luzader, Samantha Padgett, Jake Snyder, Carlton K, and a bunch I know I am forgetting.

Buhse shows up and gets the list ready. He tells me I am up first. There is an ok crowd, but the setup is weird. It is really bright in there because it starts at 7 and it definitely seemed like these people were surprised comedy was happening.

After his set he brought me up and I think I did as well as I could have. I had a lot of new stuff, and it all did pretty well. I tried one thing for the very first time and I am so happy that it worked. I wasn’t killing and I stumbled in a few spots. There was a giant Jenga game on stage so after every joke that bombed I’d take a brick out and drop it on the floor. This got a couple laughs, but I mostly did it for me. I give this set a C.

I watched a few more sets and then Paige and I headed over to Home Sweet Home. I got some writing done, and ordered a delicious dinner. I got to see some other friends like Patrick Nowaczyk, Taylor Baldwin, and Jason Kusterer. Jason had me going up like 5th which I was excited about.

There actually was a tiny little crowd there. The best part was they were into the show. They were having a fun time. After a few comics did ok it was my turn. Kusterer gave me a funny intro and I just tried a bunch of new stuff. I did some of the earlier stuff, but changed the inflection and tried adding some tags. it worked ok. I enjoyed my set. I’d give it a C+.

I went downstairs and talked to my friends a little bit more, including Beswick. It was a dope night. I then packed up, said goodbye, and headed home.

9/6

On Friday I had a spot on Wabi Sabi. I hit up a few people to ride with my but only Taylor could go. We headed up and had a good time. He was actually able to grab a guest spot.

The lineup was going to be Klingman, Liz Carr, Taylor, Torrey, me, Luray and then Wingle. It was supposed to be a packed show. So we knew it was going to be fun.

The show starts, and they're a rowdy crowd. Klingman has a pretty good set. So does Liz. Taylor only did about 90 seconds he had freaked himself out so much, but he didn’t bomb. Then Torrey had a pretty hot one. By the time he got off stage the audience was wasted. They were loud, and wanted to interrupt the show.

I go up and legit don’t get a single joke out. I am in a battle with the audience for 15 minutes. I am battling drunks and hecklers. I am shitting all over them and being mean. It is killing. The audience loves it. Which is frustrating to me. This goes on and I get some huge laughs, but I am not having fun. I was glad I overcame the adversity, but hated that I had to. I'd give this set an A-.

Then Luray and Wingle went up. I didn’t watch their sets because I was so freaking upset about mine. I got to decompress and then I got ready for ‘Sex With Me Is Like”.

We all got back on stage after (except for Liz and Luray who didn’t want to). Jaye Toler got on stage, but hadn’t done a set earlier. it was a super fun game this time. I had some huge laughs and only one joke didn’t work. Every time they said something about me I had something about them. I got Taylor involved and I had the last joke. I made fun of Jaye and it destroyed.

After the show I drove Taylor back and then headed home to pass out.

9/7

The next night I was one of the headliners on Castleburg. I had been ‘banned” the previous month by Mike Engle because I had bailed on it the previous two to do paid gigs. Which wasn’t a big deal at all, and made sense. I was so excited to be tasked with being a part of the two year anniversary show.

Mu Cuzzo and I were the headliners. I had invited a few coworkers and told myself I was only going to do new stuff. There was a pretty good sized list of comics.

I was stoked to see my coworkers, and super stoked to see some comic friends to hang with like Mike, Anthony, Adam Chiodini, Jack Parker, Ben Oliver, Heather Joyce, Danny Dunlea, Jake Snyder and plenty others I am sure I am forgetting. I set up my video camera and told people if they wanted their sets I could get them for them. I had a few people take me up on the offer.

I love the bartenders here. They are so nice, and so much fun to talk to. They look forward to and enjoy the show. Definitely a dope venue with killer staff, and good beer.

There was a pretty good crowd, and since I knew I wanted to have the freedom to do new stuff I asked to be the first headliner to go up. I knew that Mu would be doing his best stuff, and really bringing it so even if my new stuff failed at least he could pick up the slack and it wouldn’t be a shit show.

The crowd was pretty good. They were into it from the beginning of the show. Mike had a good set and so did the comics in the first round. The winner of that was Heather Joyce. Then it was my turn to go up,

I had a dope set. Almost all of my new stuff worked. I was able to work on wording, and got some solid laughs. I was super happy to do 12 of my 15 minute set as new. It feels like I am progressing and becoming a better comic. I didn’t murder, but I had some jokes get really good pops, and I felt like I broke the crowd open a bit. I'd give this set a B.

The rest of the show went well. Mu had a really good set. His material was clicking and he used his energy to his advantage. It was cool to see him pull that set together and put something tight together.

The rest of the show was fun. Anthony had a hot set, and Jake Snyder ripped a mic stand in half and just held half of it on stage. It was hilarious. All in all a super fun show.

Afterwards I hung out with some comics, and talked shop. I got to sit and hang with my coworkers a bit to which was really dope. I had such a wonderful night. It all ended with Jake, Danny Dunlea, and I going to Denny’s to have a super late meal. Afterwards I headed home to pass out.

9/8

The next day I went to Busch Gardens and had an absolutely wonderful time. Legit just a great experience. I haven’t been all year and can’t wait to go back in October. Afterwards I had time to go do some time at the competition at Hof Garden.

This show is hosted by Mu, Jameson, and Kate Carroll. Everyone does five minutes and they grade your set like American Idol at the end of the show they have the last month’s winner close it out, and then they go announce the winner from this month.

I was definitely the most experienced comic at this show. I should have just done a set and not put myself in for the contest, but one of the things you win is a spot on a live podcast that has a pretty good following and I could use that.

I was up 3rd or fourth and there was a nice intimate crowd there. I asked Ryan Mather to record my set and he obliged. The first few comics did ok. They got some good pops, but the crowd was ready to laugh. I told myself I was going to only do new material. I didn’t want to do my best polished shit because that doesn't accomplish anything, and this way even if I lose I can be stoked that I worked out material.

I went up and had a super fun set. I didn’t kill, but all of the jokes worked. I riffed some good stuff, and added on to some bits. This was an extremely fun, and productive sets. I wish all open mic sets felt like this.

After I got off stage I went and hung out in the back. I didn’t feel like watching a ton of sets. I got to hang with Brian Mann (who had a really good set), Ryan Mather, Melissa Harris, Ben Oliver, Bryan Williams, Taylor Baldwin, and a few others including a comic I hadn’t seen in a long time. He came to hang and not perform, and support his buddy who was closing it out.

I had a female comic ask why I didn’t give notes and I had to explain I don’t give them usually to female comedians. I don’t want to come across as “mansplaining” comedy, and I've had female comics ask for notes and then I watched them throw them in the trash. It is just easier for me, and better business to not really do that. Last thing I need is someone who doesn’t know me saying they saw me telling a woman how to do comedy.

After everyone had gone up they went to add up the scores. Brock then went up and he had a solid set. He did a new song thing, and people seemed to dig it a lot.

After this they brought, myself, Beth Tucker, and Brian Mann on the stage. They all said really nice things about us, and then announced the winner. It was me. I was super stoked. Afterwards I hung out with a bit, but headed out pretty quickly because I had work in the morning.

9/9

The next day I headed up to The Southern after work. I got some flyers from Jeyon for our show we have in October at Holly’s. I set everything up and got ready for the show. I was pretty stoked because I had a friend from college that I haven't seen in like 9 years say they were coming. When they showed up it was super fun to finally catch up

We had a pretty good crowd show up actually. They were into it from the beginning. I got to see a bunch of my friends go up. Like Brandon Beswick, Alex, Paige, JR, Chris, and plenty of others. Everybody does pretty well.

It is finally my turn. I go up and thoroughly enjoy my set. I am getting in a good rhythm of trying new stuff, and keeping what works. The new really hit pretty hard tonight. I didn’t destroy, but the jokes are getting better. The progress is amazing to feel. I’d give this set a B-.

After the show I headed home because I was exhausted. I said goodbye to my friend and dipped out.

9/11

Tonight I had a 9/11 benefit show put on my Nick Deez to do in Newport News at Cozzys. I was co-headlining and was excited for it. I headed down right after work.

I met Nick, Ian Nightengale, and Torrey Huggins for dinner. We talked shop and ate some pizza before headed next door to Cozzy’s to record my podcast before the show. The episode turned out great. I had Ian and Nick go up against Rock and Torrey. Super funny episode and I cannot wait to release it.

We then get ready for the show to start. The lineup is Torrey, Ian, Rock, Nick, Tim Macklin, AC Smith, Brent Schreiber, myself, and Fred McKinnon.

We were worried about a crowd, but honestly we got about 25 people in there. Which is super dope for an off night. The show got started and it was dope.

They were a little tight for Torrey’s set, but he woke them up. Then Ian had a really strong set as well. This just kept building. AC had a hot one, then Brent, then Rock had a super offensive set. Nick did some newer stuff during his set. Then Tim went up before me and it just didn’t stop.

