#i zoned out. and after that i ende d up making a whole batch of 40+ icons in one go. still got like 300+ to go

[mercedesfiction]

So this was way out of my normal writing zone but decided to go with it anyway and see how it would turn out. :D It’s definitely pretty bizarre from the types of stories I normally write, but here it is! Enjoy this random smut abomination! XD

(18+ Female Reader x Cthulhu)

Sanitarium Maiden

The waves appeared calm for the moment, as you were being transported to a deserted island way off the coast of the mainland. The waves had been getting increasingly restless the last few weeks and only now seemed to calm down for your voyage.

He knows you're coming.

The island was home to the old, abandoned "Sanitarium", built for The Great Dreamer hundreds of years ago. The main building consisted of a large and lavishing mansion with a matching garden and estate. Underneath the posh and wealthy exterior lay an underground research facility and old ritual grounds. The locals nicknamed the old building the "Sanitarium" since it was once home to many "ill" minded people.

When The Great Dreamer was first discovered by the people of this land thousands of years ago and they believed in the ultimate sacrifices and total devotion to such a powerful entity. Enough so, that an entire cult following was born along with an estate far out on a deserted island, to be closer to him. They all lived and died on the island and believed that their services and sacrifices were the only reason anyone on the mainland (or perhaps the world) was safe. They believed this to be true until one woman among them discovered differently.

The Great Dreamer, or more commonly known as Cthulhu, is a large and powerful being that lives in and controls the ocean. He's a Great Old One and has many abilities and powers that extend far past his confines in the vast sea. Some believe he's a type of God that could once hold the power of the universe in his hand. For now, however, he resides amongst the large body of water, controlling its movements and destruction.

Eleven months out of the year, Cthulhu lies dormant, keeping your particular town safe from harm and devastation. The town rested on the edge of the mainland and relied on the sea for food and protection. Cthulhu provided such needs to the small town, as you were the only ones to truly repay him for his services.

You were approaching the small island with the "Sanitarium" estate. Along with the mansion, a large lighthouse was built on the other end of the island with a loading dock for ships sailing to and from the mainland. The lighthouse was always running even without anyone needing to be on the island.

Your ship came up to the dock as you grabbed your stuff and we're helped off the boat by the crew and dropped off on the dock. The crew was a friendly batch of sailors who all thanked you profusely for your service before telling you that they would return in the morning to pick you up.

You smiled nervously as you waved goodbye to the gentleman aboard as it slowly drifted away. Looking out across the ocean, you could barely make out the shore of the mainland that was now so far away in the distance.

You took a deep breath after watching the ship sail away for a while. Your body began to feel anxious now setting foot on the island and mind racing with the whole event for which you came.

You left the shore and walked down a path past the lighthouse that led to the garden of the mansion. The garden consisted of a large hedge maze with entrances that led to the underground facilities. You pass one of the entrances and peer down the dark corridor leading underground. Your heart sinks and you decide not to explore. You had heard many tales of the horrors that lie beneath the estate and figured it's best to not add any unnecessary anxiety to your mind at this moment.

The path leads out of the maze and down to a large balcony and patio that wrapped around a part of the mansion, overlooking the ocean and with a part even leading almost into the sea. You walked up to the main balcony, admiring the gorgeous, old mansion that has remained in good shape after all these years. The patio occupied many outdoor tables and chairs to hold small groups of people that wanted to overlook the ocean as well.

You walk up to the railing and see the deep, dark blue ocean below. A cool sea breeze washes over you, accompanied by all the smells of the ocean. The breeze makes you shiver slightly with the chilly December temperatures. The sun begins to set below the horizon, only adding to the cold weather.

The water still appeared calm, gentle waves barely kissing the railing on the lower part of the balcony below. You take another deep breath in, soaking up the now calm and peaceful atmosphere. You knew this would only be short-lived for a little while but was nice to enjoy while you could. You then headed inside to begin preparation for your job as a maiden.

***

Cthulhu was treated and handled for years by the cult that resonated on the island. They were rumored to have done unspeakable and horrible things to each other, all in hopes of appeasing The Great Dreamer. Until a young daughter of the man that built the estate, tried a different approach.

She respected and devoted herself to Cthulhu as much as anyone else at the time had, except she was oblivious to the cult her father was a part of underground. She instead loved The Great Dreamer with all her body and soul, and on a night when the waves were raging, she decided to show him her love and devotion. She snuck out to the water's edge on the lower balcony, stripped off her clothes, and proceeded to show her love for him with her own body.

She made love to herself, grabbing his attention enough to reveal himself to her. His tentacles of many sizes decided to help her out and give him mutual pleasure and enjoyment as well. Both shared a special bond and moment that night that then started a tradition from that day forward.

Nothing the cult ever did for him has ever made such a lasting impression as she did. And as word quickly spread amongst her friends and the other women in town, a new kind of ritual was then made that caused no one to be harmed or abused any longer.

"The annual maiden" was the name given to the woman who would please The Great Dreamer each year. Every year, a woman would volunteer for the role and stay the night on the island appeasing Cthulhu. The night picked every year was always December 24th, Christmas Eve. For the women of the town, it quickly became known as a Christmas gift for Cthulhu and only seemed more fitting for such a tradition amongst the townsfolk.

Many of your friends had volunteered in the past to become maidens themselves and always retold the event as "the best Christmas ever". After much encouragement and stories, you finally decided to volunteer yourself.

You were beginning to feel more and more anxious and nervous the later into the night that it got. You could hear a thunderstorm rolling in outside, as the waves began to pick up with it. You knew it was him calling to you.

You donned a satin white dress that was made for each maiden every year for the tradition. The dress was flowy and went down to the floor, and had a corset style torso with puffy long sleeves. The dress was low cut to reveal your cleavage while covering up everything else. Underneath you wore a small pair of white lace panties. They were low cut and hugged your hips just right, leaving a little tease in the back.

Beneath the anxiety that you feel, your body was now growing excited with wearing the proper attire.

You braided your hair and prepared to walk out on the balcony, barefoot. The time was reaching midnight and you knew your moment had arrived.

You walked out on the stone patio balcony and could barely make out the full moon peering through the storm clouds. The moon guides your way down the path that leads up to the ocean. The stones were wet from rain and waves rolling past the railing. The water and the air were cold, with chilling raindrops kissing your exposed skin.

You look out into the now wild and untamed ocean, waves crashing into the shores of the island. Dark storm clouds swirl overhead with large drops of rain making ripples in the ocean and bouncing off the stones under your feet. All you could hear was the rain splashing into the water and echoes if thunder rolling in the clouds. The edges of your dress are being soaked by the raising ocean as it gets carried with every push and pull. The scenario appeared a lot scarier than you imagined.

You couldn't help but take a step back as large tentacles emerge from the sea and begin flaying in the air just offshore. About half a dozen tentacles dance along the edges of the balconies and part of the island. The tentacles are massive and make your eyes widen after realizing that they're easily twice the size that you are.

You almost feel afraid when you feel the ground shake and rumble as Cthulhu himself emerges from the vast sea. Jaw drops as an enormous dark green entity stands tall above the water, easily overlooking the entirety of the island. He appeared to have the body of a human with big wings like a bat and an octopus-like head. Webbed hands, glowing yellow eyes, and more large tentacles sprout from his back.

You easily capture his gaze in your white dress in contrast to the otherwise dark backdrop. You continue to back away slowly seeing his massive figure for the first time even with him being far off in the distance. His wings stretch out and flap once or twice before relaxing as he takes a few steps closer.

In the pale moonlight and the spotlight from the lighthouse, you can see his body is very muscular and toned with defined abs and pecs. Looking further south you also see his large, flaccid cock catch your eye. Your face flushes red, remembering what you're here for.

He was so much bigger than you imagined, gawking up at him almost in horror. You’re perhaps the size of his eyeball and could easily layout in one of his hands with room to spare. He approached just a few miles outside of the cove of the island and stood still while silently watching you. His tentacles on his face were all moving individually as his big, glowing yellow eyes seemed to be calming you as you no longer felt afraid or nervous. Like he was telling you that he would not harm you. You felt almost relaxed compared to the increasing anxiety that you had felt prior.

He continued to look down and watch you, making you realize that perhaps you should make the first move in this arrangement. You started to feel a bit nervous again, not knowing where to start. You look down at your dress to perhaps remove it and see that it had become heavy and soaked with the rain. It was now see-through and hugged every curve and feature on your body. Your face turns bright red, seeing your exposed nipples and breasts through the now sheer fabric. Along with the lace outline and texture on your panties underneath. The dress that was supposed to cover a majority of your body but was now revealing everything you had to offer.

You lightly picked up on the edges of the dress and tried to pull it up and off but to no avail. The dress is so wet and heavy and refuses to let go of your skin, instead, you let go and it makes a splash at your feet when it hits the water. You could hardly move through the raising water and with a heavy dress holding you down. You look up at Cthulhu, unsure of what you should do now.

Cthulhu continues to watch you patiently but notices your predicament. He manifests dozens of smaller tentacles right out in front of you in the water, each squirming and wiggling on their own. You feel your body get excited again, knowing this must be what he uses for the women who visit him. The tentacles are drastically smaller than their larger counterparts that were still flaying further away. These were still very long but seemed like you could easily wrap your hand around one.

Many of the tentacles appeared normal, like those from a squid or an octopus that tapered at the end and were covered with tiny suction cups on one side. Others appeared smooth on both sides and instead had a bulbous tip. All of them are a matching dark green color and move fluidly and independently towards you.

You feel yourself grow increasingly wetter between your legs and any anxiety you had previously felt was now washed away by Cthulhu’s calming presence.

Two of the normal tentacles slither through the water and wrap themselves around your ankles that were completely submerged in the now shin-deep water. The tentacles feel cold but yet warmer than the cold water that your feet had almost become numb to at this point. Another pair of tentacles find and grab your wrists, before gently lifting you off the ground and into the air. He lifts you a few feet off the ground and you feel the weight of your dress favor with gravity, only to accentuate and expose the front of your body even more. Your nipples were hard from the cold and you could now plainly see the white lace panties underneath that were also becoming sheerer.

Another normal tentacle finds its way up your dress, to gently slither up between your legs and breasts. You feel that it's cold and almost slimy as it glides easily against your wet skin. It feels like a giant tongue snaking up your torso and poking out at the top of the dress. You can easily see the defined shape and detail of the tentacle through the sheer dress as it lays between your breasts and against your body. With one swift movement and force, the tentacle lifts quickly, splitting the dress in two.

You gasp in reaction and feel a new rush of cold air and rain grace your now exposed body and skin. The tentacles holding your wrists adjust to let the wet dress slip off your arms and land in the water below with a large splash. Your pussy begins to throb, realizing how close you are to being completely naked and exposed in front of The Great Dreamer. Your lacey white panties were indeed pretty sheer, if not from the rain but perhaps from your own excitement as well.

Cthulhu held you up horizontally facing him, as to see your body in its entirety. The dress-splitting tentacle returns to caress your breast and wiggle its suction cups across your nipple, making light popping noises as it moved. You let out a small moan to the sensation, feeling almost like someone was sucking on it. Your nipple became more aroused with your body, becoming sensitive to his touch. A matching tentacle joined in around and across your other breast, causing the same sensation to both nipples. You moan, feeling your hips subconsciously rock with their movements. He holds your wrists above your head to only perk your breasts out even further for their touch.

The tentacles around your ankles slowly and gently spread your legs wider, revealing your wet pussy through the sheer fabric of the panties. You feel another tentacle slither in through one of the leg holes in the panties and press its suction cups against your lips and clit. You let out a louder moan to the unexpected feeling, and let your hips rock into the tentacle now wiggling in your panties.

Cthulhu was already making you feel more phenomenal than you had ever imagined, and he knew it. You had nearly forgotten his presence until you looked out at him, to see he was slowly starting to enjoy himself as well. His large cock was now firmly erect from watching and playing with you. Even though this was only the beginning of your bond.

