Near by massage parlour

I don't have IC but my wife has had the hunter's lesions for over 10 years. Like many of you she has tried many many solutions and doctors. Mostly we control her IC with supplementation, eating organic and avoid sugars, gluten and dairy. My wife's urethra is the one most often inflamed and this week it's been a week of pain. In part self induced as we flew cross country to a meeting last week and had to eat hotel food. If you're a guy learn about prostate stimulation and prostate orgasms and if you're a female I recommend learning about this for your spouses. I'm a heterosexual guy never had an inkling towards the opposite sex and prostate play can give a guy an amazing amount of pleasure. Here is a story of how my wife got me off. For the record HFDO's are prostate orgasms which are done without simulating the penis and they are dry (versus releasing semen). You can also have multiple HFOO's orgasms. They typically come in waves with a small refractory period.
Today started off with me prepping and spending a session getting a prostate orgasms. (I start in another room them climb into bed with my wife. She encourages me to do them next to her) Then my wife and did a hike, shaved and showered (together..so much fun) she laid down and I started doing a head to toe coconut massage. Her IC has been flared up the last few days and her lower abdomen and urethra was sore so we spent extra time with the magic wand massaging it. She said it was really helping and even more so when I got my 2nd wand out and placed it on her vaginal lips while she controlled the magic wand on her pelvis...occasionally slipping over her clit and double dipping. The vibes were great and at some point she's like "it might hurt but dammit stick that dick in"...so I did. It was a great PIV session with my prostate getting woke up. After she came we laid there PIV. As she was laying there my "stimulated" prostate started contracting. She was slowly contracting her vagina and it was sending waves of contractions to my prostate. I started getting cycles of HFDO's. It was a thrill. Afterwards I pulled out and she finished up helping me get a combined orgasm by clamping the base with one hand, ticking my tip with her fingers while I pumped. The combined orgasm was explosive with tons of wet pumping before I orgasmed then a hard as rock prostate and dick orgasm. I've had a combined Penis/prostate orgasms but the intimacy of getting HFDO's while inside her and she's setting them off is something that was fiercely intimate and erotically pleasurable (for both of us). First time that ever happened to me. Because our vaginal sex wasn't too wild she had a nice orgasm without it being too rough. I just asked her and she feels the sex helped settle down her IC.
I read this reddit thread and know that sex flares up a lot of IC suffers. I hope this isn't upsetting but as long as it's gentle the post sex experience for my wife is that it helps. Sometimes we only do clitoral stimulation and because of the prostate massage experience our next investigation in living with IC and sexuality is trying anal stimulation when the vagina and urethra are too sensitive. At age 68 we don't want to give up sex. It's too much fun and something that we both want to share together.

That someone being Gojo, cause of how his domain had a good chance of standing against it, I don't think this plan works for anyone else other than Gojo.
So what's the plan ?
When Sukuna casts his domain, he doesn't get affected by it, so if the opponent gets to touch Sukuna, gets near him, hug him whatever, Maybe he can just not get affected by Cleave and Dismantles ?! I think it would be very dangerous for the Cleave and Dismantles to rain on the opponent when he gets too close to the person...
So All Gojo needs to do is heal instantly, cast another domain to buy some time, and then get to Sukuna's ass, atleast he won't die until he figures out a bit more to how to beat his domain (all while strangling Sukuna lol)
Oh or maybe, just this scenario but he breaks the hand seal and the Domain ends ?!, This seems like a very much better plan tbh. Let me know what you think.

Hi, I have had my keyboard for 10 years and it's finally died.
It had a large enter key and a large shift key. Every time I order one in the UK, the photo shows this but in reality it's replaced by a / key near the enter or left shit key
Please help!

I've seen this downvoted and disregarded by the entire reddit community many times, but it's the simplest answer- BotW and TotK take place in a convergence of all three timelines.
The idea is that when Link used time travel in OoT to defeat Ganondorf, it created three timelines (Fallen Hero, Adult, Child).
there's items from all the games with a map that most closely resembles that of Link to the Past. Even the twilight tunic says it still has Wolf Hair on it.
A good example would be the Marvel show 'Loki'. Time in these scenarios has frayed into multiple timelines and the main focus is to converge multiple ones into one common future, correcting the split and the mistakes of the past- The major one being the time travel of Ocarina of Time inadvertently creating multiple timelines including a timeline where Link is defeated by Ganondorf.
-A very close resemblance to Link to the Pasts map, altered, with areas from even Link's Awakening (Koholint Island/Koholit Rock)
-Link can Hum Saria's song, Song of Storms and others from Ocarina at times while cooking food-Ritos (Windwaker) alongside Gorons (Ocarina), Koroks (Windwaker), Gerudos (Ocarina) and Zoras (Friendly Zora's rather than "Fallen Hero" timeline where the Zoras are pretty monstrous.
-Wind Waker's cell shading and semblance of the hero in Blue rather than Green.-Items from the past like the Twilight Tunic, Majora's Mask, Midna's Headpiece, Ocarina's Tunic, Bomb Flowers, etc.
Most Zelda fans aren't taking well to this model and have been theorizing many things to reason these congruences, but all signs point to "All Paths Converge" and that Time itself finds a way to correct itself. If it were a reboot, It wouldn't go to lengths to not just reference past games, but refer to them as events that had happened in the past leading up to now.
In Philosophy we call this "Occam's Razor" or "The Law of Parsimony": Solving problems in the simplest way with the fewest elements possible rather than the complications that arise from trying to force things to make sense in a knotted and convoluted manner.
I've seen posts about the games taking place in a fourth timeline, taking place near OoT, Being a Soft/Hard Reboot, and to be honest, none of these theories exist without conflicting with both the narrative and the worlds of BotW/TotK. We know the events of "Legend" clearly repeat and reiterate themselves throughout the series with new ways of iterating tropes and cycles, so why would it be so hard to believe that *All Paths have Lead to One*?
In Probability, all Events will inevitably lead to One event given enough Trial. For Instance, The Infinite Monkey Theorem Poses the idea that if you put a Monkey in front of a Typewriter for an infinite amount of time and let it hit random keys over that infinite time, eventually it will produce all the written work created by the human race- including but not limited to the entirety of William Shakespeare's work -however, the chance of it is so small that it would take an amount of time beyond that of the creation of the universe till the present.
-If this Theory does not Jive well with you, look no further than The Library of Babel, a Project created to prove this theorem is concrete. Every possibility of every character on a page exists within the Library of Babel (Which was created by Randomized Generation) including ever book and every essay or piece of literature or writing every created (or has yet to be created) and also contains every possible iteration of every image and beyond ever conceived, seen or dreamt up. Go ahead and plug in an image and you'll find that it already exists within the Library of Babel- Even a Random photo you may take at this very moment.With that said, we don't know how many hundreds of thousands if not millions or billions of years it has been from BotW to time predating Skyward Sword.
TL;DR- The Proof is in the Pudding: It is very unlikely that BotW's timeline exists in a 4th timeline, exists without a timeline, is a reboot or otherwise. In the words of Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, "Life... um... finds a way."