I went up and went straight into crowd work. We were running a little behind, and I didn’t want them to get tired. So I just addressed the crowd for about 10 minutes, and it was working really well. Like I was killing with the crowd work, and then at the last ten minutes I did a bunch of newer stuff that hit really hard too. I got off feeling really good about how it went. I’d give it an A-.

After my set I packed my stuff up and hung out until the show ended. Fred had a good set, and I got to go outside and talk shop with the guys. We talked about some comedic frustration and limitations that we have to put up with. Sometimes it is good to just vent a bit, and then you feel way better. Afterwards I got in my car and drove back to try to make McCormacks in time.

I luckily did. I got there with only one comic left so I got to squeeze in before him. The crowd was dead. Like two people paying attention, but I did brand new stuff. I just needed to say into a microphone to work on it. I bombed super hard, but a couple ideas got a few laughs so I know where to start. I’d give this set a D-.

As soon as I was done I headed home to pass out. I had a long day the next day.

9/12

I drove up to DC to host for my buddy Dan Lamorte at DC Comedy Loft. I got there a little before showtime, and got to meet the other comics. Which included Maggie Crane, Michael Terry (who I had met with Dan in Richmond last year) and Trevor Wallace (IG comic) who was headlining downstairs but popped up for a guest spot.

It was a light crowd, but they all were fans of Dan’s so they were into it. Dan was doing a guest spot downstairs as well so there were a lot of moving parts. I went up and had a good hosting set. They liked me and I didn’t have to do any crowd work. I just did some newer and older jokes. They all worked, and I had the crowd warmed up. I’d give this set a C.

Next up was Trevor. It was obvious that standup wasn’t his first love. He got huge on IG and he had a great stage presence and was extremely likable on stage. It just didn't seem tight at all. it looked like a dude doing what he thought standup was supposed to be. He is huge, and selling out rooms. I respect he is working on the craft, but he is definitely an internet guy that jumped over to standup because it was another avenue to make some money.

After his set I brought up Maggie Crane. Michael Terry told me that I would need to do some time in-between comics because Dan might not be back from his set downstairs. So after her set I went up and did a few more jokes. They also went well. I was just worried that if he wasn’t back when Michael got off stage then I’d have to stall again.

Michael went up and had a solid set too, and right before he got off Dan showed up. I brought Dan up and sprinted over to Big Hunt to try to get another set in before my night was over.

I got to go up pretty quickly after I got there and I felt pretty good doing newer material. The crowd was weird, and they didn’t dig everything and I went too hard no anti-vaxxers apparently. I’d give this set a C.

I then sprinted back to Comedy Loft and caught the end of the set. I got to hang and chill for a bit before packing up and heading home. I was stoked because this was the earliest I'd gotten to leave DC in a while.

9/13

I was so excited because this weekend I got to feature at the Richmond Funny Bone. This was going to be my second weekend featuring there. I was so ready for it to be better than the last. I was extremely nervous, but knew it was going to be fun because my friend Anthony Thompson was hosting. I was also worried because the last time I featured there my dad was at the show. So this was bringing up all kinds of memories.

The early show was Vicki Barbolak (America’s Got Talent) headlining. It was an ok sized crowd. Nothing crazy, but definitely close to full. It was the whitest I have ever seen a crowd there. I am used to this club being more of an urban club. I knew I was going to have to adjust my material, and was worried this might end up being a long weekend.

The show starts and Anthony goes up to warm them up. Then I go up. I do ok. I could not get in a good rhythm. I was scared and I felt like all of my stuff wasn’t working. I powered through and did my time, but I was not happy with this set. I’d give it a C-.

Afterwards I watched some of Vicki’s set, but mostly got a bite to eat and tried to decompress before the second show. After the show ended I didn’t even really talk to the people coming out. I was too ashamed. I didn’t kill, and I didn’t feel like I deserved to be there. I did here from several people that I did better than I felt, but that doesn’t mean much.

The second show the headliner was James Lawson. It was definitely a black crowd, and I was ready to show what I can do. Anthony went up and we could tell this crowd was going to be better.

Then I went up and definitely had a better set. I wasn’t killing but I had some pretty good pops. Nothing completely bombed, and that was a relief. I did some fun crowd work and got off on a pretty big laugh! I’d give it a C.

After this I hung out for a bit. I got some food, and just chilled. After James set I got to talk to a few people and actually got to give out some #cutecomedy stickers. After everyone left I headed home to prepare for the rest of the weekend.

9/14

The next day I relaxed at home, did some cleaning, and watched the Virginia Tech football game. It has been really difficult to do it without dad, but I have to. After hanging out for a while I headed into town ready to have two great sets.

I get there and Vicki is doing an interview with a lady who wrote a book. She is getting like a recommendation from Vicki so she can post it online. She says she is too christian and can’t really watch the show, but she wanted to sit for a while. So her and her husband take the comics table which means I have to take down my camera. Which straight up is annoying as shit. Especially since she wasn’t going to stay for the whole show. There were other tables that had open seats. She could have sat there, but nope. Had to move the camera.

The show starts and it is almost full. Anthony had a solid hosting set. I went up and had a really strong feature set. I was super proud of it. I didn’t do any crowd work. Just 20+ minutes of my material and they really enjoyed it. I did a new opener and put my old opener after it. Which kept it fresh and gave me two big pops up top. I closed pretty strong too. I’d give this set a B+

Afterwards I went and ate and did video editing in the green room. After the show I went outside and met with people. I had a good buddy from high school who has come to a few shows show up. He gave me some strong compliments and he said he loved that I didn’t do crowd work. He said it was all material, and it was awesome. That means a lot to hear since I worry my crowd work is way better than my jokes.

The second show starts and they are rowdier than the first crowd. Anthony did well, and addressed a table of hecklers. I went up and had a hot one. The jokes worked, but where I really got them was the crowd work. There were two tables doing ladies night, and I was able to pick on them. One was wasted and the others were classier. There was a dude and his wife in the front who were super into the show. Super handsome dude, and gorgeous lady so I was able to bring them into the fold. Such a super fun set. I’d give this one a B+/A-.

After my set I headed over to meet up with my buddy Kenn for a bit. We chilled and talked and I told him I had to go back to hand out stickers. I had people say I was better than the headliner which is bull shit, but still nice to hear. I handed out a bunch of stickers and got a good number of people to follow me on social media.

After all of this Kenn and I went to grab a bite to eat and catch up. Then I headed home.

9/15

This was a super chill day. I got Pho and hung out with some friends. I also went to Coco and Hazel which is a dope milkshake place in town. They have ginormous shakes with cake and cookies on top of them.

I then headed over for the last show. It was pretty full for a Sunday. I got to talk to Vicki a bit and she was super sweet. She had some kind words for me and said she’d be in touch.

Anthony had a good set, and then I felt really good about mine. I did a good mix of material and crowd work. They really dug what I was doing. I got some huge pops, and felt the confidence to try a new joke(it didn’t work). The audience was one of the best Sunday audiences I have ever seen. I’d give this a B.

After my set I got my check and dipped out. I wasn’t feeling great, and I was just ready to kind of unwind and relax and go to bed.

9/16

After work I headed to a pretty productive therapy session. After this I headed up to The Southern.

When I got there I set everything up. I moved the tables, and set up the PA. I had it looking really good. Unfortunately Monday Night Football kind of kills comedy in this area. We didn’t have a huge crowd.

We did have a lot of my friends come out though. Mu, Bryan, Adam Chiodini, Paige, Heather, JR, Chris, Shane Hill, Sam Wood, Samantha Padgett, and plenty of others.

The show was actually pretty fun. Everybody did ok, or if they didn’t it was good for them. I went up and had a solid set. I did mostly new stuff. I had two brand new bits, and new tags for bits I did last week. So it was incredibly productive for me. I’d give it a C.

After my set I packed up and headed home. I was exhausted. I ended up not sleeping well. My dad has been weighing very heavy on my mind lately. I doesn’t seem to be getting easier. It definitely feels like it is getting worse.

I DID IT! Caught up again. I’ll be back Thursday with tomorrow’s shows. I love you laydees and baybees very much. I don’t know if anyone reads this, but if you do thank you! Thanks for supporting #cutecomedy !!! xoxo see you soon.

#comedy #bomb #standup #feature #hilarious #jokes #improv #funnybone #podcast

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phoenixisstrange · 5 years

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The Best Day Forever Chapter 1 (Edited)

But I am wrong. It begins with me, in a nice suburban house doing my own thing going about my day. I guess I live here? I don't know who I live with or if I live alone but I encounter neighbors and friends (I don't remember specific interactions). I don’t even know how I got this beautiful house OR what town it’s in. It’s like someone created me and my life, peppered in some aspects of my personality and memory and dropped me into it. So I wake up in my? bed.

I wake up, make myself breakfast, and acquaint myself with my neighborhood. As if I haven’t lived here for quite some time-- judging off of the bills I have sitting on the counter waiting to be paid. I open the front door. It’s a big wooden door with a little window that has decorative iron bars encasing it. Whoever designed this house did a damn nice job. I admire my front door as if I’ve never seen it before. As I step out onto my front porch I am greeted by a symphony of wildlife and a beautiful panorama of the forest. This was an intentional design point of the house. The way the forest sits inside of the frame of my porch is so perfect that it must be deliberate. The facade of my house faces a dense forest but I do have neighbors on either side of my property.

