hi all! My partner and I will be heading to US in Dec, and looking forward to a road trip from LA to SF!
Sorry this is a long one. Here’s some background:

• We have little experience driving in US, but we’ve had experience driving in Winter on slippery roads with low visibility.
  
• We will try to drive in the day as much as possible, noting that the sunsets around 5pm in winter
  
• We have a ‘Avis President's Club’ (automatically enrolled due to their partnership with another airline). We’ve had good experience with Avis in other countries.
  

Here’s our itinerary for reference:
Day 1 to 5: pick up car in Los Angeles Airport (Avis) upon arrival. Explore LA.
Day 5 to 9: Explore Joseph tree > Grand Canyon.
Day 9: Drive to Las Vegas (rest stop). Return rental car at Las Vegas
Day 10: Fly from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara airport. Pick up the rental car near Santa Barbara airport (Avis)
Day 11 - 13: Drive up to Big Sur (if roads are open) and Monterey.
Day 13: Drive to Yosemite
Day 16: Drive to San Francisco. Return rental car near hotel. Note: this is to save the valet parking fees which is $70/night, and we think we might not need the car the following day
Day 17: explore SF by public transport, ferry, foot. Half day at the Alcatraz.
<3rd part of trip>
Day 18: pick up rental car. Flexible plans (Muir Woods, Golden Bridge and/or Napa).
Note: we can’t return the car on Day 19 as it’s a major public holiday and most rental shops in the city are closed
Day 20: return rental car at San Fran airport
Our questions:

1. Do you think that Avis would be the best option? We’ve taken into account its wide network and our membership.
   
2. Considering the costs and weather constraints, what cars should we book for each part of the trip?
   

• Part 1 (LA, Joshua Tree Park, Grand Canyon): normal car or intermediate SUV?
  
• Part 2 (up the coast, Yosemite): Intermediate SUV. We know there’s no guarantee to reserve a 4WD/AWD, but do you have any tips on how to secure one in advance? We are worried that options at Santa Barbara’s airport might be rather limited and we might have a 2WD in Yosemite.
  
• Part 3 (SF): cheap economical car, to avoid car-theft in SF.
  

Thank you!

So I got shipped to Korea from AIT and wasn't able to get CSP so I applied in Korea for it long story short it took almost a year for approval. Wife finally arrived in April. I've been trying to fill out a smart voucher for her since she traveled on my GTC. But every time I try and go to submit its kicked back. I've gone to finance twice about the issue but they throw a "whats a smart voucher" paper at me and tell me to get lost.
I'm not sure how it works since my wife wasn't on my original orders and traveled a year later from home to Korea.
Most recent kick back was for "Incomplete Itinerary" saying it needed to reflect my AIT duty station and end with my location. But she was never at that location and traveled from an airport near her to me. So do I just lie? I feel like lying at this point is easier

I live on Fredericksburg near medical center and I work at the airport. I am not the best looking guy by any stretch of the imagination but I don't think I'm the worst looking one either. I'm just looking for someone to have fun with, specifically a cis woman or a trans woman.

So I had fast food for dinner the past two days and I'm struggling with immense guilt. Yesterday I had a spicy chicken sandwhich and large fries from Chick-fil-a. Today I had McDonald's: a 6 piece nugget, McChicken, and large fries. I even had an ice cream sandwhich for dessert.
I've been so good about not tracking calories and I've been trying to eat more but this guilt is just making me want to restrict again. I've been having intense cravings for fast food, but I think I went overboard. I still body check everyday and looking at myself I feel like I gained even though I know that's not possible in just two days. Logically I know it's just mild bloating from eating, but the ED brain does not like being logical. I think a lot of my guilt is because I used to be overweight and at one point medically obese. If you've grown up fat you forever feel like the fat kid, even when you lose weight. So when I'm not eating perfectly healthy it brings me so much shame.
I'm just hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling a lot less guilty.

Skip to the Last part for 2023 specifics reading everything would really enlighten you tho.
Location and Alliances

• Senegal is located in West Africa bordering Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Bissau Guinea and Gambia. Senegal is also part of ECOWAS ( Economic Community of West African States) and AU (African Union). ECOWAS has an economic centric objective and AU is justice and development of Africa focused.
• Every single one of the nations that border Senegal has had a military coup in its history except Senegal. Every attempt in Senegal failed and Senegal was regarded until today as a model of democracy.

French Control / Neocolonialism
Senegal was a well ruled country despite its politics being mainly ruled by France from the shadow, France hold the reserve of CFA Francs currency and print it for 15 countries. 15 sovereign nations are entirely dependent on France's currency. France also control most of their seaports and has priority in every new market offering with mandatory acceptance for these nations. Despite its many resources Senegal is a very poor country it has gold, zircon, lots of sea territory for fishing, clay and many more industry needed resources and forestry that I can adequately explain. France also has military bases in most of these countries until recently they've been kicked out by Burkina and Mali. Recently lots of Gas and Oil sources have been found in Senegal and that could change the lives of millions of Senegalese citizen (keep that in mind as you read)

Abdoulaye Wade, Macky Sall, Dirty Politics and Spiraling Debt

​

• Macky Sall is the 4TH president of Senegal, elected in 2012. Before him It was Abdoulaye Wade who was president since the year 2000. It's mainly under Abdoulaye Wade that the country started changing landscape major road construction, more and more building and a decade long plan to move the airport to a less cramped space thus giving us the AIBD Airport replacing LSS airport. A new agriculture program GOANA and many more projects.
• But it's also under Wade that nepotism got higher in his government were new ministry official position created for his "friends" in ridiculous position. A government in which Macky Sall took part and eventually became prime minister.
• With the rising nepotism the first embezzlement campaign started with ministers and deputies having safes filled with billions of cfa. For context back in 2007 a billion wasn't an imaginable number it had just became mainstream. It first rise with their own son stealing from them, then their sons and daughters traveling all over the word as new millionaires. For context their parents were poor prior to being in the government. Then arrest for drug usages, luxury car crashes. In a blink of an eye rose a new wave of billionaires and families that were above the law. Coincidentally the economic crisis of 2007 made the population even poorer in comparison.
• Politics mixing with religious figures, violence at political rallies and the birth of "nervis" basically political henchmen paid to beat opponents or whoever stand in their way and the police ignored them since they were being paid by people that were very high in the political ladder (ministers, friends of the president etc....)

3rd Mandate, Abdoulaye Wade vs The People (Macky Sall and Youssou Ndour incl.)

​

• In 2011, at the end of his 2nd mandate Abdoulaye Wade pushed for a new legislation that would make him able to push for a 3rd mandate and have his good-for-nothing son as vice-president a novelty that the people didn't welcome at all. His former Prime Minister Macky Sall and a lot of opposition political parties and social justice movements, and rappers and Youssou NDOUR (famous singer) banding together and protesting initially peacefully and gradually throwing rocks at the FDS (Forces of Security, police and Constables)

Link Archive Protest Youtube: https://youtu.be/i224i8CTB64
Link Archive Macky Sall Coallition : https://youtu.be/P_wigR7JFYY

• Macky Sall was appointed leader of the movement, and toured Senegal to present his ideas. Despite his opposition to Wade he never suffered persecution or attacks by police forces or any other charges by the justice system. However Dirty Politics was Macky Sall never physically suffered and had his constitutional rights respected. [Remember This it's relevant in 2023]
• Occasionally he would be pelted with pebbles by some people that were against his ideas but never by the police or any other FDS.
• Ultimately Abdoulaye Wade would give up and lose the election and leave graciously without anything in fact the police forces allowed the protesters to walk freely up to the gates of the Palais Presidentiel.