I am writing this in hopes for some help and to guide others to not have the same fate as me. I think I have made the biggest mistake of my life. It has been 5 months since it happened and I haven't been able to fix it. This phone is the only connection to the realm of my birth. My original world. I probably cannot undo my mistake but I can guide future players.
My phone it's Android. It has an IR blaster, the only reason I bought it, and for some reason, this phone can hold its network through dimensional change. As if it's a loophole, a glitch in the broken matrix that i was facing. Not that i could actually make any use of it because I am still here.
The people here look like us. They all do. They are very sapient. They look just like us. But my bones know that they don't have the same origin as I do. They are good though. Have the same societal issues, the same intolerable governing body, protestors, and unrealistic agendas, the left wing and right wing at each other's throats. People who should touch some grass have podcasts. People who should have podcasts enjoy their lives. They are humans, just like us, but they are not us.
The rules stated by the urban legend still strike the same to this day if time and space follow the same routine, follow the floor number pattern, pay no heed to the lady that enters the elevator on the 5th floor, leave the building immediately if you return to floor 1, etc. I followed them all correctly, but the rules are no guarantee as to whether you will be safe or alive after your elevator journey is done, the rules only make sure the procedure is correct.
Hey you know what I will write down the rules in short, for your reference to my guidelines but the rules should always be memorized to your bones and spine, this is your SOS and your key. You will find the set of rules on any website. I suggest visiting multiple of them before you start your endeavor. Because each of them gives you different kinds of warnings, something the successful players learned from their own experience. And take this advice of reading through all of those points from this unsuccessful player.
One thing the rules on blog sites don't mention is the choice of which world you want to enter. Because most players enter an identical world with no electronics and no living thing around them. Only a red crossed window that's far stretched away from where ever you look and keeps on moving further away from you. My case was vaguely different.