To the left I see a mother herding her 3 kids into her minivan, well trying at least. One of the kids is running around screaming; wearing only one flip flop on. The other kid has dropped her bookbag on the ground. The third sits strapped into the car quietly. “Brandy stop moving and put your damn flip flop on, we’re going to be late!” the mom corrals her child into the van.

I chuckle and breathe in the crisp morning air as it mingles with the scent of my piping hot coffee. The house to the right is a bit smaller and nobody seems to be home. After I finish my coffee, I go back inside and look at my schedule. It’s my day off.

I text my girls, Iz and Cree to see what they’re up to. I guess they also live in the area. Whatever the area is. The girls arrive and we set up camp in my warmly-lit living room. A low-budget Netflix horror movie plays in the background as we sip our Rosé.

“So how’s Carter?” I ask Iz.

“He’s good, he’s interviewing for a job at a new dealership as a sales manager”

“Good for him, I wish him luck in all his managerial endeavors” I say with a little too much enthusiasm.

“Phoenix---How’s your love life??” She did it. She asked the dreaded question.

“Heh, funny you should ask… You would probably have an easier time finding a human being on Mars than I would finding a lover. ” Wow, I’ve actually lost count of how many times I’ve answered that. Me? Jaded? Never. Just realistic. I have too much going on to focus on finding someone right now. That’s what I tell myself at night when the loneliness hits.

“Unfortunately my lover either doesn’t exist or doesn’t want me.” I add. You can practically see my dignity leaving the room.

“Sometimes you just gotta ride the wave alone...” Cree-- who appears to be catatonic on the couch-- mutters from beneath a blanket.

“Facts” Iz and I say in unison.

We finish a bottle of wine and cook some ramen. I never eat Ramen, I can’t stand it. But Iz and Cree love it so I guess that’s why my cabinets are stacked with the stuff. Either that or I am preparing for the inevitable collapse of our organized society. In that case, I know for a fact that I won’t go hungry. There’s so many packets of chicken flavored instant noodles hiding in my cabinets that I could feed a tribe in the post apocalyptic world.

The fragrance of the salty noodles dances with the incense that burns in the living room. The sound of a woman being possessed by the devil blares from the tv speakers.

“Haven’t we watched this movie already?” Iz clearly isn’t into it. “Probably, but all Netflix horror movies are the same. They usually end up as white noise anyway.”

“I like it.” Cree chimes in

“If Cree thinks it’s a good movie, then obviously it’s a good movie Iz.” Sarcasm.

“Cree said Suicide Squad was her favorite movie. She cannot be trusted to judge a good movie!”

“Everyone thought that movie was so bad but y’all just don’t appreciate good art.” Cree stands firmly by her decision.

The movie concludes with the predictable ending where the antagonist--who has succumbed to demonic possession-- is cleansed of evil through a dramatic exorcism. The entire house that the movie is set in is destroyed. This forces the traumatized family to move out of the beautiful home they recently purchased. The movie ends on a cliff-hanger where a new family moves into the very house--which has now been repaired--in hopes to start a life. Boring.

The girls leave at about 11 pm. I take a quick shower and pour myself a glass of seltzer. Nights like this are ideal for stargazing. Not a cloud in the sky and cool enough to have the windows open in the house. Apparently, I missed my mark. I open my door to a rather jarring sight. Expecting the usual chirping of the cicadas and a star speckled sky; I am met with a rising sun. The sky is not an 11 pm sky it’s a 6 am sky. I’m confused and kind of scared. My mind starts to race. How drunk did we get last night? It was just a few glasses of wine not enough to black out the entire fucking night. I text Cree and Iz. No response. I figure they’re sleeping.

My phone says 5:47 am on Saturday, 7/23. My day off is Saturday, which would be the 23rd. Saturday was yesterday. I turn on the TV to verify the date and News 12 confirms my fear of today’s date, 7/23. The annual family cookout is being held tomorrow at the park. 4 pm sharp, don’t miss it! Did I skip work yesterday? No way, I would’ve gotten a call. My head is spinning at this point and I decide to lay down for a bit.

The sound of the news 12 anchorwoman echoes in my head. “This weekend is going to be a hot one. Anyone planning on traveling west towards the coast should take care to leave a little bit early because of heavy delays along all major highways.”

I drift in and out of consciousness and finally give up. I’ve watched the sun rise through the skylight that is fixed above the couch. That big ball of fire has climbed straight into the center of the skylight. The big ball of fire is blinding me. The time is 8:30 according to my phone. I barely slept a wink. My mind was too busy trying to figure out if I was going batshit or if I was actually trapped in a temporal loop. I mean, that would be cool because then that would mean that time loops do exist but not cool because of the fact that I would be caught in one by myself.

My phone buzzes to life with a message from Iz. “What are you talking about? Ladies night didn’t happen hunny.” I’m wigged.

“Must’ve dreamt it! We need a night soon, hunnies.” I reply.

“Ok Phoenix… This is the sitch, yesterday was Friday. You accidentally skipped work and today is Saturday. Wine night was just a dream because you have been missing Cree and Iz lately…” I am rambling to myself in the dark. Yes, that will spare my sanity. I drag myself off the couch since sleep isn’t happening. I step outside at around 9. Once again, the forest is roaring with life and so is the mother next door…

“Brandy stop moving and put your damn flip flop on, we’re going to be late!”…. I need to leave.

I go to the store and begin piling snacks and random food items into my cart. It’s been a while since I’ve been food shopping so this is OK.

“Ice cream and wine. Check.” I say to myself. Drink myself out of the loop. Yeah, that’ll work. I see this really cute girl staring intently at a box of Gushers. For a second, it’s as if my world isn’t imploding on itself and I’m just at the store looking at a beautiful girl I’d like to know. For some reason, she’s engrossed by these artificially flavored fruit snacks. It looks as if she’s deep in thought, something is on her mind so she is occupying the time with food shopping. She’s about my height; she’s got long and silky chocolate brown hair that’s pulled back into a messy bun. I realize that I’m staring at her with as much focus as she is at those Gushers. She feels my eyes and returns to reality, she glances at me. A subtle smirk spreads across her face as she looks me and my wine bottles up and down.

“The bigger the bottle the bigger the problem huh?” She jokes.

“No bottle will solve this problem but at least it’ll make me forget about it.”

She chuckles and walks away. I buy my wine bottles and go home to forget what day it is.

Listen, I won’t lie, I like to party. I love day drinking. But cracking open a fresh bottle of wine the size of a bowling pin at 10 am by myself after realizing I may never live to see tomorrow is new for me. I can’t say I hate it. I sit on the couch. The News 12 anchor-bitch is still blabbering about the family cookout-- that is supposed to take place tomorrow-- too bad. I drunkenly type away on my laptop. Scouring the darkest corners of the internet to find out anything about time loops that exist outside of science fiction. Turns out, not many people who find themselves in my situation take to Reddit to write about it... I take notes from the Twilight Zone subreddit because at this point I’m desperate for answers. My quest for information bears no fruit.

I did learn that a time loop is different from a causal loop, which would occur because of a previous event. My situation however, is anomalous and is unrelated to anything as far as I know. I’ve started a fresh note on my laptop titled “The Best Day Forever! :)).” This is where I dump everything I know about the situation.

So far, I know that this loop resets but I don’t know the interval or the trigger. Things that I interact with seems to stay the same with the exception of people, they don’t remember our interactions. The coffee I made the first go around was still in the pot when I went for coffee round 2. People and things outside of my control reset as if they’re characters in a video game who have a script and a path. I begin thinking, dangerous thinking.

“Why is this happening? Why to me?” I ask aloud as if someone is going to answer me. At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if I got an answer from some omniscient voice.

“What is the point of all of this?” I ask out loud again. Then I begin to think of everything I had done leading up to the moment I woke up on the morning of July 23rd the first time. My memory is extremely fogged, almost non-existent. I’m struggling to produce even the vaguest memory of anything that happened before Saturday. Was it raining yesterday? Did I even leave my house yesterday? I don't know.

Come to think of it I don't remember much of anything before Saturday. I don’t know how I got this house. I don't know who Iz and Cree are except that we’re friends and have wine nights pretty often--though they have been less frequent for some reason. I don’t know Carter…But I do.

It’s as if these memories were fabricated. I remember the facts. I, Phoenix, own this house in this pacific northwestern town and I am a barista at a local coffee shop. I moved to this town after graduating-- in hopes to pursue my dream of opening my own shop and building a house in the forest. Anything beyond that is smudged. I can make out the memory if I hyper-focus. But even then it’s just the blueprint of a life, details are scarce. I’m spiraling, existential crisis mode has initiated and now I’m just stressed out and drunk at 1 in the afternoon. I need air.

I step outside and check my phone. The time is exactly 1:27 pm and a blue Subaru drives down my road with a big old husky hanging out the window living his best life. I start down the road towards the forest.

