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celestep · 3 years

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okay I found an older snippet and I may be considering...writing again??

If I do write more, I think it would have to be AU but here's an older snippet that is not!

Note: Even though this is a Jily snippet, it's a convo between Lily and Sirius

“Oi! Evans!”

Lily hardly registered the sound of her name. She had been in a terrible fog recently, and the lack of sleep certainly wasn’t helping.

“Evans! Lily Evans!”

She stopped walking and turned to see Sirius Black jogging towards her.

“Something I can do for you, Black?” She asked flatly.

“What are you up to right now?” He asked, by way of answering her question.

“Er, free period. Was going to try to catch up on reading for Charms...”

“You mean, like you tried to this morning before breakfast? I’m pretty sure you spent an hour on the same paragraph.”

“Did Potter tell you that? Or has watching me silently become a group activity?”

“James will be delighted and embarrassed to know you’ve clocked that, so cheers. I’d be happy to make the case for my best mate and to explain his creepy new choice of courtship, but that’s not why I’m here.” Sirius rattled off, smirking.

“Oh? And why are you here?” Lily asked, slightly exasperated.

“You need to have a laugh with a mate. Or a deep conversation with a mate. Whatever you want, really. I just know you’ve been a real mess lately,” he paused slightly, perhaps expecting a telling off. All he got was a slight shrug of agreement from Lily. “And I know what it’s like, being a real mess. And I know that what you need is to spend your free period with a mate.”

“And have you brought me one? Perhaps your best mate?”

“Ah no, James would be rubbish right now. We voted and your mate is me!”

“You. You, Sirius Black, are going to pal around with me?” Lily asked, cocking an eyebrow. “You are aware we hardly speak, aren’t you, Black?”

“Yes, yes, that point was made. I certainly thought Remus would be the clear choice, but it was an unanimous decision by the end. We were meant to be friends, Evans.”

“Oh, really?” Lily asked, putting her book in her bag. “Also...unanimous? Remus voted? For you?”

“Once again, I, too, was surprised, but now you’re stuck with me, Evans. So you should decide what you’re more in the mood for, complete distraction or deep conversation?”

“Is my Charms reading an option?”

“Nope!” Sirius said grinning. “Although we could flip a coin, if you’re terribly torn.”

“Ah, tempting. But no, I suppose I pick deep conversation, as I hardly trust whatever you have up your sleeve as a distraction. Although, if we’re to have a deep conversation, may I request a butter beer, or perhaps something stiffer.”

“Miss Evans!” Sirius gasped in mock indignation. “I am shocked that you would dare ingest alcohol before classes are done for the day.”

“I mean, I only have history of magic left. While I usually wouldn't, I hardly feel that sobriety is crucial. If anything, being a little tipsy might make class slightly more interesting.”

“Positively scandalous.” Sirius said, grinning at her. She smiled back despite herself. “Lucky for you, Miss Prefect, I happen to have a wee bit of fire whiskey on me at the moment.”

He reached into his rucksack and paused for a moment, staring hard at Lily.

“This isn’t some trick where you’ll write me up after, is it?”

“No,” Lily smiled again. “Although I reserve the right to write you up depending on how this goes.”

“Ah, fair enough. No faith in me whatsoever.”

“Not no faith. Just well-informed faith. Faith on top of a first-hand knowledge of your previous behavior.” Lily teased.

“Yes, yes. I’ve been very bad. I’m well aware.” Sirius said, handing a flask over to Lily. The flask had been a Christmas present from Peter and Sirius had taken to carrying it everywhere, although this was the first time in months he’d actually broken it out to drink. Lily took a long swig and made a scrunched up face.

“Oh, Merlin,” she sputtered, passing the flask back. Sirius took a drink and, to Lily’s enjoyment, made an equally silly face. He passed it back to her and they walked out to the courtyard together, passing the flask back and forth and laughing at each other’s attempts to drink with any dignity.

“Okay. So what’s been going on with you lately?” Sirius asked, offering her the final sip from the flask. He watched as she took the flask and paused, sighing deeply before throwing her head back to finish the drink off. She cringed and shook her head.

“Where to start?” She asked, laughing drily. “Er, well. I have no friends. Well, you know that or you wouldn’t be here.”

Sirius thought about jumping in to contradict her but decided to wait and see if she’d keep talking.

“Let’s see, my sister hates me. I’m absolute crap at transfiguration. And our world seems to be pretty much headed into straight out war, so there’s that.”

Sirius nodded and looked at her. “Okay,” he said. “Now, some of that is definitely true. But, and I mean this with the utmost deference to your own experience, you know some of that is total rubbish.”

“We are definitely heading into a war-“

“Oh, yeah, that’s true.” Sirius said. “Sorry, I’ll clarify. You do have friends, although I will concede that you’ve lost your best mate, and that - despite my...opinion of him - is bloody awful. And you’re not absolute crap at Transfiguration.”

Lily laughed a little, in spite of herself. She looked down and asked quietly, “It is bloody awful.”

Sirius simply nodded and waited. She was amazed at how easy it was to talk to him and felt that it couldn’t be solely due to the fire whiskey.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret cutting ties with him. I don’t care how shit the two of you can be to him, no amount of provocation should have made him say what he said. And we’re not going to be in school much longer - soon the sides we’ve picked aren’t just about who we sit with, they’re life or death. Especially for me.” She sat in silence for a moment. “And it wasn’t a healthy relationship. Not for a long time. You know, he always made me feel a little foolish for wanting to be friends with anyone in Gryffindor. It’s why - you’re wrong, you know. Alice and Mary and Marlene and all them, they aren’t my friends. I mean, I like them and they like me but they’re a group. They’re friends and I’m just... there.”

“To mimic my best mate for a moment, you, Lily Evans, are never just there. You may not be close with them but everyone wants to be friends with you. You’re almost irritatingly likable. They’ve just been waiting for you to ask.”

“My goodness. Sirius Black, that sounded like a compliment.”

“Eh, you don’t spend as much time with James as I do and not wind up with some favorable opinions of you. And, er, if you don’t mind my saying so, he’s a pretty clear solution to your transfiguration problem. He’s top in the year there and a pretty good teacher as long as you can keep him in line, which obviously you have no issue with.”

“Well yes, I did think about asking Potter but he’s been - as I mentioned before - rather quiet lately. He, er.... he stares quite a bit. But he hasn’t spoken to me since, well, last year at the lake.”

Lily glanced at Sirius to see if she could read his expression. She hadn’t meant to broach the subject but she felt as though Potter was scared of her. While she certainly didn’t miss his constant badgering for her to go out with him, she didn’t enjoy this other extreme. James was in every class with her and best friends with one of the few people she felt remotely close to anymore. Two of them, now, I suppose, She thought to herself. Sirius seemed to be debating saying something. Lily shook her head lightly.

“They’ve just been waiting for me to ask? What does that mean? I just walk up to Mary MacDonald and say, ‘Hullo there, Mary. I’m finally ready to be close with you all. You may welcome me into your friend group now’?”

Sirius laughed “Well first of all, I’d lead with McKinnon. I’d say you could probably lose the speech and maybe, I dunno, just sit with her in Potions.”

“Sit with Marlene in Potions.”

“Yeah, well. I happen to know that Marlene is a bit desperate for a new Potions partner. That’s one of the classes Mary and Alice are partners for. Marlene used to sit with Worthington, but he’s started seeing that other Ravenclaw, Florence something, so now they want to sit together. But Marlene doesn’t want to get stuck with anyone who’s naff at Potions.”

Lily blinked. “I didn’t realize there was so much to know about our seating in Potions. How do you know all this?”

“Partially because I get bored easily, partially because Marlene and I have gotten a bit, er, closer recently.”

“Ah, I see.” Lily grinned. “And why haven’t you partnered up with her, then?”

“As I said,” Sirius grinned back. “She doesn’t want someone who’s naff at Potions. I’m easily distracted. She likes to actually, you know, work. Like a certain swotty Prefect I know...” He waggled his eyebrows at Lily and she smiled.

“All right. I’ll sit with Marlene in Potions.”

“Excellent. One problem solved.”

“Indeed.”

“Now I don’t know much about your sister,” Sirius said, changing the subject and leaning against the nearest arch. Lily was a bit surprised that he’d circled back to her family before the unfinished discussion of James Potter. “But I do know a lot about hateful family members. So while I can’t necessarily fix this one, I can at least commiserate.”

“Ah, yes. Of course that’s why Remus voted for you.”

“It certainly was.”

“Remus always says an unsolvable problem is only tolerable with company. And I know how frustrating he finds venting to someone who can’t, er, fully relate. I think he once said ‘empathy can only go so far’ on a particularly snippy day.”

“Ah,” Sirius said, narrowing his eyes for a moment. Lily realized he was trying to suss out how much she knew about Remus.

“Though I imagine it’s a little easier to find someone else with a contentious family life than someone who could, you know, fully relate to Remus.”

“So you do know.” Sirius said, suddenly a little uncertain and untrusting. “Snape told you, I suppose?”

“Oh I guessed long before and, to be fair, he never actually confirmed it. I was sure you all knew I knew!”

“You guessed it?” Sirius sounded half impressed, half terrified.

“Don’t worry, I truly don’t think anyone else has. It took Sev forever to get there and he was working at it for ages. Although I will admit he may have gotten it a bit faster had I not been throwing him off course a bit. But still,” she continued, eager to reassure Sirius, “I have never heard anyone else so much as suspect. Most people just feel badly about his mum and don’t want to bring it up. Right clever choice If you ask me.”

“How did you guess? When did you guess? And why on earth would you think we knew?” Sirius sputtered.

“To answer your first two questions, I had a bit of a crush on Remus during fourth year. We sat together in Ancient Runes, and we studied together,” she found herself blushing slightly even though she hadn’t fancied Remus in years. Sirius looked deeply amused but mostly still focused on how she uncovered such a secret. “And, as I was perhaps a tad more focused on him, I noticed that his mum’s illness always lined up with the full moon. And then I noticed a new scar and put together a pretty good guess. I wasn’t quite certain until fifth year, because we do our rounds together. He was always weak and sick before the moon and often injured after. And I assumed you knew because I cover for him whenever the full moon comes up. I mean, I didn’t think you all thought I was suddenly happy to lie to McGonagall and Dumbledore for no reason.”

“Er, no. I mean, I suppose Remus was a little surprised at first but then James wouldn’t shut up about how ‘of course you’d cover because you’re a great friend and how lucky Remus was to have you as a friend and on and on’ so we just never brought it up again.”

Lily blushed a little again, and prayed Sirius didn’t notice. He did.

#jily #snippet

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hxpelessnurse · 3 years

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I work at a liquor store and sometimes I see stuff on the shelf and think “What danganronpa character do I see drinking this shit?” (I also do this for other fandoms/rpc’s I participate in.) So I’m gonna make a list of headcanons on what the cast of DR1 and SDR2 choose as their go-to alcoholic drink. I would add the cast of V3 but I haven’t finished that game yet so I don’t know the characters as much as I know the casts of the first two games. Also most of the cast of UDG are children and shouldn’t drink and I am lazy af. There’s already way too many characters in this series lmao.

Please note that I am basing this off of Japan’s legal drinking age of 20. Though it’s well known that underage drinking isn’t really frowned upon or prosecuted like it is in the States or Canada. Also, I am based in Canada, so prices of alcohol are significantly higher here than they are in other parts of the world because alcohol sales are taxed by the government and controlled by the provincial governments. So if i say a bottle of something is expensive that’s because it is to me - a Canadian. lol.

Under a read more because I don’t wanna stretch everyone’s pages with such a long post.

DR1 Cast

Makoto Naegi: Something light or not so alcohol forward - probably a vodka soda like White Claw (probably lime flavour) or rum and coke cause its sweet and hardly tastes like alcohol at all.

Kyoko Kirigiri: White wine - specifically Chardonnay. She likes the buttery texture and tartness. I could see her drinking sake for this reason too.

Byakuya Togami: Gin Martinis specifically made with Empress 1908. He enjoys the smooth mouth feel and the distinct colour of Empress 1908 gin makes the drink feel more luxurious. It always has to be garnished with edible gold-leaf.

Aoi Asahina: Pina Coladas. The sweetness of the fruit tends to hide the alcohol aftertaste and rum adds its own sweetness to the mix that she finds delicious. Bonus if blue curaçao is added to make it look even more tropical!

Toko Fukawa: Blueberry Tea - a mixed drink that involves a cup of hot orange pekoe tea with an added shot of amaretto and a shot of grand marnier. The resulting drink tastes like blueberries surprisingly! Toko likes the warmth the drink brings.

Genocider Syo: Caesars! (Aka a Bloody Mary as its known as outside of Canada). Tomato juice is earthy and sweet while gin and vodka add their own herbal elements. The added ingredients of worchestershire sauce, tobasco, clam juice add tartness and heat that Genocider enjoys. She prefers the garnish of a celery salted rim and a dill pickle over the traditional celery stick. She also likes them extra spicy!

Yasuhiro Hagakure: Asahi Beer or Sake. He’s a simple man who likes to keep his alcoholic drinks simple too. He prefers to drink when there’s lots of grilled meat to eat alongside.

Sayaka Maizono: Moscato Rose. It’s sweet as hell and pink to boot. It looks super cute and totally fits Sayaka’s cute aesthetic.

Leon Kuwata: Stout Beer. It’s rich and creamy and a little more complex than lagers or ales. Leon likes to be unique and Stouts are interesting and complex. Like him.

Chihiro Fujisaki: Cream Liquor on the rocks. (Think Bailey’s Irish Cream.) The sweet and rich flavour of cream pairs well with the warm spice of Irish whisky. The two flavours contrast, but also blend together well. Chihiro likes it with lots of ice.

Mondo Oowada: This man drinks whiskey neat. No ice, no fancy garnishes. He likes it straight from the bottle. It’s very manly and cool. His preferred brand is Jack Daniels.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru: I feel like he would be extremely lightweight so he’d probably stick to vodka sodas like White Claw or drinks with lower alcohol content. He is usually the DD because he doesn’t actually like drinking that much.

Hifumi Yamada: Any cooler that has his favourite anime characters on the can. He doesn’t care what the alcohol tastes like he will drink it. If it’s got his waifu on it he’s drinkin’ it.

Celestia Ludenburg: Red wine - preferably Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Bonus if the bottle costs more than 50$. She’s got expensive taste after all and she really, really needs to show that off with her alcohol choices.