The tentacle laying across your lips, slowly dipped inside your pussy, letting just the tip wiggle in and out. The tentacle was cold in contrast to your warm inner walls, causing you to sharply inhale at the welcoming experience. The large muscle pulls in and out of you, making soft squishing noises and pops as it moves. Your panties had slid down a bit from the activity, revealing more of your ass to the cool breeze behind you.

The tentacle then pulls out completely and hooks itself on the waistband of the underwear before pulling them down completely. Your panties fall down the tentacles holding your ankles and lay amongst the cluster of limbs in the water.

Your body was now fully exposed to The Great Dreamer, and couldn’t help but feel your pussy get wetter and more aroused, having your legs spread and be on full display for him.

The tentacles holding you up then flip you over in the air, to where you’re now looking down at the water-covered balcony below you. Your head is pointed down just a bit to leave your ass and pussy exposed up in the air. You can no longer see what’s happening and somehow this adds to the excitement as the tentacles on your breasts remind you of their presence by continuing to move around and suck on your sensitive nipples.

Your legs are still spread, feeling the new sensation of raindrops hitting your ass and running down your wet lips, and dripping off your clit. Even this felt like a purposeful tease and only made your body crave more. You could sense that Cthulhu was ready to grant your request as two more tentacles coiled around each thigh, holding them spread. The tips of the tentacles glide up to your pussy and using their suction cups, gently spread your lips apart holding you open to feel the cool breeze enter you. You moan, feeling your excitement drip out of your now exposed opening, making your hips gently rock.

Another tentacle wraps around your waist and tummy and glides down the front to curl it’s tip over your clit’s hood to suck on the exposed clit underneath. The tentacle holds your hips in place as it slowly starts to suck and fondle your clit, holding you up to give The Great Dreamer the perfect view. Your body could hardly handle any more hesitation. It longed to have him inside you, and he knew it too.

Without any further delay, one of the bulbous tipped tentacles begins to hotdog your spread lips. Gliding between them exchanging excitement with each other as it makes long, slow strokes up and down your lips and opening. You continue to moan to the unique experience before sharply inhaling to the feeling of him pushing his way inside of you. The tip felt larger than the average human male, but nothing you couldn't handle. You feel it venture as deep as it will comfortably go before pulling back out, it was unlike anything you have ever felt before.

Cthulhu continued to thrust the tentacle in and out of you, slowly picking up the pace. Each time it would leave your body and re-enter, you could feel the temperature change with the cold rain and air that found it before it would glide itself back in. Your mind felt like it was going blank from all the stimulation your body was receiving. Your clit continued to swell with arousal as the tentacle still slowly sucked and stroked it.

After a bit more tentacle fucking at a nice quick pace, it quickly pulls out completely feeling your arousal drip off your clit with its exit. The two tentacles are still sucking on your lips to keep them parted, feeling that cool breeze enter you once again. You let out a groan to the empty feeling, as another pair of tentacles coil around your thighs as well and rest their tips on your ass cheeks. The suction cups grip your ass as they slowly spread your cheeks apart to reveal your tight asshole. You let out a surprised moan and squirm in their grip as you feel the bulbous tip slowly stroke up and down against your hole. Rubbing your lube around and over it. You squirm but Cthulhu knows that you don’t hate it and can feel him slowly pushing the tip inside. You moan feeling your ass slowly being filled, it almost makes you want to cum instantly, but the tentacle over your clit has come to an almost complete stop as the bulbous tip fucks your ass at a gentle pace.

“Ooooh!” you moan out feeling your ass being pumped, slowly increasing it’s speed. Another bulbous tentacle comes up and rests right in front of your face. You can see a light glisten of pre-cum resting at the tip. The tentacle looked just like a human penis but without the testicles. You slowly open your mouth and stick your tongue out, to give Cthulhu the confirmation to go inside. The dick slowly inches closer until the tip is resting on your tongue. You taste the sweet but salty pre-cum as you slowly begin to suck on the tip. The tentacle dick slowly begins to go in and out of your mouth as you suck and tighten your lips around it. In the meantime, your ass has continued to be pumped at a quicker speed.

You feel yourself getting close, but the tentacle over your clit has now curled away completely, leaving it to throb in the open air. Your body desires more and is feeling restless from the lack of attention your pussy was receiving. The tentacles still holding you spread, continue to tease that more was to yet come. You feel another bulbous tip start to rub circles around and over your clit, rubbing it’s pre-cum over the sensitive nub. The sensation almost makes you jump but allows your arousal to build once more. You feel your excitement run out and down your lips and meet with the cock that’s rubbing your clit. You moan around the dick in your mouth, feeling the cock behind slowly run up your lips before dipping inside. Once again, it’s cold and thick, your inner walls tighten around it instantly as it wastes no time picking up the pace.

The two cocks behind you take turns going in and out at rhythmic intervals into your ass and pussy. You feel your orgasm building slowly as you continue to suck on the dick in front of you. Suddenly, the cock in your pussy pulls out almost completely as you feel another tip rub against your clit. You squirm, knowing what’s coming next. And before the cock in your pussy could slide all the way out, another cold cock pushes it’s way inside alongside it. You let out a loud moan, feeling your inner walls stretching in a pleasurable sensation, being filled by two tentacle cocks in your tight pussy.

They wiggle and squirm inside you before now matching the rhythm from before with the one in your ass. Besides the tips, the tentacles themselves were not as girthy as you were used to and seemed to easily squeeze into any space they wanted. Your pussy felt filled but in a comfortable and pleasurable way. Making you almost desire more. The tentacle returned to your clit and began to quickly suck and stroke it. It caused you to moan loudly, feeling your orgasm building very quickly once more. Your clit and cunt were so swollen from the attention, that you could feel your release drawing near.

Before that, however, Cthulhu wanted your desires to be met in full. All of the cocks stopped thrusting as the one from your mouth was removed. You let out a groan feeling your edging arousal fade. The dick from your mouth was well coated with your saliva as it squeezed alongside the cock in your ass. You inhale sharply, feeling the first cock slide out part way so the new one could slip in. The one's in your pussy were still fucking you at a slow, teasing pace as the tentacle over your clit began to speed up again as well. The tentacles over your breasts squirmed and coiled to fully grip both boobs with the suction cups wrapped around and over each hardened and sensitive nipple.

The second cock slipped easily into your ass as they both started pumping once more with the ones in your cunt. The sensation of being filled makes you cum instantly. You moan loudly as your inner walls grip and convulse around the cocks inside you. Cthulhu follows you shortly behind as your orgasm is enough to push him over the edge as well. You hear him let out a loud screech and feel his warm cum coat your inner walls and squirt inside your ass. The sensation extends your orgasm to its limits making your body and limbs go limp with ecstasy. You feel his excess semen run down your swollen lips and drip off your sensitive clit.

Cthulhu holds you there for a moment longer, before gently removing the tentacles in and around your ass. His semen being pushed out alongside them. The tentacles coiled around your thighs and tummy release next, closing your lips around the cocks still resting in you, before he slowly slips those out as well. You watch as semen drips out and into the water below as he gently carries you over to the higher balcony before setting you down on the cold, damp stones.

His tentacles release your arms and legs before slipping back into the sea. The storm has passed to reveal a clear and starry night, the revealed moonlight bathing your glowing naked body. You sit up on the patio and watch as all of the tentacles, large and small, slip back beneath the surface.

Cthulhu gives you a parting and thankful emotion as he too turns and emerges back into the sea.

Your body still felt like it was riding on the ecstasy from the experience and incredible orgasm. Easily the best one you’ve ever had. You caught yourself still panting as your body was still trying to wind down. You now understood why your friends raved about it so much and why it made for such a memorable experience. The Great Dreamer wasn’t scary like you had originally feared, but instead seemed gentle and loving. You would happily return another year just to see him again.

You glanced down at the calm waves, seeing a newly added layer of seafoam on the shore’s edge. You look out in the direction that Cthulhu emerged from with a fond smile and whisper, “Merry Christmas.”

Notes:

So, ...that happened...

So this story was inspired by the Sanitarium map from Killing Floor 2. I had heard of another Cthulhu-related smut story in the past and my brain basically ran from there. This is definitely not the type of smut or fic I would see myself writing very often, but was kinda fun with the randomness and life of it’s own that it practically took on. And now this map will never sit the same way again! Thanks brain... xD

#cthuhlu #fanfic #smut #female reader #reader insert #tentacles #killing floor 2 #sanitarium #yuletide horror

[soysaucevictim]

First week of my new regimen, starting with the Fireheart Program (and then some of the DAREBEE Fitstivities; a bit late posting all this, too)!

-

Nov. 28

I woke up after 11AM.

After some of the usual and chatting, did today’s exercise.

First, today’s DD. 40 squat hold side bends with EC. Just about manageable. Does take minding the hamstrings a bit - but that wasn’t an issue.

Last, Day 1 of the Fireheart Program. I was really excited to start this from the recent batch of releases - because it’s a COMBAT exercise program. That’s my jam, man. I went for Level 3 and no rest, today. TEN probably made me inclined to do it in one superset - but remains to be seen if I can sustain that for the whole program.

I also mixed up how I structured some exercises on a whim: sometimes alternating for each rep, sometimes 50/50, sometimes that + balancing variations. (And as a minor aside, this program’s name/theme made me think of Roman Sanders and how he’d be down for this.) :,D

(I’m keeping the docket open for DAREBEE’s Fitstivities - Fit Christmas, Advent Calendar, Christmas Tree, and maybe even the Snowfight.)

Made dinner (ramen). Among the usual, did some chatting and watched a bit of a funny miniseries with friend.

Got to bed later than yesterday.

-

Nov. 29

I woke up around 2PM today.

After some troubleshooting, chatting, and doing some dishes - I did today’s exercises.

First, today’s DD. 40 balance back kicks with EC (20/20). A fun exercise. I almost lost my center about 10 or so reps in - but I’m happy my gains in coordination made it possible to reorient without dropping and needing to restart (for EC). Kicks are fun, man.

Last, Day 2 of the FhP. Today focused on upperbody stuff. Managed Level 3 with no rest again. I decided to squeeze in a few extra push-ups here and there just to get down a bit better form.

Watched the second Back to The Future movie with friend, amongst a lot of the usual. Did a bit of writing too.

Got to bed around the same time as yesterday.

-

Nov. 30

I think I was woken up around 10:30AM.

Hopped in the showered, realizing I had another dental appointment I needed to get to today. Didn’t have time to get in my laundry beforehand - but bro decided to take mine out for me.

Dozed off in the lobby a little, while I waited. Appointment went well enough, a bit painful and uncomfortable. But I’m happy I was able to get through it alright. Last time I’m going to need to get fillings done for the time being - so I’m happy that’s out of my hair. Walked to a nearby Starbucks to get a coffee to drink while I called in and waited on my ride home afterwards.

Got home and chatted a bit, before exercising.

First, today’s DD. 40 raised leg circles with EC (supine). This was just about manageable, despite how tired I was.

Last, Day 3 of the FhP. Ab Day. Level 3, 1′ rest. I love sit-up/sitting punches a lot! I’m still very pleased that my abs are in good enough condition at this point to manage that load of sit-ups without assist/breaks.That being said, started to really feel things in the last 2 sets. Enjoyable and fatiguing.

Did some of the usual before getting a hold of my laundry to put that away.

Probably a testament to just how exhausted I was, but I finally managed to get to bed in the green zone, tonight. (That target being 1AM or earlier.)

-

Dec. 1

I woke up after noon.

Spent some time preparing notes for my phone psych appt today. That went well enough.

After some time chatting and browsing stuff, I decided to rewatch POF while doing my exercises tonight.

First, today’s DD. 2′ jumping Ts with EC. I counted 130 reps by the end, listening to Rhythm Redux was a great pace-setter. Hit a state of bliss near the end, reminds me why I love jacks so much! =w=

Second, Day 1 of the ‘20 Advent Calendar Challenge. 3x1 up/down planks, I opted not to rest, given how easy the load was. Might not get away with doing things in one superset the whole way through it - but we’ll see!