#chapter 1 #The Best Day Forever #fiction #science fiction #writing #My writing #short story #storytelling #beginner #writeblr #wip #work in progress #work #books

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bifuriouswaterbender · 6 years

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A Sense of Identity--Yukonic Fanfic

Read on AO3 here. This was inspired by the motto “If no one else will write fanfic for your ship, write it yourself.”

Fandom: Deadpool (2 technically)

Characters: Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio, Colossus (briefly), Deadpool (mentioned)

Pairing: Negasonic/Yukio

Rating: G

Summary: Negasonic reflects on her own name as she deals with the gay panic of a teenager lesbian facing her first major crush.

She had never liked her name.

Ellie was so plain, so simple. It was a common name that had never really fit her. Now if her parents had been forward-thinking enough to name her Elliot, she may have felt differently. But Eleanor had never suited her, and Ellie barely worked. But it was the only name she had.

The first time she accidentally exploded into a ball of fire had been terrifying for everyone around her. For Ellie, it was a relief.

She loved her parents, but they’d never really understood what made her tick as a regular human. As a mutant? They were happy to send her off to a fancy school where she could harness her powers and maybe learn some manners.

She hadn’t exactly gained the manners, but Negasonic Teenage Warhead was a miracle of a name. When she was struggling to come up with something that felt like enough, one of the older kids had suggested listening to old songs. Some of the coolest names came from the lyrics. Taking their word for it, Ellie had flipped through old records, pausing when she saw a song title she liked. Negasonic Teenage Warhead had frozen her, an exciting sense of cold running down her center to cut the heat she always knew was there. It was over the top, strong, and just anarchistic enough to feel like an identifier. Once she listened to the record, she decided the song itself was fine. But the name couldn’t be beat.

Most of the other kids found her name to be too much of a mouthful, and she became Negasonic to most of them. Occasionally someone dug up the name Ellie Phimister. It wasn’t exactly a secret, but Negasonic did everything in her power not to answer to it and to get people to stop using it.

Most of the time it worked. Even when she wasn’t actively using her powers for anything, just channeling them was enough to intimidate most people. She infrequently got asked what she would do about her name once she wasn’t a teenager anymore.

She would shoot whoever asked a scorching look complete with one raised eyebrow and say, “The name is more than just Teenage. I think I’ve got other parts to keep.”

Secretly she liked the ring of Negasonic Warhead. It sounded even more badass in her mind than the full moniker, but twelve-year-old Ellie had been too excited by the idea of literally identifying as a teen. Until she turned nineteen, though, she could handle the middle, especially since no one ever used the full name anyway.

Except occasionally Wade, but he alternated that with so many insults and (often outdated) pop culture references that she didn’t really care.

“Negasonic,” Colossus called up the stairs. As usual, his voice carried without him actually raising his voice above typical speaking level. “Come down here. There is friend I want you to meet.”

Friend was not a typical word thrown her way. Negasonic knew Colossus had been trying to find her a nice friend ever since she’d buzzed her hair. It had been the same chin-length bob since before discovering her powers, and Negasonic had needed a change when she hit fifteen. She thought it made her look edgy. One of the more obnoxious preteens had said it made her look ready to beat someone up. She’d only somewhat threatened to beat him up for it.

Even now that she was letting it grow, Negasonic was more than happy to lean into that reputation whenever possible. She imagined this supposed friend would be easily intimidated with a scowl or two and that Negasonic could escape after a quick tour and a little awkward small talk.

She wasn’t expecting a perky pink-haired girl with gorgeous eyes to be waiting at Colossus’s side.

“Negasonic!” Colossus said enthusiastically, clamping a hand on her shoulder that was obviously oblivious to her gay panic. “This is Yukio. She will be joining X-Men.”

“Hello,” said the girl. She bounced forward--literally bounced--and stuck out her hand for Negasonic to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She reacted on autopilot and shook the girl’s hand, trying not to focus on its soft warmth. “You too,” Negasonic said. Was her voice faint? Damn it! She’d gone through all this work to build a reputation, and it was all about to be undone by a single pretty girl.

“Colossus said we might have a lot in common.” Yukio’s eyes actually sparkled as she looked up at the metal man.

Negasonic looked up too, mostly to determine if he was having heat stroke from baking in his metal body all day. Aside from an affinity for nontraditional aesthetics, Negasonic couldn’t imagine what she and Princess Bubblegum had in common.

God, she needed to spend less time around Wade.

“Indeed,” Colossus said, giving Negasonic a firm thump on the back that almost sent her flying. “You two are same age, both sassy, both independent. I expect the two of you to be fast friends.”

As two pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly, Negasonic felt a bit of sweat building at the back of her neck. But gay panic or no, she couldn’t afford to be weird. If she screwed up this girl’s first day, Colossus might not forgive her. Plus, bangs that perfect and that pink couldn’t belong to a straight girl, right?

“We’ll see,” she said, trying to remain neutral outwardly. “Would you like a tour, Yukio?”

As Yukio beamed at her, Colossus gave Negasonic another affirming pat on the back. This one did force her to stumble a bit because she’d been so focused on not letting herself be blinded by the literal sunshine on Yukio’s face.

“Wonderful!” Colossus moved a couple steps down the hall. “I have paperwork to do—finalizing Yukio’s transfer to the team and figuring out her class schedule. I think she would like some of the same classes as you, Negasonic. You two have fun!”

Negasonic watched him gently thunder down the hall, her panic slowly rising toward the surface as she was left alone with the most beautiful girl she’d ever seen.

There was a twinkle in Yukio’s eye that made Negasonic wonder if the girl was onto her. Before she could process that idea, Yukio took a few bouncing steps up the stairs.

“So where do we start?” she asked, offering Negasonic a knee-weakening grin.

Negasonic swallowed hard. Time to hit the reset on her feelings because she’d never be able to function if this kept up. Pretending to become her usual moody self, Negasonic jerked her head in the direction of the grounds.

“It might rain. We would probably check out the training areas first.”

The smile Yukio sent back at her was more reserved than the ones from earlier, and Negasonic tried to pretend the smaller smile gave her a smaller reaction. Being a girl had its advantages for hiding such things.

…

As Negasonic thought back on the last hour, she wasn’t quite sure how Yukio had ended up on her bed.

They’d barely made it inside as the rain started up outside. Yukio had scrambled back toward the door with such zeal that Negasonic hadn’t been able to help running alongside her. They’d stumbled back inside laughing loud enough to prompt Colossus to stick his head out of his office. When he’d seen who it was, he simply smiled and let them be.

The downstairs hadn’t taken very long since many of the spaces were ones that they weren’t supposed to go in or had classes in progress. Negasonic was technically missing Latin, but she both hated it and was pretty sure Colossus would vouch for her. He seemed to be in that kind of mood today.

Upstairs was mostly dorms, and when Negasonic had pointed out her own bed, Yukio had collapsed onto it dramatically.

“I hope we’re roommates,” she said with a kind of dreamy earnestness that smacked Negasonic on her ass.

She sat down at the end of her bed, trying not to think about the fact that she’d never had another girl on it before. She didn’t have any female friends who did things like sit on each other’s beds to gossip. The closest she’d come was an offer to visit someone else’s bed when she’d snuck out to a local gay bar. She suspect the other woman had also lied her way in with a fake ID, but even with that suspicion, Negasonic hadn’t been able to justify to herself sleeping with someone she didn’t know, especially if that person thought she was over eighteen and named Alex instead of Ellie.

“We probably will be.” Negasonic shrugged and tried to look like she didn’t care one way or another. “They try to room people age alike. Since most of the other girls are under fourteen or at least eighteen, we’re pretty secluded. There were two other girls in the middle bracket. Both roomed with her, but neither of them talked to her much.

“Lots of guys though,” she added as an afterthought. Without meaning to, Negasonic watched for Yukio’s reaction.

There wasn’t one. Instead she leaned forward and looked expectantly back at Negasonic. “You have a really cool name.”

She didn’t know how to handle that. “Um, that’s the idea,” she said, annoyed by how easy she had been to fluster. “What about you? Is Yukio based on something?” Negasonic didn’t really know anything about Japanese culture, so she hoped it wasn’t something obvious.

“No,” the pink-haired girl replied. “It’s actually my real name.”

Negasonic furrowed her brows together. “Do you not have a name yet?”

She hadn’t when she’d first arrived, but Negasonic had still been relatively young. And Ellie had shed her name as quickly as she could.

Yukio shook her head, ponytail whipping around her face as she did so. “No, and I don’t want one.”

“But you have to have one.”

Yukio smiled, like she knew something Negasonic didn’t. “Actually I don’t. We have them for safety, but it’s not like any of us do anything to protect our identities.”

That was true. Some superheroes were ridiculous about keeping their identities secret, and while Negasonic could understand that perspective, it wasn’t true for a lot of mutants. Often their powers outed them, like hers had. Regardless the big players had their strong we shouldn’t have to hide agenda that they frequently pushed. Many mutants who could have otherwise kept their powers a secret, as she could now that she had much better control of them, readily revealed their identities. Masks weren’t exactly big around here.

It was easy for her, though. She didn’t have a secret identity because Negasonic felt much more like a name than Ellie ever had.