1. So firstly all you do is enter a building with more than 10 stories.
   
2. Enter the lift via the first floor and only by pressing the "up" button
   
3. Follow a pattern of floors, press 4 then 2 then 6 then 10 then 5.
   
4. On 5 a lady shall or shall not enter your floor. Then press 1
   
5. When you press 1, you will either reach 1. or you will reach 10.
   
6. If you reach 1, get the f out of the building and don't come near it, not in 6-7 months i suggest.
   
7. If you do reach 10 congratulations. your first part of the journey is a success
   

now Something, about the lady. Do not interact with her at any cost because of course she is not a lady, no matter how pretty she looks, oh you looked at her? alas, that's also a grave mistake. don't look at her, don't talk to her. Just ignore her total existence. If you know of the elevator game you are already aware of how you should not interact with the lady and all. But one thing is often left blurry is that what you should do if she does not enter. This was my case.
So my advice here: If the lady on the 5th floor does not enter. Then just hope that you do return to the 1st floor after you press it. if you do no then, and start ascending. continuously press any and every floor button for it to stop, or maybe the emergency or call button so that the staff can stop the elevator. Because if you end up reaching the 10th floor, good chances are you get to meet me and we make a cute therapy consult group for people who can't return back. :)
I remember everything from that night so vividly. I did your usual pattern follow. I entered the lift when no one was using it. I entered 4. went up there, meh nothing happened. Then again I pressed 2. I felt a vague chill around me. As if the mechanism of the ritual was understanding my intention. I pressed 6, then after it reached 6, I pressed 2, then 10 then 5. Oh, 5. The elevator door opened. And there she was, standing with all her glory. I did not look at her. but of course, i could see her from waist to bottom. She was dressed in Russian traditional clothing. not something i was expecting from an urban legend that became popular in Korea and japan. I think her wardrobe is a good collection from all cultures. or maybe there's more like her? Who knows?
I could feel it in my spine she was looking at me. She stopped the elevator with her foot so that the doors don't close and asked, "Baby which floor are you going?"
I followed the rules, did not look at her, did not reply to her, and completely ignored her.
She said, "Not much of a speaker eh? no worries have your ride. I hope you have a better life."
I have no idea why she said that. Looking back I think she knew what was going to happen to me. She knew that I was not going to end up in the world most player venture into. "Better life," she said.
She did not enter the lift and I pressed 1. The ritual, now tainted because she did not enter, worked. I reached the 10th floor. And when the doors opened, it was like nothing changed. The building I entered was a hotel. The housekeeping staff was running around. I heard children crying. Some Karen was screaming at a worker because her coffee, which she made from their amenities tasted bland. It was very confusing for me. I think I assumed the ritual did not work. And the lady was just another lady who could have been high. I walked out of the elevator and I felt great.
"those silly online urban legends, such lies" I probably had muttered to myself.
I took the lift again, reached the ground floor, and walked out of the building. Everything was going well until my head started hurting and spinning. and i was slowly passing out. and that's the exact moment i remembered from one of the posts of an earlier player "Do not at any chance lose your consciousness. and if you do, no matter where you wake up, return to the building, re-follow the exit ritual pattern and return to your own world."
My head felt dizzy as I woke up. In my very room. I thought to myself, was it all a dream? Did I search so much about some damn urban legend that I had such a deeply engraving dream? For heaven's sake. I jerked myself up and got down from my bed. Even my clothing is same as the last evening. I didn't know what was more weird, that i was wearing the clothes from my dream or that i remember the dream so vividly that i can even recall the outfit i was wearing. Also my phone was in my pocket. This is something i just never do. No matter how sleepy i am. i keep my phone on the other end of my table, in case it might just blast if the lithium goes through a thermal runaway.
AND! That is when i noticed. My table. It was completely on the opposite side. No no, it is right beside my bed, just like every day but the bed, and the entire room, its opposite. As if it were mirroring the room i know. Also, It wasn't just a complete mirror. my room was smaller, just a bit in breadth. One wouldn't notice it even if they visit my room on a weekly basis. But it's my damn room of course i would know even if a fly moved differently. Lo and behold, that extra loss on my room, was added to my washroom. Again, one wouldn't just notice it right away.
In a nightmare-like urgency, I rushed down the stairs to call complain my mother, and that is when the realization hit me that I did, in fact, play the elevator game. My dad was there. In the kitchen. Alive and happily married. Figuratively much different from how I remember him. I stood there in shock with my mouth wide open. How could this be? I remember my father. The last time I lived with him was until I was 9. When my parents parted ways. The last time I saw him was when I was 11, when he died. Not that I cried, he was far from what a father is supposed to be. I am 25 now.
"Good morning Sweetie!" His voice sounded oddly different. I was utterly petrified by this moment. There was a quirky yet calming nature to his sound which creeped me out even more. I dashed out of the house while grabbing my backpack from the sofa. I could hear him call out my name in my concern. This is it. This is definitely it. I crossed the borders of the unknown realm. But why are people here? Isn't it supposed to be dark with no one in it? No electricity and all ? But there is everything. This is a whole other world, what went wrong?
I had to return to my world. I ran through the roads and traffic to the hotel. Hotel Sunset. As I crossed the roads I could see it all. Cars stopping at the orange light. People walking in blue. I mean they are still following basic physics by using orange, longer wavelength for stopping cars. but does Red not exist in this world? not it does, OH MY GOD, the road lines are red.
I hurried through the crowd to reach the hotel. I pulled out my phone, which was surprisingly working perfectly. Internet, gps everything. It said i reached my location. "Hotel sunset"
I looked up, it said "Hotel Moon shine". I am surprised it wasn't named "moon rise", it'd would have been the cherry on top then.
I walked in, the Interior looked the same. I waited and waited and waited for the evening to hit and the horde to lessen. I stood up and walked to the lift. I repeated the entire process.
The lift stopped at 5. Instead of the lady, someone else entered. I of course didn't look up, but they entered hurriedly, screaming my name and i had to look up, i was already freaked out at this point. It was me. I was looking at me. she, well me, or wait she? she held the lift by her foot. What's up with women in the elevator game to hold the elevator by the foot?
"what did you do!? " I - I mean she said, one that looked like me.
"what did i do?" i replied back. . Whoever this doppelganger was. sure i was petrified. but here i was.
"DID THE LADY ENTER YOUR LIFT ?" she screamed at me.
"wha?" i was trembling at her screeching was. the white portion of her eyes started to redden.
"OH MY GOD DID SHE OR NOT ENTER WHEN YOU DID THE RITUAL?" she again proclaimed.
"she didn't." i replied and slowly lost my leg strength and somewhat collapsed while sitting down.
"why? why did you complete the ritual then? did you not read before you did? you are supposed to be me, you are supposed to be smart. heck, aren't you supposed to be smarter? oh my god. is that my backpack or yours?"
I just shook my head and handed her the backpack, it was hers definitely. I never put on any anime pins on mine. Speaking of anime pins, naruto here has pink hair. Isn't that cool?
she took out her phone and said "If you want to go back home go to this tumblr account and download the app. The account is called buihotline.tumblr.com "
And she left.
Was that the me of this universe? do we have counterparts in every universe? How many universes are there? are these even universes the way our science teaches us universes?
The lift started to quake. the light started flickering and I could hear some noise. soft noises that slowly grew louder and louder until they became uncontrollable screams. my ear drums were hurting beyond control. until it all stopped and the lift door opened. I stepped outside. Yet I was still there at "Moon shine hotel".
I tried the ritual again. I ended up back here. To floor 1 and I went back "home" to my "dad" and "mom". For the next 7 days, I kept on going back to the elevator, trying the ritual continuously and failing. On my way, I noticed new and new things about their world. These people like to greet each other in a very weird way. They grab each other's throats and smile. Almost sadistic. Language is very similar, but there are a few words and phrases here and there that have changed with customs and traditions. Honey here tastes like metal. Cows don't Moo, and birds chirp, but the sounds are unfamiliar, dogs don't exist. cats are the only domestic animals here. I read similar things in some blogs, but never did I think I would get to experience them for real.
Either way. On every failed ritual, I reached floor 1 and went back home. and repeated the cycle Until the 7th day, I got so fed up, that I kept on trying multiple times. but all I did was end up on floor 1. But I saw the weirdest thing.
Well, I can fill in on what happens if you immediately don't leave the building after playing the elevator game and ending up on floor 1. You see, well better than seeing failing grades or not being able to return to your own world, ghosts. Yep pretty much. Deranged souls that roam around the building. That is exactly what you see. And once they notice your existence, god save you. If there is any.
Mine was rather sarcastic. They did infact noticed me. They all came running towards me, looked right at me, smelled me and then slowly moved away and kept on about roaming. My heart intensified so much, it felt like I just lost a marathon I almost won.
I saw a man, maybe a bit older than me, in his 20s, walk down the entrance come and sit beside me. "They won't attack someone who's like them. You are of no use to them. They used to belong here, but don't anymore. and you never did."
I looked at him with a frightening shock. I took my bag and ran back home. Only when i came back home i realized he could have had answers. But i was so terrified at the moment, the only thing I could think of was getting away from him. I needed answers. I need to enter the website the other me mentioned. I got a new phone from this world. they didn't have Google, but I tell you their search engine is much better, it has AI integrated within. The account never opened from the new phone. Tumblr did. but that account never did. Then I tried my own phone and voila! The page had nothing. A heading, a two-liner bio, and a link. Link to download the app. Tumblr happens to be one of the only few apps that do work in other dimensions. Apparently, it has something to do with the first person who jumped dimensions, not only did they jump, but they also jumped through time and made sure every world had Tumblr. It's kinda funny they could have chosen Reddit, it's much more effective.
I loaded the app. Its a 2010's forum-based app. There are discussion topics under which you make threads. You got a chat box to interact with other users. the main discussion had a guide. I searched through it and finally came to the part "how to enter and leave a mirror world" aaand its blank. well not totally. A couple of reasons saying why you should not enter it. A bullet point that said download this pdf to know how to return back to your own world. I hurriedly clicked on it and boom the file did not open. I have never been so disappointed in my life.
There are so many dimensions else than the one with red cross and mirror dimensions. it is almost like aliens exist because some "humans" look so different. some people probably might even have ended up on my world as well. I wonder how they are taking it.
Apparently, only devices of one world present in another world, or at least have been in a few can open the website and run the apk file. Only androids work across dimensions. There's a conspiracy theory that the creators of android have got something to do with the entire interdimensional rituals and breaking the laws of space and time.
Either way, hoping to get some results I posted on the site wishing for some advice on opening the file or someone just copy-pasting the rules I guess.
I received a DM saying, "Since you have successfully crossed a mirror dimension You are capable of much more than you can imagine. But you should know how to use them, you have to be responsible for every move you make"
Good lord, I am not Spider-Man. The user further said, " I do not know where you are from, but I am from dimension 17391, go to the universal map translator and put the location, "Kairo office main building, st. red 22209". It will automatically give you a few building locations of your world." But the interface is very slow. Because it's not a singular place that has a counterpart in every dimension, there is one in every 4 hours of journey. It's an arbitrary location. It will take some time. maybe days. But you will reach."
I asked the user a dozen questions, how do I find the translator map, how many universes are there, and what do I do when I reach there? Why does everyone speak English? But they never replied. But now I have something, hope. A twinge of hope.
I searched around the app and found the map feature, build within the forum. It was on the top layer, but a confused me couldn't find it right away.
Ever since I found the map It has been nothing but a dilemma. 5 months. 5 months of intense searching and nothing. The first time I entered the location and searched, it landed me at the coordinates of a graveyard. The Irony. The second time, a fish market, the third, 3-storey guest house with the most normal Karen.
I can't even venture out every day. I have a "life" here that I have to maintain. This me had a similar job. Marketing manager at a pretty good company. The pay is almost the same. A bit lower here, but hey cost of living is also lower here. Putting those two together I probably have the exact same pay. But they have more facilities. Better vacation leaves. That is exactly what i took right after i downloaded the app, to understand the world better, and the changes here and there.
Morning, I go to work. where I sort out the place I will visit. and after work, i leave. Some places were nearby, some were far. One was in the neighboring country, luckily, the passport here is strong. But none of them work. I think I have broken the "not your universe? not the place? click again" button. Sundays and Saturdays are for long-distance locations. Also every day i cannot afford to go, even though the pay is good. In my world I used to live alone with Mum visiting me now and then. She and I had a family business along with my job, so all was good. Here I don't have a place of my own. And I gotta pay the bills around the house and sometimes take care of the business as well. Things are so similar yet different. I feel likeIi live in a deja vu.
By now i have crossed out almost 75 locations within 5 months, all of them being complete failures. I have crossed out 60 universes that aren't this one. I have made multiple posts on that app, describing my condition, where i am, and which universe it might be. If i even know this universe number and input it, the map translator will work much much better. I describe my original universe in the posts expecting someone to understand me and maybe send me a picture of my mother and friends, but all i have received are words of sympathy and hopefulness.
A few more people have send me their "kairo" addresses but they all can send only one to two messages before the chatbox stops. One of them managed to message me that i have to enter my universe number in the settings for the interface to work better. I also haven't been able to find the man from the hotel on the app or at the hotel either.
what do I do? Any piece of advice?