Third, Day 4 of the FhP. Level 3, 30″-1′ rest in between sets (though it trended closer to 30″.) This was pretty fun. Honestly the only brutal part of the sequence were the squat + side kick combos. Kinda felt like the leg-equivalent to a push-up+punching combo (sans hidden burpee). Whew, mission accomplished, though.

Last,  Day 1 of ‘20 Fit Christmas Program. Cardio Day. Level 3, no rest. Low impact and kind of a breezy “cooldown“ routine to get though. Remains to be seen if I’ll be able to get away with no rest the whole way through, definitely want to shoot for Level 2 minimums (largely dependent on how exhaust Fireheart’s gonna leave me).

Spent rest of night on the usual stuff.

Got to bed obscenely late again.

-

Dec. 2

I woke up after 9AM today.

Went out for some coffee and accompanying bro to get his car serviced. Then we hung out at Grandma’s place while that was happening. I also walked over to the facility for group, when it came time for that.

Group went alright, did a little bit of writing a bit before and into it. Once I got back to Grandma’s, after a stop at a convenience store, bro’s car was ready. We picked up some food on the way back home.

One of the first things I did when I got home and situated, I did my exercise.

First, today’s DD. 40 reverse plank kicks with EC (20/20). This was pretty manageable.

Second, Day 2 of the ‘20ACC. 3x2 burpees - I managed it in one superset. This was pretty manageable. And it’s making me wonder about trying to go for that 50 burpees in one go achievement - eh, some other time. :P

Third, Day 5 of the FhP. Level 3, 1′ rest. Did some plank jumps in/out for transitions and did all the punches/strikes 10/10 style. Push-ups were a bit messy, and plank hold counts probs weren’t consistently slow. Ah well. My energy levels were a bit spent going into this.

Last, Day 2 of ‘20FCP. Strength Day. Level 3, no rest. Did contemplate on resting even 30″ or less - but I decided I could one go this today.

Had to overhear another family blow-up. And felt generally overwhelmed. Chatting and usual distractions helped eventually.

Got to bed around the same time as yesterday.

-

Dec. 3

I woke up around 2PM, today. Which didn’t help me in feeling less harried.

I did some dishes and made today’s Hello Fresh meal. Bulgolgi meatballs. I liked it well enough. 

After some chatting about technical stuff (which immediately got pretty stressful) and doing dishes, I did my exercise.

I got in my workout way too late today. but oh well.

First, today’s DD. 40 squat step-ups with EC (20/20). My water table and energy levels probably weren’t terribly happy about it - but I managed to get through it alright.

Second, Day 3 of the ‘20ACC. 3x3 plank walk-outs, one superset. Happy that my stomach didn’t really complain here, otherwise very manageable work.

Third, Day 6 of the FhP. Level 3, 1′ rest. Leg raises were breezy, side planks were pretty intense. Was a bit concerned about doing more floor work with a slightly full stomach, but it wasn’t a big deal.

Last, Day 3 of ‘20FCP. 100 jumping jacks, done in one go. I enjoyed myself here - still noting how far I’ve come when it comes to stamina to be able to do it without too much problem.

I did a bit of writing and got to bed earlier than yesterday.

-

Dec. 4

I woke up after 1PM.

Got some Iced coffee, deposited some cash, and picked up some Subway.

Got home, chatted and whatnot before today’ exercises.

First, today’s DD. 40 knee-in & twists with EC. Fatiguing in the thighs but manageable.

Second, Day 4 of the ‘20ACC. 3x4 V-Ups, no rest. Did contemplate on resting. But 12 I can manage well enough. Enjoyable exercise.

Last, Day 4 of ‘20FCP. Tendon strength Day, no levels, no rest. Just about manageable little sequence to get done!

I spent most of my night chatting and browsing TV Tropes.

Got to bed later than yesterday.

#adventures with fitness #adventures with hello fresh #family shit/

[passionate-baker]

Monthly Musings: July

Hello dear friends!

July already! How was your month? Ours was sunny & humid. Lemme tell you, as an Irish person, I do not handle the heat well. I’ve basically been living in my birks, my yoga pants, and a flowy top all month long. On the other hand, more heat = lots of ice cream. Summer perks!

We took some time over the course of the month to gut our little garden patch. We fought a long hard battle with some very resilient ivy, but with the help of an axe and my extra determined father, we somehow managed to come out on top - thanks, Dad! Now we’re left with a lovely little patch of soil that was hiding underneath the ivy the whole time & we don’t know what to plant. I was originally thinking of planting some rhubarb, but now I’m thinking of planting pretty flowers instead, like hydrangeas or peace lilies. What do you think?

The offering for the month ahead is below, it’s relatively light & easy this time ‘round. I hope you find something that inspires you - to get in touch with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, to get into the kitchen baking, or to forward an informative coffee article to your friends who hate on your daily five cups. You do you. 

Enjoy!

Boyfriend & I are heading to Kilkenny later this month to see Bob Dylan in concert! Neil Young & Glen Hansard will also be playing, but we’re really just going to see Bob. Other reasons to be excited about visiting Kilkenny: food, food, and more food. I’ve been working on a post about the medieval city for a while now and hope to get all I need to finish it off after this visit. Stay tuned!

One of the things that originally attracted me to Boyfriend was our shared love of coffee. In fact, he probably loves coffee more than I do. There’s nearly always a hot pot floating around our kitchen, but we will 100% fight you for the last cup. This is for all you coffee naysayers: Mythbusters, Coffee Edition. 

In case you missed it, a new travel post hit the blog: 24 Hours in Galway. Basically, I got together with my mom & sister, we went eating & drinking in some of the best places Galway has to offer, and I blogged about our whereabouts. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the post!

In last month’s post, I mentioned that I was itching to add another cookbook to my collection. Originally I was thinking about a bread book (still am!), but we recently watched Christina Tosi’s episode on Chef’s Table and I went online & bought her book Momofuko Milk Bar basically as soon as the show ended. Obsessed is not the word.

I finally secured a trusty baker’s lame for myself! It’s bright yellow, totally adorable, & has been making my sourdough loaves look that bit “extra”. I dare say that owning it makes me want to bake even more sourdough than I already do.. which is a lot. Between the banneton & this, we’re winning! 

Let’s just leave this here for future birthday present ideas: The Best Books to Read at Every Age, From 1 to 100. 

I’ve started to push myself a little out of my comfort zone recently. I went out with some new work pals, I texted some friends that I’m not yet ready to consider ‘old friends’, and I got in touch with some over-seas friends I haven’t seen in years. The results varied considerably: one raging hangover, two upcoming coffee dates, and the offer of a spare room in Glasgow, respectively. Generally, I’m feeling pretty good about the whole dang thing! 

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that you’ve started seeing a little more of my regular everyday life on my stories. This was kind of weird for me in the beginning, but it’s in keeping with the above mentioned pushing of my comfort zone. Ideally, I’d like to start posting the odd photo of myself in my actual feed, but I just don’t think I’m there yet. Baby steps. 

Boyfriend is so over hearing about this, but anyways. July marks five years since my friend & I finished our pilgrimage across Spain. On May 28th 2014, we started our Camino in Saint Jean Pied du Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, we hiked along the trail for 34 days - taking 2 rest days en route - and walked into the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela on July 2nd. It was truly a life changing experience and one that I will never not talk about. Following the French Way, we basically hobbled our way across the entire country, laughing hysterically & making new friends as we went. It was the best. 

I guess I qualify as a real adult now, because we’ve been invited to another wedding! There was that one I was the flower girl for way back when I was like 6, then nothing for years, and now suddenly I’m attending three within the last eight months. Definitely an adult now. (My amazing mother already stepped in & bought me a dress for this upcoming one, so there’s no new stresses this time ‘round. Thanks, Mom!) 

Mine & Boyfriend’s 4 year anniversary is later this month! That time fleeeew! We’re going to keep things super low-key & maybe hit up a movie or something. I’m also working on convincing Boyfriend to make his unreal version of Ragu alla Bolognese for us. Cross your fingers for me!

Coming this day next week: Sourdough Maple Blueberry Brown Butter Crumble Muffins. The recipe took me two months and five different batches of muffins to develop to perfection. Be sure to check back!  

I’m adding this No-Fuss Lemon Tart to my to-bake list because it looks insane. Also, a salty pretzel crust? Yes please!

I hope you have the most wonderful month! Let’s catch up in August, okay?

Hugs, 

Vicki xo

R E L A T E D    P O S T S

June  //  May  //  April  //  March  //  February  //  January  //  December  //  November

#monthlymusings #july #2019 #monthlymusings2019

[centralparkpawsblog]

4health Dog Food vs Blue Buffalo

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/4health-dog-food-brand-from-Tractor-Supply-Company-review-history.jpg

Sometimes it’s hard to step outside your comfort zone as a dog parent when you’re so used to seeing the same brands on the shelves at your local store.

I know I figured that when I brought Maggie home, she would always use the same brand for her food, but life doesn’t always work that way.

You may be looking into changing your dog’s kibble for a variety of reasons, but you’re not sure where to start.

There are so many brands out there to compare, which is why you should always research products before you buy anything.

Check out this comparison of Blue Buffalo and 4health dog food.

You may discover something about 4health that changes your mind or you could end up relying on a big name brand like Blue Buffalo for your dog’s nutritional needs.

4health Company Overview

If you’ve never been inside a Tractor Supply store, you’ve probably never heard of 4health.

It’s a Tractor Supply kibble brand made with premium ingredients[1].

It’s meant for puppies and adult dogs because it’s made with an important focus on minerals, omega fatty acids, vitamins, protein, and antioxidants.

Tractor Supply created their kibble brand as an extension of their mission to provide products that help you take care of your home, pets, and land[2].

They make it easy to maintain your pet’s health while handling your other responsibilities.

Best Sellers

A few of 4health’s best sellers are:

4health Adult Large-Breed Original Formula

4health Adult Grain-Free Turkey and Potato Formula

4health Adult Sensitive Stomach Formula

This brand may be of particular interest to you if you’ve already trusted Tractor Supply for many years or if you want a budget-friendly way to give your dog the best nutritional food in a store near you.

Blue Buffalo Company Overview

Blue Buffalo became one of the biggest dog food players in the game after their company began in 2003[3].

When their family dog, Blue, got sick, they decided to fight the cancer on a nutritional level.

Since then, they’ve developed the Blue Life Protection Formula which is one of the best selling kibble brands in America.

They offer many blends for all age ranges and health needs, selling products in many stores across the nation.

If you want to learn more about Blue Buffalo, check out our in-depth Blue Buffalo brand review!

Best Sellers

Many dog owners prefer these best sellers from Blue Buffalo:

Life Protection Formula Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe

Life Protection Formula Fish and Oatmeal Recipe

Freedom Grain-Free Beef Recipe

Blue Buffalo is a standard in many dog households, so if you’re curious about it, this is a good place to start learning about your dog’s potential future food.

Blue Buffalo is a common competitor in our dog food brand comparisons.

How does Blue Buffalo compare with Pure Balance? How about Science Diet?

Recalls

Any dog food business that’s been around for a while will have a history of recalls. It’s important to look into past recalls to see if a brand is trustworthy.

4health has had one recall back in 2012[4], which was related to a manufacturing issue on behalf of its parent company, Diamond Pet Foods.

Some kibble batches may have been contaminated with salmonella, which is why the voluntary recall was posted.

Blue Buffalo has been around longer, which give it more of an extensive recall history.

In 2010, they were recalled for high levels of vitamin D in certain formulas[5].

In 2015 there was a recall for salmonella[6] and their 2016 recall pertained to possible mold in some kibble bags[7].

The most recent Blue Buffalo recall was in 2017[8].