“Still,” Negasonic said. She didn’t know what she was trying to argue, but an argument felt like it needed to be made.

“I’m okay only have one identity,” she insisted. “Besides, my family call me Yuki anyway. Yukio is starting over in a way.”

“A new identity isn’t the same as starting over.”

Yukio simply looked at her, the playful indulgence easy to read. “No? Then why did Colossus call you Negasonic? Why do we all call him Colossus? There may be mutants who go by both readily, but for most of us, the new one is the only thing that matters.”

Maybe that’s why she’d always called Deadpool Wade. As near as she could tell, his alias was purely for professional purposes and because he thought it sounded cool. But to everyone who actually knew him, he was Wade. But despite basically dying multiple times without actually dying, Wade wasn’t a Before and After. It was weird because he literally looked nothing like he had before. (She’d seen the pictures. He was tolerable if you were into clean cut white men, which Negasonic wasn’t.) His personality hadn’t shifted at all, and he’d really just used his After as an extension of the same kind of personality and shit he’d done before. He was just more deadly because he couldn’t die.

Yukio angled her head as she studied Negasonic. In turn, Negasonic wanted to crawl under the bed.

“What’s your birth name?”

Negasonic bit her lip. That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it? “I don’t actually like it,” she admitted, hoping that would be enough.

That unfortunately didn’t seem to satisfy Yukio’s curiosity. “What not?”

Shrugging in an I-don’t-care way, Negasonic stared down at her bedspread. “I guess it never really fit.”

Yukio didn’t respond. The silence filled the space between them before expanding into the room as a whole. It left Negasonic ready to suffocate, and she couldn’t stop herself from willingly sharing her name for the first since taking on her superhero identity.

“I’m Ellie.”

“That’s a nice name,” Yukio said, “but you’re right. It doesn’t really fit you.”

Negasonic swallowed, glancing back up at Yukio. The seriousness she found on the other girl’s face transfixed her. They stared not uncomfortably at each other for longer than Negasonic cared to admit.

“What about El?” Yukio asked suddenly.

“It’s a nice letter,” Negasonic responded, not understanding where she was going with this.

As Yukio shook her head again, Negasonic let her eyes track the pink swinging hair again.

“Not the letter L. El as a shorthand for your name. It suits you.”

Negasonic paused as she thought about it. It felt less childish than Ellie and less girly too. “I like it,” she said. Without meaning to, she added, “I like you.”

Instantly Negasonic froze, ready to bolt form her own room of embarrassment. Yukio, to her credit, just grinned with all that sunshine Negasonic had noticed earlier.

“I like you too.”

#deadpool #deadpool 2 #negasonic teenage warhead #yukio #yukonic #negasonic #fanfic #fanficiton #mine #my writing

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serafxn-a · 5 years

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(( Hey guys. Mun here. I know, I know, I’ve been relatively quiet lately. For... a while now. I should probably give a life update. A bit more of a comprehensive one.

After a simultaneously wild and dull 10 years of my life beginning with university, which included a lot of online and a little offline drama, the end of a 7 year relationship that I’m still kind of reeling over several months onward, and a whole lot of paranoia and health problems both mental and physical... My life situation IRL took a drastic turn and almost brought my online presence to a screeching halt. Around May-June of this year, I moved back in with my parents, got a job at a major UK toy store chain, and have no longer been able to sustain my wild-ass 10am-5am living due to changes in schedule and having major responsibility for the first time in my life. One such responsibility being not keeping my parents awake til fuck knows in the morning, ahaha. And, y’know, actually getting decent sleep before work... (something I’m failing a little at right now,,,)

I’ve got mixed feelings about it, but overall... it’s actually been a pretty positive experience. Being definitively useful, wanted and moreover needed does a lot for one’s self-esteem. Knowing I’m good enough at doing something that people will take my advice, and that I will get called into work for more hours instead of having my hours cut, is kind of a good buzz, even if it’s taken a lot of getting used to and been stressful for my RP life. Not having any friends IRL sucks hard when I can’t talk to my online ones as much but... I’m trying to deal as best I can.

But right now, let’s forget all that. It’s time for me to be sappy, because it’s late at night, I’m sick, and it’s almost Thanksgiving. ))

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(( Now, I know I’m not American, so when it comes to Thanksgiving, I don’t go there. I might have humoured a “turkey” dinner of my own for a couple of years just so I wouldn’t be left out. Which I guess might be kinda sad but I prefer to think of it as an act of sentimentality.

And, what can I say? I’m a very sentimental person.

That sentimentality is what leads me to make this post. There’s so many important people I’ve met that I’m grateful for. I’d like to talk about some of them, because I don’t think I should be particularly shy about this. I might not get all of them, because I’m kinda scatterbrained (and at least as of making alterations to this part of the post mid-way through typing it it’s 11:30 and I have to get up at 8).

First off: if you’re in the Sunny Day Café server? You fucking rock! Even if you don’t talk too much in there, your continued support of my first real attempt to run a relatively public RP server is really appreciated. In particular on this front I’d like to thank Rose (blogs: @kxndncss @grxxnheart @hopxlcss), Shad (blog: @flapsinhands) and Ozi (blog: @magicbyhalves) for helping me with moderating the place. I’ll be the first to admit that my moderation skills are a bit... well, 👋. I’m often not a good judge of situations, and find it difficult to trust my own judgements. It’s something I’m having to learn. So the help is really important to me.

Of course, these three (who I will dedicate more time to in this post later for sure) have also been really helpful with plot stuff. There’s a particular group of people who’ve been helpful with plot stuff, actually, aside from these three, and I’d like to mention them too.

Let’s start with Ziz! (blogs: @unseenbutnotgone @seenbutgone @unheardanduncaring @distastefulblossom @setebcs)

My memory is trash, but I think Ziz and I started talking over Wings wanting to get to know Fin back when he was Sleazy? Because he was getting involved with his son, and of course a good dad would want to make sure his son is in good company. He wasn’t, but Fin grew from that, and I’m thankful for that too, but also I’m thankful for what happened when Fin ended up applying this relearned kindness when Wings’ son was forcibly fused with a corrupt fragment of his.

And then it all went really gay from there, and now they’re married and have spread the gay even further. It’s not even over yet, there’s so much potential for Reset and Fin still and I’m eager to explore it and fit them into this intricate new world that I’ve never really touched on in RP before. And to write with someone as caring, empathetic, funny and smart as Ziz? I’m really honoured. They’re really inspiring to me and I adore RPing with them. They put so much work into their muses, visually and historically and meaningfully and I just... 💋👌 Mwah. Ziz as a writer, and an artist, and as a person too - I look up to them so damn much.

And I definitely cannot mention inspiring people without coming to talk about Rose. She and Ziz were ultimately the reason I started to invest so much in my Gasters, they’ve provided constant encouragement with my writing, I’ve been able to bounce ideas off of them not just for my stories but for theirs too. They’ve been emotionally supportive and emotionally constructive too, which is honestly fantastic. I know I’m someone who has a lot of growing to do. I appreciate that there’s people who’ll stick by me while I’m doing it and help me along.

Rose is such a pleasure to write with. Her prose is utterly gorgeous to read, it feels like seeing the individual threads coming together in a tapestry. Her talent for finding mood music is fantastic and something I honestly aspire to, because mood music for writing or setting a scene is so so important. Her characters are always really well researched and have so much depth to them, and it’s really great seeing her influences because damn she has good taste too. And what’s more, I honestly do look up to Rose, because while her life experiences may not be perfect she’s accomplished a lot of things I would love to accomplish myself. She’s really inspiring to me.

While these are the two folks I talk to most, particularly about RP stuff, there’s a whole gang of bastards I’m thankful for... I’ll have to bullet point these guys because there’s a good few blogs associated with them and I want to try and include all the active/main ones?

Rav - @imbreaking-sans @imdespondent-sans @mraudio-the-audacious

Bets - @fellythealphaskeleton @xa-eviterx

Situ - @shadowbirdsitu @sourtrout

Del - @skellie-bean @pocketpunk666

Collectively these are people I know I can come to when I need help with things, RP or otherwise, people I can vent to, people I can share experiences with, and people I can laugh with and listen to and just generally hang around and be myself with. Which is kind of really important, especially when I don’t entirely feel like I can be myself IRL still.

Rav honestly has such a good way with words, both when it comes to people and when it comes to prose, and seems wise way beyond her years at times. Her level-headedness has sometimes been a little intimidating to me, but possibly because it’d been a rare quality in people I’d known prior, and something I’m often lacking in myself. I look up to pretty much everyone for different reasons, or sometimes similar ones. Rav is one of these people I look up to, in part because of this level-headedness. (And also because holy shit she’s dealt with so much and still come out on top!!) She’s a lot of fun to write with and a very trustworthy person I’m honoured to call a friend.