Hopes, Justice, Regrets and Embezzlement of Funds

• In Macky Sall, Senegalese people had high hopes, not so charismatic a leader he had a humble upbringing which inspired hope. He had worked under the previous govt and had extensive knowledge of the populations suffering, the poverty and nepotism.
• He would go on to track the people that embezzled funds under Wade's presidency : La traque aux biens mal-acquis which recovered 200 Billions of CFA Francs (305 millions euros) in 2012 according to Macky Sall's prime minister of the time Aminata Toure

Dynasty Faye-Sall, War of Gains and Scandalous Deals (Petro Tim Oil & Gas)

Then slowely but crescendo new names started popping in the government, branded as the FAYE-SALL dynasty : Macky Sall, his wife Marieme Faye and the in laws Aliou Sall and Mansour Faye.

• A war of opportunities between Aliou Sall, brother of Macky Sall and Marieme Faye, the first lady.
• Petro Tim $10 Billion Scandal Sunu 400,000
• Aliou Sall would make the news for signing scandalous deals mainly the Petro-Tim Scandal for embezzling 10 billion dollars (from here on out we will be talking in dollars because the amounts are ridiculously high). He would be accused of corruption, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and criminal association. A report by BBC and Africa Eye states that Alious Sall had also been by Petro Tim through a fictive company that he owned.
• In a statement**, Ousmane Sonko called the senegalese youth to demostrate against these scandals until appropriate measures are taken**. Another revelation of the report was the takeover of Franck Timis' group's stake in 2017 by British Company BP. Timis Corp is a firm run by Romanian-Australian tycoon Frank Timis. According to the BBC report BP had agreed to pay Timis $10 billion in royalty payments for its stake in the two blocks. Senegal's offshore oil and gas reserve have the potentiak to transform the country when they begin flowing in the next decade with volumes expected to rival some of the region's biggest producer.
• A campaign started online in which every citizen claim they are entitled to at least 400,000 CFA ($653 usd) from each of the payment that Aliou Sall received with the catchphrase << sunu 400,000>>
• Despite all of that, the judge would squash the procedure rather quickly, it helps to have your brother as president.
• Mansour Faye, The Arrogant Baron (SDE - SEN'EAU / COVID 19 Funds)
• Mansour Faye has a reputation of being a vindictive and arrogant public figure. He will first be remembered for signing a contract for water distribution through SEN'EAU with french company Group Suez killing in the process local company Sénégalaise Des Eaux (SDE) a company that oversaw the water distribution for decades.
• Mansour FAYE is also mentioned in the Cour des Comptes report regarding the misuse and embezzlement of the Covid 19 relief funds. The covid 19 relief funds was of 1000 billion CFA FRANC (over $1.6 billion USD)
• Mansour Faye's daughter studied in the US and came back portrayed as a model for the youth with her ranch and agribusiness which is an insult to the senegalese citizen who can't even afford school fees in some part their own country let alone own land and get a degree in the US. A nepobaby fed with nepotrustfunds and nepoland to build her nepomoney paid business. She said : << you shouldn't be afraid of failure>> easy to say with billions in the bank.

See here the BBC documentary that angered the Senegalese citizens: https://youtu.be/1TAN6PsxKAc

• Mansour Faye will also have some of the harshest comment when several fatal car crash happened in early 2023 in which 63 people died in 8 days. In light of the lack of regulation, the state of the roads and the laissez-aller in the transportation industry, many asked for his resignation in which he would coldly reply : << To the people expecting my resignation, they will need more stamina>>

See video here: https://youtu.be/eS8UV8EtykQ

• Which only proves their lack of empathy towards the citizens they are supposed to serve. One thing that is very common with the entire dynasty Faye-Sall is the disdain, and hatred toward the suffering and needs of the senegalese citizens.
• When people asked in 2021 for better roads and that the tollgate highway was expensive. President Macky Sall replied that: <<It is what is. If you want to drive on fancy road with no plot holes you pay and you use the tollgate highway. But we have an alternative which is the RN1 (National Road)>>

see video here: https://youtu.be/r4DHowh8KLo

• And I can't think of the countless lawsuits for defamation against anybody that tried to expose their true natures. Mansour Faye is very fond of lawsuits and has had a few in his arrogance and power he seems out of touch with reality.
• Whenever addressing the nation he would do it in a patronizing and arrogant way, so much so some people do not listen and would just read the ministry's tweets.

The others (Moustapha Niasse, Youssou Ndour, Mame Mbaye Niang...)

• As mentionned earlier Youssou Ndour was part of the coalition and protesting alongside Macky Sall against the 3rd mandate of Abdoulaye Wade. Youssou Ndour was in fact a candidate for the election but his candidacy was invalidated because his taxes. Youssou Ndour was not a law abiding tax paying citizens according to reports of that era.
• Taxes that he never proved having paid, he would later join Macky Sall's government as Minister-Adviser. Yet another nepo-position in which he will bask in even more riches and allegedly not paying his taxes.
• The most notable thing about him is how loud his silence is regarding every protest against the current regime, in 2021 and 2023.
• You can see him in this video actively protesting in 2011 along with the M23 movement: https://youtu.be/H0hZhNKLUXg
• Moustapha Niasse, the political dinosaur born in 1939 he has been invested in politics as early as 1970 and has been part of every government since. Nothing notable about him beside him clinging to a hope of becoming president he has always been at side of the regime even when the regime is unjust and flat-out wrong. Nothing to say beside good riddance in September 2022 his term as President of Congress ended. He will be remembered for turning the Congress into a shitshow where legislation from Macky Sall passed as will.
• Mame Mbaye Niang the good-for-nothing turned billionaire he was a protestor in 2011 you can see him here protesting at the gate of congress (the coward in brown shirt and jeans who fled when the cop came close) : https://youtu.be/nklxXTZF_no
• A report by the IGF (General Inspection of Finances) revealed how funds have been embezzled once again by a small group of political figure in which we count Mame Mbaye Niang (then minister of Youth, Employment and Infrastructure) and his close friend Ibrahima Cisse; The funds amount to over $800,000 USD (517,864,401 CFA Francs) for the PRODAC project which earned him the nickname Mbaye Prodac. A project that should have created 180 000 jobs provided only 1500 between 2014 and 2018. Coincidentally Mame Mbaye Niang became a billionaire in the same period.
• Ousmane Sonko would go on to make that report public by accusing Mame Mbaye Niang of stealing from the State and the citizen. A deficit of 178,500 jobs from the PRODAC project is beyond criminal knowing that Unemployement Rate of the active population in 2018 was of 14,3% according to the National Statistics Agency (ANSD)

The Claws of France gripping harder

• Between 2012 and 2023, the arrival of French companies surged to a new high with Auchan and Carrefour competing directly with local businesses at lower prices due to allegedly lesser taxes, SEN'EAU killing SDE for water distribution.
• Major civil engineering projects being given to french companies such as Eiffage. In fact EIFFAGE, ALSTOM, SYSTRA and SNCF together built the TER (Train Express Regional) an airport rail link of only 36km for the first part already built for the price of over $1 billion USD (656 billions CFA) a project the government is really proud of.
• The project is putting Senegal in even greater debt since Senegal only funded the project with 142.5 billion cfa and 3 loans from La Banque Islamique de Développement (196 billion CFA), l'Agence Française de développement et le trésor français (196.5 billion CFA) and la Banque Africaine de Développement (120 billion CFA)

Harder Living Conditions

• With inflation, soaring prices of virtually everything such as housing, house essentials, food, transportation and gas...
• Under equipped school with huts as classrooms in some remote region of Senegal Abris Provisoire au Sénégal
• The NGO workers are gentrifying Dakar these people who are supposed to work socially on topics of poverty, are the one actually escaping poverty they are in Dakar partying spending lots of money in places raising significantly the cost of leaving.
• Under equipped hospitals with aging/failing equipment as in Kedougo where a small outpost with barely nothing it's not covid 19 that kills people rarther illnesses that can easily be cured in bigger cities such as malaria, transport of patients is also a huge challenge with patient being transported to bigger hospitals 200 or 300km away with no ambulance rather horse-drawn carts. The same problem in several regions of Senegal. In contrast, the political figures leaving the country every now and then to get medical treatment in France or the US. A symbol of their own failure in building anything important in this country.

