#my surgery is tomorrow yikes

[writing-blog-iguess]

Online Matchup 4

Summery: Y/N makes a trip back home last minute, ruining Jason's plan for a breakfast date, but that won't stop him from coming up with a different plan.

Warning: swearing, talk of surgery, Jason's being a sweetheart, fluff

A/n: this is becoming one of my comfort fics to write, and I can't be mad about it. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. Feedbacks always welcome

Words: 3097

Ao3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

——

October 8

Jason (6:40am) Good morning How are you this beautiful morning?

Y/N Why in the everloving fuck are you awake at six in the morning?

Jason Aren’t you a potty mouth in the early mornings Someone should teach you a lesson

Y/N It’s to early for anything right now

Jason’s May I remind you, that you’re awake this early too

Y/N My sister decided it was the perfect time to call me Apparently it couldn’t wait until I was awake enough to call her back And now I can’t sleep

Jason Everything okay?

Y/N Define okay?

Jason It’s your dad isn’t it?

Y/N Yeah I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it

Jason Fair enough

Y/N Now answer my question

Jason Demanding Wanted to know how you were doing after last night

Y/N Better now that I’ve slept I wish I could sleep longer tho Though my eyes hurt and it feels like I have a hangover

Jason Consequences of crying before bed

Y/N Make it go away

Jason Wanna meet for breakfast? Y/N?

Y/N (8:35am) Oh, sorry I fell asleep

Jason Uh huh It has nothing to do with the fact that I asked if you wanted to go for breakfast

Y/n Mm don’t know what you’re talking about And isn’t there a rule where a guy has to wait a least three days Before you ask the girl out again

Jason Apparently My brother advised me the same thing But since I could care less what he thinks about my relationship I have decided to ignore him and take the plunge and ask you anyways Besides he barely listens to his own advice So to each their own I guess

Y/N Why do I get the feeling that you ignore your brother a lot

Jason Couldn’t tell you So, breakfast?

Y/N Uh, wish I could But I have a train to catch 

Jason Where’s it going?

Y/N Metropolis 

Jason You're going home? Why so sudden?

Y/n The call with my sister? Apparently my dad is having surgery and my mom wants everyone there until he’s done Don’t know why I have to go, by the time I’m there it’ll probably be over

Jason Yikes What’s the surgery for?

Y/N Dunno, something to do with something? I’m not sure, I was half asleep when she called And she used that to her advantage and got me to agree to go home today

Jason Don’t you have class tomorrow?

Y/N Not until the afternoon

Jason Work?

Y/n Not until Tuesday 

Jason Huh

Y/n Yup tbh I rather spend my Sunday with you then go home But it’s family and I can’t say no to my sister

Jason I get that family’s first But I would choose you over my family

Y/n … You can’t just say that!

Jason But flustering you is becoming my favourite past time

Y/n Get a new one!

Jason Nah, don’t think I will Okay, so no breakfast How about I drop you off at the station?

Y/N Tempting But if you do, then I’ll miss the train Because I wanna kiss your stupid face And besides, I’m almost there

Jason My face isn’t stupid … You wanna kiss me? Colour me flattered

Y/n I rescind my statement 

Jason Can’t do that, it’s in writing Hold on, when you said you were sleeping You were actually packing, weren’t you?

Y/N Guilty I’m sorry I’ve spent thirty minutes debating on whether or not to ditch my family for you

Jason But in the end you’re ditching me Feels like your running from something I see how it is

Y/N I’m sorry D: I’m not running away or anything 

Jason It’s okay, really I’m not mad or anything Okay, maybe a little disappointed But he’s your dad and you don’t know when’s the next time you see him So it’s okay, don’t feel bad I’ll wait around until your back And I know your not, I just took the joke too far and I’m sorry

Y/n I’m still sorry

Jason Can I call you?

Y/N Uhhhhhhh Give me a minute 

Jason Take as much time as you need I can wait

Y/n Sweet of you But I needed to find a seat first And then my headphones

Jason So You’re good now?

Y/n Yup

It didn’t take more than a second before your phone rang after you sent the message.

“I thought you wanted to call?” you answered, moving your phone so Jason could see your face. He shrugged, shooting you a smile.

“Wanted to see your pretty face is all,” he said, and you could feel your face heat up at the compliment. Averting your eyes, you sink in your seat, trying to hide your face in your sweater. “Awe, is this what you look like when you get flustered? There’s no way I can't stop flustering you now. If this is what your reaction is going to be every time I do.”

“I’m hanging up now,” you mumbled into your sweater, and wondered if he heard that. Judging by the smile he gave you, he did.

“Nah, I don’t think so. You called my face pretty and you wanted to kiss it,” he said. That made you come out of your sweater and glared at him.

“I think I said stupid face,” you corrected, “you have a stupid face.”

“That you want to kiss,” Jason pointed out with a smile. You stuck out your tongue at him, making him laugh. “How’s the train ride?”

You shrugged, shifting in your seat trying to get comfortable. “A train ride I guess. We just left the station and it’ll be two hours until we get to Metropolis? My butts gonna hurt once I get there.”

“Gotta walk around once in a while,” Jason reminded, “did you bring anything for the ride?”

“Yeah, homework I still need to finish, my sketchbook and some books I’ve been meaning to read.”

“Sounds like a party,” Jason joked. You huffed out a laugh.

“Oh yeah, real life of the party over here.” 

Before either of you could continue, you faintly heard a door slamming open and closing before hearing a faint call of Jason! You promised me breakfast! From what you could make out, it was a female voice and you pushed down the bout of jealousy that came from nowhere. You didn’t have the right to be jealous. Jason wasn’t yours, he was his own person and you two weren’t seeing each other officially. He was free to do what he pleased. Still, you couldn’t lie and say that it didn’t hurt.

You watched as Jason scowled, and turned towards the voice. “Yeah, give me a minute I’m on the phone.”

You schooled your features and raised an eyebrow as he turned back to his phone. “You already had breakfast plans, yet you still tried to make them with me? Wow Jason, didn’t know you had that in you.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m not a two timing bitch,” he clarified and you blanched at the statement. Damn, and you thought you hid it well. “And like I said before, I’d ditch my family for you any day of the week without question.”

“Aw Jason, you’d ditch your own sister! I see how it is,” the female voice said. Jason made a face as a blond haired girl came into frame, hanging off of Jason’s shoulders. Her nose pressed into his cheek and she smiled. “Tell me how you really feel, Jason.”

“Okay, I will,” he said, shoving her off, “you’re an annoying little shit.” She laughed and turned towards the phone. She was pretty, you had to admit.

“Oh, Tim’s right. You are cute,” she said, and you pulled your sweater over your mouth, trying to keep a laugh in as Jason looked offended.

“Steph!” he yelled, shoving her face out of frame. “Go away.”

“No, you promised me breakfast last night, and I demand pancakes,” she said, coming back in, shoving Jason out of frame as she did so. She turned to you and smiled. “Hello, I’m Jason’s sister Stephanie. You must be Y/N, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard virtually nothing about you.”

“And I’m trying to keep it that way,” he grunted, pushing her away. The two fought until finally they settled with Stephanie leaning on his shoulder. “How’d you even know their name?”

“Tim,” she answered. You raised your eyebrow in question. “He gets bored when he has nothing to do. And he decided to snoop around Jason’s life.”

“Well I’ll try not to be offended,” you said, though you furrowed your brows in concern. “Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think so,” Stephanie hummed, “not unless you have something to hide.”

“Do you have something to hide?” Jason pressed, a teasing smile dancing on his lips. You puffed out your cheeks and looked away.

“Oooh you do,” Stephanie sang, “tell us before we find out from Tim.”

“Tim needs to mind his own fucking business,” you muttered to yourself, causing Jason to laugh. “And no, I have nothing to hide. Lived a pretty boring life.”

“Don’t know, you tried killing your sister once,” Jason mused. 

“I didn’t try on purpose! I pushed her off the deck into the lake,” you corrected, “and my dad got to her before anything could happen. Man, he was pissed. I feared for my life that day. I’ve never known fear until I saw the look he gave me.” You shuddered at the memory.

“How old were you?” Stephanie asked, worry laced in her words. You shrugged, staring at the corner of your phone, avoiding their gaze.

“Ten I think? Could be younger, I don’t know. Thought it would be funny, and it was until it wasn’t.”

“Did he hurt you?” Jason asked, you shook your head and moved your gaze to him.

“No. But the way he looked, he wanted to. If we were alone he probably would have. I booked it into the car and hid there until we went home. Then I hid in my room for the rest of the day.”

“Yikes. Why was he so mad? Bruce wouldn’t have been if we did something like that.”

“That’s because we knew how to take care of ourselves and we knew how to swim,” Jason pointed out.

“And he probably doesn’t have favourites,” you chimed in. You hummed in thought, ignoring the worried looks the two siblings were giving you. “But he doesn’t strike me as picking a favourite among his kids, unless he’s really good at hiding it. But no parent is that good at hiding that.”

“Have experience, do you?” Jason asked, you only hummed not wanting to elaborate. You aren’t sure how, but what was supposed to be a lighthearted conversation turned sour. You scrunched up your nose as a thought occurred to you. If it was this easy to talk to both Jason and Stephanie, you were afraid how the rest of his family would be. “Whatcha thinking about?”

“What you guys are having for breakfast,” you said instead of you voicing your thoughts.

“Ooh yes. I did come here for breakfast,” Stephanie said, as if she had forgotten the reason for being here. She turned to him and poked his cheek. “Make me pancakes with bacon and ham and eggs and everything.”

“How can you eat so much and not gain anything,” Jason grumbled as he moved off the couch and towards the kitchen. Stephanie shifted slightly so she was more centered to the camera.

“I work out,” she simply said with a shrug. Jason grumbled something, and since he was too far away you couldn’t hear what he said. “So, how’d you meet Jason anyways? Tim won’t say and Jason doesn’t want to talk about you when asked.”