Some canned dog food had unusually high levels of a hormone derived from the beef thyroid that causes health issues if dogs eat a lot of it.

What’s Important When Looking for a Good Dog Food?

Before you buy your dog a new bag of food, you want to make sure that it has everything they need.

Not all kibble is made with the same quality, so always do your research before you buy anything.

Here are a few key factors to look out for before your next purchase:

Ingredients

What kind of ingredients do you want your dog to eat?

Is it important for you that they have only organic ingredients?

Do they need proteins source from specific animals, or nutritional additives like omega-3 fatty acids?

This is important to keep in mind, so check ingredient lists on every bag you consider.

Price

Dog owners know that you need to buy a new bag of dog food at least once a month, if not more than that.

It may seem fine to spend a little more on a bag of kibble now, but will you be able to keep that up in the long run?

Consider your budget and the price per bag to make your final decision.

Availability

Some dog brands are only sold in stores, while others are only available online.

Most have a mix of the two, but you’ll have to decide what you prefer.

Your schedule may prevent you from heading to the pet store every couple weeks or you could have limited delivery options where you live.

Taste

Your dog always enjoys what they eat, but it’s hard to know what they like when you buy new food.

A great way to figure this out is to look at what your dog has eaten in the past.

Are there specific meats or flavors that they jumped to eat?

Did they avoid eating when you switch them to chicken instead of beef?

If you’re unsure because your dog is new to your family, try getting the smallest bag of kibble possible when you make your final decision on a brand.

You can always go back for a bigger bag later.

Brand Reliability

If you find a dog food brand you like that has kibble your dog loves, you’ll want to stick with it for a long time.

That means you need to trust a brand to consistently make your dog food that’s healthy for them.

Brand reliability means looking into their company’s history to see if they can produce a high-quality product every time you need to make a purchase.

Comparison of 4health vs Blue Buffalo

So, how do these two brands stack up against each other?

Here are the final results:

Ingredients

   Winner: 4health    

Blue Buffalo always has whole meat listed as the main ingredient on their kibble backs.

That means your dog is getting more real food per bite.

It’s also important to note that their Life Protection blends have added antioxidants to bolster your pet’s immune system and digestive tract.

4health avoids adding soy, wheat, and corn to their kibble, which is important.

Many brands use those ingredients as fillers, which could be harmful in the long run.

Their food also contains probiotics to promote digestive health, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids.

It’s great that these brands are so competitive with their ingredients, but I’ll have to hand it to 4health on this one.

Probiotics balance out the digestive tract[9] in ways that antioxidants alone cannot.

That could be the difference between regularity and health complications for some dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Price/Value

   Winner: 4health    

As well as being a popular brand, Blue Buffalo is known for being on the pricier end of kibble.

It’s super premium, so it’ll cost around $1.60 per pound. 4health is much more budget friendly, averaging $1 per pound.

Tractor Supply Company can lower their prices because they don’t need to pay for extra shipping fees to get the kibble from a separate production company to their stores.

That gives them an edge in this round, coming out the clear winner as far as price and value goes.

Availability

   Winner: 4health    

If you want to get 4health, you’ll need a Tractor Supply store in your town or access to their website.

When you buy through them, you can get an autoship discount, but shipping still costs money.

Blue Buffalo is available at most pet stores and online sites where shipping is free.

That makes it more available and easier for pet parents to access.

Shop 4health

Shop Blue Buffalo

Taste

   Winner: Tie    

Both brands have a variety of formulas and flavors for your dog to choose, so you’ll have to let them test out the taste at home.

Customers report dogs loving 4health and Blue Buffalo equally, thanks to their high-quality ingredients.

Brand Reliability

   Winner: 4health    

No company is perfect, but Blue Buffalo has had many recalls over the last decade.

4health has only had one, which makes me think they’ve got their methods of production down to a science.

I’d trust them over Blue Buffalo, but I still recommend keeping an eye on the news either way.

Conclusion

Both of these dog food companies put up a good fight.

4health may have seemed like a non-competitor at first because I hadn’t heard of it, but they care just as much about their product as Blue Buffalo (and maybe a bit more).

4health would be my kibble of choice, but it always depends on the dog at the other end of the bowl.

Consider your dog’s health needs, age and activity levels before buying anything you plan to commit to long-term.

Resources

https://www.tractorsupply.com/landing-pages_brands_4health

https://corporate.tractorsupply.com/company-overview/company-profile/default.aspx

https://bluebuffalo.com/why-choose-blue/blue-story/

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/diamond-pet-foods-etc-recalls-2012/

https://news.vin.com/vinnews.aspx?articleId=16727

https://nasc.cc/news/blue-buffalo-voluntarily-recalls-one-lot-of-cub-size-wilderness-wild-chews-bones/

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/pets/blue-buffalo-recalls-batch-of-dog-food/

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/blue-buffalo-voluntarily-recalls-one-lot-blue-wildernessr-rocky-mountain-recipe-tm-red-meat-dinner

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539293/

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-food/4health-dog-food-vs-blue-buffalo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4health-dog-food-vs-blue-buffalo

#dogs #cats #pets #reviews

[jenstar1992-2]

May please request an Eggsy x reader (you saw this coming...) where they've been together for awhile and they get sent on a "mission" but it's just a set up where he proposes...hopefully that makes sense...

Here ya go girl, took me awhile because I’m too wordy but it’s finally done! Also sorry for the length, I’m gonna have to split it into three parts. But I hope you like it! :)

“Mission” (Part 1)

Pairing: Eggsy Unwin x Female Reader

Rated: T

Word Count: Approx. 2,631

Warnings: Language/cursing, making out/ kissing (not really sure if that counts but I’m putting it on here anyway), hints to smut.

Key: (y/f/c) = Your favorite color         (c/o/d) = Color of dress         (y/e/c) = Your eye color         (y/f/f) = Your favorite flower         (y/b/s) = Your birth stone         (y/f/n) = Your first name         (y/l/n) = Your last name

Requested by: sgarrett49

A/N: Reader is American, hence some of the terminology used on reader’s part. Not super important, just figured I’d explain. Also, I haven’t written any kind of actual “story” in years so if it stinks I apologize. Sorry for the length too, I always feel the need to be really detailed in my writing, so I apologize for my wordiness.

Part 2

If someone had told you a few years ago that you would be dating a spy, let alone be one yourself, you would have told them to lay off whatever they were smoking. Yet here you are, a very talented Kingsman agent dating her handsome fellow agent.

You and Eggsy had been dating for about 2 years now, and you couldn’t be happier. You two were the perfect team, in every way. Not only did you work well together in the field, but your relationship had stood the test of time, at least in your opinion. This belief stemmed from the fact that in the beginning you had, had so many doubts about it working out. Not because of him, or even you for that matter, but because of the job. You had been unsure if two spies, whose lives were constantly hanging in the balance, and were being pulled away from everyday life to do god knows what on a regular basis, could have a normal and healthy relationship. But now that you thought about it, perhaps that’s exactly why you two have lasted this long. Yes, your lives were always being threatened, and you never knew if the other would make it back home after a mission, but this meant that when you did you would be that much more excited, and relieved, to see one another. This also meant that when you two were together you cherished that time even more, and never let a moment be wasted. As for being pulled away from the normal hum drum of everyday life, you actually didn’t mind too much, for the most part anyway. Most of your time in the field was spent with Eggsy by your side. You were often partnered together on missions because, as Merlin had said, “These two are like a well-oiled machine. No enemy of ours stands a chance with Agents Galahad and Gareth partnered in the field.” He had said this to a batch of new recruits on their first day of training. “You all could learn a thing or two from them.”

These statements had earned a side glance frim Eggsy, followed by a proud, yet cheeky, grin in your direction, and you couldn’t help but to return the look. Merlin may have been boasting a little, but he wasn’t wrong. You two did work pretty damn well together. You always had each other’s backs, no matter what. This thought made you smile as you stared down at the floor in front of you.

“Y/N!”

Your head snapped up and you looked toward the source of the voice that broke you from your daydreamy state. Merlin was standing a few feet in front of you with a slightly irritated look on his face. “Did you hear a word I just said?”

You stared at him, befuddled. Then a few seconds later responded with an intelligent, “Huh?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and letting out an audible sigh. You smiled sheepishly, “Sorry Merlin, I must’ve zoned out for a second.”

He looked back up at you. “You ‘zoned out for a second’? Since when do you just zone out?”, he said while giving you a confused look.

You shrugged, not really knowing how to respond. After a few uncomfortable seconds under his questioning, yet intense, stare you said, “I just didn’t get much sleep last night. Sorry, won’t happen again.” While the ‘no sleep’ excuse wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t the reason your mind had checked out in the middle of your briefing. However, the two were connected. You had gotten lost in your own thoughts as you had done the night before, thoughts about the one you cared for most in this world. Eggsy. You were worried about him, and not just because he was off on another mission without you there to back him up, not that you didn’t trust Lancelot, because you did. She is quite a skilled agent herself and you knew she wouldn’t let anything too terrible happen to your boyfriend. You were more worried about how he had been acting lately. He had been acting strange the past couple of weeks, almost like he had, had something on his mind that he didn’t want to let you in on. Which didn’t make sense because you practically told each other everything, especially if it was something serious, which you could tell this was. It was just a feeling you got, but after years of being in this profession you had learned to trust your gut. Besides, you knew your boyfriend. You knew when something was troubling him, and for him to not come to you about it, it just wasn’t like him. This raised concern in you. You had been wracking your brain all night trying to figure out what it could possibly be, but by morning you had come up with nothing. What could be so damn bad that he couldn’t talk to even you about?

You felt a little bad when you saw a hint of concern cross Merlin’s expression. You appreciated the fact that he cared enough to worry about you, but that didn’t mean you liked to make him worry. “Are you not feeling well”, he asked. “If that’s the case, then I can inform Galahad that…”

“No”, you interrupted. You didn’t want him to send another agent with Eggsy on this mission. You hated that because you would worry the whole time he was gone, just like he did when the roles were reversed and you were the one out there risking your life. At least when you were out there together you knew where the other was and that if the shit hit the fan you could protect each other if need be.

“You sure”, Merlin inquired.

“I’m sure. I’m fine, really. Just couldn’t sleep.” You gave him a reassuring smile.

He didn’t look convinced, but you could tell he wasn’t going to fight you on it. “Alright then. Well now that I have your attention, can we get on with the briefing?”

“Yes. You have my full attention.” He shook his head but continued and gave you the details of your mission.

Apparently, you and Eggsy were to capture a man who Merlin said was suspected of being a threat to the agency. According to him, this man had been a former Kingsman agent who had gone rogue and shortly after had disappeared. They had tried to track him down for a few years, but with no success. It’s like he had just vanished into thin air. That is, until they got word that he had been spotted in a town that wasn’t too far from the agency’s base. This being said, it was fair to assume that him showing up after years of hiding meant that he was planning something to take you all down. Your mission, get him before he got you. You two were to capture him and bring him to a secure location for interrogation. You had argued that killing him would just be easier, but Merlin wouldn’t have it. “We can’t just go around killing people who may, or may not be a threat. That’s not how we do things around here Y/N, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know, I know. I’m just saying, if this guy really is the rogue agent then he might be too dangerous to be kept alive. Especially when he’s coming right for us, who knows what he has planned.”

“Exactly. We don’t know what his plan is, that’s why we have to interrogate him and find out before anyone gets caught in some sort of trap.”

“Well, how do you know that you aren’t sending Galahad and I into one. I mean if this guy is as good as he sounds he could very well have foreseen something like this happening and already thought of a way to turn the tables on any agent that comes his way. How can you guarantee that we aren’t walking right into his hands?”

Merlin looked at you with an expression that told you he had been expecting your question and he responded truthfully with, “I don’t.”

“Well that’s just fantastic”, you said sarcastically. You were a little perturbed at the calmness of his response and it was becoming harder for you to hide your frustration.