The Rise of Ousmane Sonko

• Ousmane Sonko is a former Chief Tax Inspector in Senegal and advocate for reformation of the Senegalese Tax System. He was fired from his position as Chief Tax Inspector for being a whistleblower in many cases of fund embezzlement of High Profile Politicians (Aliou Sall, Mame Mbaye Niang...)
• He would go on to engage in politics and became the youngest candidate to run in 2019 at 44 years old. He rose to fame in politics among the youth due to his credentials as chief tax officer and the overall ethic in his work as mentioned by many of his former colleagues. A man who turned down bribes from the biggest companies in the countries and focused on his duty. The narrative is beautiful and confirmed itself as years passed and people learned more about him. He finished 3rd in 2019 as a newbie in politics.
• An even bigger achievement when you learn about the vote manipulation in the 2019 elections as exposed in Story Killers with the employment of Team Jorge a disinformation for hire company. Ousmane Sonko was victim of gigantic smear campaign with fake documents and false claims.
• See the documentary titled : #StoryKillers: A deep dive into 'Team Jorge', the disinformation mercenaries operating worldwide
• With Ousmane Sonko rising to be the candidates of the youth (over Half of the senegalese population) several attempt at destroying his reputation took place, he would be labeled a liar until the LGE, IGF and BBC report are published.
• Ousmane Sonko became Congressman made fierce speeches in which he called out the disrespect towards Senegalese citizens by which the congress dealt with important matters. Congress was a place of chit-chat and arguments where the political affiliation was the only thing that mattered to any of the parties involved and occasionally throwing hands (fighting)
• He also authored a book called Solutions in which he advances many ideas to push this country forward, economically and socially with an emphasis on education, economy, health and employment.
• Mame Mbaye Niang would accuse him of defamation in the PRODAC case;
• He also exposed the excessive cost of the TER Project.

Macky Sall's 3rd Mandate, Sonko-Adji Sarr, 2021 Protests

• Macky Sall' 3rd Mandate
• Macky Sall is ineligible to a 3rd successive term as stated in the Article 27 of the constitution of Senegal "Nul ne peut faire plus de 2 mandat consécutifs"
• Macky Sall served a 1st term of 7 years from 2012 to 2019 but in 2016 a referendum took place in which the presidential term would go down from 7 to 5 years. Taking effect after his first term in case he get re-elected.
• Having nearly served his 2nd Term 2019 - 2024 (we are in 2023) he eluded a 3rd term trying to loophole his way into a 3rd term using the Article 27 claiming that it's his first mandate of 5 years. Which is wrong the Article 27 existed way before the 2016 referendum and it is explicitly states that no-one can do 2 more than 2 successive term.
• Curfew and Police Brutality
• In 2020 mask mandate is effective and a curfew is established, which made life very difficult for workers who had to commute. The police officers used extreme violence to enforce it. Beating people who were out at curfew with sticks making them crawl on the floor. While the population suffered inside, the rich politicians and their family hosted private parties outside
• When the first Vaccines arrived in Senegal, the first Lady Marieme Faye hosted a private vaccination party at her residence with no respect of masks or crowd control this angered people
• That was the last straw people started burning tires and protesting for the removal of this stupid curfew which they are the only one to suffer from
• Additional context: In Senegal a lot of houses don't cook dinner they buy porridge to local (diaykatou fondé/thiéré/thiakri) that sell at night from 8pm to 12pm. These cheap porridge is what feed lots of people in poor neighbourhood a bowl filled with nourishing food for 100 to 200f cfa. Some houses are overcrowded with over 20 individuals in a 2 story building during summer these people stay outside with their friends and relatives there is a sense of community and togetherness. They only leave for bedtime. The houses cramped and it gets really hot in the summer (up to 35° c / 95°F)
• Sonko-Adji Sarr
• In 2020, during the Covid 19 pandemic, Ousmane Sonko is accused at first of Rape with Threats at gunpoint by a worker at a massaging place he is a customer of. He says it's a conspiracy to make him ineligible for the 2024 elections in which Macky Sall want to be part of.
• Then discrepancies started growing, the medical examination disproved any trace of sexual violence, the officer (Captain Touré) to which the complaint was filed smelled a political conspiracy and fled. Adji Sarr the alleged victim is first believed by a portion of the population but as she goes from reporter to reporter saying different things here and there the growing sentiment of empathy turned to disdain because to many she was definitely lying.
• The case would be ongoing for 2 years 2020 to 2023 and Sonko would be proven non guilty on the counts of Rape and Death Threats since no proof or witness were presented. Everybody that went on to speak would disprove in a way or another the claims of Adji Sarr. The medical official, the officer and her coworkers, boss and his husband. BUT despite all of this Ousmane Sonko is sentenced to 2 years of prison for "corruption of youth".
• Throughout the case, Ousmane Sonko has been held at home by the police not letting him go out, he was kidnapped twice by the police while he was touring the country and forcefully taken home and every supporter of Ousmane Sonko has been labelled a terrorist or an MFDC member.( A very dangerous claim that could turn this conflict into an ethnic war. The southern people are remarquable people and the stigma of separatism they are labeled with could be very dangerous.)
• Protest erupted in march 2021 which beyond Sonko's mistreatment was a protest for everything that is wrong in the country like the Gilets Jaune in France. The police started shooting live rounds, one victim in particular Cheikh Wade is shot in the while he waved his senegalese flag by a police officer in Parcelles Assainies (Dakar) the 2 day protest would make 14 victims, 14 civilians killed.
• Mansour Faye would go on to declare that "Occult forces" are responsible of the 14 dead civilians.

Amnesty International Article : https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/senegal-one-year-after-march-2021-families-demand-justice

2023 Protests

After sentencing Ousmane Sonko to 2 years of prison, he is at first kidnapped while he travelled back home from Ziguinchor occasionally touring the country ,held at home and the people are out protesting to end this masquerade, for Macky Sall to either leave Sonko alone and finish his 2nd term or to leave the country altogether.
There's already 600 political prisoners before the protest.
The police shot live rounds, beat up and runned over several people.
And a new type of tear cas that can blow your limbs.
The people are fighting for a better future. Macky Sall doesn't care about Senegalese people. Senegalese so desperate for a better future that many died at sea on shipwrecks trying to reach europe on rafts or canoes.
In 2019, 210 senegalese people died in the mediteranée trying to reach europe because there's nothing left of hope of a better future in thish country, in novembre 2020, 414 senegalese people died at sea trying to ge to europe according to IOM
The 2023 protest showed an escalation of violence from the police, the constables and the 'nervis' these paid militias that have gone increasingly violent with machetes and semi automatic rifles and handguns. Fighting along side the police they have killed 28 people officially many were shot.
The Freedom to tour the country that Macky Sall was offered by Abdoulaye Wade is what Macky Sall is denying Ousmane Sonko.
The 3rd mandate that Macky Sall thought for is what he is denying us all.
Abdoulaye Wade never asked for the police to shoot at civilians, under his presidency killing in broad daylight wasn't a thing, he may have been a bad tyrant but Macky Sall infinitely a hating arrogant good for nothing that is acclaimed as Political Genius a lapdog if anything.
A warzone atmosphere against unarmed civilians.
The government issued an order for the internet to be cut off
Everybody is using vpns to keep the outside informed. Today, June 4th the mobile data were cut off only wifi network worked in order to keep protesters at home.
A terrible rumour that spent chills down my spine earlier today a senegalese citizen called on live tv saying he saw DEAD BODIES IN REFRIGERATED TRUCKSS BEING THROWN AT SEA near the Diamalaye Beach. The senegalese citizens are enquiring about it. Some people have confirmed through text but I am yet to believe it until photo or video proof is shown. We are talking about mass execution I will not believe it until I see proof of it.
This a very long and tedious thing to write and I'm doing it because I am afraid the Senegalese people will be cut off from the world and die in the dark.
The sound of an entire nations going silent is something I have witnessed once and I hope I never do.
ECOWAS took a neutral stance may the wrath of God be upon them.
For once in my lifetime I wish for Military Coup if it means the killers will be stopped. Please save the longest lasting WEST African democracy.
Please Spread the word under #FreeSenegal. A senegalese fearing for his freedom.