“That’s because you pester me so much that I don’t want to talk about them,” Jason called, “and you don’t have to answer anything you want too, Y/N. Don’t let Stephanie bully you into answering questions.”

“It’s okay, Jason, I don’t mind. I know what it’s like to have siblings,” you said with a smile. “We met online. Started talking a few weeks back and haven’t stopped since.”

“Ah, you guys are still new,” Stephanie mused, “that means you can still back out before you guys get too serious.” You laughed at the same time Jason yelled hey! “Kidding, I’m kidding. I haven’t seen Jason happy in awhile. Please stick around, he’s more bearable when he’s happy.”

You watched as Jason stalked towards her, and plucked the phone from her. “If all you came here for was to make fun of me, you can go home without your food.”

“Noooo, Jason I’m sorry,” you heard Stephanie whine. And you couldn't be sure, but you saw Stephanie grovel a little bit on the floor. Although Stephanie couldn’t see Jason’s expression, you could and smiled at the little smile he shot you.

“Then go take a shower, you stink,” he said, and she was quick to race to the bathroom. “Your clothes are still here from last time!” he called and set the phone down so watch him as he prepared breakfast. “Sorry about her. I completely forgot she was coming over today.”

“No worries,” you dismissed, watching in awe as Jason cut up some vegetables with ease. “She was fun to talk to.”

“Prefer her over me, huh?”

“Nope. I like you more,” you said. “Where’d you learn how to cook?”

“Alfred taught me when I was young, and I kept going afterwards. Found it helped me when things got too stressed,” he explained. “Stress cooking is a lot healthier than other ways to deal.”

“I get that,” you mused, “I stress clean.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” he grunted. He stopped for a moment and looked towards you; eyes narrowed. “Did you have breakfast this morning?” You bit the top of your lip and avoided looking at him. “Y/N,” Jason said in warning.

“It was too early to eat!” you cracked, “I had a coffee and that was it.” Jason shook his head, going back to his food.

“I hope you eat something soon.”

“I packed some snacks. But they’re nothing compared to what you’re making for breakfast.”

 “Well next time actually eat something or else I’ll just have to come over and cook for you.”

“That a threat?”

“No, more like a promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” you said with a smile. 

“Stop flirting and cook me my food!” Stephanie yelled after the quickest shower you have ever seen someone take. 

“So fucking demanding,” Jason grunted as you laughed.

“I should let you go so you can focus on the food instead of getting distracted,” you mused.

“But you’re the only kind of distraction I’d like,” he said, and you heard Stephanie gag. Laughing, you shook your head, trying to keep from blushing. “Okay maybe you’re right. Or otherwise, I’m going to throw Steph out the window.”

“Ha! I would like to see you try!”

Jason rolled his eyes and flicked them towards you. “Let me know when you’re there?”

“I can do that.”

---

Y/N (11:30 am) Ugh, I hate train rides

Jason Could have flown

Y/N Yeah but train tickets are cheaper

Jason True Made it in one piece?

Y/N Yup Now I’m making my way to the hospital

Jason Someone picking you up?

Y/n Nah, I’m taking the bus Need the extra time before I get there

Jason I get that 

Y/n How was breakfast?

Jason Good Though it would be better if it was you

Y/n Stoooooooopppppppp

Jason Never I’m sorry about Steph, we can be a handful sometimes

Y/n No worries, I like her Is the rest of your family that energetic?

Jason Some yeah, the rest are just tamed

Y/n Sounds fun

Jason Oh yeah, the best

Y/n I can hear the sincerity from here 

Jason Almost to the hospital?

Y/n Yeah I gotta go

Jason Tell me how it goes

Y/N (2:40 pm) I shouldn’t have come Why did I say yes?

Jason Because you were sleep deprived and you can’t say no to your sister Also because your dads in the hospital 

Y/n Right He’s fine by they way, now he’s just recovering Doctors say they did what they could and he’ll be out of here in a couple of days

Jason Figured out what the surgery was about?

Y/N Nope and at this point I’m too afraid to ask

Jason Wow Why do you have regrets?

Y/n I don’t know how or why But somehow my sister figured out I was seeing someone Or at least talking to someone and kept pestering me until I told them I’ve been bamboozled 

Jason Guess I’m not your dirty little secret anymore huh

Y/n Guess it wasn’t meant to be Oh well can’t be helped

Jason So now that your dads fine, you coming home?

Y/n No Somehow I have been convinced to stay the night and take the morning train in the morning Which sucks, I already bought my ticket for tonight 

Jason That’s rough buddy

Y/n Can’t be helped I guess Now I get to play 20 questions 

Jason But at least you get to spend time with your family

Y/n True

Jason you know, if you want I can drive up there and take the train with you

Y/N That is very sweet of you and very tempting But you have work and I don’t want to inconvenience you

Jason You’re not an inconvenience If anything, you’d be doing me a favour I have the day off tomorrow and I’ve been meaning to do something I’m not very good at doing nothing

Y/N What about your bike?

Jason When I said drive, I meant the loosely I’d take the train or fly Or I can drive us back I have a car too, you know

Y/N Where would you stay?

Jason I have a friend living there that I’ve been meaning to visit Plus we can go for breakfast tomorrow before making the trip back

Y/N Very tempting But ultimately I’m not going to tell you what to do It’d be your choice

Jason See you in the morning then

#jason todd x reader #jason todd #jason todd gn!reader #batman imagine #online match up #my writing

[theuncoupleddiningcar]

18 in 4 days.... yikes!!!

Taking this time to advertise my Instagram accounts! (IF YOU ARE IN THE SAME FANDOMS AS ME PLEASE INTERACT ON INSTA!!!)

My main is @/musicalfan35

My art account, which is currently being updated with oc profiles and references (my birthday is coming up 👀) is @/peacockprincessjazzy

This week is tech week, I'm still recovering from surgery, and I'm going back to school tomorrow! I'm spending my last days as a child stressing tf out-

#ilovetazstarship

[aria-ashryver]

Sooo... how did it go? 👀

mmm,, there's been some updates. Good news and bad news really, but mostly good!

Incoherent rambling under the cut bc I spent 7 hours at the hospital today and my brain is full of bees from all the information 😅

I was able to chat to my oncologist before I started to go over the results of my CTs / bone scans / MRIs / echocardiograms and stuff.

Cool news! I qualify for that new drug now! My treatment plan has been updated - we've jumped from a 45% chance to a 75% chance of completely shrinking Caesar's lame ass by the time I'm scheduled for surgery!

The uhhhh... less cool news is the reason I qualify. It's not stage 2 cancer anymore. The feisty little bitch seems to have spread to my bones. Doctor is about 80% sure I have stage 4 cancer. Need another type of CT to confirm. Big yikes?

More cool news though! It's only in my bones in one place! And super small! So, less yikes 😊 And the chemo treatment I'm getting anyway will attack that directly as well, so hopefully that wipes it out completely. Caesar tried to send out troops to annex my hip joint and instead of leaving a unit of cavalry like a cancer that knows what its doing, he was like "eh, one dude with a slingshot and will do". (Spoilers: it won't) What a dumbass 💅

The upshot is, instead of having chemo every 3 weeks like originally planned, I'm now getting it weekly. Stage 4 sounds terrifying, yes, but it's not in my brain, not in my organs, it hasn't spread widely in my bones, so even though in the past, a diagnosis like this would have been incurable and given me a projected lifespan of like `15-20 more years to live at best, research and treatment options have come a loooong way. My awesome funky Doctor is still very convinced that a full recovery is on the cards.

Also, weirdly enough, having chemo every week will mean a more consistent routine that should actually leave me less fatigued than my initial treatment, so, another win!

We dicked around so much with changing my drug treatments and pre-and post-chemo meds that I only got to run 2/3rds of my treatment today (they didn't want to give me the final, riskier bag of poison juice bc it was after hours by the time I got through my first few bags, most of the doctors were headed home for the day) (looong day, oof) so I'm heading back in for more chemo tomorrow lol.

(Yes, my shirt says "HELL & BACK". I thought I was being hilarious. Also haven't done laundry in a minute)

Also, my Doctor just casually told me that one of the anti-nausea meds that he prescribed for me was $6K a pop 🤯 I GET A NEW PACK EVERY WEEK CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I LIVED IN THE US OMFGGGG. even the PET-CT scan he's ordered is like a $3000 procedure. I love this guy. He's getting me all the bougie shit 😂

Oh! Oh and another thing! If I do need surgery on my bone cancer (which, even a few years ago could have rendered me permanently unable to walk, just with the kinds of approach they'd have to take of physically cutting the affected area out), now there's a minimally invasive surgery they can do called SABR (its a targeted radiation thing) so now im straight up imagining myself being operated on with lightsabers which is high-key hilarious.

Been a bit of a rollercoaster today, but I'm still in ass-kicking mode and despite being concerning, things are looking weirdly good 💪💪💪

Thank you for unintentionally being my cancer diary vent space for the day kitty lmao. You're an absolute gem 💗💖💕💝

#aria pincushion tally: 37 #caesar is a loser score: a million

[editorialsonlife]

Yikes. Well dad is currently under the knife having surgery now. Two days of steroids did nothing for the intestinal blockage they found and they’re now throwing the c word around (cancer) so that’s incredibly shit and stressful. Unimpressed. Need to get through two fucking hectic work days tomorrow and Wednesday and then might be able to go up and say hi and see what’s happening. Sounds like it’s taking up to 10 days for results at the moment according to my aunt and uncle (dr and nurse in rotorua) so it might take a while to get the results.

This is all v stressful.

[newriverartist]

Remember Red Skeleton?

Pawleys Eve Original 14″ x 11″ Oil Painting $238.00 https://kendall-kessler.pixels.com/featured/pawleys-eve-kendall-kessler.html My husband is still recovering from surgery that he had on February 4th. Yikes! Another procedure tomorrow and more surgery in a few weeks. My dedicated naturalist is pretty much home bound but at least it is migration season so he is seeing a lot of different…

View On WordPress

#abstract painting demos #children paintings #Kendall Kessler Art #man paintings #pawleys island paintings #shore paintings #Towhee Hill Studio Art

[hexthesystem]

hey guys it would be cool if you could send me some asks to distract me from my really long and stressful day !! i'm home now relaxing and unwinding and i kinda just want to lie in bed for the rest of the night and not think about life so talk to me about your day or your summer or pretty much anything at all !