Sakura Oogami: Sake, plum wine, rice wine. Sakura keeps it rather traditional with her alcohol choices. She prefers the interesting flavours of traditional Japanese beverages but she is also often the DD because she doesn’t drink often.

Mukuro Ikusaba: Vodka. Just straight up vodka. Straight from the bottle. No chase either.

Junko Enoshima: Our queen of despair drinks only the finest of Champagnes. Bonus if it’s gone flat because that just adds to her feelings of despair!

DR2 Cast

Hajime Hinata: He keeps things simple; he really likes Suntory Japanese Whisky on the rocks or vodka and orange juice (aka a Screwdriver). He doesn’t like to make complicated orders because he doesn’t wanna burden the bartender.

Chiaki Nanami: Strawberry Gin Soda! She likes the fruity flavour and the fact that it comes in a can makes it super easy for her to drink while she’s gaming. Though she’s not a big drinker to begin with so it’s not often she chooses an alcoholic beverage.

Nagito Komaeda: Straight Everclear. No but I feel Nagito is pretty easy going and will drink just about anything that gets handed to him. If he has to choose though I could see him drinking Ciroc or Grey Goose vodka. He comes from affluence, so he tends to like the more expensive brands.

Ultimate Imposter: Whatever drink the person he’s impersonating prefers to drink. He’s gotta sell the illusion that he’s really that person, right?

Teruteru Hanamura: He would rather cook with the alcohol rather than drink it. But he doesn’t mind a beer every once in awhile. He also loves to pair the perfect wine with whatever dish he’s making.

Mahiru Koizumi: She is the DD. She refuses to drink alcohol because she hates the taste and she doesn’t like the smell, either. She babysits everyone when they’ve drank too much.

Peko Pekoyama: She doesn’t drink often. But she likes traditional Japanese liquor like sake, plum wine, rice wine, etc. She needs to be in peak condition to protect Fuyuhiko so she will probably only have one drink at most.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu: He drinks strong whisky. Preferably Suntory but he isn’t picky. As long as it’s strong and served neat he doesn’t care.

Hiyoko Saionji: She likes the sweetest drinks ever. Fruity cocktails piled high with candy and fruit garnishes. She doesn’t care what kind of alcohol is in them, just as long as it gives her the BIGGEST sugar rush after finishing it.

Ibuki Mioda: Same as Hiyoko. Doesn’t care what alcohol is in it. Just needs to be the sweetest and most extravagant cocktail ever. Not that she needs it.

Mikan Tsumiki: Korean Soju (preferably grape or citrus flavoured), Sake, and Rum based mixed drinks. She’s not a big drinker because she tends to get irrational and overly emotional while drunk. She’s also pretty lightweight.

Nekomaru Nidai: He’s a simple guy. He likes beer and he’ll drink the occasional glass of scotch or whiskey. He likes Canadian Whiskey! He doesn’t drink often because he prefers to be sober so he can help take care of the others. He babysits Akane mostly.

Akane Owari: She shotguns an entire case of beer the moment she arrives at the party. Thus why she needs a babysitter like Nidai.

Gundham Tanaka: Crystal Skull Vodka - specifically Crystal Skull Onyx. Black Vodka is the most hardcore goth shit man. He would LOVE it.

Sonia Nevermind: Sonia is royalty so she has grown up drinking the finest and most expensive wines. But she also really loves a good cognac or brandy. Really she can drink just about anything and she won’t mind. She’s not big on beer or coolers though.

Kazuichi Souda: Cider. Preferably dry apple cider like Strongbow. He hates the taste of beer but he likes the idea of drinking beer. Cider is a more refreshing and less bitter taste that he finds more enjoyable.

Izuru Kamukura: Because he gets bored so easily his drink of choice is constantly changing. He will try any alcohol at least once.

#headcanons #long post #ooc #I spent three days on this lmao

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imaginesbymk · 3 years

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“There is no Goodbye.”

The Pacific One Shot

Summary: Nothing is more ironic than Eugene breaking up with you just for the sake of sparing you the heartbreak if he were to die at war. But when he’s lucky to return home to Mobile, his first mission is to find you. Will Eugene be able to win you back before someone else does?

Pairing: Eugene Sledge x Fem!Reader

Non Requested

Tags: angst/breakup, swearing, smoking, drinking, mentions of an ethnic slur + mentions of war violence

Word Count: 3,016

Author’s Note: song inspiration for this oneshot is wait by m83!!! i totally recommend this song cos its so beautiful!! pls give this a like/reblog and maybe some feedback!! <333

YOU were sick of crying in your pillow every night. You were aware of how puffy your eyes must have been by now, you acknowledged your friends who called and visited, checking on you, but not even that helped soothe the heartache in you. His name just kept echoing in your mind and replayed, finding their way into your sleep. You wished you hated Eugene Sledge, but deep down in your heart- you just couldn’t.

Three knocks came on your bedroom door. “Y/n, your food’s getting cold,” you heard your mother from the other side.

“I’m not hungry.” You couldn’t remember the amount of times you’ve used that as an excuse to stay where you were, depressed and heartbroken.

Eugene broke up with you on a Sunday night. You two were dressed for the occasion; a dinner party was held at a grand convention center that was known and popular by several Alabamians. You wore the necklace Eugene got you as a gift, and you loved showing it off. In fact, you wore it every day to remind yourself, your family and your friends that Eugene Sledge was the love of your life.

Later you noticed how strange he was acting the whole dinner, how quiet and tense he got so suddenly. His hand would slip away whenever you held it while walking, or when they were held under the table. It was like he was trying to hold something back, like a cat catching his tongue. Then, you found him outside, leaning against the stairway.

“What is it, Eugene?”

He paused every time he looked at you, how it pained him to say what he needed to say. Whether it was now or never, he leaves for the train in a couple of days.

“Wait a minute, Eugene,” You remembered your body turning cold as ice, but not from the night breeze. “Are you breaking up with me?”

Oh how you wished he was kidding, but the look on his face read that he wasn’t in the slightest. He was joining the marines corps, despite his heart murmur and his father and brother encouraging him to go to college instead. He flunked out of his classes on purpose just to enlist, and since only God knows what fate lies ahead, he felt it was best to put a stop to the relationship.

It wasn’t your right to be angry about his choices sometimes. He was in his twenties now, old enough to make up his mind. He was fighting for everyone’s freedom, after all, which is probably the bravest thing Eugene is doing. However, you didn’t understand why. Eugene was a believer, he believed in God and miracles. He asked God to send him a miracle through prayer in his own time, and they were answered in the form of you. So why couldn’t he believe in the stable relationship you both can still have even when he’s off to fight?

As expected, you didn’t take it too well. Right there, you broke down in front of him. Eugene walked over and reached his hand out to touch your shoulder, but you shoved him away.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. You angrily ripped the necklace off of you and threw it at him before running off in tears. He never chased after you.

You dared not to go back inside the dining hall where your family and friends were, as well as his, so you walked home by yourself without waiting for anyone to catch up with you. He was going mad, you bet. Enlisting in the marines was one thing, but calling it quits on your relationship?

That was the last time you saw Eugene. He didn’t wait to see if you would turn up at the train station, begging him to have a change of heart. He never saw you there, and he boarded the train to California.

What were you more upset about: the love of your life dumping you, or the chances of the love of your life dying?

THE year was now 1945, and Eugene sat in the passenger seat in Sid’s mobile when he picked him up from the station.

The Japanese surrendered, and the boys back at the islands held a celebration with drinking, bonfires and loud music. Eugene, Snafu and Burgin sat on the rocks, watching the night sky, contemplating their return to home.

Victory Day was now nighttime, Eugene blew out smoke from his pipe, counting the stars. His tiny bible that was pocketed in his dungarees was pulled out, using the distant lit fires as a light to read through the tallied marks from the book of Genesis to Thessalonians, then out came a piece of paper that fell onto his lap.

He picked it up and unfolded it, taking another puff from his pipe. Eugene reads the first two words.

Dear y/n

The letter was never delivered to you because it was a letter Eugene had never sent, in fact it was never finished. He never got his first sentence down as they were ordered to get their gear ready to move down Okinawa. He never wrote a letter to you at all for the rest of his time serving, because he knew he wouldn’t be receiving one back.

Snafu slapped him awake one night and told him to shut up because he kept saying your name in his sleep. Eugene sounded desperate and panicked when he said it, too, and if the volume increased, it would have given away their spot. The marine was lucky it was a slap in the face rather than a bullet to the skull.

The next day, Snafu asked Eugene for two things: a light, and who “y/n” was.

“She was my girl,” Eugene handed a lighter to Snafu to light his cigarette.

“Was.”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her at home just for a man in uniform to come to her door to tell her I’ve been KIA.”

“Shit, so you dumped her?” Snafu grins. “Should of given her to me, Sledgehammer.”

Eugene didn’t laugh. It was an inappropriate joke, no surprise coming from Snafu himself. He sat in the filth in silence, his bloodied and dirty hands holding your gold necklace that you threw at him. He brought it with him to war, and kept it as a bookmark in his Bible.

Eugene’s home was the same as he had left it, he knew that when Sid pulled up at the long pathway at the gates. Georgia cottage was indeed a sight, and Eugene loved it so much as a child. It was spacious with nature and trees to walk his dog, a forest down the road to go hunting and fishing with his father, a meadow where he would take you on a warm day.

Sid sat in the parked car for a few moments, Eugene hadn't started walking to the front door just yet. “I visited her,” Sid broke the silence. “Just like I promised.”

Eugene had to ask, “How is she?”

“I was starting to think she had forgotten about you... that was until I showed up at her door,” he replies. “It was tense, but she’s doing all right.”

Eugene nods, smiling a bit. He trusted his best friend to check up on you for him. At least you were doing fine, according to Sid’s words. "No crying?”

“She don’t cry no more. I introduced her to Mary Houston and invited her to my wedding- if that’s alright with you.”

He chuckled, making a face. “Why would I not be? It’s your wedding, you greaser.”

“Well one, and you should probably take my word for it, Y/N still hates your guts,” he said. “And two, whether or not she speaks to you at all on my wedding day, at least I’ll have you there as my best man.” Sid noticed the look on his best friend’s face. “There’s the O.O.M ball coming up. Y/n’s gonna be there.”

He smiles at him. “See you later?”

“Welcome home, Eugene.” And he drives off, prompting Eugene to reunite with his parents.

[x]

SHOWING up to the O.O.M ball immediately made you feel bummed. You showed up without a date. You shouldn’t have the right to feel bummed, anyway. You turned down any guy that had asked you. You could have said yes, but something in your heart was telling you no, and you couldn’t figure out what it was.

Sighing, you suddenly didn’t feel like going to the bar for a second drink, and you just didn’t like waiting until your friends weren’t with their dates to go up to talk to them, so you found yourself heading outside to the front. It’s not like you could escape the guests, as tables and chairs were set outside occupied with more people, and even more people standing around and chatting with their friends.

You leaned over a tree where you felt like no one could see you for approach, being able to hear the loud music from the inside. But for what? You could just leave and say you felt sick. What were you waiting for?

Several years had gone by since he left, and nothing about you has changed. Your hair grew a bit after a slight trim, and so has your wardrobe. Your dress was pretty expensive, and no one complimented it. You just needed someone to come up to you and say-

“You look beautiful.”

You spun around, knowing that Southern accent all too well. Not a lot of alcohol was consumed, so asking yourself if you drank too much that you started to see and hear things was out of the question. How did he know where to find you? How was he able to sneak up on you like how he used to as a surprise? He’d always do that, then pick you up and spin you around with joy. But this time, he stood in front of you, gazing at you like a painting.

Your vision started blurring.

“Y/n?” he thought you were having a stroke in front of him, and he reached out his hand. “Y/n?”

“Gimme a minute.” You breathed heavily, gripping the tree for support. Maybe you were about to faint in shock. After picking up your senses, you were able to respond. “Eugene,” you said softly. “You’re here.”

He nodded. “In the flesh.” You really couldn’t believe it. Maybe you were seeing and hearing things. But he was here. Eugene Sledge was really here, standing before you, and not a scratch on his face. His hair was fixed, too, and you could tell he was now in greater shape.

“How was...” you felt like you shouldn’t ask for so many reasons. “I mean, you made it. You’re home.”

“At last,” he answered, placing his wooden pipe in his mouth. “What are you doing all the way over here? Your date’s probably searching all of Mobile for you.”

“I don’t have a date,” you shook your head. “I mean, I came alone. I didn’t bring anyone.”

“You too?” he blew out smoke.

“Yeah. Um-” all it took was for you to breath in and crunch your nose from the awful stench of nicotine that everyone was so used to. “Since when did you start smoking?”

He shrugged. “Since I killed my first Jap. Helps me calm down.”

"Well... I’m talking to you and you’re blowing smoke right in my face.”

Eugene nodded, taking the pipe out. “Sorry. How have you been?”

“Good.”

Eugene furrowed his brows. “That’s it? Just good?”

“I mean, what else would you expect me to say?”

“You’ve completed your education, you’re engaged, you and your partner are buying a house?”

“Jesus, Eugene. It’s way too early for that. I can’t even drive.”

“I’m kidding. I can only assume you’re in complete shock. I can’t say I’m not surprised,” Eugene says. “I can also assume you hated me as soon as you threw the necklace I gave you right at me.”

“And I still hate you.”

He looks at you, scoffing. “Is that right?”

“Yes,” you folded your arms. “You dump me and leave to join the marine corps, I wrote you a letter on your birthday and you never wrote back, every time I see your parents at the market they look at me like I’m the face of death. You shouldn’t have come here, I was doing just fine.”

“Really?” Eugene raised his eyebrows. The nonsense coming out that mouth. If only Eugene could kiss them shut. "All right. Heard you spoke with Sid.”

“Yeah, and? He invited me to his wedding."

“And he asked me to be his best man. So you might as well hold in your punch until the wedding is over.”

Your blood started to boil. Maybe you haven’t changed, but the war did indeed change the hell out of him. This attitude he carried wasn’t impressing you one bit. “What the hell’s your problem?”

“My problem? I’m trying to have a conversation with you, y/n.”

“And you’re acting as if I’m the reason you dumped me.”

“I had my reasons,” he spoke back,

“Damn you, Eugene Sledge!” you slapped him repeatedly on his chest and shoulder. “Damn you for hurting me like that! Damn you for not writing to me! Damn you for leaving me!”

You cried out, as he simply stared and did his best to restrain your arms away from hitting him once more.

He never spoke a word until you calmed down. Then, you realized... “Oh God, Eugene. I’m so sorry,” you gasp. “I would never lay a hand on you.”