I recently came across a post about an expat who participated in a night wedding. After reading the accounts I began to do research on my own. Not because I believe in any of that stuff. I'm a magician after all. Illusion is my bread and butter. And I can detect trickery better than most. Which in my line of work has its benefits. But old traditions are the best places to pick up new techniques. Old ways that are new to others that delight and even scare people. Because, if I can make them afraid. Make them look away. For even a second. I can pull off some astounding magic.
My gig at the cruise line was coming to an end as we neared the port of Shanghai. And for my last several shows, where I'd normally start to include my greatest tricks in order to leave a lasting impression. I developed a new act that I called "The Sneaky Bride", it involved a mannequin in a wedding dress, a beautiful train, veil, flowers on the ground - the whole nine yards some would say. The trick was that the bride would sneak bites as my assistants who are dressed as servers pass by with their trays.
I begin the trick by placing a mannequin center stage for all to see so that they know it's a dummy. I show them there are no holes, and the entire thing is solid. Then we dress it up and set the stage for a wedding. And with a bit of lighting, another assistant switches places with the mannequin and is being fed under the veil. We later changed it to more slight of hand techniques as the assistant complained she wasn't able to chew fast enough as the items of course have to get larger and larger for comedic effect as the guests were wowed by the disappearing act as the fake wedding progressed.
At the end we even invited the unmarried men up to the stage and then threw out a fake bouquet, and watched them clamber over each other in good fun to catch it. The act was an instant hit and had the crowd roaring every night. Which was why I decided to take a firsthand look at the original, and see if there were any other staging techniques I could learn from this old tradition.
With some help from Bing and its ChatGPT features I was able to get a relatively good idea of where it was practiced. So I booked the next flight out to begin my quest for a real night wedding.
Upon arrival at my hotel, I asked the concierge for information about the local practice.
"Yes. I know of this one. We practice it often for children who were taken too early."
"But they are all scams?"
The concierge smiled, "In most cases the pouches mean no harm, and they're simply for families who want to provide peace for themselves and to complete a lasting tradition. Sometimes the dowries are quite lucrative as well, and it is the families who are scammed by those who go and collect these ghost wives as concubines. We call it a blue procession for the trail of ghosts the husband leaves behind wherever he goes." He leans in, "But between you and me? They're mostly all scams."
I laughed, and I can't stress this next part enough, tip your concierge! Which I did. "Thank you, and also. Do you know where I could get a good start on finding more information about these ghost dowries? Or even find one of these pouches myself?"
"The temple down this first street to the left, about half a kilometer, would be a good place to start. But finding a pouch is a bit more difficult as they pop up sporadically. However, if traditions are to be believed it is the pouch who chooses the spouse."
I thanked him again and began to make my way through the early morning rush toward the temple. The streets were lined with open markets full of food from local farmers, which were common in the morning in this part of the world. They would disappear before the afternoon and then return again to sell wares at night when it was cooler. It made the city feel as if it were breathing as the locals rose and ebbed outside with day and night.
On my way, I searched the ground and around alleys for loose pouches. But I had no such luck by the time I arrived at the temple. Large red pillars that were thicker than any tree I've personally had the pleasure of meeting held up the high ceiling. Inside, the locals were already starting to disperse as the work hours were amongst us. Which left me nearly alone in this temple at about 8:00 in the morning.
A monk or priest was kneeling on a mat in front of a wooden shrine, throwing pieces of wood in the shape of dumplings on the floor. I waited patiently for him to finish. Taking in the sights and the delicate features of the temple. When he rose I approached him.
"You don't speak English by any chance do you?"
He smiled.
"What about the middle tongue?" I asked in Mandarin.
"Oh," he seemed surprised. "Yes. How may I be of assistance?"
"What were you doing just now?"
He held out his hand and showed me two red wooden pieces that were, with closer inspection, in the shape of moons. "Jiaobei," he told me. "We use these to seek divine guidance."
"How does it work?"
The monk shows me the two sides, one was smooth and flat, the other side rounded. "You ask a question and then throw it on the ground. One block flat and one block round, means yes. Both blocks showing round means no. Or depending on the question. Anger from the Gods. Or crying in sadness as it is commonly known. And finally, both blocks showing flat means laughter. Which could mean a number of things." He hands them to me, "You throw it three times to get a better answer."
"I'm guessing if it's the same all three times, the answer is definitive?"
The monk nodded.
"Will I..."
"Ah ah ah, in silence."
I didn't want my first question to be too convoluted or difficult. So I kept it simple and asked if I was a good magician. Then I threw the Jiaobei on the floor. It clattered and rolled on its rounded back, showing two flat sides.
The monk smiled.
"That usually happens the first time anyone tries Jiaobei. But in my experience, it generally means you asked a pure question."
"What happens if I didn't ask a pure question and it came back as angry?"
"The gods will remember it. They will remember you."
"No bad first impression then huh," I whispered under my breath. "Okay. Do I need to throw it two more times or can I ask a different question?"
"You may ask a different question or throw it twice more."
"What is my name?" I threw it on the floor. And to my surprise, as the ends are pointed and difficult to balance, one of the damn things stood tall and erect.
The monk bowed to the pieces. "Truly you have been picked by the gods to be answered. Lijiao or a standing answer like this is uncommonly rare. The gods generally choose to laugh at a nonsensical question. And often get angry if you throw it two more times. And rarely do they ever answer ones asked aloud."
I bent forward, skeptical, though a temple this was, at how the thing worked. In my head I could only think that the switchboard guy was quick on his feet. But looking around I couldn't find any cameras. Though in this day an age, they're made smaller than a fly. So it was difficult to tell. I picked up the pieces, feeling for any sense of magnetism, but there were none.
I asked one last question before I left that day. I asked their gods, would I find the real deal? And I threw it on the ground three times. All three times it came up yes. But for two months I scoured the city, and the country side. And I did chance upon several pouches. Some were obviously scams as I watched each bag carefully before approaching. Especially noticeable are the ones in the city which would be laying on the sidewalk, filled with bills for people passing by. But I observed that if a local went to go pick it up, two or three men from around the corner would come and threaten him to put it back. But if a foreigner picked it up, an old man or woman would come and start calling them son before leading them away.
There were of course others that were genuinely following tradition. I chanced upon several of them and was married several times. But each one was playful almost. And performed by their parents in the day. Leaving me with several small bags of pocket change, a good dinner, as I went on my way.
During one of these fake night weddings I even saw a child playfully munching on a corn cob in the corner under one of the tables as I fed the effigy they constructed of my fake bride. Which was when I think I decided to call it quits. Believing that I'd never find the real deal. Although I did learn a lot as tradition can be translated by me into performance. Which helped me ground 'The Sneaky Bride' act further. All in all, this was time well spent.
My visa was coming to an end and I had mostly been enjoying the sights, the city, and their way of life. When on one the last day, as I was leaving from a faraway eatery that the concierge had recommended, that I saw a red pouch made of silk with a thick yarn around its throat, stuffed full of money. I looked around and didn't see a single person there, nothing except flat farmland and water gullies for miles.
Odd, I thought to myself, as it looked truly abandoned.
For a second I played with the idea of picking it up. Wondering if somehow a relative of the deceased would pop up magically next to me and I could change the world of magic by studying their technique. But I didn't want to spend my few hours chasing ghosts. I wanted to enjoy my time. So I kept walking.
I got back to the city and spent the remainder of my day eating and drinking, meeting new friends at the bar, newfound lads who I invited a hundred times to visit me in Melbourne one day. Who all agreed that if fate ever brought us back together we would drink until the sun rose. So yeah, I was fairly drunk when I got back to my hotel room, and didn't believe what I saw when I opened the door. It was a red pouch sitting on my coffee table.
"Someone's trying to play a trick on me," I mused. "They must have heard me talking at the bar." I circled the table studying the pouch. Any magician worth his smoke, likes a good bag. So there was no doubt to me that this was the same one I saw earlier. Which made me start putting two and two together. "It must be the concierge. He's the one who sent me out that far." I laughed and picked up the bag, even though I knew the rules. I opened it and thumbed through the bills. "It's much more than what I tipped him. Much more." Curious, I wondered what he would have done if I didn't return this to him. It must have been quite a few months worth of wages. I threw the bag up in the air and caught it as if I were juggling before I tossed it on my nightstand. "I'm going to let him sweat for a little bit and pretend I didn't find it tomorrow as I check out," I mused as I went to go take a shower.
I opened the door and felt the words stick to the roof of my mouth as the bag appeared on the counter next to the sink. I shot a glance back to the nightstand and indeed the bag I had just thrown on there was missing.