I was watching SNW S1 after finally getting P+ when I noted something that struck me as odd.
In All Those Who Wander, La'an notes that the surviving members of the away team would have no chance against a single matured Gorn, despite them all being armed with phasers. Additionally, when facing the final hatchling, La'an opts to use traps and the Peregrine's environmental systems to deliver the killing blow, rather than a coordinated assault with weapons. Given La'an's experience, this suggests that she knew they would be either be ineffective, or inefficient to the point of putting the crew in danger.
And yet, barely a decade later, James Kirk kills a matured Gorn captain with a single shot from an improvised cannon likely less powerful than a 20th century shotgun.
So what gives? How can an away team of nine with cutting-edge equipment be practically helpless against a couple of hatchlings, while an adult can be killed by a jury-rigged blunderbuss?
Gorn skin is significantly different to other species found throughout the galaxy. They're one of the few pure reptilian-based species, and clearly possess many of the traits associated with Earth reptiles - most prominently a thick hide reinforced with scales. Even the Cardassians - another reptilian race - don't have anywhere near the same level of natural armour.
(Whether or not this is due to the Gorn potentially not being offspring of the Progenitors while the Cardassians are is another can of worms)
This unique hide may possess qualities that allow for improved resistances to incoming energy, either via diffraction or absorption. Ablative scales and the physiological makup of the hide could diffuse or refract large amounts of incoming energy, much like a conductive or mirrored surface, respectively. Meanwhile, thermal energy carried by phaser fire could be absorbed through the hide. Given the Gorn's cold-blooded nature, this could be the result of an evolutionary trait - allowing them to gain valuable thermal energy from otherwise dangerous energy sources by only allowing the useful bits through and deflecting the rest.
In other words, while concentrated phaser fire may have eventually overwhelmed the hatchlings, they would have been able to tank the blasts long enough to take out at least a few crew members, and La'an wasn't having that.
So how was Kirk able to wombo-combo an adult? Simple - kinetic energy is significantly harder to diffract or absorb than electromagnetic and thermal energy. Consider a mirror - its surface allows it to refract lasers that could otherwise burn through denser material, yet they can be smashed with little effort. Meanwhile a fire-fighter's suit can withstand blazes capable of razing buildings - but try taking an axe to it and see how long it lasts.
Phaser fire deals damage primarily through the transfer of thermal energy, which dissipates throughout the target. A bullet (or particularly fast pointy stone), however, focuses on transferring massive amounts of kinetic energy through a solid projectile with a very small surface area - piercing through its target instead of burning. I submit that Gorn hide is weak (or at least, weak enough) to piercing kinetic attacks, particularly around the belly (as many reptiles have softer, more flexible hide around that region).
Hence why a bunch of rocks being yeeted through an adult's chest is going to do a lot more damage than nine phasers versus a hatchling.
TL;DR: Fight the Gorn like you would the Borg - don't bring a phaser, bring a Glock.

March, 1919.
After facing a 9 hours long trip, Viktor arrives at Lucrein and is received by it's cousin Ivan and his old friend Nikolay, both already living in the town for four years. It's safe to say that this town is the most facinating one Viktor ever saw in his life but that doesn't mean that the city was in it's best shape, the war has left deep scars that will take long to heal.
Their new home also wasn't the best nor the worst Viktor has lived in, but the constant water shortages became a annoying issue. After a cold bath and a cup of coffee, the three dressed their uniforms and went to work in a furniture factory, one of the few ones still open. As they arrive, Viktor observes the factory state, a grey, dusty place with old machinery, surely surviving the civil war was a tough task for the small company and it's employees.
Viktor then starts doing his task, maintaining and fixing the machines, initially is hard to understand them but thanks to his past experience fixing agricultural machines for landowners and some advice from older co-workers, he was able to pull it off. When the three arrive home, they have to deal with the fact that the three wages combined barely can cover the bills and food expenses and they have families at home to help, but they won't give up.
​
May, 1919.
The three are worried and fear being fired, their april wages were delayed and they already passed through eight days of hunger, they get another cold bath and don't even take breakfast as the three start their shifts at 6:00am and finish at 17:00pm, enduring such long workdays just because there aren't many better jobs around and they need cash to help their families since dustbowl wasn't soft for the small farmer, at least they finally receive their wages this month and decide to celebrate going for a walk in the town.
The night is pleasant, the moon makes a great company and the city lights are brighter as ever, the vehicles pass by and the people in the streets look determined to pass through the many hardships head on, the three go into a bar and drink a little but agreeing to not spend too much in only one night. Finally they decide to finish one of their few celebrative months going to the top of a green hill to reflect and talk about the future, with only the starts and the night creatures as witnesses.
​
October, 1919.
They receive the news that Nikolay's sister, Svetlana is about to give birth, after some pondering, Ivan and Viktor decide to join him and, after getting a very needed one-week leave without pay, the three make their way to the Aliev family ranch near Istront. At arrival, they found out that the baby would probably come to this world in two or three days, while Ivan and Viktor helped with the homeworks, Nikolay and the father would assist Svetlana and the midwife in any possible need.
Finally the day arrives, Svetlana sweats and screams, the baby's father and Nikolay seem to sweat even more as they distribute cigars to the family members and friends, preparing to throw a grand welcoming party for the new family member, at some point the two are called inside the room while Ivan and Viktor wait anxiously in the kitchen, after some more screaming, the midwife gives the bad news, the baby was stuck and medical help was needed, Viktor quickly called an ambulance but thanks to another heritage of the war, a destroyed infraestructure, the ambulance would take too long, Nikolay and Ivan even tried to drive Svetlana to the hospital in her husband truck but it was too late, she and the baby unfortunately died at the hospital entrance.
​
November, 1919.
It takes some time for the three to recover from such events, Nikolay, of course, was more affected then Ivan and Viktor as both start to work to ensure the payment of their bills. Rumors of a massive strike are raised through the town and Ivan decides to take part in it while Viktor is more skeptical about it.
Then, on the 11th day of the month, the strike really occurs, Ivan joins the sizeable demonstrations while Viktor stays home with Nikolay, the strike in Lucrein severely affects the industry and services companies and lasts two weeks as soon the demonstrations are dispersed, some achieve to be employed again while others not and the improvements for the workers are minimum and the scale of them differs from factory to factory. Viktor and Nikolay return to their posts while Ivan gets a job in another place.
​
December 31, 1919.
A small gathering of tired workers can be seen at the furniture factory in a New Year celebration, cheap booze and some good food are being served in two tables and the employees, foreman and even the boss himself are cheering and toasting. The three friends toast as the fireworks show starts and everyone goes to the roof to see it, Nikolay, Ivan and Viktor hug eachother and hope their future will be as brighter as those fireworks sweeping the darkness out of the sky.

I’m not sure where else to put this.
I started my career in my field almost a decade ago with an entry level position. Over that time I’ve risen up the ranks and now make barely enough on my own to support my family (partner, two kids, two dogs). By supporting, I mean I barely make enough. We can live, but not thrive.
This week my boss pulled me aside and let me know the higher ups are saying they want me to apply for a manger position once a manager we have now retires in six months. I’m the best on his team, one of the best in the entire department, and I don’t make any drama and am easy to get along with and ask for help (his words). The company I work for is good and has kept every promise so I know he’s serious. If I get it, it’s minimum a $20k annual raise.
The issue is I’m feeling disconnected. My partner tried to get a job making anywhere near what I make and couldn’t. I didn’t want this long term but it looks like I’m stuck. I can’t start over in another field because I literally support the entire family. My partner has applied to hundreds of jobs and the max offer he received was $30k less than what I make now, so it’s not like we can switch.
So of course I’ll apply when asked. I know I’ll do at least a decent job at it, and I’m glad my boss thinks so highly of me, but I just pictured my career life differently.
I hate to be the person that complains like “oh poor me I’m making good money and will make more soon” but here I am.
How can I deal with that feeling or make it go away?