“A Jap tried to kill me with a bayonet,” Eugene said. “I kinda had that slap coming.”

You let a tear fall down your cheek, and you looked down so Eugene wouldn’t be able to notice, but he was smart enough to know. “Baby... it’s okay. I’m here now.” He pulled you close and held you. You haven’t felt his touch since that night. You were overcome with the nostalgia during the happy times, and even the sad times. He would hold you like you were gonna slip right out of his hands.

“I’ve missed you so much, y/n. There hasn’t been a night where I haven’t dreamt about you, where I would die, or where I would watch you marry a man who doesn’t know you the way I do.”

“Eugene... you broke my heart and just stomped on it like mud.”

“And you had every right to be hurt, but that was never my intention, I just did what I thought was the right thing.” He played with the curls in your hair and kissed you softly on your temple.

It wasn’t like it was a last minute decision. Regardless his heart murmur was there or not, he wasn’t going to stay home and attend classes. Breaking up with you wasn’t last minute, either.

“I guess I should have been more understanding,” you admit, leaning back against the tree.

“I spent nights trying to come up with what I was going to say, and when I was planning on saying it. I used to worry about the murmur, if I’d remember to feed Deacon, or telling my Mother about my plans for the future.”

“You weren’t sure about any of those things, Gene.”

“Seeing your face that night made me realize I’m never going to love anyone else the way I love you,” Eugene shook his head slowly. “I was definitely sure about that.”

“Loved,” you correct him.

“No, y/n. Love. I still love you, more than the stars reach the apex of this goddamn universe. I don’t think I’m ever gonna stop loving you. You’re really the answer God has given me after endless nights of praying for something good.”

“Then why didn’t you write me?”

“I had to find a way to move on. If it distracted me from fighting, I would have been as good as dead. Something in me died from the war, but the feelings I have for you are still here.”

You couldn’t help but smile a bit. “I love you more, Eugene.”

“So I hope it’s not too late to ask this,” Eugene said. “Miss Y/N Y/L/N, are you seeing anyone?”

You shook your head.

He raised his brows. “So for nearly four years, you haven’t been seeing anyone? Not one fella?”

“I tried to. I mean, I kept thinking you slept with a nurse.”

“Women weren’t even in my corner of the pacific, and nurses were there to do their jobs. Besides,” Eugene smiled. “I’d rather come home to the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known in Mobile.”

“Mary Houston?”

Eugene laughs. “I was talking about you. At least you’re humble.” He laughed harder when you started playfully slapping him on the chest repeatedly again. “Hey! But there’s no one I’d rather be with. I’m willing to start over, maybe pick up where we left off.”

“I would love that.”

Eugene reached in his tux pocket, pulling out the golden necklace you loved wearing. “I believe this belongs to you.” He walked behind you, and began wrapping the necklace around your neck, clipping the lock together in place. “Y’know, after throwing it right at my face?”

“Sorry,” you blushed. “Don’t ever do that again; saying goodbye.”

“There is no goodbye.” He turned your head to face him using his finger under your chin. “There never was, just the old hello.”

You smiled again.

“I’m gonna kiss you now.” He pulls you close to him. “Is that all right?”

“You can kiss me whenever you feel like it, Gene.” And you wouldn’t mind it one bit.

“Yes, ma’am.” And he leans in, kissing you almost a dozen times now, the overcoming nostalgia of the good time hitting once more. “And once I’m done kissing the daylights outta you, I’m bringing you inside. It’s been a while since I’ve danced with the love of my life.”

the end

#eugene sledge one shot #eugene sledge imagine #eugene sledge x reader #eugene sledge #the pacific one shot #the pacific imagine #the pacific x reader #the pacific #reader insert #one shot #imagine #joe mazzello #eugene sledge fic #eugene sledge fanfic #mk's faves

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greaseonmymouth · 4 years

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Been reading your tags and this is totally not proved but based off people I know anyone who like coriander has a more sensitive palate and picks up on more flavors in their food vs people like me that hate coriander. Onions are savory and sweet. Celery has no flavor which makes it the ideal vehicle for dips it’s about the crunch. I straight up didn’t know a lot of foods had a smell or had diffrent flavors to diffrent people for years. Kinda related would you say you have a good sense of smell?

I’ve never heard of that before? I’d be interested in reading more about it.

I’m not sure about my sense of smell because often I feel like I can’t smell anything at all but then again I have a lot of smells that I Do Not Like and I will pick up on TRACES. In my old flat I could smell it through the walls when my neighbour was smoking. I’m not joking. (my current building is non-smoking so it’s not an issue.)

Celery has no flavor which makes it the ideal vehicle for dips it’s about the crunch

I’m sorry, I just, I cannot comprehend this as any kind of truth. It’s crunchy, yes, but it has a very intense pepper-y flavour that reminds me of cabbage (though cabbage isn’t as strongly flavoured as celery, and it depends on which variety of cabbage you get anyway...). sort of green. and it fills your entire skull. very overpowering. I used to think that the reason why bloody marys were always depicted with celery sticks in them was because the bloody mary itself had such a strong flavour (assuming, I’ve never had one) from the tomato juice and tabasco sauce and alcohol that it could sort of outweigh the celery. or that one wasn’t supposd to eat it anyway.

I’m procrastinating my reading for tomorrow’s class so have a non-exhaustive list of foods that I suspect I don’t taste the same way other people do:

1. celery. as mentioned.

2. onions. very overwhelming zingy, acidy, oniony, that will let you taste literally nothing else. when cooked they’re sweet, but raw they hurt. I can’t just ‘pick them off’ either, whatever they touched/now has onion juice on it is forever ruined, and the taste will remain in my mouth and throat for up to two days after. regarding onions, I can eat NO type of onion raw. not leeks either. I can handle garlic in very small amounts but it very quickly becomes overwhelming and I’ve started cooking it even when a recipe asks for it raw because it’s a much mellower softer flavour and doesn’t overpower everything else nor does it make me feel like the inside of my mouth is made of garlic for up to two days after.

3. carrots. raw carrots taste Bad. I spent my entire time living in Denmark completely BAFFLED by how people would just...bring entire carrots to munch on at school or how carrots were offered as a Good Snack in various places because they just...taste...like....That? cooked carrots are so sweet as to be inedible. are these things made of sugar? I can handle raw carrots in salads if shredded and in small amounts because I can barely taste them then, and I’ll add them for the sake of fibre. I’m happy to add carrots to tomato based dishes in moderate amounts (just enough that the carrots will soak up the flavour of the dish and not so much the dish itself will taste of carrot.)

4. beets. see above. I’ve been eating a lot of shredded beets in bistro salad mixes from tesco/sainsbury’s/m&s/whatever these past two weeks because they barely taste of anything like that and I want the extra fibre in my lunch salads. I added shredded beets to lasagne once and it was great. as a side effect the pasta turned pink.

5. tea. when tea is made properly (steeped at the correct temperature for however long it says on the package) it turns into an incredibly bitter hot drink with the texture of dust. I can drink peppermint tea (if not steeped for too long) and I can deal with chamomile if I have to (it just tastes like grass) and there’s one or two tea blends out there I can drink if I dunk the teabag for like 4 seconds and add honey, but I can only find those blends in Finland so it’s not like I’m having it on a daily basis anyway.

6. red wine. it varies, but many red wines have the same dusty texture as tea does and are too bitter. (white wine is for me hit or miss, it’ll often either be too sweet or too dry/bitter, so I just... don’t drink a lot of wine. my alcoholic drink of choice is apple cider.)

7. GRAPEFRUIT IS THE FRUIT OF THE DEVIL. THE MOST BITTER THING I HAVE EVER LET PAST MY LIPS. I can drink lemon juice without making a face but drinking grapefruit juice makes my mouth feel like it wants to escape my body.

8. coffee. also intolerably bitter. I don’t react well to caffeine so I avoid coffee anyway, but the few times I’ve had it, I’ve only been able to tolerate it in drinks that are like 1/11ths coffee, 3/11ths chocolate and 7/11ths milk. as in, so watered down that it’s almost not bitter anymore and I can actually taste the coffee itself along with the other components. but also coffee has this burnt aftertaste that reminds me of cigarette smoke, which is another thing I Do Not Like.

9. iceberg lettuce and a few other varieties. tastes like watery tinfoil. cucumber can be like this too but it really depends. I have had some good ones and some inedible ones.

10. rucola (rocket?) is Bitter Leaf Salad and I can tolerate it only in certain combinations and in small amounts.

11. coca cola, pepsi, and similarly flavoured off brand drinks. Bad. just Bad.

12. sweeteners. I can’t drink most sugar free soft drinks (like sugarfree sprite or or whatever) because the sweetener is so bitter. it’s not sweet, it’s just bitter. it makes the soft drink taste like grapefruit in disguise. like the sugar free sprites are mirror universe version of the real sprites. pure evil. (possibly this depends on what kind of sweetener it is but I just avoid sweeteners in general...)

13. peanut butter (and peanuts in general) are the worst fucking thing you could give me that isn’t a grapefruit. it’s bitter and earthy and makes no sense at all. sidenote: all my siblings are allergic to peanuts and there’s a chance I might be as well; last time I tried to be open minded about food and had peanut butter, I felt so sick afterwards. never again.

14. hazelnuts. they taste like dirt. they’re also weirdly bitter, but not as strongly bitter as other foods I’ve mentioned. they’re just Not a Good flavour. No, I don’t like nutella.

15. fresh peas in those big bulging shells that you open yourself and that you can get in most summer markets? I think they’re called sweetpeas? everybody I know is like “YAY PEAS THEY’RE SO SWEET” and I’m just over here like, they taste Green. I can detect some of the sweetness? but they just taste...Green to me. frozen peas I’m ok with, they taste different. I prefer canned peas but that’s because it’s a flavour I grew up with and am very used to.

16. beer is fizzy bitter mouldy grain water and I’ve never understood the appeal. no thanks.

#back to my reading for tomorrow's class #Anonymous

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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The 15 Best Drinks-Focused TV Shows — and What to Sip While Watching

Binge-watching a favorite television show is a universal hobby, and that was true even before the pandemic. While we wouldn’t recommend binge drinking while doing so, pairing a can’t-miss series with a must-have drink is a natural combination. With moderation in mind, of course.

As it happens, many of the best television shows of all time are also the booziest. We’ve seen everything cross our screens at this point, from iconic television bars to cartoon characters who would handily drink anyone under the table — and even entire drink revolutions spawned by popular shows. The Cosmo, anybody?

Pull up your streaming service, find your favorite show below, and get ready to pop open a bottle or mix up some cocktails with these perfect TV-drink pairings.

15. ‘Succession’

Viewers of “Succession” were likely introduced to the idea of “hyper-decanting” (read: blending, as in, with a blender) your wine prior to serving. But beyond that questionable idea, the show has plenty to offer. “We think ‘Succession’ is the best show television has seen in a long time — from the acting, script, and the epic music, it’s a winning combination,” says Joseph Mintz, co-founder with Amanda Victoria of Siponey canned cocktails.

“Amanda is a huge fan of Scottish actor Brian Cox, who plays Logan Roy, and I would love to share a dram with Mr. Cox,” Mintz says. Not a bad idea, considering that Cox enjoys enduring internet fame for the video pronunciation guides for Scotch brands he made with Esquire. Pair with a hard-to-pronounce single-malt Scotch — only the best for the Roys!

14. ‘Dead to Me’

The Liz Feldman-produced dark comedy has gone through two seasons thus far, with a third en route. And while many shows have unofficial drinking games, “Dead to Me” and Netflix posted an official one before Season 2 dropped this spring. Highlights include drinking twice if someone drinks on screen, or finishing your drink if “Karen almost ruins everything” (trust us, it happens).

Wine is very much what’s being glugged on screen, though you’ll find a cast of characters willing to open a bottle of just about anything on this show. But for a pairing, go with a gluggable red or an orange wine, which gets name-dropped in the first episode of Season 2 by way of a sub-Reddit about menopause.

13. ‘BoJack Horseman’

Everything you need to know about “BoJack Horseman” the show, and BoJack Horseman the, uh, horse man, can be summed up with a scene where he’s looking for a drink to forget his problems, gets served vodka, and taunts the bartender in response, “What is this, breakfast?” For Ben Rojo, brand ambassador for Don Papa Rum, such a scene encapsulates the show’s ethos. “’BoJack Horseman’ is my favorite show of all time! It’s such an honest and human depiction of depression, through the lens of a giant cartoon horse-person,” he says.

For Rojo, the ongoing theme that setbacks are not the opposite of progress is a highlight, and one of the best reasons to watch. “The characters’ sublimation of trauma through substances is a little on the nose,” he says, “but there’s something oddly gratifying about watching Princess Carolyn down a bottle of ‘Catbernet’ after a rough day while sitting on your couch and doing the same.” “Catbernet” it is, though Cabernet will do in a pinch. Just don’t try to go drink-for-drink with BoJack.

12. ‘Entourage’

“Entourage” was either the show you loved or the show you loved to hate. But either way, you probably watched. And the freewheeling, big-spending lifestyle certainly lends itself to some fun drink pairings.

“So, with ‘Entourage,’ there’s one guy making all the money and a bunch of other people orbiting him and starting shenanigans; it’s like Seinfeld only everyone is super hot, and like all my favorite trash TV, it’s easy to get hooked whether you want to or not,” says Erica Long of Sourced Craft Cocktails.

She suggests going just as big as the characters might. “Watching ‘Entourage’ screams an occasion to be a little over the top to me and that means bubbles,” Long says. “A bottle of Moët and a bottle of Dom because Vinnie Chase would never pick just one.”

11. ‘The Simpsons’

“The Simpsons” doesn’t pull many punches with its social commentary, and the world of drinking is taken head on, too. Barney Gumble is the poster boy for a love of drink gone wrong, as is Duff for the ubiquitous big-brand beer that will sacrifice all for more profits. We’ve heard there are one or two scenes where Homer indulges in a few of the beers himself.

Then there’s Moe Szyslak and his eponymous Moe’s, a neighborhood dive if there ever was one. Until, that is, the smash success of the Flaming Moe, a drink Moe stole from Homer. Duh duh duh. If you’re feeling fancy (and have a fire extinguisher handy, just in case) make a flaming cocktail and you’ll feel like you’re right there at Flaming Moe’s, too. Otherwise, channel your inner Duff with Schlitz or Natty Boh.