“You didn’t let me finish”, he said, just as calmly. “No, I don’t know if you’ll be walking into a trap, but I am fully confident in your and Galahad’s abilities, and I know that you can handle any situation and come out on top.”

You were a bit taken aback by his words. You didn’t know why, but this statement hit you deeper than any of his past praises of the two of you. You felt a rush of pride and, yet again, you knew he was right. As your worry and frustration started to subside, you nodded. “I understand. Alright, we won’t kill the guy, but can I at least rough him up a bit? I mean he did betray the Kingsman after all, and that’s not something I think I can take lightly. Untrustworthy bastard!” You said that last bit under your breath.

Merlin couldn’t help but chuckle a little at your question, and the almost childish pout you were currently displaying. “If the situation calls for it, and you are forced to take a more aggressive approach, then so be it. Just try not to do any serious damage, okay?”

You brought your hand to your forehead and gave a small salute. “Yes sir.”He shook his head again and let out another small chuckle before dismissing you to suit up for tonight’s assignment.

***A little while later***

You stood in front of the mirror, looking yourself over, making sure you were dressed appropriately for the occasion. Your long (y/f/c) dress ended just above your feet, flaring out at the bottom just enough so that it flowed when you walked. Accompanying the dress were a pair of gorgeous (c/o/d) high heels, only about three inches tall, you had thought five inches would be too much. Plus, if things got messy and you had to get physical with your target, or chase after him, which you thought was almost certain, then you were sure you would fall flat on your face. You figured you could handle three inches, and if worse came to worse, you could always just ditch the shoes altogether. It would be a loss, but the job was more important than some shoes. You did appreciate the way they made your calves pop though. It was a mission, yes, but you didn’t get to dress up very often so when you were given the chance, you made it count. You also hadn’t seen Eggsy in over a week, not his longest absence, but still, you wanted to give him something to admire upon his return, which would be any minute now. You finished your makeup and quickly adorned the necklace with a rose charm that Eggsy had given you on your one-year anniversary, along with the earrings you had found in a little shop a few months back. You had been thrilled to find a pair that matched your favorite necklace so nicely. You gave yourself one last look in the mirror, even giving a little twirl, and then making a face of slight disgust when you realized just how girly that action was. You weren’t necessarily a hard-core tomboy, but you weren’t a girly girl either.

A noise caused you to break free of your thoughts and turn toward the doorway. There you saw your boyfriend leaning against the doorframe, looking dapper, as always, in his Kingsman issued suit. He looked you up and down before nodding in approval and saying, “Very nice.”

You couldn’t help the wide smile that spread over your features as you practically flung yourself into his waiting arms. “You’re back! I missed you.”

He smiled and closed his eyes as he hugged you to him, burying his face in your hair and inhaling your scent, a mixture of flowers and peaches. God, he missed that smell. “I missed you too luv, so much.” You released your grip a bit so you could look up at him. Those blue-grey irises captured your (y/e/c) ones, and you felt your heart flutter as you saw the love that resided within them. You stood there for a few seconds, taking in every one of each other’s features. You were also looking for any noticeable injuries, which to your relief you couldn’t find any. This must’ve been obvious because he gave you a light squeeze and said, “I’m fine luv, I promise. I told you, easy mission, very little violence. The most that happened was I punched a bloke in the face, but that’s just because he wouldn’t shut up. Didn’t say anything after that, that’s for sure”. He chuckled as he said the last bit.

You raised your eyebrows in slight shock. “Oh man, that killed him? Just how hard did you punch him?”

He laughed then. “No, no, he’s fine. Well except for his swollen nose, but it really doesn’t look that bad.”

You relaxed. “Oh, ok. Well I’m glad your back and unharmed”, you said with a smile.

He returned the look. “Me too luv. You look beautiful by the way.”

You looked down at yourself and blushed. “You think?”

“Oh yes, quite beautiful.” He took the charm of your necklace between his index finger and thumb before laying it in his palm. “This is lovely, wherever did you get it”, he asked with a cheeky grin.

You played along. “Oh, that’s from my very sweet, very handsome boyfriend.”

He pulled the corners of his lips down and nodded. “Huh. He must be a great boyfriend to give you such a nice gift.”

“Oh, he is”, you said.

He raised his eyebrows a bit. “Maybe he deserves a kiss?”

“Maybe he does”, you said as you moved closer. He then gently took your face in his hands and brought it closer until your lips met his in a light, loving kiss. As the kiss went on it soon turned from soft and sweet, to deep and passionate. You let all the emotions you had felt in his absence, all the longing and worry, as well as the relief upon his return, pour into the kiss, and he did the same. When the kiss ended due to lack of air, you both laughed softly and laid your foreheads together. “So, have you been briefed on our assignment this evening”, you asked, ending the little game you two had been playing.

“Yeah, just came from there actually. Seems like a simple enough job”, he said, shrugging his shoulders.

You pulled back slightly and looked him in the eye. “Simple… really”, you asked incredulously.

He nodded. “Sure. Follow the guy, capture him, and take him to the specified location for interrogation. Easy. We don’t even have to do the interrogating this time.” He said it in such a matter-of-fact fashion, you were a little annoyed by how calm he was. Meanwhile, you were still nervous about the whole thing. He saw this and said, “Come on babe, this is us we’re talking about. We can handle this, no problem.” He gave you a reassuring smile.

You sighed. “The dynamic duo at it again, huh?”

His smile widened. “Exactly.” You rolled your eyes but laughed. He then held out his arm. “Milady.” You laughed again, slinking your arm around his. You walked arm in arm to the limousine that was waiting for you outside. What? You had to go in style, it was a fancy gala after all.

#eggsy unwin x reader #Eggsy x reader #eggsy unwin #eggsy #x reader #kingsman the secret service #kingsman fanfiction #love #proposal #taron egerton

[firehawk12]

Call of Duty: WWII — War, War Never Changes

Another cross post from Medium that I forgot to bring over.

“Lest we forget” is a phrase that Canadians are asked to consider once a year, as the country momentarily pauses so that we can remember the sacrifices of Canadians who served in combat. I’m sure that Activision didn’t have Canada (or the UK) in mind when they decided to release Call of Duty: WWII a week before Remembrance Day, but its release is certainly timely and at least forced me to consider how I process the memory of war.

Now, CoD: WWII is very much a game about the American experience in the Second World War, but the game raises several issues that I feel are applicable to anyone who lives in a country involved in that war. Perhaps the biggest issue with the game is the fact that the game itself is fairly routine. Giantbomb’s review of the game noted that the game feels like a retread of Band of Brothers and other seminal modern depictions of WWII, and that’s essentially how I felt about the whole experience.

You play as a soldier haunted by an early childhood experience, looking for a chance to redeem himself in combat. There’s the smart ass whose nickname is “College”, a tough-as-nails sergeant, a compassionate lieutenant that everyone would die for, and the best friend who you are bonded to because the game tells you that you’re close buddies who would watch each other’s backs. Since your character is in the 1st Infantry Division, you essentially play through the events depicted or referred to in the film The Big Red One(1980), starting from D-Day all the way to the Battle of Remagen.

While I’ve written previously about how I’ve been mostly disappointed by the CoD campaigns after Modern Warfare 2 — they’ve stopped innovating entirely and just rely on tired war cliches — I was cautiously optimistic going into this game because of this trailer:

One of the biggest criticisms of the first batch of WW2 games is that while they dutifully replicated the “ping” of the M1 Garand ejecting the cartridge, these games ignored the fact that the Holocaust was happening while all these famous battles were occurring. Although I may be wrong, I believe that this is the first big budget WW2 game to not only have a Jewish character whose Judaism plays an important part in the game’s story, but also actually references the Holocaust and confronts players about the fact that soldiers weren’t the only ones who were suffering during this time.

Unfortunately all that optimism was flushed down the drain when I finished the game. Yes, the Holocaust is an integral part to the game’s denouement. But it’s so trite and perfunctory that it might as well have not been included in the first place. Even the way the Holocaust is brought up is contrived — for some reason these German soldiers, who are being slaughtered by Americans left, right, and center, take the time to capture your best friend in front of your eyes. The only reason they do so is that your character has a reason to go to the Berga concentration camp at the end of the game to kill the Nazi camp commander and rescue your friend right in the nick of time.

The developers turn the Berga concentration camp into a walking simulator sequence, as the player character speaks to you from sometime in the future, telling you about the horrible conditions at the camp and hinting at the atrocities committed by the Nazis while you slowly walk through the camp. It’s a sequence that might have been meaningful nearly 20 years ago in the first Medal of Honor or Call of Duty, but in 2017 it feels like a lazy afterthought. They didn’t even have the courage to create an interactive sequence where you play as the character being forced to serve in Berga, instead relying on what amounts to a cutscene to try to do all the heavy lifting.

It’s frustrating when put in context of an earlier scene where your squad interacts with a group of German civilians. At one point a little girl is separated from the group because she wanted to find her teddy bear, and you volunteer to go find her:

When you find the girl, it becomes a (simplistic) stealth sequence where you hold the girl while trying to sneak past Nazi guards. It’s reminiscent of the first Bioshock, where you can save the Little Sisters, and while not necessarily the most original moment in the game, it’s one that at least tries to get you invested in the moment by making you play through it. The tragic ending to the level — you save the little girl only to see her sister get killed by a German soldier soon after — rises beyond pure cliche because you had a role in creating that moment. I would argue it’s the only interesting interactive moment in the campaign, and even then, it’s not all that original.

Perhaps the other major point to consider is the issue of representation. I’ve seen articles criticizing the campaign for not featuring multiple points of view like the very first Call of Duty, but I understand why they chose to primarily focus on this single squad from the 1st Army. The Call of Duty games have trended away from the anonymous soldier gimmick since Mason and Black Ops, and WWII is no exception. I think it’s fine that the designers wanted to have a focused campaign to try to create characters that players might care about. Certainly Daniels, the character that the player inhabits for most of the game, is the most talkative Call of Duty protagonist ever and the only one with a concrete backstory that starts from childhood.

And I suppose the game should be given some bonus points for featuring diversity as well. There’s a sequence where the player temporary plays as Rousseau, a French resistance operative who works with the 1st Army to help liberate Paris:

Which, incidentally, is probably one of the only times where the player controls a female character for a significant period of time in any Call of Duty game.

The game also acknowledges the big elephant in the room — that America was a racist, segregationist society when they introduce Howard, an engineer who ends up helping the 1st Army during the battle of Bastogne and near the end of the game.

Of course, conveniently the player character and all his friends are the ones who have no problem accepting help from a Black soldier (the most that happens is a short scene where everyone expresses surprise at seeing a Black soldier, before quickly moving on), but it’s an implicit acknowledgement of the contribution that marginalized Americans made during the Second World War.

My problem with this type of representation is that if they wanted to create a campaign that was memorable, it would have been very easy to build a campaign around a character like Howard or perhaps the 442nd Infantry Regiment (the all Japanese-American unit) and address the complicated feelings that come with choosing to defend a country that despises you and treats you as less than human. Certainly it would have been a more interesting meditation on patriotism, nationalism, and the cost of war than the one we got featuring a cast of characters that fell out of a TV Tropes page.

To bring it back to Remembrance Day, I’m reminded of the beaded poppiesand the desire to remind Canadians of the contributions that Aboriginal Canadians made during WWII.

Yes, it’s co-opting a symbol used for the purpose of remembering the sacrifice of veterans, but it’s re-contextualizing it to point out that there were Canadians of different backgrounds that contributed to the war effort. For me, I like to take the time to think about Chinese-Canadians who volunteered to serve a nation that not only disenfranchised them but also had a law that banned all Chinese from entering the country. A Call of Duty game that hijacks the traditional narrative of the franchise — that war is hell, but that the player is always fighting on the right side — to try to make us think more about the actual realities of war would have been very exciting. Instead, we get a game that takes few chances and barely tries to take the player out of their comfort zone.