Alessa loved the summer. The little place where she’d been born and raised was a boring, sleepy tree village that was all too peaceful and quiet for the young woman. Not to mention filled with the elderly and hardly populated with anyone her own age.
They lived on the edges of the land where the House of Artemis resided but Alessa had never got to really be free like her other sisters of Artemis.
Things were different when summer hit. Every year she made the pilgrimage to the capital Themyscira City for its’ countless summer festivals, all incredibly elaborate and bustling with tourists. Her first year as an adult also meant it was the first year where she could make this trek on her own and really enjoy the festivities to their fullest.
Thousands of women from all over the massive continent flocked to the capital during this time; it was always so exciting seeing all of the children playing in the rolling hills and large fields outside the city walls.
Not to mention all of the important High Priestesses and other officials who’d arrive to Themyscira City with their legions of Priestesses and other followers.
If you were lucky, you’d maybe get to see an Immortal too. Only Demi-Gods, as the Gods didn’t simply let mere mortals bask in their presence. Though considering that they were the original Amazons it was still incredibly exciting.
And in any case, the diversity of the city mixed with the diversity in tourists tended to make the Amazons forget about the…tensions between the various Houses of Themyscira.
Themyscira had once been a place to get away from the wars and squabbles of the gods, but after hundreds of thousands of years of development the continent was split between regions ruled by the different political Houses, each devoted to their own God or Goddess. Even the mortals were all descended from the Gods original creations, so Alessa supposed this made some sense.
But things had been getting worse over the past hundred years and the capital was like a powder keg even during joyous times such as these.
Alessa parked her pegasus Percy about a hundred yards from the front gates of the city, a heavy sigh left her lips as she hopelessly gazed at the hordes of people orderly making their way through the gates. Ugh, it’d probably be hours before she could get in.
She’d hoped she could have gotten there early but Percy’s wings had gone tired. Even then, he found it more fun to prance through the hills and Alessa had to chase him around for nearly a half hour.
“Ugh, this is wonderful. I’d be eating Tarhkaran Squid or watching the Daughters of Artemis marksman contest if we could only just fly over the walls. We’d likely get shot down.” The raven haired young woman rolled off Percy and collapsed onto the soft grass.
Only after a moment of rest was she suddenly greeted by the sound of heavy, thunderous steps. The Warrior Caste that belonged to Argos, home to the House of Ares. Alessa quickly jumped onto Percy and the frightened horse squealed as it pushed itself several dozen feet into the air to avoid the marching battalion of soldiers.
Their carriages were carried by several massive, gnarling beasts that were practically treated as pets where they were from. This was always the most intimidating part of the summer festivities to Alessa, representatives from the various Warrior Castes would gather together in the capital as a show of peace.
Amazons had once been a tribe of exclusively warriors in the early days, but things changed once they’d removed themselves from the violent and warmongering ways of man. For the most part.
She gazed in awe at the hardened soldiers. Black steel armor. Helmets that shrouded their faces. Blades and spears heavier than a normal person could reasonably carry. And glowing with various enchantments.
“Wh-whoa!” Alessa managed to gasp. The entire crowd of civilians parted to let the warriors through.
The Warrior Castes only seemed to show up to the capital more armed every year. She was surprised the Argosians hadn’t come with twice the artillery as anyone else just to flex their might. There really was something eery in the air this year. Some even called for the cancellation of the festivals this year. Alessa truly hoped her suspicions wouldn’t come to fruition.
………….
Hello everyone! You can call me Janglesh. My timezone is PST, I’m a 23 year old multi para writer looking to worldbuild a greek mythology setting taking place on Themyscira, home of the Amazons!
This is an idea that I’ve been really craving to explore and flesh out with someone who loves worldbuilding just as much as I do! I left aspects of the world and culture and plot a bit open so we can come up with things together, and everything is also up to change if you have your own ideas! I’d really love to contribute to this world equally with someone and conjure up a setting and story that’ll really set our imaginations on fire!
The basic setup is that thousands of years ago, the original Amazons created their own realm to get away from the war between the Gods over who controlled the human realm. Themyscira is home to only women, the descendents of the original Amazons. It is a massive, fantastical realm full of amazing creatures and magic gifted to them by the Gods.
It’s divided into several regions, each controlled by worshippers of each God. Things have been peaceful but lately there’s been growing tension.
I’d love for this to have an ensemble cast, I enjoy having multiple character types working off of each other and trying out different dynamics. Obviously we’d still each have mains that we focus on, though.
General Requirements:
•Be an adult. The roleplay will be sfw, but I’m pretty uncomfortable with writing with someone who’s not an adult.
•Be interested in conversing and discussing the roleplay, as well as mutual collaboration. Collaborating and brainstorming together makes the rp so much more fun! OOC chatter is also appreciated.
•Be detailed and multi para.
•Be willing to write multiple characters, I will do the same. We’ll have mains, but I love having side characters and stuff to make the world and story feel more three dimensional and fleshed out.
And that’s it!
DM me and we can discuss the plot and characters! Thanks for reading.

Alessa loved the summer. The little place where she’d been born and raised was a boring, sleepy tree village that was all too peaceful and quiet for the young woman. Not to mention filled with the elderly and hardly populated with anyone her own age.
They lived on the edges of the land where the House of Artemis resided but Alessa had never got to really be free like her other sisters of Artemis.
Things were different when summer hit. Every year she made the pilgrimage to the capital Themyscira City for its’ countless summer festivals, all incredibly elaborate and bustling with tourists. Her first year as an adult also meant it was the first year where she could make this trek on her own and really enjoy the festivities to their fullest.
Thousands of women from all over the massive continent flocked to the capital during this time; it was always so exciting seeing all of the children playing in the rolling hills and large fields outside the city walls.
Not to mention all of the important High Priestesses and other officials who’d arrive to Themyscira City with their legions of Priestesses and other followers.
If you were lucky, you’d maybe get to see an Immortal too. Only Demi-Gods, as the Gods didn’t simply let mere mortals bask in their presence. Though considering that they were the original Amazons it was still incredibly exciting.
And in any case, the diversity of the city mixed with the diversity in tourists tended to make the Amazons forget about the…tensions between the various Houses of Themyscira.
Themyscira had once been a place to get away from the wars and squabbles of the gods, but after hundreds of thousands of years of development the continent was split between regions ruled by the different political Houses, each devoted to their own God or Goddess. Even the mortals were all descended from the Gods original creations, so Alessa supposed this made some sense.
But things had been getting worse over the past hundred years and the capital was like a powder keg even during joyous times such as these.
Alessa parked her pegasus Percy about a hundred yards from the front gates of the city, a heavy sigh left her lips as she hopelessly gazed at the hordes of people orderly making their way through the gates. Ugh, it’d probably be hours before she could get in.
She’d hoped she could have gotten there early but Percy’s wings had gone tired. Even then, he found it more fun to prance through the hills and Alessa had to chase him around for nearly a half hour.
“Ugh, this is wonderful. I’d be eating Tarhkaran Squid or watching the Daughters of Artemis marksman contest if we could only just fly over the walls. We’d likely get shot down.” The raven haired young woman rolled off Percy and collapsed onto the soft grass.
Only after a moment of rest was she suddenly greeted by the sound of heavy, thunderous steps. The Warrior Caste that belonged to Argos, home to the House of Ares. Alessa quickly jumped onto Percy and the frightened horse squealed as it pushed itself several dozen feet into the air to avoid the marching battalion of soldiers.
Their carriages were carried by several massive, gnarling beasts that were practically treated as pets where they were from. This was always the most intimidating part of the summer festivities to Alessa, representatives from the various Warrior Castes would gather together in the capital as a show of peace.
Amazons had once been a tribe of exclusively warriors in the early days, but things changed once they’d removed themselves from the violent and warmongering ways of man. For the most part.
She gazed in awe at the hardened soldiers. Black steel armor. Helmets that shrouded their faces. Blades and spears heavier than a normal person could reasonably carry. And glowing with various enchantments.
“Wh-whoa!” Alessa managed to gasp. The entire crowd of civilians parted to let the warriors through.
The Warrior Castes only seemed to show up to the capital more armed every year. She was surprised the Argosians hadn’t come with twice the artillery as anyone else just to flex their might. There really was something eery in the air this year. Some even called for the cancellation of the festivals this year. Alessa truly hoped her suspicions wouldn’t come to fruition.
………….
Hello everyone! You can call me Janglesh. My timezone is PST, I’m a 23 year old multi para writer looking to worldbuild a greek mythology setting taking place on Themyscira, home of the Amazons!
This is an idea that I’ve been really craving to explore and flesh out with someone who loves worldbuilding just as much as I do! I left aspects of the world and culture and plot a bit open so we can come up with things together, and everything is also up to change if you have your own ideas! I’d really love to contribute to this world equally with someone and conjure up a setting and story that’ll really set our imaginations on fire!
The basic setup is that thousands of years ago, the original Amazons created their own realm to get away from the war between the Gods over who controlled the human realm. Themyscira is home to only women, the descendents of the original Amazons. It is a massive, fantastical realm full of amazing creatures and magic gifted to them by the Gods.
It’s divided into several regions, each controlled by worshippers of each God. Things have been peaceful but lately there’s been growing tension.
I’d love for this to have an ensemble cast, I enjoy having multiple character types working off of each other and trying out different dynamics. Obviously we’d still each have mains that we focus on, though.
General Requirements:
•Be an adult. The roleplay will be sfw, but I’m pretty uncomfortable with writing with someone who’s not an adult.
•Be interested in conversing and discussing the roleplay, as well as mutual collaboration. Collaborating and brainstorming together makes the rp so much more fun! OOC chatter is also appreciated.
•Be detailed and multi para.
•Be willing to write multiple characters, I will do the same. We’ll have mains, but I love having side characters and stuff to make the world and story feel more three dimensional and fleshed out.
And that’s it!
DM me and we can discuss the plot and characters! Thanks for reading.