10. ‘Archer’

If James Bond drank even more than he already does, followed even fewer rules, and generally caused even more mayhem, the result would be Archer, Sterling Archer. The title character of the show by the same name is famous for his one-liners, and none more so than, “All I’ve had today is, like, six gummy bears and some Scotch.” The man enjoys himself a drink or 12.

In the show’s world, Glengoolie is Archer’s Scotch of choice, a drink known as being “for the best of times.” At other times, though, Archer lambastes the use of sour mix in a Margarita, and praises the virtues of the Bloody Mary, saying: “Forget the glass, Woodhouse, just give me the pitcher. For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry god. Bloody Mary, full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now, at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon.”

You have plenty of options, clearly, for your drink of choice while watching. Of course, if you want the evening to be the best of times, Scotch is the way to go.

9. ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’

Pull me a pint at Paddy’s Pub and I’ll be a happy man. Just don’t make me do any Charlie work for the privilege.

“’It’s Always Sunny’ is the greatest show in general but drinking might help you get on the gang’s level a little easier,” says Nick Sadowski, distiller at Philadelphia Distilling. “The show comments on every hot topic in society, usually with some part of the gang taking one side and the other taking the other side.” The show is edgy, delving into controversial conversations that others might steer away from. What makes it work is that the characters have these un-P.C. conversations in a way that showcases their ignorance and obliviousness to the rest of society. “All the jokes are ultimately on them — with them or without them realizing it — and it’s the reason they’re still making the show 15 years later.”

Sadowski says he doesn’t want you to overthink your pairings here. “Rip some shots and drink a Coors or Hamm’s, or whatever you can find, bud,” he suggests. “Eat some rum ham and a hard-boiled egg while you’re at it.”

8. ‘Game of Thrones’

Raise your hand if you own an “I drink and I know things” T-shirt. There’s a few of you, at least. Meanwhile, in Westeros, the only thing more common than a dead royal is a dead royal who liked to drink too much. Siblings Tyrion and Cersei Lannister enjoyed more than their fair share, as did, of course, Robert Baratheon. But few characters didn’t imbibe heavily in the show, and who could blame them? Living in a world rife with betrayal and back stabbings, murders and coups, dragons and White Walkers and … yeah, that Dornish red looks pretty appetizing.

With the popularity of the show and its penchant for booze, some official options for your pairing pleasure were made available, including partnerships with Ommegang beer and Johnnie Walker Scotch. When you don’t want to go corporate, though, just fill up a beer stein with the strongest suds you can find — all the better if you opt for an old-school barleywine or mead.

7. ‘Futurama’

In the “Futurama” universe, robots must heartily consume alcohol as fuel, and the underpinnings of that metaphor are fairly clear. “Looking at Bender as a character representing the ‘working class everyman’ it’s easy to see why he’s literally fueled by alcohol,” says Sother Teague, beverage director of New York’s Amor y Amargo. “For him, it’s an absolute necessity to perform optimally. For us, it’s often a crutch to help cope with the things we either can’t change, disagree with, or don’t understand. Obviously this is an exaggerated characterization but one worthy of a little navel gazing.”

Even so, there’s room for bartenders in the show. “It’s also comforting to think that the role of bartender is still a valuable member of future society as portrayed by iZac, a parody of the beloved ’70s era barman of TV’s ‘Love Boat,’” Teague says. He’s going everyman with his suggestions, too, calling for you to find your favorite lawnmower beer, or what he prefers to call hammock beer, more properly fitting how he’d partake. “And on the side, Jägermeister! Plus, there’s a scene where iZac pours Jäger.”

6. ‘Absolutely Fabulous’

For Aubrey Slater, a bartender who’s worked at many New York bars over a 25-year career, British sitcom “Ab Fab” is the perfect call back to the neon-tinged ’90s, when “the economy was great, everyone had money to spend,” she says. “I was also a go-go dancer at Limelight and Palladium, and had a lot of friends in the vogue-ball houses. One of them introduced me to “Absolutely Fabulous”!

Slater describes the characters as icons who epitomized the decade as independent businesswomen, who were also fashionistas and party girls. “They had a frosted glass double-door refrigerator constantly stocked with Veuve and Bollinger, and they drank Stoli Martinis like water,” she says. As a perfect pairing, Slater recommends the Stoli-Bolli, a tall glass of Stolichnaya on the rocks topped with the Bollinger Champagne, which was created on the show.

5. ‘Billions’

In “Billions,” the only thing more important than having entirely way too much money is ensuring that the world knows it. Then there are a few subplots, like achieving those perfect moments of comeuppance, and planning new ways to screw over your rivals.

Both Bobby Axelrod and his cohorts, as well as Chuck Rhoades, know their way around a bar. Most typically, a whiskey bar, stocked with absurdly expensive bottles like Michter’s Celebration, or highly touted imports such as Kavalan. By all means, feel free to join in with a bottle of either. Or, just grab your favorite special-occasion whiskey from the shelf and pour yourself a dram of that.

4. ‘Sex and The City’

“Sex and the City” launched the Cosmopolitan to stratospheric heights, of course leading to its inevitable crash back to Earth. The Toby Cecchini-created drink is now often wrongly derided as a symbol of the darker years of cocktailing (when Appletinis and Long Island Iced Teas were the most interesting cocktails you could find).

Of course, there’s more to it than that. “’Sex and the City’ is the ultimate grab-your-girlfriends, veg-out-on-the-couch, and finish- off-your-favorite-bottle-of-booze show,” says Effie Panagopoulos, founder of KLEOS Mastiha. “That show was directly responsible for a huge increase in Cointreau sales in the ’90s, since it was a love letter to the Cosmopolitan and the city it was created in, New York.” For a classic combo, pair a “SATC” viewing session with a Cosmopolitan.

3. ‘Mad Men’

Ah, the good ol’ days of corporate life, when the two-Martini lunch wasn’t merely acceptable, but expected. From costume to set design, “what I loved most about ‘Mad Men’ was how incredibly detailed and on point every aspect of the show was,” says Alex Jump, head bartender at Death & Co Denver. “Of course, as a bartender, too, I appreciate how much attention they paid to the drinking trends and fads of the time, from how vodka was perceived, to Heineken’s role as a newer beer in the U.S. market.”

The bottle of whiskey at the desk channels Don Draper better than anything, and points us to the best show drink pairing. “Of course, I mostly drank whiskey while watching the show, particularly American whiskey for me,” Jump says. “I wasn’t trying to keep up with the guys on ‘Mad Men’ though, so sometimes I’d even enjoy mine as a Highball rather than slammed back in one quick gulp.” A modern solution!

2. ‘Scandal’

“Scandal’s” Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, lives a very stressful life, putting out one political fire after another. And in times of need, wine is her friend indeed.

Crystal Sykes, a cocktail and culture writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, says she thinks about “Scandal” every time she writes a story with a personal element. “There’s no Black woman alive who hasn’t felt gutted by being a superwoman placed in the shadows,” she says. “So, whenever Olivia Pope, at the brink of mental and emotional collapse, took solace in a glass — or bottle — of Bordeaux, I could almost swear it was cascading down my own throat as she gulped it down. And so did my homegirls.”

Sykes says that “Scandal” gave her friend group a reason to meet up on Thursday nights. “[We’d] drink wine and talk about how no matter how hard it may be to be a Black woman in today’s world, we’ll always be standing in the sun together,” Sykes says. A bottle of Bordeaux it is, then.

1. ‘Cheers’

“Cheers” depicts the platonic ideal of the neighborhood bar, the local, the “third place.” Sometimes — and we cannot stress this enough — you really do want to go where everybody knows your name.

“’Cheers’ is the ultimate drinking show because, well, it’s entirely set in a bar!” says Paul Hletko, founder of FEW Spirits. “It’s a caricature of bar tropes, sure, but the characters are all lovable but flawed, and, to a large extent, ‘Cheers’ was my first view into ‘bar life’ as a youngster unable to go to bars.”

Surely, this is no time nor place for a craft cocktail. No sir. “I would drink old-school for ‘Cheers,’ with a shot of FEW Spirits Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a High Life,” Hletko says. Beer and a shot sounds about right.

The article The 15 Best Drinks-Focused TV Shows — and What to Sip While Watching appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/best-drinking-tv-shows/

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johnboothus · 4 years

Text

The 15 Best Drinks-Focused TV Shows and What to Sip While Watching

Pull up your streaming service, find your favorite show below, and get ready to pop open a bottle or mix up some cocktails with these perfect TV-drink pairings.

15. ‘Succession’

14. ‘Dead to Me’

13. ‘BoJack Horseman’

12. ‘Entourage’

11. ‘The Simpsons’

10. ‘Archer’

You have plenty of options, clearly, for your drink of choice while watching. Of course, if you want the evening to be the best of times, Scotch is the way to go.

9. ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’

Pull me a pint at Paddy’s Pub and I’ll be a happy man. Just don’t make me do any Charlie work for the privilege.

8. ‘Game of Thrones’

7. ‘Futurama’

6. ‘Absolutely Fabulous’

5. ‘Billions’

4. ‘Sex and The City’

3. ‘Mad Men’

2. ‘Scandal’

“Scandal’s” Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, lives a very stressful life, putting out one political fire after another. And in times of need, wine is her friend indeed.

1. ‘Cheers’

The article The 15 Best Drinks-Focused TV Shows — and What to Sip While Watching appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/best-drinking-tv-shows/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-15-best-drinks-focused-tv-shows-and-what-to-sip-while-watching

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surveys-at-your-service · 6 years

Text

Survey #114

“oh yeah, i’m a reaper man; every good thing, i kill it dead.”