I think, if my memory serves me right, when I was really starting to talk to this group as a group - not as it is now, but as it had been, with a few different people there or not there - it was Bets I’d first encountered. And, well, I didn’t make the best first impression, I don’t think... but I like to think it got way better afterwards. Bets is honestly a really fun and wild character whilst simultaneously having that level-headedness I really admire in people? And like, she has wack plotlines (I’m looking at all the Felly stuff especially with fuckin BIRDSCAPE), but it’s so much fun to see them unfold and be a part of them! I consider her one of the comic masters of the group alongside Ziz, and though their styles are fairly different I have a high respect for both of them. And what’s more, I’ve always found Bets super easy to approach, which is invaluable to me as someone who is very shy and unsure of themselves.

While I say Bets was one of the first people in this group that I encountered, but as the group stands now it was actually Situ. Prickly and Fin had this thing going between them that grew into joke-flirting that became actual flirting, because when you do something like that it’s almost certainly going to stop being a joke if you keep doing it. If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for it’s slow burn and these two delivered so wonderfully. Situ has always been super friendly, super eager and super full of enthusiasm! And while I regretfully haven’t always been able to match that, I have always had fun RPing with her. I love her art, her muse designs, and - honestly this might seem out of left field one day could you gimme a hand with my hair? Yours always looks so good!! ... Er, that aside, you’re another really approachable person who I appreciate a lot. (I also admire your muse dedication like holy shit how many blogs do I have now)

I absolutely have to open with the Del paragraph by stating she is fucking hilarious. There’s a reason she’s using the Jevil icon on Discord at the moment; she’s definitely our Joker. I’m legally obligated to state she’s full of beans (it’s funny because the beans are her muses), and I respect her so much for sticking with child muses and RPing them so well when it must be really damn difficult at times. There’s a lot of challenges that come with child muses for sure. Del is also a great listener, an enthusiastic plotter, and an incredibly sweet person. Fun fact: she sent me a plush jackalope a while back and he’s sat by my bedside ever since, receiving cuddles when I needed them most! Another fun fact: she’s usually the person who initiates the “hewwo??” in voice calls. Chaotic alignment as hell.

I’ve talked a lot about a particular group of friends but they aren’t really the only people I interact with... and while the people I interact with regularly has dwindled a little, there’s two people not in this specific group who are still super important to me, who I mentioned earlier, actually.

I’ll mention Shad first - blog linked further up - as someone who I’m really glad I grew closer to? We’d shared a few friend groups but it took a bit for us to really start interacting, and I’m so glad we did. She has a fucking killer sense of humour and it bleeds into her RPing in the best way. Being involved in her plots in any way is freaking awesome, and she’s been super great about getting involved in mine in a way that’s really fleshed them out and given them direction and form. Not to mention she was one of the reasons I got back into Guild Wars 2 and we have such a good time playing together and talking.

I think at least for now the last person and absofuckinlutely not least I’ll talk about is Ozi... whose friendship with me long pre-dates my current blogs, as we started RPing together in the League of Legends community. She’s a really positive influence in my life, and I’m honestly really grateful that she’s stuck by me through our changes in fandom. Seeing her grow and improve as an artist has been an absolute pleasure, and her writing has always delighted me. The development turns she takes are fantastic and really well thought out, and that she can work with so little and make so much is inspiring as all hell. (I’m mostly talking about the amount of work she managed to put into fleshing out Thresh back when we were in the LoL fandom but damn she’s doing such a good job with Shantae in this regard too?? Thresh was just a lot more... bare-bones. Ba dum tsch.)

It’s about now that I’ve run out of steam and it’s past my bed time but I would like to say that this list is by no means exhaustive. There’s a lot of people who have put me on the path I’m on today, some who I may not talk to as much, some I talk to more, some who I don’t talk to anymore at all. Maybe they left my life on a good note, maybe on a bad. But each and every person we meet leaves some kind of mark, however big, however small.

I’m grateful for all the people who’ve not only left kind marks on me, but stayed, too. ))

#{}{} OOC #long post ))#(( sorry if this came out dumb or if there's any missing or incorrect details ))#(( i'm sick and very tired which is not helping my usually poor memory in any way ))#(( but pls know that i love u ))

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blueeyesspitfire · 5 years

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Blood, Sweat, and Snow Storms

It’s been a wild week for the northeast and for this little homestead. We spent half of it back in Jersey while we waited for the dog yard fence to be finished. I had planned to go back south anyway—I had tickets to see a comedy show with friends. I managed to squeeze in some dinners and plenty of family time while I was down there, too.

An early winter storm threatened to strike on Thursday evening, right when I had planned to make the trip north. Thankfully, my job schedule is flexible, so I took the morning to beat the storm up here. I also had time to grab some groceries and gas for the snow blower. We were slated to get anywhere from 5” to 12”+, which actually isn’t too serious for Tug Hill standards. Still, this was my first major snow event up here and I felt like doomsday prepping.

The snow didn’t really hit us until after I went to bed (and after hammering New Jersey and New York City), but I didn’t get much sleep. I was up every few hours to peak out the window and make sure we weren’t completely buried. By 6:30, I was bundling up to assess the damage and get to work. The dog yard fence was completed just in time and the first chore was to dig out the perimeter. I think we got between 10 and 12” by morning, with another 3-4” falling throughout the day. The last thing I want is for the 6’ fence to shrink as the snow level gets higher, so I’m maintaining a path around the edge of the yard.

Next, I spent some time fighting with my snow blower until I finally figured out how to get it running. After that step, operating it was a (really fun) breeze. I cleared paths to the dog yard gates, to the front porch, and most of the rear driveway up to the pole barn. I was inside by 8:30 AM, wild-haired and sweaty despite the cold. By 10 AM, a local friend was able to swing by and plow the rest of my driveway. (Thanks Roy!) I had no where I needed to be since I work from home, but it was nice to know we had “survived” our first storm. I’d still prefer to get my own plow truck as soon as possible, but I have the phone numbers of nearly a half dozen guys with plows, so I should get by.

The main reason I needed to clear the driveway was so that my parents could get to the house on Friday night. They spent a second weekend in a row at the house with me, putting down new floors and helping me paint the dining room. Between work and the dogs, these renovation projects would have taken me months, and the results would not have been anywhere near as good. At this point, the living room is ready for furniture and the dining room just needs a floor. One more weekend should do it, just in time for the Christmas tree to go up.

The dogs have been patient and (for the most part) stay out of our way while working on the house. I’ve been getting them out for brief but tough runs since the snow fell—the first two were slow slogs as we broke trail and the third was on hard, punchy snow that threw them all off their usual rhythm. The new Prairie Bilt sled handles well, though getting back on the runners is always a bit of a challenge each year.

Now that the team has been getting frequent hookups and more space, fights between Hubble and Dexter have gone down—but they haven’t completely stopped. Shortly after my parents arrived, the dogs rushed out to investigate their bags. The smell of food was lingering on one of them, and I suspect that set off both Dexter and Hubble in a nasty brawl. It took a little bit of a struggle (and my Mom spraying us all with the sink) to get them separated, and Dex was on the losing end with a split ear.

I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with a bleeding dog ear, but it’s pretty much the most awful non-serious injury. And Dexter has big, floppy, blood-filled ears. He went trotting through the house, bleeding and shaking his head, spattering the walls and floor like a crime scene. I cleaned and iced the ear, applied liquid bandaid when the bleeding stopped, and then he’d shake his head and start it all up again. It took a solid hour of my mom petting his chest and holding him still for the ear to fully close up, without him reopening it by shaking. (Styptich powder has since been ordered) In the end, he’s fine, and the ear looks much better than it did.

All in all, I’m exhausted. I’m very grateful I’ve had so much help with renovations and with snow management; this whole home ownership thing would be a heck of a lot harder without family and friends around. The snow will get more extreme, though, and I’ll need to get comfortable managing it on my own.

Through all these life changes, I worry that my team and our expedition goals are taking a hit. I’m glad I reset my own expectations and let this season be mostly for settling in and learning, because there’s no way I’d be ready to set out for a long, overnight trip by January or February. I still hope to get there by next season, but I’m beginning to question and rethink my distance goals—and my mushing ambitions in general. Don’t worry, it’s nothing earth shattering. I’ll save that for another post, though. If you’ve read this far, thank you for sticking around. Happy trails!

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theuhcommblog · 2 years

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How to prepare for finals week and Valenti student's advice!

Blog Post 7: Karina Padilla

As this semester wraps up students are preparing for finals week. During this time, it is always super hectic and stressful on campus. Lots of students are studying like crazy as a last-ditch effort to make sure their grades are up to their standards. This period is difficult for many since the majority of students take multiple classes at once and they all have finals/tests back to back. So, that means they need to study twice as hard. This can be very time-consuming and trying. But the good news is that there are many things you can do to make your finals week a breeze! In today’s blog, we will go over some helpful tips to make you more comfortable and keep you in good spirits during this demanding time in the semester! Then, we will hear from our very own Valenti students and see what they find beneficial.

Here are some general tips to help make finals week a bit smoother.

1. Get a good night’s sleep. Most college students always talk about how sleep-deprived they are, and this is something you want to avoid at all costs especially during finals. If you need to drink some melatonin, hot tea, or whatever helps you unwind do it!

2. Stay organized and always double-check. It is easy to switch up due dates from different classes. And if this happens it is difficult to come back from.