Hi All -
We are a couple from Midwest USA who are visiting Japan from July 10th to August 1st. It will be my 2nd time to Japan, and my partner's first. I am including a bit from my first time in Japan, but a lot of new things as well - my first time was over 10 years ago and I was only able to spend a week, so merely scratched the surface compared to this go-around. Our itinerary has been scheduled so that we can hopefully be a part of some celebrations for different festivals going on: Mitama Matsuri in Tokyo, Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, and Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka. I have plotted most of this out on Google maps to form this itinerary that I think should work out, however, I am open to any help/suggestions I can get! One of my main concerns would be having something scheduled on a day it is closed, or having something scheduled on a bad day of the week, too late in the day, etc. and not knowing until we get there. I appreciate any assistance I can get, especially getting as close to our departure date as we are. Here is what I have planned so far (questions at the end):
​

• July 10: Leave from DFW
• July 11, Tokyo:
  • Late afternoon arrival
  • Pick up 21-day JR rail passes at HND
  • TA-Q-BIN luggage to hotel
  • Take Keikyu airport line to Higashi-Ginza station
  • Check into hotel.
  • Grab dinner around Higashi-Ginza station area
  • Stop by 100 yen store for a few things
  • Relax at hotel
• July 12, Tokyo:
  • Ghibli Museum
  • Inokashira Park
• July 13, Tokyo - Mitama Matsuri:
  • Koshikawa Korakuen Gardens
  • Yasukuni Shrine and surrounding area for Mitama matsuri
• July 14, Tokyo>Kyoto:
  • Check out & TA-Q-BIN luggage to Kyoto hotel
  • Shinkansen to Kyoto
  • Toji temple
  • Higashi Hongan-ji Temple
  • Check into hotel in Gojo station area.
• July 15, Kyoto - Gion Matsuri:
  • Rengeoin Sanjusangendo
  • Kiyomizu-dera
  • Hokan-ji
  • Yasaka Shrine
  • Gion
• July 16, Kyoto - Gion Matsuri:
  • Heian Shrine
  • Ginkakuji
  • Honen-in
  • MAYBE Anraku-ji if we think time will permit
  • MAYBE Reikan-ji if we think time will permit
  • Eikan-do (Zenrin-ji) Temple
  • Nanzen-ji Temple
  • Gion
• July 17, Kyoto - Gion Matsuri:
  • Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
  • Kyoto Imperial Palace
  • Nijo castle
  • Gion
• July 18, Kyoto:
  • Kinkaku-ji
  • Ryoan-ji
  • Ninna-ji
  • Kamigamo-jinja MAYBE
• July 19, Kyoto:
  • Tenryu-ji
  • Arashiyama bamboo forest
  • Jojakko-ji Temple
  • Gio-ji
  • Daikaku-ji
• July 20, Nara/Uji:
  • Higashimuki Shopping Street
  • Kofuku-ji MAYBE
  • Kasuga-taisha
  • Nara Park
  • Todai-ji
  • Byodoin
  • Fushimi Inari Taisha
• July 21, Kyoto:
  • Nothing planned yet
• July 22, Kyoto>Hiroshima, Miyajima:
  • Check out & TA-Q-BIN luggage to Osaka hotel
  • Shinkansen to Hiroshima
  • Atomic Bomb Dome
  • Peace Memorial Museum & Park
  • Bell of Peace
  • Take train to JR West Miyajima Ferry terminal
  • Ferry to Miyajima Island (Itsukushima)
  • Check into ryokan and eat dinner at ryokan
  • Maybe do some light exploring of the island
• July 23, Miyajima, Hiroshima>Osaka:
  • Eat breakfast and check out of ryokan
  • Itsukushima Jinja
  • Itsukushima Floating Tori Gate
  • Daishoin and some of the other places in this area
  • Pokemon Center on the way out of Hiroshima
  • Shinkansen to Osaka
  • Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street
  • Hozenji Temple
  • Dotonbori
  • Check into hotel in Namba area and retreive luggage
• July 24, Osaka - Tenjin Matsuri:
  • Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping street
  • Samuhara Shrine
  • Osaka Tenmangu
  • Pokemon Center Osaka
• July 25, Osaka - Tenjin Matsuri:
  • Shitennoji
  • Isshinji Temple
  • Abeno Harukas
  • Osaka Tenmangu again?
• July 26, Osaka>Tokyo; possibly Nagoya:
  • Check out & TA-Q-BIN luggage to Tokyo hotel
  • Shinkansen to Tokyo
  • Might stop off at Nagoya – not sure if time will allow/if the short time is worth it. If Nagoya stop happens:
    • Osu Shopping District
    • Pokemon Center Nagoya
    • Toyota Museum
  • Either do some light shopping in Ginza area, or go to Tsukiji Market – both are near the hotel.
  • Check into hotel
• July 27, Tokyo, Kamakura:
  • Hasedera
  • Kotoku-in
  • Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu
  • Maybe other temples/shrines in the area if there is time? (Sasuke Inari Shrine, Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine, Kencho-ji, Meigetsu-in, Engaku-ji)
• July 28, Tokyo:
  • Shinjuku
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
  • Nakano Broadway
  • Omoide Yokocho
  • Shopping in Ikebukuro
  • Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo
• July 29, Tokyo:
  • Senso-ji
  • Kappabashi Dougu Street Ueno Park
  • Pokemon Center Sky Tree
• July 30, Tokyo:
  • Shibuya
  • Konno Hachimangu
  • Shrine Meiji Jingu
  • Harajuku
  • Yoyogi Park
• July 31, Tokyo
  • Akihabara for most of the day
  • Kanda Myojin Shrine
  • Pokemon Center Tokyo DX
  • Pokemon Store Tokyo Station
  • Tsukiji Market
• August 1, Tokyo departure – We will probably have to pay all fares on this day, I think my JR Pass will be done
  • Check out from hotel.
  • If I can TA-Q-BIN checked luggage, might bring carry on backpack with me for any last minute shopping.
  • Show up to airport a couple hours early for check in
  • HND>LAX>DFW