#it was an extraordinarily long day which involved my mom's boyfriend's surgery consult for his tumor #and also some conflict with my sibling and my dad which is really hard and i had to go to my dad's house to help my sibling pack zir stuff #i basically just dissociated the entire time and even though i'm feeling better now the degree to which i was out of it was really yikes #my sibling is basically going thru with my dad what i went thru almost a year ago to the date and it's kinda like an anniversary effect #(cont) kinda thing with the added trauma that comes in watching my sibling go thru this so yeah #anyways. it's been a long day and tomorrow will be better. #personal.txt #like if you read this giant rant

[ringdingjjongs]

just a heads up!! in 12 hours i will be preparing for surgery so i’m not sure if i’ll be on much for a while!! i’m stubborn and dumb, so chances are i’ll be on, but just in case!! i have 2 weeks of posts queued so this blog will stay active but i just might not reply to stuff as fast bc recovering!! anyway i hope all of you are doing well bye 💕💕💕

#text #alex update #still not sure what to make my personal tag rip #but aahhhh 12 hours to go #Yikes #the thing is idc about physical issues #so i doubt ill let recovery stop me much #but i may have to deal with a lot of mental stuff #and ofc i shouldnt post it all here so aahhh #my mood after surgery is a mystery for now #but the good news !!! today was v good !!! #probably bc im acting like its my last day fjkskflala #which will kill me tomorrow probably but alas #i spent today on taemin vlives so its great #also i finally watched shinee stuff yesterday #so idk im just happy and feel good right now #i love them all so much so sigh good stuff #ill focus in this good mood instead of stressing #but aahhh okay ill stop rambling akfklslfw #goodbye i love shinee with my entire heart

[wearethesparkk]

My dad was in the ER with a shattered wrist last night and my mom was telling me this story of the lady on the other side of the little divider from them.

Apparently her wife brought her in because she was acting really strangely and since she was older (my mom said like mid 60s) her wife wanted to make sure she wasn't having a stroke or anything. Apparently every 5 minutes it was something new, but this woman would just keep going off on very weird, very loud, very dramatic tangents (I mean, she was acting so abnormally that she was in the ER so)

Then all of a sudden she went dead quiet. A nurse came in and started asking her things like "Can you tell me why you're here?" "Do you know where you are?" "What year is it?" And she wasn't responding at all.

Then the doctor went "Do you know the who's president right now?" And once again she was dead silent, took a few moments, then yelled "OH YEAH, IT'S THAT FUCKHEAD."

And everyone, including the nurse and my mom, just fucking lost it.

#I FINALLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE STORIES THAT YOU SEE ON TUMBLR AND YOURE LIKE ''thats made up'' BUT ITS NOT #my mom had been up all night to be with my dad through surgery and stuff and that was like.....the only time she laughed all day #i want to tag antitrump but i feel ill just get butthurt trump supporters trolling the tag #eh #anti trump #kale speaks #i wrote this at 3am so yall are getting it tomorrow #also uhhhhhh my dad is still in the hospital yikes #hes going to need 2 more surgeries #one of which we might have to travel for so #and even so they are very much doing the ''uh we cant guarantee good hand function after this. we'll try to get it kinda functional but uh''

[fatphobiabusters]

(Time sensitive if possible)

I guess I'm not really sure how to word this, but I'll take a stab.

I think about a year ago I sent in an ask about my dad and sister (who is 26) having gastric sleeve surgery and how I didn't think it was a good idea based on their ages and the side effects and the risks and how it's bad to mutilate a part of your body, but they were not to be swayed, and did it.

They've lost a lot a weight. A lot. And I guess I have mixed feelings (like, I'm happy that this made them happy but they can only eat 700 calories a day which is basically an*rexia to me, and I just think about how their lives will always be like this, with these restrictions, and the rates of complications and su*cide from this surgery, and how food is just no longer meant to be pleasurable). And I like food, and I couldn't imagine not being able to enjoy what I wanted, or how much I wanted. I couldn't begin to fathom giving up "bad" foods I like like ice cream or diet cola or Burger King (even though food should not have values ascribed to it. It's food. It's meant to be eaten, not evaluated for moral 'goodness').

But in any case, I work with my sister a couple days a month, and every conversation comes back to how much weight she lost and how good she looks and feels, and what she can/can't eat, and surgery stuff etc.. She sent me a message that she was gonna send to my mom and dad thanking them for their support and happy one year from surgery and asked me if it sounded ok.

I dunno what I was supposed to say to that, but I said it sounded fine and left it at that

But it's our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow, and I know every conversation is gonna come back to weight and surgery. And I've gained a bunch of weight over the last few years, and ever since their surgery, I've felt so huge and sad. My self esteem tanked because they look good and I don't. And I know it's just fatphobia talking, and I know I am doing well and I feel ok and I was becoming finally fine with how much I weigh and how I looked. And this kind of destroyed a lot of the progress I made towards accepting myself being bigger, and enjoying food, and doing exercise because I want to and it helps me move. I just see myself as stereotypes (large because I'm lazy, a pig, eat too much, etc)

Do you have any advice for how to combat this, and remind myself that what I weigh or how skinny I look isn't the be-all and end-all of life? I don't want to go back to disordered behaviors like going on an extremely restrictive diet or doing P90X until I throw up. I've read the studies, I've read the books, I've absorbed HAES, and why diets are BS, and all the literature and articles you've all given us (which I can't ever thank you enough for). But I still feel like the fat, lazy, stupid, and unlovable stereotype because of the way my sister/dad look and talk.

(And I guess I'm a little jealous that they were so supportive of her during this needless surgery, but when I told them I couldn't ever have children without having an invasive and expensive surgery, they didn't care, but that's a conversation for a therapist).

I'm sorry of any of this is poorly worded or offensive or I used the wrong terms for things. I tried hard to be neutral in my language but it's really killing me inside and I'm genuinely sad about it.

Thank you all so much for everything you do here, and happy holidays to you and all your family; found, made, chosen, or anything in between!

Mod squirrel:

Ugh I hate that part about they didn't care about your hypothetical surgery.

It's perfectly normal to be feeling this way. You can read all the literature and still shit like this will get under your skin. I'm struggling right now too, but it will pass. Let your thoughts come and go, it doesn't mean you are these thoughts. Wear clothes you always feel good in and know if nothing else the holidays will be over so some of the stress will be over.

At this point your sister is just so yikes. I don't even think about food as much as she does but because of my body I'm the """unhealthy"""" one. But this is the bullshit of the diet culture.

My best advice is to tell your sister to leave you out of future emails, diet talk and other such stuff while working together.

To survive any holiday with fatphobia I'd suggest derailing with hobby talk as much as possible. They only ever talk about food so reminding them that there's a whole world of interests and hobbies is healthy and...a little evil. Depending on how you look at it (so sorry sister dear couldn't find time to review your email, was too busy living a vibrant and happy life not revolving around your organ mutilation) books you've read, shows/movies anything but weight talk. All the things they've been ignoring in favor of food and weight talk.

If other mods have anything to add please do.

I wish you the best of luck!!!

#Ask #Mod squirrel #Ed mention #Syellowtails

[hale-13]

Febrile

By Hale13

For the Summer of Whump Day 23 - Sick

“Don’t,” Peter grouses, spitting out the last bit of bile in his mouth in the sink in the men’s restroom at Midtown and pointedly ignoring the look of disapproval both Ned and MJ are giving him in the mirror as he rinses his mouth out and washes his hands.

Words: 2101, Chapters: 1/1 (Complete), Language: English

Fandoms: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)

Rating: Gen

Relationships: Peter Parker & May Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark

Characters: Peter Parker, Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Tony Stark, May Parker, Helen Cho

TW: Vomiting

Read on AO3 or below the line break.

“Don’t,” Peter grouses, spitting out the last bit of bile in his mouth in the sink in the men’s restroom at Midtown and pointedly ignoring the look of disapproval both Ned and MJ are giving him in the mirror as he rinses his mouth out and washes his hands.

“Peter,” Ned’s voice is exasperated and he looks irritated. MJ’s face is still (mostly) an indifferent mask but he can see her eyes brows pulling in the way they do when she’s concerned. “This has been going on for three days now,” he complains. “you have got to tell May.”

“Sure don’t,” Peter says, drying his hands off on a scratchy paper towel and trying to surreptitiously blot at his sweaty face before tossing it in the trash.

“You’re an idiot,” MJ tells him with an eye roll and a soft shove of her shoulder. It completely throws off Peter’s limited equilibrium and makes him sway into the wall. Ned’s glare becomes even sharper.

“I’m fine,” Peter tries and even he can hear the lie in his words now. He totally isn’t fine. He’s not fine at all actually. He’s had a fever, vomiting and stomach cramps for going on three days now and he’s just not used to getting and staying sick this long since he got bitten by the spider. A cold or a twenty-four hour hell flu? Sure. Consistent nausea and a low to mid grade fever for seventy-two hours? Unheard of.

“This is pointless,” MJ’s voice is monotone as she tosses Peter his phone which he fumbles, just barely catching it with the tips of sticky fingers.

“When did you take my phone?” He asks confused.

MJ guides him out the door and towards the front office – the exact opposite direction he needs to be going if he’s going to make it to his chemistry class. “I took it from your pocket when you were re-enacting the exorcism. Happy should be here in like ten minutes.”

“MJ,” Peter whines, not putting up a fight when Ned grabs his other arm to help with the pulling and directing. “I don’t need to go home.”

“Yes you do,” Ned’s tone is firm. “No one wants your flu Peter.”