"This is a good fucking trick. That, or I'm drunker than I thought." I started questioning did I somehow fall asleep beforehand? Or walked into the bathroom and put it there as I mused my little scheme of making the concierge nervous at the lost pouch? Had I somehow in my drunken state done something without realizing it? No. That couldn't be it. I touched my chest to check my heart rate and put my fingers on my face. A bit flushed, but heart rate adequate. I was fine for the most part. Just drunk.
I looked at the pouch on the counter, and peered gingerly into the bathroom as if I've never stepped foot in one, before deciding to grab the bag and close the door. "Okay," I said loudly. "Whoever's doing this. Come on out." Of course no one appeared, not that I expected them to because the credo I lived by is that a good magician never reveals his trick.
"Okay, let's see how good you guys really are," I mused. Going over to my closet and placed the pouch on the shelf. Closing the door. Then I went back to the bathroom and opened the door. It was empty. I checked the nightstand drawer, mpty. I looked all over, and it was still mty. I breathed a sigh and went over to the closet door, "I guess you're just a bag after all." Except when I looked inside. MT. I couldn't find the bag behind any other nook or cranny. I know, I checked them all. And they were all .
I stumbled backwards and looked around, glancing at the ceiling corners in case someone had crawled up there. And even looked under the bed. But there was no one else here. I felt my chest tighten as I tried to make sense of what was happening. "Its got to be the walls I reasoned." And so for the next half hour I scoured the entire room with my hands, pushing, pressing, pulling anywhere and everywhere I could. Using all my years of experience to figure out what was going on. But there was nothing.
I couldn't stay in that room another minute so I rushed outside and nearly stepped on it! The bag! It was right at the foot of my doorstep.
My mind tried to wrap around how that was possible, "It's got to be a dupe. They've got more than one bag. I've been had, that has to be it. And the furniture inside, they have secret compartments. God, they really put a lot of effort into this," I laughed. "I have to know how this trick is done." So I opened the pouch and pulled out the note inside.
The notes generally contained their name, their current would-be age (she was 20 this year, older than most), what time they were born (8:07), a picture if they had one (she did), and how old they when they died (5). If the deceased were a bit older, perhaps a tidbit from their family is included about their personality. But most importantly, it always contained their address.
I looked at my watch, it was late and my flight was in the morning but perhaps I could still make it. So I gathered the rest of my things, my luggage, the mannequin for my act, and other bag of tricks in case I needed to go to the airport right after. "Come on," I yelled out loud to my pranksters. "Let's go see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."
I went down to the lobby and had the front desk call me a cab. I looked around for the concierge but he was nowhere to be found. So I left a note for him. And then left.
The cab drove until the city faded away. We were practically on the other side of the island by the time its tires skipped to a stop. I got out and knocked on the giant half circle doors of the address. I noticed that we were deep in the countryside. There were hardly any lights dotting the night.
I knocked several more times before I heard shuffling behind the door. And then it opened. An old man stood in front of me in his drawers.
"What do you want," he asked angrily. "Do you know what time it is?"
"I'm sorry for disturbing you at such a late hour. But," I pulled out the pouch. And his eyes widened up.
"Meju-eh. You're back." He looked at me up and down. "What are you supposed to be," he asked but then shook his head. "No, no. Come in. Come in, please."
"I don't have much time," I told him. "I have to leave in the morning."
"Sit, sit." He ushered me to a chair in the courtyard.
I placed the bag on the table next to it, "I have a flight in the morning, so if we're going to do this. We have to do it now."
Instead of fighting me, he nodded, "Yes. I agree. I don't have much time either. And Meju-eh is older than most ghost brides. The bull demon might not let her through his gets if she gets any older. And then she'll be a husbandless spinster for eternity." He ushered around, "We don't have many living relatives either. So it shouldn't be too troublesome to hurry this along." He called into the house and a young woman came out, "This is my granddaughter. Ah-ahn. Meju-eh's older sister. They were close as children."
Ah-ahn was quite beautiful. I almost couldn't take my eyes off of her.
"Go and start preparations and rouse anyone you can get a hold of. We must have the wedding tonight. Even if it isn't grand as I would like."
"Will we make it in time," I asked. "It's a lot of work for one person. Perhaps I could help?"
The old man nodded, "That's a good idea. But forgive me, I must retire for now. Or else have no energy for the wedding." He turned to his granddaughter, "Fetch me when the preparations are ready." As he left us alone in the courtyard.
"What can I do," I asked her.
"We're going to need flowers for decoration."
I pulled a rose out from behind her ear, "I happen to have a case of these on hand at all times." I put the flower in her hair.
She smiled, "Thank you."
"What else?"
"Um, we already have tables for family gatherings. There should be enough food in the freezers that we can just heat up. I need to call my aunt to come help. And wake up some of the kids. Also...we kind of need a statue of some sort, as a stand-in for my sister."
"Statue? I think I have just the thing."
Hours went by and it was the dead of the night, but watching all the people bustling around the courtyard, the kids in excited whispers, you'd never guess that all of us should have been sleeping. Soon the tables were set, the food was hot, even the decorations were strung, and I had procured my mannequin from my luggage and a few of the menfolk were putting it together inside the main living room.
Several times I found myself laughing and having a good time with the others, although chasing that hen made me look quite ridiculous, and several times I bumped into Ah-ahn and we would talk and exchange a few words. In the beginning she talked mostly about her sister. How she was troublesome as a child. Always hiding things. I told her about the pouch appearing and disappearing in my hotel. And we both had a good laugh. Eventually we talked about ourselves. I learned she wanted to get away from here, "To see the world," she told me. The more we talked the closer we got. I could feel it. Soon we were bumping into each other just to feel our bodies touch. But before anything else transpired the wedding preparations were complete.
The old man was retrieved from his bedroom and everyone gathered outside in the courtyard, looking into the main living room. There was a wooden shrine in the back of the room and the mannequin had been traditionally dressed. From an old box the grandfather retrieved several personal items that belonged to Meju. And I was then asked to enter the living room.
The grandfather said a few words, and then gave us his blessing. Ah-ahn handed me a bowl of sticky rice ball soup. I had been through this process before and knew what to do. I ate one of the pink balls and then went to go feed my new bride.
Now I've traveled with this mannequin for some time. Seen it at a dozen of my own shows. Slept with it in the room. Knew that it was in fact a dummy for all intents and purposes. However, as I started moving my spoon toward it. I swear I saw it's chest rise as if it were breathing.
I couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol ebbing away from earlier or a trick of the light. But even its shoulders looked softer than usual. My hand started shaking as it got closer to her mouth. It was like watching an out of body experience as the spoon inched under her veil. And then the CRUNCH. It scared the fucking shit out of me. I looked around hoping to see some kid in the corner playing a dumb joke. But there were none. And I didn't believe what I was seeing even as the veil started moving as her jaws chewed the sticky material back and forth.
"No way," I shook. "There's just no way." My hand was so close to the veil. "Oh God. Please. I have to know how this is done." I ripped off the veil.
Meju looked very much like her picture. But older. And then older. And older. As if her face was starting to rot away as it contorted. People behind me screamed. The lightbulbs we had strung popped. Kids were running around and the grandfather fell to the floor clutching his heart.
I backed away, the spoon clattering to the ground as I watched the mannequin crick and crack as its arms and legs bent in a tangled mess until it was walking on all fours!
The thing grabbed the bent down to the grandfather and started chewing!
I turned around and saw the other guests were piling out of the courtyard. The tables were upturned and only the dim crescent light of the moon bore down on us. Everyone was screaming trying to get out. I ran and bumped into Ah-ahn. She whirled terrified and then realized it was me. She yelled, "You never! Look at the bride before it's time!"
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I thought it was a trick!"
She grabbed her face, her nails leaving streaks behind as she clawed at her skin, "Now she's going to kill every living blood relative. And then you." Ah-ahn laughed manically. "She's going to torture you!"
The people kept pushing around us until we got separated. Her final words still ringing in my ears as I took to the dirt road outside and started running. I ran for nearly a mile before I spotted a cab sitting outside of someone's house. I banged on their door and then begged them to take me to the airport. Throwing at them all the money from the dowry.
When I arrived at the airport I hurried through the TSA. Relieved at the lights and normal looking people. I boarded my flight. Tapping my foot nervously the entire time, staring out the small squarish window as we prepared to take off. The sun was starting to rise as the engine roared. I took one last look at the island as we flew away. Still trying to catch my breath at what I had just caused.
My mind was reeling as I heard two knocking noises, they sounded oddly familiar, and for a second I thought that Meju had finished with her family and had somehow come boarded. But then I realized the noise was coming from my carry-on. I reached inside and pulled out two red shaped crescents that the Monk at the temple had given to me. And I realized that if I ever needed any form of divine guidance this was it.
So right there in the tiny aisle. I asked the gods if I had escaped and threw the Jiaobei.
No.
I asked the gods if I would be safe.
No.
I asked them would Meju kill me.
Both flat.
Both flat.
Both flat.
s