​

• Questions:
  • Would I receive luggage same day or next in Tokyo on the first leg? (from airport to hotel)
  • Does Pokemon Center on the way out of Hiroshima on the 23rd make sense, or should I just get this out of the way on the 22nd? If I do it on the 22nd, I assume I should wait until after the museums?
  • Do I have enough time for the stop off in Nagoya on the 26th? Should I make the effort to do this, or is it not worth it in the grand scheme of things?
  • Any recommendations for my open day in Kyoto on the 21st?
  • Do you think I will have enough time for Anraku-ji and Reikan-ji on the 16th? Should I make a great effort to make time for these two?
  • Do you think I should go to Kamigamo-jinja on the 18th?
  • Where else would you recommend that I go in Kamakura on the 30th, or do I have a full plate already with the 3 I have listed?
  • Am I able to TA-Q-BIN luggage to airport too, or do I just need to haul it with me? Good chance of having 2 checked bags each on the way back (4 total).
  • What days would you say are too packed, and what would you remove from them?
  • Any other places I should go to maximize my festival experiences? Should I try to devote more times to these areas also, as opposed to the other items on my itinerary for those days?
  • Any recommendations for doing laundry in Kyoto? It will be the only hotel we're staying at that does not have washedryer. A laundry service or something is preferable, we probably won't want to stick around and do laundry.

Hi all! Just bought a new house and the magnolia tree in the front needs help. Grow zone 7A. Constant sun. Was trimmed A LOT during renovations mid-February by the previous owners in order to avoid power lines to receive permitting. Leaves are yellowed and/or spotting and constantly falling. Some are completely brown. Not flowering nearly as much as neighboring trees/not very much at all. I don’t know where to start and want desperately to keep it alive and healthy. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

28 and 35 yo black and middle eastern, good shape, tall, well endowed, mature, kinky, and experienced in group play. We take consent and safety and comfort very seriously. This is all about you and what you want.
With that said we can create any kind of scene or fantasy you want. Let’s get creative 😈
We are both east bay based but can travel throughout the bay or host in Oakland. We appreciate women of all ethnic backgrounds, but especially appreciate women who are physically active and take care of themselves. Maybe you’d want a nice erotic massage by two guys who work out and know how to relieve your tension?
Message us with a little bit about yourself and we can share pics

first off, i’m sorry in advance for posting so much in here. this place has been so lovely to vent & just tell Keegan’s story. it makes the loss feel a tiny bit less unbearable hearing all your stories as well. although i’d never wish this on anyone
Keegan passed away, rather suddenly, on June 1. i have detailed posts on my page of the timeline of events if anyone is interested in hearing more. i also wanted to link Keegan’s last report from the ER in case there’s anyone else out there who finds some relief in seeing and hearing what happened from a strictly scientific/veterinary standpoint, emotions aside. it looks like a scammy link but it’s the easiest way to share a PDF file: https://beige-franny-63.tiiny.site
the biggest questions i’m grappling with nearly a week and half later are, how & why?
how did this happen? Keegan was in incredible shape with no known cancers, ailments, etc. (besides some arthritis). hours before he started feeling unwell, he was 100% himself. and i can’t exaggerate that enough. how could in less than 20 hours could he go from just your typical senior dog to having to be put down?
if you don’t want to or haven’t read the report, essentially the neurologist was highly suspicious of a tumor within his brain that ruptured and was the cause of his rapid decline, & passing.
typing that out seems too surreal. he had a tumor in his brain that ruptured? how? even more head scratching (from my perspective of thinking he was indestructible) was he exhibited no symptoms, beyond PU/PD (excess thrust and urination) that we got treated by an internal specialist. from suspected Cushing’s disease, to diabetes insipidus, to chalking it up to “psychogenic reasons” (i.e, behavioral / mental health). we found a solution that worked. they were called DDAVP eyedrops that really gave him and us such a better quality of life these past ~2 years of his life.
but beyond that, he never showed any signs of the tumor. no seizures, no weakness in limbs, no abnormal behaviors, NOTHING! we spent Memorial Day weekend (just mere days before) walking him in parks, taking him on a picnic without an ounce of worry something was wrong.
so how could he got from his happy, curious, lovey self to death so suddenly? i did speak to his neurologist & she explained that the growth likely grew too large or even ruptured and basically led to a rapid decline. but just like that? one second he’s fine and the next it’s ruptured? i know she’s the expert who spent hundreds of thousands of dollar on her education and dedicated her life to animals, even more so with a speciality in neurology, but it just seems so unfair. and maybe because he was (and still is) the center of universes, it’ll always seem unfair. he likely couldn’t survive through an MRI or potential radiation and we had to end his suffering.
and my next question is, why? why did it have to end like this? he was 16 and lived a beautiful, long life, but we weren’t done yet. we had so much planned for the summer and beyond. why did the tumor have to rupture/bleed/spread them? he didn’t deserve that. i always thought about the end of his life as he got older in an anticipatory way, but NEVER in my life would i suspect this is how and why’d he’d go.
i know i should listen to the doctors. i spoke to his neurologist, his primary doc, a different ER doc, and even a few vets on here who have the same conclusion— there’s nothing you could’ve done more. but for some reason, i cannot accept that answer. is it my grief? probably yeah, but i feel like i have to keep chasing the answer, for him. you might think “well you have your answer right?” and logic says yes, but my heart is thinking something else had to have happened. it couldn’t be a brain tumor that was seemingly dormant for nearly 2 years. it just doesn’t add up, right?
idk, i feel like i’m losing it and everyone in my life has to keep giving me reassurance. but this vicious cycle of guilt, regret, & “what ifs” is eating me alive. i am seeking professional help to help navigate this & also am starting a support group later this week. i’m trying my best, but truthfully nothing will be able to satisfy this hole in my heart and soul. with every fiber of my being, i love Keegan so much and always will, until the day i go. i just need him to know we did everything we could for him and i hope he doesn’t feel like we failed him.
if you’ve read this post yet again. thank you, and thank you for this community existing to let us vent as freely and as vulnerably as possible. ❤️

I have paid my part of the bills and for every month including the current month, but they keep trying to tell me to get out or pack my stuff over some of the smallest things. I’m not on the lease, but I have abided by every rule including that no one can be at or near the house that they don’t know. Please help.