“Alright that’s… fair,” he admits. “But my homework-,”

“We’ll get it for you,” MJ reassures as the office comes into view. She pushes him into one of the chairs sat outside and marches in to speak to the secretary. Peter pouts and crosses his arms. Yeah he feels like shit and he really just wants to sleep and, sure, his lower abdomen is really cramping and hurting but he got shot two weeks ago and the pain isn’t that bad. He can totally handle it. “You’re signed out,” Michelle tells him when she comes back, offering Ned a note to excuse his tardiness. “Let us know that you didn’t die okay loser?”

“Bye Peter!” Ned says brightly, back to his normal self now that he knows Peter is actually going home.

His friends finally gone, Peter drops all pretense and lets his face rest against the cool wall next to him, letting his eyes slip shut in relief – his forehead was burning. He pulled the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands and shivers. Maybe it is good that he goes home. He can take a nap and recuperate and be back at school tomorrow completely better.

Yeah. He just needs to nap.

“Well your scary girlfriend wasn’t kidding,” Mr. Stark’s voice rips Peter out of his near-sleep and has him blotting out of the chair, nearly falling over if he hadn’t caught himself on the way. “You look like shit kiddo.”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter squeaks, surprised at seeing his mentor at his freaking school what the hell. “What uh… what are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” Tony asks with good humor, looking at Peter over the top of his AR glasses with a concerned smile, eyes scraping over him in a clinical way. “I’m here to get you.”

“Uh no offense, but why?” Peter asks, tripping over his book bag on the floor and falling back into the chair. Tony raises an eyebrow.

“Because I’m one of your emergency contacts,” he answers like this is the most obvious thing ever and Peter blinks a little in confusion. Mr. Stark is one of his emergency contacts? Since when? He opens his mouth to ask this very question when a sudden bout of nausea rolls over him and he, instead, scrambles to his feet and down the hall to the nearest bathroom.

He barely makes it to the sink before he starts gagging and dry heaving, nothing coming up but leaving him feeling dizzy and light-headed. Peter leans his head against the porcelain of the sink with a low moan, gagging again on the end and leaning his face back over the sink to drool out the excess saliva in his mouth.

“Yikes,” he hears Mr. Stark mutter behind him and then a calloused hand is running carefully through his hair and resting on his forehead. Peter pushes his face into the cool palm subconsciously and keeps his eyes closed as he tries to push the nausea down. “Yeah you’re definitely coming back to the MedBay with me.”

Peter lets out a wordless whine but doesn’t protest beyond that. It has been three days of this after all – maybe it is a good idea to consult with a professional?

“Come on buddy,” Tony says as he slings Peter’s arm over his shoulder and starts dragging him out of the bathroom and towards the entrance to the school. “You have a date with Dr. Cho and your aunt is waiting to hear the results of her exam.”

Happy actually looks concerned when Peter sees him standing outside of one of the many town cars Mr. Stark owns and he doesn’t say anything when he takes Peter’s bag from Tony to put in the front seat. The leather of the back seats is cool and the interior is darkened by the tinted windows and Peter lets out a sigh of relief, resting his head against the window; already half asleep.

The drive is, thankfully, quick and Peter dozes through most of it – still nauseous but able to hold it down for the most part. Soon enough they pull into the underground garage of the Tower and Tony is hustling him into the elevator which rockets them up to the MedBay floor without either of them having to say anything.

“May wants you to call her once you get settles,” Tony says, rapidly texting on his phone.

Peter squints his eyes at his mentor. “I’m not sure how I feel about you two texting,” he says.

“Oh we’re besties,” Tony teases, pocketing the phone with a shit eating grin. “We have coffee every other Wednesday.”

“I… don’t know if you’re serious,” Peter says, concerned. He probably doesn’t want to know to be honest. The doors of the elevator trundle open and Tony steers Peter into an empty exam room, directing him to sit on the exam bed. It only takes a second before Dr. Cho bustles in.

“Hey Peter,” she says with a smile as she rubs hand sanitizer into her hands and grabs a set of gloves from the box on the wall. “Tony said you were sick. Want to tell me about what’s going on?

“Nausea mostly,” he says as she runs a thermometer across his forehead and frowns at the readout. “My stomach hurts.”

“Well you have a fever of just over one hundred and two,” she says as she clips a pulse ox reader to his finger and wraps a blood pressure cuff around his arm and lets it run. “And your blood pressure is a little low,” she narrows her eyes at the reading and unhooks the machines. “Lay back for me?”

Peter does and stares at the ceiling as she starts to palpate his abdomen. He could probably fall asleep here actually if he – “OW!” He exclaims, curling away from Dr. Cho’s hands and wrapping his arms around his stomach to protect it.

“Well I have a tentative diagnosis,” she says snapping off her gloves. “We’ll do an ultrasound to confirm but, congratulations, Peter you have appendicitis.”

Peter and Tony both blink and then look at each other and then back. “For three days?” Tony questions, scooting Peter over to sit next to him on the bed and run a hand soothingly up and down Peter’s back. It doesn’t stop the stabbing pain in his abdomen but it helps.

“His healing factor is probably slowing down the progression, preventing it from rupturing as quickly as it could or should have,” she says, typing something into Peter’s chart on her StarkPad. “I’ll have a tech confirm with ultrasound and get a surgeon out to do the surgery. It’s pretty quick – one hour tops and then a few days recovery and you’ll be good as new.”

“Surgery?” Peter asks hoarsely, feeling his heart rate speed up. He’s never had surgery before.

Dr. Cho looks up at him and her face softens a little. “It’s an easy procedure,” she promises. “You won’t even realize that you’ve had it really and. Once you wake up, you’ll feel immediately better. Everything will be fine,” she promises and Peter nods with a gulp. He can feel stomach acid rising in his throat again and lunges for the emesis basin sitting on the bedside table, gagging into it.

“Let it all out Webs,” Tony says, rubbing his back sympathetically. “Got anything to help with this doc?”

“I’ll have the nurses start and IV and give him an anti-emetic,” she said, passing a new basin to Tony and taking the one from Peter’s slack grasp. “Just try to relax okay Peter?”

“This sucks,” he grumbles, letting his head fall over to rest on his mentor’s shoulder and relaxing when he feels Tony’s finger scrub though his hair to massage his aching head.

“Sure does kiddo,” Tony agrees, pulling the blanket up to Peter’s chest. “But at least its an easy fix.”

“I don’t want surgery,” Peter tells him quietly. Even with all of his many Spider-Man injuries he’s never had to be put under for anything. “Is May on her way?”

“Happy went to get her,” Tony promises him. “And surgery seems really scary but its not I promise. It’s like taking a really good nap and May and I will both be there alright? It’ll be fine Underoos.”

“Okay,” Peter says quietly, feeling slightly better but still a little concerned. But he would have May and Tony with him. It would be fine.

————————————————

“Guess we still need to tweak the anesthetic formula for you just a bit,” Mr. Stark says apologetically as he mops up the sweat on Peter’s brow with a damp cloth and supports him as he retches again. The surgery had gone well and had been quick. Waking up however?

Not so much.

“Just let it out baby,” May croons as she rubs his back, sweaty and making the thin hospital gown stick to his skin uncomfortably. Peter just gasps a little and squeezes his eyes closed, trying to take deep breaths through his nose to quell his nausea.

“I’m good,” Peter croaks a minute later, letting his aunt settle him back into the bed and fuss over him. He had barely woken up after the surgery before the vomiting started again. It had alarmed Tony but May and Dr. Cho had both determined that it was just a poor reaction to the anesthesia they used. With how fast him metabolism was, it should move through his system quickly.

“Can I get you anything sweetie?” May asked him, brushing his damp hair out of his face and sitting on the edge of the bed facing him.

“I’m okay,” Peter said, his eyes drooping from exhaustion. Tony squeezed his hand and tucked his blanket in a little tighter around him warming Peter up from the inside a little. He was so glad and thankful that he had the chance to get closer with Tony over the last couple months since the incident with the Vulture. The man was still a little awkward and learning how to be a mentor but he was trying and that’s all Peter could ask for. “Just want to sleep,” he said softly, letting his eyes slip closed.

“Okay baby,” he heard May whisper, running her fingers through his hair and Peter felt the ghost of a smile on his face. Yeah, he could probably handle this recovery.

#summerofwhump #summerofwhump23 #Prompt: Sick #irondad #spider man #Summer of Whump 2021

[wackapedia]

Operation: Coquet

Doctor jin x spy reader Fluff Warnings: blood, getting shot, slightly dumb friends

"Package secure." You confirm to Namjoon over the comms as you pocket the flash drive that sent all files to the HQ. You were infiltrating a highly secure facility, hacking through their system and downloaded server files.

"Package received." Yoongi confirms over the radio. "Good job, y/n. Head to rendezvous point and wait for Jimin." Namjoon radios back. You silently walk through the dark halls of the facility, careful not to trigger an alarm. So far, you haven't encountered any security personnel but you held your gun out, just incase. You arrive at the building's rooftop to find the rendezvous point devoid of Park Jimin. "Extraction in t-minus 2 minutes" Jungkook's voice sounds through the comms. "Jimin's not here!" You respond. "Stay at the extraction point, y/n. Jimin can handle himself." Jungkook argues. You were startled by the sound of gunshots from the rooftoop stairs. "So much for handling himself.." You mutter as you descend the metal stairs, shooting at the security team Jimin had managed to gather.

"Jungkook's up! Let's out of here!" You tell Jimin while reloading your gun behind a pillar. Bullets continue to whizz by while you try to take out as many as you can. Jimin runs up the stairs, expecting you to follow suit. You shut the metal door as soon as you re-enter the rooftop, where the helicopter was hovering, hoping for it to give you time to escape. But just as you turn around, the door gives way, prompting more shots firing.

"Guys, I can't get too close, you have to jump.." Jungkook prompts. "Sounds fun.." Jimin replies, jumping into the helicopter. You try to concentrate on doing the same when you feel your whole body stiffen, feeling like you were suspended mid-air before crashing into the helicopter. "Go go go!" Taehyung shuts the door and the helicopter tilts away.