3. Find a good study spot. I recommend studying on campus because at home most people’s first instinct is to want to relax. At college, everyone is on go mode and it keeps you in that motivated headspace and in turn, will help you get more work done at a faster rate.

4. Study with classmates. More often than not there will always be someone in your class who is more than willing to discuss and study classwork with you. It may be a little intimidating at first but if you put yourself out there you have nothing to lose and you might gain a study partner.

5. Take breaks and take care of yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed with work take a second to cool down and do something you enjoy. You can even schedule breaks during your studying and that will help take some pressure off. Do not get too comfortable and overindulge because then you will put yourself in a tough place.

Valenti student Alana Meza had this to say when asked what she find helpful during finals week, “Honestly, I love finals because I am constantly reminded that I am that much closer to the semester ending. Focusing on the break that’s to come keeps me motivated to do my best right now because it will all be over soon anyway. I have always enjoyed school though, so finals never really intimidate me unless it is in a subject that I am unfamiliar with.”

Gabriel Perez who is also a student at the School of Communications had this to say, “I do get a little overwhelmed so, I make time to work out or meditate. Those things help me out a ton because it makes my body and mind feel like it has been put on reset. “

All in all, there are so many ways students can help relieve the pressure the closing of this semester brings. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if you work hard the consequences that come after that will be so rewarding.

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dentalinfotoday · 6 years

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Since you’re reading this article right now, you must be curious about sleep studies.

You may have decided you need to undergo a sleep study because your partner complains about your snoring. Maybe you read my book and realized you have some of the signs of interrupted sleep that show up in the mouth. Or maybe you suspect that you’re not getting the best sleep, and your suboptimal sleep is causing another issue, like GERD, headaches, low energy, brain fog, depression, or even teeth grinding.

No matter how you got here—congrats! This is an important first step in gathering the information you need to improve your overall health.

I screen all of my patients for sleep disordered breathing, as sleep apnea and other sleep issues are a key contributor to conditions including cavities, teeth grinding, gum recession, and periodontal disease. And I’m not the only dentist who understands the link between sleep and oral and dental health. In fact, the field of dental sleep medicine is rapidly becoming mainstream; you may even hear your dentist ask about your sleep quality at your next checkup.

Knowing the quality of your sleep is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful pieces of data about yourself that you could have—right up there with your blood type and your genetic predispositions to certain diseases.

But getting access to this data isn’t always easy or convenient.

First, sleep studies are EXPENSIVE—especially if you’re in the majority of people whose insurance doesn’t cover a $4-5K sleep study in the lab. Also, if you’re terrified at the prospect of sleeping in a lab, you’re not alone. Even though a sleep lab is designed to resemble a hotel room instead of a standard hospital room. most people would much rather have their sleep measured from the comfort of their own bed.

Enter the home sleep study.

The benefits of home sleep studies are pretty obvious—they’re cheaper and conducted from the comfort of your own bed stay—but how do you determine which product is the most accurate and worth the money? Or what to expect during the study.

We’ll cover all that and more in this article.

What is a sleep study and how are home studies different?

Sleep studies are designed to measure sleeping heart rate, oxygen level, blood pressure, body movement, and whether there is evidence of any breathing disorders, like sleep apnea.

Traditionally, these studies are done in a hospital, under the care of an MD, but participating in a study can be difficult and inconvenient for a number of reasons:

The wait times to get an appointment at in-person sleep labs are lengthy, potentially taking months to get in

The hoops you have to jump through to ensure insurance coverage for the study are extensive

The study itself is unpleasant: sleeping, observed, in a strange hospital bed with numerous wires and other tech attached to your body is rather uncomfortable

At-home sleep studies are different because they can provide much of the same data without the hassle of a lab visit.

Home sleep study for kids must be prescribed by a doctor. Then, once you receive the kit (either via mail or directly from your doctor’s office), you wear the components of the test for the number of nights allotted for your sleep test.

The components typically include two bands worn around your torso, a pulse monitor worn on your finger, and an oxygen reader tube that rests in your nose.

It’s important to try to keep the different pieces correctly attached to yourself during the nights of the study. If something falls off—which is entirely possible during a night’s sleep—the data may be less accurate and you may have to repeat the whole process again.

Once everything is in place, you only need to sleep as normally as possible for the duration of the study.

Some products will only want to look at a single snapshot night of data, while others will track your sleep data for multiple nights, gathering a set of data that reveals patterns and insights over time.

Sleep Study Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you have a better understanding of how sleep studies work, let’s take a look at other commonly asked questions—the answers to which will guide you when choosing the study that is right for you.

How effective are home sleep studies?

A: It’s been well over ten years since I participated in my first at-home sleep study, and the technology has progressed immensely since then. That said, there are still some drawbacks. There’s one home sleep study that

Home sleep studies are especially effective in identifying severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, they tend to underestimate breathing events, so they are not great at picking out mild or moderate OSA. While breathing is the key component of the majority of sleep issues, with not-entirely-reliable data and a limited scope of investigation that does not go beyond sleep breathing, I could only describe home sleep studies are partially effective.

How do doctors analyze a sleep study?

A: When a sleep study is complete, doctors will look to see how the patient breathes while asleep. Breathing issues are at the root of the most common and serious sleep disorders, which is why sleep studies focus on oxygen flow and body motion.

How much does a sleep study cost?

A: A sleep study is expensive whether it’s conducted in a lab or at home. An at-home study can cost in the thousands, while a lab study may cost in the tens-of-thousands. That’s why it’s critical to take the necessary—though potentially tedious—steps to get approval from your insurance company for the study before taking action. Trust me, you don’t want to get stuck footing the full bill for either test environment.

Sleep Tech Companies: A Side-by-Side Comparison

I am a big proponent of sleep studies, but I also understand that participating in one (whether in a lab or at home) isn’t an option for everyone, nor is it necessary.

I do firmly believe, however, that we should all be participating in annual sleep “checkups”—similar to a regular teeth cleaning or visit your our doctor. And the good news is that these checkups can be conducted very easily and affordably with some simple, easily accessible technology.

I’ve put together a review of five in-home sleep studies. Each has benefits and disadvantages, so I’ve included those to allow you to select the best option for your situation.

(Spoiler alert: My #1 choice happens to be at the bottom of the list, so don’t stop reading too early!)

Fitbit

Type of tech: Wearable

Pros: Wearables like Fitbit are really helpful for tracking and helping you maintain a solid sleep schedule and routine, which is the foundation of healthy sleep. If you’re looking to reset your rhythm and program a stable sleep and wake routine, this technology can help. They can also track the number of times you wake up during the night, as well as the stages of sleep you reach.

Cons: These devices are great for gathering large datasets about your sleep, but they don’t give you any direction on interpreting the information to improve your sleep quality or behaviors. They also don’t provide information related to your sleep breathing which is one of the key components of sleep health.

Where to find it: https://www.fitbit.com/home

Beddit

Type of tech: Mattress band

Pros: The band, which goes under your sheets, does a great job of providing a deeper understanding of your transition through the different sleep stages, as well as tracking your sleep routine. Through various sensors in the band, it also tracks humidity and temperature, giving insights into your sleep environment.

Cons: The sensor detects your breathing rate and snoring but is not able to identify when your sleep ability is interrupted by breathing disturbances. While it can be a helpful device for some sleep health factors, it ultimately falls short where it matters most.

Where to find it: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MR9P2LL/A/beddit-3-sleep-monitor

SnoreLab

Type of tech: App

Pros: SnoreLab records your snoring while you sleep, measuring the intensity of your snoring and providing comparisons over time so you can see if changes like adding a mouth guard or a new pillow lessen your snoring. It also provides you with recordings so you can hear samples (yes, you do snore honey!), as well as suggestions on how to decrease your snoring, should you decide to take action.

Cons: Not everyone with diminished sleep ability snores. So while the app can provide surprising revelations (who knew you had full conversations with your third-grade teacher in your sleep?), it is not a foolproof way to determine if you are experiencing sleep breathing issues. The app is also more limited than other sleep technologies presented here as it does not track any of the other important factors of sleep health, such as sleep stages or routine.

Where to find it: https://snorelab.com/

Partner or Friend Observation

Type of tech: Manual, non-technical

Pros: If you’re not ready to commit to a full-scale, at-home technology to get insights into your sleep ability, a preliminary alternative is to have a partner or friend observe you while you sleep. They should note if you display any signs of disrupted sleep (such as teeth-grinding, snoring, gasping breaths, tossing and turning, etc). And you can start tonight!

Cons: Obviously, the results of this aren’t very scientific and mostly serve as a first step in either confirming that you need a more in-depth assessment, or that you are comfortable with your sleep quality. If you choose to pursue this option, make sure your observer has a smartphone available to video record any sleep events, which is what a doctor will be most interested in.

Where to find it: At home

Knit Health (my favorite)

Type of tech: Non-wearable, wall-mounted camera

Pros: Nothing to wear, affordable, and accurate enough for me to make this my new go-to for referring my own patients. I’m a stickler for accuracy, and Knit delivers. In addition to identifying breathing quality and disturbances, Knit Health sleep experts evaluate your sleep routine, stages of sleep, sleep quality, and other critical sleep health contributing factors. More importantly, Knit Health provides custom recommendations and an action plan to help you improve your sleep quality, based on the data gathered over multiple nights and video clips that are then shared with a doctor.