What kind of makeup do you think is appropriate for church? Who cares. Wear what you want; I don't see how your makeup affects God's opinion on you while in His house. What would you wear to church? I don't dress up for the same reason as above. I just wear my usual. Would/do you like having brown eyes? I like having blue eyes. It's not that brown isn't pretty, it's just so common. What kind of gift would you appreciate for your birthday? I'm just asking for money again. Can already go see Sara, time to work towards the tattoo. What do you use Facebook for? My main reason is legit funny pictures lmao. There's few people I'm actually actively interested in keeping up with. Would you rather be called a geek, a nerd or a dork? A geek is 100% a compliment lol. Do you like pretzels? Soft ones, yes. Especially the ones from those little shops at malls, omgggg. I'd prefer to not eat hard ones. You want your next pet to be what? A bearded dragon. Or two rats. Would you spend 20 dollars on a candle? Ha. No. What is the goriest thing you’ve seen in real life? There was a deer that died directly beside the road leading to our old house and it was decaying. I still remember all the maggots squirming around in its side. @_@ Do you take any meds? If so which and why? Mood stabilizers, anxiety med, something for nausea if one of my mood stabilizers causes it, Melatonin, something for heartburn, and birth control unless I want my uterus to tear me apart from the inside. Is "no glove, no love" your STRICT policy? If I actually was to have sex, yes. Even with me on the pill, I'm not taking any risks. Not getting pregnant. If someone breaks a law, should they be punished if they did not know it was a law? Depends on the law. Name a band you sort of like: What a thing to admit, but Blood on the Dance Floor. I like some of their songs, while others are just too repulsive. In your head do you call yourself 'I’ or 'you’ or both? Usually "you," and always when I'm trying to calm or reassure myself, because it's like hearing validation of something from another person. Someone tells you 'well there are black people, and then there are (removed term bc fuck that word)’. What do you think? My former friend used to say that and I fucking hated it. Who REALLY has a higher sex drive, girls or guys? How can you tell? I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure there's science behind men having more of a libido. Do you enjoy wild parties? I literally could never. Have you ever been stereotyped? As what? I was called both emo and goth in high school. It wasn't offensive to me personally, but I don't think I totally fit any stereotype. Who do you know that you believe does not masturbate? I don't for a number of reasons, and I can name a few others I'm pretty sure don't. Does a cloned human being have a soul? Why or why not? explosion.gif Who looks better naked, men or woman? Women. I'm bi, yes, but penises look fucking disgusting to me personally. Is there anything you won’t say unless someone else says it first? Nothing immediately comes to mind. What’s your favorite type of doughnut? Either glazed or cake (the totally plain ones). Do you have any candles in your bedroom? Do you light them often? No, I have an incense burner. I use it often enough. What is your least favorite thing about your full name? I just don't like my last name, and my middle name's too common, but at least I like the name itself. What’s your favorite kind of Poptart? Probably the chocolate sundae one. But I don't like Poptarts much. Do you think you look good with a hat on? I can't remember the last time I wore a hat. Are there some songs you can’t listen to because they remind you of something? "The Mortician's Daughter" and "Stairway to Heaven." Do you live near a street light? No. Do you wear any rings? A red gem one I got from Mom, then a "bitch/jerk" friendship ring (Supernatural reference) with my girlfriend. Do you put collars on your cats? When we had cats, yeah. Do you like celery? Ew no. Did you cry while watching the Notebook? I've never sobbed at a movie, but I cried, yeah. I've cried in subsequent watches too lmao. I think I've always teared up, actually. Do you have a protective mom and dad? Mom's extremely protective of me. I'd say Dad's pretty normal. What field trip did you last go on? Probably for a band competition in high school. Five ways to win your heart: Uhhh. Show compassion, patience, generosity, wisdom, and maturity. Your views on mainstream music: It's getting too vulgar to be on the radio. I firmly believe children don't need to hear profanity (they don't know when it's inappropriate to use) or talk of sex, and songs just have so much censorship yet lack thereof now. If you're going to censor almost an entire song, why the hell play it? Then some songs are so clearly about sex or just openly say the word that it bothers me. I wouldn't wanna explain what sex is to say my like five-year-old if they heard some of the shit on the radio and asked questions. Put your iPod on shuffle and write that 10 first songs that play: 1.) "Clocks" by Coldplay, 2.) "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses, 3.) "Blessed With a Curse" by Bring Me the Horizon, 4.) "Let It Die" by Starset, 5.) "I Don't Love You" by My Chemical Romance, 6.) "Animals" by Nickelback, 7.) "Shoots and Ladders" by Korn, 8.) "Divinity Statue" from DMC3, 9.) "Float On" by Modest Mouse, 10.) "This Is Gospel" by Panic! at the Disco. A quote you try to live by: "Life's hard. Shouldn't you be, too?" ... It's not meant to be an innuendo. How do you know when someone thinks you’re attractive? I would literally have to be told lmao. Which one of your relationships was the shortest? Two weeks and it was fucking stupid. Which was the longest? Almost four years. If you want to get married, what age? I don't have a set age in mind. Just whenever my s/o and I are ready. What did you end up getting for Christmas? A PS2 after mine broke years ago ahhhh, way too much money from my dad, his wife, and my grandpa, a "meerkat lover" street sign, a meerkat puzzle I'mma do and frame for my room, some pajama pants, an iHome for my iPod, Pikachu and Grumpy Cat plushies that're too cute, among other things that aren't coming to mind rn. Do you think buying underwear/bras at Victoria’s Secret is a waste? Meh, mixed feelings. Like they are way too expensive for some damn bras and underwear, but if they make you feel more confident or pretty in your body, buy them. Do you like glittery things? Usually. Do you like Red Lobster? It used to be my favorite restaurant, but after I got sick after eating there, I haven't gone since. Even though I was feeling sick before we went, it's just an association thing. What are you most scared of? Relapse, losing certain people. Favorite video game? "Silent Hill 2" Do you believe that leaving a significant other for someone else is ever a good idea? YUP. because if you loved the first person, you wouldnt even consider the second. <<<< This. Do you have any possessions that you’re very attached to, and you’d be absolutely devastated if you damaged or lost them? Absolutely devastated... the little rock I got from my partial hospitalization at Holly Hill. When someone "graduates," you pick a shiny rock from a jar that gets passed around the room for your "classmates" to wish you well and say anything they'd like to say about you while they hold it. I cherish that thing so much. What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve ever done, and you got away with it? I guess have oral entirely naked on the old chaise in the living room. But we were home alone. How much do you want to weigh? I was totally happy at 120, but I was fine at 140. Supposedly I should be like 130-something. If you HAD to do your holiday shopping for EVERYONE in only ONE store what store would you pick? Uh probably Walmart lmao. Do you believe that guns don’t kill people and that people kill people? Why? People kill people, and that's coming from someone afraid of guns. You have a choice where you're pointing that thing. What is the difference between a good poem and a bad one? I don't like ones that are virtually impossible to understand. Which do you need more: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, sex, sleep? I'm addicted to caffeine, I can't go two days without it. @_@ Who is someone you know should deserve more respect? Ha, my Dad from my mom. What movie would you like to see again, that you haven’t watched since you were a kid? The first movie that came to mind was "Shiloh." Are birds happy in cages? Are pets happy indoors? I truly doubt birds are happy in cages, but maybe if they have enough entertainment and it's big enough? But I'm sure like dogs and cats are fine indoors considering a whole house is much bigger. Though I think bigger dogs especially need to be let out to run around sometimes. Hula hoops or jump ropes? Jump ropes. Loved it as a kid. Now my knees would murder me. Can you understand sign language? No. But I remember learning this song in elementary school that we had to sing and do sign language to, but I don't remember any of it. Does anyone in your family hunt? Nicole, my little sister. How about fish? Me and Dad, maybe his dad. Do you pronounce the "l" in salmon? No. Have you ever gotten stuck on an amusement park ride? Thank Christ no. Have you ever seen an albino animal? Maybe? I've seen a white alligator, but it technically wasn't albino. Have you ever tried summoning Bloody Mary? No. When is the last time you consumed alcohol? New Year's Eve. I drank a margarita way too fast but felt nothing because my alcohol tolerance is God-Tier. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ (Though I like never drink.) Do you ever judge people based on if they believe in God or not? No. Are you sometimes scared to express your opinions in fear of what others might think? Y U P Do you ‘bless’ strangers when they sneeze? Sometimes. Would you rather go to a University or a community college? The latter if they offered good classes. It's cheaper, and you can still get a worthy degree. What’s your favorite kind of bread? Pumpernickel. What toppings do you like on your pizza? Only jalapenos or pepperoni. What color or design does your shower curtain have? It's just white. What color is your microwave? Black. Could you ever give yourself a shot? If I had to, yeah. Have you ever been so embarrassed that you cried? Story of my life. How many people have told you they were in love with you? One. Would you ever have sex with the last person you texted? Well, we're both girls, so actual sex would be psychically impossible, but I'd do as close as we could to it if she made it very clear she wanted to. Does it bother you when people don’t answer questions with exact answers? Yes, especially if I'm asking them a question about needing validation for something. Don't be vague. Have you ever watched a needle go into your own skin? I usually do so I know exactly when it's coming. And if I'm getting my blood drawn, I watch it for whatever reason. @_@ Have you ever seen someone get a piercing/tattoo? Yes. Do you like strawberry and banana smoothies? Strawberry. I doubt I'd like banana. Do you know someone that is mute, deaf or blind? My sister Ashley is literally blind in one eye, I think her right? For the other two, idk. What’s your favorite horror movie? I really like both "Blair Witch Project"s, as well as "The Crazies." Is it true that people with depression CAN’T function in society? Sometimes, absolutely. Can you think of any person or group you cannot empathise with? Pedophiles, rapists, racists, abusive people, homophobes, the list goes on. Do you want to get married? If so, what color will your dress be? It'll be either black, white, or ivory, idk. Do you like peanut butter and fluff sandwiches? NO. Do you play video games? If so, what kind? Yes, just about exclusively story-based ones that usually involve horror. But I like many others, so long there's actually plot to it. How old is your oldest and youngest friend? Oldest is like... 32, youngest is 17, I think. How weight conscious are you? Only extremely. Stripes or polka dots? Polka dots. What was your first word? "Dada" What's a show that you absolutely refuse to watch? "13 Reasons Why" Do you remember how old you were when you started swearing? 7th grade. Have you ever been involved in a custody battle before? I'm actually not sure. I don't think so. If it did, Mom never told us. Did your parents ever let you play in the pits of those multicolored balls? Yes, until I think a dirty needle was found in one of McDonald's ball pits. Do you think biting is weird or sexy? I like it so long you don't leave a mark in an obvious spot. Do you have a class ring? No. What type of internet browser are you using? Chrome. How long do your showers typically last? Not even ten minutes. Can you cry on cue? No. Were you a Nancy Drew reader when you were younger? No. Are you the kind of person that takes pictures with a drink in your hand? No, and quite frankly, it's obnoxious. You're getting intoxicated. Congrats. Do either of your parents have a mental illness? Mom has depression, and she says Dad's bipolar, but I absolutely don't see it now that they're divorced. When you were growing up, did your family rent or own your home? Own. When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? I couldn't tell you. The most I ever wear is eye liner, shadow, mascara, and lipstick, but I don't consider that a "full face of makeup." Do you own an iPad? No. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No, thank goodness. Do you think it’s wrong for people to say 'retard/retarded’ as an insult? I FUCKING HATE IT. How many people of the opposite sex have made you cry? I think two. Would you eat a live tarantula for $1,000? No, I just wouldn't be able to. If it didn't have its fangs, maybe? What’s one health problem you wish you didn’t have? Anxiety. Shit would be so much better without it. Is your mom or dad the older parent? Mom by one year. Do you have any close friends that were adopted? No. Do you believe that people can be psychics? No. List these apple types from greatest to worst: green, red, yellow. Red, green, yellow. Does your house have more than one fireplace? We don't have even one. When it rains does it leave a lake in your front yard? No. My original home was like that, though. It ALWAYS flooded. Do you dread when people ask you to sign their yearbooks? No, I actually found it flattering to know they wanted me to sign it. Where is one place that you’d never be caught dead in? A strip club, to name one. Do you have a favorite Scooby-Doo movie? I loved the Phantom Virus one. Even had the game. Do you dislike when people ruin the endings of anything for you? Yes, unless I ask to just be told. You are holding onto your grandmother’s hand and the hand of a newborn that you do not know as they hang over the edge of a cliff. You have to let one go to save the other. Who do you let fall to their death? What was your rationale for making the decision? ... Whoa. I'd feel fucking godawful, but I'd save my grandmother. I'm not calling the baby less human, but my grandmother is more conscious of life and everything, I guess? Which would you choose: true love with a guarantee of a broken heart, or never loved at all? Why? Never love at all. Heartbreak is fucking awful. Have you ever seen the movie "A Walk to Remember?" Cliche or worth watching? I think it's worth watching. Very sweet movie. Do you know how to sew? What’s your favorite thing to sew? No. Do you own many pairs of shorts? I don't own any. Do you ever have movie nights with your significant other? Ye<3 Do you like fiction or non-fiction books more? What’s your favorite? Fiction. "Johnny Got His Gun" and "The Outsiders." Have you ever slept in the same bed as your friend? Yeah. How many tattoos would you get? I want LOADS. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Crest. Would you ever tattoo the name of a bf/gf or spouse on yourself? No. I'd get a matching tattoo relatively deep into marriage, but name, nah. What’s your least favorite season? Summer. D: What’s your favorite dessert? Red velvet cake. Do you like cotton candy? Meh, I can have a couple bites. Do you have any shirts signed by famous people? No. Where do you normally get your hair cut? A family friend's salon. What would your dream engagement ring look like? I really like dragon's breath opal rings or rose gold ones but idk how expensive either are. @_@ What’s the longest your hair has ever been? Like to the small of my back. How do you feel about bleach blonde hair? Gorgeous on some people, not for me. Do you know anyone who has been arrested? Yes. Name 2 questions that you will most likely never say ‘no’ to: 1.) "Do you wanna go get a tattoo?", 2.) "Do you wanna Skype?" if it's Sara. Imagine someone has a great personality, sense or humor, family and job. they also really really like you a lot. Would you consider dating them if they: Were fat? Yes. Limped? Yes. Were a midget? Yes. Had HIV? No, because I'm too scared to put myself at risk. Were paralyzed in one arm? Yes. Had a glass eye? Yes. Had only 6 months to live? No, that would destroy me. Would you get married on TV? No. I don't want people I don't care about watching. Do you own a metal detector? No. I did as a kid, though.

#survey #quiz #questions

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themanicgalaxy · 3 years

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SPN 5X14 My Bloody Valentine

oh hey that's the movie Jensen Ackles was in

this one looks...like something

oh yeah prom was today

ok a date?

it went well?

oh FUCK THEY'RE EATING EACH OTHER

oh ok the title makes sense

jESUS FUCKING CHRISt

this feels like a fetish also

sure invoke an angel that's normal

...oh

OH HUNGER

OH IT'S HUNGER ISN'T IT

CAS IS IN THIS ONE!!

she was a virgin feels so weird to include in things

Dean's like...surprisingly chill about valentine's day now?

..??

"remarkably patronizing concern duly noted" LMAO

shE JUST FUCKING SHOT HIS BOSS??

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING

THEY KILLED THEMSELVES?

Dean liked the "refrigerate after opening" joke ha

ah enochain on the hearts

the tagging on the ribs ahahaha

HE HAS TO CALL CAS

CAS DOESN'T UNDERSTAND PHONES

oh A CUPID?

lower form of angels hm

is...Dean ok...what the fuck is his thing going

yeah I get the Destiel in this episode, I get it

Dean's not hungry, Castiel is..?

oh these are some NICE shots

lmAO EVERYONE GETS A HUG

CAS LOOKS SO DONE OH MY GOD

"I don't like it" "no one likes it" that's so fucking funny

CASTIEL AND THE CUPID IS S O F U C K I N G F U N N Y

He'S SO AWKWARD

hey harry met sally reference

ah the "cupid did john and Mary" thing

and they hated each other

and after last episode...

"i punched a dick" pfft

jesus the deaths are so fucked up man

Sam?? Sam u good?

ah a demon

ah demon blood

oh a soul?

"my hunger is a clue" bitch you look INSANE

so it makes you starving for something

the zoom in on Sam is demon blood, is Dean's that he wants to be loved? is that it

oh that's so sad oh my god

oh Jimmy wants food

"land of plenty" whelp

THIS SEQUENCE WITH HUNGER IS SO GOOD AND SO FUCKED O H MY GOD

jeez that's a lot of death

oh no his motel keys

"where is his soul" oh the demon dude is dead

he feels like a little kid

Cas eating is very cute actually I think it's because he holds his eyes like...comically open

"I can stop anytime I want...these..are just choices"

Cas buddy

DR CORMAN IS DEAD

LOCK SAME UP TOO

oh no he was a former alcoholic :(

CAS ATE SO MANY LMAO

HE'S SO HAPPY

"I'm just well fed" feels loaded...like those aren't what he really want-oh

Ohhh

oh fun the Sam Powers are back

ahahah the "this is taking too long"

jesus the guy in the oil

CASTIEL THAT IS RAW HAMBURGER MEAT

"all you can eat all the time"

oh consumer culturee

oh nothing fits huh

the love

oh boy

"I can see how broken you are, defeated you are" "just keep going though the motions" jesus

just..just get all the demons sam, all of them

Sam's self control is..impressive actually

oh famine got outdone by his own hunger that'S COOL

Sam's back in the detox chamber

aw Cas tries to comfort and it..I mean it doesn't really work but that's not rly his fault

oh the beer and the impala

you were told to want them type thing?

"please, I need some help, please" and nothing

oh god ok

1. Dean. Ok so the interpretation I have is he's been starving for a long time and tried to fill it somehow(sex, food and drink he's all done) and he already knows they don't work. Either what he craves is connection or love(or possibly some help if that last one is any indication? some kind of guidance), which don't really work the same way, which I think he knows. Dean's under very little impression that the world is better than it is, so I think he knows that there's no way to get actual connection like how death wanted it. He's got no sense of self, no personality, because it's all been defined by his family and responsibility, and that's why he's so dead inside.

2. Sam. Look props to Sam, he has enough self control to get some demon and still outthink death. Like that was all I have to say here

3. Castiel. Jimmy craving red meat and Cas eating feels like it's setting up his human-ness. he really liked hamburgers after all

4. Famine. I appreciated that Famine was killed by essentially his own gluttony, that was a nice touch. Also, the different rides are cool

yet

#pawswatchesspn #5x14 my bloody valentine #shit this was also really cool and good #and cool thing to analyze #jeez this season's been so good so far #the suspense was good the writing was good the characters were cool #this episode was great #...it's a bedlund episode that explains a lot #just #so much I don't interpret right here #it's right there I know it

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anneedmonds · 6 years

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Domes of Elounda: The Haute Living Holiday (With Kids)

When Mr AMR and I first had Angelica, we vowed never to take a holiday abroad for at least five years. Just getting to Sainsbury’s was enough of a faff – getting her into the car seat, getting her out again for a feed and a change, stopping for another feed halfway down the dual carriageway, getting her into the buggy – we couldn’t begin to imagine what going abroad would be like.

Then we had Ted, a year and a half later, and the faff didn’t just double – it tripled. Two buggies, or one gargantuan megatron buggy, no other space in the boot for the shopping, relay nappy-changing trips to the toilets, vom-poo-vom-wee-wee incidents, lost shoes, hangry rants at the tills. We very firmly decided that holidays, for the foreseeable future, would not be for us.