"She's hurt!" Hoseok yells, noticing the moisture on your shirt caused by your wound. "Oh yikes I don't want to have anything to do with blood!" Taehyung moves away, his fear of blood causing him panic. "Hey, Are you okay? Can you lie back?" Hoseok adjusts your limp body to lie your head on his lap. "It hurts, Hobi.." You muster, vision beginning to blur. "Give me the first aid kit!" Hoseok commands. "Y/n, you need to stay awake!" "We'll get you to Jin in no time okay?" Jimin reassures. You nod slightly, before succumbing to the darkness of sleep. -- You were in and out of consciousness, hearing bits of your company's conversation. "Jungkook, can't you go faster?!" "She's fainting!"

It was getting harder to keep your eyes open.

"Don't show me the blood or else I'll faint!" "Everyone shut up we need to stop the bleeding!" "Here's some painkiller shots!"

You feel the sting of a needle on your arm, jolting you awake for a second. "You're alright, y/n. Doctor Jin will patch you up soon. Just keep your eyes open, okay? Keep talking to me.." "..Jin?" You try to keep up. "Yeah. You might get a scolding for getting shot but its worth a try, right?" "Ahh.. Doctor Kim Seokjin?" You giggle at the thought of the handsome resident medic of your agency. -- Jungkook bursts through the doors of the headquarters, carrying you over his shoulder.

Jin has been pacing at the lobby since Namjoon informed him of what happened. He is always nervous when one of the team needs medical attention, but he is on full panic mode when he found out you got shot. Again.

"How long has it been?" Jin asks Jungkook as he lets you off his shoulder, his shirt stained with your blood. "15 minutes? Taehyung gave her morphine shots to stop the bleeding on the way here..." Jungkook explains while you continue talking and giggling to yourself while on the stretcher.

"First of all, morphine doesn't stop the bleeding you idiot!" "Sorry i panicked there was so much blood" Taehyung answers. Jin ignores him as Jungkook helps him push the trolley to the operating room.

"Y/n keep your eyes up" Jin instructs, shining a flashlight into your eye. He observes it for a while before getting distracted when you not-so-gracefully winked at the perplexed doctor.

"Um, I... Y/n, now is not the time..." Jin tells you as he inspects your other eye. "I cant help it when someone handsome looks at me.." You answer before giggling like a school girl. "She's been giggling like that all the way here..." Hoseok informs. "Y/n, why didn't you wink at me? Are you saying i'm not handsome?" Jimin questions.

"Alright, everybody out!" Seokjin yells. --- You continue to giggle by yourself despite feeling weaker as the painkillers slowly come off. "Y/n, I'm gonna have to cut your shirt off now." Jin's tone is serious. "Ah kinky! At least buy me dinner first?" You tease, feeling the numbness wear off. Jin sighs. "You know you cant flirt with me while I'm trying to do my job.." Jin shakes his head at your antics.

"I'm just saying I'd like to return the favor because you've been inside me so many times now!" Your laugh gets interrupted when you feel the sting of your wound.

"You're- Its-" Seokjin stutters while preparing his tools. "Yah! Picking bullets out of you isn't the same as- yah, I cant believe you!" His face is as red as a tomato at this point. --- After your surgery, Jin continued to look after you, helping you with your recovery. You were fortunate to make it just in time before losing too much blood. You enjoyed how Jin would overly dote on you sometimes, which prompted the boys to tease you even more about your crush.

It only took weeks for you to be back in shape. You were walking to Jin's office to get your medical clearance signed. "I'm not clearing you for field work." Jin declares, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "What? Why not?" "Its just.. I cant let you go out there again! What happens when you get shot again?" He scolds, standing up from behind his desk to face you. "Then you'll be here to patch me up again..." You mumble apologetically.

"What if when they get you here it'll be too late? I cant trust you to be out there especially when your team knows nothing about first aid!" Jin's voice grows louder, the vein in his neck grows prominent.

You were stunned by the doctor's outburst. Your face probably showed how shocked you were, which prompted the doctor to calm down a little.

"Y/n, what I'm saying is, I cant stand watching you get hurt. If you walk in that door, bloodied and battered, i don't know what I'll do..." Jin takes your hands in his. "Jin.. What are you saying?" You look up to his tear-glossed eyes. "You're important to me, y/n. When I heard you got shot on your last mission, i couldn't bear the thought that i could've lost you. That I didn't get the chance to tell you that I really like you and I want to take care of you.."

"Do you really mean that, Jin?" "Every word." Jin's hand cradles your cheek. Your faces gravitate toward each other.

"Hey, Jin, I got these files fo-" Jimin cuts himself off upon seeing that the doctor is quite occupied at the moment. "Oh. Maybe tomorrow, then."

#jin x reader #seokjin x reader #kim seokjin x reader #bts x reader

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #289

“life by life / waste to waste / i’m the harbinger, the master of decay”