HELP !! I have never quit a job before therefore not sure how to write my resignation letter, I’m a 22yo female that is back from university for the summer and got a job in a local barestaurant. I have been working at the place for two months they have underpaid me recently by about 200 pound however I haven’t mentioned this to them but this was almost predictable by how disorganised this whole place is ran. I have been working on bars since I was 18 and do this as a way to get money on the side of university. The place I have been working at has a MAJOR ant infestation like crawling all over the bar over cocktail shakers matts near the ice ! They seem to not be doing anything about it except recently starting to put down some anti ant powder on the bar. They also are very disorganised making it a really stressful place to work keeping all there stock upstairs and having a bar that can only fit two staff on for a full restaurant that is normally very busy. Tonight I pulled my boss for a chat as they where overstuffed and they put me on the glass wash for hours since I had been in (I’m a fully trained barmaid yet I’m washing glasses on my own in the back for hours !!!) anyway.. I pulled him for a chat upstairs and said I’m thinking of quitting but want to do it in the nicest possible way he basically said he couldn’t give me a reference in the future and I’m completely fine with that as I have so many other bar jobs and past experience with good references but he also told me to go home and think about it and write a resignation letter !! What do I even say !!! Help

For the fifth World Cup of the season, the competition circuit headed to Brixen, Italy, where only one of the four women who have already won a Bouldering gold medal this season was registered to compete: Natalia Grossman of the USA. Veteran – and Prague silver medalist – Janja Garnbret (SLO) elected to sit out this competition to continue training.
Qualifiers
This was a high-top qualification round, with the top 15 climbers each climbing at least four of the five boulders. Three women tied for the #1 seed coming out of qualis: 1) Hannah Meul (GER) – silver medalist at Hachioji who sat out the past few comps due to illness, 2) Stasa Gejo (SRB) – who made her first finals in over ten competitions last weekend in Prague, and 3) Julija Kruder (SLO), in a somewhat-surprising result for a veteran who’s competed at the IFSC level for nearly ten years but hadn’t had a top-ten finish since Munich in 2016. Rounding out the top five were Ayala Kerem (ISR) in fourth, and Madison Fischer (CAN) and Oceania Mackenzie (AUS) in a tie for fifth. A number of finalists from prior 2023 World Cups made it to semis again, including Matsufuji Anon (JPN) qualifying in 7th, Natalia and Luo Zhilu (CHN) qualifying in a two-way tie for 11th, Seo Chaehyun (KOR) and Annie Sanders (USA) tying for 13th, and Prague bronze medalist Flavy Cohaut (FRA) qualifying in 17th. The top-20 also saw a number of season newcomers making it through to semis, including Sandra Hoffensitz (GER), Lucka Rakovec (SLO), and Italian climber Miriam Fogu, who was pleased to qualify on her “home turf.” Many in the climbing community were thrilled to see Elnaz Rekabi (IRI) come back to the competition circuit, in pursuit of her Paris 2024 dreams, after she was disciplined by the Iranian government for removing her hijab at a competition nearly two years ago.
Semis
The first three boulders of semis were powerful, overhung blocs requiring strong body tension, followed by a slab on B4 – a challenging way to wrap up a tough round in which only two climbers topped all four boulders. Natalia nabbed the top seed, followed closely by Chaehyun who was ranked second only on attempts. Stasa and Ayala both topped three boulders and qualified in 4th and 5th respectively, while Oceana and Johanna Farber (AUT) squeaked into finals with two tops each. Nakagawa Ryu (JPN) and Hannah finished in a heartbreaking 7th and 8th position respectively. Julija, after coming into semis in the top seed, had to settle for 9th.
Finals
B1 began with a run-and-jump coordination move laterally to the zone hold, followed by a mantle move from the zone to the finish hold; some competitors initially read this mantle as a second dyno. First out to climb was Johanna. She struggled to figure out the first coordination move and, after several attempts, finally managed to get the zone but was unable to figure out the second half of the problem and had to settle for a zone only. Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) figured out the coordination move on her third attempt and was the first to use the mantle beta, which worked well and gave her a top in three attempts total. Ayala Kerem (ISR) also used the mantle beta and topped in five attempts, followed by Stasa Gejo (SRB) who managed to flash the problem - much to her own delight. Seo Chaehyun (KOR) tried to rush the mantle and had to settle for only a zone, while top-seeded Natalia climbed last and topped in three attempts. With four out of six climbers ultimately getting a top on B1, rankings came down to attempts; Stasa nabbed the gold medal position with her flash, followed by Oceania in silver and Natalia in bronze (with more attempts to zone than Oceania).
B2 was a powerful, burly problem, a mixture of coordination and pinches with a steep overhang that tended to spit competitors off the wall. Johanna was shut down by the starting coordination move and was unable to even secure a zone, coming off the wall looking exhausted but happy to be competing. Oceania nailed the starting move on her second attempt by taking advantage of her height and using a more static beta than Johanna had tried – securing a zone on further attempts but unable to top before timing out. Ayala tried a more dynamic, hand-match beta and got the starting move after several attempts, finally securing a zone in the last minute before timing out. Stasa used the same static beta as Oceania did, securing a zone on her flash attempt but – like all other competitors before her – was unable to top. Chaehyun flashed the problem in an incredible display of route-reading, body control, and pure strength, putting herself back in the running for a medal after being unable to top B1. Natalia nailed the first move by nearly campusing it, flashing the problem and moving into the gold medal position (as the only climber to have topped two boulders). Stasa and Chaehyun finished B2 in silver and bronze positions respectively.
B3 was a combination slab and coordination boulder, requiring climbers to proceed laterally along a slab, jump to secure the zone, then rock up on a heel to secure the finish.Johanna topped on her second attempt, while Oceania came heartbreakingly close to the zone but was unable to secure it before timing out. Ayala topped on her third attempt. Stasa flashed the zone and nearly fell off the wall trying to dyno to the finish move, ultimately reconsidering and successfully choosing static beta to secure the finish on her flash attempt. Chaehyun flashed the problem as well – throwing down a gauntlet for Natalia, who had to settle for finishing on her fifth attempt after difficulty jumping to the zone. After B3, medal positions remained the same as B2, with Natalia in gold, followed by Stasa and and Chaehyun in silver and bronze respectively.
B4 was another powerful problem with complexities including a facing-outward start and a pocket with a thumb catch to hold a 180-degree turn. Johanna was unable to secure a zone and had to settle for a no-top round and a guaranteed sixth-place finish – her highest since placing fifth at Tai’an in 2018. Oceania topped on her second attempt after securing a crucial heel hook on the last move, coming off the wall looking thrilled with her performance. Ayala secured the pocket thumb-catch move on her flash attempt and managed to flash the rest of the problem, also looking thrilled with her performance. Stasa ran onto the stage looking confident but struggled with the pocket thumb-catch, ultimately beta-breaking on her third attempt by using the pocket as a crimp before finishing the rest of the problem successfully – and guaranteeing herself at least a third-place finish. Chaehyun flashed the problem, nearly making it look easy. Natalia needed to top the problem (regardless of attempts) to secure gold, and made it happen, flashing the problem to secure the gold and winning her second World Cup of the season. Chaehyun came in second – her highest-ever Bouldering finish – and Stasa came in third.
Up Next
The story of this season has been an uneven and inconsistent field: with climbers skipping World Cups to train for lead and/or for Olympic qualifying events, head-to-head competitions between the gold-medal climbers have been few and far between. That’ll (somewhat) change next week in Innsbruck. We’ll see three of the four 2023 gold medalists at one bouldering competition: Natalia will return, accompanied by teammate and Hachioji gold medalist Brooke Raboutou; both will be joined by Japanese climber and Seoul gold medalist Nonaka Miho. Other notable climbers registered are Luo Zhilu (CHN), Fanny Gibert (FRA), Hannah Meul (GER), Elnaz Rekabi (IRI), Laura Rogora (ITA), Mori Ai (JPN), Mia Krampl and Vita Lukan (both of Slovenia), Jenya Kazbekova (UKR), and Annie Sanders (USA). Prague gold medalist Oriane Bertone of France is currently not registered to climb.
Of note, Innsbruck’s World Cup will be a dual BouldeLead event, giving us the first opportunity to see some of the 2023 bouldering athletes' lead prowess (and a first glimpse at who the biggest lead powerhouses of the season will be). Registered climbers and names to watch on the Lead side include many of the above athletes, as well as Aleksandra Totkova (BUL), Eliska Adamovska (CZE), Julia Chanourdie (FRA), Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR), Tanii Natsuki (JPN), Janja Garnbret (SLO), and Kim Ja-in (KOR). It’s gearing up to be a great season!