Call of Duty: WWII has the best intentions in trying to produce the familiar WWII experience that we’ve seen countless times before. But the story it tries to tell and the interactive moments that it presents are so dated that it all contributes to a dull and uninspired experience. Much was made about Call of Duty returning to its roots, but I think this is perhaps a confirmation that the Call of Duty experience is one that is simply past its prime.

#call of duty: wwii #video games #review #wwii #videogames

[howardlyontx]

FIRST LOOK: 2018 Volvo XC60 in Malaysia – RM299k-RM343k

The Volvo XC60 is finally available in Malaysia just one year after it made itsdebut at the Geneva Motor Show in March last year. Actually it’s less than oneyear and that’s pretty quick by any measure. What we have here is thetop-of-the-line T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus and it’s fully importedfrom Sweden priced at RM374,000. It looks like the XC90 but this isobviously smaller and it goes against the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLCThis one here is fully kitted and comes with the Bowers & Wilkins sound systemand it undercuts the locally assembled XC90 by a full RM40kdespite being a CBU unit. Before we start talking about this car the model thatyou should really be interested in is the locally assembled XC60 which will beavailable starting in April. The good news is you can start placing yourbookings today and there will be three versions available for you to chooseThe CKD lineup starts with the entry-level T5 Momentum that’s priced at RM299,000But unlike before, there’s no T6, going up instead to the T8 – an engine that will be offered in two trims whichis the Inscription and Inscription Plus models. It’s also worthy to note that thenew T5 is RM30k more expensive than the old T5 modelPricing for the top spec CKD XC60 is at RM343k ora full RM30k cheaper than this unit right here. Specs wise itwill be by and large the same except that the CKD versions will lose out onair suspension and as an added bonus all variants including the base T5 Momentumwill get all-wheel-drive compared to the old one which was only available infront-wheel drive. So if the CKD batch is coming who then is gonna buy this car?Simple. For those who can afford it and want to be the first to own it andbefore you register your interest in the CBU unit, I just want to tell you that allunits have been spoken for so might as well just go for the CKD unitLets first start talking about the most interesting bit of the car that is theplug-in hybrid engine. Under the bonnet or rather under this soft-touch enginecover is a road tax-friendly 2 litre four-cylinder engine and it’sthe exact same one found in the XC90 and S90 T8. That means it gets 407 horsepowerand 640 Newton meters of torque making it even more powerful than the AMG-poweredGLC 43 which is a RM540k car that comes with a 3. 0 litre twin-turbo V6Primary propulsion comes from a twincharged engine which means it gets aturbocharger and a supercharger for a more linear power delivery the enginealone makes 320 horsepower and 400 Newton meters of torque and it’scomplemented by a secondary engine in the form of an electric motor which ismounted on the rear axle. Marry the two engines together and you get 407horsepower and 640 Newton meters of torque. It’s incredibly powerful no doubts aboutthat and in fact it’s the most powerful SUV in its class. Together with an8-speed automatic this 0-100 sprint is done in 5. 3 seconds and it will goonward to 230 km/h as its top speed. Now it’s crazy because this car weighs 2. 1 tonnes. Now that’s really impressive. For those of you who are new to the volvoway of doing things the T8 badge means it’s a plug-in hybridand one way of knowing is through this charging port right herethe XC60 is equipped with a 10. 4 kilowatt hour battery pack thatoffers a cruising range of up to 45 kilometers when fully charged and it’sneatly tucked away in the center tunnel meaning boot space is not compromised at allVolvo says it takes anywhere between two to seven hours to charge up thebattery depending on the charger that you use but most of us just charge itovernight like we do with our cell phones anywaythere’s regenerative charging as well and you can even prompt the engine tofunction as a generator to recharge the battery but you end up using extra fuelnow let’s talk about the exterior. It’s basically a shrunken down version of theXC90 and it still looks really really goodit’s visually less commanding of course because of its smaller size but there isno mistaking this for anything other than a Volvo when you see this on the roadHere we get a nice bold Inscription grille with the Iron Mark badgeFull adaptive LED lights with Thor’s hammer daytime running lights, front parkingsensors and a forward facing camera and radar system for the incrediblyextensive Volvo Intellisafe safety system. Round the side it gets 19-inch10-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels which look eerily similar to the S90sDoor mounted side mirrors with signal indicators and a camera down here aswell as nice metal work down here to complement this beautiful chrome stripover at the back again unmistakably Volvo. This nice-looking L-shaped LEDstrip outlines the rear proportion and forms the taillights and unlike the XC90the LED strip stretches all the way towards the center like the V90, you knowjust in case you can’t tell that it’s an XC60. One more thing I really likeabout this car is the way the exhaust looks and how it fits to the overalllook of the car but upon closer inspection you’ll find the real pipe inthe center so this isn’t a real deal. If you think the XC60 looks veryfamiliar on the outside then in here is pretty much a carbon copy of the XC90and S90. everything from the steering wheel the instrument cluster the dashlayout the head unit and even this media control is really as close as it getseven the controls down here there with the layout and the switches and the buttonseven the cubby holders are similar. There are however a few exceptions. The middlesection of the dash is a little different and this whole piece ofdriftwood trim is crafted from a single piece of wood. Real wood. This thin stripof chrome outlining the wood just adds another touch of class. As you can expectfrom a car in this class and price range the quality of materials used throughoutcabin is pretty solid. You’ve got soft touch plastics here and here as well as downhere with some leather and nothing really feels out of place, cheap or tackyeverything is just really really nice. With the Inscription Plus you get a15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 10 channel Class D amplifierIt’s standard here with the CBU unit but if you want this in the CKD version, make sureto go for the Inscription Plus, and not the Inscription. This option alone costsRM10k but this is something you and all yourpassengers even your deaf grandparents will really enjoyso the standard equipment here or any other XC60s for that matter would bethis nine-inch Sensus connect screen head unit diamond cut twist to startknob and drive mode selector, dual zone climate control and powered leather seatsthe Inscription trim gets this big panoramic glass roof, beautiful crystalgear knob made by Swedish glass maker Orrefors, paddle shifters and powerfolding rear seats. by the way the leather seat can be held in two colorscharcoal or maroon brown. Now let’s check out the back seats. Back here as you cansee space is pretty decent. It’s probably not as spacious as the GLC but I don’t thinkanyone’s gonna complain I’ve got the seats adjusted to my driving positionand you see I’ve got at least two knuckles worth of space hereHeadroom as well not too bad window opening pretty large so you don’tfeel claustrophobic in this back seat right here and you’ve also got a nicearmrest that stick out better than a Bentley Bentayga. But there’s one thingI have to point out about this car is the footwell down here – notice how thetwo mounts for the rails for the seats to move front and back, it’s getting inthe way of the foot well so you don’t get as much space for your feetThis centre hump on the other hand is not a problem it’s a very common SUV thing andthe battery is built in here. There’s no centre air vents here but it’s built intothe B pillars which could be enough I guess. Unfortunately there’s nointegrated booster seats back here but you do get ISOfix mounting pointsdown here but let me show you one thing I really really like about this carunderneath this seat is an opening for you to keep large items such as a iPad Minior a large iPad would fit there no problem why because they canAs for practicality, this car’s boot space is just a little bit bigger than the older modelhere it gets 505 liters of space but the older car had 495 litres. It’s notclass-leading that’s for sure but the Mercedes GLC and upcoming BMW X3 bothget 550 litres of space but you know it’s still decent, plus you can fold therear seats down to make room to fit more stuff in here. Models with air suspensionget to lower the rear axle via the two buttons right here. Lastly, all XC60scome with Volvo’s full range of safety technologies as standard and nothingelse out there comes close to what this guy offers. There’s City Safety, detectionfor pedestrian and cyclist and large animals, lane-keeping aid, blind spotmonitoring and a number of active features that make sure you stay withinyour lane when you’re driving. With the inscription however you get an extrafeature called Pilot Assist which automatically accelerates and brakes foryou when driving at up to speeds of 130 km/h. And every purchase of the XC60comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty packageOverall the XC60 is priced just a little bit higher than some cars in its classmost notably the Mercedes-Benz GLC 250, but it does come with a whole lot more kitWhat do you think of the car let us know in the comment section belowThis has been Matthew thank you for watching and as usual I’ll see you in the next one

featureBoxVar = ""; from Auto Detailing Services [phone] Call or Text Now https://cardetailingphoenix.com/index.php/2018/09/28/first-look-2018-volvo-xc60-in-malaysia-rm299k-rm343k-3/ from Auto Dealing Services https://cardetailingphx.tumblr.com/post/178559866771

[deonheim30]