How often do you watch the news? Never. Would you rather read the news online? Yeah. Speaking of being online, what website do you visit the most? YouTube. Have you ever held a snake? Plenty. Ever caught a turtle? What about a crawfish? Turtles, yes, as a kid. Please do not take animals out of the wild for no good reason, people. I never touched crawfish because they looked scary lmao. Have you ever eaten gumbo? Idk what that is. Or do you not like spicy food? I enjoy spicy food, but not nearly as much as when I was a teen. Back then, I loved the adrenaline rush, now I just wanna enjoy my food like a normal person, lol. Do you own a bottle of hand sanitizer? Do you like how it smells? Does anyone NOT at this time? Or even before, really? But anyway, no, I don't like the smell. Do you own a pool table? What about an air hockey table? Or a foosball table? Okay so one of the coolest things we had when I was younger was this table that had different "tops" to change out to turn it into various games like these. Like, it was all in one. I don't THINK we still have it? Do you live with your parents? Are you cool with that? I live with my mom, and right now, it's the better idea for many reasons. I feel like shit about it, though. I'm nearly 25. Even if I was financially independent though, I would not be able to handle living all alone with my depression and all. When did/when do you want to move out? Hopefully when I have a stable job and long-term relationship. Have you ever been on a cruise? No. Are you better at catching or throwing? Probably throwing. I can't catch for shit. Do you ever play computer games? Just WoW nowadays. Did you used to have a lunchbox? Yeah, I went through a few. How often do you/did you bring your lunch to school? Whenever I didn't like what was on the menu. And mind you, I was and still am very picky. What was/is your favorite school lunch? I think the chicken sandwiches. When was the last time you wore a hat? What kind of hat was it? Oh yikes, who on Earth knows. It has to have been years. Maybe a Carolina Hurricanes one to a hockey game I went to with Dad. I don't really wear hats. Have you ever tried to ghost hunt? If so, did you catch anything? No. Do you prefer gold or silver? What about diamonds or pearls? Earrings or bracelets? Necklace or rings? Or are you not a jewelry person? Gold; diamonds; earrings; rings (I think). I don't care all that much about jewelry, though. Have you ever made jewelry? Not really, just kiddy crafts stuff. Do you have any unique hobbies? Meerkat RP. Have you ever broken a window? If so, what with? I don't believe so, no. Have you ever had surgery? If so, what on? Yeah. I had tubes put in my ears as a kid, and I had a cyst removed from... directly above my ass lmaoooo. Pilonidal cysts are awesome. Do you know any boys named Ashley or Lesley or Lynn? I don't believe so. Do you prefer coffee or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate, for sure. Do you like green tea? Tea is gross. Do you like to play Freecell? What about Hearts? Or Mahjong? I only know Mahjong, and I've never played that. I used to watch Mom play it on the computer as a kid, though. Idr the rules. Does your family own guns? No. Have you ever been given flowers? Were they from a relative or someone special? Both. Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle? No, and I doubt I will. I'm not like... really scared of them, as a matter of fact they seem really fun, they're just too risky for my liking. Have you ever seen a dead body? At an open-casket wake, yes. What does your umbrella look like? It's just an ordinary black one. Is anyone you know pregnant? HOLY FUCK, I think 90% of my Facebook friends are preggo. It seems like EVERYONE is expecting. Ha, one of my closest friends is legit pregnant with triplets after JUST having a son... She's in for a ride. Does your family do reunion gatherings? No, we're too spread out. What would you order to drink if you were in a bar right now? A strawberry sangria sounds pretty great. When was the last time you had a first kiss? I'm guessing you mean like, my first kiss with the last person I was with? A few summers ago when we were out on the porch making s'mores and dancing like some cheesy fucks lmao. How many homes have you ever lived in? If you don't count the apartment I wasn't an official resident of or staying with a friend for a month due to homelessness, we just moved into our fifth. Or sixth. It's too early when I'm taking this for math. Have you ever donated money to charity? Yeah. What’s your favourite type of exercise? Swimming. How many jobs have you had? Three or four... I'm not even sure because they were so incredibly short because fuck me and my anxiety, right? Who do you stalk the most through Facebook? Nobody. Have you ever deleted your Facebook, then brought it back? No. Write the first song that pops into your head: Well, I'm listening to "Freak On a Leash" right now. Has anything interesting come for you in the mail lately, besides bills? Nah. What is your main responsibility each day? Making sure my cat has food, water, and a clean litterbox. Do you feel like you fulfill those responsibilities? Yeah. I've slacked on the box before on bad mental health days where I can barely force myself to do anything, but I'm usually on top of it. Were you in the wrong during your last argument with someone? I don't recall what my last argument was. I think something w/ Mom. What bands did you used to love, that you don’t listen to much anymore? Hm. It's pretty rare I leave behind bands I've LOVED, so. Are you counting down to anything? tomorrow crihmus When was the last time you used spray paint? Oh, I have no idea. Maybe for an art project in HS? What color are the chairs at your kitchen table? Brown. Have you ever or do you plan on donating to any charities? Which ones? I've donated to some you would like pass by in the store if I had some spare coins or dollars on me, and when I cut my hair to as short as it is now, I donated it all to Children With Hair Loss. One of my most cherished memories is getting the certificate that it was used. I'm sure there's more, especially for school, but idr them. I 110% want to donate to charity streams when I have my own income source. Do you believe that life only gets harder or easier? I mean, this depends on your unique life. Do you know the middle name of the last person you kissed? Hm. I don't think Girt has a middle name, and I don't think Tyler ever told me because he was embarrassed by it. I know Sara's. Have you ever had sex with 2 different people in the same week? No. Who is the friendliest person you know? Probably my friend Girt. Last song you listened to? "Milk and Cookies" by Melanie Martinez is on rn. Something that annoys you about summer: Just ONE thing???? Just about everything does. The only thing I enjoy is all the flowers. Well hell, that's even mostly a spring thing. It's mostly just... plain green in the summer. At least here. Too hot for damn flowers to survive. Something that annoys you about winter: The fact that if it snows here, we get barely anything at all. e_e Are the doors of your fridge side by side or on top of one another? Side by side. When was the last time you burned a body part other than your hands/fingers? I actually just burned the roof of my mouth yesterday. If you’ve moved out of the house you were born in, do you know the people who live in that house now? Nope. What’s one food that you eat more than twice a week? Definitely some form of bread. Do you like zombie movies? No opinion, really. What's the grossest/worst thing you’ve ever seen in a public restroom? UGH. This one time I was in the bathroom with Colleen (it's a girl thing lmao) at a gas station, she did what she normally does and checks under the seat, aND IT WAS COVERED IN BLOOD. It was fucking disgusting. What’s the most wasteful thing you regularly do? Ugh... use plastic bags when disposing of Roman's "business" in the litterbox. I feel absolutely awful using one every other day. If I wait any longer than that, Mom gets mad. What’s the most difficult apology you’ve ever had to give? Probably to Jason via that letter. That honestly wasn't that difficult after having fully accepted I fucked up too, though. I don't generally find it hard to apologize when I know I was wrong. Have you ever volunteered in a hospital? If not, would you ever want to? Fuck no. They depress the hell out of me. What was your worst Halloween costume? Idk, I don't remember almost any of mine. When was the first time you can remember feeling mature? When I checked into the doctor by myself. Yes, I know how sad that is at nearly 25. Have you ever had a disappointing Christmas, or any disappointing holiday if you don’t celebrate Christmas? As a kid, there was just one where I was disappointed in what I got. SO fucking ungrateful looking back on that shit. I can't even imagine feeling anything like that now. I cherish Christmas deeply, especially now with nieces and a nephew who experience such joy at Christmastime, and I get to see my dad and his wife and stepson, too. At this age, it truly is about family to me. Do you have any character bandaids in your house right now, or just plain ones? I think we may have some princess ones and some "boy" kind for if the kids are ever over. AKA never because their dad is far more concerned about only including his family in their lives. I don't think Ryder's ever even visited our house, and he's like, four years old. My sister's husband's parents live directly down their road, but still. It hurts Mom and I a lot that we don't seem to matter when it comes to visiting *us*. Have you ever had to give a pet away? Yeah, plenty of times with our old cat nest. What's the junkiest junk food you’ve ever eaten? I dunno, probably something at Disney as a kid. Did you play pretend a lot as a child? Were there any recurring plots or themes? Yeah. I had my "good guys" - a family of alligators, deer (um they were married and had kids don't ask me, man), and some Pokemon figurines - and three big dinos that were the "bad guys." How do you feel about runny egg yolks? Egg yolk is fucking repulsive. The one and only way it's going down my throat is in scrambled eggs. Has a teacher ever tried to teach you something that was undeniably wrong? Not that I remember. If for some reason you had to give up one of your hobbies, which would you choose? I dunno, I have so few already... Maybe World of Warcraft? I almost quit it recently anyway because I was bored and yet it took up so much of my time, but it'd be hard now with a new expansion having just come out with soooo much to do. Man... I dunno. Have you ever hidden a relationship from your family? No. How much do you know about first aid? No more than the average joe, really. Which of your relatives do you know the least about? Sadly, probably my dad's oldest daughter. I know only two things about her with certainty. Have you ever meditated? If so, did it do anything for you? Yes, and all it does is make me fidgety and lets me think too much. When was the last time you got ice cream from a truck? Hm... maybe when I was at a beach when I was on vacation with a friend? I was like, a pre-teen then though, so it's been forever. Do you know any sex workers? If so, how do they feel about their job? Not that I'm aware of. And honestly, I have mixed feelings, but I think I lean more towards it being just fine so long as boundaries are set and there are very clear understandings with each other. And you ABSOLUTELY need to be safe about it. I'd far rather people get off with a consenting individual than in... y'know, other ways. It's not my business, anyway. What’s the biggest art project you’ve ever attempted? How did it go? In high school, I did a huge acrylic painting on burlap of meerkats grooming. I am to this day still so proud of it; I worked so hard on it. I love how the fur came out, especially. I do wish I could do over the background, though. What kind of wild animals do you see most frequently where you live? Excluding the obvious birds, there are tons of squirrels, and you see opossum and racoon roadkill a lot, tragically... Every now and then, you'll see deer in fields in the morning or dusk. Have you ever cooked anything other than s’mores over a fire? Yeah, hot dog.s Are there any items in your house that you use for something other than its intended purpose? I'm positive there's something. Probably everyone has an example. OH! Looking in just my room, Venus' terrarium has saran wrap covering the top to help keep humidity in. What do you hope the afterlife is like? Really, I go back and forth between hoping it's like... this state of nirvana and where you reunite with loved ones and experience infinite peace if deserved, or just the entire lack of existence anymore. I wonder sometimes if I'd want to be sentient forever. But, with me believing in a spirit realm, I don't think the latter is the case. What’s the worst behavior you’ve ever seen from a child? I think I once saw a kid smack their parent's arm or something? I don't really know. Have you ever planned an act of revenge? "No, but i daydream about it." <<<< Ha, yeah, I have. Do you and your parents share any of the same hobbies? Yeah. Mom surprised me when she told me she likes writing (even though I never see her do it), and Dad likes video games. Do you have any physical photo albums? Yes. Would you feel comfortable working at a sex shop? NOPE. Who was the worst friend you ever had? It's funny, Colleen did incredible things for me, but she also fits this description, too... Have you ever campaigned for a political candidate, or otherwise played an active role in an election? I mean, I voted, does that count? What’s the coolest hand-me-down you’ve ever gotten? What about the best one you’ve ever given? I have no idea. Do your parents and grandparents get along with each other? Dad got along perfectly fine with his parents, but my mom and her mother had a rocky history. Grammy treated her awfully sometimes. They'd been fine for many, many years, but Mom could never forget some things and always felt like she wasn't "good enough" in her eyes. I'm pretty sure Mom got along just fine with her dad. Do you have any framed photos of your pet(s)? Yes. Do you share photos of your pet(s) on social media? Um, duh. In 3 words, describe the last male you talked to. Who WAS the last guy I talked to... Do you own any of your favorite films on DVD? Which one(s)? No. Have you watched anything on Netflix lately? No. The last thing I did on Netflix was watch the first episode of The Witcher, and even though I liked it, I didn't continue. I just... don't enjoy watching TV, especially if it really requires you to pay attention. Have you ever heard someone snoring and thought it sounded cute? Besides animals, no. Are you particular about what you eat? In what way(s)? Yeah, I'm VERY picky, especially with textures. Is anyone close to you particular about what they eat? In what way(s)? Yes, my niece. She's autistic and has the symptom of being incredibly picky with things like textures, too. She is the one child I have ever known that doesn't really like eating. Is there someone in your life who can always make you smile? Always, no. Have you worn lipstick at any time recently? What color? No. I last wore black forever ago just to take pictures. Do you like wearing eyeshadow to match the color of your clothes? No; in the very rare instance I put on makeup, the eyeshadow is always black. What song reminds you of your childhood? Jesse McCartney songs, for sure. And Backstreet Boys. What’s your least favorite month? Maybe August. I'm sick and beyond tired of summer by that point. Nothing exciting going on. What do you do when you’re bored in class and not paying attention to the teacher? When I was in school, I honestly always paid attention because I wanted to pass. Have you ever baked a pie? No. Last person you shared food with? Mom. Do you know any mechanical stuff about cars? Definitely not. Were you smiling in the last picture taken of you? I don't think so, if that witchy photoshoot was the last time I had a pic taken of me. Do you answer the phones at your job? I did at two old jobs. Were you a hyper or mellow kid? I was kinda hyper. What are you drinking? Would you believe me if I answered "water"????? Did you get any compliments today? No. What last made you laugh? I think a moment in a WoW stream I was watching last night. Which of your friends is the easiest to talk to? Sara. What was your best summer ever? /shrug Do you have a favourite sibling? No. What color is the blanket/quilt on your bed? Navy and black. Favorite milkshake flavour? Just chocolate. Sometimes I'm in the mood for vanilla, though. Best year of your life? 2017. It's funny how that year started with a suicide attempt but wound up being the best year of my life. NEVER hestitate to reach out for help when you need it. How loud do you like your music in the car? Too loud lmao. Prefer to write or read? Write. Favourite apps? Pokemon GO, haha. What is a fruit you refuse to eat? Absolutely refuse? Maybe like, cantaloupe. Would you rather gain weight or lose weight? It'd to fuckin fantastic if I could lose 100 pounds. :^) I gained like thirty since moving... Would you rather gain height or lose height? Gain a tiny bit, I guess? But I'm fine with where I'm at. Are both your eyes the same color? Yes. Do you like glittery things? Yes, but not touching them and getting glitter everywhere. Ever watched a play in the theatre? Yes, at Disney World and also for school field trips. How many followers do you have on instagram? A depressing amount for someone desperately trying to be a photographer lmaooo. I mean I don't post on it a lot, so that doesn't help, but yeah. My secondary photography account (for roadkill/vulture culture stuff) has more than my main one. How about twitter? Don't use it. How much would I have to pay you to get you to do karaoke? I don't know, I'd be terrified of embarrassing myself. Last time you went ice skating? Never. Painting or drawing? Drawing, by far. Art or science? Now that's tough, but art. Dancing or singing? Dancing. History or geography? Geography is interesting. Favourite season? Autumn. Do you watch Supernatural? I did up to the end of Season 6. I loved it, I just was losing interest in TV, and also Jason and I broke up (we always watched it together) so I didn't want to watch something triggering memories. If you could change your eye color would you? Yes, to either a pure sapphire blue or emerald green. Are both your ears pierced? Yes. Are you lying down? Yes. Is there a tv in your room? No. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Yeah. Do you like fortune cookies? Yeah, they're oddly tasty. Do you have anxiety? You fuckin bet I do. Favorite clothing shop? RebelsMarket. How do you feel about peeing in a cup at the hospital? Is it embarrassing? No? It's too normal to be embarrassing. I mean I wrap toilet paper around it so you don't actually see, y'know, but I'm not embarrassed carrying that. Do you prefer fruit or vegetables? Fruit, by a long shot. What do you hate being called? "Bee." An old best friend who did nothing but lie about her entire life called me that. What color is the last car you were in? White. Ever studied abroad? No. Ever pulled out a tooth? Yeah, when I was a kid. Three celebrity crushes? Mark Fischbach, Link Neal, Hannah Hart. Ever been married? No. Are you proud of yourself? In most ways, no. Do you like grapes? Yep. How often do you cook for your family? Never. Is anyone in your family a lawyer? My cousin is, actually. Is anyone in your family an architect? Don't think so. Own any crystals? No. Favourite thing to write with? (pen, pencil, highlighter) Pencil. Top 5 favourite alcoholic drinks? I don't know, I haven't tried enough that I actually enjoy. Would you date someone bald? Yeah. Would you date someone who doesn’t want kids? I don't want kids either, so that's the only kind of person I'd date. That's something you can't really disagree on if you plan on lasting. Do you like candles? Sure. Favorite memory with a sibling? I dunno, probably something from when we were little kids playing together.