Cons: Some folks are uncomfortable with a local camera over their bed. Good news for them, Knit Health only transfers video clips related to sleep events (i.e the actual moment of snoring) so your data is safe and sound on your home network. It’s as close as you can get to what a lab sleep study can tell you, but in the comfort of your home.

Where to find it: Shipped to your doorstep, https://www.knithealth.com/askthedentist

I have used Knit for hundreds of my patients and they’ve consistently met or exceeded my standards.

The results come in faster and it’s far more comfortable for my patients—letting us move faster to help my patients move towards the right treatment option so they can get back to living their lives.

We don’t have to wait months for an appointment at the sleep lab.

The data collected is far more accurate and comprehensive than any other home study, anywhere.

This is why I’ve agreed to be an advisor to Knit Health, which allows me to pass along a discount on the technology to my patients. I’ve also asked the company to extend that same discount to my readers, and they’ve agreed! Use this link to get $150 off.

Sleep Assessments Should Be Part of Regular Preventative Wellness Checks

Sleep specialists estimate that 18 million Americans have moderate to severe sleep apnea, and 75 percent of them don’t know it. After just one night of poor sleep, many people complain of lower energy and mood swings, and these problems are only exacerbated with multiple nights of interrupted sleep.

Over multiple days, weeks, months, and even years, poor sleep can impact a number of important health metrics, including cognitive function, weight, risk for preventable diseases (including diabetes heart attacks), and, of course, oral and dental health.

I can’t overstress how important it is to your long-term health to have your sleep ability assessed. If your body goes through the proper stages of sleep, especially deep sleep, the benefits are abundant.

Even if your diet, nutrition, and exercise are perfect, and even if you’re getting eight hours every night, if you haven’t assessed your sleep quality, you could be missing the most important factor of your health.

Read my book, The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox, to learn more.

No matter how you do it, it’s time to start treating your sleep like a preventative wellness check. It doesn’t matter what you choose, just get started with something.

Have you ever tried a sleep study? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to share your results if you have!

The post The Complete Guide to At-Home Sleep Tests, Plus My Favorite Way to Track Sleep appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

from Ask the Dentist https://askthedentist.com/home-sleep-tests/

#Dentistry #Blog

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thedivinefish · 3 years

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TGIWednesday and a download for being fully present

TGIWednesday News

Being scattered with a bunch of computer web browsers open on your computer is easy, a bit messy and dare I say fun to do, but often you don’t get a whole lot done! Being fully present often takes some self discipline and allows us to take life a few minutes at a time. If you’re thinking about the past, you're generally caught up in guilt and regrets of which there is nothing you can do about it. If you’re worrying about the future, you’ll usually be a nervous wreck waiting for the other shoe to drop. Do your level best to be fully present here and now and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much better you’ll feel. Please know that this time of year, we’re about to contribute to that in a big way with our "12 Days of BOGO" sale of our MyBeliefWorks™ audio MP3/PDF collection in the library of the shop now. Click here for more info!

For those who aren't familiar, below is a list of the 30+ audios in the series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality

Shop BOGO Here!

December LIVE Zoom Event

**Our next LIVE Zoom MySwitchWorks event is scheduled for Wednesday December 30th at 7:30-8:00pm Eastern - the topic and the registration link will be available in the coming weeks. Browse the previous MySwitchWorks catalog here.

TGIWednesday Download

~ BEING FULLY PRESENT ~ I believe, think, know and feel that I can and will be fully in the present. I am ready, willing and able to do my best to be here and now and accomplish each task one at a time. I know, when, where how and why to be still and remember that the energy of spirit is inside all of us now and always and so it is. I am asking in all languages and throughout all time lines and so it is!

From the Fish Box

"I was really sick with respiratory problems with mild fever for several weeks, then I had a private session with Jimmy. Magic happened. I told him about my symptoms. My breathing was not normal. He went into treatment. In about a minute I was able to breathe deeply and my voice became stronger instantly. Jimmy told me I had an emotional blockage In my lung. For the next few days I had heat flashes several times and my temperature became normal again. I feel soooooo much better. My vitality is back. Another thing - I need to do major repairs with my condo. I was really perplexed as to how I should pay for this. Mortgage loan?? etc. I was listening to Jimmy’s abundance MP3s and all of a sudden my boyfriend offered to pay for this and told me not to worry about money. How great is that?!!! I am so grateful and thankful. Words cannot express my gratitude. Jimmy is a miracle.” - Helen from Japan

"Dear Jimmy, Wishing a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you. You are definitely one of the reasons I am grateful this season. Thank you for your steady, humorous, humble, heartfelt messages each week. I am blessed by your presence. Love," - Joanna

"Just a short note to wish you and yours a wonderful, joyous and harmonious Thanksgiving. I would like to say a big thank you for all the incredibly, amazing work that you do, in sharing it with the world which is very much helping, supporting and guiding me on my own personal growth path, thank you, thank you, thank you, many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving." - Loretta J

LIVE Appearances

SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS RADIO with host Charlotte Spicer TODAY, December 2nd at 2:00 pm Eastern Call in LIVE at (347) 934-0751 OR Listen Here Online

THE MYSTICAL MATCHMAKER PODCAST with host Marla Martenson TOMORROW. December 3rd at 12pm ET/9am PT Call in LIVE at (347)-215-6966 OR Listen Here Online

Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS FRIDAY DECEMBER 11th from 10-4pm

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s NEW office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions from 10am - 4pm on Friday December 11th 403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

FRIDAY KODAWARI YOGA STUDIOS

Friday sessions are back to being phone-only for folks that I usually see at Kodawari until further notice. You can book time with me in the shop and schedule online. 3965 Henderson Blvd Suite C Tampa ☎️ (813) 999-1874 http://www.kodawariyoga.com/

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack DECEMBER 2nd "Today I will transport myself back in time with flashbacks of wonder and delight. I will shed the regret and despair and select only those happier more joyous time pools to dip into and I will delight in doing so."

The Jimmy Mack Healing Show

WATCH IT LIVE TUESDAY'S at 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT Watch and Participate (via Comments) during the Live TV Show streamed on Goldylocks Productions YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and Periscope. NOTE: You will need to log into your YouTube (Google) or Facebook accounts to comment. If you watch the Live show from any other location other than the 3 listed below, your comments will not be seen by the Show Host or Producer. https://www.facebook.com/GoldylocksProductions https://www.pscp.tv/Goldylocks168/follow Or watch all live and replays in the archives here: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

Instructions for the VIEWERS: 1. One reading/message per person. The first question posted will be answered, so please think about your question carefully before posting it. 2. If you want a longer and more detailed message, please book an appointment with the Show Host. 3. Spirit does come through and gives messages that can apply to many, not just the person asking the question. 4. It is not required nor should be expected that every question or comment will be addressed by the Show Host. 5. If you have any issues with the show host or show format, please contact the Show Producer... not the Show Host. 6. Contact the Show Producer, Rev. Tiffany White Sage Woman via email: [email protected]

Yesterday's Replay with Special Guest Joanne Psychic Leo | Numerology, Astrology, Intuitive Card Readings www.psychicjoanneleo.com December 8th - Marla Martenson | Author, Intuitive Reader, Tarot https://marlamartenson.com December 15th - Kimberly Marooney | Angel Expert, Author, intuitive http://kimberlymarooney.com/angel-expert-kimberly-marooney December 22nd - NO SHOW THIS WEEK December 29th Rev Debbie Dienstbier | Trans medium communication with your loved ones in spirit Visit her Facebook page

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf. Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day!

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

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Jimmy Mack | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session Transformational Healing of Body, Mind & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations! Download the My Liquid Fish® Starter Kit (*Updated May 2019) Audio MP3 Downloads and books to improve your life! Get Certified in My Liquid Fish® Change Made Simple® Watch Free Videos on YouTube Weekly Radio Show Archives Shop for Supplements http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2020 All Rights Reserved

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divinefishingtips · 3 years

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TGIWednesday and a download for being fully present

TGIWednesday News

Shop BOGO Here!

December LIVE Zoom Event

TGIWednesday Download

From the Fish Box

LIVE Appearances

SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS RADIO with host Charlotte Spicer TODAY, December 2nd at 2:00 pm Eastern Call in LIVE at (347) 934-0751 OR Listen Here Online

THE MYSTICAL MATCHMAKER PODCAST with host Marla Martenson TOMORROW. December 3rd at 12pm ET/9am PT Call in LIVE at (347)-215-6966 OR Listen Here Online

Tampa Office Sessions

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS FRIDAY DECEMBER 11th from 10-4pm

Please call their office directly at ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

FRIDAY KODAWARI YOGA STUDIOS

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

The Jimmy Mack Healing Show

**Can't See The Full Email? Click Here to View Online**

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

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-------------------------------------------------- TGIW newsletter managed by: Sandy Bidinger Digital Marketing Specialist at SMBeConnected Solutions www.smbeconnected.com

Stay connected!

Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

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