Hi everyone! Got a text from my local cfa saying that they want a phone call interview. Any important questions or anything to know? And, what happens after? Thanks!!

Hello everyone! I am a 23M and at some point I would like to take a week (maybe longer?) to explore the Donner Party Memorial state parks and places related to the Donner Party. This is going to be my very first solo trip and I have just begun planning. In short I don't entirely know what I'm doing and would like some tips. I think I am most worried about navigating the airports and security. If there are things to do near Trukee Lake/Donner Memorial State Park, I would love some suggestions! I want my trip to be 7 days so I think I would like more to do besides Donner Part-related stuff.
Also if you have tips that would make my trip easier, that would be greatly appreciated
Thanks!

Have some time to finally write a trip review for Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii for my honeymoon in December 2022 for two weeks. Mid December and left for home on Christmas Day. This was our first time redeeming cc points for anything, so lots of trial and error and lessons learned.
My wife and I had gotten married in October and were actually not planning going on honeymoon until Spring 2023 until we researched further and managed to make December 2022 work in our favor. We started planning and booking reservations TWO months before our trip. We are very fortunate to have done it in that time span and managed to make almost everything work out.
IAD - DTW - SEA - OGG on Delta, First Class One way.

• First time using a lounge ever was at DTW. We had access to the Sky Club there. Pretty good food here, very roomy. No time to lounge in Seattle
  
• only I used points for this one way flight. Transferred 95,000 Amex points to Delta. Wife paid $958 before tax for hers through the Amex travel portal. I think she got a steal as I had written on a note somewhere that the cash cost was $1533 through Delta directly but cannot remember if that was the increased price after purchasing the tickets or at time of purchase, otherwise it would have been 1.61 CPP.
  
• Very nice service in first class. Abundant alcohol and food was very nice as well.
  

Maui
Day 1
Got to Maui late in the night and picked up our rental car, a Chevy Equinox, with Enterprise. Used my Hilton Aspire to get 7x points.
One night at Courtyard Marriott by the airport and paid $500.
It was the best we could do with our timing.
Day 2 - 6
Breakfast and lunch was by the food trucks near Costco. Shopping nearby for supplies for our vacation.
Meals (Costco food trucks):

• Mo 'Ono Hawaii acai bowls
• Da Nani Pirates fish tacos
• fresh coconut water

5 nights at the Grand Wailea - 440,000 HH points
Left to check into our resort the Grand Wailea in Wailea. Both the wife and I are Hilton Diamond members. Mine through the Hilton Aspire and she has status through actual stays. We booked these nights through her account and using all Hilton points. Each reward night was 110,000 points and we got the 5th night free. So 440,000 points total.
This resort was huge and immaculate. Words can describe how nice this place is and the customer service is SUPERB. Literally, the best we have ever experienced. You only have to see and experience it for yourself. My wife and I still talk weekly about the Grand Wailea.
We booked the Terrace View - 1 King Bed as the Standard Night Reward and upon arrival we were upgraded to the Deluxe Ocean View - 1 King Bed in the Molokini wing. Breathtaking views! Avg cash price so this room type is around ~$988 before taxes, fees so it comes to 0.89 CPP (if not including taxes, fees in the total). All meals, incidentals, shopping, and experiences were put onto my Hilton Aspire. Daily food and beverage credit was $25 each for the two of us and used usually at their divine but pricey breakfast buffet. No resort fees charged for booking with points which saved us hundreds of dollars. We immensely enjoyed ourselves at this resort and the lush, manicured surrounding area.
Meals:

• Lineage Maui. A favorite in the Wailea area
  
• Morimoto - Maui. Getting the sticky ribs is a must. As well as the ishi yaki buri bop. The guy won Iron Chef because of that, apparently
  
• Wolfgang Puck's Spago at the Four Seasons. Got the best seat in the house here. Get the "Poke" cones and Hawaiian snapper
  
• Mama's Fish House. Literally the hardest restaurant to get on Maui. Must reserve 4-6 months in advance. I called two months before our trip and managed to get a table for the two of us for late lunch. We arrived and we got the best seat in the house overlooking the water! Shout out to Mike for his superb service.
  