#survey #surveys #quiz #questions #lyrics: ''master of decay'' by 3teeth

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 164

August 22

Forgot to write tonight, so I better take care of this one quickly. Another day at home, so that does make things much easier. The big news today is that MIL fell yesterday and went to the hospital and remains in the hospital today, but only saw fit to call us and tell us this afternoon, due to intense pressure from her sister. Good grief. Apparently she is recovering and will be released tomorrow, but yikes! Triple yikes! At least she fell in public and ended up in an ambulance, not trying to go home in spite of her injuries. That could have been really bad. It's looking like she will stay with her sister and brother in law for a few days to recover, so that's good. She needs someone with her while she is healing. My husband packed a bag in case something changes and he needs to go out there in a hurry, but he probably won't go if the situation is under control. I can't go while I am buried in kittens, and I can only dump them if the situation is truly dire, which knock on wood it is not. But it is scary that she does not tell us things! 

Second day of power hour with the kiddo went well, we made chocolate chip cookies from scratch this afternoon. He's pretty good at baking brownies and cakes from box mix, but this is a different set of skills. I showed him how the mixer works, and what it looks like to cream butter and sugar, and how to measure brown sugar when it's supposed to be "packed," and other important baking things. We made three dozen cookies, which I have hidden in a very high cupboard because I know both him and myself. We did each eat three warm cookies though, and that was pretty fun. He had a good time and is enthusiastic about one fun thing a day. He decided that tomorrow he wants to light all the candles in the house and blow them out and light them again, which was not on the list but hey, whatever blows your hair back. I'm going to have to go around and find my candles, many of which I think may still be packed in a box in the kitten room. 

Kittens are still doing well and eating lots, no news is good news in this case. The blind cat from our rescue, Violet, has had her surgery after a successful GoFundMe campaign raised the money we needed. She is recovering well and can already see more than she could before. It is very nice to feel the support from the community for rescue efforts, especially when the need feels so particularly great. The TNR team is having troubles right now because we can't get enough slots at the clinic for all the trapping we need to do, and there aren't enough fosters for the kittens people want us to trap. Kitten season is a bitch every year, but this one is even more intense than usual. That's another good reason to welcome the advent of cooler weather, I suppose. 

#quarantine #kittens #baking

[janelevy]

#3 + Rhekker from the fluffy prompt list... Hopefully you’re still doing those😉😊😍

#3 from the fluff list = “what did you do?”

summary: to celebrate their son’s fifth birthday, connor and ava take him camping, and it doesn’t take long for things to go awry. basically just domestic rhekker and them being the dorkiest parents ever!

a/n: i have no idea why i thought of camping. i guess i thought of the most opposite thing from being doctors in a hospital, and this is what i came up with. needless to say, connor feels a bit out of place in the wilderness haha!

When Connor suggested going on a camping trip to celebrate Charlie’s fifth birthday, Ava’s first thought was to ask him if he hit his head recently.

“Oh, come on, Avey. I’m not going insane. It’s just camping.” Connor was at the stove stirring a pot of macaroni while Ava diced onions at the counter behind him. He turned down the heat and set the wooden spoon aside, moving to face his wife from across the kitchen island. “I mean, how bad can it be?”

“Asking that question is setting you up for failure.” Ava pushed the onion pieces together on the cutting board, only pausing her work briefly to give him a giant eye roll. “Listen, I just find it hard to imagine Connor Rhodes, distinguished surgeon and proud Porsche owner, going out and— oh, what’s it called— ‘roughing it’ in the wilderness.”

He chuckled, but she didn’t miss the hint of exasperation behind his words. “Okay, first off, you also happen to be a distinguished surgeon. And secondly, we’re obviously going to take your car, not mine. We’ll need, like... a tent and whatever else. All that stuff won’t fit in Mr. Grey.”

“I still think it’s about time to sell Mr. Grey and get a nice, safe, dad car. Did you look at those links I sent about the Honda—”

“— the Honda Odyssey, yes, I did see those. More like Odyssey to imminent boredom, though.” Connor shook his head and leaned on the counter to meet her eyes, which were watering from the onions. “Avey, you know we agreed we’re not having any more kids. There’s only three of us. Why do we need a minivan? They’re so... bleh.” He shuddered and stood up again. “Anyway, you’re changing the subject. Don’t think you’re so sneaky.”

“Damn. Foiled me again,” she teased. “But seriously, Connor. The main reason I’m protesting this is because I’m concerned for you. You’d be uncomfortable for an entire weekend. Charlie and I would be fine. He adores mummy-son hikes, and I spent most of my childhood outside in the backyard digging up insects.”

“You also spent a lot of your childhood doing creepy fake surgeries on your stuffed animals,” Connor countered.

“It— it was practice!” she sputtered, unable to suppress the smile that formed in response to his smirk. “Anyway, that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about. I just want to do something all three of us will equally enjoy.”

Connor frowned then, his expression growing more earnest. “Avey, I already asked him what he wants to do. He... seemed super enthused by this idea. I’m not about to tell him no. I don’t care if I have to spend a few days covered in dirt and bug bites and whatever else. I want our baby to be happy.”

She paused in her work, setting the knife down and sighing. “Well, that changes it. The most important thing is what Charlie wants.” Without warning Ava circled around the counter to pull Connor into her arms. She sighed into his shoulder, turning her head so she could speak clearly. “He’s not really a baby anymore, is he?”

At her sniffle, Connor pressed a kiss on her head and murmured, “He’ll be our baby forever if we want him to be. Even when he’s the grouchiest teenager in the world, he’ll still be our baby. Even when he’s forty, he’ll still be our baby.” He gazed past her out to the living room, where their son was crouched on the carpet building towers with the big toddler-friendly Lego blocks.

“He will definitely be the grouchiest teenager in the world. With both of our DNA in him? Yikes,” Ava said. They shared a laugh then, and as Connor went to drain the pasta, she added, “Looks like we’re taking a trip to Bass Pro tomorrow to get some gear.”

Connor glanced over his shoulder, throwing her his millionth smile of the day. All these years, and he still couldn’t help grinning like an idiot around her. “Little dude is gonna be so thrilled,” he told her. And he was right.

Come next weekend, however, they were no longer feeling quite as thrilled about camping. They secured three entire days off, and they planned to savor every minute of them. So on the first Saturday in July, two days before Charlie’s official birthday, they packed up Ava’s SUV and drove out to the wooded shoreline of Lake Michigan and set up camp on a sandy patch near the water. Before Connor even got in the car, he had already layered himself with bug spray and sunscreen, and made sure Ava and Charlie were thoroughly covered as well. It was only after an entire hour-long car ride and unpacking at the campsite when they realized a smear of white zinc had accidentally been left on Charlie’s nose. Ava spent the rest of the day teasing him about it, and Connor waited until they were grilling hot dogs that night to retaliate and “accidentally” squirt a ton of sunblock all over her back. It got all over her tank top and hair, and the way she cursed him in between bouts of laughter drew him to take a midnight dip in the lake with her well within view of their tent, where an overstimulated Charlie had fallen asleep before it was even dark out. That first night swimming below the stars together, with dragonflies and fireflies swirling all around them, was perfect. They had never felt so far away from the city before.

Then came the next morning.

Connor was the first to rouse, rolling over to find Ava and Charlie still deep in slumber. He tousled his son’s hair affectionately; the kid had been passed out for several hours now. That had been bound to happen, though, considering Charlie sprang out of bed yesterday morning at 4 AM because he was too excited to sleep. 

Connor sat up and kicked the sleeping bag off his legs. It was fiercely hot and pretty stuffy in the tent, so his t-shirt was sticking to him like a second skin. He reached over to his things and pulled a pair of khaki shorts on over his boxers, grunting at the limited space and his sweaty, sticky arms and legs. This was not the definition of luxury, that was for sure. At least none of them had gotten any bug bites or ticks or sunburn or leeches or whatever else was out there. Nobody was getting any wounds on his watch.