But fast-forward a year, through what felt like the world’s longest winter (I thought I’d somehow become trapped in an episode of Game of Thrones) and we were desperate to see some sun. I think I even said to Mr AMR that I would endure anything – anything! – for just a few hours lying on a lounger somewhere relatively hot.

Which was how we found ourselves – against all of our own advice – boarding a plane to Crete with a toddler and a baby and not nearly enough snacks or amusing things to see us through a four hour flight. We had been warned, by many, that going on holiday with small children was a sort of “same sh*t different scenery” affair – you have the same routine, made harder by lack of familiarity, but you perform it in the sunshine whilst looking at the sea. If you’re lucky.

If you’re unlucky, you’ll be stuck in a teeny hotel room with no air conditioning and noisy neighbours who drink boxed wine at 3am and do the conga in their swimwear. If you’re neither lucky nor unlucky, just – I don’t know, normal – you’ll be woken up by your kids at the usual time, even though they’ve had no sleep, you’ll have an empty mini-fridge and be desperate for some water but not know where the shop is yet, you’ll have to eat a cobbled-together breakfast of crisps and an apple that you find in the bottom of your handbag before spending three hours getting ready to walk to the pool, which is already so full that all of the loungers have been taken.

But Domes of Elounda* promised a slightly different experience to the typical holiday abroad, which was – admittedly – the one thing that enticed us along. The five-star Domes of Elounda is a family-friendly resort in Crete, overlooking the amazing UNESCO-protected island of Spinalonga. It’s already luxurious, with its all-suites and villas accommodation and brilliant on-site facilities, but we were invited to test out their new Haute Living concept which promised to take comfort and luxury to a whole new level.

Haute Living is the resort’s new luxury offering which comes as part of the package when you book one of the Private or Luxury Residences (which all come with their own pool) or Luxury Villas. It’s like (and this is the only thing I can think of to compare it with) a First Class upgrade. So you’re on the same plane, so to speak, but your experience on that plane is a very different one.

“HL” benefits include a luxury lounge with 24/7 access and constantly refreshed snacks as well as a long row of fridges with all kinds of drinks, both soft and alcoholic. (Your kids want continual snack-feeding? Here’s your new second home!) There were dedicated villa managers to cater to your every whim – milk for the baby’s bottle at 7am? No problemo. A new baby monitor? There within minutes. A doctor, you say? (Don’t ask.) She’ll be round at five.

Other things that are all rather appealing: private section of the beach with – again – complimentary refreshments; grocery delivery service; pillow menu (I don’t even know why this is a thing but it always sounds good) and an ultra-private in-villa check-in service. This sounded excellent when I read about it pre-departure – no need to wait at reception when you arrive after your mega-journey; a buggy takes you straight to your villa and your manager shows you around before leaving you to settle in. Bingo. Just what you need when you’re traipsing two temperamental toddling humans around with you.

And in practice? Yes. Oh yes. The in-villa check-in was an absolute Godsend – when we arrived at our Luxury Residence we were knackered, the kids were knackered, I just wanted to get them into bed. (Two travel cots were waiting, perfectly made-up and ready to sleep in. A huge proportion of people who stay at Domes of Elounda have babies or small children, so they are well-prepared in that respect – dozens of high chairs in every restaurant, kids’ menus, vegetable purées and mushes widely available…)

The Luxury Residence was very modern and – though reasonably compact – well thought-out. And incredibly stylish – definite modernist influences going on, with huge corner windows and clean, graphic lines. There were two bedrooms, both en suite, both with very efficient air conditioning units as well as ceiling fans. (I hate air con and prefer a fan if the temperature outside is bearable so I appreciated the choice.) Then there was a kitchenette-in-a-cupboard with a microwave, fridge and sink as well as a small hob and then a living area with sofa and chairs and folding glass doors that opened out onto the pool terrace.

And the pool – ah! Now when I say pool, I’ll reiterate that I’m talking about your own pool. And when I’m talking about your own pool, I’m not talking about some tiny patch of water that’s like sitting in a large bucket, I’m talking about a pool you can actually swim in. A proper pool. In your back garden. Bloody marvellous. No collecting together of sunscreens, hats, nappies, more nappies, spare nappies, spare shorts, spare hats, multiple bottles of water, snacks, more snacks, spare snacks: keep all of the crap inside the villa and simply open the back doors.

You want easy, laid-back, no-effort entertainment? There it is, right there, a few steps from your sofa. Of course you’d enjoy it a lot more if you weren’t trying to constantly stop a toddler from running on the wet tiles/throwing himself off the edge of the pool/put his fingers in the jet stream thingy but that’s just called being on holiday with a kid/s. I’ve realised. Nobody can make a holiday-with-babies perfect, unless they provide a free Mary Poppins for a few hours a day to give you a bit of a break (we’ll get to that), but it did seem that Domes of Elounda had gone a long way to making life en vacances a hell of a lot easier.

The best thing about the private pool was that we could lie in the sun for the whole time that Ted and Angelica were taking their afternoon nap – which ended up being 2pm-4pm every day. Two solid hours to just loll around, read books, drink all of the fizzy drinks from the fridge (everything in the fridge was free, by the way, until we used it up – also the drinks and snacks on the middle shelf of the kitchenette, which was CRAMMED with stuff!) and then stand in the shallow end of the pool trying to quietly de-bloat. Had we not had the pool right there, we would have been tethered to our room, perhaps sat on a balcony, but probably using the time to have a nap ourselves in the darkened bedroom. Which, quite frankly, would have been a bit of a waste because the sunshine was so great for our spirits and energy levels. I love the sun – absolutely adore it. I’m sensible in terms of how much time I spend in it, but for me the whole reason to go on holiday is to get to be outdoors, in the warm, breathing in fresh air and feeling my bones heat up.

So in a way, the private pool made the holiday. We didn’t really need to leave our residence. And there was a turn-on-and-offable waterfall feature that was so smart – it sort of neutralised any outside noise when it was on. The Luxury Residences are actually very close together – semi-detached, if you like – but so cleverly designed that you can’t actually see anyone else, and nobody can see you. I sunbathed in just my pants when the babies were napping and felt completely comfortable that nobody could see. Mr AMR did his “washcloth on the privates” sunbathing routine so I bloody hope nobody could see! Haha.

We were in a Residence that was right across from the Haute Living lounge, which had papers and extra snacks and a concierge to answer all of your most obvious and ridiculous questions. Also across the road, the Italian restaurant Blend, which was where we had breakfast every day. It was excellent – a huge array of fresh fruits and yoghurts and cheeses and meats, pastries and breads as well as cooked-to-order eggs and on-demand juices (the beetroot and celery one was great) and an a la carte menu with pancakes and omelettes and so on.

And talking of food, there’s another huge benefit to the Haute Living deal that makes it a very worthwhile thing to do, and that’s the Dine Around concept. It means that you can eat at any of the restaurants (there’s an Italian, a Japanese fusion, a traditional taverna, a buffet-style restaurant) for free, every night. Bearing in mind that a meal for one person in the Italian restaurant, Blend, could set you back around eighty euros, not including drinks, you can save quite a considerable amount. Especially if you have older children eating from the main menu, or you’re travelling in a group of adults. I thought that this was a magnificent perk; if you’re normal half-board then you can eat at the buffet for free, but the restaurants feel like more of a night out, an event. And I like being able to order from a menu and have table service! It’s also slightly more formal, so you can get dressed up without feeling like a berk. When it comes to the bill, you just pay for drinks and service, which you would do anyway at the buffet restaurant.

So is the Haute Living concept good value for money? Well, as I said, it’s only available as part of the deal if you book one of the private or luxury residences or a luxury villa (those look so swanky, but no idea what they cost per night!) so you’re already jumping up a huge step anyway in terms of the accommodation. Your own pool, more space, more privacy. You’d expect to pay more anyway, just for that. But then you get all of the HL bonus balls thrown into the mix – just the Dine Around perk alone must be worth a fair few bob each night. Not to mention the unlimited drinks available in the lounge. I mean, you could just park up there for the night and you’d be dancing with your undercrackers on your head by ten pm. (Unless you have kids with you, obviously.)

Before I left for our week away, I did quite a lot of price-searching and comparing and I think that the Luxury Residence (which includes Haute Living) was about £390 per night and a two-bed family suite with jacuzzi (doesn’t include Haute Living) was a hundred or so pounds less. (Bear in mind that this was in late April, the prices are not anywhere near that now it’s getting into season!) The Haute Living that came with the Luxury Residence would probably save around 150 euros a day just in food bills without even taking into account the lounge, snacks, free drinks, beach bar refreshments and so on. And the fact that the room you’re booking has a private garden and pool…

A few people have already asked me about the difference between the Luxury and Private residences. The Private Residences (see here*) are older in style – all of the new Luxury Residences, along with the lounge, look like something that wouldn’t be out of place in the Californian desert. They are so beautifully designed. Quite Frank Lloyd Wright, in a way, and a million miles from your typical whitewashed Grecian holiday abodes! But the Private Residence styling is more traditional, it’s on two floors, larger inside and comes plopped in the middle of a one acre plot, so your neighbours aren’t right on your doorstep. We took a cheeky little stroll up to the private road that they’re situated on and they looked lovely. Amazingly, they were actually cheaper than the Luxury Residences at the time – I think, if I remember correctly, they were just over £300 per night – but the pools are much smaller and, I suppose, the properties themselves are older. Next time, though, I’m booking a private one just so that I can compare – I hate being next to other people, so the idea of a separate villa but with hotel amenities is incredibly appealing to me!

Which, to be fair, is exactly what you get at the Luxury Residence too, it’s just if you like your space (and your accommodation on two levels) then the Private Residence looks like a great bet.

What else can I tell you? I’m wracking my brains.

Oh God, I’ve just actually checked the prices per night for the week after next and it’s £847 per night! If you can, then go at the end of April, like I did, or at the start of May – the weather was hot, but fine for little ones, and the flights were cheap. And the villa was less than half the price. The pool was nippy, despite it being heated – I think that it’s a sort of eco-system they use – but that’s the only drawback I can see for going very early in the season. Or very late in the season. I wonder what the weather is like in October? I have to say, I worried about it being 21/22 degrees and thought that might not be hot enough, but it felt absolutely BOILING when I was lying there on our secluded patio terrace. I wouldn’t have wanted it any warmer. One day it was twenty six and I almost expired – gone are the days when Mr AMR and I would go to Greece in July and suffer temperatures in the forties!

In summary, then, I think that the Haute Living package is a brilliant idea. The fact is, you’d probably pay loads more for the residences anyway, even if they didn’t have the Haute Living, so the HL part is just one massive, money-saving bonus. We felt very special, being able to phone up our manager, Georgia, at any time and get her to sort out our inadequacies and packing oversights, but she also kept her distance and was very discreet. There was no overly-perky social calling or anything like that. Which Mr AMR is allergic to.

The crux of this post was supposed to be whether or not it’s possible to have a luxury holiday with kids – or at least very tiny kids – and I do think that Domes of Elounda have managed it with their Private and Luxury Residences. It’s a good hybrid of self-catered villa and hotel – there’s enough fridge space to store milk and limited snacks for toddlers, but not enough that you’d ever want to cook for yourselves. Which is excellent. The restaurants are fully child-tolerant and friendly, highchairs are plentiful, travel cots are sound, the beach area is small and safe and easy to play on. For the number of babies and small children I saw, there could maybe be a few more areas with play things and slides, or a dedicated kids pool with inflatables and slides, but then I totally see what the resort is doing in terms of their branding; it all feels very adult and luxurious. No Disney characters stuck to walls or garish plastic toys everywhere. Which keeps the premium feel and makes grown-up guests feel as though they are in a five-star resort.

There are pros and cons to this, as a family staying there; I loved that it felt like a grown-up trip away, and that we were sort of smuggling our kids in naughtily yet they were still brilliantly catered for. But some kids’ plates and cutlery in the kitchenette could have been good and perhaps some more facilities to keep them occupied. There was a park next to the creche (the creche is really excellent; purpose-built, airy, clean, friendly and professional staff) but something a bit jazzier might be nice, a bigger park perhaps, with more play things, if they ever want to add another string to their family resort bow. It could always be hidden away behind some stylish screening to keep with the luxury feel!

You can find out more about Domes of Elounda at Mr & Mrs Smith here* – many thanks to Mr and Mrs Smith and the team at Domes of Elounda for organising the trip – we will be back!

The dress I’m wearing in almost every photo is from Hush – you can read my post on it here. My swimsuit is from Miraclesuit, that also has it’s own post here, if you want more details.)

(Domes of Elounda provided four nights accommodation for my review, I covered all other costs for the week.)

The post Domes of Elounda: The Haute Living Holiday (With Kids) appeared first on A Model Recommends.

Domes of Elounda: The Haute Living Holiday (With Kids) was first posted on May 31, 2018 at 7:55 am. ©2017 "A Model Recommends". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at [email protected] Domes of Elounda: The Haute Living Holiday (With Kids) published first on https://medium.com/@SkinAlley

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ouraidengray4 · 6 years

Text

An Unexpectedly Awesome Side Effect of Not Drinking

Last week, a professional chef invited me to his house for dinner—a six-course meal that included homemade pork sausages, beef meatballs, lamb, spinach risotto, ravioli, a cheese board, and a three-tiered coconut cake. The chef marveled at how much food I could put away. "How can you eat this much and stay so svelte?" he inquired, as I served myself a third lamb chop. The answer came as soon as he asked me if I'd care for a glass of wine. "No, thank you," I said. "I don't drink."

EDITOR'S PICK

I've also found that my head is constantly planted in the future—I have a hard time living in the present. But when you go to the bar or dive into that post-booze delivery pizza, I guarantee you, you are present. You aren't thinking about the past (and all your mistakes), and you're not thinking about the future (if you were, you might consider the pain of the impending hangover). No, you are only focused on the moment at hand.

When I realized that I was living in the present when I drank, I started to explore how I could use the idea of being present to actually aid my sobriety. If I could stay in the moment day-to-day—instead of storing up all of my problems and then releasing them in a drinking binge (and maybe subsequent eating binge)—I could work through them as they arose, chipping away at my issues piece by piece, rather than letting things get out of control until it all felt unmanageable.

Presence of mind was the key, as it turned out. I learned how to take a breath and consider what I was about to do. It sounds so simple, but if you just take a moment to think about whether or not you need to drink or eat a huge slice of pie right now, your choices may change. Sobriety clears your mind and allows you to react more calmly, with compassion for yourself and others. Curious to try it out for yourself? Here's what to do—and expect.