FIRST LOOK: 2018 Volvo XC60 in Malaysia – RM299k-RM343k

The Volvo XC60 is finally available in Malaysia just one year after it made itsdebut at the Geneva Motor Show in March last year. Actually it’s less than oneyear and that’s pretty quick by any measure. What we have here is thetop-of-the-line T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus and it’s fully importedfrom Sweden priced at RM374,000. It looks like the XC90 but this isobviously smaller and it goes against the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLCThis one here is fully kitted and comes with the Bowers & Wilkins sound systemand it undercuts the locally assembled XC90 by a full RM40kdespite being a CBU unit. Before we start talking about this car the model thatyou should really be interested in is the locally assembled XC60 which will beavailable starting in April. The good news is you can start placing yourbookings today and there will be three versions available for you to chooseThe CKD lineup starts with the entry-level T5 Momentum that’s priced at RM299,000But unlike before, there’s no T6, going up instead to the T8 – an engine that will be offered in two trims whichis the Inscription and Inscription Plus models. It’s also worthy to note that thenew T5 is RM30k more expensive than the old T5 modelPricing for the top spec CKD XC60 is at RM343k ora full RM30k cheaper than this unit right here. Specs wise itwill be by and large the same except that the CKD versions will lose out onair suspension and as an added bonus all variants including the base T5 Momentumwill get all-wheel-drive compared to the old one which was only available infront-wheel drive. So if the CKD batch is coming who then is gonna buy this car?Simple. For those who can afford it and want to be the first to own it andbefore you register your interest in the CBU unit, I just want to tell you that allunits have been spoken for so might as well just go for the CKD unitLets first start talking about the most interesting bit of the car that is theplug-in hybrid engine. Under the bonnet or rather under this soft-touch enginecover is a road tax-friendly 2 litre four-cylinder engine and it’sthe exact same one found in the XC90 and S90 T8. That means it gets 407 horsepowerand 640 Newton meters of torque making it even more powerful than the AMG-poweredGLC 43 which is a RM540k car that comes with a 3. 0 litre twin-turbo V6Primary propulsion comes from a twincharged engine which means it gets aturbocharger and a supercharger for a more linear power delivery the enginealone makes 320 horsepower and 400 Newton meters of torque and it’scomplemented by a secondary engine in the form of an electric motor which ismounted on the rear axle. Marry the two engines together and you get 407horsepower and 640 Newton meters of torque. It’s incredibly powerful no doubts aboutthat and in fact it’s the most powerful SUV in its class. Together with an8-speed automatic this 0-100 sprint is done in 5. 3 seconds and it will goonward to 230 km/h as its top speed. Now it’s crazy because this car weighs 2. 1 tonnes. Now that’s really impressive. For those of you who are new to the volvoway of doing things the T8 badge means it’s a plug-in hybridand one way of knowing is through this charging port right herethe XC60 is equipped with a 10. 4 kilowatt hour battery pack thatoffers a cruising range of up to 45 kilometers when fully charged and it’sneatly tucked away in the center tunnel meaning boot space is not compromised at allVolvo says it takes anywhere between two to seven hours to charge up thebattery depending on the charger that you use but most of us just charge itovernight like we do with our cell phones anywaythere’s regenerative charging as well and you can even prompt the engine tofunction as a generator to recharge the battery but you end up using extra fuelnow let’s talk about the exterior. It’s basically a shrunken down version of theXC90 and it still looks really really goodit’s visually less commanding of course because of its smaller size but there isno mistaking this for anything other than a Volvo when you see this on the roadHere we get a nice bold Inscription grille with the Iron Mark badgeFull adaptive LED lights with Thor’s hammer daytime running lights, front parkingsensors and a forward facing camera and radar system for the incrediblyextensive Volvo Intellisafe safety system. Round the side it gets 19-inch10-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels which look eerily similar to the S90sDoor mounted side mirrors with signal indicators and a camera down here aswell as nice metal work down here to complement this beautiful chrome stripover at the back again unmistakably Volvo. This nice-looking L-shaped LEDstrip outlines the rear proportion and forms the taillights and unlike the XC90the LED strip stretches all the way towards the center like the V90, you knowjust in case you can’t tell that it’s an XC60. One more thing I really likeabout this car is the way the exhaust looks and how it fits to the overalllook of the car but upon closer inspection you’ll find the real pipe inthe center so this isn’t a real deal. If you think the XC60 looks veryfamiliar on the outside then in here is pretty much a carbon copy of the XC90and S90. everything from the steering wheel the instrument cluster the dashlayout the head unit and even this media control is really as close as it getseven the controls down here there with the layout and the switches and the buttonseven the cubby holders are similar. There are however a few exceptions. The middlesection of the dash is a little different and this whole piece ofdriftwood trim is crafted from a single piece of wood. Real wood. This thin stripof chrome outlining the wood just adds another touch of class. As you can expectfrom a car in this class and price range the quality of materials used throughoutcabin is pretty solid. You’ve got soft touch plastics here and here as well as downhere with some leather and nothing really feels out of place, cheap or tackyeverything is just really really nice. With the Inscription Plus you get a15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 10 channel Class D amplifierIt’s standard here with the CBU unit but if you want this in the CKD version, make sureto go for the Inscription Plus, and not the Inscription. This option alone costsRM10k but this is something you and all yourpassengers even your deaf grandparents will really enjoyso the standard equipment here or any other XC60s for that matter would bethis nine-inch Sensus connect screen head unit diamond cut twist to startknob and drive mode selector, dual zone climate control and powered leather seatsthe Inscription trim gets this big panoramic glass roof, beautiful crystalgear knob made by Swedish glass maker Orrefors, paddle shifters and powerfolding rear seats. by the way the leather seat can be held in two colorscharcoal or maroon brown. Now let’s check out the back seats. Back here as you cansee space is pretty decent. It’s probably not as spacious as the GLC but I don’t thinkanyone’s gonna complain I’ve got the seats adjusted to my driving positionand you see I’ve got at least two knuckles worth of space hereHeadroom as well not too bad window opening pretty large so you don’tfeel claustrophobic in this back seat right here and you’ve also got a nicearmrest that stick out better than a Bentley Bentayga. But there’s one thingI have to point out about this car is the footwell down here – notice how thetwo mounts for the rails for the seats to move front and back, it’s getting inthe way of the foot well so you don’t get as much space for your feetThis centre hump on the other hand is not a problem it’s a very common SUV thing andthe battery is built in here. There’s no centre air vents here but it’s built intothe B pillars which could be enough I guess. Unfortunately there’s nointegrated booster seats back here but you do get ISOfix mounting pointsdown here but let me show you one thing I really really like about this carunderneath this seat is an opening for you to keep large items such as a iPad Minior a large iPad would fit there no problem why because they canAs for practicality, this car’s boot space is just a little bit bigger than the older modelhere it gets 505 liters of space but the older car had 495 litres. It’s notclass-leading that’s for sure but the Mercedes GLC and upcoming BMW X3 bothget 550 litres of space but you know it’s still decent, plus you can fold therear seats down to make room to fit more stuff in here. Models with air suspensionget to lower the rear axle via the two buttons right here. Lastly, all XC60scome with Volvo’s full range of safety technologies as standard and nothingelse out there comes close to what this guy offers. There’s City Safety, detectionfor pedestrian and cyclist and large animals, lane-keeping aid, blind spotmonitoring and a number of active features that make sure you stay withinyour lane when you’re driving. With the inscription however you get an extrafeature called Pilot Assist which automatically accelerates and brakes foryou when driving at up to speeds of 130 km/h. And every purchase of the XC60comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty packageOverall the XC60 is priced just a little bit higher than some cars in its classmost notably the Mercedes-Benz GLC 250, but it does come with a whole lot more kitWhat do you think of the car let us know in the comment section belowThis has been Matthew thank you for watching and as usual I’ll see you in the next one

//<![CDATA[ featureBoxVar = ""; //]]> source https://cardetailingphoenix.com/index.php/2018/08/10/first-look-2018-volvo-xc60-in-malaysia-rm299k-rm343k/ from Auto Dealing Services http://cardetailingphx.blogspot.com/2018/08/first-look-2018-volvo-xc60-in-malaysia.html

[thoughtbus-blog]

The journey... Bigger than the Destination itself - Part1.

In the balcony, watching the sun set, drops by a mail, Admissions Office, XLRI Jamshedpur quoting “Congratulations, You’ve been selected for the PGDM-HRM batch 2017-19” I had lived this day, this moment a million times in last few months, but when this dream turned to be a reality, it wasn’t that big I had thought it to be. And the flashback began, 8 months back, shattered by my inability to strike a package with the best companies coming to our campus, my dad told me, give MBA a shot mate. I met Nakul, an acquittance until then, and my mentor thereafter, to have a word over MBA preparations. Sitting with two cups of tea, a deal was offered to me, “Do as I say for the next three months and you’ll be at a top B-School” And then, the journey began. I, for the first time in life, wanted to fight the odds, push my limits, and the reason was simple, I wanted to get out of the Loser’s zone, a place I had been stuck for long, so long that I hardly know. Initial days, I did show enthusiasm, but it didn’t last long. The whole motivation spilled seeing the amount of time I was taking to solve class 10 maths. But wait, the deal, I had accepted, didn’t allow me to stop. I knocked the doors of my mentors office, and from there on, everyday, we spent a couple of hours solving Quants.

Those two hours everyday, had a target to achieve. This was the first lesson in micromanagement for me. Split a big Chuck into small chewable bits and eat them. A week down the line, I had a list of things I was confident to tackle.

It was time for the mocks now. And the first mock, mocked me down. It was so difficult to sit for three hours straight in front of a computer screen, phewww!!! But I did do good on a few parameters, so I thought, let’s just analyze my mistakes than dropping this project.

By the end of the week, we had a schedule to take mocks, do worksheets and so much more. Parallel to this, I got a job offer, from an IT giant. This rather freed my mind with the fear of failure. I had the plan B anyways, but let the plan A be the priority.

Mock by mock, week in and week out, I saw myself change. From an easy go mind to someone with focus. Taking regular college classes, exams, project and placements in the day, and MBA the whole evening. Mocks were usually after midnight, followed by a 4:00 a.m. Chai at Naagraaj’s.

Paralleled to this was my racing team, business plans, meetings and not to mention the tensions. All went by, and I was a month and a half away from the MBA exams. It was Diwali time, and my mentor had a liability to go home for two weeks. These two weeks, were the hardest times of this journey.

The least I expected from myself was to fall for someone, at this time. But where was I wrong, this was one after 4 years. And she, well the most amazing lady I’d ever meet in my whole life. A person with confidence, charisma, intelligence and yet humility. We used to work on a project together, and observing her, talking to her, I couldn’t help but to start admiring her. I was rather a dumb, pathetic, ugly and obese guy, simply a no match. Had it been someone else, I would have let it go. But this lady has so much in common to me, in the way we think, we work, I could sense her to be an image of my mom, and someone who could complement me, made me better. Bang, thinking all this crap for days, I ended up loosing my track of preparation. I felt miserable, for just screwing up everything, for being all that I am, for the fact that she wouldn’t ever like me. I ended up with beers, cigarettes and depression. Two weeks, time was lost.

My mentor came back by this time. I poured my heart out to him, and then to my mom. That’s what I needed. Sharing such stuff out helps, and I had no one till now to share this. We’ll frankly I had acquittance in college, not even a single friend. My mentor and my mom became my BFF’s that day. The girl, she was a motivation for me now. I felt I had to make it big, to deserve her, to be capable enough for her. And perhaps, a good B school was my best shot .

Back on track I was. Battling end semesters and MBA preparation together. Mock tests started to go better, and somehow, with just a month left for CAT, I gained tremendous confidence. The scale of preparation, time spent and efforts put in expanded. I experienced the true essence of time management here. Every mock test was taken with a strategy, which was reworked nearly every time. I realised, the MBA entrance exams were all about your ability to Manage yourself, your time and your surroundings adequately. Soon, I gave my first exam for IIFT, which seemed a close call. I failed at managing time during the exam and screwed up the parts I felt were my strongest. There was a week left for the D-day. It was time to consolidate the efforts.

[soysaucevictim]

Week 2.

-

Apr. 24

I stayed up till like 2PM - working that sewing project and putting everything away.

Took a few hours nap, after that... I was understandably exhausted.

After a bit of the usual - I got going with my exercise with modest but ultimately unfounded trepidation (on account of sleep stuff).

First. today’s DD. 30 cross crunches with EC. Fun and manageable despite completely disrupting my sleep habits the past few days. :,D

Second, Day 7 of BREATH. “Synchronize“. I think this is one of my favorite ones thus far. Chill practice coordinating movement with breath (technically that’s yoga as a whole - but it was easy/soothing to lock into this rhythm) - good neck/shoulder mobility work too. Very relaxing! =w=

Last, Day 7 of 1′HIIT. Level 3, 1′ rest. Did get myself pretty winded, I just gotta note that the ROM of (standard) lunges does make it hard to do them super fast. I think I ht like 4-6 reps per interval. Overall happy that it was amenable to my energy levels.

Hit the showers and spent much of the rest of the night on the usual stuff.

I went to bed late, in the red zone... but not as obscene as last night,

-

Apr. 25

I woke up after 11AM - so I could go get my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Got home, did some the usual before doing today’s exercise.

First. today’s DD. 50 side kicks with EC. This was a lot of fun as usual - since I loaded 25/25, my obliques did light up a bit too. Love me my combat exercises, man.

Second, Day 8 of BREATH. “Snuggle”. Given some sleep debt and a small energy zap from the vaccination - I’m super happy for a restorative practice day. Most meditation on breath and relaxation poses. Nice touch of ab/core work with that blossoming lotus pose. Hamstrings and quads were a little tight/stiff during the happy baby pose - so I did some free-form movement within it and it was fun - I like that one a bunch too.

Last, Day 8 of 1′HIIT. Level 3, 1′ rest. Whew, given all the upper arm involvement in this WO, I definitely looks at it with trepidation due to tender arm from the shot. But I decided to get it over with, instead of rain-checking. Did manage to get a bit winded and shaky from fatigue here and my push-ups were admittedly somewhat sloppier than usual (which are usually not fantastic form-wise).

Then I made today’s Hello Fresh Meal. Chicken sausage cavatappi bolognese. A pretty tasty recipe - waited a touch too long to have really crisp zucch to work with - but it wasn’t dodgy enough to nix them today.

Did dishes and a lot of the usual for the rest of the night.

I miraculously managed to get to bed in the green zone (before 1AM). I think the vaccine, WO, and making dinner took it out of me.

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Apr. 26

I woke up after 11AM.

Did a bit of the usual before going to a therapy appointment on the phone. Again, grateful they’re available that way given how hard it is sometimes to keep up to date on trip reservations.

Got going on today’s exercises after that.

First. tomorrow’s DD (oops). 40 single leg bridges with EC (did things 20/20). Arm’s just happy for lower body work here. Very doable work.

Second, Day 9 of BREATH. “Balance“. My calves and feet arches were a bit tighter and more easily fatigued today - so I did have to drop the Warrior IIIs a couple times work through that.I imagine with higher energy levels that the balancing part would be the greater challenge. But hey, work with where you’re at, am I right? Did enjoy the alternate nostril breathing at the start of it, too, because it really forces you to slow down the breathing considerably. It’s very relaxing (to me anyhow)!