• Lahaina Grill. Another favorite for tourists and locals
  

Experiences: renting a cabana at the Grand Wailea pool, spa day at the Four Seasons with outdoor hale beachside, Wailea Beach, hiking Twin Falls, Baby Beach, Haleakala National Park
Day 7 - 8
Two nights at the Hotel Wailea, Relais & Chateaux using Amex FHR.
Paid total ~$3400 for the One bedroom, Luxury Suite, Ocean View. Unfortunately, no upgrade upon checking in. Hotel was sold out. Daily breakfast in the form of $30 credit per person and $100 food/bev credit given through the FHR. This stay triggered the $200 FHR credit for my wife's Amex Plat
Quiet, small resort, adults only. We enjoyed our stay here and loved our room. Bed was harder than what we were use to and it was far from the beach. Otherwise we loved the restaurant and the ability to "get away". One of the top hotels in Maui and all of Hawaii. Price tag to boot.
Meals:

• The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea. Another great dinner watching the sunset
  
• Leoda's Pie Shop. Any pie is great, get the banana cream though. Lines out the door
  
• Merriman's Maui. Another top-notch restaurant with hard to get reservations. One of my personal favorites the whole trip. Another sunset dinner favorite
  

Experiences: cabana and pool day at Hotel Wailea, spa day at Montage Kapalua Bay. Outdoor hale with hot tub.
Big Island of Hawaii
Day 9 OGG - KOA (Big Island) round trip booked with Hawaiian Airlines. $106 for each of us before baggage fees. Booked direct using wife's Amex Plat.
Arrived to the Big Island and rented a Toyota Prius though Budget. Paid using Hilton Aspire.
Day 9 - 15
We booked the Hilton Waikoloa Village using all Hilton points, 6 nights in total with one night free. 350,000 pts in total used, 70,000 each night. Initially the standard room redemption was for the Palace Tower Resort View - 1 King Bed and was going for ~$540 a night before taxes/fees so CPP was 0.77. We realized even before our trip that the Palace Tower and old, needed a refresh, and was terribly far from the beach and the parking lot. We asked for an upgrade when we checked in and was given the option to move to the Makai Tower - Ocean View 1 King Bed for an additional $75 per night. We promptly took this offer. This room runs ~$694 per night before taxes/fees and if I subtract the $75 per night, I calculate this to be 0.88 CPP. The Makai tower was much better, our room overlooked the ocean and part of the resort. Frankly, Palace looked like dogshit. Daily F&B credit was $18 for each person. Incidentals again went onto my Hilton Aspire.
Towards the end of our stay, we stayed at the DoubleTree Hilo using 50,000 pts. Room rate was $308 before taxes/fess. CPP was 0.61. This was on the other side of the island and very far from Hilton Waikoloa so we decided to stay overnight there after hiking Volcanoes NP instead of driving to the west side in the middle of the night.
Meals:

• Brown's Beach House - at the Fairmont Orchid
  
• Kilauea Lodge
  
• Merriman's - Big Island
  

Experiences: Kauna'oa Beach, Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing (this is a must!!), Captain Cook monument snorkeling, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National historical park, Punalu-u Black Sand Beach, Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls.
Trip home: OGG - LAX - IAD. United, First Class One way.

• Used 220,000 Chase UR rewards to redeem this flight for the both of us. Cash price of each ticket was ~$1485 before taxes/fess. CPP was 1.35
• Service was fine, food in 1st class was not very memorable.
• Did not have time to get into the Centurion lounge at LAX

Overall, an EXCELLENT trip. We were amazed and thrilled to do so much in two weeks and in such short notice. Again, only two months to plan once our dates were finalized. Between my wife and I, we have the Amex Plat and Gold, Hilton Honors and Aspire, and CFU, CSP. Each card strategically used during our trip. The FHR credit triggered for my wife, and my Aspire triggered the $250 resort credit. If I had to guess, we saved ~$15,000 or more by redeeming CC points. Hope this data point helps some of you trip planning, happy to answer any questions.

How cant shit fucks like fucking adin Ross and Andrew rate fuck heads manage to get fucking girlfriends but losers like me can’t even get a second date. I get fucking ghosted, left on read, hurt buy everyone who I talk to. The only girl I ever loved left me for no reason. I’ve got plenty of friends, guys and girls, I try to be nice and respectful, but I get nothing. I’m just a fucking loser, I must be ugly or something, I feel fucking worthless, Ive watched all of my friends pick up girls and get countless girlfriends over nearly a decade now, but me, I can’t say anything for shit, and the girls I have been with always LEAVE ME, never the other way around. The only girl I dumped was because I found out she was going to dump my sorry ass. I’ve met one chick off a dating app (I’ve used many on and off for years) and we had an amazing first date, only for her to entirely ghost me before the second date. I miss love so much, I’m such a hopeless romantic, and nobody wants me. I can’t stand seeing all my friends with their happy romances and that makes me feel like such a piece of shit, so I do nothing but sit there and tear myself apart inside. People say I’m a good person but I don’t believe it anymore. I want to give up on love entirely, but I’m so sad and alone that I won’t. I’m literally about to text that ex again because I’m so fucking worthless and have no fucking self respect or esteem. This has literally destroyed me. My mental health is already awful due to other bullshit and stress. She was the last time I was truly happy.

Kerillian has long been my least favorite set of careers and least favorite character. Cruel and indifferent to the others, dismissive of their deaths, and insulting to their gods, almost entirely unprovoked. It never seemed to be for laughs either, like Saltzpyre’s bigotry, just genuinely mean spirited. After the SotT release she became even worse, and I thought “guys just ditch her after missions, this chick is total poison”.
Within the last year though, it feels like there’s been a slight change. It’s like the End Times are becoming “real” for her and put an end to her snarky teenager phase. An immortal who has to grow after realizing her life does in fact have an end. It’s becoming less of an angsty cynical “nothing matters” attitude and more “I’m about to lose literally everything”.
Her forest and her gods have tricked her, and turned her into a tool. She confesses as much to Bardin of all people. Her lines about human captives have become Much more sympathetic, and not in a backhanded way. Be’lakor revealed her intense guilt over the human deaths brought about by her mistakes. She admires Kruber’s brutish bravery and indifference towards personal sacrifice. Sienna “gets” her. She understands Bardin’s value as a friend who knows what it’s like to be an elder race among humans. She even begrudgingly accepts that Saltzpyre’s god might be valid and his zealotry isn’t misplaced.
The layer of sarcasm and obnoxious personality traits are fading away like old paint. She does her best to keep up appearances, but the warmth has become much more clear. I’m so glad this character has grown so much after nearly a decade, after the end she might actually be missed, and she won’t perish alone and misunderstood.

We are arriving in Denpasar and will travel around the island for 10 days. I'd like to rent a scooter from a place near the airport so we can get on our way. Do I need to reserve a scooter online ahead of time? Are there rental shops you recommend? Other tips?

hi so i’ve had like 3 jobs within this year so far but things keep on happening where i can’t keep them, i lost my job at panera because i had to call off and i didn’t give enough time (i know this is mostly my fault), i quit at mcdonald’s because a 30 yr old man said he’d get me a job at panda which pays more if i gave him my number so i did then he told me he has a crush on me and i’m so beautiful and when i said i’m 16 he said he’ll wait for me to be legal but he likes me a lot and this was after a girl in my town got killed by a coworker she rejected so i got scared and left, then at chick-fil-a they said i wasn’t happy enough or fast enough to be there and they gave me two weeks to improve but i got hit w anxiety and i quit before they could fire me then i got a job at dunkin and it was finally going well until i asked to transfer to a store closer to mine and suddenly my managers got mad and said they won’t transfer me because they don’t give me hours because i roll my eyes at them and i don’t have a sense of urgency then i was like ok should i quit and one said no and the other said if that’s what i want, i told my mom and she said i need to stick it through because i always run from my problems so i stuffed my ego and stayed (i tried telling them i don’t roll my eyes and i get everybting im suppose to do in my role but they kept on saying they see a problem so it’s a problem) i decide to stick through and everybting got better i later asked my manager if i still need to improve anyhting and she said nope i’ve fixed everything and she’ll give me all the hours i want (the other manager coming at me with her that time was later fired for having someone behind the counter) and everyhting was jolly before she started hiring a ton of new employees and so she over scheduled this sunday so i told her i could take off if she needed me to and she said no she doesn’t need me to then the next morning she texts me i don’t need to come in and to enjoy my day off and i asked her if it was due to high labor or something else and she said it was due to high labor and i thanked her and that was that then the next weeks schedule came out and i saw i’m only scheduled 5 hrs (i’m suppose to have 15) and all the new employees have way more hrs then me and i have the lowest hrs significantly in the whole employee list i asked her why i only have 5 hrs and she never answered me, i’m thinking is there something so wrong with me no one wants me and i’ve tried everything to fix myself to be liked by people and companies but i’m always in this situation and it’s scaring me bc it’s showing me i’m not capable or something but i need money to get through college now (i bought my first car with all the money i have made previously) advice would be GREATLY appreciated and my parents don’t help they just say i don’t know to anything regarding any advice i need in life and dismiss me and talk about their life together excluding me. Thank you for listening to me. Please help. -i have illness anxiety -i have anxiety -i’m adopted -i have hidden childhood trauma -i don’t do drugs or alcohol -i’m mostly an A’s or B’s student -i hope this information might help a little

Hello! My friends and I are looking for a 5th roommate in a 5 bed, 2 bath apartment near Chick-fil-a. The lease is from September 1st to August 31st. Rent would be $790 per person plus utilities. We are looking for someone who likes to keep things clean, has no pets, is open to communication, and is organized. Please DM me if interested! We are all girls, so we are looking for a 5th girl as well.