He had to pee pretty bad, and thankfully Ava had found a campsite that had public restrooms close by to use. Connor had confessed he thought wiping his ass with a leaf was going a bit too far, and luckily she’d conceded. The bathrooms didn’t exactly have spotless marble countertops and hot water, but they were better than nothing. 

So Connor crawled carefully around his son, who was sprawled in between his parents’ sleeping places, and unzipped the flap on the tent (it was a fancy model, and he didn’t even want to know how much it had cost. Whatever the price was had to be too much. But again he had to remind himself— this was all for Charlie. That made it worth it).

Connor didn’t even spare a glance towards their supplies until he came lumbering back from the restrooms. And when he saw what was in front of him, he froze, jaw on the leafy ground.

It was all gone. Every last speck of food was devoured by... some kind of animal. Upon closer inspection at the tattered wrappers and claw marks left behind in the picnic table, it must’ve been a bear. Maybe two bears. Or wolves. God, what the hell lived out here? Connor gritted his teeth and spared the tent a swift glance. Ava wasn’t awake yet. Maybe if he was quick, he could take the car to the nearest convenience store and try to replenish all they’d brought.

But right then, to his horror, he saw his wife’s shadow sit up in the tent, and he heard her sleeping bag rustling. Panic roaring in his blood, Connor zoomed over and right as Ava began to unzip the flap, he stuck his head in the gap and smiled way too widely at her.

“Good morning, Avey! Sleep well?” he asked breathlessly.

She jumped back, startled by his sudden appearance. And of course, she smelled the bullshit all too easily. “... what did you do?” Ava replied, tilting her head as she stretched her arms behind her back and yawned. One eyebrow was up in a high arch, which was already a bad sign.

“Connor,” Ava said when he didn’t answer. Her voice was curt yet gentle. “Honey. What happened?”

He bit his tongue and gave a partial shrug. “Ahh... well... I- I guess you should see for yourself.”

Reluctantly he moved back and allowed her to crawl out of the tent and survey the remains of their food supplies. Right away she surged forward, hands scrabbling over the now empty tabletop. She grasped at empty, chewed-up wrappers, tossing them on the ground in shock and whirling back to face him. “This was supposed to last us two more days, Connor! I thought you secured all this stuff in the car overnight?”

Connor hung his head and let out a long, slow breath. “I... I forgot.” Then he sprang into action, darting back to the tent and retrieving the car keys. “But I can fix it! I’ll go run to the store right now and I’ll be back before Charlie even wakes up.”

Of course, as soon as that left his mouth they heard their son call sleepily from the tent. Then seconds later the little boy emerged from the tent, scratching his messy dark hair.

Ava forced a relaxed smile onto her face, going over to pick him up and hug him to full awakeness. “Good morning, nunu. Did you have sweet dreams?”

“Very sweet dreams, mommy,” Charlie yawned. He squinted his hazel eyes against the sunlight and buried his cheek in his mother’s shoulder the exact same way Ava nestled her face into Connor’s chest. His chubby little fingers played with golden wisps of Ava’s sleep-ruffled hair. “I’m hungry.”

“Don’t worry, little man, I’m gonna go get us something good to eat,” Connor said. He approached them and dropped a kiss on both their cheeks.

“You better,” Ava replied, keeping the threatening tone to a minimum for Charlie’s sake.

Connor unlocked the car and glanced back at her, offering one more apologetic grin. “McDonald’s?” he asked.

“Yes, McDonald’s.”

“I’ll be back soon. Love you.” With that, Connor got in the car and carefully drove off down the gravelly path.

Ava watched him go while rubbing circles into Charlie’s back. “Love you too, Dr. Buffoon.”

#chicago med #connor rhodes #ava bekker #rhekker #fanfic

[emmysimmy]

So my aunt had surgery, and tomorrow she goes back in for a second surgery, yikes! But her husband is on a break from work so I have a little more free time but I also did something really questionable that is eating up a lot of my free time 

I got a 3rd dog

Say hi to Rebecca, or Floof as I call her right now, my family calls her Chewy because she's teething

[dougrobyngoold]

March Madness - Tucson, AZ

The above picture was taken from one of the cafeterias at University Hospital in Tucson, where I had breakfast while Doug was in surgery.  I think the surgery lasted a couple of hours, the surgeon talked to me after the surgery - all went well and the atrial fibrillation should stop.  After a one-night stay, Doug was sent on his way.  We were grateful to have the surgery over with and to be on the road to recovery.  Activities were limited for a week, then Doug was free to resume normal activities.  Onward we go!

A week after his surgery, Doug was back on the golf course, awesome!

HOWE TIME FLIES

About 10 days after Doug’s surgery, our friends Art and Donna Howe came to visit us.  It was their first time in Tucson, so we planned a whirlwind tour to give them a little taste of desert living.  

On their first day in town, we headed south to the Titan Missile Museum, we managed to arrive in time to sign up for a tour (they fill up fast!)  We have been on the tour three times now, we still love it.  I would recommend a visit when you are in the area, it is just off I-19, about a 30 minute drive from downtown Tucson.  After the museum, we drove further south to Tubac.  We wandered around town, taking in a few of the artisan shops and some of the local artwork:

One of multiple painted javelinas in the village of Tubac.

Donna made a new friend in Tubac.

After a lunch stop at one of the local restaurants, we meandered back through the village for a little more exploring.  Getting our fill of Tubac, we continued southward to the Santa Cruz Spice Company.  We did a little spice shopping and then made our final stop of the day at the Tumacacori National Historic Park.  It was a gorgeous spring day, which made for some fantastic photo ops at the mission.

Look at those spring flowers and the magnificent sky!

We stopped at the tortilla and beans stand inside the park - yummy!

Crystal-clear day, the Santa Rita Mountains in the distance.

The craftsmanship on the buildings is amazing.

This moth was on one of the sidewalks at the mission, such pretty markings!

What a fun-filled day!  We headed back to our trailer for dinner and games.  More adventures planned for tomorrow!

We filled the morning of the second day with a trip to Barrio Bread, a short walk along Pantano Wash, and then lunch on our patio.  We went out to Saguaro National Park East to show them a crested saguaro on the Loma Verde Trail and for a sunset from Javelina Rocks.  We ended the day with a trip to El Molinito for take-out and then went to the Arizona Beer House to enjoy our food and a few brews.

Day 3 - we headed to downtown Tucson.  We walked along the Turquoise Trail, checking out the history of the area.  We enjoyed adult beverages at The Congress Hotel Bloody Mary Bar and even found some ice cream for Art!  We ended the day at the trailer, perfect weather for outdoor entertaining!

Day 4 - after a breakfast of sausage gravy & biscuits (vegan-style), we went to the range to whack a few golf balls around.  We love the driving range at Fred Enke - the view of the Catalina Mountains is wonderful!

After golf, we made our way out to the Desert Museum.  At this point, we were experiencing a mild shut-down and a few restrictions due to Covid-related concerns.  A few of the exhibits at the Museum were closed and they were not doing the Raptor shows.  However, we ran into a family on our way into the museum and they gave us 4 free passes.  We had a great time wandering around the museum, it is always beautiful out there.

Brittle brush was blooming and the views to the west were spectacular!

Caught the javelinas during naptime.

March is usually a great time to visit the museum, the temperatures aren’t too hot and the cactus are starting to bloom.  We were not disappointed:

We completed our exploration of the Desert Museum and made the long drive back to our place.  Happy hour, dinner, and then more games wrapped up our final night with the Howes.  We are so happy that they finally came for a visit, we hope they will make it an annual thing!

Thanks for coming to see us!

COVID INTERRUPTUS

The week following our friends visit things became more serious around the Covid virus.  Restaurants and indoor spaces were closed down and we were forced to limit our activities with friends here in the park.  Luckily, outdoor activities were a good option for us - we took lots of walks and bike rides.  The weather was gorgeous and the flowers were blooming.

Pretty blooms along Pantano Wash during one of my many walks.

More desert colors!

Some evenings the sky just explodes around here, we feel pretty lucky to be in a place where we can be outside enjoying nature most of the time.

Photos from our 15 mile walk along Pantano Wash - the weather was cool, but we didn’t get wet, just a little wind-blown!

A nice rattler I came across on a bike ride up Harrison Greenway - yikes!

I was very grateful for my new e-bike, lots of great rides along the bike path here in town.  Kept me from going stir crazy!

TANQUE VERDE RIDGE HIKE

During March Doug started training for his planned 2022 trip on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).  The CDT runs 3100 miles from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada, staying within 50 miles of the Continental Divide along its course.  He is doing 3 consecutive days a week of 15+ miles each day with his backpack, just to see how his body holds up.  Friday and Saturday he does his miles along the Pantano River Park path, then on Sundays he does an actual hike.  I am joining him for 2 of those 3 days, my feet need a day off!  Today we hiked around 16 miles on the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail.  The hike is fairly steep and I think it is an understatement that my toes were REALLY happy to be done with the descent.  Pretty sure I am going to need a few recovery days after this hike!  In spite of the physical discomfort, it was a beautiful day in the desert and things were blooming along the ridge and Doug grilled us Beyond Meat burgers for dinner. Perfect end to the day!

REALITY HITS

By the end of March, we had come to the conclusion that our trip to Europe for this summer was going to have to be canceled.  We had reservations to fly to England on May 9th and had planned to be over there until some time in August.  Our plan had been to stay at AirBnBs, we were very disappointed to have to cancel all our plans, but Europe was closed down due to the spread of the Covid virus and things here in the United States were not looking any better.  A large portion of our Canadian friends here in the RV park had already headed north, due to recommendations from their government.  Social gatherings were frowned upon and we were doing our best to follow all of the social distancing guidelines in place.  We decided that our best option is to stay in Tucson for the time being, as many RV parks and campgrounds are closed in the U.S. at this point due to Covid.  We feel fortunate to have a place where we can wait this out.  Guess we will just have to hang around for a few more Tucson sunsets.

#Tucson #Howe visit #Arizona hikes #Arizona