1. Tell your friends (or they might think you're avoiding them, not booze).

Drinking is woven into almost every social activity. When I made the decision to embrace sobriety, I ended up turning down a lot of events that I knew were going to be big boozefests—I missed my friend's band performing and skipped Friday night cocktails. Soon, I began to feel lonely. I hated missing out. Plus, I was keeping a secret from my friends.

So tell the people you're close to. You don't have to say you're doing this forever, and you don't have to admit to being a raging alcoholic, but let them know that you're taking some time off from drinking. Start with baby steps, because small steps are easy for everyone to accept. If you and your friends think this no-alcohol rule is only a short-term thing, it will be easier for everyone to get on board.

If you decide to continue with your sobriety, you can do it incrementally, maybe another week, maybe a month... and soon you'll just be the friend who doesn't drink. No big deal.

2. The sugar cravings will surprise you.

I've never had a sweet tooth—cheese has always been my food vice of choice—but when I stopped drinking, I suddenly experienced severe sugar cravings. Alcohol contains plenty of sugar, but more than that, drink mixers are often off-the-charts sweet.

Bearing in mind that your recommended daily sugar intake is about 50 grams max, learning that a single vodka-and-cranberry juice can contain 30 grams of sugar is a little devastating… and let's face it, who is just drinking one of these on a night out? I thought I didn't have a sweet tooth, but in reality, I had a big one—it was just being satisfied by gin and tonics, not cupcakes.

Sugar affects the brain by raising dopamine levels, the same chemical that is released when we drink alcohol. Dopamine is often referred to as the "reward chemical" because it creates feelings of well-being, so when you stop drinking, your brain is suddenly depleted of this feeling and seeks it elsewhere.

Personally, I don’t think you should worry too much about this sudden desire for sugar—in my experience, indulging a little bit can be good for you. Be gentle with yourself and eat the occasional cookie, if it helps you. I eat a reasonably healthy diet, and my sugar imbalance sorted itself out in about a week, although this could take longer depending on how much you drank and your fondness for the sweet stuff.

3. Don't be shocked if you feel some pushback.

When I told one of my friends that I wasn't drinking via a text message, I didn't hear back from her for over a week. When she did reappear, she explained she found this news hard to digest as it made her question her own choices with regards to drinking. This is not uncommon. Whenever you make a lifestyle choice for your benefit, it can hold up a mirror to other people's choices.

I remember when a friend told me she was becoming a vegan, my initial reaction was to mock her and roll my eyes... but then I considered why I reacted that way. Why should I care what she chooses to put in her body? It dawned on me that her choice to avoid meat and dairy was shining a light on the foods I chose to consume. I had responded to poorly to her choice because I felt it reflected badly on me.

So I encourage you to allow people time to deal with their own feelings about drinking. Any bad response you receive has less to do with you than what's going on with them.

4. Don't expect immediate results, but do expect results.

After about two months of not drinking, I had maybe shifted a pound or two. Not exactly startling progress, but after six months, 10 pounds had come off, and I had no idea how this had happened. I had changed nothing about my diet—I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and exercised solely by walking to the subway. To put it bluntly, I didn't do s**t for this weight loss. Well, except that I'd stopped drinking.

5. The phrase "drunk food" will no longer be in your vocabulary.

I said that I hadn't changed my diet, and I hadn't—not in a conscious way, at any rate. But by not drinking, I had removed a part of my diet that I shamefully call my "drunk food." I'm referring, of course, to that delicious burrito you eat on your way home from the bar (the 1,000-calorie one) and the hungover breakfast you make for yourself the next day.

Then there's the Sunday brunch that lasts hours, packed with Bloody Marys, French toast, eggs Benedict, etc. Without a hangover to constantly mop up, your diet just naturally improves. Yes, fried foods can still be a fun indulgence, but they don't become a medical necessity to get you through a Sunday.

6. You’ll sleep like a baby.

We know that a glass of wine can help you drift off, but drinking often leads to poorer-quality sleep. When you stop drinking, your sleep drastically improves. For one thing, you're more likely to get into a regular sleep schedule. In my drinking days, I would be in bed by 10 p.m. on weeknights, but when I went out drinking, bedtime could become 1 a.m… 2 a.m… 3 a.m... It disrupted my cycle for the entire weekend and left my Monday mornings feeling like a real slog. Without this disruption, I wake up feeling refreshed and I can tell you I haven't once woken up and thought, Gee, I wish I'd had some drinks last night.

7. Stop meeting at the bar and go for coffee.

A simple concept in theory, unbelievably hard in practice. I knew that if I joined my friends at a bar, I would end up drinking. It really is no fun being the only sober friend sipping a seltzer while your friends pound tequila shots. I had to remove myself from those situations, but I didn't want to become a Miss Havisham-style recluse.

My answer to this was to move my socializing to the daytime. When anyone suggested that we grab a drink, I countered with, "I can't make it Friday night, but how about coffee on a Saturday?" You will need to rearrange your life somewhat, but what you lose in drunken karaoke, you make up for with sober, genuine conversation.

8. If you love food, this is the diet for you.

I've never been a dieter. I simply love to eat and I couldn't imagine not enjoying a well-balanced diet. A typical day's meals for me are scrambled eggs with plenty of cheese and toast for breakfast, a turkey and avocado sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner. Maybe a slice of pie works its way in there somewhere. I eat what I feel like eating, and still the weight comes off. It's a dream!

9. Meditation can help.

With so much uncertainty in our lives, it's only natural to worry about the future—and feeling unsure about the future can lead to carelessness in the present. Though times may seem tough, if you stay present in the moment, you can realize that the future is not all laid out in front of you like some inevitable path, but in fact, is yours to create. By changing your thinking about the future, you take back control. So start right now.

Whenever you make a lifestyle choice for your benefit, it can hold up a mirror to other people's choices.

Meditation is something that can help with this. By taking time to sit with your thoughts for five minutes, you're giving yourself room to consider what it is you are about to do. If I feel that "f*ck-it" mindset approaching and wonder Why not just go out and get drunk, it's all a mess anyway? I take a moment to sit with it. By the time the meditation app rings its little chime, the impulse has passed, and a better decision has presented itself.

10. Don't take it all too seriously.

Someone said to me recently that if I had combined my not drinking with a diet and exercise makeover, my body would be bangin' right now. My answer was "Not drinking is hard enough." While diet and exercise are clearly important when it comes to keeping your weight in check—and being healthy—I find it's just too much pressure all at once. If I stopped drinking, went vegan, and started boxercise at the same time, I guarantee you that within a week, I would have freaked out, felt overwhelmed, and fallen into bed with a box of mozzarella sticks.

Be kind to yourself. If you want to see gradual weight loss that feels easy, consider cutting alcohol out of your diet. When you feel on an even keel with this change, maybe then consider adding other lifestyle choices into your regimen. If you fall off the wagon and drink a glass of wine, don't beat yourself up. You do not need to be perfect—all you need is to be willing.

Ruthie Darling is a British writer, photographer and theatre artist based in Brooklyn. She once shared a stage with Sting and played it totally cool. You can find more of her work on ruthiedarlingblog.com and Instagram @ruthiedarling.

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foursprouthealth-blog · 6 years

Text

An Unexpectedly Awesome Side Effect of Not Drinking

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/an-unexpectedly-awesome-side-effect-of-not-drinking/

An Unexpectedly Awesome Side Effect of Not Drinking

Last week, a professional chef invited me to his house for dinner—a six-course meal that included homemade pork sausages, beef meatballs, lamb, spinach risotto, ravioli, a cheese board, and a three-tiered coconut cake. The chef marveled at how much food I could put away. “How can you eat this much and stay so svelte?” he inquired, as I served myself a third lamb chop. The answer came as soon as he asked me if I’d care for a glass of wine. “No, thank you,” I said. “I don’t drink.”

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

Friends constantly ask for my “secret,” my diet, the name of my Spin instructor. When I tell them I simply gave up gin and tonics, they look at me askance. Look, I tried dieting, I trained as a circus aerialist, and I did a 90-day yoga challenge, but nothing has been as impactful as simply not drinking alcohol.

I knew my relationship with alcohol had become a problem last summer. I never drank every day or even every other day—it wasn’t the frequency of my drinking that worried me, it was my reaction to it. When I took that first sip of my long-awaited Friday night gin and tonic, I felt this huge surge of relief, like the long exhale you make as you sink into the sofa after a long day. The muscles in my face relaxed, a smile broke out on my face, and I could let go of all of my problems for as long as my drinking session lasted.

Drinking lowers your inhibitions and allows you to make all the bad choices you want. “I was drunk!” you joke the next day when you wake up in a full face of makeup, holding a honey mustard-smeared chicken tender.

Like many other millennials, I deal with a lot of career frustration and stress. I send job applications out into the world every week and only occasionally hear anything back. It’s like shouting into the Grand Canyon: Is anybody out there… there… there? When a reply does ping into my inbox, I open the email warily, waiting for the point in the message that explains there’s no money attached to the project, but it will be “great exposure.” Of course, not only does exposure not pay the rent, you can die from exposure. But drinking allowed me an off-switch from thinking about my career—it was an easy (albeit unhealthy) fix.

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

I’ve also found that my head is constantly planted in the future—I have a hard time living in the present. But when you go to the bar or dive into that post-booze delivery pizza, I guarantee you, you are present. You aren’t thinking about the past (and all your mistakes), and you’re not thinking about the future (if you were, you might consider the pain of the impending hangover). No, you are only focused on the moment at hand.

1. Tell your friends (or they might think you’re avoiding them, not booze).

Drinking is woven into almost every social activity. When I made the decision to embrace sobriety, I ended up turning down a lot of events that I knew were going to be big boozefests—I missed my friend’s band performing and skipped Friday night cocktails. Soon, I began to feel lonely. I hated missing out. Plus, I was keeping a secret from my friends.

So tell the people you’re close to. You don’t have to say you’re doing this forever, and you don’t have to admit to being a raging alcoholic, but let them know that you’re taking some time off from drinking. Start with baby steps, because small steps are easy for everyone to accept. If you and your friends think this no-alcohol rule is only a short-term thing, it will be easier for everyone to get on board.

If you decide to continue with your sobriety, you can do it incrementally, maybe another week, maybe a month… and soon you’ll just be the friend who doesn’t drink. No big deal.

2. The sugar cravings will surprise you.

I’ve never had a sweet tooth—cheese has always been my food vice of choice—but when I stopped drinking, I suddenly experienced severe sugar cravings. Alcohol contains plenty of sugar, but more than that, drink mixers are often off-the-charts sweet.

Bearing in mind that your recommended daily sugar intake is about 50 grams max, learning that a single vodka-and-cranberry juice can contain 30 grams of sugar is a little devastating… and let’s face it, who is just drinking one of these on a night out? I thought I didn’t have a sweet tooth, but in reality, I had a big one—it was just being satisfied by gin and tonics, not cupcakes.

Sugar affects the brain by raising dopamine levels, the same chemical that is released when we drink alcohol. Dopamine is often referred to as the “reward chemical” because it creates feelings of well-being, so when you stop drinking, your brain is suddenly depleted of this feeling and seeks it elsewhere.

3. Don’t be shocked if you feel some pushback.

When I told one of my friends that I wasn’t drinking via a text message, I didn’t hear back from her for over a week. When she did reappear, she explained she found this news hard to digest as it made her question her own choices with regards to drinking. This is not uncommon. Whenever you make a lifestyle choice for your benefit, it can hold up a mirror to other people’s choices.

I remember when a friend told me she was becoming a vegan, my initial reaction was to mock her and roll my eyes… but then I considered why I reacted that way. Why should I care what she chooses to put in her body? It dawned on me that her choice to avoid meat and dairy was shining a light on the foods I chose to consume. I had responded to poorly to her choice because I felt it reflected badly on me.

So I encourage you to allow people time to deal with their own feelings about drinking. Any bad response you receive has less to do with you than what’s going on with them.

4. Don’t expect immediate results, but do expect results.

After about two months of not drinking, I had maybe shifted a pound or two. Not exactly startling progress, but after six months, 10 pounds had come off, and I had no idea how this had happened. I had changed nothing about my diet—I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and exercised solely by walking to the subway. To put it bluntly, I didn’t do s**t for this weight loss. Well, except that I’d stopped drinking.

5. The phrase “drunk food” will no longer be in your vocabulary.

I said that I hadn’t changed my diet, and I hadn’t—not in a conscious way, at any rate. But by not drinking, I had removed a part of my diet that I shamefully call my “drunk food.” I’m referring, of course, to that delicious burrito you eat on your way home from the bar (the 1,000-calorie one) and the hungover breakfast you make for yourself the next day.

Then there’s the Sunday brunch that lasts hours, packed with Bloody Marys, French toast, eggs Benedict, etc. Without a hangover to constantly mop up, your diet just naturally improves. Yes, fried foods can still be a fun indulgence, but they don’t become a medical necessity to get you through a Sunday.

6. You’ll sleep like a baby.

We know that a glass of wine can help you drift off, but drinking often leads to poorer-quality sleep. When you stop drinking, your sleep drastically improves. For one thing, you’re more likely to get into a regular sleep schedule. In my drinking days, I would be in bed by 10 p.m. on weeknights, but when I went out drinking, bedtime could become 1 a.m… 2 a.m… 3 a.m… It disrupted my cycle for the entire weekend and left my Monday mornings feeling like a real slog. Without this disruption, I wake up feeling refreshed and I can tell you I haven’t once woken up and thought, Gee, I wish I’d had some drinks last night.

7. Stop meeting at the bar and go for coffee.

My answer to this was to move my socializing to the daytime. When anyone suggested that we grab a drink, I countered with, “I can’t make it Friday night, but how about coffee on a Saturday?” You will need to rearrange your life somewhat, but what you lose in drunken karaoke, you make up for with sober, genuine conversation.

8. If you love food, this is the diet for you.

I’ve never been a dieter. I simply love to eat and I couldn’t imagine not enjoying a well-balanced diet. A typical day’s meals for me are scrambled eggs with plenty of cheese and toast for breakfast, a turkey and avocado sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner. Maybe a slice of pie works its way in there somewhere. I eat what I feel like eating, and still the weight comes off. It’s a dream!