Wait does chick fil a hire at 15 in NY? I just got rejected at an NJ chick fil a bc i was 15, but I can't find any proper stuff saying if i can or cant

Hi! I'm a new college graduate moving in from the east coast for my first job here. Me and my dad just landed and for the past few days we have been driving around touring a few apartments in the area and narrowed it down to 3 areas we liked, but I thought it'd be best to ask some locals about the areas.
I read tons of posts of this nature from the past year or so and gathered a lot of info, so I'd like to ask some questions I couldn't find online. Apologies if I do not know the names of places.
First of all, my office is near the airport, with a hybrid work policy for now, but I may have to return to the office daily in the future. I am looking to live alone in a 1B1B and not studio, since I need a working area, and want to try living alone. My budget is max $2600 but prefer to stay lower.

1. I am interested in an apartment on Boynton Avenue in the Northlake area. I could not find ANY comments about this area other than this one comment from 6 months ago citing "very skeevy neighbors". I liked the apartment very much, while old it looked very nice and peaceful. I was wondering if anyone else has comments about this area?
   
2. Japantown is also great. I would love to be able to walk to things to do. The apartment complexes are a little out of my budget, but I am scheduling to visit some listings off of craigslist. I know noise is an issue and potentially safety, but I wanted to ask for specifics. As I am working from home some days, is living anywhere in that area an issue with the train noises? How far would you say the "noise radius" goes? Side note, I also lived in an apartment next to train tracks right before moving here, but since it only ran rarely during the day I didn't mind that much... Also, some of the complexes had a lot of bad reviews about car theft, while most people talking about it in this sub says the area is relatively safe; I am purchasing a new vehicle and I was wondering if this is a significant worry if I decide to live in an apartment without gated parking/garage.
   
3. Finally, I considered living in Santa Clara since it is still not far from my office. Pros being more safety and better utilities and cons being price and apparently not much to do? I only toured one apartment in the area being Bella Vista apartments, and the ones available were reaching my budget limit. I guess I don't really have a question for this area, but I wanted to make this post first to gather opinions on the first two areas. If those don't seem like a good fit for me I will expand my search in this area.
   

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and respond to this long post. Hope you have a great day :)

I always try and get local donuts whenever I visit a place. But don't see any places but near the airport.

Hello all. Any comments on this busy itinerary appreciated.
Active family of 5 ages 17 to 55 with our own rental vehicle. We like to hike and be active. We will likely not get back to Ireland again. I realize this is a busy schedule with several packed days. Any comments appreciated. We usually like a day or two at the end so we don't get home exhausted.
July 15 arrive Dublin from US at 10:30am Drive to Killarney.....May stop at Waterford Crystal and Blarney Castle. Yes we will be tired. 3 nights in Killarney lodging
July 16 and 17 Killarney area July 16 Killarney National Park, Possible trip to Dingle, catch up on sleep July 17 Ring of Kerry and skellig ring
July 18 Leave early towards the Cliffs of Moher 2 hours at Cliffs of Moher Drive to Galway and stay near there for the night
July 19 Ferry from Rosaveel to Inishmore Aran Island Spent 3-5 hours on the island; rent bikes Drive to somewhere near Clifden for the night
July 20 Enjoy Connemara area; possibly 4 hour hike Drive to Westport and lodge for the night
July 21 Enjoy Achill Island for first 2/3 of the day Drive 4 hours to Derry for nights lodging
July 22 Big day but think can do it Start at 7:30 am with drive to Giants Causeway 1.5 hours at Causeway Drive 1.5 hours to Belfast 1.5 hours at Titanic Museum Drive 2.25 hours to Dublin Lodging 3 nights in Dublin
July 23 and 24 in Dublin near downtown Take in sights, possible day trip to Kilkenny or Wicklow moutains The Book of Kells, Trinity College, EPIC museum, St Stephen's Green Relax for a moment or two
July 25 Leave Dublin airport
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What would you add or subtract or make sure you see in some of the locations above?
If u/scorchio77 has any comments too. I would welcome them.
Thank you kindly in advance!!
Have a great day!

hey everyone! i’m currently planning a trip for my partner and me between mid-end october this year. we'll be flying into Rome and out of Florence. would appreciate some feedback/ideas on our itinerary.
we love history, nature, good food (doesn't have to be fancy - more hearty/homely). we do like wine, but not incredibly well-versed or picky. hit us up too if you have some recommendations for amazing bookstores or libraries in the places we're headed to - Rome, CT, Florence, Tuscany (Val D'Orcia). itinerary below, with some open-ended stuff in italics. thanks so much!
Rome [staying near Vatican museums]
day 1: arrive in Rome @ 0830, leave bags at AirBnB near the Vatican museums. free day to explore (maybe visit the Appian way? or anywhere that we could walk/cycle around to take in the city; some greenery would be nice!)
day 2: early access tour at Vatican with breakfast, explore St Peter’s Square/Basilica in the afternoon/evening
day 3: find an English mass/LTM, visit the Colosseum/Roman Forum
Cinque Terre [staying in Vernazza]
day 4: early train to La Spezia/CT, check in at AirBnB at Vernazza, explore the town for the rest of the day
day 5: early Monterosso<>Vernazza hike, wine tasting/vineyard tour in the afternoon evening (recommendations welcome!)
day 6: pesto making at Nessun Dorma, explore the other towns/more hiking for the rest of the day
Florence [staying near Arcetri]
day 7: train to Florence; explore the rest of the afternoon/evening and catch the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
day 8: Duomo in the morning, Uffizi in the afternoon; dinner @ La Giostra (booked, but open to other recommendations too!)
day 9: free morning (maybe visit the Central Market, Galileo Museum?); pasta making class in the afternoon/evening
day 10: find an English mass (Santi Apostoli?), visit Gallerie dell'Accademia?
Tuscany [staying in Val D'orcia]
day 11: pick up car from Florence airport, drive either to Chianti, Sam Gim or Siena for a short visit before driving down to farmhouse near Pienza to check in
day 12-14: driving around Val D'orcia, we plan to visit Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza for visiting cellars, hiking/cycling around, just enjoying the countryside and nature
day 15: drive to Arezzo/Cortona on the way back to Florence; drop off car at Florence airport at 4.30pm (flight's at 6.50pm)
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some questions/recommendations needed:
- is the Colosseum worth the trouble of getting a ticket, or would it suffice to appreciate it from the outside?
- understand that mid-Oct might not be great for swimming in CT - however would it be suitable weather to grab a mat and sit by the water for a picnic and reading?
- we're not huge art nerds but can appreciate the historical context - would you recommend to visit both the Uffizi and Gallerie dell'Accademia in Florence, or other museums like the Galileo Museum for a different experience?
- which routes are best to drive from Florence to Val D'orcia? we're not fussy about which towns to stop over both from/to the Florence airport - just that we only have one driver and would like to minimise too many detours! (we also don't feel the need to visit all the towns in Tuscany)
- any good hiking/cycling recommendations in Val D'orcia?