Last, Day 9 of 1′HIIT. Level 3, 1′ rest. Arms are happy that this was essentially a leg day - squats and squat holds. Did get modestly winded and sweaty - but it was manageable. That last hold was particularly challenging, imo. But mission accomplished.

A bit more of the usual and some writing got done tonight.

I got to bed obscenely late again (not helped by getting into an extremely long/draining convo with family).

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Apr. 27

I woke up after 3PM.

After checking on a few things, got started on today’s exercise.

First. yesterday’s DD. 50 jumping jacks with EC. Very fun and doable work.

Second, Day 10 of BREATH. “Connection“. I think my favorite moments were the gate and tree poses. Former because now I’m eager for the invitation of doing the half moon pose likely later in this program. I like the half moons and trees a bunch because they’re always so delightfully meditative! I observed I had to drop and readjust a few times on the first/left foot for tree today, but i was really in the groove for the second side (didn’t fall out of it - which hey, that’s sometimes how it be)! Mmm, so much fun! =w=

Last, Day 10 of 1′HIIT. Level 3, 1′ rest. Arm work, by then arm was considerably less sore/achy from the vaccination. Very manageable work, all told.

I did the dishes and made today’s Hello Fresh Meal - sundried tomato spaghetti. I rather enjoyed this one. Definitely overate. But tomatoes are lovely like this.

Spent the rest of the night on more dishes and the usual.

I got to bed a lil earlier than yesterday, but still obscenely late.

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Apr. 28

I woke up around 4PM, today.

After a bit of the usual, did exercise.

First. tomorrow’s DD (okay, how?). 20 staggered push-ups with EC, I chose to alternate sides. Sloppy but good enough for my current energy levels - had to mind left lats a bit half the time - because I felt them get a bit tense.

Second, Day 11 of BREATH. “Flow“. This was pretty intense - especially when it came to the three-legged dog transitions. But it was pretty satisfying to lock breath cycles throughout the whole sequence. I also went for full plank the majority of her invitations for that. It’s kinda fun getting to a point where one can sort of guess where these sequences are going to go from learning her structural patterns.

Last, Day 11 of 1′HIIT. Level 3, 1′ rest. Got me pretty bushed by the end of it. Took being mindful a bit on how I landed on left foot throughout - but eventually got that down without too much complaint there. Split jacks are still not a personal fave - but that’s not a huge deal.

Spent rest of night on the usual stuff. I got to bed a few hours earlier than yesterday - but still in the red.

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Apr. 29

I woke up after 3PM, pretty much immediately got to my exercise.

First. yesterday’s DD. 40 plank leg raises with EC. I alternated sides, here. For some reason Feedbro’s been screwing up the past few weeks in displaying/grouping the DDs properly. Whatever.

Second, Day 12 of BREATH. “Drop“. A fairly chill and fun practice today. Nice and low to the ground. Lots of invitation to just focus on belly breathing. I enjoyed doing the garland pose at the end there, too. Nice return to a more restorative sequence after yesterday’s relative intensity. =w=

Last, Day 12 of 1′HIIT.Level 3, 1′ rest. Ab stuff. Had phone with timer from floor. Had just a couple brain lapses and probably didn’t go quite as full-tilt for it. But this was just doable.

Spent rest of night on a lot of the usual stuff. Got to bed a few hours after yesterday - bordering on obscenely late again.

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Apr. 30

I woke up after 1PM.

Active rest day. so all of today’s exercise was the DD. 1′ bear plank hold with EC. Definitely felt that one in the quads. Keeping the breath as even as I could, helped.

Then made today’s Hello Fresh meal. Orange chicken. Tasty to have from scratch but a lil too involved/messy for me too enjoy as much making. Largely thanks to sticking to one pan (wiping it down after making the sauce was a lil finicky + getting rid of waste fry oil.) Took a few batches to cook all the chicken up.

After some dishes, I spent rest of night chatting, listening to music... basically pulled another all-nighter working on that jar bag series some more.

#adventures with fitness #adventures with hello fresh #(first dose of covid vaccine is in the bag)

[howardlyontx]

FIRST LOOK: 2018 Volvo XC60 in Malaysia – RM299k-RM343k

The Volvo XC60 is finally available in Malaysia just one year after it made itsdebut at the Geneva Motor Show in March last year. Actually it’s less than oneyear and that’s pretty quick by any measure. What we have here is thetop-of-the-line T8 Twin Engine Inscription Plus and it’s fully importedfrom Sweden priced at RM374,000. It looks like the XC90 but this isobviously smaller and it goes against the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLCThis one here is fully kitted and comes with the Bowers & Wilkins sound systemand it undercuts the locally assembled XC90 by a full RM40kdespite being a CBU unit. Before we start talking about this car the model thatyou should really be interested in is the locally assembled XC60 which will beavailable starting in April. The good news is you can start placing yourbookings today and there will be three versions available for you to chooseThe CKD lineup starts with the entry-level T5 Momentum that’s priced at RM299,000But unlike before, there’s no T6, going up instead to the T8 – an engine that will be offered in two trims whichis the Inscription and Inscription Plus models. It’s also worthy to note that thenew T5 is RM30k more expensive than the old T5 modelPricing for the top spec CKD XC60 is at RM343k ora full RM30k cheaper than this unit right here. Specs wise itwill be by and large the same except that the CKD versions will lose out onair suspension and as an added bonus all variants including the base T5 Momentumwill get all-wheel-drive compared to the old one which was only available infront-wheel drive. So if the CKD batch is coming who then is gonna buy this car?Simple. For those who can afford it and want to be the first to own it andbefore you register your interest in the CBU unit, I just want to tell you that allunits have been spoken for so might as well just go for the CKD unitLets first start talking about the most interesting bit of the car that is theplug-in hybrid engine. Under the bonnet or rather under this soft-touch enginecover is a road tax-friendly 2 litre four-cylinder engine and it’sthe exact same one found in the XC90 and S90 T8. That means it gets 407 horsepowerand 640 Newton meters of torque making it even more powerful than the AMG-poweredGLC 43 which is a RM540k car that comes with a 3. 0 litre twin-turbo V6Primary propulsion comes from a twincharged engine which means it gets aturbocharger and a supercharger for a more linear power delivery the enginealone makes 320 horsepower and 400 Newton meters of torque and it’scomplemented by a secondary engine in the form of an electric motor which ismounted on the rear axle. Marry the two engines together and you get 407horsepower and 640 Newton meters of torque. It’s incredibly powerful no doubts aboutthat and in fact it’s the most powerful SUV in its class. Together with an8-speed automatic this 0-100 sprint is done in 5. 3 seconds and it will goonward to 230 km/h as its top speed. Now it’s crazy because this car weighs 2. 1 tonnes. Now that’s really impressive. For those of you who are new to the volvoway of doing things the T8 badge means it’s a plug-in hybridand one way of knowing is through this charging port right herethe XC60 is equipped with a 10. 4 kilowatt hour battery pack thatoffers a cruising range of up to 45 kilometers when fully charged and it’sneatly tucked away in the center tunnel meaning boot space is not compromised at allVolvo says it takes anywhere between two to seven hours to charge up thebattery depending on the charger that you use but most of us just charge itovernight like we do with our cell phones anywaythere’s regenerative charging as well and you can even prompt the engine tofunction as a generator to recharge the battery but you end up using extra fuelnow let’s talk about the exterior. It’s basically a shrunken down version of theXC90 and it still looks really really goodit’s visually less commanding of course because of its smaller size but there isno mistaking this for anything other than a Volvo when you see this on the roadHere we get a nice bold Inscription grille with the Iron Mark badgeFull adaptive LED lights with Thor’s hammer daytime running lights, front parkingsensors and a forward facing camera and radar system for the incrediblyextensive Volvo Intellisafe safety system. Round the side it gets 19-inch10-spoke diamond-cut alloy wheels which look eerily similar to the S90sDoor mounted side mirrors with signal indicators and a camera down here aswell as nice metal work down here to complement this beautiful chrome stripover at the back again unmistakably Volvo. This nice-looking L-shaped LEDstrip outlines the rear proportion and forms the taillights and unlike the XC90the LED strip stretches all the way towards the center like the V90, you knowjust in case you can’t tell that it’s an XC60. One more thing I really likeabout this car is the way the exhaust looks and how it fits to the overalllook of the car but upon closer inspection you’ll find the real pipe inthe center so this isn’t a real deal. If you think the XC60 looks veryfamiliar on the outside then in here is pretty much a carbon copy of the XC90and S90. everything from the steering wheel the instrument cluster the dashlayout the head unit and even this media control is really as close as it getseven the controls down here there with the layout and the switches and the buttonseven the cubby holders are similar. There are however a few exceptions. The middlesection of the dash is a little different and this whole piece ofdriftwood trim is crafted from a single piece of wood. Real wood. This thin stripof chrome outlining the wood just adds another touch of class. As you can expectfrom a car in this class and price range the quality of materials used throughoutcabin is pretty solid. You’ve got soft touch plastics here and here as well as downhere with some leather and nothing really feels out of place, cheap or tackyeverything is just really really nice. With the Inscription Plus you get a15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 10 channel Class D amplifierIt’s standard here with the CBU unit but if you want this in the CKD version, make sureto go for the Inscription Plus, and not the Inscription. This option alone costsRM10k but this is something you and all yourpassengers even your deaf grandparents will really enjoyso the standard equipment here or any other XC60s for that matter would bethis nine-inch Sensus connect screen head unit diamond cut twist to startknob and drive mode selector, dual zone climate control and powered leather seatsthe Inscription trim gets this big panoramic glass roof, beautiful crystalgear knob made by Swedish glass maker Orrefors, paddle shifters and powerfolding rear seats. by the way the leather seat can be held in two colorscharcoal or maroon brown. Now let’s check out the back seats. Back here as you cansee space is pretty decent. It’s probably not as spacious as the GLC but I don’t thinkanyone’s gonna complain I’ve got the seats adjusted to my driving positionand you see I’ve got at least two knuckles worth of space hereHeadroom as well not too bad window opening pretty large so you don’tfeel claustrophobic in this back seat right here and you’ve also got a nicearmrest that stick out better than a Bentley Bentayga. But there’s one thingI have to point out about this car is the footwell down here – notice how thetwo mounts for the rails for the seats to move front and back, it’s getting inthe way of the foot well so you don’t get as much space for your feetThis centre hump on the other hand is not a problem it’s a very common SUV thing andthe battery is built in here. There’s no centre air vents here but it’s built intothe B pillars which could be enough I guess. Unfortunately there’s nointegrated booster seats back here but you do get ISOfix mounting pointsdown here but let me show you one thing I really really like about this carunderneath this seat is an opening for you to keep large items such as a iPad Minior a large iPad would fit there no problem why because they canAs for practicality, this car’s boot space is just a little bit bigger than the older modelhere it gets 505 liters of space but the older car had 495 litres. It’s notclass-leading that’s for sure but the Mercedes GLC and upcoming BMW X3 bothget 550 litres of space but you know it’s still decent, plus you can fold therear seats down to make room to fit more stuff in here. Models with air suspensionget to lower the rear axle via the two buttons right here. Lastly, all XC60scome with Volvo’s full range of safety technologies as standard and nothingelse out there comes close to what this guy offers. There’s City Safety, detectionfor pedestrian and cyclist and large animals, lane-keeping aid, blind spotmonitoring and a number of active features that make sure you stay withinyour lane when you’re driving. With the inscription however you get an extrafeature called Pilot Assist which automatically accelerates and brakes foryou when driving at up to speeds of 130 km/h. And every purchase of the XC60comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty packageOverall the XC60 is priced just a little bit higher than some cars in its classmost notably the Mercedes-Benz GLC 250, but it does come with a whole lot more kitWhat do you think of the car let us know in the comment section belowThis has been Matthew thank you for watching and as usual I’ll see you in the next one

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