9. Meditation can help.

With so much uncertainty in our lives, it’s only natural to worry about the future—and feeling unsure about the future can lead to carelessness in the present. Though times may seem tough, if you stay present in the moment, you can realize that the future is not all laid out in front of you like some inevitable path, but in fact, is yours to create. By changing your thinking about the future, you take back control. So start right now.

Whenever you make a lifestyle choice for your benefit, it can hold up a mirror to other people’s choices.

Meditation is something that can help with this. By taking time to sit with your thoughts for five minutes, you’re giving yourself room to consider what it is you are about to do. If I feel that “f*ck-it” mindset approaching and wonder Why not just go out and get drunk, it’s all a mess anyway? I take a moment to sit with it. By the time the meditation app rings its little chime, the impulse has passed, and a better decision has presented itself.

10. Don’t take it all too seriously.

Someone said to me recently that if I had combined my not drinking with a diet and exercise makeover, my body would be bangin’ right now. My answer was “Not drinking is hard enough.” While diet and exercise are clearly important when it comes to keeping your weight in check—and being healthy—I find it’s just too much pressure all at once. If I stopped drinking, went vegan, and started boxercise at the same time, I guarantee you that within a week, I would have freaked out, felt overwhelmed, and fallen into bed with a box of mozzarella sticks.

Be kind to yourself. If you want to see gradual weight loss that feels easy, consider cutting alcohol out of your diet. When you feel on an even keel with this change, maybe then consider adding other lifestyle choices into your regimen. If you fall off the wagon and drink a glass of wine, don’t beat yourself up. You do not need to be perfect—all you need is to be willing.

#Health

0 notes

lorainelaneyblog · 7 years

Text

‘I think, God, that you are showing too much interest in Loraine for your true feelings, and, she is right, she is getting an ego over it, so let’s move on to you now. [ ] has said the following to many friends, Loraine “Read it, you’ll love it, and you’ll hate it, and then you’ll love it.” And, here is a present for you, [ ], you are an intellectual too, not a highest, not a high, but a medium, and you have as many, though you are much smarter, because your parents took care of your brain, and despite the quality of Vancouver's water, gave you water from the NSA filter, well done, [ ] [ ]’s water was bad, Loraine, and his memory is not as good as [ ]’s, it’s not, but he is still very smart and he studies and he is better, at what he does, and we won’t state it, than any woman in Canada, better, Loraine, better, Loraine, and yes, it is male dominated, and he does well among the men, and yes, to be truthful, he doesn’t really like girls that much, and yes, you are right, that is not in line with your orientation, but it is not uncommon, especially today, and especially in light of the numbers of women in the work place. At the risk of boring Loraine, briefly, she identifies, you will love the book, competition as a female deficit, and--’

‘The reason they fight so much.’

‘Exactly,’ says God. ‘You have a real fan in [ ], Loraine, and he’s liked a couple of your things, and agreed with the war monuments thing, even though you regretted it, because you are a woman, and you try, try, try, to stay out of men’s business, like war, she does, [ ], she overstepped that day, in light of the right movement in the south, she agreed that war monuments should stand, but she felt stupid, and like a racist and she’s not a racist, but she’s Trump supporter in terms of immigration--’

‘As the Europeans.’

‘They have less land, though.’

‘And she feels guilty about that too, but she has some great theories about the one child policy, not only that it is genocide but that, since better looking couples give birth to more girls, they are more inclined to emigrate--’

‘Brilliant.’

‘But bringing, in the face of the rampant facial destruction of Canadian girls, better looking girls to Canada.’

‘Is that why she doesn’t like it?‘

‘It plays a role in competition and Loraine was very hurt that so many white men turned to Asian women.’

‘She didn’t want me though.’

‘Tell him that, Loraine.’

‘That’s mean.’

‘What?’

‘Well, when I went to Spain, being ugly myself--’

‘I’m not ugly.’

‘I didn’t mean that. I’m saying that the better looking Chinese men came later, because ugly people and smart people immigrate, and it’s the smarts that knocks you out too.’

‘You never get ahead.’

‘Right. And men with small penises, also apparently.’

‘Did that play a role?’

‘She was penis blind.’

‘I’m bored with her.’

‘She is relieved.’

‘Who is this woman?’

‘She knows you, and I haven’t told her, but she loves you already, and she wants you, and you will be happy when you find out who it is, but I want you to take some steps into dating again, because she is not as messed up as you. He went to hookers for a time, Loraine, but he never met, that’s right, Loraine, he couldn’t overcome their pasts, he needs a woman with less experience than most of the women he has dated.’

‘How do you justify this theory, because it doesn’t exactly hold any water.’

‘It really doesn’t, you are right. I guess it’s projection, I’ve done it, been overly attracted to slutty women, instead of seeking my own experiences, it’s hard to put yourself out there, and particularly so for men in the sexual realm. Further, where there are men, there are bisexual experiences, and also, let’s face it, probably more women.’

‘It broadens the playing field. You might dump the partner for someone better.’

‘He’s right. Further to that, because they are slutting, whether in the past or the present, it gives you license to leave them.’

‘People take advantage of sluts, they do.’

‘She knows that.’

‘She’s not a slut, though.’

‘She is so,’ says God.

‘50′s bored, Loraine,’ says Eminem.

‘It’s redundant. We know you.’

‘We needed to help [ ] [ ] tonight, so, unless we lose this work, we have helped him, and he is an excellent character, who has never faltered--’

‘Has she?’

‘She wants to know why you are so interested in her.’

‘Because I loved her, and then she went south.’

‘She never went south, never. She is, and [ ] knew her well enough to know some of her intellectual limitations, and he, now, believes my word, that she is the new messiah.’

‘But, why?’

‘Read the blog. He’s smart. And he was thoroughly pissed off at first because he thought--’

‘Her again.’

‘You’re bringing it about.’

‘Okay, give me a hint with this girl.’

‘Nothing. Look. And that’s it.’

‘Is she attractive to me?’

‘He’s overlooking her,’ say Eminem and 50 Cent. ‘Why? Is she ugly?’

‘She’s not as pretty as he wanted, but she’s in love and she’s devoted, and that’s all I’ll say.’

‘Is she as smart as me, just finding out now that I’m a highest intellectual, you were saying, her again, that intellectuals bond irrespective of gender, God?’

‘Yes. Now let’s move on. I can’t help him because he is acting on his bitterness, and he needs to find a way out.’

‘Do you have any suggestions?’

‘Don’t go for dinners, suggest a walk, perhaps if you’re thirsty, and you like her, obviously, get out of the date if you don’t, buy a drink, non alcoholic, and that’s it.’

‘Are they taking advantage of us, financially? Because it’s a source of bitterness for me, that women get all the sex and all the money. That’s why, and nurses are bitter about it, Loraine, because they put out, and pay too.’

‘What about you, are you paying and getting nothing?’

‘That’s what’s happening.’

‘Yeah. I’m not like that.’

‘You’re professionally like that.’

‘It’s a job, I treat my boyfriends accordingly.’

‘If you have it, you share it. You were always a feminist.’

‘Which is why she had to go pro,’ says 50 Cent.

‘Why, though? Couldn’t you stop? I had to stop, because they were bleeding me dry.’

‘Same. And I wasn’t that crazy, but it was obviously a choice between celibacy and prostitution.’

‘What do I do for sex though?’

‘I guess if you work your way out of bitterness by doing what I suggested, this is common right now, and couples are everywhere in this town, I believe, with their superior work aptitudes that men pay and women screw, but don’t pay unless you get something back, so a casual date is better, it’s undoing the wrongs of the past.’

‘Women got too big for their britches.’

‘Yup.’

‘As did men,’ says God. ‘But we are moving off of you, [ ] [ ], because this is the book and I want you to read it, [ ] will know you and forward the information.’

‘How do you know?’

‘She tried, tonight,’ says God, ‘and this is something you should, should, should, should, do, to find you on Facebook, go on bloody Facebook, please, [ ] [ ].’

‘Why should I?’

‘Tell him that, Loraine, that’s an example of true bitterness. A woman gave a client of hers a nice threesome with another man--’

‘That was his gift? What about the other man?’

‘Exactly. That’s what he thought, and, when she didn’t reply to a curious inquiry, polite as the day is long, and certainly within the “decent interval” to use a joke, a great joke, by none other than the great chef [ ] [ ].’

‘Did she do him? Because everyone was jealous of him, because he was so good looking.’

‘And she agreed, but do you know who she did finally meet at a party and make a subsequent date with? The great slut of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, [ ] [ ].’

‘Oh, you didn’t.’

‘Yeah, why, what do you know about him?’

‘Everyone did him. Even she did him. What was he like?’

‘He was always pleasant, and I realized that because [ ], and that other girl that was with the unit for awhile, when I was the nefarious civilian instructor, announced it to me when he walked by. He had a nice penis, but it was a soft, snake and he couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t, come, and that is why, I surmise, he had such a terrific turnover.’

‘You didn’t want him.’

‘No, he was irritating.’

‘Did he leave his boxers.’

‘LOL. Oh, how I hate to be a cliché.’

‘You’re funny, Loraine. He must have gone through so many boxers.’

‘I eventually married, and she loves my limp snake, Loraine, snakes are awesome, but mine doesn’t come, so we make love, and she comes, and I masturbate.’

‘Is this common, Loraine?’

‘Yeah. Really common, especially for whores, I think.’

‘True,’ says God.

‘Because mine works and I can’t sell it.’

‘When was your last date?’

‘About five years ago.’

‘So--’

‘God’s telling me to get back in the game. [ ] is saying there was a dream which was influential to many with the upshot being, If you are unwilling to stand up for desire, you might as well be the devil. Is this true that you are good at analyzing dreams? Why don’t you become a therapist?’

‘Loraine, from this book--’

‘Her again.’

‘She is my new messiah--’

‘What is that? Like Jesus, fucking, Christ??? I’m sorry I questioned you, but I had trouble believing, despite Mary fucking Magdalene, the bitch--’

‘Why the bitch?’ asks 50 Cent. ‘You’re Catholic, I asked, Loraine, what do you know?’

‘We lost some material, and it was yours, [ ], so sorry, but, I am God, and, Loraine knows this--’

‘Of course.’

‘Don’t be bitter. You are wonderful, and so is she, but she is my baby. And, so you know, Loraine, [ ] and [ ] have both been informed of the book and the blog through [ ], and don’t feel bad, please, that people are reading it, only feel bad that we are losing material, [ ] [ ] is a highest intellectual, and it was certainly, certainly, certainly, certainly, not lost on him that Mary Magdalene ripped off and eschewed Jesus, and 50 Cent may do the same, Loraine, at his own peril, because he is bitter too, [ ] [ ], even though he can pay for sex, because nobody loves him for himself, same as you.’

‘Why don’t they love my dick?’

‘Loraine is right, women have got around a lot, it’s not entirely their fault--’

‘Because I, God, and I agree that Loraine Laney, and you helped [ ] with that, Loraine, because he didn’t hate women as much as [ ], because, strictly because [ ], you work with them, and he works for them, as, I won’t say. But, they get laid more, and the nurses shoot high and then pay the price, I told Loraine and she is right--’

‘Is she a slut, God? Because I can’t take it anymore. What about my orientation?’

‘The higher men, their height describes their physical and sexual intelligence. You’re not as high as a high medium.’

‘Who’s my counterpart?’

‘A low medium. Also, the people with lower physical and sexual intelligence, tend to have a higher intellect.’

‘Not as intellectuals,’ says God, ‘which run the gamut, but as thinking people.’

‘So the Asians.’

‘He’s smart, I told you.’

‘How��d he know that right away?’

‘Ask me.’

‘How’d you know that right away.’

‘We think we’re smarter. And that’s what we think.’

‘Why don’t you tell people that instead of proving it all over the environment?’

‘Funny, Loraine. And Chinese men, Asian men, were eschewed, weren’t they, by their own kind, was it a penis culture? And what about you? You don’t need all that.’

‘No, but we are soul mates now. For being out.’

‘Oh, I see. Your life has been hell.’

‘Yeah. Yes, but this is why the Asian men were eschewed:’

‘Why? We’re too small.’

‘I know I overstepped and, small as I am, walked on black women to get to 50 Cent, and I was wrong in that. But this is what happened with Asians. I learned that men are tasked to devote themselves to education and career--’

‘True. While women whore, and put themselves through school. They say nothing, marry well, and put up with cheating for their entire lives. My mother wasn’t like that. Some are. And it is normal.’

‘We should learn from the Asians about prostitution, for sure. But, and we all failed, whites turned to monogamy, and that seemed like a better deal--’

‘Than the husband who cheats. But they were sluts. And they got so much.’

‘And that’s what the book deals with. How marriage becomes impossible for men in light of women’s sexual experience.’

‘That’s true. Who’s had more, me or this woman, God?’

‘You have.’

‘Seriously? And I know her. I thought I had dated every slut in ten miles in [ ], Loraine, seriously, you get down there, and no matter how sweet, they all smell. Does she smell?’

‘Not yet, though she has had a couple of bouts but she reins it in and never tricks men.’

‘[ ] gave me warts and I didn’t know how. Did you friend her?’

‘I’m afraid so.’

‘She won’t friend you, she’s picky, and she never liked you.’

‘Okay.’

‘You don’t care.’

‘[ ] [ ] didn’t friend me.’

‘And that hurt you?’

‘Hurt, no, but, duly noted, I was on my brother’s side.’

‘It’s because you have too many friends.’

‘She’s famous,’ says God. ‘You will see. It’s really interesting, now, change the blog because 50 Cent has been trying to speak to you for two days now.’

‘I’m done.’

‘You’re ahead. Well done. Now find her. Don’t look, tip, at the pretty’s, such as you always do, but look for the light in the eyes, you will pimp her a bit, but she will be mostly faithful, allow you to catch up, and always, always, always, stay ahead of her, she will, and she is bisexual friendly, she is, she knows this.’

‘Why did you say, “I think I want the men to be straight?”’

‘The high men I saw in gang bangs were always depicted as straight.’

‘Oh yeah, that’s true.’

‘What--’

‘Enough, [ ].’

‘Okay, I want to talk to her.’

‘You will, on the ether.’

‘She is very important then to you, God? She wasn’t even up.’

‘And she impressed me how she did without any help from me, truly, she’s the best, and I love her, and we even have sex, but you can’t have sex with me, because I’m one of the few males, save the twelve point five percent of monogamous, of which you are not one--’

‘I’m not? I always thought I was better than them. Is [ ] better than them?’

‘[ ] is better than some, but not others, I appreciate you [ ] because you did not do as he did, you had some fun, and got your willies out, smell notwithstanding. Stop.’

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